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The White House says the Biden administration supports the people of Iran and their right to peaceful protests — and that there may be cooperation between Iran and Russia in cracking down on Iranian protesters. VOA Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
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The Minsk City Court has sentenced journalist Ales Lyubyanchuk to three years in prison amid a crackdown on independent media and civil society in Belarus under authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAZh) said Thursday that Judge Alena Ananich had sentenced the journalist after finding him guilty of creating an extremist group and taking part in its activities.

BAZh demanded that Belarusian authorities immediately release Lyubyanchuk, saying his incarceration was “retaliation for his journalistic activities.”

Lyubyanchuk, who cooperated with various media outlets, including Poland’s Belsat news agency, actively covered nationwide mass protests sparked by an August 2020 presidential poll that Lukashenko said he won but the opposition said was rigged.

He was arrested several times over his coverage of the protests at the time and subsequently stopped his journalistic activities. However, in late May, Lyubyanchuk was arrested.

The Minsk-based Vyasna (Spring) human rights center has recognized him as a political prisoner.

The sentence came a day after the court sentenced noted investigative journalist Syarhey Satsuk to eight years in prison on charges of bribe-taking, inciting social hatred and abuse of office.

Satsuk, who also has been recognized by Belarusian human rights organizations as a political prisoner, rejected all the charges, calling them groundless.

Currently, 32 Belarusian journalists are in custody, many of whom have been jailed since the August 2020 presidential election.

Thousands have been detained during countrywide protests over the results, and there have been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment by security forces. Several people have died during the crackdown.

Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has refused to negotiate with the opposition, and many of its leaders have been arrested or forced to leave the country.

The United States, the European Union and several other countries have refused to acknowledge Lukashenko as the winner of the vote and have imposed several rounds of sanctions on him and his regime, citing election fraud and the crackdown.
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In a foreign policy speech Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Western nations of trying to dominate the world, saying the coming decade will be one of the most dangerous since the end of World War II. 

In a lengthy speech in Moscow during the opening session of Valdai Discussion Club’s annual foreign affairs forum, Putin characterized the West as aggressively, desperately seeking to “single-handedly govern humanity.” He said people of the world no longer want to put up with it. 

He said the West is playing a dangerous, bloody and dirty game, and blamed Western aggression for, in his words, “the incitement of war in Ukraine … provocations around Taiwan, the destabilization of the global food and energy markets,” and the destruction of the European gas pipelines. 

The Reuters news agency later cited the White House as saying Putin’s comments were not new and did not indicate a change in his strategic goals, including in Ukraine. 

Analysts say Putin’s annual speech has traditionally provided the best insight into the Russian president’s view of the world and geopolitics.  

Putin said the world is at a “historical turning point,” and the “period of undivided dominance of the West in world affairs is coming to an end.” He said, “Russia is not challenging the elites of the West, Russia is just trying to defend its right to exist.” 

During a question-and-answer session, Putin spoke about the conflict in Ukraine — which he continued to refer to as Russia’s “special military operation.” Russia invaded Ukraine February 24 and has faced Western sanctions over the offensive. 

Putin said he thinks “all the time” about the casualties Russia has suffered but that the operation “ultimately benefits Russia and its future.” 

During the session, Putin ruled out the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, saying it would “make no sense at all to us — either in political or military terms.” 

He said Ukraine and the West accused Russia of military escalation to “influence neutral countries,” which he maintained had failed. 

Putin also called on the International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring team in Ukraine to inspect Ukraine’s nuclear sites “as fast as possible,” reiterating Moscow’s claims — without evidence — that Kyiv is preparing to use a “dirty bomb” in the conflict. 

He said Ukraine is “doing everything to cover up traces of this preparation.” 

A dirty bomb is a conventional bomb laced with radioactive, biological or chemical materials which are spread in an explosion. 

The United Nations Security Council discussed Russia’s allegations at a closed-door meeting Tuesday. 

Ukraine and its Western allies have strongly denied the accusations, and suspect they are being made as a pretext for some type of escalation in the war in Ukraine. 

U.S. President Joe Biden has warned that the use of tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine would be a “very serious mistake.” 

Some information for this report was provided by the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Press. 

 
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Sweden has historically been viewed as Europe’s most welcoming country for refugees, but observers say that changed in 2015 when the government decided to close its borders.

