Tag: united kingdom

  • Emeralds, rubies and diamonds: report reveals jewels stolen from India by British Empire

    Emeralds, rubies and diamonds: report reveals jewels stolen from India by British Empire

    As part of their ‘Cost Of The Crown’ series, investigating the British Royal Family’s wealth and finances, The Guardian has extracted a 46 page report from the Indian government which provided details of jewelry and other precious items stolen by the colonial British Empire during their reign over the sub-continent. Most of the gifts were handed over as gifts to Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch at the time.

    The investigation was commanded by the late Queen Elizabeth II’s grandmother, Queen Mary, to find out about the origins of her jewels.

    The report details the names of the jewels as well as their colonial origins and how they were stolen by the East India Company.

    1 Koh-i-Noor

    The legendary diamond Koh-i-Noor was taken from Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s kitty. The ruler of Lahorr had signed a treaty of friendship with the British in 1831, and six years later the then Governer-General of India, George Eden, and his sister, Fanny, visited him at his palace. The Guardian writes that Fanny had later written about Singh’s diamond collection, detailing how he decorated his horses with the finest diamonds she had ever seen:

    “If ever we are allowed to plunder this kingdom, I shall go straight to their stables.”

    in 1849, Singh and his heir, Duleep, were forced to sign over Punjab to the British army, who stole all of his jewels as a part of their conquest, along with the Koh-i-Noor.

    The diamond is part of the Imperial Collection, imbedded into Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s crown, worn by consorts.

    2 The Timur Ruby gemstone

    Named after Timur, the founder of Timurind Empire in Central Asia, the gemstone is etched with the names of the five men who owned it: Jahangir (1569-1627), the 4th Mughal Emperor, Shah Jehan (1592-1666), the 5th Mughal Emperor, Farrukhsiyar (1685-1719), the 10th Mughal Emperor; Nader Shah (1688-1747), Shah of Iran; and Ahmad Shah Durrani (1722-1772), King of Afghanistan.

    By 1813, the gemstone was under the possession of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled over the Sikh Empire, and later was passed down to his heir Maharaja Sher Singh. From there, the necklace was inherited by his brother Duleep Singh, who became Maharaja when he was only five years old.

    During 1948- 49, when the British Empire waged wars over the Sikh Empire, the East India Company took over Punjab and forced the then ten-year-old Maharaja to hand over his possessions. Duleep Singh was placed under a Scottish guardian, isolated from contacting his fellow countrymen.

    3 Pearl necklace

    Comprising of 244 pearls and a clasp of two magnificent rubies, the necklace had originally belonged to a ruler in Punjab, until it was stolen by the British. Queen Elizabeth II was spotted wearing this necklace at the Royal Opera House in London to celebrate her diamond jubilee.

    4 Emerald girdle of Maharaja Sher Singh

    The gold girdle inlaid with 19 emeralds first came to the public’s attention during Buckingham Palace’s celebration of Prince Charles’ 70th birthday, with a display of his favorite pieces from the royal collection. The item had previously belonged to an Indian Maharaja, Sher Singh, who used it to decorate his precious horses.

  • Khan asks court to dismiss Tyrian White case

    Khan asks court to dismiss Tyrian White case

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday submitted a reply to Islamabad High Court (IHC) in reply to a disqualification petition filed against him for not disclosing details about his daughter Tyrian Jade White in his nomination papers.

    In the reply, Khan requested the court to dismiss the petition, arguing that he is not a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) anymore, therefore such a petition is “not maintainable and may not be proceeded”.

    Moreover, he said that the IHC could not examine the “veracity or otherwise of any declaration or affidavit issued” in the exercise of its constitutional jurisdiction, especially with respect to a person who had ceased to hold public office.

    Last year, Sajid Mehmood filed a petition in the IHC claiming that although Imran made arrangements for Tyrian White in the United Kingdom (UK), he did not disclose information about her in his nomination papers or in affidavits filed by him, a pretext necessary for contesting elections in the country.

    Tyrian, born in 1992 to the late American heiress Sita White, is alleged to be Khan’s biological child. Her mother passed away in 2004 when Tyrian was 12 years old.

  • Lizz Truss resigns as UK prime minister

    Lizz Truss resigns as UK prime minister

    After only 45 days in the position, Prime Minister Liz Truss abruptly announced her resignation. The Prime Minister said that a Tory leadership election will be held in the coming week to choose her successor.

