MARTIN Lewis has shared a dire warning for couples who have joint finances.

The money-saving expert’s advice came after a divorcee revealed how she has saved £19,000 since her marriage ended.

1

And Martin warned those who choose to combine their finances with someone else should be careful to avoid “disasters”.

Angela, who was divorced 20 years ago, says she is in financial difficulties.

However, with the help of Martin’s tips and tricks, she revealed she had saved almost £20,000 over the years.

While responding to Angela’s story, Martin warned couples who share their finances against having a “dominant financial doer” controlling every financial aspect.

He explained that it could be a disaster if the person who handles only money matters steps over the line.

Martin wrote: ‘In relationships there is usually a ‘dominant financial doer’ who controls the finances.

“There’s nothing wrong with that, but if it crosses the line of ‘I’ll just do it all so they don’t have to worry,’ it can feel generous, but it can be disastrous.”

Angela said she was in dire financial straits when her husband left, but tips from Martin’s Money Saving Expert helped her get back on track.

The brave woman revealed she used the website to budget her money, pay off her mortgage and open savings accounts.

She used the Money Saving Expert mortgage site to pay off her mortgage, which helped her become debt-free faster than she thought.

Angela revealed that thanks to Martin’s tips, she was able to save a little on insurance and roadside assistance every year – and so far she has saved a total of £18,858.95.

“I could go on. My daughter now uses the budgeting and savings system herself, so she has skills she wouldn’t have had without MSE, and I feel financially secure,” Angela wrote on the website.

When he heard Angela’s story, Martin advised that both partners should know enough about finances and money-related matters to take over the other in times of need.

He said: ‘In a shared financial relationship, both partners need to know enough to be able to take over if necessary, especially if one of the three D’s strikes (death, divorce, dementia).

“Communication & a financial fact sheet are crucial.”

Martin’s advice comes after he warned married couples to check if they are owed £1,256 in cash.

The Money Saving Expert said you can claim back hundreds of pounds in tax, but you’ll need to act quickly to get the full amount back.

Last month, the money-saving expert shared a little-known tip for couples that could save them hundreds of pounds on breakdown insurance, even as premiums soared.

This neat trick allows you to effectively receive coverage “for free” as a perk with another service.

Writing on the Money saving expert website, Martin shared a large number of hacks with which partners can improve their personal finances.

One of these was a recommendation to look at package bank accounts.

He also issued an urgent warning to households who have just weeks left to claim up to £1,000 in free cash.

The consumer champion said people can claim back some tax exemptions for up to four tax years.

This includes the marriage tax credit, the PPI and the uniform tax credit.

But the current financial year ends on April 5, meaning you’ll need to claim your tax back on or before this date if you want to reclaim tax for the 2019/20 tax year.

He said: “With some tax breaks you can claim back four tax years before the current one.

“So that means when the new tax year starts on April 6, we’ll be saying goodbye to the 2019/20 tax year.”

It comes after Martin shared the next steps motorists should take in the mounting car finance scandal and warned against ‘fob-off’ tactics from companies.

Homebuyers are being warned of ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ mortgage deals as interest rates continue to rise.

Mortgage interest rates have risen slightly under uncertain market conditions.

1

Swap rates, which underlie fixed-rate mortgages, have fluctuated in recent months, causing lenders to adjust their interest rates.

As a result, the shelf life of a mortgage product has fallen from 28 days in February to 15 days in March – a six-month low.

But mortgage choice recorded its biggest month-on-month increase in six months and the number of options for borrowers reached more than 6,000 – the largest number in 16 years.

Deals available on the open market can be taken off the market and repriced at any time.

The rates offered when deals are revised may fall or rise from previous levels, but this all depends on the current financial climate.

Currently, the average two- and five-year fixed rates rose to 5.76% and 5.34% respectively between early February and early March.

Halifax, Santander and Co-op all announced last week that they would increase their rates.

It comes after lenders including HSBC and Natwest signed cheaper deals only to come back with higher rates.

Rachel Springall, financial expert at Moneyfacts, said: “Lenders responded to the change in swap rates, which led to numerous repricings of fixed rate deals, undoubtedly making it a challenging situation for borrowers and brokers to keep abreast of the changes.

“Interest rate volatility led to a rise in both the overall average two- and five-year fixed rates, the opposite direction that borrowers may have hoped for following the positive rate cuts recorded a month earlier.”

Nicholas Mendes, of mortgage adviser John Charcoal, said deals appear in such a way that you “blink and miss it”.

He added: “As mortgage rates are constantly being revised, so much so that we have seen lenders repricing twice a week, with some lenders having little to late notice of a rate change.”

