Jawad Iqbal is a broadcaster and ex-television news executive. Jawad is a former Visiting Senior Fellow in the Institute of Global Affairs at the LSE
Even those who dislike Keir Starmer might feel a smidgen of pity – on a human level – for his plight as he tries to cling on in Downing Street. The Prime Minister is being assailed from every direction of his divided government and party with blunt advice about what he needs to do in
Labour is facing a collapse in support among British Muslim voters in this week’s local elections. The votes of many Muslims are instead likely to go to pro-Gaza independents and the Green Party. The bad news doesn’t end there for Labour: if there was a general election tomorrow, only a third of Muslim voters would support
Is the fragile Iran war ceasefire over? It would appear so, with American and Iranian forces exchanging fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed clashes follow US President Donald Trump’s launch of ‘Operation Freedom’, which aims to use the US military to escort stranded ships out of the critical waterway. Trump said American forces had
Even those who don’t think much of New York city mayor Zohran Mamdani’s politics might grudgingly concede he has a knack for jumping on causes that resonate with his achingly progressive voter base. The idea of righting the wrongs of imperial history – anywhere, even thousands of miles away – is high on the tick list.
The decision by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to quit Opec, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is a seismic blow to the oil cartel. Opec is already reeling from the energy shock of the Iran war and Tehran’s closure of the vital supply line through the Strait of Hormuz. There will be worries now
From our US edition
President Donald Trump, not someone to let a good insult go to waste, has caused outrage in India after sharing a social media post describing the country as a “hellhole.” Trump did not make the disparaging remarks himself, merely reposting the statement (without comment) on his Truth Social account. The words actually came from the conservative
“I can’t imagine that there’s any profession that is more dangerous,” Donald Trump told reporters just hours after the shooting incident at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington DC. This is true enough. Violence against US presidents is, unfortunately, nothing new. Everyone knows this long and bloody history all too well. It includes the
In declaring an extension to the ceasefire in the Iran war, President Trump signalled clearly enough that he would prefer to strike a peace deal with Tehran. J.D. Vance, the vice-president, has been kicking his heels, waiting to return to the Pakistani capital Islamabad for another go at achieving a breakthrough. The Iranians keep blowing
It is judgment day in the Commons for the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, over what he knew, and when, about the process that led to Peter Mandelson being appointed as ambassador to Washington. Starmer has promised to “set out all relevant facts in true transparency” to MPs this afternoon. It is a tall order. Starmer has to
The official report into the Southport attacks — in which 17-year old Axel Rudakubana murdered three girls at a Taylor Swift themed dance class in July 2024 — paints a damning picture of multiple serious failings by government agencies. Sir Adrian Fulford, the high court judge overseeing the public inquiry, said the attack could have been
What now after the collapse in peace talks between America and Iran in Pakistan? The gap between the two sides on the two critical issues – Iran’s nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz – proved too big in the end. Is it back to war? What does the failure to reach a deal mean
The eyes of the world are on Pakistan’s capital Islamabad as it plays host to this weekend’s make or break negotiations between the United States and Iran. The Pakistanis, whose mediation efforts pushed the two warring countries to agree a fragile two-week ceasefire, are taking no chances. Security has been stepped up, with thousands of
From our US edition
Pakistan, the world’s only Muslim nuclear power, has traditionally been an international sideshow. No longer. The country has reportedly been passing messages between Washington and Tehran in efforts to bring an end to the Iran war. It is has a five-point plan aimed at restoring “peace and stability” across the region. How have the Pakistanis
Talking nonsense about football is a lucrative and growing business, hence the explosion in podcasts in which former players exchange inanities about the game. A surprising new entrant to this festival of footballing gibberish – a right winger fresh from the subs’ bench, so to speak – is Suella Braverman. The former Conservative home secretary,
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, the British couple imprisoned in Iran on spying charges, have issued a desperate plea for help, saying they feel abandoned by the UK. The pair want the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, to ‘step up’, describing how they feel ‘let down, alone and completely frustrated’. It was reckless, and simply asking
Iran’s most powerful leaders are being picked off one by one by Israeli and American military strikes. The latest scalp claimed by Israel is Ali Larjani, Iran’s security chief, and widely believed to be the most powerful figure in the present Iranian leadership. The reported killing comes just days after Larjani went on a public walkabout in Tehran,
Sir Keir Starmer wants everyone to know how sorry, really sorry, he is for giving Lord Mandelson the job of Ambassador to the United States. On a visit to Belfast yesterday, the Prime Minister issued his latest and perhaps most abject mea culpa so far. It came just hours after the publication of embarrassing government
Iran threatened harsh retaliation in the wake of the American-Israeli attacks that killed the country’s supreme leader and many of its senior commanders. Its response consisted of a barrage of missiles aimed at Israel. So far, so predictable. Yet, at the same time, Tehran chose to direct its firepower at neighbouring Gulf states, countries that
President Donald Trump was crystal clear at the start of the military action against Iran that it was all about regime change. The United States, in co-ordination with Israel, would do its bit by targeting Iran’s leadership and command structure – but it was up to ordinary Iranians to rise up and finish the job.
More than 13 people may have taken their own lives as a result of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. These are the first findings from the public inquiry into what has been called the worst miscarriage of justice in UK history. Sir Wyn Williams, chairman of the inquiry, said that a further 59 victims
