It comes after Irshad Ahmad beat established party figures including economy spokesman Daniel Johnson and business manager Martin Whitfield to top the Edinburgh and Lothians East regional list putting him in line to become an MSP in May.

Labour has received a formal complaint over claims of voter irregularities in a Holyrood selection contest.

It comes after Irshad Ahmad beat established party figures including economy spokesman Daniel Johnson and business manager Martin Whitfield to top the Edinburgh and Lothians East regional list putting him in line to become an MSP in May.

Ahmad won the place despite having formerly been an SNP and Alba candidate as a hard-line nationalist, and being relatively unknown in Labour circles.

There has been claims of hundreds of new members being signing up to support him and also claims members have been found not living at the houses listed in Labour records in Edinburgh North Western.

It is also claimed that the electoral register showed some members living in a different council area.

The Sunday Mail has learned Labour’s Governance and Legal Unit (GLU) has now received a letter of complaint and has responded saying the matter will be investigated.

A whistleblower said: “People are very concerned about this and want to see a genuine investigation.

“There has been reports of people not even knowing they are members of the Labour party and others not living at the addresses that they are claimed to live at.

“This is a really serious matter and Labour has a duty to investigate it properly, it can’t just be brushed under the carpet.

“The party don’t seem to want to take action as we are in the run up to an election and this has the potential to spark negative stories, but people deserve answers.”

A letter sent to GLU states: “I wish to raise my concerns regarding Irshad Ahmad who is now in the running to become a Labour MSP.

“It’s vital I make you aware of this now so that we have the right people in positions of power or importance.

“I hope something will be done, its not just about the party.”

Ahmad was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, and moved to Edinburgh in 1993. He is a director of a convenience-store business based in Musselburgh.

He has links to the Sarwar Foundation, the charity set up by Anas Sarwar’s father, and is president of East Edinburgh Muslim Forum.

Questions have also being asked of Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie who runs Scottish Labour’s usually strict vetting process.

Several insiders are puzzled about why Ahmad, given his nationalist background, was approved in the first place.

Labour has been approached for comment.

When he stood as an SNP candidate by attempting to oust Ash Regan in 2016 and 2020, Ahmad accused Regan of being soft on the constitution.

Regan – who later joined Alba and now sits in Holyrood as an independent – has said allegations of attempting to pack local parties with supporters “sounds familiar”.

Asked by reporters about his candidacy for Holyrood, and how many members he had signed up, Ahmad repeatedly responded: “We are here to listen to Anas.”

The attack follows a series of “retaliatory strikes” by Tehran against American buildings in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

A blast has struck the US Embassy in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, police have confirmed, with multiple explosions heard at the entrance to the US compound in the early hours of Sunday (March 8) morning.

It remains unclear if anyone sustained any injuries in the explosion.

Oslo police spokesperson Mikael Dellemyr confirmed authorities were called to the American compound at about 1am local time, in the wake of a loud blast and heavy smoke near the consular building.

“The police are in a dialog with the embassy,” he said, adding that police will remain at the scene “for many hours” to come. Local students who drove past the scene described the area being engulfed in smoke immediately after the explosion.

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“There was a very thick layer of smoke on the street,” said Sebastian Toerstad, an 18-year-old school student who drove past the embassy at the time of the incident, as per CNN.

Norweigan publication NRK reports that police have combined the use of ” dogs, drones and helicopters to find one or more potential perpetrators” in connection with the blast.

The embassy explosion comes in the wake of recent attacks on diplomatic buildings around the globe, with similiar attacks in Saudi Arabia. linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel, the US, and Iran.

Police urged the public to report any tips or unusual observations from the area between midnight and 2:00 am (2300 GMT and 0100 GMT).

The attack follows a series of “retaliatory strikes” by Tehran against American buildings in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

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“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember.

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The race itself was a mixture of the fun and the downright confusing, which was perhaps to be expected as the sport gets to grips with the biggest regulation overhaul in a generation.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, starting fourth, got off to a flyer thanks to his car’s smaller turbo and passed Russell in short order, with Lewis Hamilton almost doing likewise.

The opening laps were frantic. The lead changed hands six times in nine laps as the cars experienced the ‘yo-yo’ effect which had been predicted, with drivers depleting their batteries overtaking each other, then allowing their rivals to re-overtake them. 

By lap 25, five cars were already out of the race, there had been two virtual safety car (VSC) periods and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was already 11 laps down on the leaders as Aston Martin treated the grand prix as an in-race test.

Overall, F1 announced afterwards, there were 120 overtakes in the race, up from 45 last year.

A Ferrari strategy blunder – failing to bring either driver into the pits after the first VSC came out – effectively decided the race, allowing Russell and Antonelli to reclaim the lead once Ferrari did finally come in. 

Russell eventually took the chequered flag 2.9 seconds clear of his team-mate, with Leclerc holding off the fast-closing Hamilton for third. Hamilton, who was chasing his first podium for Ferrari, was just 0.6sec behind his team mate at the finish, which was encouraging for him.

She has spoken about her struggle with her mental health as a teenager and credited her love of music and theatre for helping with her recovery.

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Irish actress Jessie Buckley has spoken about her struggle with her mental health as a teenager, and has credited her love of music and theatre for helping with her recovery.

Buckley, 36, from Killarney, Co Kerry, has been a juggernaut through awards season, receiving a string of awards for her performance as William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes Hathaway, historically known as Anne, in the adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel.

