Whoever is the next president of the US, their urgent goal should be to regain control over US foreign policy (The Big Read, October 8).
As it stands, US foreign policy has been held hostage by the administration’s “ironclad commitment” doctrine towards Israel, which unfortunately means the de facto support of virtually any policy action the Israeli government takes, no matter what its nature (for example in relation to international law), and irrespective of the implications for how the US is perceived by the rest of the world, and irrespective of the implications for US involvement in a war clearly contrary to its own interests.
No country anywhere in the world should have such an “ironclad commitment” from the US government. No country anywhere should be able to do anything it feels appropriate for its own national interest and perpetually drag the US with it, no matter what the implications are for the US. I say that as a recently naturalised citizen of the US.
The current state of affairs is very damaging to the US, with implications both for American lives and for the legitimacy and effectiveness of the US as a world leader and guardian of the rules-based world order.
A LUCKY lottery winner nearly missed that he had scooped a £500,000 jackpot after he “assumed” there was a lag on the system.
A computer maintenance engineer is finally celebrating his £500,000 lottery win a year after having surgery for cancer.
The win comes after a painful 24 hours of waiting as John Lingard, from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, said he initially saw no increase on his bank account’s available funds.
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“I assumed there must be a lag or something on the system, so went to work and didn’t give it another thought,” he said.
“Even when I logged on later that day to buy my EuroMillions ticket, I didn’t look more deeply into the message that popped up congratulating me on a win.
“It was only 24 hours later that I finally read my messages and the penny started to drop, although not fully, because at first glance I thought it was £500.10.
READ MORE NATIONAL LOTTERY
“I was just on my way out the door, heading to the supermarket, but when I worked out that it was actually £500,000 plus £10 on another line, I decided driving wasn’t a good idea so walked to the local shop,” he added.
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John bought a Lucky Dip ticket for the September 25 draw via the National Lottery app, and his winning numbers were 13, 15, 18, 30 and 33 with Thunderball number 7.
He said he “felt like I was on cloud nine” when he realised he had won £500,000 in the Thunderball draw.
The engineer’s lotto success follows a nasty cancer diagnosis which saw him have one of his kidneys removed to stop the spread of the disease.
He has since been given the all clear.
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I won lottery prize but Tesco refused to hand over cash due to ridiculous policy and now I’m banned from store
The 66-year-old plans on spending some of his winnings with friends in Tenerife – a place he visited a year ago to find some peace and calm after he was first diagnosed.
“It’s crazy to think that at the start of the year I would come to the beach to find inner peace in all the turmoil of the treatment and my worries about the future,” he said.
He added: “I couldn’t have dreamt that less than 12 months later I would be here celebrating a National Lottery win!”
His trip will be the first week of unpaid leave for the engineer since he started work at 16.
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“I visit Tenerife three or four times a year, but when I left in September I told friends I probably couldn’t make it back before early 2025,” he said.
“Now, thanks to my Thunderball luck, I can afford to take a week off – unpaid – and head back for a little winter sun, and to celebrate with my friends over there,” he continued.
The engineer also said he might do a little house-hunting while on the island to have a “bolthole for the future” and so that he can share some of his fortune with those closest to him.
Lottery warning to check tickets after $390,000 ‘lucky’ prize remains unclaimed – it was bought at a gas station
John added that he has no plans to retires but is keen to spend his money doing fun things with friends.
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But first it will take some time adjusting to his new fortune.
He said: “I started playing when the National Lottery first began 30 years ago and, while all along I’ve believed that one day I would win big, now it’s happened it’s taken a bit of getting used to!”
“And having been through such a challenging time with my cancer diagnosis and treatment, I want to be sure I make the most of every moment, whether that’s work, rest or play.”
How to enter the National lottery?
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For just £2 you can enter the National lottery and be in with the chance of winning up to £10 million.
Pick 6 numbers from 1-59 or go with a LuckyDip for randomly selected numbers.
You can play up to 7 lines of numbers on each play slip and buy up to 10 slips at a time.
Choose to play on Wednesday or Saturday – or both, and then the number of weeks you’d like to play.
In his Markets Insight column Michael Howell warned of challenges for UK investors from “the great wall of debt” that will need refinancing in 2025/26 (October 17). It isn’t just investors who should worry. The prime collateral for all bank loans is property, or rather the land it sits on, because land is in fixed supply and cannot be consumed. Fred Harrison’s Boom Bust: House Prices, Banking and the Depression of 2010 (published in 2005) precisely predicted the peak of the last house price boom as end 2007. He predicts the next peak in 2026.
A happy customer elsewhere told how similar products helped cut down drying time by 45 minutes.
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Using dryer balls could be a way to reduce the amount of time and money spent on drying clothes, especially in the colder months when tumble dryers are in high demand.
She said: “Not only could I save £106.08 a year by using dryer balls, but my clothes came out feeling softer than usual and with less creases so they were easier to iron.”
