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King Charles, Queen Camilla join Ramadan charity effort at London restaurant

Britain’s King Charles III joked on Wednesday he was past his “sell-by date” as he and Queen Camilla helped pack food donation boxes for charity at Darjeeling Express, an Indian restaurant in Soho, ahead of Ramadan. (Screenshot/X/@RoyalFamily)
Britain’s King Charles III joked on Wednesday he was past his “sell-by date” as he and Queen Camilla helped pack food donation boxes for charity at Darjeeling Express, an Indian restaurant in Soho, ahead of Ramadan. (Screenshot/X/@RoyalFamily)
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Updated 20 March 2025

King Charles, Queen Camilla join Ramadan charity effort at London restaurant

King Charles, Queen Camilla join Ramadan charity effort at London restaurant
  • Visit highlights royal couple’s support for interfaith initiatives

LONDON: Britain’s King Charles III joked on Wednesday he was past his “sell-by date” as he and Queen Camilla helped pack food donation boxes for charity at Darjeeling Express, an Indian restaurant in Soho, ahead of Ramadan.

The British monarch and his wife visited the female-run restaurant, founded by British restaurateur Asma Khan, to support its initiative of cooking for charitable causes during the Muslim holy month.

Camilla assisted staff in packing biryani meals for Doorstep, a charity aiding families in temporary housing.

As she ladled food into a takeaway box, she joked: “Is that enough, or some more? They might still be a bit hungry after my portion.”

Charles, who was initially occupied with meeting guests, joined in with meal preparation, asking: “Is it chicken and proper basmati rice?” He was delighted to learn that some curry would be sent to Buckingham Palace for him.

The king and queen later packed dates into bags for iftar meals to be served in hospitals.

When Charles noticed the speed of the process, he laughed: “We don’t waste time. Paid by results!” Khan was impressed by their teamwork, saying: “You are packing them faster than I can seal them. I never realized this was such a speedy couple.”

The visit highlighted the royal couple’s long-standing support for interfaith initiatives in Britain and abroad, continuing Charles’ tradition of engaging with different religious communities across the UK and the Commonwealth.


‘A free Ukraine’: Kyiv protests law threatening anti-corruption bodies

‘A free Ukraine’: Kyiv protests law threatening anti-corruption bodies
Updated 7 sec ago

‘A free Ukraine’: Kyiv protests law threatening anti-corruption bodies

‘A free Ukraine’: Kyiv protests law threatening anti-corruption bodies
  • Critics say the legislation would facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes and threatens the independence of key institutions in Ukraine
  • Zelensky says he will submit a new bill ensuring “all norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place”

KYIV, Ukraine: At a rare protest in central Kyiv demonstrators rallied Wednesday against a law that curbs the power of anti-corruption agencies, warning the fight for Ukraine’s democracy was taking place both on the battlefield and at home.
The legislation, removing the independence of two key anti-corruption bodies, sparked the first major protests in Ukraine since it began fighting off the Russian invasion over three years ago.
“Our struggle takes place on two fronts. Our main enemy is external, but we have an internal battle too,” said protester Viacheslav Bykov.
“We don’t want Ukraine to be part of Russia, we don’t want a corrupt or authoritarian Ukraine. We want a free Ukraine,” he added.
Several thousand demonstrators — mostly young — gathered outside a theater in Kyiv, calling for a veto to the law passed by Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday.
The law places the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president.
Critics say the legislation would facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes and threatens the independence of key institutions in Ukraine.

European Commission weighs in

Zelensky responded to the backlash on Wednesday evening, saying he would submit a new bill ensuring “all norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place.”
Kyiv’s partners had reacted with alarm, including European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, who the EU said demanded explanations from Zelensky over the change.
Civil society groups warn the bill is part of a broader pattern of pressure on anti-corruption activists and bodies.
Some European allies worry the moves will undermine anti-corruption reforms key to Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union — a fear shared by many protesting on Wednesday.
“We’ve worked for years to move closer to Europe... only to be thrown back 10 years in a single day,” said protester Anya Kutsevol.
Ukraine’s two anti-corruption bodies, NABU and SAPO, were born a decade ago in the wake of the 2014 Maidan revolution.
Those pro-European protests, centered on Kyiv’s main square, also called Maidan, ousted a Kremlin-backed leader who scrapped a key partnership agreement with the EU.
The Kremlin, which refused to accept Ukraine’s democratic turn toward Europe, then launched a first assault over Ukraine that led Moscow-backed separatists to occupy Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region.
“Ukraine is Europe,” Kutsevol said, “we won’t be returned to Russia. We’ll keep fighting for Europe.”

