49 m. ago German election live: voters head to polls amid fears over Ukraine security, Trump and rise of far right

Conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz could unseat chancellor Olaf Scholz but threat of gains by far-right AfD looms largeBerlin correspondentIn the run-up to today’s vote, the Guardian’s Kate Connolly travelled more than 850 miles on trains across Germany to hear what its citizens have to say about the state of their nation. Continue reading...

Politics

61 m. ago Australia should repatriate and investigate alleged crimes of Islamic state member found in Syria, experts say

Exclusive: Home Affairs tells the Guardian consular assistance is ‘severely limited’ in Syria, where Mustafa Hajj-Obeid remains in custodyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government should repatriate, monitor and investigate any crimes committed by a member of Islamic State who was wounded in the extremist group’s final battle, according to multiple security and international law experts.Last week, the Guardian revealed an Australian man whose fate was not publicly known was alive and in custody in a prison in north-eastern Syria, run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

62 m. ago Dating expert says who should pay on the first date – ending the fierce debate

EXCLUSIVE: The question of who should pay on the first date has been the source of much debate – now the Daily Star has turned to a dating expert to find out the answer

Politics

2 h. ago Black pudding in the hole and buttery chicken curry – Gill Meller’s recipes for next level traybakes

Dishes that are easy, all in one and soon to be your new favourite midweek mealsI love this combination, but feel free to switch up the black pudding for some nice herby pork sausages, or a decent handful of firm chestnut mushrooms, if you’d like to keep it all about the veg. Once you’ve added the batter, don’t be tempted to open the oven door for at least 20 minutes, as this will help things rise as they should. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Horrific final moments of men mauled to death over four days in worst ever shark attack

The sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945 led to the deadliest shark attack in history with 150 people brutally mauled to death at sea over four horrifying days

Events

2 h. ago It’s the Kemi delusion: the more the Tories run towards Reform, the more their voters will run to the Lib Dems | John Harris

The genius of UK Conservatism used to be how it responded to chaos using the balm of tradition. Secondhand Trumpism will only alienate its voters furtherWhat times these are. As Donald Trump’s sellout of Ukraine gains pace, there are reports that Keir Starmer will flatter the president by inviting him to address parliament. Meanwhile, Trump’s British admirers continue to offer flimsy excuses and undimmed admiration. Before Trump paid tribute to Nigel Farage – a “great guy” – in his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gathering in Washington, the MP for Clacton used his time at the same event to “hail” Trump’s “progress” with Vladimir Putin, and salute him as “simply the bravest man that I know”. By way of bathos, the dependably ridiculous Liz Truss had by then told a much smaller crowd that the country she ran for a month and a half is “failing”, and needs its own Trumpian insurgency.At the top of the party Truss so briefly led, Kemi Badenoch cannot resolv...

Politics

3 h. ago Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United need to ‘demand more’ after Everton draw

Fernandes sparked a comeback from 2-0 down by scoring a free-kick and sending over another that led to Manuel Ugarte’s equaliser.

Politics

3 h. ago Schmeichel review – amazing saves but too few insights into the great Dane

This by-numbers documentary of a glittering goalkeeping career only really kicks off when the footballer and his father get talkingIn Denmark it’s actually pronounced “Schmy-shell” — but that’s the extent of the stunning revelations provided by Owen Davies’s worshipful and rote sports doc about the former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, now 61. Footage of all his amazing saves – the ones that won Euro 92 for the Danish national side, or led Man U to the treble in ’99 – impressively affirm the Great Dane’s greatness. The question though is how? And why?At 6ft 4in tall, his imposing physicality obviously had something to do with it (“The span was like an aeroplane!” marvels Sir Alex Ferguson). Schmeichel’s competitive edge and total inability to abide weakness are attributed to the parenting of a tough, Polish-born father who was orphaned at a young age by the second world war; their story of estrangement and reconciliation is worthy of soap opera. But it’s the insights that the Schmeich...

