Author: Fatimah Idera

Police in Staffordshire have launched a murder investigation following the tragic deaths of two children at a home in Stafford. According to Staffordshire Police, officers were called to a property in the town at around 7:30am on Sunday after receiving a report from the West Midlands Ambulance Service. Emergency responders arrived swiftly, but despite their efforts, two children were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet released the ages or identities of the victims, citing the need to notify extended family members. The children’s next of kin have been informed and are currently being supported by specially trained…

The UK Government has published a list of 82 mid-skilled occupations that will qualify for temporary work visas under its new Temporary Shortage List (TSL) scheme, aimed at addressing labour gaps across key sectors. The list, detailed in the Temporary Shortage List: Stage 1 Report (October 2025), follows recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) and marks a significant shift in the country’s post-Brexit immigration policy. The move comes months after the government released its Immigration White Paper titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System” in May 2025, which outlined plans to cut record-high net migration, reaching 906,000 in the…

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has defended proposals that could see children as young as 13 required to have a digital ID, saying the move reflects modern realities where most young people already use forms of online identification. Speaking to the media, Cooper was asked about the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s ongoing consultation on the proposal. She said the government was doing the right thing by moving toward a standardised system for verifying identity digitally. “Everybody has forms of digital ID now, and We all have different ways of proving who we are,” she said Lots of 13-year-olds already…

Car manufacturers including Ford, Hyundai and BMW are facing multibillion-pound payouts to customers after the UK’s financial watchdog said the industry could be liable for nearly half of an £11bn compensation bill linked to the car finance scandal. According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), captive lenders, the finance arms of carmakers may have to pay about 47% of the total redress, or roughly £5.2bn, to drivers who were overcharged through unfair commission schemes. Also, banks such as Lloyds, Santander UK and Barclays are expected to cover 51% of the costs, with independent lenders contributing the remaining 2%. The FCA’s…

An Afghan migrant who arrived in the UK on a small boat has been found guilty of threatening to kill Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in a video posted on TikTok. Fayaz Khan, 26, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court after jurors viewed a video he uploaded last October in which he directly addressed Mr Farage, made gun gestures, and appeared to threaten violence. Prosecutor Peter Ratliff said Khan, who posted under the username madapasa, had a large following online, with some of his videos attracting hundreds of thousands of views. Many of his posts detailed his journey to the…

British travellers heading to the European Union will begin facing new biometric border checks from Sunday as the long-delayed Entry-Exit System (EES) finally comes into effect. The system, designed to enhance border security across the Schengen area, will initially roll out in phases to prevent widespread disruption. Under the new rules, most non-EU travellers including Britons will be required to have their fingerprints and facial photographs taken when entering Europe. They will also scan their passports and, in some cases, confirm details such as accommodation, return tickets, proof of funds, and travel insurance. The full implementation of EES could take…

Hundreds of low-paid NHS hospital workers at St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group (GESH) have voted to strike over claims that they have lost more than £36 million in pay and pension contributions over the past four years. More than 330 facilities staff including cleaners, caterers and porters are preparing to walk out, accusing the trust of institutional racism and unfair treatment. Their union, United Voices of the World (UVW), alleges that the mainly minority ethnic workforce has been systematically denied equal pay and conditions under the NHS’s Agenda for Change (AfC) scheme. According to a UVW report,…

Lloyds Banking Group has warned that it faces a bigger financial hit than expected from the UK’s car finance mis-selling scandal, with total costs set to exceed the £1.2 billion already earmarked for compensation. The bank said on Thursday that “an additional provision is likely to be required which may be material,” following the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) proposal for a compensation scheme covering millions of drivers who were charged inflated interest rates on car loans. Lloyds added that uncertainty remained over how the scheme would be interpreted and implemented. Close Brothers, another major car loan provider, also admitted the…

Millions of households across England will face higher water bills after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) approved further price rises for five major suppliers. The CMA on Thursday said an independent expert panel had provisionally allowed Anglian, Northumbrian, Southern, Wessex, and South East Water to collectively charge customers an extra £556 million over five years, only 21% of the £2.7 billion the firms had requested. The decision means average household bills will rise by about 3%, on top of the 24% increase previously approved by industry regulator Ofwat. The five firms, which serve 14.7 million people, had appealed to…

The Conservative Party’s proposal to abolish stamp duty on primary home sales will largely benefit London and the wealthiest homeowners, according to the Social Market Foundation (SMF). Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, announced at the party’s annual conference that a future Conservative government would scrap stamp duty on residential property purchases above £125,000 in England and Northern Ireland, a policy estimated to cost £9 billion annually. She argued the move would stimulate home ownership and revive the housing market. However, SMF director, Theo Bertram warned that while the plan could remove barriers to mobility and downsizing, it would disproportionately benefit…