Budget 2025: key points at a glance
Rachel Reeves is announcing her financial update – here are the main points, with political analysisBudget 2025 – follow liveThe chancellor’s opening remarks were somewhat overshadowed by the fact that the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) assessment of her budget’s impact were accidentally published early, in an unprecedented gaffe that the shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, called “outrageous”.The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), in a document released early in what appears to be an extraordinary blunder, is predicting growth of 1.5% for this year, up from the 1% it predicted in March. After that, the forecast is for 1.4% next year... [Continue Reading]
‘The Earth ate my Mini’: Cornwall man loses car in sinkhole
It has been weeks since the ground opened up under Malcolm McKenzie’s prized Mini, leading him into a bureaucratic ‘nightmare’The first Malcolm McKenzie knew of his problem was when a neighbour banged on his door and told him his beloved Mini had fallen into a hole.“I went out expecting a small pothole under a wheel or something. But when I went out to take a look, I realised, oh, that really is a proper hole,” he said. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Hundreds of Israeli soldiers raid Palestinian town in West Bank
Israeli military and security service say ‘broad counter-terrorism operation’ in Tubas to continue for several daysHundreds of Israeli soldiers supported by armoured vehicles have conducted raids in the Palestinian town of Tubas near Nablus in the biggest such military deployment by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank since the ceasefire came into effect in Gaza last month.Palestinian media reported that a curfew was imposed on Tuesday night on Tubas and some neighbouring communities, roads were closed by earthen barriers and families forced from their homes to allow Israeli forces to use the buildings. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Major fire puts Hong Kong on highest alert as firefighters tackle blaze
Firefighters are trying to tackle a major fire that has engulfed a residential tower complex, killing several people. [Continue Reading]
Russia denies incursions into NATO airspace, but what’s really happening?
AJ Defense Editor @alexgatopoulos breaks down grey zone warfare and why NATO is accusing Russia of acts of sabotage [Continue Reading]
Israel’s systematic campaign to expel West Bank Palestinians
The UN has documented nearly 3,000 settler attacks across the occupied West Bank since October 2023. [Continue Reading]
Video: Somalia drought threatens mass starvation as aid slows down
Somalia has declared a national drought emergency, after lack of rainfall left over two million at risk for starvation. [Continue Reading]
A Major Moment for the British Economy: What to Watch in the U.K. Budget
Rachel Reeves, the top economic official in an increasingly unpopular government, is in Parliament presenting tax and spending plans. [Continue Reading]
Thief caught on camera stealing giant Christmas decoration
The masked cyclist is shown taking the 8ft tall soldier from outside a bar in the capital. [Continue Reading]
Nvidia plays down Google chip threat concerns
The world's most valuable company said it was still "a generation ahead of the industry". [Continue Reading]
First openly gay Miss England has 'achieved dream'
Grace Richardson says she suffered bullying over her sexuality while at school in Leicestershire. [Continue Reading]
Budget 2025: Key points at a glance
Rachel Reeves is delivering her second Budget since Labour’s return to power – here’s what you need to know. [Continue Reading]
Henry Zeffman: Early release of Budget detail is totally surreal
The Budget is already out there, thanks to the Office for Budget Responsibility, which has published the details in error. [Continue Reading]
Paul Doyle pleads guilty to Liverpool parade charges
Paul Doyle broke down in tears as he admitted seriously injuring fans at Liverpool's victory parade. [Continue Reading]
What the Budget means for you and your money
The Budget being delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves will affect you and your finances. [Continue Reading]
Woman linked to White House press secretary arrested in immigration raid
The mother of Karoline Leavitt's nephew has been detained by ICE and is facing deportation. [Continue Reading]
EastEnders fans outraged by baffling domestic abuse murder scene
'Well, he may as well have' [Continue Reading]
I confront ‘fraudster’ who’s stolen my identity in credit card scam
A suspicious man is free to roam my neighbourhood in the midst of a credit card fraud involving stolen mail. [Continue Reading]
Barcelona team bus ‘ambushed’ before Chelsea game with players left shaken
A police investigation has been launched. [Continue Reading]
Countdown champion given ‘indefinite hospital order’ after stabbing rival contestant
The incident took place in September 2024. [Continue Reading]
Martin Lewis says you should keep bills, receipts and paperwork for at least this long
'A small folder (or a few digital scans) may just be worth £1,000s to you down the line.' [Continue Reading]
UK's economy will grow more slowly than predicted - OBR
The UK's economy will grow more slowly than predicted over the next four years, according to a forecast that was published early in a budget blunder. [Continue Reading]
