British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak survived a rebellion within his party over his signature immigration policy. The plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda has cost millions — and so far been an abject failure. British lawmakers have voted in favor of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda — a policy that was seen as term-defining for Sunak's embattled government. Members of Parliament voted 313 to 269 in favor of the bill, sending it on for further scrutiny. "The British people should decide who gets to come to this country — not criminal gangs or foreign courts," Sunak said on social media after the controversial bill passed. Despite the large majority held by Sunak's Conservatives, the plan that envisages sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda was opposed not only by the opposition but also by dozens of hard-liners within his own party. Britain's climate minister, Graham Stuart, was even recalled to London from the COP28 summit in Dubai to ensure his vote. The importance Sunak has attached to the policy could mean that its failure would bring about his downfall. What did Sunak and his government say? Ahead of the vote, Sunak took to social media to urge lawmakers to support what he called "the toughest ever anti-illegal immigration legislation." "This bill will allow us to control who comes into this country — not criminal gangs or foreign courts," he wrote. "To stop the boats, we need to back this bill." "Stop the boats" — referring to the vessels carrying migrants attempting to cross the Channel to Britain from the European mainland — has been a frequent rallying cry by the Conservative government in recent years. More than 29,000 people have made the crossing this year, down from 46,000 in all of 2022. The British premier also invited more than a dozen hard-line Conservative opponents of the plan to a breakfast meeting in his official residence at 10 Downing Street. The newly-appointed minister for illegal migration, Michael Tomlinson, asserted that the bill would "get through tonight," while saying he would "engage constructively" with critical lawmakers over their concerns about the policy. What did critics of the plan say? Conservative hard-liners say the Rwanda policy does not ensure that people who arrive in the UK without permission can be deported, as it would allow them to challenge their expulsion in both UK courts and at the European Court of Human Rights. Human rights groups, on the other hand, say not only that the plan is unworkable but that it is unethical to send asylum-seekers to a country more than 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) away without allowing them to ever return to the UK. In addition, the Supreme Court, in a ruling last month, said that Rwanda cannot be considered a safe country to send migrants, declaring the plan illegal. Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, called the plan an "outrageous attack on the very concept of universal human rights." Sunak says approval in Tuesday's vote in the House of Commons, the lower house of parliament, will revive the plan in a new guise that addresses the court's concerns as The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill 2023. What does the plan involve? The plan has drawn parallels with Australia's highly controversial system of offshore processing, which has been slammed by human rights bodies around the world. Under the policy, hundreds of asylum-seekers from the UK would be sent to the East African country for processing and settlement. Supporters of the idea, which has already cost the UK government 240 million British pounds (€278 million, $300 million) in payments to Rwanda, say it will deter people from making the hazardous sea journeys and put people-smuggling gangs out of business. So far, not a single person has been sent to Rwanda under the plan. As lawmakers debated the plan in Parliament, a refugee charity reported that an asylum-seeker had died on a barge housing migrants waiting for a decision on their applications. The death was seized upon by human rights groups as highlighting what they call inhumane conditions for asylum-seekers in the UK.  

British Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch will launch the 'Alive with Opportunity' campaign, which is designed to build on the UK and India’s strong bilateral relationship and boost trade and investment, during her ongoing visit to Jaipur.  According to a statement released by the UK government, the Trade Secretary, who is in India to attend G20 trade ministers, will launch the campaign during her three-day visit to India. This campaign aims to stimulate interest and demand for British goods and services and attract new Indian inward investment. After attending the G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Jaipur, she will fly to New Delhi for a parallel business-focused Business 20 summit, in addition to meetings with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and the Tata Group Chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran. Before departing for India, Badenoch said, “I’m delighted to be returning to India to support their G20 Presidency, further our trade talks and meet key business leaders. The UK and India have a thriving relationship and we both share an ambition to deepen our cultural and trading ties." “India is the UK’s second biggest source of investment projects and I’m confident this new campaign will help boost interest in and demand for UK goods and services even further," she added.  Further, as per the statement, the UK government will launch 'Alive with Opportunity', a 1.5 million pound marketing campaign designed to build on the UK and India’s strong and enduring relationship, boost trade and investment, and promote the powerful cultural links between the two countries. "New Department for Business and Trade (DBT) data shows India is the UK’s 2nd largest source of investment projects, with 118 new projects in the last financial year creating 8,384 new jobs," the statement read.  "More than 900 Indian businesses operate in the UK, and more than 600 UK businesses are finding success in India supporting more than half a million jobs across both countries," it added.  The 'Alive with Opportunity' campaign will celebrate business, trade, cultural and sporting links between the UK and India, taking advantage of major moments such as India’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup and the England-India test series starting in January. Advertisements promoting the UK will feature across billboards, in airports and across social media channels backed by a series of targeted trade missions, promotional events and marketing activations in both countries. The campaign aims to bring to life the concept of the ‘living bridge’, a phrase popularised by Prime Minister Modi to describe the relationship between the two countries based on a continuous exchange of people, ideas and culture. Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis, in a statement released by the UK High Commission, said, “The UK-India bilateral trading relationship is already worth Rs. 3.5 lakh crores; there is high ambition on both sides to increase this significantly. From the comprehensive trade deal we are negotiating to the vibrant living bridge that spans education, culture, sports and much more besides. We are bringing our people even closer together to create prosperity and jobs for both countries; this is a partnership that is alive with opportunity.” At the G20 meet, Secretary Badenoch will pitch for greater deployment of digital trade, which will cut red tape and make it easier for UK businesses of all sizes to buy and sell internationally. During her visit to New Delhi, she will meet the leaders of some of India’s major businesses, across a range of sectors, including BP, HSBC, Vodafone, Rolls Royce and Confederation of Indian Industry on Friday. She will also hold a meeting with Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, following their announcement last month of a new 4-billion pound gigafactory in the UK. Her visit coincides with Round 12 of talks for an ambitious and comprehensive trade deal with India. She will meet with her counterpart, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, to take stock of bilateral negotiations and reach a consensus on carrying forward a deal to boost bilateral trade, which was estimated to be worth 36 billion pounds last year.

British Museum director Hartwig Fischer stepped down on Friday after numerous artifacts were stolen. A number of items in the museum's collection were reported stolen two years ago, including gems and jewelry from centuries ago. "The responsibility for that failure must ultimately rest with the director," Fischer said. Fischer is originally from Germany and was the first non-British head of the museum in more than two centuries. British Museum director Hartwig Fischer stepped down on Friday after numerous artifacts were stolen. A number of items in the museum's collection were reported stolen two years ago, including gems and jewelry from centuries ago. "The responsibility for that failure must ultimately rest with the director," Fischer said. Fischer is originally from Germany and was the first non-British head of the museum in more than two centuries. 'We are going to fix what has gone wrong' The outgoing director said lapses in museum procedures allowed the items to be taken. "Over the last few days I have been reviewing in detail the events around the thefts from the British Museum and the investigation into them," Fischer said. "It is evident that the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have to the warnings in 2021, and to the problem that has now fully emerged." The museum's board of trustees, chaired by former British finance minister George Osborne, accepted Fischer's resignation. "I am clear about this: we are going to fix what has gone wrong," Osborne said. What was stolen from the British Museum? According to the museum, the stolen items included gold, jewelry and semi-precious gems dating from the 15th century B.C. to the 19th century A.D. It previously said that the items were mostly "small pieces kept in a storeroom belonging to one of the museum's collections." None of the items had been on public display recently, and they were kept mainly for academic and research purposes, it added. London's Metropolitan Police said on Thursday it had interviewed a man in relation to the reported thefts, and the museum said it was taking legal action against the same individual. No arrests have been made. The British Museum is one of the most famous galleries in the world, but in recent years it has come under pressure to address the legacy of items that were acquired during the British Empire. Critics say some priceless artifacts in the museum's were stolen from around the world. These include some of the museum's prized exhibits, the Parthenon Marbles from Greece and the Benin Bronzes from Nigeria.