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.
UK sees a cooler start to the week after recent heatwave
Temperatures forecast to rise again by Wednesday in parts of England
Midlands, eastern and southeastern England could see highs of 30°C
Overnight humidity may lead to heavy, thundery showers midweek
Glastonbury and Wimbledon expected to enjoy mostly dry, warm weather
Warm spell returns after short-lived fresher weather
The UK has started the week with a noticeable drop in temperatures after the recent spell of hot weather. However, this break from the heat is expected to be brief, with forecasters predicting a second rise in temperatures for parts of England by midweek.
A south-westerly airflow replacing the recent westerlies will begin drawing warmer air back into the country. This shift means areas in central and southeastern England could again see temperatures reaching the high twenties by Wednesday, bringing the possibility of a second UK heatwave, especially across eastern regions.
Cooler conditions to begin the week
Monday and Tuesday will feel much fresher across most of the UK, with daytime highs ranging between 17°C and 24°C, closer to the seasonal norm for June. A mix of sunny spells and scattered showers is expected, and brisk winds may affect northern and western areas.
These conditions are typical for a British summer, with overnight rain possibly delaying Tuesday’s cricket at Headingley.
Temperatures to climb again by midweek
From Wednesday, the wind direction will shift to a south-westerly flow, bringing warmer and more humid air into parts of England. The Midlands, eastern and southeastern regions are likely to see temperatures rise rapidly to between 26°C and 29°C.
The early part of next week looks set to continue the warm trendMET Office
By Friday, some locations could reach 30°C (86°F), especially in eastern England. While not all areas will meet the Met Office’s heatwave criteria (three consecutive days above threshold temperatures), a second UK heatwave weather forecast remains possible for certain regions.
Rain and thunderstorms possible midweek
The increasing humidity could trigger a band of heavy, thundery showers on Wednesday night, spreading from west to east. Overnight temperatures in the east may remain high, between 15°C and 17°C, making sleeping conditions uncomfortable for some.
Thursday dip followed by warmer weekend
Thursday is likely to feel fresher again, with temperatures dipping slightly before warmer weather returns towards the weekend. The Midlands and southeast could again see highs in the high twenties or low thirties, while the rest of the UK experiences more moderate temperatures.
Glastonbury set for dry spells after wet start
Festivalgoers heading to Glastonbury will enjoy a warm and dry start on Wednesday, with temperatures around 25°C. However, the overnight thundery band of rain may result in a muddy start to Thursday. Conditions are forecast to improve later in the day, settling into a pattern of dry, sunny spells for the remainder of the festival.
Wimbledon to enjoy fine opening week
The start of Wimbledon next week is also expected to benefit from favourable weather. Highs in the high twenties are likely on Monday, easing slightly to the mid-twenties for the rest of the week. While there’s always a chance of brief interruptions, the overall outlook remains dry and warm.
Outlook into next week
The early part of next week looks set to continue the warm trend, especially in the south and east. Although not widespread, the second UK heatwave weather forecast suggests that high temperatures and dry spells may persist in some regions.
For accurate and up-to-date information, the Met Office continues to monitor conditions and will issue official heatwave alerts if thresholds are met.
The Conservatives, led by shadow chancellor Mel Stride, have proposed a £5,000 “first-job bonus” funded through national insurance rebates to help young people buy their first home.
The Conservative Party has proposed giving young people a £5,000 national insurance rebate to help them buy their first home.
The plan, to be announced by shadow chancellor Mel Stride on Monday, would grant a “first-job bonus” when individuals start their first full-time job.
According to The Times, the measure would divert national insurance contributions into a long-term savings account and could provide working couples with up to £10,000.
The Conservatives estimate that 600,000 people a year would benefit, with the £2.8 billion cost funded by cuts to government spending, including ending sickness benefits for mild mental health conditions and restricting welfare access for around half a million foreigners.
Stride will say: “When we deliver the urgent change that is needed to stop young people going straight from school to a life on benefits, we will use those reforms to fund tax cuts which are laser-focused on aspiring young people.”
Under the proposal, the first £5,000 in national insurance payments would go into a savings account that could be used to buy property or withdrawn after five years.
Badenoch, the Tory leader, said there was a “gap for the responsible, optimistic, competent Conservative approach.”
The Times also reported comments from James Cleverly, who said the party must “re-establish the mantle of being the party of aspiration.”
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Sussex Police released images of two masked men dressed in dark clothing and appealed to the public for help in identifying them.
