85 m. ago Russia becomes first country to recognise Afghanistan’s Taliban regime. Will China follow?

Experts monitoring the Taliban’s new diplomacy push in Asia say China could follow suit, paving the way for wider recognition of the militant group and ending its pariah status on the world stage. Arpan Rai reports

Politics

2 h. ago Celtic cut losses on £4m man as Nicolas Kuhn to turbocharge transfer spending spree – Parkhead news bulletin

The Hoops are set to lose two first-teamers but are on the verge of clinching their fifth summer signing

Economics

3 h. ago 'It looked like hell': Dozens injured in huge explosion in Rome 'after truck hit pipeline at petrol station'

Shocking footage showed fires raging and a huge cloud of smoke emanating from the site of the blast - a petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) station in Rome's eastern Prenestino district

Events

3 h. ago 'It looked like hell': At least 21 injured in huge explosion in Rome 'after truck hit pipeline at petrol station'

Shocking footage showed fires raging and a huge cloud of smoke emanating from the site of the blast - a petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) station in Rome's eastern Prenestino district

Events

4 h. ago Football agent Jonathan Barnett accused of trafficking, torture and rape

Allegations in US lawsuit allege woman kept as ‘sex slave’Barnett and former employer CAA deny all allegations The leading football agent Jonathan Barnett is being sued in an American court over allegations of human trafficking, torture and rape.In a civil complaint filed in a California district court it is alleged that Barnett “trafficked” the woman from Australia to the UK in 2017, “tortured” her for six years by keeping her as a “sex slave” and sexually assaulted her, including by rape, more than 39 times, as well as making “repeated threats to her life and the lives of her minor children”. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago From ube to adobo: The man who made London crave Filipino food

From adobo ice cream to jellied eels, Omar Shah, the restaurateur behind Ramo Ramen, Mamasons and newly opened Belly tells Hannah Twiggs how heritage, hustle and hybrid cooking shaped his London empire – long before Filipino food went mainstream

Politics

5 h. ago Scots suspects in £26m Irish cocaine bust named as they appear in court

The pair were both in the dock at Kinsale District Court along with two other men in connection with the massive seizure.

Economics

8 h. ago Seaside village in UK 'feels like Lake Como' and has very cheap fish and chips

The small village in Wales is no typical UK beach location

Politics

13 h. ago Emma Watson cosies up to new love interest as they enjoy picnic and painting in an Oxford park

The Harry Potter star, 35, was seen sitting on the bank of a lake, with onlookers saying it looked like the pair were enjoying a 'cute date'.

Politics

14 h. ago Virgil van Dijk makes pledge to Diogo Jota's family in touching tribute after his team

The Liverpool captain released a moving statement saying he was 'absolutely devastated and in total disbelief' to lose his team-mate of five years.

Politics

14 h. ago Trans boxer Imane Khelif should be stripped of Olympic gold medal, official says amid gender uproar

Controversial boxer Imane Khelif has been called to lose her Olympic gold medal by a prominent combat-sports personality from Paris amid the transgender blowback since the Olympiad.

Politics

14 h. ago Oregon jury convicts former NBA player Ben McLemore of raping incapacitated woman at team party

A jury in Oregon has found former NBA player Ben McLemore guilty of raping a 21-year-old incapacitated woman during a lake house party attended by many of his then-teammates from the Portland Trail Blazers

Sport

16 h. ago Toxic algae hits vast US lake just in time to spoil July 4 swimming and boating

Exposure to the blooms can result in liver and kidney failure, inflammation — and maybe even death

Events

17 h. ago Arsenal lose Mikel Arteta favourite to Premier League rival Brentford

Arsenal lose Mikel Arteta favourite to Premier League rival Brentford  Football London

Politics

17 h. ago Arsenal lose Mikel Arteta favourite to Premier League rivals Brentford

Arsenal lose Mikel Arteta favourite to Premier League rivals Brentford  Football London

Politics

19 h. ago ‘I won’t be going anywhere’: George Russell adamant he will stay at Mercedes

Russell confident of new contract despite Verstappen linksMayer to stand against Ben Sulayem for FIA presidencyGeorge Russell believes he “won’t be going anywhere” and is set to have a new contract confirmed with Mercedes as he played down suggestions that he could lose his seat to Max Verstappen.As he prepared for this weekend’s British Grand Prix, Russell, whose contract with Mercedes has yet to be renewed, said he thought the chances of him not being with the team next season were “exceptionally low”. Verstappen, in turn, flatly refused to comment on the matter. Continue reading...

Politics

20 h. ago Mum on Universal Credit who called people who work 'dumb' set to 'lose everything'

The 26-year-old woman, called Ebony Wood, is claiming she gets more than £4000 on Universal Credit from the DWP every month, and is now about to 'lose everything'

Politics

20 h. ago Austria deports man with criminal conviction to Syria for first time since fall of Assad

The 32-year-old was granted asylum in 2014, but lost his refugee status because of his recordAustria has returned a Syrian with a criminal conviction to his birth country in what it described as the first such deportation since the fall of the Assad regime.“The deportation carried out today is part of a strict and thus fair asylum policy,” Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, said in a statement. Continue reading...

Events

21 h. ago Maxine Peake: ‘I have a healthy balance of inferiority complex and slightly prickly ego’

The actor on working with Mike Leigh, death by disco ball and drinking on the jobHas your northern accent helped or hindered your career? Eluned51They do call a group of actors a “moan” of actors. We like to have a good moan. When people hear a regional accent, they immediately make assumptions about your class, financial status and education. People generally think if you’ve got a strong regional accent, you can’t do much else. Obviously there are amazing actors like Jodie Comer who smash that to pieces because people don’t realise she’s from Liverpool. But because I came out the traps with the northern accent it’s probably helped.Do you ever suffer from impostor syndrome and think: “Why are people so fascinated by me?” RealEdPhillipsI don’t ever think people are – I think they are generally quite bored by me! Of course I have impostor syndrome. When you don’t get a job, you can’t help but think: “Why didn’t I get that job? Why don’t they think I’m good enough?” So there’s a health...

Politics

21 h. ago Not ‘giving up’: is there another way to describe accepting how I look as I age?

If ‘giving up’ doesn’t sit right, try thinking about it as getting something back: time, money, energyEach month, Ask Ugly columnist Jessica DeFino answers a reader question about beauty cultureHi Ugly,I recently chatted with a middle-aged co-worker about her friend who is unhappy being single and thinks she should lose weight. As Gen X women growing up in the 1980s, our biggest concern was weight and calorie counting to control it (now we can add wrinkles, yellow teeth and odd body hair to the list).My father had plastic surgery. Now he wants me and my mother to get work doneHow should I be styling my pubic hair?How do I deal with imperfection?I want to ignore beauty culture. But I’ll never get anywhere if I don’t look a certain way Continue reading...

Politics