WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is set to pass a bipartisan housing bill on Monday that aims to bring down prices and increase supply in one of the most sweeping efforts in recent decades to reduce federal regulations and increase local control.

The bill has been the focus of intense House-Senate negotiations in recent weeks as lawmakers in both parties try to address housing costs in an election year. The final version of the legislation bans corporate investors from buying single family homes but doesn’t include a Senate provision that would have required investors to sell newly constructed homes within seven years.

The measure was the result of years of work to “lower costs, expand housing supply, cut red tape, protect taxpayers, and help more Americans achieve the dream of homeownership,” said Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., who worked with Democrats to get the bill passed.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Banking panel, told The Associated Press that she believes the bill is significant “because it acknowledges that the federal government has a role to play in lowering housing prices and because for the first time ever, private equity will be blocked from buying up single family homes and trying to turn housing into one more Wall Street investment.”

Senate passage of the bill shapes up as a rare bipartisan legislative achievement when much of Republicans’ agenda has stalled. The House is expected to give final approval later this week and send the bill to President Donald Trump, who has signaled his support.

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California, who helped negotiate the legislation, said it was a “huge step toward finally addressing the affordable housing and homelessness crises in this country.”

Housing costs are a concern for both parties

Republicans and Democrats have embraced the bill as a way to show they are addressing the nation’s affordability crisis, driven in part by rising home prices due to a shortage of affordable housing. The U.S. housing market has been in a slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes have been hovering close to a 4-million annual pace going back to 2023 — well short of the 5.2-million annual pace that’s historically been the norm. Sales slowed last year to a 30-year low and have remained sluggish so far this year, declining in January and February versus a year earlier.

The Economic Report of the President in April found a shortage of 10 million homes, while a report this month from the Joint Center For Housing Studies at Harvard University found sales of existing homes were at three-decade lows and inventories were rising due to high home buying costs. “Cost burdens for both renters and owners continue to climb, while assistance remains profoundly underfunded,” the report said.

While the median U.S. monthly rent has been declining for nearly three years, it was still 17.2% higher in May than it was before the pandemic, according to data from Realtor.com.

Changes for grants, Section 8 and manufactured housing

To increase the supply of housing, the bill would streamline environmental reviews and speed up the construction process.

It would offer funding to local governments that build more housing, including Community Development Block Grant money to places exceeding the median rate of homebuilding. It would also provide money for communities to turn abandoned infrastructure into housing, and offers a framework for communities that want to reform outdated zoning regulations, which often limit larger housing developments.

The legislation would allow banks to invest more in affordable housing and raise limits on the number of public housing units that can receive private financing through Section 8 funding to rehabilitate properties. And it would remove outdated requirements and expand federal financing to make manufactured homes more affordable.

“Manufactured housing produces some of the most cost-effective housing in America, but access to financing has been tightly restricted,” Warren said. “This creates the opportunity for more manufactured housing and, at the same time, creates a structure for people living in manufactured housing communities to organize and protect their investment in their homes.”

Lawmakers compromised on a disaster program

One of the sticking points between the two chambers was over a federal disaster recovery program.

An earlier Senate bill had permanently authorized block grant recovery funds, a change intended to ensure that funding requests aren’t needed after every disaster. House lawmakers opposed that provision because of concerns over how the program was run, so they agreed on a three-year authorization instead.

The final bill has received widespread support in the housing community, both from organizations representing landlords and large property owners as well as groups that advocate for tenants and low-income renters.

“There is no magic wand that will fix this crisis overnight, and no single piece of legislation is perfect,” said David Dworkin, chief executive of the National Housing Conference, the nation’s oldest housing coalition.

“Compromise demands that. But this bill is a significant down payment on a long-term effort to make housing more affordable for all Americans.”

The DWP holds a comprehensive list of debts that can result in your Universal Credit benefit being cut, with 3.3 million households affected by deductions

Universal Credit claimants may discover funds removed from their payments through ‘deductions’ to settle various outstanding debts. The sums taken can be redirected to the DWP, to creditors, or even straight to your landlord.

Recent Department for Work and Pensions statistics showed that 3.3 million households claiming Universal Credit in February this year had one or more deductions taken from their benefit payment before it landed in their account. Nearly half of all Universal Credit claimants have experienced their payments reduced in this manner at some stage, representing an increase of 300,000 claimants over the past 12 months.

