Conservative leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat has warned against his party becoming Reform UK, as he made his pitch to party members.
Speaking from the main stage at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, Tugendhat said the Tories needed to “rebuild trust” with the public, after the party’s historic election defeat in July.
Rival leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch said she was prepared to work with Nigel Farage’s party in Parliament but ruled out an electoral pact.
Tugendhat and Badenoch were the first contenders to speak in the main hall, with Robert Jenrick and James Cleverly getting their chance on Tuesday.
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Both candidates were interviewed by GB News political editor Christopher Hope, before taking questions from party members.
In July the Tories suffered their worst general election defeat in the party’s parliamentary history, losing votes to both the Liberal Democrats on the left and Reform UK on the right.
Asked whether the Lib Dems or Reform were the biggest enemy, Tugendhat, who is from the centrist One Nation wing of the party, said: “The enemy is trust. We have eroded trust in ourselves and we need to rebuild trust in the Conservative Party.”
He argued people did not vote for Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey or Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to become prime minister.
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“They voted against us. People woke up in the morning and they wanted to get us out,” he added.
Asked whether he would do a deal with Mr Farage, he said: “My job is to reform the Conservative Party not to become Reform.”
When the same questions were put to Badenoch, she said “anyone who’s not a Conservative has got to be defeated”.
She argued Reform politicians were not “real Conservatives” and “not serious people” but that Reform voters “are our people”.
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Pressed over whether she would do a deal with Farage’s party, she said: “I am always prepared to work with any other party that wants to help us deliver our agenda. I think that’s fine in Parliament, but in an election, no.”
She added: “At the next election we have to be the centre-right option. If we split that vote, we are going to be out of power for another five years and Labour will destroy this country.”
During the session Tugendhat, a former officer in the Territorial Army who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, repeatedly highlighted his military background, saying “my entire life has been about public service”.
However, he was challenged over whether he was the most inexperienced candidate, given the only government role he has previously held is security minister.
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Tugendhat shrugged off the question with a dig at his rivals’ lack of military record, saying: “I’m not going to hold against anybody their inexperience in combat or their inexperience in foreign affairs.
“I won’t hold against them the areas where they didn’t serve their country and put their lives on the line. They have served in other ways and I think we should respect that.”
North Carolina has been devastated by flooding and mudslides after the remnants of Hurricane Helene tore through the state.
At least 42 people have died in North Carolina, per CNN,making it the state with the highest death toll after the storm. More than 100 people have died across six states, including Florida and Georgia.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Helene was “one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of western North Carolina,” calling the devastation an “unprecedented tragedy.” The storm damaged roads and downed power lines, leaving many without power.
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Helene started as a tropical storm last week, but escalated to a Category 4 hurricane before it hit the U.S. on Sept. 26. While it was downgraded on its path through the U.S., it unleashed torrential rains and catastrophic flooding on many communities.
There’s a long road to recovery ahead. President Joe Biden said that he would visit areas affected by Helene later this week if it wouldn’t disrupt the rescue and recovery efforts.
Flooding in Asheville, N.C. on Sept. 28.Melissa Sue Gerrits—Getty ImagesA local resident helps free a car that became stranded in a stretch of flooding road on the outskirts of Boone, N.C., on Sept. 27.Jonathan Drake—ReutersA stop sign can be barely seen above a flooded parking lot in Morganton, N.C., on Sept. 28.Kathy Kmonicek—APResidents inspect the damage from flooding in the Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Asheville, N.C. on Sept. 28.Sean Rayford—Getty ImagesDamage and debris from flooding that came from the Rocky Broad River into Lake Lure on Sept. 28.Melissa Sue Gerrits—Getty ImagesMud fills the entrance to resident Terry Wilson’s home in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Old Fort, N.C. on Sept. 29.Melissa Sue Gerrits—Getty ImagesA vehicle backed up onto a tree outside of the Old Fort Elementary School in Old Fort, N.C. on Sept. 29.Melissa Sue Gerrits—Getty ImagesThe Laurel Fork Road bridge sits destroyed from flood waters raging in the Upper Laurel Fork creek in Vilas, N.C., on Sept. 27.Jonathan Drake—ReutersMen on a four wheeler pass a storm damaged house along Mill Creek in Old Fort, N.C., on Sept. 30.Sean Rayford—Getty ImagesPiled up debris in Lake Lure in Lake Lure, N.C. on Sept. 28.Melissa Sue Gerrits—Getty ImagesA couple gathers water for their toilets in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Fairview, N.C. on Sept. 29.Sean Rayford—Getty ImagesWorkers survey a large section of Highway 105 that washed away because of flood waters, on the outskirts of Boone, N.C., on Sept. 27.Jonathan Drake—ReutersA flooded parking lot in Asheville, N.C., on Sept. 28.Melissa Sue Gerrits—Getty Images
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
By assassinating Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israel has dealt a grievous blow to one of its most powerful foes. Over three decades, Nasrallah transformed the group, with Iranian backing, into the Middle East’s most heavily armed non-state actor and the dominant political force in Lebanon. His killing has severely wounded the movement, while underlining Israel’s military superiority over Iran’s so-called axis of resistance.
