Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses growing concerns over the failure to prosecute high-profile China spy cases, amid accusations from the opposition and renewed scrutiny of national security policy at the opening statement today during the Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). Starmer expressed deep disappointment over the outcome of the case, which saw two men charged under the Official Secrets Act but ultimately not prosecuted. “National security will always be the first…

Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband has approved plans for the UK’s largest solar farm. The £1bn Tillbridge solar farm, to be built near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, will generate enough electricity to power 300,000 homes once completed. The 700-megawatt project will cover more than 1,200 hectares, making it the biggest solar development in the country. It is also the ninth nationally significant solar project approved since Labour came to power in July…

An asylum seeker accused of murdering a hotel worker in Walsall was seen dancing and laughing moments after the attack, a jury has heard. Deng Chol Majek, who claims to be 19, allegedly stabbed 27-year-old Rhiannon Skye Whyte 23 times with a screwdriver after following her to Bescot Stadium railway station on 20 October last year. Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Majek, a Sudanese national living…

Migrants coming to the UK for work will soon be required to speak English to an A-level standard under new immigration rules set out by the government, in one of the most significant overhauls of the visa system in a decade. The changes, due to take effect from 8 January 2026, will apply to applicants for skilled worker, scale-up, and high potential individual (HPI) visas,  categories designed for professionals and…

Britain is set to endure the weakest growth in living standards of any major Western economy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned, as stubbornly high inflation and a slowing economy weigh heavily on household incomes. In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF forecast that UK growth per person, a key measure of living standards  would rise by just 0.5 per cent in 2026, compared with 1.8 per cent…

The agreement, reached last month, replaces the contentious Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act, which had sparked widespread opposition from political parties, victims’ groups, and the Irish government.

By Eniola Amadu Public services in Wales could face severe funding cuts if Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford fails to win cross-party support for the Welsh government’s £27bn budget, which he begins publishing on Tuesday. The budget sets out spending plans for 2026–27, covering vital services from hospitals to waste collection. While the Labour government will present the proposals, it lacks the votes in the Senedd to pass them without help…

According to new forecasts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the UK is on track to be the second fastest-growing economy among the G7 nations this year and next. The IMF projects that Britain’s economy will expand by 1.3 per cent in both 2025 and 2026, trailing only the United States and outpacing other advanced economies such as France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan. The outlook marks a modest but…

Sir Michael Caine has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to outlaw the smacking of children in England. The 92-year-old actor, alongside former England footballer Alan Shearer and actors Natalie Dormer and Samantha Morton, signed an open letter delivered to Downing Street on Monday. The letter, coordinated by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), argues that England’s current law leaves children with less protection…

By Eniola Amadu Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has intensified his call for the introduction of a targeted screening programme for prostate cancer, saying he is “convinced of the urgency” of a plan that would be affordable, deliverable, and capable of “saving countless lives.” In an interview with the BBC, Sunak said that personal experiences with family and friends had strengthened his conviction in the importance of early detection. “I’ve…

An Afghan migrant who entered the UK illegally by small boat has been sentenced to five years in prison for threatening to kill Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in a social media post. Fayaz Khan, 26, who prosecutors said was likely a 31-year-old named Fayaz Husseini, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of making threats to kill the MP for Clacton. He was also handed an additional eight-month sentence, to…

A 58-year-old teacher, Farooq Ahmed, has been banned from teaching for life after he was found guilty of hitting a pupil with a ruler and kicking a chair that another child was sitting on at Oasis Academy, North Avenue, Bradford. The incident occurred on November 24, 2023, barely three months after Mr Ahmed joined the school at the start of the academic year. He was suspended three days later and…