38 minutes ago It’s time for Steve Borthwick to deliver and this England decision will decide Six Nations fate

A trip to the champions in Dublin to begin a pivotal Six Nations campaign, Harry Latham-Coyle examines how Steve Borthwick hopes to spark a reaction against Ireland following a dismal 2024

Politics

15 hours ago Reagan airport was at the center of a fierce safety debate last year. Lawmakers approved more flights anyway

‘We’ve been pretty plain about our [safety] concerns, but it isn’t a good time to speculate right now,’ Senator Tim Kaine said Thursday

Society

62 minutes ago Bargain hunters, rejoice! Discount beauty has arrived at the Bicester Village outlet shopping centre | Sali Hughes on beauty

It’s not only the prices that make a trip to the designer outlet worthwhile, it’s the hope of tracking down cherished discontinued itemsMillions flock to Bicester Village each year for discounted fashion at designer outlets. Now it has its sights set on beauty. I visited before Christmas and my fear of finding skincare-slightly-on-the-turn and sad-looking eyeshadows in shades of mint and mauve proved unfounded.Fragrance was well served, with a festive pop-up store by Byredo, selling even its bestselling candles, fragrances and hand care at what seemed a smallish discount. There were also permanent outlets for Creed, Penhaligon’s, Roja and Molton Brown, all with up to 60% off the RRP. Neom had 30-odd per cent reductions on its luxury candles and I couldn’t work out why, given that they were still full price elsewhere. (Slightly wonky labels? Overstocking? They looked great to me.) Continue reading...

Economics

62 minutes ago Sports quiz of the week: Six Nations, big deals, big hitters and Champions League

Have you been paying attention to the big (and small) stories in football, rugby, cricket, tennis, golf and NFL? Continue reading...

Sport

32 minutes ago Scots soft play boss jailed in America for 25 years over child abuse images

Steven Paul McInally was arrested at Orlando International Airport.

Events

10 hours ago ‘He’s going home’: new film documents the fight to free Leonard Peltier

Sundance’s Free Leonard Peltier outlines the decades-long efforts to free the Indigenous activist from prison – up to the commutation of his sentence one week before the premiereOf all the documentaries at the Sundance film festival this year, perhaps none is as timely as Free Leonard Peltier, Jesse Short Bull and David France’s film on the Indigenous activist imprisoned for nearly half a century.Peltier, now 80 years old, is serving consecutive life sentences for the killing of two FBI agents during a shootout at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in 1975, though he has maintained his innocence. Activists, celebrities and liberation advocates such as Nelson Mandela have called for his release for decades, citing railroaded justice and evidence of prosecutorial misconduct; the FBI and law enforcement, meanwhile, have campaigned vociferously against any commutation of his sentence. Continue reading...

Culture

19 hours ago Nasa’s two ‘stuck’ astronauts exit space station for first spacewalk together

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore expected to stay at space station a week but have been there almost eight monthsNasa’s two stuck astronauts took their first spacewalk together on Thursday, exiting the International Space Station almost eight months after moving in.Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore floated out to perform maintenance work and wipe the station’s exterior for evidence of any microbes that might still be alive after launching from Earth and escaping through vents. Continue reading...

Technology

4 hours ago Terminally ill teen left in hospital corridor for 14 hours wakes from coma

The 18-year-old, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy and Scoliosis, was told there were no beds available and placed in the hallway as he writhed around in pain.

Science

48 minutes ago Europe live: Germany’s parliament discusses draft law aimed at controlling migration

Bundestag to review Influx Limitation Act, which looks to tighten rules in existing laws on residence as Friedrich Merz grapples with rise of far rightThe focus is back on Germany today, where the Bundestag will discuss the Influx Limitation Act, a draft law aimed at controlling migration better by tightening the rules in the existing laws on residence.This is not a drill: unlike the vote on Wednesday, which was on a non-binding motion, this is an actual draft law. Continue reading...

Politics

4 hours ago Endless work, little money, occasional UFOs: my father’s five decades driving Brazil’s roads – podcast

As a sociologist, my career couldn’t be further from that of my father, who spent his life on the road as a truck driver. It’s only in recent years, as illness has struck, that I’ve started to truly understand him. By José Henrique Bortoluci. Read by Felipe Pacheco Continue reading...

Economics

2 hours ago How to fight fascism with the Raccoons of the Resistance! Bring your own refreshments | First Dog on the Moon

The Simple Sabotage Field Manual is going viral! All the kids are reading itSign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are publishedGet all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue reading...

