Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators took to the streets of central London on Saturday, calling on incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to take firm action against Israel's operations in Gaza.
The protesters, chanting slogans while holding banners and Palestinian flags, demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the imposition of sanctions on Israel, an end to British arms exports, and stronger UK support for Palestinian statehood.
Many described Israel's actions as "genocide," urging Burnham to take a firmer stance in response.
"Andy Burnham said that the UK government got things slightly wrong, but he hasn't said what he is going to do. He hasn't said it's a genocide, which it is, and we have a duty to prevent, the state has a duty to prevent genocide," said Hilary Smith, member of the Sheffield Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid.
Vaseem Ahmed, member of the Redbridge Independents party, said he remains skeptical as to what really can Andy Burnham do.
"The proof is in the pudding. I think it'll take actions like sanctions on Israel, stop dealing with the settlements, full arms embargo. If he takes tangible actions like that, then I think I would say, you know what, he's going to make a change. If he just talks vaguely about the two-state solution, we think it's wonderful but does nothing on the ground that changes the reality for the people of Palestine, then I think it's going to be more of the same," he said.
"We've been coming down here for nearly three years now. We have our own demos in Liverpool which we have had and we have done since then. We are not going away. We are with the people of Gaza. They are an oppressed people. There is a genocide going on, and the first thing that Andy Burnham has got to do, he has got to acknowledge there is a genocide going on," said Ann San, co-chair of the Merseyside Pensioners Association. The march came as Britain's Labour Party confirmed on Friday that Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, has been elected as its new leader.
He is expected to be appointed Prime Minister on July 20 after Keir Starmer formally steps down, in line with established constitutional procedure.
Some analysts have suggested that Labour's previous stance on the Gaza conflict contributed to significant losses against independent and Green Party candidates in recent local elections. These setbacks are believed to have increased internal pressure on the party's leadership in the lead-up to Starmer's resignation.
Pro-Palestine rally in London urges incoming PM to act on Gaza
A wave of "AI Plus" applications and innovations took center stage at the ongoing 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance on Sunday -- the third day of the event, as developers and startups pivoted from academic concepts to real-world rollouts.
The event in Shanghai put practical implementation under the spotlight, showcasing how artificial intelligence is transforming traditional sectors like transportation, logistics, finance, education, and disaster management.
At a forum dedicated to AI-empowered earthquake mitigation, researchers unveiled a suite of achievements, including an earthquake agent and large AI models for seismology.
Moving forward, China plans to build a four-in-one AI technology architecture integrating data, models, platforms, and applications to better support disaster prevention and relief.
AI safety was meanwhile the primary focus at the Frontier and Agentic AI Safety Forum, where experts discussed frontier AI risk management, agent loss of control risk and emergency management. The forum launched five landmark research achievements, establishing a comprehensive AI safety management framework that spans technical tools, standards, and emergency protocols.
At the World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, a core venue for the event, the spotlight shifted from academic research to commercial reality.
A wide range of cutting-edge AI technologies and highly functional intelligent robots attracted crowds of visitors.
Among the highlights was a mind-controlled wheelchair developed by a husband-and-wife entrepreneurial team. Inspired by the husband's limited mobility caused by an illness a few years ago, the couple leveraged AI technology to create an assistive device operated via an external headset that decodes thought patterns.
The creators said they hope the event will help the wheelchair transition from a trade show novelty into the homes of disabled individuals.
The couple's venture is among more than 150 startups featured at the exhibition hall. Many of the concepts on display were confined to academic papers just a year ago, but have since materialized into physical products.
Another noteworthy exhibit allowed visitors to pet a robotic dog outfitted with touch-sensitive artificial skin, demonstrating a technology that could have benefits for elderly care, as the sensitive synthetic skin enables robots to gauge the fragility of human bones and apply the necessary force when assisting patients. Applied to a vest, a live demonstration showed a screen instantly registering tactile feedback from the synthetic layer.
To facilitate commercialization of these technologies, organizers also set up business matchmaking zones where startups can pitch directly to buyers with specific industrial needs.
WAIC spotlights AI Plus applications, innovations on third day
