BRITAIN’s Newcastle created history with the appointment of Habib Rahman as the city’s lord mayor on Wednesday (26), making him the first non-white person to hold this position in 800 years.
Rahman, whose appointment was delayed by a year because of Covid-19, was formally elected to the post during the recently-held Newcastle city council’s annual general meeting. He has served the city for two years as sheriff and deputy mayor.
In his appointment speech that he addressed to his late father, Rahman recalled how his family moved from Bangladesh to the city in search of a better life in 1977 but within 10 days, his father met a tragic end when an unhappy white customer stabbed him over “the size of their curry” at a Wallsend restaurant.
He said that his childhood in Newcastle had also been marred by “brutal racism” and that the experience had made him determined to “defeat the evils of discrimination.”
The 47-year-old, whose background is as a youth worker, described his appointment as “one of the proudest moments” of his life and pledged to use his year in office to promote respect, tolerance, and equality.
“I will make sure that I promote that and that I challenge and condemn hate crime and racism of every form,” said the father-of-three at the ceremony, adding that Newcastle is “not the racist city” anymore.
“This is a safe, tolerant city now thanks to the work that has been done by institutions and individuals. Perhaps some of that started from the death of my father,” he said.
Rahman is known to be a key member of anti-racism groups such as Show Racism The Red Card (SRTRC) and the Black Lives Matter movement. The appointment ceremony was also attended by many activists including SRTRC founding patron John Beresford and president Shaka Hislop.
(Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)