29 h. ago US bans government personnel in China from romantic or sexual relations with Chinese citizens

The U.S. government has banned American government personnel in China, as well as family members and contractors with security clearances, from any romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens

Politics

56 h. ago 'We have to go on': Bangkok pushes on with quake rescue despite 'no signs of life' – video

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said that although no signs of life had been detected, the search for survivors in the rubble of a skyscraper that collapsed during the 7.7 magnitude Myanmar earthquake will continue as experts 'still have hope'. He added that 12 bodies have been found, but that the search for survivors is the priority.‘It’s beyond description’: Bodies pile up in mass graves as Myanmar grapples with quake tollMyanmar earthquake death toll tops 2,000, as health system ‘overwhelmed’ Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Scottish Government proud to lead UK on disposable vapes ban

Writing for the Record, Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin says the ban on single-use vapes on June 1 will help tackle environmental problems and youth vaping.

Politics

3 d. ago Thailand earthquake: Signs of life detected under collapsed tower block three days on from tragedy

Chadchart Sittipunt the governor of Bangkok, said Thai authorities have successfully detected the vital signs of at least three people who were caught in a collapsed tower block

Politics

4 d. ago Heather burning ban on peatland to be expanded under Government plans

Healthy peatlands can help tackle climate change, reduce flood risk, improve water quality and support rare wildlife.

Politics

4 d. ago Sexual assault allegations seem to be a badge of honor in Trump’s America. Was #MeToo an epic failure?

The push to end sexual violence has sparked a revenge campaign setting fire to women’s rights and pushing young men to the right. But organizers can learn from the movement’s lossesDressed in his trademark sunglasses and a skintight black T-shirt, Andrew Tate strode into a Las Vegas arena like a returning king. He was there to watch Power Slap, a UFC offshoot where people slap each other in the face with such force that doctors say it could lead to brain damage and death.Days earlier, Tate and his brother Tristan had been in Romania, their assets seized, awaiting trial on human trafficking charges. But following reported conversations between Romanian officials and the Trump administration, the Romanian government lifted a travel ban on the brothers. Now, as a heavily male crowd watched men slap one another so hard they collapsed, the UFC president, Dana White, warmly embraced the Tates. White, a Meta board member who was once caught on camera slapping his own wife, smiled at the Ta...

Events

5 d. ago My much older lover keeps reaching out, then pushing me away

Words of love are great – but without behaviour to follow them up they are meaninglessThe dilemma Six months ago I met a man I used to work with when I was young and he was middle-aged. Now I’m middle-aged and he is old. We established an incredible sexual and romantic connection. This was so powerful and beautiful. He told me I make him feel so free and so accepted and loved. He told me he loved me and wanted to be with me, for us to belong to each other. Incidentally, most of my previous relationships have been with men who are much older than me, but it’s not the issue.My older gentleman gets incredibly close, is loving, gentle and open, then a few days later, I get a call from him saying he can’t cope with the age difference, he is conflicted about his feelings and wants to be on his own. He tells me to meet someone my own age, but when I try to move on, he gets back in touch. Over time, he will connect with me intensely in person, only to reject me by text or phone. Continue re...

Politics

5 d. ago My much older lover keeps reaching out, then pushing me away | Ask Philippa

Words of love are great – but without behaviour to follow them up they are meaninglessThe dilemma Six months ago I met a man I used to work with when I was young and he was middle-aged. Now I’m middle-aged and he is old. We established an incredible sexual and romantic connection. This was so powerful and beautiful. He told me I make him feel so free and so accepted and loved. He told me he loved me and wanted to be with me, for us to belong to each other. Incidentally, most of my previous relationships have been with men who are much older than me, but it’s not the issue.My older gentleman gets incredibly close, is loving, gentle and open, then a few days later, I get a call from him saying he can’t cope with the age difference, he is conflicted about his feelings and wants to be on his own. He tells me to meet someone my own age, but when I try to move on, he gets back in touch. Over time, he will connect with me intensely in person, only to reject me by text or phone. Continue re...

