LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday after fewer than two years in office in a term characterized by policy U-turns and deep public unpopularity. &quot;Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party,&quot; Starmer said as he choked up in an emotional speech outside 10 Downing Street. Starmer said the process of picking a new Labour Party leader would be launched in July and he would remain as prime minister until his successor is chosen, to be in place in September. Burnham to seek to replace Starmer Veteran UK politician Andy Burnham confirmed on Monday that he would seek to replace Keir Starmer as leader of the ruling Labour party and prime minister. Burnham, 56, called for an &quot;orderly and responsible&quot; transition after Starmer announced he was stepping down. &quot;I will put myself forward as part of this process,&quot; Burnham wrote on X. Former health secretary Wes Streeting, who previously said he would join a leadership race, instead said he was backing Burnham, suggesting the former Manchester mayor could become leader without any formal contest. EU chief praises StarmerEU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Monday praised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for bolstering &quot;European&quot; security after he announced his resignation. &quot;It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years. European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir,&quot; the European Commission president posted online. Nigel Farage calls for elections&nbsp;The leader of the hard-right, anti-immigration Reform UK party Nigel Farage called for general elections to be held after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday. &quot;Reform demands an election, and we are ready to deliver radical change,&quot; said Farage, whose party has topped the opinion polls for months and delivered a resounding blow to Starmer&#39;s centre-left Labour in May&#39;s local elections.

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces his resignation on Monday after fewer than two years in office in a term characterized by policy U-turns and deep public unpopularity.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces resignation

LONDON: Wikipedia does not trust artificial intelligence enough to let it play a direct role in editing articles on its platform, cofounder Jimmy Wales told AFP on Monday.&nbsp;The problem of AI &quot;hallucinations&quot; -- in which fabricated output is confidently presented -- has been reduced with newer AI models but remains &quot;very, very bad&quot;, Wales said on the sidelines of a climate action week event in London.&nbsp;He added, however, that AI agents could prove useful in alerting Wikipedia&#39;s community of millions of editors to certain niche news that would otherwise be missed.&nbsp;&quot;We would not let it edit directly because you can&#39;t really trust it enough,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Artificial intelligence platforms, meanwhile, rely on Wikipedia&#39;s content to answer users&#39; questions.&nbsp;That has contributed to an overall growth in visitors to the site from AI bots, while human traffic has dropped eight percent.&nbsp;Wales, who sits on the board of trustees at the Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, described the fall in human traffic as &quot;meaningful&quot; but &quot;not a disaster,&quot; for the online encyclopaedia, which ranks among the 10 most visited websites in the world.&nbsp;The site, created in 2001, depends on donations from users so its business model does not directly rely on traffic.&nbsp;Wales encouraged AI companies to &quot;pay their fair share&quot;, because &quot;hammering us with millions of requests costs real money,&quot; in the cost of running servers.&nbsp;Wikipedia has already been &quot;very successful&quot; in signing agreements with several tech giants, the founder said.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re starting to block the ones who aren&#39;t behaving themselves, but we&#39;ll see how that goes.&quot;

Artificial Intelligence

Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales says AI cannot directly edit articles due to ongoing hallucination issues. He supports AI for helping editors but urges companies to pay for heavy site usage.

