29 m. ago UK economy posts surprise 0.3% growth in three months to June

GDP figure slower than previous quarter but beats expectations thanks to 0.4% expansion last monthThe UK economy grew at a faster rate than expected in the second quarter, official figures show, despite pressure on households and businesses from tax increased and Donald Trump’s global trade war.Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed growth in gross domestic product (GDP) slowed to 0.3% in the three months to the end of June, down from a rate of 0.7% in the first quarter. Continue reading...

Politics

32 m. ago Hailey Bieber enjoys a rare girls' night out with her famous gal pals after husband Justin's cryptic post

He appeared to address their relationship woes on his new album, but the couple retained a united front at events promoting the new project.

Politics

56 m. ago Katabasis by RF Kuang review – a descent into the hellscape of academia

The bestselling author’s sixth novel is far from perfect, but this journey into the underworld is delivered with heretical gleeThe more academia has broken your heart, the more you’ll love RF Kuang’s new novel. Katabasis knows the slow grind of postgrad precarity: the endless grant grubbing and essay marking; the thesis chapters drafted, redrafted and quietly ignored by a supervisor who can’t be bothered to read – let alone reply to – an email. Living semester to semester, pay shrinking, workload metastasising, cannon fodder in a departmental forever war. Katabasis knows how it feels to spend your best thinking years doing grunt work to further someone else’s ideas, clinging to the bottom rung of a ladder you will never be allowed to climb: less an ivory tower than a pyramid scheme.Academia is a hellscape; Katabasis just makes it literal. The American author’s sixth novel is an infernal twist on the campus farce: David Lodge with demons. Kuang’s previous book, 2023’s Yello...

Politics

3 h. ago DC troop numbers expected to increase as Trump pushes to extend federal takeover despite dropping crime figures

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has called Trump’s takeover ‘authoritarian’

Politics

7 h. ago Flow of fresh homes to rent ‘shrinks at fastest rate since 2020’

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors highlighted a ‘firmly negative trend’ in landlords making their property available for rent.

Society

7 h. ago Less available places to rent could see prices rise ‘by at least 25%’, report says

The flow of fresh rental properties coming to market has fallen at its fastest rate in five years, according to surveyors

Politics

10 h. ago Top Fed official signals uncertainty over September rate cut

Hawkish tone from Austan Goolsbee contrasts with market expectations for reduction next month

Politics

11 h. ago Friends of Brooklyn Beckham 'freeze him out' as they side with David and Victoria

Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz have been hit with more woes after they appeared to snub his parents during their wedding vow renewal.

Politics

14 h. ago Merz’s manoeuvres on world stage fail to quell doubts about his leadership

The German chancellor’s high-wire statesmanship on Ukraine has done little to alleviate his domestic woesEurope live – latest updatesFriedrich Merz hosted the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Wednesday as a weakened leader 100 days into his term, with his attempts to rally western support for Kyiv and wrangle Donald Trump failing to silence his domestic critics.The German chancellor took the initiative for Wednesday’s lightning round of telephone conferences bringing in EU leaders, Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance. Zelenskyy’s surprise arrival in Berlin to sit in on the calls underlined Merz’s starring role in the diplomatic efforts. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago Inside huge shipyard building Disney cruise ships with cranes lifting 800

We got a sneak peek at the Meyer Weft shipyard where the Disney Destiny was being constructed including the huge cranes that can lift 800-ton blocks

Politics

17 h. ago Boost for homeowners as average UK mortgage rate hits ‘turning point’

Mortgage rates hit a peak of 6.65 per cent following a disastrous mini-budget in 2022

Events

17 h. ago Experts’ warning over ‘slow’ progress in cancer survival rates

The study, led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and funded by Cancer Research UK, analysed long-term trends in the cancer survival index (CSI)

Events

19 h. ago Balfour Beatty profits lift as it eyes boost from UK construction projects

It came as boss Leo Quinn delivered his final results for the firm. He is stepping down as chief executive after almost 11 years.

Politics

20 h. ago Spain’s octopus capital forced to import octopus as numbers dwindle

In response to growing demand and shrinking wild stocks, some companies in Spain are attempting to farm octopus in captivity

Politics

21 h. ago Rebuild of Victorian warehouse in London a model of circular reconstruction

Rebuild of Victorian warehouse in London a model of circular reconstruction  constructconnect.com

Society

23 h. ago Iraq’s marshes were considered an Eden. Now the oil industry is sucking them dry

Hawizeh’s wetlands once had abundant fishing and wildlife. In a land threatened by drought and desertification, oil drilling is draining the last of the waterAt dawn, a veil of mist clings to the canals of Hawizeh, where sky and water seem to blur into a mirror. In the stern of a narrow wooden boat, 23-year-old Mustafa Hashim scans the marshes’ shallows, cutting the motor and switching to a traditional pole to avoid snagging on invasive roots or thickening mud.It takes him about half an hour to push through the shrinking marshes to reach Um al-Nea’aj, once a vibrant lake teeming with boats and birdsong. Now, the water is about half a metre deep. Continue reading...

Politics

23 h. ago ‘It’s destruction disguised as progress’: how the oil industry is sucking Iraq’s ancient wetlands dry

Hawizeh’s wetlands once had abundant fishing and wildlife. In a land threatened by drought and desertification, oil drilling is draining the last of the waterAt dawn, a veil of mist clings to the canals of Hawizeh, where sky and water seem to blur into a mirror. In the stern of a narrow wooden boat, 23-year-old Mustafa Hashim scans the marshes’ shallows, cutting the motor and switching to a traditional pole to avoid snagging on invasive roots or thickening mud.It takes him about half an hour to push through the shrinking marshes to reach Um al-Nea’aj, once a vibrant lake teeming with boats and birdsong. Now, the water is about half a metre deep. Continue reading...

Politics

25 h. ago Asian shares charge higher after US stocks rally to records on hopes for interest rate cuts

Shares have advanced in Asia after the U.S. stock market rallied to records when data showed inflation across the United States improved slightly last month

Politics

26 h. ago Judge to hear arguments on halting 'Alligator Alcatraz' construction over environmental concerns

A federal judge will hear closing arguments in a hearing over whether to stop construction indefinitely at an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” as she considers whether it violates environmental laws

Events

31 h. ago Experts warn that progress in cancer survival rates is ‘slowing’

The study, led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and funded by Cancer Research UK, analysed long-term trends in the cancer survival index (CSI)

Events