20 h. ago Call for alcohol ‘drinking zones’ trial at English football grounds

“It’s 40 years ago since alcohol was banned in view of the pitch – perhaps it’s time for a modern approach to a modern game"

Politics

6 d. ago Cardinal Peter Turkson: A contender to be the first black pope in modern times

With Pope Francis's passing, focus turns to Cardinal Peter Turkson, who is a leading candidate in the upcoming papal election

Politics

8 d. ago The Guardian view on Pope Francis: an outsider who was a force for good in the world | Editorial

The Argentine pontiff was a vital progressive influence on issues such as migration, and fought for a more merciful, less rigid Catholic churchDefying doctors’ orders to rest following his battle with double pneumonia, a weak Pope Francis last week visited Rome’s Regina Coeli prison, where he blew kisses towards inmates and spent half an hour in discussion with some of those incarcerated. Sadly, this Maundy Thursday encounter turned out to be one of the last acts of a supremely hardworking papacy. In retrospect, its location was entirely appropriate.Throughout his 12 years in Saint Peter’s chair, Francis sought admirably to refocus the Catholic church’s energies on the marginalised, while challenging the power of entrenched interests. Coming, as he put it, “from the ends of the earth”, the first non-European pontiff of modern times was an outsider pope and a radical one. Within the church, the Argentine was a sometimes spikily direct reformer; outside it, he was a signific...

Politics

8 d. ago Who will be the next pope? Some potential candidates to succeed Francis

A ‘continuity’ pick, the possible first Asian pope or first black pontiff in centuries are among likely contendersPope Francis, groundbreaking Jesuit pontiff, diesLatest updates: tributes paid after Pope Francis diesPredicting the outcome of the highly secretive papal conclave is near impossible as cardinals’ positions shift over successive votes and some try to game the system to influence the chances of their favoured – or least-favoured – candidates. In the last conclave in 2013, few predicted that Jorge Mario Bergoglio would be elected as Pope Francis. At the moment, speculation is focusing on these men to succeed him: Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Liberal crusade that made Francis the most controversial Pope of modern times... and sparked pandemonium among conservatives

When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was 12, he developed a crush on a girl called Amalia. Their parents disapproved, but Jorge went ahead and proposed anyway.

Events

8 d. ago How romantic rejection at 12 forged the most controversial Pope of modern times

When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was 12, he developed a crush on a girl called Amalia. Their parents disapproved, but Jorge went ahead and proposed anyway.

Politics

8 d. ago Who will be the next Pope? We could see the first black or Asian Pontiff, or the cardinal who called same

After the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, the world is waiting to see who will succeed him, as the Cardinals gather in Rome for the Papal Conclave.

Politics

1 week ago Five things you didn’t know about Black British cultural history

From northern soul to rugby league beef, here’s what I learned while writing We Were ThereHello and welcome to The Long Wave. I’m Lanre Bakare and I usually cover arts and culture for the Guardian, but I’m taking over the newsletter this week to tell you about my new book, We Were There, a cultural history of Black Britain.It’s set between 1979 and 1990, covering the rise and premiership of Margaret Thatcher, the UK’s first female prime minister, whose divisive but transformative remodelling of Britain is still felt today – and within that political upheaval, race dominated the headlines. But it was also a time when modern Black British culture was forged. I’ll talk you through five things I learned from my research. Continue reading...

Culture

2 w. ago The love that dare not speak its name: why I’m coming out as a gay man who loves Taylor Swift | Joe Stone

She is tragically mainstream, allergic to ‘serving’ on the red carpet and certainly hasn’t thrived against the odds. It’s the antithesis of gay culture – so why do I love her?As a self-evidently gay man, I’ve generally been spared the awkwardness of coming out. That was, until I became a Swiftie. In recent years I have become adept at gauging the temperature of a room before revealing my predilection. Is this a safe space? Will I be sidelined or treated as a pervert because of who I choose to love? Should I lie, or just be evasive? I want to live authentically, but at what cost?Taylor Swift is at once the closest thing we have to a monoculture and the most divisive pop star of modern times. As a self-identified Swiftie, I believe her gift lies in the ability to take hyper-specific experiences and render them universal. I’ve never performed a 149-date world tour while reeling from the heartbreak of having been ghosted by Matty Healy of the 1975, but listening to I Can Do It With a Br...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Finally we are being seen as contenders’: delight in India as demand for south Asian art booms

As wealth in India has grown, so has the number of arts patrons championing both India’s 20th century modern masters and the next generationFor over seven decades, the masterpiece had gathered dust as it hung in the corridors of a Norwegian hospital. But last month, the monumental 13-panel 1954 painting Untitled (Gram Yatra) – one of the most significant pieces of modern south Asian art – sold for a record-breaking $13.7m in New York.The auction of the painting sent ripples through the art world. It was not only the highest price ever paid for a painting by Maqbool Fida Husain, one of India’s most celebrated modern artists, but it was the highest ever paid for any piece of modern Indian art at auction – going for four times the estimated price. It also happened to be the most expensive artwork auctioned so far in 2025. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago The UK AIDS memorial quilt is going on display at London’s Tate Modern

The UK AIDS memorial quilt is going on display at London’s Tate Modern  Time Out

Politics

3 w. ago Is scurvy common in modern times? As Robbie Williams reveals diagnosis of 'pirate disease'

Robbie Williams has revealed his diagnosis of the '17th Century pirate disease'- but how did he manage that in our day and age?

Politics

3 w. ago US and UK World Cup bid success boosts hosts but does little for global game | Tom Garry

Tournaments in 2031 and 2035 are likely to be great events but will be hosted by those who need them the leastThere is an abundance of reasons why staging the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups in the United States and UK respectively offers cause for delight. The countries have well-established and emotionally invested fanbases, a genuine buy-in to the women’s game and huge, modern stadiums to choose from. These two summer parties will surely eclipse anything women’s sport has seen and the countries, having invested in the women’s game more than any others in modern times, have frankly earned this.Yet the news that the US and UK are bidding unopposed to host these tournaments is also sad for the women’s game from a global perspective. The US’s NWSL and England’s Women’s Super League are the two most-watched women’s leagues in the world with the largest average attendances and the most professionalised facilities for players and therefore, while many will agree that means they deserve...

Politics

3 w. ago RIP hoop earrings – fun, quirky, colourful styles are the way to go now | Jess Cartner

Minimalist modern is giving way to a more individualistic, vintage-inspired look. Time to layer bead-style necklaces and add some colourJermaine Stewart was right, you know. We don’t have to take our clothes off to have a good time. I’m talking about fashion, naturally. If you want to tap into the most fun update happening in style right now, you can do so without changing a single item of clothing. Because the party is happening in your jewellery box, not your wardrobe.Fun jewellery is back, and I am thrilled. I love a hoop earring as much as anyone, but I think it is time to admit to ourselves that the hoop has got a little tired at this point. For several months last year, the biggest thing that was happening in earrings was that the precise shape of the hoop had changed a tiny bit. Instead of being shaped like car tyres, they had a melted quality, heavier at the bottom. Before that, they had shrunk slightly, into huggie hoops that tightly clasped the lobes. T...

Politics