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Beyonce told a packed stadium in Texas it was time for America to elect Kamala Harris president, urging voters to “sing a new song,” before the vice president delivered a message that Donald Trump was dead set on eroding women’s rights. “For all the men and women in this room, and watching around the country, we need you,” Beyonce told the rally in Houston. Joined by her mother Tina Knowles […]

UK greenhouse gas emissions should be cut by at least 81% by 2035 as part of global efforts to tackle climate change, Government advisers have said. The Government is preparing to unveil plans for cutting emissions by 2035, under the global Paris Agreement which commits countries to take action on curbing temperature rises to prevent the worst impacts of warming. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has recommended the UK […]

The White House has said Israel’s overnight strikes on Iran should end the direct exchange of fire between the two countries while warning Tehran of “consequences” should it respond. A senior White House official said the administration believed the Israeli operation should “close out” the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran, saying other allies were in agreement. United States President Joe Biden was updated on Friday as the operation […]

The Chancellor will cut back Right to Buy discounts as part of next week’s Budget to boost council housing supply. Rachel Reeves will announce plans to consult on a new five-year social housing rent settlement and to reduce Right to Buy, which allows tenants renting local authority-owned homes to buy them at a discounted rate, in order to protect existing council stock and keep council homes in the sector. The […]

More than 29,000 migrants have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the Channel, including 500 in a single day. Home Office figures show 509 people made the journey on Thursday in 11 boats, taking the provisional total for 2024 to date to 29,154. This is 10% higher than the 26,501 recorded this time last year but 24% lower than the 38,129 people making the journey at […]

Consumer confidence has fallen again amid further worsening sentiment around the upcoming autumn Budget, according to a long-running survey. GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index fell one point in October to minus 21, as people’s predictions for the general economy worsened over the coming year despite a slight improvement in their forecasts for personal finances. The drop was significantly less than the seven-point plunge in September. Experts said that was also driven […]

More than 127,000 young people start smoking tobacco regularly each year in the UK, according to a new study. The Cancer Research UK-backed study found the equivalent of around 350 young adults aged 18 to 25 start smoking every day, with some 35,000 having taken up the habit since the King’s Speech in July. The charity is calling on the Government not to delay bringing in the Tobacco and Vapes […]

Some parents are feeling pressured to go private in order to get a dentist appointment for their children, according to the health watchdog. Issues with access to NHS dentistry are having a “clear impact on children and young people”, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said in its annual report. The watchdog asked 1,000 parents and carers of children about access to health and social care services, with 31% saying they […]

Six towns and cities have been selected to develop England’s first clean heat network zones, the Government has announced. The Energy Department (DESNZ) said these urban areas will roll out technology that recycles excess heat from sources like data centres or factories to warm several buildings at once. The schemes will be set up in Leeds, Plymouth, Bristol, Stockport, Sheffield and two areas of London. They will receive a share […]