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UK interest rates have been cut for the second time this year, as the Bank of England forecast a “gradual” reduction in borrowing costs despite uncertainty following the autumn Budget. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announced that rates were being reduced from 5% to 4.75% on Thursday. Governor Andrew Bailey said UK inflation falling below its 2% target meant policymakers had been able to cut rates to the lowest […]

Adding short bursts of exercise to your daily routine, such as cycling to the shops for 15 minutes or taking the stairs, lowers blood pressure, a study has found. Increasing exercise habits – in exchange, say, for watching a bit more TV or extending a snooze – is good for the heart, researchers said. However, they warned that people may need to do more than simple walking to really see […]

Purchases of pure electric used cars have reached record levels, new figures show. Some 53,423 of the cars changed hands between July and September, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. That is a surge of 57.0% compared with the same period last year, as the market share held by pure electrics rose from 1.8% to 2.7%. Sales of used hybrids and plug-in hybrids also rose, up 35.8% […]

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Donald Trump and offered “hearty congratulations” in their first conversation since the president-elect’s election win. The Prime Minister is seeking to secure close ties with Mr Trump amid tensions over Labour activists campaigning for his rival and past comments Cabinet ministers have made about him. Sir Keir congratulated Mr Trump on his “historic victory” after US voters returned him to the White House, Downing […]

Robert Lewandowski struck twice as Barcelona cruised to a 5-2 victory against Red Star Belgrade in Serbia. The Poland striker scored his 17th and 18th goals of the season in 16 matches and notched his 98th in the Champions League as Barca made it seven straight wins in all competitions. Red Star forward Silas cancelled out Inigo Martinez’s header, but Lewandowski restored Barca’s lead before the interval and added his […]

UK borrowing costs are set to be cut for the second time this year, despite tax changes and a Donald Trump victory in the US casting uncertainty over the future path of interest rates. Most economists think policymakers at the Bank of England will opt to reduce interest rates to 4.75% on Thursday. Rates currently sit at 5% after being cut by 0.25 percentage points in August, the first reduction […]

US actress and pop star Ariana Grande said spending time with her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo and morphing into a character who “believes in herself” for the prequel blockbuster has helped her heal. The two-part film is an adaptation of the hit musical and stars Oscar-nominated actress Erivo as Elphaba, alongside Grammy-winning singer Grande, who plays Glinda. Grande said forming a close friendship with British star Erivo was one of […]

Rachel Reeves’ Budget, which she said will “rebuild Britain”, has cleared its first Commons hurdle. MPs approved a series of Budget resolutions on Wednesday, which included an increase to employers’ national insurance contributions, a new tax on vapes, and a £22.6 billion boost to day-to-day NHS spending. Other measures brought forward in the Budget include £11.8 billion in compensation for the infected blood scandal victims, imposing VAT on private school […]

Kamala Harris has called for unity and vowed to “continue this fight” in a concession speech after her election defeat to Donald Trump. She may have been ending her campaign against Mr Trump, but her concession speech at Howard University in Washington DC outlined the contours of future fights against the president-elect. “We will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public […]