78 m. ago How three young Londoners set out to explore the countries of their parents’ birth

‘No resorts, no tourist traps and no fancy restaurants’ – the friends behind the Kids of the Colony YouTube channel go in search of real connections in their countries of origin‘Kayum was my friend for years,” recalls Abubakar Finiin. “But when I met his grandad in Bangladesh, it just felt like I understood his whole story. I knew so much more about him as a person.” This moment of connection captures the essence of Kids of the Colony, a grassroots travel series on YouTube created by three childhood friends from Islington: Abubakar, Kayum Miah and Zakariya Hajjaj, all 23. In a series of chatty vlogs that thrive on their offbeat humour and close friendship, the trio provide a rich travelogue of culture and identity as they explore the countries of their parents’ birth.The idea came to Abubakar while contemplating his next steps after graduating from Oxford University in 2023. “I just thought about the places that we came from,” he says, reflecting on the layered identity of growing u...

Politics

1 hour ago Donald Trump flogs mini golden statue perfume with 'rich, masculine notes' for wild price

Former President Donald Trump is hawking a fragrance for men and women in a gold-colored Trump statuette, and critics say they hope it doesn't smell like him

Politics

2 h. ago Tech firms suggested placing trackers under offenders’ skin at meeting with justice secretary

Exclusive: Shabana Mahmood told companies she wanted ‘deeper collaboration’ to tackle prisons crisisAnalysis: Whitehall’s ambition to cut costs using AI is fraught with riskTracking devices inserted under offenders’ skin, robots assigned to contain prisoners and driverless vehicles used to transport them were among the measures proposed by technology companies to ministers who are gathering ideas to tackle the crisis in the UK justice system.The proposals were made at a meeting of more than two dozen tech companies in London last month, chaired by the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, minutes seen by the Guardian show. Amid an acute shortage of prison places and probation officers under severe strain, ministers told the companies they wanted ideas for using wearable technologies, behaviour monitoring and geolocation to create a “prison outside of prison”. Continue reading...

Society

3 h. ago ‘My mind was shrieking: “What am I doing?”’ – when the digital nomad dream turns sour

Working remotely from a beach in a far-off land sounds like bliss – and the number of people doing it has soared since 2019. But between bouts of illness, relentless admin and crushing loneliness, many have found comfort in the 9-5 back homeJason, a 34-year-old American, is stumbling around the pool table, cue in hand. Five Saigon beers later, he will shuffle out, clamber on to a scooter and drive back to his beach hut. I know this because I’ve seen the same routine for the past four nights. Meanwhile, Eloise, 38, a French national, is gyrating on the dancefloor. Earlier, on the beach, she told me about her big bitcoin dreams – although she hasn’t got the funds she needs yet. Then there is Bex, a Briton in her late 50s whose eyes are large and wild because she has just popped a pill. She spends only a month a year in the UK – not because she wants to, she says, just to check in with family who are worried about her.Here we are together on this paradise island in south-east Asia, lap...

Politics

3 h. ago ‘Even if we stop drinking we will be exposed’: A French region has banned tap water. Is it a warning for the rest of Europe?

Forever chemicals have polluted the water supply of 60,000 people, threatening human health, wildlife and the wider ecosystem. But activists say this is just the tip of the Pfas icebergOne quiet Saturday night, Sandra Wiedemann was curled up on the sofa when a story broke on TV news: the water coming from her tap could be poisoning her. The 36-year-old, who is breastfeeding her six-month-old son Côme, lives in the quiet French commune of Buschwiller in Saint-Louis, near the Swiss city of Basel. Perched on a hill not far from the Swiss and German borders, it feels like a safe place to raise a child – spacious houses are surrounded by manicured gardens, framed by the wild Jura mountains.But as she watched the news, this safety felt threatened: Wiedemann and her family use tap water every day, for drinking, brushing her teeth, showering, cooking and washing vegetables. Now, she learned that chemicals she had never heard of were lurking in her body, on her skin, potentially harming her ...

