A black couple in the US have taken the help of law after an estate agency gave a low valuation on their property compared to that when one of their white friends posed as the owner.
The couple in the state of California have taken legal action against the agency accusing it of giving a low valuation on their property as the price of the same went up by several thousand pounds when the friend posed as its owner.
According to a report by The Times, the UK, Paul Austin and his wife Tenisha said they had “whitewashed” their home after getting a low valuation of $995,000 (£753,588) on their residence, removing family photographs and stripping the walls of African artworks.
When their white friend replaced them with pictures of her own family and posed as the owner for another agent, the valuation of the property went up by 50 per cent to $1.48 million (£1.1 million), the report added.
The Austins moved a federal court in San Francisco last week and in their lawsuit, they alleged that the property was devalued by the first agency “because we are in a black neighbourhood, and the home belonged to a black family”.
The incident caused an uproar as scores of black homeowners across the US reported about similar discrimination, The Times report added.
The Austins bought the four-bedroom property in Marin City in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2016 for $550,000. Over the next two years, they renovated the property and in 2018, the house was valued at $864,000 (£654,372), the lawsuit claimed.
The Austins’ renovation saw the house’s square footage almost doubling and they told the local KGO-TV earlier this year that “it was exciting”.
In 2019, when the Austins applied to refinance their mortgage, an appraisal placed the value of the house at $1.45 million (£1.09 million). But when they sought another appraisal from Miller & Perotti Real Estate Appraisals, they were left shocked, The Times added.
The agent complemented the renovations that the Austins carried out but issued a valuation of only $995,000, making Paul say, “It was a slap on the face”.
The owners then carried out a plan. They asked a white friend named Jan to pretend to be the owner and she approached another agent, staging pictures in the house with her own family. After the new agent saw the home, the valuation went up to $1.48 million.
The Austins subsequently sued Janette Miller of Miller real-estate agency and sought financial damages and an undertaking that it would not discriminate on the basis of race when evaluating homes, The Times report added, saying Miller was yet to comment.
More such cases came to the open after the incident in California sparked an outrage. Several other homeowners also reported experiencing similar discrimination from estate agents. One woman in the state of Indiana, for instance, saw the value of her house more than doubling when she removed all evidence that the owner was black and a white friend posed as the owner.
A 2018 study carried out by the Brookings Institution in Washington DC found that homes in the black neighbourhoods of American cities are routinely undervalued by an average of $48,000 (£36,354).
The total losses for black homeowners on the value of their property are about $156 billion (£118 billion), the study said.
Andre Perry, the author of the report who studies discrimination in housing, said the anomaly in valuations by agents goes well beyond the standard of the home and the adjacent neighbourhood.
“It’s almost when people see black neighbourhoods, they see twice as much crime than there actually is. They see worse education than there actually is,” Perry told the Indianapolis Star.
“I think this is what’s happening when appraisers, lenders, real estate agents see blackness. They devalue the asset. They devalue the property.”
THE GOVERNMENT will reinstate winter fuel payments to millions of pensioners this year, reversing an earlier decision that had removed the benefit for most recipients in England and Wales. The move comes after months of criticism and political pressure on prime minister Keir Starmer.
After taking office in July, Starmer's Labour government had removed the winter fuel payments for all but the poorest pensioners as part of broader spending cuts.
The government said at the time that the cuts were necessary to address a gap in the public finances created by the previous Conservative administration.
Means-testing remains for wealthier pensioners
On Monday, the government announced it would restore the payments to 9 million pensioners. Only about 2 million people earning above £35,000 will remain excluded from the £200–£300 heating subsidy during the winter months.
The initial decision had faced opposition from dozens of Labour MPs and was seen as a factor in the party’s recent electoral setbacks, including gains made by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party in local elections. Reform UK also leads in national opinion polls.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the decision to exclude wealthier pensioners still stands and defended the initial cuts.
“Because of those decisions, our public finances are now in a better position, which means that this year we're able to pay the winter fuel payment to more pensioners,” she said.
