Labour councillor 'disappointed and alarmed' at Starmer's Middle East comments
Starmer told LBC last Wednesday (11) that Israel “does have that right� to withhold power and water from Palestinian civilians
By Sarwar AlamOct 19, 2023
A FORMER Labour councillor has told Eastern Eye he decided to quit the party over leader Sir Keir Starmer’s “grotesque” comments over the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Gaza-based Hamas fighters broke through Israel’s heavily fortified border on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians.
Amar Latif
Israel responded by ordering a “complete siege”, of Gaza, cutting off food, electricity, fuel and water supplies.
Starmer told LBC last Wednesday (11) that Israel “does have that right” to withhold power and water from Palestinian civilians, but added that “everything should be done within international law”.
A group of independent United Nations experts last Thursday (12) condemned violence against civilians in Israel and deplored the “collective punishment” of reprisal strikes against Gaza, adding it was “absolutely prohibited under international law and amounts to a war crime”.
Oxford City councillor, Amar Latif, told Eastern Eye that Sir Keir, as a former humanitarian lawyer, will know that Israel’s actions are a “clear contravention” of the Geneva Convention.
“I felt deeply disappointed and alarmed that the Labour Party might take a position where they’re trying to justify collective punishment,” Latif said.
“Like all decent-minded people, we are devastated by the atrocities carried out by Hamas in Israel. But we don’t feel that collective punishment is justified and that seems to be the view of the national Labour leadership.
“We are appalled by the words of Keir Starmer,” he said.
Shaista Aziz
Several Labour members have resigned over Sir Keir’s comments, including Latif’s fellow Labour councillor for Oxford City, Shaista Aziz, Stroud councillor Jessie Hoskin and Amna Abdullatif, the first Arab Muslim woman elected to Manchester city council.
Lubaba Khalid, a Palestinian woman who has family members in Gaza, resigned from her role as Young Labour BAME officer, saying she was “absolutely appalled” by Sir Keir’s comments and felt the Labour Party is “no longer a safe space for Palestinians and Muslims”.
Latif said he tried to get clarification over the Labour leader’s comments from local and national party leadership, but got no response.
“We had to take the difficult decision to resign because we didn’t feel that those values and principles represented our own values and principles over the conflict,” said Latif, who works as a GP in Oxford.
“My whole working life is committed to serving people and helping to preserve life. That’s why these sorts of comments have been particularly disappointing and hurtful, because it makes you think, how can we value human life at such a low cost? There’s no value on human life if you make statements like that.
“As a GP how can I have a working life where I’m trying to preserve life and here’s a Labour leader making such grotesque statements.
“This is not a policy issue. This is actually fundamental principles and if the leader of the party is coming out with these sorts of statements, it really makes you quite concerned.
“I just felt I couldn’t justify remaining in the party with a leader who has those principles.”
Amna-Abdullatif
Latif said Sir Keir’s words are a reflection of politics in the UK where politicians such as home secretary Suella Braverman have been criticised for using inflammatory language in relation to immigration. “This is gutter politics,” he said. “It’s almost a race to the bottom in regards to who can outdo each other in terms of their language.
“That’s why we’re calling on all political parties to start using more humane language with regards to protecting innocent life and recognising that where people are born or where people live shouldn’t determine their fate.
“People in Israel have a right to live in peace and innocent civilians should not be murdered. And the same is true of those people in Gaza, they have a right to live in peace as well.
“The UN has been quite clear that there’s a human catastrophe unfolding in Gaza and it’s difficult to see people not standing up for what’s right.”
In his previous role as a human rights lawyer, the Labour leader conducted cases in a wide range of international courts, including the European Court of Human Rights. He is a former head of the crown prosecution service for England and Wales and was knighted in 2014 for his services to criminal justice.
Latif said Sir Keir has gone “against character” with his comments on the Israel-Gaza conflict with a general election due next year.
“I suspect there’s an element of thinking about a forthcoming general election and considering what the best position from a political viewpoint might be, which is disappointing,” he said. “When it comes to something like the Israel-Gaza situation, the important thing is to stand up for what’s right. If he’s not able to do that as an opposition leader, it makes it difficult to understand what his position might be were he to be prime minister. I think it calls into question his judgment, I’m afraid.”
