London mayor announces new funding worth £2m to shield children, youngsters from criminal gangs
The action is part of Sadiq Khan’s long-term commitment to tackling the complex causes of crime and supporting the most vulnerable in times of the cost-of-living crisis.
London mayor Sadiq Khan on Wednesday (17) announced £2 million of new funding to support children and young people at risk of being exploited by criminal gangs.
With millions of Londoners being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and low-income families in the capital being hit hardest as food and energy bills soar, the mayor is concerned that there is now a real risk of all these factors combining and contributing to the reduction of violent crime being reversed, a release from the mayor's press office said.
As the soaring cost of living continues to impact the daily lives of Londoners, Sadiq is determined to offer young Londoners at risk of being exploited by criminal gangs a way out through his London Gang Exit Programme.
The programme, led by charity Safer London, provides specialist one-to-one specialist case work support and help for young Londoners aged 15 to 24. It includes specialist support to help young Londoners with employment, education, training, housing resettlement, substance misuse and emotional wellbeing as well as providing direct support to the families of those affected.
City Hall funding has already helped over 400 young people across all London boroughs leave or significantly reduce their involvement in criminal gangs.
Safer London workers work in every London borough and meet young Londoners in places where they can feel safe, which could be in a fast-food restaurant, in a park or on a bus, where they can build strong relationships and have the confidence to speak freely about their concerns.
Between 2016 (when Khan was first elected) and April 2022, 430 young people received long term support through the London Gang Exit programme. Of these, 83 per cent significantly reduced their involvement with criminal gangs or ended their involvement completely.
The latest evaluation of the effectiveness of the London Gang Exit Programme by the mayor’s office for policing and crime also found a significant reduction in the young people enrolled in the programme becoming victims of violence.
The mayor’s new funding will take his total investment in the programme to over £8.2million and will boost the number of support workers working to rescue the most vulnerable young Londoners from criminal gangs.
Gang-related violence still accounts for a substantial proportion of the most serious violence in London, with more than half of shootings and nearly one quarter of homicides believed to be linked to gangs.2
In 2018, the mayor set up the first Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in England and Wales to lead an approach to tackling violence that is rooted in prevention and early intervention. London’s VRU is funding intervention coaches in police custody, A&E departments and major trauma centres in the capital’s hospitals.
They all work to deliver teachable moments in a young person’s life to help them turn their back on violence. This includes measures to support families, funding to keep young people in education, investment in the vital role played by youth workers and mentors, and support and resources for communities.
Khan is determined to end the criminal exploitation of young Londoners by gangs and wider criminal networks as this is a known driver of violence affecting young people in our city. The Mayor’s office for policing and crime is focussed on investing in programmes to better target and respond to criminal exploitation of young people. Sadiq is also investing record sums in policing to boost the number of neighbourhood officers and help supress violence in local neighbourhoods this summer and beyond.
“I know that one-to-one support can make a huge difference in a young person’s life and mean the difference between them fulfilling their potential or being lured into the trap of violence and criminality," Khan said.
“I’m proud that our London Gang Exit programme is making a real difference and has already helped hundreds of young people leave or significantly reduce their involvement in criminal gangs. That’s why I am investing even more in this programme to help tackle violence and support young Londoners at risk of exploitation as they turn their lives around.
“But gang violence still accounts for too much of the most serious violence in London and I am concerned about a potential increase in violence this summer as the cost of living crisis deepens and threatens to reverse the progress we have made in tackling violent crime. Violence, like poverty, is not inevitable and the Government must now do much more to show it shares my commitment to building a fairer, safer London for all.”
Sherry Peck, CEO, Safer London said, “It’s important to understand many young Londoners are growing up in incredibly toxic environments, which makes them more susceptible to violence and exploitation. We also know through our experience that young Londoners feel let down and judged, not only by professionals but by wider society.
“The Safer London team adopt a non-judgemental approach with every young Londoner they work with. When a child or a young person comes to Safer London, they are just that – a child or a young person. We don’t judge them, and we certainly never criminalise them.
