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Local people say members of WhatsApp group noticed suspicious activity around vans in Whelford overnightIn the early hours of Sunday morning, a resident of the village of Whelford was driving home when she saw three white vans parked on a country road.She was immediately suspicious, she said - all the more so when she spotted a large group of hooded and balaclava'd" men. Continue reading...

Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off workingI can deliver': Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conferenceKuenssberg puts it to Burnham that, according to the Health Foundation, a system offering adult social care free at the point of delivery (like healthcare delivered by the NHS) would cost 18bn.Burnham says the cost is not that high" (ie, not as high as 18bn).Not that high.But can I directly deal with this issue of the costs?Louise Casey is still doing an official review for us, so I will set out the vision, if you like, on Tuesday [in his speech to the conference].Louise will then help us with the how. How do we make this happen? When can we make it happen? Continue reading...

Governments will be hoping row over the contentious Orange Order march down Garvaghy Road can be defused

Pat McFadden urges Labour MPs to back overhauls, amid signs party looking to cut payments for some 16- to 24-year-olds

Waltz says Trump rejected Iran's proposal to end war because they were asking for everything up front'The Trump administration's ambassador to the United Nations said the US rejected Iran's proposal to end the ongoing war there because Iranian negotiators were asking for everything up front".Echoing comments by Donald Trump on Saturday, the president's UN ambassador Mike Waltz told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday that Iran had asked for relief from billions and billions of sanctions that are going into place" as part of an economic blockade on Iran. The blockade is aimed at putting pressure on Iran to stop its attacks on vessels in the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

Keys crops such as cereals, potatoes, sugar and oils grown in areas with moderate to very high riskThe vast majority of the UK's essential foods, including cereals, potatoes, sugar and oil, are grown in areas of England rated as having a moderate to very high risk of drought.A very high proportion - 81% - of England's fresh produce is concentrated in parts of the country that are already experiencing water stress, according to the analysis by the nature-focused investment fund Rebalance Earth. Continue reading...

At least one person killed and nearly 150,000 households lost electricity from North Carolina to New EnglandA strong, deadly storm known as a nor'easter battered the US's east coast over the weekend, bringing power outages, flooding, damaging winds and hazardous ocean conditions.Trees and power lines were knocked down across the region, at least one person was killed and hundreds of thousands were left without electricity as officials cautioned that conditions could deteriorate further. Continue reading...

Airport chiefs say 2035 operations deadline unachievable as critics say new delay makes case for project even more dubious'Plans for a third runway at Heathrow are once again up in the air after the prime minister refused to say whether he backs the contested" project which is delayed by up to four years.Over the weekend it emerged that Heathrow no longer expects to meet the original 2035 deadline. Instead, the airport hopes to secure planning permission by 2029 and then open the runway within a decade", meaning it would not be operational until 2039. Continue reading...

Sinn Fein leaders join those on streets opposing decision to allow Garvaghy Road parade for first time since 1998

Pontiff also uses visit to Catholic shrine at Lourdes to criticise assisted dying as false compassion'The pope has called on the Catholic church to heal deep wounds" and painful errors", before a meeting with survivors of child sexual abuse as he continues his four-day visit to France.Addressing a crowd in a large field near the Catholic shrine of Lourdes on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV called on the church to reckon with its past, without directly referencing sexual abuse scandals in France that affected at least 330,000 children over seven decades. Continue reading...

The PM oozes confidence and easy-going charm as he tells Laura Kuenssberg the hill he'll die on is fixing social care

70% vote against tightening centuries-old neutrality, which far right said was being eroded by sanctions against RussiaSwiss voters have decisively rejected a proposal for a strict definition of neutrality that would have required Switzerland to curb cooperation with Nato and abandon sanctions against Russia.All cantons and about 70% of voters rejected the proposal for a strictly defined version of neutrality to be written into the Swiss constitution, final results from the Federal Statistical Office showed. The motion had been promoted by the far-right Swiss People's party (SVP). Continue reading...

Exclusive: Documents seen by Guardian Australia show that Kelvin Morton has also clashed with party HQ staff and Brisbane volunteers

US-owned firm says average monthly users at its UK arm surged to 700,000 with sales up by a thirdLove them or hate them, Lime ebikes are an increasingly common sight on England's roads with new figures showing annual profits more than doubling thanks to a surge in riders.Lime's average number of monthly users jumped 31% to approaching 700,000 as it added more than 4,500 ebikes and scooters to its fleet, taking the total to almost 38,000, the company's UK arm said in accounts filed at Companies House. Continue reading...

