Author: News Desk

Working with Kamala – and bracing for Trump: How Starmer is preparing for US election Since becoming prime minister on 5 July, Sir Keir Starmer has only met with one of the two candidates hoping to be elected president – and it was not with his natural Democrat ally Kamala Harris, but Republican rival Donald Trump. The lack of a meeting between Ms Harris and Sir Keir was not a snub from either side but reflects a twin-track approach that Labour has been taking in preparing for the outcome tomorrow for many months now, dating back to when they were…

Warning issued over ‘unsettling’ pension trend which could wipe out savings during retirement Experts have warned of an “unsettling trend” among pensioners which could see them exhaust their pension in retirement. Analysis of Financial Conduct Authority data found a nearly 30 per cent rise in the number of pensioners withdrawing more than 6 per cent of their pension’s total value in the most recent financial year. More than 280,000 pensioners had a withdrawal rate of 6 per cent or higher, the analysis by Hargreaves Lansdown found. That included more than 220,000 pension pots with a withdrawal rate of more than…

Farmers say 75% of British food production will be hit by Reeves’s tax raid Rachel Reeves’inheritance tax raid will hit three quarters of food produced by British farmers, industry chiefs have warned, as the government battles a growing backlash over its extension of death tax. Under plans announced in the Budget, inheritance tax will be charged at 20 per cent on farms worth more than £1m, although the chancellor has said that in some cases the threshold could in practice be about £3m. The move has triggered backlash from farming and rural communities and led to a dispute over the…

Cancer diagnosis was biggest shock of my life, says Chris Hoy | News Sir Chris Hoy has said being diagnosed with cancer was the “biggest shock” of his life. The six-time Olympic champion revealed last month in a Sunday Times interview that his cancer is terminal after he first made public in February that he was undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy. Speaking in a new BBC documentary, which airs tonight (5 November), Sir Chris explained how he went to the doctor for a pain in his shoulder, which wouldn’t go away. He told BBC’s Sally Nugent: “I assumed it would be…

Suspected Russian device that sparked fire at UK warehouse ‘was test run for attack on US’ A suspected Russian arson attack on a DHL warehouse in Birmingham was a test run for future attacks on the US, Polish officials have said, after arresting some of the alleged criminals involved. British counter-terrorism officers, working alongside European partners, are investigating the explosion of a device on 22 July at a warehouse in Minworth. Nobody was injured in the fire. But after another attack that same month involving an incendiary device in a DHL warehouse in Leipzig, Germany, investigators said the parcel only…

Sir Chris Hoy describes ‘excruciating’ cancer treatment to keep hair for sake of young son Sir Chris Hoy has spoken about enduring an “excruciating” new treatment to prevent hair loss for the sake of his young son, as he laid bare the heartbreak of his terminal cancer diagnosis for the first time. The six-time Olympic champion revealed last month he had “two to four” years to live after being diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer which had spread to his shoulder, pelvis, hip, ribs and spine. In an interview with the BBC, Sir Chris described the time after his diagnosis…

Dog owner’s warning after watching in horror as beloved pet died in back garden A woman whose dog was strangled by its collar has called on pet companies to display warning signs. Jenny, 70, from Cambridge, says she will never put a collar on a pet again after she watched her 18-month-old miniature labradoodle Charlie suffocate after his collar was pulled tight while play-fighting with another dog. By the time Jenny was able to react and unclip the head collar it was too late – Charlie had “collapsed on the lawn” and gone “limp”. Jenny said she did not see…

Chris Philp’s history of gaffes as Tory MP appointed shadow home secretary They say God loves a trier and Chris Philp, the former minister for policing, is one Tory who can never be accused of failing to put in a shift, frequently appearing in the media to dutifully defend the latest party line on the issue of the day. The reward for his unwavering loyalty may now have arrived, as he takes a leadership role in Kemi Badenoch’s new cabinet, after being appointed as shadow home secretary. While the MP for Croydon South is not afraid to get his hands…

Who makes up Kemi Badenoch’s newly appointed shadow cabinet? Kemi Badenoch has appointed a cross-party shadow cabinet in a bid to reunite the Conservatives after a fractious leadership campaign. The newly-elected party leader unveiled her top team on Tuesday morning ahead of its first meeting. The top jobs were split between One Nation moderates, Boris Johnson-backing right-wingers and those who backed Ms Badenoch’s leadership bid. And, in appointing leadership rivals Mel Stride, Priti Patel and Robert Jenrick, she has made a clear effort to bring the divided party back together. Announcing the team, Ms Badenoch said: “I am delighted to…

Keir Starmer has announced that university tuition fees are set to rise by 3.1% in 2024/25. The news has been met with both backlash and praise – some noting Starmer initially promised to scrap tuition fees altogether, whilst others celebrate England’s cash-strapped universities getting a boost of cash.
Kemi Badenoch has started to appoint her shadow cabinet after being elected the new Conservative Party leader. Robert Jenrick, Mel Stride, Chris Philp and Priti Patel have found seats at the table.
Elsewhere, like much of the world, all eyes are across the pond today as the 2024 US presidential election gets underway. Americans head to the polls to elect either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump to office.