64 m. ago Hail the Prince: Shubman Gill’s India captaincy a prophecy fulfilled but Test doubts remain

After a run of greats at the helm, the tourists’ early promotion of their new leader is an intriguing choice to steady a listing shipShubman Gill was a pretty laid-back character when he played for Glamorgan three summers ago. So laid back, in fact, that early on during his time there he parked the brand new Volvo the club had arranged for him and apparently left the keys in the ignition. Sure enough, after training, he returned to find it had been pinched.Cue panic in the finance department at Sophia Gardens, calls to the insurers and the like. But at least his new teammates had material for some lighthearted mickey-taking. Gill, just turned 23 but already an India star on the rise, had arrived for three September rounds of the County Championship in 2022. Saying hello with 92 on debut in Cardiff, and goodbye with 119 at Hove, it sounds like he fitted in well. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Donald Trump erects 'beautiful' massive flag poles in bizarre White House upgrade

Donald Trump has ordered a huge addition to the White House after returning to the presidency, with the leader wanting everything to be 'bigger and more beautiful'

Politics

2 h. ago Massive security operation for NATO summit turns parts of The Hague into a fortress

Super-tight security is smothering The Hague around a summit of NATO leaders next week

Politics

3 h. ago Rachel Roddy’s recipe for mini babas al rum | A kitchen in Rome

Oozy, boozy miniature cakes to enjoy with a kick of caffeineSomeone I know and admire very much, and who seems in excellent health at between 82 and 89 years old, has an espresso and a mini baba al rum every day at about three o’clock – except Sundays, when he has ice-cream. Every now and then, I join him and we then walk for a bit (there is nothing like a caffeine-baba spring in your step), and congratulate each other for not smoking while both wishing that we had a cigarette.In Poland, the word “baba” can refer to a variety of baked goods, and one in particular is made with rye flour and sweet wine. Baba al rum came about thanks to the greediness of twice king of Poland Stanislaus Leszczyński, who, exiled in Lorraine, thought his kougelhopf too dry, so asked for it to be soaked in rum. This inspired his pastry chef to perfect the dish and, in turn, subsequently inspired other pastry chefs, like baba dominoes. It is a project, though, and remember to chill the eggs. Continue readin...

Politics

4 h. ago ‘Own less, have more’: French app rents out underused household items

Poppins connects people who have things they use rarely with those who want to buy or rent themDo you need a kitchen mixer, a drill, a tent or a raclette machine? Perhaps you have a bread machine, an ice-cream maker or a toastie maker in the cupboard gathering dust?If the answer to either question is “yes”, Lucie Basch has a solution. The French entrepreneur and pioneer of a hugely successful anti-food waste app is now turning her attention to a different problem: the simultaneous underuse and overconsumption of everyday household objects. Continue reading...

Society

4 h. ago Rampaging raccoons: how the American mammals took over a German city – and are heading across Europe

Many in Kassel have embraced the animal but the EU classes it as an invasive species and ecologists are divided about what to do nextIn Kassel, everyone has a story about raccoons. Some struggle with a family of them that moved into their roof and simply will not leave. Others recount how a picnic in the park turned into an ambush as gangs of the black and white animals, known in Germany as Waschbären, raided the food. Almost everyone seems to have a neighbour who feeds them, to the annoyance of the entire street.“We are the raccoon city. They are everywhere,” says Lars, a Kassel resident, as he tends his allotment by Karlsaue park in the fading light. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Europe must stand without the US – but the latest war in the Middle East shows it has no idea how | Nathalie Tocci

If Europe was not so in hock to Washington, it would sanction Israel over Gaza and condemn its unilateral attack on IranThe rupture in the transatlantic relationship has left European leaders struggling to know how to think, let alone act, with any autonomy. Europe most urgently needs a mind of its own on the Middle East.Tragically, EU governments were just beginning to turn the page after a year and a half of complicity with the Israeli government’s war crimes in Gaza. Donald Trump’s obscene plans for a Gaza “riviera” and “humanitarian” initiatives that breach humanitarian principles were creating distance with the US, and European governments were starting to craft their own course.Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnist Continue reading...

Events

5 h. ago An implosion, a collapse or a transition: what would regime change in Iran look like?

Some western leaders have welcomed the idea of the toppling of Iran’s supreme leader, but no planning has been made for the aftermath if it happensAt the G7 in Canada, differences within Europe about the wisdom of regime change in Iran could not have been more stark.The French president, Emmanuel Macron, warned against toppling a government “when you have no idea what comes next”. Insisting that he had no time for the Iranian government, Macron argued that it was for the people of Iran to choose their rulers. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago Rachel Reeves is waging 'war on aspiration' and killing off growth with taxes, business leaders warn

Billionaire Sir James Dyson, in a blistering attack on Labour , yesterday accused the Government of being 'out to destroy' and punish wealth and job creators.

Events

8 h. ago DHS to limit lawmaker access to ICE facilities after confrontations with Democrats

New rules come as Democrats have pushed to inspect immigration facilities amid Trump administration deportation push

Politics

9 h. ago Older people ‘bombarded’ with ads for funerals, care homes and mobility aids

Over a third of the UK population agree that older people tend to be negatively stereotyped in ads, the Advertising Standards Authority found.

Events

10 h. ago How to make the perfect iced coffee at home as TikTok user unveils 'genius' trick

Iced coffee is the perfect summer drink, but it can be expensive to buy. Luckily, there is a method to make a delicious iced latte at home - and it's all down to the ice cubes

Politics

10 h. ago Paloma Faith recalls being 'attacked very violently' by a former partner

Pop singer Paloma Faith has reflected on a terrifying past attack in which she 'nearly died' after a car chase at the hands of some she refers to 'as an ex'

Events

11 h. ago Immigration raid at Louisiana racetrack ends with more than 80 arrests

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested upward of 80 people unlawfully in the country during a raid at a southwest Louisiana racetrack, the agency announced

Events

11 h. ago Utah college student arrested and faces deportation after information is shared in Signal group chat with ICE agents

Information from a routine traffic stop was shared by an officer in a group chat that included immigration enforcement agents

Events

12 h. ago Hackers 'breach Iranian TV' as country's Supreme Leader threatens the US with an 'all

News site ' Iran International,' based in London , said TV channels in the region were targeted by the 'Zionist enemy' and images of demonstrations were broadcast.

Politics

12 h. ago West Lothian disabled veterans facing eviction 'must be offered new homes'

Conservative group leader and ex-RAF serviceman Councillor Damian Doran-Timson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service said he understood the financial problems the charity faced but was “dismayed” at the sell-off plans, and called on it to reconsider.

Politics

13 h. ago Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon tries to become 1st woman to break 4

Faith Kipyegon’s already a three-time Olympic 1,500-meter champion

Sport

13 h. ago Fed keeps rates unchanged after Trump knocks chairman Jerome Powell – live

The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady and policymakers signal borrowing costs are still likely to fall this yearRussian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov warned on Wednesday that direct US military assistance to Israel could radically destabilise the situation in the Middle East, where an air war between Israel and Iran has raged for six days.In separate comments, the head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, was quoted as saying that the situation between Israel and Iran was now critical. Continue reading...

Politics

13 h. ago Nezza's Spanish anthem at Dodger Stadium ignites debate over team's immigrant support

After Latin pop and R&B singer Nezza's viral controversial performance at Dodger Stadium, Dodgers fans have grown frustrated over the team’s lack of vocal support for local immigrant communities impacted by the rise of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests and raids

Events