American thriller writer Harlan Coben said experiencing “quite a bit of tragedy” in his 20s made him a better writer. The bestselling author, who wrote the Myron Bolitar thriller series and novels turned Netflix shows such as Fool Me Once and Missing You, said he was in his 20s when his father died of a…
Labour must offer extra support to working parents, including with childcare and commuting, if it is to fulfil its promise of cutting child poverty, the Resolution Foundation thinktank has argued. The government’s manifesto promised an “ambitious strategy” on child poverty, and ministers have said they will publish a 10-year plan in the spring. A report…
Patients in England will be offered 500,000 more appointments a year via seven-day health hubs under plans to tackle lengthy waiting times, as ministers warned the NHS could collapse like Woolworths without major reform. Millions of people will be able to access checks, tests and scans closer to home as the health service expands the…
James Lee Williams, known as drag artist The Vivienne, has died at the age of 32, his public relations representative announced on Sunday. Simon Jones posted on Instagram on Sunday: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend. “James was an…
Tributes have been paid to Jenny Randerson, a “titan” of Welsh politics who introduced free entry to museums in Wales, after her death at the age of 76. Lady Randerson brought in the measure while a minister in the Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition in the Welsh parliament between 2000 and 2003. She died on Saturday. Speaking…
Kemi Badenoch has defended Robert Jenrick after he described Britons of Pakistani origin as “people from alien cultures”, saying it was vital to have an open debate about the abuse and rape of women and girls by grooming gangs. The Conservative leader’s intervention was made after Samuel Kasumu, a former Tory adviser on race issues,…
Amazon is hoping to offer a satellite broadband service in the UK within the next two years as it prepares to launch a constellation of spacecraft that could ultimately deliver a mobile signal even to the most remote areas. The tech company, founded by Jeff Bezos, said it would seek access to British radio frequencies…
Barclays is facing criticism over adverts for paid “mystery shoppers” which suggested that people could pretend to be blind or deaf to test the services at the British bank’s high street branches. The bank hired market research firm Ipsos to carry out testing at branches. The Barclays-branded instructions said candidates for the roles would ideally…
Anthony Albanese will frame this year’s federal election as a choice between “building Australia’s future” under Labor or “taking Australia backwards” under the Coalition as the prime minister opens 2025 with a blitz of three campaign battlegrounds. The prime minister will move to an election footing this week, travelling to electorates across Queensland, the Northern…
Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, made a flying visit to Donald Trump’s Florida golf club on Saturday, during which the US president-elect praised the far-right leader for “really taking Europe by storm”. The pair were photographed in the grand ballroom of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. The five-hour visit comes a few days before Meloni is due…
