2 d. ago Alexander Isak 'double update' emerges as another ace targeted

Liverpool are reportedly preparing a final offer for Alexander Isak before Monday's 7pm transfer deadline, with the Swedish striker's future set to be decided in the coming days

Events

4 d. ago Samoa votes in an election that will decide the fate of its first woman leader

Samoa went to the polls in a critical election that could decide the future of its first woman leader, prime minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa

Politics

5 d. ago Top Cardiff City talent turns down multiple clubs to sign new deal in major boost

The defender has had his admirers from across the continent but at the end of last week decided to commit his future to the Bluebirds

Economics

6 d. ago UK’s EU relations minister to take on Farage over planned food deal

Nick Thomas-Symonds to defend alignment with Brussels’ rules as he accuses Reform UK leader of hurting business

Politics

1 week ago Political leaders on Scottish council promise to 'defend right to peaceful protest'

Political leaders on a Scottish council have reaffirmed their commitment to being a "Council of Sanctuary"

Politics

1 week ago ‘No Russian words from my lips, no Russian music from my hand’: the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra hit the UK

With apps giving them air-raid warnings, the Kyiv-based musicians now see themselves as soldiers and their instruments as weapons. So what will they play when they arrive in Britain this month?‘People often ask me about my work with Ukrainian musicians,” says the Canadian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson. “They will say things like, ‘How are things out there? We don’t hear much about the war, I guess it’s all calmed down a bit.’ When I hear that I want to scream, ‘No, it really hasn’t calmed down!’.”Wilson established the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra in the weeks after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. With her husband, Peter Gelb, general manager of New York’s Metropolitan Opera, she contacted leaders of the world’s top international orchestras and located dozens of elite Ukrainian musicians – some working in western Europe, some who had fled Russia, others performing in Kyiv, Lviv or Odesa – to establish a 75-piece “battalion of culture” who would assemble for ...

Events

1 week ago A moment that changed me: I slipped in the shower, realised I was exhausted – and transformed my life

I was working non-stop as a standup comedian, and thought I loved the hustle. But when I found myself sobbing into the carpet after a back spasm, I had to reassess everythingFor as long as I can remember, I have been ambitious and desperate to prove myself. It started with a competitive spirit at school sports days, then a determination to land parts in local theatre productions, then a place at drama school. I was between acting jobs when a friend suggested I try standup. One gig and I was hooked.I quickly decided comedy was my future and I would do whatever it took to make it work. The rest of my life went out of the window. I gigged constantly – often six nights a week – determined to hone my craft and establish myself as a comedian. I was always knackered, but I revelled in it, telling myself I loved the hustle. I trod the boards at comedy clubs, art centres, theatres anywhere that would have me. I performed for six years at the Edinburgh festival fringe – the first two to very ...

Politics

2 w. ago EU leaders defend Ukraine’s freedom to decide future ahead of Trump

Statement on Ukrainian sovereignty signed by all EU leaders except for Viktor Orbán before call with TrumpEurope live – latest updatesRead all our coverage of the Ukraine warEuropean Union leaders made a rallying call to defend Ukraine’s freedom to decide its own future in advance of their virtual summit with Donald Trump – convened to discuss US strategy before the president’s talks with Vladimir Putin on Friday.With the exception of Hungary, all EU leaders signed a joint statement, with Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, also calling for the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to attend the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska on Friday. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago EU leaders say Ukraine should have freedom to decide its future ahead of Trump

Statement on Ukrainian sovereignty endorsed by all European Union leaders except for Hungary’s Viktor OrbánRead all our coverage of the Ukraine warAll but one of the European heads of state and government have said that Ukrainians must have the freedom to decide their future, ahead of a high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.“Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the leaders said, adding that “we share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Ukraine calls for greater pressure on Russia ahead of Witkoff visit – Europe live

Zelenskyy urges US and EU to fast-track sanctions and secondary tariffs a day before Trump’s envoy is expected in MoscowMeanwhile, the Netherlands is the first country to commit €500m to spend on US weapons for Ukraine under a new framework deal agreed by US president Donald Trump and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte last month.On Monday night, Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof said the new weapons for Ukraine were “badly needed” as “Ukraine is still fighting every day to defend itself against Russian aggression, such as large-scale drone attacks.”In doing so, Ukraine is also fighting for freedom and security in Europe. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago Friendship at 13,000 feet: how climbing in the Swiss Alps is bringing refugees together

A mountaineering project in Switzerland helps exiles from countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and Ukraine recover from trauma by conquering summitsAt 4,000 metres, conditions can be challenging. The air is thin, movement takes effort, and the ice and snow demand proper gear: warm layers, crampons, an ice axe, ropes for crossing glaciers.Yet a group of refugees in Switzerland – from Afghanistan, Iran, Palestine, Ukraine and elsewhere – say this is exactly where they have found freedom, calm and even respite from the trauma of war, political persecution and imprisonment. Continue reading...

Events