Author: UK News

Starmer increases university tuition fees for first time in eight years University tuition fees will increase in England for the first time in eight years as part of a major overhaul of the higher education system, education secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced. The announcement appears to set Labour on course for a clash with one of their biggest voter bases, students. It follows other groups losing out with 10 million pensioners hit by the removal of the winter fuel payment and wages being hit by the hike in national insurance. Tuition fees have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017 but…

Why is Bonfire Night celebrated? Guy Fawkes’ Gunpowder Plot explained “Remember, remember, the fifth of November, “Gunpowder, treason and plot! “We see no reason, “Why gunpowder treason, “Should ever be forgot!” Every 5 November we remember the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 – a thwarted act of terror in which a cabal of Catholic conspirators planned to blow up the House of Lords to rid England of King James I. The plot is commemorated every autumn with the burning of an effigy of Guy Fawkes, its mastermind, an oddly pagan act of gloating sanitised by the addition of fireworks, sparklers and…

Kemi Badenoch reveals shadow cabinet as Tugendhat ‘snubs shadow cabinet role’ – liv New Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has unveiled her shadow cabinet, with senior roles for Priti Patel, Chris Philp and leadership rival Robert Jenrick. After a combative leadership contest, Mr Jenrick – a staunch advocate of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights – was handed the justice brief, while Mr Philp was appointed shadow home secretary, Ms Patel given foreign affairs, and Mel Stride made shadow chancellor. While ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat was among senior Tories notably absent from the new shadow cabinet, sources insisted he had…

CCTV: Sexual predator lures lone woman into car Ghulan Mohammed, 36, preyed upon the woman as she walked through Leicester city centre on 17 December, last year. After approaching the woman, who was in her 20s, Mohammed drove her around in his car for more than two hours. In the early hours of the following morning, he was seen pulling up at a petrol station, where he and the woman got out the car. She can be seen in an angry and distressed state. The woman was able to message to her friends asking for help, along with her location,…

Domestic abuse victim’s home address leaked to ex-partner after data breach A domestic abuse victim said she was left fearing for her life after a company which obtains restraining orders accidentally leaked her home address to her ex-partner. Speaking to The Independent, Lola* said the data breach happened when she was applying for a non-molestation order through the National Centre for Domestic Violence several years ago. Lola said the centre served her abusive ex-partner the restraining order in person, accidentally handing him a piece of paper containing her address – despite repeated pleas for her address not to be shared…

Working with Kamala – and bracing for Trump: How Starmer is preparing for US election Since becoming prime minister on 5 July, Sir Keir Starmer has only met with one of the two candidates hoping to be elected president – and it was not with his natural Democrat ally Kamala Harris, but Republican rival Donald Trump. The lack of a meeting between Ms Harris and Sir Keir was not a snub from either side but reflects a twin-track approach that Labour has been taking in preparing for the outcome tomorrow for many months now, dating back to when they were…

Warning issued over ‘unsettling’ pension trend which could wipe out savings during retirement Experts have warned of an “unsettling trend” among pensioners which could see them exhaust their pension in retirement. Analysis of Financial Conduct Authority data found a nearly 30 per cent rise in the number of pensioners withdrawing more than 6 per cent of their pension’s total value in the most recent financial year. More than 280,000 pensioners had a withdrawal rate of 6 per cent or higher, the analysis by Hargreaves Lansdown found. That included more than 220,000 pension pots with a withdrawal rate of more than…

Farmers say 75% of British food production will be hit by Reeves’s tax raid Rachel Reeves’inheritance tax raid will hit three quarters of food produced by British farmers, industry chiefs have warned, as the government battles a growing backlash over its extension of death tax. Under plans announced in the Budget, inheritance tax will be charged at 20 per cent on farms worth more than £1m, although the chancellor has said that in some cases the threshold could in practice be about £3m. The move has triggered backlash from farming and rural communities and led to a dispute over the…

Cancer diagnosis was biggest shock of my life, says Chris Hoy | News Sir Chris Hoy has said being diagnosed with cancer was the “biggest shock” of his life. The six-time Olympic champion revealed last month in a Sunday Times interview that his cancer is terminal after he first made public in February that he was undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy. Speaking in a new BBC documentary, which airs tonight (5 November), Sir Chris explained how he went to the doctor for a pain in his shoulder, which wouldn’t go away. He told BBC’s Sally Nugent: “I assumed it would be…

Suspected Russian device that sparked fire at UK warehouse ‘was test run for attack on US’ A suspected Russian arson attack on a DHL warehouse in Birmingham was a test run for future attacks on the US, Polish officials have said, after arresting some of the alleged criminals involved. British counter-terrorism officers, working alongside European partners, are investigating the explosion of a device on 22 July at a warehouse in Minworth. Nobody was injured in the fire. But after another attack that same month involving an incendiary device in a DHL warehouse in Leipzig, Germany, investigators said the parcel only…