The DWP also maintains a detailed list of the debt categories that can lead to your benefit being reduced. However, deductions are typically capped at 15 per cent of your standard allowance to stop claimants from sliding into greater financial difficulty while repaying their debts.

Types of debt that can be deducted from Universal Credit payments:

• Advance payments
• Universal Credit overpayments
• Tax credit and Housing benefit overpayments
• Recoverable hardship payment
• Budgeting and crisis loan repayment
• Third party deductions

Most of these loan, hardship and overpayments are returned to the DWP. Deductions directed towards other individuals or organisations fall under third party deductions, reports Wales Online.

This can include:

• Utilities, like electricity, gas and water
• Council Tax
• Child maintenance
• Rent
• Service charges
• Court fines

A maximum of three third party deductions can be taken from your account at any single time. You will be informed in advance when a third party deduction is due to commence.

Should your landlord request a deduction to cover rent arrears or service charge debts, you have just seven days to notify the DWP if you wish to challenge the deduction, with a further seven days to provide evidence explaining why you believe it should not be applied.

You are entitled to dispute these deductions if you owe your landlord less than two months’ worth of rent and service charges. These arrears must relate exclusively to rent and/or service charges, as any other money owed to your landlord does not count towards this total.

Official DWP guidance states that “it is not possible” to establish how much will be deducted from your payment before a calculation of your earnings and benefits occurs at the end of each assessment period.

In the vast majority of cases, deductions are capped at a maximum of 15 percent of your standard allowance. However, this percentage can increase if you are subject to a ‘last resort deduction’.

Last resort deductions will go towards:

• Meeting your child maintenance obligations
• Preventing you from being evicted
• Stopping your utilities from being cut off

“But for me, following the clinical advice, basing future decisions on clinical evidence, is the right way to move forward in the context of me having received the most robust assurances about the safeguards which are in place to protect young people involved in this trial from receiving harm.”

Ashley Cain is ‘not proud of’ his sexist and misogynistic tweets, which resulted in the BBC sacking him last week.

The 35-year-old came under fire for historic tweets where he reportedly used offensive, sexist and misogynistic language about women.

After this, the BBC said that it has ‘no plans’ to broadcast the second series of Into the Danger Zone and there are ‘no future projects’ with Cain in the pipeline.

He has now spoken out in a post addressed to his ‘community’ on Instagram, saying he takes accountability for what was said.

‘I don’t deny it. I don’t excuse it. and I certainly don’t condone it,’ the Ex on the Beach star began the message.

Cain continued: ‘The truth is that these comments were made over a decade ago by a younger version of myself who still had a lot of growing up to do. I cannot change the past, and truthfully, I have never tried to hide from it.

‘I have always believed that accountability matters. We should all take responsibility for our actions, good or bad. But I also believe in growth, in learning from our mistakes, and in proving through our actions that the person we once were does not have to be the person we remain.’

In a series of posts dating back several years, which were uncovered by The Guardian, Cain suggested blurring the lines of consent during sex.

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He allegedly tweeted ‘jokes’ on numerous occasions about hitting and slapping women, with one being 2015 Love Island contestant Jessica Hayes.

It was also revealed that concerns were raised about his conduct when he was picked to host Sin City: The Real Las Vegas.

Cain went on to say that during that time in his life he felt ‘lost, frustrated and unsure of where my life was heading’ after his football career ended over an injury.

He explained that reality TV had given him a ‘second chance’ but left him navigating a world of fame that he ‘didn’t know’.

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‘One in which I was rewarded for developing a provocative personality,’ Cain wrote. ‘None of that excuses the things I said, but it is part of the truth of where I was and who I was becoming.’

Reflecting on his development since then, he listed the ‘incredible women’ in his life, including his mum, nan, auntie, and sister.

‘They taught me compassion, resilience, and respect long before I truly understood the valune of those things,’ he penned. ‘Looking back now, I can see many moments in my younger years where I lacked maturity, perspective and understanding.

‘Like many young men, I had lessons to learn, and life made sure I learned them.’

He went on to discuss how the death of his daughter had changed him ‘forever’, sharing that he had dedicated his life to honour her ‘legacy’.

