Exclusive: Labour Failing On Key Issues Facing The Country, Say Voters

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Voters believe Labour are failing on the key issues facing the country, according to a new poll.

The nationwide survey by Ipsos showed the public believe the NHS, inflation and immigration will be the areas most important to them when deciding who to vote for at the next general election.

But in a blow for Keir Starmer, a clear majority believe the Labour government is performing badly on all of them.

The poll showed 62% of voters believe they are doing a bad job on the cost of living, 59% are unsatisfied withe Labour’s performance on immigration and 54% are unsatisfied with the government’s management of the economy.

As Starmer approaches his first anniversary as prime minister, a majority – 56% – of the British public are disappointed by what Labour has done in power so far.

Meanwhile, 52% of the public have an unfavourable view of the PM himself, with just 24% having a favourable one, giving him a net rating of minus 28.

Voters’ opinion of chancellor Rachel Reeves is even worse, with 53% having an unfavourable view of her, and just 17% having a favourable one, giving her a net rating of minus 36.

Keiran Pedley, director of UK politics at Ipsos, told HuffPost UK: “Neither Labour nor Keir Starmer’s poll ratings are in a good place and that’s been the case for some time.

“More than half have an unfavourable view of both the prime minister and the chancellor, and a similar proportion are disappointed by Labour in government so far.

“On all the issues voters say are most important to them – the NHS, the economy and immigration – a majority of Britons say Labour are doing a bad job.”

However, in a glimmer of hope for Starmer, Pedley said Labour remain more trusted on the NHS than any other party and “there is no clear consensus for which party is best on the economy or cost of living”.

“Given this – and there is still potentially four years to go this parliament – Labour still does have time on its side to turn things around,” he added.

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Record-breaking 10-billion-year radio halo just rewrote the universe’s origin story

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Astronomers have uncovered a vast cloud of energetic particles — a ‘mini halo’ — surrounding one of the most distant galaxy clusters ever observed, marking a major step forward in understanding the hidden forces that shape the cosmos.

The mini-halo is at a distance so great that it takes light 10 billion years to reach Earth, making it the most distant ever found, doubling the previous distance known to science.

The discovery demonstrates that entire galaxy clusters, among the largest structures in the universe, have been immersed in high-energy particles for most of their existence.

Such a mini-halo consists of highly energetic, charged particles in the vacuum between galaxies in a cluster, which together emanate radio waves which can be detected from Earth.

Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, with the pre-print version of the paper published today. the findings show that even in the early universe, galaxy clusters were already shaped by energetic processes.

The international team of researchers behind the discovery was co-led by Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo of Université de Montréal and Roland Timmerman of the Institute for Computational Cosmology of Durham University, in the U.K.

The researchers analysed data from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope, a vast network of over 100,000 small antennae spanning eight European countries. While studying a galaxy cluster named SpARCS1049, the researchers detected a faint, widespread radio signal.They found that it did not emanate from individual galaxies, but from a vast region of space filled with high-energy particles and magnetic fields.

Stretching over a million light-years, this diffuse glow is a telltale sign of a mini-halo,a structure astronomers have only been able to observe in the nearby universe up until now. “It’s as if we’ve discovered a vast cosmic ocean, where entire galaxy clusters are constantly immersed in high-energy particles,” said Hlavacek-Larrondo.

Added Timmerman: “It’s astonishing to find such a strong radio signal at this distance. It means these energetic particles and the processes creating them have been shaping galaxy clusters for nearly the entire history of the universe.”

Two likely explanations

There are two likely explanations behind the formation of the mini-halo.

One is that there are supermassive black holes at the hearts of galaxies within a cluster that can eject streams of high-energy particles into space. However, astronomers are still trying to understand how these particles would be able to migrate away from the black hole to create such a gigantic cloud of particles, while maintaining so much of their energy.

