Gayathri Kallukaran is a Junior Journalist with Eastern Eye. She has a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from St. Paul’s College, Bengaluru, and brings over five years of experience in content creation, including two years in digital journalism. She covers stories across culture, lifestyle, travel, health, and technology, with a creative yet fact-driven approach to reporting. Known for her sensitivity towards human interest narratives, Gayathri’s storytelling often aims to inform, inspire, and empower. Her journey began as a layout designer and reporter for her college’s daily newsletter, where she also contributed short films and editorial features. Since then, she has worked with platforms like FWD Media, Pepper Content, and Petrons.com, where several of her interviews and features have gained spotlight recognition. Fluent in English, Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi, she writes in English and Malayalam, continuing to explore inclusive, people-focused storytelling in the digital space.
Second heatwave of June 2025 will see temperatures exceed 30°C
Hottest day of the year so far may be recorded on Monday
Wimbledon and Glastonbury could break event-specific temperature records
Cooler conditions possible by Tuesday, but some areas may remain hot
Health and infrastructure alerts issued due to extreme heat
UK set for another burst of extreme summer heat
A second heatwave this June is forecast to push UK temperatures above 30°C over the weekend, with the hottest conditions likely early next week. The surge in heat could rival or even surpass the current high of 33.2°C, recorded on 21 June in Charlwood, Surrey.
The unusually hot spell is linked to a warm airmass crossing from North America and is likely to affect much of England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, will experience milder conditions.
Fresh Thursday, then rising heat from Friday
Thursday will bring rain and showers across parts of the country, offering temporary relief. However, from Friday, humidity levels are expected to rise as a result of a warm airmass that originated from the recent extreme heatwave in the United States.
While rain may continue in north-western areas, eastern England will see increasing sunshine, with temperatures climbing into the high 20s.
Heatwave conditions across large parts of England
By Saturday, a ridge of high pressure over Europe will intensify the heat across southern and central regions. Areas such as south-east England, East Anglia, the Midlands, and Central Southern England are expected to hit between 27°C and 30°C.
On Sunday, the heat will expand into parts of east Wales and the north of England. East Anglia and the south-east are likely to experience the highest temperatures, potentially reaching 32°C.
Monday may see highest temperature of the year
Forecasters predict Monday could mark the peak of the heatwave. Temperatures in parts of East Anglia and the south-east may reach 33°C to 34°C. If this is achieved, it would surpass the current 2025 high of 33.2°C.
The all-time UK June record of 35.6°C, set in Southampton during the summer of 1976, is unlikely to be broken, but the forecasted figures are not far off.
Cooler air could arrive from Tuesday
There is uncertainty in the forecast from Tuesday onwards. Many weather models indicate a shift towards cooler, fresher conditions from the west. However, some areas, particularly in the east, may retain higher temperatures for another day or two.
Scotland and Northern Ireland are not expected to reach heatwave criteria, with temperatures generally remaining in the low 20s. Rain, possibly heavy at times, could return on Monday.
Events, travel and health advice amid high temperatures
Major summer events such as Wimbledon and Glastonbury could be impacted. Wimbledon may start hotter than ever before, potentially surpassing the 29.3°C recorded at Kew in 2001. Glastonbury might approach its 2017 record of 31.2°C from Rodney Stoke.
Extreme heat poses risks to infrastructure. Train services may be disrupted due to the possibility of tracks expanding or buckling. Public health is also a concern, particularly for older people and those with pre-existing conditions.
The government and NHS continue to issue heat-health alerts, advising people to stay hydrated, avoid peak sun hours, and look out for vulnerable individuals.
CURRENT and former MPs from all parties gathered at the House of Commons to celebrate the 90th birthday of Sir Anwar Pervez, the founder of retailer Bestway Group.
The event took place in the Churchill Room and was hosted by Lord Choudrey. Guests included former Lord chancellor Sir Brandon Lewis, former ministers Tom Tugendhat and Lord Maude, and MPs from Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, according to a statement.
Former ministers praised Sir Anwar's contribution to British society. Tugendhat and Lord Maude described him as "a living embodiment of everything that is good in British Society".
Sir Brandon told guests how Bestway had helped his family's small business grow during the 1980s. He said this showed how Sir Anwar had supported independent businesses throughout his career.
Both Lord Maude and Sir Brandon spoke about trips to Pakistan that Sir Anwar had organised for them when they served as Tory chairs.
During the event, Pakistan's high commissioner to the UK, Dr Mohammad Faisal, and Lord Khan of Burnley highlighted his role in strengthening ties between Britain and Pakistan.
