3 h. ago Rutherglen soldier's impressive transition from ceremony to combat readiness in a day

Pte Aaron Cameron of 5 SCOTS, The Royal Regiment of Scotland went from Edinburgh Castle to Lithuania.

Events

33 h. ago Crystal Palace manager Leif Smerud departs club after WSL relegation

Norwegian leaves Palace after only nine games‘We didn’t get the outcome we hoped for,’ he saysLeif Smerud has left his role as Crystal Palace’s women’s team’s manager after only two months in charge, following their relegation from the Women’s Super League.The 48-year-old Norwegian arrived on 1 March and oversaw just nine games in all competitions, winning one, drawing one and losing seven, concluding with Saturday’s 5-2 loss away at Manchester City on the final day of the WSL season. Continue reading...

Society

37 h. ago Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy welcomes Putin calls for talks but says Russia must agree to ‘full, lasting, reliable’ ceasefire

In late-night address in Moscow, Russian president dismissed calls by European leaders for 30-day ceasefire to start on MondayVladimir Putin’s proposal for “direct talks” with Kyiv came hours after leaders from the UK, France, Germany and Poland travelled to Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy.As my colleague Shaun Walker notes in this story, the European leaders told the Russian president to sign up to an unconditional ceasefire by Monday or face increased sanctions and weapons transfers to Ukraine.It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war.The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire. There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. Continue reading...

Events

59 h. ago ‘Really a mess’: America’s air traffic control system suffering from years of neglect

Roots of the crisis go back to Reagan but Musk’s Doge team accused of making things worse – can it be fixed?Twice in the past two weeks, communications between air traffic controllers and airplanes at Newark Liberty, one of the US’s busiest airports, have failed – leaving controllers unable to communicate with pilots.The outages have, thankfully, only led to massive delays, not disaster. But they have also once again focused a harsh light on the persistent safety problems at US airports, which handle over 50,000 flights a day. Continue reading...

Politics

59 h. ago ‘Really a mess’: US’s air traffic control system suffering from years of neglect

Roots of the crisis go back to Reagan but Musk’s Doge team accused of making things worse – can it be fixed?Twice in the past two weeks, communications between air traffic controllers and airplanes at Newark Liberty, one of the US’s busiest airports, have failed – leaving controllers unable to communicate with pilots.The outages have, thankfully, only led to massive delays, not disaster. But they have also once again focused a harsh light on the persistent safety problems at US airports, which handle over 50,000 flights a day. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Actor Richard Armitage ‘choked up’ over VE Day concert reading

Famous faces performed a varied programme in Horse Guards Parade on Thursday evening.

Culture

4 d. ago King calls for renewed ‘commitment to peace’ in VE Day message

Charles says sacrifice of second world war heroes must not be in vainKing Charles called for a renewal of “global commitments to restoring a just peace where there is war, to diplomacy and to the prevention of conflict”, as the UK marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe day.Westminster Abbey was the focal point for national commemorations with a service of thanksgiving weaving poignant reminders of wartime deprivation and loss with the hopes for the future that historic day had promised. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago British & Irish Lions rugby squad announced for tour of Australia – live

All the latest as Andy Farrell’s 40-strong party is unveiledEmail Niall your thoughts | Sign up for The BreakdownLions szn is officially here. The first Test against Australia in Brisbane is just over a couple of months away, and the curtain-raiser against Argentina in Dublin will be upon us in six weeks’ time.This is the biggest milestone on the road to opening night, as Andy Farrell picks an expected 40-man squad from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales’ finest. It’ll be a career highlight for many players, and a day of great disappointment for others. Continue reading...

Society

5 d. ago Tory extinction ‘can’t be ruled out’, says Jeremy Hunt – UK politics live

Former chancellor says he does not expect the Conservatives to die out as a party but he says it is a possibilityKeir Starmer starts by saying rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain. The government is enouraging de-escalation, he says.He says tomorrow the nation will fall silent to commemorate VE Day. The armed forces protect our freedom, he says. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Is that a cat in the Cheetos? New York comedian spotlights the city’s famous bodega felines

Corner shop felines are already beloved by New Yorkers – and thanks to Michelladonna’s TikTok ‘interviews’, they’re going globalGrowing up in Ridgewood, Queens, the comedian Michelladonna (real name: Michelle Reiss), knew she could always count on seeing Lulu, a black-and-white striped cat, whenever she ran into the corner store for a snack. She counts Lulu as a close confidante, a silent witness to the goings-on of the neighborhood who knows everyone’s gossip.“I have literally gone to Lulu at the end of the night and been like, ‘Hey girl, let’s talk,’” says Michelladonna, who is 26. “That’s just part of life here: you say hi to the cat, you greet the manager, and then you continue your day.” Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia attacks Kharkiv with drone barrage, injuring 46

Nighttime strikes in four districts prompt fresh appeal from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to boost air defences. What we know on day 1,165See all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy hails ‘historic’ minerals deal as an equal partnership with US

