- NewsThe Telegraph
Storm clouds are gathering over Nicola Sturgeon and the divided SNP
The Scottish National Party has proved time and again that the rules of political gravity don’t apply to it. It has maintained its astonishing double-digit lead in every poll published since the end of 2014, shortly after the independence referendum which the SNP called for and then lost. There have been troubles along the way, many of which would have holed any other UK party below the waterline. Not least among them have been the scandals involving the building of new hospitals which turned out not to be fit for purpose, worrying gaps in school performance by those from poorer backgrounds and the revelation that Scottish university applicants are being short-changed by the self-imposed cap on domestic students as a consequence of the SNP’s adherence to their policy of “free” tuition. But still Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister and SNP leader, appears to move smoothly forward, as untroubled by such matters as the Scottish public seem to be: two polls published at the end of January put her party on course for an astonishing 50 per cent of the vote in next year’s Holyrood elections. The nationalists have maintained an iron discipline in their own ranks, both parliamentary and at grassroots level, that any other party would envy. Criticism, such as it is, of Sturgeon and the wider party leadership is muted at most. Party discipline is credited, at least in part, for catapulting the SNP to its pre-eminent position in Scottish politics and must, therefore, be preserved. But counter-intuitively, when Scottish government failures seem to have no negative impact on the party’s standing, the feeling grows that perhaps a greater degree of dissension from the party line might be welcome.
5858 reactions - NewsThe Independent
An exodus of British Muslims is happening right under our noses – and still we’re asking whether Islamophobia exists
British Muslims – many who have lived here for generations – are packing up their belongings, parting ways with their loved ones, established careers and the country they were born in to move to somewhere safer. In recent years, the rates of hate crimes against religious minorities in the UK has rocketed, and for some, it has just become too dangerous to stay. There is an exodus happening in Britain, and no one has even blinked an eye.Contrary to the mainstream narrative that veiled and bearded people are flooding through our borders, a significant number of Muslims are leaving their homeland because of rising rates of targeted religious hate crimes. Despite this reality, harmful discourse in the media, politics and places of power continues to contribute to an increasingly hostile environment that is driving British Muslims away.
- StyleHello!
Strictly's Oti Mabuse and husband Marius Iepure announce exciting news
Following her victorious stint on Strictly Come Dancing, things are looking up for Oti Mabuse. Taking to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, the professional dancer - who won the 2019 series with Kelvin Fletcher \- has revealed she is teaming up with her husband Marius Iepure on a brand new project – a weekend-long dance spectacular this summer! "Hi everyone, so Marius and I are very excited to announce that we're working on a brand new dance event coming up in July," she told her fans.WATCH: Oti Mabuse and husband Marius Iepure announce exciting news"In London," quipped Marius, with Oti explaining: "It's going to be all-weekend long, with some of the best dancers in the world, your favourite TV stars will be there. It's going to be a dinner and dance, workshops and amazing shows." Her husband then added: "A long long weekend of dance… hope to see you there."MORE: Kelvin Fletcher addresses his marriage to wife Liz after Oti Mabuse dramaMany fans will no doubt be excited to see Oti and Marius team up together on the dancefloor. Like his wife, Marius is a professional dancer but from Romania. He performed on Strictly in the group numbers in 2017, and is yet to land a pro dancer role on the BBC show. Oti, 29, married Marius, 37, in Denmark in 2014 after a short engagement. They met in Germany during a dance trial, before competing together and taking part in a number of contests.Oti and Marius have been married since 2014Oti rarely speaks about her private life in public, however, in a recent interview, the TV star confessed she is not ready to become a mother despite her desire to have children one day. "One day we'll probably wake up and be like, 'It's time!'" she told Fabulous magazine. "At some point I'll want to give my nieces a few cousins, but it's just not necessary at the moment." Oti was 23 when she tied the knot, and the Strictly star insists that marrying at such a young age was the best decision she ever made. "He was, and we still are, each other's everything," she explained. "You're in a new country, and it's just the two of us so it will always feel like it's just the two of us against the world. And he proposed, so I [couldn't] really say no!"MORE: Strictly's Aljaz Skorjanec reveals Pasha Kovalev is returning to the dancefloorLike this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
- NewsThe Guardian
UK travellers scramble to change plans as coronavirus spreads
UK travellers scramble to change plans as coronavirus spreads. Many people unable to get refunds for trips as FCO holds back on official travel warnings
- NewsThe Independent
Anti-Greta: Far-right groups trying to turn teenager into climate change-denying version of Greta Thunberg
A 19-year-old German climate change sceptic who has been described by her supporters as “the antidote to Greta Thunberg”, is gaining support from right-wing organisations, including Germany’s far-right party AfD party, and a think tank with links to The White House.Naomi Seibt began uploading videos to YouTube last year, with titles such as “Climate change – just hot air?”, “Fierce without Feminism”, and “Message to the Media – HOW DARE YOU?”.
