Local News
Cory Booker sets a record with marathon US Senate speech
Democratic senator Cory Booker broke the record for the longest speech on the US Senate floor with a marathon critique of president Donald Trump. The New Jersey official took to the floor on Monday evening, saying he would remain there as long as he was “physically able”. It was not until more t...
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What the papers say – April 2
Donald Trump’s tariff blitz dominates headlines across Wednesday’s newspapers. The Times, the Independent and the i Paper say the US president is expected to hit the UK with a raft of tariffs, which will come into immediate effect. Welfare reforms will rule an extra 400,000 out of any work, says...
UK to sign migration deal with Serbia as Lammy visits Western Balkans
Britain will sign a deal with Serbia aimed at speeding up intelligence-sharing to disrupt people-smuggling, after Channel crossings reached a record high in the first three months of 2025. Foreign Secretary David Lammy will ratify the “co-operation agreement”, first announced by Prime Minister S...
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Starmer and Reeves face grilling as Trump prepares ‘liberation day’ tariffs
Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves will both face questions from MPs on Wednesday as Donald Trump prepares to announce major new tariffs that could derail their economic plans. The US president is expected to unveil sweeping tariffs at an event at the White House around 9pm UK time, in a move he has...
Assisted dying: MP says Bill process ‘rigorous’ but cardinal brands it ‘flawed’
A senior UK Catholic leader has criticised the “deeply flawed process” by which the assisted dying Bill is progressing through Parliament, as the MP behind it told of her frustration at opponents suggesting it has been handled in anything other than a “thorough, rigorous” way. The Terminall...
More than £1 trillion worth of card transactions made in 2024, says UK Finance
The number of contactless card transactions made in 2024 increased by 3.4% annually, according to UK Finance data. Some 18.9 billion contactless transactions were made in 2024 – a 3.4% increase compared with 2023. The figure includes both UK-issued cards and overseas cards being used within the UK...
MI5 reveals never-before-seen spy secrets in National Archives Exhibition
A briefcase left behind by infamous Cambridge spy Guy Burgess as he fled to Moscow in 1951 is among never-before-seen MI5 artefacts going on display at The National Archives in Kew, South-West London. The MI5: Official Secrets exhibition, which features objects from MI5’s private collection alongs...
Big tobacco should be forced to pay ‘polluter pays levy’ – MPs
Tobacco firms should be subject to a “polluter pays” levy which would fund schemes to help reduce smoking rates, a group of MPs said. While “world leading” laws to phase out smoking are passing through Parliament, MPs said that more could be done to help the millions of people who are “tra...
Up to 4,000 places set to be rolled out at school-based nurseries from September
Up to 4,000 childcare places are set to be rolled out at new or expanded school-based nurseries in England from September. The Department for Education (DfE) has approved the first round of funding for 300 school-based nursery projects across England. Each successful school – which were able to ap...
Santander UK reveals scams most likely to catch out different age groups
A major bank has recorded a jump in older adults aged 80-plus and younger adults aged 34 and under reporting being scammed in the first three months of this year. Santander UK said the biggest increase in scams was reported by customers aged 80 and over, up 7% on the previous quarter, driven by scam...
Marathon effort aims to give ‘more than hope’ to people with pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic Cancer UK’s aim to give people “more than hope” after diagnosis is inspiring a team of London Marathon fundraisers who hope a new breath test will save thousands of lives by catching the disease earlier. Among them is Jo Jefferies whose father Kevin Hesketh was diagnosed with pancre...
Experts downgrade forecast for Scottish economy amid ‘turbulent’ conditions
Experts have downgraded forecasts for Scotland’s economy amid warnings that conditions will be “turbulent and uncertain”. The Fraser of Allander Institute said the start of 2025 had seen “growing unease”, with the think tank saying firms were preparing for “rising costs and escalating ge...
Inspector concerned funding shortfall impacting PSNI performance
The PSNI needs to improve its crime prevention and offender management, according to a police watchdog. A report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that continued financial pressures facing the force are likely to continue to affect the ser...
Households urged to check insurance for garden items as evenings become lighter
Households could risk leaving themselves without adequate insurance as the evenings become lighter, a financial information business has warned. Analysis of standard home contents products by Defaqto found that some have exclusions if sheds are not adequately secured and some do not cover items such...
‘You can literally pour the wee off’ – Mum wears same wool dress for 100 consecutive days to prove material’s benefits
A mother who believes wool does not need washing even after her children have urinated on it has worn the same dress for 100 consecutive days to prove the material is self-cleaning. Brittany Balinski, 34, uses her TikTok platform, where she has more than 50,000 followers, to talk about the “versat...
Majority oppose Meta’s rollback of safety rules, charity says
The public opposes Meta’s controversial rollback of some content moderation policies to allow more “free expression”, according to a new report from a suicide prevention charity. A study by the Molly Rose Foundation, which included a poll of more than 2,000 people, found that 86% of adults bel...
Growing cover crops to prevent bare fields helps soil and wildlife – study
A shift away from the familiar sight of bare winter fields can help improve soils and boost wildlife, a study suggests. An assessment of “regenerative agriculture” – which focuses on improving soils, producing food and increasing farmland wildlife – found good evidence that minimising bare s...
23 people contact police tracing further potential victims of rapist PhD student
More than 20 women have contacted police to say they may have been raped by Zhenhao Zou, the Chinese PhD student detectives believe may be one of the UKs most prolific sex offenders. Police launched an international appeal after Zou, 28, was convicted of drugging and raping 10 women following a tria...
Major poll reveals ‘startling collapse’ in public satisfaction with NHS
There has been a “startling collapse” in public satisfaction with the NHS, according to a major public survey. Some 59% of adults say they are dissatisfied with the health service, up seven percentage points in a year and the highest level on record. The British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, wh...
School curriculum resources to teach children about risks of in-game purchases
Children will be warned about the real cost of buying in-game extras and using “virtual currency” while playing online in resources available to schools. The Oak National Academy – an arm’s length body to help schools deliver curriculum content – has launched a package of teaching material...