11 h. ago Parents, please don’t stop reading to your children – a great picture book could change their life | Sally Rippin

Picture books help children to develop their imaginations, find empathy for others and take pride in what makes them unique – all of which make for good adultsVote now for the best Australian children’s picture bookChildren are made readers on the laps of their parents.” – Emilie BuchwaldI can’t think of a better way to start the year than having one of my books chosen in the Guardian’s readers’ poll for the best Australian picture books of all time. Come Over to My House, co-written with musician Eliza Hull and illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett, is a rhyming picture book that explores the home lives of children and parents who are d/Deaf or disabled. I am so proud to have been a part of creating this book, and so thrilled to see it on this list among so many extraordinary titles.Sally Rippin is an award-winning children’s author and the outgoing Australian children’s laureate for 2024-25. The next laureate will be announced on 10 February Continue reading...

Society

11 h. ago Residents of tiny Scots village have a ball on free luxury trip to stunning European capital

RESIDENTS of Dull in Scotland had a ball as they were flown to Vienna to judge if it’s boring or not. All 100 locals in the tiny Perthshire village got invited on the luxury trip as part of a huge publicity stunt. A total of 33 residents took up the offer and were flown to...

Politics

37 h. ago Dining across the divide: ‘I think certain people need to be locked up’

Can a prison officer turned tram driver and a retired medical tech operations manager agree on incarceration, antisemitism and Trump?Ian, 60, ManchesterOccupation Retired, used to be an operations manager for medical tech Continue reading...

Politics

56 h. ago Winter Storm Fern live updates: Massive winter storm moves through US

Winter storm system brings emergency declarations and nearly 10,000 flight cancellations throughout swath of countrySo far, nearly 10,000 flights across the US set to take off over the weekend have been canceled.Delta Air Lines urged passengers traveling this weekend to reschedule their flights as the storm threatened to disrupt operations and force widespread cancellations. Continue reading...

Events

58 h. ago The Valley of Ashes: Residents of tiny Welsh village furious after council says controversial quarry can continue operating despite their 'houses shaking and children developing coughs'

Residents of a small Welsh village claim the activity at a local quarry frequently sends dust clouds rolling down the valley which settle over their houses.

Society

3 d. ago US military says it struck vessel in eastern Pacific, killing two people

Since September, military has carried out more than 30 strikes against boats that it alleges smuggle drugsThe US military said on Friday that it carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people.“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the military said in a statement. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Locals blast Glasgow’s ‘unbearable’ Christmas event demand it be banned for 2026

FURIOUS locals have demanded council chiefs ban an “unbearable” Christmas event near their homes. The Winter Wonderland in Glasgow Green was rolled out to replace the Christmas markets in George Square - which couldn’t go ahead due to renovation works. But the festive gala could be set to go ahead again this year in the...

Events

3 d. ago Spain train collision investigators examine rail damage theory

Preliminary report suggests fracture could have existed before high-speed train derailed in AndalusiaExperts investigating the deadly rail collision in southern Spain, which killed 45 people and left dozens more injured, believe the accident may have happened after one of the trains passed over a damaged section of rail.The disaster occurred near the Andalucían town of Adamuz on Sunday, when a high-speed train operated by the private Iryo company derailed and collided with an oncoming high-speed train which was operated by the state rail company, Renfe. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Teens among six still missing after landslide at popular campsite in New Zealand

Police say no sign of life under rubble as recovery operations continue through night

Events

3 d. ago TikTok deal: ByteDance finalizes agreement to hand off US operations to non

The deal lets the wildly popular social media app continue to operation in the U.S., ending the threat of a looming ban

Economics

4 d. ago JD Vance blames local officials ‘not cooperating’ with ICE for Minneapolis violence

