Badenoch admits Brexit has damaged economy as she announces plan to review benefits system – UK politics live
Tory leader says financial crisis, Brexit and Covid have all hit the economy and a review of which conditions deserve benefits is neededBadenoch says the Tories will review the way the household benefit cap operates.This is a policy introduced by George Osborne when he was chancellor. It imposes a cap on the total amount a household can receive in benefits.We will review every circumstance in which benefits are currently paying more than work.We will undertake a full eview of the level and operation of the household benefit cap, which currently acts more like a sieve than a cap, because most people on benefits avoid it through one exemption or another. Continue reading...
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Europe a ‘decaying’ group of nations led by ‘weak’ people, Trump says – latest updates
US president blames leaders for being ‘politically correct’ and says migration is ‘unchecked, unvetted’ in interview with PoliticoOh, and a little warning shot from EU’s Kallas:“If we go into the fight [of] pointing fingers, I mean, we can also point a lot of fingers [on] what is wrong in America, but this is not the way we work, we are not going to meddle with the internal affairs of other countries.” Continue reading...
Abbott moves to bring Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA into Texas schools
The governor touts ‘urgency and a need’ for Club America chapters amid criticism of influence on studentsTexas has embarked on launching chapters of Turning Point USA – the conservative youth organisation founded by late rightwing activist Charlie Kirk – in high schools across the state, building on similar efforts from Oklahoma and Florida.Greg Abbott, the Texas governor, Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor, and other Texas Republicans made the announcement Monday alongside Turning Point USA (TPUSA)’s senior director, Josh Thifault, at the gubernatorial mansion in Austin. Continue reading...
EU opens investigation into Google’s use of online content for AI models
European Commission to assess whether Gemini owner is putting rival companies at a disadvantageBusiness live – latest updatesThe EU has opened an investigation to assess whether Google is breaching European competition rules in its use of online content from publishers and YouTube creators for artificial intelligence.The European Commission said on Tuesday it would examine whether the US tech company, which runs the Gemini AI model and is owned by Alphabet, was putting rival AI owners at a “disadvantage”. Continue reading...
Celebrities including Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley urge Keir Starmer to drop plans to alter ECHR
Public figures sign letter calling on UK government to take ‘principled stand’ for torture victims at Europe summitThe actors Michael Palin, Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley are among 21 well known figures calling on Keir Starmer to drop plans to change human rights law and instead “take a principled stand” for torture victims on the eve of a crucial European summit.As David Lammy prepares to attend a Council of Europe meeting in Strasbourg that will discuss legal changes to stop bogus asylum claims, the novelist Julian Barnes, the actor Adrian Lester and the comedian Aisling Bea have also signed a letter telling the prime minister: “Any attempt at undermining universal protections is an affront to us all and a threat to the security of each and every one of us.” Continue reading...
Cheryl Hines says Robert F Kennedy Jr won’t run for president in 2028
The actor spoke at an interview amid renewed news coverage and commentary about her husband’s 2024 presidential bidUS politics live – latest updatesThe actor Cheryl Hines has said she does not believe her husband, Robert F Kennedy Jr, will run for the White House after Donald Trump’s presidency.Hines was asked by Elizabeth Vargas, a NewsNation anchor, on Monday, “Is your husband going to run for president in 2028? And, if so, are you ready for that?” Continue reading...
Sacked agents sue FBI, saying they were punished for taking the knee
The group say adopting a gesture used by protesters helped to defuse tensions during a 2020 demonstration.
How did China’s trade surplus hit $1 trillion?
Donald Trump’s trade tariffs have failed to hold back China's export dominance, which scaled new heights in November.
Storm Bram: ‘danger to life’ warnings issued as heavy rain and winds hit much of UK – as it happened
Forecasters warn of possible damage to buildings, power cuts and travel disruption with heavy rain and gusts reaching 90mphWe have some more updates on the disruptions caused by the weather conditions to train services in Scotland:Rail services between Fort William and Mallaig will be suspended from 4pm and between Dingwall and Kyle of Lochalsh from 5pm, due to the forecast extreme winds.We’re already receiving lots of calls about incidents on roads across Devon and Cornwall this morning. Please only travel if absolutely necessary; drive at an appropriate speed and allow extra distance between other vehicles. Continue reading...
Hundreds of Thousands of Thais and Cambodians Flee
People escaped from a deadly border conflict, the authorities said, with some sheltering at a racetrack in Thailand and others near temples in Cambodia.