National News

The Bank of England has held interest rates at 4% as it said the UK was “not out of the woods” on inflation, with taxes contributing to rising food costs.

The privately educated are “maintaining a vice-like grip” on the top jobs in Britain, a charity has said, and is calling for employers to be required to report on the economic backgrounds of their workforce.

The “power of peatlands” is to be embraced in a new strategy by Stormont to tackle the nature and climate crisis and improve water quality.

American investment worth £150 billion has been unveiled as part of US President Donald Trump’s historic second state visit.

Irish police believe they have uncovered the skeletal remains of a child who had been missing for years following a search in the Donabate area of Co Dublin.

Great Britain’s Jake Wightman claimed a stunning world 1500 metres silver medal after defending champion Josh Kerr pulled up in a final won by Portugal’s Isaac Nader in Tokyo.

That's according to Coach Paul Rowley

Unite has called for a furlough scheme to be introduced

However, the Old Trafford club reported a loss of 33 million pounds

Claire’s appointed administrators for its UK and Ireland business last month

He's been welcomed at Windsor Castle by the Prince and Princess of Wales

100 were seized during raids in London

Total sales rose 3.5 percent in the 13 weeks to July 27

He will play Jacob Marley at London's Alexandra Palace from 21st of November

Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to raping two women.

At least 1,147 people in the UK died from climate change-driven heatwaves over this summer, leading scientists and epidemiologists have found.

UK inflation remained unchanged last month but food and drink price rises have accelerated for the fifth month in a row, new official figures show.

Some staff will receive a 5.9 per cent rise

Members of the RMT Union walked out last week

Five famed Scottish actors have called for government help to tackle pensioner poverty.

Research was carried out by Lloyds Banking Group

Artificial intelligence (AI) trained on images from routine breast screening appointments could help predict heart problems in women, a study suggests.

The man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk was charged on Tuesday with aggravated murder.

The King has joined members of the royal family for the poignant final farewell to the Duchess of Kent.

The money will go into capital expenditure, research and development, and related engineering

Prices remain 4.9% higher than a year ago

It's after a cyber attack at the end of August

He is best known for films including Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, All The President’s Men and The Sting

It could see more than 60,000 flights per year

Clubs including from the Championship are applying for one of three top-flight places

Steven Gunn took up the role in May 2021

The race will take place in early July

He has not played since the Saudi Arabia Masters in mid-August

A former Conservative health minister has joined Reform UK, according to reports, just a day after a sitting Tory MP crossed the floor to the rival party.

The 49-year-old was set to play Sanderson Lam in next Monday’s opening round but his withdrawal was announced by the World Snooker Tour on Tuesday.

The so-called Hillsborough Law will leave a legacy for future generations, one of the campaigners at the heart of the battle for justice said after meeting the Prime Minister in Downing Street.

The NHS is running “war game” exercises to ensure it is ready for winter, officials have said.

Britain’s “See it. Say it. Sorted.” railway security slogan is being refreshed for the first time since it was introduced nearly a decade ago.

The UK’s first safer drugs consumption room should not be seen as a “silver bullet” to tackle Scotland’s drug deaths, the chairwoman of a Westminster committee has said.

The coffin of the Duchess of Kent was received during a solemn ceremony at Westminster Cathedral on the eve of her funeral service.

Aristocrat Constance Marten and her convicted rapist partner have been jailed for 14 years for killing their newborn baby while on the run.

Sir Keir Starmer faces being ousted after May’s elections unless he changes course, a leading Labour left-winger has warned.

Students are being warned to watch out for scams trying to con them out of their cash as they prepare for university life.

Harm to mothers and their babies is at risk of being normalised owing to a “toxic” culture of cover-up in the NHS, the head of the doctors’ regulator will say.

Food and drink inflation could climb to 5.7% by the end of the year thanks to cost pressures on manufacturers “trickling down” to supermarket shelves, a leading industry body has warned.

Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi is to headline BST Hyde Park and Roundhay Festival next summer following his return to live performances this year.

Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle has said that tariff relief for UK steel is being negotiated and that he will “make sure that we have an announcement as soon as possible”.

US financial firms have announced investments in the UK worth £1.25 billion before Donald Trump’s state visit next week.

