by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#74X22)
No 10 understood to be ready to drop block on intelligence services being covered after concerns from families and MPsThe delayed Hillsborough law could come into force after a shift by the government on forcing intelligence services to give evidence to public inquiries. Disagreement on the issue had halted the bill's progress earlier this year.Downing Street is understood to be willing to give way over a block on intelligence staff coming under the law's terms, which enforces a duty of candour on public officials and contractors in the aftermath of disasters. Continue reading...
Late-night gallery tours and new venues signal a city staking its claim as a regional arts capitalOn a recent weekday evening, the doors of more than a dozen galleries and museums across Abidjan stayed open till midnight, several hours later than usual, as art enthusiasts went around town on a bus tour. It was the Night of the Galleries, designed for people to drop in after work and enjoy Abidjan art week to the fullest.The after-hours special showcase was first tested in January 2024 on the sidelines of the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament hosted and won by Cote d'Ivoire. The tradition continued this year during the art week's third edition, which ran from last Tuesday to Sunday. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Orban concedes defeat after 16 years in power, ushering in a new era for Hungary's relations with the EU, US and RussiaGood morning. The people of Hungary are waking up in an unfamiliar political landscape - one in which Viktor Orban, who has served as prime minister since 2010, is stepping aside after defeat to Peter Magyar, whose Tisza party has won an election likely to reshape the country's ties with the EU, the US and Russia.Less than three hours after polls closed on Sunday, Orban conceded defeat after what he described as a painful but unambiguous" result. Magyar, who has pledged to repair Hungary's strained relationship with the EU, crack down on corruption and channel funds towards long-neglected public services, said Tisza voters had rewritten Hungarian history and that truth prevailed over lies".Middle East | Donald Trump has said the US will begin blockading the strait of Hormuz in an attempt to take control of the strategic waterway from Iran in the aftermath of failed peace negotiations.Carers | Thousands of unpaid carers will continue to be hit with hefty and potentially unfair benefit repayment demands, as a government initiative gets under way to fix welfare injustices that have drawn comparison to the Post Office scandalUK news | The Home Office is to announce the closure of 11 asylum hotels this week as part of its pledge to close all such facilities by the end of this parliament.Ireland | Police have cleared a blockade of central Dublin by farmers and hauliers who were protesting about fuel prices, signalling a possible end to six days of protests that have rocked Ireland.UK politics | Ministers are planning to reshape Britain's relationship with the European Union, with new legislation that could result in the UK signing up to EU single market rules without a normal parliamentary vote. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#74WZK)
Researchers say hardship is a direct legacy of welfare benefit cuts imposed by Tory governments in recent yearsMore than a fifth of all austerity generation" British children have been scarred by poverty for at least half their childhood, a direct legacy of the welfare benefit cuts imposed by Conservative governments in recent years, research reveals.The proportion of children born after 2013 who spent at least six of their first 11 years of life in hardship surged after ministers froze working age benefits levels and imposed policies such as the two-child limit, it found. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#74WZJ)
Exclusive: MPs say profit-making levels in England are scandalous' and call for cap on amount private companies can make from NHSPrivate firms providing services to the NHS including healthcare and consultancy have made 1.6bn in profits over the last two years, research reveals.The findings - on the basis of contracts worth 12bn - have prompted claims of scandalous" profiteering, concern that the health service is being taken for a ride" and calls for ministers to impose a cap on maximum profit levels.2bn of the 12bn of contracts went to firms with owners based outside the UK.533m of that 2bn went to companies owned by people living in tax havens such as Jersey and the Cayman Islands.Firms, especially those owned by private equity outfits, used 353m of their 12bn NHS income to pay interest on debts. Continue reading...
