10 h. ago The African country struggling to sell its diamonds as stockpiles continue to grow

The African nation produced 18 million carats in 2024, second only to Russia

Politics

19 h. ago SNP's top civil servant insists 'not everything is broken' amid pressure on services to make cuts

SNP ministers have pledged to cut £1.5bn from Scotland’s public sector.

Events

35 h. ago At nine, I disappeared into home schooling. No one came looking

Mom insisted I needed a ‘free-form education’ outside public school. After four years of loneliness, I gave up hope that someone would get me out“Every mother in the world wishes her kid wouldn’t grow up so fast.”Mom laughs as she holds me close. Continue reading...

Events

55 h. ago UK to create new ‘school of government’ to train senior civil servants

Establishment will give training in AI and other skills, more than a decade after David Cameron axed previous schoolMinisters will bring in a new “school of government” for senior civil servants to train them in AI and other skills – more than a decade after David Cameron axed the previous college for Whitehall.Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, will announce the new body in a speech on Tuesday setting out the government’s plans to “rewire” the civil service for modern times. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Inside Meghan Markle's 'high risk UK comeback plan' as experts issue dire warning

Speculation has continued to grow about whether Meghan, Duchess of Sussex might return to the UK this year - and one expert tells the Mirror it could be a "high-risk" move

Events

7 d. ago Wes Streeting criticises Labour colleagues who blame Whitehall for blocking reform – UK politics live

Health secretary says: ‘If we tell the public that we can’t make anything work, then why on earth would they vote to keep us in charge’Here is Jessica Elgot’s report on Wes Streeting’s speech. (See 9.45am.)Here is a fuller version of the quote from Wes Streeting’s speech, from the Times’ Steven Swinford.Bafflingly, some on my own side of the political divide have begun to parrot the same argument. They complain about the civil service. They blame stakeholder capture.This excuses culture does the centre-left no favours. If we tell the public that we can’t make anything work, then why on earth would they vote to keep us in charge? Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Workers at Chinese factory that produces Labubu toys are being exploited, says NGO

Exclusive: China Labor Watch says people aged 16-18 employed without required special protectionsA labour rights NGO says it has found evidence of worker exploitation in the supply chain of Labubus, the furry toys that took the world by storm last year and which are expected to continue to grow in popularity in 2026.Labubus, toothy gremlins made by the Chinese toy company Pop Mart, have become one of China’s hottest cultural exports. In the first half of 2025 alone, “the Monsters” line of toys, which includes Labubus, generated 4.8bn yuan (£511m) in sales for the Hong Kong-listed company. In August, Pop Mart’s chief executive, Wang Ning, said the company was on track to reach 20bn yuan in revenues in 2025. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago 'Staggering' staffing levels at Scotland's benefits agency revealed

Social Security Scotland’s staffing levels soar above those of the DWP despite the Scottish Government claiming it is reducing civil service headcount

Politics

1 week ago Edinburgh Airport: Flights to major US city known as 'Birthplace of America' extended

Scotland's only direct route to US city Philadelphia will be extended into the winter season this year as American Airlines continues to grow its presence at Edinburgh Airport.

Transport

1 week ago Kemi Badenoch vows to slash business rates to save pubs from Labour's tax apocalypse saying they are being treated like 'cash cows'

The Conservative leader said her party has 'identified billions of pounds of savings from things like bringing down the welfare bill and reducing the size of the Civil Service'.

Economics

1 week ago Topps Tiles set for ‘another year of progress’ as sales continue to grow

The Leicestershire-based tile chain posted a 2% rise in like-for-like sales for the Topps Tiles brand in its first quarter to December 27.

Politics

2 w. ago Civil service hires 166 people with criminal records as part of scheme to give convicts a second chance

The recruitment programme is open to criminals found guilty of knife offences, assault, theft and shoplifting and has advertised 293 positions since it was launched in 2021.

Events

2 w. ago I'm a GP and longevity expert, this is why I believe treating leaky gut syndrome can give you a longer, healthier and happier life

As interest in living longer - and staying healthier into old age - continues to grow, doctors are increasingly looking beyond obvious lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.

Science

3 w. ago UK civil service continues to grow despite pledge to ‘rewire state’

Number of full-time equivalent roles grew by more than 4,000 in the year to September

Politics

3 w. ago Six new countries battling to host F1 Grands Prix after Portimao return confirmed

The Portuguese Grand Prix will return to the F1 calendar in 2027 after a short hiatus, and Portimao is far from the only circuit pushing for a spot on the schedule as the sport continues to grow

Sport

3 w. ago Sir Alex Ferguson's thoughts on Kobbie Mainoo are clear after Scott McTominay comments

Speculation has continued to grow around Kobbie Mainoo's future at Manchester United

Politics

4 w. ago ‘We’ve fallen behind’: why Germany’s biggest teams have split from DFB

Ownership of Frauen-Bundesliga is being taken over by the clubs, who want to keep pace with game in England“The reason we started this whole process was a fear of losing more and more the connection to the top,” says Katharina Kiel, the head of women’s football at Eintracht Frankfurt.Alongside her role at one of Germany’s more successful women’s football teams, Kiel was this month elected president of the new Women’s Bundesliga Association, after all 14 clubs agreed to split from the German Football Federation (DFB) and form their own committee to take ownership of the league to further commercialise and grow it, with the 2027-28 campaign a targeted start date. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Pam Bondi’s approval rating has fallen by nearly 50 points in the last year as she faces fallout from the Epstein files

The pressure on Bondi continues to grow amid widespread dissatisfaction over how the Justice Department has delayed the full release of the Epstein files

Politics

4 w. ago Pam Bondi’s approval rating falls by nearly 50 points in the last year as she faces fallout from the Epstein files

The pressure on Bondi continues to grow amid widespread dissatisfaction over how the Justice Department has delayed the full release of the Epstein files

Politics

4 w. ago Keir Starmer told closer EU trade ties ‘strategic necessity’ for UK firms

Labour urged to accelerate reset with Brussels as many exporters struggling to trade in the EU after Brexit dealKeir Starmer’s government has been told a closer EU trade deal is a “strategic necessity” for companies in Britain as growing numbers of exporters find it tougher to do business under the UK’s post-Brexit agreement.Calling on Labour to accelerate its reset with Brussels, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the UK’s existing trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) was failing to help them grow their sales in the EU. Continue reading...

Politics