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theguardian.com | 3 min. ago NEW

What the claw arcade game tells us about the cost of living crisis

Zoe Williams | No matter how you crunch the UK data, prices are rising while average wages stagnate. The system is rigged – and it’s time we kicked over the toy dispenserAbout a decade ago, the financial crash was almost a decade old. Unrelatedly, my kids were under 10, so I was spending a lot more time in arcades.

There’s a particular game involving a metal claw – it goes by the name of claw-game. You put in a pound, and try to manipulate the claw to grab a toy that is worth nothing like a pound. You would take that as the price of a bit of family fun, except the claw never grabbed a toy.The frustration for a six-year-old was immense, every lost pound making the probably flammable stuffed hamster more urgently desirable.

But it was way worse for me, because I was clinging on to some residual 80s idea of arcade-honour. Surely, after pound #7, the machine would just give you a sodding toy? That would represent an astronomical return, lessen the possibility of an adult kicking the machine to death and assure a returning market of maybe 10% of the dumbest or most spineless parents.

But no, nada. No toys, ever. Continue reading...

timesofindia.indiatimes.com | 19 min. ago NEW

2 Indian-origin men jailed for 28 yrs in UK; killed mum, daughter in high-speed race

theguardian.com | 45 min. ago NEW

UK sanctions Sudanese military leaders implicated in El Fasher ‘campaign of rape’

Commanders suspected of sexual violence during the largest and fastest slaughter of civilians in more than 30 years have been subjected to travel ban and asset freezeSenior Sudanese commanders implicated in a “campaign of rape” have been targeted by the UK on the first anniversary of a mass atrocity that saw tens of thousands of civilians killed over several days.A year after the fall of El Fasher, the British government said it had sanctioned military leaders from both sides in the country’s ongoing conflict whom it suspected of sexual violence during the siege of the city.

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theguardian.com | 46 min. ago NEW

What makes Andy Burnham think Britain can rejoin the EU? – podcast

Andy Burnham claims revising Brexit would ‘bring people together’. The PM wants to look again at issues such as free movement but rules out joining the euro or Schengen. Would rejoining the EU open old wounds and risk further division? Plus, as the chancellor, John Healey, gears up for a tricky budget, what should you be looking out for?You can watch this episode of Politics Weekly on our YouTube channel here.Read Jessica Elgot’s deep dive on how Andy Burnham and John Healey have been preparing for the budget here.Any questions on Andy Burnham’s comments about rejoining the EU please send to politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com.

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theguardian.com | 47 min. ago NEW

Visa and Mastercard threatened with potential £5bn UK lawsuit over fees

Application made for group claim seeking compensation for companies for alleged overcharging on customer card paymentsVisa and Mastercard are being threatened with a potential £5bn lawsuit for allegedly stifling competition and charging UK businesses excessive fees.The law firms Harcus Parker and Hausfeld have lodged an application at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in hopes of pursuing a group claim that would compensate companies who, they claim, have been overcharged on customer card payments since October 2020. Continue reading...

euronews.com | 55 min. ago NEW

UK: Oxford Street pedestrianisation begins in central London

Pedestrians have taken over part of London's Oxford Street as a new traffic ban comes into force.

mirror.co.uk | 1 hrs. 30 min. ago

RAF Atlas aircraft suddenly declares mid-air emergency nearly 11,000ft over UK

The Airbus A400M Atlas took off from MOD Boscombe Down in Amesbury, Wiltshire, before sending out the emergency code in mid-air

dailymail.com | 1 hrs. 37 min. ago

Nigel Farage admits Reform UK need to win back voters after 'difficult summer' - as he blames 'staff incompetence' for party delivering its own 'Teal Budget' to a half-empty hall

The Reform leader said he was 'optimistic' despite a slew of controversies in recent months, which has coincided with a slide in his party's poll ratings.

theguardian.com | 2 hrs. 6 min. ago

Russell Brand had ‘insane sexual appetite’ and bad behaviour on ‘another level’, trial told

Brand, charged with rape and sexual assault, was ‘sleeping with people day and night’, former assistant allegesRussell Brand had an “insane sexual appetite” and his bad behaviour was on “another level” to that of other celebrities, his former personal assistant has told a court.Helen Berger told police she had seen Brand treat women badly and that she once had to stop his mother and girlfriend walking in on him having sex with someone in his dressing room.

