Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Britain may join the Quad forum to counter China

BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson may consider joining the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue(Quad) informal alliance when he visits India, reported The Times.

The strategic Quad forum consists of the US, India, Japan and Australia, and was formed to strengthen alliances to counter China.


According to reports, US president Biden is seeking to recruit more members to the forum.

UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab, during a trip to India last month, said that Britain had not ruled out joining the alliance.

Johnson is expected to travel to India as soon as conditions allow.

He plans to build on an invitation to India, Australia and South Korea to attend the G7 in June for discussion on formalising an expanded so-called D10 group of democracies, which is also aimed at countering Chinese expansionism, the report said.

The D10 proposal won the endorsement of Kurt Campbell, Biden’s new 'Asia tsar', who also opened the door to expanding the Quad to counter Chinese military adventurism in the South China Sea and beyond.

While Britain is keen to forge a common western position on China’s human rights abuses, it is uncertain if Britain’s overstretched military can take on significant duties in the Indo-Pacific region, The Times report pointed out.

The Royal Navy is planning to send its biggest flotilla of warships to Asia next year. But even with two aircraft carriers once HMS Prince of Wales becomes operational in 2023, it will not have the capacity for a permanent presence.

More For You

Badenoch proposes stricter citizenship rules for all migrants

Kemi Badenoch delivers speech on January 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Badenoch proposes stricter citizenship rules for all migrants

CONSERVATIVE PARTY on Thursday (6) proposed a clampdown on all migrants by tightening citizenship rules and barring social benefit claimants from residency rights.

Kemi Badenoch, who took over from Rishi Sunak in November last year, outlined her first major policy agenda as Tory leader in a move seen as an attempt to win back the support of Conservative voters drawn to the far-right anti-immigrant Reform party.

Keep ReadingShow less
New body led by Sir Sajid Javid aims to amplify ‘unheard’ voices
Sajid Javid

New body led by Sir Sajid Javid aims to amplify ‘unheard’ voices

A NEW independent commission to improve cohesion would engage across all nations and regions of the UK by moving beyond Westminster-centric discussions and include more diverse voices, the director of British Future thinktank has said.

Sunder Katwala said building confidence across different groups will be a priority, as economic pressures and tensions due to Middle East conflict have polarised communities in the UK.

Keep ReadingShow less
Yarl’s-Wood-detention-centre-Getty

In 2018, she was detained at Yarl’s Wood detention centre after being told she would be deported. (Photo: Getty Images)

Court awards £100,000 to Pakistani asylum seeker over unlawful detention

A PAKISTANI asylum seeker has been awarded nearly £100,000 after a UK court ruled that she was unlawfully detained and subjected to breaches of her rights by the Home Office.

Nadra Almas, who arrived in the UK on a student visa in 2004, overstayed after her visa expired. She argued that returning to Pakistan would put her at risk as a Christian.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan court gives unusual punishment to Youtuber Rajab Butt for owning lion cub

Pakistani zookeeper Mohammad Amir holds the confiscated lion cub at Lahore’s safari zoo last Tuesday (28)

Pakistan court gives unusual punishment to Youtuber Rajab Butt for owning lion cub

A PAKISTANI YouTube star who was gifted a lion cub on his wedding day avoided jail after promising a judge to upload animal rights videos for a year.

Rajab Butt has one of the largest online followings in south Asia, and his week-long nuptials in December were plastered over celebrity gossip websites.

Keep ReadingShow less
Theft and violence in retail shops hit record high in 2024

The Labour government has pledged to address the rise in retail crime through stronger measures to tackle shoplifting and anti-social behaviour

iStock

Theft and violence in retail shops hit record high in 2024

THEFT and violence against retail workers in Britain soared to record levels last year, driven partly by criminal gangs, and are “out of control”, according to a report last Thursday (30).

The British Retail Consortium's annual crime survey found that more than 20 million thefts occurred in the year to August 31, 2024 – an average of 55,000 a day – costing retailers £2.2 billion.

Keep ReadingShow less