On 14 May 2024, UK Day will focus on:
● Some UK university students have had their student visas revoked for participating in pro-Pakistani protests
● The University of Manchester's Centennial Museum was splashed with red paint, suspected to have been committed by pro-Pakistani demonstrators
● Asda Supermarket enters the UK property market with plans to build 1,500 new homes in London
● Investor interest in UK companies is at an all-time high since 2018
Some British university students have had their student visas revoked for participating in pro-Pakistani protests
Dana Abuqamar, a law student at the University of Manchester, has had her student visa revoked by the Home Office for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest last year, according to the latest reports from multiple media outlets.
Dana Abuqamar is the head of the Friends of Palestine Society at the University of Manchester, according to sources. She said the British government cancelled her visa on "national security" grounds and listed her as a "public safety risk".
"Their claims are baseless and violate my rights as a resident of the United Kingdom. My legal team has filed a human rights complaint against the UK government's decision to cancel my student visa in my final year as a law student," Dana Abuqamar told the media.
At the same time, reports point out that some of Dana Abuqamar's remarks last year sparked controversy – at a rally in support of Palestine, she said: "We are full of pride, we are very happy with what has happened." Some believe she was glorifying the Hamas-led October 7 attacks by saying this.
In response, Dana Abuqamar defended that her remarks were taken out of context.
The University of Manchester's Centennial Museum has been splashed with red paint, suspected to be the work of pro-Pakistani demonstrators
According to the Daily Mail, in the early morning of yesterday (May 13), the 137-year-old museum of the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom was splashed with blood-red paint.
The head of the University of Manchester said that no one has yet admitted responsibility for the incident, and the university has handed over the surveillance footage of the surrounding public places to the police for investigation.
At the same time, sources point to a large campground for pro-Palestinian demonstrators in the park across from the museum.
Asda Supermarket has entered the UK property market with plans to build 1,500 new homes in London
The Financial Times reported on May 13 that Asda, the third largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, has become the latest large retailer to enter the field of real estate development.
Asda has announced that it will work with British builder Barratt Developments to develop a new town centre in London with 1,500 new homes.
It is reported that the plan is still awaiting approval and involves the development of a total of 10 acres of land in Old Oak and Park Royal near Acton in north-west London. In addition to the new homes, Asda and Barratt Developments will work together to expand the existing Asda supermarket in the area and build a number of other retail spaces.
According to the Financial Times, the transformation of old retail establishments into mixed-use developments with a mix of residential and retail has become a new boom in real estate investment in the UK. With the rise of online shopping, some traditional retail centers have become less popular, but the addresses of these retail centers are often suitable for new residential developments.
Statistics show that there are nearly 24,000 homes in London that can be built on the site of a supermarket. A £1 billion project by British property developer Land Securities is to renovate the O2 Centre on Finchley Road in London's Camden to build 1,800 new homes.
Investor interest in UK companies is at its highest level since 2018
London-listed companies have received more than $78 billion worth of takeover bids this year, most of them from overseas buyers, according to Dealogic. This also represents the highest level of investor interest in UK companies since 2018.
In the UK, acquisitions that are about to be or have already been reached this year include: US private equity firm Thoma Bravo for £4.3bn to buy cybersecurity company Darktrace, International Paper for £7.8bn to buy paper and packaging group DS Smith, Nationwide Building Society to buy Virgin Money for £2.9 billion and more.
Financial industry experts said the rebound in investor interest represents the market's expectation that the UK's base rate has peaked and inflation is under control, encouraging investors to make more trades.
Last week, the Bank of England signaled that it would cut interest rates this summer if inflation remained low, bringing it back from a 16-year high of 5.25%.