Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a new mandatory digital ID scheme, stating unequivocally that "You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID." The plan, unveiled at the Global Progress Action Summit in London, supposedly aims to tackle illegal immigration and strengthen border control by requiring all individuals to possess a digital ID on their smartphone to prove their right to work or rent a home.

The government asserts the scheme will make it harder to work illegally, close loopholes exploited by trafficking gangs and unscrupulous employers, and offer citizens benefits like easier access to services such as driving licenses and welfare.

The digital ID will be a free, government-issued app on smartphones, containing a name, date of birth, nationality or residency status, and a photo  It will be mandatory for proving the right to work or rent, but individuals will not be required to carry or present it on demand outside of these specific checks. The government plans to introduce the scheme by the end of the current parliamentary term.

This marks a significant policy shift for the Labor government, which previously ruled out the idea, with former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stating it was not in their manifesto. Starmer admitted Labor had previously "shied away" from addressing public concerns about illegal immigration, acknowledging it was "too easy for people to come here, slip into the shadow economy and remain here illegally."  The move is driven by record levels of small boat crossings and the government's desire to demonstrate control over borders.

The announcement has sparked significant debate. Critics, including civil liberty groups like Big Brother Watch and Liberty, argue the scheme amounts to "mass surveillance" and a "checkpoint society" that threatens privacy and civil liberties. They warn it could marginalize vulnerable groups like the elderly or homeless who may not have smartphones.

The opposition parties are also critical: Reform UK calls it a "cynical ploy," the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed it as a "desperate gimmick" that won't stop small boat crossings, and the Liberal Democrats oppose forcing people to surrender private data. A petition against the digital ID has already surpassed one million signatures, triggering a parliamentary debate.

While the government insists the ID will only be required to prove the right to work and will not be mandatory to carry or produce in other circumstances, confusion persists. Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander emphasized it is not a physical "BritCard" but a digital tool. Critics remain skeptical, with some arguing that illegal workers will find ways to circumvent the system, and others questioning the effectiveness of the measure against the root causes of migration.

The government maintains the ID is a practical measure to simplify life for citizens by replacing the need to hunt for physical documents like utility bills or passports.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy clarified that while all UK citizens will be required to have the digital ID, it will be their choice whether to use it for everyday purposes. The government is also consulting on how to support those without smartphones.

A federal grand jury on Thursday,  in Northern Virginia indicted former FBI Director James Comey on two felony counts: one for making false statements to Congress and one for obstruction of justice. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5–10 years in prison.

These charges arise from Comey's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, during which prosecutors allege he provided misleading information about his handling of the FBI's investigation into contacts between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The indictment was unsealed late Thursday, marking a significant escalation in the long-simmering feud between Comey and President Trump, who was re-elected in 2024. The trial date has not been set, but it could extend into 2026.

Comey served as FBI Director from 2013 until his abrupt firing by Trump in May 2017, amid the early stages of the Russia investigation. Trump has long accused Comey of orchestrating a "witch hunt" against him, blaming the former director for the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose probe dominated much of Trump's first term.

The charges stem from Comey's 2020 congressional testimony, where he reportedly downplayed the extent of his communications with Trump regarding the Russia probe and his role in leaking memos about those interactions.

The case gained momentum earlier this year when the Secret Service interrogated Comey over a social media post showing seashells arranged as "86 47"—a reference interpreted by Trump allies as a coded assassination threat against the president (the 47th). Comey deleted the post, calling it a "restaurant-themed joke" about removing Trump from office.

Responding in a video message, Comey declared: "I'm not afraid.. I'm innocent. Let's have a trial."

President Trump celebrated the indictment on social media, posting: "Today he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts. He has been so bad for our Country, for so many years... One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to." Supporters echoed this sentiment, with conservative commentator Jesse Kelly warning that the trial's location—potentially in Washington, D.C.—could lead to an acquittal due to liberal bias of the jury pool.

Popular American commentator, journalist and conservative firebrand Tucker Carlson has publicly accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of boasting to foreign leaders that he controls both President Donald Trump and U.S. foreign policy, calling the situation "humiliating" for America.

The Tucker Carlson Show host made these remarks during a recent appearance on the System Update podcast hosted by Glenn Greenwald, where he also criticized U.S. support for Israel's war in Gaza and argued that American leaders are being forced into actions detrimental to the nation's interests.

Carlson stated he has direct knowledge of Netanyahu's claims based on conversations with people who heard him say it, asserting that the Israeli leader is "running around" the Middle East and telling people point blank, "I control the United States. I control Donald Trump."

The conservative firebrand emphasized that his criticism is directed at U.S. leaders who, in his view, are allowing the country to be subjected to a "humiliation ritual" due to foreign influence, arguing that this undermines the fundamental relationship between citizens and their government.

Carlson described Israel's military actions in Gaza as an "expansion" and dismissed accusations of bigotry against him, stating he is not hurt by such labels because he knows he is not a bigot.

The conservative commentator has faced backlash from Jewish Zionists, for his remarks at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, where he recounted a story likening Kirk’s murder to the crucifixion of Jesus, including a scene of men in a lamplit room eating hummus plotting to kill Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthews 26: 1-5).

Critics, including Jewish groups and Israeli officials, have condemned the speech as an antisemitic dogwhistle, arguing that the reference to hummus—a modern Middle Eastern food—was a deliberate and offensive trope implying Jewish involvement in Kirk’s assassination.

Carlson defended his remarks in the System Update podcast interview., pointing out that he categorically and publicly makes his views about Israel and Netanyahu known, and doesn't need to imply it in a speech about Kirk.

While prominent Zionist and Jewish neoconservative voices criticized the speech, many MAGA-aligned conservative movement’s figures, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and former Congressman and OANN host Matt Gaetz praised Carlson's speech.

The controversy underscores the growing concern on the American right over Israeli influence on U.S. foreign policy especially in the Middle East. Growing number of conservatives -- traditionally allied with the Israeli right -- have started in recent years, started questioning the policies of Netanyahu's government in the region since the break out of the ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. "It is America First, not Israel First," is a common meme on social media among right-leaning critics of Trump's bizarrely submissive pro-Israel policies.