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The state of military accommodation is "shocking", with two-thirds of service family homes "in such poor condition that they are essentially no longer fit for purpose", a report by MPs has found.The Defence Committee highlighted persistent issues with damp and mould and urged the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury to commit more funds to improve the entire military estate "before it deteriorates beyond repair". The MPs warned that more […]

Two people have been taken to hospital after a gas explosion at a terraced house in east London.Footage on social media showed the moment of the blast on a residential street in Ilford - which caused a fire that significantly damaged the roof, both of its floors and the loft conversion. The house had been converted into flats, the London Fire Brigade said. Please use Chrome browser for a more […]

An MP has spoken against calls to ban first cousin marriage in the UK, suggesting instead that advanced genetic screening is made available to prospective married couples.Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed said while "freedom of women must be protected at all times", he did not believe outlawing the practice would be "effective or enforceable". Politics latest: £1,200 of taxpayers' money spent on two foldersHe argued that rather than "stigmatising" cousin marriages, a […]

Rachel Reeves has said she is "determined" government departments will find 5% savings through a crackdown on "wasteful spending".The chancellor said this was not a return to austerity as departmental budgets "will increase" over the next five years, but said it was "absolutely vital that we get value for money". "It's through finding those efficiency savings that we'll have the money to spend on the priorities of the British people," […]

Sir Keir Starmer has said UK economic growth was his "number one mission" as he defended his trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.The prime minister accused predecessor Boris Johnson of "going cap in hand from dictator to dictator" when the former PM met Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2022. But after having a meeting with the crown prince on Monday, Sir Keir said he […]

Bankers are to review state spending as part of a push to bring the private sector "into the heart of government".External oversight is to be incorporated into the first line-by-line spending review of government departments in 17 years. Under plans announced by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves "every pound" of government spending will be interrogated to ensure it represents value for money.Departments will be expected to find savings and "efficiencies" in […]

The government has paused all decisions on Syrian asylum claims following the rapid fall of the Assad regime over the weekend.The Home Office said the move had been made "whilst we assess the current situation". "The Home Office has paused decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation," a statement said."We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to […]

A teenager fatally stabbed a schoolgirl in a fit of "white-hot anger" after a row over her friend's teddy bear, a court has heard.Hassan Sentamu, 18, lashed out at Elianne Andam with a kitchen knife in Croydon town centre while he met with his ex-girlfriend and her group, the Old Bailey was told.Jurors heard that Sentamu plunged his knife into Elianne's neck after losing his temper at perceived "disrespect", rather […]

A Tory frontbencher is urging the government to "focus" on pupil absence after a report found as many as 300,000 children were missing from education in England last year. Figures from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) - which compare GP registrations with school enrolment data - mark a 40% increase in unaccounted absences since 2017. More than 50,000 students were also found to have left the state education system by […]