Many other senior Hizbollah figures have been killed in Israeli air strikes. But the relentless bombardment has wrought devastation on Lebanon, spreading fear and panic across the nation. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the past two weeks, and up to 1mn forced from their homes. As the bombs rain down, they fear what comes next. Many in Lebanon opposed Nasrallah and blamed Hizbollah for the crisis-ridden country’s ills. But Hizbollah also represents a large swath of Shia society in a fragile nation where Muslim and Christian sects coexist uneasily. Under Nasrallah, the movement was cohesive and disciplined. In his absence, many worry it might fragment or become more extreme.
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Israelis, too, should be wary. They celebrated the death of their foe, but having a failed state on their northern border, or a more extremist enemy bent on revenge, will not serve their security interests. Hizbollah has been battered, but it will not disappear. History has shown that when one militant leader is killed, another steps into the breach, often more radical than the former.
As Israel prepares to mark the grim anniversary of Hamas’s horrific October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people and ignited the year of conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should take his wins and chart a new course. He should embrace the diplomatic off-ramps that have been available for months to end the war in Gaza, secure the release of hostages, and halt the conflict with Hizbollah.
After pummelling Gaza for 12 months, Israel has killed many of Hamas’s senior leaders and severely depleted its military capacity. The offensive has left Gaza in ruins, and more than 41,000 Gazans have been killed, according to Palestinian officials. Hamas will not be able to control Gaza or repeat the atrocities of a year ago. On the northern front, Netanyahu’s stated aim is to ensure the safe return of 60,000 Israelis displaced by Hizbollah’s rocket fire, which began a day after the October 7 attack. But that will not happen as long as the conflict continues.
Worryingly, however, the chances of Netanyahu and his far-right government banking their military gains and choosing the path of diplomacy over yet more war appear as remote as ever. Since killing Nasrallah on Friday, Israel has continued to pound Lebanon, launched limited ground incursions across the border in a potential prelude to a land invasion, and struck Houthi rebels in Yemen. Netanyahu has also stepped up his belligerent rhetoric against Iran.
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The US and Israel’s other allies preach de-escalation but are unable or unwilling to rein in Netanyahu, whose political interests are served by keeping Israel locked in conflict. The Biden administration looks ever more impotent as the US election nears, despite the risk that Netanyahu could seek to drag Washington into a war with Iran.
Israel’s desire to restore its deterrent is one thing. But careering headlong into forever wars, giddy on its tactical success, with no clear strategy or end game, is not a recipe for long-term security and stability, for Israel or the region. The Middle East has witnessed its darkest year in decades. The killing and destruction must stop.
Now is the perfect time to book your next theatre trip, with new West End show tickets released for the winter season.
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Now is the perfect time to book your next theatre trip, with new West End show tickets released for the winter seasonCredit: Getty
Use these tricks to plan your visit.
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EARLY BIRD: Many new shows offer discounted rates for early performances.
For instance, Titanique, a musical based on the Titanic film, starts in December with tickets from £16 for initial performances, rising to around £31 in January.
GO OFF-PEAK: Booking Monday or Tuesday shows often means cheaper tickets since most tourists visit on weekends.
