A MAN convicted of child sexual assault said his human rights will be under threat if he is deported to Pakistan as he had "not committed that big a crime".
Adil Khan, 51, a member of the Rochdale child sex abuse ring, told an immigration tribunal hearing on Tuesday (8) that he renounced his Pakistani citizenship in September 2018 and said he would be “stateless” if he was deported to that country.
Khan and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52 were among four of a gang whose members had dual UK-Pakistani citizenship and could therefore be stripped of their citizenship and deported.
Then home secretary Theresa May ruled it would be “conducive to the public good” to deprive the four of the right to remain in the UK.
Khan, Rauf and a third man, Abdul Aziz, fought and lost a long legal battle against the deprivation order, losing a final Court of Appeal ruling in 2018.
Khan’s reasons for appealing his deportation came on the grounds of his right to a private and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Khan said, “The journalists have made our lives a living hell. We are not that big a criminal. We have not committed that big a crime. I'm innocent.”
Khan, Rauf and two others were among nine men convicted of sex offences against girls in 2012. Police said as many as 47 girls were sexually assaulted.
The failure to deport any of the four, almost a decade after their convictions, has led to anger in Rochdale, where some of the abused girls continue to live alongside their abusers, media reports said.
Girl A, the main victim of the child sex abuse, who is now 28 told The Sun, “We were told they would be kicked out of the country.
“Knowing that had been done would have been a huge help for all of us in trying to rebuild our lives. But instead we're still haunted by the paedophiles who raped and trafficked us. Every day we run the risk of bumping into them.”
Former police officer Maggie Oliver, 65, who quit the Greater Manchester Police over its lack of action over the scandal, said the sight of Rauf 'made her blood boil'.
“The victims have been treated disgracefully and he is carrying on as if he's done nothing wrong. The public and the victims see the criminal justice system failing them. Sadly, it does not surprise me he hasn't been deported,” The Daily Mail quoted Oliver as saying.
Khan was sentenced to eight years in 2012 on the charges of getting a 13-year-old girl pregnant and trafficking another 15-year-old girl to others. Four years later he was released on licence.
Rauf was jailed for six years for trafficking a 15-year-old girl for sex. He was released in November 2014 after serving two years and six months of his sentence.
A further deportation hearing involving both Khan and Rauf is scheduled for July 1.
INDIA has moved some of its citizens, including students, to safer locations in Iran following days of deadly Israeli strikes. The Indian embassy in Tehran is monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities to help Indian nationals amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
"The Indian embassy in Tehran is continuously monitoring the security situation and engaging Indian students in Iran to ensure their safety," said a statement from the ministry of external affairs. "In some cases, students are being relocated with (the) embassy's facilitation to safer places within Iran."
The ministry said there are around 10,000 Indian nationals in Iran, including more than 2,000 students, according to government data from last year and 2022, respectively.
Iran closed its airspace after the Israeli attacks began on Friday. India, which maintains diplomatic relations with both Iran and Israel, has urged restraint. "Existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy should be utilised," said foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. On Friday, India said it was ready “to extend all possible support” to both sides.
Casualties reported on both sides
Iran's health ministry reported that at least 224 people had been killed in Israeli strikes since Friday, while Israeli authorities confirmed more than a dozen deaths following retaliatory Iranian attacks. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said five people had been killed and 92 wounded in the latest Iranian missile barrage.
Iran launches missile strikes on Tel Aviv
Iran launched missile strikes early Monday on Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and areas near Haifa, in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Iranian military targets over the weekend. Israeli military officials said the strikes targeted missile sites in central Iran. AFP images showed damage to residential areas in Tel Aviv, while explosions were reported in Jerusalem.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had “successfully” struck Israeli targets and warned of “effective, targeted and more devastating operations” if attacks continued.
‘A heavy price’ for targeting civilians, says Netanyahu
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of targeting civilians and warned of consequences. “Iran will pay a very heavy price for the premeditated murder of civilians, women and children,” he said during a visit to a missile-hit residential building in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv.
Iranian state media said five people were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in central Tehran on Sunday. Iran’s armed forces spokesperson Colonel Reza Sayyad warned Israel to evacuate the occupied territories, saying they “will certainly no longer be habitable in the future”.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian called for national unity in response to Israeli attacks. “Stand strong against this genocidal criminal aggression with unity and coherence,” he said while addressing parliament.
Tensions rise as global leaders call for restraint
Former US president Donald Trump said the United States was not involved in the Israeli strikes but warned of consequences if American interests were attacked. “Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we’re going to see what happens,” Trump told reporters on Sunday.
A senior US official told AFP that Trump had discouraged Israel from targeting Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “President Trump was against it and we told the Israelis not to,” the official said.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said Tehran would “pay the price” for attacks on Israeli civilians. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi claimed Tehran had “solid proof” of US support for the Israeli attacks and said Iran’s response was to “aggression”.