Mosque in Peacehaven targeted in suspected arson attack
Sussex Police treating the case as hate crime with intent to endanger life
Incident follows deadly assault at Manchester synagogue
Leaders call for unity and rejection of hate
POLICE in southern England are investigating a suspected arson attack at a mosque in Peacehaven as a hate crime, days after a fatal attack on a synagogue in Manchester.
Officers were called to the mosque on the southern coast late on Saturday. No one was injured, but the fire damaged the building’s front entrance and a vehicle parked outside.
Sussex Police released images of two masked men dressed in dark clothing and appealed to the public for help in identifying them.
Detective Inspector Gavin Patch said it was an “appalling and reckless attack which we know will have left many people feeling less safe.”
“We are treating this as an arson with intent to endanger life and are continuing to pursue a number of lines of enquiry to identify those responsible,” Patch said.
The fire came two days after an attack on a synagogue in Manchester in which two people were killed and three others were seriously injured. Police have suggested a possible link to Islamist extremism.
A spokesperson for the Peacehaven mosque said, “We are profoundly grateful that no-one was injured,” and urged people “to reject division and respond to hate with unity and compassion.”
“This hateful act does not represent our community or our town,” the spokesperson added.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said the attack was “deeply concerning.”
“Attacks against Britain’s Muslims are attacks against all Britons and this country itself,” Mahmood said on social media.
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, also condemned the mosque fire and called for solidarity.
“Every faith community has the right to worship free from fear. Our country is better than this,” Rosenberg said.
“Over recent weeks there has been a lot of focus on how we have become a divided kingdom. But we are the United Kingdom. And we need to move forward against hate together.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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Police officers stand guard during a mass demonstration organised by Defend our Juries, against the British government's ban on Palestine Action, at Trafalgar Square in London, October 4, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
PRO-PALESTINIAN protests were held across the UK on Saturday despite a call from prime minister Keir Starmer to cancel them, two days after a deadly car-ramming and knife attack on a synagogue in Manchester.
Four people — two men and two women — remained in custody on suspicion of terrorism-related offences following Thursday’s attack. Police said an 18-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man who had been held earlier were released without further action.
Two people were killed and three others seriously injured in the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. The attack took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester.
Police said they shot dead the assailant, 35-year-old UK citizen of Syrian descent Jihad Al-Shamie, within minutes of the alarm being raised.
The attack has caused concern within Britain’s Jewish community. Police said they were patrolling places of worship across Manchester “with a particular focus on providing a high-visibility presence within our Jewish communities”.
The Manchester synagogue attack was one of the worst antisemitic incidents in Europe since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault in Israel. The Hamas attack killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the territory that the United Nations considers reliable.
The conflict has led to frequent pro-Palestinian rallies in Britain, which some critics allege have fuelled antisemitism.
Around 1,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square in central London on Saturday to show support for the banned group Palestine Action, according to organisers Defend Our Juries.
A spokesperson said the group “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community over the Manchester attack, adding, “Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.”
A smaller protest organised by Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine drew about 100 people in Manchester.
Starmer’s appeal and arrests
Ahead of the demonstrations, Prime Minister Starmer urged protesters not to join the rallies.
“I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain,” he said on X.
Police said 488 people were arrested at the London protest “for supporting a proscribed organisation”. The oldest person arrested was 89.
Four people were detained for other offences. The Met Police said 297 remained in custody while the rest had been bailed.
Supporting the group has been a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 since the government banned it in early July. Hundreds of people have since been arrested at various demonstrations.
“I’m ready to be arrested,” a 21-year-old student who did not want to be named told AFP. “The ban of Palestine Action is undemocratic. It shouldn’t be a terrorist group, they haven’t killed anybody,” he said.
David Cannon, 73, chair of the Jewish Network for Palestine, said the demonstration was “totally separate” from what had happened in Manchester.
“There’s nothing Jewish about genocide, about apartheid, about ethnic cleansing,” he said.
Police shooting investigation
The UK police watchdog said it would investigate the police shooting of attacker Al-Shamie.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said its probe would also look into the deaths of two other people — one of whom died from a gunshot wound — and another person who was shot but survived.
The IOPC said there was no evidence anyone other than police officers had used firearms at the scene, suggesting both victims were accidentally shot by armed officers while they tackled Al-Shamie.
“Our independent investigation will look at circumstances surrounding the fatal police shooting of Jihad Al-Shamie,” the IOPC said. “A post mortem has today (Friday) concluded another man who died at the scene suffered a fatal gunshot wound.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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Lord Tariq Ahmad speaks at the event in London last Thursday (25)
FORMER Conservative minister Lord Tariq Ahmad praised Asian property developers for building not just brick-and-mortar homes, but also “communities and futures”, while paying tribute to generations of migrants who built the UK’s economy.