Martin Zubimendi scored twice as Arsenal condemned Ange Postecoglou to defeat in his first match as Nottingham Forest manager, moving top of the Premier League in the process.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said she wants to “unite” the Labour Party and beat Reform UK as she vies to become deputy leader.

Councils in Scotland have spent more than £400 million in the past five years on social care overtime and agency staff, figures show.

Lord Peter Mandelson was “economical” with the truth about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein before being appointed ambassador to Washington, Downing Street sources have said.

Police officers have been assaulted as they clashed with protesters at a “freedom of speech” festival led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, Scotland Yard said.

Nine people based at Charing Cross police station have been suspended by the Metropolitan Police as an investigation was launched into allegations including excessive use of force and making discriminatory and misogynistic comments.

Yemi Mary John’s brilliant anchor leg booked Great Britain a place in Saturday evening’s 4x400m mixed relay finals as the World Athletics Championships got underway in Tokyo.

The first photo of the new cast of Strictly Come Dancing contestants has been released, with all 15 dressed up and ready to hit the dancefloor.

The Government’s flagship justice reform Bill risks being a “sham” if changes are not made, the Scottish Conservatives have warned.

The man accused in the Charlie Kirk assassination had earlier expressed to family his opposition to the viewpoints of the conservative activist, authorities said.

The number of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints at UK supermarkets has increased by a third (34%) since the start of last year, according to new research.

The Government’s flagship NHS policy is not a top priority for the general public, a new poll suggests.

Almost one in five households struggled to pay their water bill in the last year, Citizens Advice has said.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and arson after a major fire wrecked a Labour MP’s constituency office.

Chelsea have been hit with 74 charges related to alleged breaches of agent regulations by the Football Association.

Lord Peter Mandelson has been withdrawn as ambassador to the US after emails revealed the depth of his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Only half of people with cancer are diagnosed on time following urgent NHS referral, and for some cancers this drops to less than a third, analysis shows.

Prize draws such as Omaze and McDonald’s Monopoly are normalising gambling, particularly for children and young people, a charity has warned.

The UK will mass produce cutting-edge interceptor drones to help Ukraine fight off Russian aerial attacks.

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of Donald Trump, has died after being shot at a college event, the president said.

Speculation is mounting about whether the King will be reunited with his son the Duke of Sussex during his brief return to the UK.

The newly-appointed City minister will summon the UK’s biggest banks and building societies to urge them to make use of looser lending rules to help first-time buyers get a home.

England put themselves on the verge of World Cup qualification with a 5-0 win in Serbia.

The Polish military said it has downed drones that violated its airspace as Russia launched a wave of aerial attacks on Ukraine.

Just four clubs in the top four divisions are ready for the arrival of English football’s new independent regulator, according to a new study.

The Duke of Sussex has personally donated £1.1 million to BBC Children in Need to support young people affected by violence.

Up to 30 million car finance deals made between 2007 and 2020 could be eligible for compensation, the boss of the UK’s financial watchdog has said.

Candidates for Labour’s deputy leadership have begun vying for nominations from their colleagues, with four MPs now in the race to succeed Angela Rayner.

Pret A Manger is set to take on UK supermarkets with plans to trial meal deals in a bid to help boost the chain’s lunchtime trade.

Donald Trump’s second visit to the UK will see a major policing operation led by drones from the airspace over Windsor, police have said.

League tables of the best and worst-performing NHS trusts in England have been published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for the first time.

A raft of changes to the way Ofsted inspects schools, including new report cards with a five-point grading scale, will come into place from November.

Democrats in the US have released a sexually suggestive letter to Jeffrey Epstein allegedly signed by President Donald Trump, which he has denied.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has met counterparts from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance for talks on international efforts to tackle smuggling gangs.

London Underground lines were suspended on Monday as workers went on strike, causing travel disruption for commuters.

Councils which carry out little or no pothole prevention maintenance should face mandatory training, it has been claimed.

The families of three girls who were killed in a knife attack at a Southport dance class hope a public inquiry will leave “no stone unturned”, their solicitor has said.

The Prince of Wales will carry out an engagement to mark the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death as his estranged brother returns to the UK for the first time in five months.

Independence for Scotland is an “economic necessity”, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has insisted as she said that the country is being “held back” by Westminster.

