UK

Political reporter
London
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that his political journey has come to an end, delivering an emotional farewell during his final Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons before stepping down from office next week.
Addressing MPs in a packed Commons chamber, Starmer declared, “This is the end of my political journey,” bringing the curtain down on a career that saw him lead the Labour Party from its crushing 2019 election defeat to a landslide general election victory in 2024 before serving two years as Prime Minister.
The outgoing premier defended his record in government, insisting he was leaving Britain “in a better place than I found it.” He pointed to achievements including stronger workers’ rights, efforts to reduce child poverty, improved relations with European allies, and Britain’s continued support for Ukraine.
In an unusually warm atmosphere, MPs from across the political spectrum paid tribute to Starmer’s public service. Starmer’s departure follows months of political pressure and declining support within Labour after a series of setbacks. He is expected to formally tender his resignation to King Charles III, with Andy Burnham set to succeed him as Labour leader and Prime Minister.
Ending his final appearance in Parliament on an emotional note, Starmer thanked his family, colleagues and constituents for their unwavering support throughout his career, saying public service had been the greatest honour of his life. His farewell was met with prolonged applause, marking the close of one of the most significant chapters in recent British politics.

City reporter
Around 3,000 people are estimated to have died across the United Kingdom as a result of extreme heat, prompting renewed warnings from health experts and climate scientists about the growing dangers posed by rising temperatures.
Researchers say prolonged periods of unusually hot weather have placed enormous pressure on hospitals and emergency services, with older people, those suffering from chronic illnesses, and vulnerable communities facing the greatest risk.
Health officials warned that heat-related illnesses, including dehydration, heatstroke and cardiovascular complications, have contributed significantly to the increase in deaths. The National Health Service (NHS) has urged the public to stay hydrated, avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun during the hottest hours of the day, and regularly check on elderly relatives and neighbours.
Climate experts argue that the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves are consistent with the broader impacts of climate change.
They have called on both national and local governments to strengthen heat-resilience measures, including improving housing insulation, expanding urban green spaces and enhancing emergency response planning.
Environmental groups said the latest figures should serve as a wake-up call, warning that extreme heat is no longer an occasional weather event but an emerging public health crisis. They urged policymakers to accelerate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while investing in adaptation strategies to protect communities.
The UK has experienced several record breaking summers in recent years, with meteorologists predicting that prolonged periods of high temperatures are likely to become more common. Public health specialists believe the country must adapt rapidly to a changing climate to prevent further loss of life.
Government officials said they continue to monitor the situation closely and are working alongside health agencies and local authorities to ensure appropriate support is available during periods of extreme weather. Meanwhile, experts stressed that public awareness and preparedness will be crucial in reducing heat-related fatalities in the years ahead.

Amjad Nazir Bhatti
Chairman AlMustafa Welfare Trust (UK) Abdulrazzaq Sajid’s visit to the United States, was accompanied by receptions and fundraising dinners. Addressing the receptions in Ashburn, Virginia, by social and business figures Syed Sajid Hussain Shah and Haji Ehsan, a businessman in Herndon City, AlMustafa,s chairman Abdulrazzaq Sajid informed the participants about AlMustafa’s ongoing welfare projects around the world. On this occasion, AlMustafa USA Director Muhammad Usman Noori and AlMustafa Canada Director Muhammad Nisar Kallu also briefed the participants about welfare projects of AlMustafa.
In the second phase of the US visit, fundraising dinners were held in the states of New Jersey and Maryland, in which AlMustafa’s chairman Abdulrazzaq Sajid and former Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court Muhammad Qasim Khan also participated. Addressing both events Abdulrazzaq Sajid expressed about the services of AlMustafa related to the prevention and treatment of eye diseases and said that so far more than three hundred thousand cataract surgeries have been performed and the eyesight of the poor and needy patients has been restored. Former Chief Justice Lahore High Court Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan paid tribute to the excellent services of Al Mustafa in his speech and said that more than 75 welfare projects underway around the world, including modern treatment of eye diseases, reflect the excellent services of Al Mustafa. Addressing the fundraising dinners, AlMustafa USA Director Muhammad Usman Noori, Al Mustafa Canada Director Muhammad Nisar Kallu , Dr. Inam ul Haq, Gul Sher Sahi, Munir Ahmed Chaudhry, Muhammad Hussain Babar and other speakers also informed the participants of the events about the welfare services of AlMustafa. Renowned Naat poet Alhaj Noor Ahmed Jaral recited Naat on the occasion while religious scholars and political and social figures of the community participated in both fundraising dinners.

