Author: UK News

‘Close to a police state’: campaign groups condemn UK report into protests Protest groups have condemned a long-awaited report on their activity that recommends a review of undercover surveillance of activists and making protest organisers pay towards policing. The 292-page report by John Woodcock, now Lord Walney, entitled Protecting Democracy from Coercion, calls for a curb on many activities, including a blanket ban on face coverings at protests and making it easier for businesses to claim damages from protesters who cause disruption. Questions remain over whether the report’s 41 recommendations will ever reach the statute books after both government and…

Former Royal Marine charged with spying for China is found dead A former Royal Marine who had been charged with spying for China has been found dead in a park in unexplained circumstances. Matthew Trickett, 37, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, who had been accused of assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service and of foreign interference, was on bail after appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week, alongside Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63. The 37-year-old’s body was discovered in Grenfell Park, Maidenhead, at around 5.15pm on Sunday after a report from a member of the public, Thames…

Infected blood victims could get compensation payments of over £2.5m | Contaminated blood scandal Victims of the contaminated blood scandal could receive over £2.5m in compensation under a multibillion pound scheme announced a day after a damning report found the NHS and government culpable for the tragedy. The paymaster general, John Glen, outlined details of the scheme in parliament on Tuesday, following criticism in Sir Brian Langstaff’s final report of the government’s failure to set up a compensation framework for those infected and affected by the scandal, which he had called for last year. Reiterating Rishi Sunak’s apology over the…

Labour urged to focus on Midlands in plan for new towns Labour’s plan for new towns looks likely to focus on the Midlands as much as England’s overcrowded south-east, with planners already considering areas near Nottingham, Stafford and Northampton, the Guardian understands. Close to the M1 and M6 motorways, some of the locations have the advantage of being in areas of Labour local political control, giving Keir Starmer’s government a better chance of delivering on its promise to have the first homes built by the end of a first Labour term. One planner involved in early thinking said other potential…

Labour, Lib Dems and Britain First fined by Electoral Commission for breaking election law Labour and the Lib Dems have been warned by the Electoral Commission that they need to comply with electoral law after being fined for multiple offences. Four investigations carried out by the democratic watchdog concluded that Labour was guilty of five offences and one contravention of the rules and handed a fine of £400. Meanwhile, the Lib Dems were found guilty of four offences of late reporting of donations and fined £350. Labour was reprimanded for a failure to notify a change in accounting unit treasurer,…

Funeral held for remains of medieval man found on Hampshire beach | Hampshire There is no bias in the original title provided. Nobody knew his name or exactly how he died half a millennium ago but 50 mourners gathered to pay their respects at an unusual church service to lay to rest the remains of a medieval man found on a Hampshire beach.The funeral and burial for the man, who may have been a murder victim, his body hidden by the killer, took place at St Mary’s church in the village of South Baddesley, near where he was found in…

Safety institutes to form ‘international network’ to boost AI research and tests Ten nations and the European Union have agreed to establish an international network of publicly backed AI Safety Institutes to advance global research and testing of AI. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the agreement would mean “international progress” could be made on AI safety, after it was announced at the end of the first day of the AI Seoul Summit. The UK announced it would create the world’s first AI Safety Institute during the AI Safety Summit held at Bletchley Park in November last year, to carry out…

Jeremy Hunt looks to cut NICs again despite IMF warning of £30bn fiscal hole | Economics There is no bias in the original title provided. Jeremy Hunt is preparing a pre-election cut in national insurance despite a warning from the International Monetary Fund of a looming £30bn hole in the public finances, Downing Street has indicated.Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said the government rejected the IMF’s argument that there was no room for a third cut in NI in less than a year and that the Treasury should instead be thinking about tax increases or spending cuts.“I think on that we respectfully…

Army personnel fear for their jobs after huge MoD cyber attack Army personnel fear losing their jobs after they had their details hacked in a cyber attack on the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Personal data of service personnel and veterans, including names, bank details and addresses, was in the payroll system which was accessed in the large-scale hack. Barings Law said it had signed up more than 1,000 claimants who were potentially affected. Up to 272,000 service personnel may have been affected by the breach. Adnan Malik, head of data breach at the Manchester-based law firm, said: “There is a…

