NS&I faces scrutiny over estate payouts, with bereaved families reporting delays, errors and underpayments. Thousands of complaints have built up, prompting demands for intervention and redress. The state-backed bank cites stringent checks and staffing constraints.
Washington has deployed elite paratroops to the Gulf for a potential operation to secure Kharg Island, a strategic oil hub. The president claims pressure has already shifted the leadership’s position. Talks are ongoing, but rapid‑deployment units are primed if required.
Reeves is preparing targeted help for low‑income households facing higher energy bills, ruling out a repeat of the 2022 blanket scheme. Critics say the plan could shift costs to middle earners via taxes or charges. Ministers are assessing funding options before winter.
Security guard Nathan Newby is to receive the George Medal after averting a planned attack at St James’s Hospital in Leeds. He approached a man with an explosive device, spoke to him and offered a hug, persuading him to stand down and protecting staff, patients and visitors.
US forces are concentrating in the Gulf ahead of a White House deadline, with about 3,000 airborne troops and 2,200 Marines deploying. The move is billed as securing the Strait of Hormuz and keeping trade flowing, nudging oil prices higher as regional capitals ready contingency plans.
The US is preparing to deploy airborne units to the Gulf as regional incidents intensify. Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne could move within days to protect assets and shipping. Donald Trump says talks with Tehran continue, even as exchanges across the region have expanded.
Fans are angry at the £90 price of the new England replica shirt, questioning the cost ahead of the summer tournament. A backlash online has prompted calls for a rethink, citing cost‑of‑living pressures and urging fairer pricing for adults and children.
VW is considering a move into defence manufacturing via a partnership with Israel’s Rafael, repurposing a struggling Lower Saxony plant to protect thousands of jobs. The tie-up would supply European buyers with air-defence components, subject to political sign-off and board approval.
Ministers are urged to suspend funding to France intended to curb Channel crossings. Reform wants the current agreement scrapped and about £700m returned, saying any future payments should depend on crossings being halted.
A patient has been awarded the George Medal after preventing an attack at St James’s Hospital, Leeds. He calmly spoke to and embraced a man who was threatening the maternity unit, persuading him to give up, and enabling officers to secure the area without casualties.
UK motorists have paid an extra £307m as petrol prices jump, driven by a Middle East crisis pushing crude above $100 and threatening key shipping lanes. The chancellor warned of a “significant” economic hit but announced no new relief for households, with pump prices around 146.4p a litre.