Not particularly complex' defrosting hack has been attributed to Iran, with presumption it is linked to others across EuropeIranian hackers like to send a message.In 2023 a state-backed group interrupted TV streaming services in the United Arab Emirates to broadcast a deepfake report on the war in Gaza. In the same year, hackers affiliated with Iran displayed the slogan down with Israel" on the screens of water-control equipment made by an Israeli firm. Continue reading...
Particles from fireworks and bonfires likely to have contributed to levels well above WHO's daily guidelineAir pollution soared to very high" levels across urban parts of England on Monday as still, foggy weather kept emissions trapped after a weekend of fireworks and bonfires.Government monitoring showed 11 sites, mainly in London and Greater Manchester, reached the highest band on its 10-point index for particulate matter in the 24 hours to 10am. A further 27 sites recorded high" levels across the capital, the north-west, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the east of England. Continue reading...
The university and local police are conducting investigations into Sigma Alpha Epsilon and have placed them on interim suspensionA fraternity at Ohio State University has been temporarily suspended while authorities investigate a video that appears to show two panicked men engulfed in flames.A video shared on social media shows one individual with his sweatpants on fire who then lunges at a second individual and tackles him to the ground. The second man's clothing also catches fire, and they both roll on the ground while removing their clothes as several onlookers intervene. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Almost two-thirds of visits lead to no arrests and nearly three-quarters are conducted without a warrantShabana Mahmood's ICE-style raid agency has been accused of engaging in fishing expeditions" after figures disclosed that almost two-thirds of enforcement visits result in no arrests and nearly three-quarters are conducted without a warrant.The home secretary has hailed the expanded use of immigration enforcement teams, and claimed they will help to secure the UK's borders by removing a key incentive for irregular migration.There were 23,538 immigration enforcement engagements such as workplace raids, home raids and spot checks in 2025 - or 60 a day. Of these, 15,578, or 66.1%, resulted in no arrests.Only 25.81% of visits where a premises was accessed used a warrant. Critics say this suggests the Home Office is launching fishing expeditions" based on weak intelligence.Nearly nine out of ten (89%) of leads alleging immigration crime" in 2025 came from the public or from Crimestoppers, a charity that collects anonymous tip-offs. Around 2% came from the police. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#79MRR)
Glenn Gibbins sentenced to 150-hours of unpaid work by South Tyneside magistrates over 2024 Facebook postA Reform party councillor who claimed racist comments about Nigerians were no more than a bit of fun" has been handed a community order for posting grossly offensive material.Glenn Gibbins, who was voted on to Sunderland council in May, wrote on Facebook in March 2024: Carnt believe the amount of nigerians in town... should melt them all down and fill in the pot holes!!" Continue reading...
French foreign minister vows European sanctions against Tehran over unprecedented' hacks last monthFrance has said Iran was responsible for a massive cyber-attack on supermarket freezers and chiller cabinets that was described by its foreign minister as being an act of unprecedented scale and unprecedented aggression".Jean-Noel Barrot said Europe-wide sanctions" would be imposed against those responsible, adding that the attacks - which took control of digital thermostats to push temperatures up to above 50C - constituted a major violation of the nation's interests". Continue reading...
Dunagan was six when he voiced the young deer in the classic cartoon, with an assistant director instructing him to pretend his own mother had diedDonnie Dunagan, who voiced Bambi in the Walt Disney classic, as well as playing the son of Frankenstein opposite Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff, has died aged 92.Dunagan was six when he was chosen to provide the voice of the young deer in the animation's most heartbreaking chapter. He recalled the experience in the recording booth as easy and relaxed, with rudimentary technology and notes from an assistant director instructing him to pretend his own mother had died when voicing Bambi's reaction to his mother being killed by a hunter. Continue reading...
