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Half A Million More Pupils To Receive Free School Meals In Eligibility Shake-Up

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Over half a million more pupils will qualify for free school meals from September as part of the government’s bid to reduce child poverty.

Under the new rules, all children from households claiming Universal Credit will become eligible for free lunches, saving their parents around £500 a year.

The move will lift 100,000 children out of poverty, according to the Department for Education.

At the moment, only children whose household income is less than £7,400 receive free school meals.

Nearly 2.1 million pupils – almost one in four of all pupils in England were eligible for free meals in January 2024.

Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures.

“My government is taking action to ease those pressures. Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents’ pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn.

“This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our plan for change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed.”

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “It is the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty, and today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents’ pockets.

“We believe that background shouldn’t mean destiny. Today’s historic step will help us to deliver excellence everywhere, for every child and give more young people the chance to get on in life.”

The move was welcomed by William Roberts, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, who said it would “make a huge difference to thousands of children and parents across the country”.

He said: “As well as putting more money in the pockets of vulnerable families, wider provision of free school meals has been shown to lower the risk of childhood obesity, reduce absenteeism and boost educational attainment.”

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Sziget Festival 2025: Tickets, Acts, Security Info And Everything We Know So Far

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Sziget Festival returns for yet another spellbinding year, bringing the best music and performance acts from across Europe to its unique location on The Island of Freedom in Budapest, Hungary.

The festival, which is now in its 33rd year, is an immersive 24/7 experience similar to that of Glastonbury Festival in the UK, but twice the size and with a European edge!

For six days, Sziget transforms Budapest’s Óbuda Island into The Island of Freedom, and attracts “szitizens” from over 100 countries.

Having attended before, I know how fun and eclectic the event can be. So, whether you’re already attending Sziget, or you’re debating whether to go, here’s everything you need to know about this 6-day musical extravaganza.

Who is headlining at Sziget Festival 2025?

Running from 6 to 11th August, Sziget will feature a cross-section of the biggest names in music today. Opening the festival is Charli XCX, followed by Shawn Mendes, A$AP Rocky, Anyma and Post Malone, before Chappell Roan closes the festival on the Monday evening.

Who else will be playing at the festival?

There’s really something for everyone at Sziget, and the festival does incredibly well at pulling together lineups that incorporate the most popular musicians today, as well as up-and-coming musicians across all sorts of genres.

Festival-goers can look forward to the likes of Armin Van Buuren, FKA Twigs, Nelly Furtado, Papa Roach, Blossoms, Empire of the Sun, Sevdaliza, The Last Dinner Party, KNEECAP and many many more. See the full lineup here.

How do I buy tickets for Sziget Festival 2025?

There are a range of options for attending Sziget, including day passes, 3-day passes and passes to the entire 6-day festival. Here’s a snapshot of your ticket options:

  • Full Festival Pass €355
  • Full Festival VIP Pass €575
  • Full Festival U21 Pass €295
  • 3-Day Pass €225
  • VIP daily tickets from €90
  • Daily tickets from €75
The festival has been known to attract over half a million visitors in a single year
The festival has been known to attract over half a million visitors in a single year

Sziget Festival

How do I get to Sziget Festival?

Sziget festival is located on Óbuda Island in the heart of Budapest. The exact address is: Május 9. park, Budapest, Hungary, 1033.

If you’re heading from the UK to Budapest, you’ll want to fly into Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD). From there, the metro can get you to pretty much anywhere you want to go, including to The Island of Freedom.

Budapest also has three main railway stations for domestic and international travellers to Sziget.

Additionally, you can take the Sziget Express train from The Netherlands directly to the festival site, grab a direct flight from Dublin with one of their package deals or make use of one of the bus routes to Sziget from The Netherlands, Germany, Austria or Italy. Driving to the festival is not recommended, however, as parking spaces are very limited.

Where do I stay at Sziget Festival?

Just like Glasto, Sziget offers free on site camping in their basic camping zone, which includes community showers and toilets. You can either take a tent yourself, rent one at the site or have one pre-pitched and waiting for you when you arrive.

There are also premium camping and glamping options in their premium zones, which include extra amenities like a 24-hour reception, exclusive showers and toilets, free luggage storage and access to the Wellness Zone, depending on your ticket type. You can take a camper van or caravan to Sziget, too.

For absolutely everything you need to know about camping, including accessibility FAQs, visit here. Hotel deals and packages are also available on their website.

