National security committee warns until tougher safeguards are in place, UK elections dangerously exposed to covert foreign moneyPolitical donations in cryptocurrency should be subject to an urgent temporary ban to stop foreign interference in British elections, the chair of the national security committee has said.Matt Western, who leads the committee of MPs and peers, said a moratorium was needed until the risks of donations in cryptocurrency have been dealt with - including adequate checks on the source of the money. Continue reading...
Richard Tice echoes Donald Trump with pledge of great repeal act' and tight quotas and significant tariffs'Unions and renters' groups have criticised Reform UK after the party's business spokesperson, Richard Tice, pledged to introduce a great repeal act" that would abolish Labour legislation on workers' rights and protection for tenants.In his first speech since being appointed by Nigel Farage to a portfolio covering business, trade and energy, Tice promised a bonfire of regulations, including an end to net zero targets and a new push for home-produced shale gas using fracking. Continue reading...
Chiquinho and Domingos Brazao accused of ordering shooting of Rio councillor and her driver in 2018Brazil's supreme court has opened the trial of politicians accused of ordering the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco, a case that exposed deep ties between politics and organised crime in the city.Franco, an activist who grew up in a favela and became an outspoken critic of Rio's powerful militia groups, was 38 when she was shot dead in the city centre alongside her driver, Anderson Gomes. Continue reading...
Environment secretary says payments will be limited to 100,000 per farm so more farmers can benefit'Some farmers will lose money by opting into environment schemes under new plans to cap payments available for sustainable farming.Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, said the new system is fairer", adding: Too much of our most productive land was removed from conventional farming." Farmers will be disincentivised from taking large amounts of their land out of food production and rewilding it for nature, under her plans. Continue reading...
Laurence des Cars steps down days after parliamentary inquiry called Paris museum a state within a state'The president of the Louvre in Paris has resigned, four months after a gang of thieves broke into the museum's Apollo gallery and made off with 88m (76m) of Napoleonic jewellery in France's most dramatic heist in decades.Laurence des Cars, who had offered to step down in the immediate aftermath of the burglary, tendered her resignation to Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday in what the French president called an act of responsibility", the Elysee Palace said. Continue reading...
Charles Kushner, father of president's son-in-law Jared, failed to show up to meeting to explain US comments relating to death of far-right activistDonald Trump's envoy to Paris has called France's foreign minister and pledged not to interfere in the country's domestic affairs, a day after he was barred from talking to government officials for failing to attend a formal meeting at the ministry.The foreign ministry said on Monday that Charles Kushner would not be permitted to carry out his diplomatic duties until he had explained his refusal to comply with the summons over US comments about the killing of a far-right activist in France. Continue reading...
Leicester and Nottingham officers accept they missed opportunities to act on earlier warrantTwo police forces have apologised to bereaved families and survivors of the Nottingham attacks for failing to act on an arrest warrant for Valdo Calocane that was issued 10 months before he killed three people, a public inquiry has heard.NHS England and the NHS trust that cared for Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, also apologised to the families over missed opportunities. The NHS and the system as a whole failed you with devastating consequences," the lawyer representing NHS England said. Continue reading...
by Presented by Lucy Hough with Archie Bland; produce on (#73SYP)
Former US ambassador Peter Mandelson has been released on bail after his arrest over claims he committed misconduct in public office during his friendship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Police have been investigating allegations that he leaked Downing Street emails and market-sensitive information to the disgraced US financier during his time as business secretary. Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian's head of national news, Archie Bland - watch on YouTube Continue reading...
Thirteen books make this year's longlist for translated fiction, which awards a first prize of 50,000Olga Ravn, Daniel Kehlmann, Ia Genberg, Mathias Enard and Gabriela Cabezon Camara are among those longlisted for the 10th International Booker prize, which recognises the best translated fiction published in the past year.A Booker dozen" of 13 books were longlisted for this year's prize. One author-translator pair will win 50,000, to be split equally. Continue reading...
