Labour, Reform UK Open Door to Increasing the Retirement Age
Launching a new pension commission, Work and Pensions secretary Liz Kendall on Monday announced the start of the next statutory review into the age at which Britons can collect government pension benefits, which is now set at 66. While the government is required to review the state pension every six years, the last one was in 2023, making this announcement three years early.
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Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Starmer faces pressure to recognise Palestinian state immediately
Sir Keir Starmer is facing pressure to immediately recognise Palestine as a state amid growing calls from MPs and a commitment from France. The Prime Minister condemned the 'unspeakable and indefensible' humanitarian conditions in Gaza ahead of an emergency call with German and French leaders on Friday. He also said statehood was the 'inalienable right' of the Palestinian people but maintained that a ceasefire should come first. Sir Keir said: 'I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need, while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace.' He will speak to Emmanuel Macron, who has confirmed France will recognise Palestinian statehood, making his country the first G7 nation to do so in a move he said he would formalise at the UN General Assembly in September. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for the UK to follow suit, saying the UK 'should be leading on this, not falling behind'. 'Recognise the independent state of Palestine now and take the lead on securing a two-state solution and a lasting peace,' he said. Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has also called for immediate recognition, while the Trades Union Congress have pushed for formal recognition of Palestine 'not in a year's time or two years' time – but now'. Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said most of its members back recognition right away. 'It is the view of the majority of the committee that the UK Government should immediately recognise the state of Palestine, signalling the UK's desire to work urgently towards a two-state solution alongside our allies,' she said. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the Government wants to recognise a Palestinian state 'in contribution to a peace process'. She also told The Times: 'I think there could be multiple benefits. A lot of people would argue that recognition on its own has a symbolic value that could send a strong message to the Israeli government.' Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Tuesday called for recognition of Palestine 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise'. Sir Keir said on Thursday: 'We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. 'A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis,' he said. Charities operating in Gaza have said that Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing people there towards starvation and warned that they are seeing their own workers and Palestinians 'waste away'. Israel says it allows enough aid into the territory and faults delivery efforts by UN agencies, which say they are hindered by Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of security. The Prime Minister said: 'The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. 'While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.' He said it is 'hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times' but called again for all sides to engage 'in good faith, and at pace' on a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. 'We strongly support the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure this,' he said. Sir Keir will meet with Donald Trump during his five-day private trip to Scotland, due to kick off on Friday. US-led peace talks in Qatar have been cut short, the Trump administration's special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday, pointing the finger at Hamas for a 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce. Hamas-led militants based in Gaza abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack in 2023 that triggered the war and killed about 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How a Y Combinator food delivery app used TikTok to soar in the App Store
The internet trend is simple: A friend or family member looks into the camera and tells viewers, in a slightly aggressive tone, that they are about to witness a presentation and that they had better be nice. That's what Kendall, the sister of Lucious McDaniel IV, did, and after she stepped aside, her brother pitched his company, BiteSight, a food delivery app that lets users watch videos of food before ordering. It also lets customers see what their friends have ordered and bookmark places to try out. The app plays on how young people engage with content — through short-form videos and recommendations from friends. McDaniel posted the video and went back to work. Fifteen minutes later, his sister texted him that their post was going viral. 'We were at 20,000 views in 15 minutes,' McDaniel told TechCrunch. Excitement came, but then chaos ensued as 'parts of our app started to break as we got more users.' The engineering team worked around the clock to keep BiteSight functional, while McDaniel took to making TikToks about the chaos, which ended up going viral, too. He said people loved the 'authenticity' behind seeing what happens when 'your app explodes overnight.' The video of McDaniel presenting this idea has since amassed almost four million likes on TikTok and a quarter of a million on Instagram, joining a trend of young entrepreneurs using TikTok and Instagram Reels to gain traction and deal flow. McDaniel told TechCrunch that the idea to make this video came after watching a friend partake in the same internet trend for his dating app. 'It got over a million views, and he suggested I try it for BiteSight.' McDaniel, who is 24, said he, like many young people, realized he was eating too much takeout, ordering from the same three places because he couldn't discover new restaurants on delivery apps. 'I'd hit this wall of identical-looking restaurants with stock photos, and somehow every place had 4.6 stars.' He started keeping a spreadsheet of restaurants he'd found on Instagram and TikTok, tracking actual reviews, and seeing what his friends thought about said places. 