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Azaylia was just eight months old when she died in 2021 after being diagnosed with a ‘rare and aggressive’ form of leukaemia.

He and her mum, Safiyya, had planned to take their little girl to Singapore for treatment after their fundraising page hit the £1million mark but were then told she only had days left to live.

Cain said during this time, the family experienced ‘mocking’ and death threats from strangers, which sometimes felt ‘unbearable’.

He reiterated that he had grown from this, ‘not because he is special’ but because he ‘chose better’ and had let go of the anger.

Wrapping the length statement, Cain said: ‘I cannot change the past. None of us can.

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‘But every day I wake up, I can choose the man I want to be, and I can choose the impact I want to have on those around me. That is what I have tried to do for many years now, and it is what I will continue to do moving forward.’

The post was flooded with messages of support for Cain, including from Safiyya, although the pair have split.

Cain’s X account, from which the sexist comments originated, now seems to have been deactivated.

Previously, the BBC said the comments were ‘unacceptable’ and removed him from presenting duties.

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Resigning as UK prime minster and leader of the Labour party, Keir Starmer said he accepted, “with good grace”, that the party does not think he is best placed to lead them into the next general election.

Following the election of Andy Burnham in Makerfield, it’s also clear who most Labour MPs want to replace him. It’s now more than possible that “King of the North” could be invited by the real king (Charles) to form a new government within weeks.

This momentous situation begs two questions: what is Andy Burnham actually about in terms of plans, priorities and personality? And, what are the main challenges that may well trip him up?

There are two distinct levels to Project Andy: Manchesterism and Burnhamism. The former encompasses his policy vision, revolving around the notion of “business friendly socialism” and place-based politics. Manchester’s integrated Bee Network of integrated public transport has been held up as an example of the city’s positive and optimistic political economy under Burnham’s leadership.

À lire aussi :
Andy Burnham: what has made the king of the north so popular?

On a national level, this Manchesterism approach looks like emphasising devolution of power to the English regions and a rejection of neoliberalism. It would be replaced by a new model of public governance in which communities up and down the UK have more control over the basic essentials of life: housing, utilities, transport and education.

A second policy dimension revolves around shifting to a preventative mindset. From health to housing, the role of the government cannot and should not be to keep spending more and more. But instead, to invest in tackling the root causes of key societal challenges. Build more social housing, invest in early interventions around physical and mental health, don’t deify university education and dare to innovate.

A third (and possibly defining) aspect is Burnham’s focus on tackling social inequality. This was evident in his response to Tony Blair’s recent “playing with fire” essay-cum-intervention. Burnham’s powerful rebuttal: “If you are not rooting your analysis in the fact that people are unable to live and that things that were taken for granted are no longer affordable, then you are not understanding what’s going on.”

It’s this ground-level understanding of real people, living real lives well away from the internalised gossip and gaming of Whitehall and Westminster, that Burnham now seeks to bring to national politics. It’s also why his recent success in the Makerfield byelection suggests he can draw traditional Labour voters back from the false promises and pitfalls of Reform.

Manchesterism v Burnhamism

At a deeper level, it is possible to separate the policy aims of Manchesterism from a political project that is potentially far more interesting. What has been overlooked in the excitement of recent weeks is that Burnhamism is not actually about the Labour party or the next general election.

Burnhamism represents a political ideology founded on the need to fundamentally change British constitutional government. There has been no attempt to hide this level of mega-political ambition. Burnham made it explicit in his recent electoral success: “If you can build a new politics, you can actually bring through big changes … Westminster is not working. I am calling for a completely different way of doing things, for a completely different political culture”.

Burnhamism represents a complete rejection of the traditionally centralised, elitist, two-party, Whitehall-knows-best Westminster model. It seeks to shift towards a power-sharing model that can accommodate long-term strategic policy-making.

Far-reaching devolution is part of this. And it is promoted alongside the need for electoral reform, in the form of proportional representation (which is itself attracting increasing public support).

Manchesterism and Burnhamism are clearly interwoven. Tackling entrenched socioeconomic inequalities will itself demand a redistribution of power that the current system was historically designed to sustain.

