Ayesha Mir

How did decades-old child grooming scandals in the UK get weaponized by far-right figures like Tommy Robinson to push an anti-Muslim narrative? What role did Elon Musk play in amplifying this narrative by tweeting about &lsquo;Pakistani grooming gangs&rsquo;? And how does all of this align with Hindu nationalist rhetoric from India&rsquo;s Modi government? Ayesha Mir breaks it down in Dossier with Ayesha.

Dossier with Ayesha

Weaponization of scandals by far-right figures, Elon Musk’s role, and how all of it aligns with Hindu nationalist rhetoric.

Truth about Pakistanis and grooming gangs in the UK

LONDON: Migrants seeking to settle in the UK will have to have a job, not claim benefits, and undertake community work under plans to be unveiled by the interior minister on Monday. Currently, those with family in Britain and who have lived there for five years qualify for &quot;indefinite leave to remain&quot; -- permanent residence -- as do those who have lived legally in the UK for 10 years on any type of visa. Major policy shift&nbsp;Eligible applicants meeting those thresholds also earn the right to live, work and study in the UK and to apply for benefits and British citizenship. But in a major policy shift, Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood was Monday to announce that migrants would have to make social security contributions, claim no benefits, have a clean criminal record and volunteer in their community in order to stay. Mahmood will outline the plans at the annual conference of the ruling Labour party, and the government will consult on the changes later this year, according to a press release from the party. &lsquo;Indefinite leave to remain&rsquo;The announcement comes shortly after the opposition hard-right Reform Party, which is currently leading in national polls, said it would get rid of &quot;indefinite leave to remain&quot; altogether, with migrants instead required to reapply for visas every five years. This would apply to the hundreds of thousands of people who have already attained leave to remain. &quot;These measures draw a clear dividing line between the Labour government and Reform, whose recent announcement... would force workers, who have been contributing to this country for decades, to leave their homes and families,&quot; said the Labour party statement. &lsquo;Racist&rsquo;Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday called Reform&#39;s plan &quot;racist&quot;, adding it would &quot;tear the country apart&quot;. In her first speech to the Labour conference as interior minister, Mahmood will say that migrants should learn English to a high standard and that she will be a &quot;tough&quot; minister. Immigration is a key issue in the UK, and Mahmood will warn party members that a failure to tackle it will mean that &quot;working people will turn away from us... and seek solace in the false promises&quot; of Reform leader Nigel Farage. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves will also address the conference on Monday, when she will &quot;vow to invest in Britain&#39;s renewal&quot; and announce new plans to get young people in work, according to a Labour press release.&nbsp;

United Kingdom

The UK plans stricter rules for migrants seeking permanent residence, requiring employment, no benefits, volunteering, English proficiency, and a clean record, contrasting sharply with the Reform Party’s proposal to abolish indefinite leave entirely.

UK plans tougher rules for migrants seeking to stay in country

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LONDON: British citizens and permanent residents will have to produce a mandatory digital identification card in order to get work, the government announced Friday, reviving an idea that has long been controversial in the&nbsp;UK. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The government says the plan will help reduce unauthorized immigration by making it harder for people to work in the underground economy. It says it will also make it simpler for people to access health care, welfare, child care and other public services. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure,&rdquo; Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. &ldquo;And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly &mdash; rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Britain has not had compulsory identity cards for ordinary citizens since shortly after World War II, and the idea has long been contentious, with civil rights campaigners arguing it infringes personal liberty and puts people&rsquo;s information at risk. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Former Prime Minister Tony Blair tried to introduce biometric ID cards two decades ago as a way of fighting terrorism and fraud, but the plan was abandoned after strong opposition from the public and Parliament. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;There&rsquo;s always been this feeling that Britain is not a so-called &lsquo;Papers, please&rsquo; society, in contrast to continental Europe and other countries where ID cards are very common,&rdquo; said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;It has to be said, however, that given one is forced in some ways to prove one&rsquo;s ID in myriad circumstances, both in contact with the government and in contact with the private sector in all sorts of ways, that actually a digital ID card would be quite useful.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starmer&rsquo;s government said people would not have to carry their ID or be asked to produce it, but it will be mandatory to get a job. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The government said the digital ID will work for people who don&rsquo;t have a smartphone, and it will hold a public consultation to work out the details. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like previous Conservative governments, Starmer&rsquo;s Labour Party administration is struggling to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in flimsy, inflatable boats operated by people smugglers. Some 37,000 people crossed the English Channel on small boats last year, and more than 30,000 so far this year. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starmer has vowed to cut that number by tackling the criminal people smuggling gangs that organize the journeys, and by reducing the &ldquo;pull factors&rdquo; that draw migrants to the UK &mdash; including a perception that it is easy to find under-the-table work.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks as he hosts representatives of the Civil Nuclear industry at a reception at Lancaster House in London, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025