It comes ahead of the Bank of England’s interest rate decision, which will be announced on Thursday.

The central bank is expected to keep interest rates stable at 5.25%.

But the Bank has indicated at recent meetings that cuts are likely in the future.

How can I secure a cheap interest rate on my mortgage?

respond quickly

In a competitive market, good mortgage deals can disappear quickly.

Nick said it’s best to act quickly once you’ve found a suitable mortgage rate.

He said: “To avoid delays, please submit your application immediately and provide all requested documentation.”

Check your credit score

If you have bad credit, the first thing you can do is find out what your score is.

Nick said: “Your credit score plays an important role in the mortgage approval process.

“Check your credit score beforehand and take steps to improve it if necessary.

“A higher credit score can help you qualify for better mortgage rates.”

Nick said this should better enable you to get a mortgage that suits you.

You can check your credit file for free at websites like ClearScore and Credit Karma.

If you find that you have bad credit, it doesn’t mean that providers won’t lend you money.

Basically, get a mortgage

A mortgage is basically a lender’s official estimate of how much they are willing to lend you based on what you can afford.

It can be quite useful for those looking for a first home as it shows that you are a serious buyer.

Nick said: ‘Keep this in mind before you start house hunting, as it will not only speed up the process when you find the right property.

“Pre-approval shows sellers that you are a serious buyer and can give you a competitive advantage. It will also flag any problem.”

To get an agreement in principle, you can go to a mortgage broker and see what deals are available that you might qualify for.

It is important to remember that a broker may charge a fee to prepare an agreement in principle for you. So ask about this first.

You can also go directly to the lender offering a deal you are interested in.

Going to a lender doesn’t mean you have to borrow from them when it comes to applying for a mortgage, so you don’t have to worry about getting stuck with one.

Gather the necessary documents

When you apply for a mortgage, you must be honest and upfront with the mortgage broker and the lender.

Gather all your personal information and be sure to avoid disclosing any information that could deter a lender from closing the mortgage at the last minute.

For example, if you have recently gone on maternity leave and do not disclose this to the lender, this will likely be reflected on pay slips and bank statements, which could negatively impact your application.

For example, working shorter hours should also be made public for the same reason.

Get mortgage advice

It may be tempting to go straight to a bank or building society for your first mortgage, but this can seriously limit your options.

Nick said visiting a real estate agent six months in advance can be helpful in helping you determine what your maximum purchase price will be.

Nick said: “Mortgage brokers can help you navigate the mortgage market and put you in touch with lenders offering competitive rates.

“They have access to a wide range of loan products and may be able to find deals you wouldn’t discover on your own.

“They will also be aware of any market changes or repricing from lenders.”

A broker can review a wider range of products and advise you on the right choice for your circumstances, as well as assess any hidden costs that can sometimes be difficult to find.

However, keep in mind that they charge a fee for their services, so you should factor that into your costs.

Donald Trump has sparked a liberal media meltdown after warning that there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses the election in a fiery speech where he also branded migrants ‘animals.’

The penultimate president painted an apocalyptic vision of the country if Biden wins a second term while speaking at an airfield rally outside of Dayton, Ohio, Saturday to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno.

‘If I don´t get elected, it´s going to be a bloodbath for the whole – that´s going to be the least of it. It´s going to be a bloodbath for the country,’ Trump, 77, warned. 

On the subject of immigration and the murder of Laken Riley allegedly at the hands of an undocumented migrant, Trump also described criminal migrants as ‘animals’ – in the latest sign that his campaign rhetoric has become increasingly inflammatory. 

Critics including Nancy Pelosi and a retired FBI boss blasted the incendiary ‘bloodbath’ comment as ‘a threat’ – while MAGA supporters said it had been taken out of context by the press because it came in reference to a clampdown on foreign car imports. 

‘Mexico has taken over a period of 30 years, 34 percent of the automobile manufacturing business in our country,’ Trump said at the Dayton rally. 

‘China now is building a couple of massive plants where they’re going to build the cars in Mexico, and they think that they’re going to sell those cars into the United States with no tax at the border.

‘Let me tell you something to China. If you’re listening President Xi, and you and I are friends, but he understands the way I deal.

‘Those big monster car manufacturing plants that you’re building in Mexico right now, if you think you’re going to get that and not hire Americans and you’re going to sell the cars to us – no – we’re going to put a 100 percent tariff on every car that comes across the line.

‘If I don´t get elected, it´s going to be a bloodbath for the whole – that´s going to be the least of it. It´s going to be a bloodbath for the country.’ 

