79 m. ago Never mind the quality, feel the money: central flaw of football’s ‘greatest show on earth’ | Barney Ronay

Title race and relegation over by February? The Premier League is rich, but there’s no jeopardy and no real sense of excellence, at least not on the pitchLadies and gentlemen we have now reached our cruising altitude. The pilot will be putting his feet up and drinking tiny cans of Sprite from here to the middle of May. Sit back, zone out. Stick on a bad film with Seth Rogen in it. You can even watch the football if you like. Just don’t expect much to happen for the next three months.So much for that excitingly bumpy, turbulence-fuelled Premier League season, all perky upstarts, crumbling certainties and unexpected shifts of altitude, which really did seem to be shaping up just a few short weeks go. As of game weekend 26 and Arsenal’s defeat by West Ham, followed by Liverpool strolling through Manchester City, the league has reached a stage of premature entropy. Continue reading...

Politics

89 m. ago Clarence Thomas wants to ‘explicitly overturn’ protections against protest

Supreme Court rejects anti-abortion group challenge to buffer zones, which Thomas called an ‘abdication’ of their duty

Events

89 m. ago Huge Line of Duty star 'relishing new role' in ITV thriller Red Eye's second series

ITV's hit thriller Red Eye is set for a return to our screens and has signed up a huge star from Line of Duty for the next instalment

Culture

2 h. ago Why Black and Decker is trying to remove the ‘Stanley’ from the iconic mugs

Stanley Black and Decker said it wants to protect its brand and reputation after PMI — which makes Stanley cups — was forced to recall 2.6 million cups due to faulty lids that led to burns

Politics

2 h. ago The Guardian view on AI and copyright: creativity should be cherished, not given away | Editorial

The government’s consultation was weighted towards big tech. Now is the time for a rethinkIt’s a seductive promise: let our computers scrape the internet for ideas, images, forms of words, stories, music, jokes and our industry will make your country rich. For a UK government desperate for economic growth, the demands of tech companies for copyright laws to be relaxed – in order that their artificial intelligence (AI) systems can access as much online content as possible without having to pay or seek permission – have been hard to resist. The US and China are the global leaders of this new tech race. But the UK has a chance to compete that ministers are desperate not to miss.To AI businesses, copyright is an irritant. Three years ago, it appeared that their lobbyists were on the verge of getting their way when a government agency, the Intellectual Property Office, recommended an exemption for data mining. This would grant bots free rein and – so the argument...

Politics

2 h. ago Joe Root backs ‘brilliant leader’ Jos Buttler as England face crucial game

Make-or-break match looms against Afghanistan Brydon Carse ruled out of tournament with injuryJoe Root has stressed Jos Buttler’s white-ball setup is in better shape than the Test side that buckled towards the back end of his own captaincy, as England attempt to keep their Champions Trophy hopes alive in their controversial match against Afghanistan on Wednesday.Battling to reach the semi-finals after the record-breaking five-wicket defeat against Australia over the weekend, England have endured a further blow with news that the fast bowler Brydon Carse has been ruled out of the tournament with the recurrence of a toe injury. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago All the road tax rises coming in April 2025 as some drivers set to pay double

From April 1, 2025, a number of wide-sweeping changes to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) will come into force - and they will impact a significant number of drivers

Economics

3 h. ago Mixed race Twitch streamer says she was asked to prove how Black she was in order to enter Call of Duty tournament

Twitch streamer Becky Joo says she is ‘disgusted’ for not being allowed to play in Black Women in Call of Duty’s tournament

Sport

4 h. ago Arsenal told their 'obsession' is to blame for failure to match Liverpool in title race

Arsenal fell 11 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool at the weekend after falling to a 1-0 defeat to West Ham - before Arne Slot's men claimed a 2-0 win at Manchester City

Sport

5 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

6 h. ago What does white or black smoke from the Sistine Chapel mean?

The smoke of the Sistine Chapel can either be black or white - but what does each colour indicate?

Events

6 h. ago 'Unforgivably ignorant' pundit Jamie Carragher is slammed by his Sky Sports predecessor Richard Keys for dismissing Africa's AFCON as 'not a major tournament' in Mo Salah debate

Carragher suggested Mohamed Salah is disadvantaged in the yearly hunt for the Ballon d'Or because he cannot win a 'major tournament' at international level.

Events

6 h. ago Lindt’s central London chocolate ‘paradise’ opening date revealed

The flagship Piccadilly location will feature three master chocolatiers working in-store and the UK’s largest Lindt pick and mix

Politics

7 h. ago Gaza ceasefire shaky as Israel's battle tanks enter West Bank with 40,000 made homeless

Threat of war again as Isareli tanks enter the West Bank for the first time in decades - and the fragile Gaza ceasefire teeters towards failure and a new outbreak of violence and bloodshed

Events

7 h. ago Race to the Oscars 2025: Final league table after the 2025 SAG Awards

Our final Race to the Oscars 2025 league table is complete - here’s our results compared to the bookies 🎞🏆⌚

Sport

7 h. ago Chocolate giant to open new ‘paradise’ flagship London store

The store, in London’s Picadilly, will be the home of the UK’s largest Lindt pick and mix

Politics

7 h. ago Lindt are opening a flagship London store and promise it’s a chocolate ‘paradise’

The store, in London’s Picadilly, will be the home of the UK’s largest Lindt pick and mix

Politics

8 h. ago Mikel Arteta sent bleak warning over Arsenal future after latest title blow

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are once again set to miss out on the Premier League title, with the Gunners boss now being warned his future as manager is under threat

Events

8 h. ago Work ethic, flexibility and tactical smarts: Slot’s potent Liverpool recipe

Sunday’s comfortable victory at Manchester City will surely be seen as decisive in the race for the Premier League titleAlexis Mac Allister’s face was a picture and it told part of the story. It was an hour or so after the whistle had blown on Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Manchester City on Sunday and the war wounds were visible, the signs of sacrifice.There were shades of yellow and green on Mac Allister’s left eyelid, angry red above that – just beneath the eyebrow; more red around the cheekbone. The damage was done in the 30th minute when the Liverpool midfielder flung himself into a sliding challenge on Omar Marmoush. Continue reading...

Society

8 h. ago Netanyahu ‘preparing atmosphere’ to return to war with Gaza, says Hamas official – Middle East crisis live

Hamas official Basem Naim says Benjamin Netanyahu ‘intentionally sabotaging’ peace deal According to a report from Hebrew media outlet Ynet, Israel has told international mediators that it will release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners who were initially scheduled for release on Saturday if Hamas returns four bodies today without any ceremony. The Guardian has not confirmed this report.Israel suspended the handover of 620 Palestinians it was due to free from its prisons on Saturday, putting the ceasefire agreement in jeopardy after Benjamin Netanyahu criticised what he called “disgraceful ceremonies that dishonour our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda”.We have fulfilled all our obligations according to the deal.Unfortunately, all the time Netanyahu and his government have been trying to undermine and sabotage the deal.They have committed a lot of violations – killed more than 100 Palestinians, prevented most of the basic needs of the Palestinians to enter the...

Events