The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that the rate fell to 4.9% during the three months to February. That was down from a previous level of 5.2%. But the ONS said that early data from HM Revenue & Customs, covering workers in payrolled employment, showed a drop of 11,000 during March - the first month of the US-Iran war that saw global energy prices rise sharply. Money latest: Experts disagree on overpaying your mortgage The wider figures showed average annual earnings growth, excluding bonuses, fell to 3.6% from 3.8%. ONS director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown, said: "The number of workers on payroll remained broadly flat in recent periods, reflecting ongoing weak hiring. "Vacancies fell to their lowest level in almost five years, but with unemployment also falling the number of vacancies per unemployed person remains broadly unchanged. "Alongside falling unemployment, the number of people not actively seeking work increased, with data suggesting fewer students seeking work alongside their studies. "Regular wage growth has slowed further, with growth at its lowest rate in over five years." Recent forecasts have suggested the UK economy faces the biggest hit among developed nations due to the fossil fuel price crisis caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The most recent study of the threat, by the respected Item Club, saw the UK's jobless rate hitting 5.8% in just over a year's time, affecting almost 250,000 people. The higher oil and gas costs were tipped to push UK inflation to a peak of 4% this year - up from the current 3% level - with economic growth halving during 2026 to 0.7%. The report warned the economy would "flirt" with recession. The ONS report will raise fears that the rate of inflation will soon outstrip the pace of wage rises, harming consumer spending power. Private sector employers have long blamed surging costs, including higher national insurance contributions and minimum wage levels, for cutting staff. The unemployment rate stood at 4.1% when Labour took office. The government has signalled targeted, rather than universal, help ahead as the energy shock builds, though the prospects for immediate aid appear slim. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to use a statement to MPs later to claim her stewardship of the economy will help "to build a Britain that is prepared for what comes next". She will rule out financial support that puts further upwards pressure on inflation and instead look to invest in boosting defence and energy security. Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, said of the ONS data: "These figures show that there was an improvement in the labour market at the beginning of the year with unemployment falling below 5%, and 332,000 more people in work than a year ago. "But we cannot escape the effects of the war in the Middle East which are likely to feed through to prices and employment in the coming months. We will do everything we can to support the country through this period, including by slashing energy bills by up to 25% for 10,000 manufacturers. "And we're focusing on future proofing and upskilling our workforce through our £2.5bn investment to get more young people earning and learning alongside personalised support to help sick or disabled people who had previously been written off."

The American singer, 76, who was a creative backbone of the group, co-writing hits including Crazy Horses, and singing on Love Me For A Reason, died on Monday, according to a statement from his brother Merrill. "I was grateful to be with him shortly before he passed and to share a final meaningful moment together," the statement said. "Alan was a gifted creator, a man of faith, and a deeply loving soul whose life blessed many." Osmond had battled progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) since 1987, a disease of the central nervous system which affects the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, causing symptoms like fatigue, numbness, visual issues and walking difficulties, according to the NHS. His career began in 1958 when he formed a barbershop quartet with his brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay. They were later joined by younger siblings Donny and Jimmy to form The Osmonds. The group was eventually discovered by Jay Emerson Williams, father of American singer Andy Williams, and in 1962 they became regular performers on his variety programme The Andy Williams Show, one of the most popular programmes at the time. The Osmonds regularly featured on the show over a seven-year period, bringing them national fame in the US In the 1970s, with the arrival of Donny, they became teen idols and shot to fame globally, selling more than 77 million records worldwide, registering five UK top 10 singles, including a number one with Love Me For A Reason, as well as four UK top 10 albums. Read more from Sky News:Singer D4vd pleads not guilty to murder of 14-year-old girlAmy Winehouse's father loses court challenge over daughter's former belongings Alan then took charge of the group as its songwriter and composer, producing some of their most popular songs, including One Bad Apple and Down By The Lazy River. A weekly Saturday-morning cartoon series titled The Osmonds launched on US TV network ABC in 1972, which followed the family around and featured their most popular songs. The family performed together up until their 50th anniversary in 2007, when Alan and his younger brother Wayne retired due to health issues. Wayne died aged 73 last year. Alan published his memoir One Way Ticket in 2024. The book follows his journey to international stardom as the leader of The Osmonds and his battle with MS. He and his wife Suzanne had eight children together, who followed in the family's footsteps to form The Osmond Boys, also known as the Second Generation.

