James Whitehead

3 weeks ago | courthousenews.com | James Whitehead

MANCHESTER, England (CN) — The U.K. government has proposed one of the biggest overhauls of immigration policy since the country left the EU, which would tighten access for foreign workers, students and family members. This is despite recent data from the Office of National Statistics that reported net migration to the U.K. dropped to 431,000 in 2024 — nearly half the number recorded the previous year and the largest 12-month reduction on record.

4 weeks ago | courthousenews.com | James Whitehead

MANCHESTER, England (CN) — The U.K.’s landmark agreement to transfer sovereignty of the strategic Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining a 99-year lease on its military base has left many Chagossians fearing they have once again been sidelined. Signed hours after a High Court judge overturned a last-minute legal challenge May 22, the deal secures U.K.-U.S. control of the Diego Garcia military base, which officials say is crucial to Western military operations in the Indian Ocean.

1 month ago | internationaltreefoundation.org | James Whitehead

I want to visit Sycamore Gap… and to keep returning. If I go I will see that the tree is still very much alive. This spring the roots, woven deep below Hadrian’s wall, are quietly at work. Drawing energy from the soil around them, the tree is sending out tentative new shoots. Year by year we will witness the irrepressible power of nature at work. Sycamores aren’t commonly coppiced but they can be.

1 month ago | courthousenews.com | James Whitehead

MANCHESTER, England (CN) — British businesses and pro-Europe parties cautiously praised a wide-ranging new deal moving the U.K. and EU closer, while the right unleashed sharp criticism that the accord was a move backward. Billed as a reset in post-Brexit relations, the deal unveiled Monday at the first U.K.-EU bilateral summit since Britain left the bloc covers defense, fishing, food, trade and travel. It also lays the groundwork for further cooperation on energy, climate and migration.

1 month ago | courthousenews.com | James Whitehead

MANCHESTER, England (CN) — Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist party, Reform UK, made sweeping gains in local elections in England, wiping away Tory-held seats and presenting the biggest challenge to the Labour government since coming to power in 2024. Voters across England selected over 1,600 local councilors and six regional mayors in elections that have rewritten the local political landscape.