Spike in inflation and threat of rising energy prices likely to add to cost of living crisis, say analysts
Credit card borrowing jumped in June at its fastest annual rate in 17 years as struggling households appeared to rely on extra borrowing to cope with the escalating cost of living.
Credit card borrowing rose by £740m month on month, 13% higher than the year before, according to Bank of England figures that showed the biggest year on year rise since October 2005.
Continue reading...High-speed rail firm blames departure from EU and Covid for decision to halt service next summer
Eurostar has decided to stop direct services from London to Disneyland Paris from next summer, citing the fallout from Brexit and Covid.
The high-speed train operator said on Tuesday it was scrapping trains running from the British capital to the Disneyland site in Marne-la-Vallée, in the eastern Paris suburbs.
Continue reading...Announcement means 11 of agency’s 14 areas in England now in drought status after record dry spell
All of south-west England is in drought after some of the driest conditions in nearly 90 years, the Environment Agency has said.
The Wessex area – which includes Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, south Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire – has been declared in drought status.
Continue reading...Despite their costs going ‘through the roof’, education leaders fear they will be a low priority for the next occupant of No 10
Education leaders in England fear one thing: that schools, colleges and universities will be hammered by the cost of living crisis but will not be enough of a priority to get the help they need from government. And they see little hope from a change in leadership at No 10.
“Our costs are going through the roof, our staff badly need pay rises and are going to strike, our students are suffering, but our income is stuck,” said one vice-chancellor, echoing their peers in schools and colleges around the country.
Continue reading...Billionaire becomes first Asian person to break into the top three of world’s wealthy
The Indian tycoon Gautam Adani has been named the world’s third richest person with an estimated $137bn (£117bn) fortune and becomes the first Asian person to break into the top three of world’s wealthy.
Adani, 60, who founded the mining-to-energy conglomerate Adani Group after dropping out of university, was on Tuesday ranked third on the daily-updated Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Continue reading...HMS Prince of Wales retreats to Solent for repairs after propeller malfunction, risking cross-Atlantic date with allies
Britain’s biggest warship could miss important flight trials with jets off the US coast after it suffered a propeller shaft malfunction shortly after setting sail, the Royal Navy has said.
HMS Prince of Wales, a £3bn aircraft carrier, left Portsmouth naval base on Saturday and suffered an “emerging mechanical issue” off the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight.
Continue reading...Nadhim Zahawi to go on fact-finding trip to discuss measures on energy costs in what are likely to be his last days in post
Nadhim Zahawi will spend what are likely to be his final few days as chancellor in the US on a fact-finding trip to discuss measures to tackle soaring energy costs.
Zahawi, who took over as chancellor eight weeks ago and is likely to be replaced if, as widely expected, Liz Truss is unveiled as the next Conservative leader, will also discuss the Ukraine war and cooperation on financial services.
Continue reading...Data from UK Biobank suggests people who drink two or more cups of black tea a day have lower risk of mortality
It is a welcome piece of research for those who regard having a cup of tea as one of life’s everyday pleasures.
A study has suggested that having a brew could be associated with a lower risk of mortality. When compared with those who do not have tea, people who consumed two or more cups each day had between a 9% and 13% lower risk of mortality, researchers said.
Continue reading...Duchess of Sussex reveals in magazine interview how toxic tabloid culture had torn her and Harry’s families apart
The Duchess of Sussex has said her and Prince Harry’s privacy battle with the Mail on Sunday cost her husband his relationship with his father.
In an interview with the Cut magazine, Meghan discussed how toxic tabloid culture had torn her and the Duke of Sussex’s families apart.
Continue reading...Unite says offer from Scotland’s councils is unacceptable and ‘represents a waste of precious time’
Refuse workers in Scotland will continue to strike next week after the Unite union rejected the latest offer from local authorities.
Council cleansing staff across much of the country are striking over pay. A strike in Edinburgh that led to rubbish building up in the streets during the city’s festival fringe – the busiest time of year for the city – is due to end on Tuesday morning. But further action in other council areas is planned.
