The World Tonight Will voters feel better off from Chancellor's spending plans?
What would you do with a trillion pounds of public money over the next four years? The Chancellor says "renewing Britain" is at the heart of her plans. So when will voters start to feel better off? We ask a Treasury Minister.
Also on the programme:
After the US Ambassador to Israel told us that Muslim countries should give up their land to create a Palestinian state - we get reaction from a senior Palestinian official.
And one of the most influential figures in the history of pop music, Brian Wilson - the creative genius behind the Beach Boys - has died. The veteran DJ Bob Harris - who knew him for more than five decades - pays tribute.
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The Guardian
40 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says troops contesting Russian advance in Sumy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukrainian forces are pushing back against Russian forces in the border Sumy region where they have established a foothold in recent weeks. 'Our units in Sumy region are gradually pushing back the occupiers,' said Ukraine's president in his nightly video address. 'I thank you! Thanks to every soldier, sergeant and officer for this result.' The Ukrainian president provided no further details and offered no proof of Ukrainian advances in the area, and the claim contradicts prevailing assessments of continued Russian gains in Sumy. Russia has seized over 190 sq km (73 sq miles) of the Sumy region in less than a month, according to pro-Ukrainian open-source maps. They have captured more ground in the past days, advancing to around 20km from the city of Sumy's northern suburbs and rendering it vulnerable to long-range artillery and drones. The number of displaced people arriving in Sumy city is increasing, said Kateryna Arisoi, head of Pluriton, an aid organisation running shelters. 'So far evacuation has been ordered in more than 200 settlements,' she said. Last week, a Russian rocket attack on Sumy city killed three people and injured 28, including three children, while also damaging several buildings. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said there had been a concentration of Russian men and equipment in Sumy region because of months of military operations across the border in Kursk region. He advised caution to establish details of the situation on the ground. 'I think [Ukraine's] military has the situation under control and I think we shall see a different picture in the coming days.' Ukrainian police said two people were killed and six were injured in the past 24 hours in the eastern Donetsk region, the focus of the Russian offensive. One person was killed and 14 others were also injured in the southern Kherson region, which is partly occupied by Russian forces, police said. The authorities in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, said 18 people including four children were injured by Russian drone attacks over Wednesday night. Boris Pistorius on a surprise visit to Kyiv said Germany was not planning to deliver Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine that could allow it to strike deep into Russian territory. Instead, the German defence minister announced €1.9bn in additional military aid. Pistorius underscored that Germany would help Ukraine build its own long-range missile systems and help it finance purchases of homemade material. 'The first systems should be available in the coming months,' Russian has exceeded a million troops killed or wounded in its Ukraine war, according to the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces and western intelligence estimates. The UK defence ministry also announced the figure on Thursday. The Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington has called it 'a stunning and grisly milestone'. Zelenskyy said he hoped to press Donald Trump at the G7 summit this weekend to step up sanctions against Russia. The US president said at the White House on Thursday that 'I'm very disappointed in Russia, but I'm disappointed in Ukraine also, because I think deals could have been made'. Two weeks ago, Trump indicated he would do something by now if it turned out Putin had been 'tapping him along', but the US president has so far failed to follow through. The US Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, is pushing what he calls a bipartisan 'bone-breaking' bill to introduce a 500% tariff on countries buying Russian oil and gas – mostly targeting China and India.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
House prices rise £7k in the past year but pace of growth has slowed with affordability 'a challenge'
Average property prices across Britain fell month-on-month in May, new data shows. The typical home fell £1,150 or 0.4 per cent and now costs £296,648, compared to £297,798 the previous month. Despite the monthly price drop, property values have increased by 2.5 per cent or more than £7,000 over the past year, Halifax said - though this was down from 3.2 per cent in April. May's month-on-month price slip follows a 0.3 per cent increase in April. 'These small monthly movements point to a housing market that has remained largely stable, with average prices down by just -0.2 per cent since the start of the year', Amanda Bryden, head of mortgages at Halifax, said. She added: 'Affordability remains a challenge, with house prices still high relative to incomes. However, lower mortgage rates and steady wage growth have helped support buyer confidence.' Stamp duty discounts became less generous from April for some home buyers as a result of changes announced by Rachel Reeves last year. Stamp duty applies in England and Northern Ireland. Where have house prices risen most? House price growth across Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland has been outpacing regions in England, Halifax said. Northern Ireland once again recorded the fastest pace of annual property price inflation, up 8.6 per cent in the past year. Homes in Northern Ireland now cost around £209,377, though this is still well below the national average. Wales and Scotland posted strong annual growth of 4.8 per cent in May. Average prices in Wales and Scotland now stand at £230,405 and £214,864 respectively. In England, the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber lead the way, both seeing annual house price growth of 3.7 per cent. Average property values in these areas are now £240,823 and £213,983 respectively. Across the South East of England, average property prices have risen by 1.8 per cent to £391,253 in the last year, having seen more modest rises than the likes of Northern Ireland and Wales. In London, house prices rose by just 1.2 per cent year-on-year, the report said. But London remained the most expensive location in Britain, with the average home priced at £542,017. Andrew Montlake, chief executive of broker Coreco, told Newspage: 'House prices may have dipped slightly but on the whole the market remains fluid. 