The number of workforce dropouts claiming to suffer long-term sickness has surged to a record high as Britain’s labour crisis deepens. More than 2.8 million people say they are too ill to work, the highest number since records were first collected by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).more

Inflation has fallen to its lowest level in two-and-a-half years, driven largely by slowing food price rises. Prices rose by 3.2% in the year to March, down from 3.4% the month before, according to official figures.more

There are over 3 million dwellings in London – but surprisingly, not all of them are occupied. There’s one London borough where a lot of the properties lie empty, a ridiculous feat amid the fact that 1 in 51 people in the capital are homeless, according to statistics from Shelter England.more

Creating a sexually explicit “deepfake” image is to be made an offence under a new law, the Ministry of Justice has announced. Under the legislation, anyone who creates such an image without consent will face a criminal record and an unlimited fine. They could also face jail if the image is shared more widely.more

Alliances should work both ways; if the UK is helping Israel to defend itself, it has a right to expect Israel to help Ukraine too, wrote former British Defence Minister Ben Wallace in a piece published yesterday in the "Daily Telegraph".more

MPs have backed a plan to ban anyone born after 2009 from buying cigarettes, effectively ensuring it will become law. The measures, championed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, survived despite opposition from several leading Tory figures - including two ex-PMs.more

Sadiq Khan has pledged to establish a new London Bus Company to bring the city's routes back into public ownership for the first time in 30 years. The bold plan could see the vast majority of London's 675 bus routes gradually taken out of the hands of private companies for the first time since 1994.more

The Duke of Sussex has lost an initial attempt to appeal against a high court decision to back a reduction in his level of personal security when visiting the UK.more

The UK jobs market is showing signs of stalling as the number of people out of work rose, according to new figures. The unemployment rate increased to 4.2% between December and February, which is the highest level for six months.more

Smart meters and other energy appliances such as heat pumps will be equipped with a surge pricing function under plans being put forward by ministers. The proposals under consultation by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) would require a string of devices to be “smart” by default, allowing them to take advantage of so-called time of use tariffs.more

Primary school offer day is upon us, with parents of three and four-year-olds eagerly waiting to find out of their children got into their first choice school. Across the UK, around 92.5 per cent of families received an offer from their first choice in 2023, and 98.3 per cent received an offer from one of their top three choices, according to government data.more

EasyJet has cancelled all flights from the UK to Israel for more than six months in the wake of the Iranian attack over the weekend. The airline said routes to Tel Aviv would be closed until 27 October and any customers booked onto flights before then would be offered a refund.more

Increasing number of Vietnamese blamed for record numbers of arrivals to UK as Government urges Lords to support Rwanda Bill.more

The Conservative Party is at odds over a proposed smoking ban, with Boris Johnson calling Rishi Sunak’s plan “absolutely nuts”. Former prime minister Mr Johnson hit out at his successor, who has put forward legislation with the aim of ending the pastime with an incremental increase in the age of tobacco use. more

New and more frequent rail services could be on the way for millions of Brits, as independent operators roll out plans to launch extra trains around the country.more

The UK has begun talks with four countries - Armenia, Botswana, Costa Rica and Côte d'Ivoire - to strike a deal with them similar to the one with Rwanda to send illegal immigrants there, 'The Times' reported yesterday.more

A third large cliff fall in five months has been reported close to the site of a proposed flat development in Cornwall. The Save Whipsiderry Cliff group said the incident happened at the beach near Newquay at about 08:40 BST on Saturday.more

The government has been accused of "betraying renters" on the fifth anniversary of a "failed" promise to ban no-fault evictions - as figures suggest that over 80,000 households have been put at risk of homelessness since then.more

Major banks including NatWest, Lloyds, and Halifax have announced the closure of more than 100 branches in the last few weeks.more

The number of homeless refugees seeking urgent housing from English councils has increased by 239 per cent in the past two years, analysis shows, prompting charities to slam the “dysfunctional system” that leaves people living on the streets in tents.more

Airline passengers are facing cancellations or disruption to flights to Israel and surrounding countries after Iran's airstrikes at the weekend.more

Hundreds of the Manchester Arena bombing survivors, along with relatives of the victims, have launched legal action against MI5, claiming it failed to take action that could have stopped the attack. More than 250 people have joined the group action against MI5 and have submitted their claim to the investigatory powers tribunal, which hears complaints against the intelligence services.more

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron today assessed that Iran's attack on Israel was serious but failed and urged the Israeli authorities not to escalate the conflict.more

The government is investing more than £55m in expanding facial recognition systems – including vans that will scan crowded high streets – as part of a renewed crackdown on shoplifting.more

They may no longer be referred to as HRH, but Prince Andrew and Meghan Markle can still claim the titles of being the UK’s least favourite royals, a new poll has found.more