PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak's decision to call an early general election means his flagship smoking ban will not pass before the current parliamentary session is suspended on Friday (24).
The Tory party leader had pledged to create a "smoke-free generation" by introducing a law preventing young people from ever being able to buy cigarettes legally.
But the proposal, which had been seen as Sunak's legacy if he loses the election, was not included in the "wash-up" period where legislation is rushed through before parliament shuts down.
"Of course (I'm) disappointed not to be able to get that through at the end of the session, given the time available," Sunak told reporters during a campaign visit to Northern Ireland.
The bill was set to make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009 -- effectively raising the smoking age by a year each year until it applies to the whole population.
"I stepped up to do something that is bold, that will make an enormous difference in the future of our country," added Sunak, who would be expected to reintroduce the legislation if he wins the nationwide vote.
Sunak, prime minister since October 2022, confirmed in a rain-soaked speech outside Downing Street on Wednesday (22) that the UK would go to the polls on July 4 -- six months earlier than it has to.
The announcement means a number of his government's headline proposals are unlikely to see the light of day during this parliamentary term.
A bill making it more difficult for landlords to evict tenants looked set to be dropped, as did plans for a new football regulator.
Legislation designed to tighten venue security after the 2017 Manchester Arena attack in which 22 people died was also not due to pass in time.
Sunak, 44, conceded on Thursday (23) that his controversial plan to forcibly remove the first failed asylum seekers to Rwanda -- central to his re-election pitch -- would not happen before polling day.
A bill compensating tens of thousands of victims of an infected blood scandal was set to pass, however, while legislation clearing the names of people wrongly convicted of fraud in a Post Office scandal was due to receive royal assent and become law.
The main opposition Labour party, led by Keir Starmer, are ahead of Sunak's ruling Tories by double digits in opinions polls but require a huge swing to win a majority and form the next government.
PRIME MINISTER Sir Keir Starmer has announced a full statutory national inquiry into child sexual abuse, reversing his earlier position following months of mounting pressure, including criticism from US billionaire Elon Musk.
The decision comes after an audit conducted by Baroness Louise Casey recommended a national investigation into the scale and nature of group-based child sexual abuse. The inquiry will cover England and Wales and will have statutory powers under the Inquiries Act, allowing it to compel witnesses to provide evidence.
Speaking to reporters on his way to the G7 summit in Canada, Starmer explained his change of stance: "I have never said we should not look again at any issue. That's why I asked Louise Casey, who I hugely respect, to do an audit.
"Her position when she started the audit was that there was not a real need for a national inquiry. But she has looked at the material and has come to the view that there should be a national inquiry. I have read every single word of her report, and I am going to accept her recommendation."
The scandal, which came to public attention over a decade ago, involves the sexual exploitation of thousands of girls, mostly white and from disadvantaged backgrounds, by gangs of men, often of Pakistani descent. These gangs operated in several English towns and cities, including Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford, and Bristol, for nearly forty years.
Baroness Casey’s audit was commissioned in January by home secretary Yvette Cooper, who requested a "rapid audit" into the data and evidence around group-based exploitation.
Cooper said the review examined both the demographics of the gangs and the victims, as well as cultural factors driving the crimes. Although originally intended to take three months, the review was delayed. Earlier this month, Home Office Minister Jess Phillips apologised for the delay, saying Casey had requested a short extension.
At the beginning of the year, the government had resisted calls for a national inquiry, arguing that the issue had already been examined during the seven-year inquiry led by Professor Alexis Jay.
Nick Tenconi, Interim Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and Chief Operating Officer of Turning Point UK (centre) poses with banners during a protest calling for justice for victims of sexual abuse, outside the council offices at City Centre on January 20, 2025 in Oldham, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
Instead, Cooper announced five local government-backed inquiries, one in Oldham and four others in areas yet to be named. These local investigations will still proceed, but now form part of the wider statutory national inquiry.
Saturday’s (14) announcement follows growing public and political pressure, intensified by interventions from Musk. In January, Musk used his social media platform X to criticise the British government for failing to launch a national inquiry. On Saturday, Musk responded to the announcement by reposting a comment thanking him for raising awareness, saying he was "glad to hear this is happening."