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mirror.co.uk | 2 hrs. 9 min. ago

Storms Boelo and Austen spark more than 100 urgent flood alerts across UK with communities still without power

Storm Austen and Storm Boelo rattled across the country over the weekend, and the Met Office says more strong winds and heavy downpours are forecast

theguardian.com | 4 hrs. 15 min. ago

UK looking to give carmakers incentives to turn EVs into ‘power plants on wheels’

V2G tech enables drivers to charge automatically when electricity is cheaper and then sell some back to the grid at times of high demandBusiness live – latest updatesElectric cars that can be used as “power plants on wheels” could be given government backing as part of plans under consideration to help UK manufacturers.Ministers are considering giving manufacturers incentives to add “vehicle to grid” (V2G) technology to cars as part of its review of the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

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scmp.com | 4 hrs. 17 min. ago

US singer Chris Brown avoids jail after guilty plea in UK nightclub incident

US singer Chris ⁠Brown was spared an immediate prison sentence in Britain on Monday for attacking a producer with a tequila bottle in a London nightclub in 2023. Brown, 37, was given an eight-month suspended sentence at London’s Southwark Crown Court ‌after he admitted a charge of affray over the attack on Abraham Diaw at the Tape nightclub in February 2023. The R&B star and his vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu, 40, pleaded guilty in July, having denied more serious charges of attempting to inflict...

nypost.com | 4 hrs. 28 min. ago

UK families told to stock up on emergency supplies — and be ready for war

"There's no sugarcoating the fact that we do live in a more dangerous and turbulent world," warned Wes Streeting, the UK’s defense secretary.

mirror.co.uk | 4 hrs. 58 min. ago

Ryanair flight to Spain declares mid-air emergency at 24,300ft above UK

The Ryanair plane issued a squawk 7700 code - the universal transponder code for a general emergency - at 24,300 ft near Glasgow early into its journey to Spain

ft.com | 5 hrs. 2 min. ago

[$] Andy Burnham stokes Brexit debate ahead of UK-EU summit

Prime minister says he would like to see Britain rejoin EU ‘in my lifetime’ but stressed he would not get ahead of public opinion

bbc.co.uk | 5 hrs. 16 min. ago

Burnham leaves door open to referendum on EU free movement

The PM says he wants to start a conversation about potential options for the UK's future relationship with the EU.

theguardian.com | 6 hrs. 50 min. ago

I thought testing bread makers would be easy. 36 loaves later, I may have lost the plot

Our tester pushed her love of bread, and freezer space, to the limit in pursuit of the perfect homemade loaf. Plus, the best Kindles for every budget• Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereHow much bread is too much bread? I found myself wondering this while testing nine of the best bread makers for the Filter.

You see, while one hot, crusty loaf is a cause for celebration, 36 feels like a cry for help.Because yes, that really is how many loaves I made to rigorously test these machines. The number might even be closer to 45 if you count the weird experiments and loaves that collapsed due to user error.

As you succumb to flour-induced delusions, at some point you begin to lose count.How I Shop with Bill Bailey: ‘Could be a life-saver in an apocalypse’The best Kindles for every bookworm and budget – testedThe best gifts for nine-year-olds, picked by nine-year-olds and parents‘Outrageously good’: the best (and worst) supermarket ready-made custard, tasted and rated Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 7 hrs. 28 min. ago

If the PM reboots the UK for working-class people, unions will be with him. But the time for talking is over

Andrea Egan | Andy Burnham has railed against neoliberalism – the historic shift must start with this week’s budgetAndrea Egan is the general secretary of UnisonAfter Keir Starmer, things could only get better inside Labour. But Andy Burnham’s arrival as party leader and prime minister didn’t just clear that low bar.