Headlines quickly seized on the ‘bloodbath’ comment, which Trump supporters said was unfair to use without context -involving the outsourcing of the auto industry that the GOP expects to continue if Biden stays in the White House – and prompted Elon Musk to blast the reports as ‘legacy media lies.’

The outcry over his comments quickly poured onto Musk’s X platform, formerly known as Twitter, as users branded Trump as ‘hateful’ ‘grotesque’ and ‘a dangerous lunatic’ over both his ‘bloodbath’ comment and reference to migrants as ‘animals’. 

Retired FBI assistant director Frank Figliuzzi was among those who raised concerns.

‘Trump says if he’s not elected “It will be a blood bath for the country”,’ Figliuzzi wrote on X. 

‘FYI, if he IS elected, it will also be a blood bath based on his intentions. The choice is as clear as the threat.’

Former house speaker Nancy Pelosi also weighed in. 

‘We just have to win the election, because he’s even predicting a “bloodbath”,’ she told CNN. ‘What does that mean? He’s going to exact a bloodbath? There’s something wrong here. 

‘How respectful I am of the American people and their goodness, but how much more do they have to see from him to understand that this isn’t what our country is about?’   

‘This is so dangerous,’ UCL professor Brian Klaas wrote while reposting the clip from Trump’s speech on X.  

‘Everyone who cares about democracy, rule of law, the Constitution, or the avoidance of death should call this out, denounce it, make clear this is unacceptable. 

‘It is a grotesque indictment of our system that this man could still win the presidency.’

Others said Trump was ‘threatening violence once again’ after the Capitol riot of January 6.

Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer also accused Trump of doubling ‘down on his threats of political violence.’

‘He wants another January 6, but the American people are going to give him another electoral defeat this November because they continue to reject his extremism, his affection for violence, and his thirst for revenge,’ Singer charged in a statement.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said the former president had clearly been talking about the impact of a second Biden term on the auto industry and broader economy.

‘Crooked Joe Biden and his campaign are engaging in deceptively, out-of-context editing,’ he said.

Trump also doubled down on his increasingly radical campaign rhetoric in reference to the immigration crisis, after he described migrants as ‘poisoning the blood of our country’ in December. 

‘Among my very first actions upon taking office will be to stop the invasion of our country and to send Joe Biden’s illegal aliens back home,’ he said. 

‘These are the roughest people you’ve ever seen. And now we have a new form of crime. I call it Biden migrant crime, but it’s too long so let’s just call it migrant crime.’

‘Throughout the world right now, crime is way way down, you know why? Because they sent us their criminals, that’s why,’ he added. 

‘Venezuela is down 66 percent because they sent us their gang members and their gangsters. They sent us their drug dealers and their murderers, they’re all coming into our country. 

‘All over the world, crime is down, because they’ve sent them to the United States of America because we have a stupid president that allows this to happen. Stupid.’ 

‘I would do the same thing if I had prisons teeming with MS-13 and all sorts of people that they’ve got to take care of for the next 50 years – young people, if you can call them people, I don’t know if you can call them people,’ he went on. 

‘In some cases they’re not people in my opinion, but I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say.

‘They’ll say ‘you’ll have to vote against him because did you hear what he said about humanity?’ I’ve seen the humanity, and these are bad – these are animals, ok.’

Trump also referred to criminal migrants as ‘snakes’ and claimed that ‘what’s happening to our country’ with the influx ‘has not happened before’.

He claimed that ‘no one has been hurt by Joe Biden’s migrant invasion more than our great African American and Hispanic American communities’ along with people on social security because ‘they’re taking our jobs’. 

‘With his open border policy Joe Biden has repeatedly stabbed African American people in the back including by granting millions and millions of work permits taking their jobs,’ Trump said. 

‘The African American community, the Hispanic community are going to be the ones who suffer the most, and you know who else? Unions. Those unions are going to go out of business.’  

Just under an hour into the speech, Trump also appeared to confuse former president Barack Obama with an opponent of Biden’s in the 2020 race. 

‘Joe Biden won against Barack Hussain Obama, has anyone ever heard of him?’ Trump told the crowd. 

‘Every swing state Biden beat Obama, but every other state he got killed. You think that’s an honest election?’ 

Turning back to the subject of the rally, Trump said Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno is ‘going to be a warrior in Washington’. 

Moreno faces Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan in Tuesday’s GOP primary. 

LaRose and Moreno have aligned themselves with the pro-Trump faction of the party, while Dolan is backed by more establishment Republicans, including Gov. Mike DeWine and former Sen. Rob Portman.

Saturday’s rally was hosted by Buckeye Values PAC, a group backing Moreno´s candidacy. 

