82 m. ago Trump says Europe must take ‘central role’ in Ukraine’s security as Macron says peace agreement ‘must not mean a surrender’ – live

US and French presidents touted productive talks at the White House amid concerns over US position on UkraineThe EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas earlier said that she would be travelling to the US tomorrow to meet with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, adding that what she called the “Russian narrative” is “strongly represented” in comments being made by the second Donald Trump administration.She told reporters “I think it’s good that we have as many interactions with the new administration in US as possible. I’m also travelling tomorrow to the US to meet Marco Rubio and others there to discuss these issues, because it’s extremely important.” Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago US court upholds Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’s conviction

Holmes, who is serving nine years, attempted to overturn conviction over multimillion-dollar investor fraud scandalA US court upheld the conviction of the Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes for defrauding investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars while operating her failed blood-testing startup, once valued at $9bn, rejecting her multi-year appeal. The court also upheld the conviction of Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, once Holmes’s romantic partner and president of Theranos.A three-judge panel for the 9th US circuit court of appeals in San Francisco rejected claims of legal errors at their separate trials held in 2022. Continue reading...

Events

1 hour ago Labour MP Jas Athwal criticised as landlord of 'mould and ant

No reason has been given for Athwal's resignation from Redbridge Council

Politics

2 h. ago ICC urged to investigate Biden for ‘aiding and abetting’ Gaza war crimes

US-based nonprofit Dawn also accuses ex-secretary of state Antony Blinken and ex-Pentagon chief Lloyd AustinA US-based nonprofit organization has urged the international criminal court to investigate former president Joe Biden and two of his cabinet members for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.The request, submitted by the Democracy for the Arab World Now (Dawn) last month but made public by the group on Monday, urges the ICC to investigate Biden, as well as former secretary of state Antony Blinken and former defense secretary Lloyd Austin, for their “accessorial roles in aiding and abetting, as well as intentionally contributing to, Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza”. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Trump and Macron speak to reporters amid Europe’s concern for US position on Ukraine – live

Trump says meeting with French president was aimed at ending ‘really horrible’ war between Russia and UkraineThe EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas earlier said that she would be travelling to the US tomorrow to meet with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, adding that what she called the “Russian narrative” is “strongly represented” in comments being made by the second Donald Trump administration.She told reporters “I think it’s good that we have as many interactions with the new administration in US as possible. I’m also travelling tomorrow to the US to meet Marco Rubio and others there to discuss these issues, because it’s extremely important.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Karla Sofía Gascón to attend Oscars despite tweet controversy

The Emilia Pérez best actress nominee will be at Sunday’s ceremony with Netflix paying for all expenses incurredThe Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón is reportedly set to attend this Sunday’s Oscars after controversy over bigoted tweets.The Spanish actor, who is nominated for best actress, had been removed from the campaign trail by Netflix after resurfaced tweets led to a backlash. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Never mind the quality, feel the money: central flaw of football’s ‘greatest show on earth’ | Barney Ronay

Title race and relegation over by February? The Premier League is rich, but there’s no jeopardy and no real sense of excellence, at least not on the pitchLadies and gentlemen we have now reached our cruising altitude. The pilot will be putting his feet up and drinking tiny cans of Sprite from here to the middle of May. Sit back, zone out. Stick on a bad film with Seth Rogen in it. You can even watch the football if you like. Just don’t expect much to happen for the next three months.So much for that excitingly bumpy, turbulence-fuelled Premier League season, all perky upstarts, crumbling certainties and unexpected shifts of altitude, which really did seem to be shaping up just a few short weeks go. As of game weekend 26 and Arsenal’s defeat by West Ham, followed by Liverpool strolling through Manchester City, the league has reached a stage of premature entropy. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Most conservation funds go to large vertebrates at expense of ‘neglected’ species

Study shows funding bias towards animals like rhino while other endangered species including amphibians and algae disregardedMost global conservation funds go to larger, charismatic animals, leaving critically important but less fashionable species deprived, a 25-year study has revealed.Scientists have found that of the $1.963bn allocated to projects worldwide, 82.9% was assigned to vertebrates. Plants and invertebrates each accounted for 6.6% of the funding, while fungi and algae were barely represented at less than 0.2%. Continue reading...

Economics

2 h. ago Germany election: Merz says it’s ‘five to midnight’ for Europe

Leader of victorious conservative alliance says continent must build defence capability as US moves towards ‘America alone’ mottoThe man expected to be Germany’s next chancellor has said Europe must act swiftly to increase its defence capability in the face of a US administration whose motto is moving towards “America alone”, adding: “This is really five minutes to midnight for Europe.”In a wide-ranging press conference after his conservative alliance’s victory in Sunday’s federal election, Friedrich Merz made it clear his focus was on the turbulent geopolitical landscape, saying that although he would seek good ties with the US he was also ready for “the worst-case scenario”. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Roberta Flack’s performances softly burned with the fire of life itself

