Police say death was sudden and non-suspicious' as investigations into incident continueA woman in her 80s has been found dead after failing to board a cruise ship anchored off an island in the Great Barrier Reef.Queensland police confirmed the woman had died on Lizard Island, about 240km from Cairns. Her death was described as sudden and non-suspicious". Continue reading...
Exclusive: two dossiers of material seen by the security council raise questions over export of British arms to the UAE, which has been accused of supplying weapons to paramilitary RSF groupBritish military equipment has been found on battlefields in Sudan, used by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group accused of genocide, according to documents seen by the UN security council.UK-manufactured small-arms target systems and British-made engines for armoured personnel carriers have been recovered from combat sites in a conflict that has now caused the world's biggest humanitarian catastrophe. Continue reading...
Viewing original works of art can relieve stress, cut heart disease risk and boost immune system, first study of its kind findsEnjoying original works of art in a gallery can relieve stress, reduce the risk of heart disease and boost your immune system, according to the first study of its kind.Researchers measured the physiological responses of participants while viewing masterpieces by world-renowned artists including Manet, Van Gogh and Gauguin in a gallery. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#711YC)
Government urged to act over impact of far-right sentiment' on children, foster carers and social workersSocial workers are experiencing unprecedented levels of racism, while foster carers whose ethnicity differs from the children they care for have been accosted in the street, a fostering leader has said as he called on the government to take action.Harvey Gallagher, the chief executive of the Nationwide Association of Fostering Providers (NAFP), said there was growing concern about the impact of racism, extremism and far-right sentiment" on foster children, carers and social workers. Continue reading...
Low turnout said to have made for most peaceful election in years, as 83-year-old accused of clampdown on dissent wins 89.77% of voteAlassane Ouattara has been declared the winner of the presidential election in Ivory Coast by a landslide.According to provisional results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (CIE) on Monday evening, the 83-year-old won a fourth term as head of the west African country with 89.77% or 3.75m votes. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#711WH)
Refusal to describe China as security threat meant all routes were closed', says director of public prosecutionsThe government's evidence in the China espionage trial was missing a critical element" that meant there was no other option" but to collapse the case, prosecutors insisted on Monday night.Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, did not directly blame anyone for the collapse of the trial but said the government's refusal to describe China as a national security threat meant all routes were closed". Continue reading...
Justice secretary blames human error but other say there are systemic problems and targeting an individual is unjust'Ministers have been warned against scapegoating prison staff as they struggle to contain the political fallout of the mistaken release of an asylum seeker who sexually assaulted a teenage girl.As David Lammy, the justice secretary, announced an inquiry and blamed human error" for the accidental freeing of Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford on Friday, the Prison Officers' Association (POA) has questioned why a single member of staff has been unjustly" suspended. Continue reading...
Stephen Parkinson tells committee a judge would have thrown out China spy case before it even went to juryThe Guardian would like to hear from parents who have had to live in temporary accommodation with children. There is more about the call-out here, including a form where you can submit a response.But the Commons home affairs committee's report is also critical of some aspects of what the Home Office has been doing on asylum hotels since Labour took power. Here are some of the points it makes about Labour's record on this issue.The committee expresses concerns about the government's plan to move asylum seekers out of hotels and place them in large sites" instead, such as former military bases. (See 9.23am.) It says:The [Home Office] is considering the use of large sites in its approach to asylum accommodation, having previously said it would move away from their use. In principle, large sites can provide suitable temporary accommodation. However, they have generally proved more costly to deliver than hotel accommodation and will not enable the department to drive down costs in the same way as expanding dispersal accommodation. If the department chooses to pursue large sites, it needs to fully understand and accept this trade off. It must learn the lessons from its previous mistakes in rushing to deliver short-term solutions that later unravel.It says the government has still not set out a clear strategy" for asylum accommodation.The government has committed to reducing the cost of the asylum system and ending the use of hotels by 2029. This is a stated Government priority, but making promises to appeal to popular sentiment without setting out a clear and fully articulated plan for securing alternative accommodation risks under-delivery and consequently undermining public trust still further. The Home Office has failed to share a clear strategy for the long-term delivery of asylum accommodation.It says the number of asylum seekers in hotels went up during Labour's first 12 months in office. It says:The number of asylum seekers in hotels is currently significantly lower than during the peak of hotel use-32,059 people as of June 2025, compared to 56,042 in September 2023-although the number of asylum seekers accommodated in hotels was 8% higher in June 2025 compared to June 2024.It says it is extremely disappointing" that the Home Office abandoned a pilot programme giving refugees 56 days to find alternative accommodation if they have to leave Home Office housing (like a hotel) because their asylum application has been accepted. The Home Office has reverted to 28 days' notice, even though the 56 days's notice system was said to reduce the number or refugees finding themselves homeless. It says:Given the high level of support we received for the 56 day move on period in the evidence we received, this decision is extremely disappointing. Continue reading...
