15 h. ago Families hit with 'unspoken' £1,076 charge per child this summer

Families could be facing a worrying time as schools close for six weeks over the summer

Society

31 h. ago Cause of fire at beauty spot hotel released as road set to be closed for weeks

The owners of the hotel have issued a fresh update about the its future while the fire service has disclosed what caused the fire

Events

50 h. ago Future British & Irish Lions tour of France on the agenda at Melbourne summit

French federation puts forward hosting 2027 warm-upMeeting before second Test over new Lions modelA British & Irish Lions tour of France could move a step closer next week when executives hold talks over “a new business model” in Melbourne before the second Test of the series against Australia.Abdel Benazzi, the vice-president of the French federation (FFR), held informal discussions with Lions executives in Dublin before the warm-up match against Argentina, and he will travel to Australia next week to further press his nation’s claims of facing the touring side again, having previously done so in 1989. France have emerged as leading contenders to face the Lions in a warm-up match before the tour of New Zealand in 2029 and, according to Benazzi, could also fulfil the same role before the inaugural women’s tour in 2027, also to New Zealand. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago New images reveal scale of fire damage to Welsh beauty spot hotel

Police are investigating the cause of the blaze that ripped through the Worm's Head Hotel at Rhossili

Events

3 d. ago Alejandro Garnacho receiving offers to broker transfer away from Manchester United

Alejandro Garnacho has seven weeks to leave Man United before the summer transfer window closes.

Sport

4 d. ago 'I’m a Christian adult model – churchgoers secretly watch my content but God supports me'

Sophie Rain grew up in a religious household and has a close relationship with her pastor, whom she sees on a weekly basis - she says the deity is aware her intentions are pure

Politics

6 d. ago Jaguar's polarising Type 00 concept makes UK public debut at Goodwood

Jaguar's Type 00 has been showcased to the British public for the first time this week. We got up close and personal with it at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Politics

7 d. ago Brits told to close their doors and windows from 5am to 9pm this weekend

A five-day heatwave is expected to hit the UK this week, with temperatures set to hit 32C on Thursday and Friday, 31C on Saturday and 29C on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday

Politics

7 d. ago Second great white shark spotted near holiday hotspot and 'could get closer'

The great white shark – measuring more than 3.7 metres long – is the second sea beast spotted in the area in the last few weeks with scientists warning it could get "closer" to shore

Events

8 d. ago Van der Flier caps win as Lions labour to patchy victory over ACT Brumbies

ACT Brumbies 24-36 British & Irish LionsInjury fears after Blair Kinghorn replaced early onWhen they reflect on their night’s work in Canberra the British & Irish Lions will once again have mixed emotions. At their best the touring team look sharp and dangerous but, with the Test series fast approaching, they are still not firing on all cylinders in some key areas. A first-half injury to full-back Blair Kinghorn has also come at a delicate moment ahead of the first Test in Brisbane on Saturday week.Fielding close to their best starting XV, the Lions finished up scoring five tries with Ollie Chessum, James Lowe and Marcus Smith crossing in the first and Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier following suit in the second. The in-form Finn Russell also contributed 11 points with the boot to cap another assured performance. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Extreme heat is our future – European cities must adapt | Alexander Hurst

Greenery, shade and swimming spots won’t solve the climate crisis, but they’re becoming ever more criticalThree years ago, in Zurich for the first time, I crossed a bridge over the Limmat River and saw people floating down it in rubber rings on their way home from work, some casually holding beers. The Limmat is so clear that it almost begs you not only to jump in, but to drink it.Paris’s Canal Saint-Martin has never produced either desire in me – but sweltering in last week’s 38C heat, I wanted to close my eyes, pretend it was the Limmat, and leap. Others weren’t so hesitant; there was a line of people going up one of the footbridges over the canal waiting for their turn to jump, dive, backflip or just belly-flop into the water.Alexander Hurst is a Guardian Europe columnist Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Ghislaine Maxwell was not Jeffrey Epstein’s sole enabler. So why is she the only one in prison? | Arwa Mahdawi

This weekend, the Trump administration officially closed the file on the notorious billionaire Epstein. Maga aren’t the only ones who should be outragedGreat news, everyone! We can all stop thinking about Jeffrey Epstein, who was charged with the sex trafficking of minors in 2019 and found dead in his Manhattan jail cell shortly after, apparently of suicide. Great minds have looked into the case and discovered there is nothing more to uncover. So don’t waste your time wondering which powerful people might have been part of Epstein’s alleged trafficking operation. There’s nothing to see here – nothing at all. Case officially closed.That, in essence, was the message from the Trump administration over the weekend. On Sunday, Axios reported on a memo from Trump’s justice department and the FBI that concluded there is no evidence that Epstein was involved in blackmailing people, kept a “client list” or was murdered. Most importantly, the memo said there is no “evidence that could predica...

Events

1 week ago Police make move that will force wife of crime boss 'Hotdog' to 'live in tent'

Following a court order issued last week, officers moved in to close an illegal scrapyard in Great Harwood, Lancashire, where Tommy 'Hotdog' Smith's wife Mary lives

Events

1 week ago Significant disruption ahead for train passengers as railway lines to close for three weeks

Rail replacement buses will be running but passengers are being warned that their journeys could take longer while essential maintenance work is carried out

Politics

1 week ago Macron’s UK state visit underlines effort to move on from Brexit nightmare

Bitter rows had damaged trust and dialogue but UK-French relations have thawed amid new geopolitical landscapeWhen Emmanuel Macron rides in a horse-drawn carriage to Windsor Castle this week, it will be to celebrate the return of close political relations between London and Paris, drawing a line under the damaging spats of the Brexit years.The French president’s office said the “shared interests” of the two countries were what mattered now, hailing France and the UK’s “essential” close relationship on the international stage. This reinvigorated cross-Channel bond was “vital”, a UK official said. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago ‘Harvey would say, we’re on the brink’: why conservatives are coming for a gay rights hero

Emboldened by Trump, the right is trying to chip away the legacy of the trailblazing politician Harvey Milk. Activists say it’s a sign of a wider assault on the LGBTQ+ communityAs San Francisco’s pride festivities came to a close last week, a cloud hung over the otherwise joyful celebrations as the city’s LGBTQ+ community learned that the US government had stripped a naval ship of its name honoring the gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk.Donald Trump’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, claimed the action showed the administration’s commitment to “taking the politics” out of military naming conventions. San Francisco’s queer community saw things differently. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Shark sightings force some New York beaches to close on busy July 4 weekend

Rockaway Beach in Queens was closed after shark sightings on Friday

Politics

2 w. ago Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs found guilty on two of five counts as lawyers call verdict ‘great victory’

Jury finds music mogul not guilty on most serious charges but judge denies request for bailKey moments from the sex-trafficking trialSeven weeks, 34 witnesses, a media circus: inside the trialA New York Jury has found Sean “Diddy” Combs guilty of two counts and not guilty on three counts, following a closely watched seven-week federal trial marked by emotional and graphic testimony.The mixed verdict saw Combs being found not guilty of the biggest charge, racketeering conspiracy, not guilty of the sex trafficking of Casandra Ventura or the sex trafficking of “Jane”, and guilty of both the transportation to engage in prostitution related to Casandra Ventura and the transportation to engage in prostitution related to “Jane”. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago King and Queen in Edinburgh for Royal Week as streets to close for garden party

The King will also visit Kirkcaldy later this week

Politics

2 w. ago How do wildfires start as Turkey evacuates 50,000 people during monster blaze

Fires have been ravaging Turkey over the weekend, causing a busy airport to completely close.

Events