Not USA, Iran shocks West with secret plan inside UK after Britain attacks Houthis? 'Plot exposed'
British anti-terror police arrested several men on terror suspicion on May 04, across the United Kingdom. Four of the five nationals arrested belonged to Iran. Iranian embassy in London did not immediately comment on the arrests. The alleged Iran-linked plot was uncovered days after UK bombed Iran proxy Houthis in Yemen. Is Iran exacting its revenge via a new secret plan? Watch the video to know more.
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Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Still shaking': Canada journalist alleges assault by Khalistanis, shares ordeal
Investigative journalist Mocha Bezirgan says he was 'surrounded and threatened' by a group of Khalistan supporters and briefly had his phone snatched while filming their weekend rally in downtown Vancouver. 'It just happened two hours ago and I'm still shaking,' Bezirgan told news agency ANI in a phone interview. 'They acted like thugs - crowding in on me, grabbing my phone, trying to stop me recording.' Bezirgan, who has gained a following for documenting Khalistani demonstrations across Canada, the United States, Britain and New Zealand, said an agitator who has previously harassed him online led Sunday's confrontation. 'All of a sudden I had two or three people up in my face. I started a backup recording on my phone; that's when one of them yanked it out of my hand,' he said. Vancouver police officers nearby intervened, ordering the man to back off. Bezirgan later filed a statement; no arrests were immediately announced. The journalist added that the same individual continued shadowing him for several blocks, including onto a SkyTrain platform. 'I had nowhere to go. It was clear intimidation,' he said, calling for the man - a British national, according to Bezirgan - to be deported. Sunday's altercation comes amid a string of attacks on reporters covering the separatist movement. In October 2024, Canadian MP Chandra Arya warned Parliament of 'growing violence faced by journalists who report on Khalistani extremism,' citing assaults on broadcasters Rishi Nagar, Sameer Kaushal and others, and noting that Bezirgan himself had received death threats
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
This deal can trigger a new India-China power play
The recent agreement between the UK and Mauritius , where the UK has agreed in principle to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, marks a watershed moment in post-colonial geopolitics. While India has officially hailed the move as the completion of Mauritius's decolonisation process, the implications go far beyond historical justice or moral diplomacy. For India, this development opens new possibilities in its ongoing strategic contest with China for influence across the Indian Ocean region. On this wider maritime chessboard, the Chagos Islands may prove to be a crucial square. Chagos and the colonial legacy The Chagos Archipelago, a group of over 60 small islands in the central Indian Ocean, has been under British control since the 1960s, when it was separated from Mauritius prior to the latter's independence. The United Kingdom then leased the largest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States, which turned it into a major military base. For decades, the Chagos issue remained a sticking point in Mauritius's decolonisation narrative, and its legal claim was supported by international courts and the United Nations. India has consistently backed Mauritius's claims, both out of principle and geopolitical calculation. The transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius — albeit with the U.S. base likely to continue operating under existing arrangements — allows New Delhi a more open and potentially influential role in shaping the future security architecture of the central Indian Ocean. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo India's stakes in Mauritius India's stakes in Mauritius are not new. The two countries enjoy strong diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties, underpinned by a shared history and a large Indo-Mauritian population. Nearly 70% of Mauritians are of Indian origin. Under a unique tradition, only Indian citizens, often top officials of Indian security and defence services, are appointed Mauritius' national security adviser and the head of the coast guard. India is among the top trading partners and investors in Mauritius, and it has strategically extended lines of credit, development assistance, and infrastructure investment to maintain its influence. India is building a Metro in Mauritius and also built its new Supreme Court building. Recently, the Indian government asked Indian airlines to bail out loss-hit Air Mauritius. Live Events In 2015, India built a new airstrip and other military infrastructure on Agalega Island, another Mauritian territory. While officially described as supporting civilian use and improving connectivity, the facility is widely understood to have strategic value, potentially allowing India to monitor key maritime chokepoints and naval activity in the region. This development complements India's broader Indian Ocean strategy, which includes military agreements with Seychelles, Madagascar, and Oman, and a growing naval presence in the region. China's expanding footprint Beijing, however, is not standing still. China's presence in the Indian Ocean has been growing rapidly through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), naval deployments, port development, and strategic partnerships. In 2019, China signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Mauritius — its first FTA with an African country — giving it a crucial economic and legal foothold in the island nation. In addition, China has funded infrastructure projects in Mauritius, including smart city projects and port modernization. While these developments are framed in economic terms, they potentially serve dual-use purposes, a hallmark of Chinese strategic investments. This expanding influence has naturally caused unease in New Delhi, which views China's Indian Ocean ambitions with deep suspicion. Chagos, India's strategic leverage? With the Chagos Islands possibly coming under the sovereignty of a friendly and closely aligned Mauritius, India gains several advantages in its strategic calculus. Control over the Chagos archipelago by Mauritius — a pro-India partner — alters the balance of influence in the central Indian Ocean. India could gain access or leverage over these islands to enhance its maritime domain awareness and patrol capabilities. While Diego Garcia will remain under US military use, Mauritius's sovereignty introduces a third actor into strategic dialogues. India, which shares robust defense ties with the US, could benefit from this triangle, facilitating intelligence sharing and operational coordination. With Beijing establishing port access and naval agreements across the Indian Ocean — including Gwadar in Pakistan, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, and Djibouti — India needs strategic outposts of its own. The Chagos Islands, along with Agalega and other island partnerships, can serve as a counterweight. India has positioned itself as a net security provider in the IOR. Having influence over Chagos enhances its ability to counter piracy, trafficking, and other non-traditional threats, while also projecting hard power if necessary. The strategic opportunity presented by the Chagos handover is significant, but it is not without challenges. First, the degree of India's access to or use of Chagos territory will depend on the terms Mauritius establishes, particularly in the context of the existing US lease of Diego Garcia. Second, India must be cautious not to provoke unnecessary tension with China, especially in a region where both nations are vying for influence through economic as well as military means. Moreover, the local sensitivities, especially surrounding the displaced Chagossian population and ongoing human rights concerns, mean that any Indian role must be diplomatically nuanced and development-oriented.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
