Author: UK News

Nicola Sturgeon pulls out of climate event as police search continue Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s former first minister, withdrew from the Climate of Change event after her husband, Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), was questioned by police on Wednesday in relation to party finances. Murrell was released without charge pending further investigation, and a police search of the couple’s Glasgow home resumed on Thursday. Ms Sturgeon said that the cabinet secretary for net zero, Màiri McAllan, would take her place at the event to ensure that the focus remained on the critical issue of…

King Charles supports study into royal family slavery links King Charles is supporting an independent study into the British monarchy’s links to the slave trade in the 17th and 18th centuries. Buckingham Palace is working with the University of Manchester and Historic Royal Palaces to grant full access to the Royal Archives and the Royal Collection for the PhD project, expected to be completed in 2026. The King and the Prince of Wales have both expressed their personal sorrow over the suffering caused by the slave trade. The King wishes to continue his commitment to deepening his understanding of the…

Dorset asylum seeker barge will not be like a prison, says minister The Guardian says A barge due to be used to house hundreds of asylum seekers in Dorset is not a prison but efforts will be made to avoid asylum seekers needing to leave the port to access services in the local community, a minister has said. As the government struggled to drum up support among local politicians for the plans, the transport minister Richard Holden claimed amenities such as doctors’ surgeries would be set up on site. He said the barge and other similar planned projects would be…

Government reveals full details of plan to house 500 asylum seekers on a barge in Dorset The Metro says The government has laid out controversial plans to house around 500 asylum seekers on a barge off the coast of Dorset. The Home Office said the three-storey vessel, named Bibby Stockholm, would be berthed in Portland, where the local MP and council have threatened legal challenges. The 93-metre long barge, being leased from Liverpool-based Bibby Marine Limited, previously saw at least one person die and reports of rape and abuse on board when it was used by the Dutch government to…

Inside the floating barge that’s set to hold 500 asylum seekers The Metro says A three-storey barracks barge will now be the temporary home for asylum seekers arriving on British shores, the Government has confirmed. The Home Office said today that the Bibby Stockholm, a large block of flats stacked atop a floating platform, has been leased for 18 months. The ‘basic and functional accommodation’ will have around-the-clock security on-board to ‘minimise the disruption to local communities’, the Home Office said. Bibby Stockholm contains a basic gym, bar, games room and more than 220 en-suite bedrooms, according to a fact…

A new proposal to handle the refugees crisis in Dublin could resort to refugees could be housed in Dublin’s exclusive Blackrock suburb. A five-storey office building in the south Dublin suburb of Blackrock – the most expensive postcode in the country – could be used to accommodate refugees, the Irish Independent has learned. Refugees could be housed in Dublin’s exclusive Blackrock suburb The Department of Equality has said Frascati House, on Temple Road, has been offered to house people seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine or for international protection (IP) applicants amid an unprecedented number of arrivals in the…

Police moved from serious crime units to help clean up Met Police Around 90 Metropolitan Police officers have been diverted from fighting serious crime and terrorism to investigate wrongdoing within the force, according to the Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. In an open letter to the Mayor of London and Home Secretary, Rowley stated that the officers were supporting the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), and that in the last decade, four in five of the original inquiries into officers accused of domestic and sexual violence did not result in the correct action and should be reassessed. The move follows a…

Patients at risk during doctor strike – NHS bosses Hospital managers in England have expressed concerns that patient safety could be at risk during the upcoming four-day strike by junior doctors. The strike, which starts on Tuesday, will affect both emergency and planned care. Managers have warned that they will struggle to staff rotas during the action. The British Medical Association (BMA) has refused to exempt any services from the action but claims it will meet trade union requirements for life-and-limb cover by withdrawing junior doctors if individual hospitals report lives are in immediate danger. During a similar strike last…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Several of Thursday’s front pages lead with the arrest of Peter Murrell, former SNP chief executive and husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, as part of an investigation into party finances. Government plans to house migrants on a barge off Dorset s another lead story for the newspapers. According to The Daily Telegraph, there are concerns that Police Scotland may have faced political pressure to delay the arrest of Peter Murrell, husband of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, until after her successor was appointed. While the police deny notifying Sturgeon in advance,…