"Our goal is to work alongside them and make sure they are safeguarded from harm, as well as provide them access to opportunities which will allow them to move onto to have positive futures. We do this by delivering our interventions directly in the community, taking our support to wherever the young Londoner needs it and where is safe to do so. Whether this be in an education setting, in a café or in the local park. By doing this we can build strong relationships which set the core foundation of our support and allow young Londoners to achieve success.
“This work and our achievements over the past six years would not have been possible without support from the Mayor of London. We are grateful we can continue to work in partnership and help more young Londoners to reach their full potential.”
Mya (name changed), a young Londoner supported by Safer London, said, “I don’t trust people easily, but as soon as I met my Safer London support worker, I knew that I could build a good connection with her. I found the support really helpful; she showed me that she cared a lot and she fought for me when I couldn’t fight for myself. She was the one person I could go to when I was feeling bad. The support I got made me stronger and more open with my feelings, it taught me how to look for healthier relationships and friendships and helped me to recognise the red flags to keep myself safe.
"Safer London also worked with my mum to help her understand what I had been through, which helped our relationship. My support worker also helped me to get support from Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service and chased them to make sure I had the right therapy. Safer London never gave up on me and stayed around until I got much better; the other support I had before didn’t do that. If I hadn’t met my support worker, I would definitely still be at my lowest.”
Anna (name changed), a young Londoner supported by Safer London, said, “When Safer London started working with me I was homeless and had experienced gang-related crime and exploitation. I worked one on one with someone who supported me in finding accommodation, reporting the crimes, and going through the process with police. It made a huge difference to feel listened to, not judged and have help when there was no one else offering it.
"The support from Safer London was so much more useful than the help I tried to get from the council and from my GP. I had complex PTSD and Safer London were able to refer me for counselling. The person I worked with was able to be an advocate for me. I think it made a big difference having a single point of contact who was consistently working with me and knew the history of things that had happened, rather than needing to repeatedly explain painful experiences. I’m really grateful for the support from Safer London and it has meant that my quality of life has improved significantly.”
Dan (name changed), a young Londoner supported by Safer London, said, “My support worker helped me grow as a person and never let me give up when times got hard. It was way better than any over support I have gotten. Now I know I’m capable of anything I put my mind too and that I’m stronger than I think.”
Symone, Safer London caseworker and service manager, said, “What we’ve learnt here at Safer London is that the lives of the young Londoners who access our services and support are complex, and they often present multiple needs. This often arises from the trauma they’ve experienced at various points in their lives, whether this be in early childhood or later in their teen years, or even in their early twenties.
"It is not easy opening up and sharing your most traumatic experiences with a professional. That is why it is so important to develop relationships built on trust and honesty. We include the young Londoners in every step of the support they receive from us; like they matter, rather than make decisions about their lives on their behalf.
"What’s amazing about this particular programme, is it gives young Londoners the access to not only specialist caseworkers such as myself, but to a whole range of specialist support. This holistic approach allows the young Londoners to get the help they need based on their unique circumstance, giving them a better chance at changing the direction of their lives.”
Luke, a Safer London caseworker, said: “The support we provide at Safer London is very important to the lives and wellbeing of young Londoners. My work is centred around children and young people whose lives have been severely affected by violence and exploitation. It’s my duty to work together with young Londoners going through tough times and helping them identify as well as accomplish their personal goals.
Recently I worked with a young man who was in difficult situation, he was in need of employment and emotional support. I collaborated with my team, and we manged to secure a job and create a safety plan, which will help reduce his susceptibility to violence and exploitation. It’s important for him and every young person I work with to realise they did the work to achieve their goals, I just guided them through this part of their journey.”
A woman from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, has died after contracting rabies following contact with a stray dog while on holiday in Morocco, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed.
The agency stated that the woman became infected during her trip to the North African country. There is no documented evidence of rabies spreading between humans, so the wider public is not considered at risk.