- NewsEvening Standard
Kirk Douglas leaves bulk of $60 million fortune to charity - and 'nothing' to son Michael Douglas
The late actor Kirk Douglas has reportedly left the bulk of his $61 million fortune to charity.According to The Mirror, the Douglas Foundation will receive $50 million of his estate. It is not clear where the remaining $11 million will go, but Kirk has reportedly left no money to his actor son Michael Douglas, who is estimated to be worth $278 million himself.
- StyleHello!
Eastenders star Jacqueline Jossa debuts new hair transformation on Instagram
EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa, 27, has undergone a major hair transformation - and we’re loving it. Posting a photo of her new do on Instagram, the TV star sent her 2.6 million followers into meltdown as she unveiled her shorter hair on social media. Debuting her shoulder-length mane, the post showed Jacqueline looking radiant as ever as she expertly co-ordinated her glittered orange eyeshadow, dramatic eyeliner and nude lip gloss with a floral off-the-shoulder blouse - just beautiful. Bringing us the summer vibes we never knew we needed, we’re officially obsessed with Jacqueline’s new hair. Tagged also in the post was celebrity hairstylist, Carl Bembridge, who has styled the likes of Billie Faiers, Kimberly Wyatt and Mrs Hinch. RELATED: Jacqueline Jossa reveals bittersweet milestone with oldest daughter EllaJacqueline debuted her stylish new look on Instagram Revealing the results of her latest chop on Tuesday, Jacqueline captioned the image: "Kylie vibes. Shooting my collection with @inthestyle coming THURSDAY!" A huge fan of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Jacqueline has regularly expressed her admiration for beauty mogul Kylie Jenner, so it’s no surprise that the mother-of-two has opted for a similar, sleeker hairstyle often worn by Kylie. After leaving the I’m a Celebrity Jungle in 2019, Jacqueline even revealed on Lorraine that she had received a video message from the KUWTK star, congratulating her on the win. Throughout the reality show, Jacqueline had developed a close friendship with Kylie’s dad, Caitlyn Jenner. READ: Jacqueline Jossa gets fans excited by hinting at EastEnders returnVIDEO: Nadine Coyle teaches Jacqueline Jossa and Caitlyn Jenner a dance on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of HereReceiving an outpouring of love from her famous friends and adoring fans, Jacqueline’s followers praised her new look on Instagram. Made In Chelsea’s Louise Thompson said: "Oh hey hey" and In The Style founder and CEO Adam Frisby wrote: "Beautiful!! Day 2 lets goooooo." Jacqueline’s fans were particularly blown away by her new hairstyle: "Your hair is amazing. So beautiful Jac," wrote one, while another added: "Love ur hair so much better." Fans of the Jungle Queen will no doubt be used to seeing Jacqueline modelling waist-length hair, typically worn down and styled into loose curls, but as much as we love the brunette's longer locks, we're huge fans of her brand new hairdo.MORE: Coronation Street's Lucy Fallon is unrecognisable with long hair extensions
