Chancellor Rachel Reeves will set out her Budget in the House of Commons around 12:30 GMT, facing pressure to find extra revenue while promising investment to cut NHS waiting lists and tackle the cost of living.She has flagged that tough but fair decisions are needed to reduce national debt and drive growth, with an immediate response from opposition leader Kemi Badenoch expected after the...

One of Jacob Zuma’s daughters has filed a criminal complaint alleging her sister recruited South African men to fight alongside Russian mercenary forces in the Ukraine war.Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube says Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a member of parliament, and two others persuaded 17 men to travel abroad by telling them they were going to Russia to train as bodyguards for the former president’s party,...

Four more people from the Paris region have been taken into custody as investigators widen their probe into the October theft of high-value jewellery at the Louvre.Authorities said the detainees — two men aged 38 and 39 and two women aged 31 and 40 — were arrested on Tuesday.Investigators believe one of them may be the remaining member of the four-person team that carried out the daylight...

Motability has removed high-end brands such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Alfa Romeo and Lexus from its vehicle list with immediate effect as it refocuses the scheme on British-built models.The move comes as the charity sets a target for UK-manufactured cars to make up 25% of its fleet by 2030 and half by 2035, up from around 7% today.Motability says the change will prioritise vehicles that are safe,...

Seven suspects have appeared in a Dresden court accused of belonging to a militant far-left cell dubbed Antifa Ost, or the "hammer gang." Prosecutors say the group carried out a string of brutal assaults in Germany and in Budapest.The defendants — six men and one woman — face serious counts including attempted murder, aggravated assault and damage to property.German privacy rules mean they...

President Emmanuel Macron will unveil a new military service plan later this week aimed at increasing the size and resilience of France’s armed forces.Details remain limited, but French outlets report the scheme would be voluntary, paid and run for about ten months, with recruits receiving roughly €900–€1,000 a month.Macron has taken pains to say the proposal does not mean young people...

As Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver the Budget, ordinary Britons are voicing clear and varied priorities.From housing taxes to care for disabled people, voters across incomes have specific asks they want reflected in government plans.Wesley Thorne, 52, and his wife Toni run a sweets business near Bristol and say moving into a larger home is out of reach because stamp duty could tack...

When Keira’s daughter arrived last November she had only a couple of hours with her mother before being placed in foster care.The 39-year-old describes the moment as devastating and now visits her baby for one hour a week, bringing Greenlandic food and small reminders of home.Keira is one of many Greenlandic parents living on the Danish mainland who say their children were removed after...

Overnight drone attacks between Russia and Ukraine left at least five people dead and sparked fires and blackouts as diplomats weigh revisions to a US-backed peace proposal.Kyiv officials said a large Russian drone strike hit the capital in the early hours, striking at least two high-rise residential buildings and causing multiple fires.Emergency teams evacuated residents, rescued 18 people...

When 23-year-old Aishat Baimuradova left Chechnya earlier this year she hoped to build a life away from strict family controls and public scrutiny. Friends say she adopted a more modern appearance — shortening her hair, abandoning the headscarf and even altering an eyebrow — and began sharing candid photos online, telling people she finally felt able to breathe. In October, Armenian police...