Precautionary measures for close contacts
A UKHSA spokesperson said close contacts of the woman, including healthcare professionals involved in her care, are being assessed. Vaccinations are being offered where necessary as a precautionary measure.
Rabies: rare but deadly
Rabies causes a serious infection of the brain and nervous system in humans. It is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but the UKHSA emphasised that prompt post-exposure treatment is “very effective” in preventing the disease.
The virus is usually transmitted through bites, scratches, or saliva from an infected animal. Dr Katherine Russell from the UKHSA advised: “Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK. If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical advice without delay.”
Six UK-linked cases since 2000
According to the UKHSA, there have been six cases of human rabies in the UK linked to animal exposure abroad between 2000 and 2024. Rabies is most common in parts of Asia and Africa.
Travellers are advised to avoid contact with animals in affected countries and to consider vaccination before travel, especially when visiting areas where rabies is prevalent.
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Mourners at the funeral of BJP leader Vijay Rupani, who was among the victims of the Air India crash, in Ahmedabad
AROUND 200 passengers on the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick have been identified, authorities in the Indian state of Gujarat said, as grieving families held the last rites of their loved ones following the crash last Thursday (12).
Hundreds of lives were changed in an instant when the London-bound plane slammed into a residential area of Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and at least 38 on the ground.
There was one survivor – British national Viswashkumar Ramesh, from Leicester – and he walked out of the aircraft as it burst into flames.
Community members pay their respects outside the home of the sole survivor of the crash
Medical officials at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital said they were working round the clock to identify victims through DNA testing. Rajnish Patel, a doctor at the hospital, said: “This is a meticulous and slow process, so it has to be done meticulously only.”
Dr Rakesh Joshi, the hospital’s medical superintendent, said 163 DNA samples had been matched so far, with 124 bodies handed over to family members from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan and Diu.
Air India’s Catherine West with Indian high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami at India House
One victim’s relative, who did not want to be identified, said they had been instructed not to open the coffin when they receive it.
Authorities ordered inspections of Air India’s entire Dreamliner fleet, while investigators recovered both black boxes from the wreckage – the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said decoding these devices would provide “indepth insight” into what caused the tragedy.
Family members pray beside the bodies of Dilip Patel and his wife Meena Patel, who died in the crash
His comments came as India’s aviation watchdog launched a comprehensive investigation into the crash; the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has asked Air India to provide training records for the pilots and the flight dispatcher.
The regulator has also asked flying schools nationwide to conduct strict compliance checks on training procedures, maintenance protocols and pilot licensing requirements.
A separate memo instructed governmentmanaged airports to carry out full-scale emergency training exercises on June 30.
On Monday (16), an Air India Dreamliner returned to Hong Kong airport “shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue” and underwent safety checks.
In Ahmedabad, families continued their anguished wait for news of their loved ones. The passenger manifest showed 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 crew members aboard the illfated flight.
Rinal Christian, whose elder brother was aboard the aircraft, expressed frustration at the delays. “They said it would take 48 hours. But it’s been four days, and we haven’t received any response,” the 23-year-old said. “My brother was the sole breadwinner of the family. So, what happens next?”
Among those identified was Vijay Rupani, a senior member of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former chief minister of Gujarat. His flag-draped coffin was carried by soldiers in Ahmedabad, accompanied by a portrait draped in flower garlands.
Another victim, 24-year-old Kinal Mistry, had postponed her original flight. Crowds gathered for her funeral procession in Anand district, two hours from Ahmedabad. Dozens of workers in yellow hard hats sifted through the wreckage and as debris clearance continued at the scorched crash site, families demanded explanations. Imtiyaz Ali, still awaiting DNA confirmation of his brother’s identity, voiced the feelings of many relatives: “Next step is to find out the reason for this accident. We need to know.”
Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran told staff on Monday (16) the incident should serve as “a catalyst to build a safer airline.” During a staff meeting, Chandrasekaran, 62, said, “I’ve seen a reasonable number of crises in my career, but this is the most heartbreaking one.
