Tax rises could push food prices higher, warn supermarkets

“What wretched question have you prepared?” My surreal Q&A with Alexander Lukashenko last Sunday. He claimed his opponents had “chosen” prison or exile (in reality the authorities had chosen to target them.) Thanks @LizaShuvalova @AntonChicherov

My first opportunity to ask Vladimir Putin a question since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It came at the end of the BRICS summit in Kazan. Producer @LizaShuvalova

NEW & EXCL 🚨 Tesla owner Elon Musk not invited to next month’s UK Government International Investment Summit, after his social media posts during August riots. Musk made civil war predictions & spread [later deleted] false stories about detainment camps https://t.co/c2JiewNUaF

🚨INVESTIGATION🚨 How is Russia importing sanctioned British & EU cars in industrial quantities without it showing up in the trade data? I've spent the past few months trying to find out. My & @aoifeyourell's film from the Caucasus on how it happens👇

Bank of England expected to hold interest rates at 5%

EXCLUSIVE from ⁦@ChrisMasonBBC⁩ and me Keir Starmer's top aide Sue Gray is paid more than the PM Meanwhile her junior colleagues are complaining they are underpaid Another sign of deep tensions at the top of government

NAO confirms that HS2 without phase 2 will result in trains with less space between Manchester and Birmingham than current west Coast services, and might require demand management to dissuade passengers…

Goods prices have moved from inflation to DE-flation. It will take a while, of course, for that to relieve the pressure for most households - because the cost of living is still well up on where it was. But it was goods prices that drove it up - and now they're pulling it down:

NEW Bank of England HOLDs rates at 5.25% for sixth consecutive meeting… but one more vote from Bank Deputy Governor for a cut… 7-2 vote Forecast growth of 0.4% in Q1, recession over

This is how close Coventry were to winning the #FACup semi-final in the final minute of extra time. 😮

The greatest… Ah #MUNCOV #CoventryCity

Join us from the Bank of England for the latest decision on interest rates https://t.co/xRy9Hg39Af

More than a fifth of UK adults not looking for work

Nice to see Rishi Sunak being challenged about yesterday's story revealing how the Post Office ditched a secret investigation that might have helped subpostmasters prove their innocence. I'm not sure he actually answered, but it's great he was asked:

The Post Office scandal doesn't stop with the Post Office. Read this for the low-down on a story that emerges from documents released under Freedom of Information. Assembled in a timeline, they become a little unsettling...This is top story this morning:

Latest ONS figures show the UK entered recession in the final three months of 2024.

King Charles diagnosed with cancer and will postpone public-facing duties while undergoing treatment, Buckingham Palace says

The "loophole" raises questions over whether the measures are as harsh as hoped after the International Monetary Fund recently upgraded its forecast for Russia's economic growth in 2024 from 1.1% to 2.6%. Full story:

Oleg Ustenko, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, called on allies of Ukraine to toughen up sanctions. "We have to do everything possible to cut off finance to Russia. We have to make sure they do not have enough cash in their hands to continue this bloody war against us."