70 minutes ago Starmer throws down gauntlet to watchdogs to cut red tape and help kickstart economy

Critics accused the prime minister of chasing a ‘regulatory race to the bottom’ and urged him to pursue closer ties with Europe instead

Politics

92 minutes ago ‘Selfless parents gave their child’s organs to save my son. I’m in awe of them’

One year after Ralph was given a life-saving multi-organ transplant, his mother Katie Tatham tells why she is calling for more people in the UK to come forward to helpJust over a year ago, the parents of Ralph Tatham didn’t know if they would make it to Christmas, or if liver cancer would take away their three-year-old son.Now the little boy is just a few weeks away from celebrating his fifth birthday, after receiving a lifesaving multiorgan transplant to replace his liver, pancreas and intestines. Continue reading...

Society

2 hours ago Men’s transfer window January 2025: all deals from Europe’s top five leagues

All the latest Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A deals and a club-by-club guideWomen’s transfer interactive – all the January deals Continue reading...

Economics

16 hours ago Pereira hopes rejuvenated Wolves can cling on to ‘special player’ Cunha

Head coach has enjoyed an immediate impact but knows the importance of leading attacker staying put in JanuaryAs Wolves were on Friday night breathing a sigh of relief that Matheus Cunha is set to be available to face Tottenham on Sunday, there are plenty of other positives to be drawn from Vítor Pereira’s first week at the helm alongside their star player’s contributions.Cunha has scored in both of their new manager’s opening games as Wolves have climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time this season following the wins over Leicester and Manchester United. An FA misconduct charge is hanging over Cunha, but the governing body’s disciplinary panel is unlikely to meet before next week. Continue reading...

Sport

76 minutes ago Putin apologises over Azerbaijan Airlines crash as Kremlin says Russian forces were repelling Ukrainian attack at the time – live

Kremlin say Russian air defences were repelling attacks while plane was trying to land – but stops short of admitting Russian forces shot planeItalian police said on Saturday that they were investigating cyberattacks claimed by a pro-Russian group targeting several websites including Milan’s airports and the foreign ministry.The websites of the ministry, Malpensa and Milan-Linate airport, and the transport systems in Siena and Turin were hit, according to national cybersecurity police spokesman Marco Valerio Cervellini, Reuters reports. Continue reading...

Events

4 hours ago ‘I saw the reflection of his back rolls in the glass door’: Spencer Ostrander’s best phone photo

The American photographer on capturing a moment of intimacy between himself and his baby sonOn a sunny Sunday morning in June, Spencer Ostrander returned from the local hardware store to find his wife, Sophie, gardening in their back yard in Brooklyn, New York. “I handed her the supplies she needed, and a hot coffee, and she handed over our son,” Ostrander says. Their boy, Miles, was six months old at the time.“As I was taking him inside, I saw the reflection of my son’s back rolls in the glass door.” Ostrander grabbed his iPhone 14 Pro and turned the front camera on. “He was teething back then; not crying, but not his usual pleasant self either. I was juggling a wiggling baby and my phone, so I could only take two frames.” Continue reading...

Culture

12 hours ago Revealed: How doctors struck off in Britain for permanently disfiguring patients, sexual assault and financial dishonesty are allowed to continue practising medicine

Surgeons who have committed serious misconduct, sometimes ending in death and life-changing injuries for patients, are continuing to operate on unsuspecting patients around the world.

Science

5 hours ago 'Nightmare' fog sparks cancellations at UK's busiest airports to 'maintain safety'

The UK's main air traffic control provider explained the essential cancellations were caused by the country's misty conditions, sparking festive chaos as disruptions continue

Transport

92 minutes ago Trump’s threat to defund all US public media has NPR and PBS on the back foot

President-elect’s agenda and Project 2025 playbook align in stripping Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s licenseOn the campaign trail this year, Donald Trump routinely criticized US media. The president-elect called for CBS to be stripped of its broadcast license after it aired an interview with Kamala Harris, refused to participate in an interview with 60 Minutes and routinely called journalists the “enemy of the people”.But perhaps no American media has attracted as much ire from the president-elect as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – a non-profit corporation created by federal law in 1967 to distribute funding to public media organizations like PBS and NPR. Continue reading...

