Mubeen Blogs

Hainault attack may be latest incident linked to mental ill-health, at a time when NHS services are struggling While the full picture of the Hainault attack is yet to emerge, the early briefings from the Metropolitan police were clear: a key line of inquiry, in terms of possible motive, was whether the suspect has a history of mental ill-health. If the police hunches are correct, the tragedy may turn out to be the latest in a series of high-profile killings that have focused public attention on the adequacy of mental health treatment and care. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/8uwUSlI

Clinicians say crackdown on people eligible for Pip payments does not address UK’s long-term sickness problem Mentally ill, sick and disabled people are being used as a “political football” to make the government seem tough rather than addressing the causes of the UK’s growing long-term sickness problem, campaigners have warned, as ministers unveiled tentative proposals to cut disability benefits. Potentially thousands of people claiming personal independence payment (Pip) could lose the benefit – currently worth between £29 and £184 a week – under changes designed to tighten eligibility and, where possible, replace monthly cash payments with one-off vouchers or access to specialist support. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/OFoskeP

Linbury theatre, London Bohuslav Martinů’s 1928 work is a strip-lighted nightmare whirlwind, while Harbison’s is highly stylised post-tonal sitcom unfolding around a four-poster bed In an evening where little was obvious, it was definitely a bad night for teddies. One had its head torn off as the violent accompaniment to a coloratura tour-de-force. Moments earlier, the backdrop had parted to reveal an entire wall of mutilated bears, clumsily taped back together. And, in one of the most disturbing moments of all, a human-scale teddy wandered on playing an accordion like a cameo in a horror film, before eventually removing its own oversized head to pick a fight with one of the singers. Confused? I was, repeatedly, in these extraordinary performances of two supremely weird operas. The bears themselves were the work of directors Eleanor Burke and Harriet Taylor, who staged Bohuslav Martinů’s 1928 Larmes de Couteau and John Harbison’s 1977 Full Moon in March – the former as a kind of str

There’s always been a tension between connection to place and the commercial reality – but it has never felt more acute Charlie Hurley , the greatest player Sunderland ever had, died on Monday. He was tough, powerful and composed, captain of Alan Brown’s promotion side of 1963-64, which may have been the best of all postwar Sunderland teams. Certainly it was the side my dad talked about the most, far more than the FA Cup-winning team of nine years later. Montgomery, Irwin, Ashurst, Harvey, Hurley, McNab, Usher, Herd, Sharkey, Crossan, Mulhall: names that flitted through my childhood as legends of a greater age. Imagine if Brian Clough hadn’t done his knee. George Mulhall, the Scottish outside-left, was his favourite, I think, but only because there was no point celebrating Hurley; everybody did that. Decades later, fans still sung Hurley’s name and bought No 5 shirts with his name on the back. His popularity at this remove is hard to explain. Other than promotion, Hurley won nothing.

We’ve now finished our first week of testimony in former president Donald Trump’s criminal trial – and have one major witness in the books. Sign up for our free Trump on Trial newsletter We’ve now finished our first week of testimony in former president Donald Trump ’s criminal trial – and have one major witness in the books. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/cKobse6

Star striker talks achieving another promotion, potentially making scoring history and finding acceptance in his son’s autism ‘The desire to win will be the same as every other game,” Paul Mullin says as he anticipates a Hollywood-style finale for Wrexham on Saturday afternoon while their fans at home and around the world celebrate a second straight promotion . Wrexham’s last game in League Two is against the new champions, Stockport County, and Mullin is determined to end another tumultuous and successful season with a personal milestone. If Mullin scores against Stockport he will become the first player since Alan Shearer to have racked up at least 25 goals in four consecutive seasons across the top five flights of English football. Mullin has spent the past hour thoughtfully discussing his role in the delirium surrounding Wrexham’s rise under the celebrity ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and a range of subjects from finding acceptance and even joy in his son’s autis

US supreme court hears three hours of oral arguments on whether ex-president has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution The US supreme court on Thursday heard roughly three hours of oral arguments about whether Donald Trump enjoyed absolute immunity from criminal prosecution because the acts included in the indictment alleging he plotted to subvert the 2020 election involved his duties as president. The court did not seem inclined to grant total immunity to Trump. But a majority of the justices suggested there should be some level of protection , and expressed an interest in having a lower court decide whether the indictment included “official” acts that could be expunged. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ISFuEVf

