LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday personally apologized to Caribbean leaders after her government threatened to deport some of the hundreds of thousands of people who emigrated to Britain from the region in the 1950s and 1960s.
At a meeting in Downing Street, May told representatives of the 12 Caribbean members of the Commonwealth that she took the treatment of the so-called Windrush generation “very seriously.”
“I want to apologize to you today. Because we are genuinely sorry for any anxiety that has been caused,” she told the hastily-convened gathering.
She added: “I want to dispel any impression that my government is in some sense clamping down on Commonwealth citizens, particularly those from the Caribbean.”
The government has faced outrage for its treatment of people who came to Britain between 1948 — when the ship Empire Windrush brought over the first group of West Indian immigrants — and the early 1970s.
They and their parents were invited to help rebuild Britain after World War II and with many of them legally British — they were born while their home countries were still colonies — they were given indefinite leave to remain.
But those who failed to get their papers in order are now being treated as illegal, which limits their access to work and health care and puts them at risk of deportation if they cannot provide evidence of their life in Britain.
The row, which one MP called a “national shame,” has been hugely embarrassing as it coincides with this week’s meeting of the 53 Commonwealth heads of government in London.
More than 50,000 people could be affected by the government’s immigration crackdown.
British PM apologizes to Caribbean leaders over deportation row
British PM apologizes to Caribbean leaders over deportation row
Georges Hobeika showcases Fall/Winter 2026 collection at Paris Haute Couture Week
DUBAI: Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika presented his Fall/Winter 2025/2026 couture collection as part of Paris Haute Couture Week.
Known for his craftsmanship and red-carpet-ready designs, Hobeika’s latest offering featured a wide array of detailed gowns and structured silhouettes.
The runway collection showcased a soft color palette, with shades of beige, blush pink, maroon, black, blue, and brown making up the core color story.
Fabrics included heavily embroidered textiles, delicate lace, satin and tulle. Many looks incorporated tonal embellishments and shimmering surface details.
Beaded bodices, crystal fringe, and metallic appliqués were prominent throughout the collection, adding texture and dimension.
Silhouettes ranged from structured floor-length gowns and A-line dresses to voluminous skirts and sleek, form-fitting eveningwear. There were also several mid-length and tea-length designs with sculptural detailing, along with a few two-piece sets featuring cropped tops and high-waisted skirts.
One standout bridal look appeared during the show — a long-sleeved gown with sheer detailing and silver embroidery. The dress was paired with a beaded headpiece and a trailing veil.
Accessories were kept minimal, with statement earrings and clean, slicked-back hair showed off by the models.
Toward the end of the show, Hobeika and his son Jad Hobeika walked the runway together to thank their supporters.
Paris Haute Couture Week kicked off on Monday with Schiaparelli’s Fall 2025 show, marking the start of a series of high-fashion presentations that will run through July 10.
The opening show did not begin with sequins or traditional red carpet glamor, but with the surreal sight of Cardi B and a live crow.
Wrapped in a custom Schiaparelli gown of graphic fringe, the US rapper stood beneath the gilded columns of the Petit Palais, holding the black bird on her arm. Her avian plus one squawked, glared and nearly lunged — setting the tone for a monochrome show that itself soared straight into the surreal.
On the first day, Iris Van Herpen, Imane Ayissi, Rahul Mishra, Julie de Libran and Giambattista Valli also showcased their collections.
In addition to Georges Hobeika, several other Arab designers are on the calendar, including Ashi Studio, Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad and Rami Al-Ali.
Suspect in shooting of Slovakia’s populist leader Fico stands trial on terror charges
- Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot in the abdomen and was transported to a hospital in nearby Banská Bystrica
BRATISLAVA: A man went on trial Tuesday over last year’s attempted assassination of Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Juraj Cintula, appearing in court in the central city of Banská Bystrica, has been indicted on terror charges.
“Long live democracy, long live free culture,” Cintula shouted as he arrived at the Specialized Criminal Court.
The 72-year-old is accused of opening fire on Fico on May 15, 2024, as the prime minister greeted supporters following a government meeting in the town of Handlová, located 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital.
Cintula was immediately arrested and was ordered by a court to remain behind bars. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment.
Fico was shot in the abdomen and was transported to a hospital in nearby Banská Bystrica. He underwent a five-hour surgery, followed by another two-hour surgery two days later. He has since recovered.
Cintula originally was charged with attempted murder. Prosecutors later dropped that charge and said they were instead pursuing the more serious charge of engaging in a terror attack, based on evidence the investigators obtained, but they gave no further details.
Government officials initially said that they believed it was a politically motivated attack committed by a “lone wolf,” but announced later that a third party might have been involved in “acting for the benefit of the perpetrator.”
Fico previously said he “had no reason to believe” that it was an attack by a lone deranged person and repeatedly blamed the liberal opposition and media for the assassination attempt.
Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond. He returned to power for the fourth time after his leftist Smer, or Direction, party won the 2023 parliamentary election after campaigning on a pro-Russia and anti-American message.
His critics have charged that Slovakia under Fico has abandoned its pro-Western course and is following the direction of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Thousands have repeatedly rallied in the capital and across Slovakia to protest Fico’s pro-Russian stance and other policies.
