CATEGORIES

Lebanon UN reports blasts at HQ for second day running

The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon reported new blasts at its headquarters yesterday that injured two Sri Lankan members of the force a day after the same base came under Israeli tank fire.

The stakes What election in US will mean for the war

The year since the 7 October attack has demonstrated just how densely intertwined US presidential politics is with the trajectory of events in the Middle East. Each exerts a gravitational pull on the other, often in ways that are damaging for both.

Revealed: US-made munition used in Israeli strike on Beirut

A US-made munition was used in a strike on central Beirut on Thursday night that killed 22 people and wounded 117, according to an analysis of shrapnel found by the Guardian at the scene of the attack.

My day is like a workshop on the consequences of poor decision-making

Along with death and divorce, moving makes up the trinity of what are supposed to be life's most stressful experiences (assuming you don't live on the Florida coast).

Northern sights: aurora borealis lights up the skies

The northern lights lit up the skies this week with stunning bright pink hues as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle.

Concerns raised as 'extremely thin' models return to fashion catwalks

Fashion insiders have expressed concerns that progress made towards size inclusivity in the industry is being curtailed.

Turn over a new leaf? Six ways to help us read more books - and boost attention span

This week, Sir Jonathan Bate, a professor of English literature at the University of Oxford, voiced his concern at the \"attrition of attention span\", as witnessed through his undergraduates' inability to keep up with reading lists. \"Now, instead of three novels in a week, many students will struggle to get through one novel in three weeks,” he told the BBC's Today programme.

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Faith schools seek exemption from VAT if fees are low

Private faith schools have held talks with ministers over a proposal to exempt small establishments from VAT if their fees are far below those charged by elite schools such as Eton.

Laid to rest? Columbus's remains confirmed in Seville

Scientists in Spain claim to have solved the two lingering mysteries that cling to Christopher Columbus more than five centuries after the explorer died: are the much-travelled remains buried in a magnificent tomb in Seville Cathedral really his? And was the navigator who changed the course of world history really from Genoa - as history has long claimed - or was he actually Basque, Catalan, Galician, Greek, Jewish or Portuguese?

Review Captivating cast - but how Bernstein's score meanders

There's not much to look at in Oliver Mears' new production of Leonard Bernstein's 1952 one-acter, Trouble in Tahiti.

Thames flood scheme could force swimming lake in Surrey to close

A freshwater lake that attracts more than 30,000 swimmers a year is under threat of closure from an Environment Agency plan to reduce flooding that will channel in polluted river water, according to campaigners.

Frock'n'roll Rivals may be problematic, but it is also gloriously fun

It begins, of course, with bonking. A close-up on a bare male bottom, thrusting energetically in a Concorde loo. Cries of ecstasy float over a soundtrack of Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love, as the plane hits supersonic and the flight attendant pops the champagne. It can only be Jilly Cooper, and that bottom can only be Rupert Campbell-Black - champion showjumper, international heart-throb, Tory sports minister, braying toff, absolute shit.

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Woman who killed parents is jailed for 36 years

A woman who murdered her parents and lived with their bodies for four years has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years.

Man in 60s missing after boat capsizes on Thames in Surrey

A man in his 60s is missing and three others have been taken to hospital after a boat capsized on the Thames in Surrey yesterday morning.

'See them thrive' Why children should be allowed to play in mud and get dirty

Michael Follett is a specialist in children's play and passionate about the importance of playing with mud. \"It's so tactile. You can use it as paint. You can squish it into a pot. You can make a mud pie or cappuccinos!\"

Lap of the gods: creator of Kaos 'gutted' after Netflix axes show

The creator of Netflix's popular Greek mythology comedy series Kaos has said they are \"gutted\" at the show's cancellation after one season.

Visit by Taiwan ex-president 'delayed to avoid angering China'

The Foreign Office asked for a visit by the former Taiwanese president to be postponed so as not to anger China before a trip by David Lammy, the Guardian has learned.

Tory MP missed winter fuel payment vote for law work in Mauritius

The Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox has missed parliamentary votes and sitting days while working at his lucrative second job as a lawyer in Mauritius, the Guardian can reveal.

Robert Jenrick Leadership hopeful denies he would lurch back to centre

Robert Jenrick has denied that he would drop his hard-right policies and return to the Conservative middle ground if he becomes leader, arguing that his ideas for the party have left Nigel Farage \"rattled\".

Badenoch Campaign took cash from councillor who dismissed Grenfell fears

One of Kemi Badenoch's Tory leadership campaign funders is a councillor who had oversight of Grenfell Tower and dismissed some residents' complaints about the pre-fire refurbishment as \"grossly exaggerated\".

Brexit Mandelson predicts EU re-entry talks

Peter Mandelson has suggested the UK could start talks on rejoining the EU in 10 years' time, much earlier than Keir Starmer believes.

First 100 days How much has Labour achieved in power so far?

Labour has been frustrated with commentary suggesting it has not achieved enough since winning the election, pointing to a number of decisions and pieces of legislation it has pushed through. Here, we look at the new government's actions in its first 100 days in power.

‘Boys’ club’ Starmer must dispel the myth he doesn’t value his senior women

Of all the criticisms levelled at Keir Starmer's No 10 during the past few months, the one that seems to have stung internally the most is that he presides over a “boys' club”.

'Black hole' Most of £22bn deficit 'to stay with Labour until 2030'

Rachel Reeves has been warned that most of the £22bn \"black hole\" in the public finances that Labour claims was \"covered up\" by the Conservatives will continue to hang over the government by the end of the decade.

P&O Ferries Dubai parent firm pauses investment after minister's criticisms

DP World, the Dubai-based owner of P&O Ferries, has put the announcement of a reported £1bn investment in Britain on hold after fierce criticism of the firm by ministers this week.

Après ski Resorts shut down or adapt as snow retreats

Sitting at his window in Västerås, central Sweden, Thomas Ohlander is wondering when the winter season might start for his outdoor adventure business, Do the North. “To schedule a trip we have to be sure of snow,” he says, “And that start date is going backwards at a crazy speed.” Ohlander's local ice-skating club has recorded the first date on which they managed to get out on the frozen lakes each year. In 1988 that date was 4 November; this year the prediction is 4 December.

Forty new allegations emerge about Fayed and others

The Metropolitan police have said they are investigating 40 new allegations, including of rape and sexual assault, relating to Mohamed Al Fayed and others, after the broadcast of a BBC documentary about his behaviour.

Social media blamed for rise in teenagers under suspicion of far-right terrorism

Teenagers as young as 13 are coming under suspicion of engaging in terrorism after being exposed to a toxic cocktail of easily accessible far-right extremism online, experts have warned.

We need answers': The parents of novichok victim hope inquiry will finally let them grieve

The parents of the woman who died in the Wiltshire novichok poisonings have said they hope an inquiry into her death will answer far-reaching questions about how the tragedy unfolded and allow the family, finally, to grieve fully for their loved one.