As a result of the high-street chain Wilko‘s official bankruptcy, up to 12,000 jobs could be lost. On August 10, the 400-store retailer — 26 of which are in London — entered administration, with PwC administrators assuming control of the company to maximise value for its creditors.more

Albanian smuggling gangs are offering a new route for smuggling illegal immigrants to Britain; instead of being put on small boats crossing the English Channel, they are put on trucks carried by ships from ports in northern Spain, the Daily Telegraph reported.more

British police are searching for the killers of a 10-year-old Polish-Pakistani girl whose body was found in a house near London last week. As police suspect, the perpetrators knew the girl and had probably already left the UK before the body was found.more

The notion of paying with cash is becoming more outdated by the day, with many establishments and shops becoming “cash-free”. According to UK Finance, nearly a third of all payments in the UK were made via contactless methods in 2021.more

Prince William has been named Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, the part of the army that his younger brother Prince Harry served in for two tours of active duty.more

Between April and June inclusive, UK wages rose by 7.8%. compared to the same period in 2022, which is the fastest increase since 2001, since comparable statistics were kept, the UK statistics office (ONS) said today.more

Nearly half of Britons want a second Brexit referendum in the next 10 years, a new YouGov poll has revealed. More than a quarter of people support a referendum as soon as the end of 2023.more

The European Union has rejected Britain's bid for a new deal on the readmission of irregular migrants urged by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in hopes it will help curb the massive influx of migrants across the English Channel, The Times reported today.more

The report also warns that when it comes to work, older workers are a particular risk of heat stress.more

Tens of thousands of online grooming crimes have been recorded during the wait for updated online safety laws. Campaigners are urging tech companies and MPs to back the Online Safety Bill and are calling for no more hold-ups. more

Three suspected spies for Russia in the UK have been arrested and charged in a major national security investigation, the BBC can reveal. The defendants, all Bulgarian nationals, were held in February and have been remanded in custody since.more

A large part of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) will be out of action for 10 days from Saturday, August 19, so that engineering works can be undertaken.more

More than 800,000 people across the UK are predicted to have Covid as a new variant, dubbed Eris, has rapidly spread to become the second most common strain after Arcturus. more

Only four days after the detection of legionella bacteria on the barge Bibby Stockholm, illegal immigrants accommodated on it were evacuated, Sky News reported yesterday. The barge, which has been controversial from the beginning, is becoming the reason for an increasing image crisis for the British government.more

Around 20,000 rail workers across 14 different companies are set to go on strike later this month. This is part of the ongoing dispute between members of the RMT and the Rail Delivery Group over pay and working conditions. more

Young Londoners will be opening their exam results with trepidation later this month and potentially considering their future career path.more

British holidaymakers could be denied a new travel pass to go to Spain, Greece and 28 other countries because of strict EU rules - even if they have a valid passport. Tougher security measures on crossing borders into Europe mean that sunshine getaways, city breaks and business trips could be blocked if an application for the ETIAS travel authorisation is rejected.more

The number of vehicles being driven the wrong way on England’s motorways rose by 13 per cent in a year, according to new figures described as “frightening”.more

Pubs in England and Wales will be able to continue selling takeaway drinks after the government decided to keep Covid licensing rules. more

Messages encouraging UK smokers to quit could be placed inside packets of cigarettes under draft proposals being considered by the government. more

Transport for London used a little-known byelaw to bring a criminal prosecution against Oluseun Olumide Olaifa, 31, over the incident on June 20.more

Tesco is to swap cheaper product lines into its convenience stores as shoppers battle the rising cost of living. more

Nine people have been injured, two of them seriously, after a car crashed into campers and a tent at a campsite. A Ford Fiesta left the road at Newgale, Pembrokeshire, and photos showed a cordon erected around a collapsed tent.more

High pressure is set to build from the middle of the week, meaning south-east England could reach 32C on Friday.more

Russian and Chinese hackers independently gained access to the internal systems of the British Foreign Office in 2021, the daily "i" revealed yesterday.more