THREE cyclists will embark on a fundraising bike ride from London to Paris this August, aiming to raise £30,000 for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinaemia UK (WMUK).
The event, titled "Wheels for Waldenstrom's," will cover over 60 miles per day for three days, and starts on August 24.
Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinaemia is a rare form of blood cancer, and the funds raised will support the WM community through the charity.
Donations can be made through their JustGiving fundraising page
The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)
A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.
The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.
The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British.
Charlotte Littlewood, IIFL’s director of research, according to The Times, said: “The identification as Muslim first was not about not wanting to identify as British, nor anything doctrinal demanding loyalty to Islam first. Instead, it was about not feeling welcomed to identify as British first.”
The report found a strong sense of belonging among British Muslims, particularly among older generations.
Among those over 65, 64 per cent identified as British or English first. It also highlighted that British Muslims viewed the UK as more accommodating than many European countries and preferred living in the UK over a Muslim-majority country.
The study found that key issues for Muslim voters were healthcare, the economy, and education, ranking above political parties’ positions on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, a senior English Catholic, commented in a letter to The Times that prioritising faith identity was not a concern.
He wrote: “Surely every Christian should believe that their religious identity is more fundamental than their nationality.”
The IIFL’s findings challenged narratives suggesting a conflict between British and Muslim identities, stating that British Muslims value democracy, the rule of law, and active civic participation.
Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)
FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.
The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.
Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year.
Vehicles registered between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025 will also pay the £195 standard rate from 1 April 2025.
Zero-emission vehicles registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 will move to a £20 annual rate.
Electric vans will be taxed at the standard annual rate for light goods vehicles, currently £335, GB News reported.
Zero-emission motorcycles and tricycles will pay £25 annually.
Additionally, the £10 annual discount for hybrid and alternatively fuelled vehicles will be removed.
The DVLA has urged electric vehicle owners to ensure compliance with the new rules, sending letters to registered owners and launching a social media awareness campaign.
Experts have also warned drivers about potential scams related to vehicle taxation.
Rhydian Jones from Confused.com told GB News that five million fines were issued for untaxed vehicles between January 2021 and October 2024, amounting to over £500 million.
Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)
HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.
The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.
Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms.
UK government business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the changes are part of the government’s Plan to Make Work Pay and the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. He added that ensuring fair wages would help drive economic growth.
The National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over has increased by 6.7 per cent, from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour.
The National Minimum Wage for workers aged 18 to 20 has increased by 16.2 per cent, from £8.60 to £10 per hour, STV News reported.
For those under 18, it has risen by 18 per cent to £7.55 per hour. The Apprentice Rate has also increased by 18 per cent, from £6.40 to £7.55 per hour.
The Accommodation Offset is now £10.66 per day.
Scottish secretary Ian Murray said the increase is a landmark moment that will boost economic growth and ensure workers benefit.
Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)
A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.
Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.
Citizens Advice stated that many low-income households were already struggling, with single parents particularly vulnerable due to the proportion of income spent on essentials.
Laura Roan, a single mother from Cardiff, told BBC that without help from her mother, there would be days when she would not have electricity.
Roan, who works part-time at Asda, said she relies on emergency credit for her energy meter and frequently uses her overdraft. She said she lives day to day as her wages are quickly spent.
Water bills are rising in England and Wales, with Scottish increases close to 10 per cent.
Annual energy bills for typical households in England, Wales, and Scotland are increasing by £111, while council tax is also going up.
John Paine, a single father of three, said he had £100 left after bills, which goes quickly.
NHS worker Bradley Bayton-Harvey said despite working 200 hours a month, he and his partner struggle financially.
While benefits and pensions are set to rise, experts suggest switching providers to cut costs. Some banks plan to contact struggling customers to offer support.
THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.
The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.
Starmer, who watched Adolescence with his teenage children, said the drama “hit home hard.” The series follows the case of a 13-year-old boy who fatally stabs a girl after being radicalised online. The internet and social media, Starmer said, allow ideology to be “pumped directly into the minds of our children.”
Released on 13 March, Adolescence explores the aftermath of the schoolgirl’s stabbing and the hidden meanings young people attach to seemingly innocent emojis.
Maria Neophytou of the NSPCC said the Downing Street meeting was a “critical milestone.”
“The online world is being polluted by harmful and misogynistic content, which is having a direct impact on young people’s thinking and behaviour. This cannot be allowed to continue,” she said.
The show has resonated with viewers concerned about knife crime among young people and the influence of figures such as Andrew Tate.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that British teenager Axel Rudakubana, who killed three girls in a knife attack last July, had watched footage of another high-profile stabbing before his crime.
Pressures on young people
Australia banned social media access for under-16s last year.
Adolescence also highlights the “incel” culture, where men who feel unattractive to women develop a deep resentment towards them.
Netflix’s vice president of UK content, Anne Mensah, said the series had helped to show the pressures faced by young people and parents.
The show recorded 24.3 million views in its first four days, making it Netflix’s most-watched series between 10-16 March, according to Variety.
New UK regulations under the Online Safety Act, which took effect on 17 March, require technology firms to tackle illegal content, including extreme pornography and child sex abuse material. However, critics have dismissed the measures as “timid.”
Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly took her own life at 14 in 2017 after viewing harmful content online, criticised the regulatory approach. He said media regulator Ofcom was overly concerned with legal challenges and accommodating tech companies.
“Worried parents across the country are dismayed by yet more half measures,” he said.
Jack Thorne, writer of Adolescence, said he hoped the series would help initiate meaningful discussions and policy changes.
“It’s about other people... being given the opportunity to have conversations they haven’t had before and that they should have had, that might lead to policy change and things being made better for our young people,” he told Sky News.
(With inputs from AFP)
