Author: UK News

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Friday’s newspapers feature a mix of headlines, with several papers picking up on the latest political news from Westminster.  Labour’s small boat plans The Guardian leads on Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to tackle illegal immigration. The paper says his plans have been criticised by both the left and right. The paper says Labour’s plan to do a deal with the EU prompted a day of bitter exchanges with the PM and home secretary. But there was also some criticism from Labour MPs, who accused Sir Kier of appealing to anti-migrant sentiments. The Daily Express…

Protests after shocking video shows woman accused of theft ‘strangled’ in shop The Independent says Protests have been held after a shocking video showed a woman accused of theft being ‘strangled’ in a shop. During a clip of the incident, that occurred in Peckham Hair and Cosmetics in Peckham, south-east London on Monday afternoon, a Black woman is seen being restrained by a large man. “Get the f**k off me,” the woman can be heard shouting in a video shot by a fellow customer. “Call the police (…) This man just strangled me”. Police officers were called to the shop…

What’s the truth about the Peckham shop scuffle? The Spectator says Rye Lane in south London’s Peckham is a lively place day and night, but yesterday evening the atmosphere was distinctly ugly. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside a store to protest about a shopkeeper’s treatment of a customer, who was accused of theft. A viral video, filmed inside Peckham Hair and Cosmetics on Monday, shows why they are angry: a black woman is seen being manhandled by an Asian employee. The circumstances of what unfolded are unclear; some reports suggest the woman was trying to return some items but was…

Man interviewed by police after video of confrontation at Peckham shop went viral Sky News says A 45-year-old man has been interviewed by police under caution after a video of a confrontation at a shop in Peckham went viral and sparked protests. Video footage of a woman hitting a man with a shopping basket as he appeared to choke her on Monday provoked anger among people in southeast London who objected to the way he had reacted. Demonstrators gathered outside the shop on Tuesday afternoon after the video was shared on social media. The row broke out after the woman…

Peckham shopkeeper at centre of ‘choking’ row takes refuge from angry demonstrators in secret hideout and hits back at ‘racism’ accusations – as protesters continue to gather outside his shop plastered with angry notes Daily Mail says The shopkeeper at the centre of the ‘throttling’ controversy in his London shop tonight appealed for calm as protesters continued to gather outside his store. Sohail Sindho, 45, spoke to MailOnline at his secret hideout, where he has taken refuge from angry protesters, following the viral video which shows him grappling with a female customer in his Peckham Hair and Cosmetics store. Mr…

Labour plans anti-terror style crackdown on people trafficking Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer has said people-smuggling should be treated “on a par” with terrorism, ahead of talks about a new security deal with Europe. Sir Keir will seek a provisional agreement with the EU’s policing body, Europol, for any future Labour government. Any deal to return migrants may require accepting migrant quotas from the EU. Sir Keir said: “The government’s failure to tackle the criminal smuggling gangs orchestrating boat crossings is now so profound that I believe it needs to be considered on a par with the other three big security…

Sara Sharif: Three relatives arrested on suspicion of murder Three relatives of Sara Sharif, 10 – the little girl found dead at her Surrey home in August, have been arrested on murder charges since they returned to the UK from Pakistan. Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 41, his wife Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28 were arrested at Gatwick Airport at around 19:45 BST. Police said three people were in custody and would be interviewed. Sara’s body was found at her home in Woking on 10 August. The three adults, who lived with her, left the UK for…

Met Police: Women arrested at Sarah Everard vigil paid damages The Met Police have paid damages to two women who were arrested at the London vigil for the murdered woman Sarah Everard, in 2021. Patsy Stevenson and Dania Al-Obeid took legal action against the Met over their arrests at the protest during Covid restriction. The law firm representing them said a settlement has been reached and “substantial” damages paid. The Met said they settled because it was “the most appropriate decision, to minimise the ongoing impact on all involved”. In March 2021, hundreds attended the vigil for Sarah Everard, 33.…

Stonegate says the price increases will help cover staff costs and extra cleaning.

Is it nearly time for a time change?

Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, Liz Truss, has written a book about her 49 days in office. And no one is really sure why. 

This country has endured more than 13 years of Tory governments, experiencing years of austerity, economic turmoil and social divisions, and on top of that, we now get to hear the thoughts of the woman who sent the markets into meltdown amid a spiralling cost of living crisis and standards of living in apparent freefall. 