Latif added that he was frustrated there was no response from Sir Keir or senior Labour leaders over the resignation of some party’ members over the issue.
“There’s some reports now that Labour forces are referring to those of us who have resigned as ‘fleas’. I would say again this is language that is not consistent with the humanitarian values of the Labour Party and that’s a real concern,” said Latif.
“There is a req u i r e m e n t for an urgent clarification of Keir Starmer’s comments. It can’t be that the Labour Party condones the killing of innocent civilians as a form of collective punishment, that just can’t be acceptable.”
Lubaba Khalid
On Monday (16), Starmer tried to calm the storm his words had created by insisting there needed to be humanitarian access into Gaza.
“Israel has the right to bring her people home, to defend herself, to keep its people safe, and while Hamas has the capacity to carry out attacks on Israeli territory there can be no safety,” he said in parliament.
“Israel’s defence must be conducted in accordance with international law. Civilians must not be targeted. Innocent lives must be protected. There must be humanitarian corridors.
“There must be humanitarian access, including food, water, electricity and medicines so that hospitals can keep people alive and so that innocent people do not needlessly die, and there must be proper protection for all those who work selflessly so aid can be delivered to victims.
TWO brothers accused of assaulting a man inside a Starbucks and later attacking police officers at Manchester Airport are standing trial, with the prosecution arguing they used "unlawful and extreme violence".
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his older brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, both from Rochdale, are said to have acted aggressively on July 23 last year while at the airport to pick up their mother, who had arrived on a flight from Qatar.
The pair deny the charges and claim they were defending themselves.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the trouble started when their mother, shortly after landing, pointed out a man she had an issue with - Abdulkareem Ismaeil - who was inside a Starbucks café with his family.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC said the younger brother, Amaaz, approached Ismaeil, shouted at him, then headbutted and punched him in front of his children.
Starbucks manager Cameron Cartledge said he heard loud voices and saw a man in a blue tracksuit—later identified as Amaaz—arguing closely with another man.
"Blue tracksuit man seemed quite aggressive. He got in the man’s face and shouted. Then he headbutted him, which made him stumble back," said Cartledge, adding that he called police immediately.
Another witness, barista Justine Pakalne, said the violence came from Amaaz, not Ismaeil. "Even if the other man stepped forward, he didn’t touch him. It was Amaaz who headbutted him," she said.
After the café incident, police officers found the brothers near the car park payment area of Terminal 2. According to Greaney, three officers - PCs Zachary Marsden, Ellie Cook, and Lydia Ward - approached to arrest Amaaz. When they did, he resisted and Amaad stepped in.
The court heard that both brothers attacked PC Marsden. Amaaz is also accused of assaulting PC Cook and breaking PC Ward’s nose during the struggle.
"The level of violence was very high," said Greaney. "Amaaz held PC Marsden by the neck, pulling him to the ground. PC Marsden managed to break free and later kicked Amaaz in the face to protect himself."
The prosecution acknowledged that the officer’s actions might appear “shocking” in isolation but argued they must be seen in the context of an armed officer facing a serious threat. "This happened in a busy airport where officers feared their weapons could be taken," Greaney said.
CCTV and police bodycam footage were shown to jurors, showing the incident unfold.
The defence claims both men acted in self-defence. However, Greaney dismissed that argument: "What the footage shows is not defensive behaviour, but offensive and violent conduct."
The court also heard that Ismaeil declined to give a police statement and is not part of the trial.
Both defendants deny all charges. The trial will continue on Monday (7).
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THE seven-year prison sentence handed to a 15-year-old boy convicted of the manslaughter of 80-year-old Bhim Sen Kohli is to be reviewed under the UK’s Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
The boy, who cannot be named due to legal restrictions, was found guilty of carrying out an "unprovoked" attack on Kohli as he walked his dog in a park in Leicester, eastern England, in September last year.
The review follows a detailed assessment by Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP to determine whether the case met the threshold for referral.
