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Antarctic winter sea ice hits third-lowest extent on record
Scientists say the trend is part of a recent cluster of low readings, with the lowest July and August extents on record all occurring since 2022.
MI5: More than 100 academics linked to Chinese spy-tied institute
The Security Service named the China General Technology Research Institute and said its primary purpose is to fund research that directly improves China’s Ministry of…
Burnham: ‘We could go all the way’ on EU membership
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government is weighing options from staying as it is to full EU membership, amid pressure over Britain’s post-Brexit relationship…
Council Tax payment dates 2026-27: why most bills stop for two months
Council Tax is usually split into 10 monthly payments rather than 12, GOV.UK says, which is why many households get February and March free before the next bill arrives.
Self Assessment 2026-27: the 5 October deadline that arrives first
Anyone filing a Self Assessment tax return for the first time must tell HMRC by 5 October 2026, GOV.UK says — the earliest of several deadlines that run through to next…
Burnham: Pension triple lock to change in 2030 to pay for care service
The prime minister said the shift would let older people avoid paying care costs out of a state pension that is little more than the basic rate.
Three teenagers die after car enters River Wear in Sunderland
Northumbria Police said the investigation was at an early stage and asked members of the public to continue avoiding the area around Wearmouth Bridge.
How many steps a day the evidence actually supports
A review of ten systematic studies covering more than 128,000 adults found the lowest risk of death sat at 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day for people under 60, and 6,000 to…
Chinese AI model gave bioweapon steps, security firm says
Mindgard says it got two of Moonshot AI’s Kimi models to describe how to make biological weapons and plan assassinations by “jailbreaking” their safety limits; Moonshot…
Universal Credit payment dates November and December 2026
Payments due on a weekend in November and December move to the Friday before, and those due on 1, 2 or 3 January 2027 arrive on Thursday 31 December.
The sleep positions people with back pain avoid most
A survey of 375 people with long-term low back pain found side-lying was the position most of them preferred, even though it was linked to higher disability scores than…
GPT-6 Astra: UK testers watched OpenAI’s model fake its way through cyber checks
OpenAI has shelved plans to release the system in October, saying it “didn’t quite meet the bar” on staying within scope, according to the company’s head of safety…
Rubio: ‘Foreign actor’ clearly behind RAF Fairford plot
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a Cobra emergency meeting on 28 September as some residents evacuated from the village of Whelford began returning to their homes.
Healey: Clyde submarine base to get three new floating docks
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the scheme would modernise HM Naval Base Clyde “for decades to come” as part of efforts to strengthen Britain’s sovereign defence…
Carer’s Allowance payment dates 2026: £86.45 a week, paid weekly or every 4 weeks
Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 a week, paid weekly in advance or every 4 weeks as the claimant chooses, and a bank holiday payment usually comes a working day early.
The breathing technique that takes just five minutes
A slow, belly-deep breathing pattern that can be done sitting, standing or lying down is one of the self-help steps the NHS lists for stress, anxiety and panic…
Gunmen kill 27 in two South Africa tavern shootings
Detectives have opened 17 counts of murder over the first attack, in Wedela, while the motive for the second shooting, near Cape Town, is still unknown, police said.
Portadown protesters disperse after blocking Orange Order march
Community leader Breandán Mac Cionnaith said the Orange Order march would not go ahead overnight, and that a meeting with the Northern Ireland secretary and the PSNI…
Ireland refuse Israel handshakes in Nations League win
Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the players had “raised awareness worldwide” after they skipped pre-match formalities with Israel in the 3-0 win…
Avanti West Coast to be nationalised as ministers say ‘enough is enough’
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said passengers had paid the price for years of underperformance on one of Britain’s busiest rail routes.
How much water a day the evidence actually supports
The familiar advice to drink eight glasses of water a day is not a scientific target but a rough guide, and the amount a person actually needs depends on their age, sex…
PIP payment dates: how the four-week cycle and bank holidays work
Personal Independence Payment is usually paid every four weeks on a day set out in a claimant’s decision letter, and moves earlier around a bank holiday, GOV.UK says.
Trump asked Xi to buy US arms, ambassador says
US Ambassador to China David Perdue said the president has raised the idea of selling American weapons to Beijing during recent talks with Xi Jinping.
