52 h. ago Thousands offered UK asylum in secret scheme after personal data of Afghans who helped British forces leaked by mistake – live

Dataset containing details of thousands of Afghans who applied for relocation to UK released ‘in error’ in 2022Helen Miller is taking over as director of the Insitute for Fiscal Studies thinktank this week, taking over from Paul Johnson, who established himself as the nation’s leading budget commentator.Budget commentary tends to focus on the Treasury’s fiscal rules, on how much “headroom” is available to Rachel Reeves (spare cash in the budget – based on spending plans and anticipated tax revenue, based on the OBR’s growth assumptions), and whether tax or spending plans need to change because the OBR’s forecasts have shifted.Labour came to office with the promise of a ‘mission-driven’ government – a commitment to long-term thinking and systemic reform. The ambition that we should be ‘raising our sights as a nation’ and finding ways to tackle the big challenges we face is the right one.Despite this, we continue to limp from fiscal event to fiscal event, obsessed with whether run of ...

Society

3 d. ago Trump ‘very disappointed’ in Putin as he vows to send Ukraine Patriot missiles ahead of meeting with NATO boss

President slams Putin for continued bombing attacks on Ukrainian civilians

Politics

6 d. ago Shunned Myanmar leader thrilled at US contact after Trump tariff letter

Min Aung Hlaing expresses ‘sincere appreciation’ for letter from US president threatening 40% tariffMyanmar’s military leader has praised Donald Trump and asked him to lift sanctions, as the junta sought to capitalise on a tariff letter from the US president believed to be Washington’s first public recognition of its rule.Min Aung Hlaing, who has been in power since a 2021 coup, expressed his “sincere appreciation” for Trump’s letter, which threatened a tariff of 40% on its goods, and commended the US president for his “strong leadership” and for guiding the US “toward national prosperity with the spirit of a true patriot”. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago VERY awkward moment Donald Trump praises Liberian president for speaking 'such good English' and asking where he learned it... despite it being the country's official language

During a gathering at the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump zeroed in on Liberian president Joseph Boakai to commend his command of the English language.

Politics

7 d. ago Glasgow gang boss pictured for first time in years after spending £1,000s to change face

Steven Lyons, who has been living abroad for nearly 20 years, has changed his appearance by getting 'extensive cosmetic work done' including Botox, a source said

Economics

1 week ago Trump news at a glance: President rings in Independence Day by signing his ‘big, beautiful’ bill into law

Democrats warn the major changes will benefit the wealthy and hit low-income earners hardest – key US politics stories from Friday 4 July at a glanceDonald Trump kicked off Independence Day by signing into law his sweeping tax and spending bill during a Fourth of July picnic at the White House.The president’s signature legislation, which he called the “big, beautiful bill”, introduces major changes including tax cuts, spending boosts for defence and more aggressive funding for an immigration crackdown. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago MTG calls pressure to meet Trump’s July 4 megabill deadline ‘a s***show’

Georgia populist tells Steve Bannon rush to vote through tax and spending legislation after multiple changes made in Senate ‘not realistic’ and ‘a dire situation’

Events

2 w. ago Wrexham's Rob McElhenney spends £330 to change name after Ryan Reynolds tried to help

Rob McElhenney announced in May that he would be shortening his name to "Rob Mac" and has now explained his reasons for the name change after filing legal documents

Economics

2 w. ago Senate Republicans pass Trump’s sweeping policy bill, clearing major hurdle

Legislation goes to House but unclear if lower chamber will accept changes to tax and spending bill amid factional splitsSenate Republicans on Tuesday passed a major tax and spending bill demanded by Donald Trump, ending weeks of negotiations over the comprehensive legislation and putting it another step closer to enactment.But it remains unclear if changes made by the chamber will be accepted by the House of Representatives, which approved an initial draft of the legislation last month by a single vote. While Republicans control both house of Congress, factionalism in the lower chamber is particularly intense, with rightwing fiscal hardliners demanding deep spending cuts, moderates wary of dismantling safety net programs and Republicans from Democratic-led states expected to make a stand on a contentious tax provision. Any one of these groups could potentially derail the bill’s passage through a chamber where the GOP can lose no more than three votes. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Mark Zuckerberg’s charity backing away from DEI and political spending after Trump criticisms and staff tensions: report