Gadgets

British citizens and permanent residents will have to produce a mandatory digital identification card in order to get work, the government announced Friday, reviving an idea that has long been controversial in the UK

UK to introduce mandatory digital ID for workers

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has received clearance to resume flights to the United Kingdom (UK), nearly five years after services were suspended in the wake of a fatal 2020 crash.&nbsp;The national flag carrier announced on Wednesday that it had secured Third Country Operator (TCO) certification from the UK&rsquo;s transport department, allowing it to restart operations between Pakistan and Britain.&nbsp;&ldquo;PIA gets TCO Certification from UK. Plan to resume UK operations by next month,&rdquo; the airline said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.&nbsp;PIA flights are expected to resume in October, starting with services to Manchester, the first since the suspension following the 2020 Karachi crash that claimed 97 lives and triggered international scrutiny of Pakistan&rsquo;s aviation safety standards.&nbsp;The UK&rsquo;s decision follows a comprehensive audit of Pakistan&rsquo;s aviation oversight systems. Alongside PIA, private airline Airblue has also been granted a TCO license, paving the way for its entry into the UK market.&nbsp;Initially, routes will focus on Manchester and Leeds, with plans to expand to Birmingham, London, and Heathrow in the near future, according to Gulf News.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan International Airlines has received UK clearance to resume flights after a five-year suspension following a 2020 crash. Operations will restart in October, beginning with Manchester, alongside private carrier Airblue’s UK approval.

Pakistan’s national carrier set to resume UK flights after five-year hiatus 

AYLESBURY:&nbsp;President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer capped a day of royal ceremony by signing a new UK-US technology agreement, aimed at reinforcing the trans-Atlantic alliance amid geopolitical tensions. The tech pact highlighted a wave of investment announcements during Trump&rsquo;s visit, including Microsoft&rsquo;s $30 billion commitment through 2028 and Nvidia&rsquo;s &pound;500 million investment in Nscale, a London-based data center startup. OpenAI and Nvidia are also collaborating with Nscale on the UK branch of Stargate, Trump&rsquo;s AI infrastructure initiative. Nscale will also help build Britain&rsquo;s largest supercomputer, powered by over 23,000 GPUs. Starmer and Trump praised their countries&rsquo; &ldquo;unbreakable bond&rdquo; and emphasized mutual respect. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve renewed the special relationship for a new era,&rdquo; Starmer said. Trump echoed: &ldquo;The bond between our countries is like no other.&rdquo; During their talks, Starmer gifted Trump homemade jam and shortbread, and Melania received a scarf designed with Ukrainian children&rsquo;s art, a nod to her humanitarian outreach. She and Queen Camilla also visited Queen Mary&rsquo;s Dolls&rsquo; House and met children at the Royal Library. <h3>Policy flashpoints</h3>The visit wasn&rsquo;t without political friction. Trump expressed disapproval of the UK&rsquo;s expected recognition of Palestine, diverging from Starmer&rsquo;s position. Both leaders acknowledged discussing the issue privately. On immigration, Trump bluntly advised Starmer to &quot;stop it,&quot; claiming migration &ldquo;destroys countries from within.&rdquo; Domestically, he&rsquo;s faced backlash for deploying federal law enforcement in D.C. Trump also revived his push to reestablish a U.S. presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, citing its proximity to China as strategic. He lamented President Putin&rsquo;s refusal to pursue peace in Ukraine, despite hosting talks with both Putin and Zelenskyy. &ldquo;Putin has really let me down,&rdquo; Trump said. Starmer concurred that Russia&rsquo;s recent actions in Ukraine show &ldquo;no interest in peace.&rdquo; <h3>TikTok, Kimmel, and Cancel Culture</h3>Trump claimed a &ldquo;fee plus&rdquo; deal is nearing finalization for TikTok&#39;s U.S. operations, following national security concerns over Chinese ownership. He said conservative activist Charlie Kirk had encouraged him to use the app. Kirk&rsquo;s recent killing sparked controversy after Jimmy Kimmel suggested the suspect was a pro-Trump Republican. Trump denied this and called for Kimmel&rsquo;s firing, saying the host had &ldquo;very bad ratings.&rdquo; Obama, responding to the show&rsquo;s suspension, accused the administration of weaponizing cancel culture. House Democrats demanded FCC Chair Brendan Carr&rsquo;s resignation, calling the move &ldquo;a war on the First Amendment.&rdquo; <h3>Judicial and immigration decisions</h3>A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting unaccompanied Guatemalan migrant children, following an attempt to return them over Labor Day weekend. The court ruled the government must follow proper legal protections. In D.C., Council Chair Phil Mendelson criticized Congress for passing local laws without input from city officials, despite violent crime hitting a 30-year low. He urged Congress to fill judicial vacancies and support local prosecutors. <h3>Vaccine panel and healthcare</h3>A new federal vaccine advisory panel, under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., opened discussions on COVID-19, hepatitis B, and chickenpox shots. Critics voiced concerns about its perceived anti-vaccine leanings, but Chair Martin Kulldorff emphasized a goal of restoring public confidence. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office reported that making the expanded Affordable Care Act tax credit permanent would increase the deficit by $350 billion over a decade, but insure 3.8 million more people by 2035. Democrats aim to extend it before it expires in 2025. <h3>Israel-Gaza war</h3>A new AP-NORC poll shows growing concern among Americans about Israel&#39;s military actions in Gaza, 50% now believe it has &ldquo;gone too far,&rdquo; up from 40% in 2023. Yet, fewer Americans, especially Republicans, prioritize a ceasefire.<h3> </h3>Trump concluded his UK state visit, the first ever second state visit for a US president, with a formal farewell from King Charles III at Windsor Castle. The two shared a private moment before Trump departed for further talks with Starmer at Chequers, focusing on trade and global security.