Coach believes there's no limit to 18-year-old's talent while athlete himself says he's ready for more'Having cracked the 20-second barrier with a sizzling run over 200m - and in the process fulled comparisons with the great Usain Bolt - the question now is, how fast can Gout Gout go?How long's a piece of string?" said Gout's coach and mentor, Di Sheppard, after he clocked 19.67sec at the Australian championships in Sydney on Sunday. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#74WZP)
Officials grant Grade II* protection to rare building that raises more questions than it answers'It is an elite list with some of the most significant and beautiful buildings and structures in England, including Battersea power station, Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge and the London Coliseum.Now the Grade II* landmarks are being joined by a mysterious, limestone rubble barn" on a grassy knoll in the Lake District, which was most recently used as a shelter for sheep and cows. Continue reading...
by Adam Fulton, Marina Dunbar, Yohannes Lowe, Hayden on (#74WXT)
This blog is now closed. Our live coverage continues hereA post about an hour ago on the Israel Defense Forces Telegram channel claimed that overnight, the IDF identified a rocket launcher positioned and ready to launch toward the State of Israel in the area of Jouaiyya in southern Lebanon".Shortly after the identification, the launcher was struck and dismantled in a rapid closure cycle, thwarting the launch before it could be carried out. Continue reading...
Musician says he wanted to attend the protest despite the consequences a potential arrest could have on his music careerMassive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja has been arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation after attending a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action in central London on Saturday.Del Naja, also known as 3D, was among hundreds of fellow demonstrators in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon, holding a sign that read I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action". Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed. You can read more about election night hereEurope correspondentNot a regular observer of Hungarian politics? We've got you. Continue reading...
Ministers admit carer's allowance penalties will continue while review of more than 200,000 cases is carried outThousands of unpaid carers will continue to be hit with hefty and potentially unfair benefit repayment demands, it has emerged, as a government initiative gets under way to fix welfare injustices that have drawn comparison to the Post Office scandal.Ministers will on Monday launch an audit of more than 200,000 historical carer's allowance benefit cases, with an estimated 25,000 carers issued with unlawful overpayments since 2015 likely to see their repayment debts cancelled or reduced as a result. Continue reading...
Campaigners welcome first update of school food standards in 13 years, which aims to help lower obesity ratesThe government is to announce an overhaul to school food standards in England that will lead to calorific classics such as fish and chips and steamed sponges being banned.The new rules of the first major update to school food standards in 13 years will apply from September. They are part of efforts to lower the rates of childhood obesity, with data for 2024 released by the NHS in January showing that 24% of nursery and primary school children were overweight or living with obesity. Continue reading...
Officials say no arrests made at this time' and that shooting does not appear to be a random act of violence'Seven people were shot, including one fatally, at a fast-food chain restaurant in Union Township, New Jersey, on Saturday night, according to authorities.The Gun Violence Archive, a nonpartisan reference resource, listed the reported shooting at the Chick-fil-A restaurant in the 2300 block of Route 22 as the 100th mass shooting documented in the US this year, as of Sunday. The archive defines mass shootings as cases in which four or more victims are wounded or killed. Continue reading...
Hundreds of officers deployed to regain control of O'Connell Street on sixth day of protests by farmers and hauliersPolice have cleared a blockade of central Dublin by farmers and hauliers who were protesting about fuel prices, signalling a possible end to six days of protests that have rocked Ireland.Mounted units and hundreds of officers regained control of O'Connell Street in a peaceful operation that emptied the thoroughfare of trucks and tractors on Sunday morning. Continue reading...
Astronauts make first remarks at jubilant welcome home event in Houston after their record-breaking missionStill marveling over their moon mission, the Artemis II astronauts received a thunderous welcome home on Saturday from the hundreds of colleagues who took part in setting a record for deep space travel during the US space agency Nasa's lunar comeback.The crew of four arrived at Ellington Field near Nasa's Johnson Space Center and Mission Control in Houston, flying in from San Diego, where they had splashed down just offshore the evening before. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Ministers planning new legislation for alignment without full parliamentary scrutiny if in national interestMinisters are planning to fundamentally reshape Britain's relationship with the European Union, with new legislation that could result in the UK signing up to EU single market rules without a normal parliamentary vote.In a major development in the prime minister's push for closer ties with the continent after the Iran war, the Guardian understands ministers are bracing to face down opposition to dynamic alignment" with the EU from those who scream treason" over the powers in a new EU-UK reset bill. Continue reading...
