Early

SCRAPPING the two-child benefit cap may not help with a child’s early development and being ready for school, a report says.

The new study says ending the policy would massively help reduce child poverty but it currently has “no adverse” impact on kids by the end of their reception year.

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Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to end the cap from ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell.

But ending the policy that came into effect in 2017 would cost between £2 billion and £3.5 billion by the end of the decade.

The government has a goal of raising the proportion of children starting school ready to learn from the current 68 per cent to 75 per cent by 2030.

Report author Tom Waters, of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: “This suggests that it might be hard for the Government to ‘kill two birds with one stone’ – simultaneously reducing child poverty and raising school readiness – through scrapping the two-child limit.”

The government is expected to set out its strategy to tackle child poverty this Autumn.

Cabinet Minister Bridget Phillipson said scrapping the cap is “on the table” while drumming up support for her bid to be Labour’s deputy leader, following Angela Rayner leaving the role.

A BLOCK of flats erupted has into flames – with dozens of firefighters rushing to the scene.

Ten fire engines and 70 personnel are battling the blaze this morning in Enfield, London.

London Fire Brigade received reports of the fire at two second storey flats in Maybury Close at just before 5.20am.

An LFB statement said: “Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters have been called to a flat fire on Maybury Close in Enfield.

“Two flats on the second floor of a three storey block of flats are alight.

“The Brigade’s 999 Control officers received their first call about the fire at 0519. They mobilised crews from Enfield, Edmonton and surrounding fire stations who are currently in attendance.

“The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.”

Have you been affected by this incident? Email [email protected]

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Rose Lavelle scored her first goal of the season and Gotham FC defeated Angel City 3-1 on Sunday.

Kennedy Fuller put Angel City in front 1-0 less than two minutes into the match. The Angel City midfielder stuck the ball on the edge of the box on the half-volley.

Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amoros made two significant substitutions at the break: Midge Purce replaced Josephine Hasbo and Lavelle came on for Sarah Schupansky.

Gabi Portilho scored the equalizer in the 47th minute. The Brazilian tucked away a short pass from Purce. Then, Lavelle made it 2-1 by pouncing on a goalkeeping mistake in the 51st minute.

Jaelin Howell capped the scoring in the 68th minute.

Gotham (7-6-6) moved up to sixth place in the NWSL standings, and opened a four-point gap ahead of 10th place Angel City (6-8-5).

The Kit Kat Club is closing its Broadway doors early on Sept. 21, as current “Emcee” Billy Porter battles a “serious case of sepsis,” according to the production team.

“It is with a heavy heart that we have made the painful decision to end our Broadway run,” said producer Adam Speers in a statement. “On behalf of all the producers, we’re so honored to have been able to bring this version of John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff’s important masterpiece, ‘Cabaret,’ to New York and to have opened the doors to our own Kit Kat Club for the year and a half we have been here.”

“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” — as this revival is titled — opened on Broadway in April 2024, with Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin in the lead roles. Following their September 2024 departure, duos Adam Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho, and Orville Peck and Eva Noblezada played the titular roles.

Porter stepped into the role of the Emcee, alongside co-star Marisha Wallace as Sally Bowles, in July. The duo was expected to lead the production’s final 13 weeks — originally scheduled to end on Oct. 19 — before Porter’s illness sidelined him.

“Billy was an extraordinary ‘Emcee,’ bringing his signature passion and remarkable talent,” said Speers. “We wish Billy a speedy recovery, and I look forward to working with him again in the very near future.”

As of Sept. 21, the production will have played 18 preview performances and 592 regular performances. Marty Lauter and David Merino, the production’s longtime alternates for Emcee, will share the role for the final two weeks of performances. Their exact performance schedules — opposite Wallace as Bowles — are forthcoming.

JJ Bleday hit a three-run homer during a seven-run third inning, Mason Barnett recovered after giving up four runs in the first inning, and the Athletics beat the Angels 10-4 on Friday night.

Barnett (1-1) hit a batter and walked three — two with the bases loaded — during a shaky first inning, but the 24-year-old right-hander blanked the Angels on one hit and struck out eight over the next four innings to earn his first win in his second big league start.

Angels right-hander José Soriano (10-10), who threw 12⅔ scoreless innings in his previous two starts, was rocked for eight runs and six hits in 2⅓ innings, with five strikeouts and four walks.

The Athletics (65-77) trailed 4-2 when Shea Langeliers opened the third with a single and Tyler Soderstrom hit a one-out single. Jacob Wilson walked to load the bases, and Lawrence Butler drove in a run with an infield single.

Zack Gelof’s RBI single made it 4-4, Wilson scored on a wild pitch for a 5-4 lead, and Bleday’s opposite-field shot made it 8-4. Brent Rooker was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the final run.

A’s relievers Justin Sterner, Elvis Alvarado and Michael Kelly combined for four hitless innings, and Butler capped a three-hit night with a solo homer in the ninth.

José Ureña gave up two hits and struck out six in five scoreless innings for the Angels (66-75).

Key moment: Bleday turned a 5-4 A’s lead into an 8-4 cushion in the third when he drove a full-count sinker from Soriano 353 feet to left for his 13th homer.

Key stat: Soriano and Barnett combined to throw 63 pitches, walk six, hit a batter and give up six runs in an ugly 30-minute first inning.

Up next: Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (2-6, 5.17 ERA) opposes Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-10, 3.83) on Saturday night.

There was no winner on stage 11 of the Vuelta a Espana as race organisers ended Wednesday’s racing three kilometres before the finish line because of pro-Palestinian protesters.

The announcement about the early finish on what was supposed to be a 157.4km stage in Bilbao came with about 20 kilometres to go.

