29 h. ago Dublin council calls in guards to stop tourists touching breasts of Molly Malone's statue after claims the good

The bronze statue, which is a popular landmark for tourists in Dublin, has been a target for many visitors to the city.

Politics

42 h. ago Molly Malone statue to be flanked by minders to stop visitors from groping it

Years of fondling the bronze sculpture - believed to have been started by a local tour guide - has caused Molly’s chest to become discoloured - now bouncers have been brought in

Politics

3 d. ago The sinister reach of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard: Calls for UK to ban Iranian military wing as a terror group

Since 2022, UK counter-terrorism police have identified more than 20 credible Iranian threats to kill or kidnap people in the UK - with the latest string of busts thought to have also been linked to Tehran.

Events

4 d. ago Tiny UK seaside village with once thriving harbour now a hidden gem

The small hamlet of Porthgain offers tourists a wonderful holiday destination off the beaten track with cultural touchstones and some amazingly fresh fish and chips

Politics

7 d. ago Lazarus Lake, the ‘Leonardo da Vinci of pain’ behind the world’s cruelest race

In an extract from his new book, Jared Beasley introduces the eccentric figure behind the Barkley Marathons, where runners are terrified and tested in equal measureFor over a century, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary was the end of the line. Built in the shape of a Greek cross, the pale limestone structure had housed the worst of the worst – murderers, madmen, monsters – its bulk hunched beneath a crown of scarred mountains the guards called the fifth wall.Now it sits empty – cracking and molding and dying. But each spring around April Fool’s, on a cold, crisp day like today, a retired accountant appears at its gate. He carries a book with an ominous title and plants it against the back wall. Then sometime between midnight and noon the next day, he lights a cigarette, and the world’s most grueling footrace begins. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Peter Dutton criticised as ‘illiberal’ for calling ABC and the Guardian ‘hate media’

Critics compare Coalition leader to Donald Trump while Labor communications minister suggests Dutton is ‘afraid of scrutiny’Polls tracker; election guide; full federal election coverageAnywhere but Canberra; interactive electorates guideListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaAcademics and former journalists say Peter Dutton’s comments labelling the ABC and Guardian Australia “hate media” are “reminiscent of Donald Trump” and could backfire as the election campaign heads into its final week.The opposition leader addressed the party faithful at a rally in the Labor-held seat of Hawke on Melbourne’s outskirts on Sunday before the 3 May poll.Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Pep Guardiola responds to Kevin De Bruyne calling out Man City chiefs over exit

Manchester City have opted against handing Kevin De Bruyne a new contract with Pep Guardiola admitting player exits are the hardest part of the job ahead of an emotional farewell

Politics

1 week ago Pep Guardiola calls for major FA Cup change ahead of Man City vs Nottingham Forest

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants to see changes made to the FA Cup semi-final set-up moving forward ahead of the champions' latest trip to Wembley this weekend

Politics

2 w. ago Inside Man City academy as two youngsters drafted into Pep Guardiola plans amid injury wait

The latest Manchester City academy news as two academy players get late call-ups to Pep Guardiola's first team plans.

Events

2 w. ago ‘Moral panic’ about new media’s influence on young voters underplays their interest in politics, creators say

Young Australians want to change the world – they just aren’t relying on traditional media to help them do itPolls tracker; election guide; full federal election coverageAnywhere but Canberra; interactive electorates guideListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastYoung Australian voters “do actually care” about politics and current affairs, Konrad Benjamin tells Guardian Australia. “Aussie punters are not disengaged,” he says. “Most of the corporate media and politicians just refuse to talk about the big, systemic things that are broken, and how we can fix them.”The creator behind Punters Politics, with 400,000 followers on Instagram, is a popular source of information in the lead up to the federal election, according to responses to the Guardian Australia young voter callout. He is one of a lineup of independent commentators and journalists creating content on platforms such as Instagram, Yo...

Politics

2 w. ago Man City land huge cash windfall from UEFA as chief hails 'fantastic' scheme

Manchester City's summer transfer kitty has been given a boost, with Pep Guardiola's men rewarded for receiving the most international call-ups for UEFA competitions between 2020 and 2024

Sport

2 w. ago Pep Guardiola calls on Manchester City fans to be loud for Aston Villa ‘final’

City host Villa, one point behind them, on TuesdayGuardiola asks for crowd to help ‘from minute one’Pep Guardiola has stated Manchester City desperately need their fans to be noisy for Aston Villa’s visit in Tuesday’s “final” in the chase for Champions League qualification.City are fourth on 58 points, three places but only one point ahead of Villa, with the top five guaranteed Champions League berths. Continue reading...

Sport

2 w. ago Moment Spanish tourist goads King's Guard Horse repeatedly with umbrella... but then regrets it

After provoking the animal, the King's Guard sitting on the horse then calls the emergency bell several times while trying to calm his horse.

Politics

3 w. ago Mikel Arteta reveals phone call with Pep Guardiola before beating Real Madrid

Arteta said he would not have been leading the Gunners at the Bernabeu were it not for Guardiola

Politics

3 w. ago ‘She helps cheer me up’: the people forming relationships with AI chatbots

From virtual ‘wives’ to mental health support, more than 100m people are using personified chatbotsMen who have virtual “wives” and neurodiverse people using chatbots to help them navigate relationships are among a growing range of ways in which artificial intelligence is transforming human connection and intimacy.Dozens of readers shared their experiences of using personified AI chatbot apps, engineered to simulate human-like interactions by adaptive learning and personalised responses, in response to a Guardian callout. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago The mystery of the nameless girl found dead in a Spanish border town

On a summer morning in 1990, the body of a young woman appeared in a small town close to the frontier. For those who saw her, finding her identity became an obsession that would last 30 yearsNobody can recall who first phoned the police on the morning of 4 September 1990, but everyone remembers the girl. Her body, hanging from a pine tree on a steep slope above the Spanish frontier town of Portbou, was visible to anyone looking up from the beach or across from the opposite hillside. She was barefoot, with grey-blue eyes and thick chestnut-brown hair. She wore blue dungarees over a turquoise green shirt.Portbou, squeezed into a cauldron-like Mediterranean cove, had only 2,000 inhabitants but plenty of police officers. In these years before the Schengen agreement, guards were stationed on the French border but these officers were experts in immigration and smuggling, not violent deaths. Instead, Enrique Gómez, a 35-year-old investigator from the Guardia Civil police force was called i...

Events