INTERNET giants have been urged to act to stop knife crime escalating after an Eastern Eye investigation found videos promoting violence between gangs from different parts of the UK.
One clip on YouTube showed hooded men from black and Asian backgrounds in a music video which made reference to guns.
The footage, from a group in east London, contained the lyrics: “We come they run. You made a p****hole famous and I am on page four.”
Another video showed a teenage boy making threatening comments to Slough, Berkshire, and a name of a gang.
He said: “Man going to get shot, I don’t care. Man going to get smoked, caught up like a fish.
"Man going to get cut up.”
A further clip showed a group of young boys from Acton, west London, in nearby Southall with the caption “ride on Southall puss***s”.
Youth workers have called on web companies to do more to monitor and remove content which incites tensions between gangs.
Social media has been partly blamed by police chiefs for escalating rivalries which has led at least 60 people being killed from knife or gun crime this year.
Most recent instances of knife crime include the death of a 20-year-old man in Finsbury Park, London, last Saturday, while on Monday (23), two teenagers were attacked in West Kensington and a man was knifed at Woolwich DLR station.
An 18-year-old boy was stabbed to death on April 16 in Newham, east London.
Mushad Ahmed, founder of One Formation in Leeds which tackles knife and gang crime, told Eastern Eye: “It is crucial that social media companies continue to do more to tackle online content which is being illegally hosted on their platforms.
"Whether it’s extremist or gang-related content, there is no place for the glorification of violence in any form online, just as there isn’t on our streets.
“This is an issue, however, that can’t be solely addressed online and must also considered at a community level.”
He added: "At One Formation, as well hosting workshops where we actively address issues such as knife and gang crime, we provide a safe space for kids and teenagers to come together, to practice their sport, and to learn valuable skills such as discipline and teamwork."
There were 116 people who died from stabbings last year and 37,443 knife crimes.
Among the victims this year are 16-year-old Amaan Shakoor who was shot dead in Walthamstow, east London, on April 3.
Fiyaz Mughal, founder of the Faith Matters group which addresses tensions between communities, told Eastern Eye: “Social media has allowed the transmission of ‘fake news’ and local tensions to be circulated within seconds meaning that sometimes the facts are not facts but fiction.
"If there are local tensions, these may be exacerbated and lead to local actions that can lead to loss of life.
"Social media has become the new frontier and wild west and we are all having to review how it impacts on our lives.
“The impact has been severe on families where people lose their lives because of comments made on it.”
Other videos found by this newspaper include a brawl between youths in east London with a car being attacked by a mob carrying knives before the driver gets out brandishing a samurai sword.
Halel Ahmed is a youth worker manager at the Spotlight centre in London and said giving young people opportunities to take part in sport or the arts is vital to preventing crime.
He said: “Some families are living in poverty, overcrowded homes, there's mental health issues, peer pressure, people using young people to work for them. It’s a multi-faceted problem.
“We have a saying in my home country, it’s not the mum and dad that brings up a child, it’s the whole village.
“We have no first line services for young people. I remember going to youth clubs, services have been cut dramatically.
“You have to work with the hearts and minds of young people to get them motivated in something positive. We have a state of the art youth centre, dance studio, boxing gym so there’s something that the young person might like."
Sarah Hughes, chief executive at the Centre for Mental Health, said knife crime is often rooted in the environment youngsters are growing up in.
She said: "Research shows that young people involved in gangs and youth violence often have poor mental health as a result of the wear and tear of struggling to survive in the face of poverty, discrimination and insecurity.
"As well as tackling triggers involving social media we need to understand the lives of young people and listen to what they tell us about what puts them at risk of getting involved in violence.”
Home secretary Amber Rudd unveiled a new strategy to tackle violent crime this month, including tougher laws on buying “zombie knives” online, extending stop and searches by police and banning the sale of acid to under-18s.
She said smartphones have given gangs an “almost unlimited opportunity” to provoke each other and firms like YouTube and Snapchat must make it clear that gang content would be removed.
It emerged earlier this month that Scotland Yard have requested the removal of only three YouTube gang videos since last August despite tracking hundreds and warning they are fuelling crime.
In a statement, YouTube said: "We share the concern about the recent violence in London and obviously do not want YouTube used to provoke violence.
"We work with the Metropolitan Police. We've developed a dedicated process in the UK for law enforcement to flag videos directly to our teams and we rely on specialist context from the police, which is essential when these videos present as music videos."
