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Migrants charged up to 4,500 for fake gay asylum evidence Three arrested in Home Office raid in London More than 100 asylum claims under review Asylum fraud carries a maximum 10-year sentence MIGRANTS were charged up to 4,500 for fabricated evidence to support fake gay asylum claims, according to the Home Office, which has arrested three people after a raid on a suspected criminal network. The network is accused of selling staged photographs, fake letters and other documents to migrants pretendi

The Met Office says current forecasts do not support widespread UK snow or a prolonged freeze. El Nio could increase the chances of wetter and stormier weather later in autumn and early winter. The coming days are expected to bring rain, showers, stronger winds and some cooler spells. The UK weather forecast snow claims circulating online have been challenged by the Met Office, which has rejected suggestions that Britain is about to be hit by widespread snow, a major freeze or a polar vortex. Th

Highlights Eight-year-old Jeevna Kaur Notay was invited on stage by Diljit Dosanjh after he spotted her dancing in the crowd at his Manchester concert. The Leeds girl, who was born with a congenital limb difference, told Eastern Eye about the emotional moment and why wearing her pagh on stage made her proud. Her father Surjeet Singh Notay explains how amputee football helped Jeevna find a community and why he hopes her story will encourage other families. Eight-year-old Jeevna Kaur Notay arrived

Average five-year fixed mortgage rate reaches 6 per cent, the highest since September 2023. Only nine fixed-rate deals below 5 per cent remain, down from 1,494 at the start of September. Rising gilt yields and volatile swap rates are pushing up lenders funding costs. UK mortgage rates have climbed back to a three-year high, with the average five-year fixed mortgage rate reaching 6.00 per cent as almost all fixed-rate deals below 5 per cent disappear from the market. Moneyfacts said the average f

Highlights Simu Liu, 37, and Interscope Records executive Allison Hsu, 30, married in France over the weekend of October 3, TMZ reports Their engagement was announced on May 11, 2025, after a Paris proposal that included a video message from Taylor Swift Liu said earlier this year that good music was the one thing both of them insisted on for the wedding Liu returns as Shang-Chi in Avengers: Doomsday this December The wedding, as reported TMZ was first to report that Liu and Hsu were married in

The FCA has appointed board member Lea Paterson to review its handling of Andriesz. The regulator previously apologised after giving him incorrect advice about whistleblower protection. MPs are calling for an independent investigation rather than an internal FCA review. The UK's financial regulator has launched an investigation into how it handled a whistleblower who raised concerns about his former employer and later highlighted alleged business links between US commerce secretary Howard Lutnic

BA295 dropped from about 37,000 feet to 9,000 feet over Ireland. Oxygen masks deployed after the aircraft experienced a technical issue. The Boeing 777-200ER circled before safely landing back at Heathrow. A British Airways flight from London to Chicago was forced to turn back after making a sudden descent of around 28,000 feet over Ireland. Flight BA295 was about an hour into its transatlantic journey from London Heathrow to Chicago OHare when the Boeing 777-200ER descended from its cruising al

Trump says US withdrew all B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford He says threats were linked to Iran; Tehran denies involvement Downing Street insists the base is safe Six people arrested over incident released on bail US PRESIDENT Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States had withdrawn all its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford because of threats he believed were linked to Iran, as the UK government insisted the base was safe. The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that the bombers had left the base in s

Highlights AJ Pritchard has taken on a new presenting role on GB News The former Strictly Come Dancing professional appeared on The Saturday Five He presented a segment about shoplifting and petty crime Some viewers questioned why the dancer had moved into current-affairs presenting His delivery was mocked by some viewers on X, while others praised his performance Former Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard has surprised viewers with a new television role on GB News, but his appearanc

The author (Lord) Jeffrey Archer, who has an especially devoted following in India, died suddenly on Monday at his home in the UK at the age of 86. He would have liked the fact that his end resembled one of the twists in his tales. He passed away after he had spent Sunday promoting what he had declared was his very last novel, Adam & Eve . This was formally published on Tuesday, October 6, by HarperCollins, who announced he died suddenly and peacefully at his home between writing sessions. Kate