Vice-president says ‘number one thing’ that would lower the temperature would be for officials to help facilitate ‘reasonable enforcement of law’JD Vance on Thursday put the onus on local officials to “turn down the temperature” in Minneapolis, where federal immigration agents in recent days have detained a five-year-old child with his father and gassed protesters throughout the city.Flanked by federal law enforcement, the US vice-president said he spoke with immigration agents and local business leaders ahead of talking to the press, but he had not spoken with the state’s governor, Tim Walz. He said local officials could be helping ICE identify and arrest violent criminals so that the operation could be more targeted. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump administration to block aid from subsizing DEI and trans rights overseas

Decision marks dramatic expansion of ‘Mexico City policy’, which abortion rights supporters call ‘global gag rule’US politics live – latest updatesThe Trump administration will block organizations from using US foreign aid to subsidize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and what the administration calls “gender ideology”. The new policy will affect about $30bn in foreign assistance.The decision, confirmed to the Guardian by a state department spokesperson on Thursday morning, marks a dramatic expansion of the so-called “Mexico City policy”, which blocks non-US non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from receiving some forms of US funding if they provide abortion-related services or advocate for abortion rights overseas. Now, that policy – which abortion rights supporters call the “global gag rule” – will also apply to international organizations and US-based NGOs operating abroad. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump administration to block foreign aid from subsizing DEI and trans rights overseas

Decision marks dramatic expansion of so-called ‘Mexico City policy’, which abortion rights supporters call ‘global gag rule’US politics live – latest updatesThe Trump administration will block organizations from using US foreign aid to subsidize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and what the administration calls “gender ideology”. The new policy will affect about $30bn in foreign assistance.The decision, confirmed to the Guardian by a state department spokesperson on Thursday morning, marks a dramatic expansion of the so-called “Mexico City policy”, which blocks non-US non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from receiving some forms of US funding if they provide abortion-related services or advocate for abortion rights overseas. Now, that policy – which abortion rights supporters call the “global gag rule” – will also apply to international organizations and US-based NGOs operating abroad. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago 'Suspicious' man reported in Welsh village as police issue update

A community policing team are monitoring the area

Events

6 d. ago UK grassroots music venues show lowest decline since 2018 as sector stabilises post

The number of small venues shrank by just nine in 2025, but more than half of them reported making no profit, while employment in the sector dropped almost 22%The number of grassroots music venues (GMV) in the UK shrank in effect by just nine in 2025, the lowest rate of annual decline since 2018.Thirty venues closed permanently between July 2024 and 2025 and 48 ceased functioning as GMVs, citing financial viability, change in ownership and eviction or redevelopment. However, 69 spaces that had previously ceased operating as GMVs returned to the sector. Continue reading...

Culture

6 d. ago Home Office supports asylum seeker site for Welsh village despite council's objections

The Home Office asylum adjudication panel has decided procurement will go ahead for Oak Alyn Hall in Sydallt, near Gwersyllt, despite Wrexham Council's formal objections on community safety grounds

Society

6 d. ago Economic blackout day planned in Minnesota to protest ICE surge

Unions, faith groups and local leaders urge residents not to work, shop or go to school after killing of Renee GoodLabor unions, community leaders and faith groups are calling for an economic blackout in Minnesota on Friday to protest the surge of federal immigration agents in the state and mourn Renee Good.Organizers are urging Minnesotans not to work, shop or go to school. The Trump administration has dispatched some 3,000 federal agents to the state, in what it claims amounts to its largest enforcement operation thus far, amid a broader crackdown on immigration. Continue reading...

Economics

6 d. ago Europe's largest hotel operator collapses as 8,300 workers to be affected

Revo Hospitality Group, which operates over 260 hotels across Europe under major brands including Hilton, Marriott and Accor, has entered insolvency proceedings, though 125 hotels in Germany and Austria will continue operating

Politics

7 d. ago Welsh garden village's food is so good they're opening a stand

The Garden Kitchen by Pugh's is opening in Abergavenny and will be the second stand-alone dining venue for the well-loved purveyors of everything gardening

Politics

7 d. ago Actor injured in 'horror' train crash as 39 dead and victims 'injured by glass'

An actor was involved in a train collision after carriages derailed, crossed onto opposite tracks and collided with an oncoming train, leaving 39 people dead as rescue operations continue

Events