Who is Antonia Romeo and why is she tipped to be the next cabinet secretary?

12/02/2026 18:38 The Guardian

With Chris Wormald forced out, Romeo is a frontrunner with a reputation for being forthright but also warmAntonia Romeo is not a typical civil servant, according to almost everyone who has worked with or met her in a professional context.Charming, ambitious and not afraid to publicise her own achievements, Romeo was on the shortlist to be cabinet secretary a year ago when Keir Starmer opted instead for a classic “Sir Humphrey” choice in Chris Wormald. Continue reading...

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Irishman held by ICE was issued warrant over 2009 drug offense in Ireland

Seamus Culleton has been held for five months despite having valid work permit and being married to US nationalAn Irish court apparently issued a warrant for the arrest of the Irish man currently embroiled in controversy with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has been ramping up de...

12/02/2026 21:00 The Guardian

NHS deal with AI firm Palantir called into question after officials’ concerns revealed

Exclusive: in 2025 briefing to Wes Streeting, officials warned reputation of tech firm behind US ICE operations would hinder rollout of data system in UKHealth officials fear Palantir’s reputation will hinder the delivery of a “vital” £330m NHS contract, according to briefings seen by the Gua...

12/02/2026 19:49 The Guardian

Union chief calls for Angela Rayner to replace Keir Starmer or risk Labour defeat to Reform UK

Exclusive: TSSA general secretary wants Rayner to take over after Gorton byelection which she expects party to loseUK politics live – latest updatesThe head of a Labour-affiliated union has called for Angela Rayner to replace Keir Starmer, warning that Starmer risks leading the party into a heavy...

12/02/2026 18:01 The Guardian

Pentagon policy chief tells European Nato members to step up combat capabilities

Elbridge Colby tells meeting in Brussels that US plans to reduce conventional forces in Europe but remains committed to Nato allianceThe Pentagon’s policy chief, Elbridge Colby, has told European Nato defence ministers in Brussels that they need to step up their combat capabilities and take the le...

12/02/2026 17:36 The Guardian

UK pledges to send £540m worth of weapons to Ukraine - Europe live

The commitment includes US-made interceptors and lightweight missiles for Ukraine’s air defencesWhile Ukraine is reeling from last night’s barrage of attacks, the Kremlin said it expected the next round of peace talks to happen soon.“We have a certain understanding (of the details), and we wil...

12/02/2026 15:57 The Guardian

Trump’s pick for top diplomatic role faces scrutiny over ‘white supremacist’ views

Jeremy Carl, assistant secretary of state nominee, has espoused ‘racist, antisemitic’ views, says non-profit leaderUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s pick for a top diplomatic post has championed “white supremacist, racist, antisemitic and homophobic views”, a former US stat...

12/02/2026 15:18 The Guardian

Billions in funding wrongly released to Hungary, says EU court’s top adviser

Advocate general questions decision, saying reforms needed to unfreeze about €10bn have not been carried outEurope live – latest updatesThe top adviser to the EU’s highest court has said it should annul a decision by the European Commission to unfreeze billions of euros of payments to Hungary...

12/02/2026 15:11 The Guardian

New Jersey governor bans immigration agents from some state property

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12/02/2026 14:50 The Guardian

Six Republicans join Democrats in vote to block Donald Trump’s Canada tariffs - US politics live

President warned prior to the vote that any Republican who voted against tariffs would ‘suffer the consequences’ Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan kicked off his press conference today announcing that the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota has “yielded the successful res...

12/02/2026 14:21 The Guardian

‘Movies can change the world but not in a political way’ says Wim Wenders

At a press conference to open the 76th edition of the Berlin film festival, the jury president said ‘cinema has an incredible power’ but little influence on political decision makersVeteran director Wim Wenders has hailed the power of cinema to help heal a broken planet as he takes up the jury p...

12/02/2026 13:51 The Guardian

Portugal urged to adapt to climate emergency after series of deadly storms

Continuing extreme weather has caused deaths of 16 people, evacuation of thousands and destruction of homesEurope live – latest updatesPortugal is under pressure to draw up plans to adapt to the climate emergency as the country continues to be lashed by an unprecedented series of storms that have...

12/02/2026 13:40 The Guardian

Susie Dent’s tips and tricks to add muscle to a child’s vocabulary

To help combat the impact of screen-time creep, the Countdown word supremo has a few suggestionsChildren’s vocabulary shrinking as reading loses out to screen time, says Susie DentChildren’s vocabulary is shrinking as reading loses out to screen time, the Countdown lexicographer Susie Dent has s...

12/02/2026 12:18 The Guardian

Children’s vocabulary shrinking as reading loses out to screen time, says Susie Dent

Exclusive: Countdown lexicographer urges families to read, talk and play word games to help language developmentSusie Dent’s tips and tricks to add muscle to a child’s vocabularyChildren’s vocabulary is shrinking as reading loses out to screen time, according to the lexicographer Susie Dent, w...