A one-time Trump critic, Moreno, a wealthy Cleveland businessman, supported Marco Rubio for president in the 2016 Republican primary, and once tweeted that listening to Trump was ‘like watching a car accident that makes you sick, but you can stop looking.’ 

In 2021, NBC News reported on an email exchange around the time of Trump´s first presidential run in which Moreno referred to Trump as a ‘lunatic’ and a ‘maniac.’

On Saturday, however, Moreno praised Trump as a ‘great American’ and railed against those in his party who have been critical of the former president, who this week became his party’s presumptive nominee for a third straight election.

‘I am so sick and tired of Republicans that say, `I support President Trump´s policies but I don´t like the man,´’ he said as he joined Trump on stage.

Trump also dismissed recent allegations against Moreno, comparing them to attacks he has faced through the years, including his criminal indictments. 

Trump has been charged in four separate cases that span his handling of classified documents to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

His decision to back Moreno marked a major blow to LaRose, who had taken a number of steps to win his favor. 

Just days after entering the Senate race, LaRose endorsed Trump for president – reversing an earlier stance that the state´s elections chief should remain politically neutral. 

The next month, he fired a long-time trusted aide after old tweets surfaced in which the staffer criticized Trump.

The winner of Tuesday’s primary will face third-term Sen. Sherrod Brown, viewed as among the nation´s most vulnerable Democrats, in November.

Brown, first elected in 2006 and uncontested in his primary this year, has managed to hold onto his seat even as the state has shifted to the right. 

In his most recent reelection in 2018, he defeated then-Rep. Jim Renacci by almost 7 percentage points. Two years later, Ohio voted for then-President Trump by 8 points.

TELLY fans are furious over a “ridiculous” bill increase set to happen in a week’s time.

Disney+ will increase the price of its premium subscription starting March 24.

1

The streaming giant made changes to its subscription plans late last year, increasing premium subscriptions from £7.99 to 10.99 per month.

It also introduced a three-tier streaming service that allows users to choose from new rates.

The new system is as follows:

• Disney+ standard (with ads) – £4.99 per month
• Disney+ standard (ad-free) – £7.99 per month (or £79.90 per year)
• Disney+ premium – £10.99 per month (or £109.90 per year)

The two standard levels allow customers to stream content at up to 1080p resolution.

Most existing customers automatically switched to the Disney+ premium from November last year.

These companies really take the p***

Social media user

However, customers who have an annual subscription will see their bill increase this month when the annual renewal is due.

Annual subscribers who have been notified of the price increase are not happy with the change and have expressed their frustration on social media.

One person said: “I can’t believe Disney+ has gone up by £30 for an annual subscription, these companies are really making the effort.”

Another added: “The price increases are ridiculous considering how much the fat cats have in their bank accounts.”

A third person said: “As always there is no reason for them to increase the price, there is no need to.”

How much have Disney+ subscription prices increased?

When the streaming service first launched in 2020, it cost just £5.99 per month or £59.99 per year.

This gives you access to all TV shows and movies on the streaming service without ads.

However, it didn’t take long for the price to rise, as in February 2021 the price rose to £7.99 per month, or £79.90 per year.

The price increase also came with the addition of STAR shows and movies on Disney+ programming.

But the recent increase announced in November last year has caused the most controversy.

This price increase will see some annual bills reach over £100 per year.

How to keep your Disney+ bill low

There are ways you can keep your Disney+ costs low if you enjoy the channel.

Choosing an annual subscription instead of a monthly subscription will reduce your bill regardless of which subscription level you choose.

For example, if you choose the Disney+ standard annual subscription, you will pay €79.90 for the entire year, instead of €95.88 spread over 12 months.

Similarly, the new premium Disney+ subscription costs £131.88 per year if paid monthly, but the annual subscription is £20 cheaper at £109.90.

Choosing to pay annually also means that if subscription prices increase again, your price will be guaranteed until it is time to renew.

By choosing a cheaper plan you can keep costs low.

If you’re willing to watch ads, you can choose the cheapest Disney+ subscription, which costs just £4.99 per month.

Remember that you should always check which services you are using and cancel those you are not using.

If you pay monthly, you’re usually not locked in, so you can always change your services.

Can I get Disney+ cheaper or for free?

There are some hacks you can use to keep your subscription costs low or even get them completely free.

Tesco Clubcard holders can redeem their points for a subscription to Disney+.

You can double the value of your points when you spend them at certain stores, meaning you can exchange £12 worth of Clubcard points for a three-month subscription.