Oil Updates — prices ease as traders assess US tariffs, OPEC+ output hike
- OPEC+ to raise production by 548,000 barrels per day for August
- Trump’s tariffs create uncertainty about global economy
SINGAPORE: Oil prices retreated on Tuesday after rising almost 2 percent in the previous session as investors assessed new developments on US tariffs and a higher-than-expected OPEC+ output hike for August.
Brent crude futures dipped 22 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $69.36 a barrel by 8:30 a.m. Saudi time. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 27 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $67.66 a barrel.
US President Donald Trump on Monday began telling trade partners, which included major suppliers South Korea and Japan as well as smaller US exporters like Serbia, Thailand and Tunisia, that sharply higher US tariffs will start Aug. 1, though he later said that deadline was not 100 percent firm.
Trump’s tariffs have prompted uncertainty across the market and concerns they could have a negative effect on the global economy and, consequently, on oil demand.
However, there are some signs current demand remains strong, particularly in the US, the world’s biggest oil consumer, which has supported prices.
A record 72.2 million Americans were projected to travel more than 50 miles (80 km) for Fourth of July vacations, data from travel group AAA showed last week.
Investors were bullish heading into the holiday period with data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission released on Monday showing money managers raised their net-long futures and options positions in crude oil contracts in the week up to July 1.
“Prompt demand remains healthy on the back of seasonal factors. The question remains if forward demand will maintain to absorb the larger-than-expected supply from OPEC+,” said Emril Jamil, a senior analyst at LSEG Oil Research.
Other signs of higher demand were seen in India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer, with government data reporting fuel consumption in June was 1.9 percent higher than a year ago.
On Saturday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed to raise production by 548,000 barrels per day in August, exceeding the 411,000-bpd hikes they made for the prior three months.
The decision removes nearly all of the 2.2 million-bpd of voluntary cuts the group enacted. They are set to approve an increase of about 550,000 bpd for September when it meets on Aug. 3, according to five sources familiar with the matter, which would unwind all of the cuts.
However, actual output increases have been smaller than the announced levels so far and most of the supply has been from Saudi Arabia, analysts said.
China says US is in ‘no position’ to point fingers over Tibet issues
- The Dalai Lama is accused of engaging in anti-China separatist activities
BEIJING: China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the United States was in “no position” to point fingers at the country on Tibet-related issues, urging Washington to fully recognize the “sensitivity” of the issues.
Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks when asked to comment on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement on the Dalai Lama’s birthday.
Mao said at a regular press conference that the Dalai Lama “is a political exile who is engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion,” and has “no right” to represent the Tibetan people.
In Hiroshima, search for remains keeps war alive for lone volunteer
- Volunteers still descend on Okinawa from all over Japan for excavations
- While many remains were unearthed in the decades following the war, witness accounts suggested there were more burial grounds
NINOSHIMA: Dozens of times a year, Rebun Kayo takes a ferry to a small island across from the port of Hiroshima in search of the remains of those killed by the atomic bomb 80 years ago.
For the 47-year-old researcher, unearthing even the tiniest fragments on Ninoshima Island is a sobering reminder that the war is a reality that persists — buried, forgotten and unresolved.
“When we die, we are interred in places like temples or churches and bid farewell in a ceremony. That’s the dignified way of being sent off,” said Kayo, a researcher at Hiroshima University’s Center for Peace who spends his own time and money on the solo excavations.
After the United States dropped the atomic bomb over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, instantly killing about 78,000 people and injuring far more, Ninoshima, about 4 km (2.5 miles) from the hypocenter, became a field hospital. Within weeks, some 10,000 victims, both dead and alive, were ferried across the water. Many perished soon after, and when cremations could not keep up, people were buried in mass graves.
While many remains were unearthed in the decades following the war, witness accounts suggested there were more burial grounds. The son of a resident informed Kayo about one area on the island’s northwestern coast in 2014 and from there, he saved up funds and began digging four years later.
NO CLOSURE
In searing heat last weekend, Kayo cut through overgrown brush to return to the spot where he had left off three weeks before. After an hour and a half of digging, he carefully picked out two thumbnail-sized bone fragments from the dirt — additions to the roughly 100 he has unearthed so far.
Every discovery brings home to him the cruelty of war. The pain was never as raw as when Kayo found pieces of a young child’s jaw and tooth earlier this year, he said.
“That hit me really hard,” he said, his white, long-sleeve shirt soaked through with sweat. “That child was killed by the bomb, knowing nothing about the world ... I couldn’t come to terms with it for a while, and that feeling still lingers.”
One day, he plans to take all the fragments to a Buddhist temple, where they can be enshrined.
Kayo’s drive for repeating the gruelling task year after year is partly personal.
Born in Okinawa, where some of the bloodiest battles during World War Two were fought, Kayo himself has three relatives whose remains were never found.
Volunteers still descend on Okinawa from all over Japan for excavations, and because the poison ivy in the forests there is prohibitive for him, Kayo returns the favor on Ninoshima instead.
As long as traces of the dead keep turning up, the war’s proximity is palpable for Kayo.
“People today who don’t know about the war focus only on the recovery, and they move the conversation forward while forgetting about these people here,” he said.
“And in the end, you’ll have people saying, ‘even if you drop an atomic bomb, you can recover’ ... There will always be people who try to justify it in a way that suits them.”