'When I realized other people were doing the exact same thing, my co-founder Zac and I decided to build something better: an app that actually reflects how we discover food today,' he said, referring to Zac Schulwolf, the company's CTO. McDaniel is no stranger to the tech industry. He previously worked at General Atlantic, where one of his main focus areas was restaurant technology. He previously founded a payments company called Phly, led product for a recruitment software, and has even angel invested in a few companies, including the fintech Mercury. McDaniel and Schulwolf, 25, spent over a year building BiteSight, including participation in the Winter 2024 cohort of YCombinator. They then did a limited beta around New York University in April. In mid-May, the company launched an early version and did a bit of social media marketing. In June, they made their viral video. 'What made our video stand out was that what we are building resonates,' said McDaniel, who is BiteSight's CEO (also known as chief eating officer). He added that 'it's clear that consumers, and especially Gen-Z, are ready for something that feels fresh and built for the way they engage.' After the video, BiteSight briefly became #2 in the App Store's Food and Beverage category, bypassing Uber Eats, Starbucks, and even McDonald's. McDaniel said the app also gained more than 100,000 new users and, though the app is only available in New York at the moment, people in other cities started messaging for a nationwide release. On the restaurant side, McDaniel said everyone from small family-owned spots to chain restaurants has reached out to partner and, of course, 'we've had a surge of investor interest from folks who see that this is where food delivery is going.' He declined to comment on the size of any upcoming funding deals, except to say he expects to have news to share soon. Of course, BiteSight has a lot of big, well-funded competition like DoorDash and UberEats. McDaniel believes, however, that being a startup in the age of AI will be his advantage. For example, while most of its competitors needed hundreds of engineers in their early days, BiteSight can work with AI tools that perform 10x the work of a human for much less of the cost. 'By using AI to avoid massive overhead and infrastructure costs, we can do much more with much less and pass on the savings to the small business owners and customers who need it most while still maintaining healthy margins,' he said. What also differentiates BiteSight is its focus on food and video, rather than other categories at the moment. 'We're trying to be the go-to app for the generation that discovers everything through social recommendations and short-form video.' Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Rachel Reeves to pledge £66m for key Scottish transport projects
Rachel Reeves will announce £66 million of funding for transport projects in Scotland – with the Chancellor insisting the cash shows the Labour Government is 'investing in Britain's renewal' after a 'decade of decline' under the Conservatives. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray meanwhile said the money would make a 'real difference to people's daily lives'. The money will go towards projects linked to new investment zones and advanced manufacturing sites supported by the UK Government in Scotland. Three key transport schemes are to benefit, with plans to create direct links between these new economic hubs and local towns in the west of the Scotland. The largest chunk of cash – some £38.7 million – will go to Renfrewshire Council to help link Paisley town centre with both Glasgow Airport and the nearby Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS). As part of this new walking, cycling, bus and car links will be built, allowing local people to benefit from the growth of high value manufacturing in Renfrewshire. Another £23.7 million will go to North Ayrshire Council to upgrade the B714 road, allowing faster travel between the towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston and Glasgow, and cutting traffic in Kilwinning. It comes after the Chancellor pledged to find the cash for this work in last month's spending review. In addition the Scottish Government is being given an extra £3.45 million to suggest ways in which the A75 in Dumfries and Galloway can be upgraded. The road there links the port in Cairnryan – where ferries sail to Northern Ireland – with the rest of the UK, and as a result is seen as being vital for both transport connections and the economy. Ms Reeves, who is due to visit Paisley on Friday, said the UK Government was 'pledging billions to back Scottish jobs, industry and renewal'. She added: 'That's why we're investing in the major transport projects, including exploring upgrades to the A75, that local communities have been calling for. 'Whilst previous governments oversaw over a decade of decline of our transport infrastructure, we're investing in Britain's renewal. 'This £66 million investment is exactly what our Plan for Change is about, investing in what matters to you in the places that you live.' Welcoming the cash Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: 'This £66 million investment in Scotland's roads demonstrates the UK Government's commitment to improving infrastructure and driving economic growth in all parts of the UK as part of our Plan for Change. 'This investment will make a real difference to people's daily lives and to the local economies of the south of Scotland, Ayrshire and Renfrewshire.' Mr Murray continued: 'New road links will connect Paisley town centre with Glasgow Airport and the new advanced manufacturing innovation district, to boost high value manufacturing in Renfrewshire. 'The upgrade to the B714 will speed up journeys between Glasgow and the three towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston, as well as cutting traffic in Kilwinning. 'And the A75 is strategically important just not within but beyond Scotland. Its upgrading is long overdue. I am pleased that the UK Government has stepped up to fund the delivery of the A75 feasibility study in full.' Mr Murray said: 'This investment is yet another example of how the UK Government is building the foundations for a stronger, more prosperous future that benefits communities right across Scotland.'
