Category Archives: UK news

Why Scottish students at Edinburgh University want more support to counter classism

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Only 25% of institution’s students are from Scotland, and they are more likely to be from working-class backgrounds

From the first day Shanley Breese started her law degree at the University of Edinburgh, she encountered demeaning comments about her accent. She was told she was hard to understand and was asked to repeat herself in tutorials when she used words from the Scots language.

“It was just a little thing to differentiate us and point it out … It meant that I didn’t participate in my tutorials,” she says.

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Scientists explore longevity drugs for dogs that could also ‘extend human life’

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Researchers say drugs may be able to increase lifespan by extending health and thus shortening the rate of ageing

Not for nothing are dogs called man’s best friend: they are good for their owners’ mental and physical health, and some studies have shown that if you’re looking for a date and want to seem more attractive, it might be time to get a canine companion.

So what would it be like if dogs could live for ever – and what if that secret could help their owners live longer, healthier lives too?

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Boxing Day footfall down on UK high streets despite discounts

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Data may reflect shift in behaviour influenced by cost of living crisis or front-loading of spending

Fewer consumers made the journey to high streets and shopping centres in search of Boxing Day discounts this year.

Footfall across UK retailers was down 8.9% as of 3pm on Thursday, compared with Boxing Day in 2023, according to data from MRI Software.

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People urged to do at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week to lose weight

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Review of 116 clinical trials finds less than 30 minutes a day, five days a week only results in minor reductions

People who want to lose meaningful amounts of weight through exercise may need to devote more than two-and-a-half hours a week to aerobic training such as running, walking or cycling, researchers say.

The finding emerged from a review of 116 published clinical trials that explored the impact of physical exercise on weight loss, waist size and body fat. In total, the trials reported data for nearly 7,000 adults who were overweight or obese, meaning their body mass index (BMI) was more than 25.

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Cancer patient fears dying without justice as tribunal date repeatedly delayed

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IT technician Joe Mezgebe arrived at unfair dismissal hearing to find no judge available – for the second time

A disabled man with prostate cancer has had his employment tribunal for unfair dismissal postponed the day before it was due to take place because a judge was not available – 13 months after exactly the same thing happened.

Joe Mezgebe, an IT technician, who first presented his claim against Christ’s College, Finchley academy in June 2021, has lost £15,300 in fees to his barrister as a result of the cancellations, and fears he may not live to see justice done.

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France rescues 107 people trying to cross to UK on Christmas Day

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Authorities carry out series of operations off northern coast, as 451 people arrive in England on 11 boats

French maritime authorities carried out 12 rescue operations along the coast of northern France on Christmas Day, rescuing 107 people in distress from small boats trying to cross to the UK.

On Christmas morning, 30 passengers were rescued from a boat near Dunkirk, while the others onboard wished to continue their journey and were taken into British custody once they reached UK waters, said the French Channel and North Sea maritime prefect’s office.

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Defra scraps England deadline to register thousands of miles of rights of way

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Campaigners jubilant after government heeded warning 2031 cutoff would mean loss of precious footpaths

A deadline for registering historic rights of way is to be scrapped after a warning that the looming cutoff date could result in the loss of thousands of miles of footpaths.

The last government set a deadline of 2031 for all rights of way in England to be added to an official map, after abandoning a previous commitment to scrap the policy.

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C of E must ‘kneel in penitence’ after difficult year, says archbishop of York

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Stephen Cottrell delivers Christmas sermon in place of Justin Welby, who will step down as de facto head of church

The archbishop of York has highlighted the need for actions more than words in his Christmas sermon, as the Church of England faces criticism over failures in its handling of recent abuse scandals.

Stephen Cottrell, who will become the temporary leader of the Church in England in early January in place of the outgoing archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the church must “kneel in penitence and adoration” this Christmas and “be changed”.

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Mauritius holds out on Chagos Islands deal over Diego Garcia lease

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UK government accused of ‘nitpicking about compensation’ after being told to pay more to retain military base

Mauritius is holding out over a deal to gain control of the Chagos Islands from the UK, leaving ministers less than a month to rescue the agreement.

The government in Mauritius, which took office last month, has made clear it is dissatisfied with the terms negotiated by the previous administration. Over the weekend the deputy prime minister accused the British government of “nitpicking about the compensation”.

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Syrian family left in limbo over Christmas as UK halts asylum claims

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Decisions on fate of 6,500 Syrian asylum seekers suspended amid push to repatriate refugees after fall of regime

A Syrian family say they are “fearing for their future” this Christmas after having an imminent decision on their asylum application stopped by the UK government.

Bilal*, 39, worked as a bank manager in Damascus, and has been living in Sheffield with his wife and four children for the past year. He had his second interview about his asylum application in November and had been told by the Home Office that a decision on his case was “very close”.

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Tulip Siddiq questioned over multibillion-pound embezzlement allegations

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Treasury minister denies claims by Bangladesh that she helped broker corrupt deal with Russia to build nuclear plant

The Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq has been questioned by the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team after Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission accused her and family members of embezzling billions for a nuclear power plant.

