Author and academic Katherine Rundell explores the precipitous decline in reading books for pleasure, and what can be done to reverse it. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been released under investigation after police questioned the former prince in relation to allegations he shared confidential material with Jeffrey Epstein. Officers searched Mountbatten-Windsor’s Sandringham residence as well as his former home at the Royal Lodge in Great Windsor Park after arresting him on Thursday. The former prince has denied any wrongdoing. But what were the police searching for and what could happen next? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s p...
Political correspondent Alexandra Topping and special educational needs student Jake with his mum, Laura, explore the government’s controversial plans for reform. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office by police investigating his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein. Six unmarked police cars carrying plainclothes officers arrived at the Sandringham estate while the former prince was celebrating his 66th birthday on Thursday. Officers searched the Norfolk property as well as Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home at the Royal Lodge in Great Windsor Park. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian journalist David Pegg – watch o...
Face transplant patient Robert Chelsea and writer Fay Bound Alberti talk through the promise – and darker side – of this pioneering surgery. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says ‘no agreement’ has been made between Ukraine and Russia during US-mediated peace talks in Geneva. Expectations remain low, while Ukrainians continue to face Russian strikes in subzero temperatures. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s foreign correspondent in Kyiv, Luke Harding – watch on YouTube . Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus...
A thinktank called Labour Together, linked to Keir Starmer and Morgan McSweeney, has been exposed for investigating journalists who were looking into the group’s funding. One of those journalists was the Guardian’s Henry Dyer. He tells Helen Pidd how he found out and why it matters. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The civil rights campaigner Jesse Jackson has died aged 84. Jackson was a protege of Martin Luther King Jr and ran twice for the Democratic presidential nomination. He remained a prominent figure in US politics for more than 50 years, championing the rights of Black, poor and working-class people with his ‘rainbow coalition’. Lucy Hough speaks to Carys Afoko – watch on YouTube –- Over The Top and Under The Radar podcast - – 2020 interview with Jesse Jackson . Help support our independent journal...
The Guardian journalists Sam Jones and Tom Phillips chart the rise of the narco-sub after a record seizure in the Atlantic. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Barack Obama has caused a frenzy after saying he thinks aliens are real during a podcast interview. The former US president was forced to release a statement clarifying he had not seen any evidence of extraterrestrials. There is a long-running conspiracy theory claiming the US government is hiding extraterrestrials at Area 51, a highly classified air force site in Nevada. Lucy Hough speaks to the host of the Guardian’s Science Weekly podcast, Madeleine Finlay – watch on YouTube -- Listen to the ...
The Guardian’s community affairs correspondent, Chris Osuh , reports on the plot by two IS terrorists to massacre Jews in Manchester, and how it was thwarted by an undercover sting. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The co-founder of Palestine Action has won a legal challenge to the home secretary’s decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. Palestine Action was the first direct action protest group to be proscribed. The decision was widely condemned and was defied by a civil disobedience campaign, during which more than 2,000 people have been arrested. From July last year, being a member of – or showing support for – the group became an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Lucy Hough s...
Keir Starmer was on the brink of a leadership contest this week, but he pulled it back. That does not mean his rivals have gone away. Nosheen Iqbal speaks to Kiran Stacey about one of the most hotly tipped contenders: Wes Streeting. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The Monaco-based billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has said he is sorry that his ‘choice of language has offended some people’, after growing outrage over his comments that the UK was being ‘colonised by immigrants’. The Manchester United co-owner has faced a mounting backlash since making the remarks, which have been labelled hypocritical and reminiscent of ‘far-right narratives’. Lucy Hough speaks to the sports writer and columnist Jonathan Liew – watch on YouTube . Help support our independent journa...
Guardian journalists Tom Phillips and Tiago Rogero investigate the bloodiest day in Rio de Janeiro’s modern history, when police last October attempted to capture a drug kingpin in the favelas. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Nine people have been killed and dozens injured after a mass shooting at a school in Canada. The suspect was also found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury. The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the remote town of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia, which has a population of only 2,400. It is the second-worst mass shooting in Canada’s history. Lucy Hough speaks to reporter Leyland Cecco – watch on YouTube . Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus...
Hundreds of jobs have gone at the newspaper that broke the Watergate scandal. Was profit or politics behind the decision? Jeremy Barr reports . Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
After a day of turmoil where the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, called for Keir Starmer to resign, Labour MPs and cabinet members seem to be rallying around the prime minister. Can Starmer bounce back from this latest blow to his leadership? And what might the road to recovery look like for Labour? Lucy Hough speaks to columnist Aditya Chakrabortty – watch on YouTube . Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus...
Helen Pidd follows the twists and turns on Monday as the prime minister fought to keep his job. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The media mogul and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong for national security offences. His family has described the sentence as ‘heartbreakingly cruel’, given the 78-year-old’s declining health. Lai was convicted in December on charges of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, after pleading not guilty to all charges. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s senior China correspondent, Amy Hawkins – watch on YouTube . Help...
The whole town centre of Newton Aycliffe in County Durham is owned by billionaire brothers – so why is it so run down? Josh Halliday reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The latest tranche of Epstein files has sent shock waves around the world, but many of the powerful men who minimised and dismissed his crimes are still yet to face any real consequences. The documents show the likes of Noam Chomsky and Steve Bannon were happy to maintain relationships with Epstein even after he spent time in jail for child sex offences. What message does that send to the abused women and girls, whose experiences should be the real focus? And will these men ever be held to accou...
The journalist Jen Ortiz charts the rise of Bad Bunny – the Puerto Rican superstar musician and ICE critic – before his performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Keir Starmer’s days as prime minister are numbered, Labour MPs have warned, after a week of fury over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Several MPs have said the prime minister’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, should take responsibility and resign, with one describing the mood surrounding No 10 as seeming ‘terminal.’ Lucy Hough talks to political correspondent Alexandra Topping – watch on YouTube . Help support our independent jou...
The latest release of the Epstein files has dominated the news this week, with documents related to Bill Gates, Peter Mandelson, Elon Musk and Woody Allen pulling them into the spotlight. But, as the US deputy attorney general Todd Blanche suggested the legal review into the Epstein files was ‘over’, the survivors of Epstein’s abuse made clear it was not the end. Annie Kelly speaks to Lisa Philips, who suffered years of abuse by Epstein in the 2000s and is now one of the many survivors calling f...
Peter Mandelson faces a criminal investigation over allegations he leaked Downing Street emails and market-sensitive information to the child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2009. The Metropolitan police are investigating Mandelson, who was then business secretary, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Police are also reviewing fresh allegations about the former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Lucy Hough speaks to the hea...
Prediction markets allow you to put money on everything from the US attacking Iran to Jesus returning. Saahil Desai explains their dizzying rise. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
A small number of Palestinians from Gaza have started crossing into Egypt for medical treatment after Israel allowed a limited reopening of the Rafah border crossing. It had been largely closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024, cutting off a critical lifeline for those in Gaza. About 20,000 Palestinians needing medical care hope to leave Gaza using the crossing, but only a handful have been allowed through so far. The reopening of Rafah is seen as a key step in the US-brokered ceasefir...
A succession of political leaders have been trooping to Beijing in recent months. Is it an indication of a new world order? Tania Branigan explains. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Donald Trump claims that the release of millions more files related to Jeffrey Epstein ‘absolve’ him of wrongdoing, even though his name appears hundreds of times. The latest documents also indicate high-profile figures, including the former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Labour peer Peter Mandelson, continued friendships with the disgraced financier after his child sex abuse convictions. So what have we learned from the newly released files and what happens next? Lucy Hough speaks to col...
