2 hours ago The Guardian Footballer of the Year Sofie Junge Pedersen: ‘We wanted to send a message’

The Inter and Denmark player wins the award for her climate activism and being behind an open letter to Fifa regarding Saudi Arabia’s human rights issuesThe Guardian Footballer of the Year is an award given to a player who has done something remarkable, whether by overcoming adversity, helping others or setting a sporting example by acting with exceptional honesty.If the football had not worked out, perhaps Sofie Junge Pedersen could have run away to the circus. When her after-school youth club in Aarhus put on its annual week of performances there was one challenge that struck her in particular: the chance to juggle with fire torches and mock knives. “It was quite serious,” she laughs. “We practised a lot beforehand and I thought it would be fun. I just wanted to be the best.” So it proved and there is no evidence that anyone has beaten the time she set, aged 13, for keeping the two airborne simultaneously. Continue reading...

Politics

11 hours ago Labour's £400 tax hit on family holidays: Passengers to be hit with highest ever levies on flights in multi

Analysis shows air fare levies for a family of four to popular destinations such as Walt Disney World in Florida will surge above £400 for the first time after the hike.

Economics

6 hours ago Ukraine war briefing: ‘Human wave’ of North Korean troops being sent to their deaths, says US

Kyiv reports heavy casualties among Pyongyang’s soldiers in Russia while Washington accuses generals of seeing the troops as ‘expendable’. What we know on day 1,039See all our Ukraine war coverageNorth Korean troops deployed in Russia’s Kursk region are suffering heavy losses and being left unprotected by the Russian forces they are fighting alongside, according to Ukraine, while the US says Russian and North Korean generals see the soldiers as “expendable”. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that said Russian troops were sending the North Koreans into battle with minimal protection and that the North Koreans were taking extreme measures to avoid being taken prisoner. “Their losses are significant, very significant,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly video address. “We see that neither the Russian military nor their North Korean overseers have any interest in ensuring the survival of these North Koreans.” Zelenskyy said “several” wounded North Korean soldiers had died afte...

Events

29 hours ago Riverview High School, Venice High School Bands to Perform in London New Year's Day Parade

Riverview High School, Venice High School Bands to Perform in London New Year's Day Parade  SRQ Magazine

Culture

4 hours ago Starmer wins historic landslide, Biden drops out and Trump survives assassination bid

New prime minister faced with riots while Grangemouth owners announce oil refinery closure

Politics

22 hours ago Keir Starmer more unpopular than Nigel Farage as PM's ratings hit a new low and Labour 'pay the price' for tax hikes row

A YouGov survey for The Times found only 25 per cent of voters had a favourable opinion of Sir Keir as the Labour leader's personal ratings hit a new low.

Economics

8 hours ago More than a million children are at risk from rundown schools 'collapsing on top of them' as they study

A new Guardian investigation found that thousands of public sector buildings, including schools, hospitals and courts, are in desperate need of repair.

Events

5 hours ago Labour must ‘stick to its guns’ on UK employment rights bill, says TUC chief

In new year message, Paul Nowak says ministers must resist pressure from business groups to water down plansKeir Starmer’s government has been urged to “stick to its guns” amid growing pressure from business leaders to water down its plans to improve workers’ rights as the UK economy grinds to a halt.The head of the Trades Union Congress said company bosses were demanding concessions as a “quid pro quo” for accepting tax increases in Rachel Reeves’ autumn budget as they sounded the alarm over Britain’s flatlining economy. Continue reading...

Politics

34 hours ago I have been left in a lifetime of debt after fighting the council to get my son in school... we had to remortgage our home

EXCLUSIVE: Suzanne Hollinshead, 53, from Flitwick, Bedfordshire, had to remortgage her home to help pay off a 'lifetime of debt' from the fight with Central Bedfordshire Council.

Economics

10 hours ago How the last Japanese soldier was finally lured out of the jungle 30 years after WWII ended

Teruo Nakamura had been a private in the Imperial Japanese Army. In December 1974, almost 30 years since the Second World War had ended, he was convinced it was still raging.

Events

10 hours ago Now UK’s top union leader turns on Starmer over impact of the tractor tax

Exclusive: TUC general secretary warns onus is on ministers to show family farms are not affected by changes to inheritance tax

Politics

15 hours ago Cops hunt for schoolboy, 11, who 'sexually assaulted woman' in broad daylight

The hunt is on for a schoolboy who 'sexually assaulted a woman' in broad daylight.

