Unlock the US Election Countdown newsletter for free

The stories that matter on money and politics in the race for the White House

Donald Trump had as many as seven conversations with Vladimir Putin after he left the White House, according to explosive new reports that raise fresh questions about the former US president’s relationship with the Russian leader.

The claims stem from a forthcoming book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward, due to be published next week. The Washington Post, his longtime employer, first reported on the book’s contents.

Woodward’s book also reveals Trump secretly sent Putin Covid-19 tests for his personal use at the height of the pandemic, the report said.

The book, War, reportedly describes a scene earlier this year, when Trump told an aide to leave his Mar-a-Lago office so he could speak privately by phone with Putin. The unnamed aide cited in the book suggested the former president and Russia’s leader had spoken as many as seven times since Trump left the White House in 2021.

The reports raise new questions about Trump’s relationship with Putin with less than a month to go until the US presidential election.

Trump, the Republican candidate, trails his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, by more than three points, according to the Financial Times poll tracker, although they are locked in a virtual tie in all seven swing states that will determine who wins November’s vote.

A spokesperson for Simon & Schuster, Woodward’s publisher, did not respond to a request for comment.

The Trump campaign’s communications director Steven Cheung rejected the reports and launched a personal attack on Woodward, calling him a “truly demented and deranged man”.

Cheung said Trump gave Woodward “absolutely no access for this trash book”, adding: “Woodward is a total sleazebag who has lost it mentally.”

Harris told radio personality Howard Stern in an interview on Tuesday that the new reports demonstrated “who Trump is”.

“People in America were struggling to get tests and this guy is sending them to Russia, to a murderous dictator for his personal use?” she said.

“That is just the most recent stark example of who Trump is. He secretly sent Covid test kits for the personal use of Putin of Russia, an adversary to the United States, when he was talking about Americans should be putting bleach in their blood.”

Woodward, 81, became famous in the 1970s when he and fellow Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein broke stories about the Watergate scandal, which led to then president Richard Nixon’s resignation. He has written more than a dozen bestselling books, including four volumes on the Trump presidency.

Trump has sued Woodward over a 2022 audiobook based on 20 interviews that Woodward conducted with the former president between 2016 and 2020. Trump has argued that publishing the tapes violates his copyright, while Simon & Schuster has repeatedly filed motions to dismiss the case.

Trump’s possible return to the White House could have major implications for Russia, Ukraine and the Nato alliance. The former president — who called Putin a “genius” after Russia invaded Ukraine again in 2022 — has said he would end the fighting in Ukraine on “day one” if he is re-elected, but has not detailed how he would do so. In last month’s presidential debate, Trump declined to say that he wanted Ukraine to win the war.

Harris has accused Trump of pandering to Putin and told CBS News in an interview that aired on Monday night that she would not meet “bilaterally” with the Russian president unless his Ukrainian counterparts were offered a seat at the negotiating table.

ALDI has revealed the exact date its wooden toy range will hit stores just in time for Christmas.

Prices start from just £2.99 for the supermarket giant’s sell out range which includes more than 50 products.

6

6

Advertisement

6

The German retailer’s range varies widely and includes items such as Wooden 2D Wheeled Animals and a Wooden Climbing Triangle and Cube.

Other gift ideas include a brand new Wooden Horse Box and a Beauty Station to let your child’s imagination run wild, both retailing for £24.99 each.

Shoppers will have to act fast, however, as the range sold-out when it was released last year.

The chain also laid out its top 10 wooden toys as gifts to “help mum, dad, and Santa’s little helper with what to choose.”

The list included, in no particular order:

• Wooden Kettle, Coffee & Hot Chocolate Maker 
• Wooden Kitchen Sets 
• Double Sided Easel 
• Wooden Climbing Arch and Slide 
• Wooden Toy Kitchen 
• Wooden Birthday Cake 
• Wooden Cupcakes and Doughnuts Assortment 
• Wooden Tabletop Assortment 
• Toy Roleplay Bags 
• Wooden Grocery Sets 

The discount retailer chain is also bringing back the wooden Cuthbert which previously caused a stir with M&S fans.

