Figures from police forces in England and Wales reveal a 21% reduction in homicides involving knives or sharp instruments in 2025, reaching the lowest level since data collection began in 2010-11. Overall recorded knife crime also decreased by 10%, with firearms offences down by 9%.
The UK government has announced an expansion of its energy bill support scheme, offering assistance to approximately 10,000 energy-intensive manufacturers. The revised plan aims to alleviate the burden of high energy costs, particularly for sectors like steel and pharmaceuticals, by cutting bills by up to 25%.
The Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has indicated that the central bank will not rush into decisions regarding interest rate adjustments, despite significant global energy price increases. The ongoing conflict with Iran, initiated by the US and Israel, has exacerbated uncertainties, making the Bank's monetary policy decisions 'very, very difficult'.
