Iran and E3 diplomats meet in Istanbul amid nuclear tensions
Iran and the E3 group—France, Britain, and Germany—have begun talks in Istanbul, the first since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites...
UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves unveiled a major spending review on Wednesday, focusing on health, defence, and infrastructure to drive economic growth and restore confidence in the Labour government’s vision.
In a key fiscal update, Finance Minister Rachel Reeves outlined the Labour government’s spending priorities through 2030, emphasising investments aimed at "working people" and long-term national prosperity. The review sets departmental budgets from 2026 to 2029 and includes significant funding boosts for housing, transport, and clean energy.
Reeves reaffirmed her October budget framework, which introduced the largest tax increases in a generation and loosened fiscal rules to allow more borrowing for investment. These measures, she argued, have created the economic stability necessary to expand public services funding by £190 billion over Conservative-era plans.
A central component of the announcement is a £39 billion, 10-year programme to build affordable housing, nearly doubling current annual spending. An additional £10 billion will go toward building new homes across England.
Despite these efforts, Reeves acknowledged limited room for day-to-day spending increases in other government areas due to prioritisation of defence and healthcare. Departmental budgets are projected to grow by 2.3% annually in real terms.
The spending review comes at a politically sensitive time. Labour's popularity has waned since its landslide victory last July, with criticism over cuts to winter fuel payments and disability benefits. Reeves’ tax policy—targeting employers while strengthening workers’ rights—has also drawn fire from Conservatives, who link it to the highest unemployment rate in nearly four years.
The government has since partially reversed the winter fuel cuts, but the right-wing Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, has gained ground, outperforming Labour in recent local elections.
"At the budget last October and again in the spring, I made the choices necessary to fix the foundations of our economy," she said. "We are starting to see the results."
Following the unveiling of the spending review, Chancellor Rachel Reeves assured the public that council tax rates will not rise as part of the government’s new fiscal plans.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
Iran and the E3 group—France, Britain, and Germany—have begun talks in Istanbul, the first since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran has dismissed Western pressure and insists its nuclear stance remains unchanged.
Thailand has relocated more than 100,000 residents from border areas amid intensifying clashes with Cambodia that have left at least 14 dead and prompted an emergency UN Security Council meeting. The UK has issued a travel warning for the region.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 25th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Malaysia has urged Thailand and Cambodia to agree to an immediate ceasefire after fresh border clashes. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as incoming ASEAN Chair, welcomed both sides' openness to dialogue and offered Malaysia's support for a diplomatic resolution.
A tense one-day summit in Beijing has exposed widening divisions between the European Union and China on trade, Russia and rare earth supplies.
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