UK’s Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is under pressure over the new Department for Education (DfE) guidance that would require children as young as four to be assessed using touchscreen devices.

United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has affirmed Canada’s status as an independent, sovereign nation, in remarks widely interpreted as a pointed response to the U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state. Starmer made the comments ahead of a significant diplomatic visit to Canada, where he will be the first British prime minister in eight years to travel to…

The UK has joined Western allies in expressing support for Israel’s military strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities—escalating fears that the Middle East could be on the brink of full-scale war. As air raids continue, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has deployed RAF fighter jets to the region, calling the move a necessary step to “defend British interests and support regional stability.” Israel launched a barrage of missile strikes…

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Sir Keir Starmer has announced a full statutory national inquiry into grooming gangs in England and Wales. This followed recommendations from Baroness Louise Casey’s independent audit. The inquiry, to be established under the Inquiries Act, will have legal powers to compel witnesses and demand evidence, marking a significant shift in the government’s approach to the long-standing and deeply sensitive issue of group-based child sexual…

British households are bracing for a second rise in council tax under the Labour government in 2025, this time to fund local policing, as pressure mounts on public finances and local services. The new development comes amid warnings that the burden is quietly being shifted to families already dealing with inflation, stagnant wages, and a stretched economy. This latest increase will come in addition to the council tax hike introduced…

Nearly half a million British pensioners living abroad are missing out on annual state pension increases enjoyed by UK residents, according to research by Interactive Investor. These retirees, mainly based in Commonwealth countries, are excluded from the triple lock system that ensures it rises each year in line with inflation, wage growth or 2.5%, whichever is highest. Under current rules, the payments are frozen at the level they were when…

Rishi Sunak has called for a national rollout of targeted prostate cancer screening, urging the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) to act swiftly to save lives. In his first major public intervention since stepping down as prime minister, Mr Sunak advocated for proactive PSA blood testing for high-risk groups, particularly men with a family history of the disease or from higher-risk ethnic backgrounds, such as Black men. Sunak addresses…

Sir Geoff Palmer, a trailblazing scientist, human rights advocate, and Scotland’s first Black professor, has died at the age of 85. Sir Geoff was a long-standing figure at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, where he served as professor emeritus and, more recently, as chancellor. He was widely respected both for his scientific contributions and for his tireless advocacy for racial equality and historical justice. Geoff Palmer’s background Born in Jamaica in…

The Scottish Conservatives have pledged £650 million in tax cuts, funded by a major shake-up of Scotland’s public sector, under plans to be unveiled at the party’s conference in Edinburgh. In his first keynote speech as leader, Russell Findlay will propose a Taxpayer Savings Act aimed at slashing waste and bureaucracy. The plan includes cutting quangos by 25%, reducing the number of ministers and advisers, and creating a new Scottish…

Franco Mastantuono’s signature has been secured by Real Madrid from River Plate in a record-breaking €45m (£38.5m) transfer deal. The Spanish giants triggered the 17-year-old’s release clause, setting a new transfer record for River Plate and underlining Mastantuono’s meteoric rise through both club and international football. The attacking midfielder will officially join Madrid on 14 August — the day he turns 18 — and has signed a six-year contract with…

A United States of America Appeal Court on Thursday granted President Donald Trump order to maintain his deployment of national guard troops in Los Angeles, temporarily pausing a lower court order that blocked the mobilization amid growing protests over intensified immigration enforcement. The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal does not resolve the legal challenge but allows Trump to retain control over the Guard, at least for…

Santi Cazorla, at 40 years old and nearly a decade after being told he might never walk again, delivered a fairytale moment for Real Oviedo on Wednesday night, scoring a stunning free-kick to send his boyhood club into the La Liga play-off final. Trailing 1-0 to Almeria in the second leg of the play-off semi-final—and 2-2 on aggregate—Oviedo needed a hero. Cazorla, once a maestro for Arsenal and the Spanish…