2 h. ago ‘Reduced to nonsense’: JRR Tolkien’s irritation with typist revealed in archive

Exclusive: Important collection of author’s letters and manuscripts, being sold in April, reveals his loathing of sloppiness and love of languageJRR Tolkien was so irritated by a careless typist’s slapdash work on one of his manuscripts that he vented his frustration in a letter that has come to light.The Lord of the Rings author said in despair: “She reduced [my manuscript] to nonsense. I have some sympathy with the typist faced with such unfamiliar matter; though evidently she wasn’t paying much attention.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Jaishankar's security breached in London, India tells UK to ‘live up to its diplomatic obligations'

Jaishankar's security breached in London, India tells UK to ‘live up to its diplomatic obligations'  Firstpost

Politics

4 h. ago Is Trump’s America still an ally to the UK? – Politics Weekly UK

The news that the US had suspended military aid to Ukraine stunned world leaders and led to a rapid reassessment of how much we can really rely on our American ally. Is this the end of the western alliance? John Harris asks our diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour. Plus, as the UK pledges to boost defence spending by slashing our foreign aid budget, ActionAid’s CEO, Taahra Ghazi, tells John about the fallout for organisations working on the ground.Send your questions and feedback to politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago New Zealand fires top diplomat in London after he questions Trump's grasp of history

New Zealand fires top diplomat in London after he questions Trump's grasp of history  Japan Today

Politics

6 h. ago New Zealand's most senior diplomat in London loses job over Trump remarks

New Zealand's most senior diplomat in London loses job over Trump remarks  Detroit News

Politics

7 h. ago Martin Odegaard and Mikel Arteta's perfect responses to 'not good enough' blast

Martin Odegaard was back to his brilliant best on Tuesday to help Arsenal dismantle PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in the Champions League, having faced criticism for his lack of end product this season

Politics

7 h. ago New Zealand's most senior diplomat in London loses his job over remarks about President Trump

New Zealand's most senior diplomat in London loses his job over remarks about President Trump  ABC News

Politics

10 h. ago Hundreds of US diplomats decry dismantling of USAid in letter to Rubio

Officials say slashing of US Department for International Development leaves power vacuum for adversariesHundreds of diplomats at the state department and US Agency for International Development have written to the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, protesting against the dismantling of USAid, saying it undermines US leadership and security and leaves power vacuums for China and Russia to fill.In a cable expected to be filed with the department’s internal “dissent channel”, which allows diplomats to raise concerns about policy anonymously, the diplomats said the Trump administration’s 20 January freeze on almost all foreign aid also endangers American diplomats and forces overseas while putting at risk the lives of millions abroad that depend on US assistance. Continue reading...

Politics

11 h. ago Trump considers criminal charges for USAID staff after DOGE uncovered wild 'abuse'

Lawmakers have been briefed by a top Trump official that criminal recommendations could be made for fraud, waste and abuse at USAID, DailyMail.com has learned.

Events

11 h. ago How New Orleans cleans up the waves of trash left behind after Mardi Gras

Hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets of New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras, leaving the city covered in detritus

Politics

13 h. ago Hundreds of Ukraine supporters condemn Trump at US embassy protest

A banner branded the US president a ‘KGB agent’ with the code name President Krasnov.

Politics

14 h. ago Wowcher's got hundreds off garden furniture set complete with firepit and rain cover

Customers can get this set now for £699 down from its original price of £1,149.99

Events

15 h. ago Syria vows to destroy chemical weapons stockpile left by Assad regime

Foreign minister says country needs international help to dismantle programme and ensure Syria becomes ‘aligned with international norms’Syria’s foreign minister has vowed to swiftly rid the country of the chemical weapons remaining after the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, and he appealed to the international community for help.Asaad Hassan al-Shibani spoke during closed-door meetings at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, where he became the first Syrian foreign minister to address the disarmament agency. Continue reading...

Events

15 h. ago Supreme court rejects Trump request to continue freezing $2bn in foreign aid

John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett join liberal justices to leave in place lower-court order on USAid cutsUS politics live – latest updatesA divided US supreme court has rejected the Trump administration’s request to continue freezing nearly $2bn in foreign aid, marking a setback for the White House and the tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been tasked with slashing the size of the US government and its spending.In a 5-4 decision released on Wednesday, Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett joined the liberal justices in leaving in place a ruling from a US district judge last month, which ordered the administration to unfreeze the nearly $2bn in aid for work that had already been done, and that had been approved by Congress. Continue reading...

Politics

16 h. ago UK high street wars as major supermarket blocks rivals from opening hundreds of branches

The Co-op supermaket has been found to have breached an order which limits supermarkets' abilities to prevent nearby land being used by competitive supermarket retailers

Events

18 h. ago Heather Knight, James Anderson and Rocky Flintoff among names for Hundred draft

More than 800 players have registered to vie for a place in this summer’s competition.

Politics

18 h. ago ITV's Brit Awards slapped with hundreds of complaints after pop stars cause a stir

A string of famous faces who descended on London's O2 Arena for the awards ceremony, which aired on ITV, last weekend

Events

18 h. ago American woman sparks row with 'unhinged' method of revenge after finding out her boyfriend was cheating on her with three women

Emely Zambrano, from the US, who discovered her boyfriend had been unfaithful with multiple women, filmed the moment she enacted petty revenge - by printing out hundreds of screenshots.

Politics

18 h. ago Supreme Court tells Trump to pay out $2 billion to USAID after rejecting his bid to pause spending

High court’s ruling clears the way for nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funding to be released

Economics

19 h. ago US supreme court upholds order requiring USAid to pay foreign aid groups – live

The decision saw the three liberal justices join with conservatives John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett in the majorityDonald Trump and Justin Trudeau will speak today, Reuters reports, citing a source with knowledge of the matter.The Canadian prime minister condemned Trump’s imposition of levies on his country yesterday, saying he was looking to make its economy collapse as part of a plan to incorporate it into the United States. Trump responded with insults, and a warning that he may tighten levies further next month. Continue reading...

Events