2+ week, 3+ day ago (460+ words) The awards recognise and celebrate the dedication and accomplishments of journalists and newsrooms across all sectors of the UK media industry The i Paper's Yasmin Alibhai-Brown has been named 2025 Commentator of the Year at the prestigious Media Freedom Awards, which honour excellence in campaigning and investigative journalism. Judges praised her writing on Britain's carers " "the millions of extraordinary people who give up jobs, freedoms, leisure and many other pleasures to care for vulnerable children, siblings, parents or grandparents they deeply love. Alibhai-Brown argued that carers are being persecuted by the DWP. Judges also applauded her article on the grooming gangs that target young white girls in UK towns. She did what few journalists had bothered to do: speak to men and women of Pakistani heritage about these crimes. Alibhai-Brown "highlights the real people behind every decision, noted judges, "bringing an…...

3+ week, 16+ hour ago (113+ words) Good morning and welcome to our coverage. The Home Office has identified 14 new sites to house up to 10,000 migrants, it has been reported. According to a leaked document, reported by The Times, the Government has earmarked the new areas as part of a shake up of the asylum system which will force migrants to adhere to tougher conditions and restrict many to temporary stay in the UK. This comes amid speculation, Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is considering copying Danish immigration rules in order to cut immigration. Some new measures would include tighter rules on family reunions, enforcing high English standards, and being enforced to repay the cost of their accommodation....

1+ day, 14+ hour ago (1185+ words) With no Gavin & Stacey this year, the BBC Christmas schedule looks thin as Netflix launches its blockbusters Netflix is poised to steal the BBC's Christmas TV crown as streaming platforms and mobile devices consign the traditional festive viewing experience to history. Once Morecambe and Wise and Only Fools and Horses entertained 20m viewers as the nation's families gathered around the TV in a post-turkey slumber. But in today's multi-platform world, teenagers are more likely to be streaming YouTube or watching Stranger Things on a tablet in their bedroom. Last Christmas, a double-whammy of the Gavin & Stacey finale and the Wallace & Gromit film, Vengeance Most Fowl, helped the BBC stall a steady decline in seasonal terrestrial channel viewing. The James Corden/Ruth Jones comedy, the biggest scripted show of 2024, racked up 17m viewers by the New Year, helping BBC One pull ahead of…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (783+ words) Mortgage rates are expected to continue their descent after figures released on Wednesday show inflation falling, as experts predict the base rate could be cut next month. Banks have been cutting the prices on their home loans in recent days, with Santander announcing the cheapest deal on the market " at 3.55 per cent " earlier this week. Here's what Wednesday's inflation figures mean for interest rates, and what could happen to mortgage rates as a result. Interest rates " set by the Bank of England (BoE) " tend to fall as inflation moves towards the BoE's target level of 2 per cent. Experts had already been predicting that the BoE could lower rates next month " from 4 per cent to 3.75 per cent " and Wednesday's figures make this even more likely. Following the inflation figure reveal, traders were pricing in an 80 per cent chance of a cut…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (952+ words) Plum can help savers to keep a closer eye on their money Christmas is fast approaching, and while for many it's a joyful period of seeing friends and family and sharing gifts, it can also cause unwanted financial stress. From buying presents to hosting parties, the festive season can leave us feeling stretched and see other savings goals set aside. On average, households spend around "2,460 a month, according to the Bank of England, but at Christmas this increases by "713. Given that the UK has very recently been through a prolonged period of rising prices and a cost-of-living crisis, this extra spending can cause havoc with carefully planned out budgets and money management. Smart money app, Plum, recognises this and it has been designed to help savers to keep a closer eye on their money, making it work as hard as…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (770+ words) As most economists expected, the Bank decided against a base rate cut this time around The Bank of England has decided to hold interest rates at their current level of 4 per cent. Economists widely expected the base rate, which has a large bearing on mortgage costs and savings interest for consumers, to be kept the same. But there was not a consensus " with five of the nine economists on the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voting to cut rates. Interest rates were last cut by the MPC from 4.25 per cent back in August. The base rate reached its peak of 5.25 per cent in August 2023 in response to high inflation and has been reduced five times since then. Experts broadly expect inflation to remain well above the 2 per cent target for the rest of the year. The Bank has forecast that…...

2+ day, 8+ hour ago (805+ words) More people, like Liz Johnson, are getting on the property ladder later in life, research shows Although she longed for a home of her own, Liz Johnson spent most of her adult life assuming that buying a property was out of reach. It wasn't until her 40s that homeownership finally became possible. Liz was 43 when she took out her first mortgage, having previously rented a room from friends in London paying "600 a month. Speaking to The i Paper, the office manager, originally from Canterbury, said: "Initially I was happy renting a room from my friends but as I got older, I wanted my own space." Like many would-be buyers, the main obstacle was saving for a deposit " a barrier that property experts say is increasingly common as high rents drain disposable income. Combined with other pressures, including higher stamp duty, it…...

2+ day, 19+ hour ago (1115+ words) Ellie Jackson changed where she does her grocery shopping in Supermarket Swap In our new series, Supermarket Swap, we challenge a family to change where and how they do their weekly grocery shop. Can they save money by trading old habits for new " and will they decide to switch to another supermarket as a result? If you want to take part, email [email protected]. This week, we speak to Ellie Jackson, who is a children's author by day, with a series of educational books about protecting animals. She says keeping her family " four children, husband and dog " on a diet with minimal ultra-processed foods (UPF) has become almost a full-time job in itself. Specific needs: Minimal UPF's, dairy free and gluten free options needed Saving: "30 each fortnight Ellie Jackson, 45, has been trying to avoid UPF's for the past two years, after…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (782+ words) Andrew Taylor, 61, is fed up with the 90-day EU rule, new EES system and high taxes A British man with property in Europe says he is considering leaving the UK permanently thanks to new EU border checks that came on top of strict Brexit rules, as well as further tax increases expected in next week's Budget. Andrew Taylor, 61, a divorced care company owner from Liverpool, owns a holiday home in Alicante, Spain, and in Cianciana, Sicily. He has spent time in his homes on the continent for nearly three decades but says he is finally considering moving there permanently, after regulation came in last month that makes it more difficult for Britons with second homes in Europe." However, numerous Britons have reported waiting for hours in queues since the system's introduction. For Taylor, the new biometric scans will make flexibility…...

2+ week, 10+ hour ago (777+ words) America's cultural capture of the UK is happening beyond the sight of audiences, but it is influencing our national life Given the honour of asking the first question at a White House press briefing this week, Beverley Turner, a Washington-based journalist for GB News, provocatively inquired: "Is the President prepared to bankrupt the BBC in his pursuit of truth and justice?" The invitation to ridicule the UK national broadcaster was embraced by the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, who responded: "The President has made it very clear that this is a leftist propaganda machine that is unfortunately subsidised by British taxpayers." Donald Trump has identified his moment to redefine British media. He is suing the BBC for "anywhere between a billion and $5bn", just as it begins difficult negotiations for an extension to the public funding model that enables it…...