And then, of course, Burnhamism has a very specific performative dimension. There’s a certain folksy “local lad” hero element that feeds off the music and brashness of Manchester. The casual clothes carefully selected to represent not a traditional politician, but a popular (not populist) “bloke” operating outside the mainstream (tie-wearing) bubble. If Manchester wasn’t so far from Westminster, you could almost imagine him turning up on a Vespa or vintage Lambretta.

Burnham’s biggest challenge

It’s common in politics that the biggest obstacles are also the biggest opportunities. This is certainly true for Burnham as he vies to become the next prime minister. Other leadership contenders may emerge, the machinery of government certainly needs more than a little administrative tinkering if it is to deliver a radical agenda, and Nigel Farage and Reform remain a potent political foe.

And yet, his biggest challenge is more basic: forging a clear connection with the British public. If Starmer failed to do this, it was because he was too miserable early on and could never articulate a clear story about what he was doing as prime minister or why. U-turns and self-inflicted wounds only added to a generalised sense of governing incompetence that proved impossible to shake off.

The opportunity and the challenge for Burnham revolves around the need to craft a clear and careful message of hope and optimism about what he wants to do and why. But he must do so without over-inflating the public’s expectations – or failure becomes, to some extent, inevitable.

Thousands of excited fans have now arrived in Florida ahead of our final Group C match against Brazil at the Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Tartan Army invasion of Miami is in full swing as supporters soak up the atmosphere in one of America’s most iconic cities. Thousands of excited fans have now arrived in Florida ahead of our final Group C match against Brazil at the Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday night.

A draw against the Samba superstars would all-but guarantee qualification through a group at a major tournament for the very first time, while even a loss might be enough if results in other groups go our way.

With temperatures in the sunshine state rarely dropping below the mid-30s this week, the conditions are going to be tough for our national heroes. But optimistic fans who have travelled out here still believe we have enough to do it.

Lisa Gardener – who is over here with her husband Scott, 53, son Fraser, 17, and daughter Heather, 21 – is just one of those many hopeful supporters, and the family are considering staying out in North America if we do get through.

The 52-year-old said: “It’s really exciting to be here. It feels like much more of the world is in Miami compared to Boston, where it was predominantly Scotland fans.

“It was magnificent over there – the people were amazing. But here, there’s people from everywhere. And you’re seeing everyone get excited about their games, which is just fantastic.

“It’s fantastic to see all the Scotland fans arriving. It makes you so proud that so many people have come over to be part of it and brought their families as well.

“We’ve been in the Tartan Army for many years. My husband went to France in 1998, as a single man, and told me that one day it would be great fun if we could do it together.

“But we didn’t imagine it would be 28 years before we did it together – and we’ve brought our children with us as well. The whole thing is just like a dream just now.”

Scotland fans have indeed been joined in Miami by football supporters from all over the world. And as Harrison Wells, a 24-year-old from Greenock, and Ewan McBeath, a 24-year-old Newmachar, in Aberdeenshire, sipped on Sex on the Beach cocktails they were soon joined by Colombians, desperate to get pictures of the pair in their kilts.

The duo are currently living in Perth, Australia, and Ewan said: “We’re having an amazing time – we’re a bit f***ing hot, but it’s been fantastic! Boston was amazing, they ran out of drink and we had to resort to bottles in the end – but it’s so far so good here.

“Our hotel is in south beach so we plan to just chill out on the beach and drink a few sangrias before the game. To be out here and beating Brazil, the whole place would just go mental. I think we can get a result, Morocco are a better side.”

Harrison added: “We flew out on the 10th but we’ve come from Australia so it took us about 30 hours to get here – but it’s been worth every single second.

“I don’t think anything will be able to compare to Boston but we will just have to wait and see. We’re going to have some booze and enjoy the beach – you can’t go wrong. I honestly think we can beat Brazil but I’ll take a point.”

Supporters have been enjoying the South Beach area where Scots have been joined by thousands of Brazil fans. Others have been taking in the stunning sights at the Bayside area, near the fan zone, as they cooled down by grabbing a beer near one of the many huge fans.

Aidan McKenna, a 32-year-old engineer from Wishaw, Des McKenna, 52, retired and Ian Lochart, a 57-year-old delivery driver were enjoying cooling off when the Record headed over to them.

