Author: Fatimah Idera

The family of 70-year-old Peter Smith have issued a heartfelt tribute after he was killed when a helicopter crashed off Ings Lane in the Bentley area of Doncaster on Thursday morning. Smith was aboard the aircraft shortly after it departed from Retford Gamston Airport in Nottinghamshire. He died at the scene, while the 41-year-old pilot and two other passengers a 58-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy escaped with minor injuries. His family’s statement described Smith as “a beloved husband, father and grandfather who was devastated by this sudden loss”. They said he had “a real passion for aviation, which he…

An asylum seeker who strangled and sexually assaulted a woman as she walked home from a night out in Cardiff has been jailed for more than three years. Fawaz Alsamaou, 33, from Lockwood, Huddersfield, attacked the 24-year-old under a railway bridge in Cathays in the early hours of 12 May last year. The victim had left Pulse nightclub in the city centre around 4 a.m. when she noticed Alsamaou following her before he grabbed her by the neck, dragged her under the bridge, and sexually assaulted her. She managed to break free and call the police. After a public appeal,…

A new poll has revealed that most Britons do not view immigration as a pressing local concern, despite widespread political and media focus on the issue. According to a YouGov survey commissioned by Best for Britain, only 26% of respondents listed immigration and asylum as one of the top three issues affecting their communities half the 52% who said it was one of the biggest problems facing the UK nationally. The findings, published in Best for Britain’s latest report, suggest that while immigration ranks second among national concerns, it falls to seventh when people are asked about what matters most…

The head of the UK government’s new partner in tackling Islamophobia has revealed being refused service in a shop because she is Muslim, as the organisation launches a new reporting service to address rising anti-Muslim hate. The chief executive of the British Muslim Trust (BMT), Akeela Ahmed, said the experience reflected the growing problem of insidious micro-aggressions and open hostility faced by Muslims across the country. The BMT was chosen in July as a key partner under the government’s Combating Hate Against Muslims Fund and will run a telephone and online helpline for victims of anti-Muslim hate crimes from 30…

UK house price growth eased in October as prospective buyers delayed purchases ahead of the upcoming budget, amid speculation over potential new property taxes. Data from Nationwide Building Society showed that average house prices rose by just 0.3% month-on-month in October, compared with 0.5% in September. The average home now costs £272,226, up slightly from £271,995 the previous month. On an annual basis, prices increased 2.4%, up marginally from 2.2% in September. Analysts say many buyers are sitting on the sidelines as they await clarity from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s 26 November budget, which could include a new tax on homes…

Britain is facing mounting pressure to suspend arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following reports that UK-made military equipment has been found in the hands of Sudanese militias accused of committing genocide in Darfur. According to documents submitted by Sudan’s army to the United Nations Security Council, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia backed by the UAE have used British-made small-arms targeting systems and engines from UK manufacturers in attacks that have killed at least 2,000 civilians in El Fasher. Satellite images show mass killings and bodies in the streets. Sudan’s ambassador to the UK, Babikir Elamin,…

Five women who survived grooming gang abuse have demanded an apology from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, accusing him of making degrading and humiliating comments that questioned their credibility as victims. In a joint statement, the women said Farage’s remarks showed ignorance about grooming and dismissed their lived experiences. “Nigel Farage should apologise. What he said about us is categorically untrue … We are survivors of grooming and grooming gangs,” they stated. The backlash followed Farage’s suggestion during a press conference on Monday that some of the women advising the government’s grooming inquiry were not genuine victims of grooming gangs…

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has admitted that the Home Office remains not yet fit for purpose, even as new figures show arrests for illegal working have reached record levels across the UK. According to the latest Home Office data, immigration enforcement visits rose to 21,858 in the 12 months to September the highest since comparable records began in 2011. That figure represents a 38% increase from the previous year, while arrests for illegal working climbed 63%, reaching 8,232 over the same period. Officials say the surge follows a renewed crackdown on illegal employment, with £5 million allocated to support enforcement…

Santander UK Chief Executive Mike Regnier has urged the government to weigh in over a car finance pay out plan following a landmark supreme court ruling in August. He said the level of industry concern warranted material changes to the regulator’s proposals, which are currently under consultation. “Without such change, the unintended consequences for the car finance market, the supply of credit, and the resulting negative impact on the automotive industry and its supply chain could significantly affect jobs, growth and the broader UK economy,” Regnier said. Although the bank said it did not expect any material adverse impact on…

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has suspended its child benefit crackdown after a major data error wrongly halted payments to 23,500 families across the UK. The suspension followed an investigation revealing that incomplete Home Office travel records had falsely flagged parents as having left the country and never returned. The affected families included many who had simply gone on holiday or travelled for work. In one case, a Belfast mother received a letter claiming she had travelled to Amsterdam in June 2023 and failed to return, despite her child being born in October 2024. “Big Brother wants me to explain…