Changes in spending come as Meta has instituted Trump-friendly changes like a new board member and ending fact-checking

Politics

3 w. ago NATO chief Mark Rutte squirms under criticism after calling Donald Trump 'Daddy'

Mark Rutte, who has been Secretary General of NATO since October 2024, referred to Donald Trump as "Daddy" when he praised the US President's approach to the Iran-Israel ceasefire

Politics

3 w. ago Change in Nato mindset brought on by Vladimir Putin as much as Donald Trump

Allies agreed to raise defence spending to counter likely prospect of Russian remilitarisation if Ukraine war endsThe price was high, but for now, at least, a crisis in Nato has been averted. Donald Trump may like to take the credit for almost all of the 32 allies agreeing to a sharp increase in defence spending, but the reality is that the dramatic change in the Nato mindset was as much brought on by Vladimir Putin.The Russian president’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was the first jolt, but there is a second uncomfortable reality. If there is a sustainable ceasefire in Ukraine, it will mean the deployment of a European-led peacekeeping force in the country – and after a while, Russia’s military might will inevitably recover. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago NATO chief Mark Rutte battles fierce backlash after calling Donald Trump 'Daddy'

Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, referred to Donald Trump as 'Daddy' as he praised the US president's approach to the Iran-Israel ceasefire in reference to Trump's F-bomb tirade on live TV

Politics

3 w. ago It’s also a ‘new era’ for share prices in the defence sector

Nato’s spending splurge has made Babcock hot – a sign fundamental change in dull income defence stocks is happening It’s a miracle. Babcock International, the defence contractor with a specialism in kitting out the UK’s nuclear submarines, has emerged from the depths. After about half a decade in which the story was mostly about cost overruns, acquisition indigestion, accounting woes, pension deficits and too much debt, Babcock is suddenly back in the FTSE 100 index and is a hot stock. The share price has more than doubled this year.Of course it’s not really a miracle because the performance is easily explained. A fix-the-basics strategy was started in 2020 under ex-Cobham boss David Lockwood and has worked. The last of the badly performing major contracts – to build first-of-a-kind Type 31 frigates for the Royal Navy – is no longer spitting out provisions. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago NATO boss praises ‘Dear Donald’ for pushing alliance to boost defense spending: ‘You made this change possible’

Secretary General Mark Rutte credits Trump with pushing for ‘concrete plan’ to have member nations spend at least five percent of GDP on defense

Economics

3 w. ago NATO chief says 'Daddy Trump has to use bad words sometimes' as he 'sorts out' war

World leaders are gathered for a Nato summit in The Hague, but the star of the show is Donald Trump, who has been lavished with praise by general secretary Mark Rutte amid calls for greater spending

Politics

3 w. ago Ukrainian President Zelenskyy sidelined as NATO leaders meet to agree defense spending boost

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is looking on from the sidelines as NATO leaders meet to agree a significant boost in defense spending that is spurred by Russian aggression

Politics

3 w. ago Nato’s Mark Rutte praises Donald Trump for making Europe ‘pay in a BIG way’

US president releases flattering message from secretary-general that also hails ‘truly extraordinary’ Iran strikes

Politics

3 w. ago Unthinkable Russia should outproduce us, Nato’s Rutte says, as summit waits for arrival of Trump – Europe live

Nato secretary general urges alliance to push for military investment before arrival of US president this eveningAnalysis: Summit set to be triumphant for Trump but deflating for UkraineWhittaker also says that he is expecting US president Donald Trump “might deliver some remarks” on his views on the summit, as he stresses that “we need to make sure that everyone’s investing in the common defence of the Alliance.”“I don’t want to sort of steal what he might say, nor do I claim to be able to read his mind and know what he’s going to say. But I think he has demonstrated through, again, decisive action leading to peace.”“And again, that’s good for Europe, because there’s been a lot of irregular flows of migrants through Europe, from the Middle East because of the instability. And so hopefully, with Syria now appearing to be stable, with Iran, maybe in check a little more than they had been, I think we could really see a generational moment here where the Middle East is more stable than...

Politics

3 w. ago Students will spend 25 YEARS on their phones if screen habits don't change, study finds

The average school, college or university student spends five and a half hours on their phone per day, which could amount to 25 years of their lives.

Politics