By Eniola Amadu UK ministers have approved plans to help a further 30 students from Gaza travel to Britain to begin university courses next month. The move, however, still depends on clearance from Israeli authorities before any evacuation can proceed. This latest approval brings the total number of students the government intends to assist to 39, following last week’s pledge to secure the safe passage of nine Chevening scholars. READ…

The head of the UK’s elections watchdog has said schools must begin teaching democracy from the age of 11 to prepare children for voting at 16, while stressing the importance of keeping classrooms free from political bias. Vijay Rangarajan, chief executive of the Electoral Commission, said teaching will initially target pupils aged 14 and above but should eventually start earlier so that young people are ready to use the vote…

Rising grocery costs are piling further pressure on UK households, with eggs, butter and chocolate leading a fresh surge in food inflation. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), food prices rose by 4.2% in August, up from 4% in July and the sharpest increase in 18 months. Overall shop price inflation also edged up to 0.9%, despite non-food prices falling by 0.8%. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said the…

By Eniola Amadu The UK government has detained more than 100 people who crossed the Channel in small boats under its new “one in, one out” immigration scheme, designed to return irregular migrants to France. So far, no one has been admitted to Britain through the official safe route system, fuelling growing frustration among migrants in Calais who say their applications remain unanswered. According to officials, the reciprocal arrangement means…

People using the weight-loss injection Mounjaro are being urged not to bulk buy or turn to unlicensed sellers after its manufacturer, Eli Lilly, confirmed prices in the UK will rise sharply this autumn. From September, the cost of Mounjaro is set to increase by up to 170%, although the NHS will be protected from the rise. Since only a small number of patients are eligible for NHS prescriptions, most people…

Families in one of England’s most deprived areas are being asked to pay as much as £12,000 to dedicate a memorial bench to a loved one, the highest charge in the country. Torbay Council has been criticised for introducing the steep new fees without public consultation or a council vote. Under the scheme, families can sponsor a bench for either five or 25 years, with the most expensive prices reserved…

Migrants will enter Britain more quickly despite Labour’s new asylum reforms, the Conservatives have claimed. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans for a fast-track appeals system to reduce long delays in asylum cases, arguing that it will speed up deportations and ease pressure on the asylum system. For Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the reforms would have the opposite effect, with judges still using human rights laws…

Members of the parliament (MPs) have warned of a sharp rise in online harassment and threats linked to debates over immigration, with some saying the level of abuse is now worse than during the Brexit years. The concerns follow a weekend of protests at hotels housing asylum seekers, where 15 arrests were made. Demonstrations continued on Sunday, including at the Castle Bromwich Holiday Inn in Birmingham and outside the Britannia…

Labour will abolish most prison sentences of under 12 months and bring in tougher community punishments under plans to ease the overcrowding crisis in England and Wales. A sentencing bill due next month will mark the biggest shake-up in three decades, with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood warning prisons could run out of space again by summer. Thousands of inmates were released early after Labour took office last year to free…

Protests over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers have continued, as Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced reforms aimed at clearing a huge backlog of appeals. Demonstrations took place on Sunday in Birmingham and London, a day after nationwide protests led to at least 15 arrests. Read also: Anti-migrant protests erupt across UK over asylum hotels Outside the Castle Bromwich Holiday Inn in Birmingham, protesters draped in St George’s…

Dame Annette Brooke, who has died aged 78, was the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole from 2001 to 2015, becoming the party’s longest-serving female parliamentarian. A quietly effective figure at Westminster, she built her reputation on persistence rather than showmanship. In 2003, she helped secure recognition for veterans of the Suez campaign, leading a delegation that persuaded the Ministry of Defence to award them a medal.…

The United Kingdom (UK0 government has announced sweeping new sentencing powers that will see criminals banned from pubs, concerts, and sporting events as part of its Plan for Change to cut crime and boost public safety. Under the reforms, judges will gain expanded authority to impose driving limits, travel bans, and restriction zones that confine offenders to specific areas. The government said the aim is to toughen community punishments, deter…