Author: Fatimah Idera

Scottish First Minister John Swinney has suffered a significant political setback after veteran SNP politician Fergus Ewing announced he is leaving the party and will run as an independent in the next Holyrood election. Ewing, 67, who has represented the Inverness and Nairn constituency since the Scottish Parliament was re-established in 1999, declared on Friday that he could no longer support the party he has belonged to for over 50 years. His resignation comes amid growing dissent within the SNP over the party’s direction under Mr Swinney’s leadership. In a statement, Ewing accused the SNP of having “deserted many of…

Assisted dying is on track to be legalised in England and Wales after MPs voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in what has been described as the most consequential parliamentary decision of the current session. In a closely contested vote on Friday, the House of Commons approved the legislation by 314 votes to 291 a narrow majority of 23 paving the way for adults with a terminal illness and less than six months to live to seek medical assistance to end their lives. The Bill, led by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, represents a significant…

Britain is deliberating whether to offer military support to the United States if President Donald Trump decides to intervene in Israel’s war against Iran. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer convened an emergency Cobra meeting in Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon, joined by senior security officials and ministers, to assess the growing conflict in the Middle East. A key focus of the meeting was how the UK might respond if Washington requests assistance for air strikes on Iranian targets. The meeting reportedly concluded around 4:45pm. Central to the UK’s potential role is the Diego Garcia air base in the Indian Ocean,…

TV personality Kim Woodburn has died at the age of 83, her manager has confirmed. She passed away on Monday following a short illness. Woodburn became a household name as the co-presenter of Channel 4’s How Clean Is Your House, where she shared practical cleaning advice alongside Aggie MacKenzie from 2003 to 2009. Her sharp wit and no-nonsense style made her a fan favourite, leading to further appearances on popular reality shows. She was the runner-up on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2009 and finished in third place on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017. Her stint…

The United States of America President Donald Trump and the United Kingdom Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have confirmed that a long-anticipated trade deal between the two nations has been signed and finalised during the G7 summit held in the Canadian Rockies. “We signed it, and it’s done,” President Trump told reporters, holding up a copy of the agreement. “It’s a fair deal for both [countries]. It’ll produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income.” As the two leaders exited a mountain lodge, several pages of the agreement fell loose from the folder. Sir Keir bent to collect them,…

A significant number of live police investigations into child sex grooming gangs involve asylum seekers and foreign nationals.

The University of Cambridge is facing criticism over its recruitment guidance, which some have claimed amounts to discrimination against white job applicants. According to internal documents, the university encourages departments to ensure that at least one candidate from an underrepresented group is included in every interview process. If a longlist lacks diversity, for example, if it consists entirely of white or male candidates, the guidance suggests that departments consider re-advertising the position to broaden the applicant pool. The guidance, known as the diverse recruitment framework, also advises that interview panels should reflect racial and gender diversity and be composed of…

UK’s Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is under pressure over the new Department for Education (DfE) guidance that would require children as young as four to be assessed using touchscreen devices.

United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has affirmed Canada’s status as an independent, sovereign nation, in remarks widely interpreted as a pointed response to the U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state. Starmer made the comments ahead of a significant diplomatic visit to Canada, where he will be the first British prime minister in eight years to travel to the country. His itinerary includes meetings in Ottawa and participation in the G7 summit in Kananaskis. The trip comes at a tense moment in U.S.-Canada relations. Trump’s continued assertions that…

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Sir Keir Starmer has announced a full statutory national inquiry into grooming gangs in England and Wales. This followed recommendations from Baroness Louise Casey’s independent audit. The inquiry, to be established under the Inquiries Act, will have legal powers to compel witnesses and demand evidence, marking a significant shift in the government’s approach to the long-standing and deeply sensitive issue of group-based child sexual exploitation. Speaking ahead of the G7 summit in Canada, Starmer told reporters he had accepted the findings of Baroness Casey’s audit into the nature and scale of grooming gangs across…