Broadcaster Richie Brave, whose ancestors were enslaved, says organisers should be ‘asking themselves some questions’ The Radio 1Xtra host Richie Brave has said the Booker prize should consider changing its name because of its links to enslavement. Brave’s legal surname is Booker and his ancestors were enslaved by the founders of the company that originally sponsored the prize. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/HiL5CVY

Anjli Mohindra is marvellous as a cop shunted off to a remote island, only to find a strange lawless land full of pagan – possibly satanic – rituals. Then a body turns up and all bets are off Folk-horror film touchstone The Wicker Man celebrated its 50th birthday last year, presumably by not blowing out a candle with a tiny human sacrifice trapped inside. Alibi’s wickedly playful island psychodrama The Red King feels like a belated part of the anniversary revels. It pays the ultimate Wicker Man tribute by harvesting the premise wholesale. Again, we have an uptight copper gatecrashing a remote isle where the old ways still hold sway. There are locals parading in creepy rustic masks, a self-possessed aristocrat lording over everything and, crucially, a missing child no one seems that fussed about finding. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/9a0xYhf

Prison service helping to trace Jamie Ross, 29, and return him to custody Police are searching for a convicted prisoner who fled from guards while attending a funeral. Jamie Ross, 29, was last seen in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Tuesday at about 12.28pm, near the Cameron Toll shopping centre. According to police, Ross has connections across Edinburgh and in Aberdeen. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/GvJBorm

Swift’s new album breaks another streaming record after already becoming the platform’s most-streamed album in a day Taylor Swift’s new album The Tortured Poets Department has become the first to reach 1bn Spotify streams in a week. The platform announced on X that with two days to go, it had become the “most-streamed album in a single week” and had surpassed a billion with the exact number undisclosed. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/fryHOvX

Industry’s sugar substitute E961 can have ‘toxic effect on health’, says study finding sweetener capable of damaging intestinal bacteria A sweetener used in cakes, soft drinks and chewing gum can seriously damage people’s health by weakening the gut, a new study has found. Consumption of even a small amount of the sweetener neotame can lead to someone starting to suffer irritable bowel syndrome, insulin resistance, and even sepsis, a condition that kills about 40,000 in Britain a year. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ILmtsA8

Vintner Tom Gilbey raised more than £13,000 for hospice charity with challenge that went viral on social media A wine merchant who blind tasted a different glass of wine at each mile of the London Marathon has said he feels “honoured” his challenge went viral on social media, as he surpassed his fundraising target. Tom Gilbey, nicknamed “the wine guy”, sampled 25 glasses of wine during the race, stopping to guess the drink’s grape variety, country of origin and vintage at each mile. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/JTRILA3

Attempt to cross via overcrowded dinghy from Wimereux aborted after engine stalls and five people drown They could have been on a school trip. Fifty teenagers from Vietnam, dressed for the biting cold in puffer jackets, smart trainers and woolly beanies, sat on the pavement by the bus shelter outside Gare Calais listening to music and watching videos on their smartphones. They were waiting for the 423 bus to take them back to a forest outside Dunkirk, where they have been staying at night with about a thousand others. It had been a disappointing morning for the group. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/cMS9eT5

Judge admonishes ex-president’s lawyer, and first witness confirms Trump enlisted National Enquirer for 2016 campaign Donald Trump watched the judge presiding in his New York criminal trial dramatically admonish his lead lawyer and hear the prosecution’s first witness confirm that Trump specifically enlisted the help of the National Enquirer tabloid to kill negative stories that could derail his 2016 campaign. Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday’s proceedings in People of the State of New York vs Donald J Trump. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/clDf0Ht

