64 h. ago If there's anyone we don't need lecturing us to 'be kind' it is MPs supporting government moves to drive the disabled into poverty

Justified sympathy for Chancellor Rachel Reeves should not forget the government is pushing policy set to leave ordinary peoples' lives in pieces

Politics

69 h. ago Home secretary rejects Zarah Sultana’s claim Labour failing to improve lives – UK politics live

Sultana announced on Thursday she was quitting Labour to join Jeremy Corbyn’s Independent AllianceMy colleague Lauren Almeida, who is running the Guardian’s business live blog, has shared the following:Rachel Reeves has not given herself enough fiscal headroom to manage public finances, Charlie Bean, the former deputy of the Bank of England has said, and has to “neurotically fine tune taxes”.About £10bn – that’s a very small number in the context of overall public spending. Government spending is about one and a quarter trillion so £10bn is a small number and it is a small number in the context of typical forecasting errors.You can’t forecast the future perfectly both because you can’t forecast the economy and you can’t forecast all the elements of public finances . The forecasts are imprecise and there is no way you can avoid that. That is a fact of life.In light of reports of atrocities committed by the Israeli government in Gaza and reports of the UK’s collaboration with Israeli ...

Society

2 d. ago Is exercise really better than drugs for cancer remission? It's an appealing idea – but it's misleading | Devi Sridhar

The healing power of exercise should never be underestimated, but be cautious about what recent headlines seem to suggestProf Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, and the author of How Not to Die (Too Soon)You might have seen the recent headlines on a new study on exercise and cancer recovery suggesting that “exercise is better than a drug” in preventing cancer returning. Cue a wave of commentary pitting “big pharma” against fitness, as if we must choose between pills and planks. It’s an appealing narrative – but it’s also misleading.We don’t need to choose between the two. In fact, the best health outcomes often come from combining medicine with a broader view of health that includes movement, diet, social connection and mental wellbeing.Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, and the author of How Not to Die (Too Soon) Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Edinburgh University Students welcomed by British Embassy in Bolivia ahead of landmark altitude expedition

A team of over 80 students from the University of Edinburgh was warmly welcomed this week at the British Ambassador’s Residence in La Paz, ahead of what is set to be the world’s largest controlled ascent for scientific research.

Culture

4 d. ago New insider guide to booking university rooms for the Edinburgh Festival launches online

The world-famous Edinburgh Festival and Fringe returns on 1 August but organisers have warned that soaring accommodation costs and holiday let restrictions could mean the event is facing ‘grim’ obstacles. The good news is that a new online guide has just launched revealing how festival-goers and performers can easily book bargain university rooms for August.

Culture

5 d. ago Redundancy threat for up to 100 workers who help maintain key Dumfries and Galloway roads

The Unite union claims roads maintenance firm Amey is looking at axing jobs from the workforce assigned to routes such as the A75, A76 and A701.

Events

6 d. ago UK court rejects Palestinian group’s claim London illegally arming Israel

UK court rejects Palestinian group’s claim London illegally arming Israel  New York Post

Events

9 d. ago Government warned that Welsh universities are in an 'precarious position'

The alert from MPs follows a union claiming there is a real danger that a Welsh university could collapse as they face a £70m+ combined deficit, squeezed budgets and rising costs

Events

9 d. ago ‘We are privileged’: liberal Afrikaners reject Trump’s ‘white genocide’ claims

As white South Africans arrive in US to escape ‘unjust racial discrimination’, many progressives feel angry at Trump’s portrayal of them as victimsFor some white Afrikaner South Africans, Donald Trump’s offer of refugee status in the US has been seen as a godsend. For others, it has provoked anger and frustration that they are being falsely portrayed as victims of a “white genocide”, 31 years after their community’s own oppressive minority rule ended.In February, Trump signed an executive order claiming Afrikaners, who make up about 4% of South Africa’s population, or about 2.5 million people, were victims of “unjust racial discrimination”. The order cut aid to the country and established a refugee programme for white South Africans. The first group arrived in May. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Starmer says welfare concessions are ‘common sense’ but dodges funding question – UK politics live

No 10 has offered significant concessions to the rebels amid fears over Tuesday’s voteNo 10 climbs down over welfare billStephen Kinnock, the care minister, was the government voice on the airwaves this morning. Here are the main points he made about the welfare bill U-turn.Kinnock rejected claims that the U-turn was a sign of weakness. When it was put to him on the Today programme that this move, coming after the U-turns on winter fuel payments and a national inquiry into grooming gangs, showed that if Keir Starmer was pushed, he would give in, Kinnock replied:I think if you talk to people out there in the country, they respond very positively to politicians listening, engaging, recognising that you don’t get everything right from day one every time, and making the adjustments and the changes that are needed.And this prime minister will always put the country first. He puts country before party, and he does the right thing for the country.He defended having a “staggered” approach t...