Aidan said: “Other than the heat – the trip has been amazing. We had a week in New York then came here. It’s already been incredible. We have been down at South Beach and there was loads of Scotland fans and Brazil fans down there, it’s been brilliant.

“We’re still trying to get tickets but if not we will watch the game down here and just soak up the atmosphere. We are going to the Marlins game for the baseball and take in the Brazil game, then maybe head down to Muscle Beach too!”

There has been more of a family atmosphere in Miami compared with the wild scenes witnessed across Boston over the last week and a half. Richard Cook, a 54-year-old who works in sports management, is over from Glasgow with his wife Elaine, 55, who works at Glasgow University, and their kids Myles, 16, and Oscar, 12.

Richard said: “Miami is such an epic place. The environment is just fantastic. Full of people in good spirits. We were enjoying watching the match on Sunday night with the Cape Verde fans. Everything has just been fantastic.

“Colombia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Argentina, all in there, all supporting the underdog. It’s such a nice atmosphere. We are meeting up with some friends tomorrow and we plan to go to the baseball too.

“We came out specifically for this match. When I met Elaine our first match we went to together was Scotland versus Brazil, the opening match of France 98.”

Elaine added: “Now we are married and we have two kids, so we thought we had to be here now it’s gone full circle. We just want a different result now!”

Meanwhile Jane Jackson, a 47-year-old executive assistant from West Lothian, has been loving her time in Miami with her husband Neil, 49, and their kids Daisy, 17 and Neil, 49.

Jane said: “We’re having a fabulous time. The weather is great, we’ve been enjoying checking out the fan zone. We’re really happy.

“We’ve been round the Wynwood art district which was fantastic. We’ve cooled down in the pool. We’ve got friends coming out to meet us too – it’s been a lot of fun.

“We’re just seeing more and more Scotland fans arriving by the minute. We met a few at the hotel and I’m sure there will be more and more each day, it’s really exciting.”

Daisy said: “It’s been really good – the atmosphere has been really good, but it’s really hot here! We’ve got our fans though so we’re getting by with those.

“We’re going to watch the game in the fan zone here – unless the ticket prices go down. I’m confident we are going to get a win and get out this group. I’m predicting a 2-0 win!”

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On the gloriously sunny morning of July 5 2024, Keir Starmer walked into Downing Steet as prime minister for the first time, having won a stonking 174-strong majority in the general election the day before. On a similarly warm morning a little less than two years later, he has been forced to stand outside Number 10 and announce his resignation. How did it come to this?

The resignation speech, marked with pathos and dignity, was particularly surprising because, as the prime minister made clear, he had built up a substantial record, doing the kind of things Labour leaders are meant to do.

The minimum wage has increased, employment rights for workers have been enhanced, waiting lists in the NHS have come down, half a million children are being lifted out of poverty, and the economy has grown in difficult times (albeit at sluggish rate). On the controversial issue of immigration, the numbers have come down.

For his supporters, Starmer is an unshowy but decent man approaching his job with proper seriousness and with a feeling for the national interest. Yet on the doorstep, MPs found that the response to Starmer was often one of visceral hatred. His polling numbers plummeted, amid complaints that his promise to deliver “change” in 2024 had not materialised.

Prime ministers in the past have often endured periods of unpopularity. In 1980-81, Margaret Thatcher was deeply unpopular and yet went on to win two further general elections. Yet this moment feels different – which explains why Starmer felt he had to go.

Despite its huge majority, the government was never that popular. It won because of the huge unpopularity of the Conservatives in office, especially after the debacles of the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss premierships. Starmer’s victory came off the back of a remarkably slim vote share of 33.7% in an election with a near-historically low turnout.

‘No such thing as Starmerism’

The new government appeared rudderless because it never established a compelling vision for the country. The prime minister is on record as saying: “There is no such thing as Starmerism and there never will be!”

Starmer’s approach was serious but technocratic, showing no interest in ideas or principles. This left it looking out of touch when confronted by populist movements of the right (Nigel Farage’s Reform UK) and the left (Zack Polanski’s Greens), who established a strong emotional connection with voters. Starmer has offered a centrist government at a time when the energy in politics is flowing away from the centre.

The government ran into trouble right from the start. It allowed itself to be defined by the decision to cut winter fuel payments for all but the poorest pensioners. This showed a complete lack of awareness of the politics of this move, which landed badly with voters.