Nearly a decade on from the murder confession that made The Jinx iconic TV, Durst’s loose lips don’t get any less shocking – but this meta follow-up does make some icky choices It has been nine years since The Jinx aired its explosive finale and we heard the immortal words uttered by Robert Durst: “Killed them all, of course.” He was, in essence, confessing to the murders of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst (in 1982); his best friend, Susan Berman (in 2000); and his neighbour, Morris Black (in 2001). The documentary film-makers handed their evidence over to law enforcement in 2013, and he was arrested on 14 March 2015, the day before the finale aired. He was convicted of the murder of Berman in 2021 and charged with McCormack’s disappearance – but died in prison at the age of 78, the day before that trial was due to begin. With Durst now gone, it is hard to know exactly what fresh intel a sequel to The Jinx could possibly reveal, and whether or not this is simply a Tiger Kin

It is difficult to get away from the analogy of two bald men fighting over a comb when it comes to Celtic, Rangers and this curious Scottish season. A day after Celtic lumbered past Aberdeen, Rangers were only marginally more impressive when seeing off Heart of Midlothian. A team with more punch and vigour than that managed by Steven Naismith would have increased the sense of panic around Ibrox. Instead, Rangers know that regardless of what happens over the closing weeks of the Premiership season they will have the chance to have the last word of 2023-24 when the Old Firm meet at Hampden Park in the Scottish Cup final on 25 May. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/UOpm9yo

Some Tory MPs said to want concession as Home Office staff warn migrants marked for deportation will go ‘underground’ Afghanistan interpreter told his British citizenship bars family from UK visa Rishi Sunak is under pressure to make last-minute concessions today to secure the passage of the Rwanda deportation bill by allowing exemptions for Afghans who served alongside UK forces. The prime minister is facing calls from Conservative MPs and opposition parties to offer assurances that Afghans, including special forces veterans, will not be flown to Rwanda should they arrive in the UK across the Channel. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WJKjQzc

Owner of X has used social media platform to bash judge in charge of investigations into former president Thousands of diehard supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro have hit the streets of Rio to champion their embattled leader and celebrate the new hero of their far-right movement: Elon Musk. The tech billionaire has spent recent weeks using his social network X to bash Bolsonaro’s arch-enemy, the supreme court judge Alexandre de Moraes. Moraes is responsible for several investigations into Bolsonaro that could land the ex-president in jail, including one examining the alleged coup plot that preceded the rightwing insurrection in Brasília on 8 January 2023. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/szXeMl8

It’s absurd that nobody has a clue how many points might be needed to stay up as the two clubs docked points collide It’s about the points deductions. It couldn’t not be about the points deductions. In another world, in another season, Everton v Nottingham Forest would just be 16th v 17th (at the start of the weekend). Except that in another world, the points deductions wouldn’t have happened and so it would be 14th v 17th but with 17th starting the weekend five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone and so a lot less anxious than Forest actually are. This is the points deduction derby. At Goodison on Sunday, there will be protests and coloured cards, chants about corruption, perhaps even a sense of fraternity, two clubs united in a brotherhood of outrage. There will be a great sense of the injustice of it all, which is not entirely unreasonable: when you look at what’s happened in football over the past couple of decades – the wage inflation, the absurd sums spent – you

The idea for Manchester City had been to channel the anguish from the midweek Champions League quarter-final exit against Real Madrid into something more positive and it surely applied most strongly to one of their number. Bernardo Silva had been a snapshot in so many negative emotions after his terrible penalty in the shootout with Madrid had turned the tide sharply against his team. This is what redemption looks like. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/aYXroxv

He has amassed a huge international social media audience for videos of tidying, ASMR and helping out ‘legends’. Now he has a meeting with a housing minister. Who is he? On a quiet street in Sydney’s Glebe, Nathan Stafford is standing halfway up a ladder balancing his child’s old shoe, with his phone wedged inside, on the ladder’s top rung. He’s trying to angle his phone to get a good shot of the yard of a public housing unit below. The weeds have run wild and the grass is threatening to reclaim the concrete footpath snaking through. Moments ago the shoe and the phone were atop a yellow bin he’d dragged to the front door of the home to film the resident, Jo Lee, as she answers his loud knock. She’d asked him to come help. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/OjAXsho

Manager says midfielder asked to leave City two seasons before Pochettino confirms Enzo Fernández is playing with a hernia Pep Guardiola has described Cole Palmer as the “decisive player of the season” and said Manchester City must find a way of negating him in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. Guardiola also revealed that Palmer asked to leave City for two seasons before making his £42m move to west London in September . Palmer joined City at under-eight level and made 19 appearances for the club across three years before leaving for Chelsea, and having scored for City in their Community Shield defeat to Arsenal in August, as well as in their European Super Cup victory over Sevilla that followed 10 days later. He will line up against last season’s treble winners as the Premier League joint-top scorer with 20 goals, alongside Erling Haaland, who is a doubt for the semi-final. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/nMpzv93