Sir Anwar's story began in a small village in Pakistan. He came to Britain in 1956 at the age of 21 with little money. After working various jobs in Bradford, he moved to London and opened his first shop in 1963.
He founded Bestway in 1976, which has since grown into a multi-billion pound business employing over 47,000 people worldwide. The company operates across food wholesale, pharmaceuticals, cement and banking.
Bestway Wholesale now has 62 depots across the UK and serves 100,000 retailers. The company has a yearly turnover of £3 billion and owns more than 200 shops. It also runs the Costcutter, best-one and Bargain Booze chains.
The Asian entrepreneur also set up the Bestway Foundation, which has given over £44 million to charities. The foundation focuses on helping people from poor backgrounds improve their lives through education and opportunity.
This year marks both Sir Anwar's 90th birthday and Bestway Group's 50th anniversary, the statement added.
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FILE PHOTO: People walk over London Bridge during morning rush hour in London. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
LIVING standards in Britain look set to barely grow over the rest of the decade and poorer households are likely to suffer a drop, in part due to a welfare squeeze, according to a report published by a thinktank on Thursday (26).
Median household incomes after taxes, benefits including pensions and housing costs are on course to rise by a total of just one per cent more than inflation by the 2029/30 fiscal year, the Resolution Foundation said. Lower-income families are expected to see a one per cent fall.
Typical households paying mortgages will see incomes fall by one per cent as the impact of higher interest rates feeds through to more borrowers. By contrast, people who own their homes outright are set to see their incomes grow by three per cent, the foundation said.
The biggest winners are likely to be pensioners with their incomes forecast to rise by five per cent. Families with children are set to have no income growth.
Adam Corlett, principal economist at the thinktank, said the forecasts could prove to be too gloomy if the economy grows more quickly than expected. Low-income households would benefit if the government scraps a two-child limit on some family benefits, he said.
The limit was introduced by the previous Tory government. Prime minister Keir Starmer is considering ditching it. However, he has said he will not reverse plans to make it harder for people to claim long-term sickness and disability benefits which have run into opposition within his Labour party.
(Reuters)
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A part of the incomplete sprinkler system in the building (Photo: Cardiff council)
A CARDIFF landlord has been ordered to pay £64,000 after illegally converting a Victorian property into dangerous flats with poor fire safety measures.
Mohammed Abdul Kowsor Choudhury from Cyncoed and his company Pine Best Ltd appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court last week, where they were fined £54,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 in costs, reported Wales Online.
The three-storey Victorian building had planning permission for six self-contained flats, but council officers discovered 11 separate flats when they visited in March 2018. Each flat was being rented for around £600 per month.
The Shared Regulatory Services team found extremely poor fire safety conditions throughout the property. Emergency prohibition orders were immediately issued for all 11 flats, making them too dangerous for people to live in.
Serious safety problems included gaps around doors that would allow fire to spread quickly and unsealed holes where pipes passed through ceilings, which could let deadly smoke travel between floors.
According to the report, this was not Choudhury's first offence at the property. In 2019, South Wales Fire & Rescue Service took him to court for failing to carry out essential safety work. He was fined £50,000, ordered to pay £10,000 costs, and given a suspended prison sentence.
Despite these penalties, reports came in during October 2022 that the flats were being rented out again without the required safety improvements being completed.
District Judge Christopher James described Choudhury's business as "a vehicle created by the defendant for the purpose of presenting an enterprise of legitimacy" and called the company's financial records "questionable".
The judge said Choudhury had deliberately ignored enforcement notices to "gain profit from people that were desperate for housing". He described the landlord as "flagrantly and deliberately ignoring legislation and legal requirement in relation to these properties".
The court heard that Choudhury had previous convictions for theft, dishonesty and assault, and had continued renting out flats as they became empty.
Councillor Lynda Thorne, Cardiff council's cabinet member for housing and communities, welcomed the court's decision.
"This property has been a significant concern for many years now and hopefully Mr Choudhury now understands what he has to do to ensure that he can rent his property out legally in line with all legislation required," she said.
"The majority of private sector landlords provide a good service to their tenants but unfortunately there are some that don't have any regard at all. Unfortunately it's landlords like Mr Choudhury who, as the judge said, flagrantly ignore legislation and bring the sector into disrepute."
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Disneyland Paris said that the event had been 'immediately cancelled' by its staff after the identification of significant irregularities'. (Photo: Getty Images)
A BRITISH man has been charged in France with offences including money laundering and identity theft after allegedly organising a staged wedding ceremony at Disneyland Paris, where he acted as the groom and a nine-year-old girl played the bride, French prosecutors said on Tuesday.
