There are just days before voters across the US head to the polls in one of the most consequential midterm ballots in recent history.
Polling suggests Republican candidates, buffeted by economic and political headwinds largely attributed to Donald Trump, are facing losses in multiple states, with the party projected to potentially lose complete control of Congress.
While Trump has crisscrossed the nation in an effort to drum up support, the President has also mounted a stunning legal push to prevent Democrats from emerging victorious.
The Thunderbirds-inspired house that has sold for £375,000
A house in Berkshire inspired by , featuring an extensive network of tunnels, rooms and a railway – all more than 50 feet underground – has sold at auction for £375,000.
Age-old inspiration
Located on Long Lane in the village of Tilehurst, on the outskirts of Reading, the property was inspired by Tracy Island, the secret headquarters featured in popular 1960s TV series .
The site boasts a swimming pool and garden with a model space rocket measuring around 23 feet tall, as well as a 2,500 square foot workshop and a hand-built underground railway, with the subterranean network spanning four levels.
Future plans
The tunnels were the passion-project of civil engineer Tony Deane, the late owner of the property, who started on them over two decades ago. Now, there are plans to convert the spacious workshop – which spans three floors – into a three-bedroom house.
Other features
- Deane, the previous owner, first built underground changing rooms for the property’s swimming pool in the 1960s.
- The entrance was behind the existing model rocket.
- Construction on the tunnels took place in the 80s and 90s, carried out by Deane and his family.
It represents a really unique opportunity for somebody to either develop it or to live there and enjoy it. To say it’s a workshop is doing it down a little bit, it’s constructed better than 95% of houses, to be honest.
Richard Worrall, auctioneer and consultant at BTG Eddisons Property Auctions
How to lower your council tax band – and the deadline for £100 energy payment
The Government has seen a surge in council tax enquiries following Chancellor John Healey’s maiden Budget. Here’s why.
What to know
On Wednesday, the Chancellor revealed that the more than 20 million households in council tax bands A-D in England will get a £100 payment sent straight to their bank accounts, to give people “breathing space” to offset rising energy bills. The Welsh Government confirmed it will deliver the same £100 payment, and funding has been allocated to Scotland and Northern Ireland to set up equivalent schemes.
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Checking your council tax band
How it works
Each residential property in England, Scotland and Wales is assigned a council tax band, from A to H.
Who pays what?
Tax is cheapest for those in Band A, with each band after that more expensive.
Check online
There is a government website for people to check what band they are in based on their home address.
Could your band be wrong?
However, many people may be sitting in the wrong council tax bands because of incorrect valuations that were made in 1991, as time-pressured assessors often drove through streets and looked at houses from the outside to determine their value.
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What to do before challenging
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) experienced “high demand” for council tax services after the Budget, including challenges to bands. Before going down that road, though, you should check a few things:
- You can’t ask for your band to be lowered, only revalued, meaning you or your neighbour’s bands could also go up.
- So, check if you are in a different band to your neighbours in similar or identical properties.
- You also need to know your property’s worth in 1991, so enter the price and date of sale into a free website like Zoopla.
- Then, find a house that is similar to yours on your street that sold recently and note down the price and date.
- Input this information into a home valuation calculator and compare it to the council tax band you are in today.
How to challenge
- One way to challenge your banding is to make a proposal if you’ve been paying council tax on your property for less than six months or changed your band in the past six months. The VOA must review your band by law.
- If you think you are in the wrong band and you have been paying council tax for more than six months, you can request a band review. However, the onus is on you to provide strong evidence that you are in the wrong band after reviewing your “property attributable data”, which the VOA can provide online or over the phone.
Cut off date
- There will be a cut-off date when people will need to have their council tax band reviewed by to be eligible for the £100 payment.
- This date, which is yet to be announced, will be part of guidance to local authorities with details on eligibility criteria for the payment.
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Could you be eligible for the new Your First Home scheme?
Further details of the support being made available for aspiring first-time buyers were outlined in the Budget this week.
What to know
70,000
The new £4.7bn scheme aims to help around 70,000 households in England to take their first step on to the property ladder.
