What pension changes is Rachel Reeves considering in the budget? 15. November 2025 (12:00) One possible alteration was thought to be tax-free cash drawdowns, but the chancellor may have turned to salary sacrifice schemesRumours about what Rachel Reeves may, or may not, do to pensions in the budget continue to swirl.One much-debated possible change – cutting the amount of tax-free cash that people can take from their pensions – is said by some to be off the table, but reports have emerged that the chancellor has “salary sacrifice” pension schemes in her sights. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Wes Streeting accused of ‘chaotic and incoherent approach’ to NHS reform 15. November 2025 (12:00) Exclusive: thinktank report finds health secretary has failed to improve productivity, with the health service unlikely to meet its targetsWes Streeting has been accused of taking a “chaotic and incoherent approach” to reforming the NHS which makes it unlikely the government will hit its own targets, according to a damning report by the Institute for Government (IfG).The report praises elements of how the health secretary has managed the health service in his first year in office, including improving performance and staff retention in hospitals. Thepay settlement he reached with resident doctors last year avoided a winter plagued by NHS strikes Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump says he will take legal action against BBC, despite its apology 15. November 2025 (11:54) US president says he will sue the corporation for ‘anywhere between a billion and $5bn’Donald Trump has said he still plans to sue the BBC despite receiving the apology he demanded over a misleading edit of one of his speeches.The row, over an episode of Panorama from last year about the Capitol riot in 2021, led to accusations of bias at the broadcaster and the resignation of two of the most senior executives at the BBC: the director general, Tim Davie; and Deborah Turness, the chief executive of news. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Icelandic is in danger of dying out because of AI and English-language media, says former PM 15. November 2025 (11:00) Katrín Jakobsdóttir and her co-author want the 350,000 people who speak the language to fight for its futureIceland’s former prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, has said that the Icelandic language could be wiped out in as little as a generation due to the sweeping rise of AI and encroaching English language dominance.Katrín, who stood down as prime minister last year to run for president after seven years in office, said Iceland was undergoing “radical” change when it came to language use. More people are reading and speaking English, and fewer are reading in Icelandic, a trend she says is being exacerbated by the way language models are trained. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Storm Claudia: major incident declared after severe flooding in UK 15. November 2025 (10:50) South Wales fire service describes ‘large-scale incident’ as England braces for cold weather warningsA major incident has been declared in the aftermath of Storm Claudia, with more rain and flooding expected across Britain and Ireland on Saturday.Four severe flood warnings had been issued by Natural Resources Wales as of 6am. This means there was a “significant risk to life and significant disruption to the community is expected”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Levy on international students’ tuition fees not in best interest of UK, says leader of top university 15. November 2025 (10:03) Duncan Ivison, president of Manchester University, says government’s 6% surcharge plan will ‘hurt the sector’A levy on tuition fees paid by international students is “wrong”, will “hurt the sector” and is “not in the long-term interests” of the UK, according to the vice-chancellor of one of the country’s leading universities.Duncan Ivison, who took over as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester (UoM) last year, was speaking ahead of the budget later this month when the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is expected to flesh out her plans for the proposed 6% surcharge. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Blast from confiscated explosives at police station in Indian-controlled Kashmir kills nine 15. November 2025 (08:18) The accidental explosion comes days after a deadly car blast in New Delhi which killed at least eight people near the city’s historic Red FortAt least nine people were killed and 32 injured after a cache of confiscated explosives detonated inside a police station in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police have announced.The blast occurred in the Nowgam area of Srinagar, the region’s main city, late on Friday while a team of forensic experts and police were examining the explosive material, said Nalin Prabhat, the region’s police director general. He ruled out any foul play, saying it was an accident. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teletubbies creator warns parents over ‘empty’ YouTube programmes for children 15. November 2025 (08:00) Anne Wood says algorithms bypass ‘the responsibility of art’ and have failed to support high-quality children’s contentLots of programmes for children on YouTube are “empty” and do “nothing to encourage the imaginative life of children”, the Teletubbies creator has cautioned parents.Anne Wood, the veteran children’s producer who devised the popular TV show for preschool children, said children’s television had long been undervalued and she feared “we’re losing a tremendous amount and nobody can see it because it’s not considered important”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Bereavement penalty’: people who lost partners hit by insurance premium rises 15. November 2025 (08:00) Campaigners claim AI algorithms are behind hefty increases in renewal quotes for home and car coverShortly after her husband died, Kay Lawley* received renewal quotes from the couple’s home and car insurance provider, Ageas. She told the company of his death and was stunned that the quotes then increased by up to 15%.Her car insurance quote went from £301 to £348, while her home and contents policy rose by almost 12% – from £1,039 to £1,161. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Not for the faint-hearted’: is running the BBC an impossible job? 15. November 2025 (07:00) After Tim Davie’s resignation, the next director general will face internal strife, external noise and looming talks over the corporation’s existence and purposeAs BBC senior editors arrived at its New Broadcasting House headquarters in central London on Monday, the most pressing question was what had convinced Tim Davie, the corporation’s director general, to quit suddenly. Like any good BBC drama, it was a plot twist no one had seen coming.As they assessed the brutal pressures that had finally proved too much for Davie, a second question soon arose. Was running the BBC now simply an impossible job? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