Sport

38 minutes ago Taylor Swift to present at Grammy Awards 2025 as she's tipped to make history

Taylor Swift might be up for a number of accolades at this year's Grammy Awards, but she will also be on hand to dish out one of the coveted gongs

Events

13 hours ago US Authors Guild to certify books from ‘human intellect’ rather than AI

The Human Authored online portal allows members to register their book and use a specially designed logo on covers and promotional materialsThe US body representing writers, the Authors Guild, has launched an online portal for members to confirm that their work “emanated from the human intellect” and not from artificial intelligence.The initiative, called Human Authored, will allow authors to log on to the portal and register their book. They will then be able to use a specially designed logo on book covers and promotional materials to show that their work has been created without AI. Continue reading...

Culture

16 hours ago The 2025 dates confirmed for Cancer Research UK's Race for Life London events

Race for Life will host a series of events over 12 days in the capital this summer

Science

62 minutes ago Secondhand is rarely second best. Sometimes it looks far better | Jess Cartner

Forget tatty cast-offs – the secondhand marketplace is now the first port of call for the savvy shopperThe rise of secondhand fashion is an enormously cheering thing, and in a world not currently over-blessed with hugely cheering things, it is worth taking a moment to celebrate.In a short space of time, the pre-loved fashion economy has gone from being niche – vintage stores full of antique silk dresses at the top end, jumble sale tat at the other, not much in the middle – to a viable way to source every part of your wardrobe. The marketplace of new-to-you clothes, rather than new-to-the-world clothes, is now an aspirational, respectable, efficient, affordable place to shop. Not just for the pieces that have always been associated with secondhand (tea dresses for retro dressers, rare jeans for denim nerds) but for straight-down-the-middle mainstream wardrobe stuff. Your cousin’s North Face puffer jacket? £45 from Vinted. Your line manager’s Zara blazer? £18 courtesy of Depop. The Pr...

Politics

4 hours ago Wasting lots of taxpayer money has become almost routine for SNP government

Record View says if John Swinney is to win his own mandate as first minister next year, he needs to cut out the waste and start delivering.

Economics

10 hours ago When is Europa League draw? Date, start time, TV channel, live stream for knockout play

League phase comes to an end this week as focus shifts to the knockout stages

Sport

62 minutes ago You be the judge: should my daughter stop tipping so much when we eat out?

Katerina gets embarrassed when daughter Anya tops up her tips. Anya says waiters deserve a decent bonus. You decide who should foot the billFind out how to get a disagreement settled or become a jurorI find it offensive when Anya tops up my tip in a restaurant – if I’m paying she should follow my lead Continue reading...

Events

19 hours ago I have entered ‘nanna mode’ – bring me all your movies and shows about older women | Rebecca Shaw

I lost my grandmother a couple of years ago. My grief’s sharpness has worn down, and I’m ready to lean into the soft landing of older ladiesI recently had a realisation about myself: I have entered “nanna mode”. This does not mean I’m knitting, drinking enough cups of tea to kill Paddington Bear, or showing the ceiling instead of my face on video calls – nonetheless, I have become steeped in Nanna.I’ve always had a soft spot for older ladies (and ladies of all ages). But I had this lightbulb moment while watching Matlock, a reboot of an 80s TV show starring Kathy Bates as a lawyer in her 70s coming out of retirement – and getting up to shenanigans. Continue reading...

Culture

23 hours ago Health nominee RFK Jr to face further grilling at Senate confirmation hearing

Trump’s pick endured tough questions from Bernie Sanders on Wednesday and was accused of ‘peddling half-truths’After Robert F Kennedy’s bruising performance in a heated three-and-a-half-hour Senate confirmation hearing to become America’s top health official on Wednesday, he’s off to the health committee on Thursday morning for round two.The 71-year-old faces another grueling day of questioning from a more health-minded crowd, with Republican chair Bill Cassidy – a physician who caught Kennedy confusing basic facts about Medicare and Medicaid in Wednesday’s session – likely to press further on his grasp of America’s healthcare system. Continue reading...