The Cathy Newman Show, launching on 27 April at 7pm, combines agenda-setting interviews, exclusive investigations and spirited debate from Sky News' Westminster studio. The show, airing Monday to Thursday on Sky News and YouTube, is designed to cut through the noise and make sense of the stories that matter. 'The perfect time to get started' Newman, who joins Sky News after two decades at Channel 4, will lead a show featuring uninterrupted conversations that challenge perspectives – with a warm but rigorous approach. The show will include interviews with leading political, public and cultural figures, original reporting and investigations, and analysis of the biggest UK, US and European stories. "With the local elections coming up, it feels like the perfect time to get started," said Cathy Newman. "I'm looking forward to welcoming guests on to the orange velvet sofa for big interviews, exclusives and real conversations that help make sense of it all. Join me from next week for a friendly but forensic chat." There will also be longer-form investigations and documentaries that sit alongside the show, with a new podcast launching this autumn. The programme is part of Sky News' 2030 strategy for premium, video-first journalism, designed to bring personality-led reporting to audiences wherever they are. "Cathy's journalism is forensic, fearless and engaging, and this new format brings that to life in a way that truly connects with audiences," said Jonathan Levy, executive editor and managing director. Join us from 27 April at 7pm for interviews that probe, investigations that reveal, and conversations that matter.

Any doubts about the Dutchman's future appear to be subsiding rapidly as a seven-point gap has opened up between Liverpool in fifth place and Chelsea in sixth. Fifth place will secure Champions League football next season after Arsenal's progression to the semi-finals - and Liverpool's form has picked up while Chelsea are slipping. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Liverpool news & transfers🔴Liverpool fixtures & scores | FREE Liverpool PL highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Liverpool games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 Slot, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, has come under pressure during his second campaign, with the Reds set to end the season without a trophy and well off the pace set by Arsenal and Manchester City. But speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher said: "Arne Slot's job has been spoken about all season. We've spoken about it a lot on Monday Night Football. "There's probably a split in the Liverpool supporters over whether he should stay or go, but the noises I am hearing is Slot will be the Liverpool manager next season if they can secure Champions League qualification, which they look like doing right now." Sky Sports News understands that is the case after a season of increasing speculation over Slot's future, as a transitional season at Anfield has borne frustrations on and off the pitch. Slot is set to retain the support of the hierarchy ahead of a summer in which more work is expected to be done to the squad following the announcement Mo Salah will be leaving. RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande is among their top targets for a new forward while several other positions are also being looked at. Van Dijk offers honest assessment of 'below-standard' Liverpool season after derby win Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool still have to do better despite their Merseyside derby win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson. The Liverpool captain scored late as the Reds put themselves in a strong position to qualify for next season's Champions League. Liverpool still have to play two of the top five in their hunt for Champions League and also face sixth-placed Chelsea. "We've got five more games left against teams that are also fighting for the Champions League spots," Van Dijk told Sky Sports after the derby win. "Every game is a big one. We are very disappointed as a whole for the season that we're having, because of the quality we have. It's below standard. "But we have to keep fighting, keep going, and make the best out of this poor season we're having. That's the reality, on to the next. Everton was a good three points, and next up is Crystal Palace at home, who we couldn't beat for many, many games before. "[The situation] is definitely not Liverpool-worthy, in my opinion, but it is the reality, and it was important we got the win. I'm glad we did."

John Ashby entered his plea to the offence in Walsall at Birmingham Crown Court. The woman was attacked after Ashby followed her on foot and entered her home, barging his way into her bathroom, the court heard on Monday. Opening the case against Ashby, prosecutor Phil Bradley KC said the woman was followed off a bus in October last year. Mr Bradley said of the defendant: "A complete stranger to her, John Ashby was nevertheless interested in her and had already targeted her."We know that because within seconds of her getting off the bus... to begin the short walk home, he began following her."She had no idea he was doing so and continued along normally." After the woman entered her home and went into the bathroom, the court heard, Ashby picked up a stick outside and also went into the property. Having heard a noise, the victim tried to lock the bathroom door, but the defendant forced his way in, Mr Bradley said, adding: "Once inside the bathroom he turned the light off, telling her that he was 'here to have fun'." The prosecutor told the jury of six men and six women: "Despite her screams, he told her to take her clothes off, he struck her with the stick, and he put his hands around her neck to strangle her and demanded that she climb into the bathtub."Throughout the attack he racially and religiously abused her," the prosecutor said. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