Five-times Olympic champion says he is neither leftwing nor rightwing, but would seek to bring people together'The French judo star and five-times Olympic gold medallist Teddy Riner has announced plans to run in next year's presidential election, describing himself as someone neither leftwing nor rightwing but who would seek to bring people together".With more than five months before the April-May ballot to replace Emmanuel Macron, the race has been shaping up to be a showdown between political extremes. Polls point to a hollowing out of the political centre, suggesting that the anti-immigrant National Rally leader Marine Le Pen could be the frontrunner, with the radical-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon trailing behind. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#79MP5)
Exclusive: Cross-party call for ethnicity options to be broadened beyond English' being only within White' categoryBritons should be able to define themselves as both Black and English, according to senior MPs who are calling to broaden the range of ethnicity options in the census.The cross-party push is a riposte to Reform UK politicians who have claimed that people from minority ethnic backgrounds cannot have English ethnic identity. Continue reading...
The prime minister said he wants police forces to have dedicated rape and serious sexual offence teams by the end of 2027Downing Street has insisted that the government remains committed to the principle of the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate - while not denying today's Guardian report saying interim targets to achieve it are set to be watered down. (See 9.26am.)Asked about the story at the daily lobby briefing, the PM's spokesperson said:The government is fully behind the zero emission vehicle mandate, and no decisions have been taken yet.We're sticking to our commitment, phasing out new cars that run only on petrol or diesel by 2030, every new car and van will be zero emission by 2035, and our legally binding net zero targets. None of that is changing. Continue reading...
Terrorism investigation will continue after suspect who killed six after opening fire in market square diedPolish prosecutors have said they do not currently have any evidence tying the man who killed six people and injured 16 in a rare mass shooting in Krakow to any particularly political ideology.The 24-year-old Polish national died in hospital early on Monday after being critically injured in a shootout with police officers as they apprehended him after the attack in the city's busy market square on Saturday afternoon. Continue reading...
Assault on Michel Zecler in 2020 is rare case of police brutality reaching court, at time of heightened tensionsThree French police officers have gone on trial over the beating of a black music producer who they say was not wearing a face mask during the Covid pandemic, in a rare case of police brutality reaching court.The assault on Michel Zecler, now 47, triggered outrage in France over police violence, which victims and researchers say is systemic but authorities and law enforcement unions claim is limited to isolated cases. Continue reading...
Lawsuit filed last year against IBM, Atos and Leonardo after delays to delivery to troubled new systemThe EU has filed a lawsuit against IBM and two other companies involved in its troubled border-management system, an internal document has revealed.The bloc's IT agency, EU-Lisa, filed a case last year against IBM, the French IT company Atos and Italian defence contractor Leonardo, the three members of a consortium to implement and maintain the EU's entry/exit system, which was launched in October 2025. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now); Martin Belam and Yohannes Lowe on (#79MFD)
Terrorism investigation was opened after attacker opened fire in a market squareAFP has a quick snap that Ukraine is to hold separate" meetings with Europeans and Nato in Abu Dhabi. The Kremlin earlier insisted no other European nations would be involved. The US-mediated talks are expected to start tomorrow.Canada is expanding its Russia-related sanctions to target another 38 entities and 24 individuals, including actors involved in ballistic missile technology development and cyber activities, Reuters reports. Continue reading...
Troubled utility lobbies for deadline on part of the debt to be extended to March 2028Thames Water has asked creditors for more time to pay back billions of pounds in debt, as the water company scrambles to keep itself afloat.The UK's largest water company said it had proposed an interim" deal under which the deadline to pay off an unspecified portion of the 20bn of debt on its balance sheet would be extended from 2027 to March 2028. Continue reading...
Jensen Huang reportedly had close relationship with Chinese businesswoman accused of passing information to Beijing. Plus, tennis legend Billie Jean King tells all Don't already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning. Nvidia's chief executive, Jensen Huang, has been placed under independent investigation" by the tech company after reports emerged he had been the target of a foreign intelligence effort", namely a close relationship with a Chinese businesswoman who is accused of passing information to Beijing. Nvidia stock is down 5% in pre-market trading as a result.The company's board said in a statement that while it had no reason to believe that either US national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised, its inquiry would examine all available information. Republican lawmakers have expressed alarm, asking Huang to give the House foreign affairs and intelligence committees a closed-door briefing next week on Nvidia's security protocols against foreign adversary espionage".The Guardian will have extensive coverage of the Cop31 conference, including a daily live blog, and these explainers on what is at stake and what the talks can achieve, and who the key players are. Find all of our Cop31 coverage here. Continue reading...
by Oliver Wyndham-Lewis and Magdalena Shopova for the on (#79MFE)
Violent storms lash northern Iraq and parts of Iran, while Portugal faces strong winds and Japan braces for further snowfallDeadly flash floods hit northern Iraq on Saturday as severe thunderstorms swept across the region, including in neighbouring Iran. The city of Erbil, in Iraq, was particularly badly hit, with extensive damage to homes and businesses. Streets were inundated as torrential rain fell over a short period.Rainfall exceeded forecasts, with an estimated 80mm falling in the city, compared with expectations of 30mm. Two people were killed in the floods. Continue reading...
