CATEGORIES

Hammond steals the show but format is tad overbaked

‘The Great British Bake Off? returns for yet another round of cakes, cannolis and calamity. But this year it feels like the main aim is to outrage middle England, says Sean O’Grady

'Historic' proposal to close women's prisons unveiled

Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has set out plans to slash the number of women going to jail and ultimately close women’s prisons amid an overcrowding crisis.

Troops head to Cyprus as Britons in Lebanon warned

The UK is sending around 700 troops to Cyprus in case an emergency evacuation of Lebanon is required, as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate.

Labour to crack down on taxpayer-funded university courses for top executives

The Independent revealed abuse of the apprenticeship levy scheme meant to help young workers starting their careers

Return of Gaza sausages a blip in banger of a speech

The “return of the sausages” was not in Labour’s manifesto but somehow, in the excitement of his first conference speech as prime minister, Keir Starmer made it an extra policy commitment.

PM steadies Labour with his vow to rebuild nation

Starmer pledges to face the storm’ from tough decisions

Redemption song rings out sweetly for resilient Dubois

He entered the ring as both the world heavyweight champion and the underdog at the end of a week where he was certainly not the star attraction.

Vexed Verstappen swears he is close to pulling the plug

Away from the sweat-inducing action on track, it was a tempestuous Formula One weekend in Singapore.

City sailing into title waves without talismanic anchor

A red card and a late goal saved the day for Manchester City but Rodri's injury could have far more telling consequences

UK faces 'critical shortage' of skilled tradespeople

The UK faces a critical shortage of skilled tradespeople that threatens to undermine ambitions on housing and net zero, a new report is warning.

Ukraine will fight street to street to keep Russians out

Now facing constant bombing, soldiers and residents in the eastern Donetsk city of Pokrovsk tell Askold Krushelnycky about the drawn-out siege they are bracing themselves for

A sobering truth behind the anti-alcohol movement...

I am scared about the future of wine.

The hills are alive... with the sound of Brits flying the coop

When the most English man in England decides he’s Austrian, maybe Brexit hasn’t been the saviour of our national identity that was promised.

It seems Rayner's not such a working class hero after all

The current row over Labour Party donations has been rumbling on for some time, but the latest revelation about Angela Rayner’s alleged hiring of a £57,000-plus-a-year photographer is particularly disheartening.

Seven dead in Japan due to flooding in quake-hit areas

The death toll from record levels of rainfall that hit the northern part of Japan's Noto peninsula has risen to seven, authorities said yesterday.

Marxist outsider takes oath as new Sri Lanka president

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a Marxist-leaning politician and leader of the People’s Liberation Front – JVP or Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna – has been sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new president after winning the election with 42.31 per cent of the vote.

Failed Trump assassin wrote a note offering $150,000 for 'finishing the job', says FBI

A Florida man accused of a botched assassination attempt against Donald Trump on 15 September sketched out his plan in a handwritten note that offered a six-figure payout to anyone who could finish off the former president.

Focus on action rather than talk, says France's new PM

France’s new prime minister Michel Barnier – meeting his cabinet ministers together for the first time yesterday – has told them to focus on action rather than stunts as he sought to change voters’ perceptions that previous governments had been too arrogant.

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon kill hundreds in a single day

Beirut hit as civilian's flee in deadliest 24 hours since 2006

Revealing long-lost secrets of the real First World War

Archaeologists investigate a major European battle fought more than 3,000 years ago in the late Bronze Age collapse

Rioter, 14, let off because of stern scolding from parents

A 14-year-old boy caught up in the post-Southport riots was so sternly told off by his parents that police and prosecutors decided to take no further action.

Flash floods bring a month's worth of rain in 24 hours

Parts of Britain have been struck by flash floods after some areas saw more than a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.

'Sometimes you can literally hear an assault taking place'

Inside the UK's 24/7 national domestic abuse helpline

Do MPs need stricter rules on receiving 'freebies'?

Revelations about “freebies” received by the prime minister and several senior ministers from a single donor, the media and tech entrepreneur Lord Alli, drew widespread public disapproval and overshadowed the start of the Labour Party conference.

Reeves smiles through the storm (or was it a grimace?)

Rachel Reeves glided through the morning media circus wearing a Stepford Wives smile that said, “Honestly, everything’s just peachy” when we all knew that, actually, it was anything but.

Free school breakfast clubs from April but winter fuel cuts to remain, says Reeves

Rachel Reeves has announced that hundreds of schools will host free breakfast clubs from April as she doubled down on her controversial decision to abolish winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.

The knives are out, so just how long can Case hold on?

Fans of the cabinet secretary, Simon Case – and there still are some despite all the recent backstabbing – say that he is the ideal top civil servant because he possesss the invaluable gift of anticipating trouble and “he can see round corners”.

Sack 'poisonous' Case now, top ministers urge Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer is being urged by several cabinet ministers to sack the top civil servant in Whitehall immediately and stamp his authority on the new Labour government.

PM urges Labour to take the pain then reap the gain

Sir Keir Starmer will tell an “exhausted Britain” that the tough decisions he is taking for the short term are the first steps towards national renewal and higher living standards.

Norris holds off Singapore field after perfect getaway

Lando Norris produced a statement win over Max Verstappen in Singapore to strike another dent in his rival’s world championship lead.