56 m. ago UK economy posts surprise 0.3% growth in three months to June

GDP figure slower than previous quarter but beats expectations thanks to 0.4% expansion last monthThe UK economy grew at a faster rate than expected in the second quarter, official figures show, despite pressure on households and businesses from tax increased and Donald Trump’s global trade war.Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed growth in gross domestic product (GDP) slowed to 0.3% in the three months to the end of June, down from a rate of 0.7% in the first quarter. Continue reading...

Politics

83 m. ago A journey to belonging: asylum seekers reflect on 10 years in Europe – in pictures

Ten years ago, 1 million people fled into Europe, escaping conflict and poverty. Many had travelled for years in search of peace, prosperity or stability, and found it in countries such as Italy, Germany and Belgium. But the journey to truly belong continues.A decade on, after finding work and learning a new language, four asylum seekers feel torn. They recall the woodlands of northern Nigeria, a river that flows through a Syrian town – or the nightmare of child abuse in Afghanistan. They are still homesick and wrestle with the possibility – or impossibility – of return. They are part of a new, transformed Europe Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Urgent warning as cases of mosquito virus causing 'sudden fever' rise in UK

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also detected the first cases of the emerging disease oropouche virus in the UK, all of which were linked to travel from Brazil

Events

2 h. ago Eight things we learned from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s marathon New Heights podcast

If you don’t have a spare two hours to listen to Swift talking about The Life of a Showgirl on her boyfriend’s podcast, we did it for youTwo years ago, American footballer Travis Kelce famously used the New Heights podcast – which he hosts with his brother Jason – to announce that he wanted to date Taylor Swift. This was after he failed to get her attention at her Eras tour show at Arrowhead Stadium, home to his team, the Kansas City Chiefs. Somehow, it worked: he managed to get the girl. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago 'Glacial outburst' causes massive floods in Alaska as residents forced to evacuate

Alaskans were forced to evacuate their homes after the Mendenhall River was overwhelmed on Tuesday, sending dangerous floodwaters and debris into surrounding communities.

Events

2 h. ago Urgent alert after 'worrying' rise in virus causing 'pain for years'

The UKHSA has also detected the first cases of another disease

Events

2 h. ago Quirky Manchester city centre ice cream spot has just been named among the UK's best

The quirky ice cream bar has a permanent home in Affleck's palace as well as a mobile ice cream van

Politics

2 h. ago Nicola Sturgeon’s immense political talent is undeniable. The nationalism was the problem | Martin Kettle

Many of her admirers gloss over her desire to break up the UK as Scotland’s first minister. But in her open and touching memoir, it plays a starring roleNicola Sturgeon was – and still is – important, talented, personable and, to many, inspirational. She was also extremely lucky and often wrong, sometimes seriously so. There are examples of all these qualities in her newly published memoir, Frankly. Sturgeosceptics should concede at once that it contains much that is fascinating, especially about her relations with her charismatic mentor turned vengeful enemy Alex Salmond. Starry-eyed Sturgies should equally admit she made several deep and lasting errors that have left behind a divided nationalist party and movement.The book is more open and touching about private issues than most political memoirs, although Sturgeon deploys these qualities selectively. Many of the intimate reflections are about being a woman in politics. Other memoirs by female politicians – including those of Marg...

Politics

2 h. ago Does a European home for €1 sound too good to be true? Here's what you need to know

The deals promise Brits a sunny new life — but they’re often too good to be true

Politics

2 h. ago How to make a classic Battenberg cake with almond, jam and marzipan

This retro teatime favourite is easier to bake than it looks. Food writer Jane Dunn shares her step-by-step guide to mastering the iconic pink-and-yellow sponge, sandwiched with apricot jam and wrapped in marzipan

Politics

3 h. ago Spanish people know deadly heatwaves are now an annual event. So why are our politicians in denial? | María Ramírez

We need everyday solutions like ‘cool banks’ and shaded areas, as well as serious policies on emissions. The government must step upGrowing up in Madrid, intense summer heat was nothing unusual. I quickly learned always to cross the street in search of shade, and never to be caught out in the sun at 3pm. But as a child in the early 1980s, I never felt dizzy after spending more than a few minutes outdoors, nor did I struggle to study or sleep at home because of the heat. Back then, air conditioning was a rarity, something only Americans had. But we were fine: the stuttering fan in my mother’s Ford Fiesta was enough to keep us comfortable on holiday escapes from the capital.What is happening in Spain now goes far beyond discomfort. More than 1,500 deaths have already been linked to heatwaves this summer alone. Public-sector workers are collapsing from heatstroke on our city streets. Entire communities in the Madrid suburbs have been devastated by wildfires. On Monday, 198 weather stat...

Politics

3 h. ago Welsh town's cliff railway pulls you up to incredible coastal views and hilltop café attraction

Something curious rises from the northern end of this Welsh promenade and features unique attractions.

Politics

3 h. ago Photos of the National Guard and federal agents in Washington

After President Donald Trump's announcement that his administration would take over Washington’s police department for at least a month, hundreds of members of the National Guard began to arrive in the capital.

Culture

3 h. ago Dog walker dumps exhausted pet in home after walk in 27C heat before owner finds it dead

Dave McGhee - who runs Dave’s Dugs - has been slammed for not seeking veterinary help for left English Bulldog Shelby.

Society

4 h. ago Traders on one of Cardiff's busiest streets say they are targeted by thieves daily

Amid the ongoing disorder UK home secretary Yvette Cooper visited the neighbourhood to offer some reassurance

Events

4 h. ago Welsh street where shops are robbed every day among street drinking, drugs, and fighting

Amid the ongoing disorder UK home secretary Yvette Cooper visited the neighbourhood to offer some reassurance

Events

4 h. ago Welsh street where shops are robbed every day and people drink, take drugs, and fight

Amid the ongoing disorder UK home secretary Yvette Cooper visited the neighbourhood to offer some reassurance

Events

6 h. ago Home and Away star reveals he was drugged and raped by two men when he was 18

Home and Away star Mat Stevenson has revealed he was raped by two men when he was 18 years old.

Events

6 h. ago Three men arrested for allegedly boosting $2 million from armored truck parked at a Home Depot

One of the alleged robbers was recently fired from Brinks, say Philadelphia police

Economics

7 h. ago Death of influencer Emilie Kiser's son is the latest high profile child drowning tragedy: Now experts issue urgent safety warning to all parents

Trigg Kiser, three, drowned at the home of his parents, social media star Emilie Kiser and her husband Brady, in May - accident prevention experts have since issued a stark warning to parents.

Events