61 m. ago US treasury secretary urges Fed chair to cut interest rates as Trump claims shrinking economy isn’t related to tariff war – live

Bessent urges Powell to cut interest rates, echoing Trump’s demands; US president claims economic slowdown ‘nothing to do with tariffs’Trump’s tariffs: ‘It feels like Covid 2.0. So many things are getting disrupted’The Trump administration is seeking to strip collective bargaining rights from large swaths of federal employees in a test case union leaders argue is part of a broader attack on US labor unions that could land before the US Supreme Court.A Trump win would deliver a severe blow to labor unions in the US. Some 29.9% of all federal workers were represented by labor unions in 2024 compared to 11.1% for all US workers. Continue reading...

Society

65 m. ago John Swinney to set out position on Assisted Dying law before MSPs vote on emotive subject

The First Minister said the concept of Assisted Dying was a "very personal matter" ahead of a landmark Holyrood debate on the issue.

Politics

78 m. ago McDonald’s posts surprise decline in global sales in first quarter

Firm was navigating ‘toughest of market conditions’ when Trump’s tariffs worsened wallet pressures on consumersMcDonald’s posted a surprise decline in first-quarter global sales on Thursday, as demand from cash-strapped diners in its key markets faltered on uncertainty sparked by chaotic tariffs.The company was navigating the “toughest of market conditions”, the company’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said, as global comparable sales fell 1%, while analysts on average had estimated a 0.95% rise. Continue reading...

Politics

79 m. ago Rory McIlroy and PGA Tour legend in disagreement as Jon Rahm told he should be punished

As negotiations over unifying the top level of men's golf continue, Rory McIlroy's stance on LIV Golf stars potentially returning to the PGA Tour has been challenged

Politics

86 m. ago You've been saying IKEA all wrong! Boss explains the correct way to pronounce name of the Swedish flatpack giant as it opens new Oxford Street store

For years, flat-pack fans across the UK have been proudly talking about their latest IKEA purchases whether it's a Billy bookcase or a Malm chest of drawers.

Politics

3 h. ago Trump live: Kamala Harris breaks silence to warn president’s tariff war inviting recession

Former Democratic vice president and White House challenger calls trade aggressions the ‘greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history’

Events

3 h. ago UK Foreign Office warns Belgium tourists of risk of 'delays and disruption'

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has updated its advice for Brits travelling to Belgium, warning them of potential delays and disruptions

Events

3 h. ago McDonald’s US sales drop by most since height of pandemic in 2020

Fall comes as Trump’s tariffs knock consumer sentiment

Events

3 h. ago Parents 'worried for the kids' as people share list of potential baby names

A woman encouraged people to share a list of baby names that they didn't end up using, but loved, and some of them are more shocking and outlandish than you could ever imagine

Politics

3 h. ago Trump tariffs cause fastest slump in British factory export orders in five years

Decline in output and new orders in April allied with rising uncertainty is prompting layoffs, survey findsBusiness live – latest updatesBritain’s factories suffered a slump in export orders last month as Donald Trump’s globally unsettling tariff regime sent overseas demand for UK goods tumbling at the fastest pace in five years.Manufacturers reported rising economic and trade uncertainties in April as some tariffs took effect and other threatened border taxes loomed, forcing them to lay off workers for a sixth consecutive month. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago The shocking dark side of these very common antidepressant drugs

Last year I received an anguished email from Tania Morgan, who I interviewed for the Daily Mail following her son's tragic reaction to an antidepressant.

Events

3 h. ago Is it ever OK to wear another club’s shirt? My life in a Liverpool top this week | Emma John

I am not a Liverpool fan but this week I have crossed a sacred line – and I’m struggling to feel sorryThis column begins with a confession. One I am afraid and not a little ashamed to make. One that my instincts tell me I should be taking to a priest who is bound to silence, or at the very least an understanding therapist. Certainly not to a forum of sports fans with strong opinions and keyboards full of potential swears.Scourging rods at the ready, then: this week I have been wearing a Liverpool top. And I am not a Liverpool fan. Continue reading...