In 2021 M&S lodged an infringement claim against Aldi arguing the chocolate cake was too similar to its classic Colin the Caterpillar which has been around for 30 years with an unchanged design.

But Cuthbert returned to shelves in February 2022 after the two supermarkets called a truce in an agreed settlement. 

Aldi claims this years range of wooden toys is its “biggest ever” and that shoppers can expect the “same great value” as 2023’s set.

This comes as rival Lidl announced its own range of wooden toys.

Its set of products are expected to arrive in stores across the UK from October 17 with Aldi’s range available from October 10.

6

Advertisement

6

6

How to save money at Aldi

Unlike other major supermarkets, Aldi does not have a rewards or point card system but that does not mean you cannot save on your shop. 

Every week the store releases a list of special buys, which are unique bargain products you find online at Aldi and in-store. 

The store releases a fresh range of deals every Thursday and Sunday, so be sure to check regularly to see what’s new. 

Meanwhile, the store also regularly sells fruit and vegetables at highly discounted prices, as part of its ‘super six’ deal.

It also does weekly saving offers on typically pricey items such as meat and fish.

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Mexico’s new president Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday announced a security strategy focused on combating the most dangerous criminals in the country’s six most violent states and beefing up national intelligence capacity.

Sheinbaum, a former mayor of the capital, took office last week and has made security a priority amid a wave of violence in multiple states across the country.

The strategy was one of the first measures outlined by the president. She has appointed a former senior policeman, Omar García Harfuch, to take charge of implementing the plan. He will oversee a strengthening of the country’s intelligence apparatus under a new national system with more field agents and analysts.

The plan will focus on “neutralising” the criminals who perpetrate violence in areas with high crime rates, with the federal authorities evaluating state-level police, prosecutors and prison systems.

Polls show the high levels of violence have become the main concern of ordinary Mexicans.

In the past week, a city mayor in the state of Guerrero was killed and beheaded; the army engaged in open gun battles with drug traffickers in Sinaloa state; and 12 homicides were reported a single municipality in Guanajuato state.

García Harfuch said Sheinbaum’s strategy was a “continuation” of the policies pursued by recently departed leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The former president’s approach of “hugs not bullets”, which focused on the root causes of violence and avoiding confrontation between security forces and criminals, has been widely criticised.

Security analysts say it led to organised crime groups increasing their territorial control across the country, with the number of homicides and missing people hitting record highs.

López Obrador’s tenure also coincided with a low point in security co-operation with the US. Security in the two nations is interconnected, with American guns flowing south to Mexican drug trafficking groups who send deadly drugs, such as fentanyl, north.

The former president greatly empowered the Mexican military, handing it vast economic responsibilities from running customs to airports. He also replaced the federal police with a new National Guard and put it under the charge of the defence ministry.

As a result, García Harfuch will not have direct control over the security force and instead will have to co-ordinate with the military, which is traditionally reluctant to share information with civilian agencies, and state governments.

In 2020, gunmen tried to kill García Harfuch, who was then Mexico City’s police chief. He survived the assassination attempt but travels with a security detail.

US officials have expressed optimism that security co-operation could improve under Sheinbaum’s government, based on their experience with her and her officials.

Homicides in Mexico first jumped in 2008 during the presidency of Felipe Calderón, as he pursued an open war on the drug cartels. There is also a long history of corruption, with public officials on the payroll of the powerful drug trafficking groups.

This history makes some Mexicans wary of an all-out offensive against them.

“The war on drugs cartels is not coming back, we aren’t looking for extrajudicial killings,” Sheinbaum said on Tuesday. “We will use prevention, attention to causes and intelligence and physical presence.”

MILLIONS of people claiming the Personal Independence Payout (PIP) benefit are eligible for extra freebies and discounts.

Those who claim PIP for help with long-term health conditions and disabilities could be missing out on extra advantages which come with the benefit.

1

PIP is an important benefit for adults aged 16 and over who have not reached state pension age (66) and is made up of two parts.

One is to help with day-to-day tasks and the other is to help with mobility for those who need help getting around.

And whether you are able to claim both depends on your disability and how it affects you.

The amount you can get within these brackets also differs depending on your individual circumstance.

