2 h. ago Rachel Reeves to announce £8BILLION over ten years to fix crumbling flood defences

Rachel Reeves (left) is set to announce nearly £8 billion for flood defences in a ten-year infrastructure pledge.

Economics

7 h. ago Cloughie’s notes, Hillman Imps and Bela Lugosi: my glorious trove of old Forest programmes

Dusting off a pile of matchday gems from the City Ground spanning 50 years reveals a rich seam of cultural and sporting delightsWhat to do with the pile of vintage Nottingham Forest programmes that came into my possession several years ago? At first, standard protocol was observed for uncategorised piles of paper. The 21 City Ground programmes, spanning 50 years from September 1963 to November 2012, were packed away in a dark cupboard, ignored and unread. But finally taking the time to study them has paid dividends: a rich seam of history leaps off the pages in clear, elegant black-and-white type.Forest’s presence in the top-flight’s upper echelons evoked the club’s halcyon days and plenty has been written about the Brian Clough-Peter Taylor era. Less attention has focused on Clough’s often entertaining programme notes during his 18-year tenure – while the editions outside Clough’s time are a fascinating way of charting Forest’s trajectory, as well as how profoundly football and wid...

Politics

8 h. ago Callum McGregor took fears over yobs directly to Celtic board as SFA chief makes weighty plea to players

The SFA chief admits his voice or Neil Doncaster's won't cut through but Premiership stars sharing their fears holds more power

Sport

8 h. ago Ibiza snake plague has tourists 'too scared to swim' as 6ft beasts seen in sea

Horrified tourists have pledged to cancel their holidays in Ibiza after huge snakes were seen swimming in the water following sweltering 30C temperatures

Politics

10 h. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves has bet all our money on Wes Streeting saving the NHS

With the cost of living and immigration being too severely impacted by outside factors, backing the NHS was the right choice – and delivering results on health is Labour’s best chance of winning the next election, writes John Rentoul

Economics

13 h. ago From Gaza to Ukraine to Iran, Trump’s ‘peacemaker’ promise collapses

A president who vowed to end global conflicts has instead presided over their escalation – his agenda is in disarrayIn his inaugural address this January, Donald Trump declared that his proudest legacy would be that of “a peacemaker and unifier”, pledging that US power would “stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent, and totally unpredictable”.Five months later, his second presidency is witnessing the spectacular unraveling of that lofty aspiration. Continue reading...

Politics

14 h. ago Voices: A burqa ban won’t protect or unite Britain – it will divide us

When politicians stir up fear around the burqa or the veil, they are not defending public safety – they are inflaming prejudice for political gain, writes Baroness Shaista Gohir OBE

Politics

15 h. ago Voices: If the BBC licence fee is scrapped, Doctor Who should disappear behind a paywall

Radical new plans to overhaul BBC funding could link the price of your house with how much you pay for your TV licence. I’ve got an even better idea, says Clair Woodward

Events

16 h. ago ‘Where are the foreigners’: does a facile explanation lie behind Ballymena’s outbreak of hate?

Northern Ireland faces stark questions over the racism, xenophobia and intolerance that has forced families from abroad to fleeFirst came the shouts as the crowd worked its way through narrow terraced streets, proclaiming its mission to rid the town of “scum”. Then came the shattered glass as rocks exploded through windows. Then the flames, licking up curtains and spreading to sofas, carpets, books and framed pictures until smoke billowed into the summer night.They might have been scenes from another century, another country, but they played out in Northern Ireland this week in the glare of rolling news and social media, which recorded a soundtrack of glee and hate. “Where are the foreigners?” the mob shouted. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago ‘On a peak under a blue sky’: the joy of summer in Europe’s mountains

Our writer recalls his favourite mountain experiences, from hard-won views to splendid isolation and the comforts of simple refugesAfter a tough scramble to the summit of Rhinog Fach, we look down into the deep valley holding the chilly waters of Llyn Hywel, then west across several miles of heather, bilberry and bare rock to the Welsh coast. Turning my gaze north, there is the entire Llyn peninsula leading east to the peak of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), no doubt weighed down by thousands of visitors. Up here there are just two of us in an utterly peaceful landscape. No clouds on the horizon. No surprises.I lie down for a few minutes and feel myself drift off. There are no human voices to be heard, only birds. Summer has come early to these mountains and I wouldn’t be anywhere else, drinking in that particular kind of tranquillity to be found on a peak under a blue sky. Continue reading...

Politics

18 h. ago Voices: Starmer and Reeves are back from the brink – here’s what they must do next

After a spending review that came as a relief to many Labour backbenchers, the government must now start making the case for the ‘inevitable’ tax rises in the autumn that will be needed to deliver better public services, says Andrew Grice

Politics

20 h. ago Brazen Audi driver sparks fury after mounting grass and 'ignoring parking sign'

A motorist has come under fire after shamelessly leaving their car dumped on a grass verge, just metres from a sign telling drivers not to park there.

Transport

21 h. ago Beautiful European seaside city ignored by tourists where locals go on holiday

This seaside city is one of Italy's best-kept secrets as it's where all the native Italian people will go for a holiday - and it's a little-known destination for tourists

Politics

24 h. ago The world is cruel and full of horrors. Israel understands this

Smoke surges skywards. Flames burst across the horizon. Explosions strafe Tehran and Natanz.

Politics

26 h. ago Trump’s plans to be a ‘peace’ president appear to have gone up in flames

The president’s decision to side with Israel’s offensive against Iran is the latest example of how his ambitions for non-interventionism have met reality, Eric Garcia writes

Politics

29 h. ago Air India footage shows 'mystery object flying off plane' seconds before crash

Footage of the Air India plane crash shows a dark object seemingly getting detached from the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and flying into the air before the plane explodes into flames

Events

30 h. ago Air India crash: one black box is found as Modi visits miracle sole survivor in hospital

Indian PM tours crash site and meets the only surviving passenger – a British national bound for Leicester

Events

31 h. ago Voices: The world has gone wild for Labubus. Why the heck is everyone obsessed with these hideous little gremlins?

The latest trend causing society to lose its collective mind is bizarre, childish and – quite frankly – hideous, writes Mike Bedigan

Politics

31 h. ago Inside the Ballymena riots: How 'attempted rape of local girl, 16, by two Romanian teens' ignited wave of anti

One single fact appears to have provided the spark to ignite Ballymena in flames.

Events

31 h. ago Voices: What is the cost to the economy of Israel’s attack on Iran?

Oil prices jumped on the news of the extraordinary attacks, posing the risk of inflation, while gold surged and share prices fell. So far, so familiar, writes James Moore – but there’s a reason investors should hold their nerves

Politics