    After her government was overthrown and the majority of her economic policies were abandoned, Tory MPs pushed Ms Truss to leave.

    According to Al Jazeera, Ms Truss was elected by the Conservative membership in September, but after making a number of U-turns, she was forced to resign. In a speech outside Downing Street, Ms Truss said: “I recognise that I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.”

    Ms Truss declared that she would stay in her position until a replacement legally assumes the role of party leader and is chosen as King Charles III’s prime minister.

    When Ms Truss leaves office, she will hold the record for the shortest tenure as prime minister in British history. She took office 44 days ago. Following Ms Truss’ resignation address, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded a quick election.

    In her speech, Ms Truss said she entered “office at a time of great economic and international instability”, as war rages in Ukraine and living costs skyrocket. However, her retirement follows the resignation of a crucial minister, former home secretary Suella Braverman, and a disorderly parliamentary vote in which Tory MPs dissented.

  • Ishaq Dar aa nahi rahay, aa gaye hain: Dar takes oath as senator

    Ishaq Dar aa nahi rahay, aa gaye hain: Dar takes oath as senator

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar on Tuesday, September 27, took oath as a senator after living five years in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom.

    Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani administered the oath amid ruckus created by the opposition. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members tore copies of the agenda of the meeting to register their protest and also surrounded the dais.

    Dar touched down in Pakistan with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on the night of September 26. He will be sworn in as the federal finance minister tomorrow (September 28) at 10am.

    Talking to reporters at the airbase, Dar said: “I will try my best to fulfill all the responsibilities. We will try to take the country out of the economic swamp it is stuck in […] the way we did in 1998-1999 and 2013-2014.”

    President Arif Alvi will administer oath to Dar at Aiwan-e-Sadar. All arrangements for the oath-taking ceremony will be completed by tomorrow morning.

    The incumbent minister, Miftah Ismail, had resigned from his post on Sunday evening.

  • Apple honours Queen Elizabeth II by removing iPhone 14 from homepage of its official website

    Apple honours Queen Elizabeth II by removing iPhone 14 from homepage of its official website

    On Thursday, Apple changed the homepage in memory of Queen Elizabeth II. The Cupertino-based tech giant has added her photo and a tribute statement to its homepage in memory of her.

    Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, also offered his condolences to the citizens of the UK and the Commonwealth.

    The longest reign of any British monarch was that of Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled for 70 years. She passed away at the age of 96.

    Here’s how Apple’s landing page currently appears:

    Apple.com landing page

    Importantly, Apple just announced the iPhone 14 series one day before Queen Elizabeth II passed away, and all of the new products were displayed on the landing page of the company’s website. However, the Cupertino-based technology company immediately updated the home page and included a photo of Queen Elizabeth II.

    Read more: Here are the official prices of all iPhone 14 models

    Apple is one of the few tech behemoths to have changed its website, surprisingly at this key moment when the company is promoting its recently announced products, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 8 and AirPods Pro 2.

  • Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96

    Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96

    Royal family officials reported that the queen passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral Castle, her home in the Scottish Highlands.

    She is currently at Balmoral with her son King Charles, who will return to London on Friday.

    The longest reigning British monarch was Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled the United Kingdom for seven decades.

    Here’s the tweet from the royal family:

    The queen has performed fewer official responsibilities in recent years, occasionally skipping engagements where her attendance used to be expected.

    Her recent mobility problems have caused her to spend a lot of time at the family’s rural estate near London, Windsor Castle, and the Scottish castle, Balmoral.

  • Majority of property owners in London are Indians, followed by English and Pakistani people

    Majority of property owners in London are Indians, followed by English and Pakistani people

    Indians are among the people who own the most real estate in the capital of the United Kingdom (UK), London, more than the English themselves.

    According to London-based residential developer Barratt London, the largest group of property owners in London are Indians, who are represented by those who have lived in the UK for generations, NRIs, investors from other countries, students, and families who travel to the UK for education. English and Pakistani people are next in number.

    These Indian investors, who reside in both the UK and India, are prepared to spend anywhere between GBP 290,000 and GBP 450,000 for a one, two, or three-bedroom property in London, the nation’s capital.

    “We are seeing a strong demand from Indian investors looking to purchase properties in London and invest in the stable and long-term property market. Outside of London, most of our products are sold to UK residential buyers, who buy these properties and live in them,” Stuart Leslie – International Sales and Marketing Director for Barratt London, told Financial Express.

