Author: Fatimah Idera

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure over whether to approve China’s long-stalled plans to build a massive new embassy complex in central London, a diplomatic saga that has dragged on for over seven years. In 2018, China bought the historic Royal Mint Court site near the Tower of London for £255m to construct a 20,000-square-metre embassy. However, the plans have faced fierce opposition from local residents, human rights groups, and MPs, particularly due to concerns over security and China’s human rights record. In 2022, Tower Hamlets council rejected the initial application, despite planning officers recommending approval. The decision…

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has launched an urgent review of vetting procedures for foreign-trained doctors after it emerged that 22 medics banned abroad were cleared to treat NHS patients in the UK. The revelations, uncovered by media revealed that despite disciplinary action overseas, including suspensions for poor patient care, sexual misconduct, harassment, stalking charges, and even assault convictions these doctors were able to obtain General Medical Council (GMC) licenses without any record of their past sanctions. Calling the findings horrific and “a serious failure in our medical regulatory systems,” Streeting said patient safety remained his top priority. He ordered immediate…

Schools across parts of the UK have been ordered to close as Storm Amy sweeps across the British Isles, bringing potentially life-threatening winds and heavy rain. Forecasters are warning of powerful gales over the weekend, with wind speeds expected to reach up to 95mph in some areas. The Met Office has issued multiple weather alerts, with both yellow and amber warnings in effect. In Northern Ireland, the Education Authority (EA) announced that schools would close from noon on Friday due to safety concerns. The decision follows an amber wind warning for Antrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Londonderry, in place from 3pm…

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…