The Labour MP, who denies allegations that she helped broker a deal with Russia to build the energy project, reportedly told a government official that she was the victim of a “political hit job”.

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UK weather: Storm Darragh to bring 80mph gusts as amber wind warning issued

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Fourth named storm of the season follows concern over lack of flooding warnings for Storm Bert last week

An amber warning for wind has been issued for large parts of the UK, with power cuts and flying debris possible amid the arrival of the fourth named storm of the season.

Storm Darragh is expected to bring gusts of up to 80mph and heavy rain late on Friday and into Saturday.

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Brianna Ghey’s killer fails in bid to have sentence reduced due to his ‘immaturity’

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Eddie Ratcliffe, who was 15 when he and a friend murdered the schoolgirl, wanted 20-year minimum jail term to be cut

One of the two teenagers convicted of the murder of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey has failed in his attempt to reduce the length of his sentence after claiming a judge failed to take into account his “immaturity”.

Eddie Ratcliffe was detained for life with a minimum term of 20 years in February for the murder, along with Scarlett Jenkinson, who received a minimum term of 22 years.

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Starmer accuses Whitehall of being comfortable with failure in landmark speech

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Prime minister sets out milestones for delivery but faces claims of watering down targets and ignoring immigration

Keir Starmer accused Whitehall of becoming comfortable with failure as he challenged civil servants to hit a series of policy targets and deliver on 150 “major infrastructure projects”.

Ushering in the “next phase” for the five-month-old Labour government, the prime minister urged “a profound cultural shift away from a declinist mentality” and a relentless focus on getting things done.

Higher real household disposable income and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by the end of this parliament, as part of a long-term aim to make the UK the fastest-growing G7 economy.

Building 1.5m homes in England and fast-tracking planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects.

Putting the UK “on track” to achieve at least 95% clean power by 2030.

Meeting the NHS standard of 92% of patients in England waiting no longer than 18 weeks for elective care.

Getting a record 75% of five-year-olds ready to learn when they start school.

A named police officer for every beat, and 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers for England and Wales.

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Prison population in England and Wales set to exceed 100,000 by 2029

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Rising prosecutions, higher maximum sentences and soaring number of people on remand driving growth from 86,000 today

The prison population could top 100,000 within five years in England and Wales, official estimates show.

The justice department acknowledged that a perfect storm of rising prosecutions, politicians bringing in higher maximum sentences, and soaring numbers of people on remand – meaning they are in jail awaiting trial or sentencing – are responsible for the projected rise.

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Keir Starmer says new ‘milestones’ on living standards, NHS and more are ‘almighty challenge’ – as it happened

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Prime minister makes speech intended to to show Labour government is ‘delivering change’

Starmer says there is record dissatisfaction with the NHS. The public insititutions but that they are not beyond repair.

Says this is great nation and we are rediscovering that we can do new things and we can deliver the change that they voted.

The purpose of this government is to make our public services work. It’s cause that demands the full power of government.

Starmer is up. Opening gambit is a swipe at Kemi Badenoch: the leader of the opposition thinks if you do a couple of shifts in McDonald’s you can become working-class.

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CEO of Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group says budget felt like being ‘kicked in the face’

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Sports Direct owner reports weaker consumer confidence before and after the budget as it cuts profit expectations

The chief executive of the high street retail giant Frasers said that “we felt we’d been kicked in the face” after Rachel Reeves’ autumn budget.

Frasers said it had witnessed weaker confidence among shoppers leading up to and since the budget, as the company reduced its profit forecasts for the year.

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Hundreds detained in Northern Ireland in crackdown on people smugglers

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Gangs charging €8,000 for illegal travel packages that avoid crossing Channel on small boats

Hundreds of people have been detained in Northern Ireland trying to get into Great Britain by crossing the border from Ireland in an operation aimed at cracking down on people smugglers.

Criminal gangs are charging up to €8,000 for the illegal travel package they present as a safer route to crossing the Channel on small boats , say immigration officials.

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French authorities rescue 85 migrants trying to cross Channel

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Authorities say ‘numerous’ boats set out to sea and that one called for help after hitting a sandbank off the Pas-de-Calais region

The French navy rescued 85 migrants trying to cross the Channel from France to England on Wednesday, maritime authorities said, the latest in a deadly series of dangerous crossings.

One of “numerous” migrant boats that set out to sea called for help after hitting a sandbank off the Pas-de-Calais region, France’s Channel and North Sea maritime prefecture said in a statement.

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Starmer seeks to relaunch premiership with new promise to crack down on crime

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After a rocky start, PM sets out ‘next phase’ covering economic growth, NHS backlogs, energy, and a ‘bobby on every beat’

Keir Starmer will attempt to reset his premiership with a series of pledges to show he is “delivering change”, including 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and a named “bobby on every beat”.

In a speech Labour hopes will set out the “next phase” of government, the prime minister will detail half a dozen “milestone” targets covering living standards, NHS backlogs, secure energy, housebuilding and children’s readiness for school.

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