European visitors to UK will now need digital entry permit
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), a digital permit, will be required for travellers from Europe. UK officials say the move aims to enhance border security and simplify entry procedures.
The ETA can be purchased online for £10 (12 euros), but the cost will rise to £16 from 9 April. (Representational image: Reuters)
FROM WEDNESDAY, European visitors to the UK will need an online entry permit as part of new travel requirements introduced by the British government.
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), a digital permit, will be required for travellers from Europe. UK officials say the move aims to enhance border security and simplify entry procedures.
A buffer period will be in place for several months, allowing people to continue travelling while the system is phased in.
The ETA can be purchased online for £10 (12 euros), but the cost will rise to £16 from 9 April.
The permit has already been introduced for travellers from the United States, Canada, and other visa-exempt countries. The UK, which left the European Union in 2020, is now expanding the requirement to European visitors.
Phil Douglas, head of the UK’s Border Force, said the expansion was part of a broader plan to apply the ETA system to visitors from across the world.
"This scheme is essentially a border security measure," he said, adding that the introduction on Wednesday was not expected to cause disruption.
The permit is meant to speed up entry by allowing officials to check details such as a traveller’s immigration history or criminal record in advance.
"The quid pro quo for the individual, though, is that we are building a contactless border, so if they're cleared for entry, they'll be able to use our new eGates and they'll be able to go through the border much more quickly," Douglas added.
During the buffer period, which is expected to last until September or October, people will still be allowed to board flights and trains even if they do not yet have an ETA.
The permit allows visits of up to six months. It is digitally linked to the applicant’s passport and remains valid for two years.
Applications opened for European travellers in early March and are available via a smartphone app or the UK government website.
The permit applies to nationals of around 30 European countries, excluding Ireland.
Scheme expansion
Applicants must submit a photo of their passport and face, with the process taking about 10 minutes, according to the UK Home Office. While most applications are approved within minutes, the government advises allowing up to three working days.
The ETA is required for babies and children, but passengers transiting through UK airports without crossing the border are exempt.
This exemption was introduced after pressure from Heathrow Airport, which expressed concerns about potential declines in passenger numbers.
In 2024, nearly 84 million passengers passed through Heathrow, with a third coming from EU countries.
The ETA scheme was first launched in 2023 for Qatar before being extended to five other Gulf nations.
In January, it was further expanded to include nationals from about 50 countries and territories, including Argentina, South Korea, and New Zealand.
By the end of 2024, nearly 1.1 million ETAs had been issued, according to the Home Office.
The permit does not apply to UK residents or individuals with an existing UK immigration status.
The ETA is similar to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which will require visa-exempt travellers to obtain approval before visiting 30 European countries, including France and Germany.
Both leaders reaffirm commitment to India-US partnership
Trade talks resume in New Delhi amid tariff tensions
India defends purchase of discounted Russian oil
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday called Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and greeted him ahead of his 75th birthday. The phone call sparked hopes of a reset in India-US ties, which had been under strain after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.
In a social media post, Modi said that like Trump, he is also "fully" committed to taking the India-US comprehensive and global partnership to "new heights."
"Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday," Modi wrote on X. "Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict."
Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2025
Trump praises Modi
Trump said Modi is "doing a tremendous job" and thanked him for supporting his efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
"Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job," Trump said on Truth Social. "Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine."
The call came a day before Modi’s 75th birthday and was the first since the US imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India.
Trade talks in New Delhi
The call coincided with a new round of India-US talks in New Delhi on a proposed bilateral trade agreement.
A spokesperson at the US embassy said: "Assistant US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch had a positive meeting in Delhi with his counterpart Ministry of Commerce and Industry special secretary Rajesh Agrawal on September 16 to discuss next steps in bilateral trade negotiations."
Tariffs and tensions
The phone call followed social media exchanges between the two leaders in recent days, which indicated intent to rebuild ties.
Relations had been strained after the Trump administration doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duty on India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. India described the action as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable."
