Author: Fatimah Idera

A man has been charged after allegedly attending a remembrance Sunday ceremony in North Wales dressed as a senior Royal Navy officer. North Wales Police said the man was seen wearing “the uniform and medals of a high-ranking navy officer” during a wreath-laying service in Llandudno, Conwy, on Sunday 9 November. Officers arrested 64-year-old Jonathan Carley, from Harlech in Gwynedd, shortly afterwards. Carley has been charged with wearing military uniform or insignia without permission, an offence under UK law. He is due to appear before Caernarfon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 11 December. Chief Inspector, Trystan Bevan acknowledged the strong public…

Asylum

The UK government has updated its travel advisory for Nigeria, warning British nationals of rising insecurity across the country and designating several states as unsafe due to escalating violence, terrorism, and widespread kidnapping. In the latest Foreign Travel Advice released by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and reviewed on Sunday, officials noted that “insecurity is increasing across Nigeria,” with violent crime and intercommunal clashes occurring nationwide. British citizens were urged to remain extremely cautious and ensure their security plans are up to date. The FCDO advised against all travel to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina and Zamfara, citing…

UK hospitals are preparing for what could be the most severe flu season in a decade, as a rapidly spreading mutated strain of the virus fuels an early and steep rise in cases, especially among children. Health officials warn that once the virus reaches older and more vulnerable groups, hospital admissions are expected to climb sharply. The threat has prompted NHS leaders to intensify flu vaccination campaigns, expand same-day emergency care, and shift more treatment into the community to ease pressure on hospitals. With resident doctors in England staging a five-day pay strike, many trusts are activating contingency plans to…

Following government plans to require refugees and asylum seekers to undertake mandatory volunteering as a condition for being allowed to settle in the country, More than 320 UK charities have declared and disagree they will not cooperate. The organisations including the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Charity Retail Association, and local branches of Age UK and Citizens Advice warned that compelling people to volunteer would be exploitative, unworkable and contrary to the core principle that volunteering must be freely given. In a letter to the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, they said the proposal risked creating “a population of…

A man who joined a Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Llandudno dressed as a high-ranking Royal Navy officer is now under investigation, after veterans and serving personnel raised suspicions that he may have been posing as a Rear Admiral. Authorities are looking into the man’s identity after he took part in last weekend’s wreath-laying on the seafront in Conwy county. Witnesses said he marched to the war memorial with a colleague, saluted, and then walked away, but his uniform quickly drew attention. He was seen wearing the epaulettes and sleeve lace of a Rear Admiral, one of the Royal Navy’s highest…

The UK economy grew by just 0.1% between July and September, as a sharp decline in car production weighed on output, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure fell short of analysts’ expectations of 0.2% growth and marks a slowdown from the 0.3% expansion seen in the previous quarter. The weak performance comes less than two weeks before Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her Budget, in which she is widely expected to raise taxes to support public finances. The ONS attributed much of the slowdown to a marked fall in car production in September following…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure from senior ministers to dismiss whoever was behind anonymous briefings suggesting he could face a leadership challenge. The controversy erupted after reports named Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband as potential rivals to Starmer. Both ministers have denied plotting against the prime minister and are now demanding that the source of the leaks be identified and sacked. Starmer has since apologised to Streeting, saying he was incandescent over the briefings, which have deepened tensions inside No 10 and increased scrutiny on his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. Some within…

Office

Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has made clear he will fight any attempt by Labour MPs to remove him as party leader, amid growing speculation of an internal revolt. Allies of Starmer said he intends to resist pressure from within his party, following fears that MPs could move against him after the upcoming Budget. Critics have accused Downing Street of being in full bunker mode, while supporters warn that a leadership contest would destabilise the government and the economy. Potential successors being discussed include Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. Streeting dismissed the…