4 h. ago Ukraine’s retreat from Kursk appears to mark end of audacious operation

Some say incursion achieved many goals while others wonder if it cost Ukrainian lives for no tangible gainRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesUnder constant attack from drones attached to fibre optic cables, the soldiers scrambled in groups of two or three along hidden tracks or through fields, often walking miles to reach Ukrainian territory.The Ukrainian retreat from the Kursk region, carried out in stages over the past two weeks, appears to mark the end of one of the most audacious and surprising operations of the conflict, and strips Ukraine of one of its few solid bargaining chips in possible peace negotiations with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

16 h. ago Beautiful Spanish city that's the 'second best in Europe' for expats

Valencia in Spain has been named the second best city in Europe for British expats to live in, due to factors such as its low cost of living and great healthcare system

Politics

17 h. ago Preacher's unbelievable response as a trans woman pulls a gun on him after he said 'God made men to be men'

A well-known San Francisco street preacher hardly flinched after a transgender woman held a gun to his face after he said: 'God made men to be men.'

Politics

3 d. ago 'I don't exist' Welsh woman's unbelievable cost of living story Michael Sheen called 'crazy'

Hollywood star Michael Sheen met mother-of-one Amy, as part of his Secret Million Pound Giveaway documentary

Politics

4 d. ago Eighty years since the Tokyo firebombing, survivors are still awaiting recognition

More people were killed in the 1945 attack than the atomic bombing of Nagasaki a few months later, but there is no national memorial, accurate death toll or compensation for survivorsNot even the passage of eight decades has dimmed Shizuko Nishio’s memory of the night American bomber planes killed tens of thousands of people in the space of a few hours and turned her city to ash.In the early hours of 10 March 1945, around 300 B-29 Superfortress bombers dropped 330,000 incendiary devices on Tokyo and killed an estimated 100,000 civilians, in an attack that cost more lives than the atomic bombing, months later, of Nagasaki. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago How MJ the Musical sanitised Michael Jackson’s story: ‘Can we really sit in a theatre and pretend?’

MJ the Musical has already made millions for Jackson’s estate. But as the Broadway hit opens in Australia and the estate prepares to face two of Jackson’s alleged victims in court, fans may ask: is buying a ticket OK?Get our weekend culture and lifestyle emailThere’s a moment in MJ the Musical where the King of Pop tells a prying reporter: “I want to keep this about my music.”Over the last four years, as the jukebox musical has swept through the US, London and Hamburg, netting four Tony awards and more than US$245m to date on Broadway alone, the debate that has followed it has mirrored that which followed the bombshell allegations aired in the Emmy-winning 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland: can we separate Michael Jackson’s impeccable musical legacy from his deeply tarnished public image? Continue reading...

Culture

1 week ago EU plans to strengthen defence spending could cost €800bn, says von der Leyen – Europe live

EU Commission president says bloc is ready to massively increase defence spending and military capabilitiesUS has suspended all military aid to Ukraine, White House official says, in wake of Trump-Zelenskyy rowNew EU plans to strengthen Europe’s defence industry and increase military capabilities could mobilise close to €800bn ($841.4bn), EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday in Brussels.The EU will propose to give member states more fiscal space for defence investments, as well as €150bn euros in loans for those investments, and will aim to mobilise private capital as well, Reuters reports von der Leyen said Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago ‘This will cost lives’: cuts to UK aid budget condemned as ‘betrayal’ by international development groups

Widespread alarm at Keir Starmer’s decision to slash funds, amid warnings of dire consequences for world’s poorestKeir Starmer promised at the UN last September that the UK would “be a leading contributor to development”. Just five months later few expected an announcement that could result in UK aid spending falling to its lowest level this century.Overseas development aid will fall from 0.5% of the UK’s gross national income to 0.3% – a cut of about £6bn – in order to pay for increased defence spending. Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago Trump administration briefing: hundreds fired from US climate agency as Americans feel economy getting worse

Democrats warn that cutting jobs at Noaa ‘will cost American lives’ – key US politics stories from Wednesday at a glanceThe Trump administration has fired hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the US’s pre-eminent climate research agency housed within the Department of Commerce, the Guardian learned on Thursday.“This will cost American lives,” said Democratic congresswoman and ranking member of the House science, space and technology committee, Zoe Lofgren, in a written statement. Her comments were issued alongside congressman Gabe Amo’s, the ranking member of the subcommittee on environment, after news of the firings broke. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Foreign aid budget cut will cost lives, warns Labour former first minister

Lord Jack McConnell has urged Number 10 to rethink the decision.

Events

2 w. ago 'What they deserve' – Gary Neville delivers scathing assessment of Arsenal's transfer business

Arsenal have lacked firepower up front all season, and it has cost Mikel Arteta's men dearly in the title race as Liverpool look set to be crowned Premier League champions

Sport

2 w. ago BBC to air controversial banned film Blue Story for first time

Vue cinemas pulled film from nationwide schedules after mass brawl broke out in Birmingham branch in 2019

Events

2 w. ago Eastenders or Coronation Street? Where property prices have rocketed in real life

Property experts have worked out how much it would cost to live in the fictional world of TV soaps.... and prices are on the up and up, largely due to East London’s 'gentrification'

Events

3 w. ago Anglo American writes down value of diamond firm De Beers by $2.9bn

Sale of the miner, which is now valued at $4bn, may be delayed following ‘really, really difficult’ marketBusiness live – latest updatesThe world’s biggest diamond miner De Beers cost its parent company almost $3bn last year as the growth in lab-grown stones continues to take the shine off the industry.Anglo American was forced to write down the value of the renowned gem producer for a second consecutive year as its chief executive admitted that the diamond markets had proved “really, really difficult for the company”. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago FTSE 100 Live 19 February: Glencore and airline stocks fall, BAE and HSBC in results spotlight

A jump in UK inflation to a 10-month high of 3% today dealt a blow to hopes of early further interest rate cuts.

Society

3 w. ago FTSE 100 Live 19 February: BAE Systems and HSBC in results spotlight, inflation setback

A jump in UK inflation to a 10-month high of 3% today dealt a blow to hopes of early further interest rate cuts.

Economics

3 w. ago Trump signs executive order to lower IVF cost as he sits down with Musk for Hannity interview: Live updates

In Fox News interview, President Donald Trump, with Elon Musk at his side, tells Sean Hannity that Congress should codify “a lot of” his DOGE executive orders

Politics