News – World and UK

Drivers are set to enjoy the cheapest Christmas fuel prices since the pandemic, despite a slight rise in November, figures suggest. Petrol went up by a penny to 136.5p in November – but is still 10.5p cheaper than a year ago, according to latest data from RAC Fuel Watch. Diesel went up by 1.8p to 142.25p, but remained 12p cheaper than the same time last year. The prices take the […]

Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs could hit UK trade with the US as badly as Brexit affected trade with the EU, a leading think tank has said. In a report published on Wednesday, the Resolution Foundation said British trade since Brexit had been “a tale of two sectors”, with service exports growing strongly but goods exports stagnating. But authors Emily Fry and Sophie Hale warned that British firms faced another major […]

Government plans to boost prison capacity could fall short by thousands of cell spaces within two years and cost the taxpayer billions of pounds more than anticipated, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has warned. The National Audit Office (NAO) said current expansion plans are “insufficient to meet future demand” amid a projected shortage of 12,400 prison places by the end of 2027, with costs expected to be at least £4 billion higher […]

The Princess of Wales joined the King and her husband in welcoming the Emir of Qatar to the UK during a rare public appearance since completing her cancer treatment. Kate looked relaxed as she greeted the Gulf state leader during a ceremony of pomp and pageantry in central London, but missed a glittering state banquet held in his honour as she continues her gradual return to full duties after recovering […]

Rachel Reeves has again declined to repeat her promise not to raise taxes or borrowing in future budgets, but insisted she would not have to top up her spending plans either. Appearing at the Great Northern Conference in Hull on Tuesday, Rachel Reeves again faced pressure to repeat her pledge, given to the Confederation of British Industry last month, that there would be no repeat of the £40 billion tax […]

Two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials have been pulled from the BBC’s schedule after Gregg Wallace stepped away from hosting the cooking show, a BBC spokesperson said. The broadcaster previously announced a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza as part of its festive schedule, both billed as hour-long programmes for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have said, MasterChef is an amazing […]

The Queen has told guests at the state visit that her chest infection was a form of pneumonia. Camilla is suffering from post-viral fatigue and is missing the outdoor elements of the Qatari visit after being urged by her doctors to take more time to recover. It is understood Camilla’s condition was viral, not bacterial, and she no longer has pneumonia. The Queen missed the outdoor ceremonial welcome on a […]

Scotland’s NHS will become “much worse” over the winter, the head of the doctors’ union has warned after a report said fundamental reform in the health service is needed. The Audit Scotland report said some services may need to be withdrawn in order to free up resources to meet growing demand for healthcare. It said the Scottish Government has no clear plan for how to bring about change in the […]

The Emir of Qatar will begin a two-day state visit to the UK hosted by the King. Charles will welcome Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher, during a ceremony of pomp and pageantry staged in Whitehall. But missing will be Queen Camilla who, on Monday evening, pulled out of the official open-air greeting on Horse Guards Parade and a carriage ride […]