Reform is no place for racists, and every party has its bad apples. But the benchmark seems to be higher at Farage's partyIt's the hottest new competition in Westminster. The accolade some MPs will do anything to win. It's Racist of the Week. To Robert Jenrick's intense annoyance, the Tory whip Katie Lam won it at a canter last week. Chin up, Honest Bob. Your time will come again. Though probably not this week. It may only be Monday but the Reform MP Sarah Pochin has already stretched out a commanding lead. It will take an immense effort from someone to knock Nurse Ratched back into second place.Weirdly, it always seems that those people who complain the loudest about political correctness gone mad and how you can't say anything these days are the ones who seem to find a way to let everyone know how they feel. It's almost as though they do protest too much. Poor Sarah. Think how she suffers. Imagine the things she might come up with if only she didn't have to hold herself back. She is just too good for such a cruel world. Continue reading...
Starmer's announcement on visit to Ankara comes as jailed opposition leader Ekrem mamolu faces fresh chargesBritain has agreed to sell 20 Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey in an 8bn deal despite concerns about alleged human rights violations by its government.Keir Starmer signed the deal during a visit on Monday to Ankara to meet the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan. The prime minister said the deal would boost the Nato alliance, despite criticism of Turkey's increasingly authoritarian administration. Continue reading...
Monument honours those whose careers were cut short by the gay ban' in place from 1967 to 2000The king has laid flowers at the UK's first national memorial commemorating LGBT armed forces and met veterans who spoke of the trauma inflicted by the military's former gay ban".Charles was joined by dozens of serving and former members of the armed forces at the dedication of the memorial, titled An Opened Letter, at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Monday. It was his first official engagement in support of the LGBT community. Continue reading...
Research also finds 200 of 231 people notified by MoD of breach reported threats to themselves or familiesAt least 49 family members and colleagues of Afghans affected by the MoD's mass data breach have been killed, according to research submitted to a parliamentary committee.The first on-the-ground research into 350 affected people in Afghanistan, the UK or elsewhere has found that, of the 231 respondents who received notification from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that their data had been leaked, 49 responded that either a colleague or a family member had been killed as a result of the data breach. Continue reading...
Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, suffered with severe mental health problems and absconded from Worthing hospital in March 2022An NHS trust has pleaded guilty to failures over the avoidable death of a teenage girl who killed herself after absconding from 24-hour supervision under its care.Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, who suffered with severe mental health problems, died on 20 March 2022, minutes after leaving the Bluefin acute children's ward in Worthing hospital, part of University hospitals Sussex NHS trust (UHSussex). Continue reading...
Inga Ruginien says no hybrid attack will be tolerated' and pledges to shoot down balloons after 66 objects spotted by radar overnightMeanwhile over in the Czech Republic, the country's president Petr Pavel has tasked the populist billionaire Andrej Babi with leading talks on forming the new government after recent parliamentary election.Babi told the president - who defeated him in the 2023 presidential elections - that the coalition talks were already under way, and promised to hand over the text of the coalition agreement and programme priorities" later this week, according to a readout issued by the presidential office. Continue reading...
Protesters say selling building to local college could end a trade dating back to middle ages, if new premises not foundCampaigners protesting against the sale of Walsall Leather Museum have said the institution is the town's last remaining heritage asset".The museum tells the story of the town's leather industry and those who worked in it. The local council agreed plans in September to sell the museum building to a local college to provide support for students with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). Continue reading...