Buckley described acting as “essential” and said it is “like water to me”, adding that her passion for her craft helped her to overcome an eating disorder and depression during her school years.

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Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs with Lauren Laverne, Buckley said: “I didn’t know how to be alive the way I wanted to be, and it was difficult.

“But I do not for a second regret it, and I think I’ve been able to transform it and recognise our vulnerabilities as humans in the world.

“You can’t walk through life not being affected, but you can transform that into something that allows you to be more human and alive in the way that you want to be.”

She continued: “When I moved to London, I still wasn’t out of the woods.

“I think there were moments where I was like, ‘if I don’t get better here, this music, this being part of theatre – I’m not going to be able to do this any more, and I probably won’t survive’.

“And that was the thing that turned it in my head, I was like, ‘I don’t want to sacrifice that, this is bigger than that’, and won.”

The actress, who has been nominated for an Oscar, remembered the first time she performed on stage and said: “It was like drinking water, you know? I just think, the more I did it, the more I realised this is essential to me.”

Buckley also recounted her time on BBC talent show I’d Do Anything, which was about the search for an actress to play Nancy in a West End production of Oliver!, and which catapulted her to fame.

In an interview with British Vogue in January, she spoke about being criticised for her appearance during her time on the show.

Speaking to Laverne, Buckley said: “I don’t like that part of it.

“I think that was a young woman who’s trying to discover her body and herself, like we all do. And I wish that hadn’t happened.

“I think I was putting a brave face on, because really what I wanted to do was sing and I wanted to act, and I wanted to be part of this industry, and all of a sudden you had to be a certain kind of person.

“And I just wasn’t, I never will be. That’s just not me.”

Buckley added: “I’m so proud of that girl. I think she did great and I don’t regret any of it.”

She also spoke about her “extraordinary” mother, and said: “My parents are no longer together, and she lives in Dublin, and she’s writing her own story right now at 60 years of age, and I’m so proud of her.”

She sounded emotional as she gave her first song choice, which was a rendition of her mother, Marina, singing O Holy Night in church.

Listen to the full Desert Island Disc episode on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4 from Sunday at 10am.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter.

A renewed deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been unsuccessful.

The Boeing 777 disappeared from radar shortly after departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport en route to Beijing – 12 years ago today.

In a statement, Malaysia’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau said 28 days of searching, covering more than 2,900 square miles (7,500 sq km), had yielded no new findings.

A company called Ocean Infinity had been given permission to scour the Indian Ocean on a “no find, no fee” basis.

The agreement meant it would only be paid $70m (£52m) if the wreckage was located.

Malaysian officials say they “remain committed to keeping the families informed and will continue to provide updates as appropriate”.

Voice370 – a group representing the families of those who were on board the flight – have urged the government to extend its contract with Ocean Infinity.

The search, which happened in two phases, were periodically disrupted by poor weather and conditions at sea. It concluded on 23 January.

However, campaigners fear a third phase won’t begin before June, when the current contract ends, because the winter months are approaching in the southern hemisphere.

Voice370 said: “A simple addendum extending the contract period without altering the core terms of the agreement would allow the search to continue without delay.”

The group added that other exploration firms should be given the opportunity to search on this “no find, no fee” basis.

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2024: MH370 search back on

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MH370 was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members when it vanished, becoming one of the world’s most enduring aviation mysteries.

In 2018, a report by Malaysian investigators drew no conclusion about what happened, but did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft was deliberately taken off course.

The events began today and will run until Saturday, March 14.

International Women’s Day is on Sunday, March 8, and this year’s global theme is “Give to Gain”.

One of the upcoming events is a conference at Le Chaudron, Bolton town centre.

Taking place on International Women’s Day itself, the conference will run from 2pm to 8pm.

It has been described on social media as a celebration of women’s empowerment, with a special focus on supporting African artisans.

Attendees will be able to shop directly from artisan stalls, mingling with the conference’s educational and inspirational talks.

The attendance list features the mayor, councillors, and a roster of notable guest speakers, including Ms Olaide Awogbile, Nkoyo Shadracks, Joanne Chipo Angel Mclean, Noelene Gillat, Carine Embala, and First Lady Primrose.

Bolton Council and Bolton Library and Museum Services have put together a week-long programme of free events to celebrate this special day from March 10 to March 14.

The programme will include special guided tours and book decoration sessions.

The tours, named ‘The Brilliant Women of Bolton’, are an exploration of the achievements of the town’s remarkable women.

These free guided tours, starting from Bolton Town Hall’s ‘Women of Bolton’ corridor, will take place on Tuesday (March 10) and Thursday (March 12) at 10.30am and 3.30pm.

The tours will conclude at the museum where related collections and expert-led stories of the women will be shown.

Limited capacity applies to these tours.

On Monday, March 9, Bolton Central Library will host ‘Bedazzled Books and Brilliant Women’.

This book-themed event from 5.15pm to 6.15pm gives attendees a chance to decorate books by female authors and share reading tips.

Anyone aged 14 and above is welcome, and all craft materials are provided.

The Women in Bolton’s Archives Tours will take place on Saturday (March 14) at Bolton Central Library.

Bolton’s Town Archivist will lead behind-the-scenes tours of the town archives at 11am and 2pm, exploring the history of women who shaped Bolton.

Tickets are limited due to space constraints.

For a grand conclusion to the fortnight-long celebration, a film screening by Bolton UNISON will be held at the Bolton HUB, Bold Street (BL1 1LS), on Saturday, March 14, as a nod to International Women’s Day 2026.