Category: News Story

STORY

In a major rebuke of former President Donald Trump’s unilateral trade measures, the U.S. Court of International Trade today declared his 2 April 2025 “Liberation Day” tariffs illegal, finding he exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). A three-judge panel unanimously vacated the vast majority of the 10% baseline duty and higher reciprocal levies on goods from nations with significant trade surpluses, concluding that general trade imbalances do not qualify as an “unusual and extraordinary threat.”

The ruling stems from consolidated lawsuits brought by small businesses and 12 states challenging the emergency-powers orders. While the decision leaves in place sector-specific tariffs on steel and automotive imports—imposed under separate legal provisions—it blocks the broader, across-the-board duties that had rattled global markets and prompted immediate outcry from U.S. trading partners. Financial markets responded positively to the judgement, with U.S. stock indices edging higher and Asian equities following suit on relief that newly declared levies will not take effect. Opposition politicians and legal scholars hailed the verdict as a vital check on executive overreach, emphasising that power to impose wide-ranging tariffs resides with Congress, not the president acting unilaterally.

The Justice Department has pledged to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, insisting that the president possesses the right to safeguard national economic security. In the meantime, Trump has already paused further tariffs on the European Union and renegotiated certain duties with China to avert further disruption.

STORY

The Government today announced a £9.5 million extension of the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, bringing earlier and better support to around 300,000 children with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions. From September, an additional 1,200 primary schools will join the initiative, which trains teachers to identify pupils’ needs, improves parental engagement and boosts attendance, behaviour and wellbeing.

One in seven pupils is estimated to be neurodivergent, yet many miss out on specialist support, facing higher rates of bullying, suspension and absence. The expanded PINS rollout means that in total 2,800 schools will benefit from tailored training delivered by education and health professionals, enabling class teachers to spot early signs of sensory overload, social communication difficulties or emotional dysregulation and to implement bespoke interventions.

Schools in the programme host termly parent–teacher forums, ensuring families can feed back on their child’s support plan and feel empowered to work in partnership with staff. At Carfield Primary in Yorkshire, for example, staggered lunchtimes and sensory-friendly spaces have cut pupil overstimulation, while attendance has risen from 93 per cent to 95 per cent. Parents report that their children’s confidence, reading skills and peer relationships have all improved under the PINS approach. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the move formed part of the Government’s Plan for Change to fix England’s broken SEND system: “No child should reach crisis point before getting the right help. By embedding neurodiversity expertise in every classroom, we can level up life chances and make inclusion the default, not the exception.”

STORY

Irish-language hip-hop group Kneecap will no longer perform at Glasgow’s TRNSMT festival this July after organisers withdrew the controversial band amid “safety concerns” raised by Police Scotland. The trio, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (aka Mo Chara), JJ Ó Dochartaigh and Naoise Ó Cairealláin, had been scheduled to appear on the opening night, 11 July, on Glasgow Green. Police Scotland warned that facilitating Kneecap’s performance would require a “significant policing operation” following increased scrutiny of the band’s on-stage rhetoric and recent legal controversies. Ó hAnnaidh was charged by the Metropolitan Police with a terror offence for allegedly displaying a flag supporting a proscribed organisation during a London gig. Footage from a 2023 concert, in which a member was heard chanting, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory” further amplified concerns over public safety and potential disorder.

In a statement on social media, TRNSMT organisers said: “Due to concerns expressed by the police about safety at the event, Kneecap will no longer perform at TRNSMT on Friday, 11 July.” The band responded with regret to fans who had booked tickets, travel and accommodation, stressing the decision was “out of our hands” and reiterating their love for Glasgow, where they have performed “many, many times” without incident .

STORY

At a high-level meeting of the OSCE in Vienna, the United Kingdom delivered a blunt warning to Moscow that President Vladimir Putin’s insistence on continuing the war in Ukraine is inflicting untold suffering on civilians and inflicting severe economic damage on Russia itself. Speaking on behalf of the UK delegation, Lt Col Joby Rimmer stressed that Britain’s priority is an immediate, lasting ceasefire to pave the way for genuine negotiations and an end to the humanitarian crisis. Rimmer highlighted a recent wave of Russian attacks – a weekend assault involving 69 missiles and nearly 300 drones striking more than 30 Ukrainian towns and cities – which claimed at least a dozen civilian lives, including children, and wrecked homes and public celebrations alike. “These actions are not those of a government seeking peace” he declared “but of one determined to prolong suffering and instability.”

