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Rishi Sunak had significant doubt over Rwanda plan, papers suggest

Rishi Sunak had significant doubts about sending migrants to Rwanda when he was chancellor, papers seen by the BBC suggest. They suggest he wanted to scale back No 10’s original plans. They also indicate Mr Sunak was not sure they would stop Channel crossings. They also suggest he was reluctant to fund reception centres to accommodate migrants instead of using ...

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Hundreds more homes flooded after torrential rain

Hundreds of homes have been flooded in England following a powerful storm and a week of heavy rainfall. There are more than 300 flood warnings in force, the majority in the Midlands, East Anglia and southern England, with some residents forced to evacuate their properties. Flooded roads and railway tracks are bringing more delays for travellers. A major incident has ...

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Southern England: Heavy rain set to fall with flood warnings in place

Parts of the UK are set for another day of disruptive weather, with hundreds of flood alerts and warnings in place as more rain is expected. A Met Office yellow warning for rain is in place for the south of England from midday, with the potential for power cuts and travel disruption. The warning is set to last until 03:00 ...

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Statistics watchdog to examine government asylum backlog claims

The UK’s statistics watchdog is looking into the government’s claims to have cleared the asylum backlog. On Tuesday, the Home Office said it had fulfilled a pledge to clear a “legacy” backlog of 92,000 applications lodged before July 2022. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also tweeted that the government had cleared “the backlog of asylum decisions”. But official figures show a ...

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King and Queen at Sandringham church for New Year’s Eve service

King Charles and Queen Camilla waved at a crowd of onlookers as they arrived at church on New Year’s Eve. They attended a service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, on Sunday morning. The King and Queen were greeted by the Bishop of Norwich, the Right Reverend Graham Usher, and Reverend Canon Dr Paul Rhys Williams. Members of ...

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UK house prices fall in 2023, to stay subdued next year, says Nationwide

LONDON, Dec 29 : British house prices fell by 1.8% in the 12 months to December, recording the biggest decline over the course of a year since 2008 during the global financial crisis, mortgage lender Nationwide said on Friday. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a drop of 1.4%. In month-on-month terms, prices in December were flat compared ...

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Britain’s interior minister apologizes for joke about spiking his wife’s drink

British interior minister James Cleverly apologised on Sunday after he was reported to have joked about spiking his wife’s drink with a sedative known for its use as a date-rape drug. The Sunday Mirror tabloid reported that Cleverly, one of the most senior ministers in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government, had joked to female guests at an event this month ...

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Queues at Dover as Christmas getaway begins for millions

Millions of people across the country are making their Christmas getaway on one of the busiest days for travel of the year. There are long queues at the Port of Dover after a surge in demand for ferries caused by Thursday’s Eurotunnel strike action in France. Domestic train services in parts of the UK have also been disrupted. The RAC ...

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Home Office rows back on salary threshold for family visa

The Home Office has rowed back on plans to hike the salary needed to bring family members to the UK to £38,700 next spring. The increase – from the current level of £18,600 – was announced earlier this month as part of a plan to lower legal migration. But the new threshold will initially be set at £29,000, with further ...

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Sir Keir Starmer supports assisted dying law change

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has said there are “grounds for changing the law” on assisted dying. Sir Keir said MPs should be given a chance to vote with their conscience on the matter. A bill to legalise assisted dying in the UK was defeated in 2015, but was backed by Sir Keir and several Tory cabinet members. The issue ...

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