Fayaz Khan, 26, made the threat in a TikTok video that Reform UK leader told the court was pretty chilling'A man who came to the UK on a small boat has been found guilty of making a threat to kill Nigel Farage in a TikTok video.Fayaz Khan, 26, an Afghan national, was found guilty by a majority of 10 jurors to two after almost 12 hours of deliberation at Southwark court court. He had made the threat to kill the Reform UK leader in October last year in a video that Farage told the court was pretty chilling". Continue reading...
Al Murray and Matt Forde say action over portrayal as foul-mouthed drug addict is attack on freedom of expressionA decision to sue the makers of Spitting Image over a depiction of Paddington Bear as a foul-mouthed drug addict is an attack on comedy and freedom of expression, the comedians behind the comic reinvention have said.StudioCanal, the production company that made the recent Paddington movies, is taking legal action against the team behind Spitting Image over the character's reimagining as the co-host of a satirical podcast, The Rest is Bulls*!t. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Joe Coughlan (earlier) on (#70NG4)
This blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereHowever, it wasn't such a great night for the Lib Dems (or Labour or the Conservatives either) in the election for the Skelton East ward for Redcar and Cleveland council, where Reform UK set a new vote record with 65.3%, significantly ahead of Labour at 19.2% of the vote and the Conservative party (13.9%). The Lib Dems trailed, with only 1.5% of the vote.Reform's biggest byelection win means they've gained a seat from the Tories. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Leaked files offer a glimpse of the ex-prime minister's relationship with Christopher HarborneAs he boarded the night train to Ukraine, Boris Johnson had the usual entourage of aides and bodyguards - plus the man who had given him 1m.Less than a year had passed since Johnson accepted what is thought to be the largest donation ever to an individual MP. It was from Christopher Harborne, one of the UK's biggest and most private political donors. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan Caribbean correspondent on (#70NJ2)
Campaigners say lessons not being learned as three-year-old's mother is asked to prove right to free NHS treatmentThe UK has failed to learn lessons since the Windrush scandal, campaigners say, after a UK-born toddler was denied a British passport and asked to prove she has the right to free NHS treatment.Three-year-old Zharia-Rae's mother, Tracy Ann Dunkley, has been a British citizen since 2024 and the child's older brother, born to the same parents in 2020, was given a British passport in 2022. Continue reading...
At least 20 injured after hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles target energy infrastructure in KyivA massive" Russian drone and missile strike has wounded at least 20 people in Kyiv, plunging Ukraine's capital into darkness early on Friday in what Volodomyr Zelenskyy condemned as a cynical and calculated" attack.Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said Russian forces had targeted critical infrastructure", and fragments from downed drones struck several parts of the city. Images posted online showed firefighters working to tackle burning blocks of flats. Continue reading...
by Adeshola Ore (now) and Krishani Dhanji (earlier) on (#70N3Z)
This blog is now closed.We're still talking about superannuation tax concessions?We can't seem to stop hearing about the government's plan to increase tax on superannuation balances over $3m ... yes that's right, we're still talking about it.There have been some conversations with the prime minister's office ... It's probably not unusual for that to occur from time to time.This is too often what happens when you get a government that has such a large majority that they don't take people along on key policy issues.People have been planning for decades for how they save for retirement and structure those investments. So any changes that are made to super need to be considered and provide people looking to retire with plenty of warning.I don't think there are high risks to this first phase. The ceasefire, the release of the living hostages, the rapid identification and turnover of those bodies that can be found, and the introduction of humanitarian assistance, coupled with that, first of all steps, the Israeli withdrawal to the agreed initial line. I think that will happen. The problematic and hard to negotiate issues are what follows. This phase one is, if you will, the opening of the door.An armed Hamas is a Hamas which will retain the ability to assert, albeit clandestinely, effective governance. Disarmament must be in parallel to the process of shifting Hamas out of that effective governance role. And so the question that has to be raised here is what pressures can be brought to bear upon Hamas in order to affect that goal. Continue reading...
by Nick Visser (now); Adam Fulton ,Lucy Campbell, Fra on (#70MEX)
This live blog is now closed, you can read our latest report here.Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza gathered in what has come to be known as Hostage Square in Tel Aviv after the announcement.President Trump, thank you very much. We thank him, our children will not have returned home without him," said Hatan Angrest, whose son Matan is among the hostages. Continue reading...
