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Police arrest suspect in the killing former UK minister Ann Widdecombe, who was fond dead inside her home

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2h ago

Summary

British police on Saturday said that a 28-year-old man has been arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of murdering former British government minister Ann Widdecombe. The suspect is a white British national and is now in police custody, the statement said. The police said there was no information to suggest the murder of the 78-year-old was related to terrorism or had a political motive. Widdecombe was found dead at her isolated rural home in the village of Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, on Thursday. Concerns were raised for her after she failed to appear for a scheduled TV interview on Wednesday afternoon. According to the police, the former lawmaker died on Wednesday, a day before ambulance workers called police to her home, where her body was found with serious injuries. The police said they consulted counter-terrorism policing as part of their initial enquiries, but it was not supporting the investigation. Widdecombe was known for her socially conservative views, first as a junior minister in Conservative Prime Minister John Major's 1992-1997 government and latterly as an immigration and justice spokesperson for Nigel Farage 's populist Reform UK. She also defended a policy of shackling pregnant prisoners during childbirth to prevent their escape and viewed single mothers as poor role models, but was unusual among Conservative lawmakers in opposing the hunting of foxes with hounds. Stay updated with the latest Trending , India , World and US news.

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A 28-year-old man has been arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of murdering former British minister Ann Widdecombe, 78. Police found her body at her home; the investigation indicates no links to terrorism or political motives. A previous suspect was released.

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Mayawati alleges Opposition using Dalit organisations to mislead Bahujan society

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Published - July 12, 2026 07:18 am IST - Lucknow Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati. File picture | Photo Credit: ANI The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday (July 12, 2026) alleged that Opposition parties are engaged in misleading and misguiding the Dalit and other sections of the Bahujan society in various ways by putting forward some Dalit organizations and misleading the public through baseless promises and claims and false propaganda. Ms. The BSP, the only Ambedkarite party in the country that is completely free from all such political and electoral gimmicks and is dedicated to the welfare and well-being of the entire society, especially the poor, laborers, exploited, oppressed and neglected, following the principle and policy of ‘Sarvajana Hitaya and Sarvajana Sukhaya’, and the living proof of this is the comprehensive public interest, welfare and development of the BSP-led government in Uttar Pradesh for four times, and the ‘rule of law by law’ in matters of crime control and law and order,” wrote Ms. Nagina MP and Azad Samaj Party (ASP) chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad and Congress delegation attempted to meet the deceased’s family and victims of police action. Congress party hit back, adding that the BSP chief is reading out from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) playbook and weakening the Bahujan and marginalised cause. “It seems the BSP leader is taking lessons from feudal forces. Congress will continue its fight for justice against any form of injustice on any group of society and people,” said Shahnawaz Alam, National Secretary, Congress.

Muslim judge in India faces death threats after convicting 'cow vigilantes'

The abuse directed at Tabassum Khan attacks her religion and not the legal reasoning behind her judgment An Indian judge has become the target of online abuse and death threats days after she sentenced 14 men to life imprisonment for lynching a man to death. On 12 June, the additional district and sessions judge of a court in Madhya Pradesh state, Tabassum Khan, found the men guilty of offences including murder, attempt to murder, rioting and wrongful restraint. The crime took place in 2022, when 50-year-old Nazir Ahmad was transporting cattle at night and was intercepted by a group of self-styled "gau rakshaks" (cow protectors), armed with sticks and rods. Hindus consider cows sacred and killing them is illegal in many states. Deaths raise fresh fears over cow vigilantism in India India's Muslim victims of hate crimes live in fear On 22 June, the Gau Raksha Parishad (which roughly translates to the council of cow saviours) staged a protest in Punjab state during which protesters assaulted and burnt an effigy of Khan. In a post of X, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju noted how these videos and protests did not merely criticise the verdict but sought to "delegitimise Judge Khan's authority as a judicial officer by reducing her identity to her religion". Khan has also received support from prominent judicial organisations - the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association , external (SCAORA) and the Supreme Court Bar Association , external (SCBA) have condemned the threats against her and demanded that action be taken against the culprits. Many states in India have set up gaushalas or cow shelters to protect stray and unproductive cattle from slaughter Vikas Singh, president of the SCBA, told the BBC that threats against a judge were a grave issue as the judiciary was interlinked with the fundamentals of democracy. "In a democracy, a judge must be able to perform their duty without fear or favour." Meanwhile, police official Sudhakar Baraskar told the BBC that a case had been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and two people had been arrested. But Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde argued that the state and the judiciary should do more to ensure Khan's safety.

General U.S. News2h ago

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran shuts Strait of Hormuz 'until further notice' after IRGC fires warning shots at a ship

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's state media on Sunday (local time) announced that Tehran has shut the Strait of Hormuz 'until further notice' after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired warning shots at a ship attempting to take the 'unauthorised route' to transit the Strait of Hormuz. According to IRNA, the vessel was "hit by warning shots and stopped". Citing IRGC, the report added, "Following this incident, firstly, due to the emergence of this insecurity due to illegal intervention by foreigners, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region, and no vessels will be allowed to pass through." US launches third round of strikes in Tehran after attack on vessel The US Central Command on Sunday announced that its forces began launching the third round of strikes this week against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A civilian crew member is missing, and the vessel cannot continue the journey due to an onboard fire and significant damage to the engine room. In a post on X, it said, "Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed." Iran tells US attacks in Strait of Hormuz were a misstep Iranian officials have reportedly informed advisers to US President Donald Trump privately that recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz were an error, adding that these attacks stemmed from a faction within Tehran that is looking to undermine the negotiations between the US and Iran, CBS News reported. The White House also wants the Islamic Republic to "publicly" acknowledge the mistake, which the Trump administration views as a "violation" of the ceasefire. Trump has directed the US negotiating team led by Vice President JD Vance, Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to proceed with the ongoing talks in Muscat, Oman, which began on Saturday. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Stay updated with the latest Trending , India , World and US news.

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Police arrest suspect in the killing former UK minister Ann Widdecombe, who was fond dead inside her home

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Mayawati alleges Opposition using Dalit organisations to mislead Bahujan society

Muslim judge in India faces death threats after convicting 'cow vigilantes'

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran shuts Strait of Hormuz 'until further notice' after IRGC fires warning shots at a ship