15 h. ago Six great reads: €1 Italian houses, how to make small talk and the truth about Tesla

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the past seven days Continue reading...

Politics

45 h. ago Black people in England four times as likely to face homelessness, study finds

Black people also less likely than white people to get social housing and can face ‘overt racism’ from private landlordsBlack people in England are almost four times as likely to face homelessness as white people and substantially less likely to get social housing, according to the first major study into homelessness and racism in more than two decades.A three-year research project by academics at Heriot-Watt University found that ethnicity affects a person’s risk of homelessness, even when controlling for factors such as geography, poverty and home ownership rates. Continue reading...

Politics

62 h. ago Vienna has been declared a renters’ utopia – and it’s easy to see why | Justin Kadi

Social housing makes up almost half of the city’s 1m homes. The system isn’t perfect, but it gets a lot of things rightWhen it comes to best-practice examples in the housing debate, Vienna is a common reference. Indeed, the Austrian capital features prominently in narratives about successful housing policies. An article in the Observer concluded that Vienna shows “decent homes for all” is not an impossible dream. And the New York Times even declared it “a renters’ utopia”.A considerable part of the attraction of Vienna relates to its large social-housing stock. It accounts for some 43% of the roughly 1m housing units in the city. About half of it is municipally owned council housing. The other half is provided and administered by limited-profit housing associations – an Austrian version of social housing providers that are permitted to make a small profit to finance their operations. Social housing is not just for those on low incomes, but also caters to middle- and even some upper-...

Politics

62 h. ago Vienna has been declared a renters’ utopia – here's why | Justin Kadi

Social housing makes up almost half of the city’s 1m homes. The system isn’t perfect, but it gets a lot of things rightWhen it comes to best-practice examples in the housing debate, Vienna is a common reference. Indeed, the Austrian capital features prominently in narratives about successful housing policies. An article in the Observer concluded that Vienna shows “decent homes for all” is not an impossible dream. And the New York Times even declared it “a renters’ utopia”.A considerable part of the attraction of Vienna relates to its large social-housing stock. It accounts for some 43% of the roughly 1m housing units in the city. About half of it is municipally owned council housing. The other half is provided and administered by limited-profit housing associations – an Austrian version of social housing providers that are permitted to make a small profit to finance their operations. Social housing is not just for those on low incomes, but also caters to middle- and even some upper-...

Politics

3 d. ago Moment house is swept away in New Mexico flash flooding – video

At least three people were reported missing in Ruidoso, southern New Mexico, after heavy rain triggered flash flooding on Tuesday. The US National Weather Service (NWS) reported the water level of the Rio Ruidoso rose to 20ft (6 metres), a record high crest if confirmed. The NWS also reported a father and two children had been washed away by flash floods in New Mexico and rescue crews were searching for themTexas floods: more than 100 people dead and at least 161 still missingAs the flood risk rises around the world, what can we do to adapt? Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Kate Middleton's reaction to strange Macron gesture after wife ignores him 'speaks volumes'

The Princess of Wales was given an unusual greeting by French President Emmanuel Macron and a body language expert has revealed what Kate's reaction to it means

Politics

4 d. ago Top House Democrats demand release of Epstein files that mention Trump

Exclusive: Jamie Raskin and 15 others accuse justice department of withholding Epstein files to protect TrumpUS politics live – latest updatesHouse Democrats on Tuesday demanded that the justice department release documents related to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking case that mentions or references Donald Trump, citing a comment by Elon Musk after he fell out with the president this year.The House judiciary committee’s ranking member, Jamie Raskin, together with 15 other Democrats sent a six-page letter to the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, accusing her of withholding some Epstein files to protect the president from any damaging disclosures. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago 'Kate Middleton's response to difficult Macron gesture after wife's snub speaks volumes'

The Princess of Wales was greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron with an unusual air kiss for the hand - and a body language expert has revealed what Kate's reaction tells us

Politics

4 d. ago Amazon Prime Day 2025: Latest best deals picked by our experts, from savings on household essentials to rare iPhone discount

SHOPPING: MailOnline's experts are tracking the hottest Amazon Prime Day 2025 deals. Follow our live blog for the biggest savings.

Economics

4 d. ago Houseplant clinic: should I be worried by ‘tiny spiders’ on my plants?

Help prevent mite infestations by increasing humidity, isolating plants and using soapy waterWhat’s the problem? I’ve noticed tiny webs and bugs on my orchid. Are these spiders, and will they harm my plant?Diagnosis Those tiny webs and minuscule bugs you’ve spotted on your plants sound like spider mites. These aren’t spiders but microscopic arachnids that thrive in dry, warm conditions, so you’ll notice they appear during summer heatwaves or winter months when central heating reduces humidity. They feed on plant sap, weakening the plant’s structure, which leads to yellowing leaves, discoloration and eventually leaf drop. They can multiply rapidly, posing a risk to your plant’s long-term health. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Best household essential deals in the Amazon Prime Day 2025 sale

Keep your cupboards fully stocked with our pick of the best Amazon deals

Economics

5 d. ago Across Europe, the financial sector has pushed up house prices. It's a political timebomb | Tim White

We’ve been living in a great experiment: can finance provide basic human rights such as housing? The answer is increasingly no“The housing crisis is now as big a threat to the EU as Russia,” Jaume Collboni, the mayor of Barcelona, recently declared. “We’re running the risk of having the working and middle classes conclude that their democracies are incapable of solving their biggest problem.”It is not hard to see where Collboni is coming from. From Dublin to Milan, residents routinely find half of their incomes swallowed up by rent, and home ownership is unthinkable for most. Major cities are witnessing spiralling house prices and some have jaw-dropping year-on-year median rent increases of more than 10%. People are being pushed into ever more precarious and cramped conditions and homelessness is rapidly rising. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Netanyahu returns to White House holding all the cards in Gaza talks

