3 d. ago Olympics gender row boxer Imane Khelif breaks silence to announce plan to return to the Games and defend title

Imane Khelif has declared a plan to defend her Olympic gold medal, saying she has 'surprises' despite the IOC's sex testing and an incoming ban on transgender athletes. 

Sport

3 d. ago ‘Utter hypocrisy’: tobacco firm lobbied against rules in Africa that are law in UK

British American Tobacco pushed Zambian ministers to drop or delay ad bans, health warnings and restrictions on flavoured products, letter showsBritish American Tobacco has been accused of “utter hypocrisy” for lobbying against tobacco control measures in Africa that are already in place in the UK.A letter seen by the Guardian, sent from the company’s subsidiary in Zambia to the country’s government ministers, asks for plans to ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship to be abandoned or delayed. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago British & Irish Lions plan ban on R360 players to stop Red Roses jumping ship

Eight of 12 tier-one unions already plan to ban rebelsLions hope to sway stars lured by league’s salary offersThe British & Irish Lions are planning to follow the example of the biggest unions by banning players who join R360 in a move designed primarily to prevent an exodus of England’s Red Roses stars to the rebel league.Eight of the 12 tier-one unions, led by England and New Zealand, announced last month that they would not select R360 players, and the Guardian has learned that the Lions will follow suit. Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa also came out in support of a ban, but Wales and Argentina did not due to smaller player pools and weaker domestic leagues. Continue reading...

Sport

6 d. ago Teenager and parent join planned legal action calling for school phone ban

Flossie McShea, 17, and Katie Moore, 43, want to see a complete statutory ban on smartphones in schools.

Politics

1 week ago Trump is weaponizing the welfare state to attack healthcare | Moira Donegan

The proposed withholding of Medicaid and Medicare to restrict gender-affirming care follows the same logic as attacks on abortion careIn United States v Skrmetti, a supreme court decision issued this summer, the rightwing justices made it legal for states to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors, in a ruling whose reasoning strained logic, claiming that state laws banning the treatment did not discriminate on the basis of sex. The ruling upheld laws in 27 states, all of them passed since 2021, which banned the treatment outright; according to the Human Rights Campaign, about 40% of trans minors live in states where treatment for them is against the law. Now, the Trump administration seems to be looking to cut off access to care for the other 60% of those kids.In a proposed rule leaked to NPR, the administration plans to ban gender-affirming care for minors from being covered by Medicaid or by the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or Chip. In a second, more sweeping proposed ...

Events

2 w. ago ‘No plans’ to ban VPNs but ‘nothing off the table’ to bolster online safety

Baroness Liz Lloyd warned there was ‘limited evidence on children’s use of VPNs’.

Politics

2 w. ago Reform will cut Civil Service by up to 140,000: Farage plans to make it easier to sack officials

A Nigel Farage government would change the civil service code to ban Left-wing activism that has led to a ' woke agenda that has infected so much of Whitehall', Reform vowed today.

Politics

2 w. ago Protests against Palestine Action ban planned in 18 UK towns and cities

More than 2,000 people have already been arrested for alleged support of the group, which is banned under terrorism laws.

Events

3 w. ago Government issues update on plans to ban private parking firms from fining drivers

Tickets issued by private firms is at a record high

Politics

4 w. ago Shabana Mahmood told of plans to ban Israeli fans from Aston Villa match a week ago and 'did not object'

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the controversial plans to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from the European clash

Politics

4 w. ago Shabana Mahmood was told of Maccabi Tel Aviv ban plans a week ago and 'had not objected': Hamas victim likens police decision to a sign saying 'no Jews allowed'

Sir Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood were locked in an extraordinary stand-off with the police last night over controversial plans to ban Israeli football fans from an Aston Villa match.

Events