20% equity
The scheme will provide 20 per cent equity loans to first-time buyers, accessible with a five-year interest-free period.
The deposit requirement will be 2.5 per cent, with a maximum deposit of 15 per cent.
Cost caps
Income caps for the scheme will be set at £110,000 per household outside London and £140,000 inside London.
Budget documents said price caps for properties will be set based on local authority median prices to ensure support is targeted at those who need it, with inner and outer London caps of £650,000 and £500,000, respectively.
When does it start?
The scheme will open for pre-registration by the end of December 2026 and full applications from February 2027, with the first loans issued from April 2027.
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Pope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in US election
Pope Leo XIV has become the first pontiff to vote in a US election, the Vatican confirmed on Friday.
Pope Leo, who was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Illinois, submitted a mail-in ballot in his home state ahead of the midterm elections on 3 November.
The Pope, who has lived in Vatican City since his election last May, “expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes”, a statement from the Vatican said.
Influence from abroad
The Pope “has exercised his right to vote as a US citizen…whenever he was eligible to do so”.
Dedicated voter
He also voted while living in Peru as a missionary priest and bishop for over 20 years.
Pope’s hometown
The pontiff is yet to return to the US since his election but is registered to an address in New Lenox, a south-west Chicago suburb.
What’s on the ballot
- Pope Leo had requested a mail-in voting ballot from the Will County Clerk’s office this month.
- Illinois voters are deciding whether to elect Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to his third term.
- They are also filling an open US Senate seat after longtime Catholic Democrat Dick Durbin’s retirement.
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Voting history
He did not vote in the Illinois primary in March.
American citizens who are based overseas can vote in US elections by mail if they choose to as per the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
Clashes with Trump
The upcoming midterms are seen as something of a referendum on the increasingly unpopular Donald Trump, and come after clashes between the US President and the Pope on issues such as conflicts in the Middle East and immigration.
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go deper on this topic
The small town in Ohio that shows why Trump is in trouble
Director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting
Welcome to Ohio, where the dirtiest campaign of the midterm elections is unfolding. I’ve come to this state because its mix of farmland and factories has made it a bellwether for the nation.
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
The science
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.
How can we build gratitude?
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.
How can we build gratitude?
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.
What to do
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.
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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
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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.
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The kitchen gadgets under £25
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.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
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.
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The kitchen gadgets under £25
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.
Golden rules for happy relationships
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’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
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.
What to do
- 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.
Nowhere are those controversial tactics more evident than in Alaska and California, where Department of Justice (DoJ) officials are fighting to effectively prevent votes being counted in order to preserve what they deem “election integrity”.
As millions of voters prepare to cast their ballots on 3 November, here are the two legal brawls which are threatening to upend the US midterms.
Alaska: A tale of two Daniel Sullivans
The Senate race in Alaska could prove crucial in determining whether or not Democrats are able to wrest control of the upper house from Republicans.
The contest has pitted incumbent Republican Daniel S. Sullivan against former Democrat representative Mary Peltola, with polling group FiftyPlusOne giving the latter a slender two point lead.
Non-partisan analytical group Cook Political Report had originally classed the race as “lean Republican”, but shifted its prediction to “toss up” in July.
Sullivan has struggled to gain momentum due to significant affordability concerns in the state, in addition to Trump’s flagging popularity with voters.
However, Republican state election officials had also been contending with another issue: there are two Daniel Sullivans on the ballot.
Daniel J. Sullivan insists he is running of his own accord, but Republican officials at state and federal levels have accused him of being a “plant” by Democrats as part of an effort to siphon off votes.
A legal bid to kick him off the ballot failed at the Alaska Supreme Court, and state officials have since determined he will be listed without a party affiliation on the ballot and under his full name: Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
This, however, was not enough for Trump, who ordered the DoJ to sue in order to prevent Alaska certifying the results of the race “if: (1) senator Sullivan does not win the election; and (2) had all votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan been cast instead for senator Sullivan and Alaska’s rank-choice process played out accordingly, senator Sullivan would have won the election”.
Peltola quickly dismissed the move as “a blatant, despicable political threat”, but a report claiming her campaign staffers had been involved in an effort to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan prompted state and federal officials to double down.
