64 h. ago Laura Loomer sets her sights on her next target to get the boot from the Trump administration

‘I’m not naive enough to think that the president is going to get rid of RFK, but I will say that there are concerns about some of the staffing decisions over at HHS,’ Laura Loomer said this week.

Politics

1 week ago UK construction activity shrinks by most in five years as housebuilding falls – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsOpenAI takes on Meta and DeepSeek with free and customisable AI modelsThe contraction in UK construction last month is another reason for the Bank of England to consider cutting interest rates at noon tomorrow.A rate cut, from 4.25% to 4%, is already widely expected – it’ s a 95% chance, according to the City money markets this morning.“The Bank of England is widely expected to cut rates this week in what is likely to be a complex decision as the MPC weighs weak growth, sticky inflation, and a looming fiscal tightening.While markets are pricing in a 0.25% cut, attention will centre on the voting split – particularly how many members vote for a 0.5% move or prefer to hold. Continue reading...

Society

1 week ago The England selection decision looming large before The Ashes

England’s dramatic 2-2 draw with India was their last taste of Test cricket before The Ashes begins in Perth in November, and there is little time left to win a place in the squad

Politics

4 w. ago Lions desperate for fast start in Test that will set the tone for Australia series

Talk is of a possible clean sweep for tourists but the onus is on Australia to make one or two Lions eat their confident wordsWhatever unfolds over the next three Saturdays this British & Irish Lions series will resonate more than its predecessor. Simply to see visiting fans in red jerseys wandering down Queen Street in central Brisbane is to be thankful the whole enterprise has a beating heart once again, in contrast to South Africa four years ago when a Covid-disrupted, spectator-free experience sapped everyone’s spirits.Because a Lions tour is nothing without a human element, enticed back every four years by the fabled steepness of the challenge. “This is our Everest, boys,” growled Jim Telfer back in 1997 and, as usual, the master coach was right. On only three occasions in the past 50 years has a Lions squad returned home triumphant and, for now, a series win remains the holy grail for the professional egg chasers of England, Ireland, Scotland and, if selected, Wa...

Politics

4 w. ago Ilona Maher included in USA squad for Women’s Rugby World Cup

The Olympian has earned selection for the upcoming tournament in England

Politics

4 w. ago Ellis Genge primed to summon spirit of 2022 as he runs into Australia again

Loosehead prop helped save Eddie Jones’s job in Brisbane three years ago and can make a similar impact for the LionsYou can chart Ellis Genge’s Test career by his tours of Australia. In 2016 he and Kyle Sinckler were Eddie Jones’s “rough diamonds”, picked to get a taste of an international tour but nowhere near Test selection. Six years on and in England’s second Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane, Genge kickstarted a victory that saved Jones’s job with a thunderous carry into Michael Hooper. Three years later, back in the same city, Genge makes his British & Irish Lions Test bow against Australia.After naming Genge in Saturday’s side, the head coach, Andy Farrell, encouraged the 30-year-old loosehead prop to take a moment to reflect on how far he has come. It does not come easily to Genge but his growing influence on the international sides he represents is obvious. He confesses that nine years ago he and Sinckler “tried to get out of the way as much as we could” and “were ...

Politics