“If the aggression stops, naturally our responses will also stop,” Araghchi said in a meeting with foreign diplomats.
Iran cancelled nuclear talks with the US and called negotiations “meaningless” during active hostilities. The Iranian judiciary announced on Monday that a convicted Mossad agent had been executed. Meanwhile, Israel said it had detained two individuals with alleged links to Iranian intelligence.
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US law enforcement officials in Minnesota caught the suspected killer of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband on Sunday, authorities said, ending a two-day manhunt.
The suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, allegedly disguised himself as a police officer, then shot and killed Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their home early Saturday.
Boelter was captured in Sibley County, a rural area where the murders had occurred about an hour southwest of Minneapolis, police and state officials said.
"After (a) two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told a late-night news conference.
Police described the search as the "largest manhunt in (the state's) history", with 20 SWAT teams and several agencies working to find him.
Jeremy Geiger, assistant chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, told reporters that Boelter had been "taken into custody without the use of force."
Before the murders, Boelter also allegedly attacked two others nearby -- Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who survived and were treated for serious injuries, authorities said.
"The latest news is Senator Hoffman came out of his final surgery and is moving toward recovery," Walz told reporters.
Hoffman was shot nine times and Yvette eight times, according to US Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Political motive suspected in targeted killings
A notebook containing the names of other lawmakers and potential targets was found inside a car left by Boelter at the Hortmans' home, which Drew Evans, head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said earlier Sunday was not a "traditional manifesto."
"I am concerned about all our political leaders, political organizations," Klobuchar said Sunday.
"It was politically motivated, and there clearly was some throughline with abortion because of the groups that were on the list, and other things that I've heard were in this manifesto. So that was one of his motivations."
As speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to January 2025, Hortman was committed to legislation that protected reproductive rights in the state, local media reported.
Leaders warn violence must not become the norm
The United States is bitterly divided politically as President Donald Trump embarks on his second term, implementing hardline policies and routinely insulting his opponents. Political violence has become more common.
Trump himself survived an assassination attempt last year, with a second attempt foiled by law enforcement.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home was set on fire this year.
An assailant with a hammer attacked the husband of then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022.
"(This is) a moment in this country where we watch violence erupt," Walz said after the arrest.
"This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences."
US Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who was attacked by a neighbor in 2017, told NBC that "nothing brings us together more than... mourning for somebody else who's in political life, Republican or Democrats."
The shootings came on the day a dramatic split screen showed a country divided: hundreds of thousands of protesters across the United States took to the streets to rally against Trump as the president presided over a military parade in Washington -- a rare spectacle criticized as seeking to glorify him.
Trump has condemned the attacks in Minnesota on the lawmakers and their spouses.
The president was asked in a Sunday interview with ABC News if he planned to call Walz, who was Kamala Harris's running mate in the election Trump won last year.
"Well, it's a terrible thing. I think he's a terrible governor. I think he's a grossly incompetent person," Trump said.
"But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too."
Leena Nair, the India-born CEO of Chanel, was honoured with a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) by Prince William at a ceremony held at Windsor Castle. The recognition, part of the 2025 King’s New Year Honours list, acknowledges her outstanding work in the global retail and consumer industry, particularly her strong leadership in steering one of the world’s most iconic fashion houses into a new era.
Nair’s rise to the top has been anything but conventional. When she was appointed as Chanel’s global CEO in 2022, she became the first non-white person to lead the 112-year-old French luxury brand. What made her journey even more unusual was her background, not in fashion, but in human resources. Before joining Chanel, she spent nearly 30 years at Unilever, eventually becoming its youngest-ever and first female Chief Human Resources Officer.
Chanel CEO Leena Nair smiles after receiving the prestigious UK honourGetty Images
Driving growth and redefining Chanel’s future
Under her leadership, Chanel has posted impressive growth despite wider industry challenges. In 2023, the brand reported a 16% rise in revenue and nearly 11% increase in operating profit, expanding its footprint and hiring more than 36,000 people worldwide. She has also brought in new creative leadership, appointing designer Matthieu Blazy to shape Chanel’s next chapter.
Nair’s focus hasn’t just been on sales. She has championed sustainability through the company’s Mission 1.5° climate goals and increased the Fondation Chanel’s annual philanthropic budget to £80 million (₹8.5 billion).
British Asian trailblazer Leena Nair recognised for global leadershipGetty Images
From Kolhapur to Chanel: a story of grit and vision
Born in the small town of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Nair was raised in a middle-class Indian household. She studied engineering before discovering her passion for human resources at XLRI Jamshedpur. At Unilever, she broke multiple barriers and led major inclusion efforts before taking the leap into fashion.
Leena Nair’s CBE adds to her growing influence in global luxury fashionGetty Images
Receiving the CBE places her alongside prominent British Asians like London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who was also recognised recently. As Chanel prepares to move into its new London headquarters in 2026, Nair’s leadership is already being seen as a model for the next generation, proof that it’s possible to honour tradition while building a more inclusive future.
