22 minutes ago National Lottery issues urgent appeal for players to check tickets for huge £177m win

The EuroMillions jackpot has been won by a single UK ticket-holder scooping a whopping £177m - with the life-changing prize landing them a spot on The National Lottery's Rich List

Economics

35 minutes ago Middle East crisis live: displaced residents start to return to southern Lebanon after Israel

Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah takes effect at 02.00GMT; Hundreds of cars defy warning from IDF to stay away from evacuated areasFull report: Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire comes into forceBiden announces ceasefire dealDown to the final half-hour before the ceasefire comes into effect and AFP is reporting strikes on south Beirut after the Israel army’s evacuation warning.“Urgent warning to residents of the Beirut area,” army spokesperson Avichay Adraee had earlier said in a post on X, telling people in the Bachoura area in the city centre to leave, as well as “all residents in the southern suburb area”, specifically in Ghobeiry. Continue reading...

Politics

45 minutes ago France has the highest cannabis consumption in Europe. It’s high time to tax it | Alexander Hurst

With the nation’s finances in a parlous state, decriminalisation could raise millions of euros – as well as cut crimeFrance might not be broke, but the state of its public finances is, well, definitely not good. Total debt stands at €3.2tn – 112% of GDP. Interest payments on that debt are the second largest public expenditure after education (which includes everything from crêche, or preschool, to universities) and are higher than the amount spent on defence. And this year’s budget deficit is projected to be 6%, three points above the EU’s 3% limit.If it weren’t for the euro, France might very well be in the throes of a fiscal crisis – as it is, interest rates on some French debt are higher than for Portugal or Spain. Continue reading...

Politics

84 minutes ago Namibia votes for president and the chance for its first female leader

A woman who joined Namibia’s independence movement in the 1970s is a strong contender to become its first female leader as the country votes in a presidential election

Politics

92 minutes ago Pakistan police launch massive midnight raid and push back Imran Khan’s supporters from heart of capital

Nearly 4,000 people arrested and at least seven people, including a police officer and members of security forces, lost their lives

Events

1 hour ago Steve McQueen photography exhibition offers fresh take on history of protest in Britain

Director showcases images of the suffragettes, Kinder Scout trespasses and anti-fascist protests in LondonAfter retelling the story of the Blitz from a new angle, Steve McQueen’s next project is an alternative photographic history of protest and campaigning in Britain, spanning a century from the suffragettes to the Iraq war protests.Resistance will open at Margate’s Turner Contemporary in February 2025, which the gallery’s director said would show how “photography has really acted as a kind of catalyst for change” in the UK. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Kristian White’s future with NSW police ‘under consideration’ after being found guilty of 95

State police commissioner says ‘this should never have happened’ after guilty verdict over Clare Nowland’s deathGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA police officer’s employment with the force is “under consideration” after he was convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting a 95-year-old woman in a nursing home with a Taser.Sen Const Kristian James Samuel White was found guilty by a jury in the New South Wales supreme court on Wednesday. He will remain on bail until he is sentenced, with Justice Ian Harrison to hear arguments from the prosecution and defence on Thursday.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news emailSign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

2 hours ago Middle East latest: Displaced people return to south Lebanon as ceasefire appears to hold

Long-displaced residents of south Lebanon started returning to their homes amid celebrations hours after a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group took effect early Wednesday morning

Events

2 hours ago Brutal Storm Conall forces Met Office to warn 50mm rain for three UK areas

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain in the south of England with up to 50mm of rain expected to fall within 12 hours as the next storm has been named

Events