Panel of 800 experts places Melbourne's Caretaker's Cottage and Sydney's Maybe Sammy in World's 50 Best Bar list once again, with Melbourne's Byrdi placing in top 100
Much-anticipated judgment centers on efforts by Trump administration to use troops to aid immigration crackdownA judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from federalizing or deploying the national guard in Illinois after Donald Trump ordered hundreds of troops to Chicago to help with immigration enforcement and to battle what the White House says are high crime rates in the city.US district judge April Perry issued her decision from the bench after more than two hours of arguments from lawyers for the federal government and the state of Illinois, which sued the Trump administration over the deployment. The order took effect on Thursday and will remain in place for two weeks. Continue reading...
Four people have so far been arrested as part of police investigation into attack in East Sussex, which caused significant damage'Police have made further arrests over an arson attack on a mosque in East Sussex.The building in Phyllis Avenue, Peacehaven was badly damaged by the fire at about 9.50pm on Saturday. Nobody was injured, but police said significant damage" was caused to the front of the building and a nearby vehicle. Continue reading...
Rapper had claimed UMG helped to damage his reputation by distributing Kendrick Lamar's Not Like UsA federal judge has thrown out Drake's defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), ruling that the company cannot be held responsible for promoting Kendrick Lamar's hit diss track Not Like Us.US district judge Jeannette Vargas decided Thursday that the song's lyrics express nonactionable opinion" and therefore cannot be considered defamatory. Continue reading...
by Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro, Harriet Barber in on (#70N7D)
Gustavo Petro demands US release names of victims: A new theatre of war has opened up: the Caribbean'Colombia's president has drawn Washington's ire after accusing the US of killing Colombian citizens during a recent boat strike in the Caribbean Sea.A new theatre of war has opened up: the Caribbean," Gustavo Petro wrote on his official X account on Wednesday night. Continue reading...
Commissioner's review found 87% of cases uncovered physical, psychological or sexual abuse of a family memberNearly 90% of cases before the family courts in England and Wales show evidence of domestic abuse, a watchdog has disclosed.Physical, psychological or sexual abuse of a member of the family or household was uncovered in 87% of cases, according to a review ordered by the domestic abuse commissioner, Nicole Jacobs. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#70N42)
Police arrest 30-year-old on suspicion of failing to disclose information about potential terrorist actsA 30-year-old man arrested over the Manchester synagogue attack has been rearrested at an airport shortly after being released.Counter-terror police detained the man at Manchester airport on Thursday on suspicion of failing to disclose information about potential terrorist acts. The arrest came within 24 hours of the man being released from custody, where he had been held since the attack at Heaton Park synagogue on Yom Kippur last Thursday. Continue reading...
Antwerp police recover an improvised explosive device and plans for terrorist attacks on political figuresPolice in Belgium have arrested three young adults for plotting a jihadist-inspired attack using drone-mounted explosives, with the Belgian prime minister reported to be among the politicians targeted.The arrests were made in the northern city of Antwerp as part of an investigation into attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group", the federal prosecutor Ann Fransen told a news conference. Continue reading...
Former UK prime minister told post-ministerial jobs watchdog roles would not involve lobbying or UK policy influenceRishi Sunak has been appointed as a senior adviser by the US technology companies Microsoft and Anthropic.The former British prime minister's pair of new jobs emerged on Thursday in letters published by Westminster's office of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba). They add to his roles as a senior adviser to Goldman Sachs International, the investment bank, and speechmaker to investment firms including Bain Capital and Makena Capital in the US, which have netted him over 150,000 a talk. Continue reading...
The film from disgraced director, Brett Ratner, will premiere in cinemas and follow the first lady in the 20 days prior to the 2025 inaugurationAmazon is set to release its Melania Trump documentary in cinemas January 2026.The film follows the first lady in the 20 days before the 2025 inauguration and comes from director Brett Ratner. It marks the film-maker's first feature since he was accused of sexual misconduct by a number of women in 2017. He had denied the claims. Continue reading...
