News – World and UK

Secondary school pupils and students who started university during the Covid-19 pandemic have been “consigned to the scrapheap”, the employment minister has warned. Alison McGovern vowed to set up a youth guarantee, a Labour general election manifesto pledge which she claimed would “transform the lives of young people”, speaking at the launch of a think tank report on employment support. According to the Department for Work and Pensions, the number […]

Train drivers have voted overwhelmingly to accept a multiyear pay offer, ending a two-year dispute at 16 rail companies. Aslef said its members voted by 96% in favour of a deal the union said was worth 15% over three years. The turnout was 84%. The offer was made by the new Labour Government within weeks of the party winning the general election. The ballot result ends what Aslef called the […]

Annual house price growth has slowed, but private rents continue to climb at a “near-record rate”, according to an Office for National Statistics (ONS) report. Across the UK, property values increased by an estimated 2.2% in the 12 months to July to reach £290,000 on average, slowing from a 2.7% increase in the 12 months to June. Average house prices increased in England to £306,000 (1.6% annual growth), in Wales […]

Post Office boss Nick Read is set to step down from the role next year, the company has said. Post Office boss Nick Read is set to step down from the role next year, the company has said. Mr Read described it as a “great privilege” to have worked as chief executive in an “extraordinarily challenging time for the business and for postmasters”. He had previously announced his intention to […]

It's held steady at 2.2% in the year to August UK inflation remained unchanged at 2.2% last month but price pressures picked up pace in the key services sector as air fares jumped higher, according to official figures. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed inflation has remained above the 2% target for the second month in a row, after rising for the first time this […]

MPs have voted in legislation seeking to ensure women don't face harassment outside clinics Buffer zones outside abortion clinics in England and Wales will come into force at the end of October. It has been more than a year since MPs voted to bring in legislation seeking to ensure women do not face harassment outside clinics. Delays on implementation under the previous Conservative government centred around the issue of silent prayer. Campaigners […]

They've gone up by 11% in the year to August Chocolate prices soared by 11% in the year to August in bad news for households ahead of Halloween, figures show. Costs have risen significantly higher than overall supermarket food and drink prices, which increased by 2.7% over the same period, according to the latest Which? inflation tracker. Cocoa prices have repeatedly hit new records over the last year following poor harvests […]

The Princess of Wales held a meeting at Windsor Castle about the early years development of children The Princess of Wales has been listed in the official record of royal events for the first time since her cancer treatment ended. Kate was featured in the Court Circular after holding a meeting at Windsor Castle about an issue that aides in the past have described as her life’s work – the early years development of children. She was joined […]

At least nine people were killed and thousands more wounded The Foreign Office has urged “calm heads and de-escalation” after hundreds of pagers exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and in parts of Syria. At least nine people were killed and thousands wounded on Tuesday in what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack. An FCDO spokesperson said: “We continue to monitor the situation in Lebanon closely and the UK is working with diplomatic […]