CATEGORIES

No 10 looked like a crack den? That's what the former PM says - and we know he wouldn't lie

It's been less than a week since Johnson began the publicity round of interviews for his memoir but it feels so much longer

‘Unbelievable’ Johnson wades into Starmer freebies row

Keir Starmer's decision to accept clothing freebies “looks greedy”, according to Boris Johnson. The former prime minister criticised his Labour successor's decision to accept gifts of clothing and glasses, and said Starmer “must be worth a bob or two” as a result of his legal career.

Labour's early missteps were pinned on Sue Gray - but now there's nowhere left to hide

Office politics can be complicated. And Westminster can get obsessed with personalities behind the scenes and where someone sits on the office floor plan. But with all that being said, it is true to say that relations between Sue Gray, Keir Starmer's former chief of staff, and some others in the early days of Keir Starmer's government were, if anything, worse than reported.

Workers' rights Proposals can win over voters, says TUC

Labour can use its overhaul of workers' rights to win over disaffected Conservative and Reform voters, the TUC has said, as the government prepares to introduce landmark legislation that will grant new rights to 7 million workers.

More deaths than births for first time in nearly 50 years excluding pandemic

Deaths have outstripped births in the UK for the first time in nearly half a century, excluding the pandemic, official figures showed yesterday.

No misconduct by Rooney legal team in 'Wagatha' case - judge

Coleen Rooney's lawyers did not commit misconduct, a judge has ruled, after the lawyers were accused of \"knowingly misleading\" Rebekah Vardy by allegedly deliberately understating her \"extraordinary\" legal costs during their libel fight.

TV review Jilly Cooper goes supersonic with 1980s camp

I'm going to go out on a limb here and state that no television series in history has been able to communicate exactly what it is faster than Rivals. Its opening shot is a man bonking a red-stilettoed woman in the toilet of a Concorde to the rhythm of Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love, while the passengers outside eat prawn cocktails and chain-smoke as if their lives depend on it. At the moment of climax, the plane goes supersonic, a champagne bottle pops its cork and everyone cheers. From this point onwards, you can't say you didn't know what you were in for.

More than 9m Britons vulnerable to relying on food handouts

More than 9 million people in the UK experience levels of poverty and hunger so extreme they may have to rely on charity food handouts, according to research.

Dartmoor picnicking is trespass, landowner's lawyers tell court

Picnicking on Dartmoor is trespassing, according to the lawyers for a landowner who is challenging the right to wild camping on the moors.

Flyfishers' Club votes to admit female members after 140 years

Members of the 140-year-old Flyfishers' Club have voted to allow women to join after decades of resisting calls to reform its rules.

Pupils starting reception with poor skills after pandemic, says Ofsted report

Primary schools are having to teach infants how to communicate as they struggle to make friends or cope with lessons because of speech and language difficulties, a report says.

Ex-soldier who fled jail 'wanted to be an MI6 double agent'

A former British soldier accused of escaping prison by strapping himself to the underside of a delivery truck had contacted Iranian intelligence before offering to work as a \"double agent\" for MI6, his trial has heard.

MI5 'has hell of a job' halting threats from Russia, Iran and IS

The head of MI5 has said his agency has \"one hell of a job\" to do as the threat from Islamic State has returned while Iran and Russia engage in intensifying efforts to carry out assassination and sabotage plots in the UK.

‘The survivor's guilt is overwhelming'

Israel-Gaza war One year on

Northern border security Decades of conflict

Since 1978 a series of Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon, including a years-long occupation, have failed to bring security to northern Israel.

ICC inquiry Dutch urged to open case over alleged interference

Prosecutors in the Netherlands are considering a request to open a criminal case against senior Israeli intelligence officials for allegedly interfering with an investigation by the international criminal court (ICC).

Israeli military expands ground operation in Lebanon to 15,000 troops

Israel has said it is expanding its ground operation in Lebanon with the deployment of a fourth division, bringing the likely number of troops to 15,000, after another night of intense airstrikes across the south and east of the country.

Ofwat orders water firms to give back almost £158m to customers

Water companies in England and Wales will have to return nearly £158m to customers through lower bills next year after falling further behind on key targets including sewage spills and leaks.

Far right seeking donations for those jailed over riots

Far-right activists are trying to raise funds for people jailed over their roles in the summer riots, describing them as political prisoners, in an attempt to generate support by giving money to their families.

Prosecutors to appeal as separate trial of Madeleine McCann suspect ends in acquittal

The main suspect in the disappearance of the British toddler Madeleine McCann is likely to be released from prison next year after he was found not guilty of all charges in a separate rape and sexual abuse trial.

Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight inspired by Bacon, says film's director

Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was based on one of Francis Bacon's triptychs, the Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan has said before an exhibition of Bacon's work.

Art review Whirligig of horrors reveals painter's genius and humanity

Teeth. We all have them, or start out with them. We're supposed to take care of them, so we can flash a smile. But for Francis Bacon, they are a glimpse of death in a living human face, a white hardness that will persist when all our soft matter is gone. In Study of the Human Head, a man in a dark jacket smiles out with perfect teeth. Then you realise Bacon has superimposed an X-ray image of the human head on to this living man. It is the grin of a skull.

Earth's 'vital signs' show humanity's future in balance, say top scientists

Many of Earth's \"vital signs\" have hit record extremes, indicating \"the future of humanity hangs in the balance\", a group of the world's most senior climate experts have said.

"'Stay and you die': Florida braces for Hurricane Milton

Florida's west coast was making emergency preparations last night for the impact of Hurricane Milton, with thousands of evacuees clogging roads with their vehicles and the mayor of Tampa warning residents bluntly \"you are going to die\" if they stayed behind.

Reeves presses ahead with plans to borrow billions for investment

Rachel Reeves is pushing ahead with plans to borrow billions of pounds extra for infrastructure investment, the Guardian has learned, despite concerns about the rising cost of UK government debt.

Cleverly in top spot as Tories drop Tugendhat

James Cleverly shot to the top of the latest MPs' vote in the Conservative leadership contest yesterday, leaving Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick facing a battle to reach the final two.

England suffer as Masood and Shafique turn up heat

For weeks Pakistan teased England with talk of green pitches and seamer-friendly conditions, and then in the final hours before the opening game they peeled off the covers, shaved off anything betraying any evidence of chlorophyll, gave the heavy roller a final, deathly spin and, once the coin had fallen in their favour, told the tourists to do their best.

Russian court jails US citizen, 72, accused of fighting for Ukraine's army

A 72-year-old American citizen has been sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison by a Russian court that convicted him of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.

US election Will white women's shift to the left prove decisive?

White female voters have been the backbone of the Republican party for decades - but polls indicate their support may be faltering, thanks to younger white women who are moving steadily leftwards.

Pakistan outlaws Pashtun group as government seeks to stifle dissent

Pakistani authorities have unleashed a draconian crackdown on dissent, breaking up opposition protests with violence and mass arrests and banning a movement to promote the rights of the ethnic Pashtun community under terrorism laws.