37 m. ago Starmer faces Badenoch at PMQs amid criticism over digital ID U

Ministers have rolled back central element of digital ID plans, possibly allowing people to use other forms of identification to prove their right to workHere are extracts from three interesting comment articles about the digital ID U-turn.Ailbhe Rea in the New Statesman in the New Statesmans says there were high hopes for the policy when it was first announced.I remember a leisurely lunch over the summer when a supporter of digital IDs told me how they thought Keir Starmer would reset his premiership. Alongside a reorganisation of his team in Number 10, and maybe a junior ministerial reshuffle, they predicted he would announce in his speech at party conference that his government would be embracing digital IDs. “It will allow him to show he’s willing to do whatever it takes to tackle illegal immigration,” was their rationale.Sure enough, Starmer announced “phase two” of his government, reshuffled his top team and, on the Friday before Labour party conference, he duly announced his ...

Politics

62 m. ago William and Kate to try curling and meet Olympic medal hopefuls in Scotland

The prince and princess will visit Stirling during a day of joint engagements next Tuesday.

Politics

2 h. ago Pro License admission barriers allow women’s coaching opportunities to go ‘down the drain’

Uefa’s limitations have set hurdles for women keen to take the next step in coaching despite the increasing demandMariana Cabral has a coaching CV to be proud of. Born on the small Azores island of São Miguel, she has been in charge of the women’s teams at clubs including Benfica and Sporting, but the 38-year-old is frustrated. “We want more women coaches,” she says. “Who won the Euros? Who won the Champions League? Women – but we are losing so many.”Cabral has her A Licence but is stuck in limbo. Unable to get on a Pro Licence course that would clear a path to more senior head coach roles in an era when women’s teams are increasingly demanding that qualification, she stepped back to become a No 2 in the US. But after one NWSL season with Utah Royals, she left in December in the hope that expanding her experience at another club would help to open a Pro Licence door. Continue reading...

Events

6 h. ago Labour and the Tories are banking on a return to the ‘old normal’. That’s not what voters want | Rafael Behr

An economic recovery could still change the parties’ fortunes. But the days when only two parties were licensed to supply Britain with prime ministers are goneUnpopular politicians take consolation in the thought that opinion polls are sometimes wrong and often describe the wrong thing. They capture the moment but don’t predict the future. A midterm poll measures how much voters like the government. A general election asks whether the opposition is trusted to take over. It isn’t the same question.Labour’s hopes for recovery rest on that distinction. The plan is that economic growth and governing competence will boost general wellbeing in the coming years. That will dial up the risks associated with other parties, especially for Reform UK. Voters who lack enthusiasm for the prime minister may be persuaded to stick with him if the alternative is Nigel Farage.Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

16 h. ago Michael Carrick outlines vision and philosophy for Manchester United after head coach appointment

Carrick hopes to bring ‘exciting’ and ‘positive’ football back to Old Trafford

Sport

16 h. ago Michael Carrick's first words as Man United manager, length of deal and backroom staff

Michael Carrick has been appointed as the new interim head coach of Manchester United, with the Englishman hopeful of guiding the Reds to a strong finish in the second-half of the Premier League season

Economics

16 h. ago Tired of the wellness industrial complex? Six rules to ditch – and what to do instead

Dr Ezekiel J Emanuel, a former Obamacare adviser, has deceptively simple advice for living a healthy lifeBeing healthy shouldn’t feel this complicated. Yet every week brings a new wellness fixation, from “fibermaxxing” to “zone 2 training”, creatine and cortisol-hacking.Between prescriptive plans, complex science and often contradictory advice, it can seem like being healthy is a full-time job – or a hopeless cause. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago Pittsburgh Steelers part ways with head coach Mike Tomlin after 19 seasons

Tomlin never recorded losing season with teamSteelers had endured long run of playoff lossesHead coach Mike Tomlin is leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers after 19 seasons, the team confirmed on Tuesday.“Obviously, I am extremely grateful to Mike for all the hard work, dedication and success we have shared over the last 19 years. It is hard for me to put into words the level of respect and appreciation I have for Coach Tomlin,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “He guided the franchise to our sixth Super Bowl championship and made the playoffs 13 times during his tenure, including winning the AFC North eight times in his career.” Continue reading...

