Going beyond the ordinary news headlines
Good morning – let’s grab a coffee and catch up on what’s making headlines in the UK and beyond today.
There’s some relief on the way for households as energy bills are set to fall for the first time in a year. Ofgem has confirmed a 7% cut to the energy price cap from July, which means the average household in England, Scotland and Wales will see their annual bill drop by around £129.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signed a significant agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. As part of the deal, the UK will lease back the vital military base on Diego Garcia for £101 million a year, securing its use for an initial 99-year period.
In news that will help boost Labour’s popularity, net migration to the UK nearly halved in 2024, with 431,000 more people arriving than leaving, down from 860,000 the year before – the biggest drop on record, according to the ONS.
In England, public sector workers are seeing a boost in their pay packets. Teachers and doctors will receive a 4% pay rise following recommendations from official pay review bodies. While education unions have largely welcomed the decision, they’ve warned that schools could face budget shortfalls without additional funding. Meanwhile, health unions have criticised a smaller 3.6% increase for NHS staff such as nurses and midwives.
On the global stage, tensions are rising after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a scathing attack on Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Canada. Netanyahu accused them of siding with Hamas, following recent international criticism of Israel’s military actions. The comments came after two people were shot dead at the Israeli embassy in Washington, which has further strained diplomatic relations.
In the United States, the Trump administration has taken dramatic action against Harvard University, revoking its ability to enrol international students. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Harvard had failed to comply with immigration laws, while the university has called the move “unlawful” and a direct threat to academic freedom.
And finally, a suspect has been charged with the murder of two Israeli embassy staff members outside a Jewish museum in Washington DC. US prosecutors are treating the shooting as a hate crime and an act of terror, and have confirmed it’s a death penalty-eligible case. More charges are expected as the investigation continues.
Teachers and Doctors in England have been given a 4% pay rise after the government accepted recommendations from public sector pay review bodies.
Education unions have generally welcomed the move. However, they warn it could lead to school budget cuts unless more funding is provided to cover the increase.
Health unions, on the other hand, have reacted with frustration. While resident doctors (formerly known as junior doctors) will receive an average 5.4% increase including a £750 top-up, nurses and midwives on Agenda for Change contracts are getting a 3.6% rise, which unions say is unfair.
The British Medical Association (BMA) called the offer to resident doctors “woefully inadequate”, as they had been seeking a 35% rise to make up for years of below-inflation pay. They’ve already received a 22% increase over the past two years, but the BMA argues the gap hasn’t been fully closed. The union plans to ballot doctors on potential further strike action.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) criticised the lower offer to nurses, calling it “grotesque”, and said it may consult members on whether to take industrial action.
Additional announcements included:
These pay rises come at a time when inflation has climbed to 3.5%, raising questions about how much these increases really mean in real terms.
Despite accepting the higher-than-expected awards (originally budgeted at 2.8%), the government says most of the cost will need to come from existing budgets.
For schools, the Department for Education has promised £615 million in extra funding. Still, schools are expected to cover part of the cost through “improved productivity” and “smarter spending”.
The National Education Union said the award is not fully funded and warned this could result in cuts to services. However, the union’s leader, Daniel Kebede, said the offer is “broadly acceptable” and strike action is unlikely.
In the NHS, the government claims frontline services will not face cuts. It aims to find savings through reduced use of temporary staff, eliminating waste, and eventually scrapping NHS England as part of its cost-saving measures.
This year’s pay deals follow Labour’s decision last summer to end widespread strikes by awarding public sector workers rises of 4.75% to 6%, leading to criticism from the Conservatives that Labour has lost control of public spending.
The political debate continues, with the opposition pressing the government to explain how it will fund these pay rises without harming services or raising taxes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a fierce attack on Sir Keir Starmer, along with the leaders of France and Canada, accusing them of effectively siding with Hamas by criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza.
In a strongly worded statement, Netanyahu claimed that by condemning Israel’s military offensive and restrictions on aid to Gaza, these leaders were supporting what he described as “mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers.” He said their stance implied a desire to see Hamas remain in power.
The comments followed joint criticism from the UK, France and Canada earlier in the week, where the three countries condemned the escalation of Israel’s military campaign and the severe humanitarian restrictions in Gaza. They also warned of potential “concrete actions” if the situation didn’t improve.
Netanyahu’s remarks came as he reacted to the killing of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington, using the moment to accuse allied leaders of failing to support Israel’s security and survival.
“I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer – when mass murderers thank you, you are on the wrong side of justice, the wrong side of humanity, and the wrong side of history.”
Downing Street has not issued a direct response to Netanyahu’s comments, but pointed to Sir Keir Starmer’s earlier condemnation of the embassy attack and his broader stance against antisemitism, which he called “an evil we must stamp out”.
In recent days, Starmer had expressed deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling it “intolerable”. He also criticised Israel’s decision to allow only a limited amount of aid into the region, describing the move as “utterly inadequate”.
The comments from Netanyahu have further strained diplomatic ties between Israel and several Western allies, as global leaders grapple with balancing support for Israel’s security with the urgent need to protect civilian lives in Gaza.
Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli also joined the criticism, accusing Starmer and others of emboldening terror through their remarks.
The situation remains tense, with ongoing international pressure on Israel to increase humanitarian access and reduce civilian suffering, while Israeli leaders insist their campaign is vital for national defence and the defeat of Hamas.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has signed a major agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back the strategic military base on Diego Garcia for £101 million a year.
Under the deal, the UK and US will continue operating their joint military base on Diego Garcia for an initial 99 years, with an option to extend it by 40 years. In return, Mauritius regains sovereignty over the rest of the archipelago, a long-standing demand that dates back to Mauritius’s independence in 1968.
The UK originally bought the islands for £3 million, but Mauritius has always claimed it was forced to give them up. The islands were cleared for the base, displacing Chagossian communities, many of whom relocated to Mauritius, the Seychelles, or settled in the UK, particularly in Crawley.
Sir Keir defended the agreement, saying it was crucial for national and global security, especially given the risk of foreign powers like China establishing a presence if the UK lost control of the territory.
The deal includes strict conditions:
The agreement comes after the High Court rejected a last-minute legal challenge from two Chagossian women who argued they had been denied a say in the island’s future. The treaty still needs to be ratified by both the UK and Mauritian parliaments.
The financial cost of the deal will average £101 million per year, totalling a net cost of £3.4 billion, after adjusting for inflation. Critics say the UK is effectively paying to give away territory while allowing Mauritius—a country with close ties to China—a say in operations at a key military site.
Opposition figures, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, labelled it “an act of national self-harm”. Former security minister Tom Tugendhat warned that Mauritius will now be consulted on military activity from Diego Garcia, potentially weakening UK and US operational independence.
Chagossian communities are divided. Some celebrated the agreement as a step toward returning to their ancestral home, while others expressed deep concern. They fear being marginalised under Mauritian control and losing the chance to return, especially to Diego Garcia itself, which remains off-limits.
Friday’s front pages are reacting to the news of the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. After months of wrangling, Keir Starmer has finally signed a treaty to hand over the territory. The UK and US will keep their military base on the island, paying £101 million a year, and securing a lease for at least the next 99 years.
For a second day, there’s a lot of coverage of yesterday’s announcement from the prime minister regarding a planned crackdown on legal migration to the United Kingdom.
Net migration in the UK has halved from 860,000 to 431,000, marking the largest recorded drop for a 12-month period since the pandemic’s early stages.
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