39 m. ago Is the UK on the brink of a recession? This business bulletin explains why that might be the case

Watch the biggest business stories making the headlines today - in less than two minutes.

Economics

47 m. ago McDonald’s franchises told to tackle sexual harassment or face regulator action

Earlier this year, more than 700 people who were aged 19 or younger when working at McDonald’s instructed law firm Leigh Day to take legal action.

Events

51 m. ago ‘Meal prep’ your outfits for the week ahead and you’ll feel invincible | Jess Cartner

Mapping out what you are going to wear each day saves you time and gives you peace of mindI’m sure ayahuasca is probably really great, but have you ever experienced the absolute rush you get when you have prepped a whole week’s worth of outfits in advance? No? Oh, then you haven’t lived. The thrill of it. The next-level smugness. The whole 10 minutes extra in bed every morning. The self-belief that comes from knowing you have nailed a killer look for the meeting you are dreading on Wednesday afternoon. This is what invincibility feels like, my friends.I’m not saying spontaneity is overrated, not exactly. Just that it has its place. And flicking through clothes hangers on a dark Monday morning when your phone is popping with work emails is not that place. There has always been a lifestyle trend for prepping meals, and it is rapidly advancing into fashion. Batch cooking is in vogue. TikTok is now full of uncannily wholesome looking influencers (possibly AI-generated: “S...

Politics

61 m. ago New State Pension uprating next month could see more older people paying tax in retirement

Older people with only the State Pension as their source of income will not pay income tax.

Economics

66 m. ago Golfer blind in one eye after ball knocked him out for five minutes

Fellow golfers though Leigh was dead after the hit. He has been unable to work since the accident and says he will have to sell his home

Politics

85 m. ago Passengers evacuate onto wing as American Airlines plane catches fire

Twelve people have been taken to hospital after the incident at Denver International Airport on Thursday

Events

97 m. ago Millions of people celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors

Millions of people in South Asia are celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, by smearing each other with brightly colored powder, dancing to festive music and feasting on traditional sweets prepared for the occasion

Culture

1 hour ago The global battle against the climate crisis needs China. I am going to Beijing, and that’s what I’ll tell them | Ed Miliband

I will be the first UK energy secretary since 2017 to visit. It is negligence towards today’s and future generations not to engage China on this critical topicThe climate crisis is an existential threat to our way of life in Britain. Extreme weather is already changing the lives of people and communities across the country, from thousands of acres of farmland being submerged due to storms such as Bert and Darragh to record numbers of heat-related deaths in recent summers.The only way to respond to this challenge is with decisive action at home and abroad. Domestically, this government’s clean-energy superpower mission is about investing in homegrown clean energy so we can free the UK from dependence on fossil fuel markets while seizing the immense opportunities for jobs and growth. Continue reading...

Events

1 hour ago Gran, 54, mistaken for people half her age says sleep trick has transformed her life

Gina Stewart, 54, who is known as the 'world's hottest gran', has opened up about the benefits of sleeping naked – and she has noticed some big changes

Politics

2 h. ago Tricky maths puzzle only 10% of people can solve – but it has easy answer

A maths puzzle that only 10% of people can solve has been shared on TikTok, but people have been left scratching their heads over the answer – can you work it out?

Politics

2 h. ago American Airlines: Moment plane engine bursts into flames forcing passengers onto wing

All 178 people on board were able to evacuate with 12 taken to hospitals with minor injuries

Politics

2 h. ago ‘All the birds returned’: How China led the way in water and soil conservation

The Loess plateau was the most eroded place on Earth until China took action and reversed decades of damage from grazing and farmingIt was one of China’s most ambitious environmental endeavours ever.The Loess plateau, an area spanning more than 245,000 sq miles (640,000 sq km) across three provinces and parts of four others, supports about 100 million people. By the end of the 20th century, however, this land, once fertile and productive, was considered the most eroded place on Earth, according to a documentary by the ecologist John D Liu. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago A president touting Musk’s cars from the White House shows this: the Tesla boycott really irks him | Gaby Hinsliiff

Trump has met a force he cannot control: people’s ability to parade their anger and distaste through consumer choiceWhat do you buy the richest man in the world? The answer, obviously, is the one thing that usually can’t be had for love nor money, and that’s pimping out the presidential office for advertising purposes.Posing with Elon Musk beside a scarlet Tesla parked on the White House driveway, Donald Trump announced that he was buying one of his friend’s cars despite not being allowed to drive for security reasons because: “I just want people to know that you can’t be penalised for being a patriot.” The billionaire currently chainsawing his way through so many ordinary federal workers’ jobs had, he said indignantly, been unfairly treated by people who inexplicably now seem to have turned against his cars.Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago ‘My career flashed before my eyes’: Steven McRae’s devastating onstage injury and proud return as Romeo

When the Royal Ballet star snapped his achilles tendon during a performance in 2019, he feared for his future in dance. A new documentary charts his gruelling recoveryDebuting in the role of Romeo as a young dancer with the Royal Ballet in 2007 remains one of my all-time highs. Each time you step out to tackle the iconic repertory feels surreal and to perform on the Royal Opera House stage is the most extraordinary feeling.That’s something I have regularly experienced since joining the company in 2004 until Bang! In October 2019, alone on stage with 2,250 people watching, I took off for a jump and my achilles tendon snapped. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago ‘Ruined this place’: chorus of boos against JD Vance at Washington concert

Attendance of vice-president – who once disbelieved that people listened to classical music for pleasure – strikes sour note at Kennedy Center in light of Maga takeoverJD Vance, the US vice-president, was booed by the audience as he took his seat at a National Symphony Orchestra concert at Washington’s Kennedy Center on Thursday evening.As the normal pre-concert announcements got under way, the vice-presidential party filed into the box tier. Booing and jeering erupted in the hall, drowning out the announcements, as Vance and his wife, Usha, took their seats. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago DWP claimants on two key benefits should act now to potentially increase monthly payments by £600

People on Personal Independence Payments (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) are being advised to inform the DWP of any changes in their health condition

Economics

3 h. ago The 'secret' eye rule that will make you 10 times more attractive instantly

An Australian relationship expert has revealed a lesser-known trick which she claims makes you instantly more attractive.

Politics

4 h. ago Friday’s briefing: Man Utd, Tottenham and Rangers secure Europa League progress

Bruno Fernandes’ hat-trick helped United beat Real Sociedad 4-1, while Friday will see new England boss Thomas Tuchel name his first squad.

Politics

4 h. ago PIP payments of up to £737 each month for people with muscle or joint conditions

More than one million people are receiving between £28.70 and £184.30 each week through PIP or Adult Disability Payment for musculoskeletal conditions.

Economics

6 h. ago BRIAN VINER reviews Black Bag: This spy thriller is just too clever for its own good

On the last day of Cheltenham, here's an equine expression to describe, or rather not describe, director Steven Soderbergh: the prolific fellow is anything but a one-trick pony.

Politics