Politics

18 h. ago ‘I’ve had vets chasing lorries down the motorway’: The ‘hell’ of post

Toby Ovens of Broughton Transport called Brexit a nightmare, and said he hoped a reset with the EU would mean ‘light at the end of the tunnel’British vets have been forced to chase lorries down the motorway on their way to Dover due to the “pure hell” of Brexit paperwork needed by inspectors in Calais, MPs have been told.Toby Ovens of Broughton Transport told the business and trade committee that Brexit has been a costly and logistic nightmare, and hopes of a reset with the EU represented “light at the end of the tunnel”. Continue reading...

Politics

18 h. ago Iranians dying on the streets want democracy – not another Shah

An estimated 3,000 Iranian protesters have been killed by the regime in Tehran as it tries to cling on to power

Events

20 h. ago New Red Arrows leader announced as woman to lead display team for first time

For the first time in Red Arrows history a woman will be leading the 150-strong team. Wing Cdr Sasha Nash says she 'excited' and hopes their team will inspire future aviators.

Politics

21 h. ago Lanarkshire charity's vision for Stonehouse centre transformation

SMILE hope to repurpose the vacant former Canderavon nursing home - and have been boosted with the award of new funding to install a Changing Places toilet

Politics

22 h. ago Meet the merpeople: ‘Once I put the tail on, my life was changed forever’

Professional mermaids risk hypothermia, seasickness and the cling of skin-tight silicone, but the reward is becoming an ‘ocean ambassador’ – and a bit more colour in the worldPropelled by a shimmering silicon tail, Katrin Gray spins underwater, blowing kisses to the audience as her long, copper hair floats around her face. Her seemingly effortless movement is anything but – a professional mermaid’s free diving and performance skills require training, practice and total concentration.Mermaiding has become a global cottage industry, with pageants, conventions, retreats and meet-ups, where people gather in “pods” to practise their dolphin kicks. Makers create bespoke tail flukes, bejewelled bras, mermaid hair and even prosthetic gills for professional and hobbyist “seasters”. There is even a Netflix reality series called MerPeople, which documents the occasionally perilous journey of several aspiring professional merfolk. “No dead mermaids,” is the motto of one business featured. Conti...

Politics

23 h. ago Love Island star sparks villa feud and says 'I don’t want to see her in there’

EXCLUSIVE: Love Island star Belle Hassan sparks villa drama, revealing there’s one contestant she doesn’t want to see back while gushing about friends she hopes return

Politics

24 h. ago Frustrated Raducanu held up by rain with match suspended overnight in Hobart

Top seed was leading Osorio 6-3, 2-4 when play called offVenus Williams lost 6-4, 6-3 to Tatjana Maria in TasmaniaEmma Raducanu cut a frustrated figure on Tuesday at the Hobart International as her first round match was suspended for the night due to rain with the Briton struggling to hold on to her precarious 6-3, 2-4 lead.Raducanu, the top seed in Hobart, will return to the court on Wednesday afternoon hoping to close out her first win of the season. She lost her only match of 2026 to Maria Sakkari at the United Cup mixed-team competition last week. Afterwards, Raducanu explained how her pre-season had been badly disrupted by the foot injury she had been struggling with since she prematurely ended her 2025 season in October. The 22-year-old only began to play points and move properly in her training sessions once she arrived in Australia at the end of December. Continue reading...

Politics

25 h. ago Luis Enrique on permanent manager shortlist as Man United decide on 'winning pedigree'

Manchester United chiefs are hiring Michael Carrick as interim boss until the end of the season, when they hope to appoint an experienced head coach with major European experience

Politics

26 h. ago Aspiring soldier 'obsessed' by ex beat her up, stalked her, then attacked suspected love rival

Saman Ismail's barrister said his client had hoped 'to join His Majesty's armed forces' but that aspiration had been 'blighted' by his conviction

Events

26 h. ago Rangers fans urged to have minute's applause for dad who died at Paisley demolition site

Derek Russell's loved ones reached out to a Rangers fan page in the hope of having a minute's applause during Friday's Scottish Cup tie against Annan Athletic.

Events

27 h. ago ITV issues Love Island All Stars update as it confirms 'everyone is safe'

The producers were hopeful of bringing the first episode to our screens soon

Politics

27 h. ago Vick Hope shows off incredible bikini body six months after giving birth

BBC Radio 1 star, Vick Hope, hit the beach in Barbados with her husband, Calvin Harris, six months after the couple welcomed their son, Micah, into the world

Politics