Politics

6 hours ago Cheesy anchovy straws and chocolate meringue kisses: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for party nibbles

Bite-sized treats that are big on flavour and will see out the year in styleHappy 2025 everyone, and may the New Year bring with it the positive changes we all so yearn for. Personally, I will be embracing change in a big way, because, after seven years, this is my final column for the Guardian’s Feast. From March, I will be writing a new, long-form quarterly column packed with recipes, personal experiences and general observations about the food world, so stay tuned. The Feast community is the most engaged and greedy I know, so thank you! And I hope you welcome the New Year with these party nibbles I have lined up for this weekend. Here’s to new beginnings! Continue reading...

Society

16 hours ago Jhon Duran suspension confirmed as Aston Villa lose appeal over red card

The 21-year-old was dismissed against Newcastle on Boxing Day

Economics

16 hours ago Arsenal player ratings: Kai Havertz continues to silence the doubters with crucial Ipswich winner

Arsenal moved up to second in the Premier League table after beating Ipswich.

Sport

85 minutes ago At least 15 men in Gisèle Pelicot rape trial appeal against convictions

Court found 51 men guilty including Dominique Pelicot, who was given a 20-year prison sentenceAt least 15 of the men found guilty of raping or sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot have appealed against their convictions and will be given a second trial.All 51 men, including her husband, Dominique Pelicot, were convicted and given prison sentences of between three and 15 years before Christmas after a trial lasting three and a half months. Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years. Continue reading...

Events

23 hours ago Our readers on their pick of 2024’s best films, music, TV shows and podcasts

From sci-fi epics to investigate deep-dives, the Guide readers have their say on the year’s finest cultureWelcome to the last Guide of 2024! I hope you all are enjoying your festive break, and have a better handle on which day it is than I do. As is tradition, after our own roundup of the year’s best culture, we are turning things over to you this week. Here are the films, TV shows, music, performances, and podcasts that wowed you in 2024.Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions and sorry if we weren’t able to include yours. Enjoy the rest of your Christmas break, and see you on the other side of the new year, for our 2025 preview next Friday! Continue reading...

Culture

21 hours ago Severe weather threatens US flights during one of busiest travel weekends

Nearly 900 flights have been cancelled already as tornado watches are issued in Texas and LouisianaAs the US braces for one of its busiest travel weekends of the year, the threat of severe weather has already led to hundreds of flight cancellations.Tornado watches were issued in the southern states of Texas and Louisiana on Thursday, CNN reported. In Texas, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered ground stops at two airports, CBS reported. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas activated emergency response resources in the state on Thursday. Continue reading...

Transport

2 hours ago Trump versus trade: the global economic outlook for 2025 in five charts

Unpredictable change will sweep through America, while old problems, from war to inflation, are likely to afflict other countriesThe global economy is entering the new year with rising geopolitical tensions looming over its prospects, as the world’s leading central banks attempt to cut interest rates after the worst inflation shock in decades.Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is expected to dominate the economic agenda. Global trade tensions are on the horizon as the president-elect threatens to impose sweeping tariffs on US imports. Continue reading...

Politics

8 hours ago House of the Dragon actor: 'leaving London for Brighton has been really good for my mental health.'

House of the Dragon actor Sam Wilson found his life and career began to flourish when he left the capital

Society

23 hours ago Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy succeed where LIV Golf continues to struggle after landing crucial deal

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TGL will debut next month and it has added a major TV partner in the form of Sky Sports, something that LIV Golf has been unable to do in the UK

Economics

23 hours ago Gavin and Stacey fans spot continuity error during Mick's stag night tribute to Smithy

The gaffe comes as James Corden thanked fans for tuning into the finale after it secured the highest Christmas Day ratings since 2008

Sport

2 hours ago Max Verstappen sends Red Bull warning that will put Lando Norris on high alert

Max Verstappen won a fourth consecutive F1 title in 2024 despite Red Bull not being as dominant as they previously were, but worries for his chances in 2025 unless improvements are made

