The Guardian - December 28, 2024

In this issue

December 28, 2024

The scandal of 1.5m pupils stuck in dilapidated schools

More than 1.5 million children are studying in dilapidated school buildings, a Guardian investigation has found, with years of under-investment leaving England's public infrastructure in a crumbling state.

4 mins

Nessa returns one last time to mark a century of the Shipping Forecast. Tidy!

What's occurring with the Shipping Forecast? The Gavin & Stacey star Ruth Jones is to read out the seafarers' bulletin to celebrate a centenary of the shipping news on the BBC.

2 mins

Labour must 'stick to its guns' on employment rights, says TUC chief

Keir Starmer's government has been urged to \"stick to its guns\" amid growing pressure from business leaders to water down its reforms of workers' rights as the economy grinds to a halt.

2 mins

Starmer Pays Tribute After 'Wonderful' Brother Dies on Boxing Day

Keir Starmer has paid tribute to his brother, Nick, who had cancer and died on Boxing Day aged 60.

1 min

Toasty Netflix fireplace beats Squid Game for festive views

Netflix pays the world's biggest stars and utilises the most cutting-edge special effects to entice families away from terrestrial TV over the festive period.

1 min

Top of the world: can Polar Preet claim new title in epic walk north?

The record-breaking British explorer Preet Chandi, who made history trekking solo to the south pole, is now turning her ambitions north.

3 mins

South Korea crisis deepens as MPs vote to impeach acting president

The scenes inside the national assembly have been a reminder of how thin the line can be between democracy and rule by force

2 mins

Parliament and court become battlegrounds in rancorous fight over political future

The scenes inside the national assembly have been a reminder of how thin the line can be between democracy and rule by force

2 mins

Woman, 33, arrested after man in 30s found dead on Christmas Day

A man who was found dead at home in Staffordshire in the early hours of Christmas Day has been named as Louis Price.

1 min

One in five people would use obesity drugs if they were free

One in five people in the UK would use a weight-loss drug if it was free on the NHS, according to new polling that also shows one in seven have either taken a jab themselves or know somebody else who has.

2 mins

We can work it out: 185 jobs saved as Relate is rescued by charity

Britain's biggest relationship counselling charity is expected to be rescued from insolvency, though the future of some staff made redundant remains unclear.

2 mins

We can work it out: 185 jobs saved as Relate is rescued by charity

Britain's biggest relationship counselling charity is expected to be rescued from insolvency, though the future of some staff made redundant remains unclear.

2 mins

Grange Hill creator says TV bosses should dare to defy rules

The creator of some of Britain's best-loved soaps and children's programmes has said the \"courage has gone out of broadcasting\" and suggested that television bosses should not be afraid to flout Ofcom rules.

2 mins

Assaults in prisons rise to average of 74 a day

Assaults in prisons rose to an average of 74 a day in England and Wales last year, including 25 a day inflicted on staff, House of Commons library research has shown.

1 min

Farage has third job as paid brand ambassador for gold bullion firm

Nigel Farage has been working as a paid brand ambassador for a gold bullion firm in a third job alongside his roles as MP and GB News presenter.

3 mins

Blair Suggested Nationalists Back England During 2002 World Cup

The 2002 World Cup had been a grueling rollercoaster for the Republic of Ireland.

1 min

Irish Officials Sought Return of 'Smuggled' Cannons

Rare cannons allegedly smuggled out of Irish waters by a \"gang of British treasure hunters\" and acquired for a knock-down price by a Tower of London official were at the centre of a decades-long dispute between British and Irish officials, according to newly released records.

1 min

AI 'godfather' shortens odds on tech wiping out humanity within decades

The British-Canadian computer scientist who has been called a \"godfather\" of artificial intelligence has shortened the odds of AI wiping out humanity over the next three decades, saying the pace of change in the technology is \"much faster\" than expected.

1 min

Nasa's Parker probe survives closest ever approach to sun

Santa and his reindeer were not the only bodies making a celestial journey on 24 December: Nasa has revealed that its Parker solar probe successfully completed its closest-ever approach to the sun and remains in good health.

2 mins

Yellow weather warning could put a dampener on Hogmanay

A severe weather warning could affect plans for Hogmanay across Scotland as the nation braces for 48 hours of heavy rain.

1 min

‘We are homeless’ Two years in temporary classrooms in Cumbria

A tinsel glistens through the window of the darkened classroom. But the decorations are not from this Christmas, or last. A whiteboard marks the date when pupils and staff were evacuated from Sacred Heart Catholic primary school nearly two years ago.

