Connect with us

Published

on

Labour’s by-election candidate in Rochdale was “completely wrong” to say Israel deliberately allowed the 7 October massacre to give it the “green light” to invade Gaza, the party’s UK campaign coordinator has said.

Speaking to Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, senior shadow frontbencher Pat McFadden pointed out Azhar Ali had issued a full apology and retraction and hoped he “learns a good lesson from it”.

Mr Ali had also criticised Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer over his approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Politics latest: Gove says Starmer is ‘the jellyfish of British politics’

The row erupted after the Lancashire county councillor’s comments were published by The Mail On Sunday newspaper.

His remarks have been branded “warped” and “disgraceful” by the Jewish community, which fears they could further fuel hostility.

It will also be seized on by political opponents as evidence that Sir Keir has failed to change Labour since Jeremy Corbyn, when the party was embroiled in an antisemitism controversy.

Mr McFadden said of Mr Ali: “His comments were completely wrong. He should never have said something like that.

“He’s issued a complete apology and retraction and I hope he learns a good lesson from it because he should never have said something like that in the first place.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘I hope he learns a good lesson from it’


Mr Ali made his comments at a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party in the wake of the October atrocity, where he claimed the Israeli government had removed its border security to enable the Hamas attack.

He said: “The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel ten days earlier… Americans warned them a day before [that] there’s something happening… They deliberately took the security off, they allowed… that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want.”

After someone suggested Sir Keir was “held in high regard”, Mr Ali replied: “Can I disagree with you… A lot of the MPs I’ve spoken to, non-Muslim MPs, feel that on this issue, he’s lost the confidence of the parliamentary party.”

Read more on Sky News:
Defence secretary ‘furious’ as he orders review of MoD diversity and inclusivity policy

PM promises to reward hard work with tax cuts

After his remarks were made public, Mr Ali said in a statement: “I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant, and false.

“Hamas’s horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released.

“7 October was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising antisemitism.

“I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments.

“The Labour Party has changed unrecognisably under Keir Starmer’s leadership, he has my full support in delivering the change Britain needs.”

Comments aren’t about by-election – but Starmer’s decision-making


Rob Powell Political reporter

Rob Powell

Political correspondent

@robpowellnews

While the row over Azhar Ali may be connected to the upcoming Rochdale by-election, it’s really a story about Sir Keir Stamer and his ability to make difficult political decisions.

No one is disputing Mr Ali did say that Israel allowed the 7 October attacks to take place. No one – including Mr Ali himself – is disputing those remarks were ignorant, false and offensive. And yet, he remains Labour’s candidate.

Part of the explanation for that is technical. It’s now too late for Labour to swap in someone else with the official deadline having elapsed days ago. So he will be on the ballot paper.

The question for Sir Keir is whether the party disavows their candidate, stops campaigning for him in Rochdale, and makes it clear he would not sit as a Labour MP if he did win the vote.

Read more

The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region said it had met Mr Ali and been reassured by his “long track record of interfaith work and combatting extremism”, but had been “shocked and appalled” about his remarks on the Hamas attack, which it said demonstrated “warped thinking”.

‘Unforgivable’

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said in a statement: “These comments are disgraceful and unforgivable.

“It is clear to us that Mr Ali is not apologising out of a genuine sense of remorse.”

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, wrote on social media: “Outrageous, highly offensive, mad and unacceptable.”

Click to subscribe to Politics at Jack and Sam’s wherever you get your podcasts

Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden said: “Time after time, Sir Keir Starmer says that he’s changed Labour. Time after time we’re seeing that simply isn’t true.

“While vile racist slurs are freely exchanged within Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, it is unfit to hold public office.”

Gawain Towler, a spokesman for Reform UK, said: “I find it absolutely extraordinary that Labour frontbenchers are being sent out to work for this guy, knowing his comments, which are worse than anything people have been suspended for.

“The only thing I can think of is they are terrified of George Galloway so they are trying to out-extreme him. It is truly shocking.”

A spokesman for the Workers Party of Britain said: “Mr Ali has described his own words and views as ‘stupid, ignorant, offensive and false’. Why should anyone vote for him then?”

“Our election slogan is ‘For Gaza. For Rochdale’. We are unapologetically pro-Gaza, pro-Palestine. And it is that message which resonates across Rochdale: young and old, white and black.”

