MI5’s chief says China mounts daily espionage against the UK and urges a firm defence. His rare intervention follows the collapse of a Westminster spying case, piling pressure on the Director of Public Prosecutions and prompting likely parliamentary scrutiny. Beijing rejects the allegations.
A leaked memo indicates Labour plans to cut London developers’ affordable housing quota from 35% to 20% to boost construction and meet its 1.5m homes pledge. Councils and housing experts warn this would reduce social housing and set a UK‑wide precedent, while lowering costs for developers.
The state pension will rise 4.8% under the triple lock next April, lifting the full rate to £12,547.60 a year—up £574.60. About 400,000 retirees will be within £22 of the income tax threshold. Persistently high inflation makes rate cuts less likely, setting a budget headache for the Chancellor.
Twenty remaining hostages held for over two years were freed under a ceasefire deal, with families reunited. The Red Cross also transferred four victims’ remains. In a reciprocal move, authorities began releasing detainees as negotiations advance.
Leaders will meet to finalise a Gaza truce that would free 20 hostages and start staged prisoner releases. The PM will attend alongside international counterparts. Tony Blair is expected to take a key role on a new peace board to help oversee the deal’s implementation.
A ceasefire in Gaza has begun with displaced residents are attempting to return as families of captives await release. The UK pledges reconstruction support instead of troops.
A ceasefire deal in the region is expected to start within 24 hours pending cabinet approval, with military forces preparing to withdraw and detainees scheduled for release as international mediation seeks a durable settlement.
Badenoch pledges a £9bn abolition of stamp duty, sharpening pressure on Reeves’s Budget as Labour seeks to plug a £40bn fiscal gap and weighs a replacement property tax.
Lenders will pay an estimated £8.2bn in compensation, averaging about £700 each, to around 14 million UK motorists after years of car finance deals were found to have been missold due to undisclosed commission by dealers.