“Due to some incidents at the finish line, we have decided to take the time at three kilometres before the line,” said the race director on Radio Vuelta.

“We won’t have a stage winner. We will give the points for the mountain classification and the intermediate sprint, but not on the finish line.”

Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock and overall leader Jonas Vingegaard were at the front when the stage was ended.

The UCI said it “strongly condemns” the “actions that led to the cancellation of the 11th stage”.

“Major international sporting events embody a spirit of unity and dialogue, transcending differences and divisions,” said a statement from world cycling’s governing body.

“The UCI reaffirms its commitment to the political neutrality, independence, and autonomy of sport, in accordance with the founding principles of the Olympic movement.”

Pidcock made a move on the final climb and Vingegaard was the only rider able to go with him.

“It is hard to describe the disappointment to be honest. I felt like today was my day,” said Pidcock.

Vingegaard said: “It’s my son’s birthday – he’s one year old today so I wanted to win for him.

“We worked all day for it and to not get the chance is obviously a big shame.”

Prior to stage 11, riders had met for a safety meeting, while the Professional Cyclists’ Association had called for better security at an event at which the Israel-Premier Tech team have been targeted.

On stage five, the Israel-Premier Tech team were held up by protestors holding pro-Palestinian flags and banners.

Italian rider Simone Petilli also fell on stage 10 when protestors ran on to the road.

“I understand that is not a good situation, but yesterday I crashed because of a protest on the road,” wrote Petilli on social media.

“Please, we are just cyclists and we are doing our job, but if it will continue like this our safety is not guaranteed any more, and we feel in danger! We just want to race.”

Following stage 11, Pidcock said: “Putting us in danger isn’t going to help your cause.”

The UCI statement added that it “expresses its full solidarity and support to the teams and their staff, as well as to the riders” who they said “must be able to exercise their profession and passion in optimal conditions of safety and serenity”.

Israel’s military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 63,633 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Stage 12 of 21 on Thursday is scheduled to take place over 144.9km from Laredo to Los Corrales de Buelna.

“Real Housewives of Potomac” star Karen Huger’s time in prison is over, earlier than expected.

The reality TV star was released Tuesday from the Montgomery County Detention Center in Maryland, a spokesperson for the Montgomery Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed to The Times. Huger left six months into a yearlong prison sentence. She was sentenced in February to two years in prison with one year suspended after she was convicted in 2024 of driving under the influence in Potomac.

Representatives for Huger, 62, did not immediately respond The Times’ request for comment on Tuesday.

Huger waved to bystanders from her SUV as she exited the facility shortly after her release, according to video shared by Fox 5 DC reporter Stephanie Ramirez.

Maryland police arrested Huger in March 2024, citing her for driving under the influence after she crossed a median and hit street signs, crashing her Maserati. She was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence and other traffic violations and was later released from police custody.

Shortly after her arrest, Huger attributed the accident to grief and her mother’s 2017 death. “Grief comes and goes in waves, and with Mother’s Day approaching, it has felt more like a tsunami,” she told TMZ at the time.

A Maryland jury convicted Huger in December of driving under the influence and negligent driving charges. The jury also found the Bravo-lebrity guilty of failure to control speed to avoid a collision and failure to notify authorities of an address change. She was cleared on a reckless driving charge.

Huger’s attorney A. Scott Bolden told People in a December statement that they were “disappointed” by the jury’s verdict but “of course respect their decision and appreciate their time hearing our case.”

Amid her legal woes, Huger was absent from the “Real Housewives of Potomac” Season 9 reunion. In a prerecorded message played during the special, Huger said she entered a private recovery program to address her “taking antidepressants and drinking.”

“This is very frightening, but I accept full responsibility for everything with my car accident,” Huger tearfully told producers. “I don’t care about me right now. I care about my children; I care about my family. They’re so hurt.”

A BRAINWAVE test could detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in just three minutes – years before clinical diagnosis would even be possible.

Researchers say the test, nicknamed ‘Fastball’, could even be used at home and serve as a cheap tool for those who struggle to get a diagnosis.

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Fastball measures patients’ brain waves through the use of a headset that uses electroencephalogram (EEG) technology.

It records the brain’s automatic response to a series of flashing images displayed on a screen.

Its inventors, from the universities of Bristol and Bath, say it can detect subtle changes to brain waves during the very early stages of dementia.

A £1.5million funding boost from the government will allow it to be tested on 1,000 patients in Bristol to find out if it can be used for mass screening.

Researchers hope the test could slash five years off the average age of diagnosis.

Dementia is often diagnosed too late, they said, up to 20 years after it has started to develop and when it’s already damaged the brain beyond repair.

Currently, diagnosis relies on tests to assess people’s memory, which researchers have previously said can be limited and may be impacted by a person’s education, language skills and whether or not they’re nervous.

They claimed Fastball swerves these issues as the test assesses patients ‘passively’, without requiring participants to follow instructions or recall information.

Dr Liz Coulthard, from the University of Bristol, said: “Patients can wait a long time for diagnosis and some of our current tests can be inaccurate and stressful for them. 

“A quick, easy-to-administer memory test, like Fastball, could transform that.”

A new study, led by experts from the universities of Bath and Bristol and published in the journal Brain Communications, included 52 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 54 healthy older adults.

MCI refers to a decline in memory and thinking. Not all cases progress to Alzheimer’s disease, but it can be an early sign and risk factor for the condition.

As well as the Fastball test, patients on the trial also completed a number of neuropsychological assessments that tested their memory, their ability to pay attention and general cognitive function.

Researchers found Fastball could reliably identify memory problems in people with MCI.