The election in September of a new government steered by the far-right Sweden Democrats has further tightened migration policy.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s Moderate Party, the Liberals and Christian Democrats constitute Sweden’s new ruling coalition. But observers say the Sweden Democrats, who have neo-Nazi roots and won the largest number of parliamentary seats, hold enormous sway over the coalition, setting far-reaching policies on migration and other key issues.

Observers say the Sweden Democrats have further stroked anti-immigrant sentiment over rising violence, some of which occurred in migrant communities.

Rights advocates criticize a deal the coalition and Sweden Democrats reached called the Tido Agreement, which gives the Sweden Democrats a powerful say in drafting new laws. The deal proposes a drastic reduction in the quota of refugees coming into Sweden, from 5,000 per year to just 900; consideration of an end to the permanent residence permit system; and the possible return of people who have “not integrated.”

It also tightens requirements for Swedish citizenship and reduces the right to family reunification to the minimum set at the European Union level.

Contradictory position

John Stauffer, legal director and deputy executive director of the Stockholm-based Civil Rights Defenders organization, says the Tido Agreement contradicts the human rights norms to which Sweden is bound by focusing on “harsher sentencing measures, undermining the rule of law and making it more difficult to be a refugee or asylum-seeker,” he told The Local, an online publication.

He says the deal’s proposals should be challenged, including stop-and-search zones, easier surveillance, elimination of benefits for newly arrived immigrants, and the detention of asylum-seekers while their asylum applications are processed, among others.

Swedish migration expert Anna Lundberg, a professor in sociology of law at nearby Lund University, told VOA that the Tido Agreement is not a legally binding document, and that it’s unreasonable to implement these suggestions within given time frames.

“It’s easy to say that you should aim at the EU minimum level,” she said, “but it’s not so clear what this minimum level actually means. … I assume that the government is also interested in considering knowledge about how legislation works in practice, if they want to achieve effect with their legislative changes. In that case, a thorough work is needed on the root of the problems they wish to solve.”

Law-abiding Afghan refugees in Malmo, who suffered religious persecution at home and in neighboring Iran, told VOA they felt particularly vulnerable to the proposals because they cannot return to either country, where they would face likely death at the hands of the Taliban and Islamic Republic rulers.

“I can understand their concern,” Lundberg said. “Young people who have sought protection in Sweden without their guardians have been very badly affected by the restrictive changes in both law and legal application after 2015. Now that the new government is talking about a paradigm shift, I assume they want to clean the slate through collective regularization programs so that these young people can make a life for themselves.”

Rights advocates point out that it is not Afghan youth who are involved in gun violence and gang crime in Sweden, but such incidents may involve second- or third-generation migrants. They allege that arguments for stricter migrant controls are used by the far-right Sweden Democrats to distort perceptions.
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GENEVA – A U.N. report warns the window for preventing a climate catastrophe is fast closing. The U.N. Environment Program’s latest Emissions Gap Report urges unprecedented cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and a rapid transformation of societies to head off the worst.

The U.N. report finds the world is falling far short of the Paris climate goals agreement, with no credible pathway for limiting a temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said progress since last year’s climate change conference, COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, has been woefully inadequate. She said nations have failed to deliver on their pledges for greater emissions cuts.

She noted greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 45 percent by 2030 to stop climate change. However, instead of stabilizing global temperatures at 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial level, she said temperatures will likely rise 2.4 to 2.6 degrees by 2100.

“We are sliding from climate crisis to climate disaster. This report is sending us a very, very clear message. If we are serious about climate change, we need to kickstart a system-wide transformation now. We need a root and branch redesign of the electricity sector, of the transport sector, of the building sector, and food systems.”

Additionally, she said financial systems must be reformed so they can bankroll the required transformations. She says incremental changes no longer are an option. Bold action must be taken now.

Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization Peterri Talaas called the transformational changes doable. He noted the IPCC, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, earlier this year reported that prices of climate-friendly energy solutions have been dropping.

“Nowadays, it is cheaper to invest in solar or wind energy as compared to the fossil energy. And the good news is also that 32 countries have reduced their emissions during the past 15 years, whereas their economies have been growing. So, there is not an automatic connection between economic growth and emissions growth.”