Society

3 h. ago P Diddy granted rare win before trial as he learns if he can wear own clothes in court

Disgraced rapper P Diddy has been granted a rare positive during his upcoming trial after a judge has ruled that he will be able to refrain from wearing prison attire at court

Events

3 h. ago I know how global aid works. Here’s how Britain can do the right thing – and make its money count | David Miliband

The politics of aid may be toxic, but the UK must realise that supporting the world’s poorest people is both a moral and pragmatic thing to doDavid Miliband is president and CEO of the International Rescue CommitteeIn more than 10 years working in the aid sector, I have seen extraordinary innovations, from childhood education programmes for refugee children, to AI-driven flood warnings that alert farmers in some of the most vulnerable places on earth. Many of the initiatives I’ve seen are remarkably impactful and deliver serious value for money: it costs the International Rescue Committee (IRC) just £3 ($4) to deliver a life-saving vaccine dose in the midst of a conflict in east Africa, for example.The politics surrounding international aid, however, are increasingly toxic. The UK’s Department for International Development and now the US equivalent, USAID, have been dismantled, despite the British public being more than twice as likely to say that aid has a positive rather than nega...

Economics

4 h. ago HSBC accused of ‘bulldozing through’ key climate policy with $1bn Glencore deal

New analysis from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and The Independent has found that in May 2023 the bank helped raise funds for the mining giant despite climate promises

Economics

4 h. ago HMRC issuing fines of up to £900 to millions of workers who missed major deadline

HMRC estimated that 1.1 million customers missed the initial self-assessment deadline on January 31 this year and those who are yet t submit could potentially face significent penalties from today

Economics

4 h. ago Kneecap row: police assessing ‘kill MP’ and ‘up Hamas, up Hezbollah’ footage

News comes as artists including Pulp, Paul Weller and Primal Scream defend Irish rap trio from criticismCounter-terrorism police are investigating footage that appears to show Kneecap calling for politicians to be killed, and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”, while dozens of artists – including Pulp, Paul Weller and Primal Scream – have defended the Irish rap trio from staunch criticism from politicians on both sides of the Commons benches.On Thursday, detectives said videos of the two incidents had been brought to their attention in late April, and had been referred for assessment by specialist counter-terrorism officers. They had “determined there are grounds for further investigation into potential offences linked to both videos”, officers said. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Trump’s tariffs: ‘It feels like Covid 2.0. So many things are getting disrupted’

Pittsburgh residents, workers and business owners react to the increasingly fraught trading reality now upending supply chains and hitting prices“In a lot of ways it feels like Covid 2.0. So many things are getting disrupted so quickly.” Like so many businesses across Donald Trump’s America, Matt Katase’s craft brewery, Brew Gentleman, is having to contend with a bafflingly uncertain trading environment.The brewery’s chief operating officer, Alaina Webber, says: “For the first time, as a company in operation going on 15 years, we’ve started to get explicit emails that say: ‘On this existing order, you are now going to see a 30%, then to a 130% increase.’” Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago ‘A ruthless agenda’: charting 100 days of Trump’s onslaught on the environment

Guardian reporters map out how Trump is eviscerating efforts to protect the natural world – from ‘drill, baby, drill’ to mass firings100 days of Trump: inside Trump’s whirlwind start to his second termDonald Trump has never been mistaken for an environmentalist, having long called the climate crisis a “giant hoax” and repeatedly lauding the supposed virtues of fossil fuels.But the US president’s onslaught upon the natural world in this administration’s first 100 days has surprised even those who closely charted his first term, in which he rolled back environmental rules and tore the US from the Paris climate agreement.Taken more than 140 actions to roll back environmental rules and push for greater use of fossil fuels.Set about rewriting regulations that limit pollution from cars, trucks and power plants.Officially reconsidering whether greenhouse gases actually cause harm to public health.Legally targeted states that have their own laws on tackling the climate crisis.Speeded up env...

Politics

5 h. ago Trump tariffs cause fastest slump in British factory export orders in five years – business live

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as UK manufacturers report falling export orders and China signals openness to US trade talks Fhaheen Khan, senior economist at Make UK, a lobby group for British manufacturing, said:UK manufacturers are caught in the eye of a perfect storm, with rising costs and international trade uncertainty undermining growth prospects. While actual changes in trade have been limited, the unpredictability, particularly around US tariff policy, is doing significant damage and paralysing decision makers. Many firms are delaying major investment decisions until greater clarity emerges, while being forced in the meantime to cut costs through redundancies while pushing through price increases.This has left manufacturing experiencing its most severe slowdown in years, with the UK at a competitive disadvantage compared to our European peers who are weathering current challenges relatively better. As a result, it is now vital that gover...

Politics