Real living wage to rise by almost 7% in boost for low-paid UK workers

Posted on by

Hourly rate to increase in April by 95p to £14.80 in London and by 85p to £13.45 for the rest of the country

Almost half a million workers are to receive a pay boost after it was announced that the real living wage paid voluntarily by 16,000 UK companies will rise to £13.45 an hour in April.

Distinct from the national living wage, which is a statutory minimum, the real living wage is calculated each year based on the cost of essentials, and is paid by more than half of the companies in the FTSE 100.

Continue reading...

‘They can’t dismiss Leo so easily’: how the pope has confounded conservatives

Posted on by

As pontiff prepares for visit of King Charles, the contours of his papacy are slowly becoming apparent

When King Charles meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican this week, the two leaders are likely to discuss pressing global issues as well as sharing a historic moment of prayer.

In the face of volatility and rising nationalism, Leo, the first North American chosen to lead the Roman Catholic church, has begun to outline the contours of his papacy after a low-key start to his five-month-old papacy.

Continue reading...

Peru’s interim president declares state of emergency after weeks of anti-government protests

Posted on by

Declaration means government can send army to patrol streets, restrict freedom of assembly and curtail other rights

Peru’s interim president, Jose Jeri, announced a state of emergency in Lima and the neighbouring port of Callao on Tuesday after weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and organised crime.

“The state of emergency approved by the council of ministers will take effect at midnight on Wednesday and will last for 30 days in metropolitan Lima and Callao,” Jeri said in an address to the nation on state television.

Continue reading...

Tropical Storm Melissa tracker: Map and projected storm path – The Washington Post

Posted on by
  1. Tropical Storm Melissa tracker: Map and projected storm path  The Washington Post
  2. Melissa simmers in the Caribbean, posing a serious flood threat and a track that’s hard to pin down  CNN
  3. See spaghetti models, possible path for Tropical Storm Melissa. Is Florida in its path?  Yahoo
  4. Tropical Storm Melissa Maps Tracker: Forecast Track And More  The Weather Channel
  5. Tropical Storm Melissa forms in the Atlantic. Maps show its forecast path.  CBS News
Posted in Uncategorized

Global use of coal hit record high in 2024

Posted on by

Bleak report finds greenhouse gas emissions are still rising despite ‘exponential’ growth of renewables

Coal use hit a record high around the world last year despite efforts to switch to clean energy, imperilling the world’s attempts to rein in global heating.

The share of coal in electricity generation dropped as renewable energy surged ahead. But the general increase in power demand meant that more coal was used overall, according to the annual State of Climate Action report, published on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

New Report Finds Efforts to Slow Climate Change Are Working—Just Not Fast Enough – WIRED

Posted on by
  1. New Report Finds Efforts to Slow Climate Change Are Working—Just Not Fast Enough  WIRED
  2. Trump’s words aren’t stopping China, Brazil and many other countries from setting higher climate goals, but progress is slow  The Conversation
  3. ‘All systems flashing red’: World off track for all climate targets  Euronews.com
  4. 'All systems are flashing red': How the world is failing in its climate goals  Business Green
  5. E&E News: Nations got better at cutting carbon. So why are emissions rising?  POLITICO Pro
Posted in Uncategorized

Israel identifies bodies of two hostages returned by Hamas – BBC

Posted on by
  1. Israel identifies bodies of two hostages returned by Hamas  BBC
  2. Oldest hostage taken by Hamas among two deceased returned to Israel Tuesday  CNN
  3. Israel identifies two more hostages’ bodies as Vance prepares to meet Netanyahu  AP News
  4. Israel receives 2 more hostage coffins from Gaza through Red Cross operation as identification begins  Fox News
  5. Israel, Hamas return more bodies of captives under Gaza ceasefire deal  Al Jazeera
Posted in Uncategorized

Thailand to let Myanmar refugees work to counter aid cuts and labour shortages

Posted on by

The move, welcomed by UN, will allow thousands of people living in camps to support themselves and their families

Thailand is setting a global precedent this month by giving refugees permission to work in the country in an effort to tackle aid cuts and its own labour shortages.

More than 87,000 refugees living in nine refugee camps along Thailand’s border with Myanmar have been totally reliant on handouts of food and foreign aid.

Continue reading...

‘A perfect coincidence’: rare red lightning captured in New Zealand skies

Posted on by

Photographers capture extremely unusual phenomenon – also known as red sprites – against backdrop of the Milky Way

A trio of photographers in New Zealand have captured images of “red sprites”, or red lightning, one of the rarest light phenomena in the world, in which luminous crimson flashes appear in the sky.

New Zealand photographer Tom Rae and Spanish photographers Dan Zafra and José Cantabrana set out to shoot the Milky Way over the Ōmārama Clay cliffs in the South Island on 11 October, when they chanced upon the extraordinary event.

Continue reading...

British woman on death row in Bali for drug smuggling to be repatriated

Posted on by

Lindsay Sandiford, 68, has been on death row in Indonesia since 2012, after authorities found 3.8kg of cocaine in her suitcase

A British woman will avoid execution for drug smuggling in Indonesia under an agreement between the two nations to repatriate her and another Briton serving a life sentence.

Lindsay Sandiford, 68, has been imprisoned in Bali since 2012. She was arrested at the resort island’s airport after authorities found 3.8kg of cocaine worth $2.5m hidden in the lining of her suitcase. During the trial, she said she was forced to carry the drugs by a gang that threatened her children.

Continue reading...

North Korea fires off ballistic missiles one day after Takaichi named PM – The Japan Times

Posted on by
  1. North Korea fires off ballistic missiles one day after Takaichi named PM  The Japan Times
  2. North Korea fires ballistic missiles as Trump prepares for Asia trip  Reuters
  3. North Korea has fired a ballistic missile toward the east, Seoul says  Politico
  4. North Korea fires ballistic missiles toward the east days before Trump visits the South  NBC News
  5. North Korea test-fires multiple ballistic missiles as APEC summit nears  Al Jazeera
Posted in Uncategorized

Ukraine Reportedly Hits Bryansk Chemical Plant With Storm Shadow Missiles – Kyiv Post

Posted on by
  1. Ukraine Reportedly Hits Bryansk Chemical Plant With Storm Shadow Missiles  Kyiv Post
  2. Ukraine hits Russian chemical plant with UK-made Storm Shadow missiles  BBC
  3. Ukraine strikes Russia with British Storm Shadow missiles  The Telegraph
  4. Russia and Ukraine trade missile attacks after Putin-Trump talks shelved – Europe live  The Guardian
  5. British Storm Shadow missiles used in 'massive' Ukrainian strike against Russian chemical plant  Sky News
Posted in Uncategorized