Claire Hanna lambasts arrogance of former PM and stinking status quo' in Stormont that has stifled ambitionBoris Johnson left a wholly negative legacy" for the island of Ireland but difficulties in Northern Ireland also stem from a stinking status quo" that has stifled ambition and drive for change, the new leader of the Social Democratic and Labour party has said.Weeks after taking over from Colum Eastwood, Claire Hanna, spoke about her plans to revive the SDLP, pull Northern Ireland out of past mindsets and fight for new partnerships with Dublin on health and other public services. Continue reading...
Day after king and PM pelted by angry residents, search focuses on areas where people could have been trappedHundreds of civil and military emergency workers are searching shopping centres, garages and underground car parks for more victims of floods in the Valencia region that have killed at least 214 people, as public anger mounts over Spanish authorities' handling of the disaster.Yellow and amber weather warnings were in place for parts of Valencia and neighbouring Catalonia on Monday, with people in the affected areas advised to stay off the roads and keep away from the coast and rivers. Continue reading...
The outcome could have profound implications for the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as well as the climate crisisAmerica's moment of reckoning has arrived. On Tuesday, the nation will hold a presidential election like none before, poised between the historic candidacy of a Black woman and a former president branded a fascist by his own former officials.Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump spent the weekend barnstorming swing states, aware that opinion polls show them running neck-and-neck in the race for the White House. Analysts are predicting the closest election since 2000, when George W Bush prevailed by 537 votes, and warning of the threat of civil unrest and political violence. Continue reading...
Source says one person's hand was severed in altercation involving several people at Ozoir-la-Ferriere stationFour people have been wounded, two of them seriously, after an axe was used during a fight on a suburban train outside Paris, a police source said.One of the victims had their hand severed and another had their skull split open, the source added, asking not to be named. Two others were less seriously injured. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6RZ09)
Outgoing artistic director of Young Vic calls for urgent government action to redress arts funding in schoolsKwame Kwei-Armah, the outgoing artistic director of the Young Vic, has warned that diversity in the theatre industry will regress if the government does not make urgent interventions to improve the provision of drama and art classes in schools.The director and dramatist has scripted a new Hercules musical that opens at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London in June 2025, taking over the musical mantle at the theatre from Frozen. It will be his first major project since stepping down from the Young Vic earlier this year. Continue reading...
Rachel Reeves announced in her budget that after April 2026 heirs will pay tax when farms are passed onFor more than 100 years, the family of 56-year-old Andrew Smith has had a cattle farm on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. Smith, who now runs the farm, sees chancellor Rachel Reeves's changes to inheritance tax rules as a grave betrayal of British farmers.Working with his three sons, the farm produces about 2,000 sheep and 30 to 40 cows each year, yet makes no profit", he says. We just pay the bills." Continue reading...
National Audit Office report says taxpayer-funded scheme made payment to suspected scammer last autumnFraudsters may have stolen 500,000 from a taxpayer-funded scheme aimed at accelerating the removal of dangerous cladding from buildings, the public spending watchdog has revealed.The National Audit Office said the government decision to prioritise speed in handing out money to building owners had increased its risk of losses from fraud. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The new Conservative party leader was announced on Saturday - and must build a credible opposition from a small pool of colleagues in the House of Commons Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Kemi Badenoch was elected as Conservative leader over the weekend, and now has a window of about two minutes of mainstream attention before the US election devours the entire news agenda. That is not time to plot the next five years in any detail. But it doesn't take long to observe just how stiff the challenge she faces will be.The contest was billed as a postmortem of the election defeat - but as it played out, we don't even know in any detail why Badenoch thinks the Tories lost. She said yesterday that the threat of Reform UK was a symptom of her party not being consistent enough about values" - without being specific about what that would mean in practice. Meanwhile she starts with a reputation as an abrasive media performer who is firmly on the right of her party, and will soon have to decide whether to oppose public spending increases just four months after a landslide defeat.US election | In the final stretch of the presidential race, Donald Trump has said he should never have left the White House after his defeat in 2020 and joked darkly he would be fine with reporters getting shot. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris promised to work to end the war in Gaza as she attempted to appeal to Arab American and Muslim American voters in Michigan.Europe | The pro-western incumbent Maia Sandu has won a second term in office in the Moldovan presidential election, preliminary results have shown, marking a significant boost for the country's EU aspirations and a clear rebuke to Moscow.Labour | Rachel Reeves has admitted she was wrong to say before the election that no major tax rises would be needed, but promised there was no need to increase taxes further" after last week's budget raised 40bn.Spain | Hundreds of people have heckled Spain's King Felipe and prime minister Pedro Sanchez - throwing mud and shouting murderers" - as they visited an area in Valencia devastated by last week's floods. The scenes laid bare the degree of anger among residents who feel abandoned by the authorities.Work | One thousand workers in the UK will get extra time off with no loss of pay in the first official pilot by the four-day week campaign under the Labour government. Amid growing momentum for a shorter working week, the campaign will present its findings in the summer. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6RYZ2)
Government plan to reduce smoking rates in danger of falling a decade behind scheduleEngland will not be smoke-free" until 2039, missing a key public health target by almost a decade, an analysis has found.While smoking rates are in decline they are not falling fast enough to realise the government's ambition of England being smoke-free" by 2030, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK). Continue reading...