Politics

5 d. ago First US state issues LGBTQ+ pride flag ban at schools and government buildings

The move could set a national precedent

Politics

6 d. ago ‘My target is those who have looted my banks’: Bangladesh’s bank governor chases vanished assets

Despite attempts to discredit him, Ahsan Mansur is determined to trace his targets with the UK’s helpDiminutive and softly spoken, Dr Ahsan Mansur does not project the image of a man able to strike fear into the hearts of hardened kleptocrats.Yet Bangladesh’s central bank governor has rattled someone powerful, if the events of recent days are anything to go by. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Utah becomes first state to ban LGBTQ+ pride flags in government buildings and schools

Utah has become the first state to prohibit flying LGBTQ+ pride flags at schools and all government buildings

Politics

6 d. ago Export of endangered eels to Russia ends after UK government ban

British eel trader says move will destroy traditional elvering but campaigners welcome decisionEndangered eels caught in British estuaries will no longer be exported to Russia after the government banned the trade.In a decision that Britain’s last remaining eel trader said would end centuries of traditional elvering, a request to dispatch millions of glass eels – young eels that develop into elvers – to a restocking project in Kaliningrad was refused by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Bangkok declared a disaster area with dozens trapped in collapsed skyscraper after massive earthquake hits Thailand and Myanmar – live updates

United States Geological Survey said the quake was shallow, at a depth of just 10km (six miles) with the epicentre near the central city of MandalayA 30-storey skyscraper under construction for government offices has collapsed in Bangkok trapping 43 workers, police and medics said, after the city was rocked by a strong earthquake.According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the building in the north of the Thai capital was reduced to a tangle of rubble and twisted metal in seconds after the 7.7-magnitude quake in neighbouring Myanmar. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago State of emergency declared in Bangkok as Thailand and Myanmar hit by 7.7

United States Geological Survey said the quake was shallow, at a depth of just 10km (six miles) with the epicentre near the central city of MandalayRead our main report hereA 30-storey skyscraper under construction for government offices has collapsed in Bangkok trapping 43 workers, police and medics said, after the city was rocked by a strong earthquake.According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the building in the north of the Thai capital was reduced to a tangle of rubble and twisted metal in seconds after the 7.7-magnitude quake in neighbouring Myanmar. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago UEFA warn Rangers they will close the Copland Road if there is one more racist act from fans at Ibrox

And the Ibrox club have warned supporters to behave after European football’s governing body reacted to the banner at the Fenerbahce game

Events

9 d. ago Spring Statement: Rachel Reeves needs AI to 'move needle' on economic growth, says Bank of England governor

The UK’s economy has been flatlining

Economics

1 week ago Bottom trawling dubbed ‘marine deforestation’ as activists push for sweeping ban

Several ocean campaign groups are calling on governments to ban the damaging fishing practice ahead of a landmark UN ocean conference in June.

Politics

1 week ago Looming tariff dispute between US and EU ‘extremely concerning’ – bank governor

Gabriel Makhlouf, governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, said that forecasting in a time of ‘extreme uncertainty’ is challenging.

Economics

1 week ago Ed Miliband 'to block' bid to ban government from buying Chinese solar panels feared to have been made with slave labour

The government is poised to vote against a Lords amendment to the Great British Energy Bill when it returns to the Commons on Tuesday.

Politics

1 week ago ‘It’s a privilege’: Boris van der Vorst, the man who saved Olympic boxing

By forming a new governing body, World Boxing, the Dutchman prevented the sport being banished by the IOC“It feels like such a sweet week and of course I’m very happy and proud,” Boris van der Vorst says as, in his role as the founder and president of World Boxing, he takes a rare break to reflect on a mighty achievement. Just over two years ago, boxing had been struck off the initial programme for the Los Angeles Games in 2028 and it was about to be banished entirely from the Olympic movement. It was then that Van der Vorst set about establishing a new regulatory body to replace the discredited International Boxing Association.His work, despite intense pressure, was vindicated when Thomas Bach, the outgoing International Olympic Committee president, announced on Monday that his executive board had recommended boxing’s inclusion in the LA Olympics. The key stipulation was in place, because the IOC recognised World Boxing as the sport’s new regulatory body, and on Thursday Bach’s rec...

Sport