In recent weeks, several Trump administration officials, including White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, used offensive language while criticising India’s energy ties with Russia.
India defends Russian oil purchases
India has maintained that its energy procurement is based on national interest and market factors. It turned to Russian crude offered at discounted prices after Western sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Ongoing trade negotiations
The fresh round of trade talks came after Modi responded to Trump’s recent remarks on addressing "trade barriers."
Trump had said he looked forward to speaking with Modi in the "upcoming weeks" and expressed confidence that both sides could finalise the proposed deal.
Modi has said India and the US are natural partners and that both sides are working to conclude the negotiations.
In the past few months, several rounds of talks were held, but a deal could not be reached due to differences in areas including agriculture and dairy.
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Starmer, who has faced negative coverage since taking office in July 2024, defended the appointment process.
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer said on Monday he would not have appointed Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington had he known the extent of his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This was Starmer’s first public statement since dismissing Mandelson last week. The prime minister is facing questions over his judgement, including from Labour MPs, after initially standing by Mandelson before removing him from the post.
Starmer, who has faced negative coverage since taking office in July 2024, defended the appointment process. He said Mandelson had been properly vetted at the time.
"Had I known then what I know now, I'd have never appointed him," Starmer told broadcasters.
Mandelson was dismissed after emails showed he had urged Epstein to "fight for early release" shortly before Epstein was sentenced in 2008 to 18 months in prison for procuring a child for prostitution.
Some Labour MPs have questioned why Mandelson was chosen despite his long-standing friendship with Epstein, which continued after the conviction.
The government also faced scrutiny over why Starmer expressed "confidence" in Mandelson last week, when Mandelson had already admitted that "very embarrassing" messages were about to become public.
The dismissal followed the resignation of Angela Rayner as deputy prime minister less than a week earlier, after she admitted underpaying property tax.
Both departures came soon after Starmer relaunched his government in an attempt to recover ground from Reform UK, the party led by Nigel Farage that has been leading national opinion polls for months. The next general election is not expected until 2029.
Labour MP Helen Hayes told BBC radio that questions about "the nature of the leadership" would arise if Labour performs badly in the May 2026 local elections.
Another Labour MP, Graham Stringer, told Times Radio that Starmer is "supping in the last-chance saloon," and that many in the party think he is "making mistakes and doing poorly at the job."
Asked on Channel 4 News whether he would resign if the party believed it was necessary, Starmer replied: "No, because I'm absolutely clear what the task is in front of me."
"We have a crossroads, really, in terms of the future of this country. We go forward with Labour for national renewal, a patriotic call about this country and taking this country forward, true patriotism, or we have division and decline under Reform," he said.
On Monday, the government faced another setback when senior aide Paul Ovenden resigned after comments he made in 2017 about Diane Abbott, Britain’s first black woman MP, resurfaced.
(With inputs from agencies)
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With this victory, India have won both their matches and are close to qualifying for the Super Fours stage. (Photo: Getty Images)
India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in their first meeting since the May conflict.
Indian players left the field without handshakes, citing alignment with government and BCCI.
Pakistan lodged a protest over the post-match conduct.
Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the win to the armed forces.
INDIA defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the Asia Cup T20 in Dubai on Sunday. It was the first meeting between the two sides since their military conflict in May.
After the match, Indian players left the field without shaking hands with their Pakistan counterparts.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said the team’s decision was in line with the government and the Board of Control for Cricket in India. "We are aligned with the government and Board of Control for Cricket in India," he told reporters.
India had resisted calls to boycott the fixture. The two nations have not played a bilateral Test series since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which India blamed on Pakistan-based militants.
Background of tensions
In April, an attack in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir killed civilians.
India accused Pakistan of backing the attackers, which Islamabad denies.
The incident triggered the May conflict that killed more than 70 people in missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a ceasefire.
Pakistan’s response
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said he was disappointed by India’s move. "We were ready to shake hands at the end of the game," he said.
"We went over there and they were already gone to the changing room, so that was obviously a disappointing way to finish the match."