Wikipedia won't let AI edit articles, cofounder says

LONDON: Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson will face no further action over the nightclub incident that prompted their exile from missing last week&#39;s second Test against New Zealand.&nbsp;The Cricket Regulator&#39;s ruling on Monday, which effectively clears the England captain and his team-mate, comes after the duo were recalled on Sunday for Thursday&#39;s final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.&nbsp;A parallel investigation by the England and Wales Cricket Board also absolved Stokes and Atkinson of any wrongdoing in an altercation involving Saracens rugby union player Totoa Auvaa that left a member of the England security bloodied.&nbsp;The Cricket Regulator, which does not cover team protocols in its remit, said in a statement: &quot;The Cricket Regulator&#39;s role is to determine whether any participant or player has breached any applicable ECB Cricket Regulations.&nbsp;&quot;The investigation followed multiple lines of enquiry to gather and assess evidence in relation to the events in question.&nbsp;&quot;Having carefully reviewed all currently available information, the Cricket Regulator has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish that any regulatory breach occurred. Accordingly, no further action will be taken against either player.&quot;&nbsp;Stokes and Atkinson were both interviewed by the Cricket Regulator, which is headed by director Chris Haward, a former national chief constable lead for serious and organised crime.&nbsp;They subsequently returned to county cricket, Stokes with Durham and Atkinson with Surrey, before being withdrawn by the ECB ahead of their Test recalls.&nbsp;They are due to join the squad in Nottingham on Monday before a training session at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.&nbsp;Stokes is due to hold his captain&#39;s press conference on Wednesday.&nbsp;The ECB probe into the late-night trip to the Rex Rooms in Chelsea determined that Atkinson had been subject to two &quot;unprovoked attacks&quot; to which he did not retaliate.&nbsp;Stokes, meanwhile, was found not to be present at the time.&nbsp;The question of whether or not the pair knew they were in breach of a team curfew continues to linger.&nbsp;Rob Key, the ECB&#39;s managing director of men&#39;s cricket, has said the relevant information was shared with the Team England Player Partnership, but head coach Brendon McCullum accepted on Sunday an element of &quot;ambiguity&quot; may have existed.

Cricket

England captain Ben Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson will face no further action over the nightclub incident after investigations find insufficient evidence of any regulatory breach, while uncertainty remains over whether they breached a team curfew.

Stokes and Atkinson cleared by Cricket Regulator after nightclub incident 

REYKJAVIK, Iceland: Two whales have been killed off the coast of Iceland two days after commercial hunting resumed, ending a two-year hiatus, local media and animal rights activists reported on Monday. Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported that two fin whales &quot;were killed last night&quot;, marking the first catches since 2023. The fin whale is the second largest animal on Earth after the blue whale. Iceland is one of only three countries that still openly permit whaling, alongside Norway and Japan -- despite international opprobrium from the public and animal welfare organisations. Daniel Jonsson, a manager at Hvalur, one of the country&#39;s two remaining whaling companies, told RUV the animals would be brought ashore in the evening. Iceland cancelled its whale hunt in 2024 and 2025, partly because economic woes had cut demand and the industry was not deemed sufficiently profitable. On Friday, two ships set off for this year&#39;s hunt, to the dismay of animal rights advocates. A protester had attached himself to the mast of one of the vessels in the port of Reykjavik, but climbed down in the evening and was escorted away by police, RUV reported. &quot;The first fin whale deaths in Iceland&#39;s hunt this year are devastating,&quot; said Joanna Swabe, European senior public affairs director for animal rights group Humane World for Animals. &quot;Iceland has killed more than 1,000 fin whales in the past two decades -- not only the second largest animal on the planet but also a species classified as globally vulnerable to extinction,&quot; Swabe said in a statement. Iceland&#39;s government has said it is planning to introduce a bill aimed at banning whaling this autumn. Humane World for Animals said it welcomed the bill. But it lamented the move had &quot;not come soon enough to stop the agonising and protracted deaths of whales in Icelandic waters this summer&quot;. The International Whaling Commission banned the commercial killing of whales in 1986 amid alarm at the declining stock of the marine mammals. Iceland&#39;s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute has recommended that no more than 150 fin whales are caught in the 2026 season. That represents a 28-percent drop on the annual quota it recommended for the period 2018&ndash;2025, it said. The institute has set an annual catch of 168 animals for the minke whale hunt this year, a 23-percent drop on 2018-2025.

Wildlife

Two whales have been killed off the coast of Iceland two days after commercial hunting resumed, ending a two-year hiatus, local media and animal rights activists reported.

