3 d. ago The Guardian view on Labour’s investment plans: sugaring the bitter pill of austerity | Editorial

The chancellor is right to be planning for the long term, but voters won’t be patient if change isn’t felt soonInequality between British regions is not a new problem and Rachel Reeves is not the first chancellor to want to close the gap. In 2014, George Osborne promised a “northern powerhouse” to rival the dominance of London and the south-east. He pledged devolution and investment in infrastructure to connect northern cities, to unlock productivity and growth.Since then, Britain’s economy has suffered multiple shocks, some external (the pandemic, inflation stoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), others self-inflicted (Brexit, Liz Truss’s mini-budget). Each time, the damage was more severe in places already falling behind. Boris Johnson claimed levelling up as his defining purpose. Rishi Sunak let the ambition slide. Now it is being revived by a Labour chancellor. In a speech announcing transport investments on Wednesday, Ms Reeves promised a “renewal of Britain”, with prosperity ...

Politics

3 d. ago Londoners call for boating firm's alcohol licence to be blocked after 'menace' customers urinate on canal paths and harass locals

Residents claim to have seen defecation, intimidation and damage to property from drunken customers in GoBoat vessels

Economics

3 d. ago Stroud Green plane tree faces axe again over root damage claims

Stroud Green plane tree faces axe again over root damage claims  BBC

Events

4 d. ago Ukraine hits bridge linking Crimea to Russia with underwater explosives

Operation ‘severely damaged’ base of Kerch Bridge, opened by Putin in 2018, Kyiv’s SBU security service saysEurope live – latest updatesUkraine has detonated a massive underwater blast targeting the key road and rail bridge connecting the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula to Russia, damaging its underwater supports.The operation, claimed by Kyiv’s SBU security service, is the second high-profile operation by Ukraine in days striking significant Russian assets after a sophisticated drone raid on Moscow’s strategic bomber fleet on Sunday. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Ukraine delegation arrives in Istanbul for talks with Russian officials following drone attack in Siberia – Russia

Second round of peace talks follows Kyiv drone attack on Russian air bases A Ukrainian delegation has arrived in Istanbul for talks with Russian officials with a meeting planned for Monday afternoon, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s foreign ministry said.The two sides are set to hold their second round of direct peace talks since 2022, but are still far apart on how to end the war amid an increase in fighting.Ukraine said on Sunday it had destroyed Russian bombers worth billions of dollars as far away as Siberia, in its longest-range assault of the war. In a spectacular claim, Ukraine said it had damaged $7bn worth of Russian aircraft parked at four airbases thousands of kilometres (miles) away, with unverified video footage showing aircraft engulfed in flames and black smoke. A source in the Ukrainian security services (SBU) said the strikes hit 41 planes that were used to “bomb Ukrainian villages”.Several Russian and Ukrainian media outlets reported that Ukraine had carried out the ...

Events

8 d. ago Gerry Adams is awarded £84,000 damages after winning libel action against the BBC over claim he sanctioned 2006 murder

Mr Adams said that a BBC Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of Denis Donaldson, for which he denies any involvement.

Events

9 d. ago Police launch hunt after thugs smash windows and throw paint on Jewish

Scotland Yard are treating the attack claimed by Palestine Action in Stamford Hill as ‘racially aggravated criminal damage’

Events

1 week ago Marine conservation group claims damage to seabeds is a ‘national scandal’

The charity Open Seas accused Scottish ministers of continuing to allow ‘destructive’ fishing practices to be carried out in protected areas.

Events

1 week ago 'Neighbour claims my WiFi is damaging her plants and has outrageous demand'

A man was baffled after his neighbour approached him to claim that his WiFi was damaging her houseplants - and her suggestion for how to fix the issue left him outraged

Politics

2 w. ago Volunteers collect nearly 900 pieces of litter from small stretch of Dumfries and Galloway coastline

The Marine Conservation Society has revealed volunteers in Scotland picked up an average of 204 litter items for every 100m of beach cleaned in 2024.

Politics

3 w. ago How many rangers does it take to weigh a puffin? Sweet snaps show birds as they're set to become 'internet sensations'

While they may not realise they are on their way to stardom, rare seabirds have been weighed and assessed by National Trust rangers as the annual puffin count gets underway.

Politics

3 w. ago Keir Starmer claims soaring immigration has done ‘incalculable’ damage to UK, economically and politically – UK politics live

PM unveils new policies meant to drive down net migration by end of this parliamentQ: If you want to grow the economy, won’t these plans make it harder because it will be more difficult for people to get UK citizenship?Starmer says he does not accept the argument that high immigration is always good for growth. The last government had high immigration but stagnant growth.I promise that [net migration] will fall significantly, and I do want to get it down by the end of this parliament, significantly. Continue reading...

Politics