Americas

President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a new UK-US technology agreement. 

Trump and Starmer sign tech deal worth billions

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom (UK) has pledged &pound;3 million [$3.75 million] in emergency relief assistance to support Pakistan&rsquo;s response to devastating monsoon floods, the foreign ministry said on Friday.&nbsp;The announcement was made during a meeting between UK High Commissioner Jane Marriott and Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.&nbsp;In a statement, the foreign office said the UK envoy expressed &ldquo;full solidarity with Pakistan&rdquo; as the country faces widespread destruction due to seasonal flooding. The aid package includes emergency response support, with additional humanitarian and recovery assistance expected in coordination with Pakistan&rsquo;s government and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).&nbsp;Dar welcomed the UK&rsquo;s commitment, calling it &ldquo;timely and meaningful&rdquo; in light of the scale of devastation, thanking the British government for standing in solidarity during a &ldquo;critical moment.&rdquo;&nbsp;In addition to the aid announcement, the two officials also discussed bilateral relations, the value of high-level diplomatic exchanges, and regional and international developments, the statement added.&nbsp;The financial support comes as Pakistan continues to battle the ongoing monsoon crisis, which has caused widespread displacement and infrastructure damage. The UK&rsquo;s pledge underscores the growing role of international partnerships in supporting Pakistan&rsquo;s relief and recovery efforts.

Climate & Environment

Economy

The United Kingdom expressed solidarity with Pakistan on Friday, pledging £3 million in emergency relief for flood victims, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Meta post.

UK announces £3 million in flood relief aid for Pakistan

<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;" id="isPasted"><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Peter Mandelson sacked as U.S. ambassador.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Emails showed close ties with Jeffrey Epstein.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Foreign ministry said new details forced dismissal.</li><li style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Mandelson, 71, key Labour figure under Tony Blair.</li></ul><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Britain&rsquo;s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson was sacked Thursday after leaked emails exposed deep ties to Jeffrey Epstein, intensifying political fallout for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Mandelson, 71, a veteran Labour politician who played a central role in Tony Blair&rsquo;s government, was asked to step down after letters and emails surfaced showing he described Epstein as &ldquo;my best pal&rdquo; and advised him on pursuing early release when facing charges over soliciting a minor, Reuters reported.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">&ldquo;In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador,&rdquo; Britain&rsquo;s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">It added that the material demonstrated Mandelson&rsquo;s relationship with Epstein was &ldquo;materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.&rdquo;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Mandelson, who earned the nickname &ldquo;Prince of Darkness&rdquo; for his behind-the-scenes influence in the Labour Party, had previously expressed regret over his dealings with Epstein.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">&ldquo;I deeply regret ever meeting Epstein and that I carried on that association for far longer than I should have done,&rdquo; he said Wednesday. His remarks initially appeared to reassure Starmer, who defended him in parliament later that day.

Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, was dismissed after new emails revealed his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Articles tagged with "UK"

Truth about Pakistanis and grooming gangs in the UK

UK plans tougher rules for migrants seeking to stay in country

UK to introduce mandatory digital ID for workers

Pakistan’s national carrier set to resume UK flights after five-year hiatus

Trump and Starmer sign tech deal worth billions

UK announces £3 million in flood relief aid for Pakistan

UK Ambassador to US Sacked After Links to Jeffrey Epstein

Truth about Pakistanis and grooming gangs in the UK