Events

3 h. ago Liverpool transfer news: Reds confirm wonderkid deal as seven stars depart Anfield

Liverpool have been one of the busiest Premier League clubs in the transfer market this summer but Arne Slot’s side do not look likely to end their business any time soon

Economics

3 h. ago Primark's £16 'alternative to heels' look like £270 designer pair

The Primark shoes look very similar to a designer style - without the hefty price tag

Economics

3 h. ago The attar of the deal: Now you can smell like Trump as president hawks perfume

The scent of ‘confidence, beauty, and unstoppable determination’ is just one star in a galaxy of products Donald Trump has advertised using the megaphone of the US presidency

Politics

4 h. ago Gardeners urged to act now to get rid of destructive pest living under soil

Watch out for this highly destructive garden pest which likes to hide in plant pots and destroy your plants - luckily, experts say there are several ways to banish them

Politics

4 h. ago Yes, Anna Wintour could be brutal. But like me she'll surely feel a deep sense of loss to walk away from the cashmere nest that is the editor's chair at Vogue: ALEXANDRA SHULMAN

Is Anna leaving Vogue? Or is it Vogue leaving Anna? Is this finally the end of the power of fashion magazines? Who will take over from her?

Society

5 h. ago 'Best' UK seaside town with beaches and cobbled alleys 'just like French Riviera'

The bustling town is known for its beautiful beaches, cobbled streets and colourful houses, and it's no wonder it's been named one of the best seaside towns in the UK

Politics

5 h. ago Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo paired for the first time in blockbuster exhibition at the NGV

Two iconoclasts of contemporary fashion will show side by side in the first major Australian exhibition since the London designer’s death two years agoTwo era-defining avant garde fashion designers, Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo, will be brought together in a blockbuster summer exhibition announced on Tuesday by the National Gallery of Victoria.It has been more than 20 years since Westwood’s work has been exhibited extensively in Australia, and the NGV show will be the first since the designer’s death in December 2023.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Hidden breast cancer risk factor that means you're SIX times more likely to get it. Other countries warn women... no wonder doctors now say: 'Patients have a right to know. Too many have died'

If you had a risk factor for breast cancer , would you want to know? And what if that same risk factor meant that any tumours that did occur would be harder to spot on standard scans?

Events

6 h. ago Researchers say they have a better way to measure weight than BMI

The cost-effective option is already found in some primary care practices

Politics

6 h. ago Melbourne childcare worker charged with sexual abuse offences as 1,200 children to be tested for infectious diseases

Victoria police allege Point Cook man Joshua Brown sexually assaulted infants and children in his care at a western suburbs childcare centreFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian health authorities are recommending 1,200 children get tested for infectious diseases after a Melbourne childcare worker was charged with allegedly sexually abusing infants and children in his care.Police on Tuesday confirmed Point Cook man Joshua Brown, 26, was charged last month with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims aged between five months and two years old.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

7 h. ago Carer seen 'violently degrading' frail old man on CCTV just days before he died

Cruel Bilikesu Olagunju was caught on CCTV 'manhandling' 88-year-old John Attard like a 'rag doll' at his home on Christmas Eve 2022 - 10 days later, the elderly man died

Events

7 h. ago Melbourne childcare worker charged with more than 70 offences against children in his care

Victoria police allege Point Cook man Joshua Brown sexually abused eight children at a western suburbs childcare centreFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Melbourne childcare worker has been charged with more than 70 offences after allegedly sexually abusing eight children in his care.Victoria police issued a statement on Tuesday confirming they charged 26-year-old Point Cook man Joshua Brown last month with offences including sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12, sexual assault of a child under 16 and producing child material for use through a carriage service. Continue reading...

Economics

8 h. ago Immigration reforms for ‘complete reset’ to be introduced in Parliament

The legislative measures are the first policy changes to be introduced from the Government’s Immigration White Paper.

Politics

8 h. ago ‘I took the Club World Cup as a challenge’: Dani Carvajal returns for Real Madrid

Club captain on coming back from injury, the importance of his family and Trent Alexander-Arnold fitting in wellDani Carvajal misses his family. The good news is that in return he’s about to become reacquainted with something he has missed as much. For some players, this is a competition too far, played on poor pitches in half-empty stadiums and suffocating heat, something they could do without, but it has been good for Real Madrid’s captain, something to aim at.Now, 270 days later and 4,400 miles away, just as the Club World Cup gets real, he is back to face Juventus in the last 16 in Miami. “And I know what I’m like: if they let me loose, there’ll be no fear,” he says. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Why girls are less likely to be put on transplant waiting lists than boys

Academics have found that some children in need of a kidney transplant are facing inequalities in their care

Politics