35 m. ago Ninety percent of people who reach 110 have one simple thing in common

Emerging research suggests the group has a far greater chance of living to 100 and even becoming 'supercentenarians' - but what's the reason behind this?

Politics

35 m. ago The BBC is utterly beholden to the right. Why else would it fear a podcast about heat pumps? | George Monbiot

The broadcaster behaves like Starmer’s government: suppress the left, cave to your critics, and undermine your own survivalIt’s no longer even pretending. Last week, the BBC, already the UK’s most prolific censor, instructed the presenter Evan Davis to drop the podcast he hosted in his own time about heat pumps. It was a gentle, wry look at the machines, with no obvious political content. But the BBC, Davis says, saw it as “steering into areas of public controversy”. It should cease forthwith.So are BBC presenters banned from saying anything controversial? Far from it. Take an article published earlier this year by Justin Webb in the Times. It praised the “political genius” of Donald Trump, suggested that Democrats are now seen as the extremists, and claimed that Trump is widely regarded as “making [America] normal again”. The BBC was fine with that, and complaints about it were rejected. Continue reading...

Politics

36 m. ago Local elections 2025: Ask chief political commentator John Rentoul anything in exclusive Q&A

The Independent’s chief political commentator, John Rentoul, is here to answer your local elections questions – from which seats matter to whether Reform can turn headlines into votes

Politics

36 m. ago I asked Ruben Amorim the key question on Manchester United and he could not answer it

A fourth European semi-final in eight years beckons for Man United. But they have all come in the competition they would rather not be in.

Politics

66 m. ago Motorists face £1,000 fine for using a common headlight mistake

Using headlights correctly could be the difference between a £50 fine and 3 penalty points and a much steeper penalty. Here's everything you need to know

Economics

81 m. ago US funds supported Nepal's growing LGBTQ+ community. Now that money is gone

Many support centers for Nepal’s LGBTQ+ community have closed since the Trump administration began dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development

Economics

95 m. ago The ancient psychedelics myth: ‘People tell tourists the stories they think are interesting for them’

The narrative of ancient tribes around the world regularly using ayahuasca and magic mushrooms in healing practices is a popular one. Is it true?Beginning in 2001, the Austrian anthropologist Bernd Brabec de Mori spent six years living in the western Amazon. He first arrived as a backpacker, returned to do a master’s thesis on ayahuasca songs, and eventually did a PhD on the music of eight Indigenous peoples in the region. Along the way, he married a woman of the local Shipibo tribe and settled down.“I did not have a lot of money,” he told me, “so I had to make my living there.” He became a teacher. He built a house. He and his wife had children. That rare experience of joining the community, he said, forced him to realise that many of the assumptions he had picked up as an anthropologist were wrong. Continue reading...

Politics

96 m. ago DWP issues update on calls to scrap planned cuts to disability benefits

Titled "Protect Disabled people who cannot work from planned cuts to benefits", the petition called for the government to scrap its proposed plans for the disability benefit PIP and the health element to Universal Credit

Politics

2 h. ago Sir Rod Stewart help offer is great but waiting lists are far too long for young Scots

Record View says as a “knight of the realm”, Sir Rod Stewart sees it as his duty to help people whenever and wherever he can.

Events

2 h. ago Snake on a train line: Japan’s busiest bullet train route brought to a halt

Outage occurred between Maibara and Gifu-Hashima stations after the snake appeared to have climbed an electricity poleJapan’s busiest bullet train line was brought to a halt on Wednesday after a metre-long snake wrapped itself around a power line, shorting the electricity supply and stranding hundreds of passengers.Shinkansen trains running between Tokyo and Osaka were brought to a standstill by the snake, with news reports showing footage of people inside trains waiting for services to resume. Power did not appear to have been cut inside trains, with lights and air conditioning still functioning, according to passengers. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago The attack on Zamzam refugee camp and what it means for the Sudan war

Guardian journalist Kaamil Ahmed reports on the devastating assault by the Rapid Support Forces on the camp in Darfur and what it tells us about the group’s plans in Sudan’s civil warZamzam, in Darfur, has been a place of refuge for decades. A sprawling camp in western Sudan, some have estimated that it houses up to 700,000 people – a place of relative safety from the violence that has engulfed the region over the last 20 years.It was also one of the last holdouts in Darfur, one of the few places in the region not yet under the control of the Rapid Support Forces. The paramilitary group has fought a devastating civil war with the Sudanese army since April 2023. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Veteran card is now accepted as photo ID at polling stations

Voter ID rules were first enforced in England in 2023 and across Britain at the 2024 general election.

Culture

3 h. ago Many people ‘stuck in financial habits’ as experts suggest ways to boost budgets

Some people worry they may make a wrong decision, or feel overwhelmed by choice, according to research for new savings app Spring.

Economics

4 h. ago Martin Scorsese announces film that will feature Pope Francis’s ‘final interview’

Aldeas – A New Story documentary to examine work of organisation pontiff founded to connect young people around the worldMartin Scorsese has made a documentary with the late Pope Francis that will feature conversations between the pontiff and Scorsese, including what the film-makers say was the pope’s final in-depth on-camera interview.Aldeas – A New Story will detail the work of Scholas Occurrentes, a non-profit, international organisation founded by the pope in 2013 to promote what it termed “Culture of Encounter” among youth. Continue reading...

Culture

4 h. ago Trump claims he ‘hasn’t made any mistakes’ in first 100 days under questioning on TV town hall: Live

The president was grilled by journalist Bill O’Reilly and sports pundit Stephen A Smith as he joined NewsNation town hall by phone

Politics

4 h. ago Handyman who was jailed for life over rape and murder of four people at 1986 Fordingbridge 'mansion massacre' dies in prison aged 73

George Stephenson was jailed for life in October 1987 aged 36 after being convicted alongside two others of murdering four people, raping a woman.

Events

4 h. ago King Charles tells Dame Deborah James' family he is 'so sorry' he didn't meet the fierce campaigner as he celebrates people in the cancer 'community' at Buckingham Palace

Charles met Alistair and Heather James at Buckingham Palace before moving into the ballroom to join 500 guests who had been invited to a reception to celebrate people within the cancer 'community'.

Politics

4 h. ago Could a gorilla beat 100 men in a fight? This question's electrifying the world

World heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk didn't hesitate. Asked whether he would win a boxing match with a silverback mountain gorilla, he just said: 'Yeah, yeah.'

Politics

4 h. ago British expat in Spain shares 'mistake' everyone makes before they move

Daniel Efford, who has lived in Spain for 38 years, revealed a common 'mistake' people make before relocating - whilst sharing his top tips for those hoping to follow in his footsteps.

Politics

5 h. ago Apple referred to criminal prosecutor for ‘thwarting’ order to change App Store

Judge’s scathing verdict — including ruling an executive lied under oath — marks new twist in legal battle with Epic Games

Events