Author: Fatimah Idera

The Home Office has abandoned a controversial proposal to purchase eight flats for asylum seekers in Buckhurst Hill, Epping. The decision follows fierce resistance from local residents and Epping Forest District Council, who labeled the plan tone deaf in light of recent community tensions. The area has been a flashpoint for national protests following a high-profile sexual assault of a minor by a migrant earlier this year. Council leader Chris Whitbread expressed disbelief that the Home Office would consider expanding accommodation in a district already hosting two asylum hotels, including the contentious Bell Hotel. “This is excellent news, and residents…

Millions are braving a record-breaking travel rush today as the UK faces its busiest Christmas Eve in years. With an estimated 4.2 million drivers hitting the roads, the RAC warns of severe congestion, particularly on the M25 and M60. Travel experts identified the window between 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM as the worst time to be on the move. The chaos isn’t limited to the motorways. The Civil Aviation Authority predicts 3 million passengers will fly from UK airports this week, with Heathrow, Manchester, and Birmingham expecting their busiest festive seasons on record. For those relying on rail, the window…

UK Labour Party has suspended a West London councilor after it occured an illegal worker was employed to her home.

The UK Government has softened its proposed inheritance tax changes for farmland, raising the threshold from £1m to £2.5m following months of protests by farmers and growing unease within the Labour Party. Under the revised plan, a 20% tax will apply only to inherited agricultural assets valued above £2.5m from April 2026. The original proposal, announced in last year’s Budget, had set the threshold at £1m, sparking widespread concern across the farming sector. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said the changes were made after listening to farmers’ concerns, stressing that the aim was to protect family-run farms while ensuring larger estates…

Business leaders have warned Prime Minister Keir Starmer that forging closer trade relations with the European Union has become a strategic necessity as UK exporters struggle under post-Brexit trading arrangements. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the current UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is failing to support growth, with more than half of exporters reporting it has not helped them sell into the EU. The findings are based on a survey of nearly 1,000 firms, most of them small and medium-sized businesses. According to reports, 54% of exporters said the deal negotiated by Boris Johnson’s government was not…

An Afghan asylum seeker has been sentenced to nine years in prison for the shocking and violent rape of a 17-year-old girl in a Scottish park. Rapualla Ahmadze, who was approximately 20 at the time of the attack, targeted the teenager in Cooper Park, Elgin, during August of last year. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Ahmadze acted in a predatory manner, approaching the girl and making intimidating remarks before the assault. Although he claimed the encounter was consensual, a jury found him guilty of rape and a separate charge of threatening and abusive behavior. Judge Thomas Welsh KC…

The Home Office is preparing to transfer the first group of asylum seekers to the Crowborough army training camp in East Sussex early next year. This move is a central part of the government’s broader strategy to end the use of hotels for temporary accommodation, a goal Prime Minister Keir Starmer hopes to achieve by the next election. The site is designated to house approximately 540 men, many of whom are expected to be recent arrivals from small boat crossings due to the camp’s proximity to the south coast. While the government originally targeted a December opening, the timeline was…

Resident doctors in England are returning to hospitals today, marking the end of a five-day walkout. Despite the return to work, the long-running dispute over pay and working conditions remains unresolved, with union members recently rejecting the government’s latest offer regarding job security and specialized training. The British Medical Association (BMA) argues that current salaries are effectively 20% lower than they were in 2008 due to the rising cost of living. Dr. Jack Fletcher, a leader within the union, warned that the UK is losing medical talent to other countries that offer better compensation and a more supportive professional environment.…

More than 800 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on Saturday, marking the highest number recorded on a single December day in recent years, according to Home Office figures. A total of 803 people made the journey in 13 boats and were brought ashore at Dover by Border Force and RNLI vessels. The surge is believed to have been driven by a backlog of migrants waiting to cross after weeks of bad weather made sea journeys impossible. The latest crossings take the provisional total for 2025 to 41,455 arrivals, already exceeding the full-year figure for 2024, when 36,816…

The Prince of Wales has accepted the role of patron of the Special Air Service (SAS) Regimental Association, the charity supporting serving and former members of the elite Army unit. Prince William said he was proud to take on the position as he feels a deep sense of honour and respect by looking forward to working with the association, which provides welfare and support to SAS personnel and their families. The chair of the association welcomed the announcement, describing it as a source of great delight in a newsletter to members. In a message included in the newsletter, the prince…