He mentioned European countries, the United States, Japan, and Singapore as some of the countries that have managed to grow their economies while reducing emissions.

Environmental experts estimate a global transformation to a low-emissions economy is expected to require investments of at least $4 trillion to $6 trillion a year. They are urging nations attending next week’s COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to agree to foot the bill and to up their pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
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Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has urged the South African government to deny entry to a Russian billionaire’s megayacht, warning that allowing it to dock in the country could lead to sanctions.

Steel and mining tycoon Alexei Mordashov is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U.S., European Union and allies have been seizing property of Russian oligarchs close to Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine.  

The $500 million megayacht Nord left Hong Kong after that city was accused of giving safe haven to those who’ve been sanctioned. It is expected to arrive in South Africa on November 8 or 9. Although it is not known exactly where it will dock, the popular port of Cape Town is said to have people with the skills required to maintain the vessel. 

“The position of the South African government on the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine and the illegal war being perpetrated there has been nothing short of spineless and embarrassing,” said Hill-Lewis, a member of the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, which controls the municipality but remains subject to national policies set by the African National Congress ruling party. 

“In this case,” he added, “they had an opportunity to put some of that right by standing up for principle, by standing up for international law and enforcing sanctions by refusing entry to Mr. Mordashov and his enormous luxury yacht.” 

Hill-Lewis said he will continue to object. 

“This is an enabler of Putin’s war and of Putin’s regime, and he should be stopped. He should not be welcome. But unfortunately, they have missed an opportunity, and they have decided to muddle through sitting on the fence without taking any clear principled position on this matter,” he said. “I will certainly stand up for the basic principle that Cape Town and South Africa should not be offering safe harbor to international criminals.” 

South Africa has abstained from voting on every United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started in February. 

After the most recent vote earlier this month, South Africa’s ambassador to the U.N., Mathu Joyini, said South Africa remains steadfast that dialogue, mediation and diplomacy is the only path that will lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. 

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya discussed Mordashov’s yacht at a media briefing this week. 

“South Africa’s obligations with respect to sanctions relate to only those specifically adopted by the United Nations. Currently, there are no U.N.-imposed sanctions on the particular individual,” Magwenya said. “Therefore, South Africa has no legal obligations that the U.S. and EU have decided to impose within specific jurisdictions. For as long as individuals abide by our immigration laws, we have no reason to prevent their entry into South Africa.” 

Brooks Spector, a political analyst and associate editor of The Daily Maverick, said the South African government should be condemning the war. 

“If it had been me and I were in charge, which I’m not, I would’ve said, ‘No, the ship can’t dock until we have proof that it has no relationship to the war effort or other transgressions,’ and that would’ve put a stop to the immediacy of it and perhaps postponed if off to the distant future as a port visit,” Spector said. 

He said in this instance, the South African government’s expressed desire to take a neutral stance is damaging its reputation. 

 
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Ukraine’s state energy company said Thursday it was limiting electricity use in multiple regions of the country after Russian attacks overnight targeting energy infrastructure.

Ukrenergo said damage from the strikes included equipment in the central part of the country. It said restrictions on power use are necessary to avoid network overloads and to make it easier to fix damaged facilities.

The new attacks on Ukrainian energy sites came as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked workers in the energy sector for their efforts to stabilize the power grid.

“No matter what the enemy does, our task is to break its plans and protect Ukraine. And this is not just someone’s task, it concerns not only energy workers or anyone else. Conscious energy consumption is now needed by all Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Wednesday.

A Russia-installed official in Crimea said Thursday an overnight drone attack targeted a thermal power plant in the Russia-annexed peninsula.

The official said there was no threat to the power supply there and that there were no casualties.

Nuclear exercises

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday remotely observed exercises by its strategic nuclear forces that are meant to simulate a response to a “massive nuclear strike.”

Russian state television showed video of Putin observing the drills on a huge television screen, with comments from military leaders. In the broadcast, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the drills involved a nuclear submarine, long-range aircraft and multiple practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles.

The White House said Tuesday that Russia had given notice it was going to stage the annual exercises, called “Grom” or “Thunder.” They come as NATO began its own annual nuclear exercise, known as “Steadfast Noon,” on Monday.

For several days, Russian officials have alleged that Ukraine is planning to develop and use a so-called dirty bomb in its conflict with Russia.