    In London, 30 per cent of sales are made to pure investors (those who want to use the apartments as rentals), and 30 per cent of those buyers come from foreign markets.

    “This year we have seen a growth in the percentage of Indian homebuyers, who make up 7-8 per cent of the overseas market players. We are really reacting to where the demand is coming from rather than speculating and looking for business,” Stuart Leslie said.

    According to a Knight Frank survey, 10 per cent of India’s UHNWIs intend to purchase a new home in 2022, and they prefer to invest in domestic real estate, followed by homes on the UK, UAE, and US foreign markets.

    London is well-liked by Indian investors and homebuyers because it is a hub for finance and education and one of the major international entry points for investors.

    Additionally, it makes sense for Indian homebuyers to look at the real estate market in London given that the cost per square foot is roughly comparable between London and Mumbai and that the two cities also share a similar legal framework, making transactions simpler.

    “The reason why Indians are comfortable with buying property is because of the market fundamentals and confidence along with a history of Indians investing in houses in London. They’re eager to invest in the UK residential markets because they are getting better returns owing to the exchange rates and market presence presently. It is relatively a safer market in comparison to the UAE or India,” he said.

    In addition to being a “stable market” for residential real estate, the UK has advantages over other international potential markets, such as good weather and quicker travel times.

    Many families and students, especially those from India, relocate to the UK for educational opportunities. According to Stuart Leslie, the number of Indian students applying to UK colleges and universities has surged by 128 per cent in just one year.

    Therefore, there are several reasons why Indians have traditionally preferred to invest in the UK, including the country’s high-quality educational institutions, business-friendly environment, cosmopolitan mindset, language familiarity, and expanding investment opportunities.

    Currently, there is a demand for finished or nearly finished projects since people are looking to move quickly after the pandemic. Barratt London’s common price range for real estate is between GBP 390,000 and GBP 450,000.

    “This is not a price which people normally associate with the London market but with tier-II or tier-III cities. This makes people want to own properties in London rather than smaller cities of the UK,” he said.

  • India beats UK to become fifth-largest economy in the world

    India beats UK to become fifth-largest economy in the world

    India has surpassed the United Kingdom to take over as the world’s fifth-largest economy. The country was ranked as having the fifth-largest economy after outperforming England in the first three months of 2021.

    The UK has moved up to the sixth spot from where it was rated during the 2019 fiscal year. According to a survey by Bloomberg, the US economy was worth USD 854.7 million in ‘nominal’ cash terms in the quarter ending in March, compared to USD 816 million for the UK.

    According to reports, the mark was calculated using an adjusted basis and the dollar exchange rate on the last day of the relevant quarter.

    The update was released two days after the government published the first-quarter GDP figures.

    According to statistics, the Indian economy is expanding by 13.5 per cent annually. Despite the fact that this figure was lower than the RBI’s prediction, the rate is reported to be the highest among emerging nations.

    This fiscal year, India is expected to grow at a rate of about 7 per cent.

  • UK’s £1.5 million financial support for Pakistan flood victims termed ‘pathetically small’

    UK’s £1.5 million financial support for Pakistan flood victims termed ‘pathetically small’

    The International Development Committee (IDC) of the British Parliament has called the UK’s financial support for disastrous floods in Pakistan ‘risible’.

    The “pathetically small” amount of support provided, according to IDC chair Sarah Champion, made her feel ashamed. She further said that by choosing to take the money out of Pakistan’s current aid, the UK was really doing nothing for Pakistan.

    According to Independent, the contribution of up to £1.5 million announced last week, according to IDC chair Sarah Champion in a letter to foreign secretary Liz Truss, equals less than 5p for each individual impacted by the heavy rain that has devastated more than 700,000 homes.

    As soon as parliament reconvened on Monday after its summer recess, she requested Ms Truss make an urgent statement regarding the calamity.

    The response to the floods, according to Ms Champion, revealed Boris Johnson’s administration policy of continued apathy towards Pakistan, which has dropped from first to seventh in the list of countries receiving bilateral aid from the UK since 2019.

    Last week, Lord Ahmad, a minister in the Foreign Office, expressed his thoughts and prayers for the millions of people impacted by the floods that have apparently inundated a third of Pakistan’s territory. “The UK stands with the people of Pakistan during this time of need,” he said.

    And on Tuesday, Mr Johnson expressed his deepest sympathies for the Pakistani people, saying, “We have witnessed the destruction there, and it is truly heartbreaking.