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Patients with amnestic MCI – which involves significant memory loss, such as forgetting appointments and recent conversations – showed significantly reduced responses to the Fastball test compared to healthy patients and those with non-amnestic MCI.

Researchers re-tested the group after one year and found Fastball “showed moderate to good test-retest reliability” in healthy older adults.

The study also demonstrated for the first time that the test can be performed in patients’ homes.

Researchers now say the Fastball could also be used in GP surgeries and memory clinics to speed up diagnoses.

Lead author Dr George Stothart, a cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, said: “We’re missing the first 10 to 20 years of Alzheimer’s with current diagnostic tools.

“Fastball offers a way to change that – detecting memory decline far earlier and more objectively, using a quick and passive test.”

Alzheimer’s Society estimates there are around 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, but more than a third do not have a diagnosis.

The number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

Dr Stothart added: “There’s an urgent need for accurate, practical tools to diagnose Alzheimer’s at scale. Fastball is cheap, portable and works in real-world settings.”

Chris Williams, chief executive of BRACE Dementia Research, which supported the study, said: “Fastball is an incredible tool that could offer anyone who, for whatever reason, cannot access a dementia diagnosis in a clinical setting.”

Reacting to the findings, Sir John Hardy, professor of neuroscience and group leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, said: “Identifying individuals early for cognitive decline is going to be of increasing importance as therapies for Alzheimer’s and other dementias are developed and this protocol Fastball seems as if it may be helpful in this regard.

“What it does not do, and does not claim to do, is distinguish early Alzheimer’s from other causes of decline and this latter is also important.

“Because of this, it is likely that additional tests, biomarker or imaging, would also be needed for this second important aim.”

Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, added: “Too many families face dementia without answers, with one in three people with the condition living without a diagnosis.

“Therefore it’s encouraging to see studies exploring potential ways to detect memory problems earlier.

“This study, in a small group of people, suggests that it can be used to measure mild memory impairment, which for some people can be an early sign of diseases like Alzheimer’s.

“However, as participants were only followed up one year later, we don’t know if those people will definitely go on to develop dementia.

“Longer-term studies in larger, diverse groups of people are needed to find out if this technology can predict how memory problems will unfold over time.”

Barriers to diagnosis

The trial results come as a new report by the Alzheimer’s Society warned that one in five people impacted by dementia receive no support.

A survey, carried out for the charity by Walnut Unlimited, included almost 3,500 impacted by dementia, such as patients, loved ones and unpaid carers.

Just a third said their experience of diagnosis was positive, while 52 per cent faced long wait times and 41 per cent had to see multiple healthcare staff.

Professor Fiona Carragher, chief policy and research officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Almost a million people are living with dementia, yet its scale and the day-to-day realities often remain hidden.

“These findings tell us that far too many people are going without the help they need, whether it’s support after a diagnosis, trained care professionals, or someone to turn to when things get hard.”

The charity also found more than a third (35 per cent) of people living with dementia are scared of getting diagnosed, while 31 per cent are apprehensive about talking to healthcare professionals.

Professor Carragher said: “An early and accurate diagnosis is vital to enable people living with dementia to access the care, support and treatments they so desperately need.

“Those who have been able to access these treatments experienced benefits, but we simply aren’t diagnosing people early or accurately enough to see current and prospective treatments rolled out widely.”

Semi-professional Canada flexed their muscles by running 11 tries past Fiji and then easing past Wales, that after needing a fundraising campaign before the tournament.

‘Mission: Win World Cup 2025’ was launched to fill a $1m (£740k) shortfall in paying for the preparation plan.

Canada have 32 contracted players for this World Cup while Wales have 37.

The Welsh Rugby Union’s radical plans for elite rugby have put the men’s clubs of Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets at risk but they have also proposed the formation of two professional women’s teams.

The document stated an aim of providing a combined total of 80 players for those squads, which will rely on the pathway providing sufficient talent.

The governing body has been criticised for its backing and approach to the women’s game in the past, which has led to Wales playing catch-up with England and France.

However, wing Jasmine Joyce-Butchers made no excuses.

“To be honest I think we are in a good place in that we have got contracts in place, we get funded, we get a lot of help, our training facilities are fantastic,” said the three-time Olympian, who made her Wales debut in 2017.

“I don’t know what else could be done. As individuals we’ve potentially got to look at ourselves and do more to be better as a team.”

Lynn, formerly boss of Gloucester-Hartpury, raised concerns about Wales’ strength and conditioning after their Six Nations whitewash.

There are deeper problems and Bevan, who plays club rugby for Bristol Bears, pointed to the problems that new men’s head coach Steve Tandy will inherit.

“It’s a tough one because the men’s game in Wales probably isn’t where it needs to be either,” she said. “Their [the WRU] priority is probably the men’s game at the minute.

“I know a lot of us play our rugby in PWR (Premiership Women’s Rugby) so are getting good minutes and playing with and against the best in the world.”

WASHINGTON — President Trump has revoked former Vice President Kamala Harris’ Secret Service protection that otherwise would have ended next summer, senior Trump administration officials said Friday.

Former vice presidents typically get federal government protection for six months after leaving office, while ex-presidents do so for life. But then-President Biden quietly signed a directive, at Harris’ request, that had extended protection for her beyond the traditional six months, according to another person familiar with the matter. The people insisted on anonymity to discuss a matter not made public.

Trump, a Republican, defeated Harris, a Democrat, in the presidential election last year.

His move to drop Harris’ Secret Service protection comes as the former vice president, who became the Democratic nominee last summer after a chaotic series of events that led to Biden dropping out of the contest, is about to embark on a book tour for her memoir, titled “107 Days.” The tour has 15 stops, including visits abroad to London and Toronto. The book, which refers to the historically short length of her presidential campaign, will be released Sept. 23, and the tour begins the following day.

