Kent County Council was won by Reform at local elections in May, when their candidates promised to cut council spending and keep taxes low.

Peers were urged to make more progress on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill during the final debate of the year on the legislation.

Soldiers learned the challenges of a sub-zero immersion in water, surviving in minus 28C and fighting alongside motivated volunteer troops.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin greeted Volodymyr Zelensky on the tarmac in Dublin after his plane landed on Monday night.

The steep fall in the latest figures is part of a downwards trend that has been under way since 2023.