UK

The average household energy bill is set to rise by £146 in October, experts say. Energy consultancy Cornwall Insight said typical bills would likely go up by 9% to £1,714 a year, up from £1,568 currently, when the latest price cap change takes effect. The figure is below its previous prediction in June, when it

The housing market experienced a surge in activity following the Bank of England’s recent decision to cut interest rates, according to a leading property website. Estate agents reported a 19% jump in enquiries about properties for sale after 1 August, when compared with the same period last year, research by Rightmove found. It came after

Essex Police said it “categorically rejects” suggestions parts of Southend-on-Sea are a “no-go zone” after a violent incident in the city earlier this summer. The force issued a statement responding to “reporting in the national media, which is disparaging of Southend”, that claimed areas of the city are fraught with youth violence. Several arrests were

The remnants of Hurricane Ernesto are set to batter parts of the UK, bringing heavy rain and up to 60mph winds, the Met Office has warned. Three yellow weather warnings for rain in Scotland have been issued for next week, with up to 15cm (6in) expected within 24 hours for some areas. Ernesto ripped through

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has promised to crack down on people “pushing harmful and hateful beliefs” and “kickstart” a new approach to fighting extremism in the wake of riots that broke out across the UK earlier this month.  The Home Office has commissioned a “rapid sprint” to develop a new approach to countering extremism. The

The government will not be able to end the “8am scramble” for GP appointments without a significant increase in funding, doctors have warned. During the election campaign, Labour promised to “end the 8am scramble by allowing patients to easily book appointments to see the doctor they want, in the manner they choose”. But the Doctors’

A former office manager who embezzled almost £1m from an Edinburgh property firm to fund a luxury lifestyle has been ordered to pay back more than £211,000. Emma Hunt, 38, was jailed for three years last August after she was found guilty of fraud, embezzlement and money laundering. Hunt spent thousands of pounds on parties,

Think back to the last time you went to a restaurant. Did the waiter ask you if you have any allergies? By law, restaurants, cafes, and pubs are required to tell their customers if anything they serve contains any of the 14 most common allergens. But it does not have to be written on the

Paul Hollywood has said criticism of his wife is “unforgivable” after she and her family were granted permission to turn their Kent pub into a house. Landlady Melissa Hollywood, who is married to the Great British Bake Off judge, reportedly said her family was planning on closing the Grade II-listed Chequers Inn in Smarden, Kent,

A victim of the infected blood scandal has said he is “livid” with the government’s “paltry” compensation offer. Under the recently announced package, victims of the scandal could receive as much as £2.7m each. In addition, there is a £10,000 “unethical research” fee for people who were infected while being a part of studies. For

Police are investigating a report of a “hate incident” after two Israeli audience members were reportedly heckled out of Reginald D Hunter’s Edinburgh Fringe show. The US stand-up comedian issued a statement on Thursday following reports two people were booed out of his Fluffy Fluffy Beaver show at Assembly George Square Studios over their objection

Victims of the infected blood scandal will receive financial support for life, the government has confirmed. Announcing the updated multi-billion-pound compensation scheme, the government said there would also be additional payments for victims of the scandal who were subjected to “unethical research”. More than 30,000 Britons contracted HIV or hepatitis after being given contaminated blood

The boss of mobile phone firm Three has hit out at the UK’s “abysmal” 5G speeds and availability. Chief executive Robert Finnegan made the comments as he urged regulators to approve the company’s planned merger with Vodafone – arguing the £15bn move would pave the way for better investment in network infrastructure. It came as

The UK is preparing for potential cases of a new strain of mpox after outbreaks of the virus were declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation. The strain, known as clade 1b, emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 17,000 cases and 571 deaths in Africa this year, according to

A-level results are an August rite of passage for hundreds of thousands of teenagers, but this year the students won’t be the only ones swallowing hard as they open envelopes and emails. For most, these results determine the path into higher education, and, with the university sector facing a funding crisis, scores of vice-chancellors will

The pace at which prices are rising has sped up, according to official figures. The rate of inflation grew to 2.2% in July, up from 2% a month earlier, data from the Office for National Statistics showed. It is the first time since December last year that the rate has increased, rather than fallen. But

England Test team captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for the remainder of the summer with a torn hamstring. Stokes, 33, suffered the injury while batting for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday and was later seen on crutches. The all-rounder had to be helped from the field after pulling up while running

A body has been recovered in the search for a 16-year-old boy, believed to have got into difficulty while swimming in a lake on the hottest day of the year so far. Police were called to Burnside Lakes in the Cambridgeshire suburb of Cherry Hinton at 5.26pm on Monday over concerns for a teenager in

A collection of some of the earliest King Charles III banknotes have been sold at auction for more than £900,000. Over four separate auctions at Spink & Son, lots containing some of the earliest King Charles £5, £10, £20 and £50 banknotes went up for auction, raising £914,127 in total. The notes had a face

Grocery inflation has risen for the first time since March 2023, according to closely watched industry data. Prices in food shops rose by 1.8% in the four weeks to 4 August, research by Kantar Worldpanel found. It follows 17 consecutive months of easing inflation in the sector, including during the previous month when the rate