The DWP has confirmed any changes to Personal Independence Payment will not be applied until after a comprehensive review has been completed this Autumn, with an interim report due before then

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently confirmed any changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will not be applied until after a “comprehensive review” of the disability benefit has been completed this autumn. However, the DWP announced recently an interim report will be issued before that time.

The DWP also confirmed eligibility for the mobility part of PIP will be reviewed alongside the daily living element, as part of the UK Government’s welfare reforms. Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms is co-producing the review with disabled groups and charities.

PIP claimants awarded the higher rate of the PIP mobility component can transfer some or all of the payment to lease a new car, wheelchair-accessible vehicle, scooter or powered wheelchair through the Motability Scheme.

The latest figures from Motability Operations – the company behind the life-changing Motability Scheme – show there are now 815,000 customers across the UK, including nearly 88,000 living in Scotland.

Recent data from DWP shows some 37 per cent of all 3.9 million claimants were in receipt of the enhanced rate of the daily living component and mobility component at the end of January, reports the Daily Record.

Five most-claimed PIP conditions

Below are the five most-claimed PIP conditions with the percentage of claimants receiving the enhanced rates of the daily living and mobility components.

Psychiatric disorder

• Daily living and mobility component – 42%
• Daily living component only – 69%
• Mobility component only – 46%

Musculoskeletal disease (general)

• Daily living and mobility component – 26%
• Daily living component only – 34%
• Mobility component only – 45%

Neurological disease

• Daily living and mobility component – 51%
• Daily living component only – 58%
• Mobility component only – 72%

Musculoskeletal disease (regional)

• Daily living and mobility component – 20%
• Daily living component only – 27%
• Mobility component only – 45%

Respiratory disease

• Daily living and mobility component – 31%
• Daily living component only – 37%
• Mobility component only – 57%

During a recent oral questions session in Parliament, the DWP was asked to “consider the benefits to which PIP is a gateway, such as Motability, disability premiums, Council Tax discounts and Blue Badges”.

Sir Stephen Timms was also urged to “promise at least that those entitlements could come down”.

He said: “We have made it clear that we will co-produce our review of the PIP assessment with disabled people and representatives of disability organisations.

“The review will cover the assessment for the mobility component, which leads on to the Motability scheme, and other entitlements to which PIP is a gateway.”

There are currently over three million Blue Badge permit holders across the UK, including over 235,700 in Scotland.

Other benefits which can be accessed with a PIP award

Whilst you may not be eligible for any or all of these benefits, it’s worth checking to ensure you are not missing out on additional support.

• Access to Work
• Blue Badge
• Carer’s Allowance / Carer Support Payment
• Carer’s Credit
• Christmas Bonus
• Council Tax Reduction
• Employment and Support Allowance – only if you get the PIP daily living component
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support‎
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Pension Credit – only if you get the PIP daily living component
• Universal Credit

You can read the full PIP guide on GOV.UK.

Manchester United were forced to settle for a point at Bournemouth – despite leading on two occasions – after Harry Maguire was shown a straight red for a foul in the area

Furious Michael Carrick branded the penalty decisions “mental” and “astonishing” after Harry Maguire was sent off as Manchester United were held at Bournemouth.

United boss Carrick was angry that his side were not given a penalty for Adrien Truffert’s challenge on Amad Diallo before Bournemouth raced up the other end to score.

Maguire also got his marching orders for a challenge on Evanilson which then gifted Junior Kroupi the chance to equalise from the spot as United twice blew the lead.

But Carrick was angry at what he saw as the inconsistencies of the penalty decisions by referee Stuart Attwell with Matheus Cunha getting an award after Alex Jimenez’s challenge.

READ MORE: Man Utd told why VAR allowed controversial Bournemouth goal after Amad penalty decisionREAD MORE: Man Utd held by Bournemouth as Harry Maguire goes from hero to villain – 5 talking points

Carrick fumed: “For him [Stuart Atwell] to give one penalty and not the other… I find it crazy. I cannot understand it. Mental. It’s astonishing. One of them must be wrong.

“A big opportunity to go 2-0 up and we get one penalty and not the other. It’s exactly the same thing really – a two-handed grab. He’s [referee] got one wrong so, I don’t know which one but he doesn’t give us the second one.

“I think they’re both penalties and it’s a massive moment in the game and it ended up chaos after that. Massive moment and I don’t understand how you can give one and not the other – it’s crazy.

