Author: Fatimah Idera

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…

The first named storm of the UK season, Storm Amy, is forecast to bring severe weather conditions as it moves across the north-west of the UK on Friday and Saturday. The Met Office has confirmed yellow severe weather warnings for wind and rain from 12:00 Friday to 23:59 BST Saturday. Storm Amy is expected to bring widespread gales, heavy rainfall, and gusts reaching up to 80mph (129 km/h), particularly in northern and western Scotland. These high winds could cause damage, power outages, and travel disruption throughout the weekend. Before Amy arrives, Thursday will see wet and windy weather across Northern…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will unveil plans for a groundbreaking online hospital as part of his speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The initiative, branded NHS Online, aims to deliver millions of extra appointments and significantly reduce waiting times by harnessing digital technology. Set to launch in 2027, the service will connect patients directly to specialist clinicians via the NHS app. According to government estimates, NHS Online could facilitate up to 8.5 million additional appointments in its first three years. In his speech, Starmer is expected to declare, “A new world is coming,” and describe the move as…

General practitioners (GPs) in England have warned they may take industrial action over government plans to expand online appointment booking, arguing the move will overwhelm surgeries and put patient safety at risk. The new system, set to begin Wednesday, will allow patients to request GP appointments online between 8am and 6:30pm, Monday to Friday. The policy is designed to end the 8am scramble for appointments, but doctors say it risks triggering a surge in demand. The British Medical Association (BMA) accused ministers of breaking a February agreement to introduce safeguards before the rollout, ensuring non-urgent queries were filtered out. The…

Labour has announced plans to raise pay for care workers in England from 2028, alongside the creation of a new negotiating body bringing together trade unions and employers to improve wages and conditions in the sector. Health secretary Wes Streeting will allocate £500m to fund the initial increase and begin setting up the body this year. The first of its kind in the UK, will establish a legally backed fair pay agreement, with recommendations applying across both public and private care providers. The move forms part of Labour’s wider workers’ rights package, aimed at addressing the sector’s recruitment and retention…

Retailers in the UK have warned the government that further tax increases could fuel inflation, as shop prices rose again in September. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and analysts NIQ, annual shop price inflation climbed to 1.4 per cent in September, up from 0.9 per cent in August. Rising costs in home improvement and gardening products drove the increase, offsetting stabilising food prices. For the first time in 18 months, deflation in non-food goods appears to be ending, with prices falling by just 0.1 per cent year-on-year in September compared with a larger 0.8 per cent drop in…