Starmer pressed over UK sanctions against Israel for war crimes targeting Palestinian children
Speaking to the prime minister from the Commons on Wednesday (16 July), Imran Hussain said that Israel is committing 'war crimes' by 'killing Palestinian children as they queue for food'.
'Our government quite rightly imposes thousands of sanctions on Russia for its war crimes in Ukraine. How many more horrors must be witnessed before the prime minister acts with the same scale of sanctions against Israel to stop this genocide?,' the Bradford MP said.
Sir Keir responded by saying he is 'appalled' by scenes in Gaza and said investigations into reports of civilians being killed must be 'transparently' carried out.
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Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
Britain tries to tackle youth knife crime crisis
HINDHEAD, England, July 29 (Reuters) - A year after one of Britain's most harrowing knife attacks, the government is urging young people to drop off bladed weapons at "amnesty" bins or mobile vans in a month-long campaign - part of efforts to control knife-related violence, particularly when it involves youths. On July 29, 2024, teenager Axel Rudakubana, who was obsessed with violence and genocide, attacked a Taylor Swift-themed children's dance event in the northern English town of Southport, killing three girls and stabbing 10 other people. Since then, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government has pledged tougher age checks for knife buyers, warned social media firms they could face fines for failing to curb sales and promotion of weapons, and banned zombie-style knives and ninja swords. Starmer launched a coalition in September last year aimed at tackling youth knife crime. Actor and anti-knife campaigner Idris Elba joined the conversation at a meeting this month, alongside King Charles. Charities and experts interviewed by Reuters call the government's efforts a step forward but say they largely fail to address the root causes. Some charities involved in classes and workshops aimed at young people are urging the government to make such education part of the national curriculum. Overall, knife crime in England and Wales has risen 87% over the past decade, with 54,587 offences last year alone, a 2% rise from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe, figures from Britain's interior ministry show. It did not provide a breakdown of knife crime offences by age group. But data from the justice ministry showed that in the year to March 2024 there were just over 3,200 knife or offensive weapon offences committed by children (aged 10-17) resulting in a caution or sentence. Of the 262 people killed with a knife or sharp object in the 12 months to March 2024, 57 were under 25. Kitchen knives were the most commonly used weapons. A public inquiry into the Southport murders that opened this month will begin by looking into the specifics of Rudakubana's case before a second phase examines the wider issue of children being drawn into violence, an increasing concern for British authorities. Amanda Marlow, from the youth charity Safety Centre, which runs knife crime awareness workshops in schools, says young people carry knives for a range of reasons. These include seeing it as a "quick fix" to make money when growing up in poverty, trying to gain status among peers, or being drawn into the wrong crowd, such as gangs, where they are often exploited. Some police forces have launched dedicated knife crime units. In the West Midlands, one of the country's worst-hit areas, the Guardian Taskforce focuses on reducing knife crime among under-25s. In June alone, officers patrolled for over 3,000 hours, carried out 366 stop-and-searches, and seized 57 knives or offensive weapons. "Every knife seized is a life saved," Inspector Kate Jeffries of the taskforce said in a statement. After surviving the Southport stabbings, Leanne Lucas launched the "Let's Be Blunt" campaign, calling for safer, rounded-tip kitchen knives instead of pointed ones. Jade Levell, a researcher at the University of Bristol who studies masculinity, vulnerability and violence, said anti-knife crime efforts should focus on early intervention, such as mental health care, rather than short-term fixes like amnesty bins. "Some boys see their only option is to be afraid or to make others afraid of them," Levell said, referring to those growing up with violence, poverty or discrimination. Some 4.5 million children are growing up in poverty in the UK, according to charities. In 2023, about 1 in 5 children and young people aged 8 to 25 years had a probable mental disorder, according to the National Health Service. The government announced funding this month for hubs offering mental health and career support for young people at risk of gang involvement, violence or knife crime. The scheme, focused on high-risk areas, is starting with eight such centres and aims to have 50 open in the next four years. The violent death of his son two years ago prompted Martin Cosser to found a charity dedicated to educating young people about knife crime, one of several such initiatives around the country. Charlie's Promise, named after 17-year-old Charlie who was stabbed multiple times in the chest by another teenager at a packed end-of-term party, has spoken to 41,000 young people in schools and elsewhere. "Nothing brings my little boy home," said Cosser, adding that far more must be done to stop the knife crime crisis spiralling out of control. "We need to understand the emotional drivers behind why people pick up knives." Charity Safety Centre delivers workshops in schools, specifically designed for children aged 9 to 12. At a recent session in a school in the southern English town of Milton Keynes, staff from the charity explained what knife crime is and the dangers it poses, encouraging active participation through questions and games. Safety Centre and Charlie's Promise are among several groups calling for such education to become a mandatory part of the national school curriculum. Amani Simpson, who survived being stabbed in 2011 and now shares his story as a youth coach, believes societal pressures and some forms of entertainment such as violent video games also play a role in spawning knife crime. "Young people feel displaced and disengaged ... those things need to be uprooted," Simpson said after a talk at TCES North West London, a special education school, emphasising the importance of helping them believe in their own potential so they make better choices. "Hope for me is the missing piece," he said.
Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Putin's deadly response to Trump's new ultimatum: Russian bombs kill 20 including 16 in strike on a prison hours after Donald told Kremlin to end war in 10 days
At least 20 people were killed and more than 40 others wounded in a series of overnight Russian missile strikes across Ukraine, officials said on Tuesday. It comes just hours after Donald Trump warned Vladimir Putin to end the war within ten days or face crippling new sanctions. The heaviest bombardment hit the Zaporizhzhia region, where eight strikes were carried out, including one that hit a prison, according to Ivan Fedorov, head of the region's military administration. In a post on Telegram, he said: '16 people were killed, 35 were wounded. The premises were destroyed and nearby houses were damaged.' Missiles also rained down on the Dnipropetrovsk region, where several more people were killed and injured in multiple attacks, officials said. A strike on the city of Kamyanske killed two people, wounded five others and damaged a hospital, according to regional governor Sergiy Lysak. Another attack on the region's Synelnykivsky district left one person dead and several more wounded, he said. In a separate incident in Velykomykhaylivska on Monday night, 'a 75-year-old woman was killed. A 68-year-old man was wounded. A private house was damaged,' Lysak added in another Telegram post. In southern Russia, a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person, according to local authorities. 'A car was damaged on Ostrovsky Street. Unfortunately, the driver who was in it died,' said Yuri Slyusar, acting governor of the Rostov region. The attacks came as Ukrainian forces continue efforts to repel Russia's summer offensive, which has pushed into areas that have been largely spared since the early stages of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, blasted the strikes, saying it was 'another war crime' committed by Russia. Writing on X, he said: '(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's regime, which also issues threats against the United States through some of its mouthpieces, must face economic and military blows that strip it of the capacity to wage war.' Over the weekend, the Russian army announced it had 'liberated the settlement of Maliyevka' in the Dnipropetrovsk region, just weeks after it seized the first village in the area. The strikes followed remarks by former US President Donald Trump, who on Monday warned Moscow it had just days to bring the war to an end. He said Russia had 'about 10 or 12 days' to stop the conflict in Ukraine or face tough sanctions.
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Tens of thousands at risk of poverty despite Labour's benefit U-turn, MPs warn
About 50,000 people who become disabled or chronically ill will be pushed into poverty by the end of the decade because of cuts to incapacity benefit, despite ministers dropping the bulk of its welfare reform plans, MPs have warned. The work and pensions select committee report welcomed ministers' decision earlier this month to drop some of the most controversial aspects of its disability reforms in the face of a parliamentary revolt by over 100 Labour backbenchers. These included the wholesale scrapping of proposed major changes to personal independence payment (Pip) eligibility that would have seen around 800,000 people no longer qualifying for the benefit by the end of the decade. The government also ditched plans to freeze the value of the incapacity element of universal credit for existing claimants, affecting over 2m people by 2029-30, though it kept in place proposals to half the weekly rate for new claimants. Labour had 'in the end' made the right decision, the committee said in a report. But it reiterated calls for the remaining planned cuts to universal credit to be delayed until their impact on poverty, health and jobs were fully understood. Ministers been left badly bruised by the enforced gutting of its bill, which was intended to save £5bn a year by the end of the decade. Keir Starmer, the prime minister, admitted subsequently that No 10 'didn't get the process right'. Although all existing universal credit claimants and new claimants with severe or terminal conditions will now be protected, from next year other claimants with limited health capacity for work will see monthly awards cut from £423.27 to £217.26. The committee chair, Labour's Debbie Abrahams, said, 'We welcome the concessions that the government made to the niversal Credit bill; but there are still issues with these welfare reforms not least with the cut in financial support that newly sick and disabled people will receive.' Abrahams said that on the government's own analysis approximately 50,000 people who claim universal credit from next April after developing a health condition or becoming disabled will be plunged into poverty by 2030 as a result of cuts. 'We recommend delaying the cuts to the universal credit health premium, especially given that other policies that such as additional NHS capacity, or employment support, or changes in the labour market to support people to stay in work, have yet to materialise,' she said. 'We agree in a reformed and sustainable welfare system, but we must ensure that the wellbeing of those who come into contact with it is protected. The lesson learned from last month should be that the impact of policy changes to health-related benefits must be assessed prior to policy changes being implemented to avoid potential risks to claimants,' added Abrahams The report also urged ministers to drop plans – currently out for consultation – to prevent young people aged 18-22 from claiming incapacity benefit. 'We share the minister's concern about young people being trapped in economic inactivity before their working lives have even begun, but we do not see why this means they should lose entitlement to universal credit health,' the report said. The cross-party committee welcomed the government's plans to review the much-criticised Pip assessment process, which it said was in 'desperate need of reform.' It applauded ministers promise to 'co-produce' the review with disabled people. A government spokesperson said: 'Our welfare reforms will support those who can work into jobs and ensure there is always a safety net for those that need it. The impact assessment shows our reforms will lift 50,000 children out of poverty – and our additional employment support will lift even more families out of poverty. 'The reforms will rebalance Universal Credit rates to reduce the perverse incentives that trap people out of work, alongside genuinely helping disabled people and those with long-term health conditions into good, secure work – backed by £3.8bn in employment support over this parliament.'
