LONDON: Britain’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, (main picture) has moved to rebuff questions about his fitness for office and stamp out a potential challenge to his position as UK Labour leader by laying out a long-term plan for the party’s leadership.

Sir Keir’s unpopular leadership style, his political judgement, and decision-making have been blamed for the huge Labour losses in last week’s local council elections across the UK, prompting suggestions he should step down or be challenged as party leader.

But in a defensive manoeuvre, Sir Keir has announced he would stay on as party leader and PM while anointing a preferred successor.

“I will serve for as long as I am capable and for as long as I believe I am making a genuine contribution to Britain and its future,” he said. “After that I will step down as Prime Minister and Labour Party leader and hand over to someone equally experienced and capable – Lord Peter Mandelson.”

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TEL AVIV: Israeli prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has dismissed as “easily explained” the deaths of Ukrainian citizens by overnight missile strikes on civilan parts of Kyiv by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).

“I know some people have criticised me and the IDF for sending missiles into Kyiv that have destroyed homes and killed dozens of innocent people,” Mr Netanyahu said. (below) “But my actions are easily explained.

“I heard news reports of a ceasefire and out of force of habit I naturally thought it gave Israel a chance to continue missile strikes and kills as many innocent people as we can, just like we’ve done during Gaza ceasefires and the current ceasefire in Lebanon. (below)

“It wasn’t until after I gave the IDF orders to mount missile strikes that I was told the ceasefire I heard about was the one between Russia and Ukraine, but by then the missiles had found their marks in Kyiv.

“It’s an easy mistake to make, and besides, Ukraine – just like Lebanon – should form part of a buffer zone to ensure Israel’s right to exist. Anyone who says otherwise is clearly antisemitic,” Mr Netanyahu said.

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PORTLAND, OR: In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s successful efforts to evade punishment for a string of offences prior to his re-election to the White House, an American environmental groups says it has struck on a plan that should finally see him behind bars.

The Portland Penalise POTUS Project (PPPP) said its novel idea had every chance of success.

“We have ‘thought outside the box’ in finalising our tactics and instead of past efforts where Trump was charged under American state laws relating to sexual assault or campaign finance offences, we will be mounting a case under international environmental law,” a PPPP spokesperson said.

“We’ll soon be heading to The Hague to lodge an application with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to have Trump charged as an oxygen thief.

“We’re convinced that the ICC judges will see merit in our case and, unlike US courts and judges, will not be afraid to rule on this serious offence and find Trump guilty of depleting oxygen stocks not just in the US but in the world as a whole.”

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