UK food and drink trade deficit largest since 2000 at £21bn
Industry leaders call on government to protect homegrown produce in the interest of national securityThe gap between Britain’s food and drink exports and imports has neared its highest this century, as a combination of Brexit, war in the Middle East and…
Iran awaiting response from Trump on proposal to open strait of Hormuz in six days
Country says US must lift sanctions on its oil exports and end the war on all fronts, including in LebanonIran said it has told Donald Trump it is willing to open the strait of Hormuz in six days, and to start talks on its nuclear program the day after,…
Far-right activist Daniel Thomas charged over alleged dinghy slashing in Channel
Thirty-seven-year-old charged with one count of criminal damage and failing to disclose his phone pin to police The far-right agitator and anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas has been charged with criminal damage and failing to disclose his phone pin to…
NHS bodies in England impose two-year minimum wait for ADHD and autism assessments
Patient groups decry ‘scandalous’ delays as four integrated care boards take step due to soaring demand for diagnosesNHS bodies are forcing people with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism to wait at least two years before they…
Why is the UK’s suppressed climate national security report significant?
Warnings about the catastrophic effects of vital ecosystems collapsing were not published under previous PMUK shares findings of damning climate crisis national security report suppressed under StarmerUK spy chiefs warned government ministers of the…
Ukrainians in UK fear homelessness over host scheme funding cuts
Monthly ‘thank you’ payments for people hosting refugees to be cut from £350 to £100 from next yearUkrainian refugees in the UK fear they could be left homeless after the government quietly axed 70% of funding for hosts of the Homes for Ukraine scheme,…
France says EU’s ‘Made in Europe’ law should not include the UK
‘If you’re not in the internal market, you don’t get the same protection,’ says French minister of policy designed to curb Chinese competitionFrance is leading a push to exclude the UK from the EU’s “Made in Europe” policy that could result in British…
The Guardian view on vocational GCSEs: why now? | Editorial
Ministers’ commitment to cutting youth unemployment is admirable, but how new qualifications will help is unclearThe first question that should be asked about plans to launch a batch of vocational GCSEs is: how will these differ from the roughly 50…
Thank you, Phil Gates, for nearly 40 years of country diaries | Letters
Jim McManners says Phil’s columns have inspired his teaching, while Ann MacAskill says she intends to follow his marvelling methodI was with great sadness that I read that Phil Gates’s country diary piece was to be his last (Country diary: A lesson…
Alcohol in the stands would spoil football | Brief letters
Andy Burnham’s own goal | Investigating failure | Hedgehog-flavoured crisps | Crisp festival | Sitting proneBefore legislating to permit alcoholic drinks to be consumed in the stands at football (Report, 23 September), Andy Burnham should attend a rugby…