37 m. ago SNP accused of 'raiding' £8bn from councils' core funding as tax poised to rise

New analysis has suggested SNP ministers have cut Scottish councils’ core funding by almost £8 billion.

Economics

37 m. ago Labour has humane and popular plans to stand up for UK workers. Why dilute them? | Gaby Hinsliff

Angela Rayner’s employment rights bill is precisely why many voted for this government. Why be embarrassed about a defining policy?One step forward, two steps back. Angela Rayner’s employment rights bill is back in the Commons this week, stuffed with ideas for improving everyday working life: that’s the big step forward for a government that was elected on a promise of radical change. The weekend headlines, however, were all about what won’t be changing after all. The so-called right to switch off – an early Rayner idea about legislating to prevent employees being pestered by out-of-hours calls and emails, which was already presumed dead due to not being in the bill – was ritually killed off once again for the Sunday papers, with a briefing that it still won’t be in the bill after fresh amendments are tabled on Tuesday.Presumably the idea was to reassure businesses fearful of extra regulatory burdens, on top of the looming April hike in employers’ national insurance. But since it’s ...

Politics

97 m. ago Russia sending ‘suicidal missions’ to win foothold over Dnipro River, says Ukraine

Moscow trying to improve its claim to entire Kherson region in time for peace negotiations, says governorRussian forces are repeatedly trying to seize a foothold across Ukraine’s Dnipro River, dispatching troops on high-casualty missions to gain territory for future peace negotiations, according to the Ukrainian governor of Kherson region.Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian forces were trying to cross in four locations to justify their claim to the whole oblast, one of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow says it wants to incorporate. Continue reading...

Events

97 m. ago The Rainham volcano: a waste dump is constantly on fire in east London. Why will no one stop it?

Under Arnolds Field, tonnes of illegally dumped waste have been burning for years, spewing pollution over the area. Locals fear for their health – and despair that no one seems willing to helpOne afternoon in July 2011, an 11-year-old boy named William Knowlden was out cycling with friends when he came upon Arnolds Field, an expanse of green land in Havering, east London. The site spans about 17 hectares, or 24 football pitches, and around its perimeter runs a wooden fence, with two access points through which vehicles can pass. Arnolds Field rises much higher than the surrounding land. Its surface is lumpy and undulating, like a blanket thrown over a heap of cuddly toys. The land is overgrown. It has been decades since animals grazed there, and few people have set foot on it in recent years. But every so often, it is mistaken for a safe place to explore.As Knowlden descended a hill, he lost control and was thrown over the handlebars. When he came to, he was lying in a small crater ...

Events

98 m. ago Meghan Markle's 'sister' Delfina Blaquier in Netflix show despite awkward royal link

Meghan Markle has called in help from her celebrity pals to launch her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, including polo legend Nacho Figueras's wife Delfina Blaquier - who already has some royal links of her own

Politics

2 h. ago People over State Pension age living on their own could be due £4,200 income boost

Pension Credit claims can be backdated by up to three months and provide access to heating help next winter.

Economics

2 h. ago Largest wildfire in decades rages in Japan as authorities warn it could spread

Blaze in Ofunato has spread through 2,100 hectares of land, damaged dozens of homes and forced more than 1,000 to fleeAuthorities in Japan have warned that the country’s biggest wildfire in decades is likely to spread, after it damaged dozens of homes and forced more than 1,000 people to flee.Fires continued to rage a week after they broke out in the city of Ofunato, on the north-east coast, with weather officials speculating that this year’s unusually dry winter and strong winds were to blame. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago DWP sees 105,100 more Pension Credit applications as 1.4m receive support

The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed a large increase in the number of people claiming Pension Credit over the past year following Reeves' slashing of winter fuel payments

Politics

3 h. ago Urgent warning to anyone hanging bird boxes in certain position

Birdhouses can be a great way to attract a variety of different bird species to your garden, however outdoor experts warn that by hanging them incorrectly you could be doing more harm than good

Events

3 h. ago One benefit that could provide a free TV licence with over 100k new applications

Some older people across the UK could receive a wide range of extra support with just a £1 claim

Politics

3 h. ago Vance says US ‘working on’ Ukraine plan ‘with the Russians’ after Trump cuts defense aid to Kyiv

Vice President JD Vance on Monday said Trump administration officials are already in talks to put on a settlement to the years-long war Russia launched against Ukraine, and warned that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky needs to accept Donald Trump’s terms for a mineral rights deal and enter negotiations with Moscow.

Politics

3 h. ago More than 25 migrants died attempting to cross the Channel after Border Force 'rescued the wrong boat', inquiry hears

Around 33 people are believed to have been on board an inflatable dinghy which sank in the early hours of November 24, 2021 - killing at least 27 of its passengers including men, women and children.

Events

4 h. ago 'The harsh light of scrutiny is shining on the Labour Welsh Government'

Rhun ap Iorwerth is the leader of Plaid Cymru. In this opinion piece, he lays out why Plaid Cymru will not vote for Welsh Labour's spending plans

Politics

4 h. ago Why DO so many people hate Gail's? It's the upmarket bakery chain opening branches across the country

In November last year, Gail's, the upmarket bakery chain, announced it would be opening a new branch in Primrose Hill, a particularly chichi corner of north London.

Politics

5 h. ago Bridget Phillipson faces pressure to scrap VAT raid on private school fees as Labour MP calls for U

Dr Rupa Huq (pictured), the Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, said putting 20 per cent VAT on independent school fees was punishing 'working people'.

Events

5 h. ago Pensioners must answer 450 questions in FOUR hour long process to get winter fuel payment, research reveals

Many older people, particularly those with poor health or no internet access, are losing out on financial support due to 'long and complex' application forms.

Economics

5 h. ago Threatened species: court asked to compel Australian ministers to create recovery plans

The Wilderness Society launches legal action in hope of helping animals on brink of extinctionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne of Australia’s largest conservation organisations has launched legal action alleging that successive federal environment ministers failed to meet their obligation to create recovery plans for native species threatened with extinction.The Wilderness Society (TWS) filed the proceedings in the federal court on Monday.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago I was a runner on Gossip Girl and Blake Lively gave me the silent treatment just for saying hello to her

Blake Lively has been accused of being a 'mean girl' on set 'bullying people' as if she was still in 'high school', a former runner on Gossip Girl has revealed.

Politics

6 h. ago Killer whales amaze Seattle onlookers with rarely seen bird hunt

Gasps from dockside crowd watching Bigg’s orca pod in event described as ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’A pod of orcas swam close to shore and amazed onlookers in Seattle by treating the whale watchers to the rare sight of the apex predators hunting a bird.The pod of Bigg’s killer whales visited Elliott Bay and were seemingly on a hunt underwater just off Seattle’s maritime industrial docks. The pod exited the bay close to the West Seattle neighborhood across from downtown, where people were waiting to catch sight of them. Continue reading...

Events

6 h. ago Meghan Markle shares family's new surname and the special meaning behind it

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has opened up about her 'inherited' surname, and how much it means to her in a new interview ahead of the launch of her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan

Politics