Payments are issued every four weeks.

In April, payments for the daily living component increased from £101.75 to £108.55 for enhanced and £68.10 to £72.65 for standard.

The mobility component also rose from £71 to £75.75 for enhanced, and £26.09 to £28.70 for standard.

If you get both parts, you can receive a maximum of £184.30 every 4 weeks – which is nearly £10,000 a year.

Eligible applicants must have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least two of the last three years, and currently living in one of these countries.

Whereas the process is different if you’re from Northern Ireland, you live abroad, or you’re not a British citizen.

Health professionals assess the claimant to work out the level of financial help needed to support the mental or physical disability.

Then payments are made every four weeks into the individual’s bank account, tax-free.

Here are 10 freebies you can also get if you claim the PIP benefit. It could be worth thousands of pounds extra a year, but of course the exact amount can vary depending on your circumstances.

Council tax discounts – £2,171 average

People who claim benefits can apply on the Government website for a council tax reduction.

This means if you’re either the daily living or mobility part of PIP you could get money off your council tax bill.

Some claimants are eligible for as much as a full discount.

Though the amount will vary depending on where you live and how much of the benefit you receive.

The average Band D council tax set by local authorities in England for the 2024/25 financial year is £2,171 – meaning this much could be saved if you got a full discount.

In order to find out if you are eligible, contact your local authority, and they will seek a PIP letter as evidence.

Reportedly around 2.8 million people don’t take advantage of the council tax discount, meaning £2.7 billion goes unclaimed each year.

Blue badge – £3,800 average

With a blue badge, those with disabilities can claim exemption from certain parking restrictions and take advantage of designated parking spaces.

The spaces usually offer more room to the individual and are located closer to store entrances.

Blue badge holders can park on single or double lines for up to three hours as long as there are no loading or unloading restrictions.

They can also get free or discounted on-street parking.

According to Just Park, Brits spend £3,800 on parking on average each year.

Which means PIP claimants could be saving this much with their blue badge.

The blue badge must be visible to others and displayed on the windscreen of your car.

Those who qualify for a blue badge receive one of the following benefits:

• Disability living allowance
• War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• Received a lump sum payment as part of the Armed Forces compensation scheme (tariffs 1 to 8)

Anyone with a limited ability to walk, a disability in their arms, or who are registered blind are eligible for the badge.

To apply, you must submit PIP evidence to your council – however they usually charge a fee up to £10.

Benefit boost – £7,334.40

Individuals on PIP as well as one of a number of other benefits can claim a premium – which is an extra benefit top up.

You can claim a boost if you’re receiving one of the following alongside PIP:

• Housing Benefit
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance – but only if you get the PIP daily living component
• Pension Credit – but only if you get the PIP daily living component

If eligible, you could get either:

• £39.85 a week for a single person (disability premium)
• £56.80 a week for a couple (disability premium)
• £76.40 a week for a single person (severe disability premium)
• £152.80 a week if you’re in a couple and are both eligible (severe disability premium)
• £19.55 a week for a single person (enhanced disability premium)
• £27.90 a week if you’re in a couple and at least one of you is eligible (enhanced disability premium)

This means with the maximum amount, you could claim up to £7,945.60 annually.

The top up can happen automatically – or, if you haven’t received it when you should have, you should get in touch with the department in charge of handling your benefits.

This will either be HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions, and they will likely ask for proof of your PIP letter.

Go to Gov.uk and use the Benefits Calculator to check your eligibility.

Capped water bills – £1,053

If you are claiming PIP, you could also benefit from a water bill cap thanks to the WaterSure scheme.

This means your bill could be capped, so you’re paying less than others in your area.

Claimants must be on a water meter or be waiting to have one installed, and they should also be able to prove that their disability causes them to use more water than an average household.

According to WaterSure, the average water bill a household pays annually is currently £471.

This means your bill will be capped at this amount if you are claiming PIP.

However, according to Martin Lewis, one person was refunded £1,053 through the scheme.

This scheme applies to households in England only, and they should apply by contacting their water supplier via its phone line or website.

Vehicle tax reduction – £1,177.50

Vehicle tax is the same as road tax – it is the price you pay to drive on the roads.