Bureau Report
Montreal/London
A fundraising Qawwali Night organised by the Montreal Chapter of Al Mustafa Welfare Trust Canada has successfully raised significant support for the construction of the Al Mustafa Eye Hospital, Islamabad, with philanthropists and community members making generous contributions towards the landmark healthcare project.
The event was attended by Al Mustafa Welfare International Chairman Abdul Razzaq Sajid as the chief guest. A large number of donors, community leaders, and members of the Pakistani-Canadian community from Montreal and surrounding areas participated in the evening, enjoying a cultural programme while pledging financial support for the humanitarian initiative.
Addressing the gathering, Abdul Razzaq Sajid thanked the organisers, volunteers, and donors for making the fundraising campaign a success. He said the Al Mustafa Eye Hospital in Islamabad would provide life-changing eye care services and restore sight to thousands of underprivileged patients who otherwise have limited access to quality ophthalmic treatment.
He emphasised that the successful completion of the project depends on continued public support and encouraged philanthropists to remain engaged in Al Mustafa’s mission of delivering healthcare to vulnerable communities.
Meanwhile, Imtiaz Ahmad, Director of Al Mustafa Welfare Alberta, congratulated Abdul Razzaq Sajid and Nisar Kalu, President of Al Mustafa Welfare Trust Canada, on organising the successful fundraising event. He said such charitable initiatives strengthen the spirit of humanitarian service and create lasting positive change in the lives of those in need.
Imtiaz Ahmad also appealed to philanthropists and members of the community to continue supporting the Al Mustafa Eye Hospital project so that thousands of visually impaired and deserving patients can benefit from modern eye care and the gift of restored sight.

Staff reporter
Pakistan strongly condemns the incident of child sexual abuse in the strongest possible terms. Perpetrators of such heinous crimes must be investigated, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law, irrespective of race, ethnicity, or religion.
The matter in question is entirely an internal matter of the United Kingdom. The individual concerned is a British national who spent his entire adult life in the UK and was duly convicted by a British court for reprehensible offenses committed on British soil. Any decision regarding his release, supervision, or future legal status falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the competent British authorities and must be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom.
Regardless of where he was born, the onus lies on where he grew up, was raised, groomed, and, unfortunately, spoiled. His heinous crimes demand serious introspection rather than a quest to search for extraneous causes.
Let me add that the Government of Pakistan has no connection whatsoever with this matter. We cannot be associated with any decisions relating to the individual’s release or subsequent treatment under British law.

City Reporter
London
Prime Tuition, with the support of Pakistan High Commission London, has announced the city’s first-ever historic Tent Pegging Championship. The event will take place on Sunday, 19 July 2026 at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground, Acton, London.
Tent pegging is one of the world’s oldest equestrian sports. It features galloping riders using lances or swords to pierce and carry away small wooden targets ground-set at high speeds. Rooted in centuries of military and cultural tradition, the sport enjoys massive popularity across South Asia, the Middle East, and globally. Pakistan holds a prestigious and culturally significant position in the international tent pegging arena.
This historic debut in London will feature international riders showcasing their skills alongside a prominent team from the British Army. In a significant highlight for the sport, the championship will also feature female riders. Their participation underscores the growing role of women in this traditionally male-dominated sport, showcasing extraordinary skill and athleticism.
The day-long championship promises a vibrant fusion of culture, heritage, and elite sport. It is expected to draw a large crowd, including the British-Pakistani community, dignitaries, diplomats, local residents, sports enthusiasts, and families.
Attendees will experience thrilling competitions, masterful horsemanship, and rich cultural activities.
Event Details are as
follows:
London Tent Pegging Championship 2026
Sunday, 19 July 2026
from 10:30 am onwards at:
Twyford Avenue Sports Ground, Acton, London.

Ghulam Hussain Awan
An unforgettable evening is being celebrated with the legendary cricketer Sarfraz Nawaz in London on Friday, July 17, in which the famous batsman (Asian Bradman) Zaheer Abbas, prominent Pakistani hockey player Akhtar Rasool, famous international cricket umpire Yasir Arafat, Sahibzada Jahangir, former Deputy Mayor of Chelsea and Kensington, Chairman of Third World Solidarity Mushtaq Lasharie “CBE” and many other famous personalities will participate. Sarfraz Nawaz played some untouchable and memorable innings in his cricket career, some of his prominent achievements include that he is considered one of the founders of reverse swing because he is considered one of the first fast bowlers to effectively introduce reverse swing in the world. Later, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis took the same art to new heights. Sarfraz Nawaz’s historic spell in 1979 is also memorable when he took 9 wickets for one runs in Melbourne, Australia.. He took 177 wickets in Test cricket. He took 177 wickets in 55 Test matches, which was one of the best bowling records for Pakistan during that period. He was also successful in One Day Internationals. Sarfraz Nawaz took 63 wickets in 45 One Day Internationals. He was an important member of Pakistan’s early One Day team. He also had a successful county career for the English county Northamptonshire. He performed brilliantly for Northamptonshire for several seasons and gained fame for his swing bowling. Sarfraz Nawaz is also among the founders of Pakistani fast bowling. He strengthened the tradition of fast bowling in Pakistan and had a profound influence on the later generation of fast bowlers, especially Imran Khan. Sarfraz Nawaz’s name is still taken among the great fast bowlers of Pakistan today. who not only set records but also gave a new dimension to the art of fast bowling, an unforgettable evening is being celebrated with him today evening at the Royal Nawaab restaurant Perivale in London, which will include a course meal, live music and a discussion on his cricketing life.
To book tickets, you can contact
07424035185 , 07867685229

