7 h. ago Voices: ‘A recruitment crisis is coming’: Readers debate looming teacher strike threat

Our community says the threat of teacher strikes is less about one pay rise and more about a profession buckling under long hours, shrinking pay packets and years of neglect – with no easy fix in sight

Events

9 h. ago Hamilton Accies players threat strike over unpaid wages as crisis club embroiled in more turmoil

The cash-strapped League One side were hit with a nine point deduction from the SPFL earlier this month

Events

25 h. ago Trump warns he'll back Israeli strike on Iran over menacing nuclear threat

President Donald Trump warned he's prepared to support Israeli strikes on Iran if it continues to build up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Events

6 d. ago Greta Thunberg's arrest explained as government faces legal threat amid hunger strike update

Greta Thunberg, 22, was arrested in London while supporting hunger-striking activists, who are now taking legal action against the government over their treatment

Events

1 week ago Vote in our Independent Women poll: Have you had the ‘superflu’?

Each week, Victoria Richards asks Independent Women readers to weigh in on the stories and debates shaping the headlines

Politics

1 week ago Putin mouthpiece lists capital cities Russia 'will destroy' in direct WW3 threat

Putin ally Vladimir Solovyov issued a new threat to the West just days after saying a nuclear strike on Britain was 'inevitable' following the death of paratrooper George Hooley

Politics

2 w. ago Rise of the full nesters: what life is like with adult children who just can’t leave home

In the UK, close to half of 25-year-olds now live with parents who, in many cases, would expect their nest to have long since emptied. How does this change families, for good and bad?If life had worked out differently, Serena would by now be coming to terms with an empty nest. Having brought up seven children, she and her husband might even have been enjoying a little more money and time for themselves. But as it is, three of their adult children are now at home: the 23-year-old finishing his degree; the 28-year-old, a teacher, saving for a house deposit; and the 34-year-old, after a mental health crisis. At 63, Serena comes home from her job as a social worker to a mountain of laundry, and a spare downstairs room requisitioned as a bedroom.Having a houseful is “really good fun”, she says, and makes life richer and more interesting. But it took a while to get used to partners staying over – “I’m not a prude, but you don’t necessarily want to be part of that life for your children, d...

Society

3 w. ago ‘I’m a prisoner of hope’: Olafur Eliasson on using art to bring us together to save the world

Inside Presence, the Icelandic-Danish artist’s epic new show in Brisbane, what you see changes based on where you stand or how you look – crucial when it comes to tackling the climate crisisI gasp as it comes into view: an enormous sun looming above, its surface roiling with what looks like thousands of tiny atomic explosions. It seems to notice me as well: when I stop, it stops too. It’s both awe-inspiring and unnerving.In the mirrors around the glowing orb, I spot Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson – globally renowned for large-scale installations that challenge your sense of perception – posing for selfies with the crowd. Continue reading...

Events

last month The Guardian view on the Send crisis: Bridget Phillipson must be tough with the Treasury so children aren’t penalised | Editorial

Tory special needs reforms upended council finances, but Labour’s plan to rebuild public provision won’t come cheap if it’s done properlyThe crisis over special educational needs and disabilities in England is not just a question of cash. Children and parents spend months and years battling for support to which the law entitles them, schools lack the funding to meet needs, and specialist provision is inadequate. An adversarial system shunts families towards tribunals that councils almost invariably lose.Tory reforms created obligations for local authorities but did not adequately fund them – allowing ministers to duck responsibility. The result has been financial chaos, with the overall overspend on special educational needs and disabilities (Send) predicted to reach £6.6bn by next March, and keep rising. Taking responsibility for funding away from councils and handing it to the Department for Education is the right move. But the most important questions about Send go beyond account...

Events