The 21-year-old musician, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, had been under investigation by a grand jury after the decomposed body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in a car registered to him in September. D4vd - pronounced "David" - was arrested on Thursday at a home in Hollywood. Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said on Monday that he was charged with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14, as well as mutilating a body in the killing of Ms Hernandez. The girls' parents were in court for Burke's first appearance in the case on Monday. He appeared behind glass in a custody area of the court, dressed in black. The singer's lawyer entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to all the charges, and the judge said he would continue to be held without bail. The teenage girl, who was identified after forensic examinations, had been reported missing from her hometown of Lake Elsinore - about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles - in 2024, when she was 13. Authorities, who described her on Monday as a "runaway", say she was 14 when she was killed. Her remains were discovered in a Tesla Model Y registered to Burke on 8 September - the day after she would have turned 15 - when police were called to a Hollywood tow yard because of reports of a foul smell coming from the vehicle. The vehicle had been towed from the Hollywood Hills, where it appeared to have been abandoned. Inside the car, investigators found a cadaver bag containing a head and torso, and a second bag containing dismembered body parts, according to court documents, although the cause of death has not been publicly confirmed. Authorities said the coroner's report would be released "shortly". Burke's lawyers previously vowed to "vigorously defend" his innocence, adding: "Let us be clear - the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death." Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Ms Hernandez was last heard from on 23 April 2025, when she went to D4vd's home "at his invitation". "Celeste, a 14-year-old at that time, went to Mr Burke's house in the Hollywood Hills. She was never heard from again," Mr Hochman said at the news conference announcing D4vd's murder charges on Monday. The murder charges included special circumstances - lying in wait, committing a crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation - that could carry the death penalty, but prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek it. Mr Hochman alleged Burke killed Ms Hernandez "to maintain his very lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening on that particular night". He added that the charge of murdering the witness relates to Ms Hernandez, and the investigation was into "the lewd and lascivious sexual acts committed by D4vd". Mr Hochman called the case "a parent's nightmare". Ms Hernandez's family has remained private and has not made any public statements on her death. Read more from Sky News:Gunman kills eight children in LouisianaTrio jailed over 'bear costume' insurance scam Mr Hochman said: "I had the chance to meet with some of the family members of Celeste and their grief is incalculable as to what happened to their daughter." The Houston-born singer had been on tour when the body was discovered, and a spokesperson for the artist said at the time he was "fully cooperating with the authorities". Authorities did not publicly name D4vd as a suspect until his arrest. Burke, who went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit Romantic Homicide, cancelled the final two shows of his tour and a planned European tour when reports of his possible involvement spread widely.

It comes after he reportedly failed to pay nearly £100,000 in corporation tax. Mr Tice did not pay any tax on the profits he made from four shell companies between 2020 and 2022, The Sunday Times has reported. The companies were set up to receive dividends from his property investment firm and pass the money to their parent company, the newspaper said. It said Tisun Investments Ltd then transferred £1,113,000 to Reform UK between March 2020 and May 2022. In a statement on X, Mr Tice said his "long career with multiple businesses" meant his accounting was "bound to feature some errors". He said: "In a highly successful career spanning 40 years, I have done business in 12 countries across three continents, and been a director of more than 150 companies. "I have helped build thousands of homes, creating thousands of jobs and generating hundreds of millions of value for shareholders and investors along with many tens of millions of tax for HMRC. "I am very proud of this record. Throughout this career I have taken professional tax advice and have always paid everything that I was advised to pay. "Here's the reality: tax efficiency is a basic corporate responsibility and duty to shareholders. A long career with multiple businesses is bound to feature some errors. "Naturally, I am always happy to put things right and if numbers need rechecking, of course, I will pay what is owed - be that more or less." Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, wrote on X that "around £98k of corporation tax is due", plus "about £27k of interest". Reform's Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick said on Sunday morning that Mr Tice "thinks he may have overpaid tax because he paid it through his personal taxation, rather than through the company". He told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: "If it transpires that he's underpaid tax, of course he'll settle it. But that is not his position. He thinks he's paid the right tax, and that's absolutely right. "As far as I know, HMRC are not investigating. So there is no story." Reform UK last week said any oversight on Mr Tice's part was "a minor administrative error". The Boston and Skegness MP received at least £91,000 because his property investment company, Quidnet REIT Limited, did not pay the required 20% tax on the dividends before they were issued to him and his offshore trust in Jersey, The Sunday Times reported. Mr Tice said on X that "overall HMRC received the correct amount of tax due" and that any issue was due to "complex tax technicality around dividends to certain shareholder classes in REITs". Read more from Sky News:Attempted 'firebomb attack' at London synagoguePublic warned not to approach 'dangerous' missing man Labour Party chair Anna Turley said: "Richard Tice's credibility is in tatters and Nigel Farage needs to urgently explain why he remains Reform's deputy leader. "This is a major scandal that's not going away. Tice has called for others to resign over tax errors that involved less money than this."