Islamic Relief UK partnered with Newham Community Project this Qurbani to distribute food parcels to vulnerable individuals and families affected by the rising cost-of-living crisis in the London Borough of Newham and surrounding areas.
On 20 June 2025, the organisations delivered 300 food packs to support local households, including refugees, migrants, vulnerable women, and people with no access to public funds. The initiative took place during Dhul Hijjah, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar, when Muslims around the world donate Qurbani — the religious tradition of sacrificing meat and sharing it with those in need.
Community efforts like those in Newham are vitalIslamic Relief UK
This year’s Qurbani campaign by Islamic Relief UK spans across the country in partnership with 39 organisations in cities such as London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, and Glasgow, working with local food banks, charities, and community centres.
Newham has been hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis, with research from the University of East London showing that nearly half of those supported by Islamic Relief’s local partners are not even in the lowest income bracket, highlighting how widespread the issue has become.
The initiative took place during Dhul HijjahIslamic Relief UK
Tufail Hussain, Director of Islamic Relief UK, said: “Qurbani is a time to reflect on those struggling to meet their basic needs. More and more parents are skipping meals so their children can eat. Community efforts like those in Newham are vital, but we need long-term action from government to reverse cuts and raise support levels.”
Newham Community Project added: “Many families we support are excluded from public help and face housing, income and legal barriers. Distributions like this meet urgent needs but also spotlight the need for real policy change.”
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Black women nearly three times more likely to die during childbirth compared to white women, while Asian mothers face double the risk. (Photo for representation: iStock)
HEALTH SECRETARY Wes Streeting has ordered an immediate nationwide probe into England's maternity services following a string of NHS scandals that have cost the lives of hundreds of mothers and babies.
The fast-track investigation will focus on the country's poorest-performing maternity and baby care units, with findings expected by December 2025, the BBC reported.
Streeting on Monday (23) issued an apology to families who have suffered preventable harm and said urgent action was needed.
"We must act - and we must act now," he declared, after meeting parents who lost children in various NHS maternity disasters.
The health secretary promised the inquiry would "make sure these families get the truth and the accountability they deserve" and ensure "no parent or baby is ever let down again".
The investigation comes amid alarming statistics showing maternal death rates have worsened dramatically. Government data revealed that between 2009 and 2022, maternal mortality increased by 27 per cent, and even after accounting for Covid deaths, there was still a 10 per cent rise.
Official figures exposed stark racial inequalities, with black women nearly three times more likely to die during childbirth compared to white women, while Asian mothers face double the risk. Despite a 2017 government pledge to cut maternal deaths by half between 2010 and 2025, the opposite has happened.
The probe will be split into two sections. The first will examine up to 10 of the most troubling maternity and newborn units to provide answers to affected families as quickly as possible.
University Hospitals Sussex and Leeds Teaching Hospitals have already been confirmed for investigation, though it remains unclear whether these will be part of the 10 units or separate cases.
The second phase will take a broader view of the entire maternity system, combining lessons from previous investigations to create national improvements across all NHS maternity services.
At Morecambe Bay between 2004 and 2013, mothers and babies died unnecessarily due to what investigators called a "dysfunctional culture" with poor clinical skills and failure to learn from mistakes. The Shrewsbury and Telford scandal saw more than 200 mothers and babies who could have survived with better care, according to a 2022 investigation.
In another case, at least 45 babies might have lived if given proper treatment at East Kent, a review found in October 2022.
Meanwhile, an ongoing review at Nottingham examining around 2,500 cases is set to be the largest maternity scandal investigation yet.
Adding to concerns, inspectors found that not a single one of 131 maternity units checked in 2024 received the highest safety rating.
Dr Clea Harmer from baby loss charity Sands called the national investigation "much-needed and long-overdue", stressing the need for "lasting systemic change".
Rhiannon Davies, who lost her daughter Kate at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust in 2009, welcomed the inquiry but argued it should cover the entire UK, not just England.
Anne Kavanagh from Irwin Mitchell solicitors, representing many affected families, said the scandals "all pointed to deep-rooted problems nationally" and stressed the need for decisive action.
She warned that "sadly many recommendations from previous reports and investigations had not been fully implemented, missing crucial opportunities to improve patient safety and learn from mistakes".
