Author: News Desk

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,…

Four tankers, carrying 27,000 litres of water each, pumped standing water from the stadium on Tuesday. With a running tap estimated to use nine litres a minute, 100,000 litres is the equivalent of a tap being left on continuously for around a week. Woodroof is hoping to have repairs completed in time to stage the Dons’ next scheduled home game against Carlisle United on Saturday, 12 October. Stacey, meanwhile, said he did not know what the club would choose to spend the crowdfunding money on, whether it was the cost of repairs to the stadium or ground-sharing while they take…

Latest Middle East news – Genocide in Gaza – UNRWA banned, international community react with horror A roundup of the latest news from the crisis in the Middle East as Israel continues its horrific genocide in Gaza – with aid being seriously impacted by Israel’s latest move.  The Israeli war on Lebanon continues with overnight strikes killing at least 60. Quick facts World condemns Israel’s ban on UNRWA France reacts to UNRWA ban by Israel “Implementation of these laws would have very serious consequences for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is already catastrophic, but also all of the Palestinian territories,”…

UK Daily Trending stories Trending – Budget to fix a broken but not beaten NHS  Most of Tuesday’s front pages speculate on tomorrow’s budget with a particular focus on how the budget will improve the national health service and the potential for further tax rises.  Basic Facts The reaction Many of the papers lead on the NHS and the budget. For the left-leaning press news of money going into the national health service is to be celebrated – with several publications noting the investment is the ‘first in 14 years’ claiming the previous Conservative governments have neglected the NHS. The…

UN experts call France’s hijab ban in sports ‘discriminatory’ UN human rights experts have criticised France’s decisions to ban women and girls wearing the hijab from participating in sports competitions, labelling these moves “discriminatory” and calling for their reversal. In preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics, France is enforcing strict secularism laws that prevent athletes from displaying religious symbols, including the hijab. This restriction extends to football and basketball federations, affecting players who wear the hijab even at the amateur level. The UN experts, a group of eight independent specialists, expressed concern that these measures disproportionately impact Muslim women and…