    “Pakistan is traditionally one of the biggest recipients of UK overseas aid. We will of course make sure that we send a fitting package commensurate with the vital relationship that there is between the UK and Pakistan and people’s natural sympathies with those who have been affected by the floods.”

    However, Ms. Champion wrote to Ms Truss in her letter, saying, “Considering the scope and impact of the flooding, I was ashamed to read the government’s declaration of ‘up to £1.5m from the UK’ in humanitarian support on August 27, 2022.”

    “Even if the full £1.5m were delivered, it would amount to less than 5p for each person affected.”

    “Furthermore, that pathetically small sum will be subtracted from ‘existing support to Pakistan’. The UK government’s risible response to this humanitarian disaster arguably amounts to nothing.”

     “However, UK aid funding to Pakistan has been cut dramatically. Pakistan has fallen to seventh in the list of UK bilateral aid recipients since it experienced the largest single decrease in any country budget.”

    A Foreign Office spokesperson said that Ms Champion’s letter had been received and a response would be made in due course.

    It is important to note that Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s Minister of Planning, previously estimated that the cost of the flood damage could reach $10 billion.

  • Boris Johnson resigns as British Prime Minister

    Boris Johnson resigns as British Prime Minister

    Following the resignation of dozens of cabinet members, Boris Johnson will step down as the leader of the Conservative Party on Thursday, according to BBC. This will make room for a new prime minister of the United Kingdom.

    At 1 pm, he is scheduled to address the country and lay out his agenda for the coming few weeks.

    Although it is not yet known when the selection process to succeed him would start, Attorney General Suella Braverman has already entered the race. It took six weeks to hold the last Tory leadership contest.

    Since the initial Cabinet walkouts on Tuesday, the PM has come under great pressure to resign. On Wednesday, he declared his intention to “keep going” in the position, but it now seems that the pressure may have been too much.

    According to a government source, he thought about it overnight and decided to quit when he awoke “with a clarity of thinking.” Today, he will call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to ensure that the UK will continue to help Ukraine.

    As a courtesy, he also informed the Queen of his plans this morning.

    Just 24 hours after accepting the position left empty by Rishi Sunak’s departure, the new chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, made the extraordinary decision to urge his employer to leave, making it very evident that the end was near.

    Less than a day after accepting Mr Zahawi’s position as education secretary, Michelle Donelan, who may have held the record for the shortest tenure in UK history, announced her resignation.

    Sajid Javid’s departure as health secretary on Tuesday evening set off a wave of resignations in the cabinet, which was swiftly followed by Mr Sunak’s resignation as chancellor and Sajid Javid’s resignation as health minister.

    Although there have been 56 resignations overall, it seems like that number is continually rising.

    Nearly all of those who resigned cited Mr Johnson’s integrity as a reason for their actions, citing scandals like Partygate and the more recent Chris Pincher affair; some, however, also highlighted problems with the government’s LGBT+ policy.

    The way Mr Johnson handled the charges of sexual misbehaviour against Mr Pincher, who quit after allegedly “groping” two men last week, seems to have been the tipping point for many.

    After Mr Javid and Mr Sunak left, Mr Johnson apologised for appointing Mr Pincher as deputy chief whip while being aware of the allegations made against him on Tuesday.

    On Wednesday during PMQs, he apologised once more, but by that point, the crowd seemed to have fully turned against him.

    The prime minister responded to a Tory MP’s question about whether there was ever a situation in which he would resign by saying: “The role of a prime minister in tough circumstances when he has been awarded a massive mandate is to keep going and that’s what I’m going to do.”

    UPDATE: Boris Johnson’s nearly three-year term as prime minister of the United Kingdom ended abruptly on Thursday due to scandal and controversies.

    Addressing outside Downing Street, Johnson argued that the selection process for the new Conservative Party leader should start right away, with a timeline to be revealed the following week. He declared that he would continue in that position until a new Tory leader was chosen.

    Despite a glaring lack of support from his own party and mounting pressure from across the political spectrum to resign immediately, he has decided to stay in office.

    Johnson acknowledged that “no one is remotely indispensable” in politics but expressed sadness at leaving “the best job in the world.”

    At Westminster, the herd instinct is strong, and when the herd moves, it moves, Johnson observed in reference to members of his own ruling party who turned against him.

    He tried to end his approximately six-minute speech on a positive note. “Our future together is golden, even though things often seem gloomy now.”

    There are a tonne of tweets mocking PM Boris Johnson’s resignation on social media.