Science

62 minutes ago Week in wildlife in pictures: a new shrew, itchy deer and tortoises on rafts

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

Politics

4 hours ago Climate change bosses at green quango landed nearly £500,000 in exit packages

MSPs have hit out at the deals agreed for two former senior staff at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Economics

10 hours ago Tottenham player ratings vs Elfsborg: Dane Scarlett changes the game as Mikey Moore and Damola Ajayi dazzle

Next generation step-up to seal crucial Europa League win for Spurs

Sport

2 hours ago How Warsaw became the unlikely vegan capital of Europe | Karol Adamiak

A city associated with sausage and herring is now a haven for plant-based foods – and Poland’s rightwing politicians aren’t happy I want to tell you about a relatively typical neighbourhood in my city. There are two vegan sushi restaurants, three vegan ramen spots. There are a few vegan delis. All the convenience stores have a vegan section. There’s an abundance of vegan bakeries. There’s a place that does vegan peking duck – it’s good, I promise. Many of these vegan places proudly have a rainbow flag on display. I’m not talking about Los Angeles or New York. I’m not even talking about Copenhagen. My neighbourhood is called Śródmieście. The vegan paradise I’m talking about – it’s Warsaw.If you don’t believe me, well, Warsaw has been ranked among the top vegan cities in the world by HappyCow (a vegan ranking website) for the past six years. In 2022, it was National Geographic’s number one vegan city in the world. Maybe your perception of Poland is all kielbasa (sausage) and conservat...

Events

20 hours ago BBC Strictly Come Dancing Katya Jones' future amid Wynne Evans tour exit confirmed before Manchester shows

The opera singer had recently been touring the country as part of the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour 2025 with Katya

Culture

62 minutes ago Winmau World Darts Masters 2025 order of play: full schedule and start times as golden boy Luke Littler star on Day 2

The main main is in action on the second day at Milton Keynes with Scot Gary Anderson also taking to the oche

Politics

7 hours ago New Orleans archbishop fires food bank leaders for refusing to fund abuse settlement

Bankrupt Roman Catholic archdiocese replaced members at church-affiliated non-profit over $16m disputeThe archbishop of New Orleans’ bankrupt Roman Catholic archdiocese on Thursday abruptly fired and replaced top leaders at a church-affiliated food bank, with those dismissed saying it was because the non-profit refused to contribute to paying survivors of child sexual abuse by clergymen.The ousted members of Second Harvest’s board of directors say the changes “follow months of increasingly aggressive pressure placed on Second Harvest to contribute as much as $16m toward helping to resolve victims’ claims related to the church’s sexual abuse-related bankruptcy”, which has been pending since May 2020. Continue reading...

Economics

13 hours ago Netflix fans furious after streamer reveals the shows that will NOT be back until 2026

The streaming giant announced that the final seasons of Squid Game and Stranger Things will air later this year, but other popular shows were left off the 2025 slate.

Sport

3 hours ago Death in Paradise cast 2025: who are Series 14 actors and where have you seen the BBC cast before?

Death in Paradise’s cast for series 14 has been revealed 👀

Events

24 hours ago The Apprentice cast 2025: meet the contestants for new series of BBC show

The Apprentice cast for 2025 has been confirmed 👀

Culture

69 minutes ago House price growth softened at start of 2025, says Nationwide Building Society

The housing market continues to show resilience despite ongoing affordability pressures, Nationwide said.

Politics

11 hours ago IPL billionaires and Birmingham City owners win auction for Hundred teams

Mumbai Indians owners pay £60m for Oval InvinciblesKnighthead Capital take stake in Birmingham PhoenixEnglish cricket’s landmark Hundred sale produced an eventful first day as the Ambanis, India’s richest family, and Knighthead Capital, owners of Birmingham City, secured the right to buy 49% stakes in Oval Invincibles and Birmingham Phoenix respectively.The Guardian has learned that Knighthead’s offer of about £40m for 49% of the Phoenix prevailed in a sealed-bids auction over that of private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. CVC had earlier lost out to Reliance Industries Ltd, owners of Mumbai Indians, in a three-way auction for the equivalent stake in Oval Invincibles. Continue reading...

Economics

20 hours ago Barcelona players hit out at plans for Women’s Supercopa in Saudi Arabia

‘To a country that doesn’t respect women? I don’t see it’RFEF in dicussions with Saudi Arabia over competitionFemale players in Spain have hit out at plans to take the women’s Supercopa to Saudi Arabia. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has been in negotiations with the Saudis to extend their agreement to play the men’s Supercopa semi-finals and final away from Spain until at least 2034 and include the women’s competition too.However, Barcelona players have now criticised the plans. “Taking the Supercopa outside of Spain and to a country that doesn’t respect women? I don’t see it,” the midfielder Patri Guijarro said after their semi-final win over Atlético Madrid in this year’s edition. Continue reading...