12/02/2026 11:46 The Guardian

Anthony Albanese raises bulldozed Australian war graves with Israeli president

Prime minister stresses importance of repairs to graves in Gaza being conducted as soon as possible in meeting with Isaac HerzogFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has raised the issue...

12/02/2026 06:43 The Guardian

Russia attempted to ‘fully block’ WhatsApp, Meta-owned company says

Move is a ‘backwards step’, company spokesperson says, amid concerns Kremlin is seeking more state control via messaging apps such as MaxRussia has attempted to “fully block” WhatsApp in an attempt to push users towards its own state-sponsored communications app, Max, a spokesperson for the...

12/02/2026 05:49 The Guardian

DNA technology used to catch Golden State Killer leads to NSW arrest over historic alleged sexual assaults

Police charge Kempsey man for alleged attacks between 1991 and 2002Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSex crimes detectives have used emerging DNA technology to arrest an elderly man for a series of alleged sexual assaults...

12/02/2026 03:52 The Guardian

Despite Trump’s threats, six House Republicans side with Democrats in effort to end tariffs on Canada – live

President warned that any Republicans who voted to end his tariffs ‘will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time’Transportation secretary Sean Duffy said the El Paso airport closure was to “address a cartel drone incursion”.“The threat has been neutralized, and there is no dan...

12/02/2026 01:42 The Guardian

Chaos and confusion in El Paso after airspace closed and quickly reopened

Officials in US border city say FAA decisions caused major disruption – and residents are still scrambling for answersOfficials in Texas were left scrambling for answers on Wednesday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a surprise order to shut down the airspace over El Paso for...

11/02/2026 23:16 The Guardian

Trump’s attempt to indict Democrats for video to troops an ‘alarm for democracy’

Mark Kelly speaks out after grand jury declines to indict six lawmakers over video urging troops to resist illegal ordersArizona senator Mark Kelly warned that the Trump administration’s failed attempt to secure an indictment against him and five other Democratic lawmakers for a video urging servi...

11/02/2026 23:03 The Guardian

Former top civil servant warns ‘more due diligence’ to be done over replacement of Chris Wormald

Simon McDonald says if Antonia Romeo is the frontrunner for cabinet secretary role then ‘due diligence has some way still to go’A former top civil servant has urged No 10 to do “more due diligence” as it prepares to replace the cabinet secretary, Chris Wormald, with Antonia Romeo, the frontr...

11/02/2026 22:29 The Guardian

Marwan Barghouti’s son calls on UK to put father’s release at heart of Palestinian renewal

Cross-party UK MPs campaigning for senior Fatah leader’s release from Israeli jail, saying he is unifying figureThe son of Marwan Barghouti, the Palestinian prisoner often described as the Nelson Mandela of the Palestinian movement, has called on the British government to put his father’s releas...

11/02/2026 20:06 The Guardian

Social workers’ AI tool makes ‘gibberish’ transcripts of accounts from children

Transcription tools used by councils in England and Scotland reported to wrongly indicate suicidal ideationAI tools are making potentially harmful errors in social work records, from bogus warnings of suicidal ideation to simple “gibberish”, frontline workers have said.Keir Starmer last year cha...

11/02/2026 19:39 The Guardian

Labour can win political argument for closer EU ties, says Rachel Reeves

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11/02/2026 18:51 The Guardian

Michelin two-star chef in hygiene row hits out at ‘prehistoric’ inspectors

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11/02/2026 18:18 The Guardian

Hidden passage linked to Underground Railroad found in New York museum

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11/02/2026 18:08 The Guardian

Putin ‘trying to break the Ukrainian people – they will not be broken,’ says Nato’s Rutte - Europe live

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11/02/2026 16:41 The Guardian

Moscow preparing to evacuate Russian tourists from Cuba amid US oil blockade

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11/02/2026 16:14 The Guardian

Briton shot by father in Texas after row about Trump was unlawfully killed, coroner rules

Lucy Harrison died after being shot in chest by alcoholic Kris Harrison while staying at his home in US last yearA Cheshire woman who was shot dead by her “reckless” father while visiting him in the US after a row about Donald Trump was unlawfully killed, a coroner has ruled.Lucy Harrison, 23, w...

11/02/2026 14:43 The Guardian

Rejecting Muslim hostility definition sends message ‘your safety doesn’t matter’, peer says

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11/02/2026 14:00 The Guardian

Trump official allies with Europe’s far right in attacks on migration and hate speech policies

US state department’s Sarah B Rogers has become face of White House’s hostility to European liberal democraciesAs Donald Trump redoubled his war of words on the European Union and Nato in recent weeks, a senior state department official, Sarah B Rogers, was publicly attacking policies on hate sp...