Dirty bombs combine conventional explosives with radioactive material and are designed to spread radioactivity that can cause massive death and contamination.

The U.N. Security Council discussed Russia’s allegations at a closed-door meeting Tuesday.

Ukraine and its Western allies have strongly denied the allegations, and suspect they are being made as a pretext for some type of escalation in the war in Ukraine.

Speaking from alliance headquarters in Brussels Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the accusations “absurd” and “blatantly false,” and he warned Russia not to use false pretexts to escalate the war.

U.S. President Joe Biden issued a similar warning Tuesday. When asked by a reporter if he thought Russia was using the dirty bomb allegations to set up a “false flag” operation and deploy a dirty bomb of its own, he said, “Russia would be making an incredibly serious mistake for it to use tactical nuclear weapons.”

Iranian drones

Biden met Wednesday with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House. Herzog had indicated he planned to share intelligence with the U.S. president about Iranian drones being used by Russian forces in Ukraine.

Herzog’s office said Israel has images showing similarities between drones shot down in Ukraine and those Iran tested in 2021. Ukraine and its Western partners have said Russia’s recent use of drones to attack Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, involves Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones.

Iran has denied supplying them to Russia, and Russia has denied using them in Ukraine. Kyiv has asked the U.N. to send experts to examine the debris, and the United States, Britain, France and Germany have also written to the U.N. supporting an investigation.

Russia called another meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to discuss whether the U.N. secretariat has the authority to send experts to Ukraine under the U.N. Charter and Security Council Resolution 2231, which restricts transfers of certain items to and from Iran.

“The secretariat needs to respond to requests of member states, but to act on the basis of a clear explicit mandate and the U.N. Charter, not on the basis of the desires of certain countries,” Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said of Ukraine and the Western states’ letters.

Iran’s envoy said his country has taken a neutral position on the war and has consistently advocated for peace.

“Iran has never provided the parties with weapons for use in the Ukraine conflict, either before or after the conflict,” Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told council members.

The U.N.’s top lawyer told the council that the secretary-general is tasked with reporting twice a year on the implementation of Resolution 2231, including findings and recommendations.

“Absent further guidance by the Security Council, the secretary-general will continue to prepare these reports in the manner that they have been prepared to date,” U.N. legal counsel Miguel de Serpa Soares told the council.

The U.N. has not said it would deploy experts to Ukraine and has only gone so far as to say it is ready to assess any information a member state provides it, as in past reports.

In 2017 and 2021, the U.N. investigated allegations that Iran supplied drones to Houthi rebels in Yemen, which were used in attacks on Saudi Arabia. Last year, the U.N. team went to Israel to inspect Iranian drones that had infiltrated Israeli air space.

“It is thus well-established that it is well within the authority of the secretary-general to investigate allegations of violations of Resolution 2231,” U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said.

Russia has called for yet another council meeting Thursday to discuss its debunked claims that Ukraine and the United States are planning to infect migratory birds, bats and even mosquitos with lethal pathogens, and then deploy them to infect Russian troops and/or civilians.

VOA’s U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed Wednesday that the Biden administration supports the people of Iran, and said there may be cooperation between Iran and Russia in dealing with Iranian protesters.

“We stand with the brave citizens and the brave women of Iran who right now are demonstrating to secure their basic rights,” Jean-Pierre told reporters.

She said the United States is “concerned that Moscow may be advising Tehran on best practices to manage protests, drawing on Russia’s extensive experience in suppressing open demonstrations.”

Jean-Pierre added that the evidence that Iran is helping Russia in the war in Ukraine is “clear and public.”

Ukraine and its Western partners, including the United States, have said drones used by Russian forces to attack Ukraine in recent weeks were supplied by Iran. Russia has denied using Iranian drones and Iran has denied supplying them to Russia.

“Iran and Russia are growing closer the more isolated they become,” Jean-Pierre said. “Our message to Iran is very, very clear: Stop killing your people and stop sending weapons to Russia to kill Ukrainians.”

At the same briefing Wednesday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Russia and Iran are working together to violate the human and civil rights of Iranians and to endanger the lives of Ukrainians.

