2 h. ago ‘Savage’ Conor Benn: ‘If you win a boring fight, did you really even win?’

Exclusive interview: Ahead of his must-win rematch with Chris Eubank Jr, Benn speaks to The Independent about faith, hate, and five things he admires in his bitter rival

Sport

2 h. ago Going to the Dogs review – lovable canines at the heart of a sport in decline

Documentary examines British greyhound racing with affection and respect but doesn’t shy away from the opposing views of animal rights activists At one point in this documentary about greyhound racing, an interviewee describes it as a fundamentally working-class sport, and it’s hard to argue with that. And like so many British working-class pleasures and pursuits, shifting tastes and the relentless march of gentrification have seen its popularity wane substantially since heydays past. This frisky film explores the canine-centric milieu with affection and respect – but, laudably, it also makes room, about halfway through its runtime, for the case against racing as articulated by several animal rights activists who decry the conditions in which some dogs are raised, the practice of euthanising animals deemed no longer viable for racing, and the injury risks racing itself poses.Naturally, the trainers, breeders and owners we meet here violently disagree with these critiques. It’s to di...

Politics

4 h. ago Belgium to hold security meeting after drone sightings at airports and military bases

Source says Russia ‘very probably’ responsible amid surge in incursions into European airspace since mid-SeptemberBelgium’s national security council will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday after drone sightings at airports caused chaos for travellers and raised security concerns.Arrivals and departures were halted for several hours on Tuesday evening at Belgium’s busiest airport, Brussels, leading to the cancellation of dozens of flights. The skies were also closed over Liège airport, an important hub for freight transport, leading to further cancellations, delays and diversions. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Leverage creeps into gilts market as insurers seek to boost returns

Use of derivatives to enhance bets on UK government bonds raises parallels with strategies that fuelled 2022 meltdown

Politics

8 h. ago Reeves poised to unveil Budget plan for EV drivers to pay per mile charges

Chancellor looks to offset a forecast sharp drop in government revenue from fuel duty

Economics

8 h. ago Wetherspoon boss Sir Tim Martin says soaring wage bills and taxes are piling pressure on pubs to raise prices

JD WETHERSPOON boss Sir Tim Martin says soaring wage bills and taxes are piling pressure on pubs to raise prices. The pub chief said that a 10 per cent pay rise alone adds about 15p to the cost of a pint in a pub, compared with just 1.5p in a supermarket. Sir Tim said that...

Economics

9 h. ago Universe expansion may be slowing, not accelerating, study suggests

Astronomers cast doubt on Nobel prize-winning theory and suggest universe could end in ‘big crunch’Astronomers have cast doubt on a Nobel prize-winning theory that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, suggesting that instead it may be slowing down.If confirmed, this would have profound implications for the fate of the universe, raising the possibility that rather than expanding for ever, the universe could ultimately enter a reverse big bang scenario known as the big crunch. The astronomers behind the work say their observations also imply that dark energy – the mysterious force thought to be propelling the expansion of the universe – is weakening over time. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Gordon Brown to issue warning on ‘shameful epidemic’ of child poverty in Britain

The ex-Labour leader will also call for Rachel Reeves to raise taxes on gambling firms to cover the cost of lifting the two-child benefit cap

Events

10 h. ago Labour MPs turn on Rachel Reeves as Chancellor hints at breaking manifesto pledge not to raise income tax

The Chancellor hinted this week that she is considering a manifesto-busting rise in income tax as she grapples with a black hole in the public finances estimated at up to £30 billion.

Politics

10 h. ago HMP Wandsworth: Inside 'inhumane' prison at centre of wrongly freed inmates scandal

The notorious South London prison has been under public pressure in the past, with serious issues raised in past and recent reports, and a high-profile sex scandal hitting the courts in 2024

Events

11 h. ago Director of Kim Kardashian show All’s Fair responds to scathing reviews: ‘Hopefully opinions will change’

Anthony Hemingway, who is both director and executive producer on the legal drama, has defended the show which has been the subject of a critical pile-onThe Guardian has only ever published 15 zero-star reviews. Here they all areOne of the directors of the critically maligned legal drama All’s Fair has responded to negative reviews, saying that “not everything is for everybody”.Anthony Hemingway, who has directed four episodes of the show and is an executive producer on it, was asked about his thoughts on the overwhelmingly bad reviews in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago Major broadcast change for Chris Eubank vs Conor Benn 2 in huge boost to boxing fans

A MAJOR broadcast change has been made ahead of the eagerly anticipated rematch between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn. The sworn enemies, the sons of British boxing greats Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, will run back last April's Tottenham Hotspur tussle a week on Saturday night. Global streaming powerhouse DAZN aired the incredible...

