64 h. ago How did the UK's finances get into such a mess and what does the future hold?

The spring statement shone a light on the dire state of the UK finances - but how is it that our debt pile stands at £2.8trillion and we are paying over £100billion a year in interest?

Politics

67 h. ago Shuttle used to supply the International Space Station with food is damaged as future trips are put on hold

The spacecraft’s cargo module was damaged while in transit

Society

3 d. ago Swahili? Mandarin? The UK is increasingly multilingual – yet our politicians won’t talk about it | Laura Spinney

Even the census ignores them, but multilinguals could hold the key to Britain’s social and economic futureLaura Spinney is a science journalist and the author of Proton: How One Ancient Language went GlobalAs the chancellor searches for ways to stimulate growth, here’s a reminder to her – on the International Day of Multilingualism – that she’s sitting on a huge pot of gold. In 2014, the all-party parliamentary group on modern languages estimated that the UK’s untapped linguistic potential was worth£48bn. It’s £8bn more than Reeves added to the tax bill last year, and if anything it has grown, since Brexit has re-oriented “global Britain” towards customers beyond Europe. Ask any native English speaker who trades internationally: if you’re buying, English will do, but if you’re selling, better to speak the client’s tongue.The UK’s language teaching has been in steady decline for 30 years, and a big cause is a lack of qualified language teachers. That’s one reality. Another is that, o...

Politics

3 d. ago Gaza’s children: what can the future possibly hold for them?

Tens of thousands of children have been wounded in Gaza, which now has the most child amputees per capita in the world. Even those evacuated for treatment face an impossible pathWhen I entered the home in north-east Philadelphia, Elias, a lively four-year-old boy, grabbed the pack of KitKats I had brought with me and began swinging it over his head. He whirled around in circles, hollering something unintelligible. In a familiar scene – I have small children of my own – his mother tried to impose order, but yielded to the greater force of a kid on sugar kept indoors by a cold snap.Elias, his five-year-old sister Taline and nine-year-old brother Khaled were in the US because Elias and Taline needed urgent medical care. They had sustained staggering injuries when Israel’s military shot a missile at the house they were taking refuge in. The explosion cleaved Elias’s right leg off below the knee. Taline’s injuries were also severe; she arrived in the US with external fixators – pins and ...

Politics

3 d. ago There are more child amputees in Gaza than anywhere else in the world. What can the future hold for them?

Tens of thousands of children have been wounded in Gaza. Even those evacuated for treatment face an impossible pathWhen I entered the home in north-east Philadelphia, Elias, a lively four-year-old boy, grabbed the pack of KitKats I had brought with me and began swinging it over his head. He whirled around in circles, hollering something unintelligible. In a familiar scene – I have small children of my own – his mother tried to impose order, but yielded to the greater force of a kid on sugar kept indoors by a cold snap.Elias, his five-year-old sister Taline and nine-year-old brother Khaled were in the US because Elias and Taline needed urgent medical care. They had sustained staggering injuries when an Israeli pilot or drone operator shot a missile at the house they were taking refuge in. The explosion cleaved Elias’s right leg off below the knee. Taline’s injuries were also severe; she arrived in the US with external fixators – pins and steel in her legs – as she battled infection. ...

Politics

1 week ago Councillors still hold concerns about future council plans to deal with Cardiff charities

Cardiff Council has come up with a new way of making decisions on charities of which it is the sole trustee in an attempt to better protect their interests

Economics

2 w. ago Electric England answer Steve Borthwick call as bold selections pay off in Wales rout

10-try Six Nations demolition in Cardiff offers exciting glimpse of what the future could hold

Politics

2 w. ago What happened the last time Man United played in front of 100,000 fans amid new stadium plans?

Manchester United unveiled plans for s 100,000-seater stadium earlier this week as they consider what the future might hold for Old Trafford.

Politics

2 w. ago Steve Clarke in shock Scotland job admission as next year will determine his future but bottom line remains the same

Clarke's contract runs out after the 2026 World Cup - but the head coach appears to have softened his stance on what the future might hold.

Events

3 w. ago Roy Keane makes worrying Man Utd admission and doubts Ruben Amorim will turn things around

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has failed to improve their fortunes in the Premier League since taking charge in November and Roy Keane is concerned at what the future may hold

Events