4 hours ago Reform MP who assaulted woman will not face suspension, says deputy leader

James McMurdock, who did not publicly disclose before election his conviction 18 years ago, meets party vetting standardsA Reform MP who was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend 18 years ago will not be suspended and would pass the party’s new vetting process, the party’s deputy leader has said.Richard Tice has defended James McMurdock’s assault on his ex-girlfriend as a “mistake” and said his fellow MP was “doing brilliantly”. Continue reading...

Politics

5 hours ago A man stalked a professor for six years. Then he used AI chatbots to lure strangers to her home

James Florence, 36, agreed to plead guilty after using victim’s information to guide chatbots in impersonationA man from Massachusetts has agreed to plead guilty to a seven-year cyberstalking campaign that included using artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to impersonate a university professor and invite men online to her home address for sex.James Florence, 36, used platforms such as Crushon.ai and JanitorAI, which allow users to design their own chatbots and direct them how to respond to other users during chats, including in sexually suggestive and explicit ways, according to court documents seen by the Guardian. The victim’s identity has been kept confidential by law enforcement officials. Continue reading...

Society

47 minutes ago Justin Baldoni claims Blake Lively 'plotted with NYT for months' in amended $400 million defamation action

Justin Baldoni has filed an amended version of his $400 million defamation suit accusing Blake Lively of giving The New York Times advance access to her sexual harassment complaint.

Economics

9 hours ago ‘I don’t like corporate boxes’: Jeremy and Ben Corbyn on Arsenal, coaching and Starmer

The former Labour leader and his son reveal how football changed their family, and discuss the pleasure and pain that comes from loving such a voraciously capitalist sportLast Saturday morning, with the biting cold and bright sunshine providing a perfect day for football, Jeremy Corbyn climbed off his bicycle at Tufnell Park playing fields. I joked about a red bike being appropriate for his politics and his beloved Arsenal but Corbyn just smiled and gazed at the teeming pitches.His eldest son, Ben, is a scout for the Arsenal academy and runs the London Football School which coaches around a thousand young footballers. They range in age from three to 18 and there are 42 LFS teams. Continue reading...

Sport

34 minutes ago London man: 911 officials tampered with package containing records tied to police shooting

London man: 911 officials tampered with package containing records tied to police shooting  Lexington Herald Leader

Events

7 hours ago ‘The image is a call to honour our roots’: Reginald Kofi Boateng’s best phone photo

Exploring themes of identity, heritage and individuality, the Ghanaian photographer used surreal colours to add a dreamlike qualityReginald Kofi Boateng had spent his morning scouting the perfect location and gathering props. “The day was steeped with intention,” says Boateng, who comes from Koforidua, in eastern Ghana and now lives in Dansoman, in the capital, Accra.“Dansoman is a sprawling estate and a place of contrasts,” he says. “Stories are waiting to be uncovered in its bustling streets and quiet corners. This setting became the perfect backdrop to explore themes of identity, heritage and individuality.” Continue reading...

Culture

5 hours ago Trump ally Peter Marocco behind evisceration of USAid: ‘He’s a destroyer’

Campaign ally sowed trail of enmity during first Trump presidency and allegedly was present at January 6 riotThe Trump administration’s evisceration of US overseas aid has been presided over by a campaign ally who sowed a trail of enmity at multiple agencies during the first Trump presidency and has been publicly identified as allegedly having been present at the January 6 insurrection when rioters stormed the Capitol.Peter Marocco has accumulated power in the office of foreign assistance, informally called “F”, that traditionally has helped coordinate US foreign aid programs. But under Marocco, it has enforced a full-scale freeze on overseas aid and a stop-work order that has in effect halted operations and already led to hundreds of layoffs in the United States and overseas. Continue reading...

Politics

22 hours ago ‘Perfect rat storm’: urban rodent numbers soar as the climate heats, study finds

Sharp rise in population in 11 of 16 cities expected to continue as rising temperatures make it easier for the animals to breed, say researchersRat numbers are soaring in cities as global temperatures warm, research shows.Washington DC, San Francisco, Toronto, New York City and Amsterdam had the greatest increase in these rodents, according to the study, which looked at data from 16 cities globally. Eleven of the cities showed “significant increasing trends in rat numbers”, said the paper published in the journal Science Advances, and these trends were likely to continue. Continue reading...

Society

50 minutes ago We're selling our wonderful £21 million family castle after 700 years and 28 generations

Many can identify with the immense relief that accompanies downsizing later in life.

