Author: Fatimah Idera

At 15:00 BST, millions of phones across the UK will sound a loud siren and vibrate for about 10 seconds as part of a national emergency alert test. The alerts are designed to warn people of life-threatening events like severe weather or terror attacks. Messages will appear on compatible 4G and 5G phones, but not if devices are off, on airplane mode, or only connected to Wi-Fi. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden urged people not to panic, calling it just like a fire drill to check the system works. The service is accessible for deaf and blind users and…

Keir Starmer has tightened his grip on government with a sweeping reshuffle of junior ministers, a move that has sidelined key union allies and fuelled fears over the future of Labour’s flagship workers’ rights package.

Lucy Connolly is set to speak on the final day of the Reform UK party conference in Birmingham. The 42-year-old childminder was released from prison last month after serving part of a 31-month sentence believed to be the longest handed down in Britain for a single social media post. She had pleaded guilty after posting a comment in the aftermath of the Southport attack which wrongly claimed the killer, Axel Rudakubana, was an illegal immigrant. The tweet, which also called for mass deportation and incendiary action against asylum hotels, was deleted after three hours but had already been viewed more…

A Liberal Democrat councillor has been suspended after posting a threatening image aimed at a gender-critical woman, sparking claims of two-tier policing in the trans rights debate. Ian Bristow, who represents Berkhamsted Castle on Dacorum Borough Council, tweeted a picture of a girl pointing a gun with the words: “Shut the f— up, Terf.” The post was directed at Natalie Bird, a gender-critical activist previously barred as a parliamentary candidate in 2018. The message drew condemnation after author JK Rowling highlighted it as evidence of policing double standards. She contrasted Bristow’s treatment with that of comedy writer Graham Linehan, arrested…

Shabana Mahmood, newly appointed by Sir Keir Starmer as Britain’s first female Muslim Home Secretary, is set to take a harder stance on illegal migration as Labour seeks to regain public confidence on the issue. Mahmood, who previously impressed as Justice Secretary by deftly handling the prison overcrowding crisis and disputes over sentencing, has been tasked with applying the same assured, uncompromising style to immigration. Report reveals that her background and political positioning within Blue Labour make her well-placed to deliver tough messages that resonate with voters disillusioned by the government’s handling of the small boats crisis. In an interview…

Soft drink giants, including Coca-Cola and Irn-Bru maker AG Barr, have urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to scrap Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ proposal to toughen the sugar tax, warning it could push prices up by as much as 5%. In a joint letter coordinated by the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA), more than 10 leading manufacturers said the move would add £220m in costs to the industry, undermining business confidence and threatening investment. The plan would lower the sugar content threshold for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy from 5g to 4g per 100ml, meaning products reformulated to avoid the tax…

Suella Braverman has stepped up pressure on Conservative leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch by throwing her support behind Robert Jenrick’s proposal for a decade of net emigration, a policy under which more people would leave the UK than enter. The former home secretary argued that such a stance would go further than Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s net zero immigration plan, which aims to balance arrivals with departures. “Britain cannot carry on like this overcrowded, overstretched and overwhelmed,” Mrs Braverman said. Also, “the British people must come first, and that starts with reversing mass migration. Enough is enough. Only net emigration…

The UK’s equalities watchdog has submitted formal guidance on how institutions should respond to a landmark Supreme Court judgment on transgender rights, warning that it will be difficult for many organisations to translate the ruling into workable policies. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) handed the guidance to Bridget Phillipson, the minister for women and equalities and education secretary, who must now decide whether to adopt it. Sources close to the EHRC said the guidance, drawn up under outgoing chair Kishwer Falkner, is expected to mirror interim advice published in April. That advice alarmed transgender groups, as it suggested…

Angela Rayner has resigned as Deputy Prime Minister in a dramatic turn of events that has plunged Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Government into its deepest crisis since taking office. Her departure follows a Telegraph investigation that revealed she failed to obtain proper tax advice when purchasing a seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex, leading to a £40,000 shortfall in stamp duty. The resignation, announced on Thursday, comes only a week after Starmer attempted to relaunch his Government with a Cabinet reset. It forces the Labour Party into an internal election for deputy leader and opens up the risk of a…

“Japa is becoming mission impossible.” This was all X user Sholzzola could type to vent his frustration after the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), announced yet another increase in passport fees—barely a year after the last hike. ‘Japa’ is  a slang term for emigrating in search of better opportunities.  The new directive, which took effect on 1 September 2025, immediately drew widespread outrage. For many Nigerians hoping to travel abroad, the news felt like yet another roadblock. Before the latest adjustment, the 32-page passport with a five-year validity had risen from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000, while the 64-page,…