UK's visa crackdown leaves city of London immigrants in limbo
One banker in the City of London is faced with paying an extra £40,000 a year in university fees for his children. Nursing homes are worried about finding enough caretakers for residents. The insurance industry says overseas relocations have now ground to a halt. Such is life in the UK after the government announced it would now take ten years for immigrants to receive preferential status known as indefinite leave to remain, or ILR. That's twice the time it used to take. 'Ten years is a very long time to spend without certainty,' said Louise Haycock, partner at the immigration services firm Fragomen, who has been fielding frequent requests from businesses on the matter. 'The UK already has one of the most expensive immigration schemes.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Experience next-level CPAP comfort with Resmed AirSense 11 ResMed Buy Now Undo The government, which is still finalizing the changes, is attempting to navigate public pressure to tackle the number of people arriving in the country, as the right-wing populist Reform party gains ground in local and parliamentary elections. It's too soon to say whether the plans will apply retroactively to those already in the country, immigration minister Seema Malhotra said this week. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Net migration to the UK quadrupled between 2019 and 2023. While official data suggests this rise is reversing as the post-Covid spike in foreign students ends and European Union citizens face more hurdles to move, the government is keen to drive the decline further. The rules are also tightening for those who wish to bring family members when they move. Live Events You Might Also Like: UK hubs for exploited migrant carers are of little help The most obvious businesses hit by the crackdown are care homes, which rely heavily on workers from abroad. Under proposals set out by the Labour government after May's local elections, overseas recruitment in the care sector will end within months, reversing an exemption introduced in 2022. The charity Care England described the decision as a 'crushing blow to an already fragile sector.' Operators say funding pressures prevent them from offering higher salaries, meaning the jobs often only appeal to overseas workers. The government has said employers will be able to hire migrants who are already in the UK until 2028. Other sectors are concerned by the changes. Pharmaceutical companies, for example, face extra paperwork and costs that could restrict scientists moving to the UK. The hospitality industry also depends on attracting workers from abroad, who will find it tougher to qualify for skilled worker visas under the new, higher pay threshold. You Might Also Like: A UK industry is still able to hire foreign workers under visa clampdown One large multinational British company is anticipating the changes to immigration rules will raise costs for its staffing moves, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named given the sensitivity of the topic. Despite the likely financial impact, the person said the company didn't plan on raising the issue with the government and will instead absorb the additional expense. City Fears In the City of London, whose banks, law firms and professional services firms have long drawn skilled workers from overseas, there's rising anxiety. One City worker, who requested anonymity, is considering a move to Dubai or the US in order to fund his child's increased university fees and said he felt cheated by the changes the government is making. You Might Also Like: UK tightens student visa rules: Shorter stays, stricter checks, fewer perks Some individuals relocated to the UK to enable their children to study at British universities. Yet parents without settled status will now face as much as £50,000 in annual international fees, instead of £9,535 in domestic fees. 'We've got people that are in the UK who are coming to us and saying, 'I've been in the UK for three and a half years, I've made it my home, my kids are in school, I pay my taxes, I want to buy a house. But I can't now because I don't know if I'm going to be able to get a mortgage in five years time if I'm going to have to wait another six, seven years for ILR,'' said Seema Farazi, global immigration leader for government affairs and financial services at EY. The headline measures announced by the government to restrict immigration were not helping the UK's image with high-skilled migrant workers, she added. 'We have seen a lot of people who are looking at alternative options in different parts of the world.' As well as the extra years waiting for settled status, foreign bankers are also facing higher taxes relative to other global financial hubs, the end of the non-dom status that might have shielded their overseas wealth from UK tax and increasingly squeezed public services. One London employee at a major international investment bank, who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity, said she was now concerned about her position in the UK. She'd bought a house after relocating from Asia, in the confidence that she'd have permanent residency within five years and would be able to apply for a new job if she lost her current one. But she said in a fiercely competitive industry, it was far from clear that anyone would keep their role for a decade. Had she known it might be that long before she would gain settled status, she said she would not have come to the UK. Companies will also need to pay the UK's £1,000 annual immigration skill charge for five additional years until workers become settled. Large international banks are expected to largely absorb the increased bureaucratic burden but the task won't be feasible for every firm. Smaller firms will be particularly hard hit by the reforms, said Craig Beaumont, executive director of the Federation of Small Businesses, in a speech in May. 'Small business owners are not immigration officers,' he said. 'To attract and retain experienced international talent, we need to have access to long-term visas that are compatible with families moving to the UK,' said Arabella Ramage, legal and regulatory director at the insurance trade body Lloyd's Market Association. The organization expects 260,000 skilled people to leave the insurance industry by 2035, based on the ages of workers. Details of the immigration policy are still being finalized, and the government has said it will allow some people to qualify for ILR sooner, based on criteria yet to be decided that could measure immigrants' economic contribution. 'It's just another burden and it's clamping down on using highly skilled individuals,' said Richard Harris, chief legal officer at recruitment agency Robert Walters Group. Uncertainty is palpable, even for those already in the country. It's clear the government's intention is trying to find different ways they can make immigration more difficult, according to immigration barrister Catherine Taroni. 'The white paper itself is very broad. It's quite all encompassing,' she said.