If you’re an O2 customer, you might be in luck too, as the mobile phone provider has also offered up to six months of subscription to Disney+ to new customers or those upgrading their plans.

Similarly, if you switch to a Club Lloyds bank account, you can choose one of five benefits on your account, including a 12-month subscription service to Disney+.

The accounts have a monthly fee that you can waive if you meet the appropriate requirements. So it’s worth checking if the account is right for you.

Many providers, such as phone companies, banks and energy companies, have offers, and some of these include subscription services, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for these.

There are growing calls for Australia to address the “very serious threat” that Chinese social media giant TikTok poses to Australians.

The short video app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is one of the fastest growing platforms in the world with more than 170 million users in the US and 8.5 million in Australia.

The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would give ByteDance six months to divest the app and sell it to a company outside China.

Australian Opposition Home Affairs spokesman James Paterson said on Sunday that TikTok will remain unsafe unless its relationship with Beijing is “severed”.

His comments came after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday the Australian government was not expected to follow the US.

“Now that Congress and the US are banning TikTok, do you think we’ll do the same here in Australia?” asked WSFM radio host Brendan Jones.

“We will seek advice, but we have no plans,” Mr Albanese replied.

“You must always put national security interests first, but you must also recognize that this is a way for many people to communicate.”

But Patterson called on the government to “take action”, saying the app posed a risk to Australian democracy and national security.

Speaking on Sunday, he said the coalition does not yet support a full ban on the platform, but that the administration should support growing efforts in the US to spin off TikTok’s US operations from its Beijing-based parent company.

“If the United States successfully removes TikTok from ByteDance, Australia should look to do the same,” the Victorian senator told the ABC’s Insiders program.

“The ending I hope for is that Australians can continue to use TikTok, but without the risk of their data being misused and without the risk that the Chinese Communist Party can override the algorithm to pump disinformation into our democracy.

‘I’m sure intelligence agencies aren’t saying to the Prime Minister, ‘There’s nothing to worry about with TikTok – there’s no worry at all.’

“We know that’s not the case.”

The platform, whose users are mainly teenagers and young adults, is among Australia’s most downloaded apps.

But many politicians and security analysts in Australia and abroad have become increasingly wary of it, concerned that the Chinese government could force ByteDance to hand over user data, or use it for propaganda and to sow division.

TikTok said it will not transfer data to China and that it is trying to remove misinformation from its platform.

The US legislation to tackle TikTok has received significant support among US politicians and was overwhelmingly passed by the lower house of Congress.

TikTok has urged US users to contact their local politicians to show their disapproval via an in-app notification.

If the bill also passes the U.S. Senate, President Joe Biden has indicated he will sign the legislation into law, creating a legal challenge to the legislation on the grounds that it infringes on the First Nations’ right to freedom of expression Amendment.

Chinese government officials have also expressed opposition to US pressure to force the sale of TikTok, telling ByteDance they would prefer to see a ban enforced.

An outcome in which ByteDance refuses to divest the $160 billion app, forcing the ban and reducing its value, would be “revealing,” Senator Paterson said.

“That would be a very irrational choice, but it will be quite an illustrative choice, because I suspect that ByteDance would operate as an extension of the Chinese government, and not as a commercial entity.”

The senator also called on the government to introduce new transparency requirements on TikTok and other platforms such as Chinese social media site WeChat, as recommended by a Senate committee investigating the risk of foreign interference through social media.

“They need to be transparent about the relationship they have with foreign governments and the directions they receive from foreign governments to interfere with the content on a platform,” he said.

“These recommendations are there for the government to implement at any time… I really hope they do.”

But asked whether the issue should be raised when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits Canberra next week, Senator Paterson said it was “not a high priority issue”.

“The Foreign Minister (Penny Wong) and the Prime Minister have a long list of issues to raise with (Mr Wang), especially the death sentence facing Australian citizen Yang Hengjun.”

All in all, this has been the most wonderful week for republicanism since a ­petulant Harry and Meghan flounced out of the royal landscape four years ago.

Media outlets around the world have run excoriating commentaries mocking Britain’s Royal Family. Public-service broadcaster France Info sneered at the ongoing ‘fiasco’ while Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper scornfully questioned the monarchy’s credibility.

The New York Times, which rarely misses a chance to attack Britain and its ­institutions, gleefully reported on the ‘storm of questions’ and gave a po-faced warning that the King’s family faced ‘a lingering credibility gap’.

Even the Wall Street Journal, not normally noted for its royal coverage, weighed in with an incontestable observation. Citing the late Queen Elizabeth’s mantra that the monarchy had to be ‘seen to be believed’, it pontificated: ‘Now the family is faced with a more ­intractable problem: the British public doesn’t believe what it is seeing.’