Events

38 hours ago Exact date new rare Royal Mint coins celebrating Red Arrows will be released

The Royal Mint's 2025 annual set includes commemorative coins celebrating the Red Arrows, Queen Mum, WWII, modern railways, and the Royal Observatory - they will be available from January 2nd 2025

Culture

2 hours ago This is how we do it: ‘I struggle to fully enjoy sex because I’m so conscious of what I look like’

Alexandra and Jake contend with insecurities, but are slowly discovering sexual intimacyHow do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymouslyWhen we’re doing missionary it’s a lot easier, but if I’m on top I feel as if there’s nowhere to hide Continue reading...

Politics

25 hours ago ‘It’s not just a dancefloor’: the precipitous decline of UK nightclubs

A cocktail of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis has left larger ‘chrome and carpet’ venues high and dry as struggling chains look to party bars‘A taste of Ibiza in grotty King’s Cross’: memories of closed UK nightclubsWhen the patrons of Watford’s Pryzm nightclub celebrated New Year’s Eve on 31 December 2023, they were marking the end of an era, or rather, the end of seven eras. Like every beloved local club, the venue had been known by multiple names over the years: Top Rank, Bailey’s, Paradise Lost, Kudos, Destiny and Oceana.Now, it will be reincarnated no more, after failing to reach a deal with its landlord. Continue reading...

Society

24 hours ago Brentford January transfer window guide: Chelsea exile could be ideal signing with transfer need clear

Bees had no plans to enter the market mid-season, but injury problems may now alter that approach

Economics

28 hours ago Gavin and Stacey fans spot hilarious continuity error during Mick's touching stag night tribute to Smithy

The moving scene showed an emotional Mick describing Smithy as a second son to himself and wife Pam, after they struggled to conceive another child.

Sport

2 hours ago Small boat Channel crossings continue after migrant total reaches 150,000

More than 1,100 people have crossed the Channel in small boats over the Christmas period.

Events

2 hours ago Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for leek, pistachio and jalapeño galette | The new vegan

A French-style tart stuffed with a zippy pistachio paste and covered in soft leeksWhenever I think of galettes, I think of my friend Henrietta Inman, who left London to set up Wakelyns bakery in Suffolk. Ever since she showed me how to make them, galettes have been my go-to when I need to whip up something impressive and beautiful, but also actually quite easy, and with a reasonably large margin for flexibility when it comes to ingredients and error, especially if, like me, you don’t consider yourself to be a particularly good pastry chef. Today’s recipe is a homage to some of my favourite greens: leeks, chives, pistachios and jalapeño chillies, to help usher in the New Year with a fresh dose of optimism. Continue reading...

Politics

26 hours ago My family call it Old Lady Clubbing, but my giddy ‘nights out’ have lit up a dismal 2024 | Gaby Hinsliff

Dance till you drop, then home by 10pm – daytime events offer a glorious escape for those of us bogged down by responsibilityLast Saturday night, I went clubbing with friends. Once upon a time, this wouldn’t have been a remotely odd sentence to type, because it was what I did pretty much every weekend. But a lot has changed since then – let’s just say that in my peak raving years there was a Labour government in power, only it was actually popular – and like most people whose happy place was once on the dancefloor, inevitably with time comes the feeling that you no longer belong. Deep down, you still come to life when the bassline kicks in. But you morph from hardened raver to the kind of person who’s always up for dancing at parties and weddings, and then finally into the kind of person whose friends aren’t getting married any more and who spends their Saturday nights giving their children lifts to parties. So eventually you tell yourself sadly that those days are over now, and tha...

Society

28 hours ago Manchester United: How many games will Bruno Fernandes miss after third red card of the season?