Pakistan’s team management later said they had lodged a protest with match referee Andy Pycroft.
"The behaviour of Indian players was against the spirit of sportsmanship," their statement said. "That is why skipper Salman Agha was not sent to the post match ceremony."
India dedicate win to army
At the post-match presentation, Suryakumar said India treated the fixture as "just another game" and dedicated the win to the armed forces.
"We stand with the victims of the families of the Pahalgam terror attack and we express our solidarity. We want to dedicate today's win to the armed forces," he said.
Indian spinners dominate
On the field, Pakistan were restricted to 127-9 in 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 40, while Shaheen Shah Afridi hit an unbeaten 33 off 16 balls with four sixes.
India’s bowlers set up the victory. Hardik Pandya removed opener Saim Ayub for a golden duck in the first over, and Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Mohammad Haris for three.
Axar Patel struck twice, getting Fakhar Zaman (17) and captain Agha (3), while Kuldeep Yadav removed Hasan Nawaz (5) and Mohammad Nawaz (0) off successive balls.
Suryakumar finishes chase
In reply, Abhishek Sharma gave India a rapid start with 31 off 13 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes, before falling to spinner Saim Ayub.
Suryakumar Yadav led the chase with an unbeaten 47 and sealed the win with a six. India reached the target with 25 balls to spare.
With this victory, India have won both their matches and are close to qualifying for the Super Fours stage. Pakistan next face the UAE on Wednesday, while India play Oman on Friday.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Protesters wave Union Jack and St George's England flags during the "Unite The Kingdom" rally on Westminster Bridge by the Houses of Parliament on September 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
MORE THAN 100,000 protesters marched through central London on Saturday (13), carrying flags of England and Britain and scuffling with police in one of the UK's biggest right-wing demonstrations of modern times.
London's Metropolitan Police said the "Unite the Kingdom" march, organised by anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, was attended by nearly 150,000 people, who were kept apart from a "Stand Up to Racism" counter-protest attended by around 5,000.
The police appeared to be taken by surprise by the size of the turnout, describing the rally as "too big to fit into Whitehall," a wide street lined with government buildings, on the approved route of the march.
Police trying to prevent protesters veering from the route faced "unacceptable violence," the force said, describing officers being kicked and punched and facing hurled bottles, flares and other projectiles.
The police said 26 officers were injured, including four seriously. Arrests totalled 25, which the force said was "just the start."
"We are identifying those who were involved in the disorder and they can expect to face robust police action in the coming days and weeks," assistant commissioner Matt Twist said.
The march brought a culmination to a highly charged summer in Britain that included protests staged outside hotels housing migrants.
Demonstrators carried the Union flag of Britain and the red and white St George's Cross of England, while others brought American and Israeli flags and wore the "Make America Great Again" or MAGA hats of US president Donald Trump. They chanted slogans critical of prime minister Keir Starmer and carried placards including some saying "send them home." Some attendees brought children.
Anti-Racism protesters come out in support of refugees outside the Cladhan Hotel on September 13, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
"Today is the spark of a cultural revolution in Great Britain, this is our moment," Robinson said in an address to supporters, saying they had shown "a tidal wave of patriotism."
In a video link to the rally, US billionaire Elon Musk, who has intervened in British politics to support Robinson and other far-right figures, called for a change of government in Britain. He said the British public were scared to exercise their free speech.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, describes himself as a journalist exposing state wrongdoing. Britain's biggest anti-immigrant political party, Reform UK, which has topped opinion polls in recent months, has kept its distance from Robinson, who has several criminal convictions.
"We want our country back, we want our free speech back on track," said Sandra Mitchell, a supporter attending the rally.
"They need to stop illegal migration into this country," she said. "We believe in Tommy."
At the counter-protest, Ben Hetchin, a teacher, said: "The idea of hate is dividing us and I think the more that we welcome people the stronger we are as a country."
Police said they had more than 1,600 officers deployed across London on Saturday, including 500 brought in from other forces. In addition to policing the two demonstrations, the London force was stretched by high-profile soccer matches and concerts.
