Tube strikes force Coldplay to reschedule final two Wembley concerts August 30, 2025 Coldplay have rescheduled the final two dates of their 10-show run at Wembley Stadium due to strikes on the London Underground. The Chris Martin-fronted band said the strikes, which will see Rail, Maritime And Transport (RMT) union members on the Tube take industrial action at different times from September 5 for seven days, had made [...]
Ministers brace for fresh protests and legal battles after asylum hotel ruling August 30, 2025 Keir Starmer has been warned by a Labour grandee that voters will continue to shift to Reform UK unless decisive action is taken to address the migrants crisis. The government won a Court of Appeal challenge against an an injunction which would have seen asylum seekers moved out of the Bell Hotel, Epping, but ministers [...]
Conservatives call for ethics probe into Angela Rayner’s tax affairs August 30, 2025 Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner should face an ethics inquiry over her tax affairs, the Conservatives have said. The Telegraph newspaper claimed that Rayner, who is also the Housing Secretary, saved £40,000 in stamp duty on a second home she bought in Hove for £800,000. This was because she removed her name from the deed [...]
Why Chelsea have hardest and Arsenal easiest Champions League trips August 30, 2025 The exotic away trips offered by the Champions League are part of its appeal for supporters but they can come at a price for players, and in that respect Arsenal and Chelsea have been dealt wildly differing hands by this year’s competition. Thursday’s draw for the league phase gave Arsenal trips to Inter Milan (for [...]
Olympic swimmers to take on length of Thames in sewage protest August 29, 2025 Olympic-level swimmers are set to navigate the length of the Thames next week in a bid to highlight calls for better protection from pollution of the UK’s waterways, lakes and seas. Eight elite swimmers are taking part in the non-stop relay, which will begin at the source of the Thames in Gloucestershire on Monday and [...]
What the FCA scam surge tells us about fraud in 2025 August 29, 2025 When fraudulent actors start posing as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) itself, you know the scam problem has entered a new phase. The UK’s chief financial regulator confirmed this week that it has already received nearly 5,000 reports of impersonation scams in the first half of 2025, with almost 500 victims tricked into handing over [...]
Home Office wins appeal to keep asylum seekers in Epping hotel August 29, 2025 Asylum seekers will be allowed to stay at a hotel in Epping, after the Court of Appeal overturned a previous ruling from the High Court. The decision from the second highest court in the UK means that the 138 men currently housed at The Bell Hotel in the Essex town can stay put. Earlier in [...]
Investec raises growth forecast and backs November interest rate cut August 29, 2025 Global banking firm Investec has lifted its growth projections for the UK economy with another interest rate cut pencilled in for 2025. The financial services company expects the UK economy to grow 1.5 per cent this year and 1.6 per cent in 2026. This trumps the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast, which expects the [...]
Government under fire as data breach review finally goes public August 29, 2025 The government has released a long-delayed review of its own data handling practices, following pressure from MPs, which raises questions about the ability of Whitehall to safeguard sensitive information. This review comes at a time when digital transformation is intended to reshape public services. The Information Security Review, carried out in 2023 but withheld from [...]
National Insurance ‘final nail in coffin’ for landlords as some already seek exit August 29, 2025 A national insurance raid on landlords’ rental income risks being the final straw for smaller landlords, with some already making plans to leave the sector. The Chancellor is reportedly examining proposals for applying national insurance (NI) to rental income in the hope of raising £2bn. Earnings from property, pensions and savings are currently largely exempt from NI [...]