Burnham rules out Greens coalition after Zionism motion

Andy Burnham has ruled out forming a coalition with the Green Party while it keeps its “antisemitic” policy that defines Zionism as a form of racism.

After the Greens passed the controversial motion at their conference this month, the Prime Minister faced pressure to rule out a pact with them in a future hung parliament.

• At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Burnham said he condemned the policy “unequivocally” and wouldn’t commit to a “partnership” with the Green Party for as long as it was still in place.

Burnham’s statement

“It is wrong, it is antisemitic and this side of the House will have nothing to do with it. We will always take the right response when it comes to any partnerships we have with other parties. We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds the position that has recently been adopted”

prime minister Andy Burnham

Watch more from The i Paper

‘Polanski should go’: How hard-left revolt and antisemitism row turned Greens ‘toxic’

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been urged to “show leadership” and undo damage of controversial Zionism motion.

The firms fined millions for misleading sales tactics

Three major firms have been fined £6m for misleading sales tactics, the UK’s competition watchdog said.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has also ordered two of the companies to pay customers £440,000.

The online furniture retailer was fined £4.8m for misleading customers with time-limited offers.

The online electronics seller was fined £1.2m for the same practice.

The gym chain has been fined £48,000 for not telling customers the total price of memberships in a clear and timely way.

Gold’s Gym and Appliances Direct have been ordered to refund a total sum of £440,000 to affected customers.

• Appliances Direct, which was found to have automatically opted customers into paid-for extras, is responsible for about to customers affected by opt-ins, at an .

What did Gold’s Gym do?

The CMA said Gold’s Gym did not include joining fees in the price shown to consumers for annual and direct debit memberships, or the total price was shown in a way that was unclear and unlikely to be seen. It ordered that the 726 affected customers should be refunded a .

The amount repaid to will depend on the type of membership they bought, but it will be .

• The CMA said Gold’s Gym and Appliances Direct would contact affected customers about their refund. Customers do not need to take any action.
• The CMA investigation found products advertised on Wayfair’s website with labels like “daily deals” and 24-hour “flash deals” implied customers needed to act quickly to get the best deal.
• However, it found many products remained available at the same price or lower after the stated deadline, making the time-limited offers false.

‘Time up for this behaviour’

“At a time when many households are carefully managing their budgets, people shouldn’t lose out because of misleading sales tactics. The time is up for this kind of behaviour. Businesses must treat their customers fairly and make sure they comply with the law – or risk hefty fines”

Hayley Fletcher, senior director for consumer protection at the CMA

Trump posts ‘offensive’ videos after man killed by tiger

The family of William Chapman, who was killed by a tiger last weekend, say “deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress”, as US President Donald Trump posted multiple videos related to the attack.

Chapman, 23, was mauled to death when he entered the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday.

• His family have criticised the online reaction to his death and questioned what part his “significant mental illness over a number of years” and strong prescription medication played in the incident.

More details

• Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday, according to South Yorkshire Police.
• City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing the park, said on Monday it had started a health and safety investigation.
• The park remained closed on Wednesday for a fourth day after the attack.

A statement from the family

“The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened […] The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this”

statement WILLIAM CHAPMAN’S family

What did Trump post?

The President reposted a short clip to his Truth Social account, which has 13 million followers, on Tuesday showing the tiger biting and clawing Chapman, but not him being killed. The caption of the post read: “Don’t ever mess with nature!”

On Wednesday morning, Trump then posted an AI-generated video of himself grappling with a tiger. The song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by Tight Fit plays over the clip.

Trump’s sadistic tiger videos are a hideous window into his mind

It is hard to avoid facing the reality that Trump shared footage of a man’s death, against the express wishes of his grieving family, so he could use an AI slop video to suggest he could beat a tiger in a fight.

How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps

The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.

NHS GP dR RADHA

Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.

• The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
• This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
• We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
• Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.

Change your words

Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it. 

Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.

Express it

This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.

Notice more

Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?

The basics

By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.

Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality. 

• Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
• Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
• Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.

Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.

Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery

Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.

The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars. 

A champion of EV efficiency

It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.

It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.

Priced from £37,400

It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.

The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.

The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.

With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.

It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion. 

All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.

• While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
  

• It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps. 
• There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
• Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds. 

Victorinox paring knife

It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.

ProCook cast iron pan

For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice. 

Tesco chopping board

Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.

Pyrex jug

It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.

Salter scales

“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”

Microplane grater

It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match. 

Braun hand-held blender

It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce. 

Bodum cafetiere

As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.

Oxo peeler

What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.

Falcon pie dish

Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe. 

The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship

Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book , explains why we behave the way we do in love.

Start with your own behaviours

The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.

Express your needs

People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.

The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule

If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.

Lean on community

You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong. 

Stop blaming childhood

Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.

Reach for a
secure script

When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one. 

If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’

Loneliness elsewhere

When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.

• Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
• You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle. 
• Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
• Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.

Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…

A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice

More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.

Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.

These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.

Toast and jam

Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.

Vegetable soup

On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.

Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.

Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.

Snack bars

They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.

Low-fat yoghurt

A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.

On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.

Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.

• Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
• Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
• Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
• Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.