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…

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…

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…

A man has been indicted for drugging and raping his ex-wife during a period of 13-years , alongside five other men charged with sexual offences against her. Formerly from Swindon but now living in Enfield in north London, Philip Young, 49, has been charged with 56 sexual offences. The charges include multiple counts of rape, administering a substance to opeverpower his victim to allow sexual activity, voyeurism, possession of indecent…

The new head of Britain’s equalities watchdog has warned against the Withdrawal of the UK from a European human rights treaty in an attempt to appease rightwing opposition over immigration, noting that such would be an error. The new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Mary-Ann Stephenson who resumed in December, revealed the European convention on human rights (ECHR) was part of strategies in place that provides rights…

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…

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…

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…

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has no plans to reunite with her estranged father, Thomas Markle, and is believed to have given up hope of repairing their fractured relationship. Mr Markle, 81, is currently hospitalised in Cebu, the Philippines, where he is recovering from surgery that resulted in the amputation of his leg below the knee. Reports say the Duchess recently sent him a letter outlining her…

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.…

As part of the reform to animal protection and welfare law, the shooting of hares in England will be banned. Currently, it is lawful to shoot at the animals during their season of breeding season At the moment, it is legal to shoot the animals during their breeding season, causing pregnant hares to be killed, often bleeding to death, while their young are left orphaned. Ministers will announce plans to…

The Home Office has confirmed that an army barracks in Kent that has been used to house asylum seekers has officially shut down. Napier Barracks in Folkestone, a former military site, began accommodating migrants in 2020. Since then, it has faced sustained criticism over poor living conditions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a major outbreak occurred among residents. The site closed on Friday and is expected to be fully…