The second explanation is cosmic particle collisions. This is when charged particles within the hot plasma of the galaxy cluster collide at near-light speeds, smashing apart into the highly energetic particles that can be observed from Earth.

This new discovery provides a rare look at what galaxy clusters were like just after they formed, the astronomers say.

It not only shows that galaxy clusters have been infused with these high-energy particles for billions of years more than previously known, but it also allows astronomers to study where these high-energy particles come from.

It suggests that black holes and/or high-energy particle collisions have been enriching the environment of galaxy clusters much earlier than expected, keeping them energized over billions of years.

With newer telescopes being developed such as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), scientists will be able to detect even fainter signals and further explore the role of magnetic fields, cosmic rays, and energetic processes in shaping the Universe, the astronomers say.

“We are just scratching the surface of how energetic the early Universe really was,” said Hlavacek-Larrondo. “This discovery gives us a new window into how galaxy clusters grow and evolve, driven by both black holes and high-energy particle physics.”

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Nigel Farage Slammed By Albanian Prime Minister Over ‘Bonkers’ Prisoner Numbers Claim

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Nigel Farage has been slammed by the prime minister of Albania after he claimed one in 50 prisoners in UK jails come from the country.

Edi Rama offered to take every one of them back to the Balkan nation if the Reform UK leader’s “bonkers” claim turned out to be true.

And he challenged Farage to visit Albania if he is wrong – and promise to defend the country and its people the next time anyone “badmouths” them.

Rama, who just won a fourth term in office, threw down the gauntlet after Farage criticised Albania on his GB News show.

That came after Rama had said Keir Starmer’s attempts to deport illegal immigrants to third countries showed the UK was “in a very dark place” because of Brexit.

The Reform boss had said: “I tell you what, Mr Rama, did you know one in 50 Albanians in Britain are in prison? So show some goodwill and take them all back tomorrow, because this is hypocrisy.”

Responding on X, Rama said: “That ‘one in 50 Albanians are in prison’ claim? It’s not a fact. It’s bonkers. A classic from the post-truth Brexit playbook: ‘If it sounds scary, it must be true’.

“Guess what? When the numbers are actually run — surprise! — even if we assumed every Albanian currently in prison is guilty (and in fact, many are caught up in an outdated and restrictive visa system), the rate of criminality among Albanians in the UK would be no higher than — and likely lower than — that of the British population itself.

“Now, since we both seem to cherish ‘goodwill’ and are clearly allergic to ‘hypocrisy’, here’s my offer: Let’s both bring our numbers to the table. If your ‘one in 50’ claim holds water — I will personally commit to taking them all back. That’s not a competing headline — it’s a public pledge.

“But if your scary stat turns out to be just tabloid fuel, then no apology needed. No drama. Instead, you’ll come to Albania — as my guest of honour. You’ll get real sun, real hospitality, and even more real facts — about Albania and its fabulous people.

“And all I ask in return is the simplest public pledge from you, made while enjoying our country: next time someone badmouths Albanians, you’ll be the first to tell them — in your histrionic way — not to do it again.

“So what do you say? One fact-check for a full deportation — or a full vacation, with some of the warmest people you’ll ever meet. Come on, Nigel. If you lose on a fact check, you’ll still win a whole nation of friends for life. Looking forward to hearing from you.”

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https://t.co/5yfTLPfoAB

Ooopsss… Mr.@Nigel_Farage himself has just challenged me on the facts!

What an honor — for a “giant man,” as he described me (meaning, of course, from a “tiny country”) — to earn the attention of Britain’s unrivaled virtuoso of headline politics.

He…

— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) June 27, 2025

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https://t.co/5yfTLPfoAB

Ooopsss… Mr.@Nigel_Farage himself has just challenged me on the facts!

What an honor — for a “giant man,” as he described me (meaning, of course, from a “tiny country”) — to earn the attention of Britain’s unrivaled virtuoso of headline politics.

He…

— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) June 27, 2025

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