4 h. ago Delayed grass cutting service to begin across Bridgend County

The authority made the decision to develop an in-house grass-cutting service in 2024

Politics

67 h. ago Eurostar services restored after severe delays due to huge cable theft in France

Engineers repair high-speed line after day of chaos for passengers, caused by 600m of cable being stolen or cutEurostar train services between the UK and the EU have been restored after a huge section of rail cable was stolen or cut in France, causing delays to thousands of journeys.Passengers booked on Eurostar train services had been urged to cancel or delay their trips after the theft, which threatened to disrupt the Nato summit in the Netherlands. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Cuts to the fire service in Scotland could cost lives, says union

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is proposing the closure of up to 13 stations, new arrangements for night and weekend cover at others and the permanent withdrawal of 10 appliances nationwide.

Events

5 d. ago Allo la France review – romance of French phone booths exposes funding cuts to rural services

In an endearingly whimsical road trip documentary, Floriane Devigne takes calls from her interview subjects in the last remaining phone boxes dotted across rural FranceThe humble telephone box, a souvenir from the days of analogue, can also be an intriguing cinematic locus. Floriane Devigne’s road trip documentary begins with such a relic: the last public phone booth in Paris, which also appears in Jacques Rivette’s mesmerising 1981 film Le Pont du Nord. Unlike their Instagrammable British counterparts, French phone boxes are usually painted in a demure grey and blend seamlessly with their surroundings.As it moves from the capital city to more remote areas, Devigne’s film observes the vanishing of a formerly essential utility as her cross-country odyssey sparkles with an endearing whimsicality. Instead of using talking heads, Devigne ducks into various phone boxes scattered across France, as she takes calls from her interview subjects. Stories of love and longing fill these unassumi...

Politics

7 d. ago Trump administration almost totally dismantles Voice of America with latest terminations

Terminations of 639 employees were announced at organization founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propagandaThe Trump administration has terminated 639 employees at Voice of America and its parent organization in the latest round of sweeping cuts that have reduced the international broadcasting service to a fraction of its former size.The mass terminations announced Friday rounds out the Trump-led elimination of 1,400 positions since March and represents the near-complete dismantling of an organization founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, whose first broadcast declared: “We bring you voices from America.” Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Austerity has hit the UK’s ability to tackle violence against women, European watchdog warns

The Council of Europe has said there is an ‘urgent need’ for more places in women’s shelters and warned cost-cutting measures have left vital services ‘underfunded and understaffed’

Events

2 w. ago Civil service job cuts, AI and flogging off Government property at heart of Rachel Reeves' bid to find £14billion a year in Whitehall savings

The Office for Value for Money, established by Rachel Reeves last October, has worked with each Government department to find where they can save cash.

Economics

2 w. ago The Guardian view on Labour’s tough choices: they are costing the government dearly | Editorial

Austerity-era scepticism runs deep – and Labour’s abstract promises are falling flat as Nigel Farage rises in the pollsThe Labour government’s abrupt U-turn on winter fuel payments – restoring the benefit to more than three-quarters of pensioners – reveals less a change of heart than a sobering realisation in Westminster: after years of austerity, the public no longer gives politicians the benefit of the doubt. The irony is hard to miss. Labour set out to prove that “grown-up” economics means difficult decisions – only to find that once trust is lost, voters won’t accept vague promises without tangible results.It turns out many are sceptical that sacrifices will produce better results for society. That’s why ministers are struggling to justify cuts to disability benefits as a way to “fund” public services – or to convince the public that Britain can’t afford to lift the two-child benefit cap even as ministers claim they will reduce child poverty. There may be more conspicuous retrea...

Politics

2 w. ago Cardiff University issues update on job losses and warns more cuts are needed

Vice Chancellor Professor Wendy Larner said hoped for £28m savings aren't sufficient and there will need to be cuts to professional services and estates

Events

2 w. ago Government is 'blowing £270million a year on army of 6,500 spin doctors' instead of cutting public services

Labour is being urged to slash the 6,500-strong army of government spin doctors instead of cutting public services.

Economics

3 w. ago Scots would pay price for Nigel Farage's proposed funding shakeup

The Reform UK's plan to scrap the Barnett Formula would lead to cuts to public services in Scotland, says Record View.

Economics

3 w. ago Major bus routes plan to benefit thousands of passengers in local communities

Thousands of bus passengers who rely on 'lifeline' routes to get to work, school or the doctors’ will be protected from sudden cuts to services at short-notice

Politics

4 w. ago Chicago risks severe cuts to transit. Its poorest suburbs could be hit even harder

The Chicago area is facing the prospect of bleak service cuts to public transit if Illinois legislators adjourn this weekend without plugging a $770 million hole in the transportation budget

Events

last month How sexual violence survivors in South Africa are now collateral damage of Trump’s aid cuts

Rape crisis services are suffering the knock-on effect of US funded HIV services being cut, writes Rachel Schraer

Events