Lord Ahmad most recently served as minister for south Asia, the United Nations and the Commonwealth from September 2022 until July 2024 and previously held roles in Tory governments.
He is now a non-executive director at the Asian Media Group, publishers of Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat news weeklies.
At the Eastern Eye Property Awards last Thursday (25), Lord Ahmad said “property ownership very much is within the British Asian DNA”.
“Property ownership is part of what defines Asian communities now,” the peer said.
The senior Tory politician recalled growing up in Glasgow, with Asian shopkeepers and pharmacists settled within the wider Scottish community.
Reflecting on his father’s journey as a migrant in Glasgow in the 1950s, Ahmad said, “He came with three pieces of advice – learn the language, understand the language fully, be a productive citizen of the country which is now your home, and also understand the culture. And the third thing was – give back to the community.”
He pointed to the resilience the generation who arrived in the UK during the 1950s and 1960s, often facing discrimination, but who responded with determination and a commitment to give back to their adopted home.
Though his father faced racism, he immersed himself in English literature, embraced local culture, and invested in property. This, Lord Ahmad said, became part of the wider story of how migrants helped build lives and communities through ownership of homes, shops, and small businesses.
“It’s important when you look at society, we look at the different contributions. Not only do our British Asian pharmacists dispense prescriptions, keep job, but they also dispense wisdom,” Ahmad said.
He added, “British Asian developers have contributed to building communities. They have built futures.”
He described them as a symbol of aspiration and perseverance who helped transform neighbourhoods, created jobs and were known for their business acumen.
Highlighting the role of shopkeepers as the “backbone of British life,” Ahmad said corner shops became the seed for larger enterprises such as Bestway, among others.
Pharmacies, too, played a crucial role not only in dispensing medicines but also in providing advice and support to families. These professions, combined with investment in housing and hotels, showed how property ownership has long been tied to social mobility and economic growth within British Asian communities, he added.
Lord Ahmad also underlined the value of hospitality and entrepreneurship, pointing out that Asian hoteliers and developers had become a vital part of the country’s economic fabric, driving growth and opportunities.
“From small acorns, great oak trees grow,” he said, noting how modest ventures had expanded into national and international businesses.
He also expressed concern over divisions in society today and said bigotry and racial slurs had resurfaced in public life. It was the responsibility of leaders to confront division, he said, and he added that patriotism should not be confused with narrow nationalism.
“Our true strength comes from the rich tapestry of our diversity, and British Asian success is intrinsic to that,” he said.
Lord Ahmad described British Asians as “dreamers, doers, and dealmakers” whose efforts had helped Britain prosper.
Migration, he argued, had made the country stronger and more dynamic.
“Britain today is much stronger, much warmer, and much spicier, because of all of you,” he said at the event.
THE man behind the deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue has been identified as Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent. He was shot dead by armed officers just minutes after launching his assault on Thursday (2) morning, in which two worshippers were killed and several others injured.
Al-Shamie, who lived in Prestwich, is believed to have entered the UK as a small child with his family. He became a naturalised British citizen in 2006, when he was about 16. Although police are investigating possible links, he was not previously known to the security services or referred to the government’s Prevent programme.
Neighbours in Prestwich described him as a quiet man who kept largely to himself. Some recalled him lifting weights in his garden or working out on benches, often switching between western clothes and traditional Syrian dress.
One local resident said: “He was just a straightforward, ordinary lad. Nothing would stand out to make you think he was.” Others said he rarely spoke to people in the street, though he was sometimes seen walking in pyjamas and sandals.
Police raided a house in Langley Crescent, believed to be the family home, hours after the attack. Neighbours said the Al-Shamie family had lived in the area for about 15 years and were thought of as “nice people”.
His father, Faraj Al-Shamie, issued a statement on behalf of the family in the UK and abroad. He condemned the synagogue attack as a “heinous act” and said it had come as a “profound shock”.
The family “fully distanced” themselves from Al-Shamie's actions and expressed their “deep sorrow” for the victims. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort,” the statement said.
Despite his violent end, there has been little evidence so far of Al-Shamie being part of any wider extremist network. The Syrian British Consortium, along with other community organisations, said nobody in their networks recognised him or recalled meeting him.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood also noted that his name, Jihad, was unusual, and said she had never personally come across someone with that name before.
According to media reports, he led a largely private life in a quiet Manchester suburb, sometimes working as a tutor teaching English and computer programming.
As flowers and tributes gather outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, the investigation into Al-Shamie’s background continues, with police and intelligence agencies working to understand whether he acted alone or had support.