Proportion of people in Great Britain vaping who never smoked doubles in four years 06. October 2026 (17:05) More than 1 million people in Great Britain now vape despite having never regularly smoked, ONS data showsMore than 1 million people in Great Britain now vape despite never having been regular smokers, with rates nearly doubling in just four years, according to figures that health experts describe as concerning.About 5.4 million people aged 16 and above in England, Scotland and Wales (9.9%) used e-cigarettes daily or occasionally in 2025, Office for National Statistics data showed. Vaping was highest among those aged 25-34 (16.4%). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reform MP raises concerns about second homes – then buys one for £800,000 06. October 2026 (16:41) Sarah Pochin bought Anglesey property two days after writing to minister about impact of second home ownership on rural communitiesA Reform UK MP bought an £800,000 second home on a picturesque Welsh island two days after raising concerns in parliament about the impact of second homes on rural communities.Sarah Pochin completed the purchase of a Grade-II listed property on the southern coast of Anglesey (Ynys Môn). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘No more Viktor Orbán’: EU plans 15-year probation period for new member states 06. October 2026 (16:38) Enlargement commissioner Marta Kos outlines proposed safeguards to protect EU from undemocratic leadersThe European Commission wants to ensure there is no repeat Viktor Orbán among the next generation of EU member states, as it set out plans to prepare for the bloc’s enlargement into eastern Europe in the next few years.In an interview with the Guardian and other European newspapers, the EU commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, outlined proposals for special safeguards to protect the bloc from leaders who could flout democratic values and hold hostage decision making, a pattern of behaviour exemplified for many by the former Hungarian prime minister. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US citizen alleges immigration agent in Chicago shot her from behind 06. October 2026 (16:08) CBP says in response to lawsuit use-of-force cases are ‘thoroughly investigated, reviewed, and presented’A US citizen who was shot one year ago by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent during a sweeping immigration crackdown in Chicago filed a lawsuit against the federal government on Monday, alleging the agent lied about the shooting and fired into her vehicle from behind.Federal prosecutors initially accused Marimar Martinez, then 30, of using her vehicle to strike and box in agent Charles Exum’s sport utility vehicle on Chicago’s south-west side on 4 October 2025 during what the Trump administration named Operation Midway Blitz. Exum then exited his car and opened fire, leaving Martinez with seven gunshot wounds. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
