30 h. ago What happens to accidental heroes when the headlines fade? ‘You get your award and then there’s nothing’

After traumatic events we look for reminders of humanity’s good, and flashes of courage from ordinary people become symbols of hope. But it can be hard to wear the hero’s crownGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe smell of burning flesh and pulverised concrete is seared into the psyche of Anneke Weemaes-Sutcliffe. On 22 March 2016, the Australian expat was due to check in for a flight when Islamic State suicide bombers detonated two nailbombs inside Brussels airport. Miraculously unharmed, she sprinted to the exit after the second blast exploded metres away from her – but then, risking her life, decided to turn back.Screams, wailing alarms and a thick blanket of dust choked the air. The ceiling had caved in. “It turned from buzzing with life to a war zone. It’s horrific, absolutely horrific,” Weemaes-Sutcliffe says. Continue reading...

Events

57 h. ago Politics needs to reconnect with ordinary people – UUP leader

Mr Burrows emerged as the sole candidate to follow current leader Mike Nesbitt following the closing of nominations on Friday evening.

Politics

3 d. ago Former senior police officer aiming for meteoric rise to UUP leader

Jon Burrows served as a police officer for 22 years before leaving the PSNI in 2023.

Events

1 week ago Why the film 'Everybody to Kenmure Street' is an inspiration to all

After surviving Christmas, Janet Christie is looking forward to Everybody To Kenmure Street by the filmmaker behind Nae Pasaran. Both films highlight the very real difference that ordinary people can make to the world

Politics

1 week ago ‘Pivotal moment’ for UUP as nominations officially open for next leader

Current Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt announced earlier this month that he intends to stand down.

Politics

1 week ago Democrats can win back the White House in 2028. Here’s how | Colin Seeberger

Democrats should go on the offense against Republicans, but they should also lay out a vision for renewing the promise of a middle-class life By January 2029, Donald Trump will be capping off a nearly 14-year stretch at the helm of American politics. While he will no longer serve as president of the United States, his shadow over the future of American politics will continue to loom large across both sides of the aisle. Following Trump’s popular-vote victory in the 2024 election, the Democratic party has been forced to wrestle with what went wrong and how they can regain the support of an American majority to win back the White House. To win back Americans’ trust, Democrats have to prioritize affordability, broaden their cultural appeal, and reconnect with disaffected voters beyond their base.Trump’s political success has long been defined by his willingness to take on elite institutions and buck convention, putting distance between himself and weaknesses in the Republican brand whi...

Politics

1 week ago Government lacks emotional link with voters, cabinet ministers warned

Morgan McSweeney says Labour needs ‘three Es’ of emotion, empathy and evidence, sources sayUK politics live – latest updatesThe government must find ways to reconnect emotionally with voters, Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, is said to have warned cabinet ministers, in a meeting where the prime minister said they were in “the fight of our lives”.The prime minister sought to rally his cabinet on Tuesday, telling them to ignore the polls and to prepare to take on Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago It’s easy to feel powerless about climate chaos. Here’s what gives me hope | Nina Lakhani

I’ve spent six years writing about environmental justice. The uncomfortable truth is that we’re not all in it together – but people power is reshaping the fightIt’s been another year of climate chaos and inadequate political action. And it’s hard not to feel despondent and powerless.I joined the Guardian full time in 2019, as the paper’s first environmental justice correspondent, and have reported from across the US and the region over the past six years. It’s been painful to see so many families – and entire communities – devastated by fires, floods, extreme heat, sea level rise and food shortages. But what’s given me hope during these six years of reporting as both an environmental and climate justice reporter are the people fighting to save our planet from catastrophe – in their communities, on the streets and in courtrooms across the world. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Welsh Labour councillor resigns from the party with scathing parting message

The councillor claims the Labour Party no longer serves the "ordinary people" it was elected to represent

Politics