Britain’s deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, acknowledged on Wednesday that she had failed to pay adequate taxes when she bought a seaside apartment, raising questions about whether she can hold on to her position and creating another political headache for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Ms. Rayner said she had not tried to evade taxes, having relied on legal advice about how to handle a complex property transaction that involved another house she owned with her ex-husband. For Mr. Starmer, whose government has struggled to find political traction amid a stagnant economy and erratic economic policies, Ms. Rayner’s admission is a major new distraction. Adding to the political complications for Mr. Starmer, Ms. Rayner is the government’s top housing minister. She is spearheading a Labour pledge to build 1.5 million additional homes in the five-year term of this Parliament.

In an interview with Sky News, Ms Rayner said she had contacted the tax authority to say there was additional property tax to be paid. Mr Starmer’s government has faced a series of scandals, with four ministers forced to resign over wrongdoing since the party was elected. He and Ms Rayner were both criticised early in their term for accepting donations of expensive outfits, a practice they ended. Her personality is in contrast to Mr Starmer’s reputation as a cautious technocrat leader. Ms Rayner grew up in public housing and left school at 16 when pregnant.

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The British government on Wednesday outlined plans to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children, joining a number of other European countries in a move that it said could cut obesity, reduce anxiety and improve classroom concentration. If it went into effect, the regulation would mean that selling energy drinks containing more than 150 milligrams of caffeine per liter to anyone aged under 16 would be illegal. The ban would apply to all retailers — those selling online and in shops — as well as to restaurants, cafes and vending machines. Sales of tea, coffee and lower-caffeine soft drinks would not be affected, the Health Department said. Around 100,000 British children consume at least one high-caffeine energy drink per day, according to the government, which cited “growing evidence linking these drinks to harmful effects on children, including disrupted sleep, increased anxiety, poor concentration and reduced educational outcomes.”

Fruit flies - that can also be found on veg - can be really annoying during the summer months, often showing up in the kitchen. As soon as temperatures rise, they seemingly appear out of nowhere, drawn to anything from overripe fruit to spilt drinks. However, pest control expert Jonathan Nicholls at HomeHow.co.uk has revealed his top tips for eliminating fruit flies from your house. how i feel after successfully creating a trap for the fruit flies in my kitchen out of a jar and apple cider vinegar pic.twitter.com/FE6cujLj2X — kai (@dr_kai_phd) August 27, 2025He said: "Adult fruit flies are often attracted to fermenting fruits, vegetables and sugary substances. Once they find a food source, females lay hundreds of eggs on the surface, which hatch into larvae within 24 hours, making it easy for infestations to spiral out of control quickly.

CENTER Parcs has announced a big change to its check in times at the holiday park, but not everyone is convinced. But from September 29, the entry times will be more varied to avoid the 4pm rush. But some Center Parcs fans have questioned whether it will make any difference, or could even make check-in days more stressful. Center Parcs reveals premium lodges coming to holiday parks next year – with cosy ‘snuggle pods’ and heated games patios. Plus, check out the new European Center Parcs resort that is much cheaper than the UK.

In a study commissioned by Sport Ireland, the quango was warned that allowing men to participate in women’s competitions could mark “the beginning of the end for female sport”. The Government-funded authority’s ‘Guidance for Transgender and Non-Binary Inclusion in Sport’ was published in 2024. While it acknowledged some of the concerns highlighted in the research, it left sporting bodies to set their own ‘eligibility’ criteria for involvement and competitions. Funding fearsNews outlets said many coaches told the consultancy firm that there would be a significant drop in the number of younger women playing sport if men were allowed to compete against them. Women participating in boxing and martial arts were, the report said, “adamant” that allowing men “to compete against females in their sports was unsafe and possibly unlawful”.

Teesside Model Flying Club said it was seeking potential legal advice on the matter. Drones are a sensitive subject for model aircraft flyers, who have seen their hobby face increasing regulation owing to new drone laws. In most circumstances, model aircraft flyers must now register with the CAA and are subject to altitude restrictions. The company plans to begin drone flights from Darlington in December before potentially expanding the service as regulations develop. The CAA has said it hopes to allow routine autonomous drone flights by 2027, although existing trials require airspace to be ring-fenced with other aircraft needing permission to enter.

University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Ashlee Snelling arrested after police find dead baby in closet (Image via Getty)Laken Ashlee Snelling charged after baby found deadAlso Read:Laken Snelling’s status and backgroundLaken Ashlee Snelling, a 21-year-old cheerleader at the University of Kentucky, was arrested on Sunday, August 31, 2025, after police in Lexington found a newborn baby dead inside a closet. The baby was discovered wrapped in a towel and placed in a black trash bag. When officers arrived, they found the newborn inside a closet and confirmed the child was dead at the scene.Snelling was later taken into custody. The case remains under investigation as the coroner works to confirm how the newborn died. The case has left the community in shock, raising urgent questions about mental health, hidden struggles, and the need for stronger support for young mothers.

Here's a breakdown of who has been eliminated from The Great British Bake Off Series 16 so far. Who's left The Great British Bake Off so far in 2025? Which contestants are remaining on The Great British Bake Off? TomTom grew up in London and learnt to bake scones and flapjacks alongside his Mum and Danish Granny. The Great British Bake Off continues on Channel 4 on Tuesday, September 9 at 8pm.

Read our Privacy noticeUp to 100,000 Californians have been infected with a potentially fatal disease — without even knowing it. There are roughly a dozen species of the blood-sucking kissing bugs in the U.S., and four are found in California. Some Los Angeles hotspots, including Griffith Park, are teeming with bugs infected with the Chagas disease parasite. “This is a disease that has been neglected and has been impacting Latin Americans for many decades,” Norman Beatty, an epidemiologist and Chagas disease expert, told the Times. “But it’s also here in the United States.”Up to 100,000 Californians have been infected with Chagas disease, caused by kissing bugs, according to a report.

Robin Wright is getting candid about her life living in the U.K. In a Saturday profile with The Times U.K., The Girlfriend star reflected on the contrasts between America and England, as she’s been working and living in the latter country for the past few years. “They’re living. Who gives a shit?”Wright is not the first Hollywood star to move out of the United States in recent years. In March, following President Donald Trump’s return to office, Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland and confirmed she was actively seeking citizenship.

Representative imageA British Airways flight from London to Egypt was forced to make an emergency landing in Venice, Italy, after passengers and crew members suddenly fell ill.According to passenger Melanie Wells, 61, from East Sussex, six people were affected in total. “Crew members suddenly began running down the aisle backwards and forwards. I didn’t know what was going on,” she said.“There was one mom whose eyes rolled into the back of her head. “At no point did the captain give us any information.”After an eight-hour delay in Italy, the plane was flown back to London before finally reaching Egypt the following morning. We were utterly exhausted,” Wells said, as quoted by The New York Post, calling the experience “horrific.”Wells later filed a complaint with British Airways.

Any request for asylum support will be assessed against destitution criteria. If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. Study visas are the most common visa to claim asylum on. Around 15,000 international students each year claim asylum which can entitle them to free hotels whilst their claims are being assessed.A total of 98,014 study visas were granted to Indians in the year ending June 2025, making them the second-largest cohort of international students after Chinese students.Indians are now the sixth-largest cohort of foreign nationals to claim asylum in the UK. The asylum system is not for people who just want to extend their visas.”

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