UK announce public inquiry into woman’s Novichok poisoning

In his first Christmas Day message as monarch, King Charles III has hailed the "heartfelt solidarity" of people across the recession-hit UK struggling with a deepening cost of living crisis.

More migrants made the perilous journey across the English Channel in 2022 than in any previous year. The UK government faces criticism for failing to curb people smuggling.

We bring you reactions in the UK press after Prince Harry’s explosive memoirs are leaked ahead of the release date. Also, the arrest of El Chapo's son in Mexico sparks violent clashes between security forces and gang members. Finally, Glamour magazine takes a look at what baby names they expect to be big in 2023, inspired by footballers and television characters alike.

20,000 paramedics, ambulance drivers and support staff have gone on strike in England and Wales as a standoff over pay deepens. Unions are calling for better wages to deal with double-digit inflation. PM Rishi Sunak, meanwhile, is defending his government's plans to enforce minimum service levels in certain sectors, even during union-led walkouts.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Friday.⁣

With over a million refugees and more than 200,000 asylum seekers, Germany is Europe's largest host country for those in search of refuge abroad. Our Perspective guest is one of last year's winners of the prestigious Global Citizen Prize, awarded for her work with female refugees in Germany, Greece and Syria.

This week, the UK's seminal piece of internet regulation, the Online Safety Bill, moved from the House of Commons to the House of Lords after being amended. It now includes a provision threatening tech bosses with two years in prison if they don't keep children safe online.

The United Kingdom is experiencing a wave of strikes on a scale not seen since the 1980s under then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. With double-digit inflation, the spiralling cost-of-living crisis means that those on stagnating and low salaries, especially public sector workers, are struggling to make ends meet. This Wednesday, half a million people are expected to go on strike, from teachers to civil servants to train drivers.

Tens of thousands of railway workers, university staff, teachers and civil servants in London have gone on a day of strike on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

The visit comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK will train Ukrainian pilots on "NATO-standard fighter jets.''

The proposed deal would be the largest in tech industry history, handing popular franchises Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crash to Microsoft.

The figure represents almost 800 women dying every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy or childbirth. Maternal mortality rates have increased in the world's poorest regions.