Mr Ali, a former government adviser who was made an OBE in 2020 for public service, was selected last month to contest the poll, caused by the death of Sir Tony Lloyd.

He is defending a Labour majority of more than 9,000.

The Liberal Democrats have been asked for comment.

See below the full list of candidates and the political parties they represent:

Azhar Ali, Labour Party
Mark Coleman, Independent
Simon Danczuk, Reform UK
Iain Donaldson, Liberal Democrats
Paul Ellison, The Conservative Party Candidate
George Galloway, Workers Party of Britain
Michael Howarth, Independent
William Howarth, Independent
Guy Otten, Green Party
Ravin Subortna, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
David Tully, Independent

Continue Reading

Politics

Russian national arrested in South Korea for attempted crypto robbery

Published

on

By

Russian national arrested in South Korea for attempted crypto robbery

Russian national arrested in South Korea for attempted crypto robbery

South Korean authorities have arrested one of three Russian nationals accused of an attempted robbery during a fake crypto deal in Seoul. The suspects allegedly lured Korean investors to a hotel, where they tried to steal 1 billion won (approximately $730,000) in cash.

The Gangseo Police Precinct in Seoul detained a man in his 20s in Busan on May 27, according to a report by local news outlet JoongAng Daily. The suspect faces charges of assault and attempted robbery. The other two suspects reportedly fled South Korea shortly after the incident.

According to investigators, the robbery attempt occurred on May 21 at a hotel in Seoul’s Gangseo District. The suspects posed as participants in a peer-to-peer crypto transaction and invited 10 Korean men to the hotel.

Two were called to the room while the others waited in the lobby. Inside the room, the suspects — wearing protective vests — ambushed the victims with a replica handgun and a telescopic baton, tying their hands with cable ties.

Related: Another suspect to surrender in NYC crypto torture case: Reports

Police seize weapons, launch global manhunt

Per the report, one of the victims managed to escape and raise the alarm, prompting the suspects to flee without the cash. Police responded to an emergency call and found one man bleeding in the lobby.

Officers discovered a cache of equipment in the suspects’ hotel room, including a replica firearm, batons, vests and a money counter. Police suspect the robbery had been carefully planned.

A request to prevent the suspects from leaving the country was filed the next morning, but two had already departed. “We have requested assistance from Interpol to track down the suspects who fled overseas,” a police official reportedly said.

Authorities are now questioning the detained suspect and preparing to seek a pretrial detention warrant.

Related: Crypto investor loses $2.6M in stablecoins in double phishing scam

Rise in crypto crime incidents

The incident comes amid a recent uptick in crypto-related violent crimes, including kidnapping and ransom cases.

A Manhattan crypto investor faces serious charges after allegedly kidnapping and torturing an Italian man in a bid to extract access to digital assets.

Russian national arrested in South Korea for attempted crypto robbery
Source: Mario Nawfal

On May 13, the family of Pierre Noizat, the co-founder and CEO of French crypto exchange Paymium, was targeted in an attempted kidnapping.

In response, executives and investors in the crypto industry are increasingly seeking personal security services. On May 18, private firm Infinite Risks International reported a rise in requests for bodyguards and protection contracts from high-profile figures in the crypto space.

Magazine: TradFi is building Ethereum L2s to tokenize trillions in RWAs: Inside story

Continue Reading

Politics

IMF upgrades UK economic growth forecast – but issues tariffs warning

Published

on

By

IMF upgrades UK economic growth forecast - but issues tariffs warning

The UK economy will grow more than previously thought, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has upgraded its latest forecast.

But it warned trade tensions linked to US tariff plans will reduce UK economic growth next year.

The Washington-based UN financial agency said the UK economy will expand 1.2% this year and “gain momentum next year”.

The upgrade in forecasts, however, is slight, up from an expected 1.1% announced in April as the world reeled from the global trade war sparked by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

That April figure was a 0.5% downgrade from the projected 1.6% growth for 2025 the IMF foresaw in January and the 1.5% forecast issued in October.

It means the IMF expects the UK economy to grow less this year than it forecast in October and January.

