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Temperatures set to reach 22C on Friday amid wildfire warnings

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Temperatures set to reach 22C on Friday amid wildfire warnings


Temperatures could reach 23C (73F) in parts of the UK on Friday, as mostly clear skies bring a bright, sunny start to April.

Parts of southern England have highs in the low 20s forecast for Friday afternoon. The Algarve, in Portugal, is set to see highs of 18C, accompanied by some showers.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid to high teens for England, Wales and parts of Scotland over the weekend and into Monday. Skies will be mostly clear, with some cloud expected for eastern Scotland and England on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued an amber wildfires warning for parts of England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland until Monday, as conditions are dry with strong winds.

Last month was the sunniest March since records began in 1910, according to the Met Office. It was also very dry, with the UK’s rainfall total just 43% of the usual amount.

There is a good chance that the highest temperature recorded so far this year – 21.3C in Chertsey, Surrey and Northolt, London on 20 March – will be beaten.

London, Reading, Oxford and Cambridge are among places expected to experience the 22C warmth on Friday afternoon, while Cardiff and Carmarthen in Wales could see 21C around the same time.

Scotland and Northern Ireland are set to be relatively cooler, with highs of 11C for Edinburgh and 16C for Belfast.

While it is expected to be slightly cooler at the weekend – topping out at 19C in southern England – the public is being urged to avoid lighting fires outdoors, over concerns they could spread.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said on Wednesday that there was a “very high to extreme risk” of fires spreading.

This is because the warm, dry conditions are ideal for wildfires to start and spread.

There were 185.8 hours of sunshine in March, the Met Office says, while England recorded its sixth driest March and Wales its fourth driest since records began in 1836.

This means vegetation will be dryer than usual, making it easier to become fuel for a developing fire. Comparatively wet conditions in 2024 allowed more vegetation to grow.

At the same time, winds are anticipated to remain strong over the coming days, which are capable of spreading fires faster.

Wind gusts are expected to reach up to 34mph in England and southern Scotland on Friday and Saturday, and will be in the 20s across the UK into Sunday.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) advises against using disposable barbecues in the countryside and parks, and discarding things like cigarettes and glass bottles that can cause a fire to start.

Parts of south-west England and Wales could see some rain on Friday morning, but this is expected to dissipate by mid-morning.

Saturday and Sunday are set to be mostly dry, before some rain reaches northern Scotland on Monday afternoon. Some parts of eastern England and Scotland could also see some low cloud and mist.

Into next week, high pressure will shift on top of the UK again, bringing lighter winds and more dry, sunny weather that will see temperatures warm up above the seasonal norm again.



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Politics

Watchdog highlights major issue in debate over DOGE’s effectiveness under Elon Musk

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Watchdog highlights major issue in debate over DOGE's effectiveness under Elon Musk

With Elon Musk’s departure from the agency, there’s debate roiling over how effective the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE), has been in its mission.

In a report released just two days prior to Musk stepping down, financial watchdog Open The Books published a report finding it is likely impossible for the average American taxpayer to track the savings associated with the contracts and grants that were terminated by the DOGE team.

According to Open The Books’ analysis, which mined all the data published on DOGE’s official website, the average American taxpayer would likely only be able to confirm 42% of contracts and 27% of grants through an independent review of public federal spending databases.

“This doesn’t mean these targets aren’t real, it simply means it’s very hard for taxpayers who want to see additional savings to find proof and evidence of savings,” Open The Books points out in its analysis, shared in a report the group released Tuesday.

‘BUREAUCRATIC AND WASTEFUL’: DOGE SNIFFS OUT EYE-POPPING SPENDING ON BIDEN DEI EFFORTS IN KEY AGENCY 

Elon Musk, left; anti-Musk sign, right

Elon Musk (LEFT) has been a controversial figure in the Trump administration, with many of his critics arguing he has wielded too much power in the Trump administration.  (Getty)

“Because taxpayers don’t have access to real-time transparency and a real-time look at the Treasury Payment System, it’s still too difficult for even a highly motivated Joe Taxpayer to confirm the savings claims DOGE is making,” the analysis, released ahead of Elon Musk stepping down from running the agency, continued. “It’s also far too easy for critics to sew [sic] doubt and confusion.”

DOGE says on its website that the group’s work up to this point has provided the American taxpayer with $175 billion in “estimated” savings from the elimination of contracts, grants and leases, as well as through renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion and other mechanisms. 

However, DOGE’s estimated savings have been contested by watchdog groups and budget experts. Such critics have posited that the inclusion of already canceled contracts, double-counting or misrepresentation of contract values, and the unaccounted cost burden that could be imposed on the government when it has to re-hire folks down the line, or revamp its productivity, due to DOGE cuts, have led to inflated savings estimates. 

Nate Malkus, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, has accused DOGE of “overestimating contracts by a factor of two,” according to CBS News.

ELON MUSK ‘DISAPPOINTED’ BY TRUMP’S SPENDING BILL, SAYS IT UNDERMINES WHAT DOGE IS DOING 

But White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital that DOGE has produced “historic savings” for the American people.

