Britain's prime ministerial candidate Rishi Sunak has said he wants to change the UK-India relationship to make it a more two-way exchange that opens up easy access to UK students and companies in India.
Addressing a gathering of British Indian Conservative Party members who are voting in the election to choose between him and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the 42-year-old UK-born Indian-origin Tory MP for Richmond in Yorkshire vowed to get the country through the difficult times of inflation and build a better, safer Britain.
Rishi Sunak
A majority in the cheering crowd were categorical that Sunak's Indian heritage and ethnic minority background had no part to play in the contest to succeed Boris Johnson as the Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister.
"This country is not racist. For Rishi to reach this stage, it proves that merit is valued," said Lord Dolar Popat, a veteran Tory peer.
During the campaign hustings event hosted by the Conservative Friends of India (CFIN) diaspora organisation in north London on Monday evening, the former Chancellor greeted the gathering with a mix of traditional greetings such as namaste, salaam, khem cho and kidda and even broke into Hindi: aap sab mere parivar ho (you all are my family)".
We know the UK-India relationship is important. We represent the living bridge between our two countries, he said, in response to a question about bilateral ties from CFIN co-chair Reena Ranger.
We are all very aware of the opportunity for the UK to sell things and do things in India, but actually, we need to look at that relationship differently because there is an enormous amount that we here in the UK can learn from India.
I want to make sure that it's easy for our students to also travel to India and learn, that it's also easy for our companies and Indian companies to work together because it's not just a one-way relationship, it's a two-way relationship, and that's the type of change I want to bring to that relationship, he said.
On China, the former minister reiterated his stand on the need to be very robust in defending the UK against Beijing's aggressiveness.
China and the Chinese Communist Party represent the biggest threat to our economy and thereby national security that this country has faced in a long time and we need to be alive to that, he said.
Be in no doubt, as your Prime Minister I will do whatever it takes to keep you, your families and our country safe because that's the first duty of a Conservative Prime Minister, he said.
After a grand entry at the Dhamecha Lohana Centre in Harrow to dhol beats and loud cheers, the former minister spoke briefly and then spent hours interacting with hundreds of Tory members who queued up to shake hands with him.
He was showered with blessings by the elderly in the crowd, patted on the back by others and eight-year-old Tanish Sahu got a special picture as Sunak carried him in his arms.
Amita Mishra, Trustee of Shree Jagannatha Society UK, handed over a set of gold-plated deities all the way from India.
We are working on creating a Jagannath Temple in London and this gift is a special blessing all the way from India, said Mishra, who was accompanied by a pandit who performed a victory shloka from the Bhagavad Gita' as the deities were handed over to Sunak on stage.
In complete contrast, a British Sikh Tory member in the crowd waited hours to get a special bottle of Jack Daniels whisky signed by Sunak despite both him and the former Chancellor being teetotalers.
"I don't drink but this is a special gift I received on my birthday and now with this signature, it has become historic," he said
In this gathering, Sunak's self-proclaimed underdog status as the candidate trailing in all the polls seemed irrelevant as he glided through the crowds rockstar-like and responded to comments of see you at No. 10 Downing Street with an emphatic: "That's the plan, I'm giving it everything I got."
The majority in the room admitted they had already cast their online ballots in favour of Sunak and had come along to this latest hustings just to hear him out one more time.
One sceptical British Indian investment banker said he was still undecided as he did not entirely favour Sunak's handling of the Bounce Back Loan scheme introduced in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdowns, which have been "abused" by many. But even he admitted that his vote might go to Sunak in the end as he wasn't entirely convinced by leadership rival Truss.
On the key dividing line in the leadership contest between the two finalists, Sunak reiterated that his opponent's plan would end up in a moral failure of a Conservative government to let struggling households fall into destitution over the tough autumn and winter months of spiralling energy costs ahead.
TWO documentaries on the July 2024 pro-democracy protests in Bangladesh were screened at the House of Commons on 20 May. The event was hosted by Apsana Begum MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Bangladesh, at Portcullis House.
The screening featured the international premiere of Deepak Kumar Goswami Speaking, a 21-minute film narrated by a member of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority. It covers the student-led protests and subsequent state crackdown, also examining global financial systems linked to authoritarian regimes.
“This story is not just about one country. It’s about the global systems that allow authoritarian regimes to suppress dissent, launder wealth, and manipulate international opinion — and what happens when those systems begin to unravel,” said director Deepak Kumar Goswami.
An excerpt from July Women was also shown, presenting first-hand testimonies from two women involved in the protests.
The panel discussion, chaired by Apsana Begum MP, included photographer Shahidul Alam, writer Farrukh Dhondy, protest participant Nowshin Noor, and anthropologist Professor Nayanika Mookherjee.
The event follows a UN OHCHR report that found credible evidence of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and torture during the 2024 protests under the former Awami League government.
“These films are more than documentation. By giving these voices a platform, we reaffirm the need for a worldwide commitment to human rights, democracy, and justice globally. The world must stand with the people of Bangladesh as they navigate the path to accountability and true democratic reform,” said Apsana Begum MP.
CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves arrived in Banff, Canada, on Monday for a two-day G7 summit with finance ministers from leading democracies. Reeves is expected to focus on the UK’s recent trade deals and economic performance.
