Author: Fatimah Idera

UK motorists are paying more than necessary for petrol and diesel, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has raised fresh concerns about inflated profit margins at fuel retailers. In its latest monitoring report, the CMA revealed that between late May and late August, average petrol prices rose by 1.9p per litre to 133.9p, while diesel climbed 3.5p to 141.9p. While some of the increase reflects higher wholesale oil costs with Brent crude hitting a two-month high – the regulator said margins remain far above historic levels. “Drivers across the UK have been paying more at the pump,”…

A 22-year-old nursery worker has been sentenced to eight years in prison for carrying out what a judge described as sadistic abuse against 21 babies in her care at two London nurseries. Roksana Lecka, from Hounslow, admitted seven counts of child cruelty and was convicted of 14 more at Kingston Crown Court in June. Her crimes included pinching, scratching, pushing and slapping children, kicking a toddler in the face, and covering a crying baby’s mouth. Parents described her as the worst kind of human during Friday’s sentencing, with one mother telling her: “They couldn’t speak, they couldn’t defend themselves they…

Falling birthrates across UK in England could leave the equivalent of 800 primary schools empty or closed by the end of the decade, according to new research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI). The thinktank found that the decline in pupil numbers at state primary schools is primarily driven by lower birthrates but is particularly severe in London, where more families are leaving the city, moving abroad, or switching to private schools. With school funding tied to pupil numbers, councils are struggling to keep schools viable, leading to mergers and closures in some areas. Jon Andrews, head of analysis at…

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has ordered an urgent review into the use of taxis for asylum seekers after a BBC investigation revealed journeys costing the Home Office hundreds of pounds. The probe found some migrants were being transported long distances to attend medical appointments, with one asylum seeker reportedly taken on a 250-mile round trip to a GP at a cost of £600. Although asylum seekers are issued weekly bus passes for one return journey, taxis are routinely booked for additional travel, including healthcare. Under the current system, residents must show proof of an appointment at their hotel reception, where…

Fake Labubu dolls now dominate the UK’s counterfeit toy market, accounting for 90% of all illegal toy seizures at the border this year, according to new figures from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Border Force officials seized almost 259,000 fake toys worth more than £3.5m, including 236,000 imitation Labubu dolls. Safety testing revealed that three-quarters of the counterfeit toys contained banned chemicals or choking hazards, while nearly half of buyers reported serious problems after purchase. Labubu dolls, created by Pop Mart, have surged in popularity through social media, gaining celebrity fans like Rihanna. Many collectors attach them to handbags or…

A family of three, including a young child, has become the first group to arrive in the UK from France under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new “one in, one out” immigration agreement with President Emmanuel Macron. The move follows the deportation of four asylum seekers from the UK to France over the past week, despite ongoing legal battles. Under the July agreement, the UK returns Channel arrivals in exchange for accepting an equal number of asylum seekers in France who have family links to Britain. So far, three men from Afghanistan, Eritrea and Iran, along with an Indian national, have…

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has pledged sweeping reforms to the UK’s modern slavery laws after the Court of Appeal rejected her bid to deport an Eritrean asylum seeker under Labour’s new “one in, one out” migration scheme. Mahmood had sought to challenge a High Court ruling that granted the Eritrean man 14 days to gather evidence in support of his trafficking claim before removal to France. But three senior judges dismissed her application, dealing a setback to the Home Office. Condemning what she described as “last-minute attempts to frustrate a removal,” Mahmood vowed to tighten the system. “These tactics are…

The Home Office has suffered a setback after the Court of Appeal rejected its bid to overturn a High Court ruling halting the deportation of an Eritrean asylum seeker under the government’s “one in, one out” migration scheme. Three appeal judges,Lord Justice Arnold, Lord Justice Lewis, and Lady Justice Elisabeth Laing dismissed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s application, upholding an earlier order granting the asylum seeker 14 days to gather further evidence for his trafficking claim. The Eritrean man, who arrived in the UK by small boat on 12 August, was due to be sent to Paris on an Air France…

The Prince and Princess of Wales have made a return visit to Southport to show continued support for the community still grieving the loss of three young girls murdered at a dance class in July 2024. Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were fatally stabbed during the Taylor Swift-themed class. Eight other children and two adults were seriously injured. Their killer, Axel Rudakubana, is serving a minimum sentence of 52 years. On Tuesday, Prince William and Catherine visited Farnborough Road Infant and Junior School, where Elsie had been a pupil. They spoke with…

The UK is set to record the highest inflation among G7 nations this year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The Paris-based body forecast UK inflation averaging 3.5% in 2025, well above the US at 2.7% despite President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on imports. The OECD expects UK inflation to ease to 2.7% in 2026 but remain above the Bank of England’s 2% target. Rising food prices, higher water and energy bills, and the government’s £25bn-a-year increase in employer national insurance contributions are among the factors blamed for persistent price pressures. Alongside its inflation warning, the…