‘If voters aren’t better off by the next election, we’re screwed’: Labour insiders voice fears over budget

Some say party risks ‘looking twee’ by focusing on small fixes amid growing nervousness that budget lacks ambition

In the days since Labour’s annual conference, party insiders have been sharing a word cloud produced by the pollsters More in Common, which shows the phrases voters most associate with Andy Burnham.

Such polling is rarely flattering for politicians, and the prime minister’s version had its fair share of negatives. But one of the most prominent words in the cloud – and the one that has caught the imagination of Labour strategists – was “trying”.

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UK savings: 5% interest rate deals may not last, say experts

Competition is hotting up, with National Savings & Investments lifting rates to the highest in years

National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has increased the returns on some of its accounts, with many now paying more than 5% for the first time in nearly three years.

Competition in the savings market has been growing, leading to some of the highest interest rates for years.

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UK accused of giving people of Gaza false hope over new refugee safe route

Only ‘very small number’ of people already in Lebanon or Jordan will be referred, says organisation running scheme

The Home Office is facing claims it gave false hope to the people of Gaza after it emerged that a new safe route for Palestinian refugees will only be open to those who have already escaped to Lebanon or Jordan.

Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, announced the reopening of a resettlement scheme for refugees at Labour’s annual conference last month. A statement from her department said: “Around one in four referrals will be for Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees, fleeing war and persecution.”

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As Russia escalates its war, the EU realises its support for Ukraine won’t be enough – Euronews.com

  1. As Russia escalates its war, the EU realises its support for Ukraine won't be enough  Euronews.com
  2. Opinion | Putin’s Desperate, Dangerous Game in Europe  The New York Times
  3. Vladimir Putin and the pariah problem  The Economist
  4. With hybrid attacks and nuclear bluster, Putin aims to end Europe’s support for Ukraine  The Washington Post
  5. Putin believes he is ‘winning the air war’ against Ukraine, analyst says  TVP World
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Opinion | Foiled hijacking showed a shifting Middle East – The Washington Post

  1. Opinion | Foiled hijacking showed a shifting Middle East  The Washington Post
  2. Where are the pilots who saved us? Flydubai survivor questions crew’s role in attack - interview  The Jerusalem Post
  3. From Oct. 7 to FlyDubai, ordinary Israelis keep filling the gaps left by the government  Jewish Insider
  4. Opinion | The Narrow Bridge Between Fear and Bravery  WSJ
  5. Jeff Robbins: Genocide poppycock  Lowell Sun
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‘Like a drill going into my eye’: why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die

Dozens of CIA officers have been afflicted by debilitating symptoms over the past decade. Are they the result of ‘mass hysteria’? Or are they from attacks with an energy weapon and, if so, who is responsible? And has there been a cover-up?

Shortly after 1am one night in April 2019, a CIA officer on a work trip to London was jolted awake in his hotel room by the most intense head pain he had ever experienced. His body was soaked with sweat and he felt like his eyes were spinning in their sockets. He manoeuvred his way out of bed, hoping to make it to the bathroom to vomit, but found his sense of balance had deserted him. Eventually, he fell back into a fitful, shallow sleep.

The next day, arriving at the work meeting he had travelled for, the officer found he could not remember the names of colleagues in the room, people he knew well. As the meeting got under way, he could barely follow the discussion. Initially, he chalked it up to a terrible – if rather odd – case of food poisoning. But over subsequent weeks, worrying symptoms persisted: brain fog, loss of balance and increasingly harsh tinnitus.

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Trump hits International Criminal Court with sanctions after Nobel goes to former judge – The Washington Post

  1. Trump hits International Criminal Court with sanctions after Nobel goes to former judge  The Washington Post
  2. Takaichi Says Japan ‘Deeply Concerned’ by US Sanctions on ICC  Bloomberg.com
  3. As Navi Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize, US takes unprecedented action to cripple the court she served on  CNN
  4. US sanctions International Criminal Court in major escalation  Al Jazeera
  5. US sanctions ICC hours after former judge wins Nobel Peace Prize  Yahoo
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Three men found guilty in the 2024 killing of Australian and US surfers in Mexico – CNN

  1. Three men found guilty in the 2024 killing of Australian and US surfers in Mexico  CNN
  2. Three men found guilty of murdering two Australian surfer brothers and US friend  BBC
  3. Three men found guilty of murders of Australian surfer brothers and US friend in Mexico  The Guardian
  4. Judge convicts 3 Mexicans in killings of ex-Stevenson lacrosse player, 2 others  Baltimore Sun
  5. 3 men found guilty of killing American and Australian brothers on surfing trip in Mexico  CBS News
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