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Households in England and Wales will see an average £123 or 26% increase to their yearly water bill from April 1, final figures show. The rise, confirmed by industry body Water UK, will take the average water and wastewater bill from £480 to £603 for the next year alone. This equates to an increase of around £10 a month, from £40 to £50. However millions of households face even steeper […]

Actor Noel Clarke has lost a bid to get the Guardian publisher’s defence in his libel claim struck out ahead of a trial. The 49-year-old is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over a series of articles, including one from April 2021 which said 20 women who knew Mr Clarke in a professional capacity had come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. In a statement at the time, the former […]

A “small number” of cans of Coca-Cola and Appletiser have been recalled in the UK after testing abroad revealed elevated levels of the chemical chlorate. The recall includes imported cans of 6x250ml Appletiser multipacks which were sent only to supermarkets in the UK and imported cans of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, which were only sent to cafes and restaurants during a limited time […]

Princess Beatrice has welcomed her “tiny and absolutely perfect” baby daughter Athena after giving birth several weeks premature. The late Queen’s granddaughter’s second child was born a week ago weighing 4lb 5oz and both mother and baby are said to be healthy, doing well and now at home, Buckingham Palace said. Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi posted an emotional tribute to his daughter, saying he and the princess were “completely besotted” […]

Love Island star Jack Fincham has been jailed for six weeks after his black cane corso dog called Elvis bit a runner. The 32-year-old, who won the 2018 series of the ITV2 show with Dani Dyer, gave a thumbs up as he was led to the cells at Southend Magistrates’ Court as a woman in the public gallery wept. Fincham, whose address was given in court papers as Swanley in […]

The Government will back a third runway at Heathrow Airport as it looks to go “further and faster” on growth, the Chancellor has announced. In a wide-ranging speech on her measures to boost Britain’s flagging economy, Rachel Reeves said the case for a third runway was “stronger than ever”. She said: “We cannot duck the decision any longer. I have always been clear that a third runway at Heathrow would […]

NHS and Department of Health officials are complacent and “out of ideas” when it comes to transforming the health service for patients, MPs have said. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found that while the Government’s ambition for the NHS represents a “golden opportunity”, leaders at the Department of Health and NHS England (NHSE) are not ready to prioritise the shifts needed, instead arguing they are difficult and should take place […]

Sixth form college teachers in England will resume strike action in an ongoing dispute over pay. Around 2,000 National Education Union (NEU) teacher members at 32 non-academised sixth form colleges are due to strike on Wednesday in a fight for a fully funded above-inflation pay increase. A further two days of strike action are due to take place on Thursday and Friday next week. NEU members have staged seven days […]

Rachel Reeves will pledge to “fight” for “growth” and say that Britain “can do so much better” in a major speech, after Cabinet ministers were ordered to ditch policies that could stand in the way of growing the economy. The Chancellor will say that Britain has “fundamental strengths” but has been “held back” and accepted “stagnation” in her address in Oxfordshire on Wednesday. Ms Reeves will also use the speech […]