Paul Biya, 92, said to have won 53.66% of vote after volatile two weeks since election when opponent claimed victoryPaul Biya, the world's oldest serving head of state, has been declared the winner of Cameroon's election, granting him an eighth term that could keep him in office until he is nearly 100.The country's constitutional council said Biya had won 53.66% of the vote, while his former ally turned challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, got 35.19%. Continue reading...
US president says Vladimir Putin should focus on ending war with Ukraine rather than testing missilesDonald Trump has described Vladimir Putin's announcement of a nuclear-powered cruise missile test as not appropriate" amid growing tensions between Moscow and Washington.Putin said on Sunday that Russia had successfully tested its unique" nuclear-capable Burevestnik cruise missile, which the Kremlin described as part of efforts to ensure the country's national security". Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#711HD)
Radio host removed from morning show after what broadcaster reported as a conduct complaint'The award-winning broadcaster Kaye Adams has spoken of her distress after she was taken off air by BBC Radio Scotland as a result of an unspecified conduct complaint", resulting in relentless media speculation.In her first public comment on the matter, Adams said: After three of the most distressing weeks of my professional life and seeing my previously untarnished name publicly dragged through the mud, BBC Scotland has still not provided me with any details of the allegations which have been made against me." Continue reading...
by Rachel Savage in Johannesburg and agencies on (#711FM)
RSF says it has seized control of army's main base in Darfur, home to famine-stricken displacement campFears are growing for hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in El Fasher after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said it had captured the city, which it has been besieging for more than a year in Sudan's civil war.The group said on Sunday that it had seized control of the army's main base in the city in Darfur, where famine was declared in a displacement camp last year. It then released a statement saying it had extended control over the city of El Fasher from the grip of mercenaries and militias". Continue reading...
Justice secretary David Lammy to announce series of measures after Hadush Kebatu was wrongly freedPrisons are expected to begin enhanced checks before inmates are released after a man who sexually assaulted a young girl was mistakenly freed from jail.The justice secretary, David Lammy, will set out a series of measures aimed at strengthening the system in England and Wales as he faces questions from MPs in parliament about the error. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European Community affairs correspon on (#711EE)
The poll is seen as a litmus test for the Netherlands and its democratic ideals, as activists decry a hardening of political discourse driven by Geert WildersThe drawing depicted two women; a young blonde with a friendly expression and a scowling older woman wearing a headscarf. On top of the image was a nod to this month's general election in the Netherlands, along with the phrase The choice is yours."The social media post, made by the far-right, anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders, prompted a record 14,000 complaints to the country's anti-discrimination hotline. Many of those who called to report the image compared it to Nazi propaganda from the second world war," the hotline said in a statement, adding that the 19 anti-discrimination agencies associated with the hotline had flagged the post to police, amid concerns that it could be an incitement to hatred. Continue reading...
by Chris Osuh Community affairs correspondent on (#711CZ)
New legal duties follow case of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died after exposure to mould in his homeThe first phase of Awaab's law, which promises to protect tenants from dangerous social housing conditions, comes into force in England on Monday, in memory of a two-year-old boy who died after exposure to mould in his home.The new legal duties compel landlords to fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of reporting, investigate significant damp and mould within 10 working days of being notified, make properties safe in five working days after inspection and write the findings to tenants within three working days of inspection completing. Continue reading...
The former deputy prime minister staying out of the Nationals party room is the latest sign some in the Coalition are in no rush to finish their ugly airing of grievances
Sanae Takaichi leads a minority government and needs a successful meeting with the US president on Tuesday. Thankfully her mentor, Shinzo Abe, is one of Trump's favourites'Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, faces the first real test of her diplomatic and personal skills when she meets Donald Trump for talks in Tokyo that are expected to focus on trade and security.Takaichi, who this month became Japan's first female leader after winning a vote to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP), made her international debut at this weekend's Asean summit. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Excavation, overseen by the US Department of Defense, will feature in More 4's Hidden Wonders TV seriesOn 26 January 1944, a 23-year-old US pilot was flying a mighty P-47 Thunderbolt on a wartime training exercise when it crashed in Essex.Locals witnessed the horror of 2nd Lt Lester Lowry's aircraft diving to the ground and bursting into flames. Lowry was not seen to bail out and he has remained missing in action (MIA) for more than 80 years. Ironically, his plane was named Lucky Boy". Continue reading...