Festival goers revel in the eclectic mix of acts Sziget has to offer
Festival goers revel in the eclectic mix of acts Sziget has to offer

Sziget Festival/Ladoczki Balazs

What else do I need to know before attending Sziget Festival?

Remember to bring an identity card, passport or driving license in order to pick up your ticket!

2025 is special as a new chapter begins at Sziget. The physical venue will be restructured into new ‘districts’ – including Szoho (an urbanised area inspired by London and New York’s Soho districts), Delta (Sziget’s new nightlife epicentre) and North Field.

Within these districts, and across the entire site, you’ll find so much to do beyond seeing myriad live music acts.

There is a huge range of food and drink vendors, merch and shopping stalls, wellness activities, cabaret and comedy shows, screenings, installations, talks, a beach and much more. Make sure you download the Sziget Festival app ahead of time to keep up with it all!

WiFi is available around the site, as are first aid points. There is an Aldi City for festival-goers to buy groceries on site, and if you purchase BBQ products, they’ll grill them for free!

There is a limit on food, drink and tobacco products that you can bring into the festival. To find out more this and other important info, check out their website.

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Monty Don Urges UK Gardeners To Do 1 Job First Thing In The Morning This June

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Gardeners will be glad to hear that our unusually dry, hot spring is set to give way to rain (even if nobody else is).

Now, it seems, we might all be able to focus a little more on the ordinary course of gardening.

And for legend Monty Don, that means getting our veggies out of the “hungry gap” of growth and into the ground, ready to fruit in a couple of months.

Tomatoes, in particular, need help this month, he said, advising us to do one growth-promoting job “first thing in the morning” to boost our yield.

You should remove side shoots

On his site, Don shared that we should “Regularly pinch out side-shoots on tomatoes” in June.

“It is best – and easiest – to do this first thing in the morning when the plant is turgid and they will snap off easily in your fingers.”

Though the side shoots of tomatoes do bear fruit, they “reduce the overall harvest” by taking energy away from branches that would otherwise carry far more tomatoes.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) agreed, writing that the rule particularly applies to Cordon tomatoes.

They advised us to remove side shoots every time we water the plant, though they might not be as full and easy to move as they are in the morning.

“If they’re not removed, the side-shoots grow rapidly, forming a mass of long, scrambling, leafy stems that are difficult to support, produce few fruits and take up a lot of space,” the RHS add.

This should not be done with bush tomatoes, whose side shoots produce plentiful fruit.

Are there any other ways to boost growth?

Yes – strangely enough, tapping your tomato plants might increase self-pollination and improve your plant’s bounty.

The plants have unusually heavy and sticky pollen, which usually requires either pollinators or wind (bees or breeze) to transfer.

That can be a problem if they’re in a still, bug-free greenhouse – but tapping the flowers even a little, or shaking the plant, can go a long way.

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Rachel Reeves To Spend Billions In Red Wall In Bid To See Off Reform Threat

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Billions of pounds of public money are to be spent on new transport projects across the Midlands and north of England as Labour tries to see off the threat of Reform UK.

Rachel Reeves is ripping up Treasury rules so the government can invest more in Red Wall areas where support for Nigel Farage’s party is on the rise.

The chancellor will unveil the £15.6 billion plans in a major speech on Wednesday ahead of next week’s government spending review.

She will announce “a step change in how government approaches and evaluates the case for investing in our regions” following a review of the Treasury’s Green Book, which assesses the costs and benefits of major public projects.

Reeves will say that has been done “to make sure that this government gives every region a fair hearing when it comes to investments”, amid concerns that too much taxpayers’ money is spent in the South East.

Among the projects set to be given the green light is the Metro extension linking Washington to Newcastle and Sunderland, and the renewal of South Yorkshire’s tram network.

A metro extension to Birmingham’s sports quarter is also set to be built, while the Metrolink tram network in Greater Manchester will get new stops in Bury, Oldham and Stockport town centre.

Ministers say the projects will create jobs, boost economic growth and improve commutes for locals.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander, said: “Today marks a watershed moment on our journey to improving transport across the north and Midlands – opening up access to jobs, growing the economy and driving up quality of life.

“For too long, people in the north and Midlands have been locked out of the investment they deserve.

“With £15.6bn of government investment, we’re giving local leaders the means to drive cities, towns and communities forward, investing in Britain’s renewal so you and your family are better off.”