READ MORE MONEY SAVING TIPS
Matinees outside school holidays also offer lower prices — check if your chosen production has this option.
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DISCOUNT DEALS:NHS staff can get 25 per cent off ATG tickets or 10 per cent off via LoveTheatre.co.uk.
Check healthservicediscounts.com for more offers.
If you have a railcard, you can claim discounts for theatre trips booked with train travel — check availability at DaysOutGuide.tixculture.com.
MORE THE MERRIER: Round up a few friends and book as a group to get money off your next theatre trip.
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For instance, booking ten-plus tickets for Mrs Doubtfire in the West End drops the price to £49.50 per ticket, down from around £57.50.
Girl power wows audience at West End Show
Many theatres offer group rates for 6 to 12-plus people if you check with the theatre directly.
LOTTERY WIN: Some major productions offer daily lotteries for discounted or even free tickets. Hamilton holds a regular lottery via the TodayTix app, where you can win tickets for £10.
Also, follow your favourite shows on social media, where competitions for free tickets are often posted.
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ACCESS FOR ALL: If you’re on low income or universal credit, many theatres offer heavily discounted rates.
National Theatre of Scotland’s Theatre for a Fiver programme gives access to £5 tickets, just check local theatre websites for more options.
All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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Kamala Harris is depicted on NBC News accepting the Democratic presidential nomination. Screenshot: Press Gazette
Most of the world’s most-visited English-language news sites grew traffic year-on-year in August, despite month-on-month traffic declines.
American and British news sites saw the sharpest month-on-month contractions coming out of a busy July that saw the opening of the Paris Olympics, Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race and an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
Indian news sites, on the other hand, were among the most resilient of the top 50 newsbrands in August. Five of the 12 sites that grew their traffic were Indian, and a further two Indian brands kept visits steady compared with July.
Year-on-year, the fastest-growing site in August was again Newsweek (up 141% to 134.9 million visits), which has registered as either the fastest or second-fastest growing brand year-on-year every month since December 2023.
Newsweek was followed by ABC News (78.1 million visits, up 71% year-on-year), People (205.2 million, up 53%) and newsletter platform Substack (82.9 million, up 45%).
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Here too Indian websites are well-represented, with Indiatimes (194.2 million, up 41% year-on-year) and DNAIndia.com, (72.1 million, up 38%), also known as Daily News and Analysis, ranking as the sixth and eighth-fastest growing top 50 news sites respectively.
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Among the ten most-visited English language news sites the picture is mixed, with another Indian site, CNN partner News18.com (254 million visits) growing traffic 11% year-on-year to enter the top ten for the first time in ninth place. The next fastest-growing among the top ten was The New York Times (536.4 million, up 9%) and msn.com (640.4 million, up 3%).
The fastest decliner among the top ten was Mail Online, which saw visits drop 18% year-on-year to 314.8 million.
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The Mail saw the third-largest drop year-on-year among the whole top 50. The second largest, despite the success of other Indian sites, was IndiaToday.in (99.6 million visits, down 22%) and fellow British tabloid Mirror.co.uk (71 million, down 35%).
Month-on-month DNAIndia was the fastest grower, seeing visits rise 49% compared with August. It was followed by India.com (99 million, up 29%) and Canada’s CBC (97.1 million, up 31%).
Relatively few sites saw rapid month-on-month growth in August, however, with five of the top 50 registering double-digit traffic increases.
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Most of the biggest fallers were big names in breaking news who saw traffic correct after the bumper July. NBC News shed the most visitors month-on-month, dropping 28% to 109.2 million. It was followed by ABC News which – despite seeing the second-greatest growth year-on-year – lost 17% of its visitors compared with July.
Among the ten largest English-language sites globally there was little growth month-on-month, with Yahoo Finance (240.5 million) growing visits 2% and News18 growing them 0.2%. The rest of the top ten saw traffic contractions, led by CNN (607.2 million, down 14% month-on-month), Fox News (324.5 million, down 12% month-on-month) and Mail Online (down 8% month-on-month).