The Duke of Sussex is returning to the UK this week for the first time in five months, when he will show his support for BBC Children in Need and revisit a community recording studio in Nottingham.

The Duke of Sussex is returning to the UK this week for the first time in five months, when he will show his support for BBC Children in Need and revisit a community recording studio in Nottingham.

The TUC said the Government’s flagship workers’ rights bill will tackle Britain’s insecure work “epidemic”.

Comedian Joel Dommett has described the National Television Awards (NTAs) as the “best night in talent” and said he cannot wait to meet the nominated stars of “unbelievable show” Adolescence.

Dozens of firefighters are battling a blaze at the old BBC Television Centre in London’s White City.

The health service could be hit by strikes in the autumn unless plans that could see thousands of workers transferred out of the NHS are halted, a union has warned.

Working-age parents’ concerns about food costs have increased to levels not seen since autumn 2022, when inflation was in double figures, according to Which?

The Prince and Princess of Wales have paid a personal tribute to the Duchess of Kent, praising her for working “tirelessly to help others” and describing her as a “much missed member of the family”.

Angela Rayner has resigned from Government after Sir Keir Starmer’s ethics adviser found she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on a seaside flat.

Alessia Russo has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, the club have announced.

An average of nearly 100 drivers a day were caught drink-driving in the past three years, new figures show.

Pregnant women with type 1 diabetes in England are to be given a special artificial pancreas to reduce the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage.

Reform UK’s base is becoming increasingly mainstream as the party attracts new support, polls published before the party’s annual conference show.

England came up short against South Africa for the second time in three days, losing the Metro Bank one-day international series with a game to spare following a tense five-run defeat Lord’s.

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died aged 91, the company said.

Portugal was observing a national day of mourning on Thursday, a day after a famous Lisbon funicular derailed and killed 15 people in the capital’s worst accident in recent history.

Scientists have confirmed the minimum age of the Sycamore Gap tree after it was illegally felled in 2023.

Three quarters of British businesses did nothing to support charities last year, according to an annual report.

Actor Bella Ramsey has said it is “incredible” to have their likeness made into a waxwork at Madame Tussauds in London.

Tens of thousands more sick and disabled people will be given support to get into work, the Government has said as its welfare reforms formally passed into law.

The Prime Minister has backed Angela Rayner after she admitted an underpayment of stamp duty on a seaside flat which prompted Opposition calls for her to resign.

The head of the police force that arrested Father Ted creator Graham Linehan said his officers are in “an impossible position” when dealing with statements made online, and should not be “policing toxic culture wars debates”.

Rylan Clark’s comments about immigration on ITV’s This Morning have sparked hundreds of Ofcom complaints.

The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey has said a school phone ban would really have helped her daughter, as she launches a campaign for a statutory ban in schools.

The Tories will challenge the Government to rule out property tax rises in the autumn budget in a Commons vote.

The Queen has made her first public appearance since the revelation she fought off a man who groped her on a train when she was a teenager.

A woman who died after falling from a block of flats in Southampton has been named by police, as a murder investigation into her death continues.

The new Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said he wants to “reclaim” populism after a landslide victory that will see his party shift its politics to the left.

A career criminal was branded a “violent, inhumane coward” as he was jailed for a minimum of 45 years for killing a former prison officer.

The Government has defended the Online Safety Act after Elon Musk’s X said the legislation was threatening free speech.

The burden placed on school and college leaders and teachers has “never been higher”, a teaching union has warned.

A three-minute brainwave test could detect signs of memory problems linked to Alzheimer’s disease years before clinical diagnosis is possible, a trial has found.

More than 700,000 GCSE physics students could be without a specialist teacher, a report has warned.

Barclays has become the second UK bank to leave the industry’s global alliance for setting climate targets.

The song Golden from Netflix hit film KPop Demon Hunters has gone to number one in the singles chart, the first K-pop number one in 13 years.

Sir Keir Starmer has appointed one of Labour’s rising stars to a new role at the heart of Government, in a shake-up of his Downing Street operation as MPs return from their summer break.

The new chief constable of Merseyside Police has said he will use technology, including facial recognition, to allow police officers to spend more time on the beat.