Politics

9 d. ago Lady Louise Windsor is joined by her rumoured university boyfriend and the Duchess of Edinburgh as she competes in carriage driving festival

The 21-year-old, who is the daughter of Prince Edward and the Duchess of Edinburgh, was pictured beaming as she took part in a horse driving competition in Norfolk.

Culture

1 week ago Gerwyn Price claim rejected by Luke Humphries as Luke Littler team

Luke Humphries has responded to Gerwyn Price's comments about him and Luke Littler not being a team at the World Cup of Darts, insisting the Welshman was wrong with his assessment

Politics

1 week ago Starmer suggests welfare bill revolt just ‘noises off’ as he rejects claim row shows he is bad at politics – UK politics live

PM ‘committed to reforming system’ as more Labour MPs join opposition to plan to cut universal credit and PipKemi Badenoch has said it would be “pathetic” for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer must not pull this bill. We’ve offered to support him in the national interest if our reasonable conditions are met.If he pulls the bill, it proves Labour isn’t serious about fiscal responsibility. If Labour backbenchers are too scared to deliver welfare changes that make only limited savings, how can they solve bigger problems like the national debt?There is a view forming among ministers and PPS’ that the government will have to pull the welfare bill.However, the message from the centre is very clear it will go ahead regardless of the opposition from MPs because the issue has to be forced.There is widespread speculation in Government that No 10 will...

Politics

1 week ago When the police called us at 6am we endured every parent's worst nightmare

Colin and Mandy Mackie lost their 18-year-old son Greg back in 2017 after he was found dead in his university halls of residence located in Edinburgh.

Events

1 week ago Welsh darts star claims wife's rejection has cost him thousands

There is now plenty of money to be made in darts if you're a top player, but one Welsh arrows star believes he could have made more were it not for his other half

Politics

1 week ago Sudan, Remember Us review – vividness and vibrancy in intense account of Khartoum uprising

Hind Meddeb’s documentary draws on her on-the-spot experience in 2019 as protesters rose against the 30-year rule of Omar al-BashirFranco-Tunisian-Moroccan film-maker Hind Meddeb is based in Paris but it was her on-the-spot experience in Khartoum in 2019 of the Sudanese uprising against the reactionary 30-year rule of president Omar al-Bashir which has led to this intensely engaged and sympathetic documentary study. The film immerses itself in the world of the protesters – particularly the young and female protesters – a whole generation energised and brought together by the insurgent movement; their passion was complicated and intensified by the fact that the revolution, at least at first, only brought in a “Transitional Military Council” or TMC, which did not seem in any great hurry to transition to democratic civilian rule. In fact, it carried out a grotesque massacre against people at a sit-in in June 2019, resulting in 127 people dead and 70 cases of rape.Meddeb finds among the...

Politics

1 week ago Migrant hotel stays prolonged as record numbers appeal rejected asylum claims

There were 50,976 outstanding appeals as of March, which is almost double the number compared to 2024

Events

2 w. ago 'If you're linked with Rangers...': Club told to reject Ibrox transfer approach as 'more mileage' claim made

Rangers have been linked with a transfer for the England international.

Politics

2 w. ago Husband's horror slow death as wife 'sliced off his flesh and fed it to dog'

Svetlana Batukova was convicted of the killing with a Spanish court rejecting her claims that there was insufficient evidence to prove she had killed her spouse

Events

2 w. ago Toto Wolff hits out at ‘petty’ Red Bull protest at Russell’s Canadian GP win

‘They come up with weird clauses it’s just embarrassing’Red Bull accused Russell of erratic driving in MontrealThe Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, has called Red Bull’s protest “petty” and “embarrassing” after George Russell beat the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, at Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.Red Bull challenged Russell’s victory in Montreal for both driving erratically and committing unsportsmanlike conduct behind the safety car, a claim which was rejected by the stewards. It was the second time they had launched a protest against the Mercedes driver this season following a claim he had failed to slow sufficiently under yellow flags in Miami. Continue reading...

Events