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Continue reading for previous months’ coverage of the world’s top 50 websites for news:
July 2024
Most of the world’s biggest news website saw strong growth in July in what was a bumper month for news.
July saw an assassination attempt against Donald Trump, Joe Biden announcing he would not stand for re-election as US president and the start of the Paris Olympics (see in-depth coverage of Olympics news web traffic here).
The fastest-growing English language news websites in the world were mainly based in the US with Newsweek, ABC News and AP News all up more than 100% year on year. All of the fastest-growing sites in our top 50 were US-based with the exception of India-based NDTV.com.
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Seven out of the top ten English language news websites in the world grew year on year, with CNN and Fox News both up more than 20%.
The biggest news website in the world remains the BBC with 1.2 billion visits per month (although it should be noted this includes the entire BBC website domain, not just the news section).
Month on month ABC News in the US was the fastest-growing global top-50 news website, up 79%, with UK-based Sky News the third fastest-growing site globally up 47%.
May 2024
Note: Figures from May 2024 and earlier were calculated using an old Similarweb data model that has since been updated.
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The BBC was the fastest-growing of the ten biggest news websites in the world in May, according to Press Gazette’s updated ranking.
Visits to the website of the UK’s flagship broadcaster were up 9% in May compared to April to 1.1 billion. While Similarweb data includes traffic to the BBC’s entertainment and other content too, the site has a major news offering.
It was followed by Fox News (292 million, up 8%), New York Times (685.5 million, up 4%) and Google News (383.2 million, up 3%), according to digital intelligence platform Similarweb.
None of the top ten sites saw smaller audiences in May compared to April, although the audiences to the Daily Mail (364.9 million) and India Times (287.9 million) were largely unchanged from last month.
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Year-on-year, among the top ten news sites by number of visits India Times was again the fastest-growing site (up 67% compared to May 2023). It was followed by the New York Times (up 19%), Yahoo Finance (248.2 million, up 10%), The Guardian (368.2 million, up 5%) and the BBC (up 4%).
Among the wider top 50, AP saw the biggest growth with visits to the newswire’s site up 20% month-on-month to 115 million. British newsbrands Sky News (77.2 million visits, up 14% month-on-month) and the Express (92.6 million, up 11%) also made the fastest-growing list.
Year-on-year Newsweek was the fastest-growing top 50 site in a list largely dominated by Indian newsbrands. Visits to newsweek.com were up 170% compared to last May to 107.4 million. Al Jazeera (63.9 million, up 55%), AP News (up 48%) and People (205.2 million, up 39%) also made the list.
The BBC was again top of the table for visits. It was followed by MSN (686 million), New York Times, CNN and Google News. The order of the top five is unchanged from last month. The Guardian in sixth place was the best-ranked UK newsbrand after the BBC.
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April 2024
India Times was the biggest-growing news website in the world in April, according to Press Gazette’s updated ranking.
Visits to the website of digital giant were up 87% year-on-year to 287.6 million as the world’s most populous country undertakes elections. It was followed by Yahoo Finance (243.9 million, up 20%), The New York Times (657 million, up 15%) and The Guardian (366.5 million, up 10%).
The remainder of the top ten newsbrands in contrast did not see traffic grow year-on-year. Fox News slumped furthest with traffic falling to 269.3 million, down 14% in April, while BBC saw a smaller fall of 5% year-on-year to 1 billion visits, according to data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb.
Month-on-month, among the top ten news sites by number of visits the picture was more positive with six seeing more traffic in April than in March. Top of the list was again India Times (up 8% month-on-month), followed by The Guardian (up 5%), CNN (558.2 million visits, up 3%) and the BBC (up 2%). Traffic for the remainder of the top ten was static, increasing or decreasing by less than 1% compared to March.
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Among the wider top 50, five of the fastest-growing new sites year-on-year were from India with financial news site Livemint seeing the largest surge in visits compared to April 2023 (up 139% to 83.7 million). Newsweek maintained its strong growth and was the second-fastest growing, close behind Livemint with visits up 132% to 103.4 million. This echoes teh US news magazine’s strong performance in our US top 50 ranking as well.