Sport

4 hours ago ‘Everybody is tired. The mood has changed’: the Ukrainian army’s desertion crisis

Some of those abandoning the frontline say the longer the war goes on, ‘the more people like me there will be’When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Viktor* was ready to die for his country. He volunteered to defend Kyiv as enemy tanks appeared and joined Ukraine’s armed forces. In the spring of 2023 he was fighting in the village of Tonenke, near the eastern city of Avdiivka. “When I arrived I was super-motivated. If necessary I would give my life,” he recalled.Gradually, however, he became disillusioned. The battle was furious. “The Russians would smash our positions to the ground,” he said. Senior Ukrainian commanders gave unrealistic orders. Then, while he was defending a ruined building, a panel fell on his shoulder. After receiving injections to reduce the pain, he was told to return to the front. “I realised I’m nobody. Just a number,” he said. Continue reading...

Events

27 hours ago New culture funds to support artists, festivals and school trips in memory of arts philanthropist

Hugo Burge spent his final decade turning Borders mansion house and estate into culture quarter

Culture

2 hours ago ‘We were inspired, recharged and nourished by nature’: readers’ favourite wellness trips

From mindful waking in the Yorkshire Dales to a Buddhist retreat in Japan, our tipsters have found inner peace and rejuvenation all over the worldWith Eryri national park (Snowdonia) on the doorstep and guided wild swims available, north Wales’ Tawelu Retreats offers options to explore the outdoors or go full hibernation with the retreat’s yoga classes and meditations, plus a sauna and hot tub. The chef cooked up filling, comforting veggie food and gorgeous chai and hot chocolate. Even getting lost running up the Welsh fells and nearly missing my hot shells massage didn’t trouble my stress levels. It’s women only, four days from £650. Laura King Continue reading...

Politics

12 hours ago Celtic suffer Tierney setback, Rangers £1.8m man exits, major signing 'coup'

Latest Scottish transfer news

Economics

21 hours ago Surreal, dreamlike, confusing: a night watching 18 Champions League ties

Trying to keep across 29 hours’ worth of football was not just akin to major substance abuse but a cause of fear and panicRaspberry Beret by Prince, Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees, American Pie by Don McLean, All I Want is You by U2, the theme tune to Sesame Street: these are all in their different ways excellent pieces of music. But as part of playlists broadcast without end and at high volume, all have been used by the US army in psychological warfare – demonstrating that too much of a good thing is not just possible but, at extreme levels, absolutely excruciating. Watching the manic conclusion to the Champions League group stage on Wednesday brought those playlists to mind, as I debated whether I was being entertained or encouraged to run screaming from my house.The trend in sport for many years has been to make competitions bigger, longer, more drawn out, and at first the new 36-team Champions League format felt like another step on this tiresome journey. But the widely acknowled...

Sport

4 hours ago Rape survivor banned from attacker's parole hearing after he objects to her presence

Ellie Wilson described the Parole Board's refusal a 'scandal' and is calling on the Government to bring in better transparency for victims.

Events

27 hours ago Footage shows plane with 64 onboard colliding with helicopter near Washington DC

An American Airlines passenger jet collided with a military helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan national airport near Washington DC. Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to conjoin in a fireball. The American Airlines Flight 5342 departed from Wichita, Kansas, according to the FAA. According to American Airlines’ website, the jet has a capacity for up to 65 passengersAmerican Airlines plane and military helicopter collide at airport near Washington DC Continue reading...

Culture

2 hours ago Apply to study in LONDON by FEBRUARY 15 for Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026!

Apply to study in LONDON by FEBRUARY 15 for Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026!  Ithaca College

Politics

14 hours ago February 2025 payment dates for benefits and pensions as DWP cuts rumoured

All the essential cost of living information you need

Economics

23 hours ago Mikel Arteta makes Kieran Tierney to Celtic in January feelings clear as firm Arsenal transfer stance escalates

A pre-contract has already been agreed - but the Scottish champions are keen to bring back their former star in this window

Sport

4 hours ago Crime gangs targeting shops by using vulnerable kids costing hundreds of millions a year

Retailers Against Crime say problem is out of control and urgent education is needed, with stiffer penalties and more police patrols

Events

2 hours ago The tranquil woodland walk near Greater Manchester named among best to de

Boost your mental wellbeing by reconnecting with nature through a woodland walk

Politics

14 hours ago Tottenham in advanced talks with Bayern Munich over £50m Mathys Tel deal