A Treasury source denied that the government announcement was being driven by Labour nervousness at the growing popularity of Reform.

The source told HuffPost UK: “It’s about showing we’re delivering. People want change and investment. We are delivering that.”

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Glastonbury 2025: Music Fans Think They’ve Already Worked Out Who’ll Be Doing A Surprise Set

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With just weeks to go until this year’s Glastonbury gets underway, music fans have been doing some detective work to try and decipher a mysterious act that has suddenly popped up on the line-up.

At 6pm on the Saturday of the festival, the Pyramid Stage will be host to an hour-long set from an act called “Patchwork”, who hadn’t previously been announced on the line-up.

One Reddit user claimed that Patchwork is the name of a German novel by the author Sylvia Haim, while it’s also pointed out that it’s also the title of a 2015 horror movie about a Frankenstein monster-esque creation made from the bodies of three women who come together to seek revenge on their killer.

Both of these clues seem to point to Haim – the US three-piece made up of sisters Alana, Danielle and Este – making an appearance on the Pyramid Stage this year.

Fuelling this is the fact that Haim will already be in the UK on Glastonbury weekend, with a one-off gig in Margate scheduled for the night before their rumoured Worthy Farm set.

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Keir Starmer Told ‘Kremlin Must Be Smiling’ At His Defence Plans

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Keir Starmer has been warned the Kremlin must be “smiling” after the government unveiled its defence plans.

The prime minister put the UK on a war footing as he launched the long-awaited strategic defence review (SDR).

It included plans to build up to 12 new nuclear-powered submarines, six new munitions factories and thousands more long-range weapons.

The authors of the SDR have made it clear defence spending will have to increase to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) for its recommendations to be carried out.

However, Starmer has refused to guarantee that the government will hit that target in the next parliament.

Meanwhile, reports claim Nato is looking to force the UK to lift defence spending to 3.5% of GDP as it tries to appease Donald Trump.

So broadcaster Andrew Neil suggested on Monday that Russia would be “smiling” over the spending plans.

Speaking on Times Radio, he said: “Without a firm commitment to raising defence spending to 3% of GDP early in the next parliament, the defence review is barely worth the paper it’s written on.

“If they don’t put Britain on a war-footing now, the new subs won’t be deployed for at least a decade – by which time, we could all be speaking Russian.”

“The Kremlin must be smiling,” he added.

Former head of the army General Sir Patrick Sanders also told Times Radio he is “really worried” the government is not acting fast enough.

Asked what he believes Putin will be thinking now, Sanders said: “This is one of Europe’s greatest powers, it’s the one that has been the greatest thorn in my side when it comes to challenging me on Ukraine and supporting the Ukrainians, but it doesn’t appear yet to have woken up to the fact that it is not just Ukraine’s fight, this is Europe’s fight and Europe are threatened by Russia.

“We’ve got to be able to deter Russia because that is so much cheaper than fighting a war with them,” he said.

Keir Starmer delivers his speech during a visit to the BAE Systems'Govan facility, in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday June 2, 2025.
Keir Starmer delivers his speech during a visit to the BAE Systems’Govan facility, in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday June 2, 2025.

via Associated Press

Former Tory defence secretary Ben Wallace also told LBC this morning that Putin will now think the west are “not serious”.

“Putin knows more than anyone how much the war is costing,” Wallace said. “And he will say two things; one, that the west aren’t serious because they’re not really spending the money, and secondly, what we see in Ukraine, is that the west aren’t serious enough because it doesn’t want to put young people in harm’s way and young people are not joining their Armed Forces.”

Pointing to the government’s reluctance to set a time frame for spending 3% of GDP on defence, he said: “Imagine conversations in the Kremlin where they say, ‘no, no, it’s an ambition’.”

Wallace claimed the government has now “resorted to spin and claiming other people’s policies” too, adding: “That is a regret.”

Senior consulting fellow with the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House, Keir Giles, agreed that the “biggest question mark”over the SDR is over how it will be funded.

“With Keir Starmer still refusing to commit to the funding level that is required as a baseline for the review’s recommendations to be met, it will take a change of heart in government to make use of [the SDR’s] most important findings,” Giles told HuffPost UK.

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I Tried The ‘Correct’ Way To Eat Strawberries And I Regret To Inform You We’re All Doing It Wrong

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Before I start, let me make one thing clear: I do not enjoy a pointless “proper” extra step when it comes to my food.

