Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Anjana Patel takes over as mayor of Harrow

The outgoing mayor, Cllr Salim Chowdhury, handed over the robes and chain of office to Cllr Patel during the ceremony. Her mayoral theme for the year is “Kindness, Caring and Respect.”

Anjana Patel

Cllr Patel moved to Harrow in 2000 and was first elected in 2002.

Cllr Anjana Patel has been sworn in as the new mayor of Harrow at the council’s Annual Meeting held on 15 May. She becomes the 73rd mayor of the borough and the UK’s first British Tanzanian-Indian born woman to hold the post. Cllr Yogesh Teli was appointed deputy mayor.

The outgoing mayor, Cllr Salim Chowdhury, handed over the robes and chain of office to Cllr Patel during the ceremony. Her mayoral theme for the year is “Kindness, Caring and Respect.”


Harrow marks its 60th year as a London borough in 2024. Cllr Patel will lead the borough’s jubilee events. Her chosen charities are VIA, which supports individuals affected by drug and alcohol dependency, and the Samaritans.

Cllr Patel moved to Harrow in 2000 and was first elected in 2002. She currently represents Belmont Ward and has previously held cabinet roles including Community and Culture, Schools and Children’s Development, and Environment and Community Safety.

Rupesh Patel was named mayor’s consort. The ceremony was attended by local leaders, residents, and faith representatives. Cllr Patel paid tribute to her mother and spiritual guide Pramukh Swami Maharaj, quoting: “In the joy of others lies our own.”

More For You

Lisa-Nandy-Getty

Nandy became culture secretary after Labour’s election win, following the loss of shadow culture secretary Baroness Debbonaire’s seat.. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Lisa Nandy’s role at risk as Downing Street mulls axing culture department

LISA NANDY’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) may be scrapped under plans being considered by Downing Street as part of a broader civil service efficiency drive. The move would end 33 years of a standalone department for arts and cultural matters and place Nandy’s Cabinet future in doubt.

The government is exploring reallocating DCMS policy briefs to other departments, which could result in job cuts. Cultural and arts issues may be transferred to the Communities Department, and media matters to the Business Department, The Telegraph has reported. Responsibility for the BBC licence fee remains undecided.

Keep ReadingShow less
Migrants boat

Migrants swim to board a smugglers' boat in order to attempt crossing the English channel off the beach of Audresselles, northern France on October 25, 2024.

Getty Images

Migrant dies as overloaded boat sinks in Channel; 62 rescued

A PERSON has died after a small overloaded boat sank while attempting to cross the English Channel, according to French authorities.

The incident occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday, and 62 people were rescued from the water, the Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Big Strawberries, Dry Fields: UK Growers Sound the Alarm

Large size has drawn attention from across the industry

iStock

UK strawberries are unusually large this spring, but growers warn of water shortages

UK growers are reporting a bumper crop of unusually large strawberries this spring, thanks to a spell of bright sunshine and cool nights that has created near-perfect growing conditions. However, as the dry weather continues, experts are warning that water shortages could pose a risk to future harvests.

According to Bartosz Pinkosz, operations director at the Summer Berry Company, strawberry plants have benefited significantly from this year’s weather pattern. “We had the darkest January and February since the 1970s, but then the brightest March and April since 1910,” he said. “From March onwards, it was really kind of perfect for tunnel strawberries.”

Keep ReadingShow less
320-Mile Rain Band Soaks Western UK as Weather Turns Severe

unsettled weather is expected to continue into early June

iStock

Heavy rain as a 320-mile band moves across western regions

The UK is experiencing widespread rainfall as a 320-mile-long band of wet weather stretches across western parts of England, marking a significant shift from the record-breaking warmth earlier in May.

According to WXCharts data, the rain is sweeping in from the southwest, beginning in Devon and moving northwards through Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, and up to Lancashire and Cumberland. The affected areas also include Westmorland, Dorset, Cornwall, and parts of the West Midlands.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK EU deal

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission and Keir Starmer stand together, ahead of their bilateral meeting at the 6th European Political Community summit on May 16 in Tirana, Albania.

UK and EU reach deal to 'reset' ties at first summit since Brexit

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer was expected to sign a new agreement with the European Union at a summit in London on Monday, marking the first major step towards closer UK-EU ties since Brexit.

EU and UK negotiators reached agreement on a deal to "reset" their relations post-Brexit, diplomats said, after talks ran into Sunday night to resolve squabbling over key sticking points — with the sensitive matter of fishing rights top of the list.

Keep ReadingShow less