UK

The pleasure boat that became a symbol of the north-east

In a corner of Britain scarred by post-industrial decline, the Teesside Princess sails up and down in a spirit of resilience. Has talk of regeneration buoyed spirits on board?

One in three haunted by those bumps in the night

Social media has rejuvenated British folklore traditions and buoyed belief in the supernatural

Missing sex offender asked police how to find train station

Hadush Kebatu, who was due to be deported, was put on a train to London instead

When winter days slide to dark, it’s time for delight

We live too much on the bright side. But now the clocks have changed, there’s much to enjoy once the world is veiled

My week with the clean-water warriors

Just Stop Oil activists have moved on to a new campaign: citizen’s arrests of CEOs

Nigel Farage stages ‘strike’ despite date for next PMQs question

Reform party leader has moved to the public gallery after claiming he is excluded from process in the chamber

The business of dying is changing. It’s time to regulate it

Our approach to death and funerals is becoming simpler and more modern – the sector needs to follow suit

Schools can’t blind our children to the injustices in Gaza

The author of The Boy at the Back of the Classroom asks why staff and pupils are being muted by headteachers

Pro-Russia hackers declare war on Britain

In messages exchanged with The Observer, a pro-Russian hacking group pledges to disrupt UK businesses and infrastructure

A radical rural manifesto

The best-selling author of The Shepherd’s Life grew up thinking the Lake Poets had nothing to say for working people. Then he moved to the city and had a revelation

After 10 years, we still don’t know how Shamima Begum’s story ends

The young woman who left London to join the Islamic State may have been under duress. Was she presumed guilty because she was Muslim?

Apache Indian could teach Jenrick a thing or two about integration

Growing up in diverse Birmingham defined my world view

Altruism is holding Britain together

Volunteers keep vital services afloat and offer an antidote to our ever more isolated society

Novice examiners lead to huge rise in queries over grades

English language results improve by up to three grades after challenges from teachers, who warn of ‘erratic’ marking

Hackers strike Harrods in latest UK cyberattack

Department store is the latest in a string of high-profile hacks of British institutions

How long before Britain becomes an opioid nation?

Policymakers are alert to the growing menace of opioids, if not to the most effective solutions

Led by Donkeys, activists out to skewer political hypocrites

The activist group’s Windsor Castle stunt made top use of its weapon of choice: embarrassment

World’s navies queue for sub-hunters built on the Clyde

Norway’s £10bn order for Type 26 frigates marks a new era for British shipyards