The troubling fact is that, after the past few days, most dispassionate observers would be hard-pressed to disagree.

It all began with the best of intentions — the release of a charming Mother’s Day snapshot of the Princess of Wales and her children —before rapidly descending into what royal ­historian and commentator Dr Ed Owens described as a ‘debacle’.

This was the first official photograph of Kate since she went into hospital for planned abdominal surgery two months ago. If it was meant to douse weeks of speculation about her wellbeing, it had the opposite effect.

Kate’s admission that she had doctored the photograph, and her apology for doing so, were the latest self-inflicted wound by the House of Windsor, for which trust and integrity are fundamental commodities.

While many royal fans complained about what they saw as the trivial nature of the ­incident — as witnessed by the huge ­postbag the Daily Mail has received in the princess’s support — the overriding impression is bleak.

Would any other member of the Royal Family have enjoyed such stalwart defenders as Kate? I doubt it.

Take away the fact that the princess is a much-loved figure recovering from an invasive medical procedure: there remains a ­widespread and growing disenchantment that so much has gone wrong for the royals — so quickly.

The photograph issue, while small in itself, nevertheless exposed tensions that lie close to the surface in the family, as well as the fragility of an institution that for decades seemed impervious to any external threat.

But if we are not quite at the 11th hour, we are ­perilously close. There still may be time for the high tide of public disapproval to recede, but the cost to the royal image and to individual reputations has been high.

More concerning still, such crises no longer seem the exception, but the rule. A fortnight ago, the sight of a grinning Prince Andrew and his ex-wife leading this now-diminished family into church for the ­thanksgiving service for the late King ­Constantine of Greece prompted disbelief.

‘Like the cast of a ghastly pantomime,’ was how one of the King’s most trusted friends described it to me. ‘Thank God for the European royals who added a bit of decorum.’

As well as Kate’s absence, that of the King — who is receiving treatment for ­cancer — has contributed to the sense of vulnerability.

Yet the problems go beyond the two medical emergencies. Family cohesion and other certainties that we once took for granted are fast disappearing.

When the Queen passed away in 2022, there was still — despite the shock and ­sadness at her death — a broadly held view that the institution she had spent 70 years upholding was eternal.

For a time, that judgment held true. There was a ­seamless transition to the new reign as, amid private grief, the King acted with grace and dignity as he assumed his role as monarch.

He was warmly received as he travelled the country, ­skilfully heading off what might have been an early constitutional upheaval when his first Prime Minister Liz Truss was forced to resign after just seven weeks in office.

And he demonstrated ­nimble footwork over his non-attendance — on prime ministerial advice — at the Cop27 climate summit by hosting a pre-gathering reception for many of the main players at Buckingham Palace.

The textbook Coronation of the King and Queen almost a year ago already seems like a distant memory of happier, more stable times.

Now, there is something of a power vacuum. When the King is unavailable, who is in charge? Is it Camilla or ­William? No one can truly say, maybe because everyone is waiting — or at least hoping — for the two stars of the show to rally and return.

These unavoidable ­sabbaticals have presented the royal household with a shivering reality test. ­Confidence in the institution comes from the top.

Elizabeth — and Philip, before infirmity finally forced him to take a back seat, aged 96 — embodied the traditional view of duty. Everyone took their lead from them.

Yet change was always going to come. The Queen and her husband were of that wartime generation for whom obligation was the sine qua non.

Their loss has only exposed what mighty characters they were in our nation’s royal story. And what we have lost.

As Prince of Wales, Charles did not agitate for the ‘top job’, as Diana called it. But when he finally got there, he brought a discipline to the position that has vanished since he was laid low.

It is hard to believe he would have permitted Andrew to lead the Windsors into St George’s Chapel in Windsor, knowing full well how those pictures would be received. William’s own, sudden absence from that service for his late godfather — at which he was due to give a reading — remains a mystery.

For a prince, who two years ago indicated in reports that he intended to break with the royal convention of ‘never complain, never explain’, he has proved remarkably reticent.

It is also unlikely that his father, let alone his grandmother, would have made such a clumsy intervention in the Gaza conflict as William did last month, earning a stinging rebuke for appearing to ignore Israeli losses.

Older courtiers also ­shudder at the memory of his hastily authorised denunciation of racism that saw his godmother Lady Susan Hussey resigning as a Lady of the Household in 2022. It followed comments she allegedly made to a black charity boss at a Palace reception.