Treasury costings and political fallout
The Treasury said the reversal would cost £1.25 billion, while means-testing the benefit would still result in savings of about £450 million. It added that the move would not lead to permanent additional borrowing and that funding plans would be set out in a budget later this year.
Speaking at a press conference in Wales, Farage claimed credit for the U-turn.
“The Labour government are in absolute state of blind panic, they are not quite sure what to do,” he said. “Reform are leading now much of their agenda.”
Starmer had indicated last month that he would reverse the cuts.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the earlier policy change had resulted in around 85 per cent of pensioner households losing access to the benefit.
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The Conservative leader said she asks people to remove face coverings—whether burqas or balaclavas—when they attend her surgeries. (Photo: Getty Images)
KEMI BADENOCH has said she will not speak to women wearing burqas or other face coverings at her constituency surgery.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the Conservative leader said she asks people to remove face coverings—whether burqas or balaclavas—when they attend her surgeries.
Badenoch also said employers should have the right to ban staff from wearing burqas, stating, “Organisations should be able to decide what their staff wear.”
She said, “If you come into my constituency surgery, you have to remove your face covering. I’m not talking to people who are not going to show me their face.” She added, “There’s a whole heap of stuff that is far more insidious... things like first-cousin marriage… My view is that people should be allowed to wear whatever they want, not what their husband is asking them to wear or what their community says that they should wear.”
Afzal Khan, Labour MP and vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, criticised the remarks. He said: “Trying to outflank Reform UK on immigration or culture wars... erodes trust in politics itself.”
The issue was raised after Reform MP Sarah Pochin questioned Keir Starmer about banning the burqa. Nigel Farage has also called for a debate.
Zia Yusuf, chair of Reform, resigned over the issue but has since returned. He told The Sunday Times he might vote for a ban but said other issues were more urgent.
Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said he had spoken to women in burqas in the past.
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Mayor Richard Chatterjee joins locals in celebrating compassion and culture at Croydon's vegan picnic
A sunny Sunday afternoon turned into a celebration of kindness, flavour, and connection as Croydon's Lloyd Park played host to a vibrant vegan picnic on 8 June. Marking The Big Lunch, a UK-wide community initiative, local vegetarians and vegans gathered with loved ones for a day of delicious food, music, and togetherness.
Plant-based plates with a powerful message
Tables brimmed with a colourful spread of plant-based dishes, proof that vegan food lacks neither taste nor variety. But this picnic wasn’t just about food. It served as a gentle reminder that compassion can be a lifestyle choice. Veganism, rooted in the idea of reducing harm to animals, is growing steadily in the UK, not only for ethical reasons but also for its potential health benefits.
Families and friends share plant-based meals and music under the summer sun
The event was graced by the Worshipful Mayor of Croydon, Richard Chatterjee, and his wife Angelena. Councillor Manjul Hammeed also joined the gathering, lending civic support to the growing movement. Local faith institutions, including Coulsdon Hindu Mandir and Thornton Heath Durga Mandir, extended their support, underlining the event’s inclusive, multicultural spirit.
Mayor Richard Chatterjee joins Croydon's growing plant-based community at the weekend event
The Big Lunch, a UK tradition of togetherness
This celebration was part of The Big Lunch, a grassroots movement launched by the Eden Project in 2009. Backed by The National Lottery Community Fund, the idea is simple: get neighbours to connect over food and laughter. Over the years, The Big Lunch has become a calendar highlight in many communities across the UK, creating friendships and reminding people that building bonds can start with a shared meal.
Mayor Richard Chatterjee and many local faith groups support the inclusive vegan gathering
As the plates emptied, music and dance filled the park. Laughter, conversation, and rhythm took over, capturing the very spirit the Eden Project set out to nurture, community.
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Officials said work is also ongoing to redesign existing non-AC local trains to improve ventilation so that automatic door closing systems can be installed. (Photo: Getty Images)
THE RAILWAY Ministry has decided to install automatic door closing systems in existing and new local trains on the Mumbai Suburban network, following the deaths of four commuters and injuries to nine others who fell from overcrowded trains in Thane district on Monday, officials said.