Teenage forward keen to leave German giants in pursuit of first-team football

Economics

32 hours ago Champions League: Ancelotti fears City playoff as Real Madrid miss top eight

Bayern and Real Madrid head to playoffs despite winsLeverkusen and Lille in last-16 spots ahead of AtalantaReal Madrid and Bayern Munich both won their final league phase matches but finished a point short of a direct place in the last 16 – leaving their managers worried by the possibility of facing Manchester City in the Champions League playoffs.Real Madrid wrapped up their campaign with a 3-0 win over Brest, who drop into the unseeded playoff teams. Rodrygo gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side a 1-0 half-time lead and Jude Bellingham doubled the advantage shortly after Ludovic Ajorque’s goal was disallowed for the hosts. Continue reading...

Sport

4 hours ago Blind man forced onto road with dog due to parked car has terrifying 'near miss'

Carlos Rodriguez shared his experience after Glasgow City Council brought a new pavement parking ban.

Events

3 hours ago How do we introduce assisted dying? Experts and politicians hope someone else has the answer | Gaby Hinsliff

Such a profound social change needs consensus and leadership. Those tasked with seeing this through are offering neither There is something about the sound of Prof Sir Chris Whitty’s voice that inexorably takes me back. Whenever he speaks it’s hard not to think about R numbers and social distancing, masks and variants. His was the judgment we learned to trust in the days when the only certainty was that thousands were going to die; his the not-quite-inscrutable face we studied for clues that some politician had just said something stupid. For those reasons and more, I would very much like to know what the chief medical officer thinks about assisted dying for terminally ill people. But when he came before the committee scrutinising this most sensitive of issues on Wednesday, he wouldn’t say.Whitty answered all questions posed about the proposed new law, including how accurately doctors can predict that someone has only six months left. (Not entirely, though he explained that they’re ...

Politics

14 hours ago The Hundred: Mumbai Indians owners agree landmark deal to buy stake in Oval Invincibles

Reliance Industries Limited are owned by India’s richest family

Economics

33 hours ago Bayern Munich confirm Mathys Tel wants to leave after Chelsea transfer interest

Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal also linked with teenage forward

Sport

5 hours ago Washington DC plane crash live: flight data and cockpit voice recorders recovered, officials say

National Transportation Safety Board announces recorders are now at a lab for evaluation; operation to recover bodies continuesFull report: cockpit voice and flight data recorders recoveredVictims: world champion Russian pair and US skaters were onboard crashed planeVisual guide – how did the DC plane crash unfold?What caused this tragic aviation disaster is not yet known, but the National Transportation Safety Board investigators has said it will have a preliminary report within 30 days.Despite the lack of clarity, newly inaugurated US president Donald Trump has accused his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden of lowering hiring standards and suggested the Federal Aviation Administration’s diversity push could have weakened its capabilities. Continue reading...

Events

3 hours ago ‘Groundbreaking’ potential cure for sickle cell in England approved for NHS use

Clinical trials find one-time gene therapy exa-cel offers ‘functional cure’ in 96.6% of patientsA “groundbreaking” £1.65m treatment offering a potential cure for people in England living with sickle cell disease has been approved for use on the NHS, the medicines watchdog has announced.Campaigners welcomed news of the approval of the one-time gene therapy, known as exagamglogene autotemcel, or exa-cel, which edits the faulty gene in a patient’s own stem cells. Continue reading...

Politics

15 hours ago 'Tiny' cottage up for auction at £68K will stun viewers when they walk inside

The charming listing proves the saying that looks can be deceptive

Economics

6 hours ago UN chief urges evacuation of 2,500 children from Gaza as doctors warn of ‘imminent risk’ of death

António Guterres issues call after saying he was ‘deeply moved’ by meeting with US doctors who worked in GazaSee all our Middle East coverageUN secretary-general António Guterres has called for 2,500 children to be immediately evacuated from Gaza for medical treatment after meeting with US doctors who said the children were at imminent risk of death in the coming weeks.The four doctors had all volunteered in Gaza during the 15-month-long war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas that has devastated the territory of more than 2 million people and its healthcare system. Continue reading...