Not long after this, it attempted to slash the spiralling welfare bill. On both issues it was forced into humiliating U-turns, which became the signature of the government. If this were not bad enough, the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington proved catastrophic once the revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein files were made public. Starmer, who had attempted to build a reputation for honesty and integrity, looked incompetent.

But the big issue for voters was the cost of living, even though the government had tried to combat in-work poverty through the minimum wage and employment rights. The reality for many voters though was that nothing much had changed and people felt they were still living in an age of austerity.

This partly explained the local election results in England in May 2026 when Labour won only 17% of the vote, while Reform UK achieved 26%. Labour lost the Senedd in Wales for the first time, to Plaid Cymru. Welsh Labour came third, and leader Eluned Morgan lost her seat.

The prospect of a Reform government was the threat that alarmed Labour MPs and pulled the rug from under Starmer. Andy Burnham’s victory in Makerfield (where Reform had won most of the council seats in May) suggested that he could bring voters back to the party.

Labour governments also suffer the polarising effects of a predominantly right-wing British media landscape. This often feeds on a sense of grievance and alienation, promoting resentment against immigrants and an “out-of-touch” elite. It appeared that Starmer wanted people to see issues in a complex and nuanced way in order that thoughtful solutions would emerge.

But that world may now be ceasing to exist. Voters increasingly want to see politics make an immediate difference. Many seem not to have heard of the work done on employment and health, among other matters. Some think that crime and immigration are going up, whereas the reverse is true. Starmer’s technocratic approach was always going to struggle in an age of populism.

How will historians view Starmer? A lot depends on what comes next. Should Labour renew itself in government (which is never an easy thing to do) then he will be seen as someone who remade Labour as a governing party and grappled with complex problems at home and abroad. He has fared better on the international stage than at home. Globally, he has maintained support for Ukraine, recognised a Palestinian state and kept the UK out of Trump’s war in Iran.

Should Reform UK win the next general election, Starmer will be seen as having ushered in a Farage government. His resignation speech revealed him as an honest leader who attempted to serve his country with seriousness and a desire to enhance the common good. Starmer has always been clear that it would take ten years to turn Britain round. His tragedy is that he got only two.

As Coronation Street revealed it was Sarah who killed Theo on Monday, actress Tina O’Brien addressed whether she could be leaving the ITV soap and her reaction to the twist

Coronation Street’s Sarah Platt has been exposed as Theo Silverton’s killer.

Now, actress Tina O’Brien, who has played the character since 1999, has addressed whether she’s about to bow out for good. Flashbacks during Monday’s episode confirmed what really happened to Theo, and who was to blame.

We saw Sarah accidentally killing Theo after he turned sinister. As he threatened her, she shoved him before hitting him over the head with a metal pole, leading to him plummeting off the scaffolding.

In the fallout, Sarah will be desperate to cover her tracks. But will she be caught out, and could it lead to a prison stint, or possibly a permanent exit from the ITV soap after after nearly 30 years in the role?

Tina shared: “It’s not just about her now, it’s about her family and her son, and there are times when she can’t cope with the pressure and you think she’s just going to hand herself in. And then she thinks about her son growing up without a mum, if she’s convicted and can’t prove she acted in self defence.

“And because of those things, she’s so desperate to do whatever it takes to be part of her family’s life.” It was her ex Gary that she frantically called for help, with him now keeping her secret.

With Gary’s rivalry with Sarah’s partner Kit Green now at boiling point, Tina explained why Sarah told Gary and not detective Kit. She said: “I think she absolutely went into panic mode, shocked, stunned and numb. She obviously didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know how to react and in that moment she thought, I can’t call Kit because of his job in the police.

“And so in that moment, she thought who can I call and it was Gary. There’s a lot of guilt there and I think also, selfishly, she feels like she’s ruined her chance with Kit, because if he knows what she’s done, he might not want her anymore and she so wanted him to be her future.”

This isn’t the first time Sarah has been caught up in a murder plot. Fans will recall that back in 2015, Sarah’s sister-in-law Kylie Platt murdered Sarah’s love interest Callum Logan. Callum had tried to attack Sarah, leading to Kylie killing him with a wrench.