“The United States stands with Iran — Iranian women and with all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their bravery. We will continue taking action to impose costs on those who commit violence against peaceful protesters or otherwise seek to suppress their very, very basic rights.”
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Germany on Wednesday unveiled plans to legalize cannabis, potentially making it one of the first countries in Europe to make marijuana legal.

Presenting his plans to the cabinet of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said the proposal aims to achieve “the most liberal cannabis liberalization in Europe, and, on the other hand … the most tightly regulated market.”

Germany’s federal Cabinet reportedly approved the plan, kicking off a lengthy process to legalize growth, cultivation and distribution of the plant.

German laws must comply with European legislation, and under the proposal, the government would regulate cannabis production, sale, and distribution as part of a controlled, legalized market, said Lauterbach, describing the reform as a possible “model” for other European countries.

Although many European countries have decriminalized small amounts of cannabis for recreational purposes, only one, Malta, has fully legalized it.

The proposed plan would also legalize the acquisition and possession of 20 to 30 grams of cannabis for personal consumption, cultivation of up to two or three plants per person, and sales through specialized stores. Use of cannabis would remain prohibited for anyone under 18.

According to the plan, the government would also introduce a special consumption tax and develop education and abuse prevention programs, while ongoing investigations and criminal proceedings connected to cannabis would be terminated.

Legalizing cannabis would push out Germany’s cannabis black market and could increase annual tax revenues, create 27,000 new jobs, and generate cost savings of about $4.7 billion, according to a report by Reuters.

Wednesday’s announcement was met with mixed reactions throughout the country. A national pharmacists association warned of potential health risks of legalizing cannabis, while some regional officials expressed concerns that Germany would become a drug-tourism destination, similar to the Netherlands, where some coffee shops are allowed to sell cannabis under strict conditions.

According to The Guardian, Germany’s health minister said the Dutch system “combined two disadvantages: liberal use but not a controlled market. What we have learned from the Dutch experience is that we don’t want to do it that way. We want to control the entire market.”

Some information from this report came from Reuters.
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Ahead of COP27, Namibian and European Union officials say they have reached an agreement for Namibia to export rare earth materials to the EU.

According to Erasmus Shivolo, commissioner of mines at Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, the EU is interested in developing the mining of minerals like lithium, cobalt and graphite, which are currently mined on a small scale in the country.

Per Shivolo, “The EU is the one saying, ‘Well, Namibia has got certain minerals that are critical to the energy transition and therefore we want to explore opportunities in working together to develop projects in that space.’ ”

This possible agreement comes at a time when Western nations are seeking sources besides China for these minerals, which are used to make batteries for mobile phones, electric cars and other technology.

Shivolo added that the EU is also interested in Namibia’s ambitious plan to become a producer of “green hydrogen,” a clean power source that could be used by industry and to power electric vehicles.

The commissioner pointed to the promises made at COP26, the 2021 U.N. climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, as one important factor: “Everyone, almost everyone who has signed up to COP26 has made a commitment to reduce carbon emission in their respective countries by a certain percentage.”

He added that “it is not a surprise that countries who are the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are interested to do this because they need to clean up their environments.”

The head of the EU delegation to Namibia, Sinikka Antila, told VOA that Namibia and the EU are working on a memorandum of understanding. She said the memorandum is an outgrowth of an African Union-EU summit that took place last year in Brussels.

She confirmed that the agreement had not yet been signed, but will be soon, and said that both the president of the EU Commission and Namibian President Hage Geingob “agreed that we will start on building a partnership on sustainable raw materials and the green hydrogen.”

Antila pointed to another factor speeding up the EU’s pursuit of alternative energy sources – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “This situation makes it even more important now, because the fact is we have to get rid of the dependency on Russian gas because Russia is not a reliable partner at the moment,” she said.

According to Antila, the agreement may be signed as soon as November, during the COP27 conference in Egypt.

However, in Namibia, the agreement may spark new anxieties. Abraham Noabeb, community liaison for the Black Business Leadership Network of Namibia, said he worries that foreign companies involved in the EU projects may simply use Namibia for its raw materials.

“The mining sector is not Namibian,” he said. “It is in Namibia but it is not Namibian. The mines that are in Namibia are owned by foreigners, foreign nationals and foreign multinational companies and corporations. They are the ones who own these mines.”

