33 minutes ago Storm Bert: environment secretary says flood defences in ‘worst condition on record’ after Tory government – live updates

Steve Reed has criticised previous administration and promised £2.4bn to improve facilitiesHave you been affected by flooding in the UK? Get in touchNorthamptonshire Police have warned people in the area “while the flooding remains ongoing, please avoid all unnecessary travel and do not drive through floodwater of any depth – it is not worth the risk.”In Yate in the west of England, BBC Bristol reports that about 100 properties were flooded overnight, and residents had to be evacuated. Continue reading...

Events

33 minutes ago UK politics live: McVitie’s boss says it’s hard to understand why businesses would invest in Britain

CBI chief Rain Newton-Smith said that business had been caught ‘off-guard’ by national insurance hikes

Economics

36 minutes ago Mark Wright rushed to hospital after suffering nasty head injury as he reveals scar

Mark Wright has revealed he was hospitalised after suffering an accident in his bathroom during his trip to Las Vegas, and the TOWIE star shared a snap of his injury

Events

40 minutes ago Trump’s defense pick Pete Hegseth faces scrutiny over sexual assault claims and attacks on UN and Nato – US politics live

Hegseth comments on the Geneva conventions and new sexual misconduct allegations raise questions over suitability to lead PentagonTrump Pentagon pick urges US to ignore Geneva conventionsIn the last three days president-elect Donald Trump finished up making his major cabinet announcements.If you missed them, here is a quick roundup.Trump chose Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be agriculture secretary.Trump named Scott Bessent, a longtime hedge-fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, to serve as Treasury secretary.Trump picked Russ Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was OMB chief during Trump’s previous term in office and has been deeply involved in Project 2025 in recent years.Trump announced Sebastian Gor...

Events

40 minutes ago Loose Women reveals huge show first as Charlene White shares 'biggest ever announcement'

Loose Women will be broadcast live for 25 consecutive hours in December as the ITV show looks to help support people and encourage them to talk about mental health

Events

47 minutes ago Bradley Walsh, Brian Conley, Shane Richie and Joe Pasquale announce huge career news

Walsh, Conley, Richie, and Pasquale have shared exciting career news, revealing they'll reunite on stage. The last time they performed together was in 1993 for the Royal Variety Performance.

Politics

48 minutes ago Kevin De Bruyne provides Man City contract update after injury nightmare

De Bruyne is in his 10th season at the Etihad, but could leave on a free transfer with talks on hold over an extension

Events

52 minutes ago Ding Liren beats Gukesh Dommaraju in World Chess Championship 2024 Game 1 – as it happened

Ding wins Game 1 when Gukesh resigns after 42 movesExplainer: all your pre-match questions, answeredOur Leonard Barden has filed his final dispatch ahead of today’s opening game. Barden, who’s written the Guardian’s chess column every week since September 1955, doesn’t divert from the general consensus in his assessment of the match.The preliminaries are nearly over: who will win? I expect Gukesh to be cautious in the first few games, then to probe and push hard in the middle of the match. Ding’s 2024 form has been so wretched that it is difficult to see how he can keep his title. A 7.5-4.5 margin for Gukesh looks about right. Continue reading...

Sport

56 minutes ago Taxpayers shell out £453m in bill subsidy for one of UK's worst performing water firms

The £50 a year subsidy for each South West Water customer over a decade came as the firm paid out more than £1.5 billion to shareholders and was fined for dumping raw sewage

Economics

56 minutes ago Prince Harry and Prince William's favourite food as kids was surprisingly non

Prince William and Prince Harry might be royal but they had palettes just like all other young children when they were growing up, according to their former chef

Politics