Lead News

Rachel Reeves has squeezed the welfare budget further and boosted defence spending in a Spring Statement aimed at kick-starting the faltering economy. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) – the government’s financial watchdog – halved its growth forecast for this year to 1%. The chancellor blamed global instability, arguing that the world was “changing before our eyes” and promising a ...

There is no evidence to suggest the substation fire that shut down Heathrow airport was suspicious, police say. The fire, which broke out in Hayes on Friday, resulted in the closure of Britain’s busiest airport for a day. Counter-terrorism officers were briefly drafted in to investigate. However, the Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that the incident was no longer being ...

The lives of British servicemen and women have not been put at risk by a major security breach in the United States, the UK armed forces minister has told MPs. Luke Pollard said he had “high confidence” that British operational security remains “intact”. It comes after after a US journalist was inadvertently added to a secret group chat where senior ...

A lawyer investigating former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has found “credible evidence” he and his staff mistreated two female team members in ways that “seem to amount to harassment”. Jacqueline Perry KC, employed by Reform to investigate after complaints were raised in February, found evidence of “victimisation, constant criticisms and discriminatory behaviour”. Parliamentary officials have launched a separate bullying ...

The government will end a contract with a provider of hotel places for asylum seekers after an audit identified concerns about the firm’s performance. Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL) provides around a quarter of Home Office asylum accommodation in 51 hotels in England and Wales. It also operates Napier Barracks in Kent, which houses people awaiting asylum decisions and is due ...

Flights have resumed at Heathrow Airport and a full service is expected on Saturday following an “unprecedented” loss of power caused by nearby a substation fire. About 200,000 passengers were affected as flights were grounded throughout Friday, with inbound planes being diverted to other airports in Europe after flames ripped through the North Hyde plant in Hayes, west London, on ...

London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest, will remain closed throughout Friday following a major power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electrical substation. Meanwhile, , at least 120 flights in the air were diverted to alternative locations, according to FlightRadar24. British Airways, Emirates and Air India have also issued statements to its passengers informing that all ...

Dozens of military leaders from countries interested in supporting Ukraine’s security during a potential ceasefire with Russia will gather in the UK on Thursday to discuss plans for a peacekeeping force. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is co-leading efforts to form a “coalition of the willing” alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, is set to address the meeting, which will ...

His father, Ershad Ali, was killed while serving in the Merchant Navy during World War II Sylhet resident Ataur Rahman has made a “request” to remove his father’s name from Tower Hill Memorial, a World War II memorial in London. He applied for a UK visa in December last year to visit the monument and pay respect to his fallen ...

The United Kingdom (UK) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening economic relations with Bangladesh through high-level discussions focused on trade, investment, and collaboration in key sectors such as education, aviation, and renewable energy. UK Investment Minister Baroness Gustafsson of Chesterton CBE recently met with Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the ...