Police Scotland launched a formal investigation into the SNP

Nicola Sturgeon’s husband arrested in SNP finance probe The husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested in connection with an investigation into Scottish National Party finances. Peter Murrell, 58, was taken into police custody on Wednesday morning. More to follow

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Wednesday’s front pages are dominated by the historic arrest and arraignment of Donald Trump – the first time a former US president has ever faced criminal charges. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records for his alleged role in paying hush money to hide damaging personal stories during the 2016 election campaign. According to The Independent, it was a day that shook America, as most newspapers lead with a photograph of Donald Trump sitting between his lawyers in a New York court. The defendant is described as “ashen-faced” by The Financial…

London airport officially scraps 100ml liquids rule in hand luggage from today The Metro says People travelling through London City Airport will no longer to have to limit their liquids to 100ml in their hand luggage from today. It is the first airport in the capital – and first mainstream airport in the UK – to scrap the rules following the introduction of new high-tech CT scanners just in time for Easter. The government has set a deadline of June 2024 for all major UK airports to install the machines. Teeside Airport was the first in the country to scrap…

Asylum seeker barge plan would face legal challenge The UK government’s plan to house asylum seekers on a barge off the coast of Dorset is facing legal challenges, according to reports. The Bibby Stockholm, a three-storey vessel capable of housing more than 500 people, could be docked off Portland as part of the controversial plan aimed at reducing reliance on hotels. Local Conservative MP Richard Drax has said that “all legal routes” are being explored to try to prevent the move, while charities have said that boats are an inadequate solution for housing those fleeing war and persecution. The government…

Former Tory Chancellor Nigel Lawson dies aged 91 The former Conservative chancellor Nigel Lawson, who served in several cabinet positions under former PM Marget Thatcher in the 1980s, has died at the age of 91. He is often viewed as one of the most consequential of all post-war UK chancellors. The former chancellor played a significant role in creating a powerful entrepreneurial environment. However, the era was also marked by increasing inequality and deindustrialisation, which caused great hardship in many communities. Tributes have poured in from political figures, with PM Rishi Sunak describing him as an ‘inspiration’ former PM Liz…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Many of Tuesday’s front pages lead with the life sentence handed to Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s killer on Monday. The death of Nigel Lawson – who lead the Thatcher privatisation drive that put swathes of the public sector under the control of private companies – makes several of the front pages. And the conviction of Phillip Schofield’s brother for sexually abusing a teenage boy is another topic splashed on the front pages. ‘Tax-slasher’ Nigel Lawson dies Several front pages feature the death of Nigel Lawson, with the Daily Telegraph describing him as “Thatcher’s tax slasher” and carrying…

More strikes ahead as teachers in England reject pay offer The UK’s largest education union, NEU, has announced that teachers in England will go on strike for two days during the summer term, following the rejection of a government pay offer. The NEU revealed that 98% of its members voted to reject the deal and strike action is scheduled for Thursday 27 April and Tuesday 2 May. However, the union has confirmed that exam classes will not be disrupted. Joint General Secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney criticised the offer at the NEU conference in Harrogate, stating that it was…

Ramsay and Sirieix were reported to have been ‘pretty cross’.

You’d be a fool not to follow this rule.

The Gunners are set to bypass a move for the in-demand Dortmund midfielder.

A reader is unhappy with the new gameplay footage of Tears Of Kingdom and worries that the original formula for the series is gone forever.

A reader considers the current state of the Xbox vs. PlayStation console war and why Microsoft is unlikely to emerge victorious this year.

‘I would love to be in the position of Arsenal.’

A new day and a whole new month to get ready for.

‘Where does this river even go?’