Reform of migration procedures presented to Cabinet
A series of measures to reform Ireland's asylum and migration procedures has been brought to Cabinet by Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan. [Continue Reading]
Departing Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘the canary in the coal mine’ for Republicans, says former House speaker – US politics live
Kevin McCarthy says exit of the Trump loyalist turned critic is a sign of broader trouble for RepublicansFormer House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said Majorie Taylor Greene’s abrupt resignation is a sign of broader trouble for the GOP next year, given several House Republicans are leaving.“She’s almost like the canary in the coal mine,” McCarthy told Fox News on Tuesday.“And this is something inside Congress, they’d better wake up, because they are going to get a lot of people retiring, and they’ve got to focus.” Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Computer maker HP to cut up to 6,000 jobs by 2028 as it turns to AI
US firm says plan to speed up product development and improve customer satisfaction would save $1bn a yearUp to 6,000 jobs are to go at HP worldwide in the next three years as the US computer and printer maker increasingly adopts AI to speed up product development.Announcing a lower-than-expected profit outlook for the coming year, HP said it would cut between 4,000 and 6,000 jobs by the end of October 2028. It has about 56,000 employees. The news drove its shares lower by 6%. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Rachel Reeves poised to unveil tax rises worth £26bn in budget, leak reveals
Surprise early release of OBR documents shows chancellor doubling her fiscal headroomRachel Reeves’s budget is expected to announce tax increases worth £26bn to more than double her fiscal headroom, according to figures published before her speech to the commons.In a highly unusual development triggering an immediate reaction in the financial markets, figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published on its website before the chancellor’s speech, showed her measures would leave £22bn of headroom in five year’s time. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Labour’s plan to slash jury trials at odds with past Starmer calls to expand them
PM once advocated for all criminal cases to be heard before juries even those at magistrates court level, it has emergedBudget 2025 – live updatesKeir Starmer, whose government has drawn up plans to scrap nearly all jury trials, previously said that all criminal cases including those at magistrates courts should be heard before juries, the Guardian can disclose.In a magazine article, the prime minister wrote that “the right to trial by jury is an important factor in the delicate balance between the power of the state and the freedom of the individual”. He called for jury trials to be extended... [Continue Reading]
Trump push for new congressional maps meets resistance – from both parties
White House pressure campaign has not found willing participants in all states – including Republican-led onesThe unprecedented push to create new congressional districts mid-decade is hitting roadblocks in the form of local elected officials from both parties.Republicans face headwinds in the 2026 midterms: the party in power often loses ground in the election after a presidential win, and Trump’s agenda isn’t going over well. The 2025 off-year elections showed voters favoring Democrats at higher-than-expected margins. Trump wants to keep the House in Republican control by redrawing congressional maps to create more Republican-friendly districts. He first pressured Texas, which responded by... [Continue Reading]
Budget 2025 live: Income tax thresholds to be frozen for three years in budget, OBR leak indicates
Forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility were accidentally published before Rachel Reeves gives her statementUK borrowing costs fall after early release of budget forecasts – business liveCould you do better than Reeves? Play our gamePaul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, has rejected the concerns raised by the Resolution Foundation (see 9.54am) about the rise in the minimum wage rates. Asked about the thinktank’s comments, Nowak told Times Radio:I don’t accept those concerns ...First of all, that recommendation is based on the Low Pay Commission, which brings together employers, unions, independent experts, they’re tasked with making a recommendation on the... [Continue Reading]
Ministers approve £750m Marlow Film Studios development after review
Planning permission granted for Buckinghamshire project seen as test of Labour’s drive for economic growthBusiness live – latest updatesMinisters have approved a development to build a £750m Hollywood-style film and TV studios in Marlow, a project that has faced local opposition and been seen as a test of Labour’s appetite to prioritise economic growth.The Marlow Film Studios project has received high-profile backing from film-makers including the director of 1917, Sam Mendes, the director of Titanic and Avatar, James Cameron, and the Captain Phillips director, Paul Greengrass. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Junta hails end to US protected status for Myanmar nationals
