1 week ago Thomas Tuchel keeps his cool amid cringe, confusion and drama of World Cup draw | David Hytner

England manager happy to ‘focus on what we can influence’ after a draw that will live long in the memory and not for the right reasons At the end of an extraordinary day in the US capital and a World Cup draw that lurched between the ridiculous and the sublime (with a greater emphasis on the former, if the truth be told), Thomas Tuchel and England now know. Croatia in Toronto or Dallas. Ghana in Boston or Toronto. Panama in New Jersey or Philadelphia. And that is just the group games.With the excitement running wild and, well, England being England, their determination to bring it home to the fore, it was not long before the permutations were being scrutinised. It could be Mexico at the Azteca in the last 16 – the scene of the Hand of God in 1986. It could be Brazil in Miami in the quarter-finals. Tuchel pulled a face as if to say: “Wow.” There had been a lot to process. And that is before we talk about the Honourable Donald J Trump and his Fifa peace prize glory. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago ‘He was a batter ahead of his time’: Robin Smith, former England cricketer, dies aged 62

Batter scored more than 6,000 runs for EnglandSmith was at Hampshire from 1982 to 2003Tributes have been paid to Robin Smith, whose swashbuckling batting and fearlessness at the crease lit up English cricket in an era when it often languished in the doldrums, following his death at the age of 62.Smith played 62 Tests for England between 1988 to 1996, averaging 43.67. But it was the sight of him taking the fight to the fastest pace bowlers of his generation that will live longest in the memory. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago The most misleading thing about Rachel Reeves’s budget? Who it was really for | Aditya Chakrabortty

Labour backbenchers have been cheering it as a win for the most vulnerable in socety. In fact it was aimed at the bond marketsThe charge is a grave one: that Rachel Reeves has just lied to Britons, spooking them into paying billions in extra taxes that she can splash out on higher benefits. However hyperbolic, this isn’t the usual Westminster sparring; this time, someone might get hurt. A week ago, critics of Reeves and Keir Starmer were, rightly, calling their budget “chaotic”. Today, it’s denounced as lies, and Kemi Badenoch is demanding the chancellor quit. It’s an accusation that demands straightforward answers, so let me give mine. Did the chancellor tell lies? On the available evidence, no. There were no whoppers, no falsehoods, no porkies. But despite Starmer’s comments yesterday, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to see here and we can all move along. Reeves did mislead the public about the factors shaping her decisions. Was it all to funnel cash to “benefits street”, as the...

Politics

2 w. ago OBR boss Richard Hughes quits after chaotic leak of Budget documents

The Office for Budget Responsibility boss said he would take full responsibility for the blunder, which saw key details released an hour before Rachel Reeves stood up

Economics

3 w. ago 'Chaotic' Budget nevertheless sparks optimism for Scottish Labour

Insiders believe this is a plan they can work with as Holyrood election looms

Politics

3 w. ago DAN HODGES: The only good news? The most chaotic Budget in British history will be Rachel Reeves' last

So, in the end Rachel Reeves didn't even manage to deliver her Budget at all. That honour was left to the OBR.

Politics

3 w. ago The chaotic UK Budget leak ruined Rachel Reeves' speech and did nothing to help Labour government's image

The scenes were shambolic as the OBR released the details of the Budget before Rachel Reeves got up to speak.

Politics

3 w. ago DAN HODGES: The only good news? The most chaotic Budget in British history will be Rachel Reeves's last

So, in the end Rachel Reeves didn't even manage to deliver her Budget at all. That honour was left to the OBR.

Politics

3 w. ago Kemi blasts Budget as a 'smorgasbord of misery' and a 'total humiliation' for Reeves, saying 'if she had any decency she would resign'

The Conservative leader hit out at the 'complete shambles' of leaks and U-turns overseen by the Chancellor in a barnstorming Commons performance.

Politics

3 w. ago The most chaotic Budget in living memory ends in complete shambles – before it’s even started

The accidental leak of details of Rachel Reeves’ Budget by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) before she got to her feet was one final bit of chaos for this make-or-break Budget, says political editor David Maddox

Politics

3 w. ago Made up your mind yet, Rachel? Reeves puts finishing touches to tax hikes in chaotic Budget

Chancellor Rachel Reeves posed for the traditional eve-of-package photos in her study with a chess set visible on the desk.

Economics

3 w. ago Scotland's Finance Secretary lays out demands ahead of 'chaotic and uncertain' Budget

Shona Robison urged the UK Government to deliver more funding for Scotland’s public services.

Economics