The move has drawn sharp criticism from opposition politicians, who accuse Starmer of delaying action. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who has long pushed for a national inquiry, said: "Keir Starmer doesn’t know what he thinks unless an official report has told him so. I've been repeatedly calling for a full national inquiry since January. Many survivors of the grooming gangs will be relieved that this is finally happening. But they need a resolution soon, not in 10 years' time."
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also welcomed the decision but warned against any attempt to water down the investigation. "A full statutory inquiry, done correctly, will expose the multiple failings of the British establishment. This cannot be a whitewash. It’s time for victims to receive the justice they deserve and for perpetrators to face the full force of the law," he posted on X.
Former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe credited Musk’s involvement as pivotal in forcing the government’s hand. "None of this would have happened without Elon Musk. No inquiry, no justice, nothing. He deserves huge credit for that," Lowe said. Musk simply replied with a heart emoji.
Cooper is expected to address Parliament on Monday (16), with Baroness Casey’s full report scheduled to be published at the same time.
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King Charles, wearing a black armband to pay respects to the victims of Air India plane crash, attends the Trooping the Colour parade on his official birthday in London. (Photo: Reuters)
A MINUTE's silence for the victims of the Air India plane crash was observed on Saturday during the Trooping the Colour parade in London marking King Charles's official birthday. Some members of the royal family wore black armbands during the ceremony.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles, 76, had requested changes to the parade “as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy”.
The crash on Thursday involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that was taking off from Ahmedabad in eastern India and heading to London's Gatwick Airport. A total of 279 people, including passengers, crew and individuals on the ground, were killed.
Among the victims were 52 Britons. The only survivor identified so far is British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh from Leicester.
Following the disaster, King Charles said in a written statement that he was “desperately shocked by the terrible events” and extended his “deepest possible sympathy”.
Royal family attends parade
Trooping the Colour is a military tradition that dates back over 200 years and marks the monarch's official birthday. The event begins at Buckingham Palace, proceeds down The Mall, and concludes at Horse Guards Parade, where the King receives a royal salute and inspects the troops.
Hundreds of people gathered along The Mall and outside the palace to view the event. A small group of anti-monarchy protesters were present, carrying yellow signs that read “not my king” and “down with the crown”.
King Charles, who continues weekly treatment for an unspecified cancer, was accompanied by Queen Camilla. Also present were Prince William, 42, his wife Catherine, and their children George, 11, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven.
No appearance by Harry and Meghan
Catherine, 43, the Princess of Wales, had earlier announced in March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer. In January 2025, she said she was “in remission” and has since gradually resumed public engagements.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan did not attend the event. The couple stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and now live in the United States. Reports in the UK media suggest that relations between Harry and other members of the royal family remain strained, with minimal communication between him and his brother William.
Although Trooping the Colour is held in June, King Charles was born in November. The tradition of a second birthday celebration was introduced in 1748 by King George II to ensure the monarch’s birthday could be marked in better weather.
Saturday's parade coincided with a major military parade in Washington led by US President Donald Trump on his 79th birthday.
(With inputs from agencies)
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They were all remanded in custody, except Bashir, who absconded before the trial began. (Photo: Greater Manchester Police)
SEVEN men were convicted on Friday in the UK’s latest grooming trial, after a jury heard that two girl victims were forced to have sex “with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses”.
Jurors at the court in Manchester, northwest England, deliberated for three weeks before finding the seven men, all of whom are of South Asian descent, guilty of rape.
Mohammed Zahid, 64, Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, Kasir Bashir, 50, Mohammed Shahzad, 44, Naheem Akram, 48, Roheez Khan, 39, and Nisar Hussain, 41, will be sentenced at a later date, but judge Jonathan Seely warned that they face “lengthy prison sentences”.
They were all remanded in custody, except Bashir, who absconded before the trial began.
Operation Lytton and police investigation
The men were prosecuted as part of Operation Lytton, an investigation launched by Greater Manchester Police in 2015 into historical child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, a town near Manchester.
The issue has long been seized upon by far-right British figures, including notorious influencer Tommy Robinson, but has also been adopted as a rallying cry by the Conservatives and Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK party.
The issue of grooming gangs received international attention earlier in the year when US tech billionaire Elon Musk launched incendiary attacks on his X platform against the UK government after it resisted calls for a national inquiry.
