Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica with 185mph winds, leaving at least seven dead and causing severe damage. Airports shut, flooding and power cuts were reported, with Britons among thousands sheltering. Authorities launched rescue and relief efforts and urged people to remain indoors.
Broadcaster Sue Cook urges Rachel Reeves to deliver a fair deal for pensioners in the Budget: retain the triple lock, avoid tax changes that would hit the most vulnerable, and strengthen help with living costs. Campaigners seek firm guarantees on the state pension uprating.
Housebuilders warn the government will miss its 1.5m homes pledge, citing planning delays, higher costs and weak productivity. The watchdog has been told growth forecasts are too optimistic, and a productivity downgrade poses a further headache for the Chancellor.
Ministers have told local authorities to scrap four-day week trials, saying they waste taxpayers’ money and harm services. Guidance and possible funding penalties will enforce the shift. Council leaders and unions argue shorter weeks improve recruitment and productivity, citing South Cambridgeshire’s pilot.
Police are questioning a 22-year-old who arrived in a lorry five years ago and later received asylum and indefinite leave, after a 49-year-old dog walker was killed in a suburban street. A teenager was also hurt. Officers called the incident senseless and appealed for witnesses.
Liz Truss says she didn’t read newspapers at the time, claims she wasn’t aware of the lettuce joke, and argues America is among Britain’s “great inventions”. She says critics are left‑wing. The remarks reopen debate on her brief tenure and relationship with the press.
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 with 185mph winds, has made landfall in the Caribbean. Authorities warn of severe winds and flooding. It is the strongest storm to strike Jamaica since records began in 1851. Residents are moving to higher ground and designated shelters.
Rachel Reeves vowed to deliver a credible Budget despite a £20bn hole in the public finances. She says she will meet fiscal rules without a return to austerity, protect key services, and use targeted tax changes and savings while pushing an investment‑led growth plan.
An OBR productivity downgrade has opened a £20bn gap, leaving Rachel Reeves to choose between higher income tax or spending cuts in the 26 Nov Budget. Economists, including the IFS, argue that multiple smaller tax rises to protect a pledge would cause unnecessary economic damage.
Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, with winds near 185mph, is bearing down on Jamaica. Authorities urged evacuations from coastal and low‑lying areas, opened shelters and shut airports and schools. Forecasters warn of life‑threatening storm surge, flooding and landslides as the system nears landfall.