Events

3 hours ago Remarkable Scottish culture funding outcome after more than two years of stress and anxiety

Outlook for arts organisations transformed by three-year Creative Scotland deals

Politics

15 hours ago RFK Jr sought ‘Make America Healthy Again’ trademark for vaccine marketing

Trump’s health secretary pick transferred ownership of Maha slogan application to anti-vaccine ally Del BigtreeRobert F Kennedy Jr, the anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist nominated for US health secretary by Donald Trump, recently applied to trademark his own “Make America Healthy Again” slogan for use in marketing potential products including food supplements, vitamins, essential oils – and vaccines.Documentation filed with the Office of Government Ethics lists $100,000 earned from a “licensing agreement to use Maha brand marks”. Continue reading...

Economics

6 hours ago Washington DC plane crash latest: flight data and cockpit voice recorders recovered, officials say

National Transporation Safety Board announces recorders recovered, which are now reportedly at lab for evaluationOfficials say no survivors expected in DC plane crashFirst known victims include figure-skating championsVisual guide – how did the DC plane crash unfold?Multiple media including the New York Times, Reuters and CNN are saying the Black Hawk helicopter was carrying three soldiers. No senior army officials were onboard, they reported, citing US defence officials.Multiple sources are now saying that about 60 people were onboard the American Airlines plane that collided with the helicopter. Continue reading...

Events

3 hours ago Grammys 2025 predictions: from Sabrina Carpenter to Chappell Roan and Kendrick Lamar

Some of pop’s biggest artists are vying for the top prizes this year. Roisin O’Connor picks the most likely candidates for the ‘big four’ categories

Politics

19 hours ago European Central Bank cuts interest rates to support growth as eurozone economy stagnates

Live coverage of business, economics and financial news as ECB cuts main interest rate by 0.25 percentage points in effort to support growthIt was a flash reading on the Eurozone economy, so we don’t have the details on what the drivers were. But it’s clear that it was a weak end to 2024.But the European Central Bank might be able to spur a bit of economic growth in the eurozone with looser monetary policy.This marks a weak end to last year, following positive growth in the first three quarters of 2024. As a result, first estimates suggest that the currency bloc as a whole grew by 0.7% in 2024. Declining activity in Germany – the Eurozone’s largest economy – has weighed on the bloc’s growth, with German GDP contracting by 0.2% on the quarter. This suggests Germany has now seen annual declines in activity for two consecutive years.In 2025, further loosening of monetary conditions is expected to provide a modest uptick in activity for both Germany and the Eurozone, with growth expecte...

Economics

6 hours ago Sir Clive Woodward's Six Nations ultimate guide: Why it's time for Steve Borthwick and England to deliver, the reason Italy will finish above Scotland ...and who I'm backing to win it all

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: After he missed last year's Six Nations, Antoine Dupont's return for the 2025 Championship is brilliant news not only for France, but for all rugby fans.

Events

4 hours ago ‘A neural fossil’: human ears try to move when listening, scientists say

Researchers found that muscles move to orient ears toward sound source in vestigial reactionWiggling your ears might be more of a pub party piece than a survival skill, but humans still try to prick up their ears when listening hard, researchers have found.Ear movement is crucial in many animals, not least in helping them focus their attention on particular noises and work out which direction they are coming from. Continue reading...

Politics

20 hours ago How much is your council tax going up? London boroughs with biggest bills revealed

Average demand in more than half of London boroughs expected to break £2,000 barrier

Economics

7 hours ago Washington plane crash: cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder recovered

Recorders from plane are currently at National Transportation Safety Board labs for analysis, agency saysWashington DC plane crash – latest updatesFirst confirmed victims include figure-skating championsInvestigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder from the plane involved in Wednesday night’s mid-air collision with a US military helicopter that killed all 67 people onboard both aircraft.The recorders are currently at the National Transportation Safety Board labs for analysis, the agency said on Thursday evening, and are expected to shed light on exactly what went wrong. Preliminary reports raised questions over whether understaffing in an air traffic control tower at the Washington DC airport played a role in the United States’ worst aviation disaster in years. Continue reading...

Events

4 hours ago Stick nation! Why do 3 million people – including me and my kids – love stick reviews?

The internet’s go-to gathering place for those who rate and revere sticks is big and growing fast. The appeal is simple ...The first stick was small, and shaped like a revolver.It was late summer 2023 and two friends, Boone Hogg and Logan Jugler, both 31, were on a late summer hike heading towards Delicate Arch, a 16m red rock formation in Utah’s Arches national park, when Jugler spotted it on the ground. He picked it up and began rating its attributes – colour, shape, flexibility – out of 10, while Hogg filmed. Then they uploaded it to Instagram. Continue reading...