The government has also announced plans for an anti-discrimination programme aimed at addressing the unequal treatment of black, Asian and other underserved communities in maternity care.
Streeting acknowledged that while most births are safe and the majority of NHS staff want the best outcomes, "it's clear something is going wrong".
"What they have experienced is devastating – deeply painful stories of trauma, loss, and a lack of basic compassion – caused by failures in NHS maternity care that should never have happened," he said of the bereaved families.
The investigation will begin this summer, with affected families given a voice in how the inquiry is conducted.
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India's Hardeep Singh Puri, who is leading a 7-member delegation, meets Irish prime minister Micheal Martin. The delegation paid tribute to the victims of the Air India Kanishka bombing at the Ahakista Memorial, on the 40th anniversary of the incident, in County Cork, Ireland. (Photo: PTI Photo)
INDIAN minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday (23) called for ending funding channels to terrorists and separatists and urged collective action to counter global terrorism, as he paid tribute to the victims of the Air India Flight 182 Kanishka bombing on its 40th anniversary.
The Montreal–London–New Delhi Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 exploded mid-air on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board. The flight was 45 minutes away from landing at London’s Heathrow Airport. Most of those killed were Canadians of Indian origin.
Commemoration held at Ahakista Memorial
Puri, who is the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, attended the memorial event at the Ahakista Memorial in County Cork, Ireland. He was joined by Irish prime minister Micheál Martin and Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree. County Cork is about 260 kilometres from Dublin.
“On behalf of the people and Government of India, a 7-member delegation led by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas @HardeepSPuri paid tributes to the victims at the Ahakista Memorial in County Cork, Ireland,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a post on X.
‘Need to be united against terrorism’
In his speech, Puri thanked the “wonderful community of Ahakista and the people of Ireland,” saying they had responded with compassion when the tragedy occurred 40 years ago.
“This memorial stands testimony to the tragedy of that crash on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean not far from here,” Puri said.
He added, “Irrespective of the differences in ideologies and political differences, we need to be vigilant about terrorism and united in combating the menace.”
Calling for an end to terrorism financing, Puri said in another post on X, “We need to double our efforts to ensure that what happened on June 23, 1985 is not repeated anywhere in the world in future.”
329 lives lost in mid-air explosion
Irish prime minister Micheál Martin wrote on X, “It was a privilege to attend the commemoration to mark 40 years since the Air India disaster in West Cork. 329 innocent people lost their lives over the skies of Ireland that morning, and the passing of time does not dim the scale of loss and of this atrocity.”
According to The Air India Flight 182 Archive, maintained by McMaster University, the Ahakista Memorial was unveiled on June 23, 1986, during the first anniversary of the bombing. The site includes a garden, a sundial, and a curved stone wall bearing the names of all those who died.
Relatives of victims attend memorial
Every year, families of the passengers and crew gather at various memorials dedicated to the victims.
According to Irish public broadcaster RTÉ, about 60 relatives of the victims attended the annual ceremony in Ahakista, which is the closest point on land to the crash site.
“The ceremony at the memorial monument began with a minute’s silence at 8.13 am, the exact time the explosion occurred on Air India Flight 182. It was followed by tributes from the families and Hindu and Christian readings,” RTÉ reported.
(With inputs from PTI)
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International Day of Yoga stood as a powerful reminder of yoga’s enduring role in personal and collective transformation
The 11th International Day of Yoga was celebrated at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh
Ambassadors, high commissioners, and guests from over 25 countries participated
The event followed the global theme: “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”
The Common Yoga Protocol was conducted by trained instructors with government audio
Swami Chidanand Saraswati Ji and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati Ji led the spiritual programme
Celebrations concluded with a World Peace Yajna and the national anthem
A global gathering on the banks of the Ganga
Rishikesh, 21 June – The 11th International Day of Yoga was marked by a large-scale, spiritually uplifting gathering at Parmarth Niketan Ashram on the banks of the River Ganga. Diplomats, dignitaries, and yoga enthusiasts from over 25 countries participated in the celebration, which followed the global theme of “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”.
The event began with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp and the recitation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The session featured the Common Yoga Protocol conducted by trained instructors to the government-issued audio guide.
Parmarth Niketan’s President, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati Ji, and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati Ji presided over the gathering and delivered spiritual discourses on the deeper significance of yoga.