For instance, I am alright eating chocolate digestives the “wrong way” (according to McVitie’s). I will go choccie-up like a non-industry normie, thanks very much.

But sometimes, much to my annoyance, the pros are onto something.

Brie, for instance, loses its unpleasant ammonia tang after being brought to room temperature. Leaving it out for half an hour actually is worth your while.

And even though I do think fridge-cold strawberries are beautiful as is, berry producers Driscoll’s said those should come out of their chilly home long before you eat them, too.

So, I tried the tip this afternoon – and I’m so sorry, but they’re completely right.

Strawberries on pistachio cream on the left; on their own in a bowl on the right

Amy Glover / HuffPost UK

Strawberries on pistachio cream on the left; on their own in a bowl on the right

How long should you leave strawberries out of the fridge before you eat them?

Per the berry company, you can refrigerate strawberries in their original container for up to five days if you keep them dry.

But they “taste best at room temperature, so remove them an hour or two before you plan on eating them,” the company claims.

You should also rinse them just before eating them to get rid of any germs without risking making them soggy.

I’ll be honest; I thought the advice was a little too fussy for my liking. But Driscoll’s isn’t alone in recommending the method.

Southern Living go by a 30-minute warm-up rule.

BBC Good Food, meanwhile, puts it at an hour.

Even Worcestershire County Council weighed in, suggesting we “remove them from the fridge and bring to room temperature before eating”.

So, I thought I’d bring my punnet of this year’s beautifully sweet harvest out of my fridge an hour before my usual post-lunch snack to see for myself.

It does make a difference

I get it; I have been diving straight into the fruit the second I remove it from the fridge all week.

But, sorry to say, the inconvenience of bringing them to room temperature really does transform their flavour (not least because that wonderful fragrance is so much more noticeable).

This may be because, as America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) shares, strawberries don’t actually have that much sugar; the smell is a big part of why we perceive them as sweet.

“Just a little bit of heat is enough to coax [the smell] out of the fruit and into the air,” Dan Souza shared in an ATK video, adding that cold temperatures suppress sweet flavours.

No wonder the ones I’d left out had more of that signature scent and mouth-wateringly sweet flavour, too – it was a night and day difference.

Personally, I’m never going back. And even if you don’t adopt the habit every single time you crave the berry, I recommend trying it at least once.

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Nigel Farage Accused Of Using Trump Tactics After Attacking Journalist At Press Conference

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Nigel Farage has been accused of copying the tactics of Donald Trump after he criticised a journalist at a press conference.

The Reform UK leader accused Andrew Learmonth, the political editor of The Herald newspaper, of colluding with protesters outside the venue in Aberdeen.

Farage was in the city ahead of a crucial Scottish Parliament by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on Thursday.

After calling the journalist to ask him a question, Farage said: “Andrew Learmonth, it seems that you’re involved with this group of protesters outside.”

When the journalist told Farage he wasn’t, the Reform leader replied: “Well it’s funny isn’t it that you come and your newspaper also manages to have another one of your correspondents as a protest correspondent, so you know more about this than we did.”

Learmonth then said: “That’s not true at all, Nigel, sorry.”

Farage eventually told the reporter: “If you say that, I believe you.”

But he added: “This location was only sent to you guys, it wasn’t sent on the public wires. We didn’t put it out to our membership and yet [the protesters] knew. It came from one of you.”

Protesters gather at a press conference attended by the Reform UK leadership in Aberdeen.
Protesters gather at a press conference attended by the Reform UK leadership in Aberdeen.

Peter Summers via Getty Images

Catherine Salmond, the editor of The Herald, condemned Farage.

She said: “The responsibility of a trusted news brand is to act with integrity. The idea that The Herald was involved with protests in Aberdeen against Nigel Farage and Reform UK is ridiculous.

“Our job is to report on the truth and to hold those who do not tell the truth to account.

“Attacking the media has become commonplace under Donald Trump in the US and today we have seen it here in Scotland, by Reform UK, against The Herald. A low tactic and one we should all stand against.”

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Keir Starmer Puts The UK On A War Footing As He Warns Of ‘Growing Russian Aggression’

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Keir Starmer has put the UK on a war footing as he warned of “growing Russian aggression” at sea, in the air and cyberspace.

The prime minister said he wanted to deliver “peace through strength” as he launched the government’s strategic defence review (SDR).

