3 h. ago Mancunian Way to close for WEEKS in evenings and overnight, council announces

But the authority says it will minimise the effect on football traffic

Politics

7 h. ago ‘It makes you feel like the hero of your own quest’: the dark, delightful magic of the dungeon synth scene

Amid dinosaurs, swords and leather armour, we visit the UK’s first festival for dungeon synth – a fast-growing black metal spinoff dedicated to fantasy and escapeA flurry of inflatable caveman clubs have erupted into the air, a crowd of ecstatic metallers swinging them merrily as they watch a hooded dinosaur peering over a synthesiser. The masked musician, Diplodocus, has transformed this crowded pub in soggy south London into a mystical underworld, one entrancing chord at a time.This is Albion Dungeon fest, a sellout, weekend-long event, and the first of its kind in the UK. Emerging in the 90s as an offshoot of black metal, dungeon synth replaced guitars with keyboards to make it less moshing, more magic. Its mystical sound has aesthetics to match, channelling the atmosphere of JRR Tolkien books, the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and a darkly quaint reimagining of the medieval era. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Chen and Kerrigan are added to cast of a figure skating event benefiting victims of DC plane crash

Nathan Chen, Nancy Kerrigan and Peggy Fleming are among the figure skaters added to the cast of a benefit event this weekend in Washington, D

Events

25 h. ago Lester Holt to exit NBC Nightly News as MSNBC cuts Ayman Mohyeldin’s show

Holt to step down as anchor as Katie Phang and Jonathan Capehart, whose shows also canceled, to remain at MSNBCNBC’s Lester Holt is stepping down as anchor of its Nightly News show, and MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin is stepping down from a similar role at his namesake weekend evening show as the liberal networks’ owners continue a major programming shake-up on Monday.Others at MSNBC affected by changes revealed on Monday include Katie Phang and Jonathan Capehart, the New York Post reported. Continue reading...

Politics

28 h. ago A sense of acquiescence has pervaded Arsenal’s stuttering title challenge | Jonathan Wilson

Mikel Arteta’s team have suffered unfortunate injuries but they also have far less self-belief than a Liverpool side who look destined to win the Premier LeagueSign up for Soccer with Jonathan Wilson hereAnd with that, surely, the title race is over. Liverpool had drawn four of their previous eight games which had created an opening. Had Arsenal beaten West Ham and Liverpool lost at Manchester City this weekend, the title would have been in Arsenal’s hands, at least to the extent that they would have won it if they had won every game they had remaining this season, including away at Liverpool. But, after Arsenal limped to a 1-0 defeat, Liverpool produced their best performance in weeks to win 2-0. The gap is 11 points and, even though Arsenal have a game in hand, it’s very hard to imagine either Liverpool dropping sufficient points or Arsenal winning enough for that to be overturned.Arteta described himself as “very, very angry” after his side’s defeat, admitting they were “nowhere ...

Sport

30 h. ago Everything you need to know about Pokémon GO Tour Unova event: Start time, bonuses and rewards

The Tour Unova event is set to start this weekend in Pokémon GO with several rewards and timed research tasks on offer.

Events

48 h. ago Germany has voted. But what kind of government will it have?

The country faces weeks or even months of coalition negotiations after no party won a majorityIt has been a extraordinary election in Germany, and the result has been keenly awaited around the world to see what new government might emerge in Europe’s largest but ailing economy.Exit polls show a clear win for the CDU/CSU centre-right alliance, followed by the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) – an anti-Islam party that has advocated “remigration” for migrants as well as German citizens deemed to have integrated poorly – in second place. Continue reading...

Politics

58 h. ago New York City’s Ukrainian community ‘disappointed’ after Trump’s ‘betrayal’

As the US upends decades of foreign policy, those watching the war unfold from miles away resolve to stand strongMembers of New York’s large Ukrainian community expressed a mix of disillusionment, betrayal, defiance and acute uncertainty about what the future holds for Ukraine after tensions escalated this week between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Geopolitical events in the last week have shocked Ukrainians at home and overseas as well as US lawmakers and allies, as the US president appeared to heavily favor the Russian president Vladimir Putin to dictate peace terms on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Politics

60 h. ago 'I used to hide curvy body but now I flaunt it – they need more models like me'

A plus-size influencer has shared that she believes big industry events such as London Fashion Week should have more diversity, as people need to 'see themselves' when they're growing up

Politics

60 h. ago What can Keir Starmer say at the White House that Donald Trump might listen to? | Andrew Rawnsley

The stakes couldn’t be higher and the risks couldn’t be greater when the prime minister visits Washington this weekFor British prime ministers, with their ideas about the world shaped by the histories of Churchill and Roosevelt, Maggie and Ronnie, and the rest of the folklore about the transatlantic alliance, the prospect of a visit to the White House usually causes tingles of excitement. One of our senior diplomats once offered me an explanation of the allure: “The red carpet is laid out, the national anthems are played, all that stuff is very seductive.” This will be customarily accompanied by ritualistic words about the importance and invincibility of the “special relationship”.Number 10 lobbied hard to get Sir Keir Starmer across the Atlantic early in the second term of Donald Trump and, until recently, Downing Street people were telling themselves that an encounter between the two men needn’t be a disaster and might even turn out to be a success. In the weeks since Trump’s re-e...