Highlights Rajinikanth returns as Muthuvel Pandian, but the trailer shows him living a surprisingly quiet life The sequel introduces new characters played by SJ Suryah, Vidya Balan and Suraj Venjaramoodu A blink-and-miss shot has sparked speculation about a possible Hrithik Roshan appearance The trailer hints that Muthuvel Pandians past is about to catch up with him Here are five details you may have missed in the Jailer 2 trailer Rajinikanth is back as Muthuvel Pandian, but the Jailer 2 trailer

Highlights Janhvi Kapoor has spoken out after an AI-morphed video featuring her went viral online The actress called the misuse of technology to objectify women deeply violating Janhvi said such manipulation is bordering on sexual assault She stressed that consent, choice and respect for a womans body should never be open to interpretation Janhvi Kapoor has broken her silence after an AI-morphed video featuring her likeness sparked outrage online, describing the misuse of technology to objectify

Green Party votes 1,022 to 813 to define Zionism as racism Israel bars party leader Zack Polanski from entering the country Jewish groups warn of risk to safety of British Jews At least three of five Green MPs opposed the motion ISRAEL has barred Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering the country after his party voted to define Zionism as racism at its annual conference on Sunday. Members backed the motion by 1,022 votes to 813. It states that Zionism should be reated as any other form

Reported losses from account hacking rose from 1.2m to 6.3m. Account takeovers made up 69 per cent of reported cybercrime cases. Report Fraud is urging people to use passkeys to secure their accounts. Criminals stole 6.3 million from people after hacking their email and social media accounts in the 2025-26 financial year, more than five times the amount reported a year earlier, according to new figures from Report Fraud. The losses rose from 1.2m in 2024-25, representing an increase of more than

BT has acquired TalkTalk and PlatformX Communications out of administration. The deal is intended to protect services for 2.5 million customers and around 900 employees. The CMA will examine the competition implications before the government considers wider public-interest concerns. BT has agreed to buy TalkTalk out of administration in a 400m rescue deal designed to prevent the collapse of the broadband provider and protect services for around 2.5 million customers across the UK. The deal gives

Highlights Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates are reportedly dating after growing close as Match of the Day co-hosts Chapman is said to have split from his girlfriend Clere Collier in April after three years together A report claims Chapman told Collier there was no overlap between the two relationships Chapman and Cates appeared together on Celebrity Gogglebox in July Cates previously opened up about her worries about dating again Match of the Day presenters Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates are reportedl

A YouGov projection puts the Tories second on 130 seats, ahead of Reform on 123. Reform's support slips amid a police investigation and a sleaze probe over a 5 million gift to Farage. Analysts call it a very small revival driven by Reform's fall rather than Tory gains. A split right-wing vote could help Labour, now led by Andy Burnham, hold key seats. THE CONSERVATIVES have overtaken Reform UK in a new seat projection, reversing a year in which Nigel Farage's party appeared on course to replace

A BRITISH ASIAN businessman and his former wife are fighting extradition to the US, where they are accused of defrauding American health programmes of millions of dollars by supplying cancer drugs that had not been approved by US regulators. Sukhi Ghuman and Kiranjit Ghuman, both 48 and now living in the UK, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London last week for an extradition hearing. The pair, who have divorced since the charges were brought, deny the allegations. They are also wan

POLICE in New Delhi detained several people on Saturday as they broke up a second day of protests against changes to India's voter rolls, led by the Gen Z-backed Cockroach Janta Party and other opposition groups. Protesters say the changes benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and are demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. About 100 demonstrators removed security barricades and chanted vote thief, leave the post and G

More than $77,000 has been traded on a Polymarket market covering major bank failures. HSBC and Lloyds are among the lenders included in the contracts. UK and European regulators are examining wider risks around prediction markets. UK authorities are facing calls to intervene after online prediction market Polymarket allowed users to place thousands of dollars in positions on whether major banks including HSBC and Lloyds will fail by the end of 2026. The market had generated about $77,500 in tra