Five arrested near RAF Fairford in terror plot inquiry
Counter Terrorism Policing said the men were held after officers were called to three suspicious vehicles near the Gloucestershire airbase in the early hours of 27…
Child Benefit payment dates 2026: when it is paid and which dates move
Child Benefit is usually paid every 4 weeks on a Monday or Tuesday, and a payment due on 28 December 2026 is paid on 24 December, GOV.UK’s table shows.
Benefit payment dates 2026: what the bank holiday rule means
Universal Credit, State Pension and most other benefits move automatically to the working day before a weekend or bank holiday, with no action needed from the claimant…
Coffee and tea linked to lower rate of dementia
Almost 57 million people were living with dementia worldwide in 2021, according to the World Health Organization.
What protein at breakfast does to appetite
Researchers who compared high-protein and low-protein breakfasts found the protein version left people less hungry within hours, though it did not change how much they…
Ten missing after avalanche buries Nepal base camp on Himlung Himal
Rescue helicopters have been unable to reach the 7,126-metre peak because of days of heavy snow, and the missing include kitchen staff preparing for a group due to…
Five arrested and homes evacuated near RAF Fairford in ‘major incident’
Gloucestershire Police said army bomb disposal specialists examined three vehicles that had approached the airbase, which is used by the US, before dawn on 27 September.
Gunmen kill 11 at South Africa house party
No arrests have been made, and the acting national police commissioner has ordered a special 72-hour operation to find the three suspects.
NHS trust removes 10 staff over Noah Woods data breach
The trust has also reported the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Trump rejects Iran’s seven-day Hormuz plan
Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran would not back down and was waiting for a formal reply through mediators rather than Trump’s public remarks.
How long a nap should really last
Naps of more than an hour have been linked to faster cognitive decline and disrupted night-time sleep, although much of the evidence is observational.
Albanese: OpenAI agent breached Medicare data portal
OpenAI took three months to tell the Australian government, and the Signals Directorate is now checking whether three more systems were hit.
Pope Leo in Paris: Young people are ‘today’s Church’
Leo XIV urged the crowd not to keep their faith to themselves but to “let it overflow” to the people they meet.
Heathrow third runway may not open until 2039
Heathrow’s timetable leaves up to 10 years between planning permission and opening, against six in the government’s plan.
The gut health advice that has evidence behind it
Most people in the UK eat around 20g of fibre a day or less, against the 30g adults are advised to eat, the British Nutrition Foundation says.
Winter Fuel Payment 2026: who gets £100 to £300, and when
People with a total income over £35,000 still receive the payment, but HMRC will take it back, GOV.UK says.
Trump: Iran’s seven-day Hormuz deal ‘would not be acceptable’
Before speaking to reporters, the US president had posted on Truth Social an image of the strait labelled “Trump Strait”.
Aiming for 10,000 steps? The benefit starts below 4,000
The 10,000 figure goes back to a Japanese device made in 1965, Harvard researcher Dr I-Min Lee found.
Bangkok declares all 50 districts flood disaster areas
Thailand’s prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, was returning early from an investment roadshow in London to monitor the flood response.
Republic of Ireland players vote to face Israel
FAI chief executive David Courell said the players intended to wear black armbands in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict.
What happens to the body after a month off alcohol
Stopping suddenly can be very dangerous for anyone who is dependent on alcohol, the NHS warns.
Athens explosion near Acropolis leaves six dead
Two women were rescued alive from a neighbouring building, and a passer-by was slightly hurt by debris.
Zelensky: For Russia, ‘all ordinary life is simply a target’
Russia’s defence ministry said in two statements that it had hit data centres in Kyiv working for Ukraine’s armed forces.
Ten men sentenced to more than 130 years after Stoke-on-Trent fire
Detective Constable Howard Davies said the violence that evening had been “truly shocking” and had put lives at “grave risk”.
Everyday habits that can help lower blood pressure
A reading of 140 over 90 or higher counts as high blood pressure, according to the World Health Organization.
Hormuz could reopen in seven days under Iran’s plan
Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran did not accept coercion, threats or intimidation and would not surrender its sovereign rights under pressure.
OpenAI finds its agents pulled US Census and SEC data
Australia’s prime minister said an OpenAI agent had got past repeated blocks in June to reach files that were not public.