But a row broke out over how Labour plans to pay for its plans, which include building up to 12 new attack submarines, thousands of long-range missiles, six munitions factories and billions of pounds worth of nuclear warheads.

Starmer refused to echo defence secretary John Healey in confirming that defence spending will increase to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2034.

In a major speech in Glasgow, the PM said: “We are moving to warfighting readiness as the central purpose of our armed forces.

“When we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, the most effective way to deter them is to be ready – and, frankly, to show them that we’re ready – to deliver peace through strength.”

Starmer said “the front line is here” as he warned that the UK faces greater threats now than at any time since the end of the Cold War more than 30 years ago.

He said: “We face war in Europe, new nuclear risks, daily cyber attacks. Growing Russian aggression in our waters, menacing our skies.

“Their reckless actions driving up the cost of living here at home, creating economic pain and hitting working people the hardest.

“A new era in the threats we face demands a new era for defence and security, not just to survive in this new world – but to lead.”

The government has announced it will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2027, with an ambition of hitting 3% in the next parliament.

However, the SDR’s own authors have warned that the military budget must hit that 3% target if the government’s military plans are to be affordable.

Meanwhile, at a Nato summit later this month, member states will be told that they should increase their defence spending to 3.5% of GDP.

Opposition parties criticised the government for failing to set out how it will pay for its defence spending plans.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “All of Labour’s strategic defence review promises will be taken with a pinch of salt unless they can show there will actually be enough money to pay for them.”

Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said ministers were showing “a worrying lack of urgency”.

“Unless Labour commits to holding cross-party talks on how to reach 3% much more rapidly than the mid-2030s, this announcement risks becoming a damp squib,” she said.

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice said: “The commitments made in this defence review are completely empty if Labour does not commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence.”

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Nigel Farage Accused Of ‘Fantasy Economics’ Over Plan To Cut Public Spending By £400 Billion

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Nigel Farage has been accused of “fantasy economics” after Reform UK’s chairman said the party would slash up to £400 billion a year of public spending in its first term in office if it wins the next election.

Zia Yusuf insisted the party could find the huge savings by cutting back on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) schemes, scrapping Net Zero policies and slashing quangos.

Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, he said Farage was “crazy about” the plan.

He said: “When was the last time you had a political leader in this country with a real shot at Downing Street, calling for £300 to £400 billion of cuts in the first term of government?

“I cannot remember it inside my lifetime, he was really crazy about this. Almost all of those cuts would actually improve the lives of British people. That is the state of decay in this country.”

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Zia Yusuf(chair Reform) tells #TrevorPhillips, with a straight face, that Reform is \"calling for £300b to £400b of cuts in public spending in there 1st term of government… & those cuts will improve the lives of British people…\" 🤔#bbclaurak pic.twitter.com/4MxJSUEIe8

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) June 1, 2025

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Zia Yusuf(chair Reform) tells #TrevorPhillips, with a straight face, that Reform is “calling for £300b to £400b of cuts in public spending in there 1st term of government… & those cuts will improve the lives of British people…” 🤔#bbclaurak pic.twitter.com/4MxJSUEIe8

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) June 1, 2025

But a Labour spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage’s fantasy economics would supercharge the chaos inflicted by Liz Truss, crash the economy, destroy jobs, ruin the public services working people rely on, and add £5,500 onto the average family’s mortgage – it would be a disaster for Britain.

“Farage and Reform simply can’t be trusted to look after your family’s finances, or the country’s.”

Tory chairman Nigel Huddleston said: “Reform have given up any pretence of being a serious party. Nigel Farage now wants hardworking taxpayers to foot the bill for unlimited welfare, while handing out fantasy pledges with numbers that don’t even begin to add up.

“Reform have abandoned any principles and embraced Corbyn-style chaos. Farage says Corbyn was ‘pretty much right’ and his chair boasts of slashing £300 billion from public services without naming a single department.

“It’s pure populist theatre – uncosted, unserious, and utterly unfit for government. If voters want socialism draped in a Union Jack, sold with a pint and a wink, Reform’s their party.

“But if they want lower taxes, secure borders, and grown-up government, that’s the Conservatives.”

A Liberal Democrat source said: If Zia Yusuf and Reform were as serious about fixing the economy as they claim they are, they would not have a leader endorsing Trussonomics and pandering to Donald Trump, who has caused British businesses so much misery with his war on trade.

“They are not a serious opposition to this government, just like the Conservatives.”

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