Joint attack on Iran puts Israeli PM in powerful position as he dangles prospect of Trump-brokered ceasefire dealDonald Trump will host Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington DC on Monday as the US president seeks again to broker a peace deal in Gaza and the Israeli prime minister takes a victory lap through the Oval Office after a joint military campaign against Iran and a series of successful strikes against Tehran and its proxies in the Middle East.Netanyahu and Trump have a complex personal relationship – and Trump openly vented frustration at him last month during efforts to negotiate a truce with Iran – but the two have appeared in lockstep since the US launched a bombing run against Iran’s nuclear programme, fulfilling a key goal for Israeli war planners. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago Donald Trump’s UFC stunt is more than a circus. It’s authoritarian theatre | Karim Zidan

A decade ago I watched MMA being used to curry favor with Putin. Now Trump is using the UFC to project a nationalist cult of masculinity on America’s front lawnTen years ago – before I became an investigative journalist – I found myself working as a color commentator for a Russian mixed martial arts organization bankrolled by an oligarch deep in Vladimir Putin’s orbit.The job took me around the Russian Federation and its neighboring states, allowing me to pursue unique stories that would otherwise have been out of my reach. I met a Latvian fighter who escaped a black magic cult run by his coach, attended an MMA show with the president of Ingushetia (now Russia’s deputy minister of defence), and knocked back vodka shots with ex-KGB officers and Russian oligarchs. Continue reading...

Culture

8 d. ago Budapest’s young people are joining the ranks of generation rent | Csaba Jelinek

Sell-offs of public housing and the right’s promotion of home ownership has left too many unable to afford accommodationCsaba Jelinek is an urban sociologist based in BudapestWhen I left my family home to study at university in 2007 and moved to downtown Budapest, housing costs were hardly a topic of conversation among my friends. I rented rooms in centrally located flats for £80-£100 per month. Fast forward to 2025 and a similar room in a shared flat would set you back at least £200 – double the price of 15 years ago. Talk to anyone in their 20s in Budapest today, and the deepening housing crisis will inevitably come up as one of the defining struggles of their lives.The statistics paint an equally grim picture. Between 2010 and 2024, Hungary saw the largest increase of the housing price index among EU member states. While the EU average rose by 55.4%, Hungary’s housing price index rocketed by 234%. Meanwhile, per capita net income only grew by 86% in the 2010s. Budapest, the capit...

Politics

9 d. ago Hakeem Jeffries breaks record for longest House floor speech while opposing GOP tax bill

Democratic leader spoke for more than eight hours to rail against Trump’s sweeping tax-and-spending billThe Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries broke the record for the longest House floor speech ever on Thursday after he spoke for more than eight hours to delay a vote on Donald Trump’s signature tax-and-spending bill.Early on Thursday, after a marathon night of arm-twisting, cajoling and pressure by tweet, House Republicans said they were finally ready to vote on Trump’s $4.5tn tax-and-spending package – a colossal piece of legislation the president wants passed by Friday, the Independence Day holiday. Continue reading...

Economics

9 d. ago Trump’s big beautiful bill passes step in House, paving way for legislation

Key rule finally approved at 4am in Washington DC after lawmakers’ objected to provisions and costUS politics – live updatesDonald Trump’s signature tax-and-spending bill has passed a procedural step in the US House of Representatives, paving the way for the possible passage of the legislation later in the day.The House speaker, Mike Johnson, is determined to pass the bill as soon as possible, but had been frustrated by lawmakers – Democrats but also a handful of Republicans – who object to its provisions and overall cost. Overnight, they had blocked the House from approving a rule, which was necessary to begin debate on the measure and set the stage for its passage. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago House vote on Trump’s big bill hangs in balance as Johnson vows to ‘get it over the line’

Speaker struggles to muster enough Republican votes as lawmakers object to provisions and costUS politics – live updatesDonald Trump’s signature tax-and-spending bill is hanging in the balance as Republicans struggle to muster sufficient votes in the US House of Representatives.House speaker Mike Johnson is determined to pass the bill as soon as possible, but has been frustrated by lawmakers who object to its provisions and overall cost. They have blocked House Republicans from approving a rule, which is necessary to begin debate on the measure and set the stage for its passage. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago House voting on rule to pave the way to final debate on Trump’s tax

Procedural vote would open final debate but measure has already been voted against by enough Republicans to have it failWhat’s in Trump’s major tax bill?Republican voters on Trump legislation: ‘This bill is a no-brainer!’Donald Trump on Tuesday toured “Alligator Alcatraz”, a controversial new migrant detention jail in the remote Florida Everglades, and celebrated the harsh conditions that people sent there would experience.The president was chaperoned by Florida’s hard-right governor, Ron DeSantis, who hailed the tented camp on mosquito-infested land 50 miles west of Miami as an example for other states that supported Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago House at standstill as Republican leaders continue to try to rally holdouts, delaying rule vote – US politics live

Democrats criticize tax-and-spending bill as House Republicans scramble to get legislation passed by Trump-imposed deadlineWhat’s in Trump’s major tax bill?Donald Trump on Tuesday toured “Alligator Alcatraz”, a controversial new migrant detention jail in the remote Florida Everglades, and celebrated the harsh conditions that people sent there would experience.The president was chaperoned by Florida’s hard-right governor, Ron DeSantis, who hailed the tented camp on mosquito-infested land 50 miles west of Miami as an example for other states that supported Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Continue reading...

Politics