It was a cause for hope, especially for those of us in the trade union movement. That’s less because Burnham is streets ahead of his predecessor as a politician – although he is – and more about just how radically the new prime minister has framed his project for the country.I’ve been active in the labour movement for almost four decades.

In that time, I cannot count how many times I’ve heard talk of reversing the devastation wreaked by Margaret Thatcher. For socialists and grassroots trade union activists, this kind of political thinking is bread and butter. But not so much for a Labour prime minister.Andrea Egan is the general secretary of Unison Continue reading...

dailymail.com | 8 hrs. 11 min. ago

The world's worst underground train lines: From 'filth' in the UK to crime hotspots in New York and overcrowding in Tokyo

From the most-complained about lines on London's Tube, to the 'packed-to-the-brim' Paris Metro, here are some of the worst underground train networks across the globe.

bbc.co.uk | 8 hrs. 19 min. ago

Two men killed by falling trees as Storm Boelo leaves 90,000 properties without power

An amber wind warning has now expired after severe weather sweeps across the UK.

theguardian.com | 9 hrs. 6 min. ago

Exciting new talent in photojournalism: the IPPG 2026 recipients – in pictures

The winner of the 2026 Ian Parry photojournalism grant, which spotlights new talent in photojournalism, is Maddie McCuddy, 23, from the US. She receives £10,000, Canon equipment and mentorship from Giles Duley (Legacy of War Foundation). Jospin Mwisha, 22, from DRC was highly commended, and Ike Wood, 23, from the US was commended.

The recipient of the 2026 Save The Children x IPPG Commission is Fin J Kerr, 21, from the UK, and the recipient of 2026 Gentex Corp personal safety award is Louis Lemaire-Sicre, 23, from France. We take a look at a selection of their work Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 9 hrs. 6 min. ago

AI cloud computing companies face ‘guppy-level death’, Elon Musk warns, as funding dries up – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsUK tech company Computacenter is benefitting from the AI boom.This morning, Computacenter raised its financial outlook for this financial year, after “a very strong first half performance”.Sourcing revenue continued to grow strongly, primarily driven by hyperscale and neocloud customers in North America and the UK.Group Services revenue was also ahead of last year, as strong organic growth in Professional Services, also driven by North America, more than offset a decline in Managed Services revenue.I think we’re going to see a lot of stranded compute in partially complete datacenters Continue reading...

ft.com | 11 hrs. 44 min. ago

[$] Deloitte boss Houston gets 45% pay rise as firm cuts jobs

Big Four accounting firm overhauls UK partnership to widen ownership group but reduces shares for newcomers

businessinsider.com | 11 hrs. 51 min. ago

Families should stockpile 3 days' worth of essentials in today's world of disaster and war, the UK warns

The government campaign aims to raise the UK's national resilience as top leaders increasingly warn of the threat of war, disaster, and emergencies.

ft.com | 12 hrs. 14 min. ago

[$] We need to know if AI agents are accessing British services

The recent hack of Australian health data is a reminder that this is the biggest cyber security threat facing the UK

ft.com | 12 hrs. 15 min. ago

[$] Oxford Street’s pedestrian revolution is finally here

UK’s leading shopping parade embarks on a controversial transformation project

theguardian.com | 12 hrs. 35 min. ago

Labour urged to plug predicted £400m shortfall in overseas aid funding in 2027

Official forecast indicates shortfall below 0.3% of national income in promised official development assistanceThe UK is on course to miss its target of spending 0.3% of national income on international aid by an estimated £400m by the end of next year.Calculations from the Center for Global Development (CGD) found the UK was on course for a large shortfall in promised official development assistance at the end of 2027. Continue reading...

ft.com | 12 hrs. 42 min. ago

[$] Politicians should ‘look at the UK economy as a CEO would’, says Lloyds Bank’s boss