Ukrainian president says the deal was the result of Vatican meeting with Donald Trump. What we know on day 1,164See all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Europe live: Germany’s SPD approves coalition deal with conservative CDU/CSU to form next government

The conservative-SPD coalition was the only path to a majority government after both major parties suffered steep losses in the February federal electionMarion Muehlberger, economist and political analyst at Deutsche Bank Research:“SPD members have approved the coalition agreement, as hoped, and cleared the way for the election of the next German chancellor on 6 May.Markets will now be focused on the new government’s 100-day programme, which is expected to be announced next week. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Slow news: Cumbria tortoise found a mile from home nine months after going missing

Leonardo, who went on the run from his home in Ulverston, covered distance at pace of about 6 metres a dayWhen Leonardo the tortoise went missing from his home in Cumbria nine months ago, his owners feared the worst.But the intrepid testudine has been found about a mile from his home in Ulverston – covering the distance at an average pace of 6 metres a day. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Questions begin as Spain and Portugal recover from largest power cut in recent European history – Europe live

Spain and Portugal report power supplies almost back to normal after day of chaos across the Iberian PeninsulaThe Spanish self-employed could have lost up to €1.3bn as a result of yesterday’s power cut, the Asociación de Trabajadores Autónomos estimated.In a report carried by the Spanish news agency EFE, the group said that “today is still a difficult day” with some reporting connectivity and transport issues. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump administration’s budget cuts endanger Meals on Wheels: ‘life and death implications’

Trump team’s slashes to US health department threaten popular program that combats elder hunger and isolationThe Trump administration’s slashes to the Department of Health and Human Services is threatening Meals on Wheels, the popular program dedicated to combatting senior hunger and isolation. Despite decades of bipartisan support, Meals on Wheels now faces attacks from Republicans whose budget blueprint paves the way for deep cuts to nutrition and other social safety-net programs as a way to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.It’s a move anti-hunger advocates and policy experts warn could have disastrous ramifications for the millions of older Americans who rely on the program to eat each day. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Exploitative’ contracts and hazardous conditions: life for some of the immigrants cleaning up wildfire

Advocates say workers risk their health and fear speaking out about conditions amid Trump’s immigration crackdownOn a sunny day in February three workers swept up the piles of ash left behind on an Altadena driveway from when the Eaton fire raged through the Los Angeles neighborhood the month before.The flames of the blaze had consumed nearly every home on the street, leaving only brick chimneys and charred vehicles. Red signs at the entrances of properties warned in English: “Unsafe, do not enter or occupy entry may result in death or injury.” Hazards such as lead paint, asbestos and batteries were strewn amongst the ashes, but few workers cleaning the neighborhood that day wore masks or other personal protective equipment (PPE). Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Jeremy Vine looks back: ‘What will I do after Radio 2? I don’t know. Die?’

The broadcaster on radioactive tomatoes, his suburban upbringing and still being a showoffBorn in 1965 in Epsom, Surrey, Jeremy Vine is a journalist and broadcaster. Vine’s media career began at the Coventry Evening Telegraph before he landed a job at the BBC in 1987, where he has worked in a number of roles including as a political reporter, Africa correspondent and Newsnight presenter. As well as his weekday programme on BBC Radio 2, he presents a self-titled weekday morning show on Channel 5. His new novel, Murder on Line One, is out now.My dear old mum would have pulled this costume together. If you dress a boy as a soldier, he will almost certainly crawl around the floor like a sniper, which I did. Shortly after this was taken, I decided to launch a large log over my shoulder as if it were a bazooka. The back of it hit my head on the way past. I did myself a bit of mischief that day. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Barcelona v Real Madrid: Copa del Rey final, extra time – live

Updates from the 9pm BST kick-off at La CartujaContact Luke McLaughlin | Live scores around Europe12min: Lamine Yamal makes a bright run down the right for Barcelona. The score is nil-nil.“I’d love to watch the game but a 10pm kick-off is getting a bit too near my bedtime,” emails Mark. “How do the players put up with it? It must be hard to be at your peak performance level so late in the day. Good night. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Sunday best: Thomasina Miers’ recipes for braised chicken with chickpeas and rosewater dried apricots

An aromatic Persian stew, followed by stewed dried apricots with pistachio cookiesSpring is here in all its glory, as the birds testify with their ebullient chitter-chat. But the weather is wilful and the air can turn chilly in a flash, and it’s this in-between time when soothing braises made with lighter ingredients are just what’s needed. I recently found a recipe for an Iranian chicken stew recipe that paired carrots and yoghurt, and its sunniness really appealed to me; I added cardamom for its evocative scent and chickpeas for body, and it was demolished by the troops. Pudding had to be simple, and both the biscuits and poached apricots can be made a few days ahead, so it is also blissfully easy. A lovely spring lunch for a lazy, sun-soaked day. Continue reading...

Politics