A police officer stands before the wreckage of the Air India aircraft
“We need to use this incident as an act of force to build a safer airline.
“We need to wait for the investigation. It’s a complex machine, so a lot of redundancies, checks and balances, certifications, which have been perfected over years and years. Yet this happens, so we will figure out why it happens after the investigation.” India’s prime minister Narendra Modi described the tragedy as “heartbreaking beyond words”, while UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer called the scenes from the crash “devastating”.
King Charles and Queen Camilla said they were “desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad.”
Both Air India and Boeing face fresh challenges following the crash. The Tata Group, which purchased the airline in 2022, has been working to overhaul its operations and safety standards.
Boeing faces renewed scrutiny following a series of safety and production crises. Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, visited Air India’s headquarters near New Delhi to discuss the incident with airline officials.
Across Britain, local communities came together in mourning as vigils and prayers were held in places of worship and town halls. At a Hindu temple in Harrow last Saturday (14), dozens of community members gathered for prayers, with leaders from Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, Zoroastrian and other faiths offering tributes.
Many attendees had personal connections to victims aboard the Londonbound flight. The head of the Siddhashram Hindu temple, Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who is from Gujarat, likened families’ grief to “waiting and waiting” for loved ones who “are not going to come back again.”
“Some of the members... I have spoken to them, and they don’t have the words,” Guruji said. “They are in shock.”
Among those mourning was Jyotsna Shukla, 66, whose son’s childhood friend died alongside his wife and three children. “I feel very bad because he was so young,” she said before breaking into tears.
Harrow mayor Anjana Patel, who lost a family member in the disaster, reflected on the tragedy’s impact.
“We believe that everyone who is born has to go one day. But I hope nobody goes the way these passengers, as well as the medical students, have gone,” she said, announcing grief counselling services for affected families.
On Monday evening, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner joined a multifaith memorial service at the High Commission of India in central London, stressing the bonds between Britain and India during times of crisis.
“What struck me over the last few days is that the UK and India may be two countries separated by a vast distance, but in the ways that really count we are so very, very close,” Rayner told the gathering. “We mark our bond today in a simple and profound way. We grieve together.” India’s High Commissioner, Vikram Doraiswami, expressed gratitude for British support during this period of “profound grief and abiding shock.”
He noted how the tragedy demonstrated “the suddenness with which life could be extinguished,” affecting not just the 271 victims, but also families and friends.
Monday’s commemorative event coincided with a House of Commons debate on the crash, where foreign office minister Hamish Falconer updated Parliament on assistance efforts for affected British nationals. “With an Indian diaspora about two million strong here in Britain, and with a particularly prominent Gujarati community, we feel the pain of this tragedy together,” Falconer said, acknowledging the “pain and frustration” of families unable to lay loved ones to rest due to ongoing identification processes.
Conservative MP and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel called it “a dark, sad and traumatic day for India, the UK and all those affected.” British investigators have joined the accident investigation team in India, with Falconer confirming that UK consular staff and family liaison officers are supporting British nationals through the traumatic identification process in Gujarat hospitals.
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Security personnel stand beside a poster of Pakistani Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, during a rally to express solidarity with Pakistan's armed forces, in Islamabad on May 14, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump will host Pakistan army chief Asim Munir for lunch at the White House on Wednesday.
“The president has lunch with the chief of army staff of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” an advisory issued by the White House said.
The lunch is scheduled for 1 pm (local time) in the Cabinet Room of the White House.
Trump had returned to Washington on Tuesday morning, cutting short his visit to Kananaskis, Canada, where the G7 leaders' summit is being held, due to growing tensions in the Middle East following the latest Israel-Iran conflict.
Officials in Islamabad are projecting the White House invitation to Munir as a major diplomatic success, according to Dawn.
Munir's remarks on India, Pahalgam attack
Field Marshal Munir, who was promoted to Pakistan's rare five-star rank last month — the first such promotion since Ayub Khan in 1959 — urged India to engage with Pakistan “as a civilised nation” instead of “attempting to impose regional hegemony”, Dawn reported.
