Author: britishbulletin.com

The UK unemployment rate in the three months to October has increased to 5.1%, according to official figures.That marked a rise from 5% for the three months to September.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the data reflected a “subdued labour market”.Average wage growth was 4.6%, excluding bonuses, between August and October 2025.Annual average earnings growth was 3.9% for the private sector and 7.6% for the public sector, across the three-month period. Wage growth adjusted for inflation was 0.5%, excluding bonuses. Liz McKeown, the ONS director of economic statistics, said the figures indicate “a weakening labour market”.”The number of employees…

Troy Williamson still remembers the hollow feeling in his stomach as he refreshed his phone again and again, trying to reach his father in Jamaica.Hurricane Melissa had torn across the island where the British boxer’s father, brothers and sisters lived.”When nobody could get in touch we had no idea what had happened,” recalls Williamson. “The worst case [was] that they weren’t here any more.”For four days, the Darlington fighter – who faces Callum Simpson live on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on Saturday – heard nothing.He trained and waited, but feared the worst while images of the storm’s destruction spread…

Hope Spring eCards, a charity-run digital card platform based in Hereford, has announced the launch of its 2025 Christmas eCard collection. The release includes more than a dozen animated Christmas cards and twenty festive video cards, all supporting water poverty alleviation. The platform is designed to combine festive communication with charitable impact. As digital messaging continues to replace traditional cards, Hope Spring eCards ensures everyone can send seasonal greetings, including access to a range of free Christmas eCards. Christmas eCards are available for individuals who want to send to their friends and loved ones,  and for small businesses who want…

Unemployment in the UK increased to 5.1 per cent in the three months to October 2025, up from five per cent in September, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures.While these figures come before Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Budget on November 26, they come as another blow to the Treasury as the Labour Government attempts to bolster the economy.Today’s ONS unemployment rate figures for October are the highest since the first quarter of 2021, and if the Covid-19 pandemic era is not taking into account, the highest since 2016.As well as this, UK average regular earnings…

Plastic beads have been found on the banks of the River Irwell and at Salford Quays in Greater ManchesterA pollution investigation has been launched by the Environment Agency after a “huge quantity” of small plastic pellets have been found beside a river in Greater Manchester.The black pellets known as bio-beads, which can be toxic if swallowed by animals, were found strewn on the banks of the River Irwell in Bury.But what are they? And where have they come from?What are ‘bio beads’?Bio-beads are plastic pellets used in some sewage treatment works as they provide a large surface area for bacteria…

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Patrick Fee News NI business correspondentGetty ImagesFormer residents of a hotel used for asylum seekers said living there left their disabled children seriously ill and malnourishedNorthern Ireland’s asylum accommodation provider, Mears, has had to return £13.8m to the Home Office after making more profit than its contracts allow.The company, which also provides asylum services in Scotland and the north of England, recorded its highest rate of profit in Northern Ireland.It comes as former residents told News NI that life in the company’s accommodation left their disabled children seriously ill and malnourished.Mears told News NI repayments were “appropriate and agreed,” and…

Australia have opted against recalling batter Usman Khawaja for the vital third Ashes Test – a match Ben Stokes has called the most important game in his time as England captain.England, 2-0 down after defeats in the first two Tests, must win in Adelaide to keep their hopes of regaining the urn alive.Defeat would mean a fourth successive series loss in Australia, extend England’s run without winning the Ashes to at least 12 years and heap significant pressure on the tourists’ management.The positions of Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key would all come under significant scrutiny.”Throughout…

The head of MI6 has warned that Britain is already on front line against Russia and the country should brace itself for Vladimir Putin’s “export of chaos”.On her debut speech on Monday, Blaise Metreweli said the “front line is everywhere” as Russia uses hybrid warfare tactics, including cyberattacks and sabotage.The speech, delivered from MI6 headquarters in central London, addressed the threat posed by Russia, which Ms Metreweli described as “aggressive, expansionist and revisionist”.She cautioned that Britain is heading into a volatile new era, driven by Russia and other hostile powers reshaping how conflicts are fought.Ms Metreweli cautioned that Britain is…

Max, 11, from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, has become a Guinness World Record Holder after spending four hours developing a video game with five unique levels under the scrutiny of judges.He said it was an “amazing” feeling when he got the email confirming his recognition and described the language of coding as “like a dream that can become real”.He has been coding games since he was seven, and says he hopes to make a career out of the hobby in the future.Video by Greg Davies