Delays mean just £404m of the money donated by nine countries has been committed or spent More than half of a £900m military fund for Ukraine run by the British Ministry of Defence has not been used because of bureaucratic delays in handing out contracts. The UK-led International Fund for Ukraine counts nine countries among its donors. Critics claim its provision of weapons to the frontline has been slow. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kWeba7w

Police officer had stopped Gideon Falter from walking near pro-Palestinian march while wearing kippah skull cap The Metropolitan police has apologised after an officer used the term “openly Jewish” to an antisemitism campaigner who was threatened with arrest near a pro-Palestine march. Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was wearing a kippah skull cap when he was stopped from crossing the road near the demonstration in the Aldwych area of London last Saturday afternoon. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Ntzlpxn

Case comes after insiders warned of a potential ageism row last year following merger of BBC News and World News channels The BBC is facing another damaging row over equal pay, with the presenter Martine Croxall taking legal action against the broadcaster for age and sex discrimination. Croxall is suing the corporation after being off-air for more than a year following the merger of the BBC’s News and World News channels, according to listings for London Central tribunal court for 1 May. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/RwM0p96

People in routine and repetitive jobs found to have 31% greater risk of disease in later life, and 66% higher risk of mild cognitive problems If work is a constant flurry of mind-straining challenges, bursts of creativity and delicate negotiations to keep the troops happy, consider yourself lucky. Researchers have found that the more people use their brains at work, the better they seem to be protected against thinking and memory problems that come with older age. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/9gji30E

Henry Cavill leads a ragtag group on an unlikely mission in this shaggy, exaggerated account of Operation Postmaster Guy Ritchie’s inevitable graduation from London to Hollywood has had its moments – the rambunctious zip of the first Sherlock Holmes, the stylish homoeroticism of The Man from UNCLE – but it soon felt as if the once electrifying film-maker had been swallowed up by the system. A middling Sherlock sequel, a pointless King Arthur non-starter and a soulless Aladdin remake seemed like enough to push not just fans away but Ritchie himself. He’s since found a happier medium, making films for a broad, commercial audience with easily marketable stars yet on, what seem like, his own terms, wrestling some control back from the money men. He’s barely stopped ever since, with five films made over five years and two more slotted into the next, and there is an expectedly solid, workmanlike quality to his recent work, never enough for a four-star rating but never risking a two. His la

Hammond takes over presenting duties at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home – and gets all the tails wagging. Just like that, canine TV’s top dog should stay the leader of the pack We are living through canine television’s golden (retriever) era. Idly flick through the channels and it’s odds on that you’ll land on a minor celebrity on a walking holiday, a documentary about air fryers, or a programme about dogs who either need a home or be better trained in the one they already have. For the Love of Dogs is the original, the top dog, and it remains the leader of the pack. The late Paul O’Grady hosted this look behind the scenes at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, for whom he was also an ambassador, from 2012 until his death last year. The title bore his name, but he was so dedicated to Battersea’s work that it would have made little sense to stop making what amounts to a primetime TV spotlight on the charity and its reach. Nevertheless, his are very big shoes to step into. It makes sense, t

Rishi Sunak suffers blow to his authority as 57 of his own MPs vote against his plan and over 100 abstain A ban on smoking for future generations moved a step closer last night, but Rishi Sunak suffered a blow to his authority after dozens of Conservative MPs voted against it. The House of Commons voted by 383 to 67 in favour of the prime minister’s plan to make it illegal for anyone born in 2009 or later to buy tobacco products in the UK. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/y0HJQz7

Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage UK politics – latest updates The UK prime minister has rounded on Belgian authorities for closing down a radical rightwing conference in Brussels that was addressed by British politicians including Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman. After a day of chaos, claims and recriminations, the decision by a local Belgian mayor to stop the National Conservatives (NatCon) event was also condemned as “unacceptable” by Belgium’s prime minister, Alexander De Croo. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/a1Uwvt0