Behind the battlefield carnage, the Kremlin is also exacting a punishing toll on its own people. With interest rates soaring to 21 percent, defence spending swallowing 40 percent of the federal budget and social services reduced for the first time since the Soviet collapse, Russia is depleting its precious National Wealth Fund and losing hundreds of billions in energy revenues. Lt Col Rimmer warned that these figures lay bare a leadership that prioritises war over the welfare of its citizens.

Despite these pressures, Moscow has rebuffed every call for a ceasefire. In response, the UK confirmed it stands ready to tighten sanctions further if Russia refuses to halt hostilities. At the same time, Britain reiterated its full spectrum support for Ukraine – from defensive weaponry and training on the frontline to a record aid package for reconstruction. Officials estimate Ukraine will need over half a trillion dollars in the coming decade to rebuild schools, hospitals, roads and homes destroyed by Russian forces.

In closing, the UK statement affirmed that Russia’s invasion remains a gross violation of international law and the principles that underpin European security. “We will continue to stand with Ukraine – militarily, economically and diplomatically – until peace is achieved, and Ukraine’s sovereignty is safeguarded” Rimmer concluded, underscoring London’s commitment to a free and democratic future for Ukraine.

STORY

A Bradford man who used his wife’s identity to secure £100,000 of Bounce Back Loan funds he wasn’t entitled to has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment after admitting a string of Covid-era fraud offences. Shohid Ahmed, 40, applied for three maximum-value loans on behalf of Red Square Restaurants Limited, trading as Ruby’s Lounge, using his wife’s name because she had a stronger credit history. Although one application was refused, he received £100,000 in May and June 2020 despite the business having already applied to strike off its Companies House registration and not trading.

To conceal his actions, Ahmed created a false director by filing companies house paperwork naming an unwitting tenant of his father’s as the restaurant’s new manager. He then fabricated invoices, including one for a £15,000 interior redesign, to suggest the borrowed cash had been spent legitimately, when in fact it was not used for the company’s benefit. Ahmed pleaded guilty earlier this year to offences under the Fraud Act 2006, Companies Act 2006 and Insolvency Act 1986. At Bradford Crown Court on 27 May, Judge Jonathan Rose QC described his conduct as “highly deceptive” noting he had implicated an innocent member of the public in the deception.

Ahmed has so far repaid just £5,000 of the stolen funds. Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Insolvency Service is now pursuing the recovery of the remaining £95,000. In addition to his custodial term, Ahmed was disqualified from acting as a company director for 11 years following earlier misconduct at Red Square Restaurants.

STORY

Ofwat, the regulator for England and Wales’s water industry, has imposed its largest-ever penalty on Thames Water, fining the company a total of £122.7 million after finding systemic failures in its wastewater management and improper payments to shareholders. The fine is split into two parts, firstly, £104.5 million for breaching wastewater rules, Ofwat’s investigation uncovered that Thames Water allowed raw sewage to flow into rivers and streams on hundreds of occasions in 2024, with storm overflows spilling “routinely and not in exceptional circumstances” causing extensive environmental damage. Secondly, £18.2 million for paying dividends to investors despite record pollution and poor customer service performance, marking the first time Ofwat has penalised a water company for dividend rule breaches.

David Black, Chief Executive of Ofwat, said the penalties reflected a “clear-cut case where Thames Water has let down its customers and failed to protect the environment” adding that the regulator would not hesitate to act again if similar failings recur. Thames Water serves around 16 million customers in London and the Thames Valley but has been grappling with nearly £20 billion of debt. Earlier this year, it secured a £3 billion emergency loan to stave off collapse and is in advanced talks with private equity firm KKR over a potential takeover and restructuring plan.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed welcomed the fines as evidence that “the era of profiting from failure is over” while environmental groups and opposition politicians renewed calls for the company to be placed into a special administration regime or brought back into public ownership to safeguard Britain’s waterways. Ofwat confirmed that customers would not bear the cost of the fines; instead, the penalties will be met by the company and its investors.

STORY

A husband-and-wife team who ran the wedding entertainment company Solfan1 Limited—trading as The Best Singing Waiters—have been disqualified as company directors for eight years after continuing to take customer payments when they knew the business was on the brink of collapse.

Frederick Reeves, 49 (also known as Jamie Reeves), and his wife Claire Reeves, 41, of Dickens Place, Wigan, ran the surprise ‘singing waiter’ service, in which performers blended in as catering staff before bursting into song. Despite mounting debts and a winding-up petition from HM Revenue & Customs for more than £200,000, the couple carried on accepting deposits and full payments from 43 customers across the UK between 28 March and the company’s liquidation on 1 May 2024, receiving some £43,590 in total.