Meloni government had claimed case showed why officers using weapons in self-defence needed more protectionThe arrest of an Italian police officer on suspicion of murder over the fatal shooting of a Moroccan man has prompted a row after the opposition accused Giorgia Meloni's far-right government of exploiting the case for political ends.Abderrahim Mansouri, 28, was shot in the head by Carmelo Cinturrino, assistant chief of Mecenate police station, during a police drugs patrol in the Rogoredo area of Milan in late January. Cinturrino originally said he had acted in self-defence after Mansouri pulled a gun on him. Continue reading...
Film-maker Jonte Richardson cites harm inflicted on both the black and disabled communities', while New Black Film Collective and MP Dawn Butler criticise BBC's failure to edit slur before broadcast
The US president will deliver his State of the Union address this evening - here's what you need to knowDonald Trump will deliver the State of the Union in Washington on Tuesday, his second major address to Congress this term and the last before the 2026 midterms. It's also the first time Trump will be confronted with the supreme court justices since they ruled his tariffs illegal.Historically, the State of the Union is an opportunity for the president to lay out their agenda and talk about key policy objectives. While it's not officially a campaign event, it's likely Trump will use the speech as an opportunity to tout his accomplishments. Continue reading...
The rock band's Amy Taylor claimed copyright infringement over sales of prints but now faces counter action in Los Angeles courtRock band Amyl and the Sniffers have become embroiled in a legal battle over photoshoot rights between their lead singer and a photographer who has applied for the case to be thrown out.Amy Taylor, the band's frontwoman, had taken the photographer, Jamie Nelson, to court for selling fine art prints based on photos of Taylor. Continue reading...
Comedian denies one count of rape and one count of sexual assault related to two womenRussell Brand has pleaded not guilty to two further sexual offences, including rape.The 50-year-old comedian was charged in December with one count of rape and one count of sexual assault in relation to two women. The two alleged offences took place in 2009. Continue reading...
Speech comes as midterms loom and opinion polls show more voters disapprove than approve of his performanceThe last time Donald Trump delivered a State of the Union address, it produced the memorable optics of Nancy Pelosi ripping up his speech after he finished talking.Pelosi's theatrical gesture at the end of the February 2020 address (his 2025 speech was technically a joint session of Congress, not a State of the Union) eloquently expressed the Democrats' contempt for Trump's rosy description of the union he presided over, when he boasted of a booming economy and restoring US strength in characteristic Maga (make America great again) rhetoric. Continue reading...
Daughter was heartbroken' after Michelle Hundley Smith requested her location not be disclosed to family she had walked away fromA North Carolina woman says she was simultaneously ecstatic ... pissed ... [and] heartbroken" to learn authorities recently found her mother living safely and well - while also wanting her location kept secret - more than 24 years after she suddenly vanished from her family.I am all over the map!" Amanda Smith, the daughter of Michelle Hundley Smith, wrote in a lengthy statement on a social media page dedicated to searching for her mother. Will I have a relationship once more with my mom? Honestly, I can't answer that [because] I don't even know. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: how the war looks from inside the country four years on - and what the west's audience and leaders still misunderstandGood morning. Today marks four years since Russian tanks first rolled towards Kyiv as Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine - a war he insisted on calling a special military operation". The initial assault was repelled, almost certainly to his surprise, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government remained intact to marshal the nation's defences.What followed has been widely perceived as a grinding war of attrition. While Russia has made incremental advances across territory it had already destabilised through Moscow-backed separatist republics, Ukraine has been subjected to a relentless aerial assault on its infrastructure - one that western support, from sanctions to air-defence systems and fighter jets, has not been able to halt. Peace initiatives - with varying degrees of sincerity - have come and gone.Peter Mandelson| Peter Mandelson has been arrested and released on bail by detectives investigating claims he committed misconduct in public office during his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.Education | Hundreds of thousands fewer children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) will be given education, health and care plans (EHCPs) as a result of long-awaited changes announced by the education secretary.UK politics | Reform UK's plan to create an ICE-style deportation agency has been condemned as sadistic", after the party's home affairs spokesperson vowed to face down progressive outrage".Media | The BBC has issued a new apology for its handling of an incident at the Bafta film awards which saw the N-word broadcast during BBC One coverage of the ceremony and remain overnight on BBC iPlayer.Iran | Donald Trump's decision to order airstrikes against Iran will hinge in part on the judgment of Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Documents show Andrea Jenkyns asked how she could help firm after major gas find in LincolnshireLincolnshire's Reform party mayor, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, has courted the head of an American oil and gas dynasty in the hope of bringing fracking to the county, the Guardian can reveal.Egdon Resources, a British subsidiary of the US fracker Heyco Energy, announced a major gas discovery in Lincolnshire's Gainsborough Trough last year. Jenkyns, who became the first mayor of Greater Lincolnshire in May, reached out personally to the company asking how she could help with your recent gas find in my county", according to records released by the mayoral authority in response to a freedom of information request. Continue reading...