Al Jazeera meanwhile also saw a strong month with visits up 67% year-on-year to 70.8 million. Continued interest in the war in Gaza likely lies behind the Qatari newsbrand’s strong performance in April.
Among the top 50 many of the same names that performed well year-on-year also did well in terms of month-on-month growth in visits. Indian Express led the list with visits up 36% to 156.8 million compared to March, while Al Jazeera (up 28%) and CBS News (95.4 million visits, up 24%) also saw a strong April.
The BBC was again top of the table for visits. Its monthly growth meant that it crossed the 1 billion visit threshold in April below which it had remained for the previous two months. It was followed by MSN (678.8 million), New York Times, CNN and Google News (370.9 million). The order of the top five is unchanged from last month. The Guardian fell just short of the top five in sixth place. It was the best-ranked UK newsbrand after the BBC.
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March 2024
Newsweek was the biggest-growing news website in the world in March, according to Press Gazette’s updated ranking.
The news magazine saw visits to its website more than double in March, up 128% year-on-year to 104.1 million, according to data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb.
Newsweek has seen a recent run of strong growth, and was also the fastest-growing site in recent Press Gazette rankings of the top 50 news sites in the US. The newsbrand recently appointed a new executive editor, Jennifer H. Cunningham, formerly of Business Insider, who told Press Gazette her brief is to broaden Newsweek’s audience and “to enhance and augment the journalism“.
Newsweek was followed by three Indian newsbrands, ahead of national elections in the country coming between April and June: financial news specialist Livemint (82.4 million visits, up 100% year-on-year), India Times (265.4 million, up 60%) and the Hindustan Times (170 million, up 45%).
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Similarly month-on-month India.com (65.9 million visits, up 44%) topped the table for growth.
Two British newsbrands also featured in the fastest growing sites month-on-month. Visits to the website of Reach’s tabloid brand Express.co.uk were up 17% compared to February to reach 76.8 million, while visits to The Independent were up 12% to 109.5 million.
Among the ten biggest sites by number of visits in March, fastest-growing year-on-year was India Times. It was followed by The New York Times (666 million visits, up 11%) and Yahoo Finance (245.9 million, up 5%).
The remainder of the ten biggest sites slumped year-on-year, with Fox News seeing the sharpest decline (269.4 million visitors, down 18%), followed by aggregator MSN (676 million, down 11%).
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However all top ten sites grew month-on-month. The biggest increase in visits was for India Times, followed by New York Times (up 10% month-on-month) and CNN (539.9 million, up 9%). UK newsbrands The Daily Mail (369.3 million, up 8% compared to February) and The Guardian (349.7 million, up 7%) also saw growth of more than 5% in their number of visits.
The BBC was again top of the table for visits (992.4 million) although it remained below the one billion visit mark for the second month in a row. It was followed by MSN, New York Times, CNN and Google News (375.6 million). The order of the top five is unchanged from last month.
February 2024
India Times was the fastest-growing top ten news website in the world in February, according to Press Gazette’s updated ranking.
Visits to the Indian daily newspaper’s website were up 48% year-on-year to 234.5 million, possibly due to increased interest in news about the country given India’s upcoming general election in April.
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It was followed by Yahoo Finance (241.4 million visits, up 18% year-on-year) and The New York Times (606.7 million visits, up 10%) which were second and third fastest growing among the ten biggest sites by number of visits, according to data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb.
The Guardian made a smaller gain of 2% (327.4 million visits) and the rest of the top ten reported declines compared to February last year.
Microsoft news aggregator MSN (642.2 million visits, down 14% year-on-year) and Fox News (262.9 million, down 16%) were the two top ten sites to see double-digit drops.
Month-on-month all of the top ten sites except the India Times (up 3%) saw less traffic in February compared to January. Fox News (down 16%) and the Daily Mail’s website (343.6 million visits, down 10% month-on-month) saw the biggest falls.
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Yahoo Finance (down 1% month-on-month) and New York Times (down 5%) also slumped compared to January despite growing year-on-year.
Fastest-growing year-on-year among the whole top 50 was again Newsweek (79.5 million visits, up 114%) which similarly saw strong growth in its home market of the US this month. Newsweek was followed by Indian financial newsbrand Livemint (71.8 million, up 90%) and Al Jazeera (53.4 million, up 55%), repeating the order of the fastest-growing sites year-on-year in January.