A clay sculpture by comedian Johnny Vegas called Just Be There is to be unveiled at the British Ceramics Biennial.

Sir Keir Starmer has hailed the expansion of funded childcare in England amid warnings nurseries may not have enough staff to deliver the plan.

Protesters have again gathered outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping.

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they want to question after two people were stabbed at the Oxford Circus Tube station within 24 hours.

Long NHS waits are over 800 times more common in Scotland than they are in England, Scottish Labour has claimed.

Scots who carry naloxone are being urged to have “extra life-saving kits” of the drug to hand, with a warning that “dangerous” synthetic opioids such as nitazenes mean repeat doses may be needed.

The Education Secretary has said parents must also do more to get children into class and behaving as the Government rolls out measures to support schools with attendance and behaviour.

Sir Keir Starmer has promised small boat migrants will be “detained and sent back” as he faced mounting pressure to show results on tackling English Channel crossings and ending the use of asylum hotels.

Coldplay have rescheduled the final two dates of their 10-show run at Wembley Stadium due to strikes on the London Underground.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a stabbing in Leeds, police have said.

Railway revenue and gateline workers are to strike in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has said “my toyboy days are behind me” as she revealed does not think she “will ever have another relationship”.

A trio of Scottish brothers has set a new world record after completing the fastest human-powered crossing of the Pacific Ocean.

Tottenham have pulled off the major signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in a welcome boost for new boss Thomas Frank.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner should face an ethics inquiry over her tax affairs, the Conservatives have said.

A council has described the damage to a 19th-century landmark after it was painted with a St George’s Cross by vandals as “upsetting”.

A temporary injunction that was set to block asylum seekers from being housed at an Essex hotel has been overturned at the Court of Appeal.

A trial date has been set for a 76-year-old man charged with child cruelty offences after children became unwell at a summer camp where sweets were allegedly laced with sedatives.

Israel on Friday said its military had recovered the bodies of two hostages as it suspended noon pauses to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza City, calling it a “a dangerous combat zone”.

A vaccine for chickenpox will be rolled out on the NHS in England from January, officials have announced.

The majority of autistic people over the age of 40 in the UK are living without a diagnosis, a study suggests.

The NHS has become “reliant” on private companies, charities and social enterprises to deliver routine mental health care, a think tank has warned.

The person who killed two Catholic school pupils and wounded more than a dozen children fired 116 rounds from a rifle into the Minneapolis church, the city’s police chief said on Thursday.

The UK, alongside France and Germany, has announced its plan to revive UN-backed sanctions on Iran over fears it is developing nuclear weapons.

A volunteer Metropolitan Police officer has been found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a child.

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the “senseless” Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight that killed more than a dozen people and caused damage to a British Council building in Kyiv.

Not a single childhood vaccine in England last year met the target needed to ensure diseases cannot spread among youngsters, according to new figures.

Sir Ed Davey will boycott US President Donald Trump’s state banquet next month in a protest against his position on Gaza.

Government funding for a programme which offers children from low-income families free meals and activities during the school holidays will be extended.

The Government could close asylum hotels next year by allowing people from certain countries likely to be recognised as refugees temporary permission to stay under a “one-off scheme”, analysis by the Refugee Council has suggested.

Pollution from the “huge” pig and poultry farming sectors is harming rivers, the wider landscape and nature, a report from the Wildlife Trusts warns.

More than 280,000 crimes went unrecorded by police last year, with “unacceptably low” numbers of anti-social behaviour offences being officially documented.

The Home Office’s bid to challenge the decision to temporarily block the owner of the Bell Hotel in Epping from housing asylum seekers is due to be heard at the Court of Appeal on Thursday.

Grimsby goalkeeper Christy Pym said it “had not sunk in” after his side knocked Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup by winning an epic penalty shootout 12-11.

Jack Draper’s arm injury has forced him to pull out of the US Open.

A gunman has opened fire with a rifle through the windows of a Catholic church and struck a group of children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 17 people in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible”.

A Scottish Conservative MSP has defected to Reform UK, Nigel Farage has announced at a press conference in Scotland.

The fertility rate for England and Wales has fallen for the third year in a row to reach a new record low, figures show.

Sir Richard Branson has said “thinking differently is something to be celebrated” as a nationwide awareness campaign celebrating dyslexic entrepreneurs is launched.

