Consumer confidence sees six-point ‘Burnham bounce’ Consumer confidence has seen a significant six-point “Burnham bounce” – the largest increase since November 2023. GfK said the heatwaves, football success and a new Prime Minister appeared to have “lifted the mood”, albeit the headline figure remaining firmly in negative territory at minus 17. Confidence in the country’s
Persistent money troubles could make the brain age faster – study Persistent money troubles have been linked to faster brain ageing in a new study. The effect was particularly pronounced among men, those who had disadvantaged childhoods and people with a greater genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Supporting those facing financial hardship and reducing poverty
Andy Burnham pauses plan for early release of prisoners Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will “put a pause” on the plan for the early release of prisoners. Under the new Sentencing Act set to come into force in September, some 6,000 criminals were due to be released under the early prison release scheme.
Friend of Manchester synagogue attacker jailed for life over MoD terror plan A man who planned a terror attack with his friend who went on a fatal knife rampage at a Manchester synagogue less than two months later has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years. Mohammad Bashir, 31, drove Jihad
Teenage girl and woman die after group gets into difficulty at beach A teenage girl and a woman in her 40s have died after a group got into difficulty in the water at a popular beach. Essex Police said officers were called by the ambulance service at 5.35pm on Wednesday after reports that several people
Business rates to be cut by 20% for pubs, clubs and music venues across England Business rates will be cut by 20% for pubs, clubs and live music venues across England from April next year, Downing Street has announced. The discount will apply to nearly 32,000 hospitality businesses and is expected to save a typical
Three in four UK airports hike drop-off fees in past year More than three quarters of UK airports raised or introduced drop-off fees for drivers in the past year, according to new research. Sixteen out of 20 airports analysed by the RAC have increased so-called “kiss and fly” charges – which are typically levied for
Weight loss drugs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy ‘linked to hair loss’ Weight loss and diabetes drugs such as Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy are linked to an increased risk of hair loss, researchers say. People on GLP-1 agonist drugs have been reporting hair loss to regulators, but a new study on around 50,000 people appears
Online bullying over social media could be linked to school absence, study finds Online bullying over social media could be linked to declining school attendance rates, according to a study. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) found pupils, parents and schools feel the wellbeing of students is a “major factor” behind rising absence rates
Santander vows not to shut more branches before 2028 Santander UK has pledged not to shut any more branches across its network and those of recently-acquired rival TSB before 2028, despite plans to cut costs further over the rest of the year. The bank’s new boss Mahesh Aditya said he saw branches as an “important