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is very much looking forward to attending the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September, UK High Commissioner in India Alex Ellis said on Friday. Interacting with PTI on the sidelines of a preview of an art exhibition here, Alex Ellis said he thought it was "great" that India is in the chair of the G20. India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022. About 200 meetings under different tracks of the bloc will be hosted across the country, culminating in the September 9-10 Summit. "I think it's great, I think it's great that India is in the chair of the G20," Alex Ellis told PTI when asked about India's role as G20 chair. "Because, the world is quite divided at the moment, unfortunately, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine," he added. Praising the "vibrant" culture and diversity of India that has been attracting people from all over the world, the UK envoy, said, "India is a unique country to bring the world to it. And, India has always fascinated the rest of the world, because of this (art, culture)... because of its different shapes and styles, colours, and it attracts people". On culture being an important element of the G20, Alex Ellis said he hoped art can be replicated where G20 brings people from all over the world. As India prepares for the mega G20 Summit to be hosted at a newly-inaugurated complex at Pragati Maidan in Delhi, the UK high commissioner said, "Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is very much looking forward to coming back" to India for the Leaders Summit. The UK high commissioner earlier took a round at the art exhibition 'Cut from the Same Cloth' by Seema Kohli, hosted at the iconic Bikaner House, which will open to the public from Saturday and will be on view till August 4. On Culture Working Group meetings taking place in the run-up to the G20 summit, Alex Ellis said, "Culture can attract, it can explain, and what is also fundamental to what is to be a human being". Of many nations, and India and the UK, and all over the world, "everyone has culture and if you can find a way to connect that, you can do a great thing," he said, referring to the theme of India's presidency of the G20 -- One Earth. One Family. One Future. The UK government is looking forward to Prime Minister Sunak's visit to New Delhi in September for the G20 summit, UK's Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries, Sir John Whittingdale, had last month told PTI in Goa. He had said this after attending the G20 Tourism Ministerial meeting that had concluded on June 22. Five inter-related key priorities of the G20 tourism track, including green tourism, digitalisation and destination management, were "endorsed by all G20 countries" for achieving sustainable, resilient and inclusive growth in the sector, officials said on June 21. Whittingdale had also said that India is doing a "fantastic job" in chairing the influential bloc. At the art exhibition in Delhi, high commissioner Alex Ellis shared how art lets him understand India more. "Anyone who comes from the outside... I come from the UK, you are very curious about a new country, what is the country about. How do I understand this country. And, one way to look at a country is to look at its art. So it's fantastic to have artists who can interpret art," he said. Artists can make you look at colours and shape and form, and through that one begins to understand, he said. "Because, India is a very big, very complicated country. And, one of the pleasures is to meet the artists, and see fantastic arts, and a way which helps me understand India," the envoy added. Source: ndtv.com

Concerns over the growing influence of pro-Khalistan radicals within the British Sikh community have been raised in 'Bloom Report,' an independent report that former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson commissioned, reported Khalsa Vox. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in October 2019, appointed Colin Bloom as an Independent Faith Engagement Adviser in order to make suggestions on how the government should interact with religious organisations in England.  One of the most troubling aspects highlighted by Colin Bloom in the report is the manipulation of young, impressionable minds by Khalistani separatists. It underscores a more insidious dimension of the extremist issue: the exploitation of the innocent. It is notable to mention that attacks by the Khalistani elements on Indian missions across the world have been rising over the course of time. On March 19, earlier this year, a group of Khalistanis vandalised the High Commission and showed disrespect to the Indian National Flag in London. Such threats and attacks from pro-Khalistani elements rose after the killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Nijjar. A ‘Kill India’ rally was scheduled by Khalistani elements in Australia, UK, Canada and even in US following Nijjar's death.  However, the objectives of Bloom Report included determining what the government can do to acknowledge and support the contributions made by religious organisations within communities, the best way to remove obstacles and foster understanding between religious communities, the steps the government can take to promote shared values and combat harmful cultures and practises, and how it can promote, in addition to the freedom of religion, the values of freedom of speech, democracy, and the rule of law? The sections of the study on Khalistan radicalism in the UK have, as they should have, created a firestorm of outrage, as per Khalsa Vox. Khalsa Vox is a new-age online digest that brings to you the latest in Punjab politics, history, culture, heritage and more. The Bloom Review, an independent report commissioned by the UK government to examine how it should interact with people of faith, has been dismissed by a group of Sikh attorneys in Britain who claim it is "colonialist" since it devotes 13 pages to “faith-based extremism.” The perceived broad-brush approach of the report is the root of the problem. It is an egregious misrepresentation to say that the whole Sikh community is represented by the small percentage of Sikhs who participate in radical Khalistani activities. The vast majority of Sikhs are law-abiding, non-violent people who have little to no ties to radicalism. Even though the Bloom Report does acknowledge the majority of peaceful people, its focus on the radical minority has troubling