Drivers warned to take care as perfect' weather conditions for mist affect areas of England, Wales and Northern IrelandThick fog will shroud much of the southern half of England, the eastern half of Wales and most of Northern Ireland throughout the early part of the week, forecasters have said, as commuters are told to expect delays.There was disruption to flights at Heathrow airport on Monday, while an incident involving 30 vehicles closed a major road in Kent on Saturday evening. Continue reading...
President makes unusual acknowledgment that one of defining policies of his second administration had become a political liabilityDonald Trump has admitted that his deportation policy was too tough" and has offered to strike an immigration deal with Democrats in a concession after the Republicans' disastrous defeat in the midterm elections.In an interview on the CBS network's 60 Minutes broadcast on Sunday, the president acknowledged that the aggressive crackdown had hurt him politically and said he was open to an arrangement to allow some undocumented immigrants to remain in the US. Continue reading...
From Serbia to Bangladesh and India to France, young people are pushing back against authoritarianism and reshaping political landscapesIn Brazil, they rallied online by the millions, sharing videos and spreading memes. In Serbia, they cycled across Europe and ran ultramarathons to make their voices heard.Both movements burst into international public view last month as they became central during election campaigns to the pushback against authoritarianism. What they also offered, however, was a window into a wider phenomenon playing out across the globe, as youth-led movements reshape political landscapes. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#79MCK)
Residents of Astley in Greater Manchester will tell public inquiry next week of cacophony' of noise causing sleep deprivation and depressionWhen Stephen Retford retired from the police in 2006, he looked forward to a quiet life after nearly three decades catching villains. But now the former detective has landed another big case - one that is extremely close to home.It's the total injustice of it," the 70-year-old seethed, staring up at the 18-metre-high mega-warehouse that looms over the quiet village of Astley in Greater Manchester. Residents are up in arms about the monster" construction, likening it to having a cruise ship in our back garden". Continue reading...
Paul Nowak also calls on government to avoid arbitrary benefit cuts before much-anticipated Milburn report is published this weekFixing Britain's youth jobs crisis will require ministers to drastically increase investment in employment support while avoiding arbitrary cuts to benefits, the head of the trade union movement has said.Before an important official report expected next week, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Paul Nowak, said the government had a once in a generation chance" to secure young people's futures. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#79MB7)
Minister says Labour hoping to offer bed to every rough sleeper in England but cites chronic housing shortageAndy Burnham's pledge to tackle rough sleeping by getting everyone in for Christmas" is in jeopardy amid rising numbers of people on the streets and a severe housing shortage.Official figures show an increase of nearly 1,000 people sleeping rough in England between January and June, the latest month for which figures are available. Continue reading...
Coffee shop chain targets growth north of London with extra 500 outlets in big boost for youth employmentStarbucks has set out plans to hire 7,500 new baristas over the next five years, in a boost to youth employment as the chain pins hopes for future growth on the north of the country.The US coffee shop chain, which employs more than 18,000 people in the UK, said the hiring spree would focus on the Midlands, north of England, Wales and Scotland, as it targets growth north of the M25. Continue reading...
Pontiff tells Argentina's president the economy must benefit all on second stop of 12-day Latin America tourPope Leo XIV has delivered a stinging critique of Argentine president Javier Milei's harsh austerity measures, insisting growth must benefit all in a speech met with rapturous applause in Buenos Aires.The economy must be at the service of the people, rather than people being at the service of the economy," he said on Sunday, shortly after landing in Argentina on the second leg of a Latin America tour. Continue reading...
