Former cricketer's family avoid leaving home alone in Rotherham amid riots
Sunday, 4 August 2024 Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq has told Sky News his family members in the Rotherham area have felt unable to go out and live normally amid the "frightening" violence.
Rotherham, a UK town infamous for the grooming gang scandal involving predominantly British-Pakistani men, has appointed Rukhsana Ismail—a British-Pakistani woman—as mayor. Though chosen by council members, not public vote, the move sparked backlash online. Critics argue it's insensitive to victims, calling it a "cruel twist" and accusing the UK of cultural erasure. Others defend Ismail’s appointment as merit-based and unrelated to past crimes. The controversy reignites debates around identity, justice, and Islamophobia in a deeply fractured political climate.
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Sir Keir Starmer welcomed Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte to Downing Street on Monday as pressure continues to mount on the Prime Minister to hike defence spending. The visit comes after Mr Rutte's visit to Yorkshire earlier in the day with Defence Secretary John Healey. Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Iran's response to Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities is "self-defence" and a "matter of principle", the Iranian ambassador to the UK has told Sky News. Sky News
The chancellor has told Sky News that UK military assets could "potentially" be used to help defend Israel, and the government is "not ruling anything out". Sky News