“It’s as obvious as you can get – you’ve already given one so to not give the other one. It’s clear, if that’s what he believes is a penalty to start with then the second one has to be. I don’t understand how you can’t give that.

“And then the goal and after that it was chaos. I was really pleased when we went to 10 men we saw the game out and took a point that’s a real positive.

“In the end the way it went you can lose those games so to take a point int he end we’ll take that but disappointed not to take all three.”

Meanwhile, Carrick confirmed that United are hoping to agree new deals for Maguire and also Kobbie Mainoo who received England recalls for the friendlies with Uruguay and Japan.

Carrick added: “It’s contract negotiations with all players are ongoing. You hope whatever that is it gets done in the right way, they’ve both been great and back in the England squad.”

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UK forces have joined a military operation with the French navy in the Mediterranean to seize an oil tanker, alleged to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet.

British patrol boat HMS Cutlass monitored the Deyna, a Mozambique-flagged vessel, and supported the French operation on Friday by providing tracking information and imagery near the Strait of Gibraltar.

Defence Secretary John Healey said: “Disrupting, deterring and degrading Russia’s shadow fleet – and starving Putin’s war machine of funds – is a priority for this government.”

Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of vessels is used to carry oil and goods around the world to avoid sanctions on Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Deyna is sanctioned by the UK and the European Union for its role in shipping Russian oil.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X: “These vessels, which evade international sanctions and violate the law of the sea, are profiteers of war.

“They line their pockets while helping finance Russia’s war effort. We will not allow it.”

A Western military source told Reuters that the tanker was carrying Russian crude oil, while the news agency also quoted local officials who said it was suspected of flying a false flag.

The vessel, which had sailed from the Russian ​port of Murmansk, was escorted to an anchorage point ​for further inspection, the French military said.

The maritime tracking website, vesselfinder.com, said it was heading towards Port Said, Egypt, and was intercepted off the coast of Algeria.

The shipping industry has accused shadow fleet vessels of being poorly maintained, ageing tankers with dubious insurance or safety certification cover.

Read more from Sky News:
Gas tanker adrift in Med poses threat
Analysis: Dark ships and shadow fleets
‘Russian shadow fleet’ tanker seized

Friday’s military operation is the latest sign of the UK’s co-operation with allies.

In January, British forces helped the US seize the oil tanker Marinera in the Atlantic, and France intercept another sanctioned ship, the Grinch, in the western Mediterranean.

While European sanctions remain in place, the US has temporarily eased sanctions on ⁠the sale of Russian oil as the Middle East war ⁠disrupts oil supplies and boosts prices.

Moscow has previously called the seizure of its tankers, or ‌vessels carrying its cargoes, an act of piracy.

It is also worth noting that the vaccine protection is very good, but not perfect. Dr Bharat Pankhania, senior clinical lecturer in public health medicine at the University of Exeter Medical School, said the vaccine offers about 70-90% protection against the most common forms of menB meningococcal disease, and about 50-70% protection against the most invasive forms.

Linfield suffered a second league defeat in three games as any lingering title hope now appears lost

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Linfield’s Premiership title hopes look dead in the water following a disastrous defeat away to Carrick Rangers. David Healy’s men are now 11 points behind leaders Larne – who are five clear of second placed Glentoran – after Friday night’s action.

Linfield suffered a second league defeat in three games as any lingering title hope now appears lost.

They had defender Darragh Leahy red-carded for a last-man foul on 36 minutes before Matthew Olosunde put Carrick ahead at Taylor’s Avenue.

Luke McCullough made it 2-0 to seal all three points and leave Linfield miles off the top, with only five games left to play in the league.

Elsewhere, a two goal blast inside a six-minute second half spell sent Larne on their way to victory away to Glenavon – and moved them five points clear at the of the table in the process.

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Goals from Paul O’Neill and Leroy Millar just after the hour gave them the platform, before Andy Ryan struck with the final kick of the game to see off relegation-threatened Glenavon on their own patch.

It’s now four wins in a row for the Invermen, as they continue to build momentum again after their wobble last month.

Gary Haveron’s men will now watch with interest as the two teams immediately below them in the table – Glentoran and Coleraine – go head-to-head at the Oval, in the final round of games before ‘the Split’ when the top six sides face each other in the final five games.

Glenavon came into this one buoyed with three wins in the last five Premiership outings, which culminated in last week’s 3-0 victory away to Crusaders, which saw the Lurgan Blues climb off the foot of the table at the expense of the North Belfast outfit.

Larne began the game brightly and caused the home side twice in the opening five minutes.