Closer to home, there have been questions about the Duchy of Cornwall, the vast property and land empire which generated profits of £24million last year. Because he became Prince of Wales half-way through the financial year, he is thought to have taken only a ­portion of the income. Even so, courtiers have asked what he spends the money on — or even if he has the faintest idea what to do with it.

‘His father had his huge staff at St James’s Palace, the gardens and farm at Highgrove and for many years his polo expenses.

‘He was also paying William and Kate’s running costs and, for a time, Harry and Meghan’s. ­William has only his own family bills to meet.’

William has also made several ­missteps, for example not ­supporting in person the ­Lionesses when they reached the final of the Women’s World Cup in ­Sydney last August. Many felt that, as President of the Football Association, he should have attended.

Then there was last week’s ­confusion over an announcement, made in error it seems, about Kate’s attendance at June’s Trooping the Colour ceremony. It saw the Army hastily removing the claim from its website.

Moreover, why was it left to Kate to take the rap for the farce over the Mother’s Day photograph?

The fallout from the debacle has seen a frenzy of online speculation about the state of her marriage, underscored by the curious absence of Kate’s ­wedding and engagement rings in the picture.

Might not a joint statement have helped to reinforce the ­couple’s unity and the security of the institution?

Cumulatively, these episodes speak of worrying dysfunction.

One matter above all represents the gravest threat to the future of the monarchy: the feud between William and his brother that ­poisons the House of Windsor.

Only this week a rare joint appearance underlined the estrangement. While William was an honoured attendee at the 25th anniversary of the Diana Legacy Award, set up in his mother’s memory, Harry’s contribution came by video-link after ­William had left the building.

At the heart of the discord lies the allegation that Kate (as well as the King) were the alleged ‘royal racists’ who dared to speculate about Harry and ­Meghan’s son Archie and the colour of his skin.

William rightly feels his wife has been cruelly smeared by the innuendo — and for now, the rift is total.

The coming weeks will be critical. Easter, with its ­message of restoration and revival, is only a fortnight away, and ‘after Easter’ is the vague date we have been given for the Princess of Wales’s return. Let us hope she is able to do so.

Charles’s own condition has unavoidably focused attention on his — and Camilla’s — long-term position. The King will be 76 this year and his reign will naturally not have the longevity of his late mother’s.

On the other hand, William —with Kate, all being well — will likely be on the throne for ­decades. It therefore poses a question: what can they do today to give us confidence that they will be ­anywhere near as effective as monarch and consort as the Queen and Prince Philip were? Can they steady the royal ship, even in the squalls and storms of social media comment and untamed ­foreign reporting?

William’s priority, understand­ably, has been his wife’s health and the welfare of their three ­children. But even before this ­crisis, he had drawn sharp ­boundaries to ensure that royal duty does not encroach on family time.

This has earned him the ­nickname among those in the King’s circle as the ’10am to 4pm’ prince, because outside those hours he is off-duty.

Plainly, as evidenced by his attendance at Thursday night’s Diana awards, it is not always fair. But the fact is he has memories of growing up with a father who was devoted to his official work.

Meanwhile, there is a Palace view that William’s stubborn nature, which can be helpful to royalty — not least when dealing with government ministers — is contributing to the current sense of aimlessness.

For the King, the ­frustrations must be deeper still. He has been moved by Camilla’s willingness to lead, although whether she is ­having to do so because of ­William’s absence is unclear.

Nor will he have been untouched by the media frenzy of recent days. He is no doubt dismayed that people are suggesting the current malaise harks back to those days in the 1990s when the crisis over his marriage to Diana paralysed the Royal Family.

It is surely no coincidence that these insecurities happen at a time of weak government. A strong prime minister would feel emboldened to intervene.

Thirty years ago, then-PM John Major was too busy propping up his administration to take a ­leading role in the Charles v Diana crisis. Fast forward to 2024 and Rishi Sunak, preoccupied by defections and discontent, is ­similarly missing in action.

Things can be turned round, of course — the monarchy has ­survived so long thanks partly to its ability to adapt. But the shift may need to be kick-started.

A change at the top in the King’s private office, for example. Observers have been disappointed that there has been no settlement of the many patronages and ­charity roles held by the late Queen.

Whitehall blames Charles’s ­private secretary, ex-Foreign Office operative Sir Clive ­Alderton, 56, for what is being called a ‘lack of grip’ — and for not managing the institution in the absence of its chief in the way it needs to be.

‘He was fine as aide to the Prince of Wales but it is a different ball game running the Sovereign,’ says one source. At Clarence House, Alderton was known as ‘wet-wipe’ because he was always on hand to ‘wipe the boss’s a***’.

