5 h. ago At least ‘two dead & multiple passengers injured’ while others are trapped after two high

TWO high-speed trains have derailed in Spain, killing two and injuring many others. Emergency services were deployed to the scene, with images circulating on social media showing rescue teams working in pitch-black conditions. One of the trains had departed from Málaga and was travelling to Madrid when it came off the tracks. A second train,...

Events

53 h. ago Five millionth meal served by social kitchen Standard readers helped set up

More than 1,200 organisations benefit from the work of The Felix Project

Politics

64 h. ago 'Quirky' teenager found dead at home after mum went out for an hour

The 15-year-old had been struggling with his mental health and receiving support from CAMHS and social services before his death in July 2024

Events

3 d. ago Clickbait review – gripping drama about the human cost of moderating the internet

A social media content moderator becomes obsessed with a violent video in this restrained, unsettling workplace thriller starring Lili ReinhartHere is a workplace drama, of sorts. Like many people, Daisy (Lili Reinhart) works a desk job using a computer. Unlike most people, fainting at work is a rite of passage; she moderates videos on social media that have been reported for violating the terms of service. That means watching everything from horrible porn to horrible politics to horrible accidents and everything in between, a non-stop diet of videos with titles such as “fetus in blender” or “strangulation but she doesn’t die”.Her boss takes her to task for deleting a graphic video showing a suicide, which supposedly has news value and should have been left up. But the tipping point for Daisy is a really nasty video titled “nailed it”, which shows violence and cruelty that she believes is real and non-consensual. So begins a low-key quest to track down the perpetrator, though she is...

Events

9 d. ago Judge says Trump administration can’t block child care, other program money for 5 states for now

A judge has ruled that President Donald Trump’s administration cannot block child care and other federal social service money from flowing to five states for now

Politics

1 week ago Tennis Kenya admits to wildcard error after player’s heavy defeat goes viral

Hajar Abdelkader won just three points in 6-0, 6-0 loss‘Wildcard should not have been granted’ to EgyptianTennis Kenya said a controversial wildcard granted to Hajar Abdelkader should not have happened after the young Egyptian’s performance at a professional tournament in Nairobi went viral.The 21-year-old won just three points and served 20 double faults on her way to a 6-0, 6-0 defeat against German world No 1,026, Lorena Schaedel. Videos shared on social media showed the Egyptian struggling to serve and position herself on the court. Continue reading...

Sport

1 week ago Ayr carer left supported person unattended to shop at Primark

The Scottish Social Services Council, (SSSC) has stepped in to place a warning on Michelle Mcculloch’s registration for 24 months.

Politics

1 week ago Lanarkshire’s health and social care chief officers thank families helping loved ones return home safely from hospital

As hospital and community services continue to manage winter pressures, both health and social care partnerships are working closely with NHS Lanarkshire hospital staff using the Discharge without Delay approach.

Society

1 week ago Kristi Noem to deploy 2,000 agents to Minnesota amid hunt for more fraud

The surge in federal agents comes as Minnesota is under scrutiny from the Trump administration for fraud in social services programs

Politics

1 week ago Tim Walz says he will not run for third term as Minnesota governor

Announcement comes after ongoing fraud of social services cases became focus of ire for Republicans and TrumpUS politics live – latest updatesTim Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota who ran for vice-president in 2024, announced on Monday that he is abandoning his quest for a third term in office. The move comes after ongoing fraud of social services cases caught the attention of US Republicans, including Donald Trump, who then used the cases as a pretext to go after Somali residents.Walz said in a statement that he wasn’t able to “give a political campaign my all”. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen z

Platform is now Britain’s fourth most visited social media site as users seek out human-generated contentReddit, the online discussion platform, has overtaken TikTok as Britain’s fourth most visited social media service, as search algorithms and gen Z have dramatically transformed its prominence.The platform has undergone huge growth over the last two years, with an 88% increase in the proportion of UK internet users it reaches. Three in five Brits online now encounter the site, up from a third in 2023, according to Ofcom. Continue reading...

Technology

2 w. ago France to ban children from social media, following Australia's example

President Emmanuel Macron is backing draft legislation that would make it illegal for social media companies to offer their services to under-15s.

Politics

2 w. ago How much one Welsh council could overspend on social services this year

Figures from September show a £360,000 overspend in Merthyr Tydfil's social services

Politics

2 w. ago As the US media floundered this year, I couldn’t help but think: ‘Thank God I’m at the Guardian’

Other outlets have asked their writers to compromise, but the Guardian has never – and would never – ask me to pull a punchFunded by readers, the Guardian’s fierce independence is guaranteed. Please help us reach our year-end fundraising goal in these final crucial hoursIt might be most generous to characterize the behavior of major US media organizations since 2024 as negotiating between competing incentives.On the one hand, billionaires have consolidated their ownership over major news outlets and platforms. The Murdochs are squabbling over Fox. Jeff Bezos has remade the Washington Post in his own image. The pharmaceutical magnate Patrick Soon-Shiong places a thumb on the scale at the Los Angeles Times, and the Trump-aligned Ellison family has taken over Paramount and CBS, and spent the final weeks of this year making hostile takeover bids for CNN owner Warner Bros. The influence of these billionaire personalities has often reshaped their organizations’ newsrooms and editorial boa...

Politics

2 w. ago As the US media floundered this year, I couldn’t help but think: ‘Thank God I’m at the Guardian’ | Moira Donegan

Other outlets have asked their writers to compromise, but the Guardian has never – and would never – ask me to pull a punchFunded by readers, the Guardian’s fierce independence is guaranteed. Please help us reach our year-end fundraising goal in these final crucial hoursIt might be most generous to characterize the behavior of major US media organizations since 2024 as negotiating between competing incentives.On the one hand, billionaires have consolidated their ownership over major news outlets and platforms. The Murdochs are squabbling over Fox. Jeff Bezos has remade the Washington Post in his own image. The pharmaceutical magnate Patrick Soon-Shiong places a thumb on the scale at the Los Angeles Times, and the Trump-aligned Ellison family has taken over Paramount and CBS, and spent the final weeks of this year making hostile takeover bids for CNN owner Warner Bros. The influence of these billionaire personalities has often reshaped their organizations’ newsrooms and editorial boa...

Politics

3 w. ago Wind and cold weather warnings due but no white Christmas for UK

Low temperatures are likely to have minor impacts on health and social care services.

Events

3 w. ago Thanks to Independent readers, young people will have a safe haven to call for help

Editorial: Our readers have generously donated £165,000 in our Christmas appeal, so Missing People is now well on its way to launching SafeCall to give a supportive ear to a young person in distress

Politics

3 w. ago My daughter wanted her own room so I made her a ‘Harry Potter style’ one – trolls say they’re ‘ringing social services’

IT'S not unusual for kids to beg their parents for their own bedroom, but for many families it's just not a possibility. But one savvy DIY fan took matters into his own hands when his daughter wanted a bit of privacy. Rather than splitting the existing bedroom in two, adding a curtain down the middle...

Politics