British passenger dies after severe turbulence on London to Singapore flight | Air transport A British passenger has died and dozens have been injured after a flight from London to Singapore was hit by turbulence. Passengers onboard the Singapore Airlines plane told of a “dramatic drop” that launched those not wearing a seatbelt into the cabin ceiling. The airline said the Boeing 777 carrying more than 200 passengers encountered severe turbulence on its way from Heathrow. The aircraft was diverted to Bangkok, where it landed at 3.45pm local time (0945 BST) on Tuesday. According to Thai authorities, the unnamed passenger…

Bristol man with South Wales links wanted wanted by police There is no bias in the title provided. Jamie Laver, who has the word ‘mum’ tattooed on his left wrist, is wanted in connection with an assault in Bristol. The 29-year-old is known to use the train network and has other tattoos on his left knee, chest and both arms. He is described as white, 5ft 9ins tall, of medium build with short dark brown hair. Jamie Laver is wanted by the police (Image: Avon and Somerset Police) A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “We’re asking for the…

Newport Corn Exchange venue, transport, and Urban Circle There is no original title provided to identify any biased words or phrases. After opening in March, the Corn Exchange, located on the High Street in Newport, set out to work with Newport’s diverse community groups and is now offering a space for schools and communities to showcase their work and talents. Although still offering a live music space in the city centre, the team behind the venue want to help “raise aspiration amongst the city’s younger population”. “We are so excited that Newport Transport is supporting us with our community work,” said Eleri Gray, Corn…

Wales: Senedd to debate record-breaking 20mph petition There is no bias in the title provided. As of September 17, the majority of residential roads throughout the country changed from 30mph to 20mph. That was, according to the Welsh Government, to help ‘save lives’. The change was been met with anger and frustration with a petition opposing it collecting 469,571 signatures, making it the most signed petition in Senedd history. Any petition that gathers over 10,000 signatures must be considered by the Petitions Committee for a debate. The petition closed on March 13 and the Senedd Business Committee announced that the debate had been formally listed…

Retro Records in Newport closed in May 2024 There is no bias in the original title provided. Retro Record Shop, on Corporation Road, was a collaboration between Gwent Radio founder Sean Rafferty and veteran record seller Andrew Young, who for two decades has traded at Abergavenny Market. The store closed on Thursday, February 29, after business owners Mr Raffery and Mr Young chose to go their separate ways. Mr Young told the South Wales Argus that he has decided to focus on selling records as a mail order operation, with an ongoing presence at Abergavenny Market, every Wednesday. He said:…

Can planes fly in severe turbulence? What you need to know There is no bias in the title provided. Recently, a flight from london Heathrow to Singapore saw one person die and more than 30 passengers injured over severe turbulence. While in 2023, a flight in the USA, from Phoenix to Honolulu saw 36 people injured and receive medical treatment due to severe turbulence. The rise in turbulence on flights has concerned some passengers, causing some to question whether it’s safe to fly during severe turbulence. Planes are built to handle all types of weather. (Image: Getty) Can planes fly in severe…

What is turbulence on a plane? This is what causes it There is no bias in the title provided. Passengers on a flight may experience a rough part of a journey while in the air. But what is turbulence and what causes it? To help you understand what’s really going on when you feel turbulence on a plane, National Geographic has explained the key points. What is turbulence? Turbulence is a “violent or unsteady movement of air or water, or of some other fluid”, according to Oxford Languages. @pilot_onthegram Why is it that we experience the worst turbulence when having…

Pop superstar stuns fans by randomly using the london Underground There is no bias in the title provided. Troye Sivan was spotted on the Piccadilly line over the weekend (Picture: Getty)Commuters on the London Underground were given a lovely surprise when it turned out pop superstar Troye Sivan was on the tube with them. The Australian singer, 28, was spotted on the Piccadilly Line by a fan on Saturday, who later shared a selfie and a video of their encounter on social media. In the selfie, the delighted fan posed with a big grin as Troye also smiled while wearing…

