Author: Fatimah Idera

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to boost police presence in Jewish communities across the UK following a deadly terrorist attack outside a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Two people were killed and three injured on Thursday when a man drove into the grounds of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall before stabbing worshippers in what police have described as an antisemitic terror attack. Speaking from Downing Street after chairing a COBRA emergency meeting, Starmer condemned the attack as “a vile act of antisemitism” targeting both British Jews and the values of…

Organisers of a pro-Palestine demonstration in central London have confirmed the protest will proceed on Saturday in Trafalgar Square, despite appeals from the Metropolitan Police and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to postpone or cancel. Campaign group Defend for Our Juries said in a statement on Friday that “cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win,” insisting their action is focused on opposing the Government’s proscription of Palestine Action and UK complicity in Israeli actions in Gaza. Around 1,500 participants, including clergy, pensioners, and healthcare workers, are expected. The Met has warned that the protest will draw critical policing resources away from communities…

Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley has condemned the behaviour revealed in a BBC Panorama investigation as reprehensible and vowed to remove the individuals involved from the force. Speaking to BBC Radio London, Rowley described the secret footage captured by an undercover reporter as horrific and said he wants those involved off the payroll as soon as possible. So far, nine officers and one staff member have been suspended, while two more officers have been taken off frontline duties. The undercover investigation, broadcast by the BBC, exposed officers making sexualised comments to female colleagues and expressing racist and Islamophobic views,…

Kemi Badenoch is anticipated to reveal a proposal this weekend for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if the Conservative Party secures victory in the next general election, as the party seeks to stem a loss of voter support to Reform UK. Political opponents are likely to interpret the move as further evidence that the Conservative Party is shifting to the far right. The only other European countries not bound by the ECHR are Russia and Belarus. Critics argue the plan could alienate centrist voters and damage the party’s broader appeal. Badenoch’s position has…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to overhaul the UK’s asylum system, stating that refugees will need to earn the right to remain in the country long term. The changes are aimed at ending automatic settlement and family reunion rights for people granted asylum. Under the proposed reforms, refugees will face a longer path to permanent settlement, replacing the current five-year route. To qualify for indefinite leave to remain, individuals will need to meet stricter requirements, including being employed, not claiming benefits, demonstrating a good standard of English, and having no criminal record. They will also need to…

Hundreds of additional inmates are set to be released early as the SNP-led Scottish Government struggles to manage the rising number of people in custody across the country. Recently, the prison population in Scotland stood at 8,363, putting the system on the brink of recording its highest ever number of inmates. Ten prisons are currently rated as a red risk, with the same number either at or over full capacity. The population has grown by 200 in just the past three months. Justice Secretary, Angela Constance has announced a new plan to release around 440 prisoners who are serving sentences…

Hundreds of international students, including around 200 from China, have been left in uncertainty after University College London (UCL) exceeded its visa allocations just days before the new academic year began. Students were told they could no longer be issued Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), a document required to apply for a UK student visa, despite having secured unconditional offers. UCL attributed the situation to an extraordinary surge in demand, which resulted in higher-than-expected acceptances. The university admitted its planning relied on historic trends and attrition rates, but those estimates fell short this year. As a result, UCL said…

Glasgow University has admitted to serious failings after a student, Ethan Scott Brown, took his own life on the day he believed he had failed to graduate, only for it to be revealed he had, in fact, earned a 2:1 honours degree. Ethan, a 23-year-old geography student from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, died by suicide on 13 December 2024 , the day he was due to graduate. He had been wrongly informed multiple times that he had not achieved the required grade in one module and therefore would not receive his degree. An internal investigation, launched following pressure from his family,…

Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has voiced his support for Angela Rayner’s return to frontline politics, following her resignation as deputy prime minister and housing secretary last month. Speaking to LBC, Starmer said Rayner had paid a heavy price for her mistake and praised her journey from a difficult upbringing to one of the highest offices in government. “If you talk about social mobility, there is no greater story than Angela Rayner. I was very proud of that,” he said. “She made a mistake. She’s paid a heavy price, and I’ve always thought she will be a major voice again…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to limit how migrants use the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to prevent their deportation from the UK. He said the government would re-examine how Articles 3 and 8 of the ECHR are interpreted, particularly in cases involving foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers. Article 3 protects against torture and inhumane treatment, while Article 8 guarantees the right to family life. Starmer pointed to cases where these provisions have been used to avoid deportation, including a Brazilian paedophile who argued he would face worse prison conditions in Brazil than in the…