Passport fees will go up by almost 7% on April 10, the Home Office has announced the cost of an online passport application for adults will jump from £88.50 to £94.50, while fees for child passports will rise from £57.50 to £61.50. The fee for a one-day premium service application will also increase from £207.50 to £222 for adults as the changes are due to start on April 10. There…

The Home Office has announced that passport fees will rise by nearly 7% on April 10. The cost of an online adult passport application will increase from £88.50 to £94.50, while child passport fees will go up from £57.50 to £61.50. Additionally, the fee for a one-day premium service will rise from £207.50 to £222 for adults. Similar increases will apply to postal applications and those made from overseas. This…

By John Grace Party leader lowers members’ expectations as far as she dares at election warmup event in the shires It’s more than likely you have given little or no thought to the local elections taking place on 1 May. After all, more than half the population will pay no attention to them on the day itself. If so, then the Tory party will be delighted. Long may it stay…

The financial stability of UK universities is at risk, with mounting concerns over potential bankruptcies, staff layoffs, and declining global competitiveness. According to the Office for Students (OfS), a major UK higher education provider could collapse as institutions struggle with plummeting international student enrollments, rising operational costs, and years of frozen tuition fees. With over 10,000 jobs at risk, experts warn that the crisis could weaken the UK’s reputation as…

In what turned out as a double celebration, gospel singer, Nikki Laoye and her husband, Soul Snatcha are counting their blessing as they welcome their first child on their third wedding anniversary. Taking to Instagram to share the joyful news with her fans and well-wishers, the excited singer expressed gratitude for the extraordinary coincidence that has made their special day even more memorable. Sharing the wonderful news with her fans…

Santander UK, the British arm of Spain’s Banco Santander, announced on Wednesday its plan to close 95 of its 444 branches, a move that puts approximately 750 jobs at risk. The decision follows a 63% increase in digital transactions since 2019, while financial transactions in physical branches have dropped by 61% over the same period. These closures, set to begin in June 2025, will reduce Santander UK’s branch network by…

A gang has been convicted over the theft of a £4.8m gold toilet from an art exhibition at Blenheim Palace. The artwork — dubbed “America” — was one of the star attractions of an exhibition by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan at the 18th-century stately home, the birthplace of wartime prime minister Winston Churchill. Thieves smashed their way in and ripped out the functional toilet, hours after a glamorous launch party…

Radical changes that will cut income for 1mn people may not get many more into work, say analysts UK ministers have set out plans for a radical reform of welfare for the sick and disabled — including a £5bn cut to spending on health-related benefits, a new duty for claimants to engage with job support programmes, and a £1bn investment in back-to-work programmes. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall…

Fatimah Idera According to the Bank of America (BofA) Fund Manager Survey for March revealed that Fund managers had cut their US equities allocations by the largest amount ever recorded. The other side of this particular coin was the biggest jump in cash allocations the survey has ever found, as managers chose to de-risk rather than send the money into other risk assets. The bearish move appeared to be prompted…

The U.K. government is set to introduce significant changes to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) scheme, with some current recipients at risk of losing their benefits under a planned overhaul of the welfare system. The reforms aim to tighten eligibility criteria, with the goal of reducing the rising welfare bill while ensuring support remains available for the most vulnerable. On Tuesday afternoon, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will outline…

Canadian Prime Minister stresses the importance of ‘reliable allies’ in Paris before travelling to London where he was received by king Canada is the “most European of the non-European countries”, Mark Carney has said during his first overseas trip as prime minister to France and the UK, where he is seeking stronger alliances to deal with Donald Trump’s attacks on his country’s sovereignty and economy. Without mentioning the US president…

Nearly nine in ten (88%) of the 153 upper-tier authorities in England are set to impose a 4.99% council tax increase this year, the highest amount allowed without triggering a local referendum. When councils increasing bills by 4.5% or more in April are included, the proportion rises to more than nine in ten (94%). According to an analysis, for just over two-thirds (68%) of top-tier authorities, this marks the third…