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Fashion Designers, IT Specialists: UK Opens Door To Foreign Talents With New Visa Rules
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1 month agoon
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Editor
The United Kingdom has expanded its Skilled Worker visa route to include more than 70 mid-level occupations, opening the door for foreign professionals such as fashion designers, technicians, and IT specialists to work in the country with salaries starting from €29,000.
This move, which took effect on July 22, 2025, is part of the government’s strategy to tackle urgent labour shortages by easing access to roles traditionally considered outside the high-skilled visa category.
The update introduces a newly expanded Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSOL), which comes with significantly lower salary thresholds and streamlined visa processes for eligible roles across sectors such as engineering, construction, healthcare, science, finance, creative arts, and information technology.
The changes reflect a deliberate shift to address staffing gaps in industries critical to the UK economy.
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Under the revised rules, salary requirements now vary based on an applicant’s visa history. While standard
thresholds still apply to newcomers, those categorized as “new entrants,” PhD holders, or individuals with continuous Skilled Worker visas prior to April 4, 2024, can qualify at lower salary levels.
For instance, a pipe fitter who previously needed to earn at least £46,000 can now be eligible with £40,400. Engineering technicians are permitted at £34,700, down from £42,500. In the creative sector, fashion designers can now qualify with £29,100, while data analysts in tech are eligible at £28,600. Laboratory technicians in science and healthcare can apply with £25,000, reduced from the standard £33,400.
READ ALSO:Russia Strikes Ukraine After Kyiv Offers Fresh Talks
This restructured visa list is seen as a direct response to economic and political pressures surrounding skills shortages. It seeks to make the UK labor market more globally competitive while addressing domestic gaps in practical, mid-level roles.
Despite these new allowances, all applicants must still meet basic eligibility requirements, including having a confirmed job offer from a licensed UK sponsor and obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship. Applications must also include proof of qualifications, salary information, and a valid job match aligned with the official occupation codes.
Although the government describes the updated list as temporary, no fixed end date has been announced.
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Headline
Zelensky Responds To Putin’s Invite To Russia For Peace Talks
Published
20 minutes agoon
September 6, 2025By
Editor
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to visit Moscow for peace talks over the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war.
According to the Russian government, President Putin is preparing to host Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Moscow.
Presidential aide Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting during an interview with TASS at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) on Friday.
The Kremlin spokesman said Putin’s invitation to the Ukrainian leader was “to talk, not to surrender.”
READ ALSO:Russia Hits Out At Macron For Calling Putin ‘Ogre’
Peskov noted that efforts to resolve the 42-month conflict are ongoing but declined to predict the outcome. He quoted Putin as saying, “There is light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Russian government says it aims to achieve its objectives in Ukraine through peaceful means but will continue its special military operation if no truce is reached.
When asked about a possible follow-up conversation between President Putin and President Donald Trump after their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, Peskov said, “There are no developments yet.”
He also spoke about US-Russia relations, saying “the process of bringing our relations out of complete paralysis will take time.” Peskov added that “much damage has been done to the architecture” of both countries’ ties, referring to years of diplomatic standoff under the previous US administration.
READ ALSO:Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region
Responding to the open invite during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after the Coalition of the Willing meeting, Zelensky said he can only be invited when Russia wants there to be no meeting.
Speaking about the coalition meeting amid ongoing effort for peace in Ukraine, Zelensky said the meeting is necessary and “not about desire, but a real need.” He added that he supports any format for the talks—trilateral or bilateral—but believes Russia is trying to delay it.
“The meeting is needed, this is not about desire, but it is needed. We supported it in any format: both trilateral and bilateral. I believe that Russia is doing everything to delay it. Our American partners told us that Putin invited me to Moscow. I think that when you want there to be no meeting, then you should invite me,” Zelensky said.
Headline
Surfer Dies After Suspected Shark Attack In Sydney
Published
36 minutes agoon
September 6, 2025By
Editor
A man has died following a suspected shark attack at Long Reef Beach in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, police in New South Wales have confirmed.
Emergency services were called shortly after 10:00 am local time on Saturday after reports that a surfer had suffered critical injuries about 100 metres offshore.