Family doctors' professional body finds the majority have no time to discuss preventative measuresA friendly chat with your GP about your life, health and happiness was once a key part of the UK's family doctor service.But most GPs no longer have time to have pastoral conversations, because they are too busy dealing with the country's rising tide of illness, research reveals. Continue reading...

Research draws upon reporting and witness testimony, while a permanent memorial is planned for LondonThe complex and unsettling" story of what Britain knew during the Holocaust is being explored amid plans to create a new permanent national memorial.An exhibition highlighting how news of the atrocity reached Britain much earlier than is commonly understood will tour the country after being viewed privately by MPs at Portcullis House on the parliamentary estate at Westminster in September. Continue reading...

Seventeen people killed near Johannesburg in suspected illegal goldmining turf war', as 10 killed in separate incident at barbecue venue near Cape TownTwo separate mass shootings near South Africa's two biggest cities killed at least 27 people, as the country grapples with one of the world's highest murder rates amid investigations into corruption and criminality within the police.The South African police service said on Sunday that 17 people were killed on Saturday night when eight suspects armed with AK-47 assault rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar in Wedela township, about 50 miles south-west of central Johannesburg. At least 15 other people sustained gunshot injuries in that attack, police said. Continue reading...

Various factors block sufferers of disease from receiving treatment that is effective and has widespread availabilitySickle cell patients are missing out on an effective treatment despite widespread US hospital access to the technology, new research has found.That treatment is called a red blood cell exchange, a procedure that discards a patient's damaged red blood cells while simultaneously mixing the patient's remaining plasma, platelets and white blood cells with red blood cells from a donor before returning them to the body. Continue reading...

Decision to allow development of 190 new homes in north Somerset sparks campaign for change in the lawHouses can be built on floodplains even if they fail a crucial safety test, according to a high court judgment that will be of immense interest" to developers across England and Wales.The ruling clears the way for a highly controversial development of 190 new homes on north Somerset's floodplains, despite the site being in flood zone 3a", the highest level of flood risk before land is considered a functional floodplain. Continue reading...

Homes evacuated after men arrested on suspicion of explosives offences near Gloucestershire airbase used in US attacks against IranCounter-terrorism police are leading the investigation in which several men were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences near an RAF base used in American attacks against Iran.After the declaration of a major incident at RAF Fairford, a bomb squad was sent to the village of Whelford and extra security measures were put in place, including the fortification of entrances to the base. Roadblocks and armed police have been seen in the area over the weekend. Continue reading...

Supplies cut off from Ukrainian city where bodies are being left to be eaten by dogs because of deadly risk from dronesThe phone message sent out of Russian-occupied Oleshky was grimly matter of fact: food for the 2,000 or so civilians still remaining in the city and its surrounding villages had finally run out.We're in Oleshky [and] we can't get out. We're going hungry ... Right now, I've got absolutely nothing to eat," read the message, from a woman in the besieged city, who was waiting to be evacuated by the occupying forces. Continue reading...

PM says he will put proposals for NHS-style service funded by everybody into Labour's next general election manifesto

A look evoking memories of All Saints and Destiny's Child has fashion editors, Brad Pitt and the high street all blending inDiscussing their style while in All Saints, Nicole and Natalie Appleton said earlier this year that some things don't change: Army trousers and combat trousers will always be a staple with us."If, for a long time after All Saints' noughties heyday, the sisters would have known this look was not the height of fashion, things have changed in 2026. Judging by those attending shows at London fashion week this month, camo is very much back. Continue reading...

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS trust apologises after illicit access of medical records of toddler who died in BranthamAn NHS trust has apologised after the medical records of three-year-old Noah Woods were accessed by unauthorised people after his disappearance.Noah was found dead in a pond in Brantham, Suffolk, after going missing from a playground. More than 1,300 members of the public joined a search for the boy before police discovered his body. Continue reading...

Online comments reflect class tensions at Scottish university between those from lower-income families and wealthier US undergraduatesWhen Sophie Rose Jenkins announced she would not return to St Andrews University this academic year because of her experiences of classism on campus, she did not expect much of a response. But in the two weeks since she published her story on LinkedIn, it has resonated with hundreds of others.Working-class students have been made to feel ashamed of their home life at university," the former comparative literature and classical studies student wrote in a lengthy post. Arriving at a university ranked first in the UK at the time from a background like mine, I thought I was doing everything right. Continue reading...