Economics

23 hours ago Brighton forward gets green light to complete Championship transfer switch

Brighton winger Benicio Baker-Boaitey is in advanced talks over a permanent switch to Millwall, who want to make the England Under-20 star their fifth January signing

Sport

9 hours ago Some games are bigger than others so pressure is on Ireland and England

Visitors can forge a winning new identity under Maro Itoje but the experienced Irish remain marginal favouritesEvery Six Nations fixture is a grand occasion but some games are bigger than others. Ireland and England both know how crucial today’s Dublin eliminator will be in terms of establishing early championship momentum. Listening to the upbeat pre-match tone of the visitors’ new captain, Maro Itoje – “I think we have a team that’s ready to write our own stories” – this also feels like a pivotal moment for Steve Borthwick’s whole England project.A lot has already been said and written since last March’s corresponding match when Marcus Smith drilled a last-gasp drop-goal through the sticks amid ecstatic Twickenham scenes reminiscent of Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. England have subsequently played eight Test matches and lost six, beating only Japan twice. The majority of those losses have been tight but close doesn’t win any cigars at the elite level. Continue reading...

Events

5 hours ago TV presenter Olivia Attwood looks back: ‘I was a big character on Love Island, but it was all bravado’

The reality star turned documentary maker on being a shy child, growing up with dyslexia and ADHD, and how TV has given her confidenceBorn in London in 1991, Olivia Attwood shot to fame as a contestant on the third series of Love Island. The reality TV universe beckoned – Attwood joined the cast of The Only Way Is Essex and Celebs Go Dating. She then stepped into TV presenting, making documentaries about trolls, cosmetic surgery, and in the third season of her ITV show Getting Filthy Rich, young entrepreneurs selling sex. She lives between London and Cheshire with her husband, the footballer Bradley Dack.The eyes are giving Princess Diana, as if there’s some pending, awful news on the horizon. I loved doing ballet but I was a shy and anxious child, always pondering. My parents are staggered by the shift that’s happened in me over the last decade, because for that kid in the photo, the idea of being the centre of attention was horrifying. There was one t...

Politics

5 hours ago Save £100 on Estée Lauder Lift and Glow skincare bundle featuring full

Estée Lauder's Lift + Glow Advanced Night Repair 4-Piece Skincare Gift Set is on sale with over £100 off its RRP for a limited time only

Economics

32 hours ago Chelsea transfer news: Goalkeeper targeted and midfielder heads for Stamford Bridge exit

Chelsea’s efforts to conclude their transfer business before the window has advanced with another youngster set to head out the Stamford Bridge exit door

Sport

16 hours ago Trump White House marks Black History Month while Defense Department declares 'identity months dead'

The Trump White House has issued a proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month around the same time the Defense Department issued guidance declaring “identity months dead.”

Events

9 hours ago Bruce Willis' family 'accept his final chapter' as actor faces 'dark side' of dementia

Bruce Willis has been 'brave' in the face of his advancing dementia, his family have said, as Hollywood continues to pay tribute to the actor, who has been suffering from the illness

Politics

5 hours ago Estee Lauder Advanced Repair skincare bundle worth £147 gives 4 'miracle' products for £63

Save £100 on Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair skincare with this epic skincare gift set that includes a full-size bottle of the best-selling serum

Economics

16 hours ago Former Fox Sports reporter accuses top executive of sexual assault in lawsuit

Julie Stewart-Binks filed lawsuit on Friday in Los AngelesFormer reporter is suing network and exec Charlie DixonDixon is also co-defendant in separate January complaintA former Fox Sports reporter and anchor filed a lawsuit Friday against the network and top executive Charlie Dixon, saying he sexually assaulted her after coaxing her up to his hotel room to discuss Super Bowl plans in 2016 and was later pushed out of her job for fighting back.Julie Stewart-Binks said in her complaint, filed in Los Angeles county superior court, that she was inspired to speak up after a former hairstylist for Fox Sports filed a lawsuit on 5 January saying a former host had made repeated unwanted sexual advances toward her and that Dixon had groped her. Continue reading...

Events

33 hours ago 'Heartless' fraudsters con pensioners out of £416k in cash and jewellery 'elaborate' scam

'Ring leader' Faris Kayani, 30, Saqib Mahmood, 28, Luc Williams, 24 "targeted" elderly people by calling them up and informing them they had been victims of fraud

Economics

16 hours ago Shock as Army takes 'extraordinary step' over female Black Hawk pilot in DC plane crash: Recap

Both the instructor pilot in charge, identified as Chief Warrant Office 2 Andrew Eaves, and the female co-pilot were being evaluated during the flight and were familiar with the route.

Events

11 hours ago Woke staff leave surprise for Mark Zuckerberg in Meta restrooms amid crackdown on tampons in men's toilets

Silicon Valley's workforce is grappling with a dramatic ideological shift as top tech leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg, align with President Trump's administration.

Politics

19 hours ago Shock as Army takes 'extraordinary step' over female Black Hawk pilot in DC plane crash: Live updates

Both the instructor pilot in charge, identified as Chief Warrant Office 2 Andrew Eaves, and the female co-pilot were being evaluated during the flight and were familiar with the route.