Head of Britain’s biggest lender talks about tax, AI and why the City of London has fallen behind global rivals

news.sky.com | 12 hrs. 46 min. ago

Two men killed by falling trees - as Storm Boelo recovery under way

Two men have been killed by falling trees as Storm Boelo pummelled the UK, with winds of up to 84mph, flooded streets and power cut to 800,000 homes.

mirror.co.uk | 13 hrs. 29 min. ago

Ryanair flight from Spain to UK declares emergency near Manchester at 12.600ft

An emergency was declared by the Ryanair flight at over 12,000 foot before landing at the UK airport

dailymail.com | 15 hrs. 13 min. ago

'Day Zero' where UK reservoirs run dry could happen before Christmas, ministers are secretly warned

The government's emergency committee, Cobra, is meeting twice a week for crisis talks about water provision in the south-west of England and Sussex.

bbc.co.uk | 16 hrs. 7 min. ago

What is the Budget and what could be in it?

Chancellor John Healey will set out his plans for UK taxes on 28 October.

theguardian.com | 17 hrs. 11 min. ago

Cabinet ministers back Burnham’s call for debate on return to free movement with EU

PM’s plea supported by Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and business leaders, while some ‘red wall’ MPs voice concernAndy Burnham’s call for the UK to consider a return to free movement with Europe has been backed by senior cabinet ministers but risked a rift with “red wall” Labour MPs, who say it could jeopardise Brexit-voting seats.The prime minister made his plea for an “honest discussion” about freedom of movement in an interview with the Sunday Times, making clear that staying out of it would no longer be a red line in talks with the EU.

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mirror.co.uk | 17 hrs. 40 min. ago

UK Ryanair flight diverted 900 miles to Spain after Storm Boelo prevents landing

A Ryanair flight heading from Dublin to Bristol was diverted due to bad weather from Storm Boelo and incredibly ended up landing in the south of Spain

mirror.co.uk | 18 hrs. 31 min. ago

Suffolk village of Barnham set to follow in Piddington's footsteps with referendum to leave UK

Barnham residents have backed plans to hold a 'symbolic' referendum after the government proposed housing up to 913 asylum seekers. Only a handful of people at the village meeting voted against it

mirror.co.uk | 18 hrs. 57 min. ago

Storm Boelo live: Two men killed by falling trees as 84mph gusts batter UK

Storm Boelo continues to batter parts of the UK with gusts reaching 84mph and two people have tragically been killed after being hit by falling trees

mirror.co.uk | 19 hrs. 53 min. ago

Coastguard issues warning after dead whale washes up on UK beach as Storm Boelo batters Brits

The Coastguard urged anyone who comes across a stranded whale to report it and keep their distance. The warning followed the discovery of a young northern bottlenose whale on a Cumbrian beach

theguardian.com | 21 hrs. 39 min. ago

Has Healey’s military-style budget secrecy really played out so differently to past budgets?

Chancellor was said to be worried about market-sensitive leaks, yet significant policies have been heavily trailed in the mediaThe public has been told repeatedly that John Healey is so concerned about budget leaks that he has set up defence-style “compartmentalisation” to prevent the Treasury’s financial secrets escaping.The macho military analogies began in mid-August when Healey was said by the Telegraph to be “on a war footing” to stop the drip of information that he believed had beleaguered Rachel Reeves.

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theguardian.com | 21 hrs. 39 min. ago

Four-year-old girl dies after falling from east London tower block

Police say the incident at an address in Barking is not believed to be suspiciousA four-year-old girl has died after falling from a tower block in east London.She was injured after “falling from height” at an address in St Paul’s Road, Barking, on Saturday and died in hospital, the Metropolitan police said.

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mirror.co.uk | 21 hrs. 41 min. ago

UK weather forecast as third storm threatens to bring 'severe gales'

A third storm is set to hit the UK in the coming days bringing further "severe gales" with the country still reeling from the impact of Boelo bringing 84mph gusts