Taylor Swift and her fiance Travis Kelce are “crazy about each other”, the NFL star’s father has said.

Troubled Thames Water has agreed to pay £24.5 million of its record £122.7 million in fines by the end of September under a payment plan agreed with regulator Ofwat.

People who start smoking cannabis to combat pain, anxiety or depression are at a greater risk of developing paranoia compared to those who start using it for “fun”, according to the largest study of its kind.

JD Sports said it is “cautious” about trading over the rest of the year due to pressure on consumer finances and the risk of rising unemployment.

The energy price cap will rise by 2% from October 1 for a typical household in England, Scotland and Wales, Ofgem has said.

Fraudulent CV-writing services are now the biggest scamming threat to online job hunters as the busy post-summer hiring season gets under way, LinkedIn has warned.

The Government said it wants to get a permanent deal with the EU on food and drink agreed in the next 18 months, as it sets out its stall ahead of talks later this year.

Households are expected to learn that their energy bills will rise by around 1% in October when the regulator updates its price cap.

Singer Taylor Swift has announced her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce.

More than 500 people were arrested over the two days of the Notting Hill Carnival, including 61 after the use of live facial recognition.

An emergency alert drill will send a test message to mobile phones across the UK next weekend.

Former London’s Burning actor John Alford sexually abused two teenage girls at a party, a court has heard.

A long spell of above-average temperatures means this summer will “almost certainly” be the UK’s warmest on record, according to new figures from the Met Office.

The owner of an Essex hotel, which was blocked from housing asylum seekers at the site, is set to have a bid to challenge the decision heard at the Court of Appeal on Thursday.

Nigel Farage has warned of a “genuine threat to public order” without action to tackle illegal migration.

Households are expected to learn that their energy bills will rise by around 1% in October when the regulator updates its price cap on Wednesday.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot saluted his team’s fighting mentality after watching them kill off Newcastle’s unlikely fightback with the decisive final punch.

Ash Dykes, 34, will journey 3,400 miles (5,400km) along China’s Yellow River, from its source to the sea.

The Duchess of Sussex has revealed how spending nearly three weeks away from her children left her “not well”.

Food prices have risen at their fastest pace for 18 months amid surges in the cost of chocolate, butter and eggs, latest figures show.

Peers could be forced to resign if they do not contribute enough to the House of Lords, under reforms ministers hope to make.

A simple blood test could accurately detect ovarian cancer in its early stages and has the potential to “significantly” improve care and outcomes for women with the disease, researchers suggest.

Ministers are reportedly ready to send more than 100 small boats arrivals back across the Channel, as Reform UK sets out its plans to grasp the migrant crisis.

Sir Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure over the small boats crisis after protests continued outside asylum hotels and a poll suggested voters thought he was failing to grip the problem.

A 15-year-old boy and a 54-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire at a restaurant in Ilford which left five people injured.

Residents at an Edinburgh care home have taken up rowing sessions to show their support for three Scottish brothers aiming to become the fastest team to row across the Pacific.

Ukrainian flags will appear above Downing Street and several Whitehall buildings to mark 34 years since Ukraine left the Soviet Union, the Government has announced.

Unpublished sketches that bring Charles Dickens’ “world and character to life” have gone on display for the first time.

A number of protests and counter protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers will take place across the UK on Saturday.

England began their World Cup campaign in style after running in 11 tries to beat the United States 69-7 at the Stadium of Light.

Families should utilise England’s £3 bus fare cap to “get out and enjoy everything their area has to offer”, a minister said.

A lost Spandau Ballet song named Eyes, recorded in the pop band’s early days when they were named Gentry, is to be released for the first time.

A British Airways flight attendant was found high on drugs and completely naked in an onboard toilet during a flight from California to London, a court has heard.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has described the declaration of famine in Gaza City as “utterly horrifying” as he accused the Israeli government of causing a “man-made catastrophe”.

Police have arrested 100 people in a bid to deter those they say “pose the greatest risk” to the safety of Notting Hill Carnival.

TikTok is putting hundreds of jobs at risk in the UK as part of a restructure of its trust and safety operations as it increasingly uses artificial intelligence (AI) to moderate content.