The Guardian

Adam Tickell, of University of Birmingham, says money is loaned to people who ‘are not really capable of graduating’ A leading vice-chancellor has questioned whether students without A-levels should be eligible for government-backed student loans, as part of an effort to solve England’s university funding crisis. Adam Tickell, vice-chancellor of the University of Birmingham, said universities fac…

The 55 pilot whales, which had to be euthanised, had been following a female having a difficult birth, scientists believe The mass stranding and death of 55 whales on the Isle of Lewis in 2023 was caused by the mammals’ loyalty to their pod, a report has concluded. It had been thought that the unusually large incident on Tràigh Mhòr beach, Tolsta, could have been caused by trauma, disease or acou…

Ministers urged to abandon plans to let tech firms use work of novelists, artists and writers without permission The UK’s creative industries must not be sacrificed in the pursuit of speculative gains in AI technology, a House of Lords committee has warned, as the government prepares to reveal the economic cost of proposals to change copyright rules . A report by peers has urged ministers to deve…

Head of government-commissioned review says adult social care is held together by ‘sticking plasters and glue’ England’s “creaking” adult social care system is confusing and impenetrable to the people that rely on it and held together with “sticking plasters and glue”, the head of a government-commissioned review has said in a withering critique. Louise Casey said the country faced a “moment of r…

Most recorded visits are for smaller debts, data from England and Wales suggests, though method of recovery is a postcode lottery Tens of thousands of people a year have bailiffs sent to their homes by water companies in England and Wales, data shows. Many thousands of these visits by debt collectors were for sums worth under £1,000, according to the data released by the House of Commons environm…

Recusal application against district court judge Penelope Wass yet to be determined amid row with DPP Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast New South Wales’ top prosecutor has been given the green light to continue her fight to get a senior judge removed from a historical sexual offences trial on the grounds of apprehen…

As the Spanish PM decries the war in Iran, other politicians are unable – or unwilling – to speak against the US president On Wednesday morning, Pedro Sánchez delivered a 10-minute televised address with the rather bland title: “An institutional declaration by the prime minister to assess recent international events.” The speech’s words, however, were anything but beige. Hours after Donald Trump …

Iraq emerges as key front in new and often clandestine confrontation after launching dozens of attacks Iran-backed militias around the Middle East are intensifying attacks against Israel, the US and their allies, in retaliation for the ongoing joint US-Israeli offensive against Tehran as the war draws in new armed actors, threatening wider chaos and violence. Israel and the US have targeted Iran’…

Decision marks end of years-long legal saga for 78-year-old critic of Chinese Communist party Jimmy Lai, the prominent pro-democracy activist who was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong, has said he will not appeal his conviction. The decision marks the end of a years-long legal saga for the 78-year-old critic of the Chinese Communist party (CCP), and opens the door for politica…

BoM issues flood watch covering most of Queensland while NT authorities warn houses and roads could be inundated Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Queensland and Northern Territory towns are being warned to prepare for major flooding as multiple tropical lows across northern Australia deliver a deluge. The Bureau of…

Several sites now state they are ‘not currently accepting new account registrations in your region’ when accessed from Australia Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A number of adult websites have begun blocking users in Australia in preparation for new codes requiring age verification from Monday. Guardian Australia …

US issues 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to buy Russian oil; IDF says it is striking Dahiya neighborhood in southern suburbs of Beirut Tell us: how have you been affected by the latest events in the Middle East? Continue reading...

Ukrainian president orders equipment and expertise to be provided to US in return to diplomatic support against Russia, saying ‘we help to defend from war those who help us’ The United States and its allies in the Middle East are seeking Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones , president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Various countries, including the US, have approached Ukraine for…

‘Stopgap measure’ designed to keep oil flowing into global market as Middle East crisis disrupts crude shipments The US treasury issued a 30-day waiver on Thursday allowing India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea. “To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the treasury department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil,” treasury s…

Early in a life of service, LaFayette did the risky groundwork for the voter registration campaign in Selma, Alabama Bernard LaFayette, the advance man who did the risky groundwork for the voter registration campaign in Selma, Alabama, that culminated in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, has died. Bernard LaFayette III said his father died Thursday morning of a heart attack. He was 85…