Addressing members of the Pakistani American community on Monday evening, Munir rejected claims that Pakistan was behind the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
He accused India of trying to establish a dangerous “new normal” of "violating international borders", which he said Pakistan had “forcefully rejected”, according to the newspaper.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam attack, following which India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7.
The four-day-long military actions from both sides ended after talks between the directors general of military operations of India and Pakistan on May 10, during which both agreed to halt further escalation.
Engagement with Pakistani American community
Munir’s interaction with the Pakistani American community was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington’s Georgetown area. The event reportedly drew a large gathering.
Protesters affiliated with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former prime minister Imran Khan, demonstrated outside the venue, demanding democratic reforms and the release of jailed PTI leaders.
Remarks on Israel-Iran war and US counterterrorism partnership
Speaking on the broader regional situation, Munir expressed Pakistan’s “clear and strong” support for Iran in its conflict with Israel, while also backing US efforts to de-escalate the crisis.
“We want this war to end immediately,” he said.
A key development during Munir's visit has been the strengthening of Pakistan's counterterrorism partnership with the US, particularly in operations targeting the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) group, Dawn reported.
Praise from US Central Command
Gen Michael Kurilla, chief of US Central Command, recently called Pakistan a “phenomenal partner” in the fight against IS-K, highlighting operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Kurilla told the House Armed Services Committee that Pakistani operations, aided by US intelligence, had resulted in the deaths of dozens of IS-K militants and the capture of several high-value individuals, including Mohammad Sharifullah, who was one of the masterminds of the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American soldiers.
“The first person Munir called was me,” Gen Kurilla said. “He said, ‘I've caught him — ready to extradite him back to the US. Please tell the secretary of defence and the president’.” Sharifullah was quickly extradited.
In a separate statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kurilla said Pakistan had carried out “dozens of operations” against IS-K and continued to play an important role in combating terrorism in Central and South Asia.
FOUR Indian schools were on Wednesday (18) named among the top 10 finalists across different categories for the annual world's best school prizes, organised in the UK to celebrate schools' enormous contribution to society's progress.
Schools from Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh were unveiled as contenders for membership of the Best School to Work programme to help schools attract and retain the best teachers. The worldwide winners across categories will be announced in October.
The five world's best school prizes – for community collaboration, environmental action, innovation, overcoming adversity, and supporting healthy lives – were founded by UK-headquartered T4 Education in the wake of Covid to give a platform to schools that are changing lives in their classrooms and beyond.
"In a world being turned upside down by AI, as technology reshapes the way we learn and renders jobs that have existed for centuries obsolete, amid growing challenges of climate change, conflict, poverty and populism, the world our young people are entering has never felt more precarious. And a good education, with humans at its heart, has never been more important," said Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and the world's best school prizes.
T4 Education calls itself a global platform bringing together a community of over 200,000 teachers from more than 100 countries to transform education.
Government Girls Senior Secondary School, NIT 5, a state secondary school in Faridabad, Haryana, has been selected for transforming the lives of at-risk girls by interlinking nutritional programmes, physical wellbeing, and mental health support with education to break down societal barriers and ensure no girl is left behind. It is on the list of 10 finalists for the world's best school prize for supporting healthy lives.
ZP School Jalindar Nagar, a public primary school in Khed taluka, near Pune, has been recognised for revolutionising public-school education by providing quality student-led learning with its subject friend system, a peer-learning model where students of different ages teach and learn from each other. This Maharashtra-based school is a finalist in community collaboration category.
Ekya School, J P Nagar, is an independent kindergarten, primary, and secondary school in Bengaluru which is empowering students to become innovative thinkers and proactive problem solvers through a design thinking curriculum that integrates human-centred design processes and skills development. It has been named a top 10 finalist for the innovation.
