Exclusive: Refugee status granted despite attempt by former home secretary James Cleverly to block 26-year-old’s claim A Palestinian citizen of Israel has been granted asylum in the UK on the basis of a “well-founded fear of persecution” despite a former home secretary’s attempt to block the claim. Hasan (not his real name) is believed to be the first Palestinian with an Israeli passport to be given refugee status in the UK. But the decision came only after two about-turns by the Home Office and a protracted legal battle. Continue reading...

How do you retain a space of democracy in a world that is reverting to violent conquest? By building a protective moat of federalism around it, says Paris-based Guardian writer Alexander Hurst

Jonathan Hall calls for police forces to clamp down on racial hatred based on nationality Israelis are being demonised as a “vehicle for hatred of Jews”, the UK’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation has said. Jonathan Hall said police forces should be held responsible for failing to clamp down on the targeting of “Israeli citizens as well as Jews living among them”. Continue reading...

Plan will start with TransPennine upgrade with new line connecting Liverpool and Manchester in second phase Long-awaited plans for better railways across the north of England have been given government backing with an undertaking to “reverse years of chronic underinvestment” by spending up to £45bn building Northern Powerhouse Rail. Just over £1bn has been allocated to work up a detailed three-stage plan to connect cities from Liverpool to Newcastle, which could fulfil most of the demands of northern leaders, in a series of long-term projects. Continue reading...

Damien Egan, the Labour MP for Bristol North East, had a visit with a local academy called off ‘in case his presence inflames the teachers’ A planned visit by a Jewish Labour MP to a school in his Bristol constituency was cancelled after a campaign by a pro-Palestine group, it has emerged. Damien Egan, the Labour MP for Bristol North East, had been booked to speak to students at Bristol Brunel academy, but the visit was called off by the school hours before it was due to happen. Continue reading...

It was hard for me to quit Elon Musk’s poisoned platform, but I urge others to do the same, especially in light of Grok’s imagery of women and children, says journalist Marie Le Conte

The degrading pictures are being posted to X despite the platform pledging to suspend people who generate them Degrading images of children and women with their clothes digitally removed by Grok AI continue to be shared on Elon Musk’s X, despite the platform’s commitment to suspend users who generate them. After days of concern over use of the chatbot to alter photographs to create sexualised pictures of real women and children stripped to their underwear without their consent, the UK’s communication’s watchdog, Ofcom, said on Monday that it had made “urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK”. Ofcom added that it would assess whether an investigation is necessary based on the company’s response. Continue reading...

The Madera County sheriff’s office confirmed that 47-year-old pastor Joshua David Kemper “was taken into custody following a months-long investigation” into allegations involving a 15-year-old girl.

The former Assemblies of God minister was indicted in Oklahoma after an NBC News investigation revealed decades of missed warnings.

Strikes were latest violation of year-long ceasefire and targeted what Israel said were Hezbollah sites Israel carried out several airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Wednesday targeting what it said was Hezbollah infrastructure, as a new year’s deadline for the Lebanese state to disarm the group in the south of the country loomed. Israeli warplanes bombed the valleys of Houmin, Wadi Azza and Nimeiriya in the southern Nabatieh area on Wednesday morning. Residents reported that Israeli drones continued to hover over the area and other areas of south Lebanon and its eastern Bekaa valley after the strikes. Continue reading...

Announcement after proposed sale falls through prompts backlash and union says more than 200 jobs at risk A Reform UK-led council plan to shut eight of its residential care homes has been condemned as “a betrayal of local people”. Days before Christmas, Derbyshire county council announced that the homes would have to close after a proposed sale fell through. Continue reading...

Firms agree deals with Beijing-based Baidu to take self-driving cabs to UK capital Chinese robotaxis are due to be on the streets of London next year after the US ride-hailing companies Lyft and Uber announced tie-ups with Beijing-based Baidu to deploy its self-driving technology. Lyft is the third firm to announce plans to introduce self-driving taxis to the UK capital next year, following Uber and Waymo, the main operator of robotaxis in the US. Continue reading...

‘Clear conflict’ between Eurovision ideals of ‘inclusion and dignity for all’ and decision to let Israel compete, says 2024 winner Nemo, the Swiss singer who won the 2024 Eurovision song contest, has said they are handing back their trophy in protest over Israel’s participation in next year’s event. The 26-year-old, the first non-binary winner of the contest, said on Thursday there was “a clear conflict” between the Eurovision ideals of “unity, inclusion and dignity for all” and the decision to allow Israel to compete. Continue reading...

The ‘queen of romantic comedy’ has died 18 months after announcing her brain cancer diagnosis Madeleine Wickham, known for writing the bestselling novel Confessions of a Shopaholic under her pen name Sophie Kinsella, has died aged 55. Wickham, dubbed “the queen of romantic comedy” by novelist Jojo Moyes, wrote more than 30 books for adults, children and teenagers, which have sold more than 45m copies. Continue reading...

Iceland will join Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Ireland in neither participating in nor broadcasting event Iceland has become the fifth country to boycott next year’s Eurovision song contest after Israel was given the go-ahead to compete, deepening the crisis facing the competition. The board of the national broadcaster, RÚV, voted on Wednesday not to participate, meaning Iceland will join Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Ireland in neither participating in nor broadcasting the event, which is scheduled to take place in Vienna. Continue reading...

Linklater is missing from the best director list despite having two nominated films, and actors including Sydney Sweeney and Josh O’Connor are nowhere to be seen. It looks like Paul Thomas Anderson’s year

Reform UK leader launches tirade against broadcaster in latest effort to address claims of abuse from school contemporaries * UK politics live – latest updates Nigel Farage has denied saying anything racist “with malice” in his latest attempt to address allegations of abuse made by numerous of his contemporaries at school. The Reform leader declined to call his accusers liars, but lost his cool as he turned his fire on the BBC for questioning him about alleged antisemitic comments. Continue reading...

Decision not to hold vote on Israel’s participation comes in spite of several broadcasters calling for its exclusion Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands will boycott next year’s Eurovision after Israel was given the all-clear to compete in next year’s song contest in spite of several participating broadcasters calling for its exclusion. At the general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union, the body that organises the hugely popular international annual singing competition, no vote on Israel’s participation was held. Continue reading...