Over the course of several decades, men of mostly South Asian origin in various English towns are suspected of having sexually abused thousands of mostly white girls from working class families, often from troubled homes.
Court testimony on abuse
Prosecutor Rossano Scamardella said during the trial that the men had abused the two girls for several years from the age of 13 — between 2001 and 2006.
“They were often forced to have oral sex and vaginal sex with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses,” he said.
“On other occasions they would be required to have sex in cars, car parks, alleyways or disused warehouses. Wherever and whenever these men wanted it.
“They were children passed around for sex; abused, degraded and then discarded,” he added.
One of the alleged victims was also “being exploited and abused by many other Asian men” not in the dock, said Scamardella.
Police response and apology
Following the verdicts, detective superintendent Alan Clitherow, of Greater Manchester Police, apologised for not acting earlier.
“There was information at the time that police and other agencies could, and should, have done something with, and we didn’t,” he said.
“The way those victims were dealt with at the time is indefensible and inexcusable. We have made comprehensive apologies for that.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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Karun Thakar is a leading textile collector with a lifelong focus on Asian and African textiles
THE KARUN THAKAR FUND, established by textile collector Karun Thakar in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), supports the study of Asian and African textiles and dress through scholarships and project grants.
The fund offers one-time Scholarship Awards of up to £10,000 for university students worldwide focusing on any aspect of Asian or African textiles and dress. Undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students from any accredited university are eligible, provided their research or practice is clearly linked to these areas. The next round of Scholarship Award applications opens on 1 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 on July 15, 2025.
Karun Thakar is a leading textile collector with a lifelong focus on Asian and African textiles. He began collecting in the early 1980s and has built an extensive private collection ranging from 14th-century Indian trade cloths to West African loom weavings.
“From July 2021, The Karun Thakar Fund will offer scholarships to student practitioners and researchers studying any aspect of Asian or African textile/dress design or history,” the fund states. “Awardees’ work will be shared here, creating a platform for international conversation and knowledge exchange.”
Project Grants of up to £5,000—and up to £10,000 in exceptional cases—are also available for projects focused on Asian or African textiles or dress. The last round of Project Grants was allocated in 2024. These grants are open to emerging and early-career researchers, curators, practitioners, community leaders, and small not-for-profit groups operating in the UK or internationally.
“I am really excited to see what light we can shine through this fund,” said Karun. “The committee is looking at innovative ways to reach potential applicants who have new and radical approaches.”
The Selection Committee includes Karun Thakar, Gus Casely-Hayford, Christine Checinska, Ben Evans, Avalon Fotheringham, Lulu Lytle, Divia Patel, and Siddhartha Shah.
Ambulance are seen parked near the post-mortem room at a hospital before transferring victims' dead bodies to a mortuary in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025, a day after Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area.
GRIEVING families waited on Saturday for updates after one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent decades, as the death toll from the Air India crash rose to 279.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call shortly before crashing around midday on Thursday. The aircraft burst into flames as it hit residential buildings in the northern Indian city of Ahmedabad.
A police source confirmed to AFP on Saturday that 279 bodies had been recovered from the site. The crash is among the worst aviation disasters of the 21st century.
There was one survivor among the 242 passengers and crew members on board. The tail section of the aircraft remained lodged in a hostel for medical staff.
At least 38 people on the ground were also killed.
"I saw my child for the first time in two years, it was a great time," said Anil Patel, whose son and daughter-in-law had come to visit before taking the flight.
"And now, there is nothing," he said, breaking down. "Whatever the gods wanted has happened."
Search for black box continues
Relatives of the victims have been providing DNA samples in Ahmedabad. Some family members have flown in to assist in the identification process.
The final casualty figure will only be confirmed once DNA testing is completed.
According to Air India, the aircraft was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian citizen, along with 12 crew members.
The victims included a senior politician and a teenage tea seller.
The only survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, spoke to national broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed. A British citizen, Ramesh said, "Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive."
Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Friday that a flight data recorder had been found. "It would significantly aid" the investigation, he said.
Forensic teams are still searching for the second black box as investigators try to determine why the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, reaching a height of only 100 metres (330 feet).
US aircraft manufacturer Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and "ready to support them" regarding the incident. A source close to the investigation said this was the first crash involving a 787 Dreamliner.