Delhi Public School, an independent kindergarten, primary and secondary school in Varanasi, is creating an environment where students are empowered to explore, grow and lead with compassion through its learner-centric educational model that embeds environmental stewardship and social responsibility into the learning experience. This UP school is in the running for environmental action category.
Congratulating the schools on becoming finalists for the World's Best School Prizes 2025, Pota said, "It is in schools like these that we find the innovations and expertise that give us hope for a better future. Leaders and schools around the world have so much to learn from these inspirational Indian institutions."
The winners will be chosen by an expert Judging Academy, with all 50 finalist schools across the five prizes also taking part in a public vote opened this week to determine the winner of the community choice award.
The worldwide winners across these categories will be announced in October, with all the finalists and winners invited to the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi on November 15-16.
The winning schools will share their best practices, unique expertise and experience with policymakers and leading figures in global education, according to a statement.
(PTI)
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Canadian prime minister Mark Carney greets Indian prime minister Narendra Modi before a group photo during the G7 Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 17, 2025. (Photo: Getty)
INDIA and Canada have agreed to restore full diplomatic ties by returning ambassadors to each other’s capitals, aiming to move past a dispute triggered by the killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada last year.
The announcement came as Canadian prime minister Mark Carney welcomed Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven (G7) summit held in the Canadian Rockies. Carney, who took office in March, invited Modi to the summit as a guest, continuing India's regular participation at G7 gatherings.
Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, had accused India of being involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in British Columbia in 2023. Following the allegation, Canada expelled the Indian ambassador, and India responded by expelling Canada’s envoy.
Now, both leaders have agreed to appoint new high commissioners — the title used for ambassadors between Commonwealth nations — with the aim of restoring normal diplomatic operations and improving bilateral ties.
Carney said he hoped the discussions with Modi would "provide the necessary foundations to begin to rebuild the relationship, based on mutual respect, sovereignty, trust."
"I would describe it as foundational -- as a necessary first step, a frank, open exchange of views around law enforcement, transnational repression," Carney said at a news conference.
He added that India continues to be invited to G7 summits each year due to the size of its economy.
Services had been impacted
Diplomatic tensions had disrupted services between the two countries, which traded $9 billion in 2023. Canada was forced to suspend in-person services at all of its missions in India except its embassy in New Delhi. The two countries also share close cultural links, including a large Indian diaspora in Canada.
Modi, during his meeting with Carney at the mountain venue, said that both nations were "dedicated to democratic values" and that the relationship was important "in many ways."
He congratulated Carney on his Liberal Party’s election win and said he was confident that “India and Canada will work together to make progress in many areas.”
Protests and political response
As Modi met Carney, Sikh protesters held rallies in Calgary, the nearest major city to the summit. Some criticised Modi’s presence at the event, citing concerns about the human rights record of his government.
The New Democratic Party (NDP), Canada’s fourth largest party and not formally part of Carney’s government, opposed Modi’s invitation. In a statement, the NDP referred to allegations of Indian surveillance against former party leader Jagmeet Singh, who is Sikh.
"Continuing to engage Modi's government without accountability undermines all efforts to defend human rights, transparency, and the rule of law," the NDP said ahead of Modi’s visit.
Canada has the largest Sikh population outside India, accounting for about two per cent of its population. The community is concentrated in key suburban swing regions and has gained growing political influence.
Nijjar killing still under litigation
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who advocated for a separate Sikh state called Khalistan, was killed in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in 2023. He was a naturalised Canadian citizen.
Trudeau had publicly accused India of being directly involved in the killing and claimed that India was behind a wider campaign of intimidation targeting Sikh activists in Canada.
India denied any role in Nijjar’s death and urged Canada to take stronger action against violent Khalistan supporters, describing the movement as a fringe presence in India.
Carney did not confirm whether he discussed Nijjar’s case directly with Modi, saying it was subject to ongoing litigation.
The United States, which also has close ties with India, had accused an Indian agent of being involved in an unsuccessful plot against a Sikh separatist on its soil. However, Washington addressed the issue more quietly than Trudeau.