UK News

Linda Noskova put a dramatic second-set collapse behind her to win her first grand slam title in a wild Wimbledon final. The winner of the all-Czech clash between Noskova and Karolina Muchova was guaranteed to be the third woman from the central European country to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish in the last four years. But it was another former Czech champion, the late Jana Novotna, that came to mind […]

Police believe former MP and MEP Ann Widdecombe was attacked in her home nearly 24 hours before her body was discovered and said they are hunting for a white male suspect. The ex-Tory prisons minister was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor at around 11.40am on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries. Devon and Cornwall Police said on Saturday it is believed Miss Widdecombe was attacked on Wednesday […]

The Government should look at increasing universal credit for 66-year-olds to prevent financial hardship stemming from the “lottery of life” as the state pension age rises to 67, according to a committee of MPs. The Work and Pensions Committee said it is backing calls for the Government to increase universal credit for 66-year-olds. It said ministers should consult on the change with a view to putting it in place by […]

The Chancellor’s decision to raise employers’ national insurance is costing the average business more than £1,000 per worker every year, figures show. For those on the real living wage, which amounts to a full-time salary of about £26,228 a year, employers are paying an average of £890 extra in tax a year, according to analysis by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). The figure rises to £1,053 for those earning […]

Health officials have raised concerns over the “low numbers” of people in their 50s taking part in bowel cancer screening. It comes as figures suggest a little over half of 54-year-olds completed at-home testing kits last year compared to almost three-quarters of people in their 70s. The NHS sends the free faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to the homes of people aged 50 to 74 every two years. It requires a […]

A 26-year-old white British man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering former MP and MEP Ann Widdecombe. The ex-Tory prisons minister was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries. Miss Widdecombe, who was 78, later became a Brexit Party MEP and subsequently a Reform UK spokeswoman. She also found fame outside politics after starring in Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big […]

Millions more people will be banned from using hosepipes as officials warn drought conditions are increasingly likely while the nation swelters in another lengthy heatwave. Another record tumbled on Thursday when the UK recorded its eighth day at or above 34C in a calendar year, breaking the previous high of seven days set in the summer of 1976 and in 2020. Officials said the risk of drought for some parts […]

Twelve people died overnight into Friday in one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires on record, authorities said, as soaring temperatures grip much of the country. Several victims of the fire in the southern province of Almeria, a popular holiday destination, were found inside burnt-out vehicles and were thought to have died while trying to flee the flames. Eight people have been injured and a further 23 are unaccounted for, Andalusia’s regional […]

The UK is set to miss out on around £600 million in tax each year following a deal allowing the US to be exempt from a global tax commitment, according to HMRC figures. It confirmed the expected tax reduction as part of scrutiny by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) into tax paid by major multinational firms in the UK. The committee warned the UK tax authority must better tackle the […]