Immigration has become the dominant political issue in Britain, eclipsing concerns over a faltering economy, as the country faces a record number of asylum claims. More than 28,000 migrants have arrived in small boats across the Channel so far this year.
Red and white English flags have proliferated along streets and been painted on roads. Supporters call it a spontaneous campaign of national pride, but anti-racism campaigners see a message of hostility to foreigners.
Anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate, which has monitored such rallies for more than a decade, said "a number of well known far-right extremists" including Robinson spoke on-stage and were among the crowds.
Joe Mulhall, its director of research, told the BBC it was "probably... the largest far-right demonstration ever in Britain".
King's College London assistant public policy professor Georgios Samaras agreed, saying it showed "multiple factions within the far-right" as well as newcomers had converged in London.
It comes amid growing anti-immigration sentiment, as Brexit supporter Nigel Farage's hard-right Reform UK leads in polls and protesters target hotels used to house asylum seekers.
It also follows anti-immigration riots last year in numerous towns and cities, which Robinson was accused of fuelling with incendiary online posts.
(Agencies)
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The event, which Robinson has promoted for months, is being billed by him as the 'UK's biggest free speech festival.' (Photo: Getty Images)
More than 1,600 officers deployed across London on Saturday
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson to lead "Unite the Kingdom" march
Anti-racism groups to stage counter-protests in Whitehall
Police impose conditions on routes and timings of demonstrations
LONDON police will deploy more than 1,600 officers across the city on Saturday as rival demonstrations take place, including a rally organised by far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, and a counter-protest by anti-racism campaigners.
The "Unite the Kingdom" march, called by Robinson, is due to gather near Waterloo Bridge and head towards the southern end of Whitehall for a rally.
The event, which Robinson has promoted for months, is being billed by him as the "UK's biggest free speech festival." He has urged supporters to join "for freedom, for your children, and for Charlie Kirk," referring to the American conservative activist shot dead this week in Utah.
Robinson added in a message: "Bring your smiles, flags, and patriotic pride. No masks, open alcohol, or violence." He said the event will also feature far-right figures from Europe and North America. Among those expected are French politician Eric Zemmour, Petr Bystron of Germany’s AfD party, commentator Katie Hopkins, and Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson.
Stand Up To Racism will stage a counter-protest at the other end of Whitehall. Organisers have called Robinson’s event "a festival of hate."
Police security measures
The Metropolitan Police said barriers will be in place to keep the two groups apart. Around 1,000 officers will be specifically on duty for the marches, with 500 reinforcements drafted in from other forces. Police have imposed conditions on the routes and timings, requiring both demonstrations to end by the evening.
"We will approach them as we do any other protests, policing without fear or favour, ensuring people can exercise their lawful rights but being robust in dealing with incidents or offences should they occur," said Commander Clair Haynes, who is leading the operation.
The force said the policing plan also takes into account other large events on Saturday, including Premier League football matches and concerts.
Wider political context
A similar rally held by Robinson in July 2024 drew tens of thousands. He has said he expects hundreds of thousands to attend on Saturday.
The demonstration comes after months of tensions in Britain over immigration, freedom of speech, and government restrictions. More than 28,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats this year, with asylum claims reaching record levels.
Last month, the government banned the group Palestine Action, sparking large protests. Nearly 900 people were arrested at a London rally last Saturday against the ban. Critics have also accused authorities of targeting free speech, following the arrest of Irish writer Graham Linehan at Heathrow Airport over online comments. Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded by urging police to focus on "the most serious issues," while Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley said laws should be changed so that officers are not "policing toxic culture wars debates."
Robinson’s background
Robinson, 42, has long been active in far-right movements in England. He has a string of criminal convictions but maintains a large online following.
His influence grew after his account on X was reinstated in late 2023 following Elon Musk’s takeover of the platform.
Musk has shared Robinson’s posts and previously called for his release from prison after an 18-month contempt of court sentence in 2023.