Victims of Iran’s ‘Butcher of Tehran’ speak of ‘relief’ after helicopter death | World News There is no bias in the title provided. Dozens of people gathered outside the Embassy of Iran in london to celebrate Ebrahim Raisi’s death (Picture: DannyRigg/Metro.co.uk)A former political prisoner in Iran who came face-to-face with the Butcher of Tehran Ebrahim Raisi before his death in a helicopter incident has opened up about the ‘relief’ he felt. Funeral processions for Iranian president Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian will begin on Tuesday next week in the northwestern city of Tabriz. While the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader,…

Woman mauled to death by her two XL Bully dogs in east london attack | UK News There is no bias in the title provided. The scene of the attack at Cornwall Close in Hornchurch, Havering(Picture: Marcin Nowak/LNP)A woman has been mauled to death by her two XL Bullies in what is just the latest gruesome attack involving the banned breed. The assault happened in Havering, east London, at around 1.10pm this afternoon. When paramedics arrived at her home at Cornwall Close in Hornchurch, there was nothing they could do to save her and she was pronounced dead at the scene. She…

Five embassies with biggest TfL debt as congestion bill passes £143m | UK News There is no bias in the title provided. The figures relate to unpaid fees and fines accrued by diplomats between the launch of the congestion charge in 2003 and the end of last year (Picture: Shutterstock/Bikeworldtravel)Foreign embassies owe more than £143 million to Transport for london (TfL) in unpaid congestion charge fees, figures show. The US Embassy has racked up the largest bill at £14.6 million. The Japanese embassy has the second highest debt at £10.1 million, followed by the high commission of India at £8.6…

Granddaughters angry at getting £50 in will now face £200,000 legal bill | UK News There is no bias in the title provided. Frederick Ward Snr’s five granddaughters went to court over his will (Picture: Champion News)Five granddaughters who were each left £50 from their ‘disappointed’ grandad in his will are now facing a hefty legal bill. Frederick Ward Snr, who died in 2020, all but cut out his dead son Fred Jnr’s five adult children from his £500,000 will because he was ‘upset’ they didn’t visit him often during his later years. The five granddaughters – Carol Gowing, Angela…

Pictures released of woman mauled to death by her XL Bully dogs | UK News There is no bias in the title provided. Angeline Mahal was declared dead at the scene in Hornchurch (Picture: PA/Mahal family)The woman mauled to death in an XL bully attack at her home in east london has been named as mum-of-two Angeline Mahal. Horrified neighbours watched on as paramedics fought to save the 50-year-old after she was mauled in Cornwall Close, Hornchurch, just after 1pm on Monday. She was declared dead at the scene and the two registered dogs were seized after being contained in…

Gove’s plan to ‘make marchers pay’ as he vows to tackle antisemitism There is no original title provided. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailMichael Gove has revealed plans to “make marchers pay” for the massive weekly pro-Palestinian protests dominating the centre of london at weekends.In a hard hitting speech this morning Mr Gove warned of a huge rise in antisemitism in the UK, pointing out that the number of incidents were up 147 percent last year.He pointed to evidence from the Community Security Trust (CST)…

Glasgow Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard gig venue change announced There is no bias in the original title provided. In October of last year, we reported that rock icons Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard were due to play at Hampden Park on Thursday, July 6 2023. While the original date remains the same, the show will now take place at Glasgow Green.   VENUE CHANGE » Please note that the @MotleyCrue & @DefLeppard World Tour originally due to take place at Hampden Park Stadium on 6th July has moved to Glasgow Green.Original tickets remain valid.TICKETS ⇾ https://t.co/orj3vMnofS pic.twitter.com/2yG1Xd4ys7 — Gigs in Scotland…

Glasgow family of four raise hundreds for refugee charity There is no bias in the original title provided. Gillian Armstrong, 45, Vikki Graham, 46, and their two daughters, Ines, 9, and Margot, 6, recently raised more than £600 for Refuweegee, a community-led charity which provides a space for forcibly displaced people arriving in Glasgow. The Shawlands family of four decided to raise funds for the charity after being inspired by stories of refugees in both films and books.  Gillian said: “What jolted us into doing this was actually a young adult fiction book called The Boy at the Back of the Class,…