Ticket sales might have lagged for the once-unbeatable double weekender but an array of crowd-pleasing female acts made it a worthwhile journey It takes a lot of time, money and willpower to make it to Coachella: the desert locale sits three hours from Los Angeles on a good day (five in the case of my drive) and general admission passes for the festival start at $499. Then there’s the cost of lodging, food and booze to consider – no small expense, considering a cup of black coffee at the food court costs $10, a large pizza set campers back $65, and White Claws went for $16. In this economy? Not everyone can do it, and maybe that’s why ticket sales lagged this year amid a less-than-buzzy lineup. In the lead-up to the festival, fans and press alike dubbed 2024 a flop year, with the Daily Beast going so far as to publish a curtain-raiser obit last month with the headline, “Is this the end of Coachella?” As someone who attended (for free, as press … though I did succumb to the call of

Jamie Lloyd’s revival takes home seven awards including for Nicole Scherzinger but film and TV stars in other productions miss out Jamie Lloyd’s bombastic reimagining of Sunset Boulevard starring Nicole Scherzinger was the standout show at this year’s Olivier awards, with seven wins on an evening when productions with celebrity talent were often overlooked. The Savoy theatre adaptation of Billy Wilder’s classic 1950 film about the dark side of the Hollywood dream took home best actor in a musical for Tom Francis and best actress in a musical for Scherzinger. Lloyd – described as creating “ a stupendous sense of reinvention ” by the Guardian – won best director. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/RwOeTq5

If this was the afternoon when ­Arsenal let it all slip then Mikel Arteta will know they have only themselves to blame. His side were handed the perfect opportunity to lay down their title credentials after Liverpool had been surprisingly beaten by Crystal Palace, but instead it was Unai Emery’s Aston Villa who celebrated wildly at the final whistle after late goals from substitute Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins delivered a hammer blow to Arsenal’s chances of ending a 20-year wait to be crowned champions. It was a victory that will have tasted particularly sweet for Emery, who was sacked by Arsenal in November 2019 after just 18 months in charge but is now a step closer to guiding Villa to Champions League qualification next season. Things could have been even worse for the home supporters – most of whom stayed until the bitter end in hope rather than expectation of a comeback – had Watkins and Youri Tielemans not seen their efforts strike the woodwork either side of half-time. Contin

Defeat by Aston Villa leaves Manchester City top ‘We knew this moment could come. It’s about reacting’ Mikel Arteta admitted that Arsenal must “keep believing” they can still win the Premier League for the first time since 2004 after a disastrous 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa handed Manchester City the initiative in the title race. Late goals from the substitute Leon Bailey and a 19th league strike of the season for Ollie Watkins condemned Arsenal to only their fifth loss of the season. It meant that Arsenal missed the opportunity to return to the top of the table having seen rivals Liverpool also slip up against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Gaw1nJD

For Manchester United, is there a more damning indictment of their current state than the fact they have faced more shots than anyone else in the division this season? André Onana’s goal was peppered again here and they have now conceded a league-high 574 shots. The other teams at the top that list? Sheffield United, Luton and Burnley, a trio mired deep in relegation trouble. It is so easy for sides to ruffle United and it seems Erik ten Hag does not know the solution either, though Bruno Fernandes scored twice at Bournemouth to prevent a humbling defeat. Dominic Solanke and Justin Kluivert struck for Andoni Iraola’s swarming side and the hosts thought they earned a stoppage-time penalty, only for VAR to rescue Willy Kambwala from further pain. There were nine minutes of first-half stoppage time and while Fernandes, the United captain, clipped the crossbar with a dipping shot from 25 yards as he went in search of an equaliser, when the fourth official indicated as much it was the visi

Scotland 0-46 England Red Roses run in eight tries to stretch lead at top of table England’s discipline was a concern for the second time in this Women’s Six Nations as they finished against Scotland with 14 players after Amy Cokayne was shown a red card. The hooker, who started her first international game in a year, was sent off in the 53rd minute after being shown a second yellow card. It was England’s second red card in three games after the No 8 Sarah Beckett was sent off early on in their opener against Italy . Despite being a player down, England extended their winning run against Scotland to 26 games. Scotland have been waiting 25 years to beat England but the Red Roses ensured their streak would not be broken. John Mitchell’s side are enjoying a perfect tournament in terms of results, topping the table with the maximum 15 points. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/KBRz7NG