4 mins

Revealed: the alarming state of schools, hospitals, prisons and courts

One in six pupils are studying in schools needing major work or in poor condition; almost half are deemed unsafe or ageing. A third of NHS sites in England require repairs to prevent major disruption, and over 100 prisons have serious maintenance issues. Just 1% of court buildings in England are in good condition.

2 mins

Algorithm could cut strokes by identifying risk factor

Thousands of strokes could be avoided in the UK each year after doctors developed an algorithm that spots patients at risk by scanning millions of GP records.

2 mins

Prison officer arrested over claim she and inmate filmed having sex

A prison officer has been arrested after she was allegedly filmed having sex with an inmate at a Northamptonshire prison.

1 min

Perceptions change'

Co-op Live hits right note after false starts

3 mins

Children Almost one in five are living in areas affected by conflict, says UN

Nearly one in five of the world's children live in areas affected by conflicts, with more than 473 million children suffering from the worst levels of violence since the second world war, according to figures published by the UN.

3 mins

Israeli forces raid hospital in Gaza after staff reported killed in airstrike

A fire broke out at one of northern Gaza's only functioning hospitals yesterday morning, as Israeli forces who raided it forced medics and patients to leave, according to staff members.

2 mins

Yemen Houthis claim to have hit back with drone attacks

Houthi rebels in Yemen yesterday claimed to have retaliated against Israeli strikes on Sana'a with a missile aimed at Ben Gurion airport and a drone attack on Tel Aviv.

3 mins

Unchecked wildlife is disappearing without us knowing, say experts

Conservationists have warned that \"wildlife could be disappearing in the dark,\" after figures showed that three-quarters of England's most precious habitats, wildlife and natural features have had no recent assessment of their condition.

2 mins

Data shows 150,000 people came to UK on small boats since 2018

Labour has blamed the Tories for leaving an \"appalling legacy of border security\" after figures showed more than 150,000 people have arrived in the UK in small boats since 2018.

1 min

Man, 30, charged over collision with pedestrians

A man has been charged with four counts of attempted murder after allegedly driving into four pedestrians in the West End of London on Christmas Day.

1 min

Celtic noir drama shows mudflats of Newport in a new light

The Welsh capital is often used as a setting for film and television drama, as are the country's mountains, forests and coastlines, but a city sometimes considered Cardiff's poorer relative is starring in a new Welsh-language Celtic noir drama.

3 mins

Black and disabled cancer patients less likely to feel supported while in hospital

'I respect the NHS, but people shouldn't have to navigate their treatment like a maze' Nicola Boyd Cancer patient

2 mins

Now I Have Hope' Hospital Where the Wounded Have Lives Put Back Together

A girl slips through the hospital corridors with her friend, the pair bright-eyed and shy. Today is her last chance to wear her sparkly new shoes. Tomorrow, the 12-year-old Iraqi will have a leg amputated.

4 mins

'It was a shock' Thornberry embraces new committee role after losing frontbench job

Emily Thornberry has never been afraid to speak her mind, even if doing so sometimes lands her in trouble.

3 mins

Coroner calls for better patient protection after woman's death

A coroner who ruled that \"gross failure\" in the hospital care of a disabled woman \"possibly contributed to her death\" has called for improvements to protect patients.

1 min

Talent quest The music mogul helping creative startups grow

He is the man behind 3bn streams, a string of chart-topping artists - and Wetherspoon's newest brand of tequila.

3 mins

Man given community order for stalking Qatari princess

A chauffeur received a community order after being found guilty of stalking a Qatari princess with whom he believed he was in a relationship.

1 min

Which sadists invented board games? I bet they like immersive theatre too

Christmas Eve eve. I note consciously for the first time that I am now well into my \"Goddamn Christmas again?\" years, where excitement and anticipation are replaced by fatigue and dread.

4 mins

Wham! hold on to No 1 spot with Christmas classic

Christmas number one. The pop duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley made history last week after their 1984 single Last Christmas became the first UK Christmas No 1 to top the chart for two years in a row.

1 min

Chelsea garden will celebrate and protect the UK's remaining rainforests

Mosses and cow parsley will feature in a Chelsea flower show garden that celebrates endangered British rainforests.

2 mins

'It's about changing attitudes': could the West Midlands become a national park?

\"When I show people this, they think it's Mordor,\" says the landscape architecture professor Kathryn Moore with a smile.