Events

11 hours ago Celtic face big transfer test as there's 2 things they cannot do in second half of the season

The former Hoops hero identifies the key areas where the Parkhead recruitment team must strengthen before Monday

Politics

19 hours ago Trans Black Hawk pilot forced to respond after she's falsely identified as D.C. crash captain

Jo Ellis has served in the Virginia National Guard for 15 years and found herself the subject of thousands of false social media posts on Friday morning

Events

11 hours ago Liz Earle's new Superskin moisturiser has shoppers 'getting compliments' after two weeks

The Superskin Advanced Firming Serum-in-Moisturiser is a luxurious, rich cream that contains acacia tree extract, a natural alternative to collagen, as well as rosehip oil to smooth and soften skin.

Politics

20 hours ago Identity thief whose deception led to his victim’s incarceration gets a 12

An information technology expert for decades assumed the identity of another man so convincingly that his victim was forcibly medicated and jailed for identity theft himself

Events

12 hours ago Wicked star Cynthia Erivo on fame, fear and fighting classism; Marina Hyde on why gen Z kids are not alright; and the mind/body revolution – podcast

From yearning for a ‘strong leader’ to being swept up in riots, the portents for our children are not good – and who can blame them for being so disillusioned, asks Marina Hyde. Oscar-nominated Cynthia Erivo has gone stratospheric as Elphaba in Wicked – what next for one of Britain’s brightest stars? And new research shows western medicine’s traditional split between brain and body is far from clear cut – could this new understanding provide a breakthrough for many complex conditions? Continue reading...

Politics

21 hours ago DC plane crash latest updates: Transgender pilot speaks out after she was falsely identified as Black Hawk captain

None of the 67 passengers and crew are believed to have survived, as investigators work on ‘black boxes’ found in the ruins of American Eagle flight 5342

Events

15 hours ago EastEnders star 'slips up' during live interview and drops huge clue he could be The Masked Singer's Bear

The ITV show sees celebrities don elabarote costumes as they perform while taking on the persona of an animal or object to hide their identity, with the judges having to guess who they are.

Politics

23 hours ago NASA’s five most dangerous asteroids that are a potential threat to Earth

NASA has identified several potentially hazardous asteroids that could strike Earth

Events

17 hours ago Tice defends convicted Reform MP amid Farage’s ‘near catastrophe’ vetting claim

The deputy leader said James McMurdock was someone who had ‘got things wrong, learnt from it and has grown and succeeded’.

Politics

24 hours ago China is preparing for WW3 with the world's largest military command centre ten times bigger than the Pentagon featuring nuke

The vast facility on the outskirts of Beijin has raised alarm among Western intelligence agencies, who fear it signals Beijing's preparations for a major global conflict.

Events

19 hours ago Finn Russell wants Scotland to find their voices in the absence of their chatty leader

Co-captain rallies squad ahead of Six Nations opener against Italy

Politics

25 hours ago ITV Emmerdale fans convinced Ruby 'killed wrong man' as true identity of Anthony 'revealed'

Emmerdale fans are convinced that Ruby Fox-Miligan (Alicya Eyo) killed the wrong man as they predict a huge twist in the Anthony storyline - and it involves a secret twin

Events

20 hours ago PLATELL'S PEOPLE: Hiding her baby's face makes me ask... Who DOES Princess Beatrice think she is?

Why such secrecy over a lovely little newborn who, frankly, looks pretty much like any other? How absurd to try to hide Athena's identity when no one would recognise her again.

Politics

26 hours ago Another major war is looming – and western support for Rwanda is fuelling it | Dino Mahtani

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels are seizing control of areas within the DRC. This will only escalate unless western governments actAs if this world needs more bloodshed, here comes another major war knocking on the door of the crumbling international order. This week’s ferocious assault and capture of the largest city in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by rebels backed by troops from its tiny neighbour, Rwanda, marks an escalation with far reaching consequences beyond Africa. It also exposes the complacency of western governments, who many Congolese accuse of paving the way for this crisis.The rebellion, known as the M23, has been snowballing since 2021. In recent months, M23 seized swathes of territory as it encircled Goma, a city nestled below a group of volcanoes facing the Rwandan border. This week, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, called for Rwanda to stop supporting M23 and to remove its troops from Congolese territory, adding that the conflict had ...

Events

23 hours ago White House says Trump will impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China from Saturday – US politics live

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier reports of 1 March date are false – announcing tariffs of 25% on Canada and Mexico and $10% on ChinaTrudeau: Canada will bring ‘forceful but reasonable’ retaliation to Trump tariffsSecretary of state Marco Rubio will travel to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic beginning on Saturday, the state department said.Rubio will travel to Central America to “advance President Trump’s America First foreign policy,” the department said.Secretary Rubio’s engagements with senior officials and business leaders will promote regional cooperation on our core, shared interests: stopping illegal and large-scale migration, fighting the scourge of transnational criminal organizations and drug traffickers, countering China, and deepening economic partnerships to enhance prosperity in our hemisphere. Continue reading...

