Author: Fatimah Idera

Britain is prepared to send troops to Ukraine to help defend its skies and ports as part of international efforts to secure the country’s future, though it will not commit forces to the frontline, according to UK military officials. Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin is attending high-level meetings at the Pentagon on Wednesday, where representatives from 30 countries are working to define their commitments to Ukraine’s national security in the event of a postwar settlement. Radakin is expected to confirm that Britain is willing to provide military personnel for logistical and training roles in Ukraine, but…

Middle-class households in rural areas could see their council tax bills increase by up to £376 annually as part of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s proposed overhaul of local government funding. The County Councils Network (CCN), which represents rural local authorities outside major cities, has warned that wealthier towns and villages such as those in Surrey and other Home Counties will bear the financial burden of redistributing funds to poorer areas. According to the CCN, a typical family living in a Band D property in the countryside could face council tax rising from £2,380 today to around £2,756 by 2029…

Migrant accommodation across the UK faces uncertainty following a High Court ruling that forced the closure of a hotel housing asylum seekers. On Tuesday, Epping Forest District Council won a temporary injunction to shut down the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, after it was revealed that the hotel’s use for asylum accommodation breached local planning permission. As a result, all asylum seekers currently housed there must leave by September 12. The court sided with the council’s argument that the building was no longer operating as a hotel, making the placement of asylum seekers a violation of planning laws. This ruling…

UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has come under renewed pressure after a petition calling for an immediate general election passed a major milestone. The campaign demands a fresh vote, arguing that “the majority need and want change,” despite the next general election not being scheduled until 2029. 13 months after Starmer’s victory The push comes just 13 months after Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory in the July 2024 election. However, the government has firmly rejected the calls. In a response issued last week, officials said: “This government was elected on a mandate of change at the July…

For the first time, heart patients in England will be able to complete their rehabilitation programmes at home using mobile phone apps. Six digital platforms have been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to deliver online cardiac rehab, offering patients personalised exercise routines, dietary advice, medication management, and mental health support. Some apps also connect with wearable devices to track physical activity and monitor recovery. NICE has granted the apps a three-year provisional licence, allowing NHS services to use them while further evidence on their effectiveness is gathered. Experts say the technology has “real potential…

A woman who was sexually assaulted on a flight to London is mounting a legal challenge against government rules that prevent her from receiving compensation because the aircraft was not registered in the UK. The attack took place in September last year on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Gatwick. Momade Jussab, 66, of Feltham, was seated next to the victim and sexually assaulted her while she was asleep. He was arrested on arrival in the UK and, in May, sentenced at Lewes Crown Court to six and a half years in prison after being found guilty of sexual…

Survey data suggests that around 17.6 million road journeys will be made during the long weekend.

Hamas has announced its acceptance of a new ceasefire proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet face-to-face within the next two weeks, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Speaking at the White House on Monday following a summit of global leaders, Merz said the meeting had been agreed upon during a phone call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. “The American president spoke with the Russian president on the phone and agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks,” he told reporters. Merz added that a follow-up trilateral meeting involving…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has publicly pushed back against Donald Trump’s stance on Ukraine’s ambitions to join NATO, setting the stage for a tense White House summit later today.