Asian immigrants brace for UK plans to tighten residency rules
LONDON -- Ali Hussain made the painful decision to leave his parents behind in Pakistan and move to the U.K. over four years ago to complete his GP training, looking forward to settling in a country he thought was politically more stable.
Now, British politics threaten to derail his plans. Just six months away from being eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the U.K., Hussain (not his real name) will have to wait another five years if the government's proposed immigration rule changes are implemented.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
3 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
G7 Leaders Gather in Canada for a Summit Overshadowed by Israel-Iran Crisis and Trade Wars
Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP A man walks past a G7 sign outside the media centre for the G7 Summit on Sunday, June 15, 2025 in Banff, Alberta. KANANASKIS, Alberta (AP) — Leaders of some of the world's biggest economic powers are arriving in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday for a Group of Seven summit, overshadowed by an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and U.S. President Donald Trump's unresolved trade war. Israel's strikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliation, which appeared to catch many world leaders unawares, is the latest sign of a more volatile world. Trump in recent days vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a U.S. official told The Associated Press, in an indication of how far Israel was prepared to go. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had discussed efforts to de-escalate the crisis with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as other world leaders and said he expected 'intense discussions' would continue at the summit. Trump is summit's wild card As summit host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has decided to abandon the annual practice of issuing a joint statement, or communique, at the end of the meeting. With other leaders wanting to talk to Trump in an effort to talk him out of imposing tariffs, the summit risks being a series of bilateral conversations rather than a show of unity. Trump is the summit wild card. Looming over the meeting are his inflammatory threats to make Canada the 51st state and take over Greenland. French President Emmanuel Macron visited Greenland on Sunday for a highly symbolic stop on his way to Canada. Macron warned that Greenland is 'not to be sold' nor 'to be taken.' 'Everybody in France, the European Union thinks that Greenland is not to be sold, not to be taken,' he said during a news conference, applauded by the local crowd. 'The situation in Greenland is clearly a wakeup call for all Europeans. Let me tell you very directly that you're not alone,' Macron added. Trump is scheduled to arrive late Sunday in Kananaskis, Alberta. He will have a bilateral meeting with Carney on Monday morning before the summit program begins. 'He tends to be a bully' Leaders who are not part of the G7 but have been invited to the summit by Carney include the heads of state of India, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Australia, Mexico and the UAE. Avoiding tariffs will continue to be top of mind. Asked if he planned to announce any trade agreements at the G7 as he left the White House on Sunday, Trump said: 'We have our trade deals. All we have to do is send a letter, 'This is what you're going to have to pay.' But I think we'll have a few, few new trade deals.' Bilateral meetings with the American president can be fraught as Trump has used them to try to intimidate the leaders of Ukraine and South Africa. Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien told a panel this week that if Trump does act out, leaders should ignore him and remain calm like Carney did in his recent Oval Office meeting. 'He tends to be a bully,' Chrétien said. 'If Trump has decided to make a show to be in the news, he will do something crazy. Let him do it and keep talking normally.' Last month Britain and the U.S. announced they had struck a trade deal that will slash American tariffs on U.K. autos, steel and aluminum. It has yet to take effect, however, though British officials say they are not concerned the Trump administration might go back on its word. Starmer's attempts to woo Trump have left him in an awkward position with Canada, the U.K.'s former colony, close ally and fellow Commonwealth member. Starmer has also drawn criticism — especially from Canadians — for failing to address Trump's stated desire to make Canada the 51st state. Asked if he has told Trump to stop the 51st state threats, Starmer told The Associated Press: 'I'm not going to get into the precise conversations I've had, but let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth.' Zelenskyy expected to meet Trump The war in Ukraine will be on the agenda. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to attend the summit and is expected to meet with Trump, a reunion coming just months after their bruising Oval Office encounter which laid bare the risks of having a meeting with the U.S. president. Starmer met with Carney in Ottawa before the summit for talks focused on security and trade, in the first visit to Canada by a British prime minister for eight years. German officials were keen to counter the suggestion that the summit would be a 'six against one' event, noting that the G7 countries have plenty of differences of emphasis among themselves on various issues. 'The only the problem you cannot forecast is what the president of the United States will do depending on the mood, the need to be in the news,' said Chrétien.