Alaska’s top federal prosecutor, US Attorney Michael Heyman, held a press conference on Friday where he explained a criminal investigation was underway into Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy, in addition to the DoJ’s civil suit seeking to block certification.
Asked to provide details on what crimes prosecutors believe may have been committed Heyman said: “Because this is an ongoing investigative matter, we can’t discuss the specifics of those investigative steps, and who or may or may not be involved”.
Legal fillings in the civil suit submitted after the press conference revealed the DoJ had requested a judge to order state officials to “preserve and segregate all ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan for the purposes of investigating whether such ranking was the product of voter confusion, should such an investigation become necessary”.
The fillings also demanded Peltola”s campaign hand over all “internal and external conversations… regarding its efforts to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan to run for office” and sought the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s (DSCC) “internal and external conversations regarding its efforts recruit Daniel J. Sullivan to run for office”.
Speaking at a campaign event on Friday evening, Peltola denied any involvement with Daniel J. Sullivan’s campaign.
“I want fewer candidates in the primary. I’m not out soliciting more competition,” she told supporters.
The DSCC also issued a statement saying it was “not involved with Dan J. Sullivan”.
California fights threats, claims of illegal voting
California has been at odds with Trump throughout the majority of his time in office, with Governor Gavin Newsom frequently pushing back against the President’s agenda.
Tensions between the state and the federal government have reached a new low in recent weeks, however, after the DoJ sued alleging thousands of non-citizens had been provided with ballots.
Trump has frequently claimed voting by non-citizens is a widespread issue which threatens to undermine US elections, despite producing no substantive evidence to support that argument.
Earlier this year, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials claimed as many as 190,000 non-citizens were enrolled in California – the lawsuit alleges around 20,000 were wrongly provided with ballots.
The DoJ argues California should now be made to set aside all ballots returned by those on the list of “likely” non-citizens, a move which could result in some voters being disenfranchised.
On Friday an appeals court rejected that argument, siding with local officials who said it would be almost impossible to identify returned ballots from those on the list.
“As the district court found — and we discern no clear error — there is no feasible way to identify and segregate the ballots of specific individuals without potentially catastrophic effects on the entire system,” California’s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel wrote in a 2-1 ruling.
The DoJ did not immediately respond to the verdict, but representatives have previously indicated they could launch an appeal to the Supreme Court.
In addition to the lawsuit, the DoJ was also barred, in a separate case, from threatening or coercing election workers to stop processing ballots.
Subpoenas obtained by the on Thursday revealed the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, Bill Essayli, was pushing local officials to hand over communications relating to earlier DoJ letters outlining the allegations of non-citizens voting in the state.
Essayli has warned: “Any election official who knowingly processes the ballot of a noncitizen is opening themselves to legal jeopardy”.
Several labour unions had sued to prevent what they argued was an attempt by the DoJ to intimidate election workers.
Experts say cases ‘flimsy’, but could cause chaos
The civil suit seeking to block the certification of the result in Alaska appears to rely on a clause in the preamble to the National Voter Registration Act, which requires states to “protect the integrity” of elections.
The DoJ argues that single clause conveys upon federal courts the power to overturn election results.
In addition, DoJ officials have so far failed to outline how they intend to demonstrate voters were deceived when casting ballots in Alaska, a process which will likely be subject to considerable scrutiny.
Meanwhile, officials in California have repeatedly questioned the data and methodology used to compile the DoJ’s list of “likely” non-citizens.
A review of a portion of the list by local election administrators appeared to show some of those listed did hold US citizenship.
However, in an analysis, Wendy R. Weiser and Sean Morales-Doyle, both of the Brennan Centre for Justice, wrote the apparent weakness in the Alaska case did not appear likely to deter the DoJ from pursuing similar lawsuits elsewhere.
“There’s every reason to think that the same Justice Department that brought this flimsy legal case may be readying similar postelection challenges in other states,” the election experts said.
Trump and the DoJ have not “given up on election meddling”, they added, raising the prospect of further chaos even as millions of Americans cast early votes in the build-up to 3 November.