“The Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP, was appalled by this violent, cowardly attack on an innocent man. She wishes to express her deepest sympathies to Bhim Kohli’s friends and family at this difficult time,” said a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office.
“After a detailed review of the case, the Solicitor General concluded the sentence of the 15-year-old could be referred to the Court of Appeal. The court will now determine whether the sentence should be increased.”
A 13-year-old girl, who was also convicted of manslaughter for her role in the attack, avoided a custodial sentence. She had filmed the assault while laughing and encouraging the boy, the court heard.
At a sentencing hearing on June 5 at Leicester Crown Court, Justice Mark Turner described the attack as “wicked”. He said he was legally bound to consider the defendants’ ages.
The boy, referred to as D1, was convicted of physically assaulting Kohli, while the girl, referred to as D2, received a three-year youth rehabilitation order with a six-month curfew.
Addressing the girl in court, Justice Turner said that a custodial sentence would likely cause “more harm than good”. It is understood that her sentence will not be referred for review as it did not meet the legal threshold.
During the trial, the court was told that Kohli had been racially abused and repeatedly punched and kicked. His daughter, Susan Kohli, found him lying on the ground after the attack.
“They chose to attack a defenceless pensioner and for that I cannot give them any of my sympathy,” she said after the sentencing.
Kelly Matthews, senior district crown prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, called the incident “tragic” and said it had deeply affected the Leicester community and beyond.
“Kohli set out to walk his dog in his local park, as he did every day, but lost his life in what followed,” she said.
(PTI)
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Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama attends a prayer meet held for his long life at the Dalai Lama temple in the northern hill town of Dharamshala, India, July 5, 2025. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
THE Dalai Lama said on Saturday (5) he hopes to live until he is more than 130 years old, two decades longer than his previous prediction, following his assurance to followers that he would reincarnate as the spiritual head of the faith upon his death.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner was speaking during a ceremony organised by his followers to offer prayers for his long life, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday (6), and as China insists it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama told Reuters in December he might live to 110.
"I have been able to serve the Buddhadharma (the teachings of Buddhism) and the beings of Tibet so far quite well," he said between prayers, clearing his throat now and then.
"And still, I hope to live over 130 years," he said, sparking applause and cheers among his followers.
The 14th Dalai Lama, already longest-lived head of Tibetan Buddhism, spent about 90 minutes at the prayers in his temple. The ceremony was attended by thousands of followers from around the world who gathered in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala, where he has lived since fleeing Tibet in 1959 in the wake of a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
"We have lost our country and we live in exile in India, but I have been able to benefit beings quite a lot. So, living here in Dharamshala, I intend to serve beings and the dharma as much as I can," he said in Tibetan, which was translated simultaneously in English and other languages.
China, keen to consolidate its control over Tibet, views the Dalai Lama as a separatist. Beijing insists its leaders would have to approve his successor, in a legacy from imperial times.
The Dalai Lama has previously said that he would reincarnate in the "free world" outside China and this week told his followers that the sole authority to recognise his reincarnation rests with his non-profit institution, the Gaden Phodrang Trust.
The Dalai Lama is a charismatic figure whose following extends well beyond the millions of Tibetan Buddhists living around the world. He won the 1989 peace prize for what the Nobel committee said was keeping alive the Tibetan cause and seeking genuine autonomy to protect and preserve the region's unique culture, religion and national identity without pressing for independence.
At the prayers on Saturday, he sat on a throne before a large statue of the Buddha, with dozens of monks seated in front of him. Marigold garlands hung from pillars as his followers and journalists crowded around the main temple area.
Oracles and other figures, shaking in trance, arrived to pay their obeisance to their guru. Monks struck cymbals and played ornate long trumpets in honour of the Dalai Lama and others.
The Dalai Lama said he prays daily to benefit all sentient beings and feels he has the blessings of Tibet's patron deity, Avalokitesvara.
"Looking at the many prophecies, I feel I have the blessings of Avalokitesvara," he said. "I have done my best so far. At the least, I hope to still live for 30 or 40 years more."