People who claim the standard mobility component of PIP can get up to a 50% reduction in vehicle tax.

You can also get 100% off if you’re on the enhanced rate mobility component.

In some cases vehicle tax can hit prices of as high as £2,355 a year, so the reduction could be as much as £1,177.50 for PIP claimants.

This is not always the case, and the amount could likely be lower.

To be eligible, applicants must be registering the vehicle in their own name or the name of their nominated driver.

They must also provide:

• A letter or statement from DWP that shows your PIP rate and the dates you’re getting it
• The vehicle log book (V5C)
• A V10 form
• An original MOT or GVT certificate (if your vehicle needs one)
• A cheque or payable order (made out to “DVLA, Swansea”) for 50% of the full rate of car tax for the vehicle

Paperwork should then be sent to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BF.

Motability Scheme – £23,760

The Motability Scheme is designed to allow PIP claimants to lease a car for their specific needs.

There are over 2,000 cars to choose from and insurance, tax and servicing are all sorted within the lease.

This is for people on the higher rate of the mobility component on PIP, and who also have at least 12 months remaining on their allowance.

Car rental costs around £66 a day on average in London, which could typically amount to a whopping £23,760 over the year – a considerable save.

Go to motability.co.uk for information on how to apply.

Free prescriptions – £115.80

If you are claiming PIP and have a certain qualifying illness, you could get your NHS prescriptions for free.

The prescription charge is £9.65 which means you could save £115.80 a year.

The full list of disabilities are available on the NHS website, and include cancer diabetes and epilsepsy.

Claimants must provide a medical exemption ticket (MedEx) which you can get online if you ask your GP for a signed FP92A form.

Disabled person’s railcard – £113

According to National Rail, adults with a disability can get a third off of travel with a Disabled Persons Railcard.

This means you could claim an average annual savings of up to £113, says the group.

With your PIP award letter, you can apply on National Rail’s website.

Discounted days out – £144

Many attractions offer discounted prices to those who can show they are on PIP or have a blue badge.

National Trust and English Heritage offer free entry to a person and their carer through the Essential Compassion Card.

An annual pass for these sites usually costs £72 a year, meaning you could save a combined £144 with your carer also entering free.

Discounts can also extend to cinema, theatre and art gallery visits, as well as the additional bonus of reduced bus and train travel.

To browse which discounts you can get, disability charity Scope offer a useful summary of what’s on offer.

Disabled facilities grant – £30,000

PIP provides useful evidence for those wishing to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.

This is a grant which allows you to rework your home to suit the needs of your disability.

For example, bar handles for bathrooms or ramps for wheelchair access.

People in England can get a grant up to £30,000, while those in Wales can get £26,000, and Northern Ireland £25,000.

This grant scheme does not include Scotland.

This is the general maximum, and could be much less depending on your circumstance.

Gov.uk specifies that in specific cases the grant could be even higher, based on the cost of the work on the property.

The grant can be acquired through your local council, so you should go to their website to find out how to apply.

How do I apply for PIP?

You can make a new PIP claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions on 0800 917 2222.

There are also other ways to claim if you find it difficult to use a telephone. See Gov.UK for more information.

When you claim, you’ll need:

• Your contact details
• Date of birth
• National Insurance number
• Bank or building society account number and sort code
• Your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number
• Dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital

Someone else can call on your behalf, but you’ll need to be with them when they call.

You’ll then be sent a form to fill in, after which you’ll be invited for an assessment or your health or social care worker will be asked for information.

After this, you’ll be sent a letter telling you if your claim has been successful.

You can find out more on the government’s website.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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

A NEW outdoor swimming pool could open in the UK – taking over an abandoned 115-year-old reservoir.

Kettlewell Reservoir was built in 1909 in the St Ives Regional Park in Bingley.

3

3

Advertisement

However, it was left to ruin and has since been abandoned, with nature taking over it following a number of leaks.

Yorkshire Swim Works have launched a campaign to turn it into an outdoor lido complex.

It would be the first “public, naturally filtered” outdoor pool in the UK.

Along with the main outdoor 50m swimming pool there would also be a shallow play area and a smaller heated pool.

