Comedian Diane Morgan has joined a group of public figures pressing the government to make the BBC portray farmed animals more honestly.The letter, sent to media secretary Lisa Nandy, is backed by names including Brian May, Athena Turner, Kirsty Gallacher, Jenny Seagrove and Will Young.It is also supported by 16 animal welfare organisations that have submitted a joint proposal to the Department...

Joe Swash is set to appear in a St Albans pantomime over the festive season, a move that could see him and wife Stacey Solomon spending much of Christmas apart.The EastEnders alum will star in Beauty and the Beast at the Alban Arena from December 4 until January 3.Although he is not scheduled to work on Christmas Day, it is unclear whether he will commute to their Essex home during the...

The European Parliament has approved legislation to put an EU‑US trade framework into effect, but only after adding measures to protect European interests.Lawmakers insisted on conditions that would force a pause or end the deal if Washington fails to meet its commitments.MEPs voted 417 in favour, 154 against and 71 abstained. The text still needs formal approval from all 27 EU governments...

The UK is set to experience the steepest slowdown in growth among G20 economies as a result of the war involving Iran, the OECD warns.The organisation now expects UK GDP to expand by just 0.7% this year, a marked downgrade from its earlier 1.2% forecast.At the same time, UK inflation is projected to rise to about 4%, up sharply from previous estimates. Global forecasts were also adjusted.While...

The government-backed savings institution National Savings and Investments is preparing to make large payouts after admitting mistakes that left customers without money to which they were entitled.Ministers will discuss the issue in Parliament as officials try to work out the final bill.Officials estimate the problems could affect roughly 37,000 customers. NS&I, which looks after about 24...

Two Russian men have gone on trial in Angola accused of running a covert influence campaign to stir anti-government unrest and interfere in next year’s presidential vote.Igor Ratchin and Lev Lakshtanov were arrested in August and face 11 charges between them, including terrorism, espionage and influence peddling.Angolan prosecutors say the pair worked with a wider network that grew out of...

Denmark's Social Democrats emerged as the largest party in Tuesday's election but failed to secure the parliamentary majority needed to govern alone.Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's party took 21.9% of the vote and won 38 seats — its weakest result in more than a century.The left-leaning “red bloc” has a narrow lead with 84 seats, while the centre-right “blue bloc” holds 77. Neither...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the government is drawing up contingency plans to shield the most vulnerable households if the war in the Middle East drives UK energy costs higher.Reeves warned the full economic fallout is still unclear but promised measures would focus on those most in need, while sticking to borrowing limits and a goal of keeping inflation and interest rates down.Households in...

Mortgage borrowers, and first-time buyers in particular, are facing a sudden squeeze as lenders withdraw low-deposit deals and interest rates climb sharply.Industry data show more than 200 low-deposit mortgage products have been removed since 6 March, with one day seeing 52 deals pulled and another 30 taken off the market.Overall, over 20% of products available at the start of the month are no...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tell MPs how the UK plans to respond if the war in the Middle East pushes energy bills higher.Her Commons statement will cover three main areas: a short assessment of the economic fallout, measures to bolster energy security, and the principles that would guide any future household support.On energy security, Reeves will recommit the government to building more...