by Jonathan Barrett Senior business reporter on (#6RYVF)
Billionaire mining CEO fined $8.8m amid investigation, which follows accusations he failed to disclose revenue generated by overseas entities to tax authorities
PM to address border crisis amid concern that small boats crossing Channel will remain key issue this parliamentPlans to tackle the national security threat" of people smugglers will receive an extra 75m and a new team of detectives, Keir Starmer will announce on Monday, in the latest move to curb small boats in the Channel.The prime minister is expected to address irregular migration at two events this week amid concern within No 10 that the government must offer a viable alternative to the Conservatives' defunct Rwanda scheme. Continue reading...
Samir Shah's speech to say public service broadcasting is a British success story that must not be allowed to die outThe fight is on" for the future of British programming at the BBC, the corporation's new chair is expected to say in his first big speech.Samir Shah will characterise public service broadcasting as a very British success story" and will say that ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 face similar challenges. Continue reading...
Update of Act FAST made as data for England shows average time between first symptom and call is 88 minutesDialling 999 as soon as stroke symptoms occur is crucial to saving lives and preventing lasting damage, a new NHS England campaign is to stress as data reveals people wait almost an hour and a half on average before making an emergency call.About 100,000 people in the UK have a stroke each year. The potentially life-threatening condition occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off . Recent data suggests that the number could increase to 151,000 a year by 2035. Continue reading...
Unicef director says three children injured after polio clinic came under fire despite promised humanitarian pauseA polio vaccination centre and the car of a UN aid official involved in this weekend's vaccination campaign came under fire despite a promised humanitarian pause" in Israeli bombardment, the UN has said.Catherine Russell, the executive director of the UN child support and protection agency, Unicef, said: At least three children were reportedly injured by another attack in the proximity of a vaccination clinic in Sheikh Radwan while a polio vaccination campaign was under way." Continue reading...
Off-duty officer arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in RochdaleA police officer has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after a man was hospitalised and left in a life-threatening condition after being hit by a car.The crash occurred in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, at about 11pm on Friday, with the victim - a 42-year-old man - being hit while crossing the road. Continue reading...
True pioneer' rallied thousands of people in 1960s over company's refusal to hire black or Asian driversPaul Stephenson, the civil rights campaigner known for his role in the Bristol bus boycott, has died aged 87.Stephenson, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and dementia, was described as a true pioneer in the civil rights movement" in a statement issued by his family after his death on Saturday night. Continue reading...
New Tory leader calls Boris Johnson a great prime minister' who fell into a trap' over Covid rulesThe new Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has said the Partygate scandal was overblown" as she rejected the need to churn over" everything that went wrong with previous Tory prime ministers.Badenoch won the party leadership on Saturday and said she was going to be honest" about what went wrong in the party under her predecessors. Continue reading...
Media reported stories of survivors including the woman trapped in her car in a flooded underpass for 72 hoursHer car was among the scores that were swept up in Spain's deadly floods, tossed about by the mud-coloured waters that surged on to streets. But after 72 hours spent trapped in an underpass, the woman was hailed as one of the lucky ones.After three days, we found someone alive in their car," Martin Perez, the head of Valencia's civil protection service, told volunteers on Saturday. The announcement prompted hearty applause. Continue reading...
Exclusive: one frontbencher said the absence was a serious embarrassment and a blind spot' as Tories elect first Black leaderSenior Labour MPs have expressed their frustration at the lack of Black representation in No 10 as the Conservatives elected Kemi Badenoch as their new leader.Labour sources said the WhatsApp group for Labour MPs of colour contained some furious messages from those who believe the party is not doing enough to represent Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups at the top of government. Continue reading...