Liz Truss – the woman who was outlasted by a lettuce, the woman who almost crashed the economy, resigned from office less than two months after she entered it. 

Many are wondering if she could really have enough to write an entire book and if she does, why on earth would she want to remind anyone about her time in office? This is the leader who recorded the lowest-ever prime minister approval rating in the history of Britain.

Voter ID: General election could face serious disruption – survey A local government think-tank has suggested the rules on voter ID could cause “serious disruption” to the general election. Next year will mark the first general election where all voters will have to show a form of voter photo ID.   The government claims Voter ID helps crack down on potential voter fraud. But electoral administrators surveyed by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) warned they will not have enough staff to implement the new rules, without more funding. England’s local May elections saw roughly 14,000 people unable to vote as they…

What time is PMQs today? Rishi Sunak to face Sir Keir after more economic gloom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will face Labour’s Keir Starmer at this week’s Prime Minister’s Question (PMQs). The latest face-off comes after recent figures revealed the UK economy shrunk further than expected in July. The latest data from ONS show the economy contracted by 0.5 per cent, where economists had forecast a 0.2 per cent decline. The ONS points to strikes and wet weather as contributing factors to the data. The economy will be a key political battleground ahead of the next general election, especially as…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Wednesday’s newspaper front pages report on various stories. Several of the papers lead on the devastating floods in Libya – as 10,000 remain missing as a dam bursts. The state pension triple lock and England’s 3-1 win over Scotland are also popular front-page leads this morning. Libya floods The Guardian leads with the floods. The paper’s headline says “beyond comprehension” as it claims whole neighbourhoods have been “washed away.” The Metro says local officials have described “apocalyptic scenes”, whilst the Sun says “catastrophic.” The Financial Times features a picture of the devastating aftermath of…

Dozens of postcodes across the capital have no running water.

Police quickly realised it was a prank gone wrong.

‘I’ve still got a journey ahead of me, but I’m super proud of the point I’m at in my recovery.’

Ryan Maqsood’s own lyrics were used against him as crucial evidence.

It’s a sad day for the Great British high street.

Luke Davis, 29, has previously denied the offence and is due at Worcester Crown Court for a plea hearing on November 24. 

Sara Sharif: Pakistan court hearings take place over custody of children Pakistani courts are discussing the temporary custody of five children who travelled from the UK with Sara Sharif’s father. Sara, 10, was found dead at her home in Surrey on 10 August. Just a day before her father, uncle and stepmother fled the UK for Pakistan. Post-mortem examinations found Sara suffered “multiple and extensive injuries”. Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, stepmother Beinash Batool and his brother Faisal Malik left the UK with five children aged between one and 13. All three adults are wanted in the UK as part of…

Triple lock means state pension set to rise by 8.5% in April The state pension is expected to experience an 8.5% increase in April following the release of vital data integral to the triple lock system. This policy ensures that the state pension increment is determined as the highest among average earnings, inflation, or a fixed 2.5% rate. Those earnings – which are total pay, including bonuses – were recorded at 8.5%, and the inflation figure is unlikely to be higher. That means the state pension is likely to rise by 8.5%, which would be a weekly increase of £13.30.…

Government may have broken law over sewage releases – watchdog The UK government and regulators may have broken the law over how they regulate sewage releases, the UK’s environment watchdog has said. The Office for Environmental Protection announced its preliminary findings into an investigation on Tuesday. The regulators and Defra now have two months to provide a response before a final decision is made. In response to the announcement the government said: “The volume of sewage discharged is completely unacceptable. That is why we are the first government in history to take such comprehensive action to tackle it”. But it…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Tuesday’s newspapers lead on a variety of stories. There is continued coverage of the parliamentary researcher arrested for spying for China – he is reportedly claiming his innocence. UK China spy The response from some MPs after they were told not to identify the parliamentary researcher facing accusations of spying for China, the Daily Mail says. The paper says the man was arrested under the Offical Secrets Act in Mark and had some links to some Tory MPs. He insists he is innocent. The Guardian asks why MPs were not informed about the arrest…

A 2022 review estimated full restoration of parliament could cost as much as £22 billion and require up to 76 years to complete.