Midfielder facing another suspension after being sent off against Wolves

Sport

3 hours ago Demonstrators arrested outside Netanyahu’s Jerusalem home – Middle East crisis live

Protestors shouted through loudspeakers that the Israeli hostages in Gaza were suffering in the tunnels and were ‘cold, tortured and sick’Five Israeli demonstrators protesting for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 have been arrested outside the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.Twenty protestors gathered outside the home in the early morning, shouting through loudspeakers at the prime minister that the hostages were suffering in the tunnels and were “cold, tortured and sick” while he enjoyed home comforts, Channel 12, an Israeli broadcaster, reported. Continue reading...

Events

2 hours ago ‘We have to change our attitude’: wildlife expert says rhino horn trade must be legalised

Call for illicit market to be taken out of hands of criminals as numbers continue to fall drastically due to poaching International trade in rhino horns should be legalised, a leading wildlife expert has urged.Writing in the research journal Science, Martin Wikelski argues only carefully monitored, legitimate transactions in horns can save the world’s remaining species of rhinoceros. Continue reading...

Politics

29 hours ago Sydney to Hobart yacht race: LawConnect leads after two deaths in wild weather leave fleet rocked

Supermaxi LawConnect in box seat Friday evening to take line honours for second year runningAs at 5.30pm, 22 yachts from the 104-strong starting fleet had retiredThe Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been left reeling after the deaths of two sailors in wild weather that has forced a fifth of the fleet to retire.Supermaxi LawConnect was in the box seat on Friday evening to take out line honours for a second year running after rival Master Lock Comanche pulled the pin with mainsail damage. Continue reading...

Society

33 hours ago UFC, boxing and golf: what is Donald Trump’s relationship with sport? – podcast

The US president-elect’s ties with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and boxing, as well as World Wrestling Entertainment, might tell us about the kinds of sport he appreciates. But then there’s golf As the US prepares to host the World Cup and the Olympics during Trump’s presidency, Jonathan Freedland and Karim Zidan walk through his history with sport to see if it explains more about himArchive: BBC, WWE, Fox 9 Minneapolis, NBC 10 Philadelphia, PBS Newshour, TMZ, MSNBC Continue reading...

Sport

4 hours ago Max Verstappen admits Red Bull doubts and 'meant' his threat to quit for F1 rival

He has a Red Bull Racing contract until 2028 but Max Verstappen's future was not always certain this year, particularly amid unrest among Red Bull chiefs behind the scenes

Events

2 hours ago What music stars were really listening to in 2024: ‘I appear on my own top 10 three times .. every stream helps!’

Spotify’s end-of-year summary (other streaming services are available, of course) is our chance to show off how much cool stuff we listened to this year. So what do the stars’ top track lists look like? And what were their guilty pleasures?Britain’s 2024 Eurovision entrant Continue reading...

Politics

29 hours ago Homes Under The Hammer host's stark health update saying 'I don't know how much time I've got left'

A much-loved Homes Under The Hammer presenter has revealed to fans that he's not sure 'how long he has left' as he continues to battle with a serious heart condition

Society

4 hours ago Don’t give in to pessimism despite wars and injustice, says Pope Francis

Pontiff calls for hope and kindness in BBC Radio 4 Thought for the Day messagePope Francis has urged people not to be drawn towards “pessimism and resignation” despite wars and social injustices throughout the world, but to retain a “gentle gaze of hope”.The head of the Catholic church gave the Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday, wishing listeners “peace, fellowship and gratitude” for the new year and emphasising the importance of humility. Continue reading...

Events

3 hours ago ‘If we don’t look after this treasure, we’re going to lose it’: the fight to restore one of the UK’s most historic streets

Home to choir singers for 650 years, Grade-1 listed Vicar’s Close by Wells Cathedral is in need of funding to keep its medieval houses liveable – and its unique history aliveChoir singers have lived in two handsome terraces of silvery-pink-stoned medieval houses beside Wells Cathedral for more than 650 years. But the gated close – which is thought to be the most complete and continuously occupied medieval street in Europe – is now in desperate need of restoration.“It’s a privilege to live here – it’s a unique place,” says Matthew Minter, 52, who has lived in the close for almost seven years and sings in the cathedral. “But [the house] is cold. The windows leak £10 notes every time you put the heating on and the roof leaks actual water.” Continue reading...

