Author: James Carter

UK economic growth slowed to 0.4% in the second quarter of the year, official figures show, as warm weather and World Cup-related spending helped cushion the impact of rising energy costs linked to the ongoing conflict stemming from the US war on Iran. The UK economy grew by 0.4% in the second quarter of the year, down from 0.6% in the first quarter, according to the latest official figures. Monthly GDP data showed the economy expanded by 0.3% in June alone, driven largely by the services sector, unusually warm weather and the start of the football World Cup. The slowdown…

Sky News host Peta Credlin has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after it emerged he used a parliamentary allowance to bill taxpayers more than $2,500 to fly his wife and adult son to Canberra for Budget night, arguing the pair should have covered their own travel costs. Peta Credlin has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for billing taxpayers to fly his wife and adult son to Canberra for Budget night, arguing the family should have paid their own way. Speaking on News24 on Thursday, Credlin said she was stunned by revelations, first reported by the Daily Mail, that Albanese had…

President Donald Trump has attacked a federal appeals court ruling that halted construction of his planned $400 million White House ballroom, after judges upheld an injunction won by a historic preservation group over the demolition of the building’s East Wing. Donald Trump has hit out at a US appeals court decision blocking his $400 million (£297 million) White House ballroom project, after the Trump administration was ordered to stop construction on the site of the building’s demolished East Wing. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the ballroom as “desperately needed,” “totally secure” and said it was…

Author JK Rowling has hit out at Labour MP Samantha Niblett after she used a holiday video to criticise new statutory guidance on single-sex spaces, with Rowling suggesting the clip belongs in a “Museum of Female Treachery” as the exchange reignites Labour’s internal divisions over transgender rights and sex-based protections. JK Rowling has criticised Labour MP Samantha Niblett after the South Derbyshire MP used a video filmed on holiday to attack the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s updated guidance on single-sex spaces. Responding on X, Rowling wrote that the video should be “preserved in a Museum of Female Treachery so…

US intelligence officials have warned that Russia could send an unmarked armed group to occupy NATO territory within weeks, according to a Wall Street Journal report, marking a significant shift from previous assessments as Western forces report a sharp rise in Russian probing activity along the alliance’s borders. Russia could send an armed group to occupy NATO territory within weeks, according to a warning from US intelligence. The assessment, reported by The Wall Street Journal, marks a notable departure from previous thinking within US intelligence circles, which had held that Vladimir Putin would avoid provoking NATO directly while Russian forces…

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has accused GB News co-owner Paul Marshall of tripling his hedge fund’s investments in fossil fuel companies to £2.1 billion, branding the broadcaster a “propaganda channel cashing in on destroying our future” in a post that has reignited scrutiny of the media mogul’s business interests. Green Party leader Zack Polanski has accused Paul Marshall, co-owner of GB News, of significantly increasing his hedge fund’s exposure to fossil fuel companies, in a post shared on X. According to Polanski, Marshall’s investment firm tripled its holdings in oil and gas companies during the first quarter of 2026,…

Britain’s national debt has surpassed £3 trillion for the first time in the country’s history, according to estimates from the Taxpayers’ Alliance, with the campaign group describing the level of borrowing as “out of control” and warning that the Government is adding to the debt pile at a rate of more than £4,000 every second. Britain’s national debt has topped £3 trillion for the first time, according to estimates from the Taxpayers’ Alliance, which believes the historic threshold was crossed in recent days based on the current trajectory of Government spending. The figure equates to more than £100,000 for every…

Sales of newly built homes in London have fallen to their lowest level on record, according to property consultancy Molior, with soaring construction costs, the end of Help to Buy and growing concerns over leasehold ownership all combining to drive buyers away from the market. Sales of new-build homes in London have dropped sharply this year, with just 5,606 sold in the first six months of 2026, according to the latest figures from property consultancy Molior. That figure marks a fall of almost 37% compared with the same period last year, when 8,840 new homes were sold, and represents the…

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has said a North Korean missile unit, potentially equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers, has begun deploying to western Russia, in what would mark a significant escalation of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. A North Korean missile unit has begun deploying to western Russia and could eventually be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for use against Ukraine, according to an official at Ukraine’s military intelligence agency. Andrii Cherniak, of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), said the unit, comprising around 90 North Korean personnel, is expected to be based in…

A Road Safety Strategy consultation being considered by Andy Burnham’s government could bring penalties for driving without ever holding a licence into line with those for driving while disqualified, potentially exposing offenders to a 12-month prison sentence. Andy Burnham, MP for Makerfield, is considering changes to driving licence penalties as part of the Road Safety Strategy inherited from the previous government under Sir Keir Starmer. The proposals, aimed at cutting road deaths and improving safety on UK roads, could see unlicensed drivers face up to 12 months in prison, bringing their punishment into line with the penalty for driving while…