41 m. ago Ben Jennings on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to London – cartoon

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Politics

49 m. ago Hit horror Weapons doesn’t have a deeper meaning but that’s OK | Jesse Hassenger

A frenzied search for answers in the wake of the box office smash has some assuming there’s a weightier allegory but its power is in something simpler and more primalMajor spoilers aheadFor years now, horror fans and critics have grown increasingly and understandably impatient with the tendency of genre films to orient their scares toward a clearly conveyed central metaphor.The real monster in these movies is parenthood, personal trauma or that old horror-movie standby, grief. Writer-director Zach Cregger is no stranger to this line of thinking; his 2022 horror movie Barbarian is very much a spooky-creature-in-the-basement movie for the #MeToo era. Now Cregger has returned with a movie that may well stymie anyone who has been trained by the last decade to search for an easy-to-track allegory within their viscerally depicted fears. His new movie Weapons has received mostly rave reviews and positive audience response. But at least a few critics and fans are pivoting from complaining a...

Events

68 m. ago King Charles to mark 80th anniversary of VJ Day with address

Monarch will pay tribute to military personnel and reflect on horrors experienced in Asia-Pacific regionKing Charles will mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on Friday with a message paying tribute to the service and sacrifice of military personnel in the second world war who fought and died in the Pacific and far east, saying they will never be forgotten.In an address, Charles will reflect on the horrors experienced by prisoners of war and civilians of occupied lands in the region “whose suffering reminds us that war’s true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life”. Continue reading...

Politics

71 m. ago Putin ready to make Ukraine deal, Trump says before Alaska summit

US president’s comment that Russian and Ukrainian leaders may have to ‘divvy’ things up likely to raise alarmDonald Trump has said he believes Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal on the war in Ukraine as the two leaders prepare for their summit in Alaska on Friday, but his suggestion the Russian leader and Volodymyr Zelenskyy could “divvy things up” may alarm some in Kyiv.The US president implied there was a 75% chance of the Alaska meeting succeeding, and that the threat of economic sanctions may have made Putin more willing to seek an end to the war. He also said a second meeting – at present not confirmed – between himself, Putin and Zelenskyy would be the more decisive. Continue reading...

Politics

78 m. ago ‘We thought with The Crown: “Is anyone going to watch this?”’ director Benjamin Caron on risk, realism – and royalty

A ‘safe pair of hands’ in high end TV, Caron now reunites with Vanessa Kirby for hyperactive Netflix thriller Night Always Comes about the terror of urban homelessnessIt’s quite a schlep from Buckingham Palace to the mean streets of working-class Portland, Oregon, but it is one that Midlands-born film-maker Benjamin Caron and actor Vanessa Kirby have undertaken with their new thriller Night Always Comes, adapted from the taut novel by Willy Vlautin. Caron and Kirby met nearly a decade ago when he directed episodes of The Crown, in which she played the young Princess Margaret from behind a cloud of cigarette smoke.Now Kirby stars as a former sex worker called Lynette, toiling in multiple jobs and living with her disabled brother (Zach Gottsagen) and their wrecked, wayward mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh). They have cobbled together the funds to buy their dilapidated house at a snip, only for Lynette’s mother to recklessly blow her half on a new car. Cue one manic night in which Lynette ...

Events

88 m. ago Bargain hunt: the best value signings in the Premier League this summer

Chelsea, Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and Brentford have spent some smart money in the transfer windowBy WhoScoredThe young English striker began his career at Derby before moving to Manchester City as a 16-year-old in 2019. After loan spells at Stoke, Preston and Hull, Liam Delap made a £20m move to Ipswich last summer and proceeded to make a name for himself in the Premier League. Continue reading...

Politics

89 m. ago Everything inside Selfridges’ beauty advent calendar 2025 – plus key dates to shop

The waitlist is open, and we know everything inside the calendar

Politics

95 m. ago Brentford will keep Newcastle target Yoane Wissa out of season opener

Manager Keith Andrews says striker ‘not ready to play’Club holding out for £40m fee before they could sellKeith Andrews has revealed that Yoane Wissa will not take part in Brentford’s opening game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday amid strong interest from Newcastle.The forward from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is understood to have been training on his own this week as Andrews prepares to take charge of his first match since succeeding Thomas Frank, with Brentford holding out for about £40m. Newcastle have so far proved unwilling to match their valuation for the 28-year-old, who scored 19 times in the Premier League last season, having had an offer worth up to £30m rejected last month. Continue reading...