Politics

20 hours ago Scots model who insured legs for £1m and walked runway for Victoria Beckham launches new bodysuit

Scottish entrepreneur and former model Ashly Rae, has launched her self-titled new brand Ashly Rae and says her patent-pending wardrobe staple is a world-first in comfort, style and support.

Economics

7 hours ago Four years after the coup, chaos reigns as Myanmar’s military struggles

A patchwork of armed opposition groups have made major gains over the past year, with the military facing further losses The streets of Lashio, a once bustling city in north-eastern Myanmar, are quieter than usual. Schools are shut, except for those run by volunteers from the pro-democracy resistance in the community. Months of airstrikes have left destruction. Even though the fighting has stopped, electricity is still not running properly. Instead, residents rely on solar power to charge their phones, and firewood and charcoal to cook.“We saw a lot of civilians who died during the battle [in those days]. We saw them on the streets, on the lanes, some of the bodies were decayed and some of them were freshly dead. Some died in their homes,” said Leo*, a 40-year-old driver, whose family spent months living with constant bombardments by the military, running to hide in the darkness of a homemade bunker each time jet fighters came. Continue reading...

Events

4 hours ago Big knickers, bad decisions and old bats: Renée Zellweger on the return of Bridget Jones

Nearly 25 years after the first film, the actor, her co-stars and the writer Helen Fielding discuss the ultimate singleton, love and loss – and why Bridget Jones is the female James BondMark Darcy is dead. Bridget Jones fans have been grieving since 2013, when Helen Fielding’s third novel, Mad About the Boy, was published sans Bridget’s hot human-rights lawyer husband. The outcry made front page news (as did the copies that were accidentally printed with 40 pages from David Jason’s memoir). People could not believe that romcom’s favourite reindeer-jumper-wearing dish, who proved that – ding dong! – nice men do kiss like that, was no more.“Someone ran out of the pub shouting: ‘You’ve murdered Colin Firth!’” Fielding says over a video call, tulips arranged on a huge wooden table in the background, as well they should in a boho-posh Primrose Hill kitchen. “I just want to point out that he is fictional. Colin Firth is not dead.” Continue reading...

Politics

20 hours ago The Apprentice Business Plans 2025:Here's what the 18 candidates want Lord Sugar to invest in

Another 18 wannbe business tycoons are about to be put through their paces.

Economics

8 hours ago Ukraine war briefing: elderly couples among nine killed in Russian drone attack

Thirteen people wounded, including eight-year-old girl, in Sumy apartment block attack. Sweden pledges $1.2bn in Ukraine military aid, its biggest pledge yet. What we know on day 1,073See all our Ukraine war coverageA Russian drone attack on a residential block killed nine people including three elderly couples in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, officials said on Thursday. Images distributed by the emergency services showed a gaping hole in the facade of the long block of flats and rescue workers digging through debris for survivors. “This is a terrible tragedy, a terrible Russian crime. It is very important that the world does not pause in putting pressure on Russia for this terror,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media. National Police later said the search operation had been completed after 19 hours, with rescuers finding nine bodies in the ruins, while 13 people were wounded. Among the dead were three couples – men and women between the ages of 61 and 74 – Ukr...

Events

4 hours ago Samoa’s prime minister criticises RFK Jr’s vaccine views after deadly measles outbreak

In an exclusive interview, Fiame Naomi Mataʻafa tells the Guardian she is surprised at Trump’s pick for health secretary and criticised anti-vaxxers for their part in 2019 measles crisisSamoa’s prime minister, Fiame Naomi Mataʻafa, has criticised Robert F Kennedy Jr’s views and the spread of vaccine misinformation related to the deadly 2019 measles outbreak that claimed the lives of at least 83 people, mostly babies in her country.It comes as Kennedy, who is president Donald Trump’s pick to lead the top US health agency, faced attacks in Senate confirmation hearings this week with Democratic lawmakers accusing him of covering up his anti-vaccine views. Continue reading...

Politics

20 hours ago Three Israelis and five Thai nationals freed in latest hostage release under ceasefire deal with Hamas – live

Israel will reportedly free 110 Palestinian prisoners in exchange Away from Gaza and Israel, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived on Thursday in Damascus, Syria, Al Jazeera reported, the first visit by a foreign head of state since Bashar al-Assad’s fall.The Israeli military said on Thursday that freed Israeli female soldier Agam Berger had been handed over to the army by the Red Cross after her release in Gaza by Hamas. Continue reading...

