News 20/08/26

New footage has been released by the Home Office showing small boat migrants throwing objects at French police as officers attempted to prevent Channel launches.

The footage was shared to highlight the impact of a six hundred and sixty-two million pound agreement signed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in April. Figures from Paris show a five per cent increase in crossings prevented by French police under the deal.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been transferred from prison to a hospital in Islamabad following concerns over his health.

Heavily guarded security escorted Khan from Adiala jail to Shifa International Hospital. The move follows an order from the Supreme Court requiring medical examinations within forty-eight hours. Khan has been imprisoned since 2023 on corruption charges he insists are politically motivated.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has defended a Home Office guide advising asylum seekers not to commit rape or harassment.

Speaking to broadcasters, the Prime Minister said the government wanted to make UK law explicitly clear, emphasizing that anyone who breaks the law will be removed from the country. He added that work is currently under way to ensure foreign national offenders who can be removed from the prison system are taken out.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s surprise announcement that they will return to the UK this month has reignited questions over their security.

Prince Harry and Meghan plan to relocate from the US to a non-royal residence outside London, with their children starting school in September. The body overseen by the Home Office must now make a new decision on protection, following the downgrade of their arrangements in 2020.

Britain’s biggest banks have warned the government against raising taxes on the financial sector ahead of Chancellor John Healey’s inaugural Budget in October.

In a letter sent by trade body UK Finance, major lenders including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest told the Chancellor that further tax increases would risk damaging the country’s international competitiveness. The intervention follows reports that JPMorgan Chase chief Jamie Dimon also cautioned against new levies.

A closer look at this year’s GCSE results across England, Wales and Northern Ireland reveals growing underlying issues despite stable overall pass rates.

Figures show that students resitting English and maths in England are dragging down overall performance in those subjects. The findings highlight wider problems within a retake system which ministers themselves have previously described as demoralising and in need of reform.

An academic who accused the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarism has been suspended from his position at a university in Belgium.

Nathan Cofnas was among those who questioned Professor Arday’s work prior to his death on the fourteenth of August. Ghent University confirmed a staff member had been suspended as a precaution pending a preliminary disciplinary investigation, while Cofnas claimed he is being investigated for discrimination.

A man has been charged in connection with the Manchester synagogue attack.

Counter Terrorism Police said forty-nine-year-old Hekmat Omar Ali Hakim, of Salford, faces a charge of failing to disclose information regarding terrorist activity. He has been remanded to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday. Officers confirmed the charge relates directly to the attack in October last year, when two men were killed at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue by Jihad Al-Shamie, who was shot dead at the scene.

John Swinney has defended using over £45,000 of public money on business-class flights to the World Cup for himself and two senior aides.

Scotland’s First Minister flew to Boston for the national team’s opening match before attending trade talks in Kentucky. While lower-ranking officials flew economy, the government insisted costs were minimised, with ministers arguing business class ensured representatives arrived fresh for overseas duties.

BBC DJ and presenter Trevor Nelson has revealed he stepped away from work after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The sixty-two-year-old broadcaster, who has been off air since June, told social media followers that his world was turned upside down by the diagnosis. However, he confirmed he has now undergone a very serious operation, which went incredibly well.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has described Harry and Meghan’s planned return to the UK as a private matter.

Speaking in Bradford this morning, the prime minister wished the couple well in their move, but declined to confirm whether the government would provide or fund their security arrangements. Prince Harry has previously raised concerns about family safety in the UK after losing a legal battle over his security provision in 2025.

A man who strangled and kicked a woman before she escaped to a petrol station has been jailed for nearly three years.

Thirty-five-year-old Charlie Stefano dragged the victim by the throat, held her over a staircase, and snapped her phone in half during the attack in Chatham, Kent, in February. The woman managed to flee the property when Stefano became distracted.

Work has begun on removing train carriages following a derailment near Lewes with one hundred and fifty people on board.

Thirty people were injured, two seriously, when a London Victoria to Eastbourne service came off the tracks last Thursday. Rail investigators identified a track defect at the scene, with operator GTR and Network Rail promising to implement any recommendations from the inquiry.

Girls have once again achieved better GCSE results than boys, though the gap between genders continues to narrow.

Figures released this morning show nearly seventy-four per cent of females passed with grade four or C and above, compared to under sixty-eight per cent of males. The five-point-nine percentage point gap marks a small drop from last year, and is down from nearly seven percentage points in 2023.

Travelodge chief executive Jo Boydell has stepped down as the hotel chain addresses security concerns following a sexual assault at one of its locations.

A female guest was attacked at a Maidenhead hotel in 2022 after a man falsely obtained a room key card from staff. Boydell faced criticism over the firm’s handling of safety issues, as a review into hotel security measures remains under way.

UK cinema chains are considering banning Meta AI smart glasses over fears they could be used for piracy.

The UK Cinema Association confirmed major operators are reviewing policies to restrict or prohibit camera-enabled glasses. The wearable technology features frames with embedded cameras capable of discreet recording, which show a small flashing light during taping.

More than 80,000 people have been removed from the UK since the 2024 general election, representing a 52% increase on the preceding two years.

The Home Office said deportations have reached their highest level since 2016. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the figures as a vital step towards restoring border control.

Heavy showers and thunderstorms continue to affect large parts of the UK today, bringing risks of flooding and travel disruption.

A Met Office yellow warning covers northern England and north Wales, with downpours drifting south and east towards East Anglia and the Midlands. Drivers are warned of slippery roads, while temperatures across the country are set to drop below the August average.