16 h. ago Levy on international students’ tuition fees not in best interest of UK, says leader of top university

Duncan Ivison, president of Manchester University, says government’s 6% surcharge plan will ‘hurt the sector’A levy on tuition fees paid by international students is “wrong”, will “hurt the sector” and is “not in the long-term interests” of the UK, according to the vice-chancellor of one of the country’s leading universities.Duncan Ivison, who took over as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester (UoM) last year, was speaking ahead of the budget later this month when the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is expected to flesh out her plans for the proposed 6% surcharge. Continue reading...

Politics

30 h. ago UK borrowing costs jump as investors lose faith in Rachel Reeves’ Budget

Gilts sell off after government ditches plan to increase income tax rates

Economics

30 h. ago UK borrowing costs jump as investors lose faith in Reeves’ Budget

Gilts sell off after government ditches plan to increase income tax rates

Economics

34 h. ago The government’s latest reversal shows that Labour has no plan

The long roar of speculation about the Budget has already damaged market confidence

Politics

39 h. ago UK borrowing costs up after markets spooked by Reeves’s income tax U

Pound down 0.5% against dollar in early trading after chancellor drops plans for upcoming budgetUK politics live – latest updatesBritain’s borrowing costs have jumped while the pound has dropped after the chancellor’s extraordinary last-minute decision to ditch tax-raising plans in the upcoming budget.Interest rates on government bonds rose by more than 10 basis points in early trading, putting them on track for their worst day since 2 July, when investors responded to a tearful appearance by Rachel Reeves in the House of Commons chamber. The pound, meanwhile, dropped 0.5% against the dollar. Continue reading...

Economics

40 h. ago Rachel Reeves 'to scrap plans' to raise income tax as SNP accuse Labour government of 'chaos'

The SNP have criticised the latest development as ‘chaos’.

Politics

54 h. ago The Guardian view on 10 Downing Street: not up to the job | Editorial

The Labour leadership briefing furore highlights failures at the centre of government. Keir Starmer needs to raise his gameSir Keir Starmer went to north Wales on Thursday to announce the building of a new nuclear power station. This is a significant policy event, with local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not spend much time in Wales promoting solutions to UK energy needs. Instead, he spent it trying to draw a line under the Labour leadership briefing row, telling reporters that No 10 had not, in fact, briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.As such, Sir Keir’s day was a microcosm of what his prime ministership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he wants his government to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this because of the way he – and to an extent the country more generally – now does politics and government.Do you have an opinion on the issues...

Politics

57 h. ago Britain's first mini nuclear power station gets the green light: 'Small modular reactors' will be built by Rolls

The government has announced that three 'small modular reactors' (SMRs) will be built at a new power station in Wylfa, on the coast of Anglesey in North Wales.

Events

62 h. ago Air India plane crash investigation report does not blame anyone, government tells top court

Supreme Court says investigation into Boeing 787 disaster aims to improve aviation safety and not assign blame

Events

63 h. ago Ukraine’s justice and energy ministers resign amid $100m corruption scandal

Ukraine’s justice and energy ministers have stepped down in relation to a major scandal involving the state nuclear power company

Politics

63 h. ago Ed Miliband dismisses US rebuke over nuclear power plant snub

Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband said he made 'no apologies' for choosing a UK firm to build the country's first small reactor on the site instead.

Events

66 h. ago Ukraine’s justice and energy ministers submit resignations amid $100m corruption scandal

Ukraine’s justice and energy ministers submitted their resignations over major embezzlement and kickbacks scandal involving the state nuclear power company

Politics

69 h. ago ‘Utter hypocrisy’: tobacco firm lobbied against rules in Africa that are law in UK

British American Tobacco pushed Zambian ministers to drop or delay ad bans, health warnings and restrictions on flavoured products, letter showsBritish American Tobacco has been accused of “utter hypocrisy” for lobbying against tobacco control measures in Africa that are already in place in the UK.A letter seen by the Guardian, sent from the company’s subsidiary in Zambia to the country’s government ministers, asks for plans to ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship to be abandoned or delayed. Continue reading...

Economics

3 d. ago House begins voting on bill to end government shutdown as new Epstein revelations roil US politics – live

The White House announced that Donald Trump plans to sign the legislation to reopen the federal government at 9:45pm Eastern Time, on live televisionIn a new batch of emails released by Democrats on the House oversight committee, Jeffrey Epstein wrote that Donald Trump knew about the late financier and sex-offender’s conduct. In the three emails released, Epstein apparently told his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump “spent hours” at his house with one of Epstein’s victims.In two other emails to author Michael Wolff, Epstein wrote that “of course he knew about the girls”, referring to the now-president. According to the exchanges, Epstein also solicited Wolff’s advice about how he should handle Trump discussing their friendship in an interview with CNN. “I think you should let him hang himself,” Wolff writes. “If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a p...

Politics

3 d. ago World still on track for catastrophic 2.6C temperature rise, report finds

Fossil fuel emissions have hit a record high while many nations have done too little to avert deadly global heatingThe world is still on track for a catastrophic 2.6C increase in temperature as countries have not made sufficiently strong climate pledges, while emissions from fossil fuels have hit a record high, two major reports have found.Despite their promises, governments’ new emission-cutting plans submitted for the Cop30 climate talks taking place in Brazil have done little to avert dangerous global heating for the fourth consecutive year, according to the Climate Action Tracker update. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Scottish Government handed same credit rating as UK ahead of bonds plan

Moody’s rated the Scottish Government as Aa3 while S&P Global rated it as AA.

Politics

3 d. ago Top Ukrainian ministers submit their resignations as the country is rocked by a corruption scandal

Ukraine’s justice and energy ministers submitted their resignations amid a major embezzlement and kickbacks scandal involving the state nuclear power company

Politics

3 d. ago Fury as asylum seekers fleeing war zones housed near police firearms test site

The government plans to house asylum seekers at a military training camp in East Sussex - but campaigners fear its proximity to a police firearms test centre could be re-traumatising

Events

3 d. ago Government issues update on ticket prices for Great British Railways passengers

The Government is not planning to withdraw current discount schemes for trains

Politics

3 d. ago Government announces plans to use army to help tackle driving test backlog

The DVSA will fork out £100,000 for the extra support

Politics