Hundreds of suspected rapists in England and Wales are spending years outside custody under a legal process that has drawn criticism from campaigners and legal experts. The Release Under Investigation (RUI), was introduced by the Policing and Crime Act 2017 as an alternative to police bail. It allows suspects to be released without charge and without the timeframe that apply under bail. However, critics have noted that the absence of…

King Charles has said he is appalled and saddened by what he described as a most dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. At least 11 people were killed and 29 others taken to hospital after a shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday, according to police. In a statement, the King said that he and Queen Camilla’s “hearts go out to everyone who has been affected so…

More than 700 migrants crossed the English Channel on Saturday, bringing an end to a four-week pause in small boat arrivals, according to the latest figures from the Home Office. A total of 737 people arrived in Dover on 11 boats on 14 December, marking the conclusion of the longest period without any Channel crossings in seven years. The previous arrivals were recorded on 14 November. The latest figures push…

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency, unveiling plans to overhaul how such crimes are investigated and tackled across England and Wales. Under a long-delayed government strategy due to be published on Thursday, every police force will be required to establish specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams by 2029. The move forms part of Labour’s pledge to halve violence against women and…

Badenoch described the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate as a “well-meaning but ultimately destructive” policy that could damage the UK’s car industry.

The UK has recorded its longest stretch without small-boat migrant arrivals in more than six years, before crossings resumed this weekend, according to Home Office figures. No migrants arrived by small boats between 14 November and 12 December, marking a 28-day pause the longest uninterrupted period since autumn 2018. However, Border Force activity returned to the English Channel on Saturday, with around 160 people believed to have been picked up…

The UK government is set to place boys and young men at the centre of a new strategy aimed at tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to unveil the long-delayed plan next Thursday, describing the issue as a national emergency. The strategy, delayed three times in the past year, will focus on three key goals: preventing the radicalisation of young men, stopping perpetrators,…

Reform UK has claimed it is now the largest political party in Britain by membership, overtaking Labour following a reported decline in Labour’s numbers. According to reports, Labour’s membership has fallen below 250,000. Reform UK says it now has more than 268,000 paid-up members, which, if accurate, would make it the biggest party in the country by size. Labour has declined to confirm or deny the figures, saying its membership…

People living with mental health conditions may be entitled to financial support through the UK benefits system, amid growing concern over access to care and rising welfare costs. Earlier this year, the Health Secretary said too many people were being “written off” following mental health diagnoses and warned that many were “not getting the support they need” to remain in work. His comments followed Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS,…

Reform UK has emerged as the largest political party in the United Kingdom by membership, according to leaked figures, in a dramatic development ahead of the next general election. The party’s leader, Nigel Farage, declared that “the age of two-party politics is dead” after figures suggested Labour’s membership has fallen below Reform UK’s self-reported total. Reform claims nearly 269,000 members, while leaked data seen by The Times indicates Labour now…

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has raised alarm over what he calls a double whammy of soaring flu hospitalisations and an imminent five-day strike by resident doctors in England, due to begin on 17 December. He told LBC the NHS was under “the worst pressure since Covid”, with an average of 2,660 flu patients hospitalised daily last week equivalent to filling three hospitals. Hopes remain that the strike could be halted,…

Celebrated British novelist Joanna Trollope has died at the age of 82. Her daughters, Louise and Antonia, announced that she passed away peacefully at her Oxfordshire home on Thursday. Widely recognised for her sharp portrayals of middle-England family life, Trollope was often labelled the “queen of the Aga saga” a description she rejected as patronising. With a career spanning more than five decades, Trollope authored over 20 contemporary novels, including…