Despite being pulled from the water by fellow surfers, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said two sections of a surfboard were recovered from the water and have been sent for expert analysis. The victim, described as an experienced surfer, had been in the water for only about 30 minutes when the incident occurred.
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In a statement, the police said the man had been pulled out of the morning surf onto the shore at Long Reef Beach, but he “died at the scene”.
“Two sections of a surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination,” the statement read.
At a news briefing later on Saturday, the police described the victim as an “experienced surfer” who had been in the water with his friends.
They said he had been surfing for only about 30 minutes when he was attacked some 100m (328ft) off the shore, losing “a number of limbs”.
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Rod McGibbon, a duty officer from Surf Life Saving, said the victim had been brought to the beach by other surfers.
He said he expected the beaches to remain closed for between 24 and 72 hours.
The victim’s name has not been publicly released.
Local police officers and experts were now working together to “determine the species of shark involved”, the police added.
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The last deadly shark attack in the Sydney area in 2022, when Simon Nellist, a British diving instructor, was mauled by a great white shark.
Prior to that, there had not been a fatal attack since 1963.
Australia typically records about 20 shark attacks each year, with most in New South Wales and Western Australia.
Historically, dying from a shark bite is uncommon. In over a century of records, Australia’s shark attack mortality rate is 0.9 – less than one person per year.
(BBC)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, in a move that could reshape the direction of his administration.
As part of the shake-up, David Lammy, a senior Labour figure and former Foreign Secretary, has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, taking over key roles previously held by Rayner.
The cabinet reshuffle comes at a politically sensitive time for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is under growing pressure from both within the Labour Party and the broader electorate.
The sudden resignation of Angela Rayner, a high-profile figure with strong working-class support, has exposed internal tensions and sparked concerns over the party’s unity and electoral strategy.
According to BBC News on Friday, the reshuffle is seen as a crucial test for Starmer’s leadership, especially as Rayner had been a prominent and working-class figure whose departure may weaken his appeal to core Labour voters.
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Key Cabinet reassignment
-Lammy transitions from Foreign Secretary to Deputy PM and Justice Secretary.
-Yvette Cooper moves from Home Secretary to Foreign Secretary.
-Shabana Mahmood is promoted from Justice Secretary to Home Secretary.
Other notable appointments include:
-Steve Reed as Housing Secretary
-Pat McFadden as head of a newly expanded Work and Pensions department
-Douglas Alexander as Scotland Secretary
-Liz Kendall moves to Science and Technology
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-Emma Reynolds becomes Environment Secretary
-Peter Kyle appointed Business Secretary
-Jonathan Reynolds named Chief Whip
-Alan Campbell becomes Leader of the House of Commons
Meanwhile, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray were removed from their cabinet roles.
Political Fallout and Internal Tensions
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Labour now faces mounting political pressure. Observers note Rayner’s exit leaves a vacuum for constituents drawn to her working-class credentials, possibly intensifying internal party divisions.
Her resignation also triggers a deputy leadership contest, opening up a battleground between the party’s centrist and left-leaning factions.
Moreover, Labour’s popularity has waned, with opposition to policies on welfare and immigration increasing support for Reform UK.
Starmer’s government’s handling of economic pressures and an upcoming £40 billion budget shortfall deepen the political stakes.
READ ALSO:Putin Not Serious About Peace, Says UK’s Starmer
Lammy Steps into Key Role at a Crucial Juncture
Lammy’s appointment is viewed as strategically significant. Known for his reform credentials and advocacy for criminal justice reform, his new position comes as Parliament prepares for the Sentencing Bill.
The Prison Reform Trust welcomed his appointment, noting the timing offers “an important opportunity to move away from the failed cycle of overcrowding and crisis management.”
This reshuffle represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of Keir Starmer’s administration. With Labour under heightened scrutiny and internal frictions rising, the effectiveness of the newly configured cabinet will be a litmus test of Starmer’s leadership, particularly as the party approaches a difficult budget season, rising populist pressures, and internal power shifts ahead of the next deputy leadership election.
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