British Retail Consortium warns over endemic' violence towards shop workers and says theft is causing anxietyCriminal gangs are systematically" targeting shops, retailers have warned, with 5.5m incidents of shoplifting detected last year, costing the industry an estimated 400m.The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned over endemic" violence towards shop workers - who faced an average 36 incidents of violence involving a weapon every day last year - and said high levels of theft was causing anxiety" among retail staff. Continue reading...
The actor killed himself, his family said in a statement that aimed to raise awareness of his nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder'Robert Carradine, a member of the famed acting family who was known for his roles in Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire, has died aged 71.Carradine killed himself after years of living with bipolar disorder, his family said in a statement which they said they hoped would raise awareness. Continue reading...
by Eva Corlett in Wellington and Guardian staff on (#73SE3)
Country follows Australia in saying it would support any UK government proposals to remove former prince after arrestNew Zealand has become the second Commonwealth country to back the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.A spokesperson for New Zealand's prime minister, Christopher Luxon, said on Tuesday: If the UK government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it." Continue reading...
Company had suspended account of Tumbler Ridge shooter in June 2025 over furtherance of violent activities'Canada's artificial intelligence minister says he has summoned representatives from the technology company OpenAI after the company declined to alert police after suspending the account of a user who became the perpetrator of one of the country's worst-ever school shootings.Evan Solomon says he is deeply disturbed" by reports that the company, which operates the popular ChatGPT chatbot, suspended the account of Jesse Van Rootselaar over the furtherance of violent activities" in June 2025 but did not reach out to Canadian law enforcement. Continue reading...
Designer Daniel Lee's trenchcoats and bomber jackets fizz with urban energy in collection that embraces bad weatherIn a winter of record-breaking rain, Burberry - purveyor of the stalwart British coat - is back in the zeitgeist. A season of downpours has provided an apt backdrop for a return to form, as the brand re-entered the FTSE 100 last autumn after an ignominious year out of the charts.The classic check scarf was ranked the fourth hottest fashion item in the last quarter of 2025 on the search, sales and social media metrics of the Lyst index, with overall demand for the brand up 239% year on year. Continue reading...
Controversial doctor steps down as contributor after Epstein files reveal communication between the two menControversial longevity expert Dr Peter Attia has resigned from his post as a CBS News contributor after correspondence between Attia and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was made public.The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news of Attia's departure. Continue reading...
Sinners film-maker's much-anticipated relaunch of the paranormal hit show finally receives official green lightRyan Coogler's reboot of The X-Files has received the official green light with Danielle Deadwyler set as the first co-lead.The film-maker behind Black Panther and Sinners has long talked about his love for the hit paranormal drama series and how he wants to make some new episodes that are really fucking scary". Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#73S8K)
Education secretary and her team have won over some critics but obstacles remain in their attempt to overhaul systemIn her first week as a cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson held a meeting for new Labour MPs with one subject - special educational needs. Almost 100 MPs came to that first meeting.There were new MPs for whom the issue was personal to their own families - Jen Craft, Daniel Francis, Steve Race, as well as the then business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds. Dozens more knew the system was at breaking point because of their previous work in the charity sector, for unions and in the disability sector. Continue reading...