A recent threat intelligence assessment the Secret Service conducts on those it protects, such as Harris, found no red flags or credible evidence of a threat to the former vice president, said a White House official who also insisted on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The administration found no reason Harris’ protection should go beyond the standard six-month period for former vice presidents, the official said.

Trump’s vice president from his first term, Mike Pence, did not have extended Secret Service protection beyond the standard six months.

Still, it is not unusual for Secret Service protection to continue well beyond the statutory six-month window, particularly when former officials face credible and ongoing threats. But Trump’s decisions to revoke the protection have stood out both for timing and for targets.

During Trump’s second presidency, he repeatedly has cut off security for adversaries and figures who have fallen from favor, including his onetime national security advisor John Bolton and members of Biden’s family, including the former president’s adult children. Outgoing presidents can extend protection for those who might otherwise not be eligible; Trump did so for his family after leaving office in 2021.

The decision to strip Harris of protection is certain to raise alarms among security experts who view continuity of protection as essential in a polarized climate.

A senior Trump administration official said an executive memorandum was issued Thursday to the Department of Homeland Security ending Harris’ security detail and security services. Those had been extended from six to 18 months by the Biden administration, so they would have ended in July 2026, but now they will be terminated on Monday.

Harris lives in the Los Angeles area. The city’s Democratic mayor, Karen Bass, called Trump’s decision “another act of revenge following a long list of political retaliation” and warned that it would endanger Harris. Bass said she plans to work with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fellow Democrat, to ensure the former vice president’s safety, and she and Harris have already been in touch about the issue, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions.

While she lost to Trump last November, Harris is seen as a potential candidate for 2028, and she has already announced she will not run for California governor in 2026. Harris is also a former senator, California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney.

Last year was a particularly politically charged environment with Trump facing two assassination attempts, and the Secret Service played a crucial role in protecting the now-president. While questions remain about how the agency prepared for a July 2024 rally in Butler, Pa., a Secret Service counter sniper shot a gunman dead after he fired eight shots, killing an attendee, wounding two others and grazing Trump’s right ear. Trump chose one of the agents who rushed to the stage to shield him, Sean Curran, to lead the agency earlier this year.

The news of the security revocation was first reported by CNN.

Kim and Gomez Licon write for the Associated Press. Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

SHOPPERS have slammed a bargain retail giant after spotting Christmas decor on shelves four months early.

Many have claimed it is “ridiculous” and an “absolute joke” to see the festive decorations so early in the year.

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Despite this August being sunnier and warmer for Scots than normal, The Range is already preparing for the winter months.

And shoppers were left fuming when the retailer showed off its range of Christmas buys that are now up for grabs.

The Range took to social media to share its brand new collection of festive decor, which is already stocked on shelves.

In one Facebook post, the shop showed a number of festive cushions and teddies, including cuddly Christmas puddings, gingerbread men, candy canes, and snowy trains and villages.

There was also a huge collection of different Christmas bedding sets, each with its own theme, and large Santa toys.

Fan favourite festive candles were also on display, as well as diffusers with classic Christmas smells such as gingerbread and cranberries.

Our Christmas candles have officially landed. Because it’s never too early for a little festive magic

The RangeFacebook post

Other pieces of decor for the home were up for grabs, like little gingerbread house ornaments, green glass trees and gold lanterns.

The Range captioned one post: “They’re here… and yes, it’s still summer.

“Our Christmas candles have officially landed. Because it’s never too early for a little festive magic.”

And another post on Facebook read: “Not to sleigh the surprise… but since you asked for MORE, here’s a little festive teaser.

“Too early? Snow way! Our full Christmas collection is coming soon – stay tuned!”

But the posts led to an outcry from shoppers who said it “spoils the magic” by being in shops so early – especially when the summer is still considered to be in full swing.

Many flocked to the comments to blast the shop for selling Christmas decor before the official start of autumn.

One person said: “Have a day off, it’s bloody August!”

Another added: “Spoils the magic of it. It’s ridiculous”.

Someone else wrote: “Absolute joke…”

While a fourth shared: “Ridiculous, it’s not even Halloween”.

And a fifth chimed in: “I love Christmas, but this is far too early”.

How to save money at The Range

THE Range shoppers can save extra cash by using these tips…

Shop, within a shop – In some The Range stores there’s a ‘secret’ shop within a shop.

You can purchase Iceland products in over 85 of the retailer’s branches.

The budget grocery items are a must for plenty of shoppers with hungry mouths to feed back at home.

Shop the sale – Even some of the biggest ticket items are slashed in price if you know when to shop.

A good tip for online shoppers is to use the “offers” tab on The Range website.

It’s where you’ll find deals like this and all the best bargains are saved in one place so you can browse hundreds of products that have been reduced.

It’s also where you’ll find the “Mega Drop”.

Use Facebook – You can use Facebook to your advantage before you head out to shop at The Range.

Like-minded bargain hunters flock to the social media platform to post all about their latest finds and how they managed to score the best prices.

Others, however, seem delighted to get into the Christmas spirit before summer’s over.

A user posted: “Woop woop, skip Halloween and just have Christmas”.

A second commented: “Can’t wait to see the full range of Christmas stock out in shops”.

And a shopper agreed: “Please hurry, I keep popping in to check”.

While a fourth cheered: “Sooooooooo excited, I love Christmas”.

Someone else added: “YASSSSSS, IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!”

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SATURDAY’S Premier League action kicks off with a blockbuster clash between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad!

Pep Guardiola‘s side got their season underway with a 4-0 win away at Wolves, with new boy Tijjani Reijnders stealing the show.