His birthday celebrations on Sunday will be attended by senior Indian ministers as well as diplomats from the US, along with thousands of his devotees.
(Reuters)
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Daytime temperatures meeting or exceeding set thresholds of 25°C
Met Office forecasts rising temperatures by mid-July
Possible third heatwave after record-breaking June
High pressure system likely to bring hot air from the Atlantic
Yellow rain warning and flood alerts issued in parts of Scotland and Cumbria
Possible heatwave to return by mid-July
The UK could experience its third heatwave in a month by mid-July, the Met Office has said. Forecasters expect rising heat and humidity during the second weekend of July, following two weekends of unusually warm weather in late June.
June was officially the hottest on record in England, and the return of high temperatures could mean another heatwave for parts of the country. However, the Met Office cautioned that it is too early to confirm how hot conditions will get.
Heatwave thresholds and forecast temperatures
A heatwave in the UK is defined as three consecutive days with daytime temperatures meeting or exceeding set thresholds of 25°C in the west and north, and 28°C in London and surrounding counties.
According to Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin, “Whilst it is difficult this far ahead to determine exactly how hot things could get next week and weekend, there is the potential that some parts of the country could reach heatwave criteria.”
Early forecasts show that temperatures in the south east may rise to the high 20s on 9 July and could reach the low 30s on 10 July.
High pressure building over the south
The likely heat is being driven by a high-pressure system developing from the west, which is expected to extend across southern parts of the UK. This system may draw in warm air from the Atlantic and the Azores, increasing the chances of another period of hot, settled weather.
“Most likely it will be the south and east that see prolonged heat and thus could have another heatwave,” Ms Hutin said. “But it is too soon to say exactly how high temperatures could get.”
Cooler and wetter spell before the heat
In the meantime, cooler weather is expected across the UK this weekend and early next week. Cloudy skies and rain will affect western areas in particular, with temperatures forecast to drop slightly.
The south east is expected to reach 25°C on Saturday (6 July), followed by 24°C on Sunday and 23°C on Monday. Drizzly outbreaks are likely on Saturday, with showers expected on Sunday, especially in the east.
Rain warnings and flood alerts
A yellow weather warning for rain remains in place until Saturday afternoon across parts of Scotland, including Argyll and Bute, the south Highlands, Mull and Skye. Up to 60mm of rain is expected, with more than 100mm possible in mountainous areas.
The Environment Agency has issued flood alerts in Cumbria, including for rivers such as the Duddon, Crake and Mill Beck, following heavy rainfall on Friday. Meanwhile, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued six flood alerts for areas including Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran, Easter Ross and Great Glen, Skye and Lochaber, west central Scotland and Wester Ross.
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Two men have been jailed for defrauding investors of £1.5 million through a fake crypto investment scheme. (Representational image: iStock)
TWO people who duped investors of £1.5 million by selling fake investments in crypto have been jailed for 12 years, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said.
Raymondip Bedi, of Bromley, and Patrick Mavanga, of Peckham, conned at least 65 people by cold-calling them between February 2017 and June 2019. They operated companies including CCX Capital and Astaria Group LLP.
Bedi was sentenced on July 4 by judge Griffiths sitting at Southwark Crown Court to five years and four months, while Mavanga was sentenced to six years and six months.
Judge Griffiths said Bedi and Mavanga “were both leading players in a conspiracy whereby the victims of the fraud were persuaded to invest in crypto currency consultancy” and “you conspired to drive a coach and horses through the regulatory system”, according to the FCA.
It said anyone scammed by Bedi and Mavanga and who had not yet heard from the FCA should call 0800 111 6768 or email operationhickory@fca.org.uk.
Bedi on May 2, 2023, pleaded guilty to four charges – conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to breach the general prohibition under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and money laundering offences at an earlier hearing.
Mavanga pleaded guilty to three charges – conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to breach the general prohibition under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and possession of false identification documents with an improper intention – on June 9, 2023. He was also convicted of perverting the course of justice on November 7, 2024, for the deletion of phone call recordings following the arrest of Bedi in March 2019.