Author: Fatimah Idera

The Labour  government has confirmed that local elections due to take place in May will be postponed in 29 council areas across England as part of plans to reorganise local government. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed told MPs that legislation would be brought forward to delay the elections, following consultations with councils affected by the proposed changes. He said ministers had reviewed more than 350 submissions from councils and other stakeholders before reaching the decision. Reed explained that the postponements were linked to plans to merge two-tier council systems into single unitary authorities, arguing that delays would ease pressure on…

The UK has decided not to immediately join US President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, citing concerns over the possible involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK had been invited to sign up to the initiative but would not do so at this stage. Speaking to the media from the World Economic Forum in Davos, she explained that the government had reservations about the board’s legal scope and about Putin’s role, given Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The Board of Peace, announced by the White House, is being promoted as a new international…

Lucy Letby will not face any additional criminal charges over the deaths or collapses of babies at hospitals where she worked, prosecutors have confirmed. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it reviewed evidence relating to further allegations of murder and attempted murder involving nine babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital. However, it concluded that there was not enough evidence to bring new charges. Cheshire Police, which submitted the case files in July 2025, said the decision was disappointing and not the outcome officers had expected. The force said it believed the evidence met the required…

A Labour minister Chris McDonald has been criticised after it emerged that he used taxpayers’ money to set up a podcast studio. The MP for Stockton North and minister for industry, spent more than £500 through the parliamentary expenses system on podcast equipment. The purchases included microphones, lighting and soundproofing panels, which were listed as “other office equipment”. Details of the spending only became public following a Freedom of Information request seen by The Telegraph. Records show that Mr McDonald spent £294 on a wireless microphone system in January last year. He later bought acoustic wood panels for £141, a…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he will not give in to pressure from Donald Trump over the future of Greenland, despite threats of trade tariffs. Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), Starmer said the UK would not yield to threats after the US president warned he could impose 10 per cent tariffs on European countries that oppose his plan to take control of Greenland. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch challenged the prime minister on the issue, saying she agreed with him on standing firm over Greenland. However, she criticised the government’s separate plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos…

French authorities have conducted their first interception at sea under new measures aimed at preventing small boat crossings to the UK. The operation took place on Saturday on the Aa canal in Gravelines, near the Channel coast above Calais, where French officers boarded a so-called “taxi-boat” believed to be linked to people-smuggling activities. The action follows a shift in tactics agreed in November after mounting pressure from the UK to intensify efforts against illegal migration. A photograph by the media shows several men on an inflatable dinghy alongside a police launch, with the vessel later being towed back to the…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to visit China next week, leading a delegation of major British companies, according to reports. The trip will include senior figures from leading firms such as BP, HSBC, InterContinental Hotels Group, Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls-Royce. The companies are also expected to take part in a revived UK-China CEO Council, aimed at strengthening business and economic ties between the two countries. Downing Street has not officially confirmed the visit. However, preparations appear to be under way following a trip to Beijing in November by Jonathan Powell, the UK’s national security adviser, who held talks…

Kemi Badenoch has told Conservative MPs who are thinking of defecting to Reform UK that they should leave the party. In a letter to Conservative backbenchers, the party leader said MPs were “free to make other choices” if they could not support the direction she was taking. Her message is being seen as a clear warning to those considering joining Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. The comments follow the defection of Robert Jenrick, the former shadow justice secretary, whom Badenoch sacked after she said there was strong evidence he planned to leave. Andrew Rosindell, another former shadow minister and ally of…

Angela Rayner has urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to honour Labour’s pledge to cap ground rents for leaseholders in England and Wales, as divisions deepen within the cabinet over leasehold reform. Rayner has stepped into a dispute between housing secretary Steve Reed and chancellor Rachel Reeves about whether the government should proceed with plans to limit ground rents for existing leaseholders. The proposal was part of a draft leasehold reform bill that was expected last year but was delayed after concerns from the Treasury that a cap could discourage property investors. Government sources say Starmer is expected to make a…

The Lagos State Government has announced the commencement of registration for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for public and private junior secondary schools across the state. The e-registration and payment exercise will run from Monday, January 26 to Friday, March 27, 2026. The process is being coordinated by the Lagos State Examinations Board and is aimed at promoting a smooth, technology-driven registration system that removes the need for physical contact between school owners and the board. The initiative is also designed to improve transparency, efficiency and accountability in the conduct of the examination. The announcement was made in…