Author: News Desk

Games Inbox: What will the PlayStation 6 be like? The Wednesday letters page is worried it hasn’t got time to play all the great games lately, as one reader admits to enjoying Star Wars Outlaws. The big boxAn amusing story about the guy that’s bought 24 years’ worth of PS Plus but it does raise some interesting points, including whether any of us will be here by that point in time. Assuming we make it though I can’t imagine home consoles being a thing at all. Surely broadband will be good enough by then, that it will be everywhere at…

Steve Brookstein won the first ever season of The X Factor 20 years ago, but has maintained a life away from the spotlight in the years since. He went from a life of fame with TV appearances, a number one single, and thousands of fans, but has now swapped the ITV stage for a local pub. The 55-year-old, who appeared on Simon Cowell’s competition in 2004 alongside the likes of Rowetta Satchell and Tabby Callaghan, was pictured treating some lucky pub-goers to a performance last weekend. Steve looked unrecognisable as he performed for guests at The Courtyard in Morpeth, belting…

Martin Lewis issues pension credit warning hours before budget | News  Martin Lewis has issued a pension credit warning to Chancellor Rachel Reeves just hours before the autumn UK budget. The Martin Lewis Money Saving Show returned on Tuesday (29 October), and saw the financial guru take a question about the winter fuel payment from a woman whose husband died just two weeks ago. The woman wanted to know if she would be eligible for pension credit. Mr Lewis said: “You have to be on an income of under £11,400 to be eligible. It’s a very tight means test and…

Budget 2024 live: Reeves to pledge more ‘pounds in people’s pockets’ as minimum wage to rise to £12.21 Rachel Reeves will pledge to put “more pounds in people’s pockets” when she announces her first Budget on Wednesday. After months of warning the public of the “tough choices” ahead, Ms Reeves is expected to promise to “invest, invest, invest” in order to “fix public services”. Reeves is expected to say in her speech today: “My belief in Britain burns brighter than ever. And the prize on offer to today is immense. “More pounds in people’s pockets. An NHS that is there…

What is Fuel Duty? Everything you need to know as Starmer refuses to rule out Budget rise Keir Starmer has refused to rule out that Labour will raise Fuel Duty in its October budget after he warned some of the coming measures would be “painful.” The move could come alongside a number of expected cuts and tax rises at the party’s first fiscal event as Rachel Reeves looks to plug the £22bn ‘black hole’ in public spending which she says the previous Conservative government concealed. This will likely come as unwelcome news to motorists who are struggling with other rising…

Is national insurance going up and what does Labour’s proposed hike mean? Labour came under criticism in recent days after several ministers refused to rule out that an increase in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) will be announced in the upcoming budget. Rachel Reeves is set to deliver the party’s first fiscal event in 15 years on 30 October. She has said it will involve “tough decisions”, after previously saying there is a £22 billion “black hole” in the UK’s public finances left by the former government. Speculation has mounted in the subsequent months, with an increase in employer NICs…

Met Office gives verdict on where snow could fall in UK in November The Met Office has predicted a chance of snow for some areas of the UK – and it could come as early as next week. Ice, mist and heavy fog are expected this weekend but the forecaster suggests there is a chance of snow arriving at the turn of November in the northern and eastern regions of the UK. In a long-range forecast covering October 30 to November 8, the Met Office said: “Into the start of November, there is a chance the weather could (briefly) turn…

AI images, child sexual abuse and a ‘first prosecution of its kind’ – podcast The Guardian’s North of England correspondent Hannah Al-Othman recounts the case of Hugh Nelson, sentenced to 18 years in prison this week for creating child abuse images with AI. Prof Clare McGlynn charts the rise of this material on the web and discusses what can be done to stop it. At Bolton crown court on Monday, Hugh Nelson was sentenced to 18 years in prison for using AI to generate sexually abusive images of children – based on real photos of real children. The Guardian’s North…

Londoners say they love ‘hallowed’ Angus Steakhouse — but it isn’t all it seems In the age of Instagram, viral food trends and travel influencers, hidden gems don’t exist anymore, and a city’s ‘best-kept secret’ restaurant is often plastered all over social media. For locals, this can be infuriating. In Barcelona, we’ve seen residents arm themselves with water guns to chase tourists away, and in Greece, thousands flocked together in protest. Londoners, however, have taken a different approach: they’re catfishing tourists. That’s right, locals are luring unsuspecting tourists away from their favourite spots, with glowing, exaggerated reviews for places they’d…

Tens of thousands of Georgians gathered outside parliament Monday night, demanding the annulment of weekend parliamentary elections, which the president claims were rigged with Russian involvement. The protests coincided with the arrival of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the EU’s closest ally to the Kremlin, for a two-day visit. Protests break out in Georgia after disputed election amid visit from Hungary’s Orban The pro-Western opposition denounced the ruling party’s victory as “stolen,” and Georgia’s president told AFP that the vote was manipulated using “sophisticated” methods allegedly tied to Russia. The recent election has thrown the Caucasus country into political uncertainty,…