Month-on-month Newsweek (up 7% compared to January) was beaten by another Indian site, Indian Express (96.8 million, up 9% month-on-month). It was followed by GB News (55.2 million, up 4%) which entered the global top 50 for the first time last month.
The BBC was again top of the table for visits (963.4 million) although it fell below the one billion visit mark it has topped in recent months. It was followed by MSN (642.2 million), New York Times (606.7 million), CNN (497.7 million) and Google News (360.9 million). The order of the top five is unchanged from last month.
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Similarweb generates its traffic data by applying machine learning and modelling to the statistically representative datasets that the company collects. Datasets are based on direct measurement (i.e. websites and apps that choose to share first-party analytics with Similarweb); contributory networks that aggregate device data; partnerships and public data extraction from websites and apps. The sites in the list are based on Similarweb’s classification of news and media publishers, although Press Gazette refines the list to exclude some sites with a less news-based focus.
Continue reading for previous months’ coverage of the world’s top 50 websites for news:
January 2024
CNN was the fastest-growing top 10 news website in the world month-on-month in January, according to Press Gazette’s updated ranking.
Visits to the US cable broadcaster’s site were up 7% to reach 537.2 million compared to December, according to data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb. It reverses last month’s pattern for CNN which was the only top ten sites in December to see visits down, falling 2% between November and December.
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Second fastest-growing among the biggest ten sites by number of global visits was The Guardian (360.9 million, up 7% month-on-month), while Microsoft aggregator MSN (699.6 million, up 5%) was third. All top ten sites saw month-on-month growth.
Year-on-year all of the top ten sites saw audience drops however, The Guardian, New York Times (636.3 million visits) and Yahoo Finance saw comparatively small drops in visits of less than 1% compared to January 2023. MSN saw the biggest slump in traffic for the third month in a row (down 23% year-on-year), followed by Fox News (294.8 million visits) and CNN which were both down 16% year-on-year.
Fastest-growing year-on-year among the whole top 50 was again Newsweek (74.1 million visits, up 83%) – although its traffic was lower than December. Newsweek was followed by Indian financial newsbrand Livemint (77 million, up 76%) and Al Jazeera (57.8 million, up 56%).
Month-on-month UK-based news aggregator newsnow.co.uk was top for growth with visits up 40% compared to December (58.4 million visits). It was followed by GB News (53 million, up 21%) which entered the top 50 for the first time in 50th position, and Business Insider (107.7 million, up 21%).
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The BBC remained top of the table for visits and was the only site to top the 1 billion visit-threshold as in past months (1.1 billion visits), followed by MSN, New York Times, CNN and Google News (393.4 million). The order of the top five is unchanged from last month.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our “Letters Page” blog
Simply sign up to the US interest rates myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.
Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell suggested he was increasingly confident that the US central bank would pull off a soft landing and signalled that interest rates would fall “over time” towards a level that no longer restrains growth.
Powell struck a positive note in comments on Monday about the health of the world’s largest economy, which has weathered the worst inflation shock in decades and high interest rates without a painful rise in job losses.
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The Fed chair was speaking publicly for the first time since the central bank earlier this month began its first easing cycle in more than four years with a larger-than-usual half-point cut, leaving rates at 4.75-5 per cent.
“That decision reflects our growing confidence that, with an appropriate recalibration of our policy stance, strength in the labour market can be maintained in an environment of moderate economic growth and inflation moving sustainably down to our objective,” he said at an event at the National Association for Business Economics.
Powell did not comment on the size of any cut when officials next meet in November, one day after the US presidential election. Rather, he stressed that if the economy evolved as expected, “policy will move over time towards a more neutral stance” — a level that neither stimulates nor restrains economic activity — with decisions made “meeting by meeting”.
Now that inflation has retreated and the economic backdrop has “set the table for further disinflation”, Powell said the Fed’s focus would be on safeguarding the labour market, which is still “solid” despite demand cooling meaningfully.
