3 h. ago I hope this is the last piece I ever have to write about assisted dying | Polly Toynbee

Today’s vote is on a knife edge. MPs must take their chance to drive forward personal freedoms – and add to Labour’s legacyMPs, read this horror before you vote today. Here’s how some people are slowly dying, right now, in mortal agony untreatable by the best palliative care: “Some will retch at the stench of their own body rotting. Some will vomit their own faeces. Some will suffocate, slowly, inexorably, over several days.” An average of 17 people a day are dying these bad deaths, according to 2019 figures, as reported by palliative care professionals who see it happen.The Inescapable Truth, a report from Dignity in Dying, revealed what is usually kept hidden from us: the shocking last months for the unluckiest. It could happen to you or me. The assisted dying bill’s final Commons vote today is no abstract debate about slippery slopes or what God wants: to do nothing is to inflict torture on many.Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnistIn the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contact...

Events

7 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia ‘on verge of recession’, Putin minister tells economic showcase

Drone attacks on Kharkiv and Odesa; don’t forget about Ukraine because of Iran-Israel fighting, say Kyiv officials. What we know on day 1,213 Vladimir Putin’s economy minister has warned that Russia is “on the verge” of recession as he spoke on the second day of a signature event meant to bolster economic confidence. The minister, Maxim Reshetnikov, said at the St Petersburg economic forum that his view was based on “current business sentiment and indicators” pointing to a slowdown. “Everything else depends on our decisions,” Reshetnikov said, calling for the central bank to show a “little love for the economy”.Russia’s central bank raised interest rates to an eye-watering 21% in October 2024 to combat inflation and kept them at that level until this month when it eased them to 20%. Russia’s economic growth slowed to 1.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest quarterly figure in two years. Prices are rising across the economy driven up by massive government spending ...

Politics

8 h. ago Why buying a plane ticket means you're NOT guaranteed a seat on your flight: Experts reveal the hidden catches that could curtail your best laid holiday plans

Airlines will sometimes book more people onto a flight than there are seats on a plane because travellers do not always turn up even if they have booked a flight.

Politics

11 h. ago Kyogo set for surprising transfer as Celtic hero 'lined up' for Birmingham City move by Brendan Rodgers ally

The Hoops sold the hitman for £10million to Rennes in January but he could be set to move again inside six months

Politics

13 h. ago Exam bosses accused of 'patronising' Wales and students in Welsh GCSE paper

Exam board WJEC and regulator Qualifications Wales argued the works look at themes of identity and diversity

Politics

13 h. ago Napoleon's world is on display for a landmark auction, from divorce papers to his iconic hat

The Hollywood epic “Napoleon” exposed the legendary emperor to a new generation

Politics

14 h. ago Elon Musk's drug test in doubt as hidden clues raise more questions for doctors

Tech tycoon and former First Buddy Elon Musk is speaking out about the media's attention on his alleged drug use in a way some say will do nothing to refute the rumors.

Events

14 h. ago ‘Venice can be sold to the highest bidder’: Furious locals speak out ahead of Jeff Bezos’ billionaire fantasy wedding to Lauren Sanchez

As the society wedding of the summer approaches, Brittany Miller speaks to Venice locals who are staging protests against the Amazon CEO and his bride-to-be taking over their city

Society

15 h. ago 'High IQ' brain teaser asks you to spot letter hidden among Xs and Ks

A brain teaser on JagranJosh challenges you to find a hidden letter amongst a grid of Xs and Ks - but you'll need to complete the task in under 13 seconds to be considered 'smart'

Politics

16 h. ago Man United set for massive cash injection amid crucial transfer window as announcement made

The latest Manchester United news as new broadcaster secures rights to show Premier League games across multiple countries

Politics

16 h. ago Behind the scenes at the Brompton factory in west London as Britain's biggest bike firm turns 50

A million of the iconic folding cycles - dubbed the bike equivalent of a Bentley - have been sold worldwide

Culture

17 h. ago ‘Death is complicated and kaleidoscopically beautiful’: Jerskin Fendrix on his emotional new album – and life after Oscar success

The British composer broke into Hollywood as Yorgos Lanthimos’s go-to guy on Poor Things and more. But his heart remains in Shropshire – the backdrop to his ambitious, grief-stricken latest recordThe sun is shining, birds are tweeting and a river gently flows just yards away as Jerskin Fendrix tells me about his love of growing up in Shropshire. “It was so gorgeous and majestic,” he says, sitting in the garden of a friend’s house where he spent a lot of time in his youth. “It was nature, forests and hills and then just normal teenage life. The combination of this numinous, big landscape and getting wasted in a cornfield with your mates listening to Kanye West on a Bluetooth speaker while seeing a massive sunset.”Such vivid scenes fill his latest album, Once Upon a Time in Shropshire. The opening track, Beth’s Farm, captures an idyllic scene where animals roam and rural teens party. “I thought it was a really nice symbol of this naive innocence,” he says. “Trying to get across how bu...

Events

17 h. ago EuroMillions winner of record £208m prize comes forward as lottery chiefs issue warning

The winning Euromillions ticket was sold in Co Cork and the winning numbers were 13, 22, 23, 44, 49, with lucky stars 3 and 5. The National Lottery confirmed the winner has come forward

Events

18 h. ago Booked your holiday with these budget airlines? You could be hit with £200 worth of hidden charges

We've all been there: we think we've nabbed a great deal on a flight, only to end up incurring added costs at every stage.

Economics

18 h. ago MoD accused of 'delaying tactics' over hidden Nuked Blood records

Hidden records about the Nuked Blood scandal are due to be released, but the Ministry of Defence is refusing to answer questions about the contents

Events

19 h. ago Couple celebrates wedding with a massive keg of Garlic & Herb dip on the dancefloor

Olivia, 32, and Clarke, 36, went to the pizza chain on their third date, where they shared a Veggie Supreme and Pepperoni Passion with stuffed crusts - and have been together ever since

Culture

19 h. ago Deafening black swarm clouds of 50,000 bees coming this week, keeper says

Bee expert Laurence Edwards expects a 'massive increase' in large swarm clouds over the days ahead

Events

20 h. ago Households warned to put sheet of A4 paper in fridge before Saturday

As the hot weather continues across the UK, households are being urged to use a simple A4 paper trick in their fridge to avoid a 'costly' mistake

Events

20 h. ago A slice of the action. Scran + Roadie brings a New York pizza buzz to the Saltmarket with new chapter of the massively popular café

Chef Chris Mears to open bigger and better version of busy Barras eatery in up-and-coming Glasgow district

Events

20 h. ago New schemes to ease flow of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland

The details were outlined in a policy paper published by Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn.

Politics