Politics

32 hours ago As a student in London I yearned for home, until I found paradise: a vast old villa with perfect housemates | Andrew Martin

We cooked ragu and listened to records while lying on chaises longues. Then the M11 link road was built – and everything changedIn our end of year series, writers and public figures remember the place or time when they felt most at homeIn the mid-1980s, I was in my early 20s and was reading for the Bar in London. I was living in a mouldy Balham bedsit and returning regularly to the comfort zone of my native York, when a friend told me a room was going in a shared house in Leytonstone.I wasn’t expecting much of E11. I wasn’t expecting trees, for example, but my walk from the attractive art deco tube station took me along roads better described as avenues. The house itself seemed almost the last one in London, an illusion created by the proximity of Wanstead Flats. It was a rangy, detached 1920s house, white with a red roof, and it had a name, but I’ll just call it the villa.Andrew Martin is an English novelist; his latest book is The Night in Venice Continue reading...

Society

5 hours ago Top breast cancer expert reveals only diet change that guards against breast cancer...as disease continues to soar in under 50s

As a breast surgeon who was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 40, I feel strongly about raising awareness of lifestyle factors that could reduce risk of the disease.

Events

3 hours ago Sergio Perez's 'obvious' next racing project emerges after Red Bull F1 axe

Sergio Perez is figuring out how to reboot his Formula 1 career at the age of 34 after Red Bull axed him following a dismal 2024 season, replacing him with Liam Lawson

Politics

33 hours ago Climate crisis exposed people to extra six weeks of dangerous heat in 2024

Analysis shows fossil fuels are supercharging heatwaves, leaving millions prone to deadly temperaturesThe climate crisis caused an additional six weeks of dangerously hot days in 2024 for the average person, supercharging the fatal impact of heatwaves around the world.The effects of human-caused global heating were far worse for some people, an analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central has shown. Those in Caribbean and Pacific island states were the hardest hit. Many endured about 150 more days of dangerous heat than they would have done without global heating, almost half the year. Continue reading...

Society

5 hours ago As Leona Lewis' One More Sleep becomes the UK's most played modern Christmas song, how much does The X Factor winner REALLY earn from the festive hit?

According to data from the Official Charts the hit has now accumulated the equivalent of 14 weeks of continuous airplay on radio and television since its release in 2013.

Events

3 hours ago Arsenal XI vs Brentford: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup, injury latest for Premier League

The Gunners face a tough London derby to kick off 2025

Politics

5 hours ago Strange 'red orbs' spotted over New Jersey by plane passenger as drone mystery continues

Americans have been gripped by the sightings of dozens of drones in the skies above New Jersey and New York with many conspiracy theories being shared to explain the phenomenon

Events

4 hours ago What times does Luke Littler play at the World Darts Championship tonight?

‘The Nuke’ continues his quest to dethrone Luke Humphries this week, with a potential rematch of this year’s final in the final four at Alexandra Palace

Politics

5 hours ago From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to Pope Francis: the books to look forward to in 2025

New work from Zadie Smith, memoirs from Jacinda Ardern and Bill Gates, plus the third instalment in Rebecca Yarros’s romantasy series - here’s the biggest fiction and nonfiction for the year aheadNonfiction Continue reading...

Events

4 hours ago Don’t give in to pessimism, says Pope Francis in BBC Thought for the Day

Hope and kindness ‘touch the very heart of gospel’ and show people how to behave amid war and social injusticePope Francis has urged people not to be drawn towards “pessimism and resignation” despite wars and social injustices throughout the world, but to retain a “gentle gaze of hope”.The head of the Catholic church gave the Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday, wishing listeners “peace, fellowship and gratitude” for the new year and emphasising the importance of humility. Continue reading...

Politics

5 hours ago Fog is here to stay: Passengers are told to check with airports as disruption will continue over weekend after more than 100 flights were hit as Met Office issues weather warnings

Thick fog patches could reduce visibility down to just 100 metres in some areas today, the Met Office said.

