National News

Allegations that a BBC presenter paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images are to be put to the head of the corporation. The BBC has suspended a male member of staff after The Sun newspaper reported he paid a young person around £35,000 over three years, from the age of 17, for explicit images. Director-general Tim Davie is due to face the media on Tuesday

Wages have increased at a record rate amid fears that inflation could remain stubbornly high and result in further interest rate rises by the Bank of England. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that average regular pay, not including bonuses, was 7.3% higher in the three months to May compared with the same period last year. It was the same as the revised figure for the previous three months

Two sons of the late singer Aretha Franklin have clashed over her final wishes in an unusual trial that will determine whether a handwritten document found under sofa cushions will count as her will. The Queen of Soul died in 2018 aged 76 without a formal, typewritten will, and five years later her legacy is still tied up in a Detroit court after a niece found different sets of handwritten

The average two-year fixed-rate homeowner mortgage rate has surpassed the levels seen in the aftermath of last autumn’s mini-budget, reaching its highest level in 15 years. The typical two-year fixed-rate residential mortgage on the market reached 6.66% on Tuesday, up from 6.63% on Monday, Moneyfactscompare.co.uk said. The last time two-year rates were higher was in August 2008. On October 20 2022, the average two-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a peak of

Two brothers who were on trial for planning to travel to Afghanistan to join a branch of Islamic State have pleaded guilty to terrorism offences. Muhammad Abdul Haleem Heyder Khan, 21, and 18-year-old Muhammad Hamzah Heyder Khan had been on trial at Birmingham Crown Court since early July, charged with preparing for acts of terrorism. But on Monday the pair pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorism,

American singer Lana Del Rey dazzled crowds at British Summer Time (BST) festival in London and apologised for arriving late to the stage, just weeks after her microphone was cut off at Glastonbury when her set overran because of her late arrival. This time the star, 38, wrapped up her show a minute before Hyde Park’s 10.30pm curfew, despite arriving to the stage 17-and-a-half minutes late. At Glastonbury in June, she led her fans

Thames Water has said its shareholders have agreed to pump another £750 million in funding into the utility giant, but warned that another £2.5 billion will be needed by 2030 as it struggles under a £14 billion debt mountain. The supplier said the initial funding agreement to the end of March 2025 is a “major milestone”, although it is less than the £1 billion expected, and the group admitted that

An inquiry into baby deaths at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is expected to uncover the biggest maternity scandal in the history of the NHS. Donna Ockenden, who is leading the inquiry, is poised to investigate hundreds more cases after NHS England wrote to affected families agreeing cases would be dealt with on an opt-out basis, with families having to opt out of giving consent. Families are expected to receive

A second child has died after a Land Rover crashed into an end-of-term tea party at a south-west London prep school. The Metropolitan Police said eight-year-old Nuria Sajjad died following the crash in Wimbledon on Thursday. Her death on Sunday comes after it was confirmed eight-year-old Selena Lau had died. Nuria’s family said: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Nuria on Sunday, 9