TV chef, who has signed up for bakery chain's first ever festive advert, says she is a fan of its sausage rollsNigella Lawson has issued an impassioned paean to the Greggs sausage roll, amid reports of a banger-based dust-up that threatened to cast a shadow over her appearance in the bakery chain's first ever Christmas advert.Greggs confirmed on Sunday that the celebrity chef and cookbook author had agreed to star in its inaugural Christmas promotion, in which Lawson will purr over such delicacies as vegan festive bakes. Continue reading...
Labour's links to gambling industry questioned again after decision not to raise tax rate for online gamingRachel Reeves has been criticised over a missed opportunity" to raise 900m from online casinos in her first budget as chancellor, amid concerns about the Labour party's ties to the 11bn-a-year gambling sector.Both the Liberal Democrats and Derek Webb - one of Labour's largest donors - questioned the chancellor's rejection of proposals to double remote gaming duty (RGD), levied on online games of chance, from 21% to 42%. Continue reading...
Families group calls Tory leader deeply misguided' after telling BBC that Boris Johnson-era scandal was overblown'Families bereaved by the Covid pandemic say they feel insulted by Kemi Badenoch's claim that the Partygate scandal was overblown".The new Conservative party leader also told the BBC that Boris Johnson had fallen into a trap" of breaking lockdown rules that should never have been introduced. Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now) and Vicky Graham (earlier) on (#6RYFS)
Nearly half of those killed were reported to be in northern Gaza, where the IDF has been conducting an intense assaultThere are mounting concerns over whether the Israeli government's ultimate war aims in Gaza include territorial expansion, as the IDF's siege on the northern part of the territory - under sweeping evacuation orders - intensifies.Here is an extract from a report by my colleagues Malak A Tantesh and Julian Borger, who explore these concerns further:The IDF says it is hunting Hamas militants but suspicions are growing that Israel is putting into practice a blueprint it had officially distanced itself from, known as the generals' plan".The plan, named after the retired senior officers promoting it, was intended to depopulate northern Gaza by giving the Palestinians trapped there an opportunity to evacuate and then treating those that stayed as combatants, laying total siege. Continue reading...
Angela Eagle said short-term solution necessary despite Labour election pledge to end use of accommodationThe asylum system would descend into chaos" if Labour refused to open more hotels for people seeking refuge in the UK, a Home Office minister has told the Guardian.Angela Eagle, the minister for borders, security and asylum, said officials had been forced to find more private accommodation for new arrivals and blamed the backlog of tens of thousands of cases built up under the last government. Continue reading...
The push to vote early has amounted to an unprecedented wave, with more than 76 million having voted early so farThe US election is under way across the country, and so far more than 76 million people have voted early, according to the University of Florida's election lab.In numerous states, the push to vote before election day, whether by mail or in-person, has amounted to an unprecedented wave of early voting. Continue reading...
Sheila Keen-Warren pleaded guilty to dressing as a clown and in 1990 murdering the wife of a man she later marriedA woman who pleaded guilty to dressing as a clown and in 1990 murdering the wife of a man she later married was released from prison on Saturday, ending a case that has been strange even by Florida standards.Sheila Keen-Warren, 61, was released 18 months after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting of Marlene Warren, Florida department of corrections records show. The plea deal came shortly before her trial would have started. Continue reading...
Sky Media will have to recompense business partners after discovering it had miscalculated what it owed themSky is facing a bill for hundreds of millions of pounds after a blunder that meant it accidentally underpaid its advertising partners, it has emerged.The broadcaster's advertising sales arm, Sky Media, will have to recompense business partners such as Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery, after discovering earlier this year that it had miscalculated what it owed them. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6RYHQ)
Police Scotland confirms non-recent' allegation made by a woman after Salmond's death last monthPolice are investigating a new allegation of sexual assault against the former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond.Police Scotland confirmed it was looking into a non-recent" allegation made by a woman after Salmond's death last month. Continue reading...
The mirror world has been a feature of the 2024 race - where Trump's liabilities are twisted to become his opponents'For many observers of the coming presidential election, especially those overseas, Donald Trump and his Maga-infused Republican party represent a foreboding stress test for American democracy.Historians have weighed in with analysis that Trump now heads a movement close to fascism, Trump himself has spoken of enemies within", he and his followers held a mass rally of racist rhetoric in a New York city venue known for an infamous Nazi gathering before the second world war and his language has been tinged with violent imagery. Continue reading...