ramifications. But the report's conclusions cannot be discounted in any manner. The problem here is that a few extreme Sikh diaspora members have come up and claimed to speak for the whole community. Given that radicals from Khalistan have committed several violent and aggressive crimes, that is both dangerous and deceptive. According to the report, violent Sikh activists have attacked several politicians, professors, and bureaucrats and have abused or threatened anybody who criticises them. The UK government's inability to distinguish between the radical objectives of the dictatorship and the mainstream Sikh populations has raised concerns in the study, according to Khalsa Vox. Here, one must ask: Is the Bloom Report entirely inaccurate? Despite its obvious flaws, it would be premature to dismiss it completely. It prompts legitimate worries about the existence of a minor but mighty extremist element inside the Sikh community, a danger that cannot be ignored. It highlights a more insidious aspect of the extremist problem: the exploitation of the innocent. In reality, this brainwashing of young Sikhs is a covert strategy to provoke them to pursue separatist goals under the pretence of preserving cultural heritage and freedom. The spread of extremist ideologies is dangerous, but so is the potential long-term harm to these young minds and the social fabric of our communities. This calls for alertness, knowledge, and—most crucially—open discussions about the intricacies of our past and the dangers of radicalization, read the report. The Bloom Report should be seen as a wake-up call. It emphasises the necessity of addressing and combating extremism in our community. Our first course of action should be to inform young people about the dangers of extremism, emphasise the values of peace and tolerance that Sikhism upholds, work with law enforcement to combat extremism, and publicly denounce extremist tendencies wherever we see them, reported Khalsa Vox. The bombing of the Kanishka flight, attacks on Indian embassies and consulates in nations like Canada, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, plans to bomb targets in London, and the plot to attack a police station in Birmingham serve as sobering reminders that the extremist problem is real and far from being insignificant. The recent comments made by Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon highlight how urgent the situation is. "People have been threatened and beaten up," he said. Such acts of intimidation and violence are intolerable. 

Foreign Minister Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen, MP congratulated Ms. Sarah Cooke on her appointment as the new British High Commissioner to Bangladesh during her maiden courtesy call on him Monday, July 10. The Foreign Minister fondly recalled his personal interactions with both Her majesty the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles on different occasions.  He also mentioned the recent visits of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to London to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The Foreign Minister recalled that the historic relationship between Bangladesh and the UK started it’s journey on 8 January 1972 when the then British Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath warmly received Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in London on the way of his return to independent Bangladesh from the captivity in Pakistan. Highlighting the spectacular socio-economic development of Bangladesh under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he termed the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the UK as rock-solid, appreciated UK’s development assistance in our developmental journey,  and noted the sharing of the same values of democracy and human rights.  He invited more investments from the UK specially in our agro-processing, renewable and clean energy, and aviation sectors and sought further cooperation from the UK in tackling climate change, and support to the Bangladesh’s candidature to IMO Secretary-General and Council member elections. The British High Commissioner highlighted that Bangladesh and UK share historic bonding, deep people-to-people contact, and uphold common values of the Commonwealth.  Referring to the frequent exchange of high-level visits, stronger cooperation in defence, aviation and climate sectors, she commented that the relations between the two countries have shifted from development assistance centric to a strategic one following Bangladesh’s rapid economic development in the recent years.  The High Commissioner acknowledged the immense contribution of large Bangladeshi diaspora in the economy and society of the UK, role of Bangladesh-origin British Parliamentarians and informed that British investors are looking forward to suitable projects for investment in Bangladesh.  She assured of continued humanitarian and political support of the UK government to the Rohingya crisis and expedited visa issuance particularly for the students. The British High Commissioner expressed that the upcoming general elections in Bangladesh would be free, fair, peaceful and participatory.  Foreign Minister welcomed foreign observers during the upcoming general elections and underlined the need of all political parties’ commitment for free, fair and peaceful general elections.

The Oscar winning actress turned politician "died peacefully" at her London home following a brief illness, according to her agent. The British Academy Award winning actress and former lawmaker Glenda Jackson has died at the age of 87, her agent said on Thursday. She "died peacefully at her home in Blackheath London this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side," agent Lionel Larner told the PA news agency. "She recently completed filming 'The Great Escaper' in which she co-starred with Michael Caine," Larner said. Winner of two Academy Awards Jackson was considered to be one of the biggest British film stars in the 1960s and 70s, winning two Academy Awards for "Women in Love" and "A Touch of Class." Following her success in film, Jackson ventured into politics and went on to be elected to Parliament, serving 23 years as a Labour MP. Jackson served as a minister for transport in Prime Minister Tony Blair's first government in 1997 and would butt heads with him over the 2003 invasion of Iraq.  "The victims will be as they always are, women, children, the elderly," she told the Associated Press before the invasion. Jackson returned to acting after leaving Parliament in 2015, appearing in Shakespeare's "King Lear" on Broadway, among other roles up until her passing.