The Mainichi
5 hours ago
- The Mainichi
G7 leaders gather in Canada for a summit overshadowed by Israel-Iran crisis and trade wars
KANANASKIS, Canada (AP) -- Leaders of some of the world's biggest economic are arriving in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday for a Group of Seven summit, overshadowed by an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and U.S. President Donald Trump's unresolved trade war. Israel's strikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliation, which appeared to catch many world leaders unawares, is the latest sign of a more volatile world. Trump in recent days vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a U.S. official told The Associated Press, in an indication of how far Israel was prepared to go. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had discussed efforts to de-escalate the crisis with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as other world leaders and said he expected "intense discussions" would continue at the summit. Trump is summit's wild card As summit host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has decided to abandon the annual practice of issuing a joint statement, or communique, at the end of the meeting. With other leaders wanting to talk to Trump in an effort to talk him out of imposing tariffs, the summit risks being a series of bilateral conversations rather than a show of unity. Trump is the summit wild card. Looming over the meeting are his inflammatory threats to make Canada the 51st state and take over Greenland. French President Emmanuel Macron visited Greenland on Sunday for a highly symbolic stop on his way to Canada. Macron warned that Greenland is "not to be sold" nor "to be taken." "Everybody in France, the European Union thinks that Greenland is not to be sold, not to be taken," he said during a news conference, applauded by the local crowd. "The situation in Greenland is clearly a wakeup call for all Europeans. Let me tell you very directly that you're not alone," Macron added. Trump is scheduled to arrive late Sunday in Kananaskis, Alberta. He will have a bilateral meeting with Carney on Monday morning before the summit program begins. 'He tends to be a bully' Leaders who are not part of the G7 but have been invited to the summit by Carney include the heads of state of India, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Australia, Mexico and the UAE. Avoiding tariffs will continue to be top of mind. Asked if he planned to announce any trade agreements at the G7 as he left the White House on Sunday, Trump said: "We have our trade deals. All we have to do is send a letter, 'This is what you're going to have to pay.' But I think we'll have a few, few new trade deals." Bilateral meetings with the American president can be fraught as Trump has used them to try to intimidate the leaders of Ukraine and South Africa. Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien told a panel this week that if Trump does act out, leaders should ignore him and remain calm like Carney did in his recent Oval Office meeting. "He tends to be a bully," Chretien said. "If Trump has decided to make a show to be in the news, he will do something crazy. Let him do it and keep talking normally." Last month Britain and the U.S. announced they had struck a trade deal that will slash American tariffs on U.K. autos, steel and aluminum. It has yet to take effect, however, though British officials say they are not concerned the Trump administration might go back on its word. Starmer's attempts to woo Trump have left him in an awkward position with Canada, the U.K.'s former colony, close ally and fellow Commonwealth member. Starmer has also drawn criticism -- especially from Canadians -- for failing to address Trump's stated desire to make Canada the 51st state. Asked if he has told Trump to stop the 51st state threats, Starmer told The Associated Press: "I'm not going to get into the precise conversations I've had, but let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth." Zelenskyy expected to meet Trump The war in Ukraine will be on the agenda. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to attend the summit and is expected to meet with Trump, a reunion coming just months after their bruising Oval Office encounter which laid bare the risks of having a meeting with the U.S. president. Starmer met with Carney in Ottawa before the summit for talks focused on security and trade, in the first visit to Canada by a British prime minister for eight years. German officials were keen to counter the suggestion that the summit would be a "six against one" event, noting that the G7 countries have plenty of differences of emphasis among themselves on various issues. "The only the problem you cannot forecast is what the president of the United States will do depending on the mood, the need to be in the news," said Chretien.
The Mainichi
6 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Britain's MI6 spy agency gets its first female chief
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) -- Britain's real-life spies have finally caught up with James Bond. MI6 has appointed its first female chief. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Sunday that Blaise Metreweli will be the next head of the U.K.'s foreign intelligence agency, and the first woman to hold the post since its founding in 1909. She is currently the MI6 director of technology and innovation -- the real-world equivalent of Bond gadget-master Q. A career intelligence officer, Metreweli, 47, steps from the shadows into the light as the only MI6 employee whose name is made public. She said "I am proud and honored to be asked to lead my Service." Starmer said the "historic appointment" comes at a time "when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital. "The United Kingdom is facing threats on an unprecedented scale -- be it aggressors who send their spy ships to our waters or hackers whose sophisticated cyber plots seek to disrupt our public services," he said. Starmer made the announcement as he arrived in the Canadian province of Alberta for a Group of Seven leaders' summit. Metreweli takes over at MI6 as the agency faces growing challenges from states including China and Russia, whose use of cyber tools, espionage, and influence operations threatens global stability and British interests, even as it remains on alert against terrorist threats. Metreweli is the first woman to get the top job, known as C -- rather than M, the fictional MI6 chief of the 007 thrillers. M was played onscreen by Judi Dench in seven Bond movies starting in the 1990s. She will take up her post in the fall, replacing Richard Moore, who has held the job for five years. Britain's two other main intelligence agencies have already shattered the spy world's glass ceiling. MI5, the domestic security service, was led by Stella Rimington from 1992 to 1996 and Eliza Manningham-Buller between 2002 and 2007. Anne Keast-Butler became head of electronic and cyber-intelligence agency GCHQ in 2023. Moore, an Oxford-educated former diplomat, fit the 007 mold like a Savile Row suit. But in recent years MI6 has worked to increase diversity, broadening its recruitment process from the traditional "tap on the shoulder" at an elite university. The agency's website stresses its family-friendly flexible working policy and goal of recruiting "talented people from all backgrounds." Moore suggested he would like his successor to be a woman. He wrote on X in 2023 that he would "help forge women's equality by working to ensure I'm the last C selected from an all-male shortlist." Like many things about MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service, the process of choosing a new chief took place out of public view. It began with the country's top civil servant writing to government departments in March asking them to put forward candidates. The job was open to applicants from other intelligence agencies, the civil service, the diplomatic service, the armed forces or the police. In the end, MI6 opted for an internal candidate with a 25-year career in espionage, a degree in anthropology from Cambridge University -- where she was on the women's rowing team -- and expertise in cutting-edge technology. "At a time of global instability and emerging security threats, where technology is power and our adversaries are working ever closer together, Blaise will ensure the U.K. can tackle these challenges head on to keep Britain safe and secure at home and abroad," said Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who oversees MI6.