Time to throw myself into something new,' 32-year-old presenter announces on social media while hailing her unforgettable time' on the showMaya Jama has announced she is stepping down as the host of Love Island after three years.The 32-year-old presenter of the reality TV show made the announcement on Instagram. Continue reading...
Lucy Powell says proposals to end widespread practice will be included in overhaul of England's national curriculumPushing GCSE subjects on younger pupils risks turning England's secondary schools into early exam factories", the education secretary has said, warning that it is increasing disengagement from education.Lucy Powell wants schools to end the widespread practice of teaching GCSE topics to pupils in year 9 or earlier, before they officially start in year 10, and says she plans to reduce the amount of GCSE content to make it easier to fit into the official timetable. Continue reading...
40m scheme in England aims to keep most vulnerable people well at home and avoid unnecessary hospital staysHundreds of thousands of vulnerable patients in England are to receive extra support from their GP as part of a 40m drive aimed at keeping them out of hospital this winter.As the NHS gears up for the pressures of the coming months, family doctors will offer 300,000 people with frailty and long-term conditions health checks, medication reviews and respiratory tests designed to prevent avoidable hospital admissions. Continue reading...
Jakub Kulik critically injured and Artur Moraski also wounded after actions that prevented further casualties'Two Polish police officers who were injured as they pursued and detained the gunman in Krakow on Saturday have been hailed as heroes.One of them is Jakub Kulik, a former paratrooper and volunteer firefighter, who was left critically injured after a close-range exchange of fire with the suspect, a 24-year-old Polish national who killed six and injured 17 in an attack believed to have been inspired by far-right ideologies. Continue reading...
Culture secretary says there is still a problem with exploitation and abuse in the industry and public lifeThe culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has said there is still a problem with exploitation and abuse in the media industry and a failure to properly deal with allegations after Russell Brand's conviction for rape and sexual assault.She said women who came forward were too often not protected by institutions across public life, including in politics, and that huge power imbalances meant speaking up came at a very heavy cost. Continue reading...
Two people arrested after Robinson's presence inflames tensions in scenes witnessed by many on social mediaTwo people were arrested at an influencer boxing event that descended into a riot in Ireland after the presence of the far-right activist Tommy Robinson inflamed tensions in the crowd.The riot took place at about midnight on Saturday at an event organised by the controversial internet personality HSTikkyTokky, whose real name is Harrison Sullivan, at the Hub events venue in Kilkenny. Continue reading...
Culture secretary pushes back against talk of revisiting Brexit but says closer ties would fulfil referendum promisesOne of Andy Burnham's cabinet ministers has said she wants to avoid circular arguments" about whether the UK should rejoin the EU, underlining divisions at the top of government over revisiting Brexit.Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, appeared to suggest she was not in favour of rejoining the trade bloc, but she said the prime minister should still pursue closer ties to fulfil the promises made at the time of the referendum. Continue reading...
Trump poised to double down on immigration crackdown and refuse concessions to new Democratic majority in CongressDonald Trump set the stage for his administration to lurch further to the right this weekend, claiming the US had taken a giant step back" by widely rejecting his party.The US president's hardline aide, Stephen Miller, will begin as White House chief of staff on Monday. He will also meet with Dana White, CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, after offering him the job of press secretary. Continue reading...
Former military chief says prime minister brought Israel to historic crisis and it is approaching point of no return'Israel's former military chief Gadi Eisenkot started the tough task of forming a government on Sunday, reaching out to Benjamin Netanyahu's allies as he said the veteran prime minister had brought the country to a historic crisis.Eisenkot, 66, the leader of the Yashar party, who has vowed to bridge Israel's deep polarisation under Netanyahu, formally received a mandate from the president, Isaac Herzog, who gave him 28 days to form a government despite his bloc lacking a clear majority. Continue reading...
President orders prompt investigation after one train derails in collision in al-Ayyat about 30 miles from CairoAt least seven people were killed and more than 100 others injured when two trains collided on Sunday south of Cairo, authorities have said.The crash occurred in al-Ayyat district in Giza province, about 30 miles (50km) south of the capital, when a train travelling to the south-western Fayoum province crashed into the rear of a train heading to the southern province of Aswan, according to the transport ministry. It said one of the trains had derailed. Continue reading...
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