Economics

9 hours ago ‘Epidemic’ of violence against women and girls in UK is getting worse – report

National Audit Office says government attempts to tackle misogynistic violence are hampered by poor coordinationAn “epidemic of violence against women and girls” in the UK is getting worse despite years of government promises and strategies, a highly critical report from Whitehall’s spending watchdog has said.The National Audit Office report comes four years after a major government response to violence against women and girls (VAWG) was launched after the murders of Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard.The Home Office did not have “centrally coordinated funding” for VAWG, unlike that for the 2021 illegal drugs strategy, and had underspent on its own VAWG budget by an average of 15% between 2021-22 and 2023-24.There was no consistent definition for VAWG – the Home Office includes all victims, while police forces only include women and girls – which “made it difficult to measure progress in a consistent way”.While 78% of the commitments in the strategy had been met by July 2024, several we...

Events

4 hours ago Nicola Sturgeon blasts Humza Yousaf over 'catastrophic' sacking of Greens from Scottish Government

Sturgeon did not spare her successor for ending an agreement she engineered.

Politics

21 hours ago 'Nightmare' neighbour who chopped down hedge to make her flowerbed two feet bigger loses latest court battle that's already cost her £27,000

Tersia Van Zyl and husband Stiaan were sued after neighbour Peter Walker-Smith accused them of wrongly having the bush that separated their gardens in Claygate, Surrey cut down.

Economics

9 hours ago Ange Postecoglou explains Micky van de Ven substitution in fresh Tottenham injury update

Spurs beat Elfsborg to ensure top eight finish in Europa League

Events

5 hours ago UFC president Dana White criticizes fighter Bryce Mitchell’s praise of Hitler

White does not take disciplinary action against fighterMitchell, 30, said ‘Hitler was a good guy’ on podcastUFC president and CEO Dana White criticized Bryce Mitchell for making anti-Semitic and homophobic comments on a podcast during which the featherweight also praised Adolf Hitler and denied the Holocaust.But, citing freedom of expression, White said the organization would not take any disciplinary actions against Mitchell. Continue reading...

Politics

21 hours ago Apply for Household Support Fund: fund to provide DWP payments in time for half

The Household Support Fund is offering cash to help during half-term 💸

Economics

10 hours ago As a human rights lawyer, I fight against discrimination in all its forms. Witnessing the recent anti

In the face of those who refuse to see our humanity, I choose to imagine that we are humane enough to believe in theirsMy grandmother, Holocaust survivor Olga Horak OAM, passed away in August 2024 just days after her 98th birthday. Just one week before, she attended her great-granddaughter’s Jewish day school to share her remarkable story of survival with the Year 6 students. Her parting message was simple: “Never forget. Don’t hate”. Although she could no longer stand up straight, in her decades-long commitment to Holocaust education as a volunteer at the Sydney Jewish Museum, she was indefatigable until the end.When she died, we lost an empire of knowledge. Just as we do whenever we lose a survivor. Her strength of character, her disarming candour, her twinkly eyes, her testimony and her light have secreted themselves in the hearts of the thousands of people she touched, like little mirrors reflecting flashes of her life. A giant photo mosaic. Continue reading...

Events

8 hours ago Legendary rock group forced to 'shelve huge 2025 UK and Europe tour plans after not being able to make the dates work'

The veteran group were reportedly gearing up to hit the road this summer on a mammoth tour up and down the country and beyond.

Politics

21 hours ago Georgia Stanway out for ‘several months’ as Lionesses dealt major injury blow

England play their opening game of Euro 2025 on July 5 and Stanway is now a major doubt for the tournament

Economics

10 hours ago Tottenham’s kids rescue Postecoglou and sink Elfsborg on way into last 16

This was a rare case of Tottenham turning an injury into a positive. The loss of Radu Dragusin was Dane Scarlett’s cue. Recalled from a disappointing loan spell at Oxford United earlier this month, the 20-year-old striker came on for Dragusin and set Spurs on course to victory over Elfsborg when he headed in his first goal for his boyhood club.It has been almost five years since Scarlett made his debut. He was an unlikely saviour but Ange Postecoglou was not complaining. There was more joy when another substitute, the 19-year-old winger, Oyindamola Ajayi, came on to score on his debut, then when Mikey Moore made it 3-0 with his first professional goal. Spurs had secured their place in the knockout phase. There was relief at avoiding two extra playoff games. Continue reading...

Events