Sleep tech Japanese workers turn to gadgets to perfect their power naps

The Spanish have their siestas and millions of French people exercise their right to a postprandial power nap. The Japanese equivalent is the hirune - an afternoon snooze that goes some way towards compensating for their lack of sleep.

Demonstrations across Spain over amnesty offer to Catalan separatists

Tens of thousands of people have gathered across Spain to protest against the acting government’s plans to secure another term in office by offering an amnesty to those who took part in the illegal and failed push for Catalan independence six years ago.

Evacuees scramble back to save pets as Icelandic volcano poised to erupt again

Some of the more than 3,000 residents evacuated from an Icelandic fishing town have been allowed to return briefly to their homes to collect pets and essential belongings, as experts warned that a volcano could erupt within days or even hours.

Irish woman to repatriate cultural antiquities

An Irish woman has been inspired by the Guardian to return her late father's collection of 19th century African and Aboriginal objects to their countries of origin.

Digital twins Computer models that could soon personalise medical care

Imagine having a digital twin that gets ill, and can be experimented on to identify the best possible treatment, without you having to go near a pill or a surgeon's knife. Scientists believe that within five to 10 years, \"in silico\" trials - in which hundreds of virtual organs are used to assess the safety and efficacy of drugs - could become routine, while patient-specific organ models could be used to personalise treatment and avoid medical complications.

Man charged after woman is killed in front of children

A man has been charged with murder after a \"loving and devoted\" mother was stabbed in front of her two children. Perseverance Ncube, 35, known to her friends as Percy, was fatally stabbed at her home in Salford, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of Friday morning.

Woman awarded £1m in damages over NHS vaginal mesh implant

A woman who suffered traumatic complications from a vaginal mesh implant has been awarded a record settlement of at least £1m from the NHS.

'Embrace of the Angel' Professor hunts for the roots of a secret garden

In a scrubby copse of alder trees near one of north-east England's busiest roads and in the shadow of one its most famous landmarks, the Angel of the North, is a spontaneous, secret garden of memories. An academic is on a mission to find out why.

Rwanda court ruling What might result mean for Tories?

Wednesday marks a potentially pivotal moment in the government's fortunes when the supreme court rules whether its plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful.

Hezbollah Attacks escalate on Lebanon border as 18 Israelis injured in militia missile strike

Eighteen Israelis were injured, one critically, yesterday as the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia fired anti-tank missiles from southern Lebanon in a further sign the skirmishing along the border is escalating.

Return to the kibbutz 'This was Mum's little heaven ... Her absence is loud'

It's a ghost town,\" said Noam Sagi as he returned to Nir Oz kibbutz for the first time since his mother, Ada, 75, was abducted by Hamas gunmen.

Braverman demands more action on marches

Suella Braverman has demanded \"further action\" be taken against proPalestine marches, as police sources said attacks by the far right on officers were linked to her rhetoric in the run-up to Saturday's protests.

Larger than life: call for assisted dying law after gangster Courtney's suicide

When gangster-turned-author Dave Courtney was found dead last month in the east London terrace he transformed into a crenellated castle, it was not a shock to his inner circle.

Scars of 2008 crash deeper for millennials in UK than those in US

Millennials in the UK are bearing the scars\" of the 2008 financial crisis and are struggling to catch up with the living standards of older groups, while their US counterparts have closed the gap, research shows.

No power, no water and little hope in Gaza hospital

Inside a darkened operating theatre in Gaza’s largest hospital complex, staff swaddled dozens of tiny premature babies seven or eight to a bed, in a desperate effort to keep the infants warm – and alive.

Stamp swap - Royal Mail customers get fraud warnings

Some Royal Mail customers, who have used an official scheme to swap their old stamps for new barcoded replacements, have been warned they risk committing fraud.

Australia to offer residency to Tuvalu citizens displaced by global heating

Australia will offer residency to people affected by the climate crisis in the low-lying Pacific nation of Tuvalu as part of a new treaty announced yesterday that also locks the two countries into close security ties.

Good innings - Afghanistan celebrates cricketing fairytale

The wicketkeeper used to be a cattle farmer. The fast bowler was once a refugee in Pakistan.

Trump suggests he will use FBI to go after political rivals if he returns to presidency

Donald Trump has suggested he would use the FBI and justice department to go after political rivals should he return to the White House next year, stoking fears of what a second Trump presidency could mean.

Spanish police consider possible Iranian link to shooting of former MEP

The rightwing former Spanish MEP Alejandro Vidal-Quadras is recovering in hospital after being shot in the face on a central Madrid street.

Tapping the sewers - Dutch go down the loo to find new heat source

I once lived in a building where every morning the double flush of the upstairs neighbour's toilet reverberated loudly through our kitchen. Now, instead of being a source of heated neighbourly relations, Dutch sewage waste is seen as a reliable source of heat for millions of homes that the government wants to be unhooked from the country's gas system by 2050.

Former Tory minister says party is 'going in very dark direction' on climate crisis

The Conservative party is going in a \"very dark direction\", a former Tory minister has said, as misinformation around climate has taken hold.

World's first whole-eye transplant marks major leap forward for medical science

US surgeons have announced the world's first whole-eye transplant after a 21-hour operation. While the 46-year-old patient, Aaron James, cannot yet - and may never see through his new eye, the organ is showing signs of health and even this partial success takes transplantation into new territory.

Binge drinking Why are levels so high for British women?

British women are the biggest binge drinkers in the world, with more than a quarter regularly drinking more than six drinks at least once a month, according to a report released this week by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which compared alcohol consumption across 33 countries.

UK couple in Egypt 'died of carbon monoxide poisoning'

A British couple who fell ill in their hotel room at a resort in Egypt died from carbon monoxide poisoning after the room next door was sprayed with pesticide to kill bed bugs, a coroner has ruled.

Drivers of certain brands of cars are more likely to cause accidents-study

Academics have called for further research into the marketing of cars after an analysis of UK accident data suggested drivers of certain brands were more likely than others to cause a crash.

Pushback Pedicab riders wary of new rules to cap fares

On their last night in London, and for the second time on their trip, Edward and Tiffany from California took a pedal-powered cab, or pedicab.

Brontës birthplace set to become cultural centre after donor steps in

The Brontës were a literary family that burned brightly but briefly in the 19th century literary firmament - Anne died at 29, Emily at 30 and Charlotte at 38. None of the sisters had children, though Charlotte was pregnant when she died, so there are no direct descendants of them.

Patients fear NHS deal with spy-tech firm would put data at risk, says BMA

Patients fear their personal information may be misused by the NHS's new data store, especially if the US spy technology firm Palantir runs it, doctors' leaders have told ministers.

Prince Harry allowed to pursue phone hacking case against Mail

Prince Harry, Elton John and Doreen Lawrence have welcomed being given the green light to continue their legal case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, after it lost an attempt to have their cases thrown out at the high court.