The UK government has appointed Blaise Metreweli as the first-ever woman to head its MI6 spy service as the country faces "threats on an unprecedented scale", Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday.
The MI6 Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) achieved global fame through Ian Fleming's fictional agent James Bond.
Metreweli will be the 18th head of the service, Starmer's Downing Street office said in a statement.
"The historic appointment of Blaise Metreweli comes at a time when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital," Starmer said.
"The United Kingdom is facing threats on an unprecedented scale -- be it aggressors who send their spy ships to our waters or hackers whose sophisticated cyber plots seek to disrupt our public services," he added.
The MI6 chief is the only publicly named member of the organisation and reports directly to the foreign minister.
The person in the post is referred to as "C" -- not "M" as in the James Bond franchise, which already had a woman, played by Judi Dench, in the role.
Metreweli will take over from outgoing MI6 head Richard Moore in the autumn.
Currently, she is MI6's director general -- known as "Q" -- with responsiblity for technology and innovation at the service, the statement said.
She is described as a career intelligence officer who joined the service in 1999 having studied anthropology at Cambridge University.
Metreweli held senior roles at both MI6 and the MI5 domestic intelligence service and spent most of her career in "operational roles in the Middle East and Europe", the statement added, without giving further biographical details.
The appointment comes over three decades after MI5 appointed its first female chief.
Stella Rimington held the position from 1992-1996, followed by Eliza Manningham-Buller from 2002-2007.
The UK intelligence and security organisation GCHQ appointed its first woman chief, Anne Keast-Butler, in 2023.
Soldiers carry the coffin of Vijay Rupani, former chief minister of India's Gujarat, who was killed in the Air India flight 171 crash, during his funeral ceremony in Ahmedabad on June 16, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIAN health officials have begun returning bodies to families after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed 270 people, but most relatives were still waiting for confirmation through DNA testing as of Monday.
Of the 279 total deaths, including casualties on the ground, 87 DNA samples have been matched and 47 bodies handed over, according to officials. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had 242 people on board when it crashed on June 12 shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad for London, killing 241 of them. Another 29 people died on the ground, including five medical students.
“They said it would take 48 hours. But it's been four days and we haven't received any response,” Rinal Christian, 23, whose elder brother was a passenger on the jetliner, told AFP. “My brother was the sole breadwinner of the family. So what happens next?”
Authorities said victims were from different districts of Gujarat including Bharuch, Anand, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Vadodara, Kheda, Mehsana, Arvalli and Ahmedabad.
Several families have begun holding funerals. In Anand district, crowds gathered for the procession of 24-year-old passenger Kinal Mistry. Her father Suresh Mistry said she had delayed her travel, adding, “She would have been alive” if she had taken her original flight.
In Ahmedabad, the funeral of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani was held with full state honours. His body was identified through DNA testing, and a day of state mourning was declared in Gujarat on Monday. His remains were taken to his hometown Rajkot, where chief minister Bhupendra Patel met the family.
“The DNA sample of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani matched at 11.10 am,” said India's minister of state for home Harsh Sanghvi.
Among the British nationals, 42-year-old Elcina Alpesh Makwana became the first to be identified and her remains returned. Her funeral was held in Vadodara. Her husband and two children, aged seven and 11, attended a Roman Catholic service.
Air India said the passengers included 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. There were 12 crew members on board.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash. The aircraft went down shortly after takeoff, crashing into a medical college complex and bursting into flames. At least 38 people were killed on the ground.
Witnesses reported seeing badly burnt bodies and scattered remains. An AFP photographer saw dozens of workers in yellow hard hats clearing debris from the site.
“This is a meticulous and slow process, so it has to be done meticulously only,” said Dr Rajnish Patel of Ahmedabad’s civil hospital.
One survivor, British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was pulled from the wreckage. His brother was also on the flight.
Another person, Bhoomi Chauhan, said she survived after missing the flight. “The airline staff had already closed the check-in,” she told PTI. “If only we had left a little earlier, we wouldn’t have missed our flight.”
Black box recovery and aircraft inspections
Authorities announced on Sunday that the cockpit voice recorder — the second black box — had been recovered, offering potential insight into the crash. India's aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Saturday that decoding the flight data recorder should “give an in-depth insight” into the circumstances.
Indian authorities have not yet identified the cause and have ordered inspections of other Dreamliner aircraft in Air India's fleet.
One of Air India’s Dreamliners returned to Hong Kong airport on Monday after the crew “requested local standby” shortly after takeoff, the Airport Authority Hong Kong told AFP.
Imtiyaz Ali, who is still waiting for a DNA match for his brother, said the airline had not acted quickly enough.
“I’m disappointed in them. It is their duty,” he said. “Next step is to find out the reason for this accident. We need to know.”