'In the ongoing story that is the UK property market, the resilience of house prices has always been a key narrative.' He added: 'Demand for property is always there, whatever the economy throws at the housing market. 'Yes, affordability is proving a challenge for some but we're seeing lenders increasingly seek to address that. A lot is riding on where inflation heads next and all eyes are focused on the Monetary Policy Committee meeting later this month.' Jeremy Leaf, a north London estate agent, said: 'The significant number of purchases brought forward to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday ending in March is still having a negative impact on activity now. 'Most of the stock made available at that time, if not sold or under offer, is still available so the inevitable result is a softening in prices. 'However, sales are still proceeding where buyers and sellers are most realistic, with confidence supported by a relatively strong employment picture outweighing economic concerns both here and abroad.' The outlook for property prices will depend on a range of factors, including the pace of cuts to interest rates, as well as the strength of future income growth and broader inflation trends. Halifax's latest report contrasts with the findings from Nationwide's latest house price index, released on Monday. Nationwide said property values had increased by 0.5 per cent month-on-month in May, following a 0.6 per cent fall in April. Craig Fish, a director at Lodestone, told Newspage: 'Halifax is reporting price falls whilst Nationwide reports price increases. 'This conflicting data is very confusing to the general public. 'The key is to understand that there will always be fluctuations in house prices but with one general direction overall, and that's up. 'Until the housing shortage is fixed, property will always be in demand. 'So, if you are considering purchasing a property then the sooner you get on the ladder the better. Don't wait for rates to fall because nothing is guaranteed. 'Pick a product that suits your circumstances, get on the property ladder and be patient.' Best mortgage rates and how to find them Mortgage rates have risen substantially over recent years, meaning that those remortgaging or buying a home face higher costs. That makes it even more important to search out the best possible rate for you and get good mortgage advice, whether you are a first-time buyer, home owner or buy-to-let landlord. Quick mortgage finder links with This is Money's partner L&C > Mortgage rates calculator > Find the right mortgage for you To help our readers find the best mortgage, This is Money has partnered with the UK's leading fee-free broker L&C. This is Money and L&C's mortgage calculator can let you compare deals to see which ones suit your home's value and level of deposit. You can compare fixed rate lengths, from two-year fixes, to five-year fixes and ten-year fixes. If you're ready to find your next mortgage, why not use This is Money and L&C's online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000's of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
LCD Soundsystem honour Brian Wilson and Sly Stone at residency's opening night
The New York group danced on to the stage to the Beach Boys' Good Vibrations, followed by deadpan leader James Murphy, who was dressed in a Brat green luminous T-shirt, before bursting into opener You Wanted A Hit from 2010's This Is Happening album. The track was followed by Tribulations from their 2005 self-titled debut album, which provoked mass dancing across the close to sell-out crowd, with Murphy attending to his trademark tinkering with amps and giving instructions Mark E Smith style. Fans were treated to a rendition of Yr City's A Sucker, from the band's first album, with Murphy informing the audience 'your city's a sucker, my city's a creep'. A post shared by LCD Soundsystem (@lcdsoundsystem) At the track's end, the 55-year-old singer told the audience: 'We played here a few years ago and we really liked it, and now we're back, and we really appreciate that you came to see us, we don't take it for granted.' The band began to cover Kraftwerk's The Model, before transforming it into I Can Change, prompting the first mass singalong of the night, while Time To Get Away and Get Innocuous! from Grammy-nominated second album Sound Of Silver (2007) went down a storm with the crowd. LCD Soundsystem exited the stage for an intermission to Sly And The Family Stone's Everyday People, paying tribute after Stone died on Monday aged 82. They returned with 2007 single North American Scum. The track, which is about the band being mistaken for an English group by fans due to their popularity in the country, was the highlight of the evening, with the crowd drowning out keyboard player Nancy Whang's cheerleader backing vocals with their own. Murphy later added: 'This is the first city we played in, somehow it was 23 years ago, and some of you weren't even born.' The band's most recent singles, New Body Rhumba and X-Ray Eyes, released in 2022 and 2024 respectively, got an airing before Murphy said of the upcoming run of dates: 'This is the first of many of these, we like to play in rooms that have some character and some love in. 'Thank you all for being excellent to us.' The band then hit the crowd with a triple whammy of fan favourites in Dance Yrself Clean, New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down, and All My Friends, which saw the venue erupt with dancing. They may not have been the most popular band during the 2000s indie explosion, but as they now see their influence in upcoming artists such as The Dare and Fcukers, along with a young crowd at Thursday's gig, LCD Soundsystem may be the scene's most influential and remembered. The band played a similar residency in June 2022, and they will return to the stage on Friday, before further performances on June 14, 15, 19, 20, 21 and 22.