Events

1 hour ago Scottish pupil named a Time magazine girl of the year for solar

Rebecca Young, 13, named one of 10 girls of the year for her invention intended to help rough sleepers in winterA Scottish schoolgirl has been named a “girl of the year” by Time magazine after she invented a solar-powered thermal blanket to help rough sleepers keep warm.Rebecca Young, 13, came up with her design after seeing homeless people struggling in subzero temperatures on the streets of her home city, Glasgow, in winter. She said her message to young people was: “If you see a problem you think you can fix, you can do something about it.” Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Secret lovers of man unite to keep him alive after brain bleed

Hospital refused permission to remove feeding tube after his two partners tell judge about his strong belief in spiritual healing

Society

1 hour ago Blackwater founder Erik Prince to send hundreds of fighters to strife

Critics say Vectus Global’s presence – including snipers – will undermine Haiti’s police and UN security forceHundreds of combatants from the US, Europe and El Salvador will reportedly be deployed to Haiti in the coming weeks to battle the country’s gangs as part of a mission led by the controversial Blackwater founder and Donald Trump backer Erik Prince.According to Reuters, Prince’s new security firm, Vectus Global – which has been operating in the violence-ravaged Caribbean country since March – is preparing to intensify its activities there to help authorities win key roads and territories back from heavily armed criminal groups. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Canada is boycotting US alcohol over Trump’s policies. It will leave American companies’ bottom lines dry

Distilled Spirits Council estimates American liquor sales to northern neighbor have plummeted 62 percent year-on-year in the first six months of 2025

Politics

1 hour ago Moment dog walker filmed carrying 'lifeless' body of pet before owner finds it dead

The English Bulldog is believed to have died from heat stroke, although the pooch's dog walker initially tried to cover up the unfortunate incident, only to be foiled by the gran's doorbell

Events

1 hour ago The style set have spoken, fitted carpets are back — here's how to get the look in 2025

With a high pile, a bold pattern or a bright colour, wall-to-wall carpets are back, as we choose luxury and warmth over rustic floorboards

Politics

2 h. ago ‘Why would you take away a parking place?’: the city where anyone can build an urban oasis

Grätzloasen – low-cost, urban ‘parklets’ built by volunteers – are on the rise in Vienna as sceptics are being won over by the splash of welcome greenery and boost to community spiritsIn a quiet corner of Vienna’s well-to-do 18th district, Jana is explaining how her assembly of wooden decking and planters is bringing a bit of greenery to the area. “There’s not a single tree on this whole street – it’s just parking spaces on both sides.”This is a grätzloase, or neighbourhood oasis – a miniature park tucked into the side of the road. With the blessing of the city hall, more than 100 of them have sprung up across Vienna. The scheme has been growing since 2015, and its proponents say it’s struck a rare balance for urban projects: cheap, community-driven and appreciated by local people. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Strictly Come Dancing's new star Dani Dyer's dance background sparks 'fix' claims ahead of 2025 series

Love Island 2018 winner Dani Dyer will compete for the coveted glitterball in the upcoming BBC series, but the reality TV star already has plenty of dancing experience

Culture

2 h. ago Expert reveals gifting etiquette for good grades and the best unique buys to treat A

The scores will, undoubtedly, be a cause for celebration for many, as parents of the youngsters now gearing up for university look for the perfect gift to mark the milestone occasion.

Politics

2 h. ago Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott faces trial for child sex abuse

Trial set for next August in GlasgowThe 48-year-old denies both chargesThe former world snooker champion Graeme Dott is to stand trial next year over allegations of child sex abuse. The 48-year-old is accused of two charges relating to primary school age children.The allegations span between 1993 and 1996 involving a girl, and 2006 to 2010 involving a boy, both in the Glasgow region. A virtual hearing at the high court in Glasgow on Thursday was told Dott, who was not present, denies the charges. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Football Daily | Wayne Rooney, Tom Brady and a serving of ultra

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Today’s Football Daily would like to start with the topical events of 15 February 1983. That was the day Manchester United outplayed and outviolenced Arsenal in the first leg of their Milk Cup semi-final at Highbury. United won 4-2; they were 4-0 up after 80 minutes before taking their foot off Arsenal’s throat, and shinbone, and head. “Perhaps we’ve been concentrating too much on passing and technique,” lamented Don Howe, Arsenal’s head coach and assistant to the manager, Terry Neill. “Against United we went out to strike the ball about instead of putting some meat into the game.” In 1980s English football, there was no place for veganism. Things have changed since the days when ABH was a bookable offence, and only then after the first 10 minutes, but English football still has a pretty noxious meat footprint. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Trump’s space order risks environmental disaster while rewarding Musk and Bezos, experts say

US president is pushing an ‘end run around’ on safeguards, risking harm to wildlife, air and water, attorney saysA draft executive order from Donald Trump that aims to largely exempt space launches from environmental review is viewed as a gift to commercial space industry players such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others who have long targeted the regulations.But its central components may be illegal and the US president “is trying to do an end run around” on the law, said Jared Margolis, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, which has litigated environmental issues around launches. Continue reading...

Events