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Month: May 2025

Liverpool Sign Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen in £29.5m Deal
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Sports

Liverpool Sign Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen in £29.5m Deal

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Dutch international Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for €35 million (£29.5 million) on a five-year contract, just hours after announcing Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid. The Premier League champions activated the 24-year-old’s release clause, securing a player widely seen as Alexander-Arnold’s successor under new head coach Arne Slot. Frimpong Arrives After Historic Season with Leverkusen Frimpong played a key role in Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title-winning campaign in 2023–24, helping them secure their first-ever league championship. He made 53 appearances across all competitions this season as the German side finished second in 2024–25. The right-footed defender is known for his attacking flair and versatility, and...
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Tesco to Shorten Store Hours as £235m Staff Cost Surge Hits Operations
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Business

Tesco to Shorten Store Hours as £235m Staff Cost Surge Hits Operations

Tesco is trialling earlier closing times at some of its Express stores, following a sharp £235 million rise in staffing costs linked to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget measures. Britain’s biggest supermarket chain is closing selected stores at 10pm instead of 11pm and reducing staffing levels at certain locations. The changes are part of a pilot scheme focused on the retailer’s less profitable branches—referred to internally as “Express Lite” stores. Express Stores Face Cuts Amid Budget Pressures The move follows Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy’s warning that the company is urgently working to absorb significant additional costs imposed in the spring Budget. In April, Tesco revealed a £235m rise in National Insurance contributions, a direct result of Reeves’s tax changes...
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UK Defence Spending to Hit 3% of GDP by 2034, Says Defence Secretary
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Business, World News

UK Defence Spending to Hit 3% of GDP by 2034, Says Defence Secretary

The UK will reach its defence spending target of 3% of GDP by 2034, Defence Secretary John Healey has confirmed, reinforcing the government’s long-term military funding commitment. Healey told The Times there is “no doubt” the target will be met, enabling the country to prepare for evolving global threats. Strategic Defence Review to Outline UK’s Military Vision The government is set to publish its strategic defence review on Monday, detailing military and security priorities for the coming years. Sources indicate the 130-page document assumes the 3% spending target as its base trajectory. The review outlines projects and investments that may be accelerated if the goal is reached earlier than 2034. Officials warn, however, that certain measures will be unaffordable if sp...
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Tottenham End 17-Year Trophy Drought with Europa League Victory Over Manchester United
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Sports

Tottenham End 17-Year Trophy Drought with Europa League Victory Over Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur have won their first trophy in 17 years after defeating Manchester United 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League final, thanks to a first-half goal by Brennan Johnson. The win in Bilbao's San Mamés Stadium marks a major milestone for head coach Ange Postecoglou, who had promised silverware in his second season at the club. Postecoglou Delivers on Promise Amid Uncertain Future Despite ongoing speculation about his future, Postecoglou etched his name into Spurs history, joining legendary managers Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw in winning a European title for the club. “This may not save his job, but he leaves a hero,” fans chanted, as 15,000 official—and many more unofficial—supporters celebrated in Spain. The victory also secures Champions League qualificati...
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Specialist mental health crisis centres to open across England in NHS shake-up
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Education

Specialist mental health crisis centres to open across England in NHS shake-up

NHS to Open Dozens of Mental Health Crisis Centres Across England Specialist mental health crisis centres are set to open across England over the next ten years in a major NHS initiative to reduce overcrowding in hospital A&E departments. Ten hospital trusts have piloted the new assessment units aimed at supporting people in mental health crisis, offering care in a calm environment and helping them avoid long waits in emergency departments. NHS England says the scheme is part of its wider ten-year plan to transform emergency mental health support and reduce pressure on frontline services, including the police. Walk-in Clinics to Support Patients in Mental Distress The planned centres will be open to walk-in patients and those referred by GPs or emergency services. Ea...
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Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine of Doctor’s Children in Gaza as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
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World News

Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine of Doctor’s Children in Gaza as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