Events

5 hours ago Israeli forces accused of taking Gaza hospital staff to detention centre for interrogation – Middle East crisis live

Gaza health officials said the IDF detained the director of a hospital, which the WHO said was put out of service by an Israeli raidNearly one in five of the world’s children live in areas affected by conflicts, with more than 473 million children suffering from the worst levels of violence since the second world war, according to figures published by the UN.The UN humanitarian aid organisation for children, Unicef, said on Saturday that the percentage of children living in conflict zones around the world has doubled from about 10% in the 1990s to almost 19%, and warned that this dramatic increase in harm to children should not become the “new normal”. Continue reading...

Politics

6 hours ago ‘We need dramatic social and technological changes’: is societal collapse inevitable?

Academic Danilo Brozović says studies of failed civilisations all point in one direction – today’s society needs radical transformation to surviveFor someone who has examined 361 studies and 73 books on societal collapses, Danilo Brozović’s conclusion on what must happen to avoid today’s world imploding is both disarmingly simple and a daunting challenge: “We need dramatic social and technological changes.”The collapse of past civilisations, from the mighty Mayan empire to Rapa Nui (Easter Island), has long fascinated people and for obvious reasons – how stable is our own society? Does ever-growing complexity in societies or human hubris inevitably lead to oblivion? In the face of the climate crisis, rampant destruction of the natural world, rising geopolitical tensions and more, the question is more urgent than ever. Continue reading...

Events

5 hours ago Isabel Allende: ‘My most expensive purchase? A Tesla for my former husband. He didn’t deserve it’

The writer on unattainable studs, erotic fantasies, and why she owes her birth father nothingBorn in Peru, Isabel Allende, 82, worked as a journalist and children’s writer. In 1982, she published her first adult novel, The House of the Spirits, which became an international bestseller. Her titles have been translated into 42 languages, and include a memoir for her daughter, who died at 29. Allende’s accolades include the US presidential medal of freedom and PEN Center lifetime achievement award. Her course, Magical Storytelling, is available on BBC Maestro’s online platform. She lives in California.When were you happiest? When my kids were little – and now, in my old age. Continue reading...

Politics

7 hours ago ‘I don’t want flowers, I want my Ukraine’: women’s acts of resistance against Russian occupation

Zla Mavka movement – meaning ‘wicked forest spirit’ – drops fake rouble notes bearing pro-Ukrainian images and shares messages of solidarityOn 8 March 2023, International Women’s Day, Russian soldiers were handing out tulips and boughs of mimosa to women and girls in the city of Melitopol, southern Ukraine – a move designed to promote friendly relations between the occupiers and the inhabitants.But the night before, someone had been discreetly sticking posters to walls and lamp-posts. They bore the image of a young Ukrainian woman, dressed in a traditional embroidered shirt, smashing a bouquet over a Russian soldier’s head. “I don’t want flowers,” read the slogan. “I want my Ukraine.” Continue reading...

Events

6 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

9 hours ago ‘Bullets can make a real mess of bones’: the hospital where the war wounded have their lives put together again

At MSF’s pioneering centre in Amman, Jordan, the dedicated team deal with lives that have already been saved. Here they make those lives worth livingAs a sign of commitment to peace, help us support those affected by war | Kath VinerDonate to our charity appeal hereA girl slips through the corridors of the hospital’s fifth floor with her friend, the pair bright-eyed and shy. Today is her last chance to wear her sparkly new shoes, bought for a party last week. Tomorrow, the 12-year-old Iraqi will have a leg amputated.The operation was due two weeks ago but the surgeon, who had tried not to weep as he broke the news that amputation was necessary, agreed to delay surgery. She wanted the chance to wear her new shoes to the party first. Continue reading...

Events

7 hours ago Former world’s tallest man calls for more compassion for vulnerable in UK

Hussain Bisad, who has had health problems, says government should do more for people with physical or mental illnessWhen Hussain Bisad first settled in north London as an asylum seeker after fleeing from war in Somalia 23 years ago, he did so in the hope of a new and more settled life. Little did he know that shortly after arriving he would be at the centre of the media spotlight, not for his story of escaping conflict but for something altogether different: his height.Bisad had been in the UK for five months when Guinness World Records measured his height as 2.3 metres (7ft 6.5in), making him then the world’s tallest living man. Continue reading...