Sir Chris Hoy describes ‘excruciating’ cancer treatment to keep hair for sake of young son Sir Chris Hoy has spoken about enduring an “excruciating” new treatment to prevent hair loss for the sake of his young son, as he laid bare the heartbreak of his terminal cancer diagnosis for the first time. The six-time Olympic champion revealed last month he had “two to four” years to live after being diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer which had spread to his shoulder, pelvis, hip, ribs and spine. In an interview with the BBC, Sir Chris described the time after his diagnosis…

Dog owner’s warning after watching in horror as beloved pet died in back garden A woman whose dog was strangled by its collar has called on pet companies to display warning signs. Jenny, 70, from Cambridge, says she will never put a collar on a pet again after she watched her 18-month-old miniature labradoodle Charlie suffocate after his collar was pulled tight while play-fighting with another dog. By the time Jenny was able to react and unclip the head collar it was too late – Charlie had “collapsed on the lawn” and gone “limp”. Jenny said she did not see…

Chris Philp’s history of gaffes as Tory MP appointed shadow home secretary They say God loves a trier and Chris Philp, the former minister for policing, is one Tory who can never be accused of failing to put in a shift, frequently appearing in the media to dutifully defend the latest party line on the issue of the day. The reward for his unwavering loyalty may now have arrived, as he takes a leadership role in Kemi Badenoch’s new cabinet, after being appointed as shadow home secretary. While the MP for Croydon South is not afraid to get his hands…

Who makes up Kemi Badenoch’s newly appointed shadow cabinet? Kemi Badenoch has appointed a cross-party shadow cabinet in a bid to reunite the Conservatives after a fractious leadership campaign. The newly-elected party leader unveiled her top team on Tuesday morning ahead of its first meeting. The top jobs were split between One Nation moderates, Boris Johnson-backing right-wingers and those who backed Ms Badenoch’s leadership bid. And, in appointing leadership rivals Mel Stride, Priti Patel and Robert Jenrick, she has made a clear effort to bring the divided party back together. Announcing the team, Ms Badenoch said: “I am delighted to…

Keir Starmer has announced that university tuition fees are set to rise by 3.1% in 2024/25. The news has been met with both backlash and praise – some noting Starmer initially promised to scrap tuition fees altogether, whilst others celebrate England’s cash-strapped universities getting a boost of cash.
Kemi Badenoch has started to appoint her shadow cabinet after being elected the new Conservative Party leader. Robert Jenrick, Mel Stride, Chris Philp and Priti Patel have found seats at the table.
Elsewhere, like much of the world, all eyes are across the pond today as the 2024 US presidential election gets underway. Americans head to the polls to elect either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump to office.

Labour hikes university tuition fees despite PM Starmer’s earlier promise to scrap them. Uni fees will rise in England by 3.1% in 2025/26 – a move welcomed by many cash-strapped universities.

A mostly dry day on Tuesday but staying cloudy with the best of any brightness to the lee of high ground, mainly in the north. Any drizzle will be confined to hills in the west. Light southerly winds.

A presidential election campaign unlike any other in history came to an anxious end yesterday with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris scrambling for an edge, says The Independent.

It is a ‘moment of reckoning’ for America as US voters go to the polls in a ‘presidential election like none before’, according to The Guardian.

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk If you are someone who reads every perspective of a story, here is a news summary of all of today’s front pages from today’s newspapers; summarised in a 2-minute read

Liam and Noel Gallagher are pictured on the front of The Sun, which claims a clause has been added to the Oasis stars’ contracts.

The Daily Express is on a ‘crusade’ to save family farms.

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden is pictured on the front of the Daily Mirror.

University tuition fees: What it means for students and why are they increasing? Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailIn a move that will dismay thousands of prospective students, Sir Keir Starmer is set to increase tuition fees for the first time in eight years. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will make a statement in the Commons on Monday afternoon, which will see an increase in line with the Retail Price Index inflation, The Independent understands.Previous reports have speculated that fees could rise from £9,250 to £10,500…

Royal news live: Pictures show Prince Andrew’s run down £30m Royal Lodge amid King Charles axing £1m allowance Prince William confronted by founder of The Big Issue in awkward interactionGet the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailStriking photos have shown Prince Andrew’s £30m Royal Lodge in a state of disrepair amid reports that King Charles withdrew his generous £1m annual “living allowance” after the Duke of York refused to move out.As Andrew’s financial woes continue to worsen, new photographs reveal large cracks in the exterior walls of…