Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering a 1p rise in the basic rate of income tax to plug a £30bn shortfall, with changes to higher bands also explored. The move risks breaching Labour’s pledge not to raise taxes on working people, amid pressure from higher borrowing costs and recent policy reversals.
The King joined the Pope for a prayer service in the Sistine Chapel, the first public prayer between a British monarch and a pontiff in five centuries. The meeting is viewed as a milestone for Anglican–Catholic relations, signalling warmer ties after centuries of division.
An ex-paratrooper, the only former soldier charged over the 1972 Londonderry deaths, has been acquitted. A Belfast judge said key evidence was unreliable and failed to meet the standard of proof. The case centred on early statements judged inconsistent, bringing years of proceedings against him to a close.
A veteran known as Soldier F was acquitted over Bloody Sunday after a Belfast judge found key witnesses unreliable. Veterans’ groups urged Labour to halt historic prosecutions, saying cases are unfair decades on, while opponents pressed for further investigations into Troubles-era actions.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are leaving Strictly Come Dancing, saying it feels the right time to move on. The BBC will name successors for the next series. Daly has fronted the programme since launch, with Winkleman later joining. Both thanked viewers and colleagues.
Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are leaving Strictly Come Dancing after years as co-hosts. Zoe Ball is tipped to replace them, with a decision expected soon. The shake-up would usher in a new presenting era for the long-running BBC show ahead of the next series.
After a former paratrooper was cleared over Bloody Sunday, pressure mounts on the PM to reinstate the Legacy Act in full, halting historic prosecutions from the Troubles. Supporters say repeated cases are unfair to veterans; opponents argue this would deny families justice.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the BMA’s plan for five days of resident doctors’ strikes next month, calling it a ‘slap in the face’ for NHS staff and patients. Citing a 28.9% rise last year, he accuses the union of rushing to action and says the only political winner would be Nigel Farage.
Indian and Chinese refiners are weighing cuts to purchases of sanctioned crude after new US measures. Shipments have been paused as banks, insurers and shippers review exposure. The shift may tighten supply, raise prices and reroute flows as Western enforcement intensifies.
The chancellor is weighing an income tax rise for the November Budget to plug a significant fiscal shortfall, potentially rowing back on a pledge not to lift headline rates. Options target higher earners and thresholds, with Treasury modelling revenue and cost‑of‑living impacts. No final decision yet.