US president is said to expect renewed strikes after the midtermsDonald Trump has said he has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the strait of Hormuz within a week and resume nuclear talks in return for the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.They made a proposal but I reject it," the US president told reporters at the White House. Continue reading...

Bumper fees paid in the year's mergers and acquisitions spark anger over high City pay during cost of living crisisLondon's investment bankers and lawyers have made more than 1bn from a frenzy of takeover deals this year, sparking anger over high City pay during the cost of living crisis.The value of mergers and acquisitions of UK stock market listed companies has surged 175% in 2026 to $132.9bn (100bn), according to the London Stock Exchange, as overseas buyers snap up British companies at record pace. Continue reading...

Officer forced to admit relationship with woman lasting at least six months while working under fake name Dave EvansAn undercover police officer who infiltrated leftwing and animal rights campaign groups appears to have lied to the spycops inquiry when he claimed he did not have a sexual relationship as part of his deployment.The officer who used the fake name Dave Evans had originally testified that he did not have any relationships while using his fake identity. Continue reading...

Financial pressures, legal changes and shifting attitudes may help explain why couples are staying married for longerWe don't know anyone whose marriage hit the skids after just a few years," Celia said, reflecting on her divorce. Everyone seemed to cling on to their relationships for as long as they possibly could."It took Celia two years to initiate divorce after realising her 12-year marriage wasn't going anywhere - and the latest figures show this experience is increasingly common, with marriages that end in divorce now lasting longer than at any point since records began. Continue reading...

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Orange Order march along Garvaghy Road scheduled to take place for first time in 28 years after injunction dismissed on appealA controversial loyalist parade along a nationalist street in the Northern Ireland town of Portadown is set to go ahead for the first time in nearly 30 years, after an overnight court ruling cleared it to proceed.The Orange Order parade down the Garvaghy Roadis scheduled for 8am on Sunday morning, and follows a last-minute legal back-and-forth. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Many applicants left feeling used, lied to, misled and gaslit', complaint letter seen by Guardian Australia says

Wasim El-Haj alleges NSW government school ordered him to stop wearing symbolic garment as it may cause discord'

Federal government to deregister graduate diploma of management in October over fears it was being used by non-genuine' students to remain in country

Eric Clark, 45, charged with murder as autopsy concludes Fortune was dead days before body discovered in treeA third person has been arrested in the death of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune in Mississippi's capital city, while investigators said they had determined the scene where her body was found hanging had been staged.Eric Clark, 45, surrendered to authorities on Friday and was charged with murder, according to the Jackson police department (JPD). Clark was scheduled to make a court appearance on Monday. Continue reading...

Pledges found covered in food in heated basement of fraternity house near University of Wisconsin-MadisonPolice are investigating suspected illegal hazing after about 30 partially clothed young men covered in food, condiments and other liquids were found recently in the basement of a fraternity house near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.Madison police said some of the men, whom they described as pledges of a fraternity, had signs of being physically assaulted. Continue reading...

Emergency teams discovered victims after two-storey building in historic Plaka district collapsed in seconds'Greek authorities say they are trying to discover what caused a two-storey apartment block in the heart of ancient Athens to collapse in a matter of seconds", killing six people.Emergency teams found the victims, including four American tourists, on Saturday, more than 24 hours after the early morning explosion in the historic Plaka district. Continue reading...

Exclusive: UK prime minister says delivering fiscal stability would be crucial' to be able to fix bigger problemsAndy Burnham has said he can deliver on his promise of radical change for the country despite severe economic headwinds, telling the Guardian: There's always things you can do; it's just whether you're prepared to do them."The prime minister acknowledged public finances were challenging" ahead of next month's budget but said delivering fiscal stability would be crucial", because only then would the government be able to focus on fixing bigger problems. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Policy initiative for England will help more young people on to property ladder, prime minister tells GuardianA new help-to-buy scheme aimed at giving first-time buyers who cannot rely on the bank of mum and dad" is to be introduced in a big policy announcement by Andy Burnham.The programme, called Your first home", is intended to help buyers in England who have a regular income but have been unable to save for a large deposit or don't have financial support from their family. Continue reading...

Alexander Millington-Cotes is concerned for welfare of the 82-year-old, who hasn't been seen in public for two yearsThe stepson of Sir Ranulph Fiennes has launched a crowdfunder to pay for specialist legal advice" in an attempt to locate the explorer, who hasn't been seen in public for more than two years.Alexander Millington-Cotes, 31, has set a target of 55,000 for the fundraiser, to enable him to instruct lawyers to locate and safeguard" Fiennes. Continue reading...