City's 2-1 win on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium has moved them within three points of leaders Arsenal with a game in hand to set up a thrilling finale to the Premier League season. On Monday Night Football, Carragher praised the performances of City's experienced midfield duo Rodri and Bernardo Silva for outsmarting Arsenal's Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi. The 10 factors that will decide the Premier League title raceMan City fixtures & scores | FREE Man City PL highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Man City games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺How Rodri and Silva delivered midfield masterclass "Rodri and Bernardo Silva gave one of the greatest performances as a pair I've probably seen in the Premier League," said Carragher. "The game was won in midfield." Carragher highlighted Arsenal's effective press early on, winning possession in the final third six times inside the opening 15 minutes, which is the most of any side in the Premier League this season. "What happened initially was Rodri and Silva had Declan Rice and (Martin) Odegaard coming right at them, so they couldn't get the ball into the players there," said Carragher. However, it was Rodri and Silva's bravery in possession by dropping deeper to get the ball that changed the game. "Silva and Rodri ended up in the back four," said Carragher. "They're the centre-backs and take the ball. We saw them lose it early on with Silva against Declan Rice. It didn't stop them from getting it again. That's real courage. Getting on the ball and being brave and then playing through that press of Arsenal. "They've seen a problem and gone and given Arsenal a problem." Arsenal not brave enough on the ball Arsenal were unable to match Rodri and Silva's ingenuity despite facing Man City's four-man press before, and went long from goal kicks. "There's a lot of talk about how adventurous Arsenal were. They were without the ball," said Carragher. "We go back to the fixture a couple of weeks ago in the Carabao Cup final. We know Arsenal had a huge problem trying to play past the front four, so from goal kicks, they had a different setup. "Saliba was in the place where Mosquera was and Mosquera was just higher up in a normal right-back position. But the midfield players are higher than they were a few weeks ago because the plan was to go long and bypass the front four." While Rodri and Silva were prepared to go into the six-yard box to dribble the ball out from goal kicks, Arsenal were unable to play out despite having a three-man advantage. Carragher said: "It's easy to have courage without the ball. The courage to go and get the ball in your six-yard box off your goalkeeper in a game of this magnitude is absolutely outstanding. "Sometimes players don't really want the ball. That was the big difference in the game, there was courage from Manchester City with and without the ball. Arsenal didn't have it with the ball. "You're talking about a situation where it's 7 vs 4, including your goalkeeper. You've got to get out, you've got to be brave on the ball, these players don't want the ball. "The ball can go to Saliba. It can be chipped to Mosquera. Odegaard's dropping deep, Havertz is there. We've seen Silva and Rodri in these positions taking the ball." Zubimendi lacked legs Carragher also highlighted Zubimendi's role in Cherki's wonderful solo goal that opened the scoring for City. In the same phase of play, Zubimendi helped his defence to crowd out Cherki, but then, seconds later, the Arsenal midfielder couldn't get over quickly enough to prevent him from scoring in a near identical situation. "You've got five players around him in this space. Zubimendi comes across and just shadows Cherki out," said Carragher. "He's gone from one side, really deep on the defender's toes, and fills the half spaces. "The ball comes across quickly and Zubimendi can't get over. As Cherki gets the ball, it's now four players. That is still a very difficult proposition for any player in world football. But with one player less, there's slightly more space. "Zubimendi has gone one side and can't get across to the other. Now he's just got that little bit more space that he needs." In the build-up to City's second goal, Zubimendi gives away possession with a ball forward that goes through to Donnarumma, which allows the goalkeeper to set City off on an attack. "I go back to the courage on the ball and think about Rodri and Bernardo Silva and the flip side, with Zubimendi. He is a European champion for Spain. That's the guy you've brought in to get on the ball, take the ball in difficult situations, in tough arenas. "You're going for the league away at Man City. That's not good enough. That's what you're in the team for. That's what you've been bought for." Zubimendi was then unable to cover the right side of the pitch as Gabriel Martinelli jumped to press Marc Guehi as Gianluigi Donnarumma played the ball over the winger to Nico O'Reilly. Carragher said: "Declan Rice likes being on the left of central midfield. That's why he urges Zubimendi to get across. Zubimendi can't get across and he hasn't got the legs to." Guardiola on the impact of City's midfield Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday's game against Burnley, live on Sky Sports: "Bernardo and Rodri have been very important in the last few games. They are experienced but they have a huge personality in the team. "They can man mark. They have composure with and without the ball. They are not young guys anymore. They are experienced and have played a lot of these types of games. They know how it must be played. They were exceptional. "We cannot forget, we have been without Rodri for 17 months. The success of the team depends on the players that you have. "Last season was not perfect but we were in the FA Cup final and we finished third. In the end it is not a big mess. When that happens, it is more difficult to be consistent. We also have an incredible player in [Mateo] Kovacic who has been out for a year. "Saying that, Nico Gonzalez, for example, helped us a lot. We were without Rodri, so these guys have helped us be in the position we are in now."