This small, inexpensive purchase can help to bring down energy usage without requiring any drastic lifestyle changes or compromises in laundry routines.
Loft insulation is also very important as it can stop heat escaping, therefore slashing your heating bill.
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You can buy insulation from all local builder merchants or retailers such as B&Q and Wickes.
MORE SAVING TIPS
Experts like Martyn James point out that tumble dryers, along with other “wet appliances” like washing machines and dishwashers, are some of the biggest energy users in the home.
He said: “The big offenders are ‘wet appliances’ including washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers,” he says.
“Try to only use them for full loads, learn more about what that ‘eco mode’ does as that could save you energy and drop the heat as low as you can go.
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“These machines have to quickly generate heat, so can result in them adding a quarter of the cost of your energy bill.
“‘You should also regularly clean out the lint drawer, which can help your machine run more efficiently.
Here are some more ways to save money on your laundry and reduce bills
If you’re shopping for a new machine, consumer group Which? says choosing a more efficient washing machine could save up to £55 a year.
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It might cost more upfront but you will spend less over the lifetime of the product.
An extra washing machine spin before you tumble dry your load could shorten the time you have the dryer on.
Tumble dryers use far more energy, so reducing this cost can add up, and of course in better weather avoid it altogether if you can hang it out to air dry.
Reducing the number of loads you do can cut your usage and bill, and making sure your doing a full load each time is one way to do this.
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The Good Housekeeping Institute reckons you should wash jeans, jumpers and towels after every three uses. But if they look and smell OK, hold off for the sake of the planet — and your wallet.
An article on October 23 wrongly reported the outcome of a Hampshire county council cabinet meeting. Waste recycling centres will be spared and the use of school traffic controllers will be reviewed, not cut as wrongly stated.
A MAJOR energy supplier is reopening a grants scheme which can pay hard-up households up to £2,000 in free cash.
The British Gas Energy Support Fund will begin accepting new applications from Monday, 4th November, providing grants to customers facing difficulties paying their bills.
Any British Gas or Scottish Gas energy customer who is struggling to pay their energy bill and has sought financial and energy advice is eligible to apply for support.
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Successful applicants could receive a grant of up to £2,000 to help with outstanding debts – £500 more than what was available to households last winter.
To be considered for a grant, you must meet the following criteria:
However, unlike other energy supplier grants, this scheme’s support is available to British Gas and non-British Gas customers.
Energy customers could previously get up to £1,500 in help from the fund, but it has increased to £1,700 this winter to help an increasing number of households in debt.
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However, not everyone will be eligible for a grant under the British Gas Energy Trust’s scheme.
There are certain criteria that you need to meet to be considered for the Individual and Families Fund, including:
Pre-payment meter customers must have between £50 and £1,700 of energy debt
Credit customers must have between £250 and £1,700 of energy debt
You live in England, Scotland, or Wales
You have not received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last 2 years
You must be seeking a grant to clear an outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual fuel energy account. The account must be in your name and relate to your main residence
You have received help from a money advice agency within the last six months
Customers with energy debts worth more than £1,700 will not be eligible for support through the fund.
Although British Gas Energy Trust welcomes applications from customers of all energy suppliers, it is recommended that customers from the following companies first seek assistance through their own hardship schemes:
Ovo Energy
E.ON Next
EDF Energy
Scottish Power
Octopus Energy
Utilita
If you are rejected by your own energy company’s hardship fund, apply to the British Gas Energy Trust’s Individual and Families Fund by visiting www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/grants-available.
WHAT OTHER SUPPLIERS OFFER
Most energy suppliers have a discretionary grant scheme to help support their most vulnerable customers.
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Grants vary by supplier and, of course, the exact amount you’ll get will depend on your own financial circumstances.
Here’s a full list of other energy suppliers offering grants.
EDF Energy
EDF’s Consumer Support Fund provides grants to support vulnerable customers struggling with energy debt.
Grants are given to help clear debt and to help fund the provision of essential white goods, such as fridges or cookers.
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You can apply to the scheme at EDF’s Let’s Talk website by visiting www.forms.lets-talk.online/Login
But before you can apply for funding, you need to sought independent debt advice.
You will also need to provide your EDF account number, current debt balance and details of your household finances and vulnerability.
E.ON Next
Customers of E.ON Next can apply for cash grants to help with their energy costs.
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E.ON doesn’t have established eligibility criteria, but the fund aims to help as many people as possible, and applications from individuals with the greatest needs will be prioritised.
You must know your energy account number and provide a recent meter reading to complete your application.
As part of your application, you’ll also be asked to provide evidence of your circumstances, such as proof of household income or DWP benefit payments.
Find out more, including how to apply, by visiting www.eonnextenergyfund.com.
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Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy offers a range of support, including cash from its Octopus Energy Assist Fund.
It could also include loaning a thermal imagery camera to find heat leaks in your home, which you can fix to reduce energy usage and your bill.
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