Britain is not a racist country; my story is a British story: PM Rishi Sunak
London(PTI): Rishi Sunak addressed his first Conservative Party conference as party leader on Wednesday and used his own elevation as the country's first Indian-origin Prime Minister as proof that the UK is not a racist country and that his skin colour was not a "big deal".
Dubbed as the most important speech of his political career nearly a year after he took charge as Tory leader, there was a lot riding on the 43-year-old leader's address to the governing party activists gathered in Manchester ahead of a general election expected next year.
After a warm and personal introduction by wife Akshata Murty, who praised his "honesty, integrity and strength of character", Sunak went on to lay out his plans for what he hopes would win him the British public's mandate at the next polls.
"Never let anyone tell you that this is a racist country. It is not," said Sunak.
"My story is a British story. A story about how a family can go from arriving here with little to Downing Street in three generations," he said.
He went on to point to his frontline Cabinet members in the audience, among them Indian-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho, as reflective of what the Tories offer migrant families, including "even the chance to become Prime Minister".
Reflecting on when he was first chosen by the local Conservative Association to contest from the stronghold of Richmond in North Yorkshire, a seat he has held as MP since his win in 2015, Sunak claimed people in other countries couldn't understand it.
"One American magazine even sent a reporter to Yorkshire to write about how a candidate of the wrong race [could] cost the Tories one of the safest seats in England?' But they should not have projected their own prejudices onto our country. The people of North Yorkshire were not interested in my colour, but my character," shared Sunak.
"I am proud to be the first British Asian Prime Minister, but you know what, I'm even prouder that it's just not a big deal. And just remember: it was the Conservative Party who made that happen, not the [Opposition] Labour Party," he added.
During the speech that will define the remainder of his term as Prime Minister until the next elections, Sunak's mantra was long-term decisions to transform the UK for a brighter future.
He drew a line under an issue that had been brewing for days and cancelled the remainder of the High Speed-2 (HS2) railway project to instead invest GBP 36 billion in wider transport projects.
He said the decision to scrap the project was due to huge costs and long delays.
Besides, Sunak also made a series of announcements across health and education sectors including plans to increase the smoking age.
"I propose that in future we raise the smoking age by one year, every year. That means a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and that they and their generation can grow up smoke free. We know this works," he said.
On the education system, he added: "We will introduce the new rigorous, knowledge rich Advanced British Standard which will bring together A-Levels and T-Levels into a new, single qualification for our school leavers. First, this will finally deliver on the promise of parity of esteem between academic and technical education because all students will sit the Advanced British Standard.
"Second, we will raise the floor, ensuring that our children leave school literate and numerate because with the Advanced British Standard all students will study some form of English and maths to 18, with extra help for those who struggle most."
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Bondi Beach shooting suspect conducted firearms training with his father, Australian police say
Melbourne (AP): A man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney's Bondi Beach conducted firearms training in an area of New South Wales state outside of Sydney with his father, Australian police documents released on Monday allege.
The men recorded a video about their justification for the meticulously planned attack, according to a police statement of facts that was made public following Naveed Akram's video court appearance Monday from a Sydney hospital where he has been treated for an abdominal injury.
Officers wounded Akram at the scene of the Dec. 14 shooting and killed his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram.
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The New South Wales state government confirmed Naveed Akram was transferred on Monday from a hospital to a prison. Neither facility was identified by authorities.
The statement alleges the 24-year-old and his father began their attack by throwing four improvised explosive devices toward a crowd celebrating an annual Jewish event at Bondi Beach, but the devices failed to explode.
Police described the devices as three aluminium pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb containing an explosive, black powder and steel ball bearings. None detonated, but police described them as “viable” IEDs.
Authorities have charged Akram with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder in relation to the wounded survivors and one count of committing a terrorist act.
The antisemitic attack at the start of the eight-day Hanukkah celebration was Australia's worst mass shooting since a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania state in 1996.
The New South Wales government introduced draft laws to Parliament on Monday that Premier Chris Minns said would become the toughest in Australia.
The new restrictions would include making Australian citizenship a condition of qualifying for a firearms license. That would have excluded Sajid Akram, who was an Indian citizen with a permanent resident visa.
Sajid Akram also legally owned six rifles and shotguns. A new legal limit for recreational shooters would be a maximum of four guns.
Police said a video found on Naveed Akram's phone shows him with his father "reciting their political and religious views and appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack.”
The men are seen in the video “condemning the acts of Zionists” while they also “adhere to a religiously motivated ideology linked to the Islamic State,” police said.
Video shot in October shows them “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner” on grassland surrounded by trees, police said.
“There is evidence that the Accused and his father meticulously planned this terrorist attack for many months,” police allege.
