NHS anaesthetist shortage prevents 1.5m operations a year, report finds 11. July 2026 (13:00) Exclusive: Alarming shortfall of specialists stops about 4,000 procedures a day, many for patients in urgent need of surgeryThe NHS is unable to perform 1.5m operations a year because of a drastic shortage of anaesthetists, a report reveals.More than 8 million patients are on waiting lists across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many are in urgent need of a surgical procedure. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ann Widdecombe investigation: police release man arrested on suspicion of former MP’s murder – latest updates 11. July 2026 (11:53) Officers are carrying out ‘numerous inquiries’ but 26-year-old, arrested on Friday afternoon, is no longer part of the investigationJournalists from PA media have been talking to Haytor residents following the news of Ann Widdecombe’s death.Christine Maloney, who lives near Widdecombe’s home, said the area is “very safe” – so much so that it is normal for locals to leave their cars and front doors unlocked.My husband saw her a week ago, driving around. I’m very shocked at (her death), it shouldn’t have happened, it’s horrific.Everyone knows that’s her house, perhaps that’s the problem? It’s very, very safe around here. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mitch McConnell mystery deepens as health questions remain unanswered 11. July 2026 (11:00) Senator’s office has released only sparse details about hospital stay, leaving fevered speculation to fill vacuumMystery surrounding Senator Mitch McConnell’s health is deepening as the US Congress prepares to return from recess next week.McConnell, 84, has not been seen in public since he was admitted to hospital in the Washington area on 14 June. Nearly a month later, the Kentucky Republican’s office has released only sparse updates, saying he is “continuing to improve” and remains engaged with Senate business, while refusing to disclose the nature of his illness or explain why he remains hospitalised. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Alfred Dreyfus statue to finally receive permanent home in central Paris 11. July 2026 (11:00) Sculpture of Jewish army officer wrongly accused of treason has been moved around the city for decadesFor 40 years, the statue of Capt Alfred Dreyfus has been moved around Paris, never finding a permanent home.The French army twice refused to allow it to stand at l’École Militaire, where Dreyfus, a Jewish officer it had wrongly accused of treason in 1894, was stripped of his rank in one of the most notorious acts of antisemitism in France’s history. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Like a sauna’: London tube travellers swelter in temperatures higher than legal limit for cattle 11. July 2026 (10:45) The tube cannot easily be adapted to cope with heatwaves, making conditions almost unbearableAs the escalator descends below ground at King’s Cross St Pancras station in London, the shift from what was already a hot station entrance to the furnace-like subterranean depths is perceptible.On the tube it’s worse: a man leans back in his seat, eyes closed, sweltering; people hold electric fans an inch away from their faces. London commuters are known for their stoicism and the heat appears to be another tribulation to accept. They will need to: heatwaves in the capital are becoming routine. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Politicians have always been schemers’: upheld conviction fails to dent Le Pen’s popularity 11. July 2026 (10:00) Presidential bid by leader of far-right National Rally has no shortage of supporters in scenic MontargisIn the small French town of Montargis, Jean-Antoine, a retired decorator, was pleased Marine Le Pen had again shaken up French politics by launching a bid for the presidency, despite her legal woes.“Even the judges said she didn’t personally profit from the money, it was for her party,” he said of Le Pen’s newly upheld conviction for embezzlement. “All politicians in France have always been schemers, it’s just a fact of life.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
John Humphrys criticises successors on ‘irritating’ Today programme 11. July 2026 (09:00) Ex-presenter of BBC Radio 4 show complains in Guardian of ‘gratuitous gratitude’ and ‘gushing’ between host and guestFor more than three decades, John Humphrys delighted and infuriated listeners in equal measure as he confronted the nation’s politicians in his trademark, pointed style on the Today programme.Now a listener himself, the former presenter of the BBC’s flagship radio news show is just as pointed in his assessment of the current incarnation of the programme. His verdict? It’s irritating. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
World Cup quarter-final expected to generate £500m sales boost for UK economy 11. July 2026 (09:00) As England prepare to take on Norway on Saturday, sales of pints, takeaways and new TVs continue to surgeFrom a cosy Norwegian pub to outdoor fan zones packed with hopeful England football fans, Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final between the two nations is expected to generate a multimillion-pound windfall for venues showing the game.The quarter-finals will collectively generate a near half-billion pound sales increase for the wider UK economy, as fans drink 9.3m pints, order takeaways and splash out on new TVs, according to one estimate. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man arrested on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe’s murder is released 11. July 2026 (08:20) The 26-year-old man is no longer part of the investigation, Devon and Cornwall police sayA 26-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of the murder of the former MP Ann Widdecombe has been released from custody and is no longer part of the investigation, Devon and Cornwall police said early on Saturday.In a statement, Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said: “Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour MPs call for Andy Burnham to restore aid spending target set by Brown 11. July 2026 (08:00) Thinktank urges prospective prime minister to reclaim UK’s role as an international leader on developmentInfluential backbenchers are calling on Andy Burnham to reclaim Labour’s leadership on international development and chart a course back to spending 0.7% of national income on overseas aid.In a collection of essays to be published soon by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) thinktank, MPs lay out proposals for a Burnham-led government to rethink foreign policy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