Solfan1 Limited was incorporated in November 2015 and went into liquidation with liabilities exceeding £700,000 and assets of just over £168,000. Although Frederick Reeves was never formally appointed a director, he acknowledged acting in that capacity when accepting his disqualification.

Rob Clarke, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said the Reeveses’ actions “fell well short of the standards we expect of company directors” and left many couples “heartbroken” when the promised performers failed to appear at their weddings.

The bans prevent both Frederick and Claire Reeves from promoting, forming or managing any company without the court’s permission until May 2033.

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The Government today announced a sweeping set of reforms and financial measures designed to turbocharge smaller housebuilders and accelerate the delivery of thousands of new homes across England. Unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, the package simplifies planning rules, eases regulatory burdens and unlocks fresh funding for small and medium-sized enterprises, aiming to deliver 1.5 million homes under the Government’s Plan for Change milestone.

Under the new framework, developments of up to nine homes will benefit from faster, officer-led decisions and streamlined Biodiversity Net Gain requirements, removing the need for many small-scale schemes to return to full planning committees. Meanwhile, sites of 10–49 homes will enter a newly created “medium site” category, exempt from the Building Safety Levy and subject to simplified environmental rules, cutting costs and speeding up delivery.

To bolster land supply and financing, Homes England will reserve more of its estates exclusively for SMEs, and a forthcoming National Housing Delivery Fund will offer long-term credit facilities and lending alliances tailored to smaller builders. Additionally, a pilot “Small Sites Aggregator” will launch in Bristol, Sheffield and Lewisham to bundle hard-to-develop plots and attract private investment, with a focus on creating new social rent homes in underused urban areas.

The announcement is backed by a further £100 million in SME Accelerator Loans from an expanded Home Building Fund, £10 million for local authorities to recruit environmental specialists, and a £1.2 million PropTech Innovation Fund to spur digital solutions for site delivery. Together, officials say, these steps will restore SMEs’ share of the market—once 40% in the 1980s—and support the training of the next generation of construction apprentices.

Angela Rayner said, “For decades, smaller housebuilders have been hamstrung by red tape and high costs. Today, we’re levelling the playing field so they can deliver the homes our communities desperately need and get working people onto the housing ladder.”

STORY

A Stoke-on-Trent man who subjected his former partner to a sustained campaign of violence and coercive control has had his originally suspended sentence overturned by the Court of Appeal and replaced with a two-year and four-month prison term.

Philip Humphreys, 39, was first sentenced on 7 March 2025 to 18 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years, alongside 200 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation days, after pleading guilty to one count of controlling and coercive behaviour. Following a referral by the Attorney General under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, the Court of Appeal ruled that the initial term failed to reflect the seriousness of his offences and imposed an immediate custodial sentence of 28 months on 23 May 2025.

The court heard that Humphreys’ abuse began soon after he moved in with his partner in April 2022. He routinely accused her of infidelity, monitored her whereabouts, dictated her clothing choices and stole approximately £6,000 from her—most of which was spent on drugs. His violence escalated during a holiday when he strangled the victim and dragged her backwards in a hotel corridor, only stopping when interrupted by a receptionist. Even after their relationship ended, Humphreys continued to terrorise her by driving past her home in a sustained pattern of intimidation.

Lord Hermer KC, speaking on behalf of the Attorney General, condemned Humphreys’ “sustained physical and psychological campaign of abuse” and praised the victim’s bravery in coming forward. “Philip Humphreys is a violent man,” he said. “I welcome the court’s decision to increase his sentence, and hope it serves as a strong warning to domestic abusers that we will use the full force of the law to keep violent offenders off our streets.”

STORY

The disgraced Michelle Mone has refused to take part in the BBC documentary ‘The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone’ which has made a further series of allegations about the scandal hit politician. Mone refused to quit the House of Lords despite admitting that she had lied about her involvement and links with PPE contacts. Mone defended herself by saying that “lying to the press is not a crime”, rejecting the potential damage to the integrity of the political process. Despite threats made against them by Mone, David Conn and other journalists from the Guardian newspaper continued to seek the truth over her personal conduct.

Stripped of the Conservative whip and subject to a National Crime Agency investigation, she refused to respond to allegations made by former advisers and legal experts that were made on the programme.

The documentary asks, “How did one of the UK’s most lauded entrepreneurs become its most notorious Covid profiteer?” and the programme will be available on BBC iPlayer.