Reform council leader accused of racism after alleged remarks about Sadiq Khan 03. December 2025 (19:21) Ian Cooper allegedly called Khan ‘narcissistic Pakistani’ and made comments about lawyer Shola Mos-ShogbamimuA Reform UK council leader has been accused of racism after allegedly describing Sadiq Khan as a “narcissistic Pakistani” and saying a black British lawyer should have “F’d off back to Nigeria”.Ian Cooper, the leader of Staffordshire county council, is also said to have attacked the justice secretary, David Lammy, in a social media post that said: “No foreign national or first generation migrant should be allowed to sit in parliament.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
House Democrats release new images of Epstein’s private Caribbean island 03. December 2025 (19:13) Images and videos taken in 2020, a year after he died in jail, show the late sex offender’s homeUS politics – live updatesHouse Democrats released a handful of photos and videos from Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island on Wednesday, offering a rare glimpse into a secretive place where Epstein is alleged to have trafficked young girls.The new images and videos show Epstein’s home, including bedrooms, a telephone, what appears to be an office or library, and a chalkboard on which the words “fin”, “intellectual”, “deception” and “power” are written. One photo shows a room with a dentist chair and masks hanging on the wall. The New York Times reported that Epstein’s last girlfriend was a dentist who shared an office with one of his shell companies. The videos appear to be a walk-through of the property. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Is Putin about to go to war with Europe? – The Latest 03. December 2025 (18:50) Vladimir Putin has stalled progress on a peace plan for Ukraine being brokered by Donald Trump’s US and has said he is ‘ready for war’ with Europe ‘if it starts one’. Luke Harding speaks to Lucy Hough-- Watch Today in Focus: The Latest on Youtube -- Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Federal agents prepare to launch immigration crackdown in New Orleans 03. December 2025 (18:17) Democrat-led city has been bracing for arrival of federal agents for weeks, with some businesses closing their doorsFederal agents are preparing to descend on New Orleans on Wednesday, making Louisiana’s most populous city the latest front in the Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on immigrant communities.Tricia McLaughlin, homeland security department assistant secretary, said in a statement that the aim of “Operation Catahoula Crunch” was to capture immigrants who were released after their arrests for crimes including home invasion, armed robbery, grand theft auto and rape. “It is asinine that these monsters were released back onto New Orleans streets to COMMIT MORE CRIMES and create more victims,” she said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Foreign Office lost ‘opportunities to influence’ US after Harry Dunn death, review finds 03. December 2025 (17:35) Anne Owers highlights delays in escalation after crash in August 2019, after which Anne Sacoolas flew to USForeign Office failures led to opportunities being missed to achieve justice for the family of Harry Dunn, killed in August 2019 in a motorcycle crash outside a US airbase, an independent review commissioned by the Labour government has found.Dame Anne Owers, who led the review, said: “Ministers and senior officials were not involved early enough, and this meant that opportunities were lost to influence – rather than respond to – events. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Leaked report reveals culture of bullying and harassment at scandal-hit NHS hospital 03. December 2025 (17:26) Exclusive: report into Blackpool Victoria hospital by Royal College of Physicians finds systemic failings have affected patient safetyA culture of systemic bullying and harassment has been allowed to flourish among staff at one England’s most scandal-hit hospitals, a damning leaked report reveals.The safety of patients at Blackpool Victoria hospital was affected as a result of the failings, the report by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) found. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Amid missiles and diplomacy, Russia is exploiting western divisions over Ukraine 03. December 2025 (17:08) As Russia intensifies its military pressure and diplomatic manoeuvring, European leaders find themselves increasingly at odds with Washington over how to pursue peaceDon’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereFor days, officials across Europe scrambled to hastily planned meetings, hashing out details on frantic calls and hours-long negotiations. But after a tumultuous few weeks, capped off by the Russian president warning that his country was ready for war with Europe, peace in Ukraine appears to be no closer.Instead, what has seemingly been laid bare is the glaring clash of views underpinning the peace process. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trial of aid workers accused of facilitating illegal entry of migrants into Greece set to begin 03. December 2025 (16:45) The accused, including Syrian refugee Sarah Mardini and Irishman Sean Binder, were among those providing humanitarian assistance in Europe’s migration crisisTwenty four former aid workers accused of facilitating the illegal entrance of migrants into Greece, and other crimes that carry lengthy prison terms, are set to appear in court on Lesbos in a trial being closely watched internationally.Human rights defenders from around the world, including Sarah Mardini, the Syrian refugee immortalised in the Netflix movie, The Swimmers, are slated to take the stand when proceedings before a court of appeals begin in the island’s capital, Mytilene, on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour planned in opposition how to introduce assisted dying via private member’s bill 03. December 2025 (16:33) Leaked document raises questions over amount of government control behind MP Kim Leadbeater’s billUK politics live – latest updatesLabour planned while in opposition how to introduce assisted dying via a private member’s bill, suggesting that would still allow “heavy influence” for the government in the process, a leaked document has revealed.The document, seen by the Guardian, proposed a change strikingly similar to the private member’s bill put forward eventually by the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater – to limit the change in the law to those who are “mentally competent, terminally ill and have a prognosis of less than six months left to live”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
HSBC appoints interim chair Brendan Nelson to permanent role 03. December 2025 (15:42) Questions raised about permanency of 76-year-old’s appointment and ‘leadership stability at critical juncture for bank’Business live – latest updatesHSBC has appointed the former KPMG partner Brendan Nelson as its chair after a prolonged search process that left one of the world’s biggest banks without a permanent executive in the top role for months.The decision to appoint Nelson, who has been serving as interim chair, came as a surprise, after a protracted hunt for a permanent successor for Mark Tucker which involved courting external candidates including the former chancellor George Osborne and the head of Goldman Sachs’s Asia-Pacific division, Kevin Sneader. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
