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.

• Half of secondary pupils avoided school in past year due to anxiety

  Half of secondary pupils have avoided school in the past year because of anxiety, a poll has found.

• Shoppers turning to alternative payments such as buy now pay later

  Shoppers increasingly turned to “alternative” ways to pay in 2024, such as buy now pay later methods, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

• UK economy contracts for second month running in October

  The UK’s economy contracted for the second month running in October, defying expectations for a rebound as car manufacturing only made a slight recovery from the Jaguar Land Recovery cyber attack

• Reward of 20000 offered to help find grandmothers killer

  A £20,000 reward is being offered to help find the killer of a grandmother found dead in her home.

• Three jailed for life for murder caught on doorbell camera

  Three men have been jailed for life after an an innocent grandfather was shot through his living room window in a murder which was caught on a doorbell camera.

• Council deeply saddened by theft of more than 600 items from museum collection

  A city council says it is “deeply saddened” by the theft of more than 600 artefacts from its museum collection.

• Flu cases in NHS hospitals jump 55 in one week figures show

  The number of people in hospital in England with flu remains at a record level for this time of year and has jumped by 55% in a week, NHS figures show.

• Liverpool tops generous cities list in 2025 according to fundraising platform

  Liverpool is the most generous city in the UK this year, according to figures from a fundraising platform.

• Targeted support could see 18 million savers offered help in next decade

  At least 18 million people could be offered extra help with their investments and pensions over the next decade with the “game changing” introduction of targeted support, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said.

• Trump says US has seized oil tanker off coast of Venezuela

  President Donald Trump has announced that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid mounting tensions with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

• Social media firms must do more to stop underage image sharing

  Social media platforms must do more to stop explicit images of children being shared online, a police chief has said.

• Doctors strike over Christmas would have different degree of risk Streeting

  The Health Secretary has warned that a resident doctors’ strike over Christmas would have a “much different degree of risk” than previous walkouts, adding that he “cannot think of a single other trade union in this country that would behave this way”.

• Ray Winstone very proud after receiving Freedom of the City of London

  English actor Ray Winstone has said he is “very proud to be a Londoner” after receiving the Freedom of the City of London.

• Iceland becomes fifth country to boycott Eurovision 2026

  Iceland’s national broadcaster RUV has confirmed it will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

• Author Sophie Kinsella remembered as once in a lifetime author and friend

  Bestselling author Sophie Kinsella has died after being diagnosed with a form of aggressive brain cancer.

• PM warns of lost decade of kids as 10 year youth plan launched

  Sir Keir Starmer said improving prospects for young people is “our generation’s greatest responsibility” as the Government launches its 10-year youth plan.

• Child neglect contacts from worried neighbours up by almost a third NSPCC

  Contacts to the NSPCC from worried neighbours and community members concerned about child neglect rose by almost a third in a year as the charity warned that young people in danger must not “keep slipping through the cracks”.

• Flying taxis to take passengers to airports in minutes from 2028 company says

  Electric flying taxis may become available to London airport passengers from 2028, a UK company has announced.

• Trains suspended and ferries cancelled in Scotland as Storm Bram sweeps in

  Train services have been disrupted and ferries cancelled in Scotland as Storm Bram sweeps in with gusts of up to 90mph forecast.

• Bob Vylan launches defamation action against Irish national broadcaster

  Members of British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan have filed defamation proceedings against Irish national broadcaster RTE.

• Met police using facial recognition technology to stamp out illegal e bike use

  The biggest police force in the country is turning to facial recognition technology to stamp out the use of illegal e-bikes.

• Mark Wood suffers series ending injury as Englands hopes of Ashes comeback hit

  England’s hopes of launching an Ashes comeback in Adelaide have been hit by a series-ending injury to pace bowler Mark Wood.

• UK premiere of James McAvoys directorial debut to close Glasgow Film Festival

  Hollywood star James McAvoy has said he is “delighted” the UK premiere of his directorial debut will close the film festival in his home city next year.

• Pre Budget shopper jitters dampen Black Friday sales

  Pre-Budget “jitters” among shoppers dampened a much-needed Black Friday boost for retailers, figures show.

• Balloons containing up to six times legal limit of carcinogens on sale in UK

  Balloons containing up to six times the legal limit of carcinogens are available to UK consumers through leading online marketplaces, according to an investigation.