Exclusive: education secretary tells the Guardian scrapping limit entirely in November's budget most cost-effective way to tackle child povertyBridget Phillipson is pushing the prime minister and chancellor to scrap the two-child benefit cap entirely in next month's budget, with the education secretary telling the Guardian the evidence is clear that it needs to be removed.Phillipson, who is finalising a report to Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves on child poverty, said abolishing the cap was the most cost effective way to make lives better for young disadvantaged people. Continue reading...
by Presented by Kiran Stacey and Pippa Crerar with Br on (#70MXR)
Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey speak to the education secretary and Labour deputy leadership candidate Bridget Phillipson about the plan for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as why she is pushing the prime minister and chancellor to get rid of the two-child limit on benefits.Plus, she explains why she believes she is the best candidate to become the next deputy leader of the Labour party. And, we hear her thoughts on Keir Starmer's leadership and how Labour should take on Nigel Farage and the rise of Reform Continue reading...
Exclusive: Reform UK leader's remarks at event for private US college criticised as grossly irresponsible' by NEU leaderNigel Farage has claimed teachers would go on strike within weeks of a Reform UK election win, and accused them of poisoning our kids" by telling them that black children are victims and white children oppressors.The Reform UK leader set out his view on British schools in an event for a private US Christian college in Michigan, claiming the Marxist left" was now in control of our education system". Continue reading...
by Presented by Annie Kelly with Ansam Tantesh and Ma on (#70MWC)
From inside Gaza, Ansam Tantesh and Mai Elawawda react to the news of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel and the prospect of finally ending the two-year warIn the early hours of Thursday morning, both Palestinians and Israelis were celebrating the news that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas had been reached. Though there are still many uncertainties ahead - and many points of disagreement to resolve - an end to Israel's two-year war in Gaza has never seemed nearer.As Ansam Tantesh, an English graduate and would-be teacher, explains from inside Gaza, it has been a brutal period for those living in the strip. The pain, she tells Annie Kelly, will never leave my heart'. Continue reading...
Rhun ap Iorwerth says 2026 Senedd vote will pitch vision against division but will not be a poll on independenceThe leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has said next year's Welsh parliament elections will be a two-horse race between his party and Reform UK.Ap Iorwerth said voters could choose to back Plaid's vision of a progressive Wales or face the division that Reform thrives on. Continue reading...
by Michael Savage and Alexandra Topping on (#70MT1)
Metropolitan police say Westwood, 68, has been charged with sexual offences against seven womenThe former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood has been charged with sexual offences against seven women, including four counts of rape.The Metropolitan police said the 68-year-old had been charged with offences dating from 1983 to 2016. Officers said their investigation remained open and urged anyone with further information to come forward. Continue reading...
Vocalist with 70s horror-rock group says he is completely fine' after reportedly passing out at the wheelGene Simmons, the bassist and vocalist with 70s horror-rock group Kiss, has acknowledged being a horrible" driver after he crashed his SUV after reportedly passing out at the wheel and ended up in the hospital in Malibu, California.Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes," Simmons posted on social media. I'm completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens. Especially to those of us were horrible drivers. And that's me. All is well." Continue reading...
Three Bollywood movies will be made in the UK, says British PM, and two more British universities will be setting up a campus in IndiaCompensation schemes for victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal will be improved, with a new appeals process and funded legal advice for post office operators, the government has announced.Responding to the first part of the findings from a two-year public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal, regarded as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in UK legal history, the business secretary, Peter Kyle, said there would be a new appeals process for people who have accepted fixed-sum offers under the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, one of several compensation schemes. Funded legal advice will also be offered. Continue reading...
Julia Wandelt is on trial accused of targeting McCann family in a two-and-a-half-year harassment campaignMadeleine McCann's brother and sister have described being stressed and scared by their creepy" and deeply disturbing" interactions with an alleged stalker who claimed to be their missing sister.Giving evidence at the trial of Julia Wandelt, 24, who stands accused of targeting the family in a two-and-a-half-year harassment campaign, the twins Amelie and Sean McCann recalled the defendant contacting them a number of times saying she was Madeleine, who disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal in 2007 when she was three and they were two. Continue reading...
Authorities investigate site after shrimp exported to the US found to contain the hazardous isotope Caesium-137A large industrial zone on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, is grappling with radioactive contamination after a government taskforce found traces of the hazardous isotope Caesium-137 at 22 production facilities at the site, which includes businesses that export frozen seafood.The discovery, which has prompted emergency decontamination and relocation of residents, follows a contamination scare in the US that was traced back to the Jakarta facilities. Continue reading...