Events

10 hours ago 'Duties of Kier Starmer are unremitting – but we hope Prime Minister finds time to mourn brother'

Losing a loved one is always a time of grief and reflection but to lose someone over Christmas, when families traditionally come together, makes it all the more painful

Politics

16 hours ago A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says

A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans

Events

10 hours ago Last major health facility in north Gaza ‘out of service’ after Israeli attack

Staff arrested, injured and killed as Israeli forces burn and destroy key Kamal Adwan hospital departments, says WHOThe last major health facility in northern Gaza has been put out of service, the World Health Organization has said, after an Israeli military operation targeting sites near the Kamal Adwan hospital.“Initial reports indicate that some key departments were severely burnt and destroyed during the raid,” the WHO said in a statement on X. Continue reading...

Politics

16 hours ago Police hunt for schoolboy, 11, who 'sexually assaulted woman' in broad daylight

The incident happened when a boy aged 11-12, approached a woman in Woodford, Northamptonshire, and touched her inappropriately, police said

Events

15 hours ago Liam Payne's ex Sophia Smith announces engagement to boyfriend James Bridgwood

The singer and the influencer, 30, dated from 2013 after having been friends since their schooldays in Wolverhampton until October 2015.

Politics

16 hours ago Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘wonderful’ brother dies aged 60 after suffering from cancer

The Prime Minister praised his brother for meeting all the challenges in his life with ‘courage and good humour’.

Events

16 hours ago US teacher jailed in Russia is formally designated as wrongfully detained

The State Department says an American schoolteacher arrested in Russia on drug charges more than four years ago has been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained

Events

17 hours ago Keir Starmer's bond with little brother he lost to cancer: How PM stood up for labourer Nick as he was bullied because of learning difficulties during 'really tough life'

Keir Starmer is typically private about his family, particularly his younger brother Nick, who died on Boxing Day aged 60.

Politics

18 hours ago Labour blames ‘appalling legacy’ after migrant crossings top 150,000 since 2018

The Prime Minister has put international co-operation with law enforcement agencies in Europe at the heart of his bid to cut the number of arrivals.

Events

18 hours ago In Pictures: Wales marks 25 years of Senedd and elects two first ministers

Visits by several members of the royal family and some television stars brought the crowds out across the country.

Politics

19 hours ago Drill rapper 'Young Dizz' releases music video goading Keir Starmer after being released from jail early for kidnapping and torturing teenage boy

Isaac Donkoh, a gang member from Newham in East London , was jailed in April 2019 for seizing the schoolboy a year earlier before posting footage of his ordeal on Snapchat .

Events

18 hours ago BBC's Gabby Logan branded 'weird' by husband Kenny after tearful moment

Gabby Logan was left in tears after driving past a school and being reminded of her children's time at school, with husband Kenny branding her reaction as "weird"

Politics

19 hours ago Starmer pays tribute to ‘wonderful’ brother Nick who died on Boxing Day

The Prime Minister thanked those who cared for his brother, saying ‘their skill and compassion is very much appreciated’.

Events

19 hours ago Tributes paid to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's 'wonderful' younger brother, who died on Boxing Day

Nick Starmer died on Boxing Day at the age of 60.

Politics

20 hours ago Israeli forces raid Gaza hospital after staff reported killed in strike

Staff arrested, injured and killed as Israeli forces burn departments and attack buildings surrounding one of the area’s last remaining hospitals, says directorA fire has broken out at one of northern Gaza’s only functioning hospitals, while medics and patients have been forced to leave by Israeli forces, who raided the hospital on Friday morning, according to staff members.Kamal Adwan hospital and the surrounding area has been under increased attack this week, according to the hospital’s director, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, who said five medical staff were killed in a strike on Thursday. Continue reading...