Andy Ryan got in behind the Glenavon defence on the left flank and flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal for striker partner Paul O’Neill, but he couldn’t get enough of a telling touch to poke it past Jacob Carney, with Luke McGerrigan able to clear.

Soon afterwards Ryan himself threatened with a headed effort, which Carney got back to claw out just in time.

Carney was called into action to keep his side level with an even more impressive stop on 27 minutes. Ryan’s cross from the left found O’Neill 15 yards out and he took a touch before unleashing a powerful right-footed drive with former Man United youngster Carney keeping it out with a strong palm away.

O’Neill was in the thick of the action again on the half hour mark when he capitalised on a Glenavon mistake on the edge of the box, but his attempted pass to slip Leroy Millar in with a clear sight of goal was too heavy and the chance was gone.

It summed up Larne’s frustration in front of goal in the first half, as the league leaders went in search of the all-important opener.

The second half began in much the same fashion, but Larne’s perseverance was rewarded on 62 minutes.

Leroy Millar picked up the ball on the right flank, before cutting back inside to curl in a great cross which was met by the head of Paul O’Neill, who steered the ball past Carney.

The second of the quickfire doubled arrived six minutes later as Leroy Millar grabbed a goal.

From a cross into the box Millar’s wayward header looked to be drifting out of play until Andy Ryan’s quick thinking retrieved possession and squared for Millar to lash home from eight yards out.

This helped to take the sting out of the contest massively as both managers looked to their bench in the closing stages.

There was still time for Andy Ryan to have the final say. He was on hand to finish off a flowing move which saw him tap in from a Leroy Millar cross.

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Alexander Isak will be fit for Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain – but Arne Slot has warned he is only likely to be a substitute.

Slot, though, believes Liverpool might see Isak at close to his best by the end of this season after the £125m man has had a negligible impact in his first season at Anfield.

Isak has only scored three goals in 17 appearances since his move from Newcastle and has been sidelined since December with a broken leg, necessitating surgery on his lower ankle.

He will sit out Sweden’s World Cup qualifiers in the international break and Slot does not believe the striker will be back in contention for the FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City on 3 April.

Slot feels he could make his comeback in the Parc des Princes four days later. “He will available [for PSG], yes,” he said.

“The question is what you mean around ‘ready’. If you want to have the player who played exactly a year ago against us in the Carabao Cup final, and was too good for us on that day, then I would tell you I have my doubts about that after seven or eight months out.

“But I expect that I can use him for minutes. Exactly what I get from that I cannot tell you because he hasn’t trained with the team even once.

“He still is not able to train with the team and he hasn’t been able to train with the team and usual rehab is before you start to train with the team and then you play games. You don’t, after one training session, play 45 minutes or 90 minutes.”

Slot is convinced Liverpool need not worry that Isak will return to his peak at Anfield and, after often lamenting missed chances this season, feels their results would have been better had Isak been fit.

“It is 100 per cent sure fans will see the best of him next season and we are trying to make sure that we will see close to the best or the best of him this season. I am just as excited as the fans to have him back because I think it is fair to say that 90 per cent of our games, we’ve had more chances than the other team, so if we had one of the best strikers in the world playing for you then that would have usually, usually, meant that you would have had more points.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge agreed Friday to block the Trump administration from enforcing a policy limiting news reporters’ access to the Pentagon, agreeing with The New York Times that key portions of the new rules are unlawful.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman in Washington, D.C., sided with the newspaper and ruled that the Pentagon policy illegally restricts the press credentials of reporters who walked out of the building rather than agree to the new rules.

The Times sued the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December, claiming the credentialing policy violates the journalists’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process.

The current Pentagon press corps is comprised mostly of conservative outlets that agreed to the policy. Reporters from outlets that refused to consent to the new rules, including from The Associated Press, have continued reporting on the military.

Friedman, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Bill Clinton, said the policy “fails to provide fair notice of what routine, lawful journalistic practices will result in the denial, suspension, or revocation” of Pentagon press credentials. He ruled that it violates the First and Fifth amendment rights to free speech and due process.

“Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation’s security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech. That principle has preserved the nation’s security for almost 250 years. It must not be abandoned now,” the judge wrote.

Times attorney Theodore Boutrous said in a statement that the court ruling is “a powerful rejection of the Pentagon’s effort to impede freedom of the press and the reporting of vital information to the American people during a time of war.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.

It has argued that the policy imposes “common sense” rules that protect the military from the disclosure of national security information.