11/02/2026 12:00 The Guardian

BREAKING NEWS

12/02 21:42 - California Investigates Why Most of the Eaton Fire Victims Were Black 12/02 21:00 - Irishman held by ICE was issued warrant over 2009 drug offense in Ireland 12/02 20:19 - Judge Temporarily Blocks Hegseth From Punishing Mark Kelly Over ‘Illegal Orders’ Video 12/02 20:09 - European nations are now being judged on military credibility - and the UK is falling short 12/02 20:00 - How A.I. Companies Are Preying on College Students 12/02 19:49 - NHS deal with AI firm Palantir called into question after officials’ concerns revealed 12/02 19:10 - Ukrainian Olympian Is Disqualified Over Helmet Honoring War Dead 12/02 18:40 - Zelenskyy says ‘no rules broken’ after Olympics bans Ukraine racer 12/02 18:40 - Zelenskyy says ‘no rules broken’ after Olympics bans Ukraine racer 12/02 18:38 - Who is Antonia Romeo and why is she tipped to be the next cabinet secretary? 12/02 18:01 - Union chief calls for Angela Rayner to replace Keir Starmer or risk Labour defeat to Reform UK 12/02 17:36 - Pentagon policy chief tells European Nato members to step up combat capabilities 12/02 17:33 - 'We warned nursery about abuser Vincent Chan - they dismissed us,' parents tell BBC 12/02 17:31 - Corbyn alleges UK ‘complicity’ after Streeting’s admission of Gaza abuses 12/02 17:31 - Corbyn alleges UK ‘complicity’ after Streeting’s admission of Gaza abuses 12/02 17:31 - Strong Storm Is Forecast to Hit the South This Weekend With a Risk of Heavy Rain 12/02 17:00 - Milano-Cortina: Controversy erupts over Ukrainian athlete’s helmet 12/02 16:45 - Arctic Sentry: Europe takes the lead in NATO Arctic security mission 12/02 16:24 - Most Germans want dialogue with Russia – poll 12/02 16:10 - NATO downplays Greenland dispute as US defence chief absent from summit 12/02 16:06 - Man who ran gun-conversion factory and prepared for 'race war' jailed 12/02 16:06 - Russia fully blocks WhatsApp, intensifying it's 'crackdown on free expression' 12/02 16:02 - Milano-Cortina: Ukrainian athlete disqualified over war tribute helmet 12/02 15:57 - UK pledges to send £540m worth of weapons to Ukraine - Europe live 12/02 15:18 - Trump’s pick for top diplomatic role faces scrutiny over ‘white supremacist’ views 12/02 15:11 - Billions in funding wrongly released to Hungary, says EU court’s top adviser 12/02 14:50 - New Jersey governor bans immigration agents from some state property 12/02 14:36 - Russia bans WhatsApp, pushes state-backed alternative 12/02 14:36 - Russia bans WhatsApp, pushes state-backed alternative 12/02 14:21 - Six Republicans join Democrats in vote to block Donald Trump’s Canada tariffs - US politics live 12/02 14:03 - German govt ‘embezzling’ taxpayer money to fund Ukraine – veteran politician 12/02 14:01 - Fractures in NATO exposed amid Ukraine and Greenland talks 12/02 13:58 - The emotional debate behind Ukrainian skeleton racer's ban 12/02 13:51 - ‘Movies can change the world but not in a political way’ says Wim Wenders 12/02 13:40 - Portugal urged to adapt to climate emergency after series of deadly storms 12/02 12:42 - In Aleppo, art bridges Syria’s war divisions 12/02 12:42 - In Aleppo, art bridges Syria’s war divisions 12/02 12:25 - NATO defence ministers to meet on Ukraine weapons, Greenland security 12/02 12:24 - Trump wants to reopen coal era, rolls back key climate rule 12/02 12:22 - Call to make NATO 'more European' - as key figure misses alliance summit 12/02 12:18 - Susie Dent’s tips and tricks to add muscle to a child’s vocabulary 12/02 12:13 - Top Iran official accuses Israel of trying to sabotage US talks 12/02 12:13 - Top Iran official accuses Israel of trying to sabotage US talks 12/02 12:02 - Analyst Peter Zalmayev 'not very hopeful US tone has changed decisively' on Ukraine 12/02 11:46 - Children’s vocabulary shrinking as reading loses out to screen time, says Susie Dent 12/02 11:21 - UN begins clearing massive wartime waste dump in Gaza City 12/02 11:21 - UN begins clearing massive wartime waste dump in Gaza City 12/02 11:09 - Russia blocks WhatsApp for failing to comply with local law, pushes state-backed alternative 12/02 10:51 - Fyodor Lukyanov: The US wants a deal. Russia wants a system 12/02 10:47 - Locked Out, Locked In: Witnessing the Gaza War from afar 12/02 10:47 - Locked Out, Locked In: Witnessing the Gaza War from afar 12/02 10:42 - France's Duplomb law debate reignites over controversial pesticides 12/02 10:39 - France proposes bold measures to boost birth rate 12/02 10:30 - Ukraine skeleton athlete at Winter Olympics disqualified over helmet 12/02 10:30 - Ukraine skeleton athlete at Winter Olympics disqualified over helmet 12/02 10:15 - Russia orders block on WhatsApp in messaging app crackdown 12/02 10:06 - Why IOC has banned Ukraine's Heraskevych 12/02 09:44 - Ukrainian skeleton racer feels 'emptiness' after Olympic ban 12/02 09:23 - Ukrainian Olympian banned from competing over helmet honouring war dead 12/02 09:10 - News24 | Jeffrey Epstein wanted Russian help with woman blackmailing ‘powerful’ businessmen 12/02 08:45 - 'The price of our dignity': Ukraine athlete disqualified from Olympics over memorial helmet 12/02 08:45 - Ukraine skeleton racer Heraskevych disqualified from Olympics over memorial helmet 12/02 08:32 - 'Price of dignity' - Ukrainian banned by IOC over war dead helmet 12/02 07:18 - Iran’s Larijani accuses Israel of trying to sabotage US negotiations 12/02 07:18 - Iran’s Larijani accuses Israel of trying to sabotage US negotiations 12/02 06:43 - Anthony Albanese raises bulldozed Australian war graves with Israeli president 12/02 06:13 - Live: Russian attack leaves nearly 300,000 people without power, water supply in Odessa 12/02 05:49 - Russia attempted to ‘fully block’ WhatsApp, Meta-owned company says 12/02 05:22 - Snow and ice warnings issued for UK after relentless rain 12/02 05:10 - Epstein sought help of ex-Russian official linked to FSB, files show 12/02 05:10 - Epstein sought help of ex-Russian official linked to FSB, files show 12/02 03:52 - DNA technology used to catch Golden State Killer leads to NSW arrest over historic alleged sexual assaults 12/02 03:40 - Trump threatens US lawmakers with ‘consequences’ over tariff pushback 12/02 02:20 - Russia evacuates tourists from Cuba as US-engineered fuel crisis deepens 12/02 02:20 - Russia evacuates tourists from Cuba as US-engineered fuel crisis deepens 12/02 01:42 - Despite Trump’s threats, six House Republicans side with Democrats in effort to end tariffs on Canada – live 12/02 01:03 - Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,449 12/02 01:03 - Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,449 12/02 01:03 - US preparing to send second aircraft carrier toward Iran – WSJ 11/02 23:16 - Chaos and confusion in El Paso after airspace closed and quickly reopened 11/02 23:03 - Trump’s attempt to indict Democrats for video to troops an ‘alarm for democracy’ 11/02 22:33 - 'If the Cuban government were to collapse, that would be a security threat to the United States' 11/02 22:29 - Former top civil servant warns ‘more due diligence’ to be done over replacement of Chris Wormald 11/02 22:16 - PRE-QUIZ WARNING: This Timed Rom-Com Movie Quiz Is For The Mega Fans And The Mega Fans Only 11/02 22:10 - Weapons Used to Fight Drones Don’t Mix Well With Civilian Airspace 11/02 22:09 - AI safety researcher quits with a cryptic warning 11/02 21:41 - House Is Set to Vote on Canceling Trump’s Canada Tariffs 11/02 21:10 - Warsaw furious after Ukrainian official calls Volhynia Massacre ‘a myth’ 11/02 20:41 - Ukraine war: Why is a teenager accused of burying his father 'eight times'? 11/02 20:06 - Marwan Barghouti’s son calls on UK to put father’s release at heart of Palestinian renewal 11/02 19:39 - Social workers’ AI tool makes ‘gibberish’ transcripts of accounts from children 11/02 19:33 - Russian military adapting faster than NATO – admiral 11/02 19:30 - Iran Commemorates Revolution, With U.S. Warships Lurking Off the Coast 11/02 18:53 - Ukraine will not hold elections until a ceasefire is in place, Zelensky says 11/02 18:51 - Labour can win political argument for closer EU ties, says Rachel Reeves 11/02 18:45 - Federal Debt to Hit Record Levels, Budget Office Warns 11/02 18:18 - Michelin two-star chef in hygiene row hits out at ‘prehistoric’ inspectors 11/02 18:08 - Hidden passage linked to Underground Railroad found in New York museum 11/02 18:04 - NATO Is Expected to Step Up Arctic Security. Here’s Why. 11/02 17:57 - Russia says it will stick to limits of expired nuclear treaty if US does