The monarchy has come through stormier times — the Abdication, for instance. But in a world where a digitally altered ­photograph can become the subject of a question to the White House press ­secretary, triggering rumours of marital unhappiness that circle the globe, the Palace has no time to waste.

By Makayla Muscat for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 01:06 EDT, March 16, 2024 | Updated: 01:13 EDT, March 16, 2024

GOOGLE has added a new password security alert that works in real-time to protect user accounts from cybercriminals.

The password improvement is part of a broader security upgrade rolling out first to iPhone and PC users and to Android owners later this month.

1

Previously, Google only told users if their password was leaked in a data breach.

But now users are getting a change that not only flags compromised passwords, but also passwords that are weak or have been reused.

Passwords are leaked quite regularly during data breaches.

These types of incidents can affect thousands of people at any time.

Just days ago, TV streaming company Roku revealed that more than 15,000 customer accounts have been compromised in two separate cyberattacks since December.

According to Bleeping Computer, the hijacked Roku accounts were sold on the Dark Web for as little as 50 cents each.

It is important to have strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts.

If a password leaked in a breach is used for multiple accounts, those accounts are also at risk.

Google is introducing a broader upgrade to its Safe Browsing standard protection, meaning it can monitor untrustworthy sites for malware in real time.

Previously, Safe Browsing’s default protection checked the sites you visited against a local list on your device that refreshed every 30 to 60 minutes.

But this did not ensure that web surfers were properly protected, as the “average malicious site actually exists for less than 10 minutes,” according to Google.

This will “compare sites in real time against Google’s server-side list of known bad sites” and is expected to block 25 percent more phishing attempts.

Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith says a record influx of new immigrants is a “disaster for young people” and couples wanting to buy their own home.

The electronics chain’s founder, who turns 80 next week, wants net immigration into Australia reduced to 75,000 a year to ease Australia’s rental and affordability crisis.

This would return immigration levels to 1997 levels, before overseas inflows doubled within a decade, only to double again after the pandemic.

“You are led to believe that every generation should be better off than the previous generation because we are accumulating wealth and our country is growing, but when it comes to house purchases the opposite is the case,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘It is a disaster for young people.

“It goes back to the fact that we don’t have a population plan: every Australian family has a population plan; you can have a maximum of twenty children, but none have the number of children that they can give a good life.’

Australia’s population is expected to double in the next fifty years, with major business interests calling for high immigration to increase the labor supply.

Mr Smith said billionaires who donate to political parties were only promoting high population growth to expand their wealth by relying on negative geared tax breaks for investors.

“It’s actually driven by the greed of the rich,” he said.

‘Housing has now become a way to create wealth for the rich and you have people owning five or six houses with negative gearing, and that makes it even more impossible for young couples to buy a place to live. ‘

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released on Thursday shows Australia welcomed 125,410 permanent and long-term arrivals in January, the highest January number on record.

Including departures, the net growth in permanent and long-term arrivals in January was 55,330, surpassing the previous highest inflow in January 2009 by 40 percent.

Treasury economists expect Australia’s overseas inflows, including skilled migrants and international students, to slow to 375,000 in 2023-2024.

This would be lower than the record 518,000 in 2022-2023 and lower than the annual increase of 481,620 in January.

But this would still be almost double the pre-pandemic level of 194,400 in 2019-20, before Australia went into lockdown from March 2020 to December 2021.

“What we need to do as a country is we need to have as many people in the country that we can give a good life to, and that means affordable housing, affordable food and the ability to stay warm in the winter,” Mr Smith said .

‘Those basic rights, but that has been completely forgotten.’

Official data shows the majority of new arrivals are settling in NSW and then Victoria, leading to increased traffic congestion in Australia’s two largest cities.

Most migrants start out as renters, leading to increased competition for accommodation in Sydney and Melbourne.

The high population growth is also causing problems in other states, with Brisbane being the recipient of high interstate migration as south-east Queensland attracts residents from NSW and Victoria in search of more affordable housing and warmer weather.

Daniel Wild, deputy director of the Institute of Public Affairs think tank, said high immigration was to blame for Australia’s housing crisis and falling productivity levels.

“The federal government’s lazy, short-sighted migration strategy is making it harder for Australians to get ahead at a time of acute cost-of-living pressures, and has failed to solve the labor shortage crisis,” he said.

“Migration has played a crucial role in our history, and will continue to do so, but it must be taken into account, and the federal government must achieve sustainable economic growth through higher productivity, not just by bringing in record numbers that we cannot accommodate. .’

Sydney’s average house price of $1.396 million is well out of reach for an average full-time worker who can only afford a home worth $639,000, based on banks lending borrowers 5.2 times their salary.