National News

Here are the latest stories from the team at Radio News Hub. The links will open in a new page and take you to their website.

• NHS waiting list falls to lowest level in almost three years

  The NHS waiting list for hospital treatment has fallen to its lowest level since early 2023, figures show.

• Robert Jenrick sacked by Kemi Badenoch after plotting to defect

  Kemi Badenoch said she has sacked Robert Jenrick as shadow justice secretary and kicked him out of the party due to “irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible” to his Conservative colleagues.

• Grok imposes further deepfake restrictions

  Elon Musk’s pledge to stop X’s AI chatbot Grok making sexualised images of people is a “vindication for Keir Starmer”, Downing Street sources have said.

• Pregnant women losing jobs amid pervasive culture of mistreatment warns TUC

  A “pervasive” culture of mistreatment at work is leading to women losing their jobs if they are pregnant or become a parent, according to a report.

• 35 of students say Reform should be banned from speaking at universities poll

  More than one in three (35%) undergraduate students say Reform UK should be banned from speaking at events at UK universities, according to a poll.

• Ofwat launches probe into South East Water over supply outages

  South East Water is under investigation by the industry watchdog after repeated outages since November have left tens of thousands of households and businesses without supply across Kent and Sussex.

• UK economy returns to growth as car manufacturing rebounds

  The UK economy returned to growth in November after a boost from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) factories restarting production following a cyber attack, according to official figures.

• Emma Willis says she was floored by hole in the heart diagnosis

  Emma Willis has told how she was “floored” by a hole in the heart diagnosis as she met another mother with the same condition.

• Former Lionesses captain Millie Bright skips training for Prince of Wales honour

  Former Lionesses captain Millie Bright skipped training for possibly the first time in her career to be honoured by the Prince of Wales.

• One Battle After Anothers Chase Infiniti among Bafta Rising Star Award nominees

  One Battle After Another star Chase Infiniti is among the actors nominated for the Bafta 2026 EE Rising Star Award.

• Concern over call for corners to be checked by VAR with summer trial in pipeline

  Competitions are set to be given a choice over whether to use VAR to check corner kicks, with some concerned it is a further step towards re-refereeing the game.

• Ministers holding emergency meetings as 17000 properties remain without water

  Ministers are holding emergency daily meetings as 17,000 properties remain without drinking water across Kent and Sussex, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

• Keir Starmer defends digital ID work check plans amid accusations of new U turn

  Sir Keir Starmer has insisted there “will be checks” on the right to work in the UK, and “they will be digital, and they will be mandatory”, as he faced fire in the Commons over a U-turn on the Government’s flagship digital ID plans.

• Rachel Reeves wants North to feel the benefits of rail scheme by early 2030s

  Rachel Reeves said she wants people in northern England to “feel the benefits” of a major scheme to boost connections by “the early 2030s”.

• Home Secretary says she has no confidence in police boss after Maccabi fan ban

  The Home Secretary has said she has lost confidence in the head of West Midlands Police following a “damning” review into the force’s decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match against Aston Villa.

• Appeal over Kneecap rappers terror case begins at High Court

  The Crown Prosecution Service’s bid to overturn the decision to throw out the terrorism case against rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh has begun at the High Court.

• Police chief apologises for error in evidence over Maccabi football fan ban

  West Midlands Police’s chief constable has apologised to MPs for giving them an error in evidence over the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, as the Home Secretary is set to address Parliament.

• Scientists identify small changes people can make to live longer

  Brisk walking for an extra five minutes a day can help reduce a person’s risk of death, a new study has found.

• Scientists confirm 2025 as third hottest year on record as heat surge continues

  Last year was globally the third warmest year on record, scientists confirmed as human activity drives the “unmistakable trend” towards a hotter climate.

• Nearly one in five adults have a side hustle

  Nearly one in five people have an additional job or side hustle, research indicates.

• Districts warn of catastrophic flooding without urgent funding boost

  Vulnerable areas face “catastrophic flooding and economic devastation” without further Government funding for protections, councils have warned.

• Manchester United confirm Michael Carrick appointment

  Michael Carrick has been confirmed as Manchester United head coach on a deal until the end of the season.

• Cooper summons Iranian ambassador and announces new sanctions amid protests

  Yvette Cooper has summoned the Iranian ambassador over the crackdown on protests in the country, as the Foreign Secretary announced new sanctions on the regime.

• Home Office TikTok posting immigration arrests turning raids into click bait

  A new Home Office TikTok account posting footage of deportations and arrests by immigration enforcement has been criticised as turning raids into “click-bait online entertainment”.

• Lidl opening another 19 stores in move creating up to 640 jobs

  Up to 640 jobs are being created at discount retailer Lidl under plans to open 19 stores over the next eight weeks as it continues to ramp up expansion plans.