85 m. ago The Guardian view on Donald Trump’s Ukraine strategy: talking tough and doing very little isn’t working | Editorial

Last week’s incursion into Polish territory by Russian drones was an ominous escalation. But the US president keeps finding reasons not to actBack in January, with Donald Trump’s campaign promises to end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours” still fresh in the memory, there was genuine unease in Moscow over the US president’s intentions. When Mr Trump mused that “high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions” on Russia might be necessary, one high-profile and pro-war Moscow commentator wrote: “It’s better to prepare for the worst. Soon, we’ll look back on Biden’s term with nostalgia, like a thaw.”How wrong can you be? Since then, the US president has repeatedly talked the talk without coming close to walking the walk. In May, when Vladimir Putin rejected a 30-day ceasefire, and peace talks in Turkey went nowhere, a “bone-crushing” US sanctions package failed to materialise. An 8 August deadline for Mr Putin to agree to a ceasefire somehow morphed into a red carpet welcome in Alas...

Politics

13 h. ago To understand how AI will reconfigure humanity, try this German fairytale | Clemens J Setz

Artificial intelligence will replace creativity with something closer to magical wishing. The challenge for future generations will be dealing with the feeling of emptiness that leaves us withIn the German fairytale The Fisherman and His Wife, an old man one day catches a strange fish: a talking flounder. It turns out that an enchanted prince is trapped inside this fish and that it can therefore grant any wish. The man’s wife, Ilsebill, is delighted and wishes for increasingly excessive things. She turns their miserable hut into a castle, but that is not enough; eventually she wants to become the pope and, finally, God. This enrages the elements; the sea turns dark and she is transformed back into her original impoverished state. The moral of the story: don’t wish for anything you’re not entitled to.Several variations of this classic fairytale motif are known. Sometimes, the wishes are not so much excessive or offensive to the divine order of the world, but simply clumsy or contradi...

Politics

35 h. ago Argos now WON'T be sold to Chinese retail giant, owner Sainsbury's confirms

Sainsbury's has quit talks to sell Argos to Chinese retail giant JD.com, the supermarket group confirmed just a day after revealing the talks.

Politics

4 d. ago Elizabeth Day reveals she's 'let go of the dream of motherhood' after several failed rounds of IVF and miscarriages

Elizabeth Day, the host of cult podcast 'How To Fail' who has talked openly about her longstanding fertility struggles, said she has 'let go' of the dream of motherhood in an interview with The Times.

Events

5 d. ago Charlie Kirk's chilling post about 'assassination culture spreading' days before killing

Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot dead with a single bullet to the neck in front of 3,000 students as he delivered a talk at Utah University just days after he pondered the growth of 'assassination culture'

Events

8 d. ago Dad who cannot walk or talk breaks four Guinness World Records in a day

Paul Jameson, 65, was diagnosed with a type of MND in June 2017

Politics

1 week ago Loose Women's Kaye Adams says 'sorry' after tearing up on live TV

The emotional moment arrived on a busy day for the ITV talk show

Politics

1 week ago Talks to avert Tube strike break down as six days of London Underground chaos loom

TfL and RMT fail to secure breakthrough after second day of talks ‘went nowhere’

Events

2 w. ago Voices: I’m a former Green Party leader – here’s what Zack should do next

Zack Polanski will need all of his obvious skill and genuine charm if we’re to broaden our grassroots appeal, says Caroline Lucas – and it’s early days to be talking about cooperating with Jeremy Corbyn’s party before it even has a name

Politics

2 w. ago West Ham in talks with Chelsea over Axel Disasi move on Deadline Day

Hammers need Nayef Aguerd replacement, with Charlie Cresswell also an option and Igor Julio set for Crystal Palace

Events

2 w. ago Manchester United strike early Deadline Day deal amid Emi Martinez talk as Kobbie Mainoo decision made

Senne Lammens talks also ongoing as Man Utd target a new goalkeeper

Events

2 w. ago Transfer news live: Liverpool agree deadline day fee for Isak, Guehi talks, Man Utd eye shock Martinez deal

It’s transfer deadline day in the Premier League and across Europe as clubs scramble to finalise their business before the 7pm BST cut-off

Events

2 w. ago Man Utd deadline day map: Emi Martinez talks, Baleba decision and Antony exit option

Manchester United look set to make at least one signing on deadline day as talks with goalkeepers Emi Martinez and Senne Lammens advance

Events

2 w. ago Women’s Rugby World Cup needs jeopardy to stay in Monday morning conversations | Andy Bull

One-sided nature of matches so far is a problem and structural change is needed but there has still been plenty to enjoyAfter all these years of asking for more, it’s churlish to complain when the Women’s Rugby World Cup delivered so much in one weekend. England’s victory pulled in two-and-half million prime time viewers on the BBC, 85,000 fans turned out across the four grounds, including a record-breaking 42,000 crowd in Sunderland, five hat-tricks, four packed fan zones, free concerts, and all those fireworks. It had almost everything anyone could have wanted. Almost. The one thing missing was a tight finish. The closest of the eight games was settled by three tries and change.The success of the World Cup isn’t just going to be measured by what happens on the weekends, but in the days in between them. World Rugby wants people to be talking about this tournament when they go into work on Monday morning. And for that to happen it needs some jeopardy. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago US Open’s dating show proves a double fault in search for new fans

Game, Set, Matchmaker aims to woo a pop-culture audience. But with tennis sidelined in favor of awkward small talk, it risks alienating its core supportersOn the first day of this year’s US Open, Alexandra Eala came back from 5-1 down in the third set to upset Clara Tauson in front of a rapturous crowd, Novak Djokovic rope-a-doped a fresher opponent barely half his age, Rebeka Masarova hit an overhead smash into the only racket-sized area inside the lines that would ensure she lost the point, and Daniil Medvedev all but incited a riot in the stands of Louis Armstrong Stadium while down match point.Amidst the overstimulating slate of matches, the US Open quietly published the first episode of the dating video series Game, Set, Matchmaker on their official YouTube channel. In it, host Ilana Sedaka, a figure skater and influencer, had a blind date with Ronnie, a lacrosse coach. They exchanged bright smiles and music tastes. They bonded over their love of Drake – what were the odds? Tho...

Politics

2 w. ago Russell Martin on the floor as fuming Rangers fans give up on him after 84 days – 5 talking points

Brugge battered his sorry team 6-0

Politics

3 w. ago Arsenal transfer news: Gunners' latest Spurs hijack picture clear as talks progress on defender

Arsenal are expected to be busy in the final days of the transfer window, with fresh talks set for next week with Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie as the Gunners look to hijack another Tottenham deal

Sport

3 w. ago Dear Coleen: My smug friend keeps bragging about her new romance

"It’s really irritating, as it’s all she talks about these days."

Politics

3 w. ago War hero, 105, shares intimate chat with 'brave' Charles about cancer battle

One of Britain's oldest veterans went 'off script' to salute his 'brave King' on VJ Day. Here he talks to the Mirror about why he broke the rules and his 'intimate' encounter with the senior royal

Events

3 w. ago West Ham must show some fight on a big night for Graham Potter against Chelsea

Defiant Potter dismisses talk of pressure after opening-day horror show at Sunderland

Sport