He is suspected of renting the park before its public opening on Saturday for the private event, under a contract valued at 130,000 euros.
The man, who has not been named, has a criminal record in the UK for sexual assault offences. In addition to the formal charges, he has also been designated an assisted witness in a separate investigation into suspected corruption of a minor, prosecutors said.
The incident initially raised concerns among Disneyland staff, who alerted police out of fear that the event involved an illegal child marriage. The supposed bride was a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl.
Authorities later determined that the ceremony was staged, but they launched an investigation immediately after the alert.
Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the prosecutor for the Meaux region, told AFP the British man had "played the role of the groom after being professionally made up to display a face completely different from his own."
According to the prosecutor, British authorities confirmed that the man "has been convicted in the past, notably for sexual offences against minors." He is also wanted in the UK for failing to comply with his obligations as a registered sex offender.
'Significant irregularities'
A 24-year-old Latvian woman who acted as the bride’s sister during the event has also been designated an assisted witness.
The prosecutor said the investigation revealed that the ceremony was "a fictitious ceremony intended to be filmed privately".
The British man is believed to have "recruited, with the help of a Latvian citizen, other Latvian nationals to ensure the smooth running of the event, as well as around 100 French extras, who were falsely presented to Disneyland Paris as wedding guests", the prosecutor said.
The Ukrainian girl, who arrived in France two days before the event, was not harmed, the prosecutor said over the weekend. "No violence, either physical or sexual," occurred, and "she was not forced to play the role" of bride, he added.
The prosecutor said Disneyland Paris was misled when "the organiser impersonated a Latvian national and used false documents to secure the contract to hire the park".
The event was scheduled to take place from 5:00 am to 7:00 am local time, before public opening hours, on a privatised part of the park, "at a total cost of 130,000 euros", according to a police source who did not want to be named.
Disneyland Paris said in a statement sent to AFP on Sunday that the event had been "immediately cancelled" by its staff "after the identification of significant irregularities".
(With inputs from agencies)
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Starmer's government is under pressure to slash a spiralling benefits bill as chancellor Rachel Reeves tries to generate much-needed growth from a sluggish economy.
KEIR STARMER on Wednesday confirmed he would go ahead with plans to cut disability and sickness benefits, despite facing the largest internal rebellion since becoming prime minister.
Starmer, who took office after a landslide election win over the Conservatives last July, said a vote on the new welfare bill would take place on Tuesday.
The government is aiming to reduce the growing benefits bill as Chancellor Rachel Reeves works to boost growth in the UK’s struggling economy.
More than 120 Labour MPs — nearly a third of the party’s 403 lawmakers in parliament — have supported an amendment to block the legislation.
According to media reports, concern is growing within Starmer’s Downing Street team over the size of the revolt.
One minister told The Times the mood was one of “panic”. A Labour insider told The Sun that many MPs were ready to defy the government because “they're seeing poll after poll showing their seats going to Reform next election”.
Speaking from The Hague, where he is attending a NATO summit, Starmer said he was elected to “change that which is broken” and that the welfare system “doesn’t work for anyone”.
Spiralling welfare bill
“There’ll be a vote on Tuesday, we’re going to make sure we reform the welfare system,” he told LBC radio.
The MPs backing the amendment argue the bill is poorly planned and could push 250,000 more people into poverty.
The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (Pip) Bill would tighten eligibility for benefit payments with the aim of increasing employment.
Government figures show 3.7 million people in England and Wales were claiming Pip, up from 2.05 million in 2019, with more teenagers and young adults among claimants.
Senior Labour leaders have called on Starmer to reconsider.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said ministers should “urgently think again”, while Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the number of MPs rebelling should prompt reflection.
“When the PLP (parliamentary Labour Party) delivers its collective wisdom in such numbers, it is invariably right. And it is right on this,” he said.
Eluned Morgan, Labour’s First Minister of Wales, also urged a rethink.
Later, speaking to reporters in The Hague, Starmer said he would not be swayed and rejected suggestions that he was misreading the political mood.
He said the government needed “a welfare system that is fit for the future” and added, “that’s why... we will press ahead”.
Reform challenge
The dispute comes as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party continues to perform strongly in opinion polls.
Reform, which won hundreds of council seats in May local elections, has gained support over issues such as crime, immigration, cost of living and public services.
The party currently holds five seats in parliament but secured 14 per cent of the vote in last year’s general election.
A recent Ipsos poll put Reform on 34 per cent, nine points ahead of Labour on 25 per cent.
The next general election is due in four years, but if the poll results were reflected nationally, Farage could become prime minister.