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Matt Hancock is expected to contest accusations made about his performance as health secretary during the pandemic as he appears before the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. The ex-minister’s evidence is expected to take up the whole of Thursday’s sitting hours following repeated criticism made against him by a number of other witnesses. The former Tory MP, who now sits as an independent after losing the party whip for appearing on ITV’s […]

Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger has been described as “one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs” following his death at the age of 100. Mr Kissinger, who served under former presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, died at his home in Connecticut, his consultancy firm said. The diplomat played a key role in foreign policy in the United States during the Cold War and […]

Henry Kissinger, the US secretary of state who dominated foreign policy under former presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, has died aged 100, his consulting firm Kissinger Associates said. The firm said in a statement Mr Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut and is survived by his wife Nancy, two children, David and Elizabeth and his five grandchildren. Mr Kissinger was born in southern Germany in 1923 before he […]

Halfords has cautioned over a slowdown in sales growth as demand for big-ticket products weakened in recent months. It came as the motoring and cycling retailer revealed a rise in sales and profits for the past half year in an otherwise positive update to shareholders. However, the company said on Wednesday it has seen “volatile” trading patterns so far this financial year amid uncertainty in the wider economy. “In the […]

Phil Foden created two and scored another as holders Manchester City came from 2-0 down to preserve their unbeaten Champions League run with a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig. Erling Haaland also broke another record as City produced an emphatic response to Lois Openda’s first-half double at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. Substitute Julian Alvarez came off the bench to wrap up the fightback and secure top spot in Group […]

Hamas released 12 hostages and Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday, the fifth day of a fragile ceasefire that has enabled humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and that mediators hope to extend even as Israel pledges to resume the war. Israel said 10 of its citizens and two Thai nationals freed by Hamas returned to Israel. Soon after, Israel released the Palestinian prisoners. The truce is due to […]

Shop price inflation has eased for the sixth month in a row as retailers compete fiercely for customers ahead of Christmas, figures show. Shop prices were 4.3% higher than last November, down from October’s 5.2% and the lowest inflation since last June, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index. Food inflation overall slowed to 7.8% from October’s 8.8%, the seventh consecutive drop and its lowest rate since […]

NatWest customers will be given opportunities to play a family-friendly board game in branches, which could help educate people about scams and break taboos around family finances. The All Mod Cons game will be available to play in selected branches from December 1. It was created by a team of game developers in partnership with the bank’s fraud team. Players need to work their way around a board, dodging scams […]

House sellers are accepting discounts of £18,000 on average in order to agree a deal with buyers, according to a property website. Zoopla, which released the figures, said they are further evidence of a strong buyers’ market, as higher mortgage rates hit demand and more supply boosts buyers’ choice and negotiating power. The typical 5.5% discount-to-asking price for achieved for UK property sales is at a five-year high, Zoopla said. […]