Struggling households owe billions of pounds in unpaid council tax, but bills are expected to keep rising in the years ahead. Newly-published figures show £6.6bn is owed to local authorities in England, with an extra £642m having been added to those arrears in the year to April. Separate data from Scotland and Wales means the...
For British and Irish Lions boss Andy Farrell, building connections has always been as crucial to fostering a winning environment as tactics and systems. When he speaks to the media, he regularly outlines his desire to see players become the “best versions of themselves”. Not the best tacklers, or goal-kickers or scrummagers, but the best...
Jon Ironmonger BBC Investigations BBC Hayley Butler began suffering from pain and vomiting soon after undergoing surgery in Turkey An obesity doctor has told an inquest his team has dealt with more than 100 problems in patients who have undergone weight loss surgery in Turkey. Tanveer Adil, who works at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, was...
Getty Images Young people under the age of 18 are more aware of nicotine pouches, new data suggests. According to a survey commissioned by charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), the percentage of 11-17 year olds who said they knew of the pouches grew from 38% in 2024 to 43% this year. The survey...
Getty Images Council tax is expected to rise by 5% a year to pay for local services including policing, documents in the Spending Review suggest. Local authorities have the power to raise the tax by up to 5% every year, without central government approval, although some choose lower increases. However, Wednesday’s Spending Review assumes councils...
Large-scale Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian cities are on the rise. Monday night’s bombardment, while not record breaking, was typical of the new norm. For several hours after midnight, drones buzzed incessantly over Kyiv. It seemed they were coming from almost every direction, as searchlights raked the sky and skeins of orange tracer fire rose...
Dramatisation of Tommy Steele’s rise to fame as a rock ‘n’ roll teen idol in the 1950s. Read full article at source...
Esme Stallard Climate and science correspondent Watch: Erupting Mount Etna spews huge plumes of smoke and ash Italy’s Mount Etna has erupted, with large plumes of ash and smoke seen rising from the volcano. Images and video from the island of Sicily showed volcanic material spilling out of the volcano on Monday morning. A number...
In 23-year-old Draper, British tennis fans believe they may just have found their next serial Grand Slam contender. British former world number four Tim Henman told BBC Sport recently that Draper’s best attributes – his left-handed serve and crunching forehand – could “work on any surface”. Prior to this year, though, Draper had never won...
Getty Images The UK is one of few countries in Europe where vehicles drive on the left The number of crashes caused by visitors to Scotland driving on the wrong side of the road has increased by 46% in a year. Figures released by Transport Scotland showed there were 35 collisions caused by “inexperience of...
There is “no doubt” that UK defence spending will rise to 3% of GDP by 2034 at the latest, Defence Secretary John Healey has said. A source told the BBC this was Healey’s opinion, not a new commitment. His comment comes as the government prepares to unveil its strategic defence review which will outline priorities...
Jane Douglas BBC News, South West BBC The South West has seen a growing number of international tourists Devon and Cornwall’s tourist industry is showing signs of optimism, with early indicators suggesting a potentially strong season ahead, say tourism boards. Visit Cornwall and Visit Devon report encouraging booking trends, with a rise in day visitors....
Craig Williams BBC Scotland News Wattie Chung Michelle Mone started Ultimo with her then husband in 1996 Michelle Mone spent 25 years building her business empire and public profile through the British media. A brilliant self-publicist, she was regularly described as one of the UK’s most successful businesswomen. She was the plucky underdog who, through...
Katya Adler Europe editor Reporting fromNorthern Norway and Svalbard BBC As soon as Magnus Mæland became mayor of a small town on Norway’s northern tip in late 2023, three delegations from China came knocking on his door. “It’s because they want to be a polar superpower,” he tells me. China might not instinctively spring to...
Dean Henderson produced an FA Cup-final performance for the ages to help Crystal Palace win their first major trophy – BBC Sport looks at the making of the Eagles’ Wembley hero goalkeeper. Read full article at source...