UK

The country has been put on notice that the chances of gas shortages this winter have risen markedly, prompting a contingency plan to prioritise heating. National Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) warned that planned three-hour power blackouts could be imposed in some areas, in the “unlikely” event supplies of gas fall short of demand. It
A 14-year-old boy who died following a suspected assault in Gateshead has been named by Northumbria Police as Tomasz Oleszak. Police found the teenager with injuries that were “consistent with having been caused by a bladed article” in the Aycliffe Crescent area of the Springwell Estate at just after 8pm on Monday. The youth died
A man has been charged with the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel who was shot dead in her home in Liverpool. The Crown Prosecution Service said 34-year-old Thomas Cashman has been charged with the girl’s murder and the attempted murder of her mother Cheryl. Cashman has also been charged with the attempted murder of convicted
The devolved governments of the UK want an urgent meeting with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng to discuss immediate action to reverse the damaging effects of the mini-budget. In a joint letter, the finance ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are warning that the government’s spending plans are a “huge gamble” that will mean another decade
Consumers are being warned they may be targeted by scammers as the government’s energy price guarantee comes into effect. Messages asking for people to provide personal or financial details to receive support should be treated as fraudulent activity, as no applications are required, the business secretary has said. The £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme will
Prime Minister Liz Truss’s external adviser on the economy has told Sky News that the chancellor had “taken his eye off the ball” and “overstepped the mark” with his mini-budget. Gerard Lyons, who is often referred to as Ms Truss’s ‘favourite’ economist, said Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng failed to adequately prepare the financial markets ahead of