Right-wing pundit Laura Loomer's theory suggests a convoluted plot involving music rights, political influence, and even Covid vaccines

The MLB is experimenting with robotic umpires -- and there's already a surprising source of opposition.Every major sports league pursues innovation on some level. The NBA and NFL are known for breakthroughs in sports medicine and treatment. In the MLB, recent advancements have hinged on the...

Manchester City and Leipzig have reached the knockout stage of the Champions League with two matches to spare

Following a conversation with Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Tom Cruise was granted a private screening of a movie at his residence

Parents can go online to find out what childcare they are eligible for under plans which will see nurseries expanded to provide more places and funding given to councils for wraparound care. Further details of the previously-announced reforms to allow some families of children as young as nine months to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week – set out by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the March Budget – have been announced. The Department for Education said parents in England can visit an eligibility checker online to see what they are entitled to, depending on their earnings and their child’s age. The Government said £100 million is being made available for nursery and early years places, with funding intended to support childcare settings to increase their physical space, which the department said is anticipated to add thousands of new places across the country. Following Mr Hunt’s target for all schools to be able to offer care either side of the school day by September 2026, local authorities will also now be getting details of how much of the £289 million wraparound fund they will receive – based on “anticipated need”. Early years leaders had previously expressed concerns that nurseries and childminders could struggle to deliver additional places for younger children from next year if the funding provided by the Government does not meet rising costs. The offer of free childcare for working parents will be available to those with two-year-olds from April 2024, covering around half a million parents, but it will initially be limited to 15 hours. From September 2024, the 15-hour offer will be extended to children from nine months, helping a total of nearly a million parents, and the full 30-hour offer to all under-fives will come in from September 2025. This is the largest investment in childcare in our history, so I encourage people with young children or those thinking about starting a family to visit the Childcare Choices website to find out what they’re eligible for Education Secretary Gillian Keegan Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “No-one should have to choose between having a career and having a family, so I’m determined that every parent who wants it should have access to the childcare they need. “Flexibility is at the heart of our plans to transform childcare for families, whether it’s offering quality childcare out of school hours or making sure there are more early years places where they’re needed most. “This is the largest investment in childcare in our history, so I encourage people with young children or those thinking about starting a family to visit the Childcare Choices website to find out what they’re eligible for.” Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said that far more investment is needed. “Unfortunately, the money behind this expansion is a fraction of what is required. Our members are also questioning where they will find the additional staff,” he said. “There is a real danger that the Government’s promises could fall short in reality if they don’t urgently look again at the funding and resources.” Helen Hayes, Labour’s shadow children and early years minister, added: “Without more details about whether this is new money, how many places it will provide and how new childcare will be staffed this pledge isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. “The Conservatives have overseen a dramatic fall in the number of childcare providers and places – they simply cannot be trusted to deliver the change in childcare that families need and deserve.” The department also said the childminder start-up grant scheme will open for applications by the end of November. The grant – £600 for those who register with Ofsted and £1,200 for those who register with a childminder agency – is aimed at boosting the numbers of childminders working to offer parents more flexible childcare. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “Boosting employment is key to growing our economy, and the extra money provided for parents on Universal Credit will give them the flexibility and security they need to find a job, support their children and reap the benefits of work. “I encourage every parent to access this resource to see what help is available and to talk to one of the thousands of Work Coaches in our Jobcentres who are there to help them find work or enhance their skills.” Parents can visit childcarechoices.gov.uk to use the eligibility checker. Read More Is scalp exfoliation the key to healthier hair? Why do some people love horror movies? TikTok influencers warn about ‘potent’ steroid cream risks among black women – dermatologist explains the risks House of the Year 2023 shortlist revealed by Royal Institute of British Architects Fatima Whitbread supporting new fostering campaign, as research finds ‘misconceptions put people off’ 5 key coat trends to complete your autumn/winter wardrobe

Cellnex Telecom SA, Europe’s largest mobile tower operator, will set up a plan to return cash to its

The recent dating rumours surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been unavoidable, particularly due to the pop star attending two of the NFL player's recent games - but there is a conspiracy theory circulating about her latest appearance. Cheering from the standings, the 33-year-old appeared to be in her element when she watched the Kansas City Chiefs against the Chicago Bears on September 24. Then she was spotted at MetLife Stadium on Monday (October 2) watching the Super Bowl winners defeat the New York Jets with celebrity pals such as Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Sophie Turner. But it's this latest game that has the conspiracy theorists convinced that she attended the New York Jets game to detract from criticisms of her use of private jets. Confused on how this has been deduced? Well, the theory is all about SEO and search results. Basically, some theorise that Swift's recent football game attendance means that when people search "Taylor Swift jets" the latest reports of her at the match will appear at the top of the search results, rather than links to data concerning her use of private jets. Molly McPherson, a pop culture PR expert described the move as "brilliant" on TikTok. "Of course, she went to the Jets game for SEO reputation busting. So when you Google 'Taylor Swift and the Jets' you don't get the story about her jet emissions - which most of the articles were digital by the way - you're gonna get Taylor Swift at the Jets game," she said. @mollybmcpherson #stitch with @underthepink (Kristen) Now we have Taylor Swift’s OFFICIAL Response to the Private Jet CO2 Emission Plane problem from 2022. #taylor #taylorswift #seo #pr #publicrelations #fyp #prlady #thejets #nfl #airplane #crisiscommunication Swift has two multi-million dollar planes: a Dassault Falcon 7X and a Dassault Falcon 900, Insider reported and they have spent around 166 hours (seven days) flying back and forth from Swift's Eras Tour shows since March, according to aircraft-tracking website JetSpy. Last year, the Anti-Hero singer came under fire after sustainability marketing firm Yard revealed Swift’s private jet had emitted 8,293.54 tonnes of carbon dioxide, topping the list of celebrities with the highest amount of carbon emissions due to this. In the data breakdown, Swift had reportedly taken 170 trips and travelled an average of about 140 miles per flight. However, Swift's representatives defended her at the time and told the media that her private jet also gets loaned out to other people. “Taylor’s jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals,” a spokesperson said. “To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

Country music stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are building houses this week in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are participating in Habitat for Humanity's 37th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

West Virginia interim basketball coach Josh Eilert is turning his attention to keeping a roster together following the resignation of Hall of Famer Bob Huggins

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Lindt & Spruengli AG posted first-half operating profit that beat analysts’ expectations and raised its full-year revenue forecast,

Conor McGregor asserted his belief that the culprit of the Dublin stabbing should be punished with 'torture and death'