STORY
Priti Patel has been knocked out of the first round of the Conservative Party leadership race, the first of five candidates to be eliminated.
The result was:
Robert Jenrick – 28 votes
Kemi Badenoch – 22 votes
James Cleverly – 21 votes
Tom Tugendhat – 17 votes
Mel Stride – 16 votes
Priti Patel – 15 votes
Patel had previously served as the Home Secretary under the Johnson administration.
STORY
Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory continues in an attempt to bring Putin’s Government to the negotiating table in a bid for peace. The surprise Ukrainian attack on Russia nearly two weeks ago, which their Government have been unable to successfully defend, has seen the Ukrainian forces take a foothold as they today destroyed two key bridges the Russians used for their supply lines. The Russian Government had said that they would take firm action to remove the Ukrainians, but their efforts have met with little success and further evacuations of Russian civilians have since taken place. Putin’s Government has been attempting to downplay the first invasion onto Russia soil since the Second World in an attempt to avoid panic, with analysts expecting troops to be moved from the Ukrainian front in a bid to liberate the occupied territories in Russia.
STORY
Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, has said at the UN Security Council meeting that Palestinians have nowhere safe to turn following the attack made on them by Israel. Kariuki said:
“The UK is appalled by the Israeli military strike on al-Tabeen school where Palestinian civilians were sheltering. The UN tells us this strike killed dozens of Palestinians, many of whom are reported to be women and children. Sadly, this was not the only Israeli strike on schools, turned-shelters, we have seen. There were 17 such attacks in July alone. Palestinians have nowhere safe to turn. 86% of Gaza is now under evacuation orders. And in recent days we have seen some of the largest orders to date, impacting tens of thousands of people, displaced multiple times over. Families are forced to move back and forth, back and forth but with none of these places offering the safety or security they so desperately need. On top of that, some of these orders have been issued by Israel in the middle of the night with minimal notice to allow civilians to flee. Israel must ensure it complies with its obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.”
STORY
Liz Truss, the Prime Minister who was forced from office after just 49 days following a failed mini-budget and economic collapse, has been subject to a prank organised by Led By Donkeys where a banner was unfurled during a Q&A session in Beccles, Suffolk. Truss left the stage saying “that’s not funny” after the banner saying ‘I crashed the economy’ was unveiled. Truss posted on Twitter:
“What happened last night was not funny. Far-left activists disrupted the event, which then had to be stopped for security reasons. This is done to intimidate people and suppress free speech. I won’t stand for it. Would we see the same reaction if the activists were far-right?”
STORY
The Russian Government has announced the evacuation of 11,000 more people in the Belgorod region as Ukrainian troops penetrate further into the country. The invasion, which is now in the sixth day, has led the Russian army to struggle to take back control. The Russian Foreign Office said that they expected to secure the region quickly and denied that they had set fire to Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility.
STORY
The Russian Government has confirmed rumours that the country’s defences appear to have failed as the Ukrainian army is over 30 kilometres into the country. Over 75,000 Russians have been evacuated as the Russian army is unable to defend the country, with confusion as how the Ukrainian army have been able to make the advanced assault with limited military response from the Russians. The situation has become critical for Vladimir Putin, the President, as the Ukrainian army are now in their sixth day of occupation, despite Russian claims that they had the situation under control. Vladimir Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, said in a statement:
“Ukraine is proving that it really knows how to restore justice and guarantees exactly the kind of pressure that is needed – pressure on the aggressor”.
Vladimir Putin is yet to make an official statement on the situation.
STORY
William Nelson Morgan, a 69 year old man from Linton Street in Walton, has pleaded guilty to being involved in the destruction of Spellow Lane Library in Liverpool. Morgan armed himself with a wooden cosh and was involved with the rioting and assault of police officers with the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Andrew Menary KC, stating:
“Your actions have disgraced and damaged the reputation of that town [Southport] and this city [Liverpool].”
When sentencing, Judge Menary added:
“Your advancing years plainly did not prevent you from playing an active part in a disturbance on County Road. I think it is very sad indeed to see someone of your age and character in the dock of a Crown Court.”
Paul Lewis, defending Morgan, said his client was “sorry”. Morgan, a retired welder, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for his involvement in the destruction of the library. A community fund-raiser to help rebuild the library that Morgan helped wreck has so far reached £217,000.
STORY
Shamima Begum’s prolonged legal battle to regain her British citizenship has reached a definitive conclusion with the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear her appeal. This decision solidifies previous rulings upholding the Home Secretary’s 2019 revocation of her citizenship on national security grounds, despite ongoing concerns about Begum’s status as a potential victim of child trafficking when she left the UK as a teenager to join the Islamic State group in Syria.
Begum’s legal team had consistently challenged the decision, arguing on various grounds including her alleged trafficking and lack of due process in the revocation procedure. However, the Supreme Court ultimately determined that her case did not raise any arguable legal points that warranted further consideration. This outcome leaves Begum, now 24, stranded in a Syrian camp without British citizenship, effectively stateless. The case has ignited widespread debate concerning national security, citizenship rights, and the UK’s approach towards returning foreign fighters. A number of human rights organisations have voiced their criticism, advocating for her repatriation and due process within the UK legal system.
STORY
James Nelson, aged 18, of Victoria Road, Horwich, Bolton has been sentenced to two months in prison for his involvement in the rioting in Bolton town centre at the weekend. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder and received what is thought to be the first prison sentence issued for those involved in the recent spate of rioting.
STORY
The BBC has said that they have reviewed and changed an article written by Eben Leonard, a BBC journalist, which claimed that a pub had asked customers to leave because they were singing in Welsh. The BBC issued a statement saying:
“Having reviewed the report, the headline was amended to make it clear that customers in the pub were asked to leave because they were singing loudly, not because they were singing in Welsh. A passage was also added to the piece to explain this change.”
The article, which was on the front page of the BBC News on-line, caused the pub to suffer a number of negative reviews and hatred on-line. The BBC apologised for the article.