The main pool wouldn’t be heated, but plans also include sauna pods to warm up in.

Classes and lessons would be part of the swimming pool timetable, with space for casual swimmers and six lanes for the more competitive ones.

Changing rooms, a deck area and even an event area are part of the plans.

A cafe would serve snacks and drinks onsite too.

Yorkshire Swim Works Russell Bowman said the project was “ambitious” but fitting of the area.

They said: “With a young family myself, seeing investment in the area, new opportunities for them and the potential economic boost of tourists coming to the area fills me with excitement.

“I believe that YSW can be a catalyst for the next stage in Bingley’s evolution and an incredible boost to the St Ives Estate that has struggled in recent times.”

It is yet to receive any form of planning permission, so any confirmation of predicted opening dates is yet to be revealed.

However, if given the go-ahead, works would start late 2025.

If it did get the go-ahead, it would be just 20 minutes from Leeds by train.

Until then, the nearest lido to visit is Ilkley Pool and Lido, around 30 minutes away.

It’s not the only new lido hoping to open in the UK.

A multi-purpose leisure attraction with an outdoor swimming pool and sunbathing zone hopes to open in Valentine’s Park in London.

Hoping to open by autumn 2025, it would replace the current one that closed in the park 30 years ago.

Five new water attractions opening in the UK

1. Therme Manchester will have 25 swimming pools, 25 water slides and an indoor beach.
2. Modern Surf Manchester will be a surfing lagoon offering lessons to both beginners and experts.
3. Chessington World of Adventures Waterpark is set to have wave, infinity and spa pools as well as waterslides and cabanas.
4. The Cove Resort, Southport is likely to have a water lagoon and a thermal spa with steam rooms and saunas.
5. The Seahive, Deal plans to be the “surfing wellness resort” in the UK.

And a floating lido could even open in London, with plans revealed for Regent’s Canal.

We’ve even spoken to a ‘lido expert’ on where her favourite ones in the UK are.

3

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Chevron is in talks to sell its east Texas natural gas assets to Tokyo Gas, said three people familiar with the discussions, as the Japanese utility looks to expand its access to abundant US reserves of the fuel.

The companies have been in negotiations for months about a potential deal for Chevron’s portfolio in the Haynesville shale, a prolific gas-producing basin straddling Texas and Louisiana.

The assets include 72,000 acres of mostly undeveloped land. It was not immediately clear how much gas the land is believed to hold. The transaction could be valued at up to $1bn, the people said.

If completed, the deal would bolster Tokyo Gas’s foothold in the US shale patch, the world’s largest source of gas, as it looks to secure supplies for Japan, which is heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports to meet its energy needs.

For Chevron, the second-biggest western supermajor, it would be another step in its multibillion-dollar divestment programme, as it looks to close a contentious $53bn deal for Hess, the biggest acquisition in its history.

Chevron and Tokyo Gas did not respond to requests for comment.

A person involved in the process said it was not clear if the deal would be completed, and that a rival bid could emerge.

Tokyo Gas established a foothold in the Haynesville basin last December through a $2.7bn deal for Rockcliff Energy. It produces about 1.3bn cubic feet a day of gas there, near a cluster of liquefied natural gas terminals — both existing and planned — on the Gulf of Mexico.

In February, the Japanese group agreed to buy a 49 per cent stake in Arm Energy, a North American trading and marketing group, and has made no secret of its appetite for further expansion into the US gas business.

Dan Pickering, chief investment officer at Pickering Energy Partners, said the transaction “would absolutely make sense”.

“It is a bolt-on acquisition for Tokyo Gas, which is already the number four producer in the basin and a logical divestment of a non-core asset by Chevron,” he said.

Chevron is looking to offload $10bn to $15bn of non-core assets by 2028 as part of a strategy to “optimise its global energy portfolio” by focusing on areas of higher-yielding production, including the Permian Basin and Kazakhstan.

It said in a March filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission it was “evaluating strategic opportunities” for its Haynesville acreage.

On Monday it agreed a $6.5bn deal to sell stakes in a number of oil sands and shale assets to Canadian Natural Resources.