Author: Fatimah Idera

An 18-year-old British teenager, Marcus Fakana, jailed in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old girl during a holiday, has been released and is now back in the UK, a campaign group has confirmed. Fakana from Tottenham in north London was sentenced to a year in prison under the United Arab Emirates’ strict laws prohibiting sexual relations with anyone under the age of 18. His release was secured after Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, granted him a royal pardon, according to the advocacy group Detained in Dubai. “Marcus is currently recovering,” said Radha Stirling, the group’s chief…

The United Kingdom Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, refused multiple times on Sunday to confirm whether legally binding Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) would be retained under the new system. These plans currently guarantee tailored support for nearly 640,000 children in England, covering areas such as teaching assistance, therapy, and specialist school placements. This was as the UK Government is considering scrapping the current system of personalised education plans for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including autism and ADHD, as part of a wider review aimed at reforming the UK’s special needs provision. Laura Kuenssberg, Ms. Phillipson, said…

Britain has surged to the top of global investment rankings following a new trade agreement with the United States, according to a survey of top finance executives conducted by Deloitte. The British country has overtaken major economies like the US, Japan, and Middle Eastern nations to become the most attractive destination for investment. Just six months ago, the country ranked sixth in the same survey. Deloitte credited the dramatic leap to the UK-US trade deal, announced in early May, which has boosted confidence among corporate leaders. Geopolitical instability in the Middle East and fluctuating oil prices have also reduced the…

The Labour government is increasing legal aid fees for asylum and immigration cases by 30%, raising the total cost to taxpayers from £47 million to £61 million per year. The move comes as the number of small boat arrivals reached 20,000 the earliest this milestone has ever been hit in a calendar year. Announced by the Ministry of Justice, the immigrants policy is intended to speed up the processing of asylum claims and reduce reliance on hotels for migrant accommodation. Ministers say the investment will help clear the current backlog of 90,000 cases and improve the functioning of the immigration legal…

The Reform UK MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, James McMurdock, has voluntarily stepped down from the party whip while allegations concerning his pandemic-era business dealings are investigated. The move follows a report which claims Mr McMurdock received a total of £70,000 in Bounce Back loans through two of his companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), Mr McMurdock said: “All my business dealings have always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations.” He described his decision to suspend the whip as a “precautionary measure” taken “for the…

The Conservative Party in the United Kingdom is urging the government to restrict access to key disability benefits for foreign nationals in a bid to reduce Britain’s growing welfare bill. Under new proposals, Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and health-related Universal Credit top-ups would be limited to British citizens only, with an exception for EU nationals with settled status. The plan comes as the cost of welfare claims by households with at least one foreign national has reportedly doubled to nearly £1 billion per month. PIP, which can be worth up to £750 per month, is intended to support people…

The Labour government has signed Britain up to a new United Nations agreement that advocates higher taxes on the wealthy, fossil fuels, alcohol, and other unhealthy products. Known as the Sevilla Commitment, the non-binding pact was agreed by 192 countries at a five-day summit in Seville, Spain, and aims to help developing nations raise revenue for sustainable development. The agreement, while focused on funding support for poorer nations, contains 42 references to taxation. These include calls for increased levies on high net-worth individuals, natural resources, pollution, alcohol, and tobacco. It also encourages gender-responsive taxation and broader tax bases, such as…

Britain’s fiscal stability has been called into question by the world’s largest credit ratings agency following Labour’s abrupt reversal on welfare cuts.  S&P Global has warned that the government’s inability to implement even modest savings measures highlights the scale of the political and economic challenges now facing Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The agency said the decision to scrap a proposed £5 billion cut to welfare spending has left the UK’s public finances vulnerable and raised doubts over the government’s broader ability to keep expenditure under control. “In our view, it remains to be seen whether the Government succeeds in following through…

Emmanuel Macron is expected to urge Sir Keir Starmer to formally recognise Palestine as an independent state during his state visit to the UK next week. The French President will embark on a three-day trip featuring high-level talks, policy announcements, and royal pageantry, including an address to both Houses of Parliament and a summit with the Prime Minister. A key focus of the visit will be a proposed one-in, one-out migrant returns agreement designed to curb the surge in illegal channel crossings. The deal would see the UK send back migrants who arrive from France in small boats while accepting…

Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to shut down further wealth tax proposals amid warnings from a key adviser that taxing the rich could harm the UK economy. The Blairite director of policy delivery, Liz Lloyd, has reportedly raised concerns that measures such as the scrapping of non-dom tax status may be driving wealthy individuals out of the country, potentially stifling investment and growth. Her intervention follows a difficult week for the government, after a U-turn on welfare reforms left Chancellor Rachel Reeves scrambling to fill a £5 billion budget gap. Left-wing Labour MPs have renewed calls for a two per…