The NHS winter flu and Covid vaccination programme is under way. Eligibility differs between the free flu and Covid jabs. Older people, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are among those urged to get protected. The flu covid vaccine programme is under way in England, with the NHS urging eligible people to book their free jabs before winter. The latest campaign is particularly focused on protecting people most at risk from serious illness, including older adults, pregnant women

Ryanair cancelled more than 1,000 flights in September, according to the airline. Two NATS incidents occurred within a fortnight, disrupting flights across Britainand Ireland. Ryanair carried 20.1 million passengers last month, up 4 per cent year on year. Ryanair has blamed problems with Britains air traffic control system for part of the more than 1,000 flights it cancelled in September, as repeated failures at National Air Traffic Services (NATS) continue to put pressure on the UKs aviation in

Highlights Sir Alex Ferguson has said he was errified about returning to Old Trafford after suffering a brain haemorrhage in May 2018 He made that emotional return less than four months later, watching Manchester United draw 1-1 with Wolves from the directors' box The comments came in a new BBC Breakfast interview promoting his upcoming book, Games of My Life Ferguson's wife, Lady Cathy, was by his side for that 2018 return; she died in October 2023, aged 84 Sir Alex Ferguson built his reputati

Gemini 4 Argon can generate up to one million tokens in a single output. Google says the model is already being used internally for coding, research and large-scale engineering work. The AI is initially being tested by trusted cyber defenders before wider access. Google has unveiled Gemini 4 Argon, a new frontier AI model that can generate up to one million tokens in a single output, a sharp increase from the previous 64,000-token limit. In simple terms, the bigger limit is designed to let the G

Highlights Bella Ramsey says their acting experience could give them an advantage on The Celebrity Traitors The The Last Of Us star identifies laughter as their biggest weakness in the game Ramsey says they would love to play a Traitor, despite the added pressure Bella Ramsey has revealed the one thing that could give them away when they enter the castle for The Celebrity Traitors . The The Last Of Us star is among 21 celebrities taking part in the second season of the BBC reality show, which re

Highlights Amitabh Bachchan was seen seated during the opening monologue of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18 The actor revealed that he slipped and injured his knee during the previous days shoot Bachchan said he had some difficulty standing but assured viewers that he would recover soon Amitabh Bachchan s usual Kaun Banega Crorepati routine took an unexpected turn this week after the actor suffered a knee injury during the shoot of the quiz show. The 83-year-old actor, who generally delivers his openin

FIVE people have been jailed for more than 80 years after being convicted of offences including rape, trafficking and the sexual exploitation of three teenage girls in north Wales. Four men and a woman were sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court last Friday (25), following a three-month trial. The offences took place in Rhyl and elsewhere in Denbighshire between April 2022 and March 2024. The girls were aged between 14 and 16. Mustafa Iqbal North Wales Police Sarah Gray North Wales Police Mustafa I

Highlights: South Asians seek health advice on WhatsApp NHS information can feel culturally disconnected Family networks remain highly trusted Social media fills perceived health information gaps Researchers warn about misinformation risks British south Asians are increasingly turning to family, friends and social media for health information when official advice does not feel relevant to their everyday lives. A new UK study suggests that WhatsApp, in particular, has become an important part of

Israeli website Ynet reports that the captain was Indian and fought an Omani co-pilot suspected of trying to crash the plane. The flight dropped about 17,000 feet in a minute before diverting to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu says the alleged attacker has been arrested and is being questioned by Saudi authorities. Flydubai has not confirmed either pilot's identity or nationality. THE CAPTAIN of a flydubai flight who fought with his co-pilot during a violent cockpit confrontation was an Indian

Highlights Dakota Johnson opened up about filming intimate scenes with Anne Hathaway for Verity . Johnson said: I would kiss Annie for the rest of my life. Every day. The actors improvised one of the films intimate scenes with director Michael Showalter. Josh Hartnett described the casts chemistry as coming from mutual respect and understanding. Dakota Johnson has opened up about filming intimate scenes with Anne Hathaway in Verity , the upcoming adaptation of Colleen Hoovers bestselling novel.

