10 h. ago Winter fuel payments should now be restored to 'majority' of pensioners, top Labour figure says

Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan, who had previously urged the government to rethink the cuts to millions of pensioners, said the 'majority' should have payments restored

Economics

16 h. ago ‘Ludicrous and unfair’: older workers react to pressure to delay retirement

IMF is urging countries globally to act to ease stress on public finances, sparking mainly outrage but also supportAs French workers stage yet another public show of discontent about president Emmanuel Macron’s raising of the state pension age from 62 to 64, the International Monetary Fund has urged governments to encourage fit, older workers to delay retirement.Its recommendation is that people of the baby boomer generation should stay in work for longer to help balance public finances amid fiscal pressures caused by an ageing global population. Continue reading...

Events

30 h. ago Keir Starmer issued 'crossroads' warning after food bank use skyrockets

Food bank charity the Trussell Trust joined The Division Bell podcast to emphasise the urgent need for the government to act in response to increasing levels of poverty

Events

36 h. ago UK government urged to introduce GCSE in Ukrainian for child refugees

Children’s commissioner joins Kyiv in asking DfE to create new qualification to cope with ‘immense upheaval’ of fleeing warThe children’s commissioner has joined Kyiv in lobbying the UK government to introduce a new GCSE in Ukrainian to help child refugees cope with the “immense upheaval” of fleeing war in their country.In December, the Guardian revealed that Ukraine was “deeply concerned” to discover many Ukrainian teenagers are being pressed into learning Russian in British schools because no GSCE in Ukrainian is available. Continue reading...

Politics

57 h. ago Channel 4 boss urges Ofcom to be ‘brave’ and back public service broadcasters

Alex Mahon also urged the Government to reconsider copyright proposals to ensure they ‘don’t harm British creativity’.

Politics

59 h. ago UK Government urged to increase frozen State Pensions for nearly half a million people

Around 453,000 pensioners are living in a country which does not have a reciprocal agreement with the UK Government.

Politics

2 d. ago Fairtrade flags ‘window of opportunity’ to drive systemic change for tea farmers

The organisation is urging the Government, businesses, retailers and tea drinkers to take action that ensure fairer pay and working conditions.

Society

3 d. ago Government urged to empower police with more force to bring offenders to court

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said guilty defendants avoiding court was a ‘final insult to victims and their families’.

Events

4 d. ago SNP Government urged to given housing emergency update one year on

The party has written to housing minister Paul McLennan asking him to make a statement in Holyrood.

Politics

5 d. ago Elton John brands the government 'losers' and minister a 'moron' as he lashes out in row over AI 'theft' of stars' copyrighted work

Sir Elton is among hundreds of creatives who have urged the Government to protect copyright law after it was discovered that companies were using their material without paying for it.

Politics

5 d. ago Sir Elton John ‘incredibly betrayed’ by Government’s path on copyright law

Sir Elton is among hundreds of creatives who have urged the Government to protect copyright law.

Politics

6 d. ago Glossy black cockatoos could be pushed towards extinction in Victoria if burns go ahead, experts warn

Fire in black sheoak forest of East Gippsland would destroy the birds’ food supply, conservationist says Glossy black cockatoos could be pushed towards extinction in Victoria if planned burns of 13,000 hectares of forest go ahead, ecologists and conservationists warn.The Victorian government is being urged to abandon the burn, which is intended to reduce bushfire risk.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago UK asking other countries to host ‘return hubs’ for refused asylum seekers, Starmer confirms – UK politics live

PM on trip to announce increased cooperation against people smugglers alongside Albania’s prime minister, Edi RamaAll Commons Speakers, at least for the past 30 years, have complained about the government making major announcements to the media first, and not to parliament first. But rarely have any of them sounded quite as furious about this as Lindsay Hoyle, who this morning delivered an extended reprimand to the government about this at the start of an urgent question.The UQ was about plans to limit the use of prison recall – something announced by the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, at a press conference yesterday, while the Commons was still sitting. After pointing this out, and reminding MPs that details of the immigration white paper were given to the media extensively, long before the ministerial statement about it was delivered in the Commons on Monday, Hoyle went on to imply that, as well as regularly breaking the ministerial code, ministers were also guilty of hypocri...

Politics

8 d. ago Speaker urges Government to apologise for not taking Ministerial Code seriously

For the second time this month, Sir Lindsay Hoyle berated ministers in the chamber for making policy announcements to the media.

Politics

8 d. ago Smacking ban is needed to protect children, health experts say

Leading medics and health organisations have urged the Government to outlaw ‘the physical punishment of children’.

Society

9 d. ago UK cannot afford ‘ostrich strategy’ as US withdraws from European defence – MP

Matt Western urged the Government on Wednesday to reassess the UK’s reliance on the US as it prepares to publish a new national security strategy.

Politics

1 week ago PIP disability benefit changes begin as DWP review gets underway

Over 40 Labour MPs have urged the government to reassess the planned cuts

Politics

1 week ago Accurate information ‘under greater threat than ever’ from misinformation

Fact-checking charity Full Fact has urged the Government and Ofcom to do more to combat misleading material online.

Events

1 week ago Gov. Gavin Newsom urges California cities and counties to ban homeless encampments

Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging California’s local governments to begin clearing homeless encampments, escalating the state’s efforts to ban the growing number of makeshift camps on sidewalks and in parks that are the most visible signs of the crisis of people living on the streets

Politics

1 week ago Dua Lipa and Paul McCartney among 400 British entertainment titans urging Government to abandon AI copyright plans that would see creative works raided by US tech firms

Titans of the creative industry today send their strongest demand yet for Keir Starmer to protect Britain's world renowned creative industries. They say: 'Our work is not yours to give away.'

Politics