3 d. ago Labour minister admits he was wrong to claim most small boats migrants are 'babies, children and women'

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones faced mounting criticism after his erroneous comments on BBC Question Time

Politics

3 d. ago Minister agrees small boats crossings mainly men after Question Time claim

Darren Jones faced criticism after suggesting on the BBC’s Question Time that the majority of small boats crossings are ‘children, babies and women’.

Politics

3 d. ago Max Verstappen snaps at Ted Kravitz as Sky Sports F1 favourite forced to end interview

Ted Kravitz angered Max Verstappen by mentioning one of his Red Bull colleagues which the four-time Formula 1 champion took as singling someone out for criticism

Politics

4 d. ago Water shortage warning issued as more UK areas 'in drought' after driest spring in over a century

Measures are being put in place to preserve water in affected areas

Events

9 d. ago Hamilton Accies supporters' chief voices new Broadwood concerns in 'critical' time

Accies Supporters' Association chairman David Equi says the club have 12 days to prove they have a ground for next season

Politics

1 week ago Biden dismisses Trump inquiry into his cognitive decline as a ‘distraction’

Former president says investigation of decision-making in office is designed to take focus off ‘disastrous legislation’Joe Biden accused Donald Trump of “distraction” after he launched an investigation into the former Democratic president’s time in office, claiming Biden’s top aides had covered up his cognitive decline and taken decisions on his behalf.Biden said in a statement widely emailed to US media that the move announced late on Wednesday came at a time when Trump was pushing a major piece of legislation that critics had said included massive tax cuts and huge slashes to social spending. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Heatwaves and hot summer 'twice as likely' after sunniest spring on record

It was also the driest spring for more than a century

Politics

2 w. ago WRU announce major new appointment at critical time for game in Wales

The WRU have announced a major new appointment

Politics

3 w. ago Crown questions to fore as king visits Canada amid tensions with Trump

Charles to open parliament in show of support at a crucial time – but that has not quieted a chorus of critical voices The decision by King Charles to formally open Canada’s parliament on Tuesday reflects his role as a “steadfast defender” of the country amid threats to its sovereignty, says prime minister Mark Carney.But Indigenous leaders say the rare visit is also a reminder that Canada’s founding relationship between the monarchy and the country’s first peoples cannot ever be “forgotten or displaced or broken”. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Gertrude Stein: an Afterlife by Francesca Wade – how a literary legend was made

A thoughtful biography sheds new light on the motivation behind Stein’s masterwork, The Autobiography of Alice B ToklasWhen The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas was published in 1933, it made 60-year-old Gertrude Stein famous after decades of obscurity. The book painted a thrilling picture of life among the Parisian haute bohème in the early years of the 20th century. Picasso, Matisse, Scott Fitzgerald and Ezra Pound all made repeat appearances at the apartment in Rue de Fleurus which Stein shared with her partner Toklas. After decades of pushing language to its limits, Stein had written The Autobiography in a comparatively accessible style with jokes and anecdotes and full sentences. Or, as one relieved critic noted at the time, Gertrude Stein had finally started making sense.In this thoughtful and deeply researched book, Francesca Wade explains that the success of The Autobiography had the unintended effect of moving the focus from Stein as a writer to Stein as a celebrity. While&n...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘It’s a critical time’: European farmers struggle through driest spring in a century

Extreme weather costs the EU about €28.3bn in lost crops and livestock per year, more than half the losses stem from droughtWhen drought descended on Hendrik Jan ten Cate’s farm in 2018, slashing his onion yield to just 10% of a regular year, he slogged through days of heavy labour to draw water from canals and pump it to his crops. One day, overworked and anxious to extract as much as he could, Ten Cate fell into the canal and broke his arm.This year, with plants already growing but a severe dearth of rain to nourish young crops, the Dutch farmer is once again watching the weather forecast with worry. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago 'Lunar landscape' sees reservoirs dry up as UK experiences driest spring in a century

Farmers are desperate for rain to keep their animals and crops alive as reservoirs dry up in scorching temperatures with people urged to go easy on their water supply

Politics

4 w. ago Brits urged to take shorter showers to avoid hosepipe bans as country's dry spell sparks drought fears while water bills soar

It is the driest spring so far in more than a century, which has prompted warnings of a drought in England this summer without sustained rainfall.

Politics