Victim in her 20s was attacked after leaving Labyrinth Epsom nightclub between 2am and 4am on SaturdayA woman was raped by several men outside a church after leaving a nightclub in Surrey, police said.The woman in her 20s reported she was attacked after being followed leaving Labyrinth Epsom between 2am and 4am on Saturday. Continue reading...
Police arrest man, 37, on suspicion of being in charge of dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in deathA 19-year-old woman who died after a dog attack in Essex has been named by police as Jamie-Lea Biscoe.
by Alexandra Topping Political correspondent on (#74WR9)
Mauritian foreign minister pledges to spare no effort' to regain control of islands, as US fails to give approval of dealA senior official in Mauritius' government has vowed that the Chagos Islands will be decolonised" after Keir Starmer was forced to shelve legislation to hand the islands back to Mauritius.On Friday, UK government officials acknowledged that they had run out of time to pass legislation within the current parliamentary session, which ends in the coming weeks, after a lack of support from Donald Trump. Continue reading...
by Alexandra Topping Political correspondent on (#74WRA)
Exclusive: Health secretary warns of dangers of protest vote as he pitches NHS as key elections battlegroundVoters in May's local and devolved elections risk putting the NHS in jeopardy if they vote for populist parties, Wes Streeting has said, as he sought to make the health service a key battleground.The founding principles of the NHS are at greater threat than at any time since the NHS was founded in 1948," the health secretary said. Continue reading...
Demand at online marketplaces could settle at a new, higher normal, with the crisis leaving consumers scarred'Car buyers' interest in electric cars has surged across Europe since the start of the war in Iran, as the rising cost of petrol highlights the cheaper power available from a plug.Online marketplaces in the UK, Germany, France and Spain reported huge increases in inquiries about electric vehicles since the start of the conflict in February. Continue reading...
Oliuwadamilola Ogunyankinnu due to appear in court on Monday over fatal stabbing in north LondonA man has been charged with murder after the death of 21-year-old Finbar Sullivan, who was stabbed to death in Primrose Hill.The Metropolitan police said Oliuwadamilola Ogunyankinnu, 27, of Southbury Road in Enfield, had been charged with murder on Sunday and was due to appear at Stratford magistrates court on Monday. Continue reading...
Mo-Rez reduced or eliminated tumours in over 60% of patients and is expected to be a blockbuster drugGSK has revealed positive results for a treatment for gynaecological cancers as its chief executive, Luke Miels, seeks to speed up drug development at the group.The company said that in an early-stage trial Mocertatug Rezetecan, known as Mo-Rez, shrank or eliminated tumours in 62% of patients with ovarian cancer where chemotherapy had failed, and in 67% of those with endometrial cancer. Continue reading...
by Caroline Davies and Alexandra Topping on (#74WPY)
Report says company did not pay tens of thousands in tax on dividends given to Reform UK deputy leader and trustRichard Tice's company has been accused of breaking the law by allegedly failing to pay tens of thousands of pounds in tax on dividends that were paid to him and his offshore trust.Reform UK's multimillionaire deputy leader is alleged to have received at least 91,000 in excess payments as a result, the Sunday Times reported. Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates - whose analysis was cited by the newspaper - said that further analysis suggested that the total in tax that should have been paid by Tice's company was about 120,000. Continue reading...
John Brennan says president who made volatile remarks about destroying Iranian civilization is clearly unhinged'The former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan has added his name to growing calls for the president to be ousted on grounds that he is unfit for the job, arguing that the US constitution's 25th amendment addressing involuntary removal from office was written with Donald Trump in mind".Brennan, who served as head of the spy agency during Barack Obama's presidency, told MS Now on Saturday that Trump's recent volatile remarks about destroying Iranian civilization and the danger he posed to so many lives merited his removal from the Oval Office. Continue reading...
The two sides turned up to test one another's resolve. It was probably unrealistic to expect a dispute that has taken up years of discussion to be settled in one marathon session
Crime and corruption top voter concerns in highly unpredictable election with 35 candidates for presidentPeruvians go to the polls on Sunday hoping to break a cycle of instability that has produced nine presidents in a decade as well as surging violent crime, corruption scandals and overwhelming distrust in institutions and politicians.About 27 million people who are eligible to vote must choose between a record 35 presidential candidates as well as contenders for the bicameral congress - all from a ballot sheet measuring nearly half a metre, the longest in the country's history. Continue reading...