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“Our goal all along has been to restore price stability without the kind of painful rise in unemployment that has frequently accompanied efforts to bring down high inflation,” Powell said on Monday.
Traders in federal funds futures markets have priced in the possibility that the central bank will again opt for a large rate reduction in roughly six weeks’ time. But a majority believe it will return to a quarter-point cadence in the future.
In an interview with the Financial Times on Friday, Alberto Musalem of the St Louis Fed endorsed the central bank reverting to cutting rates “gradually” given concerns that the economy could react “very vigorously” to looser financial conditions. A half-point reduction would however remain on the table if the labour market weakened more than expected — something his colleague Raphael Bostic of the Atlanta Fed backed on Monday.
According to the latest “dot plot” of Fed officials’ individual projections, most policymakers expected the benchmark rate to fall by another half a percentage point over the course of the two remaining meetings of the year. Almost half of the 19 officials thought the Fed should do less than that.
Policymakers also expected the federal funds rate to fall another percentage point in 2025, ending the year between 3.25 per cent and 3.5 per cent. By the end of 2026, it was estimated to fall just below 3 per cent.
THOUSANDS of struggling households can apply for a £300 winter fuel payment today – here’s how.
Those living abroad can now apply for cash this winter as long as they meet certain conditions.
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The deadline to claim for this winter is March 31, 2025Credit: Getty
If you do not live in the UK, you’re only eligible for the winter fuel payment if:
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You moved to an eligible country before January 1, 2021
You were born before September 23, 1958
You have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK – this can include having lived or worked in the UK and having family in the UK
These households can apply via post and will need to fill in the winter fuel payment claim form and post it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
This will be available at www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim from September 30. You can also find the address to post it to here.
Households will also be able to claim by phone, and the DWP will release the helpline number online on October 28.
The deadline to claim for this winter is March 31, 2025.
HOW MUCH YOU’LL GET
Payments last year were worth between £300 and £600, depending on your specific circumstances.
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This is because the amount included a “Pensioner Cost of Living Payment” – between £150 and £300.
However, this year, it will be worth £200 for eligible households or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.
That means you could receive up to £300 in free cash depending on your circumstances.
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Most payments are made automatically in November or December.
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You’ll get a letter telling you:
How much you’ll get
Which bank account it will be paid into
If you do not get a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by January 29, 2025, you must contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.
AVOID MISSING OUT
Over 800,000 households are eligible for pension credit but aren’t claiming the benefit.
Those people will now also miss out on this year’s winter fuel payment unless they start claiming.
Pension credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you are single or to £332.95 if you have a partner.
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This is known as the “guarantee credit”.
If your income is lower than this, you’re very likely to be eligible for the benefit.
However, if your income is slightly higher, you might still be eligible for pension credit if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs.
You could get an extra £81.50 a week if you have a disability or claim any of the following:
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Attendance allowance
The middle or highest rate from the care component of disability living allowance (DLA)
The daily living component of personal independence payment (PIP)
Armed Forces independence payment
The daily living component of adult disability payment (ADP) at the standard or enhanced rate.
You could get the “savings credit” part of pension credit if both of the following apply:
You reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016
You saved some money for retirement, for example, in a personal or workplace pension
This part of the pension credit is worth £17.01 for single people or £19.04 for couples.
It’s wise to put in an application as soon as possible, as the DWP can take up to two months to process new claims.
However, new claims for pension credit can be backdated by three months.
This means that the absolute deadline to claim the benefit and qualify for this year’s winter fuel payment is December 21.
If you fail to apply for the benefit before this date, you won’t qualify for this year’s £300 winter fuel payment.
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How do I apply for pension credit?
YOU can start your application up to four months before you reach state pension age.
Applications for pension credit can be made on the government website or by ringing the pension credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.
You can get a friend or family member to ring for you, but you’ll need to be with them when they do.
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You’ll need the following information about you and your partner if you have one:
National Insurance number
Information about any income, savings and investments you have
Information about your income, savings and investments on the date you want to backdate your application to (usually three months ago or the date you reached state pension age)
You can also check your eligibility online by visiting www.gov.uk/pension-credit first.
If you claim after you reach pension age, you can backdate your claim for up to three months.
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