UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will argue at the European Political Community summit in Moldova that border security must be Europe's priority and announce further financial assistance for Moldova, struggling to cope with the effects of the war in Ukraine, his office reported last night.more
Canary Wharf’s credit rating has been downgraded as London companies struggle to draw white collar workers back to the office full-time. Moody’s warned that the office district faced a “difficult operating and funding environment” as it cut its outlook for Canary Wharf Group.more
Households with prepayment meters are being urged to make sure they have cashed in all their energy vouchers before the end of June. The government says that while more than four in five vouchers have been used, £130m is still available.more
Parents on universal credit will be able claim hundreds of pounds more to cover childcare costs from the end of June, the government has announced.
The government will allow parents on the benefit to claim back £951 for childcare costs for one and £1,630 for two or more children - a 47% increase.more
Five men who illegally broadcast Premier League games to tens of thousands of people have been jailed at Derby court. The practice, which lasted several years, brought in profits of over £7 million, the BBC reported.more
Home Office officials who disagree with the government's plan to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda are threatening to go on strike to block it, the Daily Express reported.more
Co-op has started putting empty coffee jars on shelves in a bid to stop shoplifters – after prices rocketed to more than £10. A branch in Walthamstow, north London, took the precaution after the price of 200g of Kenco Smooth instant coffee was put up to £10.50.more
More than 90 English primary schools – many of them in cities and towns – are to close or are at risk of closure because they are more than two-thirds empty, according to Guardian analysis of government data.more
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly expressed the opinion that Ukraine has a "legitimate right" to attack targets on Russian territory in self-defense.more
The Bank of England will not get inflation back under control until the end of 2025 because of soaring food prices and a "concerning" rise in wages, according to Goldman Sachs.
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Shoppers have raised alarm bells over barriers in a major supermarket which are 'making everyone's life harder'. Sainsbury's began introducing receipt barriers at a number of stores late last year, with shoppers required to scan their proof of purchase on exit.more
Albanians are clearly the largest group of foreign nationals in British prisons, with one in seven prisoners with non-British nationality already Albanian, the Daily Telegraph writes today, citing Department of Justice statistics.more
A loophole allowing retailers to give free vape samples to children is set to be closed under government plans to curb their use among young people.more
A silver-plated pencil believed to have been presented to Adolf Hitler by his long-time mistress Eva Braun and a personally signed photograph of the German dictator will be auctioned in Belfast next week, the PA reported yesterday.more
Mars bars have been given a new look with recyclable paper wrappers instead of plastic. It is part of a pilot, trialling more environmentally friendly materials for Mars Food's chocolate bars.more
Mortgage costs are rising after higher than expected inflation figures this week raised forecasts of how much UK interest rates will go up. A range of lenders have increased the cost of new deals, with Nationwide the most significant with increases of up to 0.45 percentage points on Friday.more
In the UK, there is a debate on introducing a maximum price cap on basic food products. This is supposed to be a response to the fact that although inflation has started to slow down, food prices are still rising at a record pace.more
Emergency services are warning that shifting sand dunes at a Cornwall beach pose an "unprecedented" danger. The dunes at Crantock beach near Newquay have been undermined by the sea in recent years, creating steep sand cliffs at risk of collapse.more
British land forces have more generals than howitzers, according to data from the Ministry of Defence, which is written today by The Times. The newspaper indicates that the number of generals is disproportionately large in relation to the decreasing number of personnel in the army.more
Even if Russia loses in Ukraine, it will remain a threat to the UK and other NATO countries, whether Vladimir Putin stays in power or not, warned the outgoing commander of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in June, Marshal Mike Wigston.more
According to one of the UK's largest banks, more than two-thirds of all online shopping scams affecting UK consumers originate from Facebook or Instagram.more