Democratic city does not control its police force - and reform attempts have been thwarted by RepublicansQuinton Lucas said he thinks his city's police department is a colonial system".I think it is anti-Black. I think it is anti-immigrant. I think it is anti-almost everything we stand for in terms of making sure that diverse populations in major cities have a voice in terms of navigating it," the Kansas City mayor said. Continue reading...
From Vance's interest to Trump's commitment to disclosure, administration's fascination with UFOs has experts feeling close to evidence of aliensLike most politicians, Donald Trump did not campaign on the issue of space aliens. But 15 months into his second term, UFO enthusiasts have been buoyed by the Trump administration's apparent fascination with extraterrestrials, with one expert claiming the human race has never been closer" to being presented with hard evidence of aliens.After a largely alien-free first 12 months, the president has committed himself to UFO disclosure in 2026. In February, Trump directed various departments to release government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life", and the White House took the unusual step of registering domain aliens.gov" in March, setting pulses racing among believers online. Continue reading...
Two-time Grammy nominee was one of Bollywood's most versatile and celebrated voicesThe Indian singer Asha Bhosle, whose voice defined Bollywood music through the 1970s and 80s, has died aged 92, her family said.The two-time Grammy nominee had been admitted to hospital in Mumbai with complaints of extreme exhaustion" and chest infection. Continue reading...
Officials said many killed at popular tourist site were young, with more people reported injured or missingAt least 30 people, many of them young, have died and dozens more are reported to have been injured after a crush at a mountaintop fortress in northern Haiti that is a popular tourist spot.Jean Henri Petit, the head of civil protection for the country's Nord department, said the incident took place on Saturday at Citadelle Henry - also known as Citadelle Laferriere - a large 19th-century fortress built shortly after the Caribbean country's independence from France, which was packed with students and visitors. Continue reading...
Use of interns by Plum Sykes, an ex-assistant of Anna Wintour whose family owns a Yorkshire estate, reignites debate about creative industriesShe is said to have been the inspiration for a character in The Devil Wears Prada and was a personal assistant of Anna Wintour, so Plum Sykes knows a thing or two about the arduous and often unglamorous life of being a fashion industry intern.But that recognition does not, it appears, extend to paying her own interns a fair wage. Or, indeed, any wage at all. Continue reading...
Last year's drop may reflect rising unemployment and improved right to request flexible working, experts sayThe number of workers in Great Britain taking their bosses to employment tribunals over remote working fell last year for the first time since Covid hit, with a tightening labour market making some more reluctant to leave roles despite return-to-office mandates.There were 54 employment tribunals decided in England, Scotland and Wales in 2025 that cited remote working, according to an analysis of records by the HR consultants Hamilton Nash: down 13% compared with 2024. Continue reading...
President's proposed budget slashes health department by 12% while throwing $1.5tn - a 42% increase - to the militaryAmericans are dying in droves. Deaths due to avoidable causes in the United States -which could be dealt with via prevention or proper healthcare - far outpace those in most of country's peers in the industrialized world. Most notably, Americans die of treatable conditions at nearly twice the rate as Spaniards, French, Japanese and Australians.They would most likely live longer if they enjoyed better access to healthcare. Americans are the most likely to skip a doctor's appointment due to its cost, the most likely to skip a medical test and to skimp on prescription drugs. This is unsurprising, given the extraordinary lack of public health insurance in the United States. Americans face the highest out-of-pocket expenses for medical services in their peer group. Continue reading...
Exclusive: closures are part of pledge by Labour to end all use of hotels for asylum seekers by end of this parliamentThe Home Office is to announce the closure of 11 asylum hotels this week as part of its pledge to close all such facilities by the end of this parliament.The use of hotels to house asylum seekers has been controversial since it became widespread at the start of the Covid pandemic. Anti-migrant protesters have staged demonstrations outside hotels, claiming asylum seekers are living a life of luxury there. Continue reading...
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