The Bank cut the base rate to 3.75% and signalled inflation should fall faster, heading towards 2% next year. Lenders are preparing a spring 2026 mortgage price war, with deals near 3%. Reeves says cheaper borrowing could save first‑time buyers about £100 a month.
Britain is preparing a peacekeeping contingent for a possible allied deployment. The MoD has begun notice-to-move steps, purchasing kit and planning troop movements. Ministers say the UK stands ready to support an emerging settlement and stabilise a fragile situation in Eastern Europe.
Campaigners demand a ban on cutting engineered stone for kitchen worktops after UK cases of silicosis emerged. They urge mandatory workplace health tests, a national register of cases, stronger HSE enforcement and better protections for young tradespeople.
The new MI6 chief warns power is shifting from elected leaders to tech giants and their owners. She highlights risks from opaque algorithms, calls for stronger oversight and values‑led use of advanced tech, and vows sustained backing for Britain’s allies.
At least 15 people were killed at a Jewish event in Sydney. A bystander is hailed for bravery after disarming an attacker. Victims include a 10-year-old girl and a London-born rabbi. Authorities say the father-and-son suspects were stopped; one died, the other is critically ill. Dozens remain in hospital. Leaders condemned it as antisemitic.
The NHS is mounting a pre-Christmas push to vaccinate children against flu, fearing spread to older relatives. School visits are planned, with uptake low and cases rising nationwide. WHO says the UK has entered an early epidemic. Parents are urged to keep symptomatic pupils at home.
An intense flu wave is driving record infections, with the highest rates among schoolchildren and under‑5s. NHS leaders warn hospitals face severe pressure and urge vulnerable people to get vaccinated, noting protection takes about two weeks to develop.
UK close to rejoining Erasmus from January 2027, in a Brexit reset for universities. A deal could be sealed before Christmas, with optimism on both sides and an EU route for UK institutions to apply next year. London seeks a better price after being offered a 30% discount.
Defence experts warn the UK and Europe face a reality check after Trump criticised “decaying” nations and cast doubt on US support. Concern grows the alliance may need to stand alone. Starmer met the US ambassador as No 10 rejected claims Europe has failed, amid defence budget gap warnings.
Experts warn new tax measures on savings could deter pension contributions, leaving workers undersaving and delaying retirement. Plans include tighter rules on salary sacrifice and a lower cash ISA allowance. Pressure on the state system may hasten a higher pension age.
Health experts urge anyone with flu-like symptoms to wear a face mask, limit contact and ventilate spaces as a record surge strains hospitals and drives school absences. Ministers are pressed to extend the flu jab to over-50s and address vaccine fatigue among staff amid an early, stronger strain.
Liz Kendall rejects claims Labour is the party of welfare, calling the label ignorant. She defends tax rises to fund reforms, including ending the two‑child cap and expanding help with nursery fees. Labour says the package could lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030, despite criticism from the Tories and Reform.
UK authorities are probing claims that foreign operatives used cargo ships and smaller ports to enter the country, then visited areas near military bases and critical infrastructure. Security services are tightening dock checks and examining shipping as a tool for hostile activity.
After 36 years of inquiries into the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster, a new review says 12 police officers would face gross misconduct cases under today’s rules and confirms major operational failures. No officer will be convicted for errors or alleged cover‑up, leaving families dismayed.
OBR chair Richard Hughes has been forced out after a clash with the Treasury. An accidental Budget leak and a timeline he released appeared to contradict the Chancellor’s account of a funding gap. Relations collapsed after the watchdog declined to give full advance sight of its inquiry.