A doctor in Khan Younis loses nine of her ten children in an Israeli airstrike. Aid remains critically low in Gaza as famine risk escalates. Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine of Gaza Doctor’s Children, Says Hospital An Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis has killed nine of the ten children of a local doctor, according to Nasser Hospital, where she works. Dr Alaa al-Najjar's husband and one surviving child were also injured in the strike, but survived. British surgeon Graeme Groom, currently working at the hospital, said he operated on her 11-year-old son, the only surviving sibling. “Unimaginable Loss” as Family Home Targeted The Hamas-run health ministry released a video verified by the BBC, showing the charred remains of small children being pulled from rubble in Khan Younis f...
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Over 100 Killed in Israeli Strikes on Gaza as Ceasefire Talks Stall
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World News

Over 100 Killed in Israeli Strikes on Gaza as Ceasefire Talks Stall

Israeli airstrikes kill over 100 in Gaza overnight as ceasefire talks in Qatar stall. Hospitals overwhelmed and four journalists confirmed dead. Israeli Airstrikes Kill Over 100 in Gaza as Ceasefire Talks Falter At least 103 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza overnight and into Sunday, according to local hospitals and medical officials. The strikes are part of Israel’s intensified campaign to pressure Hamas, seize more territory, and tighten control over aid distribution in the region. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that complete families were “wiped off the civil registration record” in some areas, and that the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza was forced to shut down due to the bombardment. Rising Death Toll and Closed Hospitals The he...
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UK GDP Growth Surges to 0.7% in Q1, Outpacing G7 Peers
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Business

UK GDP Growth Surges to 0.7% in Q1, Outpacing G7 Peers

UK GDP growth hits 0.7% in Q1 2025, beating expectations and leading the G7. Analysts caution the spike may be a temporary effect of global trade tensions. UK GDP Growth Beats Expectations with 0.7% Surge in Q1 The latest economic figures show the UK economy growing by 0.7% in the first quarter of 2025, outpacing forecasts and marking the fastest growth in the G7. The figure not only beats the 0.6% predicted by most economists, but also represents a significant rebound in GDP per capita, which rose by 0.5% — a better gauge of living standards as it accounts for population size. UK Leads G7 in Economic Growth When measured against other G7 industrialised nations, the UK’s quarterly growth puts it at the top of the leaderboard. This is a major boost for Chancellor Rachel R...
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Israel Gaza Offensive: IDF Launches ‘Operation Gideon’s Chariots’ to Defeat Hamas
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World News

Israel Gaza Offensive: IDF Launches ‘Operation Gideon’s Chariots’ to Defeat Hamas

Israel launches a major Gaza offensive, Operation Gideon’s Chariots, targeting Hamas strongholds and aiming to secure the release of remaining hostages amid growing international criticism. Israel Gaza Offensive Begins as IDF Launches ‘Operation Gideon’s Chariots’ The Israeli military has officially launched a new large-scale offensive in Gaza, dubbed Operation Gideon’s Chariots, with the goal of defeating Hamas and rescuing the remaining hostages. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on its Hebrew-language X account that it had mobilised troops to seize “strategic areas” across the Gaza Strip. “We will not stop until Hamas is no longer a threat and all our hostages are home,” the IDF said, confirming that over 150 targets were struck across the strip in the past 24 hou...
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Ukraine Russia Ceasefire Talks: Zelensky Responds to Putin’s Istanbul Proposal
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Europe, World News

Ukraine Russia Ceasefire Talks: Zelensky Responds to Putin’s Istanbul Proposal

President Zelensky urges Russia to agree to a full ceasefire starting May 12, as Putin proposes Ukraine Russia ceasefire talks in Istanbul on May 15 without preconditions. Ukraine Russia Ceasefire Talks Proposed as Putin Calls for Direct Negotiations Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to Vladimir Putin’s proposal for direct Ukraine Russia ceasefire talks in Istanbul on May 15, urging the Kremlin to agree to a “full, lasting and reliable” ceasefire starting May 12. Zelensky: “No Point in Continuing the Killing” Taking to social media on Sunday, Zelensky expressed hope that Moscow was finally considering an end to the three-year war. “There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day,” Zelensky wrote. “We expect Russia to confirm a ceasef...
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