A senior official said that after the incident, the Railway Minister and Railway Board officials held a detailed meeting and tasked the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai with manufacturing non-air-conditioned local trains with automatic doors for Mumbai Suburban services.
“The first train of the new design will be ready by November 2025 and after necessary tests and certification, it will be put into service by January 2026,” said Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board, while speaking to PTI.
“This is in addition to the 238 AC trains already under manufacturing for Mumbai suburban services,” Kumar added.
Officials said work is also ongoing to redesign existing non-AC local trains to improve ventilation so that automatic door closing systems can be installed.
The Railway Minister and Railway Board officials held a detailed meeting with the ICF, Chennai team on Monday to address the issue, officials said.
“The purpose was to find a practical solution to the issue of automatic door closing in local non-AC trains in Mumbai. The major issue with automatic door closing in non-AC trains is suffocation because of reduced ventilation,” a railway official said.
Kumar said the new non-AC trains will undergo three major design changes to address ventilation concerns.
“First, the doors will have louvres. Second, coaches will have roof-mounted ventilation units to pump in fresh air. And third, the coaches will have vestibules so that passengers can move from one coach to another and balance out the crowd in a natural way,” he said.
Four commuters died and nine were injured after falling off two overcrowded local trains in Thane district during the Monday morning rush hour, officials said.
The incident occurred near Mumbra railway station when the trains were passing each other on a steep turn.
Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, said the victims were travelling on the footboard of two trains—one headed to Kasara and the other to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai.
According to the police, the commuters were hanging from the doors of the crowded trains and their backpacks brushed against each other as the trains passed in opposite directions.
The guard of the Kasara-bound train alerted the railway authorities. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, where four were declared dead on arrival, officials said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Imran Khan has been held in Adiala Jail since August 2023 in several cases. (Photo: Getty Images)
FORMER prime minister Imran Khan, 72, is expected to seek bail in the Al-Qadir Trust case when the Islamabad High Court (IHC) hears petitions on 11 June to suspend the sentences handed to him and his wife Bushra Bibi.
Khan has been held in Adiala Jail since August 2023 in several cases. PTI chief Gohar Ali Khan told ARY News that “June 11 is going to be an important day for both Khan and his wife,” but he gave no further reason. The IHC had earlier adjourned the matter after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) asked for more time to prepare its arguments.
Gohar said the PTI will work with opposition parties to launch a movement led by the party’s founder from jail. He urged those parties to join “for the sake of the country's survival and security” and added that “The party will address a press conference on June 9 regarding it,” outlining plans for the forthcoming budget.
Last month Khan said he would direct the party’s protest campaign against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition from prison. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has warned of a full-scale movement for Khan’s release after Eid Al-Adha.
Khan, convicted in a few cases, continues to claim the 8 February 2023 general election saw the ‘Mother of All Rigging.’ He brands the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party “mandate thieves.”
Special assistant to the prime minister on political affairs Rana Sanaullah on Saturday urged PTI to accept prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of talks and sit with the government to amend election laws.
Gohar said Bushra Bibi is being held without charges to pressure Khan and insisted no deals would be made for his release. He also dismissed reports of internal rifts within PTI.
The Al-Qadir Trust case centres on a 190 million Pound settlement reached by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) with the family of property tycoon Malik Riaz. In August 2019 the NCA said it had frozen eight bank accounts containing 100 million pounds “suspected to have derived from bribery and corruption in an overseas nation.”
The agency informed the government then led by Khan’s PTI. It is alleged Khan asked his aide on accountability, Shehzad Akbar, to resolve the matter and that the frozen funds belonging to the national treasury were “settled” against Bahria Town’s liability.
Bahria Town Ltd, Riaz’s real-estate firm, was later found to have illegally acquired large tracts of land on Karachi’s outskirts. It donated hundreds of acres to the Al-Qadir Trust, whose only trustees are Khan and Bushra Bibi.