The renowned author had been suffering from cancer of the esophagus and died at his home in Florida. Celebrated British novelist Martin Amis died at his Florida home at the age of 73 on Friday. His passing was confirmed by his publisher Penguin Books in a post on Twitter on Saturday. "We are devastated at the death of our author and friend, Martin Amis. Our thoughts are with all his family and loved ones, especially his children and wife Isabel. He leaves a towering legacy and an indelible mark on the British cultural landscape, and will be missed enormously," Penguin Books UK said. Amis' battle with esophageal cancer The New York Times earlier reported on the novelist's passing at his home in Lake Worth, Florida, quoting his wife, Isabel Fonseca, as saying that he succumbed to cancer of the esophagus. Amis was the author of 14 novels, with some of his best-known works being "Money," "The Information" and "London Fields," along with his 2000 memoir, "Experience." His first book, "The Rachel Papers" was published when he was 23. Amis rose to prominence during the mid-1980s and 1990s and is considered to have redefined British fiction. His literary contemporaries at the time included his closest friend — the late Christopher Hitchens, Ian McEwan and Salman Rushdie. In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Amis said, "We read literature to have a good time. Not an easy time, necessarily, but not a hard time and not a bad time." Amis is survived by his wife Isabel Fonseca and their two daughters, along with three children from a previous marriage.

Sarah Cooke has been appointed new British High Commissioner to Bangladesh in succession to Robert Chatterton Dickson. Cooke will take up her appointment during April or May 2023, according to a press release of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Sarah Catherine Cooke is now head of South East Asia Department of FCDO where she has been working since 2020. She was British High Commissioner to Dar es Salaam, head of the Department of International Development in Bangladesh (DFID); DFID Head of Growth and Resilience Department. She also worked in different capacities in UK Foreign and Commonwealth, DFID, Ministries of trade and commerce in the UK, Guyana, Solomon Islands. Sarah Cooke also worked as economic consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Source: The daily star

Indirectly supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday distanced himself from the controversial BBC documentary series, saying he "doesn't agree with the characterization" of his Indian counterpart. Sunka snubbed Pakistan-origin British MP Imran Hussain in the British Parliament for bringing up the issue of a controversial BBC documentary series against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The UK government's position on this has been clear and long-standing and hasn't changed, of course, we don't tolerate persecution where it appears anywhere but I am not sure I agree at all with the characterization that the honourable gentleman has put forward to," Sunak said while responding to Hussain's question on the BBC report. UK's National broadcaster BBC aired a two-part series attacking PM Narendra Modi's tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister during the Gujarat riots of 2002. The documentary sparked outrage and was removed from select platforms. Prominent Indian-origin UK citizens condemned the series. Prominent UK Citizen Lord Rami Ranger said the "BBC caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians." Condemning the biased reporting of BBC, Rami tweeted, "@BBCNews You have caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians It insults a democratically elected@PMOIndia Indian Police & the Indianjudiciary. We condemn the riots and loss of life & also condemn your biased reporting." Ministry of External Affairs also reacted to the BBC report and said that this is a completely biased copy. While addressing a weekly briefing in New Delhi, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We think this is a propaganda piece. This has no objectivity. This is biased. Do note that this hasn't been screened in India. We don't want to answer more on this so that this doesn't get much dignity." He even raised questions on "the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it." "The documentary is a reflection of the agency and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. It makes us wonder about the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it; frankly, we do wish to dignify these efforts," he added. Referring to apparent remarks made by former UK Secretary Jack Straw in the documentary series, Bagchi said "He (Jack Straw) seems to be referring to some internal UK report. How do I have access to that? It's a 20-year-old report. Why would we jump on it now? Just because Jack says it how do they lend it that much legitimacy." "I heard words like inquiry and investigations. There is a reason why we use the colonial mindset. We don't use words loosely. What inquiry they were diplomats there...investigation, are they ruling the country? Bagchi asked.  Source: ANI