21 h. ago Starmer says welfare concessions are ‘common sense’ but dodges funding question – UK politics live

No 10 has offered significant concessions to the rebels amid fears over Tuesday’s voteNo 10 climbs down over welfare billStephen Kinnock, the care minister, was the government voice on the airwaves this morning. Here are the main points he made about the welfare bill U-turn.Kinnock rejected claims that the U-turn was a sign of weakness. When it was put to him on the Today programme that this move, coming after the U-turns on winter fuel payments and a national inquiry into grooming gangs, showed that if Keir Starmer was pushed, he would give in, Kinnock replied:I think if you talk to people out there in the country, they respond very positively to politicians listening, engaging, recognising that you don’t get everything right from day one every time, and making the adjustments and the changes that are needed.And this prime minister will always put the country first. He puts country before party, and he does the right thing for the country.He defended having a “staggered” approach t...

Politics

24 h. ago Voices: Starmer’s welfare humiliation is a turning point for his government

The prime minister had no choice but to give in to Labour rebels on disability benefits – but this rebellion has been handled particularly badly, and I doubt he will see out this parliament, says John Rentoul

Politics

5 d. ago Majorca murder probe as bodies with shackled hands and feet found floating in water

At least five corpses were recovered by the Civil Guard in the Balearic Sea.

Events

8 d. ago Brave girl, 9, speaks out after shark attack left her hand 'almost completely gone'

Leah Lendel, 9, emerged from the water with her hand hanging 'by a thread' after she was attacked during a family snorkelling adventure off the coast of Florida

Events

9 d. ago Voice of America and Radio Farda's Persian services cover Israel

Despite the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle or sharply cut back on U.S. government-run news outlets like Voice of America, two Persian-language services have been called into duty to report on Israel's war with Iran to Iranian audiences

Politics

1 week ago Thames Water investors beg Keir Starmer to step in and save debt

Investors of Thames Water are begging Keir Starmer for a bail out as Britain's biggest supplier crumbles under crippling fines and could be facing collapse.

Economics

2 w. ago Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for grated tomato and butter beans with olive pangrattato | The new vegan

Few things in life are as simple and mouthwatering as tomatoes on toast sprinkled with salt, but here they hit new heights with olivey breadcrumbs, garlic and butter beans, tooMy favourite breakfast is sliced tomatoes on rye bread sprinkled with sea salt. The best bit is neither the tomato flesh nor the bread, it’s the salted tomato water that runs down the back of my hands and threatens to meet my elbows. It’s liquid electricity and one of my favourite earthly flavours. It could make a great stock, or a delicious martini, perhaps even a marinade for ceviche, but here it’s thrown in at the end to refresh a dish of gently cooked tomatoes, beans and dill. Perfect for dunking anything but elbows into. Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago Horror 8ft shark attack leaves girl, 9, covered in blood with hand hanging off

Leah Lendel, 9, emerged from the water with her hand hanging 'by a thread' after she was attacked during a family snorkelling adventure off the coast of Florida

Events

2 w. ago Brotherless Night by VV Ganeshananthan audiobook review – love and conflict in Sri Lanka

The civil war transforms a young trainee doctor’s life as she copes with her feelings for a Tamil Tiger in last year’s Women’s prizewinning novelBrotherless Night opens with 16-year-old Sashi Kulenthiren, who hopes to be a doctor like her eldest brother, making tea when the kettle slips out of her hand, causing her to pour boiling water on herself. When a neighbour, K, hears her screams, he rushes over to help, cracking raw eggs over the scalds to soothe the pain. “So I began as K’s patient though he ended as mine,” Sashi reflects.Set in 1980s Sri Lanka, VV Ganeshananthan’s coming-of-age novel – which won the 2024 Women’s prize for fiction – is an epic and hard-hitting tale of family and survival as it documents life during the civil war between Tamil separatists and the Sinhalese majority that lasted three decades. Before fighting breaks out, Sashi’s most pressing problem is whether she will pass her exams at school. But soon violence and kidnapping become the norm, communities are...

Events

2 w. ago Voices: The spending review will reveal how far the government has been blown off course

In her last-man-standing battle with the Treasury, Yvette Cooper has shone a light on how Starmer’s administration is now quietly tacking to the left, says Sean O’Grady

Politics

2 w. ago Love Island bosses recruit counsellors over fears of contestants' wellbeing

EXCLUSIVE: The mental health of Love Island contestants is a top priority, producers say, with counsellors on hand 24-7, as well as water and sun cream charts and training on dealing with fame

Politics

3 w. ago Badenoch claims ECHR being used ‘to attack democratic decisions’ – UK politics live

Tory leader says rulings by European court of human rights are ‘damaging our security and prosperity’As Jessica Elgot and Amelia Gentleman report, Downing Street is exploring new proposals for a digital ID card to crack down on illegal migration, rogue landlords and exploitative work, set out in a policy paper authored by a centre-left thinktank.Steve Reed, the environment secretary, was the government voice on the media this morning and he confirmed that the government is interested in this idea. He told Times Radio:It’s absolutely something that we are looking at, and that we should be looking at.We know we need to look at all the actions we can take to stop the levels of illegal migration that we were seeing particularly under the last government. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago 'Heroic' Welsh couple save six people as boat explodes on River Thames

'It was an almighty bang'

Politics

3 w. ago Voices: If the government wants to save Thames Water, it’s going to need to get its hands dirty

As the very public rescue deal for the ailing company collapses, James Moore warns that the government needs to get its hands dirty to clean up the water industry. This game of pass the buck isn’t doing anyone any favours...

Politics

3 w. ago Business News: Water sector under pressure as Thames deal collapses while M&S boss sees pay rise to £7.1m

From calls to overhaul the water industry and Thames Water’s failed investor talks, to Greg Hands’ new role at Royal Mail and a £7.1m payday for the M&S boss - here are today’s top UK business stories.

Economics

3 w. ago Brace for the 'bathtime tax' Bigger families face being punished with huge bills as Labour 'backs plans to ramp up charges on high users'

The government has voiced support for suppliers testing new tariffs that penalise households consuming the most.

Economics