The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported today that the unemployment rate rose to 4.7 per cent. - and is the highest in four years - while the wage growth rate fell by 5 per cent between March and May. Economists expect the Bank of England to cut interest rates in August.more

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signed the Kensington Treaty on defence and migration policy in London today. It is the largest agreement between the two countries since the end of the Second World War in 1945.more

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, 18, has been given the famous number 10 jersey previously worn by Argentine Lionel Messi. It marks the culmination of a landmark season for the teenager.more

Eight healthy babies have been born after in vitro fertilisation using the DNA of three people, a Newcastle infertility clinic in the UK has reported. The method used involves transferring the genetic material of the mother and father into a healthy donor egg to reduce the risk of disease.more

The taxman has no idea how much is being collected from billionaires amid mounting calls for a wealth tax, a powerful Commons committee has found. With Rachel Reeves seeking billions of pounds to plug a gaping hole in the public finances, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) cannot identify how much tax is paid by Britain’s billionaires. more

British aviation authorities on Wednesday lifted a five-year ban imposed on airlines from Pakistan. The Pakistani carrier, which until recently was also not allowed to fly to the EU, is to be privatised in the coming months.more

German racing driver Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael, has officially confirmed that he is in talks with the bosses of the Cadillac team, which will make its F1 debut from the 2026 season, about returning to competitive racing.more

US President Donald Trump gave notice yesterday that the Coca-Cola conglomerate had agreed to use cane sugar in its drinks sold in the US, following a conversation with him. The corporation has not confirmed these reports. Currently, Coca-Cola in the US is sweetened with glucose-fructose syrup.more

The chief executive of Co-op has confirmed that all 6.5 million of its members had their data stolen in a cyber-attack on the retailer in April. "I'm devastated that information was taken. I'm also devastated by the impact that it took on our colleagues as well as they tried to contain all of this," Shirine Khoury-Haq told BBC Breakfast in her first public interview since the hack.more

Dutch airline KLM has test-introduced a new fare that does not include space for hand luggage. The consumer organisation warns that this solution is not only misleading for customers, but may also be contrary to EU law, the daily “Algemeen Dagblad” (“AD”) reported.more

The first stage of ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico will begin in September, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) announced in a statement.more

Prices rose by more than expected in the year to June, pushing inflation to 3.6%, the highest it has been since January 2024. Higher prices for food and clothing, air and rail fares - and a lower drop in fuel prices than this time last year - contributed to higher inflation, official figures show.more

"We have an incredible amount of work to do to capitalize on this mission and build our future," said Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski after returning from the International Space Station. Yesterday, a special plane carrying the astronaut landed in Cologne, Germany.more

Sainsbury’s is axing free crisps and biscuits from staff rooms as the Government steps up a drive to tackle obesity across Britain. Sainsbury’s has sent managers a new list of food items that they are allowed to buy in for staff, urging them to swap crisps and biscuits for “light meal” options.more

In Poland, the most searched destinations this year for the holiday season are Spain, Italy, and Greece, according to data provided by Google. The number of searches for all-inclusive trips has increased over the year, the release added.more

Jan Urban will be the head coach of the Polish national football team, the Polish Football Association (PZPN) announced. He will replace Michał Probierz, who resigned on September 12th.more

Wacky London weather is set to see the city sizzle in 30C of sunshine after days of thunderstorms hit the capital. July has seen scorching temperatures in London so far with highs of 34C. So anyone looking for relief from the capital’s scorching sun will be left sorely disappointed.more

The statement of changes to the immigration rules HC 836, published on 24 June, will amend the definition of “continuous qualifying period” in Annex 1 of Appendix EU from 16 July to offer an another way for a pre-settled status holder to complete a five year continuous residence period.more

Banks will push Britain’s savers to invest in the stock market under plans drawn up by Rachel Reeves. Savers with money piling up in low-interest accounts will be offered investment opportunities by their banks in a bid to funnel funds into British businesses, the Treasury has announced.more

Kamil Majchrzak lost to Peruvian qualifier Ignacio Buse 6-1, 5-7, 1-6 in the second round of the ATP 250 clay-court tournament in Gstaad, Switzerland. The 21-year-old advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in his career.more

The UK is a “powder keg” of social tensions, with a third of people rarely meeting anyone from different backgrounds, research has found. A report from the thinktank British Future and the social cohesion group Belong Network found that a year on from last summer’s riots, there was a risk of unrest being reignited unless urgent action was taken to address issues of polarisation and division. more

Thousands of Afghans have moved to the UK under a secret scheme which was set up after a British official inadvertently leaked their data, it can be revealed. In February 2022, the personal details of nearly 19,000 people who had applied to move to the UK after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan were leaked.more

Two men have been sentenced to four years and three months in prison for illegally cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree. The world-famous tree, which stood next to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, was felled in September 2023.more

More than 2,100 pubs have closed across Ireland since 2005, a 24.6% drop, according to the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI), an organization representing alcohol distributors and retailers. There are now 6,498 pubs operating in the country.more

An airport staff member will undergo “retraining” for asking a woman if she was pregnant. Claire King, who is a size 12 and is not pregnant, said a Jet2 male gate agent had “looked her up and down” before asking if she was “expecting”.more