Jamie Dimon, chair of JPMorgan Chase, said he was far more worried than others' about serious market correctionThe chances of the US stock market crashing is far greater than many financiers believe, the head of America's largest bank has said.Jamie Dimon, who is the chair and chief executive of the giant Wall Street bank JPMorgan Chase, said he was far more worried than others" about a serious market correction, which he predicted could come in the next six months to two years. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#70MM0)
Dozens of worshippers gather at sombre but defiant vigil a week after attack in which two men were killedDozens of worshippers have gathered at the Manchester synagogue that was attacked on Yom Kippur, vowing to show resolve" and not be cowed" by terrorism.Amid heavy security a week after the assault in which two men were killed, Jewish community leaders led prayers and speeches in a sombre but defiant 15-minute vigil. Continue reading...
Government response to two-year inquiry's initial findings includes crucial' pledges for new appeals process and legal advice fundingCompensation schemes for victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal will be improved, with a new appeals process and funded legal advice for post office operators, the government has announced.Responding to the first part of the findings from a two-year public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal, regarded as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in UK legal history, the business secretary, Peter Kyle, said there would be anew appeals process for people who have accepted fixed-sum offers under the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, one of several compensation schemes. Funded legal advice will also be offered. The Post Office will close this scheme on 31 January, to give post office operators who have not yet applied more time to put in applications. Continue reading...
Court's decision in Louisiana v Callais could limit voters from challenging racial discriminatory districtsThe US supreme court is set to hear a case this month that could gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act, effectively killing one of the crown jewels of the civil rights movement and the nation's most powerful statute to prevent discrimination in voting.The court's decision in the case, Louisiana v Callais, could be one of the most consequential rulings for the Voting Rights Act since it was enacted in 1965 and is almost certainly the biggest test for the law since its decision in Shelby county v Holder in 2013, when the justices hollowed out a provision of the law, section five, that required certain places to get voting changes approved by the federal government before they go into effect. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#70MFW)
Abdallah, 27, and Soha, 31, describe adjusting to their new lives after leaving their war-torn homeThe young man emerging from a backstreet accommodation block in a bustling corner of east London looks much like any other student, getting to grips with his studies at the start of a new term. But 27-year-old Abdallah carries more of a burden than most. A qualified doctor, he has recently been evacuated from Gaza to begin his studies at Queen Mary University of London on a fully funded, government-backed Chevening scholarship.As well as his work in hospitals, he has been striving for months on behalf of the dozens of Palestinian scholars like himself who have been stranded in war-torn Gaza awaiting evacuation by the British government to take up places in UK universities. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will see the release of hostages and the withdrawal of most of Israel's troopsGood morning. After more than two years of devastating war, a ceasefire has finally been announced in Gaza.US president Donald Trump said Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause fighting and secure the release of hostages and prisoners. Under the deal, Hamas is expected to release 20 surviving hostages over the coming days in exchange for Palestinian detainees, while Israeli forces will begin withdrawing from most of Gaza.Gaza | Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase" of a peace plan to pause fighting and release some hostages and prisoners held in Gaza, bringing the best hope yet of a definitive end to a bloody two-year conflict that has killed ten of thousands, destabilised much of the Middle East and prompted protests across the world.Health | Ministers are preparing to raise the amount the NHS pays pharmaceutical firms for medicines by up to 25% after weeks of intensive talks with the Donald Trump administration and drugmakers.Education | Universities in the UK reassured arms companies they would monitor students' chat groups and social media accounts after firms raised concerns about campus protests, according to internal emails.AI | The Bank of England has warned there is a growing risk of a sudden correction" in global markets as it raised concerns about soaring valuations of leading AI tech companies.Politics | The Conservatives will scrap stamp duty on sales of primary residences if they win the next election, Kemi Badenoch has said, in a policy-heavy speech designed to improve her standing as Tory leader and her party's economic credibility with voters. Continue reading...
Julie Inman Grant says message board will need to comply with other codes which will also include age assurance for sites hosting violent and adult content
Court in Buenos Aires sentences Fernando Sabag Montiel and accomplice over 2022 incident in which gun was pointed at former president but did not go offA court in Argentina has sentenced a man to 10 years in prison after finding him guilty of attempting to kill former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.The court in Buenos Aires also sentenced the man's accomplice to eight years in prison, capping a dramatic case that has captivated the country since 2022, when the main defendant, Fernando Sabag Montiel, squeezed through a crowd outside the ex-president's home, thrust a loaded gun at her face and pulled the trigger. Continue reading...
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