The message of harmony and global health
This year’s theme highlights the link between individual well-being and planetary health. Addressing the participants, Swami Chidanand Saraswati Ji remarked, “When we take care of ourselves, we begin to care for the Earth. This is the divine message of Indian culture — Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the whole world is one family.”
Many of the guests shared their appreciation for India’s leadership in promoting wellness through yoga Parmarth Niketan
He described yoga as a gift from India to the world, bringing together the body, mind and consciousness through ancient physical, mental and spiritual disciplines.
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati Ji added, “Yoga is not just a physical practice to increase flexibility, but a complete lifestyle. It allows us to remain balanced in the face of challenges, and helps us live with more focus, patience, and peace.”
A tradition recognised by the United Nations
International Yoga Day was first adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 2014, following a proposal from India that was co-sponsored by 177 countries. At the time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called yoga “an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition,” highlighting its holistic approach to well-being.
The Rishikesh event featured a special video message from Prime Minister Modi, along with a musical performance on the flute, guided yoga demonstrations, and reflections from various spiritual and yogic leaders.
A diplomatic and cultural moment
Dignitaries in attendance included representatives from Mexico, Peru, Japan, Colombia, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Nepal, Botswana, Uzbekistan, Namibia, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ethiopia, and several other nations. Their participation underlined yoga’s growing international appeal and its role in diplomacy and cultural exchange.
Many of the guests shared their appreciation for India’s leadership in promoting wellness through yoga and called the celebration a symbol of shared human values and interconnectedness.
Participation from schools and yoga institutions
The event also saw active participation from students, teachers, and instructors from educational institutions, yoga schools, and local associations across Uttarakhand. Parmarth’s own Yogacharya Ganga Nandini led the Common Yoga Protocol, which was performed with devotion by hundreds on the ghats.
The session featured the Common Yoga Protocol conducted by trained instructors Parmarth Niketan
Groups such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Komaleshwar Yoga School, and the Yoga Association of Uttarakhand also contributed to the successful conduct of the session.
Concluding with a prayer for peace
The celebration concluded with a World Peace Yajna, bringing together participants in a traditional fire ritual aimed at spreading harmony and spiritual upliftment. The national anthem was sung collectively to close the event on a patriotic and unifying note.
As the sun rose over the River Ganga, the 11th International Day of Yoga stood as a powerful reminder of yoga’s enduring role in personal and collective transformation.
FILE PHOTO: Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina addresses the media at a vandalized metro station in Mirpur, after the anti-quota protests. (Photo by -/Bangladesh Prime Minister's Office/AFP via Getty Images)
BANGLADESH's former chief election commissioner K M Nurul Huda has been arrested on charges of manipulating elections during his tenure, police said.
Dhaka metropolitan police’s deputy commissioner Mohidul Islam said Huda was arrested in the case filed by former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) against the former election commission chief and 18 others, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Election Commission officials said this was probably the first time that a former CEC has been detained over issues related to elections, the Daily Star newspaper reported.
Earlier in the day, the 77-year-old, who oversaw the elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024, was assaulted by a mob outside his Uttara residence.
Uttara West police station chief Hafizur Rahman said, "We went to the scene after being informed" that a mob has surrounded Huda. We have brought him into our custody.”
Another police officer said the mob raided Huda’s residence located at Uttara area in Dhaka and dragged him out of his house before the arrival of police.
Videos circulating on social media show a group of people thrashing Huda with shoes, garlanding him with footwear, and throwing eggs at him from close proximity.
In the videos, the mob was seen abusing him with filthy language and continuing to beat him even after the police arrived at the scene.
Huda would spend the night at the police’s detective branch office and would be produced before a court for consequent legal actions, he said.
The BNP filed a case against 19 people, including Huda, for conducting general elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024 under Hasina regime "without people's mandate". Hasina had won all these elections.
The assault of Huda triggered an uproar on social media, prompting chief advisor Muhammad Yunus’ interim government to issue a statement around midnight.
“The mob-created unruly situation and the physical assault on the accused has drawn the government's attention. The government urges citizens not to take the law into their hands," the statement said.
It also warned of appropriate actions against such people.
Most senior leaders of the Awami League and ministers and senior officials of the ousted regime were arrested or fled the country after the fall of the then government.
Several of these leaders, including ministers, in the past several months have come under mob attack, particularly on court premises.
Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's residence at 32 Dhanmandi in Dhaka, which was turned into a memorial museum, was demolished by a mob using bulldozers in February this year.