Author: News Desk

US top diplomat Blinken issues warning to Israel over Gaza aid US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told Israeli leaders to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to civilians in northern Gaza, warning of potential legal consequences if action isn’t taken. Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as part of a regional tour aimed at reviving diplomacy. Despite criticism that the US hasn’t done enough to stop civilian casualties in Gaza, Washington denies failing to act. Blinken also addressed concerns over Israel’s military tactics, urging clarity on reports…

Irish general election to be called this year The leaders of Ireland’s three government parties have agreed that the next general election will take place in 2024, ahead of the official deadline in March 2025.  Taoiseach Simon Harris, Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin, and Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman are focusing on passing the Finance Bill, which introduces new tax provisions, before setting an election date. While O’Gorman suggested 29 November for the election, no official date has been confirmed. He emphasised the need to provide certainty to the public, while Harris stated that the government will prioritise completing its current…

UK and Germany to sign landmark defence treaty The UK and Germany are set to sign a “landmark defence agreement” to boost security, investment, and jobs. As part of the deal, German defence company Rheinmetall will open a factory in the UK to manufacture artillery gun barrels, supporting over 400 jobs. The two countries will also collaborate on developing a new long-range missile and advanced drones. In addition, German maritime surveillance aircraft will occasionally patrol the North Atlantic from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. The UK already has a defence pact with France but this is the first with Germany. The…

Scouts to learn cybersecurity skills as part of Digital Citizen Badge Four new badge activities have been launched for the Scouts, backed by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), to help young people learn how to stay safe online. The activities will form part of the Digital Citizen Badge and have been designed to teach children aged eight to 14 how to protect their devices and keep their data safe. The new activities have been launched during Cyber Security Awareness Month, and encourage young people good cybersecurity habits. Specifically, the four activities for the Scouts are focused on strong passwords,…

Father ‘feared daughter was abducted after she vanished outside Harrods’ For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe father of a nine-year-old girl allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted by an American pilot after she lost her parents outside Harrods in London feared she had been abducted, a court heard.Isleworth Crown Court heard that American pilot Robert Prussak, 57, approached the girl outside the department store, who became separated from her family during a trip to London from France, on 22 April last year.Prussak stopped to…

Trump campaign files complaint over ‘foreign interference’ by ‘far-left’ Labour Party in US election Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has accused Sir Keir Starmer’s “far-left” Labour Party of interfering in the US election. The Trump-Vance campaign filed a complaint with the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) accusing Labour of illegal foreign campaign donations. In a statement, the campaign’s co-manager Susie Wiles campaign claimed: “The far-left Labour Party has inspired Kamala’s dangerously liberal policies and rhetoric. “In recent weeks, they have recruited and sent party members to campaign for Kamala in critical battleground states, attempting to influence our election.” The complaint referenced…

Starmer faces ‘King John’ jibe from law chief over credit for rioters’ swift sentences Keir Starmer appeared to be likened to one of England’s most notorious monarchs today by the head of England’s judiciary. In a pointed intervention, Baroness Carr – the first lady chief justice – denounced claims that the government deserved credit for the way those involved in the riots were jailed within days over summer. It was an example of how the “constitutional boundaries” between political and legal matters had been wrongly “blurred”, said Baroness Carr, who also called for courts to be “properly funded” as she…

Charles heads to Samoa as indigenious protester shouting ‘king of thieves’ arrested in Sydney – Royal family news An Indigenous protestor was arrested for attempting to confront King Charles on the final day of his Australian tour, calling him “king of thieves”. The monarch, 75, and his supporters were targeted by Wayne “Coco” Wharton, who encouraged the crowds gathered at the Sydney Opera House to leave with the King. Mr Wharton said: “Go home with the King. He is a king of thieves and a king of liars. You have no receipt, you have no agreement on the occupation of…

Budget boost for Reeves as IMF growth forecast rises after inflation battle ‘largely won’ – live Rachel Reeves will announce Labour’s first Budget since coming into power on 30 October, leading one of the most anticipated fiscal events in over two decades. Ahead of her announcement, the chancellor has welcomed an upgrade to the UK’s economic forecasts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The financial agency even said the country’s battle against inflation has “largely been won.” The country’s GDP is now predicted to grow by 1.1 per cent in 2024 – a major uplift from the 0.7 per cent…

Singapore founder’s son says he is now a political refugee in UK Lee Hsien Yang, the estranged brother of former Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, said Tuesday that he’s now a “political refugee” after the UK government granted him asylum from what he described as persecution at home. The Lee brothers are the sons of Lee Kuan Yew, modern Singapore’s founding father. They have been engaged in a public spat since 2017 over the late patriarch’s family home, and Lee Hsien Yang has accused the Singapore government of persecuting him, his wife and son. In a Facebook post Tuesday,…