British Labour MP, long‑time politician and ex-cabinet minister
Andy Burnham has announced an 850 million VAT cut on domestic electricity bills starting 1 October, funded by scrapping the digital ID programme. The move is aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures and is part of a broader cabinet reshuffle and fiscal strategy.
Andy Burnham has become UK prime minister, pledging to reform devolution and address Stormont’s budget crisis. Northern Ireland faces up to £1.6bn in spending pressures as talks with Stormont parties continue and the government weighs next steps.
A 30-year-old Sudanese national has been charged with attempted murder after a man in his 40s was stabbed in Belfast. The suspect remains in custody as police investigate amid protests tied to immigration tensions in the UK. The Home Office says the attacker arrived in the UK in 2023 and was granted refugee status; officials say there is no record of prior security alerts.
Protests in Belfast — sparked by a knife attack in which a Sudanese national is charged with attempted murder — have erupted into violence across multiple districts. Rioters have set vehicles and buildings alight, with police deploying water cannon and crews working to protect residents amid rising tensions tied to immigration debates.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the home secretary lawfully proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, reversing a High Court judgment. The ruling preserves a ban that criminalises membership or support and has already prompted thousands of arrests and fresh police action at protests outside the Royal Courts of Justice.
Northern Ireland's bonfire season has again drawn condemnation after a replica mosque was placed on a Moygashel bonfire and lit early. Police are investigating incitement to hatred, amid broader debates over safety, immigration rhetoric, and community tensions surrounding the Twelfth of July celebrations.