Iceland kills first whales since 2023, resuming commercial hunt

Pakistan TV Satellite

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin has praised Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting peace and dialogue in the region, describing the country&#39;s role as significant and globally recognised. Speaking on Pakistan TV&#39;s programme &lsquo;World This Morning&rsquo;, Kistafin commended the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for their contributions to regional stability and international engagement. The ambassador said Pakistan has demonstrated remarkable diplomatic skills by mediating between key international stakeholders, including efforts to encourage talks between Iran and the United States.&nbsp; He said Pakistan&#39;s leadership actively engaged regional and global powers, including Gulf states, China and Russia, to help create an environment conducive to dialogue. According to Kistafin, Pakistan&rsquo;s strategy of maintaining communication with all major actors and providing a neutral platform for discussions has strengthened its position as a credible and reliable international partner. He said these efforts have been appreciated not only within the region but across the world. The Kazakh envoy emphasised that Pakistan has emerged as an important player in promoting peace, security and diplomatic engagement, adding that world leaders are increasingly consulting Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership on regional developments and conflict-resolution initiatives. He also highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s growing importance as a global transit hub, saying government policies have helped strengthen trade and connectivity.

World This Morning

Kazakhstan’s ambassador praised Pakistan for driving regional diplomacy, facilitating dialogue between major powers, engaging Gulf states, China and Russia, and strengthening its role as a trusted partner advancing peace, security, trade and regional connectivity.

Kazakh envoy praises Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts

PARIS: Thirteen people died by drowning in searing temperatures in France over the weekend, with the heatwave set to intensify from Monday across much of Europe, forcing warnings and special measures. The latest hot spell that has left the continent sweltering has seen outdoor events cancelled, transport disrupted, schools shut and office workers told to work from home, as the authorities issued health alerts to protect the elderly and vulnerable. Akshay Deoras, a senior researcher at the University of Reading&#39;s National Centre for Atmospheric Science, in England, said it was clear what was behind the rash of heat records. &quot;Human-driven climate change has provided the springboard for this event, loading the atmosphere with extra heat and making extreme temperatures far more intense than they would have been in the past,&quot; he said. In France, 49 of the country&#39;s 96 mainland departments were on the highest heat alert, with temperatures forecast to climb up to 43C in the southwestern city of Bordeaux and 39C in the capital Paris, weather service Meteo-France said. The government&#39;s emergency response cell warned people not to try to cool off in unsupervised areas such as lakes and rivers, after the drowning deaths at the weekend, which included a 13-year-old girl, according to the civil defence authorities. Some 845 schools were shut on Monday because of the heat, with another 1,800 set to allow students to leave earlier than usual. &quot;Last week, it was 32C in the classroom for the children. It&#39;s only going to get worse, while the supermarket across the street is cool and air-conditioned,&quot; one primary school teacher in the Bordeaux region told AFP. &quot;Everyone thinks it&#39;s normal but one day we&#39;re going to end up teaching in the aisles of the supermarket,&quot; she added, asking to remain anonymous to speak freely. French forecasters say the current heatwave, which has already been blamed for the deaths of several elderly people, could end up being as serious as the one in August 2003 that claimed the lives of nearly 15,000 in France. &nbsp;&#39;Intense and early&#39;&nbsp;The high temperatures have already seen the cancellation in several towns of France&#39;s annual street music festival, while an outdoor screening of Spain&#39;s World Cup football match against Saudi Arabia was scrapped in Madrid. French and Belgian authorities also cancelled or cut back rail services because of fears about breakdowns causing logjams and delays. Elsewhere in Europe:- Temperatures in Belgium are expected to be &quot;the hottest ever recorded&quot; in the coming week, warned David Dehenauw, head of forecasting at the IRM meteorological institute. - Spain&#39;s weather service Aemet warned of &quot;extremely high&quot; temperatures for the season, day and night, until Wednesday, with temperatures forecast to hit 44C in some areas. Aemet spokesperson Ruben del Campo said the extremely high temperatures were &quot;between five and 10 degrees above what is typical for this period in general&quot;. - Portugal&#39;s IPMA weather agency said temperatures were above average in general but in some northern and central inland regions were &quot;close to previously recorded maximums&quot;. - Britain&#39;s Met Office weather agency issued an amber extreme heat warning the second-highest from Monday to Thursday, with temperatures forecast to exceed 35C. Liz Bentley, the chief executive of Britain&#39;s Royal Meteorological Society, predicted that existing UK heat records for June would be &quot;annihilated&quot; &nbsp;as had already happened in May. The current heatwave is the second in consecutive months, after an unusually hot spell in May broke new ground. Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming, and warn they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense. Meteo-France says that of the 51 heatwaves recorded nationwide since 1947, 34 have taken place since 2000 and 26 since 2011.