2 mins

The Arctic is becoming smaller

Relic of the ice age faces a bleak future in rapidly heating world

3 mins

History lessons The two crucial choices that will determine humanity's fate

For someone who has examined 361 studies and 73 books on societal collapses, Danilo Brozovic's conclusion on what must happen to avoid today's world imploding is disarmingly simple yet a daunting challenge: \"We need dramatic social and technological changes.\"

2 mins

Let's see who'll be leaving' Presidential standoff nears crunch point in Georgia

A defining moment looms for the elegant 19th-century Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi: the question of who will occupy its halls tomorrow, when Georgia's pro-western president, Salome Zourabichvili, is supposed to hand over to her successor.

3 mins

Nato to boost Baltic Sea presence after suspected cable sabotage

Nato will boost its military presence in the Baltic Sea, the alliance announced yesterday, after the suspected sabotage of an underwater power cable running between Finland and Estonia.

2 mins

Plane that crashed in Kazakhstan 'suffered external interference'

The aircraft involved in the Christmas Day plane crash in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people experienced \"external physical and technical interference\", according to preliminary results of the investigation, Azerbaijan Airlines said yesterday.

3 mins

'I want my Ukraine' Women's resistance movement aims to infuriate occupiers

Women's resistance movement aims to infuriate occupiers

3 mins

North Korea Soldier Dies After Being Captured by Kyiv's Forces

South Korea's intelligence agency has reported that a North Korean soldier, believed to be the first captured while supporting Russia's war in Ukraine, has died after being taken alive by Ukrainian forces.

1 min

Ecuador's president in firing line over fate of four missing boys

The disappearance of four youngsters in Ecuador after they came into contact with the armed forces is posing a major challenge to President Daniel Noboa's \"war on drugs\".

2 mins

Two sailors killed on first night of Sydney to Hobart yacht race

Two sailors in Australia's annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race died on the first night of the competition as wild weather conditions forced mass retirements.

2 mins

Musk row with Maga far right over Indian-born Trump adviser

Bitter infighting has broken out between Elon Musk and Donald Trump's hardline Maga base after the president-elect chose an Indian-born entrepreneur to be his adviser on artificial intelligence.

1 min

Italian aces After years of obscurity, tennis has won the nation's hearts

At the age of 47, diehard AC Milan fan Ninni Licata has hung up his football boots in exchange for a tennis racket.

2 mins

Crisis on cat island On Aoshima, is time finally running out for human and feline inhabitants?

The reason for Aoshima's nickname is clear before we set foot on the island.

3 mins

Pāua lunch Remote cafe fuels pie mania in New Zealand

Celebrities rave about them, politicians have bulk-ordered them, local people queue and tourists drive hours for them. The pāua pie – a flaky creation filled with a seafood delicacy – is enticing crowds in New Zealand to a cafe on the isolated east coast of the North Island.

2 mins

Mexico The mayor who turned wasteland into a utopia

Mexico City's mayor, Clara Brugada, has never been afraid to court controversy and has taken some imaginative steps in her efforts to undo decades of economic and cultural inequality.

2 mins

Aid convoy reaches besieged area of Sudanese capital

An aid convoy has reached a besieged area of Khartoum for the first time since Sudan's civil war broke out in April 2023, bringing food and medicines in a country where half of the people are at risk of starvation.

2 mins

London-listed mining company halts operations in Mozambique

The London-listed mining company Gemfields said yesterday it had temporarily halted its ruby mining operation in Mozambique after groups \"took advantage\" of political unrest to attempt to invade and set fire to its site, resulting in two deaths.

1 min

Number of retailers on the brink of collapse up by 25%

Footfall levels up 18% on Christmas Eve compared with last year.

2 mins

Nissan shares down 15% as investors react to plan for merger

Shares in the Japanese carmaker Nissan have taken their biggest fall since August's stock market sell-off, as investors turned their attention to the company's planned tie-up with domestic rivals Honda and Mitsubishi.

1 min

Climbing out of trouble? Rise in share price suggests BA's turbulent days may be over

It's been a long and turbulent time since anyone used British Airways' old slogan \"the world's favourite airline\" with a straight face.

2 mins

North-south divide flips as EU's periphery beats core economies

The European Central Bank is facing a tough balancing act in 2025, trying to navigate a reversal of fortunes in eurozone economies as the hardest-hit nations of the 2010s debt crisis outperform the traditional core.

2 mins

Lost in music How Britain's clubs are disappearing fast - and why they are worth rescuing

When the patrons of Watford's Przym nightclub celebrated New Year's Eve a year ago, they were marking the end of an era - or rather, seven eras.

5 mins

New year refresh A month-by-month guide to sorting out your finances

Rupert Jones and Hilary Osborne offer a checklist of the vital tasks you need to tackle throughout the year, from filing your tax return to making the most of your holiday cash

9 mins

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