By Raymond Keene OBE
Chess Grandmaster
Patron Labour Asians Society
We are told, more and more, that certain words, thoughts, even memories are no longer fit for use. The new censors call this progress. It isn’t. It is the old habit of forcing people to think alike, dressed up in modern language. Freedom of speech hangs by a thread, and many of those who claim the right to govern us seem to understand more about power than about truth.
In a post-election interview, conducted by an interlocutor who asked nothing difficult, Kemi Badenoch offered a long list of reasons for the Tory collapse, none of them the real one. The obvious cause was the infighting among the party’s own leadership contenders, scrabbling for position while the country’s problems went unaddressed. This is the very definition of the ultracrepidarian: literally “one who goes beyond his shoe,” the shoemaker who forgets to stick to his last.
Assertion without knowledge is the seed of something larger. In the Soviet Union, almost every art form was bent to serve the state, even music. Shostakovich complied but nursed a private resistance that brought him under suspicion. Prokofiev, who returned from the West in 1936, was later condemned for “anti-democratic formalism.”
One pursuit stayed strangely free: chess. The state could not dictate what counted as a good move. A move won or it lost; no commissar could rule a knight fork ideologically unsound. Chess offered a small refuge where people could still think for themselves.
Even there, the shadow fell. When Tigran Petrosian drew too many games, the Soviet press denounced him for not matching the myth of the tireless worker. That he was simply seeking the best moves counted for nothing.
I know this kind of criticism first-hand. When I won the British Championship in 1971, one prominent writer claimed I lacked fighting spirit, despite reckless sacrifices and games fought to exhaustion. Later, covering an international win, he dwelt on my single loss and said almost nothing about the victory. In England that’s merely irritating. Elsewhere, it could end a career.
When I left the Conservatives, a party I had supported for forty years, for Reform, I found myself told what I could and couldn’t say on social media by people who behaved like small commissars. So I tore up my membership card in public, in front of an audience from the Labour Asians Society. Under Andy Burnham, I now see the Labour Party as a place where free speech and new ideas are still welcome, thinking outside the box, as business schools used to say. But what if there is no box at all?
Wherever speech is watched, the chessboard becomes a form of quiet resistance, a place where people still judge for themselves, win or lose. The question is whether the current rush to silence and correct will push more of our thinkers toward that same refuge. Unless, of course, Andy Burnham gets there first.

Staff reporter
London
Labour leadership frontrunner Andy Burnham has publicly apologised for his party’s initial response to the war in Gaza, admitting that Labour “didn’t get it right” during the early stages of the conflict and pledging a significant shift in policy should he become Prime Minister.
In a statement that has drawn widespread political attention, Burnham acknowledged that Labour’s handling of the crisis caused “huge hurt” to many voters and communities across Britain. He said the UK had been too slow to call for a ceasefire following the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023 and promised that a future government under his leadership would adopt a firmer stance towards Israel.
Burnham proposed stronger measures, including additional sanctions against individuals linked to violence in the occupied territories and a ban on trade involving goods produced in Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law. While condemning the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and rising antisemitism in Britain, he also said there was increasing evidence that serious violations of international law may have occurred in Gaza, although he stressed that international courts—not politicians—must determine whether genocide has taken place.
The apology marks one of the clearest attempts by a senior Labour figure to rebuild relations with pro-Palestinian supporters who abandoned the party over its handling of the Gaza conflict. Political analysts believe the move is intended to regain support in constituencies where Labour suffered significant electoral setbacks over its Middle East policy.
However, Burnham’s remarks have also sparked criticism from several British Jewish organisations, which argued that his comments risked overlooking Hamas’s role in the conflict and called for equal emphasis on tackling antisemitism.
With Labour preparing for a new chapter in its leadership, Burnham’s apology is widely seen as an attempt to redefine the party’s foreign policy while addressing one of the most divisive issues in recent British politics.

Councillor Tariq Dar (MBE, Chairman of Pakistan centre Willesden Green London former Mayor of the London Borough of Brent), along with Councillors Arshad Dar and Shahzad Bilal Dar, offered friday prayers at Hounslow Jamia Masjid, following the prayers, they met each other and exchanged views with Hounslow Jamia Masjid Chairman Raja Javed Akhtar, General Secretary Shafiq Rehman, Barrister Zubair Awan, Safdar Shah, Barrister Arif Rehman, Trustee Muhammad Ajaib, Trustee Khawaja Nadeem, Trustee Tariq Masood, businessman and religious/social figure Bahadur Khan, businessman and political/social figure Kamran Aziz, Muhammad Nadeem, Raja Mazhar Hayat (Advisor to the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Chairman of the Pakistan Business Forum), former Deputy Mayor of Hounslow Borough Councillor Shakeel Akram Awan, Councillor Tariq Gujjar, Solicitor Asim Suleman, Solicitor Azhar Iqba ll were also present.