86 minutes ago Benefit fraudsters face raids at home and seizure of cash as Labour ministers launch tough new fraud crackdown

Organised crime gangs behind industrial-scale benefits fraud will face having their homes raided in a major crackdown, the Work and Pensions Secretary vows today.

Politics

2 hours ago Unions press Labour on workers rights bill as hundreds of thousands ‘stuck’ on zero

The Trades Union Congress said one in 12 zero-hours worker has been with their current employer for more than a decade, while almost half have been in the same job for more than two years

Economics

43 minutes ago Australia news live: Crisafulli warns Queensland flood ‘black zone’ residents to stay away; Allan claims new Liberal leader is ‘extreme right

Disaster funding activated for parts of Townsville and other affected areas. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor names sites of more study hubs for regional uni studentsThe federal government has announced the sites of 10 additional study hubs, which operate to improve university accessibility to students living in regional Australia.Bringing university closer to where you live will encourage more people who otherwise might decide not to go to university at all to give it a crack. Continue reading...

Events

2 hours ago Phillipson to promise ‘new era for school standards’ as Ofsted scraps single

Bridget Phillipson will promise a “new era for school standards” as Labour and Ofsted replace single-word judgments for schools with more detailed report cards.

Politics

13 hours ago Labour facing probe by UK elections watchdog over 'indirect funding' from EU following £30,000 think tank event

The Electoral Commission said it was considering an issue of 'potential regulatory concern' over a contribution to The Fabian Society, a Labour-linked think tank.

Economics

4 hours ago Yvette Cooper under fire after raising prospect of resurrecting an 'intrusive' database scrapped by the Tories of every child in the country

The Home Secretary used ContactPoint to highlight a way that police and social services could share information on young people, an initiative which was scrapped when Labour lost power.

Events

20 hours ago Amazon shoppers race to buy £24 gadget they call 'better' than an Apple Watch

As February approached, the coming months will be the decider on whether we all manage to stick to those new year resolutions we jotted down at the start of January. If you're struggling to stay motivated with your fitness goals during the dark winter months, it might be an idea to invest in a fitness tracker to help you along, and Amazon shoppers reckon they've found a hidden gem.

Economics

4 hours ago Labour's new betrayal: Struggling businesses will 'pay the price' of Keir Starmer's Brexit reset, experts warn

Struggling businesses are facing higher costs as Keir Starmer seeks to link Britain to the EU's green scheme.

Events

4 hours ago Celebs Go Dating cast 'thrilled' as show introduces major shake up in new season

E4 bosses have decided to 'pull out all the stops' for the upcoming season of Celebs Go Dating, which is set to begin filming this month

Politics

20 hours ago Renewables investment fears over Labour's energy price plan that would cut Scots' bills

The Labour government is weighing up cutting energy bills for Scots or keeping renewables investments on track.

Economics

9 hours ago My Thailand holiday hell: I was robbed, beaten up by police, handcuffed to the bars of a cell and left to lie in a puddle of my own urine all because I walked into a road sign

Andrew Hopkins, 55, had been staying in an Airbnb in sunny Pattaya on November 2 when he decided to take a late-night stroll through the neighbourhood to clear his head.

Events

4 hours ago Starmer questioned on whether voice coach visit breached lockdown rules

A voice coach is reported to have visited the Prime Minister to help him prepare a response to the Brexit deal while lockdown rules were in place.

Politics

25 hours ago Care providers set to descend on Westminster next month to demand Government plug '£2billion funding shortfall' following Autumn Budget

Nearly 3,000 in the sector united for the first time to warn that Labour 's policies had left adult social care on the brink of collapse and in need of at least £2 billion in immediate aid.

Economics

22 hours ago Euan McColm: Keir Starmer's refusal to address damage of Brexit is down to fear of Nigel Farage

While the public is now convinced leaving EU was a mistake, the Prime Minister won’t acknowledge it in case it opens the door to Reform in some Labour constituencies

Events

4 hours ago Inside lives of 'world's six loneliest people' who shunned modern life

We're stepping into a year of chaotic tech bros as the likes of Elon Musk have more power than ever, this bunch decided to get off-grid before the bots come for us all...

Politics

7 hours ago Nigel Farage announces 'biggest ever' political rally in Birmingham to launch Reform UK's local elections campaign push

Nigel Farage is planning to host a huge political rally in Birmingham to launch Reform UK's local election campaign after a poll suggested the party poses a bigger threat to Labour than the Conservatives

Politics

7 hours ago 'London's oldest weightlifting club' allowed to stay at venue for three more months

‘I think if Tower Hamlets Council decide to completely shut this place down, they’re potentially denying a Paralympian another shot at the games’ - a Paralympic athlete explained

Politics

10 hours ago France on the edge of MORE political chaos as Prime Minister threatens to force austerity budget through parliament without a vote

The controversial move is expected to trigger a motion of no confidence which, depending on the political parties' voting choices, could result in 73-year-old Francois Bayrou's downfall.

