42 h. ago Pope Francis died of stroke and heart failure, Vatican doctor says, as tributes pour in for pontiff – latest updates

Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who was revered by millions of Catholics around the world, has died aged 88Pope Francis, groundbreaking Jesuit pontiff, diesPotential candidates to succeed Pope FrancisPope Francis: share your tributesThe Archbishop of York has paid tribute to Pope Francis as “holy man of God” who was “also very human”, PA News reports.In a statement on X, Stephen Cottrell said:Francis’s whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus who comes among us not to be served, but to serve.We saw that compellingly in Francis’s service of the poor his love of neighbour, especially the displaced, migrant; the asylum seeker, his deep compassion for the well-being of the earth and his desire to lead and build the church in new ways.I remember, in the brief times spent with him, how this holy man of God, was also very human.He was witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him. Continue reading...

Events

50 h. ago The Accidental Spy review – remarkable story of CIA operative abandoned by his handlers

Anthony Wonke’s headlong documentary introduces Blerim Skoro, recruited in post-9/11 New York to become an inside man in the ‘war on terror’, then left in the fieldIn the movies, the classic hazard for the undercover operative is psychological meltdown after getting lost in their new identity. In real life, the dangers seem more prosaic: being treated as an expendable asset and dumped. That was the situation for Muslim Kosovan refugee Blerim Skoro who, despite years spent protecting US national security as a prison informant and al-Qaida mole, was threatened with deportation. His paymasters, the CIA and FBI, don’t emerge creditably from director Anthony Wonke’s headlong, if narrowly focused, account.Skoro seems to have a gift for being in the right or wrong place at the wrong or right time; it’s not obvious which. After deserting from the army during the 1990s Yugoslav war, he wound up as an asylum seeker in New York with a young family. But a new hustle, running drugs for the Alban...

Culture

5 d. ago Viktor Orbán’s latest clampdown bans Budapest Pride – but he won’t stop us marching

Elected leaders from across Europe should join us on the streets. It is critical to democracy – in Hungary, and the EU as a wholeHungary’s parliament has given Viktor Orbán the tools to do what he has long threatened: ban Pride, silence dissent and strip political critics of their citizenship. A constitutional amendment passed on 14 April allows the government to label LGBTQ+ gatherings a threat to children and to revoke the citizenship of dual nationals deemed a risk to “national sovereignty”.This is a purge disguised as law – another step in Orbán’s dismantling of democracy, where the constitution is degraded to a propaganda instrument. He calls it a “spring clean-up” to root out “bugs”, targeting LGBTQ+ people, journalists, critics, civil society and now, dual nationals. As one myself, I could be among the targets.Katalin Cseh is a member of the Hungarian national assembly for the Momentum Movement and a former MEP Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Hungary passes constitutional amendment to ban LGBT+ gatherings including Pride

Clashes in capital as Viktor Orban’s government seeks new powers to outlaw gatherings

Politics

9 d. ago Albanian lesbian couple win asylum claim to stay in Britain after arguing people in their home country are homophobic

The women had trafficked after being 'abducted by masked men, sexually assaulted by multiple men and subjected to physical and verbal abuse on account of their sexual orientation', a court heard.

Events

9 d. ago Hungary poised to adopt constitutional amendment to ban LGBTQ+ gatherings

The controversial amendment also recognises only two sexes, providing a basis for denying other gender identities Hungarian lawmakers are expected to vote in a controversial constitutional amendment on Monday that rights campaigners have described as a “significant escalation” in the government’s efforts to crackdown on dissent and chip away at human rights.Backed by the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and his rightwing populist party, Fidesz, the amendment seeks to codify the government’s recent ban on Pride events, paving the way for authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attenders and potentially fine them. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Britain's asylum seeker 'sanctuaries': The towns and cities bucking the trend by welcoming migrants and refugees to their communities with open arms

EXCLUSIVE: The City of Sanctuary movement aims to make asylum seekers and refugees feel more welcome by persuading local voluntary groups to sign up as members.

Events

9 d. ago ‘Savage’ UK cuts will deprive 55m people of aid around the world

Exclusive: The cuts will result in a reduction of key programmes for education, family planning, water and food aid. Alicja Hagopian and Kate Devlin report

Politics

1 week ago Lib Dems' biggest election donor unmasked as boss of axed asylum seeker hotel firm

Stay Belvedere Hotels enjoyed tens of millions in profits before being dropped by the government last month — now our investigation reveals its co-owner gave Ed Davey’s party nearly £500,000 in the weeks ahead of polling day

Politics

1 week ago Boy refused permission to stay in UK over unpaid £2.5k fee wins case

Boy refused permission to stay in UK over unpaid £2.5k fee wins case  lbc.co.uk

Economics

2 w. ago Wynne Evans admits he's 'trying to stay positive' as he insists 'truth wins' in rare post following Strictly tour axe

After being embroiled in controversy for the past few months, the Welsh opera singer, 53, appeared to be trying to make a fresh start as he took to his Instagram on Monday.

Politics

2 w. ago Enter for your chance to win a VIP London theatre break for two

We’re giving you the chance to win an unforgettable London theatre break, including a luxury hotel stay, dinner at a top restaurant, and a £250 voucher to see a West End show of your choice

Politics

2 w. ago A Nicaraguan asylum seeker checked in with Ice every week. He was arrested anyway

Alberto Lovo Rojas fled violence in his home country. Now, he fears Trump-backed deportationIt finally happened while he was waiting to get his hair cut.Alberto Lovo Rojas, an asylum seeker from Nicaragua, had been feeling uneasy for weeks, worried that immigration officials would arrest him any moment. But he had pushed the worry aside as irrational – after all, he had a permit to legally work in the US, and he had been using an app to check in monthly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago AD FEATURE: Win a premium prize package including tickets for Hauser's Manchester show this autumn

The lucky winner will also receive a pre-show meal and an overnight stay for two people*

Sport

2 w. ago Family on PIP and Universal Credit forced to sleep rough outside town hall after being evicted

The couple have said they shouldn't have to be "a druggie, an alcoholic, or an asylum seeker to be a priority and get help"

Politics

3 w. ago Bruno Fernandes future clear, £66m duo join, Mainoo decision

Manchester United's midfield requires extensive work when the transfer window opens, even if Bruno Fernandes is to stay

Economics

3 w. ago Grand National 2025: Paul Nicholls makes late jockey change for one of five runners

Past Cheltenham Festival winner Stay Away Fay will be the mount of Jonathan Burke because Bryony Frost has commitments in France

Politics

3 w. ago Iraqi asylum seeker says he can't be deported because mysterious TikTok lover's family will kill him if he leaves Britain

The unnamed man told a tribunal the woman's family back in his home country had threatened to kill him after he proposed to her, having met her in person just three times.

Events

3 w. ago First US state issues LGBTQ+ pride flag ban at schools and government buildings

The move could set a national precedent

Politics

3 w. ago US Judge temporarily halts deportations to third countries without a chance to challenge

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting people who have exhausted legal appeals to countries other than their own without first being allowed to argue that it would jeopardize their safety

Events