Meanwhile, the Thomas Frank era at Spurs kicked off with a bang as they recorded a 3-0 win over newly promoted Burnley.

• Kick off time: 12.30pm BST
• TV channel: TNT Sports 1
• Live stream: discovery+
• Man City team: Trafford, Lewis, Stones, Dias, Ait-Nouri, Nico, Reijnders, Bobb, Cherki, Marmoush, Haaland
• Tottenham team: Vicario, Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Spence, Sarr, Palhinha, Bentancur, Johnson, Kudus, Richarlison

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Smith adds stardust and the hope is that he can give his new teammates, now including Glamorgan’s Ben Kellaway, a little bit extra while also piling on the runs.

“He’s going to bring a huge amount to the team,” said captain and Somerset batter Tom Abell.

“His record speaks for itself, he’s a great guy and a world-class player who has done it in all formats at the very top level.

“His influence on the team will be huge. He has been the best player in the world for a good number of years and that will hopefully give everyone an extra little bit of confidence.

“Anyone wants Steve Smith in their team, don’t they? Luckily he will be playing for us.”

The Australian has passed 10,000 runs in Tests, 5,000 in ODIs and 1,000 in international T20s.

“Even Jonny Bairstow, who has played 100 Test matches, is asking what Steve Smith is like to play with,” said coach Mike Hussey.

“He will bring a lot to the team, and hopefully a lot of runs, experience and star power.”

Fire men missed out on the eliminator on net run rate in 2023 and won just two of six fixtures that beat the weather last year.

It took until the fifth fixture to get a success and Hussey does not want to be playing catch-up this August.

“All the teams are pretty strong so we are going to have to hit the ground running,” said the Australian.

“Hopefully we can play some really good cricket, get some confidence going early and then see how we go.

“I don’t know how far we can go, we are hoping to go all the way but obviously you need a lot to go your way.”

THOUSANDS on Universal Credit and 11 other benefits can expect early payments this month.

Benefits are paid into your bank or building society account earlier if your usual payment date falls on a bank holiday or the weekend.

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The next bank holiday is on Monday, August 25, meaning if you’re expecting a payment on this date it will be made on August 22.

So, if you check your statement on August 22 and notice a surprise amount of money, it will likely be your benefit being issued earlier.

If you are paid earlier than usual this month, make sure the money stretches further as you will have to wait longer than normal to get your next payment.

Universal Credit and 11 other benefits are paid on the first working day before a bank holiday. The full list is:

Anyone paid one of the above 12 benefits on August 22 instead of August 23, 24 or 25, should receive the same amount as usual.

The only reason the payment amount might change is if you have had a change in your circumstances.

For example, if you are on Universal Credit and your earnings have increased, your payment might go down.

If you are expecting a payment on August 22 and don’t receive it, contact the DWP.

You can also submit a complaint to the Government department to get a problem sorted if your payment is wrong.

After August, there are two more bank holidays before the end of the year which could impact when you receive your benefits.

Here’s when DWP or HMRC will make your payments:

• December 25 – payments will be made on December 24 instead
• December 26 – payments will be made on December 24 instead

Upcoming changes to Universal Credit and PIP

Last month, the Government U-turned on its welfare bill meaning Brits on Universal Credit and PIP will see fewer changes.

Sir Keir Starmer had been hoping to push through reforms that would have seen some benefit claimants receiving less money.

The Government had planned to make major changes to the health element of Universal Credit.

A single person who is aged 25 or over can receive the basic level of the benefit, which comes in at £400.14 every month.

But those getting an incapacity top-up due to a disability or long-term condition can get an extra £423.37.

The new plans mean that anyone up to the age of 22 will not be able to claim the health element.

Ministers had also tried to freeze the payment for the next four years but a commitment was made for it to go up with inflation.

That means people claiming the health element of Universal Credit and new claimants with the most severe conditions will see their incomes protected in real terms.

Meanwhile, PIP claimants would have faced stricter tests to qualify for support. 

The Government had put forward that people would need to score four points in one task such as washing and dressing to qualify for support. 

Currently they can qualify with eight points across multiple activities.

The Government initially partially u-turned, saying the changes would come into effect in November 2026, but anyone claiming the benefit before this date would not be impacted.

However, following a rebellion from 47 MPs, the Government shelved the PIP plans entirely. You can find out more in our guide.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

This year promises to be one of the most exciting editions of the Latin Grammys.

As the Latin Recording Academy prepares to unveil the nominations for the award’s 26th edition on Sept. 17, the eligibility period — from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025 — includes a number of high-profile albums that not only contributed to the ongoing Latin music boom on a global level, but also pushed the movement forward with their radical choices and genre-defying sounds.

Now a vital part of the Latin pop DNA, the urbano genre continues to redefine and challenge itself, while the rootsy strains of música Mexicana have deservedly gained a privileged seat on the table like never before. The fields of folk, rock, electronica and tropical are still expanding, and artists such as Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro, Becky G, Fuerza Regida and Natalia Lafourcade are vying for awards with some of the most ambitious albums of their careers.

De Los assistant editor Suzy Exposito and contributing writer Ernesto Lechner discuss their predictions on the songs and albums that are most likely to be nominated. The following conversation has been edited for length.

Ernesto Lechner: This seems to be an easy year in terms of the two obvious candidates for Latin Gammy history. Bad Bunny’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” is the kind of album that defines not only the year it came out — 2025 — but also the entire decade. And Natalia Lafourcade’s mystically tinged “Cancionera” finds the perennial Grammy favorite at the apex of her craft. Going back to Benito’s masterpiece, its conceptual gravitas is almost grander than the songs themselves.