Continue reading...Exclusive: warnings of damage to children’s education for years to come without major intervention
• ‘It’s heartbreaking’: England’s school leaders on budget shortfalls
Leading Conservatives including two former Tory education secretaries have urged the incoming prime minister to address rising cost pressures on schools as a matter of urgency, as head teachers struggle to pay soaring energy and wage bills.
With the start of the new academic year just days away, many schools in England are already overwhelmed by energy price rises in excess of 200% – with worse to come – plus the additional cost of unfunded pay rises and mounting inflation.
Continue reading...Sir Joseph Hotung’s gift is ‘one of the most generous ever received’ by museum
An outstanding collection of Chinese porcelain and jades has been left to the British Museum in “one of the most significant bequests” of its history.
The artworks come from the collections of Sir Joseph Hotung, a businessman, philanthropist and art collector, who died last year.
Continue reading...Former Tory rival says outgoing PM aims to return to No 10 in style of other deposed populists
Boris Johnson is “hoping to do a Berlusconi” and make a “populist return” to Downing Street after being ousted by his own MPs, according to a former Conservative cabinet minister.
In an interview with the Guardian, Rory Stewart said people needed to be reminded Johnson was forced to quit – over a slew of scandals – because some supporters wanted Johnson to “come back”.
Continue reading...Club’s shirt sponsor criticised for offering $10 free bet to anyone who wagers large amount in a week
Everton FC has told its sponsor Stake.com to stop using its imagery in an international promotion offering a $10 free bet to anyone who wagers $5,000 in the space of a week.
Football fans and campaign groups had criticised the marketing scheme and questioned Everton’s apparent involvement.
Continue reading...Researchers find link between learning instrument while young and improved thinking skills later in life
The ageing rocker clinging on to their youth may be a figure of mockery, but research suggests they should be envied for their sharpness of mind.
Researchers have found a link between learning a musical instrument in youth and improved thinking skills in old age. People with more experience of playing a musical instrument showed greater lifetime improvement on a test of cognitive ability than those with less or no experience, a paper from the University of Edinburgh has said.
Continue reading...Freedom of speech groups raise over clampdown, which only came to light by accident
Police chiefs have been issuing secret orders telling officers to inform bosses if they know any news reporters – as they would have to do with convicted criminals or extremists.
The measure is already in place in some forces, and follows guidance from the College of Policing, which sets standards in law enforcement. It is part of anti-corruption efforts and only came to light by accident.
Continue reading...Police say teenager may have taken ‘particular type’ of ecstasy or MDMA tablet, grey or black and oblong-shaped
A 16-year-old boy has died after falling ill at Leeds festival, according to police who have launched an investigation into whether he had taken an ecstasy tablet.
The teenager fell ill on Saturday at the music event at the city’s Bramham Park and was taken to hospital, but died on Sunday. West Yorkshire police said they were looking into whether he had taken a particular type of MDMA.
Continue reading...Flights found to run more than 14 minutes late on average as UK plans to reduce compensation
The budget airline Wizz Air was the worst performer for UK flight delays among its peers last year, according to analysis that has raised fresh concerns about government plans to slash customer compensation schemes.
The Hungarian carrier – which operates short-haul flights from 10 UK airports including Belfast International, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Gatwick and Luton – was found to have flights running an average of 14 minutes and 24 second behind schedule in 2021, months before the latest travel chaos took hold.
Continue reading...Research to update record of cities in UK and overseas territories reveals Gibraltar was awarded status in 1842 but omitted from list
Residents of Gibraltar smarting at missing out on gaining city status in a recent competition have been handed an unexpected surprise: it has been one for the last 180 years.
Gibraltar was among 39 places across the UK and British overseas territories vying to win city status as part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations in a competition last year, up against sites ranging from Alcester to Wrexham, via the Cayman Islands.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Ministers encouraged to stay at Westminster to devise emergency plans to address cost of living crisis
The next Conservative leader has been urged to scrap MPs’ four-week break for party conference season and told it would be “immoral and insulting” to go “missing in action” during the worsening cost of living crisis.
With the Commons due to go into recess for a month in mid-September for the parties’ annual conventions, ministers were encouraged to remain in Westminster to devise and debate emergency plans for supporting struggling people through the winter.
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