United Kingdom

    A majority of the British public wants Theresa May to go head to head with her rivals in live TV debates during the election campaign, an exclusive poll for The Independent shows. The BMG Research survey reveals more than half of people want the live contests to go ahead, but comes after Ms May’s outright refusal to face up to other party leaders. The Prime Minister’s rivals leapt on the study, accusing Ms May of running scared and ducking her responsibility to take part in democratic debate ahead of an election that will prove crucial to Brexit. They also renewed calls for broadcasters to go ahead with the debates and empty chair Ms May if she continues to reject calls to take part. Respondents were asked whether leaders of the UK’s major political parties should particip...

    Theresa May speaks to supporters at a community centre in Bridgend, Wales. Conservative strategists are warning that the current crop of opinion polls suggesting Theresa May will cruise to victory in June’s general election could dissuade voters from turning out to vote for the party. The belief is that a landslide election narrative may also encourage others to back Labour and other opposition parties simply in an attempt to minimise the scale of the anticipated majority, prompting the prime minister to warn about the issue on Tuesday. On a campaign visit to Wales, May said: Remember, the opinion polls were wrong in the 2015 general election, they were wrong in the referendum, and Jeremy Corbyn himself has said that he was a 200-1 outsider for the Labour leadership in 201...

    EU flag flying in front of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster Labour will today unveil plans to frustrate Brexit by scrapping the Tories’ Great Repeal Bill, raising the prospect of a second European Union referendum. Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Exiting the EU secretary, will commit Labour to a new EU Rights and Protections Bill to ensure there is no change to workers’ rights, consumer rights or environmental protections. Sir Keir will also say that unlike Theresa May, the Tory leader Labour will not walk away from the European Union without any agreement, saying it will not accept ‘no deal’ as a viable option. Sir Keir Starmer A Labour Government will also scrap the Tories’ Brexit White Paper, which set out the Government's plans for Brexit, and replace it with f...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday emphasized on the need for providing stipends and the money of education allowance to deserving students. "The government puts the highest importance on education as only education can free the nation from the curse of poverty," the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister was presiding over the 4th meeting of the 'advisory committee' of Prime Minister's Education Assistance Trust Fund at her office. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday distributed cheques of financial assistance among gallantry award receiving freedom fighters and their descendants at her office. The Prime Minister gave a cheque of Tk 3 lakh to each of the 12 recipients. President Abdul Hamid will leave for London this evening for a medical checkup. It is scheduled that a flight of ...

    The UK will get four new bank holidays if Labour wins power, leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised. They will fall on the patron saint's day of each of the home nations and apply to the whole of the UK. The Labour leader said the move would bring together England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while giving workers a well-deserved break. The four nations that make up our great country have rarely been more divided due to the damaging and divisive policies of this Conservative Government, Mr Corbyn said. But where Theresa May divides, Labour will unite our four nations. A Labour government will make St George's Day England's national day and Shakespeare's birthday a public holiday, along with St David's Day, St Andrew's Day and St Patrick's Day. And we will ask for the s...

    The National Grid has announced Britain’s first full day without coal power since the Industrial Revolution. A combination of low demand for electricity and an abundance of wind meant the grid completed 24 hours relying on just gas, nuclear and renewables. Engineers at the company said Friday marked a “historic” milestone in Britain’s shift away from carbon fuels, and that coal-free days would become increasingly common. Use of the fossil fuel has significantly declined in recent years, accounting for just 9 per cent of electricity generation last year, down from 23 per cent in 2015, with the closure or conversion of coal plants. The Government has pledged to phase out coal - the most polluting fossil fuel from the system by 2025 as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions ...

    General election 2017 Jeremy Corbyn will bypass traditional media outlets with the same degree of success that outsider-turned-president Donald Trump did, the Labour leader's older brother has predicted. In an interview with The Telegraph, 70-year-old Piers Corbyn hit out at the media coverage his brother receives, claiming that news organisations like the BBC are treating him unfairly. He added that he believes shy Corbynistas will come out in force to support Corbyn and deliver him the result he wants in the general election on 8 June. The BBC is evil and they will carry on being evil, Piers said. At every opportunity they criticise him [Jeremy]. Why? The BBC have never been so biased against any party leader as now. That is because Jeremy stands for something different....

    If the latest rumours are to be believed, it looks like Kylie Minogue is seeing none other than Prince Andrew! The incredible claims were made by an Australian magazine that said the pop princess and the prince have been dating for several weeks. A palace source allegedly told the publication that Kylie, 48, has spent several nights in the past two weeks with Andrew, 57. Andrew is 100% smitten, the insider said before adding that the pair are inseparable. Both Kylie and Andrew’s representatives have yet to comment on the reports but all eyes will be on Pippa Middleton’s wedding this summer to see if she comes as Andrew’s guest. The rumours are fuelled by the fact that Kylie was awarded the Britain-Australia Society Award last year by Prince Phillip at a private ceremony. K...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was accorded a gala reception by Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pem at the Royal Palace yesterday. On her arrival at the main gate of the Royal Palace in the afternoon, the Prime Minister was ceremonially received and later escorted inside the palace by a Cabinet minister and senior Bhutanese officials. She was later given a guard of honor. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is now in Bhutan on a three-day state visit to attend an international conference on autism. Bangladesh and Bhutan yesterday inked five deals covering avoidance of double taxation, agriculture, standardization of goods, cultural cooperation and waterways connectivity. The deals were signed yesterday after the official talks between the two countries. Prime Minister...

    This is the full statement made by the Prime Minister announcing that a general election is to be held on June 8: I have just chaired a meeting of the Cabinet, where we agreed that the Government should call a general election, to be held on June 8. I want to explain the reasons for that decision, what will happen next and the choice facing the British people when you come to vote in this election. Last summer, after the country voted to leave the European Union, Britain needed certainty, stability and strong leadership, and since I became Prime Minister the Government has delivered precisely that. Despite predictions of immediate financial and economic danger, since the referendum we have seen consumer confidence remain high, record numbers of jobs, and economic growth th...