- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP sprint to cut Martin's lead
- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
- Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
UK's Starmer faces down parliament over 'unpopular' benefit cut
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer survived an early test of his fledgling premiership on Tuesday when lawmakers backed his controversial plan to end fuel benefits for millions of pensioners.
The proposed cuts have sparked anger among some MPs within the ruling Labour party and set up the first flashpoint with its union backers since Starmer took office in July.
The furore highlights the challenge facing Britain's centre-left leader as he tries to fix an economy he says was broken by the previous Conservative government while also keeping supporters onside.
Labour announced in July that it would means test the winter fuel allowance, meaning 10 million pensioners will no longer receive help with their energy bills during the colder months.
Starmer admits the move is "unpopular" but insists "tough choices" are necessary to help close a £22 billion ($29 billion) "black hole" in the public finances that Labour claims they inherited from the Tories.
The former lawyer is spending much of his first months in power blaming the Conservatives for a dire economic inheritance, but Tory MPs accuse him of laying the groundwork for possible future tax rises.
- 'Painful' -
Starmer has asked Britons to "accept short-term pain for long-term good" but is already coming under pressure to offer the country a less gloomy outlook.
Last month he warned that the government's Budget in late October -- Labour's first official spending plan since it was last in power 14 years ago -- would be "painful".
He saw off any significant rebellion on Tuesday when MPs voted by 348 to 228 against a Conservative motion to block his government's decision to scrap the universal winter fuel payments.
Only one Labour MP voted with the opposition.
It was not immediately clear how many Labour lawmakers abstained but it is likely that several did since the government's normal majority of 167 in the House of Commons was reduced to 120.
"This is not a decision we wanted or expected to make. But when we promised we would be responsible with taxpayers' money, we meant it," work and pensions minister Liz Kendall said ahead of the vote.
The payments are worth £300 for some elderly people, and two major unions had called on Starmer to reverse his decision, which the Treasury estimates will save about £1.4 billion a year.
Labour maintains that a planned increase in the full state pension from next April will more than offset the removal of the winter fuel allowance.
But Unite boss Sharon Graham accused Labour of opting to "pick the pocket of pensioners" while leaving the richest "totally untouched".
Some 17 Labour MPs had signed a motion put forward by one of its newest members to delay implementing the cut.
The large majority secured during Labour's thumping general election win on July 4 means that Starmer is in a strong position to win votes even on controversial issues.
Commentators say now is the time for him to implement unpopular policies with the next election likely to be five years' away.
Starmer suspended seven of his own MPs in July after they backed a motion demanding the removal of the two-child limit on benefits introduced by the previous Conservative government.
A.Seabra--PC