Attorney says fishers losing their livelihoods', but Marco Rubio maintains US still willing to blow up ships if need be'While the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, was being decorated in Quito by Ecuador's president for helping to promote peace in the region", 10 Ecuadorian fishers whose boat had been blown up by US forces were adrift in the eastern Pacific.On 8 September, a day before Rubio arrived, a US patrol vessel intercepted the fishing boat Don Rufo in international waters near Ecuador. Continue reading...

Crowds line Place de la Concorde on second day of pontiff's first official papal visit to France in 18 yearsHundreds of thousands of people lined the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris on Saturday to attend an open-air mass with Pope Leo, on the second day of his visit to France.The Vatican estimated 700,000 people turned out for the outdoor mass with the 71-year-old American pope - about 100,000 more than the number of people who had registered to attend. Continue reading...

BBC broadcaster was shot in 1999 in case detectives have previously said may never be solvedTechnological advances are allowing police to review old CCTV footage in the unsolved murder of the BBC broadcaster Jill Dando, Scotland Yard has revealed.Advances in CCTV enhancement technology have allowed detectives to return to 27-year-old footage of Putney Bridge Underground station, Scotland Yard said. But detectives stressed that the review was part of existing inquiries - not a new investigation. Continue reading...

Paper raises questions about safety of food and other products as early onset breast cancer rates surge worldwideNew research has identified at least 485 chemicals used in US pesticide products that are linked to breast cancer, raising questions about the safety of food and other products at a time when early onset breast cancer rates are surging worldwide.The new peer-reviewed paper, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, a top journal from the American Chemical Society, highlights what public health advocates say are a range of deficiencies in how US pesticides are regulated. The review includes active pesticide ingredients, but also hundreds of so-called inert", or inactive, ingredients that typically do not undergo a thorough safety review. Continue reading...

Outlet had been scheduled to fly with Donald Trump to Tennessee for a college football game, network said FridayThe White House has blocked CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One on Saturday, impeding its TV press pool duties in the latest escalation of the administration's battle with the news media.CNN had been scheduled to fly with Donald Trump to Tennessee for a college football game, the network said on Friday. The White House confirmed CNN's exclusion when it did not list the network on guidance sent to the press corps regarding Trump's schedule for Saturday. Continue reading...

Housing secretary says Home Office moved goalposts with disruptive' change to permanent residence rulesAngela Rayner has stood by her criticism of Home Office reforms that would make it harder for foreign care workers to claim permanent residence in the UK, describing them as disruptive".Last year, Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, announced that low paid migrants on jobs below graduate level would have to be in the country for 15 years before applying for settlement. Rayner previously attacked the plans as being un-British". Continue reading...

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez has bullet lodged in back as accounts differ over events leading to traffic-stop shootingThe Venezuelan man shot by federal immigration officers after a traffic stop in Texas needs surgery to avoid losing feeling on the left side of his body, according to his supporters.Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, has spent the past five days in detention with a bullet lodged in his back, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rapidly removed him from a hospital in Austin where he had been taken on Sunday after the shooting. Continue reading...

Ministers have been speaking to farming activists to try to build bridges after tax changes introduced under Starmer soured relationsAs an arable farmer, Olly Harrison's WhatsApp messages are normally concerned with the more mundane matters of working the land: logistics, supplies and the occasional chat about the weather.So when a recent message came through from Andy Burnham, it was more than a little unexpected. Continue reading...

Israel categorically rejects' publication and says businesses on database have committed no wrongdoingThe UN human rights office has added 61 more companies to a blacklist of firms that it says are involved in violating Palestinian human rights through business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.The vast majority of the total 214 companies, which are based in 11 countries, are Israeli. Five of the 158 companies listed last year were removed in the latest update. Continue reading...

Artists including Tinie Tempah and the Smiths' drummer Mike Joyce ramp up pressure on government to keep its pledge to outlaw for-profit resalesThe government has stepped up work on new laws to stop ticket touts fleecing fans, as the prime minister came under pressure from artists including the drummer from the Smiths, one of his favourite bands.Keir Starmer said last year that the government would stop fans from being ripped off" by outlawing the for-profit resale of tickets on sites such as Viagogo and StubHub, a pledge Labour first made in its 2024 election manifesto. Continue reading...