84 m. ago Remember when having women in power was supposed to change everything? | Gaby Hinsliff

The careers of Sturgeon, Merkel and Ardern show how foolish it is to idealise leaders just for being womenNicola Sturgeon was always afraid of failure. But it was a very particular kind of failure she feared; one that follows a very particular kind of success. Living up to the fact of being Scotland’s first female first minister became, she writes in her new memoir, “almost an obsession”, which is arguably unhealthy but not unreasonable. To be the first woman (or indeed the first minority) in any field is to be uncomfortably aware of being on probation: the test case that sceptics will use to decide whether women in general can really hack it, but also the yardstick by which other women will judge whether representation actually makes a difference.You daren’t betray anything that looks like a sign of weakness, yet at the same time you’re endlessly under pressure to spill your guts on all the intimate stuff – miscarriage and menopause in Sturgeon’s case, pregnancy in high office for ...

Politics

84 m. ago Roman Kemp admits moment he stopped supporting Arsenal and 'cried' over one player

Roman Kemp has been an avid Arsenal supporter since he was a child, but has admitted there was a moment that made him want to stop supporting the Premier League side

Sport

2 h. ago Magic mushrooms: how scientists discovered fungi are the secret ingredient for restoring the world’s forests

Healthy fungal networks help trees and plants grow, making them key to successful reforestation. The only problem? Almost nothing is known about this subterranean ecologyEven in midsummer, the ancient hazelwoods on the Hebridean island of Seil are cool and quiet. Countless slanted stems of hazel support a thick canopy, which blots out the sun and blankets everything below in a sort of “fairytale darkness”, says Bethan Manley, a biologist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.Moss and lichen coat branches threaded with honeysuckle, forming a great dome above you, adds David Satori, a researcher at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Trump the ‘dealmaker’ faces his biggest test with Putin summit

After promising to solve the Ukraine war throughout his campaign, the US president faces a moment of truth in Alaska

Politics

3 h. ago Attendance Allowance rules older people should know or DWP payments could stop

Nearly 1.7 million State Pensioners receive either £73.90 or £110.40 each week on the non-means tested benefit from the DWP.

Politics

8 h. ago Pam Bondi threatens prosecution for leaders not complying with immigration officers

In ‘sanctuary cities’ letters to 32 mayors and some county executives saying ‘we’re going to come after you’Pam Bondi, the attorney general, said she has sent “sanctuary city” letters to the mayors of 32 cities and a handful of county executives, warning that she intends to prosecute political leaders who are not in her view sufficiently supportive of immigration enforcement.“You better be abiding by our federal policies and with our federal law enforcement, because if you’re not, we’re going to come after you,” she said, speaking to a Fox News reporter. “Our leaders have to support our law enforcement.” Continue reading...

Events

8 h. ago New York City federal building housing ICE evacuated as hazmat teams investigate envelopes of white powder

The FDNY is testing the substance, the mayor said

Events

9 h. ago Victoria Beckham's new 'coping mechanism' during 'feud' with Brooklyn and his wife

David and Victoria Beckham are said to be "heartbroken" over the ongoing feud with their eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola, but Posh is using a "new coping mechanism" to deal with the pain

Politics

11 h. ago Donald Trump insists Putin 'is not going to mess around with me' as he prepares for Alaska meeting... while Russia readys its new cruise missile nuke for tests

The eyes of the world will be on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, where the two men are due meet at 8.30pm UK time on Friday.

Politics

13 h. ago Wallabies and Springboks in identity swap for clash amid thin air of Highveld | Daniel Gallan

The frenemies meet in this year’s Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park where they are expected to rip pages out of the other’s playbookOne team boasts some of the most menacing forwards found anywhere in the world. The other is developing a scintillating backline capable of tearing apart any defence. Business as usual, then, for a Wallabies versus Springboks clash. Except this time, like the characters of Freaky Friday, the two sides have switched identities ahead of the first round of the Rugby Championship.Australia might have lost the British & Irish Lions series but they were one referee’s decision at the breakdown away from causing a seismic upset. That the margin was so small was thanks largely to the thundering cameos of Will Skelton, Rob Valetini, Taniela Tupou and a handful of other meaty men who provided the front-foot grunt that was absent in the first Test in Brisbane. Continue reading...

Politics

14 h. ago Lanarkshire gym group ties in with British Heart Foundation to support lifesaving research

New Age Fitness has pledged to raise £10,000 over a 12-month period.

Politics

14 h. ago Health chiefs claim disability support won't be affected by moving Renfrewshire centre

Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) revealed proposals earlier this year to move the services delivered by the centre to the three new hubs

Politics

14 h. ago Strictly Come Dancing stars face abuse from fans after welcoming contestant to show

Strictly Come Dancing fans were unimpressed after stars of the hit BBC show shared their support for the latest contestant announcement

Culture

16 h. ago Scott Baio has blunt response to former WWE star Tyrus after barb on Gutfeld!

Actor took exception to claim he might be dead, saying he was canceled for his support of Trump

Politics

16 h. ago Best shoes for plantar fasciitis: Top trainers to boost support and ease pain

Tania Leslau road-tests the most cushioned soles for sore feet

Politics

17 h. ago Wallabies recall veteran James O’Connor at No 10 for South Africa showdown

Return for 35-year-old after three-year absenceBlow as Ben Donaldson ruled out of Johannesburg clashVeteran James O’Connor has been called on to take on the playmaking duties as the Wallabies seek to build on the impetus of their third Test win over the Lions with a rare victory in South Africa at the start of the Rugby Championship.But a plan for the 35-year-old O’Connor, back in the green and gold after three years, to share the No 10 role has had to be shelved after Ben Donaldson went down injured in training on Thursday. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago Girl left unwatched by agency worker at psychiatric unit was unlawfully killed, inquest finds

Jury finds failings of worker before Ruth Szymankiewicz, 14, took own life amount to gross negligence manslaughterRuth was failed by system, say parentsA vulnerable 14-year-old girl was unlawfully killed when an agency support worker failed to keep her under observation at a secure psychiatric unit, an inquest jury has concluded.The worker, who used a false identity, left Ruth Szymankiewicz alone even though she had complex mental health issues and was judged to need constant watching because she was a suicide risk. Continue reading...

Events

17 h. ago Brentford: Caoimhin Kelleher and Kevin Schade face fitness tests ahead of Premier League opener

Bees embark on new dawn post-Thomas Frank this weekend

Politics

17 h. ago Changing the way you walk could help knee arthritis and delay surgery

A new study has suggested that changing the angle of your foot while walking could ease arthritis pain in the knee.

Politics

17 h. ago September 2025 bank holiday payment dates for benefits and pensions plus cost of living support

All the essential cost of living information you need in September

Economics