Suzy Exposito: I’m really gunning for Album of the Year for this one. The amount of thought and intention that he placed on this record. The cultural significance of the songs, not just in terms of the history of Puerto Rico, but the way in which he directly engages with the Caribbean diaspora at large through salsa.

E.L.: I love how lovingly he delves beyond salsa to also include plena. He goes back to Rafael Cortijo — the roots, the very essence of boricua culture. And the album has this Beatles-like quality where it’s incredibly commercial — a No. 1 record, the album that everybody is listening to — but there’s no compromise on the artistic front. It’s an ambitious, fully realized statement.

S.E.: Is any album by Benito just another Bad Bunny album? I don’t think he dabbles in filler the way other artists do.

E.L.: The photo of the plastic chairs on the cover could have been taken in the suburbs of Lima, or San Salvador, or Medellín. Benito makes such an inclusive, pan-Latin statement. Which brings me to nominate the title track, “Debí Tirar Mas Fotos,” as a perfect contender for Song of the Year.

S.E.: When I first heard it, I started to cry. It’s a very sentimental song. I was recently in Puerto Rico and went to a plena jam session. It was happening in the street, and you could see people of all ages playing together, singing traditional songs, drinks in hand. There was something really beautiful and timeless about that communal experience.

E.L.: A similar passion for music permeates Lafourcade’s “Cancionera.” Recorded live on analog tape, it has a pristine, wooden-floor kind of warmth. She embodies this mystical character, the cancionera, and it’s a very mature album. I love “Cocos en la Playa” — a frisky, beautiful tropical song that’s so lovely and authentic. For my money, it’s going to be a battle between those two albums in all the major categories.

S.E.: I feel that Natalia Lafourcade is the conservative choice at the Latin Gammys, and it feels bizarre to say it. This is a woman who was making pop-rock in the 2000s. She is a virtuosa, and a master of her craft, but her nomination is predictable because now she represents the gold standard for the Latin Academy.

E.L.: She’s definitely the safest choice between the two. Besides Benito and Natalia, there are a few albums that could very well appear in the major categories, and one of them is Cazzu’s “Latinaje.”

S.E.: That album is such a statement piece. I loved seeing Cazzu break away from the Latin trap sound that she defined and blending it with other things. She’s a great songwriter, and her transformation is fascinating. I think this is the year when many young people are going back to their roots, and then making something new out of it.

E.L.: I had a conversation with Cazzu a few months ago and told her that “Latinaje” made me feel vindicated. As a fellow Argentine, I’ve always felt that we’re an integral part of Latin America. She proved it with this beautiful love letter to so many essential genres. There’s salsa, merengue, South American folk, and “Dolce,” a gorgeous corrido tumbado about that infamous red dress that went viral. And she did it all so genuinely.

S.E.: It may be hard for her, because she came up as an MC. I wonder if the Latin Academy will know in what categories to place her, since this is such a multi-genre album. I mean, she’s an international girl.

E.L.: And of course, Rubén Blades has a new album out, and it’s beautiful as always. “Fotografías” is another sumptuous, big band salsa session. It combines new compositions with songs that Rubén had given to fellow Fania artists in the ‘70s, and now recorded them himself.

S.E.: That’s a great move on his part. “Hey, remember those songs? Yeah — I wrote them!” It sounds ridiculous to say that Rubén is another safe choice, but I can see him in all the big categories. Which brings me to another artist who made a salsa-influenced album: Rauw Alejandro and “Cosa Nuestra.”

E.L.: I love the Afro-Caribbean vibe on “Cosa Nuestra” and the silky duet with bachata star Romeo Santos on “Khé?” I feel this one has been overshadowed a little by Benito’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” My favorite Rauw Alejandro album remains 2021’s “Vice Versa” with the awesome, ‘80s influenced mega-hit “Todo De Ti.”

S.E.: My favorite song on “Cosa Nuestra” is “Se Fue,” the duet with Laura Pausini, which is also like a moody ‘80s song. Raúl has made it a point to polish up his nostalgia for old forms of music. Michael Jackson is one of his most influential artists.

By the way, we should mention Fuerza Regida and their ninth studio album, “111XPANTIA.” They have never been nominated for a Latin Grammy, so I’m rooting for them because they have experimented in a really bold way. Their lead singer, Jesús Ortiz Paz, has shown a lot of intention behind his creative decisions beyond making the same corridos or mining from the same old ‘90s rappers. Their music is cheeky; sonically, it pushes boundaries.

E.L.: You’re never gonna have a bad time with this new wave of música Mexicana stars, considering the staggering melodic richness of their songs and the immediacy of the lyrics.

S.E.: On that note, I think it’s time for Ivan Cornejo to get a Latin Grammy nod for “Mirada” — the production has this ethereal quality that sounds so mature and progressive for the genre. I also want to applaud DannyLux for his ambitious “Leyenda,” which is a psychedelic take on sierreño music, à la George Harrison.

E.L.: What about Becky G? Last year I was asked to write about “Encuentros,” and I just had to surrender to the elegance of this pristine música Mexicana session. Her voice sounds huge on this record.

S.E.: I really hope they don’t silo her in the música Mexicana categories, because this is a very mature album for her. She grew up singing mariachi music with her family, so it’s a beautiful full circle moment for her.

E.L.: “Encuentros” would be a perfect Album of the Year candidate because it celebrates the music of her grandparents but at the same time transcends it. I love that Becky said she’s never looking back after recording her two traditional albums of rancheras and lush Mexican pop.

This brings me to a more general observation: I believe we’re experiencing an era of absolute splendor, and the Latin Grammys nominations are bound to reflect that. It’s like every single Latin American country has blossomed, wearing its most elegant clothes and throwing some amazing parties. The richness and breadth of the music being recorded throughout the continent is off the charts.

