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TUC, GMB and Unison leaders reject invitation to affiliate to Reform amid rising support for party among their membersUK politics live – latest updatesMajor trade unions and the TUC have rebuffed Nigel Farage’s call for unions to affiliate to Reform UK, saying the party is “cosplaying” as workers’ champions and has opposed new employment rights.Farage issued a call on Tuesday for unions to attend Reform’s conference and to affiliate to the party, and he suggested one union may be on the brink of doing so. Continue reading...

• The 2026 World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, concluding with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. • This expanded tournament will feature 48 teams and introduce new rules, including VAR for corners and red cards for players who cover their mouths. • UK viewers face scheduling challenges as the event features 13 different kick-off times, with nearly 50% of group stage matches occurring after midnight.

Sue Jacquot was taking part in fundraiser when police swarmed her home after someone falsely reported a crimeAn Arizona grandmother has said someone subjected her to a so-called police swatting call while she was taking part in a Minecraft fundraiser to raise financial support for her grandson’s cancer treatment medical bills.The bizarre turn of events is the latest high-profile instance in the US of an act of criminal harassment which involves prank-calling emergency operators to get a heavily armed police response sent to a target’s home. Continue reading...

Senator Chris Van Hollen and other Democratic lawmakers are embracing a policy that hardly benefits the middle classSoul-searching within the Democratic party is to be expected after its loss in the 2024 election. Donald Trump’s edge over Kamala Harris in voters’ perceptions of economic competence (perplexing though it now appears following a year of erratic policymaking) was bound to inspire a call to rethink the party platform.Yet the second-guessing is steering the Democrats down a dangerous path to embracing a tax-cutting strategy that risks defeating the project to enable a healthier, more equitable society. Continue reading...

Psychologists at Cardiff University and King’s College London compared children given dolls to those given a video gamesPlaying along with dolls can help boys and girls develop more sophisticated imaginations and better social skills, compared with children who play on electronic devices, according to research.Psychologists at Cardiff University and King’s College London found that children given dolls gained a richer appreciation of other people’s beliefs and feelings, in contrast to those given a tablet loaded with video games. Continue reading...