Israeli rights group says settlers were searching for missing 14-year-old boy from their settlement Dozens of angry Israeli settlers have stormed into a Palestinian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, shooting and setting houses and cars on fire. Palestinian health officials said one Palestinian man was killed and 25 others were wounded in the attack. The violence was the latest in an escalation in the West Bank that has accompanied the war in the Gaza Strip . An Israeli rights group said the settlers were searching for a missing 14-year-old boy from their settlement. After the rampage, Israeli troops said they were still searching for the teen. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/GITjazv

Back to Black which follows singer’s life from early adulthood in Camden to her death in 2011 has been panned by some critics After the controversy and a slew of negative reviews in the run-up to the release of the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black, Grace and her mum, Jetta, were apprehensive about coming to see the film. “My daughter said to me, ‘Oh, I’ve heard really bad things about it.’ So I wasn’t sure what it was going to be like, but when it started, I thought she sounds like her, talks like her and she had the look,” Jetta says. “It wasn’t perfect but you can’t expect somebody to be Amy.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lCvs9Wm

Nicholas Panayiotou and Eleanar Attard among gang who planned to smuggle 58kg of the drug into the UK Members of a gang, including two former winners of a Channel 4 cooking programme, have been convicted after their plan to import large amounts of cannabis was uncovered. Nicholas Panayiotou, Eleanar Attard, Constantinos Zavros, Luke Wileman and Koby Haik planned to smuggle 58kg of cannabis into the UK from the US, but were foiled after a theft at a London airport, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5h0msBG

Needy former UK PM visibly struggled when some of Abbott’s (bonkers) points drew a bigger cheer than his at rightwing event A couple of housekeeping notes before we head to the meeting of titan minds that was Boris Johnson and Tony Abbott at the Canada Strong and Free Network. CSFN is a kind of Canadian PopCon , where the right wing go to cheer each other on as they curse the woke. Except, unlike so many alt-right talking shops, it’s got almost 20 years under its belt. There are probably people in it who remember a time before wokery, when political correctness had merely gone mad. We will hear a lot of words that sometimes seem to describe the throughline from early 00s conservatism to what we see before us today, but if you tried to actually draw that line, it would look like the cloud of hair and flies around Pig-Pen’s head . The disgraced former UK prime minister no longer looks like a man whose Spads have ruffled his hair on purpose before he steps on to the stage, for “charm”.

Foreign secretary tried to deflect Fox News’s dumb comment about how UK ‘streets are taken over by pro-Hamas folks’, but he can’t please everyone How much have you really engaged with David Cameron, since he became foreign secretary in November? I always get a discombobulating strobe effect, all the alternative futures that could have been: the not-Brexit, the not-Boris Johnson, the not-austerity and social fracturing, if it hadn’t been for this rosy-face Duff Cooper in 21st-century fancy dress, and the incomprehensible number of people who didn’t take one look at that face and run a mile. So I find him quite hard to look at. As he does the American media rounds, talking Ukraine and Gaza to wingnuts (Fox News) and sensible centrists (CNN), the look he’s going for is somewhat changed. You know what they say about America, that it went from barbarism to decadence without the intervening period of civilisation (no offence, Fox News!) Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift

Hundreds of Munitionette teams played in Britain during the first world war – and their story is being told on stage Moving the Goalposts: sign up for our free newsletter Much as followers of men’s football of a certain age and type sometimes struggle to comprehend the fact that the sport existed before Italia 90, recent aficionados of the women’s game can be rather blank about its history pre-Canada 2015. Even those aware that women’s football was banned by England’s Football Association for 50 years until 1971 are often startled to learn that it thrived during and immediately after the first world war. And they will certainly have their eyes opened by Wor Bella , a play to be staged at Clapham’s The Bread & Roses Theatre and Newcastle’s Theatre Royal this month. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/his9pdQ

