26 m. ago Africans say a Black pope would be nice to have. But they are not too hopeful

If the next pope is from sub-Saharan Africa, he would be the first in Catholic Church history

Politics

32 m. ago Kamala Harris says ‘courage is contagious’ in major speech excoriating Trump

Democratic presidential candidate speaks in San Francisco in first significant appearance since election defeatKamala Harris delivered a searing indictment of Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, warning in her first major address since leaving office that the nation was experiencing a “wholesale abandonment of America’s highest ideals”.Speaking to a crowd of Democrats in San Francisco, the former vice-president struck a defiant posture as she praised the leaders and institutions pushing back against the president and his agenda – from the members of Congress acting boldly to the judges “who uphold the rule of law in the face of those who would jail them”, the universities defying the administration’s “unconstitutional demands”, and the everyday Americans rallying to protect social security. Continue reading...

Politics

36 m. ago Ninety percent of people who reach 110 have one simple thing in common

Emerging research suggests the group has a far greater chance of living to 100 and even becoming 'supercentenarians' - but what's the reason behind this?

Politics

83 m. ago US funds supported Nepal's growing LGBTQ+ community. Now that money is gone

Many support centers for Nepal’s LGBTQ+ community have closed since the Trump administration began dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development

Economics

88 m. ago These papal tailors aren't expecting a traditional order for new cassocks to outfit the next pope

Two papal tailors and no conclave orders

Politics

94 m. ago Northern California town's sugary soda tax is first to defy state ban

A voter-approved tax on sugary drinks has taken effect in the beachside community of Santa Cruz on the California coast

Politics

96 m. ago The ancient psychedelics myth: ‘People tell tourists the stories they think are interesting for them’

The narrative of ancient tribes around the world regularly using ayahuasca and magic mushrooms in healing practices is a popular one. Is it true?Beginning in 2001, the Austrian anthropologist Bernd Brabec de Mori spent six years living in the western Amazon. He first arrived as a backpacker, returned to do a master’s thesis on ayahuasca songs, and eventually did a PhD on the music of eight Indigenous peoples in the region. Along the way, he married a woman of the local Shipibo tribe and settled down.“I did not have a lot of money,” he told me, “so I had to make my living there.” He became a teacher. He built a house. He and his wife had children. That rare experience of joining the community, he said, forced him to realise that many of the assumptions he had picked up as an anthropologist were wrong. Continue reading...

Politics

97 m. ago DWP issues update on calls to scrap planned cuts to disability benefits

Titled "Protect Disabled people who cannot work from planned cuts to benefits", the petition called for the government to scrap its proposed plans for the disability benefit PIP and the health element to Universal Credit

Politics

2 h. ago Sir Rod Stewart help offer is great but waiting lists are far too long for young Scots

Record View says as a “knight of the realm”, Sir Rod Stewart sees it as his duty to help people whenever and wherever he can.

Events

2 h. ago Snake on a train line: Japan’s busiest bullet train route brought to a halt

Outage occurred between Maibara and Gifu-Hashima stations after the snake appeared to have climbed an electricity poleJapan’s busiest bullet train line was brought to a halt on Wednesday after a metre-long snake wrapped itself around a power line, shorting the electricity supply and stranding hundreds of passengers.Shinkansen trains running between Tokyo and Osaka were brought to a standstill by the snake, with news reports showing footage of people inside trains waiting for services to resume. Power did not appear to have been cut inside trains, with lights and air conditioning still functioning, according to passengers. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago The attack on Zamzam refugee camp and what it means for the Sudan war

Guardian journalist Kaamil Ahmed reports on the devastating assault by the Rapid Support Forces on the camp in Darfur and what it tells us about the group’s plans in Sudan’s civil warZamzam, in Darfur, has been a place of refuge for decades. A sprawling camp in western Sudan, some have estimated that it houses up to 700,000 people – a place of relative safety from the violence that has engulfed the region over the last 20 years.It was also one of the last holdouts in Darfur, one of the few places in the region not yet under the control of the Rapid Support Forces. The paramilitary group has fought a devastating civil war with the Sudanese army since April 2023. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Kamala Harris to step back into spotlight to give sharp critique of Trump

Democratic presidential candidate to speak in San Francisco after keeping low profile since election defeatKamala Harris will step back into the political spotlight on Wednesday night to deliver a sharp critique of Donald Trump, warning that his presidency has put the US at risk of a constitutional crisis.The former vice-president has mostly kept a low profile since leaving the White House in January following her bitter defeat to Trump. Now, a day after Trump celebrated 100 days in office with a rally in Michigan, she is expected to deliver a forceful renunciation of the president’s stunning power grabs that have prompted warnings of creeping authoritarianism. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Veteran card is now accepted as photo ID at polling stations

Voter ID rules were first enforced in England in 2023 and across Britain at the 2024 general election.

Culture

3 h. ago Many people ‘stuck in financial habits’ as experts suggest ways to boost budgets

Some people worry they may make a wrong decision, or feel overwhelmed by choice, according to research for new savings app Spring.

Economics

4 h. ago Martin Scorsese announces film that will feature Pope Francis’s ‘final interview’

Aldeas – A New Story documentary to examine work of organisation pontiff founded to connect young people around the worldMartin Scorsese has made a documentary with the late Pope Francis that will feature conversations between the pontiff and Scorsese, including what the film-makers say was the pope’s final in-depth on-camera interview.Aldeas – A New Story will detail the work of Scholas Occurrentes, a non-profit, international organisation founded by the pope in 2013 to promote what it termed “Culture of Encounter” among youth. Continue reading...

Culture

4 h. ago Handyman who was jailed for life over rape and murder of four people at 1986 Fordingbridge 'mansion massacre' dies in prison aged 73

George Stephenson was jailed for life in October 1987 aged 36 after being convicted alongside two others of murdering four people, raping a woman.

Events

4 h. ago King Charles tells Dame Deborah James' family he is 'so sorry' he didn't meet the fierce campaigner as he celebrates people in the cancer 'community' at Buckingham Palace

Charles met Alistair and Heather James at Buckingham Palace before moving into the ballroom to join 500 guests who had been invited to a reception to celebrate people within the cancer 'community'.

Politics

4 h. ago British expat in Spain shares 'mistake' everyone makes before they move

Daniel Efford, who has lived in Spain for 38 years, revealed a common 'mistake' people make before relocating - whilst sharing his top tips for those hoping to follow in his footsteps.

Politics

6 h. ago Boy, 16, and girl, 14, in hospital after stabbing in Merseyside

Police urged people to avoid the area while officers conduct their enquiries.

Politics

7 h. ago Handyman who was jailed for life over rape and murder of four people at 1986 Fordingbridge 'mansion massacre' dies in prison ages 73

George Stephenson was jailed for life in October 1987 aged 36 after being convicted alongside two others of murdering four people, raping a woman.

Events