69 m. ago Is it safe to travel to Crete? Your holiday rights as wildfires rip through Greek island

Firefighters continue to battle the blaze in its second day after authorities said it's hard to contain

Events

77 m. ago Gas station explodes in Rome, injuring at least 9 first responders

A gas station has exploded in southeastern Rome, injuring at least nine first responders who rushed to the scene

Events

92 m. ago ‘A dark day for our country’: Democrats furious over Trump bill’s passage

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib condemns major policy bill as ‘disgusting’ as party vows to ‘mobilize and fight back’Democrats have erupted in a storm of outrage over the passage of the Donald Trump’s budget bill, delivering scathing critiques that offered signs of the attack lines the party could wield against Republicans in next year’s midterm elections.Party leaders released a wave of statements after the sweeping tax and spending bill’s passage on Thursday, revealing a fury that could peel paint off a brick outhouse. Continue reading...

Politics

92 m. ago ‘Slapp addict’ Italian oil firm accused of trying to silence green activists

Eni has filed at least six defamation suits against journalists and NGOs since 2019 in what critics say is intimidation campaignWhen Antonio Tricarico was summoned to his local police station in October and told he was being investigated for defamation, he was stressed but not shocked. Months earlier, Tricarico, the director of the Italian environment NGO ReCommon, had filed a joint legal challenge against the country’s biggest oil company, Eni, which he knew had a history of using lawyers to clamp down on critics.The company had previously limited itself to civil defamation lawsuits, including against ReCommon, but in Tricarico’s case it initiated criminal proceedings over statements he had made in a television interview. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Trump says US will send letters setting tariff rates to trading partners

About ‘10 or 12’ will go out on Friday to those without deal in place, then more over next few daysBusiness live – latest updatesDonald Trump has said that the US will start sending out letters to trading partners on Friday setting tariff rates that countries will have to pay from the beginning of next month.The US president told the media that about “10 or 12” letters would be sent out initially, with further letters sent out over the “next few days”. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Rome explosion: Moment huge blaze rips through Prenestino as fiery blast erupts

Several people have been left injured after an explosion rocked a petrol station in Via dei Gordiani, in Prenestino, Rome, Italy today

Events

1 hour ago Rome explosion as fireball blast sees locals running for their lives

Locals could be seen running from an explosion, which was described to feel 'like an earthquake', as a petrol station in Rome exploded twice over the popular tourist city

Events

2 h. ago Russia launches its largest missile and drone attack of the war following Trump admission he got absolutely nothing out of Putin in phone call yesterday after scrapping Ukraine weapon deliveries

Air raid alerts lasted more than eight hours overnight as Russia launched a total of 539 drones and 11 missiles targeting the Ukrainian territory, Ukraine's Air Force said

Events

2 h. ago Russians absent from world chess top 10 for first time since official lists began

A poor outing from Ian Nepomniachtchi brought up an unlikely first but Serjey Karjakin made a strong comeback at Blitz last weekIt would have been inconceivable in the glory days of the Soviet chess empire. For the first time since 1971 when Fide, the world chess body, began publishing its rating lists – then annually and now monthly – there are no Russians ranked in the classical world top 10. Bobby Fischer was No 1 in the first Fide list, published on the eve of his Reykjavik match with Boris Spassky, but after Fischer gave up active play Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov took over.In 1970, when the USSR team defeated the Rest of the World, or in the decades when Mikhail Botvinnik, Karpov, and Kasparov were the game’s supreme masters, it would have been a joke to suggest that Russian supremacy would disappear within half a century and be replaced by a rivalry between India and the United States. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Pressure and pain of football’s trialist: the ultimate test to win golden ticket

It’s the time of year when out-of-contract players go from club to club to prove themselves worthy of a new dealPlayers are returning for pre-season up and down England and Wales. There will be little time for catching up about holidays and families before each has their fitness tested and boots are laced to see whether they remember how to kick a ball. Among the regular faces and new signings, there will be some interlopers in the form of the mystical trialist.“It is life or death,” says Gboly Ariyibi, who has had trials at six clubs. Football League and National League teams are offered out-of-contract players from all angles, regularly needing to pick through up to 20 to decide whether any deserve the chance to prove themselves for what remains of the budget. From agents suggesting clients to players putting forward a friend in need of work, managers and heads of recruitment are inundated with names and clips sent on WhatsApp by those hoping for a golden ticket. Continue reading...

