Mortgage Rates Drive April 2025 Slowdown as Purchases and Refinances Diverge
April 2025 mortgage trends looked unsettled: new home purchase loan applications hit a 13-year high, but refinancing and overall purchases declined due to rising rates. Home sales stayed hot for new builds, while home price growth lost steam and economic jitters kept some buyers sidelined.
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Barcelona Clinch 28th La Liga Title as Lamine Yamal Shines in Derby Win over Espanyol
Barcelona seized their 28th La Liga crown with a 2-0 win over Espanyol, wrapping up a domestic treble. Lamine Yamal starred with a goal and an assist, while Wojciech Szczęsny and Andreas Christensen turned in superb performances. Hansi Flick secured major silverware in his debut season as manager.
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Reece Richards Wrongfully Detained and Pepper-Sprayed by London Police After Musical Performance
Reece Richards, known for *Sex Education* and *Hairspray The Musical*, was pepper-sprayed by London police after being mistaken for a suspect. He was cleared after 14 minutes, but the incident has reignited discussions about police conduct and allegations of racial profiling.
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Papua New Guinea Faces Tsunami Scare After Powerful 6.9 Earthquake Strikes Near New Britain
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake rattled Papua New Guinea near New Britain, setting off temporary tsunami warnings and briefly putting over 500,000 people on alert. The scare passed without causing damage, but it underscored the region's risk as part of the turbulent Pacific Ring of Fire.
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Nationwide's £100 Fairer Share Payment: What Customers Need to Know for 2025
Nationwide is exploring another round of its Fairer Share Payment, potentially giving £100 bonuses to millions of members in 2025. Eligibility hinges on holding both a current account and either savings or a mortgage with the society. The final decision awaits Nationwide’s full-year financial results released on May 29.
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Abdullah Öcalan: The Roots and Reverberations of the PKK's Founding Leader
Abdullah Öcalan, founder of the PKK, revolutionized the Kurdish struggle in Turkey through armed resistance and Marxist ideology. After starting as a student activist, Öcalan led a decades-long conflict, endured exile, and was captured in 1999. He remains a hugely divisive figure, seen as both freedom fighter and terrorist.
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Nottingham Forest Knock Out Ipswich Town in Tense FA Cup Shootout to Reach Quarter-Finals
Nottingham Forest battled past Ipswich Town in a nerve-wracking FA Cup match, winning 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 stalemate. George Hirst and Ryan Yates scored in regular time, but goalie Matz Sels was the hero in the shootout. Forest now look ahead to a big clash with Brighton.
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India-Pakistan Crisis Deepens After Kashmir Attacks Lead to Missile Strikes, Drone Warfare
Violence along the India-Pakistan border has surged after a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, prompting missile strikes and drone warfare between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Air raid sirens, evacuations, and mounting casualties set the region on edge, as both sides trade blame and clamp down on information.
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Indian Airstrikes Kill Abdul Rauf Azhar, Key Figure in Daniel Pearl’s Murder
Indian military operations inside Pakistan and Kashmir have killed Abdul Rauf Azhar, a senior JeM commander tied to the 2002 Daniel Pearl murder. The strikes destroyed multiple terror bases, killed nearly 100 militants, and struck a blow to groups behind major attacks like Parliament 2001 and Pulwama 2019.
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Naga Munchetty Accuses BBC Breakfast Boss of Bullying Amidst Turmoil and Staff Shake-ups
Tension has erupted on BBC Breakfast, with presenter Naga Munchetty reportedly accusing her boss of bullying. The alleged fallout has caused strained relations just as the show faces recent staffing changes, spotlighting deeper problems within its editorial leadership.
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