Politics

9 hours ago English wildlife ‘could be disappearing in the dark’ due to lack of scrutiny

Conservationists issue warning as figures show three-quarters of SSSI sites have had no recent assessments Conservationists have said wildlife could be “disappearing in the dark” after figures showed that three-quarters of England’s most precious habitats, wildlife and natural features have had no recent assessment of their condition.The warning follows the publication of figures covering assessments of protected natural sites known as sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) in the last five years. SSSIs are legally protected because they contain special features such as threatened habitats or rare species, and together they cover more than 1.1m hectares (2.7m acres), about 8% of England’s land area. Continue reading...

Events

8 hours ago Why enigmatic and misnamed 'grass of Parnassus' must be saved for Scotland

Continuing our Scotland’s Wonderful Wildlife series, Dr Deborah Long explains why grass of Parnassus is one of her favourite plants and how gardeners can help it survive

Politics

10 hours ago Indonesia receives official request from France to transfer death row prisoner Serge Atlaoui

Minister says request regarding welder arrested in 2005 on drugs charges will be discussed in January amid spate of transfer of high-profile detaineesIndonesia has received an official request from France to transfer a French death row inmate imprisoned on drugs charges since 2005, a senior Indonesian minister said on Saturday.“We have received a formal letter requesting the transfer of Serge Atlaoui on 19 December 2024. The letter was sent on behalf of the French minister of justice,” senior Indonesian law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra told Agence France-Presse. Continue reading...

Events

8 hours ago UK can't just look on as Israel continues the 'most documented genocide in history'

Politicians need to take a more moral and humane stance on Israel’s military campaign in Gaza

Politics

11 hours ago Search for man missing off NSW north coast amid string of drownings across holiday period

21-year-old Taewoo Kim last seen going for a swim at Moonee beach, near Coffs Harbour, on Boxing Day; police say another man’s body found in sea south of WollongongGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA multi-agency search is under way for a man presumed missing in the ocean since Boxing Day, off the north coast of NSW, as another man’s body has been pulled from the water further south.Taewoo Kim, 21, was last seen around 1pm on Thursday, police said in a statement, going into the water at Moonee beach, north of Coffs Harbour.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

8 hours ago Blind date: ‘The glare of the Christmas lights made his eyes look really beautiful and I just had to tell him’

Ash, 38, a photographer, meets Darren, 39, a TV producerWhat were you hoping for? To meet someone intelligent that I could have good conversation and a laugh with. Continue reading...

Politics

11 hours ago ‘A joke’: Jordan Thompson hits out at doping ban for doubles partner Max Purcell

Australian has accepted provisional suspension for anti-doping breachThompson to play with Chris O’Connell at Brisbane InternationalThe doping ban of Australia’s two-time doubles grand-slam winner Max Purcell has been described as “a joke” by his US Open-winning partner Jordan Thompson.The 26-year-old Purcell was provisionally suspended over an alleged violation of tennis’ anti-doping program. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Monday that Purcell had voluntarily accepted the suspension, after admitting to a breach relating to a prohibited method. Continue reading...

Events

9 hours ago Marcus Rashford reality, Ruben Amorim's honest opinion and Man United escape route blocked

Manchester United news as Marcus Rashford continues to be linked with a move away from Old Trafford

Politics

12 hours ago Driver behind China car ramming attack that killed 35 is sentenced to death

Fan Weiqiu, angry at his divorce settlement, caused ‘great social harm’ when he drove into people as they exercised in the city of Zhuhai, court saysA court in China has sentenced a man to death for killing 35 people last month by driving into a crowd, in an attack that raised national concern about mass killings.Fan Weiqiu was venting his anger because he was unhappy with his divorce settlement, the court in the southern city of Zhuhai said in handing down the sentence on Friday. The victims were exercising at a sports centre at the time of the attack. Fan pleaded guilty to endangering public safety by dangerous means, a court statement said. Continue reading...

Events