Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Man arrested in Gloucestershire over drowning of 27 migrants in Channel last year

France is seeking the extradition of Harem Ahmed Abwbaker who is believed to have played a key role in organising the fatal trip.

Man arrested in Gloucestershire over drowning of 27 migrants in Channel last year

Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has arrested a man over the deaths of 27 migrants who drowned attempting to cross the English Channel in a dinghy more than a year ago.

Harem Ahmed Abwbaker, who is believed to have played a key role in organising the fatal trip on November 23 last year was detained in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire on Tuesday morning, the agency said.

The small inflatable boat sank after leaving a beach near the northern French city of Dunkirk, leading to the death of all but two of those aboard.

French fishing boat crew reported bodies in the water some nine miles off the Calais coast the following day.

The fate of four other people on board the sunken vessel is still not known.

French authorities are seeking the extradition of Abwbaker, 32, who could face charges equivalent to manslaughter and facilitating illegal immigration.

His extradition proceedings will take place in Westminster Magistrates’ court, said the NCA whose officers are working closely with their partners across the Channel.

Craig Turner, NCA Deputy Director, said the “significant arrest” was part of extensive inquiries into the events leading to the tragic deaths.

He said the agency would do everything it could to get justice for the families of the deceased and dismantle the organised criminal networks involved in people smuggling.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said her thoughts continued to be with the families of all of those who lost their lives in the “horrendous incident.”

She thanked the NCA and other agencies in the UK and France for their “tireless work” to ensure those responsible would feel the “full force of the law.”

Britain’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) which is probing the incident said UK officials did not initially take any action on the disaster as it was “assessed to fall outside its jurisdiction” in French waters.

But it later “became evident that some of the events relating to this loss of life had occurred inside UK waters”, the MAIB said in its interim report.

More For You

 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London.

Getty Images

Post Office scandal linked to 13 suicides, says inquiry

Highlights:

 
     
  • Public inquiry finds up to 13 suicides linked to wrongful Post Office prosecutions.
  •  
  • Horizon IT system faults led to false accusations, financial ruin, and imprisonment.
  •  
  • Sir Wyn Williams says Post Office maintained a “fiction” of accurate data despite known faults.

A PUBLIC inquiry has found that up to 13 people may have taken their own lives after being wrongly accused of financial misconduct by the Post Office, in what is now described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK ramps up drought response following driest spring

The EA has begun conducting more compliance checks on high-usage industries

Getty Images

UK ramps up drought response following driest spring since 1893

Key points

  • Spring 2025 was England’s driest and warmest in over 130 years
  • Reservoirs across England only 77% full, compared to 93% average
  • Environment Agency increases monitoring and drought planning
  • North-west England officially declared in drought

Water conservation measures stepped up ahead of summer

The UK government has increased efforts to manage water resources after confirming that England experienced its driest and warmest spring since 1893. The Environment Agency (EA) reported that reservoirs were on average only 77% full, significantly lower than the usual 93% for this time of year.

The announcement came after a National Drought Group meeting on Thursday, which reviewed the impact of continued dry weather on crops, canal navigation, and river flows. Poor grass growth and dry soil conditions were noted as threats to food production and livestock feed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Norman Tebbit

Following Thatcher’s third general election victory in 1987, Tebbit stepped back from frontline politics to care for his wife. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Former minister, Thatcher ally Norman Tebbit dies at 94

Norman Tebbit, a close ally of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and a former Conservative Party cabinet minister, has died at the age of 94. His son William confirmed the news on Tuesday.

"At 11:15 pm on 7th July, 2025, Lord Tebbit died peacefully at home aged 94," William Tebbit said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Southport

Floral tributes left by members of the public are seen following the fatal knife attack on three young girls in July in Southport.

Reuters

Public inquiry begins into Southport girls' murders

A PUBLIC inquiry begins on Tuesday into the murders of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport last year.

The inquiry will examine whether the attack could have been prevented and how future incidents might be avoided.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Getty

Starmer is facing a Labour backbench revolt over plans to reform special needs support in schools without guaranteeing existing legal rights. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images)

Starmer faces Labour pushback over SEND reform plans

KEIR STARMER is facing a backlash from Labour MPs over plans to reform special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, after ministers stopped short of guaranteeing legal rights for parents.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government was committed to reforming the current system, which costs £12 billion a year. However, she did not confirm if legally enforceable rights, such as those provided by education, health and care plans (EHCPs), would remain.

Keep ReadingShow less