33 h. ago Starmer is always torn between risk and caution. When it came to Mandelson, the wrong side won | Emma Burnell

The PM stood by his man for so long, he can’t even claim credit now for firing him. It’s a worst-of-both-worlds scenarioEmma Burnell is the editor of LabourListKeir Starmer’s public image is one of stolid caution. This was something deliberately crafted at the start of his leadership of the Labour party to put him into sharp contrast with the charismatic but chaotic then prime minister, Boris Johnson. Starmer is – we were repeatedly told – forensic. He’s a details man who plays by the book.However, look more closely and you will see that Starmer is actually something of a political risk-taker. The hiring – and now firing – of Peter Mandelson is just the latest case in point.Emma Burnell is the editor of LabourList Continue reading...

Events

45 h. ago ‘We’ve done it before’: how not to lose hope in the fight against ecological disaster

Some days it can feel as if climate catastrophe is inevitable. But history is full of cases – such as the banning of whaling and CFCs – that show humanity can come together to avert disasterOnce upon a time, the world was powered by whale. Oil made from whale blubber burns cleanly and well, though it smells strongly of fish. It was, for a while, the perfect fuel. To meet the growing demand, whales were hunted almost to extinction.And then we discovered that oil could come from the ground. Lamps once lit by rendered blubber were swiftly changed over to run on what Americans call kerosene and the British call paraffin. Later, those lamps were changed to run on electricity, and instead of burning oil in the lamps themselves, we began to burn it in power plants miles away. Continue reading...

Events

57 h. ago World Robert Burns conference returns to Kilmarnock for first time in 30 years

The annual conference of the Robert Burns World Federation (RBWF) was held in Kilmarnock at the weekend.

Events

3 d. ago Fearless Rogers leads England to double act of silencing locals and their doubters | Barney Ronay

Thomas Tuchel had his big moment in a World Cup qualifier but home fans were more concerned with off-pitch issuesSport: it just keeps on trying to tell you things. On a gripping, clammy, oddly distracted night in Belgrade, England and Serbia produced what felt at times like a twin-track spectacle, a perfect embodiment of the idea of elite sport as a kind of theatre that takes while the world burns around it.There seemed to be two quite different things happening in the same timeline. In the first of these, the official spectacle, England produced an expertly controlled away performance, in the process all but sealing qualification for the World Cup. This was a Morgan Rogers story, a Thomas Tuchel finds his moment story, the transition from joyless wiry German death-football technocrat to fun wiry German tactical rainmaker. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Multiple earthquakes strike off Oregon coast with the strongest reaching nearly 6 magnitude

Multiple earthquakes struck off the coast of Oregon, with the largest reaching nearly a 6.0 magnitude. There have been at least five additional tremors since the seismic activity began.

Events

4 d. ago Sacrifice review – starry satire pokes fun at celebrity before falling into a volcano

Toronto film festival: Chris Evans is excellent as a vain actor kidnapped by an eco-terrorism cult in an initially amusing comedy of performative politics that falls apartPoking fun at the absurdity of celebrity is of course never unwarranted but it also frequently comes across as a little fatiguing. The target is easier than ever and too often, so are the jokes, incisive satire proving hard to nail when the subjects have become so indistinguishably cartoonish. The same has become true of the wealthy in general and recent films that have tried to lampoon either have felt lazy, pointing and laughing at something that’s stopped being funny a long time ago.There’s an initial kick then to the new film from French music video provocateur turned film-maker Romain Gavras, who finds a more precise section of the VIP area to ridicule: performative environmentalists. As the world continues to burn, artists and those who use that word loosely, have attached themselves to the crisis whether it ...

Politics

7 d. ago Father of man found dead at Burning Man breaks silence after homicide investigation launched

Russian native Vadim Kruglov was found ‘lying in a pool of blood’ at the Nevada festival over the weekend, authorities say

Events

8 d. ago 'True hero of Burning Man' found dead at festival is identified as Russia national

Vadim Kruglov’s body was found in a pool of blood at the annual festival in Nevada

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9 d. ago Man sentenced to death after burning wife alive 'because her skin was too dark'

The man, known only as Kishandas, "routinely taunted" partner Lakshmi "for being dark skinned".