“DOGE is working at record speed to cut waste, fraud, and abuse, producing historic savings for the American people,” Fields said. “The DOGE Wall of Receipts provides the latest and most accurate information following a thorough assessment, which takes time. Updates to the DOGE savings page will continue to be made promptly, and departments and agencies will keep highlighting the massive savings DOGE is achieving.”

falling cash photo illustration with US Capitol building

“DOGE’s job is to identify, not enact, savings targets. It’s up to Congress to do the heavy lifting,” Open The Books said in their analysis about DOGE savings.  (Fox News Digital)

“DOGE and Elon Musk have done the country an incredible service by identifying savings targets,” added Open The Books CEO John Hart. “Having worked on the last major deficit commission with the late Senator Tom Coburn, we would have been elated to have had Musk in our corner. Now it’s up to Congress to not only turn DOGE’s recommendations into durable savings but to go beyond DOGE’s scope and truly tackle our long-term debt and deficit crisis.”

Open The Books highlighted two “common sense” standards to help establish an “intellectually honest” approach to understanding the true impact of government cuts, such as those being recommended by DOGE.

The first is the “durable standard,” which asks whether a proposed cut can be easily reversed.

OBAMA-NOMINATED JUDGE ALLOWS LAWSUIT TARGETING MUSK’S ROLE WITH DOGE TO PROCEED, DROPS CLAIMS AGAINST TRUMP

“Describing something as ‘durable’ does not mean it is permanent or irreversible; it simply means it is hard to reverse,” the Open The Books’ analysis stated. “The most durable budget cut in our constitutional system would be passed by Congress, signed into law by the president and be clearly constitutional, or unassailable in a court challenge. Budget cuts become less durable when they lack any of these three elements.”

The second is called a “duty standard,” which illuminates the power behind certain cuts based on who is trying to impose them.

“In our constitutional system, the founders gave the job of budget savings to three branches but primarily to Congress,” Open The Books points out. “DOGE’s job is to identify, not enact, savings targets. It’s up to Congress to do the heavy lifting. And We the People have a responsibility to be informed and hold our elected officials accountable.”

WHITE HOUSE SENDING $9.4B DOGE CUTS PACKAGE TO CONGRESS NEXT WEEK

Elon Musk shows off black shirt with all caps white DOGE lettering

White House Senior Advisor Elon Musk walks to the White House after landing in Marine One on the South Lawn with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) on Mar. 9, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Open The Books ultimately concluded that due to various limitations associated with publicly available data on government spending and revenue, in particular a lack of real-time access to the government’s Treasury Payment System, it is still too difficult for even the most motivated average American citizen to either confirm, or deny, the savings claimed by DOGE.

Elon Musk officially stepped down from his role as DOGE chief Thursday evening, as his position of “special government employee” in the Trump administration was limited by law to a few months. Amid the transition, Musk criticized Republicans’ spending bill that was passed ahead of Memorial Day in the House, indicating he was “disappointed” it would increase the federal deficit. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk told CBS News in an interview that will air in full on June 1.

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Man, 53, charged over Liverpool parade incident | UK News

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Paul Doyle


A 53-year-old man has been charged after a car was driven into a crowd at Liverpool FC’s trophy parade.

Paul Doyle, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, has been charged with seven offences, Merseyside Police said.

The businessman, who is a father-of-three, is accused of two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Paul Doyle
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Paul Doyle

Doyle is also accused of two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and one count of dangerous driving.

He is due to appear before Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The charges relate to six people, including two children. A wounding charge and an attempted grievous bodily harm charge relate to a child.

A police car was outside Doyle’s four-bedroom detached family home in the West Derby area on Thursday morning.

According to his social media, he has travelled extensively, including to Japan, Fiji, India and Australia. Doyle has posted pictures of himself competing in triathlons, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

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New Liverpool incident footage

Thousands of fans were gathered in Liverpool city centre on Monday to celebrate the Premier League champions’ title win when a car struck a crowd on Water Street.

Police said a total of 79 people were injured in the incident, with the youngest aged nine, and the oldest being a 78-year-old.

Seven people remain in hospital in a stable condition.

Forensic officers at the scene in Water Street. Pic: PA
Image:
Forensic officers at the scene in Water Street. Pic: PA

‘Huge volume of evidence’

Chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Mersey-Cheshire, Sarah Hammond, told a news conference on Thursday that the investigation was at an early stage and a “huge volume of evidence” was being reviewed.

“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure that every victim gets the justice they deserve.

“The charges will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.”

Police ‘working tirelessly’

Also at the briefing where the charges were announced was Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Jenny Sims, who said: “I fully understand how this incident has left us all shocked and saddened, and I know many will continue to have concerns and questions.

“Our detectives are working tirelessly, with diligence and professionalism, to seek the answer to all of those questions. When we are able to, we will provide further information.”



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Politics

White House says Israel accepted proposed ceasefire in Gaza

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White House says Israel accepted proposed ceasefire in Gaza

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Israel accepted a proposed ceasefire in Gaza. Leavitt said she didn’t believe Hamas had made a decision about the proposal yet.

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