Politics

3 h. ago The Welsh hills where plumes of white smoke rise up from underground tunnels

Amazingly the Eryri mountains are not the only place in the UK where this happens. The white vapour rising up from the rocks in the area creates a ghostly and ethereal image

Events

3 h. ago German elections: Why Bauhaus design has become the target of far

As political tensions rise in Germany, the design school has come under fire, Katrin Schreiter writes

Politics

3 h. ago 'We are tired of being scared': Women of Ukraine share their hopes and fears three years into Russia's war

Vladimir Putin’s aggression has led to the death of thousands of civilians and laid waste to a country. On the eve of the third anniversary of the invasion, Ukrainians tell the Standard they are bruised but not beaten.

Events

4 h. ago Chain, chain, chain: political theatre confirms Elon Musk’s Maga hero status at jubilant CPAC

Emboldened and exultant, speakers put less emphasis on baiting liberals and more on spreading the Maga gospelWhat do you give the man who has everything? A ballroom full of cheering conservative activists found out this week when Elon Musk was presented with a chainsaw by Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, who has used the power tool as a symbol of his push to impose fiscal discipline.Wearing sunglasses, a black Maga baseball cap and a gold necklace, Musk giddily wielded the chainsaw up and down the stage. “This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy!” he declared. Members of the audience shouted: “We love you!” Musk replied: “I love you guys, too!” And he quipped: “I am become meme.” Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Alex Scott’s net worth, relationship with Jess Glynne and rise as a trailblazing pundit

Alex Scott has conquered football, television and life’s toughest battles while finding love, building a multi-million fortune and inspiring countless fans with her strength

Politics

4 h. ago Death of a neighbourhood: Fury as uni students who don't pay council tax and host noisy parties turning suburban street into a 'family

A £550k home for sale on Sunbury Avenue, on the outskirts of Newcastle, is set to become a HMO. Of the 51 homes on the street, 48 are lived in by undergraduate students.

Society

5 h. ago Trump’s bullshit blitz has Europe on its knees | Stewart Lee

For the US president’s cheerleaders, the whitewashing of the deaths of ten of thousands of Ukrainians is a small price to pay for sticking it to the wokeratiWas it really only a month ago that the pole-dancer patron, fridge explorer, Brexit get-doer, model bus maker, sofa-strainer, wall-spaffer, current Daily Mail columnist and former British prime minister Boris Johnson eulogised the inauguration of Donald Trump in the Mail, recounting how, as the “invisible pulse of power surged” from the battered bible into the hand of Trump: “I saw the moment the world’s wokerati had worked so hard to prevent.”I hope Johnson is pleased with the way things have worked out. Because now the foolish wokerati have been schooled beyond Johnson’s wettest dreams. It’s the Trump-Putin-bin Salman party! An adjudicated sex offender and convicted fraudster, and a man who sanctioned a chemical warfare hit, killing a British citizen on British soil, have met at the luxury Saudia Arabian hotel of another man, ...

Events

6 h. ago Rise of the OAP drivers: Number of centenarians with full driving licences has TRIPLED in a decade

Britain has more drivers over 100 years old than ever before. MailOnline can reveal. Now a slew of recent deaths at the hands of older drivers has raised the topic of re-testing.

Politics

9 h. ago ‘You’re not going on a birthday trip to Paris’: KLM ground staff get passport rules wrong yet again

The Man Who Pays His Way: Time to make airlines pay for needlessly wrecking passengers’ plans

Politics

9 h. ago How Modus Super Series became darts' secondary super power after Luke Littler's double success

The popularity of darts has boomed over the past two years with the rise of Luke Littler - and his career was amplified in the Modus Super Series

Politics

9 h. ago Clever coffee table with hidden storage has almost 5,000 five

Storage and functionality in one is a real bonus and this table gives you both, with the added benefit of it looking really elegant too.

Politics

10 h. ago UK companies pay less than half of fines issued for filing accounts late

Disparity raises questions about ability of Companies House to tackle non-compliance

Economics