by Andrew Roth Global affairs correspondent on (#73S60)
US state department official says it's prudent' to reduce their footprint to essential personnelWashington has evacuated dozens of non-essential personnel from its embassy in Lebanon as US ships and warplanes have been positioned in the region for a potential strike against Iran in the coming days.The diplomatic drawdown followed reports that dozens of US personnel had been evacuated through Lebanon's Beirut-Rafic Hariri international airport to protect them from a possible Iranian counterattack if tensions between the US and Iran escalate into war. Roughly 30-50 US embassy personnel have left the country, estimates suggest. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#73S61)
Exclusive: Former health secretary throws weight behind campaign to boost diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrumJeremy Hunt has urged leading doctors to do more to help maternity specialists detect a rare complication of childbirth that can lead to a women bleeding to death within minutes.The former health secretary has thrown his weight behind a new campaign, aimed at improving the NHS's identification of placenta accreta spectrum. The campaign was set up by Amisha Adhia and her husband, Nik, after five hospitals failed to spot that she had PAS. Continue reading...
Valdo Calocane released in 2020 after mental health staff considered research on over-representation of young black men in detentionMental health professionals decided not to detain the Nottingham triple killer Valdo Calocane despite a violent incident in 2020, after they considered research that addressed the over-representation of young black men in custody, a public inquiry has been told.Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, fatally stabbed 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and 65-year-old Ian Coates, and severely injured three others on 13 June 2023. Continue reading...
Deadliest start to a year in more than a decade, according to the International Organization for MigrationA least 606 people trying to reach Europe in search of refugee have been reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2026, marking the deadliest start to a year" in more than a decade, the UN's migration agency said on Monday.The figure includes at least 30 people who are feared dead or missing after their boat capsized in severe weather off the coast of Greece on Saturday. Authorities rescued 20 people, including four minors, and recovered the bodies of three men and one woman, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said. Continue reading...
Amid relief that changes will avoid significant disruption for families, there are fears some children will not benefitParents of children with special needs say they are relieved that the government's long-awaited overhaul will avoid significant disruption for their families - but told the Guardian they fear getting help will remain a struggle.Becky, whose son Kyllian has a number of disabilities including cerebral palsy and is registered blind, said she was cautiously optimistic" about the changes in England announced by Bridget Phillipson, and immediate relief that her son wouldn't have to move from his special school. Continue reading...
by Presented by Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey, produc on (#73S33)
Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the government's long-awaited plans for the special educational needs and disabilities system. Can the controversial overhaul convince parents and MPs? Plus, the latest on the Gorton and Denton byelectionTo read Jonthan Liew's Sunday Read on the Gorton and Denton byelection, click here Continue reading...
Repeat of BBC series gave clue to Paul Gostelow about 19th-century altar cards taken from crypt in HampshireTwo priceless artefacts stolen more than a decade ago from the crypt of Napoleon III in England have been recovered after an antiques dealer realised he had them while watching a repeat of the comedy drama Lovejoy.The wooden 19th-century altar cards were taken in a burglary at St Michael's Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire in February 2014 and were feared lost for ever. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#73S06)
Authorities mounted rescue operation after group of five lost control of ice sheet in Stockholm archipelagoFive people have been rescued from an ice floe carrying a sauna tent, a motorised saw and an onboard motor after they lost control of their DIY vessel in the Stockholm archipelago.Swedish authorities believe the ice sheet's passengers, who were German tourists, had been attempting to create their own motor-powered floating sauna when the swell from a passing passenger ferry broke the ice sheet and stranded them near Varmdo, an island near Stockholm. Continue reading...
Reiner, 32, charged with two counts of first-degree murder after parents were stabbed to death in DecemberNick Reiner was expected to return to court on Monday for arraignment on two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.A judge postponed the legal proceedings last month after his attorney withdrew from the case, and was replaced by a public defender. Reiner's former attorney, Alan Jackson, said at the time that he could not share why he was stepping down, but that his client was not guilty. Continue reading...
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