Events

19 hours ago 'I'm a skin expert – I swear by easy method to banish dryness in winter'

Our skin can often become drier and crack during the winter months, so ensuring you find ways to keep your skin hydrated is important - and a doctor has shared their top tips

Politics

20 hours ago Keir Starmer pays tribute to ‘wonderful’ brother Nick who died on Boxing Day

Nick Starmer died from cancer at the age of 60 on 26 December

Events

19 hours ago 'Unglamorous' Sandringham Christmas arrangements revealed as royals sleep in 'fish finger beds'

Sandringingham has been a royal residence since 1862 and is the private home of the Queen for much of the year - so it is the obvious choice for King Charles and his family

Politics

20 hours ago PM Sir Keir Starmer pays tribute to 'wonderful' brother after Boxing Day death

Nick Starmer, 60, passed away on December 26, a Downing Street spokesman has said - his brother, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer today shared his heartache saying 'we will miss him'

Events

20 hours ago Keir Starmer's younger brother Nick dies of cancer aged 60: Prime Minister pays tribute to 'wonderful' sibling after he passed away on Boxing Day

The Prime Minister had been set to go on holiday with his family today but it is understood he will now stay at home.

Politics

20 hours ago Channel crossings: Number of migrants arriving in UK since 2018 hits 150,000

The Prime Minister has put international co-operation with law enforcement agencies in Europe at the heart of his bid to cut the number of arrivals.

Events

20 hours ago Black school worker told he was 'punching above his weight' for having age

Jamiu Alagangan sued Ormiston New Academy in Wolverhampton for discrimination after he was told by a colleague he had 'punched above his weight', an employment tribunal heard.

Politics

21 hours ago Keir Starmer's heartbreak as brother Nick dies from cancer as PM says 'we'll miss him'

We'll be bringing you the latest updates on this Breaking Politics News story. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story

Events

23 hours ago Potholes everywhere, shoplifters rampant – today’s Britain looks as broken as it feels | Simon Jenkins

This is what happens when power over public services is stripped from local councils and handed to WhitehallEvery day in Britain the police are failing to arrest about 670 shoplifters. Down the road, your median wait in A&E is three hours. Meanwhile the number of care home beds has fallen by 18% in a decade, and the recent budget will cut them further. Prisons are bursting. Schools are turning away autistic children. Meanwhile, the Treasury is promising to spend £1.6bn filling in 7m potholes on England’s roads – presumably with gold.Something is badly wrong with Britain’s public sector. In the US in the 1990s, “broken windows theory” was used to explain New York’s sharply rising crime rate and a fall in the public’s sense of security. The trouble was said to lie in the city’s visible environment. Walls were covered in graffiti, trains were dirty, beggars harassed passersby. New York’s police chief, Bill Bratton, ordered the city to get to work. So called low level crime was give...

Politics

22 hours ago British schoolgirl, 9, who played a munchkin in Wicked reveals how Ariana Grande saved her when production was halted because she was injured on set

Hattie Ryan, nine, starred as a munchkin in Wicked, which won rave reviews after debuting in November.

Events

23 hours ago In Pictures: Northern lights, Taylor Swift and a frozen troot – Scotland in 2024

The best of the images from across the country for the past 12 months.

Politics

23 hours ago Gang member and kidnapper freed early from jail by Labour mocks Keir Starmer in Christmas rap song

The rapper said: ‘Now that I’m back, I’m raising the crime rate. Keir Starmer let me out now he wants me back, got me scratching my head like make up your mind, mate.’

Events

28 hours ago 'Very worrying' research finds just 40% of S4 pupils pass maths exam in Scottish schools

Former First Minister says improving Scottish pupils’ STEM pass rates is of ‘critical national importance’

Politics

23 hours ago Female prison officer 'caught on camera having intercourse with inmate in cell'

A female prison officer has been suspended from work after allegedly being filmed having intercourse with a male inmate at the privately-run Five Wells prison in Northamptonshire

Events

29 hours ago Best of 2024: ‘If there’s nowhere else to go, this is where they come’: how Britain’s libraries provide much more than books – podcast

Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2023, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it.From July: In 2024, libraries are unofficial creches, homeless shelters, language schools and asylum support providers – filling the gaps left by a state that has reneged on its responsibilities. By Aida Edemariam Continue reading...

Politics

24 hours ago 'The trouble hadn't begun with sex... he'd begun to doubt if he really liked his wife': Read acclaimed author TESSA HADLEY'S new short story Treasure only here

Millie, aged six, was on her way to school; she sat strapped into her booster seat in the back of her father's car. Improbably, beyond the car windows, it was snowing - a sleety, mushy kind of snow...

Events