A man walks his dog across the Place Flagey square in Brussels during a heatwave on June 22, 2026.

Europe

Europe is facing an intensifying heatwave linked to climate change, causing deaths, school closures, transport disruptions, and record-breaking temperatures across several countries.

Europe scorched by latest heatwave

Maham Khan

ISLAMABAD: Neutrality means withholding judgment from all sides equally. And yet, India did not do that. Throughout the Middle East war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran and ended with Iranian sailors and Indian seafarers both dead, New Delhi reserved its silence for one side only.&nbsp; And that silence never extended to Israel.&nbsp; The retreat from Iran was already underway before the war made it permanent. India had stopped buying Iranian oil in 2019 to comply with US sanctions, and its diaspora in the country had shrunk to roughly 4,000 people, according to a report by the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore.&nbsp; By the time the war started on Feb. 28, 2026, it seems there was little material relationship left to defend. It then showed within hours. Three Iranian naval vessels, returning from exercises India itself had hosted, asked for emergency shelter at Indian ports that same day. Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar claimed that New Delhi approved the request on March 1.&nbsp; However, days later, a US submarine torpedoed one of those ships, the IRIS Dena, off Sri Lanka, killing 87 Iranian sailors, according to The Guardian.&nbsp; This led to a debate over India&#39;s regional influence and capabilities, especially in its own backyard.&nbsp; India&#39;s silence drew fierce domestic backlash. The Indian National Congress staged a walkout in Parliament on March 9, 2026. It condemned External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar&#39;s refusal to address the sinking, according to statements from the Ministry of External Affairs. While India distanced itself from Iran, it rushed toward Israel. Just 48 hours before the war would begin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a state visit to Tel Aviv on Feb. 26, 2026.&nbsp; During the visit, Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu elevated their partnership to a &quot;Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation, and Prosperity,&quot; according to the India-Israel Joint Statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs. The alliance has deepened rapidly over the years. On June 16, Israel Aerospace Industries announced plans to deepen its manufacturing footprint in India. The Tel Aviv-based defense contractor stated that it was planning to commence production, integration, and validation operations for advanced radar systems at a dedicated facility in Shoolagiri, Tamil Nadu, beginning in 2027, as reported by Wion.&nbsp; IAI had already jointly manufactured Barak anti-missile systems with India, as reported The Jerusalem Post. Throughout the three-month war, defense cooperation operated without interruption, the Financial Times confirmed. India&#39;s abandonment of Iran extended to its own strategic interests. In May 2026, the government allocated zero funds for the Chabahar Port project in southeastern Iran, its long-planned gateway to Central Asia. The decision marked a dramatic reversal from the $4.3 million allocated for the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to India&#39;s Ministry of External Affairs. Directors of the state-owned operating company (IPGL) managing the project resigned, several Indian new outlets reported. The project, once central to New Delhi&#39;s regional connectivity vision, was left on the wayside. And the cost on Indian &lsquo;neutrality&rsquo; came directly to its seafarers. On June 9, 2026, US military forces targeted the oil tanker M/T Settebello in the Gulf of Oman, killing three Indian sailors, as reported by CBS News.&nbsp; The crew reportedly ignored 60 verbal warnings over two weeks. The Ministry of External Affairs registered a &quot;strong protest&quot; and summoned the US Charg&eacute; d&#39;Affaires.&nbsp; Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the blockade and conceded nothing, Hindustan Times reported. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called the government&#39;s posture that of an &quot;obedient servant&quot;, according to The Hindu. India&#39;s cultural policies also reflected the shift. In March 2026, the Indian Central Board of Film Certification blocked the Oscar-nominated film &quot;The Voice of Hind Rajab,&quot; depicting a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli fire, The Variety reported.&nbsp; Board members explicitly stated that releasing the film would &quot;break up the India-Israel relationship.&quot; Following public backlash, the ministry referred the film to a revising committee, which cleared it. By June 2026, the realignment was complete. India had sacrificed its Iranian partner, absorbed the loss of a critical regional port, and accepted mounting tensions with the United States, all to cement its alliance with Israel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on February 25, 2026. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

India

India abandoned neutrality in the Iran–Israel conflict, weakening ties with Iran while strengthening its strategic alliance with Israel despite regional and domestic costs.

India tilts to Israel as Iran ties crumble in Middle East war

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Leading international media on Monday highlighted Pakistan&#39;s diplomatic role after the first round of Pakistan-brokered technical talks between the United States and Iran concluded in Burgenstock, Switzerland.&nbsp; The negotiations ended with both sides agreeing on a 60-day roadmap toward a final peace agreement, while several global news organizations described Islamabad, alongside Qatar, as a key mediator in one of the region&#39;s most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in recent years. Bloomberg described the development as a major diplomatic breakthrough for Islamabad under the headline &ldquo;Iran war gives Pakistan its biggest diplomatic boost in decades.&rdquo;&nbsp; Constructive role The report said Pakistan had unexpectedly emerged as an influential intermediary at a time of heightened regional tensions, elevating its international diplomatic standing.&nbsp; Britain&#39;s BBC reported that the first round of negotiations ended with &ldquo;encouraging progress,&rdquo; citing a joint statement issued by Pakistan and Qatar after the talks.&nbsp; The broadcaster highlighted the constructive role played by the two mediating countries in keeping both sides engaged throughout the discussions. The Guardian noted that mediators from Pakistan and Qatar participated throughout the negotiations, while also quoting US Vice President JD Vance as saying &ldquo;great progress&rdquo; had been achieved during the opening round.&nbsp; Qatar-based Al Jazeera reported that Pakistan and Qatar jointly announced the conclusion of the first day of talks in a &ldquo;positive and constructive atmosphere,&rdquo; saying the mediators had reported encouraging progress and would continue facilitating negotiations during the agreed 60-day roadmap toward a final agreement. India&#39;s GoodReturns focused on Pakistan&#39;s diplomatic role with the headline, &ldquo;US-Iran peace talks: Pakistan and Qatar mediate technical discussions at Burgenstock,&rdquo; emphasizing Islamabad&#39;s involvement in implementing the peace agreement. Bangladesh&#39;s The Daily Star similarly highlighted the two countries&#39; role under the headline indicating that Pakistan and Qatar had gained international prominence as mediators, noting that both governments issued a joint statement following the first round of talks. Impact on global markets&nbsp; Business media also linked Pakistan&#39;s diplomacy to global markets.&nbsp; CNBC reported that oil prices fell after Pakistan and Qatar announced a 60-day roadmap for implementing the US-Iran agreement, suggesting investors viewed the negotiations as reducing geopolitical risks. China&#39;s CGTN reported that the talks concluded with the parties agreeing on a 60-day roadmap toward a comprehensive agreement, again highlighting Pakistan and Qatar as the mediating states. Turkey&#39;s Anadolu Agency focused on the substance of the negotiations, reporting that Iranian negotiators said a draft on temporary US oil sanctions relief had been finalized during the Swiss talks, held under Pakistani and Qatari mediation. Increasingly important diplomatic player The New York Times also reported that the first round of negotiations had concluded under the supervision of mediators, while the Jerusalem Post, in an analysis piece, said Pakistan had emerged as an increasingly important diplomatic player during the talks and noted remarks by Vance praising Islamabad&#39;s role. Indian publication Deccan Herald highlighted Vance&#39;s lighter remarks during the visit, quoting him as referring to &ldquo;two important people in my life -- my Indian wife and Pakistan&#39;s Asim Munir,&rdquo; reflecting the prominence of Pakistan&#39;s military leadership during the diplomatic process. Pakistani newspaper Dawn, in its analysis titled, &ldquo;Pakistan shepherds US-Iran peace push in frosty climes,&rdquo; argued that Islamabad had successfully positioned itself at the center of one of the most consequential diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East in recent years.

US Vice President JD Vance (R) shakes hands with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir next to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Burgenstock luxury hotel complex overlooking Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 21, 2026. (AFP

Foreign Affairs

Several global news organizations describe Islamabad, alongside Qatar, as a key mediator in one of the region's most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in recent years.

International media spotlights Pakistan's pivotal role in Burgenstock US-Iran talks

Romesa Umar

LAHORE: Decorated cycle rickshaws are offering visitors a colorful way to explore Fort Road Food Street, one of Lahore&rsquo;s most popular cultural and culinary destinations. The rickshaws, adorned with tassels, artificial flowers and truck art-inspired designs, move through the narrow streets near Roshnai Gate, passing restaurants, tea stalls, puppet show stands and dessert vendors. Fort Road Food Street, located in Lahore&rsquo;s Walled City between Fort Road and Roshnai Gate, is known for traditional Lahori food and views of the Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort. The area was reconstructed and opened as a tourist attraction in 2012 according to the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab. Many visitors prefer to tour the pedestrian-friendly street by cycle rickshaw, allowing them to see the roadside stalls, heritage buildings and open-air eateries while moving through the evening crowds. The route passes some of the area&rsquo;s most recognized restaurants, including Haveli and Cooco&rsquo;s Den, where rooftop dining offers panoramic views of the illuminated Badshahi Mosque. The street is managed by the Walled City of Lahore Authority and was developed to promote heritage preservation and tourism. It replaced the older Gawalmandi Food Street as a major dining attraction in the city. Visitors can find a range of traditional dishes, including kebabs, karahi and other Punjabi food served in open-air settings. Dessert stalls also offer falooda, jalebi and rabri. The area becomes especially lively in the evening, with bright lights, street performers, live music and crowds of local and international visitors. The decorated rickshaws have added to the street&rsquo;s appeal, giving tourists a slower, closer view of Lahore&rsquo;s food culture, architecture and nightlife.

Pakistan TV Digital’s correspondent on a cycle rickshaw in Lahore food street on Feb 2, 2026. (Photo: Romesa Umar)

Culture

Decorated cycle rickshaws are enhancing the visitor experience at Lahore’s Fort Road Food Street by offering a colorful journey through its rich food, heritage, and cultural attractions.

Colorful rickshaw rides bring Lahore’s food street to life

ISLAMABAD: India&#39;s&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a mass yoga session on Kolkata&#39;s Red Road to mark the International Day of Yoga, with around 30,000 people participating on Sunday, according to The Hindu newspaper.&nbsp; To facilitate the program and ensure security, authorities closed Red Road and several major roads in the city from midnight until the event concluded. According to the non-profit Hindu organization Sanat Prabha, the road closures sparked criticism from some members of the Muslim community, who claimed it was unequal treatment in the use of public roads for religious and public gatherings. Hafiz Mohammad Naimuddin Ghazi, an imam (Muslim prayer leader) from Jalpaiguri, argued that Muslims have faced restrictions on offering prayers on public roads due to concerns about traffic disruption and public inconvenience. He questioned why a large-scale yoga event involving road closures was permitted while prayers on roads have been discouraged or restricted for Muslims. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2066888103156142582&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=29cf52e8d795ea3337debf18e3cd96bdb19a48ab&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 696px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> &ldquo;We were told that offering Namaz [prayers] on roads causes inconvenience to commuters and should not be allowed. If roads can be closed for a yoga event attended by the Prime Minister, then the administration should explain why different standards are applied,&rdquo; Ghazi said. Another community representative, Khatim Mohammad, said the Muslim community had complied with administrative directives regarding public prayers and expected the same principles to be applied uniformly. He called for equal treatment of all communities under the law. Responding to the objections, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said the temporary road closures were necessary because of security requirements associated with the prime minister&#39;s visit. He maintained that the event was a national program of significant importance and that the authorities had acted in the public interest.

PM Modi performs yoga on International Kolkata Day held on Kolkata's Red road.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's International Day of Yoga event in Kolkata, attended by 30,000 people and requiring major road closures, drew criticism from some Muslim leaders who alleged unequal treatment compared to restrictions on Muslims offering prayers on public roads.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces resignation

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