S.E.: I agree. Creatively, the last couple of years have been the most exciting for Latin music in a really long time. I think we’re going to remember the 2020s for the bold decade that it is.

WASHINGTON — Even as the presidential campaign ended with a triumph for President Bush on Wednesday, armchair strategists and capital insiders were still scratching their heads over exit poll results on Tuesday that strongly, and erroneously, suggested Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry was going to the White House.

“The 7-Hour Presidency of JFK2” was the ironic day-after headline on Slate’s Web log called “kausfiles.” The headline referred to the period of time on Tuesday when raw exit poll numbers favoring Kerry were flying through newsrooms and around the Internet.

Such data caused Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to become so despondent at one point Tuesday afternoon that she e-mailed her mother: “All is lost.”

Similarly, respected election watchers John Zogby and Frank Luntz declared Bush defeated before the sun had set on Washington. “I thought we captured a trend, but apparently that result didn’t materialize,” Zogby said in a statement posted Wednesday on his website.

Convulsions over exit polls, which sample the opinions of voters as they emerge from polling places, rippled up to the highest levels of both parties. President Bush was briefed on the data by advisor Karl Rove, according to White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, and there was concern in the Bush camp in the late afternoon.

By contrast, the Massachusetts senator and his top aides were buoyed by raw — and entirely ephemeral — numbers that suggested he would carry such key states as Florida and Ohio, both of which ultimately went for Bush.

Pollsters and other analysts interviewed Wednesday said the exit polls — commissioned by a consortium of broadcast and cable television networks — had actually served their true function. They are not designed to predict winners and losers, but rather to help news analysts spot demographic and other trends.

The problem Tuesday arose when the raw exit poll data were treated by some who received it as the equivalent of a full-scale poll, without considering its limitations. Often exit polls, which are conducted quickly with a relatively small sampling of voters, fail to capture the true overall shape of the electorate.

In addition, the tight time frames can magnify distortions, especially in samplings taken early in the day, before a full spectrum of voters has been measured. This is especially true in a close, volatile election.

Though the early exit poll data proved misleading, experts said, the election results generally tracked closely with the findings of full-scale preelection polling.

For example, an average of the final week’s nonpartisan polls showed Bush with a 2-percentage-point lead over Kerry in the head-to-head national horse race, according to the website RealClearPolitics.com.

That was close to the 3-percentage-point victory margin Bush ultimately claimed, and it was within the margin of error.

Final battleground polls also forecast with relative accuracy the winners of most key states. Only in Wisconsin, where polls generally showed Bush with a tiny edge, did the outcome — a slim Kerry victory — belie the prediction.

“The preelection polls did a pretty good job — they mostly showed it either even or a small Bush lead,” said Andrew Kohut, director of the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, whose final poll nailed the outcome with a prediction of a three-point spread for Bush.

The final Los Angeles Times poll found a 49%-48% Bush lead nationally among likely voters — near enough to the final result to be within the margin of error.

Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll, acknowledged that Tuesday’s outcome did contradict one major preelection assumption of many pollsters: that undecided voters would break in Kerry’s direction.

Despite the exit polls’ limitations, they were eagerly inhaled by impatient amateur analysts — and plenty of political pros — as soon as raw numbers began to flow in starting at about 2 p.m. EST Tuesday. They were rapidly leaked to websites such as right-leaning Drudge Report and left-leaning dailykos.com.

Drudge posted a headline — “Kerry Finds Comfort in First Batch of Exit Polls” — that alarmed many Republicans.

By the evening, dailykos.com posted a batch of exit poll results that showed Kerry leading Bush 51% to 49% in Ohio and Florida and running better than expected in some other states.

The Times, which purchased portions of the survey data, was told Kerry had a 51% to 49% lead in Ohio and that the Democrat and Bush were locked in a dead heat in Florida. But Times Poll Director Susan Pinkus said the exit pollsters warned the newspaper that the states were too close to call.

The exit polls were conducted by Mitofsky International and Edison Media Research. Edison’s Joe Lenski, who helped oversee the surveys, said Wednesday he was happy with the results. The networks, which made no erroneous projections, were also pleased.

“I’m not designing polls for some blogger who doesn’t even understand how to read the data,” Lenski said. “It’s like if you were graded by your readers on the first draft of your article.”

But on election day, everyone in politics craves real-time data. Republican pollster Whit Ayres scanned the early numbers Tuesday and heard rumblings of fear from within his party.

“There were a lot of folks on my side who thought it was over,” Ayres said. “I worried, but once I looked carefully at the data, I realized it was ridiculously off.”

*

Times staff writer Esther Schrader contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — Democrats may not agree on a solution to the country’s broken immigration system — but President Trump’s crackdown in Los Angeles has finally given them a line of attack.

‘Better terrain’

A flicker of hope has emerged from a brutal polling environment for the party suggesting the public is torn over Trump’s blunt tactics in the immigration raids. The recent set of numbers have been an outlier on an issue that has otherwise been Trump’s strongest since taking office.

“Absolutely, sentiment is shifting,” said G. Cristina Mora, a sociology professor at UC Berkeley. “You’re seeing more dissatisfaction and less agreeance with the president’s strategy on immigration enforcement.”

Polls released over the course of the last month found that, while a plurality of Americans still support Trump’s overall approach to immigration, a majority believe that ICE has gone too far in its deportation efforts. And a new survey from Gallup found record public support for immigration, with public concern over crossings and support for mass deportations down significantly from a year ago.

Top Democratic operatives are testing new talking points, hoping to press their potential advantage.