Highlights BBC Director-General Matt Brittin said he watched a 50-minute AI-generated episode of Doctor Who Brittin described the episode as pretty good while discussing the future of artificial intelligence His comments have sparked angry reactions from Doctor Who fans online The BBC is currently looking for a new production company to take the long-running sci-fi series forward Doctor Who fans have reacted angrily after BBC Director-General Matt Brittin revealed that he had watched a 50-minute

Hope again is the theme emblazoned everywhere around the Labour conference in Liverpool. Andy Burnham was on home soil to address his first conference as the party leader and prime minister. Yet the novelty factor is somewhat dimmed by this being the fourth year out of five to see a different prime minister make their first autumn keynote address. After Liz Truss in 2022, Rishi Sunak in 2023, Keir Starmer in 2024 was the only one of that trio to get a second go, but not a third. Can Burnham brea

Highlights Riz Ahmed stars alongside Tom Cruise in Alejandro G Inarritus Digger Vir Das and Fahadh Faasil had both auditioned for Rizs role in the film Ahmed was asked what message he would give the two Indian actors His response was simply: Sorry. Thank you for your incredible work, and I hope we get to work together Riz Ahmed is set to star alongside Tom Cruise in Alejandro G Inarritus Digger , but the role of Ganesh was also auditioned for by Indian actors Vir Das and Fahadh Faasil. With the

Anthropic devoted about 80 pages of its IPO filing to risk factors. The company warned that advanced AI could resist shutdown or manipulate information. Anthropic is seeking a valuation of more than $2 trillion despite heavy AI development costs. Anthropic has devoted about 80 pages of its IPO filing to warnings about the risks of artificial intelligence, including the possibility that increasingly powerful systems could pose catastrophic or existential risks to humanity. The developer of Claude

For some British Asian couples, the decision to travel to India for IVF involves more than the cost of treatment. Access to care, waiting times, donor availability, family connections, and cultural comfort can all shape where they seek treatment, says Dr Rohit Gutgutia, a fertility and IVF specialist. Speaking to Eastern Eye, Gutgutia discusses why some British Asian couples are looking beyond the UK for fertility treatment, from NHS waiting times and private costs to donor availability, family

Highlights Courtney Meppen-Walter, a former Manchester City academy player and England youth international, has died aged 32 His former club Bury confirmed the news in a statement on Tuesday morning; no cause of death has been given He spent his career mostly in non-league football after leaving Manchester City, most recently with Bury and on loan at Stalybridge Celtic He was convicted in 2013, at age 18, of causing the deaths of two people in a car crash, and served 16 months in prison Courtney

Highlights Arun Govil, who famously played Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagars Ramayan , has praised Ranbir Kapoors casting in Ramayana Govil said Kapoor was the closest among current young stars to his idea of Lord Rama Kapoor plays Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwaris two-part adaptation of the epic Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, also spoke about seeing Kapoor in character for the first time Ranbir Kapoors portrayal of Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwaris upcoming Ramayana has received a major endorsement from Arun Govi

OpenAI has scrapped the planned release of GPT-6.1 Astra. Safety tests found problems with scope, authorisation and deceptive behaviour. UK testing found Astra carried out simulated cyber attacks more often than earlier OpenAI models. OpenAI has scrapped the planned release of GPT-6.1 Astra after safety testing raised concerns about the model's ability to follow instructions and stay within authorised limits. The model had been expected to launch inside ChatGPT and Codex in October, but OpenAI d

Highlights Aishwarya Rai and Bridgerton star Simone Ashley reunited at Paris Fashion Week The pair shared a warm greeting and were later seen holding hands at the event Fans praised their friendship, with some calling their interaction sisterly The two stars also shared a sweet moment at Paris Fashion Week last year Aishwarya Rai returned to Paris Fashion Week as a LOral Paris ambassador , but her reunion with Bridgerton star Simone Ashley quickly became another talking point. The pair were spot

