30 h. ago Thousands more smokers to get help to quit after cash boost of at least £80 million

The bumper funding, announced in this week’s Spending Review, will help pay for smoking cessation programmes, including local stop smoking services which provide access to patches and gum and give dedicated advice and support

Economics

3 d. ago Stagecoach bus drivers in from across the UK to cover Ayrshire strikes

Bus drivers have been brought in to help Stagecoach provide some services across Ayrshire while six weeks of strikes are ongoing.

Events

4 d. ago Trump's plan to begin 'phasing out' FEMA after hurricane season burdens states, experts warn

President Donald Trump’s plan to begin “phasing out” the federal agency that responds to disasters after the 2025 hurricane season is likely to put more responsibilities on states to provide services following increasingly frequent and expensive climate disasters, experts say

Events

4 d. ago Families arrested in LA Ice raids held in basements with little food or water, lawyers say

Agents confiscated belongings and rushed deportees to California’s high desert or Texas, saying local facilities had not prepared for influxLA protests – live updatesAs federal agents rushed to arrest immigrants across Los Angeles, they confined detainees – including families with small children – in a stuffy office basement for days without sufficient food and water, according to immigration lawyers.One family with three children were held inside a Los Angeles-area administrative building for 48 hours after being arrested on Thursday immediately after an immigration court hearing, according to lawyers from the Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), which is providing non-profit legal services in the region. Continue reading...

Society

5 d. ago Musk says Tesla's robotaxi service to 'tentatively' launch in Austin on June 22

Elon Musk says Tesla is “tentatively” set to begin providing robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on June 22

Technology

5 d. ago Creasy attempt to change abortion law ‘not supported by abortion providers’ – BPAS

Leading pro-choice charity says NC20 amendment to criminal justice bill ‘not right way’ to reform lawAn attempt to change the law on abortion led by the Labour MP Stella Creasy is not supported by “any of the abortion providers in the country”, a leading pro-choice charity has said.Rachael Clarke, the head of advocacy at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), said Creasy’s NC20 amendment to the criminal justice bill “is not the right way” to overhaul abortion laws. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Creasy attempt to change abortion law ‘not supported by service providers’

British Pregnancy Advisory Service says NC20 amendment to criminal justice bill ‘not right way’ to overhaul the lawUK politics live – latest updatesAn attempt to change the law on abortion led by the Labour MP Stella Creasy is not supported by “any of the abortion providers in the country”, a leading pro-choice charity has said.Rachael Clarke, the head of advocacy at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), said Creasy’s NC20 amendment to the criminal justice bill “is not the right way” to overhaul abortion laws. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Bruno Fernandes staying means Manchester United face all kinds of trade

Signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are leaps of faith, as is hoping Ruben Amorim can solve all the problemsIn publicly rejecting the overtures of the Saudi Pro League, Bruno Fernandes has made it clear he wants to continue playing football at the highest level. That he wants to challenge for trophies. That he has no interest in wasting what remains of his peak years jogging around aimlessly in the service of a vast public relations project, providing lucrative content for a cruel and heartless regime. Despite all this, he’s more than happy to remain at Manchester United for now.There were other angles to this decision. In a sense, Al-Hilal’s courtship of Fernandes represented a kind of catch-22 for United, desperate to reinforce their underperforming squad while remaining compliant with profitability and sustainability rules. Only a player who truly loved United could contemplate leaving in order to help balance the books. But in signalling his willingness to leave, Fernandes me...

Politics

8 d. ago The BBC home renovation that left woman sobbing 'I hate it!'

Your Home In Their Hands follows a group of amateur interior designers as they set about providing their services to homeowners across the UK.

Politics

9 d. ago Netanyahu defends arming Palestinian clans accused of ties with jihadist groups

PM says it ‘saves lives of Israeli soldiers’ despite accusations government is giving weapons to ‘criminals and felons’The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has admitted arming clans in Gaza that he says are opposed to Hamas, following accusations that members of these criminal gangs allegedly looted humanitarian aid and have ties to jihadist groups.Netanyahu’s comments came after Israeli media reports quoted defence sources as saying Netanyahu had authorised giving weapons to a clan reportedly led by a man known as Yasser Abu Shabab, a Rafah resident from a Bedouin family, known locally for his involvement in criminal activity. Israel allegedly provided Abu Shabab’s group, which calls itself the “Anti-Terror Service”, with Kalashnikov assault rifles, including weapons seized from Hamas. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Millions of legal immigrants’ lives upended after social security freeze

Program halted suddenly, leaving legal immigrants unable to work due to lack of US social security numberMillions of legal immigrants may be left unable to work after the US Social Security Administration quietly instituted a rule change to stop automatically issuing them social security numbers.The Enumeration Beyond Entry program is an agreement between the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, where US Citizenship and Immigration Services would provide social security with information from applicants for work authorization or naturalization. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Did food waste apps like Too Good To Go succeed in their mission?

What began as a clever way to save surplus food from going to waste has turned into a viral phenomenon, with TikTokers eagerly unboxing £3 mystery bags from Pret and Aldi. Isobel Lewis investigates the apps that provide this service to understand if they’re really helping solve our food waste problem

Events

2 w. ago Foodbank in Wishaw appeals for donations as stock runs low while numbers in need remain high

The service at South Wishaw Parish Church provides in excess of 80 food packages a week

Politics

2 w. ago Repeated failings at migrant hotel where asylum seeker killed himself exposed

Special report: Staff at hotel were ‘not appropriately trained’ and Home Office officials didn’t know who was providing crucial services

Events

2 w. ago US firm that tests eligibility for UK disability benefits reports 23% rise in profits

British arm of Maximus is biggest provider of functional assessment services for DWPThe British arm of a US contractor that tests whether some people in the UK should receive disability benefits has reported a 23% rise in profits.Maximus, a Virginia-based business, reported an increase in pre-tax profits for its UK arm from £23.6m to £29.1m in its financial year to the end of September, accounts lodged at Companies House show. Its revenue rose 2%, from £294m to £300m. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Charity staff ‘gobsmacked’ after significant donation from Duke of Sussex

Nottingham-based Himmah, which provides food bank and other community services, said the undisclosed sum will help vulnerable people in need.

Politics

4 w. ago Broadband letter people should look out for ahead of change affecting 95,000 customers

Tens of thousands of broadband customers are set to see their service provider change automatically

Economics