Author: Fatimah Idera

Migrant accommodation across the UK faces uncertainty following a High Court ruling that forced the closure of a hotel housing asylum seekers. On Tuesday, Epping Forest District Council won a temporary injunction to shut down the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, after it was revealed that the hotel’s use for asylum accommodation breached local planning permission. As a result, all asylum seekers currently housed there must leave by September 12. The court sided with the council’s argument that the building was no longer operating as a hotel, making the placement of asylum seekers a violation of planning laws. This ruling…

UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has come under renewed pressure after a petition calling for an immediate general election passed a major milestone. The campaign demands a fresh vote, arguing that “the majority need and want change,” despite the next general election not being scheduled until 2029. 13 months after Starmer’s victory The push comes just 13 months after Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory in the July 2024 election. However, the government has firmly rejected the calls. In a response issued last week, officials said: “This government was elected on a mandate of change at the July…

For the first time, heart patients in England will be able to complete their rehabilitation programmes at home using mobile phone apps. Six digital platforms have been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to deliver online cardiac rehab, offering patients personalised exercise routines, dietary advice, medication management, and mental health support. Some apps also connect with wearable devices to track physical activity and monitor recovery. NICE has granted the apps a three-year provisional licence, allowing NHS services to use them while further evidence on their effectiveness is gathered. Experts say the technology has “real potential…

A woman who was sexually assaulted on a flight to London is mounting a legal challenge against government rules that prevent her from receiving compensation because the aircraft was not registered in the UK. The attack took place in September last year on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Gatwick. Momade Jussab, 66, of Feltham, was seated next to the victim and sexually assaulted her while she was asleep. He was arrested on arrival in the UK and, in May, sentenced at Lewes Crown Court to six and a half years in prison after being found guilty of sexual…

Survey data suggests that around 17.6 million road journeys will be made during the long weekend.

Hamas has announced its acceptance of a new ceasefire proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet face-to-face within the next two weeks, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Speaking at the White House on Monday following a summit of global leaders, Merz said the meeting had been agreed upon during a phone call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. “The American president spoke with the Russian president on the phone and agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks,” he told reporters. Merz added that a follow-up trilateral meeting involving…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has publicly pushed back against Donald Trump’s stance on Ukraine’s ambitions to join NATO, setting the stage for a tense White House summit later today.

Britain will support efforts to resume international air travel to Ukraine as part of a broader plan to boost the country’s economy and restore its independence following a ceasefire with Russia. The initiative is being led by the Coalition of the Willing, a group of over 30 countries backing Ukraine, which aims to re-establish normal flying conditions once peace is agreed. As part of this effort, Royal Air Force fighter jets will join European allies in policing Ukrainian airspace to prevent any renewed aggression from Russia. Beyond security, the coalition seeks to reinstate commercial air travel in and out of…

TaxtChancellor Rachel Reeves’s changes to inheritance tax rules will cost the average English homeowner over £82,000 from 2027, according to new analysis. Under reforms announced in the October Budget, pension pots will no longer be exempt from inheritance tax starting in April 2027. This change means that unspent private pensions could face a tax rate of up to 40%, significantly increasing the number of families liable for death duties. For a single, working-age homeowner in England with an average property value of £290,395 and a pension pot of £415,000, the amount required to fund a moderate retirement, according to Pensions…