‘Undermining unity’
Some fear that a political crisis over the legislation could work in Russia’s favor by undermining unity within the country, which is struggling to hold the front.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov seized on the opportunity to say there was “a lot of corruption” in Ukraine.
“If I were Russia, I would do the same,” said another protester, Yevgen Popovychenko, convinced Moscow would try to exploit the protests.
He was holding a banner that read: “Don’t take me back” to the years of Maidan, where he took to the streets as a 21-year-old.
As he stood in the crowd, he said he was having flashbacks from Maidan, a feeling shared by his friends.
But many other protesters were only children during the famed 2014 demonstrations — including 25-year-old Kutsevol.
“When tires were still burning, I was 14. What good was I?” she said.
Wednesday’s was her first political protest, and she teared up looking at people gathered around her for the second day in a row, despite martial law banning large gatherings.
She vowed to keep defending Ukraine’s democracy.
“We’re adults now. Now it’s our turn.”


White House pushes Obama ‘coup’ story to distract from Epstein

White House pushes Obama ‘coup’ story to distract from Epstein
Updated 26 min 56 sec ago

White House pushes Obama ‘coup’ story to distract from Epstein

White House pushes Obama ‘coup’ story to distract from Epstein
  • Trump’s intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard told a White House press briefing there had been a “years-long coup” by Obama
  • It is the latest move by the Trump administration to divert public attention away from the Jeffrey Epstein case

WASHINGTON: The White House pulled out all the stops Wednesday to promote claims that Barack Obama headed a “treasonous conspiracy” against Donald Trump, seeking to redirect public attention from uproar over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein affair.
Trump’s intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard told a White House press briefing there had been a “years-long coup” by Obama.
The extraordinary narrative essentially rehashed Trump’s longstanding argument that investigations into Russia’s multi-layered attempts to disrupt the 2016 election, where he beat Hillary Clinton, were a “hoax” against him.
Gabbard touted newly declassified intelligence that she said provided “irrefutable evidence” that Obama had ordered intelligence assessments to be manipulated to accuse Russia of election interference to help Trump.
The Justice Department announced the formation of a “Strike Force” to examine the allegations with “utmost seriousness.”

 

But Gabbard’s findings run up against four separate criminal, counterintelligence and watchdog probes between 2019 and 2023 — each of them concluding that Russia did interfere and did, in various ways, help Trump.
As a way to distract from the intensifying speculation over Trump’s handling of the case against the late sex offender and reputed pedophile pimp to the powerful Epstein, the Obama accusations had some effect.
White House journalists at the briefing barely asked about Epstein, focusing instead on Gabbard’s claims, and Fox News heavily promoted the Obama story to its right-wing audience.
However, the Epstein scandal quickly roared back, showing just how hard it is for 79-year-old Trump to maintain his usual mastery of driving news agendas — even within his fervently loyal “MAGA” base.

Epstein was a financier and friend to numerous high-profile people — for years, including Trump — who was convicted of sex crimes and then imprisoned pending trial for allegedly trafficking underage girls.
His 2019 prison cell death — ruled a suicide — supercharged a conspiracy theory long promoted by many of Trump’s supporters that Epstein had run an international pedophile ring and that elites wanted to make sure he never revealed their secrets.
After Trump came to power for a second term this January, his administration promised to release Epstein case files.
But when US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on July 7 that she had nothing to release, Republicans were furious — and Trump has been attempting to control the scandal ever since.
Things got even more complicated for him after The Wall Street Journal last week reported that Trump had written a lewd birthday letter to Epstein in 2003. Trump denies this and has sued the Journal.
On Wednesday, the Journal dropped a new story, saying Bondi had informed Trump in May that his name appeared several times in the Epstein files, even if there was no indication of wrongdoing.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung called this “fake news” and said Trump had long ago broken with Epstein and “kicked him out of his club for being a creep.”
However, the drip-drip of reminders of Trump’s close former relationship with Epstein is proving hard to stop.
Several of Trump’s most effective promoters over the years — including new FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino — made careers of fanning the concerns about Epstein, including the rumor that his death was actually a murder.
Democrats are piling on the pressure. Republican leaders in the House of Representatives sent lawmakers home early for a six-week summer break Wednesday to avoid being forced by Democrats into holding politically awkward votes on the affair.
But some lawmakers on the “MAGA” right have indicated they are in no mood to let Epstein drop. Several bids for transparency are in the works, including efforts to circumvent Republican leadership and force a vote on releasing files after they return from recess.
In another bid to satisfy his base, Trump had told Bondi to release “credible” Epstein information and to seek release of grand jury transcripts from the 2005 and 2007 investigations of Epstein.
But on Wednesday a judge rejected this, citing legal secrecy protocols.


Former diplomats urge UK prime minister to recognize Palestinian state

Former diplomats urge UK prime minister to recognize Palestinian state
Updated 23 July 2025

Former diplomats urge UK prime minister to recognize Palestinian state

Former diplomats urge UK prime minister to recognize Palestinian state
  • Former diplomats have represented the UK in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria and Turkiye, as well as the UN
  • They urged Keir Starmer to seize the ‘moment to recognise Palestinian statehood unconditionally’

LONDON: More than 30 former UK ambassadors and 20 former senior diplomats at the UN have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to recognize a Palestinian state, as international outrage grows over the distressing scenes in Gaza.

The former diplomats have represented the UK in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria and Turkiye, as well as the UN.