Sport

2 h. ago Diogo Jota gave Liverpool fans goals and a glorious song. He will never be forgotten | Sachin Nakrani

The ‘lad from Portugal’ was celebrated by those who watched him at Anfield for his brilliance and commitment to the causeInitially it was hard to make out the words. Then when I knew the words I found it hard to sing them. Mainly because there seemed to be too many, leading to lines being tripped over and bafflement with the sound of everyone around me sticking with it. But they were, so I did too, and eventually I got it, and loved it, and, as such, I sang it, over and over again.“Oh, he wears the No 20 / He will take us to victory / And when he’s running down the left wing / He’ll cut inside and score for LFC / He’s a lad from Portugal / Better than Figo don’t you know / Oh, his name is Diogo!” Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Huge fire rips sparks chaos on London railway line after 'gas cylinders explode'

Huge fire rips sparks chaos on London railway line after 'gas cylinders explode'

Events

3 h. ago Gaza ceasefire talks: Hamas officials meet to discuss proposed deal

Militant group said to want stronger guarantees of a permanent end to the war as Israeli prime minister prepares to fly to WashingtonHamas leaders are close to accepting a proposed deal for a ceasefire in Gaza but want stronger guarantees that any pause in hostilities would lead to a permanent end to the 20-month war, sources close to the militant Islamist organisation have said.Hamas officials met on Thursday in Istanbul to discuss the ceasefire proposals and later issued a statement confirming they were talking to other “Palestinian factions” before formally announcing a response. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Railway arches fire causes Tube chaos as Piccadilly line trains halted

Fire causes gas cylinders to explode as residents told to keep windows and doors closed

Events

3 h. ago Wimbledon 2025 live: Raducanu faces formidable Sabalenka and Alcaraz continues hat

Follow live updates and scores from day five of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club

Politics

3 h. ago My Sister and Other Lovers by Esther Freud review – Hideous Kinky, the teenage years

A subtle, intriguing sequel revisits two girls as they grow into adults and question the impact of their unconventional upbringingEsther Freud’s childhood on the Moroccan hippy trail inspired her 1992 debut Hideous Kinky. That novel was told through a young child’s limited perspective, so daily life was described vividly – almond trees and coloured kaftans – while bigger issues, such as why she didn’t see her father, remained vague and mysterious.Some 30 years later, Freud has returned to the same narrator, Lucy. But in this accomplished new novel, she explores how Lucy grows up and starts to question the impact of her unconventional upbringing. My Sister and Other Lovers opens with teenage Lucy, her mother and sister once again on the move. It’s the 1970s, her mother has a new son from another failed relationship, and they are on a ferry to Ireland, as they have no money and nowhere else to go. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago ‘Dizzying coastal paths, quiet beaches and dolphins’: readers’ highlights of the UK coastline

Fishing villages, lighthouses, seabirds and beachside cafes star in our tipsters’ favourite spots from Derry to Cornwall• Tell us about a favourite family back-to-nature trip – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucherBetween Aberystwyth and Cardigan the quiet coastline is sublime, with incredible sunsets, dizzying and spectacular coastal paths, gorgeous quiet beaches and dolphins. Start in Dylan Thomas’s old stomping ground, New Quay, and follow the coastal path south along cliffs and past Cwmtydu beach before finishing at gorgeous Llangrannog, where you get two beaches for one (perfect Cliborth beach requires a lower tide to access). Kayaking and surfing are great, and the Pentre Arms provides refreshments with a view.Matt Lunt Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Week in wildlife: a lucky osprey, a miraculous hare and a political fox

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Piccadilly Line chaos as Harrow fire erupts and 'gas explodes' sparking major delays

Fire crews are tackling a blaze on near Roxeth Green Avenue in South Harrow, northwest London, which is causing serious delays to services on the London Underground

Events

4 h. ago How to watch Fluminense vs Al Hilal for FREE: TV channel and live stream for Club World Cup today

A pair of giant-killers continue their bids for Club World Cup glory

Society