UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signalled a U-turn on upcoming winter fuel payment cuts by ensuring more pensioners are approved. Figures revealed inflation rose to 3.5% in April.
The prime minister was asked by one of his MPs what he was doing to protect the savings of older people who were struggling with the rising cost of living.
During the Prime Minister's questions, Starmer confirmed he would reassess the policy, which resulted in criticism from the Labour MPs and has been blamed for the party's lack of representation at this month's local elections.
Starmer told MPs that he fully recognizes the living crisis, adding that many pensioners are eligible for the winter fuel payment.
While it appears a full reversal will not be applied, the Treasury could raise the threshold at which pensioners can qualify for winter payments, which is currently around £11,500.
The decision was made alongside the chancellor, and is most likely the budget in the autumn - and not next month's spending review.
Kazakhstan sharply increased oil shipments to Europe in January, exporting 310,000 tonnes to Germany and sending a further 106,000 tonnes via the Baku...
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Armed boats tried to intercept a vessel north of Oman on Tuesday in waters near the Strait of Hormuz, where heightened military activity and U.S.–Ir...
India says it's going to stop buying Russian oil and lower trade barriers after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with India on Monda...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has begun a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, seeking to deepen political and economic cooperation as r...
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said former Prince Andrew should testify before the U.S. Congress following the release of millions of new documents linked to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the files also raise fresh questions about ties between Epstein and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Japan and Britain have agreed to deepen co-operation on critical mineral supply chains and economic security, as both countries seek to reduce vulnerabilities in global trade and strengthen ties with like-minded partners.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has presented Chinese President Xi Jinping with a football used in Sunday’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United, in a gesture widely interpreted as an exercise in soft diplomacy during talks in Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Britain against doing business with Beijing. His comments came as Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted the economic benefits of resetting relations with China during a visit on Friday (30 January).
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
A daylight robbery at a jewellery shop in Richmond, one of London’s most affluent and traditionally quiet districts, has heightened security concerns among residents and local businesses.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
Early voting for Thailand’s parliamentary elections began on Sunday (1 February), with more than two million eligible voters casting ballots nationwide ahead of the 8 February general election, as authorities acknowledged errors and irregularities at some polling stations.
The imminent expiry of New START, the last major nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, risks removing transparency, predictability and limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, political analyst Gregory Mathieu warned.
India has not made any statement on halting purchases of Russian oil despite claims by US President Donald Trump that such a step was part of a new trade accord with Washington, the Kremlin said on Tuesday (3 February).
Russia says it is prepared for a new reality in which there are no U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control limits once the New START treaty expires this week, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
Paris prosecutors have summoned X chairman Elon Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino for questioning in April as part of their probe into the X social media network, they said on Tuesday.
Ukraine has agreed with Western partners on a plan under which repeated Russian violations of any future ceasefire would trigger swift, co-ordinated military responses by Europe and the United States, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
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