Sport

13 h. ago Divided Oklahoma board recommends clemency for man scheduled for lethal injection

An Oklahoma board is recommending that the governor spare the life of a man scheduled to be executed next week

Politics

13 h. ago Ed Sheeran takes partial credit for move to overhaul music teaching in England

Singer-songwriter says curriculum changes reflect points raised in open letter to PM organised by his foundationEd Sheeran has taken partial credit for the government’s move to overhaul the teaching of music in England’s state schools shortly after being mentioned by the education secretary in parliament.The Department for Education (DfE) said it wanted to broaden the appeal of music education “to give every child a strong start in the subject” and boost the creative subjects taken at GCSE as part of its wider changes to England’s national curriculum. Continue reading...

Politics

13 h. ago Trump disparages Zohran Mamdani’s victory after Democrats sweep key 2025 elections – live

Trump calls New York mayor-elect a ‘communist’ and says Mamdani’s victory is an example of the future direction of the Democratic partyHere’s a look at some of the pictures from New York, as Zohran Mamdani was elected the next mayor of the city.In a short while, we’ll hear from Donald Trump when he hosts a breakfast with Republican senators at the White House. As we noted earlier, the president had choice words about Mamdani’s victory in New York, and other Democratic wins across the country – including the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. Continue reading...

Politics

14 h. ago UK must pay more for drugs or pharma companies will quit country, US envoy says

Ambassador Warren Stephens says he is urgently raising the issue because ‘decisions are being made that are irreversible’

Events

14 h. ago The Guardian view on the Francis curriculum review: raising the right questions in a world with few certain answers | Editorial

In an age of increasingly capable machines, it makes sense for schools to value creativity and life skills as part of a well-rounded educationSocieties evolve and schools are under pressure to adapt, but some features of education policy are perennial. For example, modernisation will always be denounced as a dilution of standards. Inevitably, Conservatives have leapt on recommendations by an independent review, commissioned by the government, as proof that Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, is “dumbing down” the curriculum.The basis of these charges is that the review, led by Becky Francis, professor of education at University College London, proposes reducing the burden of GCSE exams and scrapping the English baccalaureate – a cluster of subjects that, when taken together, constitute a metric of success recognised in school league tables. Conservatives are also unhappy about the notion that primary schoolchildren should learn about the climate crisis and be encouraged to ...

Politics

14 h. ago ‘Tariffs are taxes’: US supreme court hears challenge to Trump levies as justices appear doubtful of White House reasoning – live

Both conservative and liberal US supreme court justices have voiced skepticism over the Trump administration’s justification for tariffsUS supreme court appears skeptical over legality of Trump tariffsHere’s a look at some of the pictures from New York, as Zohran Mamdani was elected the next mayor of the city.In a short while, we’ll hear from Donald Trump when he hosts a breakfast with Republican senators at the White House. As we noted earlier, the president had choice words about Mamdani’s victory in New York, and other Democratic wins across the country – including the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. Continue reading...

Society

15 h. ago McIlroy thanks PGA chief for Ryder Cup apology and questions LIV changes

McIlroy received apology over fan abuseEyes Dubai finale after ‘amazing 10 months’Calls LIV’s 72-hole shift ‘peculiar’ moveRory McIlroy says PGA of America chief executive Derek Sprague personally apologized for the abuse directed at him and his wife during Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph at Bethpage Black and that the gesture helped close the book on what had been a bruising week.“I got a lovely e-mail from Derek Sprague apologizing,” McIlroy told BBC Sport ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. “Erica worked with Derek at the PGA of America back in the day, so we know Derek and his wife pretty well. He couldn’t have been more gracious or apologetic and he wrote us a lovely letter, which we really appreciated.” Continue reading...

Politics

15 h. ago Experts call for new taxes on worst polluters to help poorer nations with climate crisis

Report to be discussed at Cop30 says global agreements should target carbon intensive activities and ‘ultra high net worth individuals’New taxes on the super-rich, fossil fuels, financial transactions and highly polluting and carbon-intensive activities should be explored as key ways of raising the finance needed to help poor countries, governments have been told in an influential report.The proposal is one of the top recommendations of a new blueprint for global climate finance, the Baku to Belém roadmap, drawn up by the governments of Brazil and Azerbaijan, the current and the previous president of the UN climate Cop process. Continue reading...

Events