Politics

26 hours ago Jack the Ripper identity mystery could be solved at last after latest DNA bombshell

Russell Edwards made the bombshell discovery after testing the DNA of a bloodstained shawl - which was recovered from the scene of one of Jack the Ripper's brutal murders

Events

24 hours ago Reed seeks to reassure farmers as forecasts show 9% farmland shift for net zero

To meet environmental and climate targets, the Government predicts that 1.6 million hectares of England’s land may need to change its use by 2050.

Politics

26 hours ago Fortnite OG Season 2 Battle Pass – every remixed skin you can unlock in the throwback season

A new Cuddle Team Leader skin has arrived in the new Fortnite OG Pass, packed with classically styled skins for the season that brings Chapter 1 Season 2 back to the island.

Events

25 hours ago Dumfries and Galloway Council leader hails 'remarkable response' to Storm Eowyn

Communities rallied round to ensure vulnerable people didn't come to harm after 90 mph winds led to power cuts lasting several days.

Politics

27 hours ago 2025 Grammys will celebrate music but also raise money for LA fire relief

With nominations led by Beyoncé and Charli xcx, the event will serve a dual-purpose by acknowledging the devastating wildfires in CaliforniaGrammy awards 2025: list of nomineesA “very different” Grammy awards will take place in Los Angeles this weekend, impacted by the recent wildfires that have affected California.The annual celebration of music, taking place at the Crypto.com arena on Sunday, will still feature a range of big-name performers but there will be a noticeable shift in purpose. Continue reading...

Events

25 hours ago Canada ready with ‘forceful, immediate’ response if Trump imposes tariffs – US politics live

Donald Trump says he will impose trade tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Saturday, starting at 25% and they ‘may or may not’ rise over timeSecretary of state Marco Rubio will travel to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic beginning on Saturday, the state department said.Rubio will travel to Central America to “advance President Trump’s America First foreign policy,” the department said.Secretary Rubio’s engagements with senior officials and business leaders will promote regional cooperation on our core, shared interests: stopping illegal and large-scale migration, fighting the scourge of transnational criminal organizations and drug traffickers, countering China, and deepening economic partnerships to enhance prosperity in our hemisphere. Continue reading...

Politics

27 hours ago Kemi Badenoch dismisses Reform UK as a 'protest party' despite their surging poll numbers

The rally in Quendon, North West Essex, is expected to see speeches from all five of Reform's MPs with the party boasting the area is a 'target seat'.

Events

25 hours ago Trump sets stage for world leaders at the White House: Netanyahu to visit first with Keir Starmer set for crunch talks next month

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will become the first world leader to visit the White House on Tuesday when he holds meetings with President Donald Trump.

Politics

28 hours ago Locals from UK town shocked as Hollywood legend pops into their chippy only weeks after losing his LA home

Workers at Steve's Fish Bar in the south Wales industrial town of Port Talbot saw a familiar face leaning over the counter at the chippy this week as they went about their shift.

Events

27 hours ago Kobbie Mainoo's three options available to him as Ruben Amorim teases Man United move

Kobbie Mainoo was in scintillating form for Manchester United on Thursday as he operated in an advanced No. 10 role - but where does the English talent's future lie?

Politics

28 hours ago Dad caught on camera with knife claimed he was using it to build children's den

Lewis Millar landed in trouble after police probing a disturbance identified him from a resident's ring doorbell footage.

Events

27 hours ago Philp’s ‘patronising’ comment about Britons’ work ethic show Tories ‘out of touch’, TUC says – politics live

General secretary highlights ‘legacy of 14 years of falling living standards under the Tories’In an article for the Guardian, the Labour MP Clive Lewis said Rachel Reeves’ growth speech this week means the party has abandoned its pre-election green commitments.Here is an extract.A growing suspicion looms that our government lacks a coherent governing philosophy or ideological compass beyond the vague pursuit of “growth”. But if growth at any cost is the mantra, the costs will soon become painfully clear. Why pledge to be clean and green, only to undermine that commitment with a Heathrow expansion promise six months later? Burning the furniture to stay warm doesn’t signal confidence – it reeks of panic.Regardless of the motivation, Labour has crossed the Rubicon. Approving Heathrow expansion is an irreversible break with our pre-election pledges. In 2021, Reeves stood in front of the Labour party conference and declared that she would be the “first-ever green chancellor”. Now, Labour...

Politics

30 hours ago Washington DC plane crash latest: Air traffic controller 'left shift early' before American Airlines disaster

None of the 67 passengers and crew are believed to have survived, as investigators work on ‘black boxes’ found in the ruins of American Eagle flight 5342

Events