Their statement adds to the growing pressure on Starmer from ministers and senior figures in the ruling Labour Party, including the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to address the question of Palestine.

Starvation has affected the 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip amid Israeli attacks and aid restrictions. Khan said on Wednesday that the scenes in Gaza were harrowing and that “nothing justifies the actions of the Israeli government.” He asserted that there “can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.”

The former diplomats warned that “the risks of inaction have profound, historic and catastrophic implications,” and called on Starmer to seize the “moment to recognise Palestinian statehood unconditionally.

“(Israel) cannot be secure from threats in the future if the question of Palestine is not taken forward to a political settlement,” they said.

The statement added: “In the face of the current horror and impunity, words are not enough … a partial suspension of arms sales, delays on trade talks and limited sanctions are far from the full extent of the pressure the UK can bring to bear on Israel.”

Recognising a Palestinian state would be a “foundational first step toward breaking the deadly status quo,” the letter said. The UK has consistently stated it would recognize Palestine in conjunction with allies “at the point of maximum impact.”

A rescheduled international conference will be held in New York City from July 28-29, sponsored by Ƶ and France, to gather support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood. The organizers postponed the gathering planned for June due to the sudden conflict between Israel and Iran that occurred in the same month.

Former diplomats urged Starmer to use the event to create a constructive plan that includes statehood for both Palestinians and Israelis.

On Wednesday, Stephen Cottrell, the de facto leader of the Church of England, said Israel’s “war of aggression” in Gaza was a “grave sin.”

He said: “With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanization being inflicted on the civilian population by the government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable.

“In the name of God, I cry out against this barbaric assault on human life and dignity. It is a stain on the conscience of the international community and a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law.”

Cottrell called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the rebuilding of the Palestinian coastal territory.


Brazil to join South Africa’s Gaza genocide case against Israel at ICJ

Brazil to join South Africa’s Gaza genocide case against Israel at ICJ
Updated 24 July 2025

Brazil to join South Africa’s Gaza genocide case against Israel at ICJ

Brazil to join South Africa’s Gaza genocide case against Israel at ICJ
  • South Africa filed a case in 2023 asking the ICJ to declare that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention
  • Other countries – including Spain, Turkiye, and Colombia – have also sought to join the case against Israel

BRASILIA: Brazil is finalizing its submission to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel’s actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

South Africa filed a case in 2023 asking the ICJ to declare that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The case argues that in its war against Hamas militants Israel’s military actions go beyond targeting Hamas alone by attacking civilians, with strikes on schools, hospitals, camps, and shelters.

Other countries – including Spain, Turkiye, and Colombia – have also sought to join the case against Israel.

In its statement, the Brazilian government accused Israel of violations of international law “such as the annexation of territories by force” and expressed “deep indignation” at violence suffered by the civilian population.

Israel denies deliberately targeting Palestinian civilians, saying its sole interest is to annihilate Hamas. Lawyers for Israel have dismissed South Africa’s case as an abuse of the genocide convention.

The Israeli embassy in Brasilia did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Brazil’s National Israeli association CONIB said in a statement in response to Wednesday’s decision that “the breaking of Brazil’s long-standing friendship and partnership with Israel is a misguided move that proves the extremism of our foreign policy.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has long been an outspoken critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, but Wednesday’s decision carries added significance amid heightened tensions between Brazil and Israel’s ally the United States. The Trump administration announced 50 percent tariffs on all Brazilian goods this month.

A diplomat familiar with the thinking of the Lula administration told Reuters that Brazil does not believe its decision to join South Africa’s case will impact its relationship with Washington, however.

The United States has opposed South Africa’s genocide case under both former President Joe Biden and Trump. In February, Trump signed an executive order to cut US financial assistance to South Africa, citing in part its ICJ case.

 


Man built and stashed homemade bombs throughout New York City, prosecutors say

Man built and stashed homemade bombs throughout New York City, prosecutors say
Updated 23 July 2025

Man built and stashed homemade bombs throughout New York City, prosecutors say

Man built and stashed homemade bombs throughout New York City, prosecutors say
  • Michael Gann, 55, built at least seven improvised explosive devices
  • No one was injured by any of the devices

NEW YORK: A New York man accused of plotting to set off homemade explosives he had stashed at sites across Manhattan has been indicted, federal prosecutors said.

Michael Gann, 55, built at least seven improvised explosive devices last month with chemicals he bought online in May and took the bombs to Manhattan, according to an indictment handed up Tuesday by a grand jury.

Gann, of Long Island, stored some on the devices on the rooftops of adjoining residential buildings and threw another onto the subway tracks on the Williamsburg Bridge, prosecutors said.

No one was injured by any of the devices. Gann was arrested in early June near the buildings, and authorities said he he had one of the devices in his possession.

Gann put “countless lives at risk,” Jay Clayton, the interim US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.

Gann is charged with attempted destruction of property by means of explosives, transportation of explosive materials, and unlawful possession of destructive devices. He could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

A judge ordered Gann detained following a bail hearing. His lawyer, Martin Cohen, declined comment Wednesday.