After decades as a backbench MP who frequently voted against the Labour Party’s policies as it pursued a ‘moderate’ and ‘centrist’ outlook in government under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Jeremy Corbyn earned a reputation as a 'hard-left' and 'disruptive' figure.
He became an MP for Islington North, London in 1983 and was among those vocally opposed the Labour government’s decision to join the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Mr Corbyn also met with members of the Irish Republican Party and it later emerged the British internal intelligence agency MI5 had been monitoring him.
There was considerable surprise in 2015 when the Mr Corbyn, now 70, came out of nowhere to become Labour Party leader in the wake of a disastrous general election led by Ed Miliband.
Mr Corbyn said he was frustrated at the lack of truly left-wing figures in Labour and vowed to fight against the austerity measures implemented by the Conservative government. Many on his front-bench have a similar ideological stance to Mr Corbyn and he has rallied against the elites and vowing to least well off in society, with is campaign slogan as ‘for the many not the few’.
But Mr Corbyn’s forthright approach has divided Labour and he has alienated many ‘moderates’ and famous members, such as Mr Blair and he has been slammed for failing to tackle anti-Semitism within Labour.
Mr Corbyn faced an early shadow cabinet revolt in 2016 with many pro-European Union Labour MPs frustrated at his apparent half-hearted efforts to campaign against Brexit.
Launching his campaign last week the Labour leader said he would “transform” the country, adding: “So we're going after the tax dodgers. We're going after the dodgy landlords. We're going after the bad bosses. We're going after the big polluters. Because we know whose side we're on."
His critics in other parties such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson label Mr Corbyn a "Marxist" who sympathises with extremists. He has been slammed for referring to Hamas and Hezbollah as "friends" and was paid to appear on Press TV, the state-owned Iranian network, between 2009 and 2012.
"He asks about Iran," Mr Johnson said in July in parliament. "A right honourable gentlemen who has been paid by Press TV, who repeatedly sides with the mullahs of Tehran rather than our friends in the United States".
As Labour Party leader in 2016 he also voted against military action against ISIS in Syria and has often spoken in favour of renationalising the railways.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
