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‘Taylor Swift tells us to take the lead!’ Could highly organised pop fans clinch victory for Brazil’s Lula?
More than 600 Brazilian pop music fan groups have joined an online campaign for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of the 25 October runoff election. The campaign grew after right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro led the first round, and reflects efforts to reach younger voters through communities that already have large, active social media…
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New England home scheme offers first-time buyers 20% equity loan
The UK government has announced Your First Home, a scheme intended to help first-time buyers in England who earn a regular income but lack a large deposit or family financial support. It matters because it could reduce the upfront savings needed to buy a new-build home and lower monthly costs compared with some standard mortgages.…
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Rayner rejects claims of a Cabinet rift over immigration plans
Angela Rayner said claims of a Cabinet split over immigration risk portraying women ministers as quarrelling, saying “people love saying us girls are all falling out”. She denied there was a rift and backed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s efforts to tackle immigration, while stressing that the settlement rules should be fair to taxpayers and migrants…
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Extraordinary moment Trump apologizes to reporter immediately after calling her fake news: ‘No sir’
Donald Trump briefly dismissed a reporter’s question as “fake news”, then apologised after learning she worked for The Daily Wire. He went on to answer her question about claims that French President Emmanuel Macron blamed him for unrest in France, saying Macron was a friend and criticising his approach to immigration. Trump repeated claims that…
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Doctors blast government’s proposed pay rise as ‘derisory’ and risks further NHS strikes
The government has proposed a 2.4 per cent pay rise for doctors in 2027/28, prompting unions to condemn the offer and warn it could deepen disputes with the NHS workforce. The BMA called it a pay cut, arguing doctors’ pay remains below its level 20 years ago, while warning that failing to value staff could…
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MORNING GLORY: Minnesota’s massive fraud scandal could deliver a stunning Senate upset
The article argues that Republican Michele Tafoya’s debate attack on Minnesota’s Democratic Senate nominee, Peggy Flanagan, has made the state’s fraud scandal a central issue in their race. It says Flanagan’s role as lieutenant governor under Tim Walz leaves her vulnerable to criticism over alleged failures to prevent fraud, and presents the contest as a…
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Top Trump ally warns Republican Party ‘dead’ if it loses key voting bloc ahead of midterms
Senator Bernie Moreno, a prominent Trump ally, warned that Republicans risk losing the working-class voters who have become central to the party’s success. He said the party would be “dead” without their support, as economic pressures and voters’ concerns about affordability could weaken that alliance ahead of the midterms. Trump won between 66% and 67%…
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Putin, Trump and Xi three-way meeting to discuss Ukraine war proposed by Moscow after US president slammed Zelensky
Vladimir Putin has proposed meeting Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in China next month, potentially on the sidelines of the APEC forum, to discuss matters including the war in Ukraine. The idea comes as Trump has criticised Volodymyr Zelensky and suggested someone else should negotiate for Ukraine, raising concern in Kyiv that talks without its…
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‘We want fair government funding for hospices’
St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield and other Yorkshire hospices are calling for fairer government funding, warning that financial pressure could force cuts or closures. The campaign, led by Hospice UK ahead of the Budget, highlights how hospices provide palliative care as well as activities and social support for people with serious illnesses. Hospice UK says…
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How is the US economy really doing under President Trump?
The US economy has continued to grow under Donald Trump, despite concerns that his tariffs would slow activity, and is outperforming other G7 economies. But rising prices linked partly to tariffs and the US-Israel war with Iran are squeezing households, making the benefits of growth less clear for many voters. GDP is expanding at an…