Events

9 d. ago Husband who burned wife alive because her skin was 'too dark' sentenced to death

WARNING - DISTRESSING DETAILS: A court heard that the tragic woman was a victim of colourism, a form of discrimination that favours light-skinned members of the same ethnic group

Events

1 week ago Homicide investigation launched at Burning Man after man found dead in pool of blood, cops say

The homicide appeared to be a ‘single crime,’ but police still warned participants to remain on alert

Events

1 week ago ‘They had everything, then nothing’: the prodigies the art world forgot

Robert Colquhoun and Bobby MacBryde were once the golden boys of London’s art scene – photographed in Vogue, filmed by Ken Russell and lauded by Francis Bacon. So why did they vanish into obscurity?The world is burning. Fascism is rising. Countries are falling. And we’re on the brink of incredible technological change, which will either be the end of everything or a new beginning. So, who needs artists?An August night in 1944. Robert Colquhoun’s hand shakes as he lights a candle in the blacked-out Notting Hill studio shared with his lover, fellow artist, Robert “Bobby” MacBryde. They are known – from Soho alleys to Bond Street galleries – as the Two Roberts: inseparable, incandescent, often in trouble. Where is Bobby tonight? The Colony Room Club, probably. Safe, Robert hopes. Though never from himself. Bombers prowl the skies above. Who will survive the night? “Fuck it,” Robert mutters, fag dancing on his lip. And he picks up his brush. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Texas teen hospitalized with severe burns after TikTok experiment goes horribly wrong: ‘My shirt was on fire’

Twelve-year-old Caden Ballard and his older brother saw a video on the social media app which involved putting rubbing alcohol into a bottle and setting it on fire, making flames shoot up the bottle

Events

1 week ago Mom who didn’t know she was pregnant gives birth at Burning Man: ‘I was yelling for anyone to come help us’

A neonatal nurse, a pediatric doctor, and an OBGYN wearing only his underwear who were attending the festival rushed to help the newborn and her mother

Events

2 w. ago Catholic school shooter Robin Westman's sick manifesto calling for world to 'burn'

Robin Westman was identified as the shooter who targeted children at a catholic church – now details are emerging of sick manifestos and videos shared by the murderer

Events

2 w. ago Burning Man’s ‘Orgy Dome’ destroyed by high winds as dust storm hits festival

‘Unfortunately, the winds yesterday undid all that labor and wrecked our structure,’ organizers said Monday

Events

2 w. ago MAGA really wants it to be legal to burn a Pride flag, while Trump wants jail for American flag burners

Right-wing commentators claim those defacing LGBT+ emblems held to different standard than those burning American flags

Events

2 w. ago California and Oregon fire crews battle several blazes as forecasters warn more may spark

Firefighters try to corral Garnet fire, with parts of California under red flag warning, as Oregon blaze destroys homesNumerous wildfires across the US west coast are challenging emergency crews from California wine country to central Oregon, as weather forecasters warned that the risks of more blazes sparking is not over yet.In central California, firefighters are working to corral a fast-growing wildfire that is churning through the Sierra national forest as forecasters warned on Tuesday that lightning strikes from thunderstorms could ignite new fires. Since breaking out on Sunday afternoon, the Garnet fire has scorched 14 sq miles (36 sq km) of grass, chaparral and timber in a remote area known for camping and hiking about 60 miles (97km) east of Fresno. The fire is currently at 0% containment, and officials said that “strong, erratic winds” would likely test firefighters ability to make progress. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago MAGA candidate sparks backlash after burning Quran and promising to ‘end Islam’ in Texas

Valentina Gomez, who is running for Texas’ 31st District in 2026 as a Republican, has a history of hateful rhetoric

Events

2 w. ago As Trump targets flag burning, vandals in Cape Cod are tearing down Old Glories on bridge honoring Afghan war hero

The president’s signed the executive order allowing the prosecution of individuals who burn flags despite a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that said desecrating flags was protected

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