The soul singer was ambitiously diverse in her musicianship, and enthralled at every turn – whether doing desolate folk cover versions or lighter, sophisticated popIn the liner notes to 2023’s Lost Takes – which excavated the tapes that had served as Roberta Flack’s audition for Atlantic Records over half a century earlier – the poet Harmony Holiday wrote that Flack possessed “the voice of the idyllic afterlife you’d want to arrive in after the end of a dysfunctional world”.Indeed, Flack sang like she was equally conversant with the ecstasy of faith and the agony of life. The dignified richness of her vocal was tempered by the subtly volcanic power she displayed on her reading of To Sir With Love off Lost Takes – a not-so-quiet fire that always resided within her. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Uefa president Ceferin makes outspoken intervention on European politics

Slovenian opines about immigration and populism‘We are all fed up with political correctness’The president of Uefa, Aleksander Ceferin, has made an outspoken intervention in European politics, claiming “freedom of speech no longer exists” and “we are all fed up of political correctness”.In a wide-ranging series of remarks Ceferin attacked European politicians over their handling of the Ukraine war and for “preaching to the world”. He even joked that the only “great thing” the EU has done is to mandate that bottle tops should not be detachable. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Germany election: Europe must boost defence capabilities quickly, says Merz

Leader of victorious conservative alliance says transatlantic alliance will be difficult with Trump’s ‘America alone’ mottoThe man expected to be Germany’s next chancellor has said Europe must act swiftly to increase its defence capability in the face of a US administration whose motto is moving towards “America alone”, adding: “This is really five minutes to midnight for Europe.”In a wide-ranging press conference after his conservative alliance’s victory in Sunday’s federal election, Friedrich Merz made it clear his focus was on the turbulent geopolitical landscape, saying that although he would seek good ties with the US he was also ready for “the worst-case scenario”. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Pope Francis still critical but shows ‘slight improvement’, Vatican update claims

The Pope had resumed work in the afternoon and in the evening made a call to the Catholic parish in Gaza

Culture

3 h. ago Ben Stokes to skip the Hundred in order to focus on England’s Ashes tour

England captain to prioritise fitness for Australia seriesMoeen Ali also withdraws and retires from county gameBen Stokes and Moeen Ali have both withdrawn from this year’s Hundred. England’s Test captain has chosen to focus on his fitness and his duties with the red ball, and Moeen has decided to retire from county cricket so he can grasp the opportunities offered by global franchise leagues.The competition has brought only bad luck to Stokes, who in five appearances has scored only 14 runs at an average of 3.50 and sustained one serious hamstring injury, while playing for Northern Superchargers last August. That pulled muscle kept him out of all cricket for two months and, after a recurrence while playing for England in New Zealand late last year, he required surgery from which he is recovering. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Trump says Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine and twar could end ‘within weeks’ – live

US president says Zelenskyy may come to Washington to sign mineral deal this week or next; Russia open for economic cooperation with US, Putin envoy saysThe EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas earlier said that she would be travelling to the US tomorrow to meet with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, adding that what she called the “Russian narrative” is “strongly represented” in comments being made by the second Donald Trump administration.She told reporters “I think it’s good that we have as many interactions with the new administration in US as possible. I’m also travelling tomorrow to the US to meet Marco Rubio and others there to discuss these issues, because it’s extremely important.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Vatican issues Pope Francis health update as doctors remain on alert

The Vatican said in its evening bulleting that he hadn't had any more respiratory crises, while adding a slight kidney insufficiency detected on Sunday was of no concern.

Society

3 h. ago Southport attack yoga teacher hero Leanne Lucas' tormented life now and horror injuries

Heroic yoga instructor Leanne Lucas, who helped several children flee The Southport Attack, continues to live with the horrors of the tragedy, but her memories of the little girls who died that day continue to give her strength

Events

3 h. ago Pope Francis sees ‘slight improvement’ but remains in critical condition

Prognosis for pontiff, 88, remains guarded as he is treated in hospital for pneumonia and kidney failurePope Francis, who is in hospital with pneumonia and “mild” kidney failure, remains in a critical condition although there was a “slight improvement” on Monday, the Vatican said.The pontiff, 88, has not had any further asthma-style attacks and “some laboratory tests have improved”, the Vatican said in a statement on Monday evening. Continue reading...

Culture

3 h. ago The Pope wrote resignation letter 12 YEARS ago in case he became too ill to continue

The Pope is suffering from kidney failure, pneumonia and an infection in both lungs after he was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Valentine's Day.

Politics

3 h. ago Lester Holt to exit NBC Nightly News as MSNBC cuts Ayman Mohyeldin’s show

Holt to step down as anchor as Katie Phang and Jonathan Capehart, whose shows also canceled, to remain at MSNBCNBC’s Lester Holt is stepping down as anchor of its Nightly News show, and MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin is stepping down from a similar role at his namesake weekend evening show as the liberal networks’ owners continue a major programming shake-up on Monday.Others at MSNBC affected by changes revealed on Monday include Katie Phang and Jonathan Capehart, the New York Post reported. Continue reading...

Politics