CATEGORIES

Surge in agricultural land being bought by non-farmers - data

Non-farmers were responsible for more than half of farmland purchases last year, new analysis has suggested as Keir Starmer defended imposing inheritance tax on farms.

Far-right groups seeking to hijack inheritance tax protests

Far-right groups are seeking to exploit the farmers' protest against tax changes introduced by Rachel Reeves.

'It's overpriced tat': why Christmas markets have divided opinion

The Halloween cobwebs had barely been brushed off the shop windows of Birmingham city centre when the German-style Christmas market opened on 1 November.

'Black Fraud Day' warning as victims lose £700 each to online scams

Black Friday is fast becoming Black Fraud Day with the annual discount frenzy now \"prime time\" for scammers, according to the UK's cybersecurity chief, who said criminals are now using artificial intelligence to trick shoppers.

Analysis Labour seems ready to show it is serious

Two years ago a government-commissioned report laid bare the crisis affecting children's social care in England and called for an urgent multibillion-pound overhaul to reform a system that it said was spiralling out of control.

Overhaul of children's social care will crack down on profiteering

Excessive profiteering by unscrupulous private companies charging sky-high fees for sub-standard placements for vulnerable children will face a clampdown as part of a major overhaul of children's social care in England.

PM aims to reset ties with Xi at G20 summit

Keir Starmer will today become the first UK prime minister in six years to meet the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, as he promises to turn the page on UK-China relations and build \"a pragmatic and serious relationship\".

Biden lifts ban on use of US arms in Russia

Joe Biden has lifted the ban on Ukraine using long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory by permitting their use against Russian and North Korean forces in the Kursk region.

Thames Water repairs crisis leaves supply 'on knife-edge'

Thames Water has £23bn of assets in urgent need of repair and the supply of water to its 16 million customers is \"on a knife-edge\", a Guardian investigation can reveal.

The Filter Cast-iron alternatives to Le Creuset for less

Le Creuset's colourful pans have long topped the wishlists of amateur and professional cooks.

Money hacks How to find a pet-sitter you can trust

Unless you have family, a friend or a neighbour who can care for your pet when you're away, you'll need to find a pet-sitter you can trust.

Pensions An A to Z of how to save for your retirement

Everything you need to know to plan for your future and make the most of your finances. Rupert Jones and Hilary Osborne report

'A fork in the road' AI's bid to help on laundry days at Europe's tech summit

This year's Web Summit in Lisbon was all about artificial intelligence and a robot sorting laundry.

Brexit So how could Labour improve EU ties for the sake of growth?

The Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, said this week that Brexit had undermined the UK's economy, and urged the government to improve relations with the EU for the sake of growth.

Aviation Flying taxis: destined never to take off?

In a dreary November day in the Cotswolds, the VX4 - a cross between a plane and a helicopter - rose from an airport runway, hovered a few feet off the ground and set back down.

Property firm back in profit as workers return to offices

One of Britain's biggest property developers has provided further evidence of the return to office working, saying occupancy in its central London offices is at an all-time high and the value of its portfolio has returned to growth.

Analysis Summer of dark warnings from the Treasury may have cast a shadow on growth

It was hardly surprising that the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, declared herself \"not satisfied\" with the news that the UK's GDP expanded by a measly 0.1% in the three months to September.

Contracting GDP adds to German woes as general election looms

Germany's looming general election will be fought against the backdrop of a stagnating economy, the European Commission has forecast, with GDP expected to have contracted in 2024.

UK economy slows amid jitters over Labour budget

The UK economy slowed to a near-standstill in the third quarter as uncertainty around Labour's first budget and high interest rates weighed on business and consumer spending.

Small-scale battles A night in a Ukrainian drone squad bunker

The armoured car's bumpy high-speed journey comes to a halt, and the Guardian team is dropped off in the November darkness, where two Ukrainian soldiers await.

Pakistan military 'will not cut deal' with jailed politician Imran Khan

Pakistan's military has no intention of entering into negotiations or cutting a deal with the incarcerated former prime minister, Imran Khan, senior military sources told the Guardian, after Khan said he would be willing to engage with the army leadership from his jail cell.

Scholz urges Putin to withdraw troops and negotiate with Ukraine in rare phone call

Olaf Scholz and Vladimir Putin held a rare phone call yesterday in which the German chancellor urged the Russian president to withdraw troops and negotiate with Ukraine to achieve a just and lasting peace.

Stop burning coal and wood, Delhi residents told, as pollution shuts schools

India's capital, Delhi, has ordered all primary schools to stop in-person classes while Pakistan's Punjab province has declared a health emergency, banning construction, shutting schools for another week and moving universities online, as both countries battle an air pollution crisis.

David Lynch urges smokers to quit after emphysema diagnosis

The film-maker and lifelong smoker David Lynch has spoken out about the dangers of the habit, revealing that he started smoking at the age of eight and now needs supplemental oxygen even to walk small distances.

Tiana rides high Disney updates 'racist' Splash Mountain flume to honour its first black princess

In 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests over George Floyd's murder, Disney announced that its parks would be \"retheming\" a decades-old attraction, Splash Mountain, a log flume ride with a storyline drawn from a racist 1946 film.

Valencia leader admits mistakes in handling of deadly flooding

The regional president of Valencia, who is under mounting pressure over his handling ofthe catastrophic floods that killed 216 people in the area, has conceded mistakes were made but refused to step down, claiming the unprecedented and \"apocalyptic\" scale of the disaster simply overwhelmed the system.

Dutch coalition in turmoil in wake of violence in Amsterdam

The violence that erupted on Amsterdam's streets last week has triggered a political crisis in the Netherlands, with the ruling coalition in turmoil over alleged racist remarks made by government officials during a closed-door meeting to discuss the events.

Pelicot trial: defendant proposed rape of own mother, court hears

A young vineyard worker accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot on six occasions over four years when she had been drugged by her husband also proposed drugging and raping his own mother, a court has heard.

Gaza Children in urgent need not allowed overseas for medical care

It was the morning of 8 June when Ahmed Damoo got the call that his home, a small concrete building in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, had been hit by an IDF rocket. When he returned to what was left of his house, he learned that his family had been buried beneath the rubble.

Israel Police question aide of Netanyahu over alleged tampering of phone records

Benjamin Netanyahu's chief of staff has been questioned by police investigating reports that official phone records of calls from aides to the Israeli prime minister on the morning of the 7 October attacks last year were altered.