She said, “This Government is laser-focused on delivering for the British people. That’s why in the past two weeks we have struck three major deals with the US, EU and India that will kickstart economic growth and put more money in people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change.”
The UK recently signed agreements with the US, EU and India. The deal with the EU is expected to add nearly £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040.
The India trade agreement is projected to increase GDP by £4.8 billion and wages by £2.2 bn annually in the long run. A separate agreement with the US includes tariff cuts and protections for British businesses.
Reeves is expected to meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent and Canadian finance minister François-Philippe Champagne during the summit. She will also hold discussions on Ukraine with Ukrainian finance minister Sergii Marchenko.
The chancellor will reiterate UK support for Ukraine and highlight the latest UK sanctions on Russia’s oil exports.
She will also outline steps taken by the UK government to reduce interest rates and provide economic stability.
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The rise in lion numbers is being viewed as a major success for India’s conservation programme
The population of Asiatic lions in Gujarat has increased significantly, rising from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025, according to the latest census results announced by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday.
The figures were gathered during the 16th Asiatic lion census, which was carried out over four days from 10 to 13 May across 11 districts in the state. This marks a notable rise of over 32 per cent in the number of lions over the past five years.
The large-scale survey covered an estimated 35,000 square kilometres and involved around 3,000 personnel, including regional, zonal, and sub-zonal officers, enumerators, assistant enumerators and inspectors. The team conducted a preliminary count on 10 and 11 May, followed by the final phase on 12 and 13 May.
The census was conducted across 58 talukas, including the districts of Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar and Botad.
Asiatic lions, a distinct sub-species of lions, are exclusively found in Gujarat, primarily in and around the Gir National Park. The region is globally recognised as the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion, and conservation efforts in the state have been instrumental in helping the species recover from the brink of extinction.
The rise in lion numbers is being viewed as a major success for India’s conservation programme, with authorities crediting effective wildlife management and local community involvement for the growing population.
The 2020 census had also shown an increase, with the population then having risen from 523 in 2015 to 674. With the current count at 891, Gujarat continues to be the stronghold for the world’s only wild population of Asiatic lions.
(PTI)
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Keir Starmer gestures during a reception in Downing Street, central London. (Photo by HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer on Wednesday (21) signalled he was open to reversing a widely criticised cut in winter fuel payments to the elderly, weeks after a bruising set of local election results for his Labour party.
Starmer told parliament he recognised that older people were still feeling the pressure of a cost-of-living crisis and he wanted to ensure that more pensioners become eligible for winter fuel payments.
"As the economy improves, we want to take measures that will impact on people's lives, and therefore we will look at the (winter payment) threshold, but that will have to be part of a fiscal event," he said, referring to a budget expected in October.
Starmer's Labour government announced the cut soon after taking office last July as part of wider spending reductions which it said were necessary to fix a hole in the public finances left by the previous Tory administration.
The cuts were cited as one factor in Labour losing ground to Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party in local elections earlier this month. Reform also leads in opinion polls.
The payments, worth £200-£300, subsidise winter heating bills for millions of older people.
Offering them to more pensioners by adjusting the threshold at which people receive them will be viewed as an embarrassing U-turn for Starmer, who had refused to back down on the issue despite opposition from dozens of Labour lawmakers as well as trade unions close to the party.
Government ministers had argued that many of the fuel payments were received by wealthy people who did not need the help.
Media reports in recent weeks have said the government was considering reversing the cuts following the poor local election results.
An urgent warning has been issued across parts of the UK following a rise in sightings of adders, the country’s only native venomous snake. The public is being advised to remain alert, particularly in areas where the snakes are known to reside, including London.
The increase in sightings in 2025 has been noted in regions such as southern England, Cornwall and Wales. In response, local police forces and wildlife organisations have issued statements urging caution, especially when walking in areas with tall grass or natural habitats.
The adder, also known as the common European viper, has long been part of Britain’s wildlife and is not a new arrival. These snakes are typically elusive and tend to avoid human contact, but they are venomous and may bite if provoked or startled.
According to The Wildlife Trust, “The adder is the UK’s only venomous snake but its venom is generally of little danger to humans. An adder bite can be painful and cause inflammation, but is really only dangerous to the very young, ill or old.”
Although fatalities are extremely rare, medical attention is advised in the event of a bite. Adders are most commonly active during warmer months and are often seen basking in sunlight in open areas such as grassy fields or heathland.
Dog owners are also being urged to take precautions, as adders may pose a risk to pets. While the snakes do not typically approach animals, they may bite if surprised. It is recommended to keep dogs on a lead in areas where adders may be present and to avoid letting them roam into undergrowth or long grass.
London is not exempt from this warning. A study conducted by English Nature for the London Biodiversity Partnership’s Reptiles Species Action Plan confirmed the presence of adders within Greater London. Although the population in the capital is relatively small, sightings have been reported in woodland edges, grasslands, heathlands, and some brownfield sites—habitats where the snakes hunt their preferred rodent prey.
While it is unlikely that adders will be found in urban gardens, they may be spotted in larger parks or natural reserves. Londoners are advised to remain cautious while enjoying outdoor spaces and to avoid disturbing wildlife.
Adders can live up to 15 years and grow up to 80 centimetres in length. They are protected under UK law, making it illegal to kill, harm or sell them.