Actor who also starred in Midsommar and became a musician was nicknamed the most beautiful boy in the world' - a title he struggled with all his lifeBjorn Andresen, the Swedish actor best known for his breakout role in the 1971 film Death in Venice, has died aged 70.At 15, Andresen was cast in Italian director Luchino Visconti's Death in Venice, based on Thomas Mann's novella, in which he played Tadzio, a beautiful boy with whom an older man, played by Dirk Bogarde, becomes obsessed. Continue reading...
Tech giant faces hefty fines from consumer watchdog for allegedly trying to convince customers to pay more than needed for their Microsoft 365 subscription
Singer says he will not perform in Israel while Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power, eight years after Radiohead defied criticism to perform in Tel AvivRadiohead frontman Thom Yorke has said he would not now perform in Israel, eight years after the band defied pro-Palestinian activists to play a show in Tel Aviv.Absolutely not. I wouldn't want to be 5,000 miles anywhere near the Netanyahu regime," he told the Sunday Times magazine, referring to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Continue reading...
Experts publish letter as peers prepare to scrutinise draft legislation six months after its second Commons readingMore than 1,200 public health leaders have called for the tobacco and vapes bill to be passed swiftly through parliament to protect future generations".They said in a cross-party letter that the gamechanging" measures outlined were far too important to let it slip off the agenda". Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#7118Z)
Key Labour pledge under threat as health service faces costs from redundancies, strikes and rising drug pricesNHS bosses are seeking an emergency injection of 3bn to cover unexpected costs and have warned ministers that without it patients will wait longer for treatment and hospitals will start rationing care.Their move presents a fresh problem for Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, as she tries to find ways to fill an estimated 30bn hole in the nation's finances in her budget next month. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#7118Y)
Royal College of Nursing calls on government to stop using anti-migrant rhetoric, which it says emboldens racist behaviourThe number of reports by nurses of racist incidents at work has risen by 55% over three years, according to analysis by the nursing union.The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) expects to receive more than 1,000 calls this year from nurses seeking advice and support after racist incidents in the workplace, compared with almost 700 cases in 2022. Continue reading...
Ministers hope to secure a deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council that could add 1.6bn to the UK economyRachel Reeves will lead a delegation of senior business leaders to Saudi Arabia on Monday as she hopes to deepen the UK's relationship with a state that has been widely criticised for human rights abuses.She is the first UK chancellor to visit the Gulf in six years and is expected to meet senior Saudi royals, US administration representatives and global business figures. Continue reading...
Police release CCTV footage after man described as white and in his 30s attacked woman in her 20s in Park Hall areaAn urgent police appeal has been launched to identify a man believed to have raped a woman in a racially aggravated attack.West Midlands police were called to the Park Hall area of Walsall just after 7.15pm on Saturday after a woman was reported to be distressed in the street. Continue reading...
by Luke Butterly in Belfast and Lisa O’Carroll on (#710XG)
Exclusive: new anti-fraud system fails to account for fact many return to country via airport in Irish capitalParents in Northern Ireland have had their child support payments stopped as part of the UK government's crackdown on alleged benefit fraud simply because they flew into Dublin airport when returning to Northern Ireland from a holiday in England.So far 346 families have had their benefits frozen, an investigation by NI online newspaper, the Detail, shared with the Guardian, has discovered. Continue reading...
Health secretary urges party to take Caerphilly result to heart as Lucy Powell gets to work as deputy leaderSenior Labour figures including Wes Streeting have said the government must show optimism and that it is bringing about change after losing a Welsh Senedd byelection amid rising concern about midterm fatigue and a loss of momentum.The health secretary warned that the party must counter a growing sense of despair" and show voters tangible proof of change after its defeat last week in Caerphilly, a town that had been Labour for more than 100 years. Continue reading...
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