3 h. ago Calls for smacking ban in England grow as 8 in 10 adults say punishment is 'unacceptable'

Parents are still allowed to use 'reasonable punishment' against their children despite the practice being outlawed in Scotland and Wales.

Politics

4 h. ago Government urged to enforce a total ban on smacking of children

Psychiatrists say decades of research show the ‘detrimental effects of physical punishment’

Politics

4 h. ago Call for complete ban on smacking children as new growing number say it's 'unacceptable'

Polling for the NSPCC by YouGov shows a huge majority - 81% - of parents with a child under 18 say using force, however slight, against a child crosses the line

Politics

4 h. ago Smacking ban urged amid growing belief child physical punishment ‘unacceptable’

According to the Children Act 2004, it is unlawful to hit your child, except where it is ‘reasonable punishment’, and this is judged case-by-case.

Politics

5 h. ago Fed governor urged by Trump to resign will not be ‘bullied’ into stepping down

Lisa Cook, first Black woman to sit on Fed board, responds after allegation by ally of president of mortgage fraudUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump has called on a Federal Reserve governor to immediately resign, renewing his extraordinary attack on the central bank’s independence as officials mull next steps on interest rates.A close Trump ally accused Lisa Cook, an appointee of Joe Biden, of “potentially committing mortgage fraud” and urged the US Department of Justice to investigate. Continue reading...

Politics

16 h. ago Notting Hill Carnival 2025: Food, travel, sound systems and everything you need to know for the festival

The world’s second-largest street festival returns this bank holiday weekend as London welcomes the 58th edition of Notting Hill Carnival. Its happening comes as a relief: there had been murmurs of cancellation; rumours of ticketing when it has always been free to attend. Organisers warned about the carnival’s future. In a letter leaked to the BBC, chair Ian Comfort requested “urgent funding” from the Government. He said it was “essential to safeguarding the future and public safety of this iconic event”. A response is said to be on its way.

Transport

28 h. ago Hospitality bosses urge government to lower taxes as ‘shocking’ data revealed

Industry bosses have shed light on the pressures being felt by hospitality operators

Politics

5 d. ago African Union joins calls to end use of Mercator map that shrinks continent’s size

Member states back Correct the Map campaign that urges governments and organisations to use more accurate mapThe African Union has backed a campaign to end the use by governments and international organisations of the 16th-century Mercator map of the world in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size.Created by the cartographer Gerardus Mercator for navigation, the projection distorts continent sizes, enlarging areas near the poles like North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America. “It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,” the African Union Commission deputy chair, Selma Malika Haddadi, told Reuters, saying the Mercator fostered a false impression that Africa was “marginal”, despite being the world’s second-largest continent by area, with more than 1 billion people. The union has 55 member states. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Son of Afghan man named in data breach says family face death or deportation

The son of a soldier whose name appeared in the 2022 defence data leak has urged the UK Government to intervene with his family at risk of being sent back to Afghanistan

Events

5 d. ago New calls to exempt people from paying National Insurance Contributions after 35 years

A new online petition is urging the UK Government to change the current policy on National Insurance deductions.

Politics

5 d. ago Tax the rich more to fill black hole in public finances, Labour members tell Starmer

Exclusive: PM urged to conduct a ‘radical change of direction’ as the government attempts to plug gaps in the public finances

Economics

7 d. ago Palestine Action terror ban risks ‘I am Spartacus’ moment, Labour peer warns

Baroness Chakrabarti urged the government to ‘think again’, warning that the ban on the group may lead to more people, not fewer, taking to the streets to support them

Events

8 d. ago MP removed from New Zealand parliament in heated debate over Palestinian recognition

Green party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick accused government MPs of lacking a ‘spine’ during debate on whether to recognise a Palestinian stateNew Zealand parliamentarian Chlöe Swarbrick was ordered to leave parliament on Tuesday during a heated debate over the government’s response to the conflict in Gaza.An urgent debate was called after the centre-right government said on Monday it was weighing up its position on whether to recognise a Palestinian state. Close ally Australia on Monday joined Canada, the UK and France in announcing it would recognise a Palestinian state at a UN conference in September. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Government urges households to check if they can save £150 on energy bills

There are less than two weeks to ensure you will receive the discount, the government has warned

Economics

8 d. ago Mapped: Areas most at risk during deadly heatwaves as charity urges government to protect vulnerable

New analysis shows thousands of young children, hospital patients and elderly people at risk as UK hit by fourth heatwave of summer

Events

8 d. ago UK Government must explain Faslane radioactive leak, demand Scottish Greens

The party has urged the UK government investigate and explain a series of leaks from two nuclear bases - Coulport and Faslane - into Loch Long.

Politics

8 d. ago The Cure, Lola Young, Bicep and Massive Attack urge Keir Starmer to block Rosebank North Sea oil field

The letter urges the Government to follow the science and states “any new application to exploit Rosebank’s reserves must be refused”.

Events

8 d. ago New call to replace annual TV licence fee of £174.50 with adverts or paywall

A new online petition is urging the UK Government to replace funding methods for the BBC TV licence fee.

Economics

8 d. ago Paloma Faith, Lola Young and The Cure urge Starmer to block Rosebank development

The letter urges the Government to follow the science and states ‘any new application to exploit Rosebank’s reserves must be refused’.

Politics

9 d. ago Teen told Mum 'I’m trying my best but nobody understands me' days before murder

Harvey Willgoose’s mum is urging the Government to act on ‘school avoiders’ like her son, after being shocked to learn that one in five children miss school daily.

Events