UK News
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Newcastle’s residential street ‘devastating explosion’ kills 7-year-old boy
Police say six more persons were transported to the hospital with "varying injuries" after the bomb and accompanying fire in the early hours of this morning. A seven-year-old boy died at the scene of an explosion in Newcastle's residential street. According to Northumbria Police Superintendent Darren Adams, six other people were transported to the hospital "with varying injuries" as a result of the bomb and fire in Violet Close.
The drop in foreign student visas is troubling for UK universities
According to recent data, overseas students seeking permits to study in the United Kingdom decreased this summer. According to Home Office estimates, 16% fewer visa applications were submitted between July and September than in the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, the number of visa applications for students' family members fell by 89% after the previous government's rule change took effect in January.
TSB is down: Banking app fails, leaving thousands of Brits unable to access their accounts
However, TSB's app is experiencing troubles this morning, leaving many Britons unable to access their accounts. According to Down Detector, the outage began at about 07:30 BST and affected consumers throughout the UK. TSB has now recognized the situation, tweeting: 'We apologize that some of our customers are having difficulty accessing our services this morning.
24 individuals linked to hundreds of Gosport War Memorial Hospital deaths
The Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate has taken 1,200 witness statements in connection with hundreds of deaths caused by opioid addiction at Gosport War Memorial Hospital. Police have identified 24 suspects as they probe the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients in Hampshire. The independent police inquiry into the deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital began after a 2018 investigation revealed that hundreds of patients' lives had been cut short due to the usage of opioids.
Separate trial clears Madeleine McCann suspect of rape
The key suspect in the disappearance of three-year-old British toddler Madeleine McCann has been found not guilty of a number of sexual offences in an unrelated trial. Christian Brückner, 47, who is already serving a seven-year sentence in Germany for rape, was cleared of three rapes and two cases of sexual abuse in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. Brückner has not been accused in the case of Madeleine McCann, who vanished in Portugal in 2007 and was never found.
Government: UK AI leadership at danger without data strategy
The UK must devise a strategy to fulfil the rising demand for data centres or risk losing its lead in the race to create artificial intelligence (AI). The digital economy relies heavily on data centres and warehouses that store CPUs that power cloud computing. They provide the power, connections, and security required for the massive processing power that underpins everything from personal device browsing to AI learning. The United Kingdom is Europe's largest data hub, with over 500 data centres, most located in the South East.
Bayesian superyacht sinking: Mike Lynch drowned, inquest finds
The cause of death for three more British casualties who died when the vessel sank off the coast of Sicily is still being investigated. Following the Bayesian superyacht catastrophe, IT tycoon Mike Lynch died from drowning, according to an inquiry. The 59-year-old businessman, who created software giant Autonomy in 1996, was one of seven persons killed when the boat sank off the coast of Sicily in August.
UK to Return Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Resolving Long-Standing Dispute
The United Kingdom has agreed to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, putting an end to a long-running dispute over Britain's last African colony. The UK expelled the Chagossians during the 1960s and 1970s, an act considered a "crime against humanity," while retaining control of the islands as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) after Mauritius gained independence in 1968.
96-Year-Old Woman Sentenced for Causing Death by Dangerous Driving
June Mills, a 96-year-old from Ainsdale, Merseyside, has been handed an 18-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to causing the death of 76-year-old Brenda Joyce in a fatal accident. Mills' vehicle mounted the pavement, hitting Joyce and another pedestrian in Formby in August of last year. During the hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, the court learned that Mills accidentally applied too much pressure on the accelerator of her Vauxhall Corsa, which led to the tragic collision. Her lawyer, Tom Gent, explained that "the accelerator pedal fell beneath her foot, she panicked and failed to react."
Marine Le Pen Faces Trial Over Alleged Misuse of EU Funds
Marine Le Pen, the long-time leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) and a presidential contender, goes on trial in Paris for allegedly misusing European parliamentary funds. More than 20 senior party officials are also implicated, accused of hiring assistants for party work instead of parliamentary duties, which were funded by the European Parliament. If convicted, Le Pen faces possible fines, imprisonment, and disqualification from running for office for up to 10 years, which would seriously impact her presidential hopes. She denies any wrongdoing. Party spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli stated, "We are going to prove there was no system of embezzling EU funds." He argued that it is possible to work as a parliamentary assistant while also being involved in party affairs.
UK Becomes First G7 Nation to End Coal Power
The UK, which has used coal to generate electricity since 1882, is set to close its final coal-fired power station, marking a significant shift towards renewable energy. The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire, owned by Uniper, will cease operations on Monday, ending 142 years of coal usage for electricity production in the country. As the first nation to generate public power from coal, the UK will now become the first G7 country to eliminate coal power entirely. Over the past decades, renewable energy sources like solar and offshore wind have gradually replaced coal, which once accounted for 80% of the UK’s electricity needs in 1990.
Met officers face misconduct hearings for accessing files on Sarah Everard case
Seven Metropolitan Police officers, including former Inspector Akinwale Ajose-Adeogun and former Trainee Detective Constable Hannah Rebbeck, are facing gross misconduct hearings for unauthorized access to files related to the disappearance and murder of Sarah Everard. The officers allegedly accessed these files without legitimate policing purposes, breaching confidentiality and discrediting the force. Among the officers involved are Detective Sergeant Robert Butters, Police Sergeant Mark Harper, PC Myles McHugh, PC Clare Tett, and Detective Constable Tyrone Ward. The misconduct hearings are scheduled between October 28 and November 15.