CATEGORIES

'It brings joy and hope' Cheers in Tel Aviv greet news of release

In the heart of Tel Aviv, several hundred people gathered in the plaza now called Hostages Square.

Russell Norman, chef and founder of Polpo, dies aged 57

Russell Norman, the award-winning restaurateur and author, has died aged 57 after a short illness.

Olympic glory to a murder The fall of the 'Blade Runner'

Who is Oscar Pistorius?

War is paused while 24 hostages are freed

A woman after being freed by Hamas. Left, an anxious wait as people in Tel Aviv watch the release

"Truly unbearable' Spanish PM deplores death toll and urges Israel to rethink its offensive

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has urged Israel to rethink its offensive in Gaza, telling the country's president and prime minister the number of dead Palestinians is \"truly unbearable\" and that the response to Hamas's terrorist attacks cannot include \"the deaths of innocent civilians\".

No 10 criticises FA decision to scale back lighting arch

Downing Street has accused the Football Association of equivocating over terrorism, as it criticised the decision to scale back the use of the Wembley arch for sending messages of solidarity.

Crowded out Cricketers' union warns fixture schedule is 'unsustainable'

The men's domestic schedule is \"unsustainable\" and \"in need of reform\", the Professional Cricketers' Association says. It has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board to make changes.

Potter and Yee lead Team GB's 'best ever' triathlon squad

Team GB triathlon's squad for Paris 2024 is shaping up as its best ever for an Olympics, its performance director has predicted, after naming world champion Beth Potter and Tokyo 2020 gold and silver medallist Alex Yee as his first two names on the train to France.

Djokovic outguns Norrie to end British hopes

An imperious outperformed quarter-finals Serbia thoroughly Great Britain in the of the Davis Cup in Málaga as they advanced to the final four with a 2-0 win.

Terminally ill man faces living last days in mould-ridden London flat

A man with less than three months to live will probably spend his final weeks in a property plagued with damp and black mould after efforts by his family and the council to find another home failed.

Lidl launches Christmas jumper rental service priced at £2 a day

If you don't have a relative to knit you a festive jumper - and you don't want to invest in your own - Santa has come early: Lidl has launched a Christmas jumper rental service.

Trio of first time headline acts revealed for Reading and Leeds

Reading and Leeds festivals have announced their headline acts for 2024, with Fred Again, Lana Del Rey and Gerry Cinnamon headlining for the first time.

'Despicable' Stockton's anger at home secretary's alleged insult

Melanie Greenwood had been helping to organise a books for children drive when she heard the news of James Cleverly allegedly calling Stockton a shit-hole.

'It's a disgrace' People whose assets went to the monarch

A black Kia is still parked outside the bungalow once occupied by Val Taylor, a retired nursery manager who cared for generations of children in Burnley, Lancashire.

Bird of prey killings fall but data is 'tip of the iceberg', warns RSPB

Confirmed incidents of the illegal persecution of birds of prey have fallen to their lowest levels for more than a decade, according to the RSPB.

Ofsted annual report laments fracturing relations between parents and schools

The \"unwritten agreement\" between parents and schools in England has broken since the Covid crisis, according to Ofsted's chief inspector, with pupil absences stubbornly high and disruptive behaviour more common.

Questions for Cameron over backing for Chinese port project in Sri Lanka

David Cameron is facing further questions about whether he was paid by Chinese interests to promote a port development in Sri Lanka, as new footage emerged of him extolling its benefits.

Muslims Victory for far right puts community on edge

Geert Wilders described it as the \"most beautiful day\" of his political life. But for many across the Netherlands, news that Wilders' far-right, anti-Islam party had emerged with the most votes in Wednesday's election set off alarm bells over what might lie ahead in a country once regarded as a beacon of tolerance.

Wilders declares himself PM in waiting as political earthquake rocks Europe

Geert Wilders, the leader of the Netherlands' far-right, anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV), has vowed to try to become prime minister and has said he is in favour of a referendum on the country's EU membership after his party scored an unexpected and emphatic victory in Wednesday's general election.

Plump lips and smaller forehead: the 17th century heiress given a 'Kylie Jenner' look

If you think the influencer's penchant for big lips reflects a modern beauty fad, then think again.

Tory MPs furious after immigration brings record rise in UK population

Net migration boosted the UK population by a record 745,000 in the year to December 2022, fuelled in part by a surge in overseas professionals arriving to work in the NHS and care homes and prompting a furious response from rightwing Conservatives.

Austerity 'to be worse than under Osborne'

Rishi Sunak's government has set the country on course for a \"more painful\" austerity drive after the next general election than during the decade of belt-tightening under George Osborne, leading economists say.

Ceasefire in Gaza set to start this morning

A four-day ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is due begin this morning, a day later than originally announced, after negotiators worked out the final details of the deal, which will lead to the release of dozens of hostages held by militants as well as Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Revealed: how the king secretly profits from dead citizens' assets

The king is profiting from the deaths of thousands of people in north-west England whose assets are secretly being used to upgrade a commercial property empire managed by his estate, the Guardian can reveal.

Spot the difference - Webb urges VAR officials to intervene on 'soft' penalties

VAR officials in England have been urged to speak out on \"soft\" penalties, by encouraging referees to review their decision even if an error is not \"clear and obvious\". The new advice from the referees' chief, Howard Webb, follows a succession of controversial penalty incidents in the Premier League and Europe.

Points penalty will 'fuel' Everton's survival fight

Everton's director of football, Kevin Thelwell, has claimed the club's 10-point deduction for a breach of the Premier League's financial rules will provide \"additional fuel\" for Sean Dyche's team in their fight to avoid relegation.

'I'm going to take it to Djokovic': Norrie ready for Serbia test

Cameron Norrie has said he will approach Novak Djokovic as \"just another player\" when he leads the Great Britain team against Serbia today at the \"Final 8\" stage of the Davis Cup. A spot in the semi-final will be up for grabs for the victorious nation.

Altman returns to ChatGPT developer OpenAI days after being sacked as CEO

Sam Altman is to return as the chief executive of OpenAI after the ChatGPT developer said yesterday it had \"reached an agreement in principle\" for his reinstatement.

Grangemouth oil refinery to shut, putting 500 jobs at risk

Grangemouth oil refinery is to cease operations as soon as 2025 under plans announced by its owner, Petroineos, a joint venture between the Chinese state-owned oil firm PetroChina and the Ineos petrochemicals empire owned by Monaco-based British billionaire Sir James Ratcliffe.

UN warns of halt to food aid for Chad despite surge in refugees

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that food aid for 1.4 million people in Chad faces a \"looming halt\", even as the country is experiencing an influx of refugees from Sudan's Darfur region.