Noabeb called for the government to review its policies and make sure locals have a stake in any mineral exploration projects going forward.
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Rishi Sunak’s ascent to British prime minister has been described by some of his supporters as Britain’s “Obama moment,” comparing it to the 2008 election of Barack Obama as the first Black U.S. president. 

Sunak, who is of Indian heritage, is Britain’s first non-white prime minister. The 42-year-old practicing Hindu was appointed to the role Tuesday, after winning the backing of a majority of Conservative Party members of parliament. He is also Britain’s youngest leader for more than 200 years.   

Milestone  

The milestone was welcomed by all sides of the chamber as Sunak arrived for his first Prime Minister’s Questions in parliament Wednesday.  

“The first British Asian prime minister is a significant moment in our national story, and it’s a reminder that for all the challenges we face as a country, Britain is a place where people of all races and all beliefs can fulfill their dreams,” opposition Labor Party leader Keir Starmer told MPs.  

U.S. President Joe Biden described Sunak’s appointment Monday as “pretty astounding” and “a ground-breaking milestone.” 

Obama moment?  

Anand Menon, a professor of politics at Kings College London, is skeptical of the comparison between Sunak’s appointment in Britain and Obama’s election in the United States. 

“Firstly, because, actually, race isn’t as big a dividing issue in our politics here in the U.K. as it is in the United States. But secondly, too, because of the way Sunak was elected. He was chosen by MPs as a leader of a party. Barack Obama gained a personal mandate from the American people by being elected president. So, the scale of that triumph was simply of a different order to that which we’ve seen here,” Menon told VOA. 

It is nevertheless a significant moment for Britain, said Menon, who is also of Indian heritage. 

“That you see someone of South Asian heritage who is a practicing Hindu having the highest office in the land — that matters,” Menon said. “And it matters in terms of the reputation of the country. But it also matters to all those young ethnic minority kids who are looking at this and thinking, ‘Actually, I can do that.'” 

Diwali  

Hindus are currently marking Diwali, or the festival of lights. Many in Britain say they have extra reason to celebrate this year.  

“It’s a proud feeling as an Indian,” said 25-year-old businessman Rishabh Sharma, who lives in West London. “I like him.” 

Others said they felt little connection with the new prime minister. Single mother Rita Patel from the city of Leicester said she would judge Sunak on his policies. 

“There are people out there that are really, really struggling, and obviously he’s had a bit of a privileged lifestyle. I think he needs to kind of be in touch. Yeah, he’s the first Asian prime minister, and he’s from a privileged background. But now, he really needs to be in touch with his public because we’re all now looking to him for results,” Patel told The Associated Press. 

Wealthiest MP  

Sunak is thought to be Britain’s richest MP. He attended Winchester College, an exclusive private school, then studied at the University of Oxford and became a hedge fund manager before entering parliament in 2015.   

Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murthy, is the daughter of an Indian tycoon. She only began paying U.K. taxes this year after political pressure following the revelation that she had been granted “non-domiciled” status, meaning her financial affairs were not subject to British tax laws. Their net worth is estimated at $830 million.   

“We shouldn’t forget that there are many aspects of diversity, and the one perhaps where governments are doing worse rather than better is where it comes to socio-economic diversity,” Menon said.

“There are fewer and fewer working-class members of parliament, fewer and fewer members of the government who didn’t go to private school,” he added. 

Questioned about his wealth on Wednesday, Sunak maintained that he would look after the most vulnerable people in society, despite the likelihood of public spending cuts or tax rises in the coming weeks as the government has pledged to reduce debt. 

Roots in India 

Sunak was born in Southampton on England’s south coast to parents of Indian heritage who moved to Britain from Kenya in the 1960s. 

This year, India is marking 75 years of independence from Britain. For some, Sunak’s appointment is significant.  

“If a person with Indian heritage becomes the prime minister of Britain, the same Britain which ruled us for so many years, then it is a moment of pride for the whole of India,” 54-year-old Manoj Garg, a Delhi businessman, told AP. 

Manpreet Singh, also a resident of Delhi, shared the elation. “The British ruled us for 200 years, and now I feel Indians will rule Britain for the next 200 years,” he said. 

 
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Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian heritage, has become Britain’s first non-white prime minister. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, some in Britain are comparing it to the election of Barack Obama as the first Black U.S. president.
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