Pubs face widespread closures unless the chancellor announces an extension to business rates relief in next week’s Budget, the UK’s biggest pub company has warned. David McDowall, boss of Stonegate Group, whose pubs include Slug & Lettuce, Yates’s and Walkabout, said thousands of landlords currently make just 12p of profit for every pint of beer […]
We must change the way we measure debt, says Rachel Reeves The government will change its self-imposed debt rules in order to free up billions for infrastructure spending, the chancellor has told the BBC. Rachel Reeves said that she would make a technical change to the way debt is measured which will allow it to […]
USGS In a warming Arctic, polar bears are spending more of their time on land As the Arctic warms, polar bears face a growing risk of contracting viruses, bacteria and parasites that they were less likely to encounter just 30 years ago, research has revealed. In a study that has provided clues about how polar […]
Drug-poisoning deaths in England and Wales have hit the highest level in 30 years, fuelled by a 30% rise in fatalities involving cocaine. The highest rate of drug deaths is still among men in “Generation X”, particularly those aged 40-49, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Cocaine deaths were nearly 10 times higher in […]
EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock The government plans to introduce legislation to ban the sale of disposable vapes from 1 June 2025 The sale of disposable vapes will be banned in England from June next year, the government has confirmed. Ministers say the move is intended to prevent environmental damage and protect children’s health. Similar bans are expected to […]
Rachel Reeves will announce at the International Monetary Fund a plan to change Britain’s debt rules that will open the door for the government to spend up to £50bn extra on infrastructure projects. After weeks of speculation, the chancellor will confirm at the fund’s annual meetings in Washington on Thursday that next week’s budget will […]
Getty Images First Minister Eluned Morgan and Health Minister Jeremy miles were among 26 MSs to vote against a Senedd motion in supporting allowing assisted dying Senedd members, including First Minister Eluned Morgan and Health Secretary Jeremy Miles, have voted against a motion calling for a new law to allow assisted dying in Wales and […]
Getty Images The RSPB says 1,344 birds of prey, including golden eagles, were illegally killed in the UK between 2009 and 2023 More than 1,300 protected birds of prey – from hen harriers to golden eagles – have been killed across the UK over the past 15 years, according to the RSPB. It described the […]
Former President Donald Trump, on a camera monitor, speaks to the press as he arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court on Feb. 15 for a hearing in his case of paying hush money to cover up extramarital affairs. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images Former President […]
Alexander Lawrie Ryan Cecil is based in the United States where the item is not regulated An American airline pilot has admitted carrying a high voltage stun gun in his luggage at Edinburgh Airport. Ryan Cecil, 56, was found carrying the weapon in his carry-on luggage as he attempted to board a flight he was […]