Pro-EU president Maia Sandu faces Alexandr Stoianoglo in polls marred by accusations of Kremlin vote-buyingMoldovans are going to the polls for a second-round vote to choose between the incumbent pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, and a Russia-friendly challenger.Despite securing 42% of the vote in the first round, Sandu faces a tough challenge in Sunday's runoff against an opposition bloc led by Alexandr Stoianoglo of the Socialist party, which aligns with Moscow. Continue reading...
Some polls offer promising outlook for Trump in swing states and reveal most believe US is on the wrong trackDonald Trump's aides are bullish about their prospects with their internal polls showing them ahead of his rival Kamala Harris during the final weekend of the campaign before the election, even as they also concede they actually have no idea how America's election will ultimately break.The confidence is mainly coming from two places: some polls that show the former US president ahead in every battleground state and Republicans holding onto early vote leads in places like Nevada, which they extrapolate to read that the Sun Belt states may be increasingly out of reach for Harris. Continue reading...
by Julian Borger Senior international correspondent on (#6RYGH)
Channel 14, which counts Netanyahu as a supporter, has denied allegations that its coverage has incited war crimesAn ultranationalist Israeli television channel backed by the government is fast emerging as one of the country's most-watched news sources, despite allegations from liberal groups that it is inciting war crimes, and claims from the army that it is riling up hatred of its generals for not being far enough to the right.Last month Channel 14, also known as Now 14, beat Israel's principal mainstream news outlet, Channel 12, in viewer ratings when 343,000 Israelis watched Channel 14's Patriots" talkshow, known for its virulent rhetoric on Gaza. Continue reading...
UK chancellor says she had not known true picture of public finances but no need to increase taxes further after budgetRachel Reeves has admitted she was wrong to say before the election that no major tax rises would be needed, but promised there was no need to increase taxes further" after last week's budget raised 40bn.The UK chancellor said she had not known the true picture of the huge black hole in public finances" left by the Conservatives, which the government says amounted to 22bn. I was wrong on June 11, I didn't know everything," she said. Continue reading...
News of Reza Valizadeh's imprisonment comes as Iran marks 45th anniversary of US embassy hostage crisisAn Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a US government-funded broadcaster is believed to have been detained by Iran for months, authorities have said, further raising the stakes as Tehran threatens to retaliate over an Israeli attack on the country.The imprisonment of Reza Valizadeh, acknowledged to the Associated Press by the US State Department, came as Iran marked the 45th anniversary on Sunday of the US embassy takeover and hostage crisis. It also followed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatening both Israel and the US the day before with a crushing response" as long-range B-52 bombers reached the Middle East in an attempt to deter Tehran. Continue reading...
Temper Works has promoted its agency workers to clients, saying they fall outside the legislationA gig economy firm has been criticised for telling its hospitality clients they can avoid new fair tipping laws and a forthcoming ban on zero-hours contractors by using its freelance workforce.Temper Works, which supplies workers to more than 5,000 companies, including Hard Rock Cafe, Alexandra Palace and Claridge's, is promoting its workforce to restaurants, hotels and bars on the basis that they are not covered by the provisions of the new [tipping] legislation". Continue reading...
Feedback on the benefits of displaying pictures on wards, now gathered in a new book, is backed by scientific studiesArt, of course, brings pleasure. Now there is evidence that paintings can also help alleviate medical conditions, as well as boosting NHS staff.A new book produced by the charity Paintings in Hospitals (PiH), which has a collection of 3,500 works and prints, including by Andy Warhol, Maggi Hambling and Bridget Riley, in medical settings across the UK, contains feedback from dozens of patients and medical staff about the invaluable" benefits of seeing the art. Hospitals, health centres, surgeries and hospices can borrow the charity's paintings to put on display, usually for two or three years. Continue reading...
Fury over new charges for accused leaves room for conspiracy theories, says chair of Association of Police and Crime CommissionersConspiracy theories about the Southport attack are spreading because of a crisis with trust in institutions" in Britain, the local area's police commissioner has warned.Emily Spurrell, who was made chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) in September, said the furore around the announcement of new charges against Axel Rudakubana last week was a symptom of wider issues. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian