Digital IDs Are Being Introduced in the UK. Here’s How They’re Expected to Work.
The British government on Friday announced plans to issue digital IDs for workers, part of what it said was an effort to curb illegal migration. Here’s a look at the plan:What are digital IDs? Digital IDs are a form of identification that lives on a phone or computer, rather than as a card in a wallet. In Britain, digital IDs would carry much the same information as a traditional card or paper ID would, such as a person’s name, date and place of birth, and a photograph, the government said. The digital card could be stored on a smartphone.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 19:05 UTC
To work in the U.K., you’ll need a digital ID card
British citizens and permanent residents will have to produce a mandatory digital identification card in order to get work, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Friday, reviving a contentious idea in an effort to show that the government has control of the country’s borders. The government says the plan will help reduce unauthorized immigration by making it harder for people to work in the underground economy. “You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. He said the new ID system would be in place before the next election, due by 2029. The government said the digital ID will be free and will work for people who don’t have a smartphone, and it will hold a public consultation to work out the details.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 18:28 UTC
U.K. Court Dismisses Kneecap Rapper Terrorism Charge
“Free, free —” Crowd: “Palestine.” “This entire process was never about me. Never about any threat to the public. Never about terrorism. It was always about Gaza. About what happens if you dare to speak up.”
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 18:09 UTC
U.K. Politician Admits Making Pro-Russia Statements in Return for Bribes
A British politician on Friday admitted taking bribes to deliver pro-Russia statements in the European Parliament in 2018 and 2019, arrange an event for a close ally of Russia’s president, and make media appearances for pro-Russian news outlets. The lawmaker, Nathan Gill, represented Wales as a member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2020. He initially represented the right-wing U.K. In early 2019 he joined Mr. Farage’s next political project, the Brexit Party, which later rebranded to become Reform U.K., the party currently leading British opinion polls. Although he led the party’s 2021 Welsh Parliament election campaign, he is no longer a member of the party and holds no elected office, according to the BBC.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 18:02 UTC
Law & Order: SVU kills off a major character after 35 years
Florek first appeared in the original Law & Order series, debuting in the show’s pilot in 1990, and remained a part of the franchise until 2014, when he departed as a series regular with the season 15 finale. However, the actor has reprised the role of Captain Cragen on numerous occasions, most recently on the spin-off Law & Order: Organized Crime, which began in 2021. In the season 27 premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims, Benson said of Captain Cragen at the memorial service: “He was the best boss that I ever had. One fan wrote: "My heart What do you mean we didn't even get a proper goodbye scene between Captain Benson and Captain Cragen?? Another added: "Last scene of Cragen in Law and Order series.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 17:28 UTC
Hackers Steal Children’s Data and Photos from U.K. Nursery Chain
Hackers have targeted a London-based chain of nursery schools and have demanded that a ransom be paid or they will release sensitive information onto the dark web, British authorities said Friday. Kido International, which operates nursery schools throughout London and at several other locations in the United States and India, “has reported an incident to us and we are assessing the information provided,” according to a statement from the Information Commissioners Office, Britain’s data protection agency. The BBC reported on Friday that hackers calling themselves “Radiant” had posted profiles of 10 children on the dark web, including photos and names and other identifying information, and threatened to post more profiles if Kido International did not agree to pay them a ransom. The Information Commissioners Office said that “the safety and privacy of children remains paramount, and we will work with our partners to understand the full impact of this incident and support those affected.”
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 17:18 UTC
Bank of England rate-setter says inflation not a ‘particularly British problem’
Swati Dhingra, a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), argued there was no need to be “overly cautious” about lowering borrowing costs. “With prices for services and food rising more quickly than in the major eurozone countries, inflation looks like a particularly British problem.”But she said that was not the case and that the factors putting pressure on UK inflation “will fade”. In 2026, the overall inflation rate will be the second highest in the G7, behind only the US, according to its forecasts. “The difference in inflation between the UK and our continental neighbours can be largely explained by administered prices and global commodity shocks. Ms Greene said a “cautious approach to rate cuts going forward” was appropriate in the face of “uncertainty and risks” to the economy.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 16:50 UTC
How Trump Twists Data to His Benefit
How Trump Twists Data to His BenefitTo President Trump, the veracity of statistics and scorekeepers turns on a dime. Linda Qiu, a New York Times reporter, explains Trump’s approach to government data. By Linda Qiu, Karen Hanley, Stephanie Swart and Ray WhitehouseSeptember 25, 2025
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 16:38 UTC
Starting Times for UK Basketball Games are Being Set
Collin Chandler and the Cats now have starting times for several games this season. (UK Athletics Photo)As the men’s basketball season draws near, the Kentucky basketball schedule is becoming more clear. The dates have long been established on the schedule, but the times for most of the team’s games are beginning to take shape. Other times announced this week included a 6:30 p.m. tipoff against Michigan State on Nov. 18 in the State Farm Champions Classic in New York. A week later on Dec. 20, Kentucky will face Rick Pitino and St. John’s at 12:30 p.m. in the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 13:24 UTC
Reform on brink of outright majority at next election, major new poll says
The seat-by-seat YouGov poll, the second such poll since the election, indicates the party has extended its lead over Labour, significantly increasing Mr Farage’s chances of entering Downing Street in 2029. In June, the last time YouGov conducted a seat-by-seat poll, it put Reform on track to have 271 MPs. This is down from the 178 MPs YouGov predicted they would win in their last MRP poll. The poll shows that 231 Labour seats would be lost to Reform, 26 would be lost to the SNP, and the remaining 10 would be split between the other parties. There are now an increasing number of Labour MPs looking to Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham as a possible successor to the prime minister.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 13:22 UTC
Three British universities are now officially better than Oxford and Cambridge
The Times and Sunday Times UK University Ranking 2026 doesn’t rate Oxbridge as highly as three other universitiesBeing an Oxbridge graduate isn’t quite the flex it once was – at least if you go by The Times and Sunday Times UK University Ranking 2026. The academic powerhouses did still beat the likes of Imperial College London and Bristol in the top 10, though. On the flip side, third-place Durham University was named The Times and Sunday Times University of the year for 2026, followed by the University of Strathclyde. It also shone on the career front, coming in just behind Imperial College London for graduate employment. Other universities in the top 10 included University College London, University of Warwick and University of Bath.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 11:21 UTC
Kneecap Rapper’s Terrorism Charge Is Dismissed by U.K. Court
A London judge on Friday dismissed a terrorism charge against a member of Kneecap, the Irish-language rap group that has landed in hot water over its onstage crusading against Israel and for the Palestinian cause, saying that prosecutors had not brought the charge “in the correct form” within the required timeline. In May, British prosecutors charged the rapper, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who goes by the stage name Mo Chara, on an accusation of displaying a flag of Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militant group that violently opposes Israel. Britain considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization and bans the display of its symbols. Mr. Ó hAnnaidh, who was charged under the name Liam O’Hanna, has said in interviews that he picked up the flag at a concert last year without knowing what it was after an audience member threw it onstage. On Friday, Paul Goldspring, the presiding judge, agreed with arguments made by Mr. Ó hAnnaidh’s legal team at previous hearings that prosecutors had taken action outside the statute of limitations and that the charges had not been signed off by legal officials in time.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 11:21 UTC
Police watchdog staff comments on Nottingham attacks inquiry 'inhumane'
The police watchdog has removed some staff from investigating the case of Calocane after they allegedly gave officers details of their investigation. Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, fatally stabbed Mr Coates, Mr Webber and Ms O'Malley-Kumar on 13 June 2023, and was sentenced to a hospital order in January 2024. The IOPC said it had commissioned an independent external review, with sources claiming the staff accused of making the comments were not the decision-makers about the case or about disciplinary action. An IOPC spokesperson said: "We are aware of allegations made about IOPC staff by Leicestershire Police officers who are subjects of an IOPC investigation. "The allegations involved comments alleged to have been made about that investigation.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 11:12 UTC
The Reform UK-leaning areas where Labour will pump in millions
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Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 10:58 UTC
The Times and The Sunday Times launches The State of It
Launch Date: Wednesday 1st OctoberThe Times and The Sunday Times today announce the launch of a new weekly political podcast, The State of It, hosted by Westminster’s most respected journalists, Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund, alongside political editors Steven Swinford and Caroline Wheeler. Patrick added; "At The Times and The Sunday Times we hear every conversation that matters in British politics – including the ones they don't want you to know about. Gabriel Pogrund is Whitehall editor at The Sunday Times and was recently named political journalist and news journalist of the year at the Press Awards. Steven Swinford is political editor of The Times and leads the renowned Times politics team in Westminster. Caroline Wheeler is the political editor of The Sunday Times and one of the foremost political journalists of her generation.
Source:The Times
September 26, 2025 09:51 UTC