Politics

3 d. ago Joy Crookes review – an enthralling, intimate set from this rising London soul star

Islington Assembly Hall, LondonThe twentysomething singer-songwriter brings classic Motown rhythms with a touch of hip-hop to a resounding set of anti-anxiety anthemsJoy Crookes is only 26, but the south Londoner’s music already feels omnipresent. One song in particular, at least: Feet Don’t Fail Me Now seems to be absolutely everywhere. I hear it in cafes and bars, trendy boutiques and grimy off-licences and, when I forget to turn it off, the autoplay function on my streaming app of choice. The song only came out in 2021, as a single from Crookes’s acclaimed debut album, Skin, and even if it doesn’t yet feel canonical, it has at least thoroughly saturated certain pockets of the city.Which makes it all the more remarkable that, when Crookes plays it at Islington Assembly Hall this evening – an “intimate”, or intimate for her, show at only 890 people – one of the Brits Week for War Child charity shows, it doesn’t even garner the biggest singalong of the evening. That honour might go ...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘It was so fleeting, yet weirdly they were almost posing’: Richard Chambury’s best phone photo

The London photographer always saw odd things going on while cycling at weekends, but nothing quite like this You’d be forgiven for thinking this shot was taken during the pandemic; an inventive, impromptu attempt at masking up, perhaps. Instead, Richard Chambury took it in the spring of 2013, in London’s Victoria Park.“My daughter was 11 and to get her out and about on the weekends we used to go cycling,” Chambury says. “We eventually discovered this was not her favourite pastime; she’s a reader, and likes the warmth. But we always saw odd things going on, people doing the morning walk of shame dolled up from the night before, or wild birds and swans knocking about.” Continue reading...

Culture

5 d. ago Things to do in London this weekend: from a pop portrait exhibition to De Niro's Netflix comeback

Explore top events in London this weekend, February 22-23

Politics

5 d. ago Win or Lose review – at points this feels set to be a Pixar classic

The animation studio’s softball series is occasionally tender and wise, with moments that are rich and funny – even if the characters don’t get enough airtimeEveryone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. It’s a cliche because it’s true, and it could be the motto for Pixar’s best creations – its animations have revealed the hidden feelings of toys, monsters, even cars. That idea powers Win or Lose, the studio’s latest TV series – and in the moments where it commits to its ethos fully, it delivers a powerful appeal for empathy with a knowing smile.We watch the Pickles, a middle-school kids’ softball team led by blustering dad-coach Dan (Will Forte), as they play a crucial match. They win! Thus they have the chance to play in the state championship seven days later, which is as scary as it is exciting. That is the foundation every instalment is built on. Like a sporting version of multiple-perspective arthouse classic Rashomon, we keep replaying the same week’s events ...

Politics

6 d. ago BST Hyde Park 2025: All the details about dates plus the latest line

The central London event takes place over several weekends and should be one of next summer’s best festivals

Politics

6 d. ago Travel chaos as Stansted Airport trains face delays for five weeks

Travel chaos as Stansted Airport trains face delays for five weeks  Evening Standard

Events

6 d. ago Can Trumpism be defeated? Absolutely. Here’s how | Bernie Sanders

What we are fighting for is not ‘utopian’ or unachievable. Trumpism can and must be defeatedI will be doing town meetings in Omaha, Nebraska, this Friday night and Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday morning. Further, in the coming weeks and months, I and other progressives will be holding grassroots events from coast to coast.Why, at this moment, are we doing town meetings around the country – especially in conservative areas? The answer is obvious.Healthcare is a human right and must be available to all regardless of income.Every worker in America is entitled to earn a decent income. We must raise the minimum wage to a living wage and make it easier for workers to join unions.We must have the best public educational system in the world, from childcare to vocational training, to graduate school – available to all.We must address the housing crisis and build the millions of units of low-income and affordable housing that we desperately need.We must create millions of good paying jobs as we...

Politics

6 d. ago We are on the road for democracy and justice | Bernie Sanders

What we are fighting for is not ‘utopian’ or unachievable. Trumpism can and must be defeatedI will be doing town meetings in Omaha, Nebraska, this Friday night and Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday morning. Further, in the coming weeks and months, I and other progressives will be holding grassroots events from coast to coast.Why, at this moment, are we doing town meetings around the country – especially in conservative areas? The answer is obvious.Healthcare is a human right and must be available to all regardless of income.Every worker in America is entitled to earn a decent income. We must raise the minimum wage to a living wage and make it easier for workers to join unions.We must have the best public educational system in the world, from childcare to vocational training, to graduate school – available to all.We must address the housing crisis and build the millions of units of low-income and affordable housing that we desperately need.We must create millions of good paying jobs as we...

Politics

6 d. ago ITV Emmerdale star says goodbye to soap in heartbreaking death twist

Emmerdale said goodbye to yet another character in a heartbreaking death twist - with the village in mourning after the devastating events of the past few weeks.

Events

6 d. ago From the archive: Was it inevitable? A short history of Russia’s war on Ukraine – podcast

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.This week, from 2022: To understand the tragedy of this war, it is worth going back beyond the last few weeks and months, and even beyond Vladimir Putin. By Keith Gessen. Read by Andrew McGregor Continue reading...

Events