“The goal of that process is to prevent those who pose a security risk from having broad access to American military headquarters,” government attorneys wrote.

Times attorneys claim the policy is designed to silence unfavorable press coverage of President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The First Amendment flatly prohibits the government from granting itself the unbridled power to restrict speech because the mere existence of such arbitrary authority can lead to self-censorship,” they wrote.

The judge said he recognizes that “national security must be protected, the security of our troops must be protected, and war plans must be protected.”

“But especially in light of the country’s recent incursion into Venezuela and its ongoing war with Iran, it is more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing — so that the public can support government policies, if it wants to support them; protest, if it wants to protest; and decide based on full, complete, and open information who they are going to vote for in the next election,” Friedman wrote.

Friedman said the “undisputed evidence” shows that the policy is designed to weed out “disfavored journalists” and replace them with those who are “on board and willing to serve” the government, a clear instance of illegal viewpoint discrimination.

“In sum, the Policy on its face makes any newsgathering and reporting not blessed by the Department a potential basis for the denial, suspension, or revocation of a journalist’s (credentials),” he wrote. “It provides no way for journalists to know how they may do their jobs without losing their credentials.”

The Pentagon had asked the judge to suspend his ruling for a week for an appeal. Friedman refused.

The judge ordered the Pentagon to reinstate the press credentials of seven Times journalists. But he said his decision to vacate the challenged policy terms applies to “all regulated parties.” Friedman gave the Pentagon a week to file a written report on its compliance with the order.

__

Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.

He wrote: “They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices.

The 2026 Oscars saw Jessie Buckley win best actress for her searing portrayal of a mother’s grief in Hamnet. But the film is also a story about a “green witch”, for Agnes Hathaway is no ordinary woman. She is a herbalist, healer and daughter of a “forest witch”.

In Maggie O’Farrell’s prize-winning novel of the same name, we first meet Agnes in her “witch garden” as her stepmother disparagingly calls it. We learn of her love of nature and that she has the gift of second sight, tuning into nature’s signs. There are other hints too: she has a “familiar”, a kestrel, which represents Agnes’s wild nature.

When her future husband Will Shakespeare first meets her he is struck by her direct gaze, her almost masculine energy. Her searching fingers grip the flesh between his thumb and forefinger to glean his essence. Agnes is independent, unruly, a creature of the forest. In the film’s opening scene she is curled up asleep among the tangled roots of a huge tree which serves as an arresting motif in the film.

The powerful story of Agnes the healer and forest witch highlights an aspect of witchcraft often overlooked in more sensationalised and darker versions of witchcraft, such as in the TV series Mayfair Witches. It also points to a growing form of modern witchcraft today, known as “green witchcraft”.

This form has its roots in “natural magic” – the practice of using plants, herbs and the natural world for benevolent purposes. Doreen Valiente, who wrote the book Natural Magic in 1975, refers to “green magic” in her text, foreshadowing what was to become a popular form of witchcraft 40 years later.

Green witchcraft also has close links with goddess spirituality, which celebrates the divine feminine as a counterbalance to the divine masculine dominance of traditional religions.

As the name suggests, green witchcraft draws on environmental concerns and often has an eco-feminist emphasis – women caring for the earth and all living entities on it, and opposing the exploitation of nature for human ends.

Green witchcraft has become so popularised that my colleague Pauline Maclaran and I devote a chapter to it in our forthcoming book, Bewitching Consumer Culture: Witchcraft, Feminism and Markets.

Historically in Britain, the witch figure inspired fear, fascination and suspicion. The brutal witch-hunts and widespread persecution of women that occurred from the mid-16th to the mid-18th centuries have made the witch a powerful figure for feminism. Our book explores the growing interest in witchcraft in the marketplace, revealing how the witch has evolved into a feminist heroine for our times.

Growing interest

Interest in the subject has burgeoned in recent years. When working on our book, a google search on “green witchcraft” resulted in 675 million hits, and “green witch” had 705 million hits. An Amazon search returned over 2,000 publications, mostly published in the last five years. There is now a plethora of books on the topic, and numerous podcasts, blogs and YouTube videos devoted to the subject.

Many green witches have huge followings, and share their practices on social media sites such as TikTok (aka WitchTok), YouTube and Instagram. These visual mediums enable them to share potions, spells, tips and advice on their practice of walking the green path. They also display their green witch aesthetic in terms of lifestyle, home décor, and especially green altars or shrines dedicated to nature. Posts often take the form of inspirational quotes, invocations or affirmations.

Green witchcraft particularly attracts young women concerned about climate change and living sustainably. This might include organic gardening, growing plants and foraging, appealing to those seeking alternative, nature-based spiritual paths. Its emphasis on balance, wellbeing and mindfulness is another important part of its appeal.

It speaks to a feminist perspective too, as it advocates a feminine ethic of care and respect for nature and living in harmony with the earth, as well as offering a means for empowerment, self-determination and self-growth.

Central to green witchcraft practices is the creation of ritual altars dedicated to nature. These shrines may be inside on a windowsill or outdoors in a corner of the garden. The altar faces the direction of the element the green witch most identifies with (north for air, south for water, east for fire and west for earth).

Ritual artefacts used by green witches include white-handled knives (bolines) for cutting herbs, cauldrons, chalices, wands, candles, crystals, smudge sticks for cleansing energy (using white sage, juniper, lavender or cedar), and divination tools such as oracle cards and witches’ runes. These are a set of symbols, such as the sun, moon or other elemental designs that each have their own meaning. The symbols are inscribed on things like candles or stones and are then “cast” to answer a question asked.

Some practices, when shared, also enable green witches to inspire others in the community to follow the green path. Common to other forms of contemporary witchcraft, green witchcraft has its grounding and centring practices, setting intentions, manifesting, affirmations and of course “spellcasting”.

In many ways green witchcraft reinforces the age-old association of women as nature’s guardians. Importantly, it also recasts the witch figure as a caring, benign force for good. The green witch plants, tends and respects nature. She is nature’s healer, close to nature’s secrets and respectful of its power, much like Agnes in Hamnet.

In their solitary practices and through their online and offline communities, green witches can be seen as powerful counter-cultural influencers. They encourage young women in particular to feel empowered to harness the healing power of the feminine aspect through a spiritual practice rooted in respect for nature and its cycles.

Across a variety of social media platforms, ever-growing numbers of green witches inspire others to follow the nurturing, soulful and environmentally kind green path. The sympathetic and moving portrayal of Agnes in the 16th-century setting of Hamnet will probably be an additional source of inspiration.

US President Donald Trump has criticised the UK’s delayed response after ministers agreed to let America use British bases to strike Iranian missile sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz

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US President Donald Trump has stated the UK “should have acted a lot faster” in permitting America to utilise British bases for strikes on Iranian missile installations targeting the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s remarks followed ministers agreeing to allow the US access to British bases for striking Iranian sites threatening the Strait of Hormuz. Downing Street confirmed UK bases would now be available for US “defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships”.

Previously, the Government had only permitted the US to use British bases for targeting missile sites threatening British interests in the region. The decision to grant US access to bases for striking Iran emerged after Trump expressed he was “unhappy with the UK” and other European nations, accusing them of being “non-responsive” during the conflict.

Trump had also previously labelled NATO allies “cowards” for declining to provide warships to reopen the Strait, reports the Express.

Speaking to journalists outside the White House today, US President Donald Trump said: “It’s been a very late response from the UK. I’m surprised because the relationship is so good, but this has never happened before. They were really, pretty much our first ally, all over the world.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch responded to the decision on social media, describing the ministers’ move as “the mother of all U-turns”, whilst the Lib Dems argued “granting further permission for the US to use British bases must first have a Parliamentary vote”.

A Number 10 spokesperson stated: “They confirmed that the agreement for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

“They reaffirmed that the principles behind the UK’s approach to the conflict remain the same: the UK remains committed to defending our people, our interests and our allies, acting in accordance with international law and not getting drawn into the wider conflict. Ministers underlined the need for urgent de-escalation and a swift resolution to the war.”

Earlier in the day, Iran’s foreign minister cautioned the UK during a telephone conversation with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper that allowing the US to utilise British bases is viewed as “participation in aggression”.

The Foreign Secretary has issued a warning to Tehran against targeting UK interests, after her Iranian counterpart indicated that Britain’s provision of military bases to the US is regarded as “participation in aggression”. She urged for the immediate restoration of freedom of navigation and repeated the UK’s demand to cease attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas facilities.

Addressing the US receiving authorisation to utilise British bases for strikes on Iranian positions threatening the Strait of Hormuz, shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge commented: “After weeks of dither and finger pointing, the Prime Minister has once again changed his mind and performed yet another screeching U-turn. The Prime Minister had the Navy’s only active minesweeper taken out of the Gulf a week before the war began.”

He further stated “Starmer is weak and indecisive”.