The Palestinian flag was raised outside what is now Palestine's embassy in central London, marking Britain's formal recognition of a Palestinian state. The ceremony followed Prime Minister Keir Starmer's landmark announcement of the UK's decision to recognize Palestinian statehood, with Canada and Australia taking similar coordinated steps.

Palestine's Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, addressed a crowd gathered outside the building that previously served as the Palestine Mission to the UK. "We are gathered today in front of the Palestinian Mission to the UK here in London to mark a historic moment," said Zomlot, noting that the recognition comes "in the same capital of the Balfour Declaration, after more than a century of ongoing denial, dispossession and erasure."

The ambassador held up a plaque reading 'The Embassy of the State of Palestine' that will soon be mounted on the building pending legal and bureaucratic work. Zomlot described the moment as "not only about Palestine, it is also about Britain and the British government's solemn responsibility" and "an acknowledgement of a historic injustice." The small team at the mission erupted in cheers upon hearing the announcement.

Zomlot, who was born in a refugee camp in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, reflected on the significance of the moment, calling it "a South Africa moment for Palestine" in reference to the end of South Africa's apartheid government. He stated that recognition represents "an act of assurances to the Palestinian people that they hope for a better future and ... peace is possible," emphasizing that "Palestine exists, it has always existed and it always will."

Northern Ireland continues to dominate UK house price growth, posting a remarkable 9.6% annual increase in the third quarter according to Nationwide Building Society data. This performance significantly outpaces other UK regions, echoing trends seen in border regions of Ireland in recent quarters. The sustained strength in Northern Ireland's property market stands in stark contrast to more modest growth patterns elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Wales demonstrated steady improvement with annual house price growth accelerating to 3.0% in the third quarter, up from 2.6% in the previous quarter. The average house price in Wales now stands at £213,359, remaining below the UK average of approximately £272,000. Scotland experienced a slowdown in growth to 2.9% from 4.5% in the second quarter, while England saw further deceleration with annual growth dropping to 1.6% from 2.5% in the previous quarter.

Regional disparities within England reveal a clear north-south divide. Northern England, comprising North, North West, Yorkshire & The Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands, recorded average price growth of 3.4% year-on-year. The North region specifically emerged as England's top performer with prices up 5.1% annually. Meanwhile, Southern England saw growth slow to just 0.7%, driven by marked softening in Outer Metropolitan and Outer South East regions, with the latter being the weakest performing area at just 0.3% growth.

Property type performance shows semi-detached homes leading the market with 3.4% annual price growth, followed by detached properties at 2.5% and terraced homes at 2.4%. Flats experienced a slight decline of 0.3% year-on-year and have shown noticeably weaker growth than other property types over the longer term. Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, noted that despite global economic uncertainties, underlying conditions for potential home buyers remain supportive, with housing market activity likely to strengthen gradually if the broader economic recovery is maintained.