Money blog: Britons face 100% property tax in Spain

Tariffs warnings

This anticipated lower growth is largely due to tariffs – taxes on goods imported to the United States – and the uncertainty caused by shifting trade policy in the US, the world’s largest economy.

While many tariffs have been paused until 8 July, it’s unclear if deals will be in place by then and if pauses may be extended.

The effect of this has been quantified as a 0.3 percentage points lower growth by 2026 in the UK, the IMF said.

The organisation held its prediction that the UK economy will grow by 1.4% in 2026.

“The forecast assumes that global trade tensions lower the level of UK GDP by 0.3% by 2026, due to persistent uncertainty, slower activity in UK trading partners, and the direct impact of remaining US tariffs on the UK,” it said.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Trump’s tariffs: What you need to know

It comes despite the UK having agreed a deal with the Trump administration to circumvent the 25% tariffs on cars and metals.

The IMF also cautioned that “weak productivity continues to weigh on medium-term growth prospects”.

Welcome news

Interest rates “should” continue to come down, making borrowing cheaper, though the IMF acknowledged the rate-setters at the Bank of England now have a “more complex” job due to the recent rise in inflation and “fragile” growth.

The author of the report on the UK Luc Eyraud said the IMF expected the Bank to cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points every three months until they reach a level of around 3%, down from the current 4.25%.

Praise was given to the UK government as the IMF said “fiscal plans strike a good balance between supporting growth and safeguarding fiscal sustainability”.

Follow The World
Follow The World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

The news is being taken as a win by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

“The UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 for the first three months of this year and today the IMF has upgraded our growth forecast,” she said.

“We’re getting results for working people through our plan for change – with three new trade deals protecting jobs, boosting investment and cutting prices, a pay rise for three million workers through the national living wage, and wages beating inflation by £1,000 over the past year.”

Continue Reading

Politics

Luxembourg flags crypto companies as high risk for money laundering

Published

on

By

Luxembourg flags crypto companies as high risk for money laundering

Luxembourg flags crypto companies as high risk for money laundering

Luxembourg classified virtual asset service providers (VASPs) as high-risk entities for money laundering in its 2025 National Risk Assessment (NRA), highlighting concerns over the crypto industry’s exposure to financial crime.

According to the report, the inherent risk level of VASPs is deemed “High,” driven by factors including transaction volume, client reach, distribution channels, legal structures and the international scope of operations.

The NRA identified VASPs as an emerging risk in its 2020 report after “a detailed assessment of ML inherent risks emerging from virtual assets.” This was followed by a 2022 NRA report deeming “the risks associated with crypto assets and virtual currencies as very high,” because, among other things, they are internet-based and cross-border.

Related: Blender and Sinbad operators face US money laundering charges

EU’s evolving crypto regulation

The European Union, of which Luxembourg is a founding member, has been working to regulate the cryptocurrency industry. A key part of this effort is the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, which is designed to unify crypto regulation across all 27 EU member states.

Since January, crypto asset service providers have started acquiring licenses to operate legally within the EU. In May, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken launched regulated derivatives trading, and competitor Crypto.com secured a license allowing it to do the same.

MiCA also establishes a new set of requirements for stablecoins. The stablecoin market leader behind USDt (USDT), Tether, refuses to comply with the new rules and was delisted on Crypto.com, Coinbase and leading crypto exchange Binance on their EU platforms.

Related: French prosecutors probe Binance over money laundering, fraud allegations: Report

Money laundering with crypto

As the role of cryptocurrencies in the broader financial ecosystem increases, so does their popularity for money laundering. Earlier this month, Hong Kong police arrested 12 people involved in a cross-border money laundering scheme that relied on crypto and over 500 stooge bank accounts to launder 118 million Hong Kong dollars ($15 million).

Luxembourg
Crypto value received by illicit addresses per year. Source: Chainalysis

According to reports this month, European law enforcement arrested 17 suspects of a “mafia crypto bank” for allegedly laundering over 21 million euros ($23.5 million) in crypto for Middle East and China-based criminal entities. As a result of the proceedings, 4.5 million euros ($5 million) worth of items were seized, including cash, crypto, 18 vehicles, four shotguns and several electronic devices.

Magazine: Chinese Tether laundromat, Bhutan enjoys recent Bitcoin boost: Asia Express

Continue Reading

Trending