3 h. ago Civil servants run up £170,000 bill as they enjoy 'boozy' work trip on French Riviera... as UK households brace for steep council tax rises

Dozens of officials spent three days in the sun at the annual Mipim real estate conference in Cannes in March.

Economics

4 h. ago George Clooney says replacing Joe Biden with Kamala Harris ‘was a mistake’

Actor says Harris ‘was given a very tough task’ because ‘she had to run against her own record’, and extends an olive branch to Hunter BidenGeorge Clooney has said he feels it was a “mistake” for Kamala Harris to replace Joe Biden in the 2024 US presidential election, adding that he had no regrets about the New York Times opinion piece in which he called on the Democrats to find a new presidential nominee.Speaking on CBS’ Sunday Morning, the actor and activist, who is a prominent financial donor to the Democratic party, said he would write his op-ed again if given the chance, and that he wished the Democrats had held a new primary to elect a presidential candidate. Instead, Harris was nominated by a virtual vote of party delegates. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Study to determine if AI can make better treatment decisions for prostate cancer

The Vanguard Path study is led by researchers at the University of Oxford and funded with £1.9 million from the charity Prostate Cancer UK.

Politics

5 h. ago RAF veteran, 90, threatened with eviction from flat after motorised scooter is deemed a fire risk by jobsworth landlord

AN RAF veteran has been threatened with eviction over his mobility scooter — just before Remembrance Day. Ron Gibbs, 90, moved into son Jason’s one-bed housing association flat last year as his health failed. The ex-RAF electrician kept his motorised scooter, which he uses to walk his two Yorkshire terriers, outside the back door. Last...

Events

6 h. ago George Clooney says it was ‘mistake’ to replace Biden with Harris in US election

The Democrat also said he is ‘saddened’ by the ‘real attack’ on US institutions that ‘hold truth to power’.

Politics

9 h. ago Nigel Farage to promise business deregulation in economic policy speech

Reform UK leader to set out ‘pro-entrepreneurship’ agenda while rowing back on tax cuts pledgeNigel Farage will promise a bonfire of business regulation as he spells out his party’s economic policies in more detail than ever in an attempt to bolster its reputation for fiscal credibility.The Reform leader will give a speech in London putting deregulation at the heart of his economic agenda, while also dropping a commitment made at the last election to deliver £90bn of tax cuts. Continue reading...

Economics

10 h. ago UK firework laws: How to avoid landing ‘unlimited’ fine on Bonfire Night 2025

Everything you need to know about avoiding an "unlimited" fine this Bonfire Night

Events

11 h. ago Tess Daly poses beside stunning daughter Phoebe, 21, in Strictly studio and pays sweet tribute after Halloween special

TESS Daly has posed beside her stunning daughter Phoebe, 21, in the Strictly studio and paid a sweet tribute after the Halloween special. Tess and Claudia Winkleman  recently announced they had quit the show with a joint clip on Instagram. Taking to Instagram, Tess shared a gorgeous snap with her daughter, who she shares with TV and Radio...

Politics

11 h. ago Cat owner is fined £1,100 after her pet 'trespasses' into her neighbour's garden in France

Dominique Valdes's cat Rémi was found guilty of causing damage to the neighbour's property in the French town of Agde.

Economics

12 h. ago The Guardian view on the Dutch election: an uplifting victory for the politics of hope not hate | Editorial

Targeting the negativity of the far right, the big winner of last week’s poll was able to cut through with votersOne of the tightest elections in Dutch history produced an outcome so close that first steps in negotiating a new coalition government have yet to begin. But at a time when the forward march of the far right across Europe is dominating headlines, sapping the confidence of mainstream parties, one uplifting takeaway was immediately clear: a less divisive kind of politics can still cut through with the public, if it is prosecuted with conviction and panache.The big and unexpected winner of last week’s poll was 38-year-old Rob Jetten, the charismatic leader of the centrist liberal party D66, which almost tripled its vote and is set to top the polls by a whisker. Basing his campaign on the Obama-style slogan “Yes we can”, Mr Jetten presented himself as an optimistic unifier to an electorate exhausted by the polarising politics of Geert Wilders, whose anti-i...

Politics

12 h. ago Obama calls Mamdani and offers to be ‘sounding board’ if he wins mayoral race

Former president also praises Mamdani’s campaign against rivals Andrew Cuomo and Curtis SliwaZohran Mamdani, who is favored to win New York City’s mayoral election on Tuesday, reportedly received a call Saturday from his fellow Democrat Barack Obama – and the former president offered to be a “sounding board” if his expected victory indeed materializes.Obama also praised the campaign Mamdani had run against his main independent rival, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and the Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.Reuters contributed to this report Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago Former SNP Health Secretary says governments are to blame for state of NHS

Jeane Freeman said politicians do not look at how the health service could be improved long-term because they are too busy focussing on the next election.

Politics

12 h. ago Rachel Reeves’s 5% VAT cut on electricity bills will backfire, experts say

Critics believe cut would mostly benefit better-off people with larger homes and increase carbon emissionsProposals being considered by Rachel Reeves to cut tax on electricity bills will backfire, experts have warned, resulting in a giveaway to richer homeowners and undermining the UK’s climate commitments.The chancellor is understood to be looking at plans to eliminate the 5% VAT charge on electricity bills as a fast and simple way to reduce bills for consumers and ease the cost of living pressures that have aided the rise of Reform UK. Continue reading...

Science

12 h. ago Tess Daly gushes over 21 years of memories with lookalike daughter Phoebe at the Strictly studios as she shares sweet snap

The Strictly host, 56, was signed as the host for Strictly alongside Bruce Forsyth in 2004 - the same year she gave birth to Phoebe, 21.

Politics

13 h. ago Zohran Mamdani shrugs off Islamophobic attacks with ad showing him addressing NYC voters in Arabic days before mayor election

The Democratic candidate, who is Muslim, recently delivered a speech condemning Islamophobia

Politics

13 h. ago Jannik Sinner regains world number one status with Paris Masters triumph

Sinner was favourite to triumph by the Seine.

Politics

13 h. ago Former Disney World cast member reveals what employees secretly hate about working in the park

The ex-employee, from the US, revealed some of the biggest frustrations experienced by staff - including guests who 'snap' their fingers and complain about the weather.

Society

13 h. ago California set to approve Prop 50 as voters signal displeasure with Trump

Voters set to accept new maps to help Democrats counter Republican gerrymandering – and check president’s powerCalifornia’s Proposition 50 began as a warning from the nation’s largest blue state to its largest red one: don’t poke the bear. But when Texas moved ahead with a rare, mid-decade gerrymander, pushed by Donald Trump as Republicans seek to shore up their fragile House majority in the midterm elections, California made good on its threat.Now, California voters appear poised to approve a redistricting measure placed on the ballot in August by Democrats and the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, who have cast it as a chance to check Trump’s power. Continue reading...

Politics

14 h. ago Strictly Come Dancing's Claudia Winkleman unrecognisable in rare throwback snap

TV presenter Claudia Winkleman looks worlds away from how she does now in a rare throwback snap as she announced her departure from Strictly Come Dancing

Politics

14 h. ago Three everyday foods longevity experts say you should AVOID to slash your risk of developing dementia

While there is no anti-Alzheimer's diet, experts say the risk of developing dementia could be reduced with certain changes to your diet.

Events