Politics

10 hours ago Keir Starmer meets 'lame duck' German leader Olaf Scholz as he chases a 'reset' of Britain's relationship with the EU

The PM hosted Mr Scholz - who lost a vote of confidence in December - at his country residence in Buckinghamshire ahead of a trip to Brussels tomorrow.

Politics

11 hours ago Forget the pundits – here’s how philosophers see America’s moral divide over Trump

How can neighbors have such a fundamental disagreement about seemingly basic concepts of rightness and justice?In 2016, it was easy for the left to process Donald Trump’s election as a fluke – thanks to the electoral college, he’d essentially won on a technicality. But as he took office once again this month after winning the US popular vote, there is a sense that his every action comes with the tacit endorsement of the voting public.Trump is, of course, far from the first American leader to be accused of cruelty. What’s striking about him is that he doesn’t pretend otherwise. Presidents in recent memory at least paid lip service to compassion; the new one has made exclusion, spite and bullying his brand. He seems to celebrate violating the basic rules we’re taught from infancy: be kind to others, share resources, welcome those who may seem different. Continue reading...

Politics

11 hours ago Mum knew something had to change when she had to spray tan clients 3 days after giving birth

Jess Logue from Liverpool was bored and penny-pinched cutting hair and decided to set up her own spray tanning business which has blossomed thanks to her hard work - even working three days after giving birth

Politics

12 hours ago Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil decides fate of millions hoping for end to winter weather

The groundhog gave his weather forecast at Gobbler's Knob in western Pennsylvania as he stepped out of his burrow at dawn on Sunday in front of thousands of people.

Politics

13 hours ago Top Labour minister scrambles to defend Keir Starmer amid claims by his OWN allies that he's 'an HR manager, not a leader' who's 'not driving the train' and 'can't even run a bath'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted Sir Keir has a 'real determination to change the country' as she was quizzed about claims made in a new book.

Politics

14 hours ago As a surgeon in Gaza, I witnessed hell visited on children. It shames me that Britain played a part in it | Nizam Mamode

I saw them killed by sniper fire and drones. Why doesn’t Labour condemn it? Why do arms keep flowing in Israel’s direction?I had never imagined, when working as a professor of transplant surgery at a large teaching hospital in London, that one day I would find myself operating on an eight-year-old child who was bleeding to death, only to be told by the scrub nurse that there were no more gauze swabs available. But I found myself in that situation last August while operating at Nasser hospital in Gaza as a volunteer with Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map). Reduced to scooping out the blood with my hands, I felt an overwhelming wave of nausea – I was anxious that the child would not survive. Luckily she did, although many others did not.Having retired from the NHS, I decided to go to Gaza because it had become clear that there was a desperate need for surgical help, and I had the skills to contribute. Life as a transplant surgeon in London had been tough but hugely rewarding, and as a...

Politics

14 hours ago Bodo/Glimt's 'sensational' gesture speaks volumes after Europa League clash

Bodo/Glimt decided to show support to Palestinians affected by the conflict between Israel and Palestine by sending their matchday revenue to the Red Cross working in the Gaza Strip - which amounts to £52,200

Politics

14 hours ago Dominic Cummings 'offered to make Jeremy Corbyn prime minister if the Labour leader helped get Brexit done', book claims

He met up with Corbyn's former spokesperson Matt Zarb-Cousin at Indian restaurant Dishoom, where he discussed how the MP for Islington North's could become the next PM.

Politics

15 hours ago ‘The best screen Thatcher yet?’: the art (and craft) of playing the former PM

Harriet Walter’s acclaimed portrayal is the latest of many screen versions. So how do you create the Thatcher persona?Harriet Walter has become the ­latest in a line of actors, from Meryl Streep and Gillian Anderson to Fenella Woolgar and Jennifer Saunders, to accept the challenge of becoming Margaret Thatcher on screen. How do you play a woman who, 45 years on from her ascension, exists almost as a national caricature?Walter plays the part in Brian and Maggie, Channel 4’s two-part drama tracing Thatcher’s relationship with Labour MP turned journalist Brian Walden, which culminated in a fraught TV interview in October 1989, as Thatcher’s fortune began to fail. The series, written by Sherwood creator James Graham, directed by Stephen Frears and co-starring Steve Coogan, digs into the former prime minister’s private persona. Continue reading...

Politics

15 hours ago Starmer used speaking coach who told him his performance 'wasn't as good as it could be’

The prime minister relied on the advice of classically trained dramatist Leonie Mellinger to help him communicate with the public

Politics

15 hours ago China to file lawsuit at WTO over Trump’s trade tariffs – US politics live

Goods from country are to face an extra 10% levy from Tuesday alongside additional 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian importsOver in the UK, the home secretary Yvette Cooper said that Trump’s tariff plans could have a “really damaging impact” on the global economy and growth.The Labour cabinet minister said the UK wanted to break down trade barriers, not put them up. Continue reading...

Politics