41 minutes ago As Silicon Valley eyes US election, beware Elon Musk and the tech bros with political nous | John Naughton

The owner of X is just one of many who may prefer Donald Trump to greater regulation under the DemocratsWay back in the 1960s “the personal is political” was a powerful slogan capturing the reality of power dynamics within marriages. Today, an equally meaningful slogan might be that “the technological is political”, to reflect the way that a small number of global corporations have acquired political clout within liberal democracies. If anyone doubted that, then the recent appearance of Elon Musk alongside Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania provided useful confirmation of how technology has moved centre-stage in American politics. Musk may be a manchild with a bad tweeting habit, but he also owns the company that is providing internet connectivity to Ukrainian troops on the ba...

Politics

1 hour ago Hackney teachers warn borough will end up 'childless' as more schools face closure

Teachers have warned that secondary schools in Hackney could have to close in six to seven years as pupil numbers continue to drop

Events

1 hour ago Rugby brain injury lawsuit stuck in legal limbo – and players are still suffering

Push and pull for public opinion between lawyers and rugby authorities rumbles on but where would we be if no one had taken action in the first place?Four years ago, just after the Guardian had first reported that a group of eight rugby union players had been diagnosed with early onset dementia and were planning legal action against the game’s governing bodies, I sat down to a three-way interview with the former Wales international Alix Popham and the forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu. It was Popham’s idea. He had just gone public with his own diagnosis and was planning to launch a charitable foundation to raise awareness about brain health. He had seen the movie about Omalu’s life, Concussion, and wanted to learn more about his story.Omalu describes himself as the man who first identif...

Sport

1 hour ago Liam Payne 'forced' to stay in Argentina for one reason before balcony fall death

One Direction's Liam Payne – who tragically fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, earlier this week – was unable to leave the country as planned, sources have claimed

Events

2 hours ago 'I ate at a top chef's farm where plants taste of Monster Munch and Lilt'

An inside look at Our Farm, where three-Michelin starred chef Simon Rogan sources his ingredients from

Politics

2 hours ago ‘Does time heal? I don’t think so’: Richard E Grant on love, loss – and bonking

The raw intensity and personal honesty that Richard E Grant brought to Withnail and I was real and has never left him. Now the actor and diarist, still grieving the loss of his wife, talks openly about heartbreak, ambition and his traumatic upbringingA month before she died, the acclaimed dialect coach Joan Washington recorded a poem to be played on her daughter’s wedding day. Washington died on 2 September 2021 from lung cancer, concluding a 38-year marriage to the actor and diarist Richard E Grant. Olivia, the couple’s daughter, celebrated her marriage this past September at the house Grant and Washington shared in London. Grant wore an elegant tuxedo, his blue eyes startling, and the house was swollen with flowers. His speech included “all the things a father says. You want it to be ...

Politics

2 hours ago Aldi's new £2 SpecialBuy not only improves your sleep but can also repel spiders

People who struggle to sleep, and can't stand eight-legged home invaders, are sure to benefit from Aldi's new £2 product

Economics

2 hours ago Cristiano Ronaldo's enormous net worth, retirement plans and £19m car collection

Cristiano Ronaldo's remarkable footballing talent has earned him an unrivalled life of luxury, with the Portugal icon boasting countless cars and properties

Economics

3 hours ago Is yoghurt in the morning as healthy as you think? These are the warning signs

Is it a superfood or a deceptively unhealthy dessert packed with more sugar than fizzy pop? Katie Rosseinsky asks the experts how to sift through the marketing hype when we’re buying yoghurt

Events

3 hours ago Elon Musk promises to award $1m every day to voters as he steps up campaigning for Trump

The billionaire’s Trump-supporting Pac will give the money to those who sign a petition that encourages Republicans to register to voteElon Musk said his Trump-supporting political action committee – America Pac – will give $1m every day until election day to someone who signs his petition that effectively encourages Republicans in the key battleground states to register to vote.The commitment, which started on Saturday as Musk handed a lottery-style check to the first winner of his contest at a town hall event, could mean Musk is on the hook for $17m if he remains the sole donor to his own Pac. Continue reading...

Politics