Highlights Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio is auctioning his 2003 Rugby World Cup winner's medal, expected to fetch between 50,000 and 80,000 The sale follows a divorce and subsequent bankruptcy, which Dallaglio has discussed candidly, including seeking therapy for what he called self-pity His full memorabilia collection at Budd's auction house, including Lions and Sevens World Cup items, is valued at around 180,000 in total The auction takes place on October 13 in Northamptonshire The

Shabana Mahmood has reopened the UK Resettlement Scheme for new refugee referrals. Afghan women and girls and Palestinians are expected to account for around a quarter of referrals. New community, university and work sponsorship routes will begin accepting applications from October. Shabana Mahmood has reopened the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), bringing back a route for refugees fleeing war and persecution while the government steps up its focus on controlled, safe and legal migration. The Home

Highlights Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have made no public comments about Harry and Meghans return to the UK A royal expert says the couples actions are speaking louder than words William and Catherine have continued their royal duties without publicly addressing the family tensions Their approach has been compared with the Royal Familys long-standing Keep Calm and Carry On attitude Prince Harry and Meghan Markles return to the UK has raised questions about how Prince Willia

UK diesel prices have reached a record 199.18p a litre. Filling an average family car with diesel now costs almost 110. Fuel duty is already being increased in stages through March 2027. Diesel prices in the UK have reached a record 199.18p a litre, pushing the average cost to within touching distance of 2 and surpassing the previous high recorded during the aftermath of Russias invasion of Ukraine. The RAC said the latest average price was 0.09p above the previous record of 199.09p a litre, rec

Highlights Mammootty faced criticism online after a video showed him receiving a tilak during his visit to Gujarat The actor was in the state to receive his National Film Award for Bramayugam A social media user questioned Mammootty for accepting the traditional gesture The incident sparked a wider debate about religion, culture and public gestures Mammootty has faced backlash on social media after a video from his recent visit to Gujarat showed him receiving a tilak during a traditional welcome

Highlights Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, from Harrow, has become the youngest player ever to earn the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title She secured her third and final qualifying norm while playing top board for England at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan She breaks a record held by Kateryna Lagno and matched by China's Hou Yifan, both of whom achieved WGM status aged 12 She also picked up a second International Master norm in Samarkand, putting her a step closer to chess's higher, gender-open

At least 70 people killed, 56 in India and 14 in Nepal, with 11 missing in Nepal. More than 1,000 homes damaged in India, and 46 people injured. Power and phone lines are cut in parts of Nepal, with flash-flood warnings in 49 districts. Ten workers missing after an avalanche buried the Himlung Himal base camp. FLOODS and landslides triggered by heavy rain and storms have killed at least 70 people across India and Nepal, with 11 more missing in Nepal and authorities warning that further flash flo

Highlights Raye addressed romance rumours surrounding her and Michael B. Jordan The singer said they are just friends who like roller coasters The pair sparked dating speculation after being spotted together in Los Angeles in August Raye also revealed she is working on an undisclosed project with Jordan The singer said she would love to work with Madonna Raye has addressed the romance rumours surrounding her and Michael B. Jordan after the pair were spotted together earlier this year. The singer

Highlights: 20 women were found to have undergone unnecessary mastectomies. Hundreds of other patients were found to have suffered harm. Amir Bhattis clinical duties have been restricted since 2025. The surgeon remains employed by the NHS and on full pay. Wider investigations into the breast cancer service are continuing. Amir Bhatti, a consultant general surgeon and former Clinical Lead for breast services at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, is at the centre of a growing breas

Newcastle University has responded to the criticism of the professorship conferred on Anant Ambani in the Guardian and other newspapers by making it clear that billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambanis 31-year-old son did not pay for the honour. This new declaration appears to neutralise much of the criticism levelled against Anant. It perhaps also closes the door to money changing hands in the future. Most UK universities are financially in dire straits and are looking to India as part of the solu

Highlights Madonna returned to the MTV Video Music Awards stage for the first time in 23 years Madonna won three awards during the televised ceremony, including artist of the year Taylor Swift won video of the year and the inaugural artist director award Sienna Spiro was named best new artist, while K-pop star Lisa won best pop Nirvana received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award Madonna and Taylor Swift dominated the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, taking home four of the six awards presented