“The only place in the world that Donald Trump has put boots on the ground and deployed troops is in America,” Rahm Emanuel, a veteran party insider who served under President Obama before becoming mayor of Chicago, said this week. “In L.A., they get troops on the ground. That’s the Trump Doctrine. The only place he’s actually put boots on the ground is in an American city.”

In Washington, efforts to corral Democratic lawmakers behind a unified message on immigration have been futile ever since the party split over the Laken Riley Act, one of the first bills passed this term. The law allows ICE to detain undocumented immigrants that have faced charges, been arrested or convicted of nonviolent crimes such as burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.

But last month, when the shock of Trump’s military deployment to Los Angeles was still fresh, every single Democrat in the Senate joined in a call on the White House to withdraw the troops. The letter had no power or influence, and was paid little attention as the nascent crisis unfolded. But it was a small victory for a party that saw a rare glimpse of political unity amid the chaos.

Now, Democrats are hoping in part that Trump becomes a victim of his own success, with focus pulled from a quiet border that has seen record-low crossings since he resumed office.

In the House, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) is leading an immigration working group, sources said, hoping to foster consensus in the party on how to proceed.

“The issue has gotten a little less hot, because the border is calmed down,” said one senior Democratic congressional aide, granted anonymity to speak candidly. “Now the focus is raids, which is better terrain for us.”

A party split

In May, Ruben Gallego, a Democrat who won a statewide race for his Senate seat in Arizona the same year that Trump handily won the state’s presidential contest, released a vision for immigration policy. His proposal, titled “Securing the Border and Ensuring Economic Prosperity,” received little fanfare. But the plan called for significant border security enhancements as well as an increase in visa and green card opportunities and a pathway to citizenship.

It was a shot at the middle from an ambitious politician scheduled to visit Iowa, a crucial state in the presidential nominating contest, early next month.

Yet it is unclear whether efforts by Gallego, a border state senator, to moderate the party’s messaging on immigration will resonate with its base. Gallego was one of only 12 Democratic senators who voted for the Laken Riley Act.

On the other side of the party, leaders like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, as well as Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, have focused their criticism on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, with Mamdani calling the agency “fascist” in its tactics.

“Democrats built the deportation machine that Trump has now turbocharged,” said Elliott Young, a history professor at Lewis & Clark College. “The Democrats have an opportunity to stake out a humane and economically sensible position of encouraging immigration and welcoming our future citizens from around the world. The Republicans will always be better at cruelty and xenophobia, so better to leave that to them.”

In her research at UC Berkeley, Mora still sees “very strong support” across party lines for a pathway to citizenship, as well as for the constitutional preservation of birthright citizenship. But she is skeptical of an emerging strategy from a segment of Democrats, like Gallego, to adopt a prevailing Republican narrative of rampant criminal activity among immigrants while still promoting legal protections for the rest.

Having it both ways will be difficult, she said. The Trump administration says that anyone who crossed the border without authorization is a criminal, regardless of their record once they got here.

“The Democratic Party is in this sort of place where, if you look at the Ruben Gallegos and that element, they’re sort of ceding the narrative as they talk about getting rid of the criminals,” Mora said. “Narratives of immigrants and criminality, despite all the data showing otherwise, are so tightly connected.”

“It’s a tricky dance to make,” she added.

An L.A. opportunity

Before Gallego’s visit to Iowa, California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited South Carolina earlier this month, a transparent political stop in another crucial early primary state by a Democratic presidential contender.

For Newsom, the politics of the raids in his home state have been unavoidable from the start. But the governor’s speech in Bennettsville teased a political line of attack that appears to reflect shifting public opinion against ICE tactics.

Linking the raids with Trump’s response to the Los Angeles fires, Newsom noted the president was silent on the six-month anniversary of the devastating event, while that day ordering hundreds of federal troops into MacArthur Park in the heart of the city.

“Kids were taken away and hidden into the buildings, as they paraded around with American flags on horseback in military garb and machine guns — all masked,” Newsom said. “Not one arrest was made.”

“He wanted to make a point,” Newsom added. “Cruelty is the point.”

What else you should be reading

The must-read: Newsom threatens Texas over power grab. He’s blowing smoke
The deep dive: Trump cuts to California National Weather Service leave ‘critical’ holes: ‘It’s unheard of’
The L.A. Times Special: These California tech hubs are set to dominate the AI economy
More to come,
Michael Wilner
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LA 2028 organisers have slated matches at the Olympic cricket tournament to start at 09:00 in the morning to cater for lucrative television audiences in India.

One of the major factors behind cricket’s return to the Games after a 128-year hiatus is the desire of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to tap into a lucrative South Asian media rights and sponsorship market.

The six-team T20 tournament, featuring both men’s and women’s teams, will begin on Wednesday, 12 July – two days before the opening ceremony – with all matches staged at a venue which will be constructed at the Fairgrounds in Pomona.

There will be two games played daily at Pomona – located 30 miles from the athletes’ village in Los Angeles – starting at 09:00 and 18:30 Pacific Daylight Time.

Those matches will be shown at 21:30 and 07:00 India Standard Time (17:00 and 02:30 British Summer Time).

The evening fixtures at the ground in Pomona will be played under floodlights.

Kit McConnell, who oversaw cricket’s return to the Games after a 128-year hiatus as the IOC’s sports director, told BBC Sport organisers considered “core cricket markets in the subcontinent” when planning the tournament.

“The vision the International Cricket Council (ICC) has outlined for us is aimed at providing the best players and the best teams on the Olympic stage,” McConnell said.

“There’s three years to go but now we’re very excited about where cricket is, what it will bring to the Games and equally what the Olympics can offer to cricket and its global expansion as well.”