Rachel Reeves spending review ‘set to be next big challenge’ for government as growth flatlines

On Boxing Day in the town of Kippax near Leeds, a seven-year-old girl was left with life-changing injuries after the quad bike she was riding on crashed into a telegraph pole outside a pub. A 16-year-old boy has been arrested for causing serious injury by dangerous driving, while a man and a woman in their thirties have been arrested for child neglect. The incident occurred at around 10.30pm, and police are appealing for witnesses and...

Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to his late brother Nick, who passed away from cancer at the age of 60 on Boxing Day. The prime minister described Nick as a wonderful man who faced life's challenges with courage and humor, expressing gratitude to those who cared for him. Sir Keir canceled his holiday plans to be with his family during this difficult time, receiving condolences from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. Full Article

Belgium will expand transgender care access from two to six centres starting January 1, with new locations in Antwerp, Brussels, Genk, and Sint-Niklaas. Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg highlighted the financial burden of treatments, while transitioning individual Senne Knuts expressed hope for improved support and accessibility with new funding. The National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance's new reimbursements will make treatments cheaper and help more people receive care, impacting the accessibility and affordability of transgender care in...

Former justice secretary David Gauke suggests that moving thousands of prisoners to open prisons could help alleviate overcrowding and improve rehabilitation efforts in the UK. Currently, only a small percentage of inmates are housed in category D jails, which allow for prisoners to work and spend time outside the prison walls. Gauke believes that this approach, similar to the system in Spain, could save money, reduce reoffending rates, and help prisoners reintegrate into society successfully....

Several telecommunication cables between Finland and Estonia and Finland and Germany were damaged, prompting Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur to propose joint patrols with Finland to defend energy connections. Finnish President Alexander Stubb expressed concern over repeated incidents in the Baltic Sea and called for increased NATO presence, which NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed. EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas highlighted the threat posed by Russia's shadow fleet and proposed further measures, including sanctions,...

The Supreme Court of Cassation of Bulgaria reviewed a cassation appeal by the "Bulgarian Orthodox Old-style Church" against a decision denying its registration as a religious institution. The court considered the constitutional provisions on freedom of religion and the limits on its exercise, as well as the specific legislative requirements for registration. After careful analysis, the court decided to admit the cassation appeal for further review on the prerequisites for registration of Eastern Orthodox denominations...