Human rights monitors pan Washington move to remove shield, citing localised martial law and conscriptingMyanmar’s junta applauded the Donald Trump administration on Wednesday for halting a scheme that protected its citizens from deportation from the US back to their war-racked homeland.About 4,000 Myanmar citizens are living in the US with temporary protected status (TPS), which shields foreign nationals from deportation to disaster zones and allows them the right to work. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Trump envoy Witkoff reportedly advised Kremlin official on Ukraine peace deal
US envoy also offered tactical guidance on how Putin should raise the subject with Trump, audio recording suggestsDonald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told a senior Kremlin official last month that achieving peace in Ukraine would require Russia gaining control of Donetsk and potentially a separate territorial exchange, according to a recording of their conversation obtained by Bloomberg.In the 14 October phone call with Yuri Ushakov, the top foreign policy aide to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, Witkoff said he believed the land concessions were necessary all while advising Ushakov to congratulate Trump and frame discussions more optimistically. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Americans helping Ukrainian war effort decry US peace plan as a ‘betrayal by Trump’
US volunteers who have poured into Ukraine to help amid war are dismayed by Trump’s continuing pressures on KyivAmericans involved in the Ukrainian war effort are embarrassed and dismayed by Donald Trump’s continuing pressures on Kyiv and think his administration’s latest peace plan is tantamount to backstabbing and another catastrophic failure of US foreign policy.“Complete bullshit and a betrayal by Trump,” said an American special forces veteran who has helped train and advise the Ukrainian military since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022. “But are you even surprised?” Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Von der Leyen warns against ‘carving up’ of Ukraine amid crunch US-led talks
Commission president says undermining of sovereign European nation would ‘open the doors for more wars’Europe live – latest updatesThe European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has warned against “the unilateral carving up of a sovereign European nation”, as Europe scrambles to assert influence over a US effort to end the war in Ukraine.Speaking to European lawmakers in Strasbourg on Wednesday, von der Leyen said Russia showed “no signs of true willingness to end the conflict” and continued to operate in a mindset unchanged since the days of Yalta – the much-criticised and misunderstood 1945 summit to settle the post-war... [Continue Reading]
EU chief warns against ‘unilateral carving up of nation’ with Ukraine deal – Europe live
Comments by Ursula von der Leyen come as Europe scrambles to respond to US efforts to end the warIn case you missed it, US president Donald Trump defended his peace envoy Steve Witkoff overnight after Bloomberg reported that he allegedly advised Putin’s aide Ushakov on how to speak with Trump and conduct the talks.Trump did not appear too bothered by it, though. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Israel lays siege to occupied West Bank’s Tubas, displaces tens of families
Governor says new assault aims to impose 'new realities' as Israel shuts parts of Tubas from rest of occupied West Bank. [Continue Reading]
Does adolescence last until 32? Scientists unlock brain’s five eras
Researchers reveal that four ages - nine, 32, 66 and 83 - are when the brain's most pivotal development occurs. [Continue Reading]
New York Influencer Dined and Dashed at Fine Restaurants, Owners and Police Say
Restaurant owners in Brooklyn have warned one another about a woman who frequents their establishments, photographs her food and then doesn’t pay for it. [Continue Reading]
The Question Hanging Over Peace Talks: What Will Putin Accept?
A U.S. proposal may cross a number of red lines for the Russian leader, who sees little to lose and much potentially to gain from continuing to fight. [Continue Reading]
Rogers out of Springboks Test as Wales make 12 changes
Wales head coach Steve Tandy is forced into 12 changes to his matchday squad for Saturday's autumn finale against South Africa. [Continue Reading]
Inside McLaren's season - the rules, values, incidents & relationships
Intra-team title battles turn toxic far more often than not. Andrew Benson analyses how McLaren have maintained relative harmony between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. [Continue Reading]
England World Cup winner Dow retires aged 28
England's World Cup-winning wing Abby Dow announces her retirement from rugby at the age of 28 in order to focus on a career in mechanical engineering. [Continue Reading]
Listen: All EU member states must recognise same-sex marriages
The European Court of Justice has ruled that all EU member states must recognise same-sex marriages lawfully concluded in any other member state, even if they don’t allow such marriages at home. But what sparked this ruling and what are the reactions from countries where same sex marriages are illegal? [Continue Reading]
Major fire breaks out underground in Holborn in central London sparking road closures
More than 70 firefighters are at the scene [Continue Reading]
TV fans confused as major streamer pulls long-awaited thriller days before release
'How does this even happen?' one fan wrote. [Continue Reading]