Sarah and Kylie, with the help of Sarah’s brother David Platt, covered up the crime, and buried the body under their house. Sarah’s mental health spiralled in the fallout, and she was admitted to a psychiatric unit for treatment.

With Sarah caught up in another murder, Tina said this time her character could face prison. She teased: “If she’d have called the police straight away and explained what happened, she would have been in a much better situation, because it was clearly not pre-meditated, it was a situation where she felt she had no other choice.

“But to cover it up, to actively cover something up, she knows that she crossed a line that she can’t come back from.” She added on exit fears: “I genuinely didn’t worry, at the end of the day this job is incredible, but to be an actor is not necessarily a job for life. So, I just was really excited to be given the honour of being the murderer, and then hopefully, however it plays out, I’ll enjoy Sarah’s arc.”

So does this hint that Sarah will stick around? After keeping quiet for months, Tina shared: “I’ve literally been a big bag of nerves. It’s been so difficult, I told my mum and I just recently told my daughter Scarlett and my son Beau. You’re seeing all the chat on social media, everyone’s saying I think this, and I think that.

“Actually filming these scenes the weeks after have been the hardest thing I’ve ever filmed because I felt like my face looked guilty constantly and I thought everyone’s going to know it’s me instantly.”

It came as no surprise to Tina though that Sarah killed Theo. She explained: “I completely understand how it happened, why it happened. For me to get into her character and her head, I feel like in that moment, she didn’t feel like she had any other choice.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok, Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.

Starting later this year, the airline will begin flights to Reykjavik and Kittilä, marking its latest network expansion from Liverpool.

Flights to Reykjavik will launch on November 2 and operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays.

Kittilä, located in Finnish Lapland, will be served from November 25 on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

“We are delighted to welcome more fantastic easyJet routes to Liverpool John Lennon Airport,” said Paul Winfield, aviation director at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

“Reykjavik and Kittilä are exciting additions, offering strong appeal for winter travel and festive getaways.

“easyJet’s continued growth here at the North West’s Faster, Easier, Friendlier Airport demonstrates the strength of the Liverpool market, and we anticipate these new services will be very popular with travellers across the region.”

Reykjavik offers travellers access to Iceland’s dramatic volcanic scenery, geothermal lagoons, waterfalls, and one of the world’s best vantage points for viewing the Northern Lights.

Kittilä, in the heart of Lapland, promises a classic winter wonderland with snow-covered landscapes, husky sledding, snowmobiling, skiing, and opportunities to meet Father Christmas.

“We’re excited to be adding these winter destinations to our growing network from Liverpool,” said Kevin Doyle, UK country manager at easyJet.

“Customers now have the opportunity to explore Iceland and Lapland, and we look forward to welcoming them on board these new routes.

“Our short-haul network from Liverpool offers unrivalled choice for those planning their holidays, making it easy to book and fly.”

easyJet’s network from Liverpool now offers 41 routes to 18 countries.

Over the past year, the airline has steadily grown its Liverpool presence, adding new routes and increasing fleet capacity.

This summer, easyJet will base a ninth aircraft at the airport, further expanding options for travellers across Europe and North Africa.

Comcast’s Xfinity services have suffered an outage, leaving thousands of users offline.

Xfinity delivers cable TV, internet, phone and wireless services to Comcast customers.

The outage was reported by users on Downdetector Monday afternoon. Just before 4:30 p.m. ET, 25,993 users had reported that Xfinity was down.

Most users, 80 percent, reported an issue with their TV, while 10 percent reported internet problems and 8 percent experienced issues with streaming services.

Xfinity users across the country reported issues, including in California, Colorado, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Connecticut and Vermont.

Some users have said they were struggling to connect with support teams for help.

“No TV in Castle Rock, Colorado. Unable to reach support via app, phone, or text,” one customer wrote on Downdetector.

Another customer said, “Can’t even reach them on the phone. TV down, Internet works. Monmouth Beach, NJ.”

“Down in Aiken SC. No cable TV, but internet is still up. Customer service number is down as well,” a third wrote.

The Independent has reached out to Comcast for comment.

Just hours earlier, thousands of users on X were reporting problems accessing the social media platform.

At around 10 a.m. ET, 28,699 users reported an issue on Downdetector. The outage appeared to subside within the hour.