Author: Fatimah Idera

The UK government has denied entry to anti-Islamic American activist Valentina Gomez since her visit would be against the public interest. This denial of her visit has been done by the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, after deciding that having her in the country would cause harm. Valentina Gomez is a 26-year-old woman who was born in Columbia and has tried her luck at becoming a politician in Missouri and Texas on an anti-Islamic platform. READ RELATED STORY UK parliament passes tobacco, vapes bill to create smoke-free generation UK to stop benefits for migrants who commit crimes UK minister Streeting disappointed…

The British Government is planning to implement a legal ban on the use of mobile phones among pupils attending secondary schools in England. While addressing the House of Lords, the minister of education, Baroness Jacqui Smith, said that the government was considering amending the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to include a legal provision which bans mobile phones from being used in schools. The Department for Education stated that the ban was to make the guidelines more effective since most of the schools did not allow mobile phones to be used in schools. Earlier, the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, had…

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has expressed shock at the revelation that his government was unaware of Peter Mandelson failing the vetting process prior to appointment as the UK ambassador to the US. For latest United Kingdom story, visit UK news  He has called this a scandal and an outrage, according to news reports. While addressing a conference in France, the PM stated that he and other ministers had no idea that Mandelson failed the vetting process. Starmer said he would brief Parliament in a report on Monday about the entire situation. The political heat has…

UK Chancellor, Rachel Reeves had encountered pressure about the higher taxes imposed on companies profiting from the economic fallout of the US-Israel conflict with Iran. A coalition of charities, trade unions, and advocacy groups has urged the government to introduce new windfall taxes on sectors benefiting from the crisis as households grapple with rising living costs. In a joint letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Reeves, organisations including Greenpeace UK, National Education Union, and Tax Justice UK argued that billions could be raised by taxing excess profits. The groups identified energy firms, banks, defence contractors, agricultural traders, and…

The United Kingdom has signalled a tougher stance against Russia’s “shadow fleet,” with Defence Secretary John Healey confirming that British forces are now prepared to board and detain sanctioned vessels operating in UK waters. The move follows months of preparation after ministers identified a legal framework earlier this year. Meanwhile, final approval was recently granted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, allowing military action against ships suspected of evading sanctions imposed over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Healey said the delay was necessary to ensure proper training, coordination with allies, and a clear legal basis. He described the development as a strong…

The former UK justice minister and Conservative MP, Crispin Blunt, has been fined £1,200 after pleading guilty to multiple drug possession charges. Blunt, 65, admitted to four offences at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, following a police raid on his home in Surrey in October 2023. Also, authorities found him in possession of substances including cannabis, methamphetamine which is commonly known as crystal meth and GBL, a chemical sedative. During sentencing, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram criticised Blunt’s actions, noting that his former role overseeing prisons, probation and justice placed him in a position of public trust. Read related news: Justice Salami…

Sir Keir Starmer’s director of communications, Tim Allan, has resigned, just a day after the prime minister lost his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. Allan is the fourth communications chief to leave Downing Street in under a year, having served five months. In a statement, he said he was stepping down “to allow a new No 10 team to be built.” The resignations follow the fallout from revelations about Lord Mandelson’s links to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. McSweeney resigned on Sunday, taking responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson as ambassador to the US in 2024. Starmer dismissed Mandelson…

Morgan McSweeney, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, has resigned, taking full responsibility for advising the PM to appoint Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US last year, a decision he now admits was wrong. In a statement, McSweeney said he accepts responsibility for the controversial recommendation, while Starmer expressed gratitude for his service, calling him “a key figure in our party’s work.”  Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said, “It’s about time,” but added that Starmer must also take responsibility for his own decisions. McSweeney, a central figure in the Starmer project, masterminded Labour’s 2024 general election landslide victory…

A Reform UK councillor for Redditch East in Worcestershire, has quit the party over plans to raise council tax, saying he cannot support the financial burden on residents.  He announced on BBC Politics Midlands that he will now sit as an independent councillor. Worcestershire County Council has warned it faces “effective bankruptcy” and has applied to the government to raise council tax by up to 10% from April. Taylor described the council as failing with £600 million in debt and said the proposed tax increase would hit already struggling residents. “They’re going to pay more and receive less,” he said.…

Police have searched two properties linked to former Labour minister Peter Mandelson as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that homes in north London and Wiltshire associated with Lord Mandelson were searched. He has not been arrested, and officers said enquiries are ongoing.The investigation follows the release of documents by the US Department of Justice, including emails from 2008 suggesting Lord Mandelson, then UK business secretary, discussed sensitive government information with Epstein. The messages appear to reference plans for a one-off tax on bankers’ bonuses…