Theoretical physicist whose name was attached to the Higgs boson, a sign of the mechanism underlying the structure of atoms In 1964 the theoretical physicist Peter Higgs, who has died aged 94, suggested that the universe contains an all-pervading essence that can be manifested in the form of particles. This idea inspired governments to spend billions to find what became known as Higgs bosons. The so-called “Higgs mechanism” controls the rate of thermonuclear fusion that powers the sun, but for which this engine of the solar system would have expired long before evolution had time to work its miracles on earth. The structure of atoms and matter and, arguably, existence itself are all suspected to arise as a result of the mechanism, whose veracity was proved with the experimental discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ka9dc71

Dublin politician says he is looking forward to a ‘different chapter’ after tendering resignation to president Leo Varadkar has said he has “no regrets” about standing down, as he officially resigned as Ireland’s taoiseach. The Dublin politician, who has been the country’s prime minister for four years, said he was looking forward to a “different chapter”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/RiNwLxK

Shadow health secretary says quicker treatment to stop working class families being left behind is more important than ideology “Middle-class lefties” will not stop a Labour government from using private hospitals to tackle the NHS’s huge care backlog, the party’s shadow health secretary has pledged. Wes Streeting rejected the idea that paying private health providers to treat patients amounted to a “betrayal” of the NHS and insisted that quicker treatment was more important than ideology. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/GZj0WKO

The moon is starting to blot out the sun along a path that cuts across several countries Total solar eclipse to sweep across Mexico, US and Canada - live updates Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/VnZ6TE8

Ten Hag’s side have conceded 308 shots in 14 games but goal stats show weird openness is hard for opponents to deal with Everybody’s done it. The door looks heavy or stiff, so you give it an almighty shove, only to find the expected resistance isn’t there so you tumble through, falling flat on your face. Erik ten Hag’s genius has been to take an everyday pratfall and turn it into a philosophy. On Sunday Liverpool, astonishingly, fell victim to the trick for the second time in three weeks. The first time put them out of the Cup; this second, although a draw rather than a defeat , cost them leadership of the league. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/1BZmudn

What Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino would do for just one chaos free day at work. Around the corner they turn, the one that looks from the outside to be taking them in the right direction, only to inexplicably double back. So close, and yet absolutely miles away. It had looked like, despite a largely tepid performance, Noni Madueke’s goal midway through the second half would be enough to secure a Chelsea win. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/bCoBKrj

The same old teams in the same old patterns – which is why last eight must not be yet other procession for Europe’s elite This time, nobody can blame the draw. The last 16 of this season’s Champions League was a drab, largely unimpressive thing, salvaged to an extent by its final week as Arsenal came through a fraught second leg against Porto and Atlético Madrid came from 2-0 down on aggregate to eliminate Internazionale on penalties. But for the most part it was a plod of the predictable and the uninspired. To an extent that was simply a function of the ties, a mixture of mismatches and clashes between sides who for one reason or another have been out of sorts this season. Even the meeting of the Spanish and Italian champions felt weirdly insignificant given how disappointing Barcelona and Napoli have been. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/a2GKgjJ

John Alfred Tinniswood, who was born in 1912 in Liverpool, acquired the title after Japan’s Gisaburo Sonobe, 112, died in March An 111-year-old man from England is now the world’s oldest living man and says the only diet he follows is eating fish and chips every Friday. John Alfred Tinniswood, who was born in 1912 – the same year the Titanic sank – insist the secret to his long life is “pure luck”. He obtained the title of world’s oldest man after 112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe, from Japan, was confirmed to have died on 31 March. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ERfhPm0

Complaint accuses 26-year-old Christian ‘King’ Combs of assault aboard yacht chartered by music mogul father in December 2022 Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and his 26-year-old son Christian “King” Combs are both named in a lawsuit that accuses the younger man of sexual assault onboard a yacht in December 2022. The suit, filed in Los Angeles superior court on Thursday and first reported by Rolling Stone , accuses the younger Combs of assault, battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The elder Combs, who is facing several lawsuits alleging sexual abuse and was recently subject to federal raids in a sex-trafficking investigation, is accused of aiding and abetting. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/z0fmPNl

Evans says he was first to alert authorities after receiving messages in what is suspected to be part of wider attempt to target MPs A Conservative MP has revealed that he was targeted in the Westminster sexting scandal and was the MP that first alerted the authorities. Luke Evans said he was messaged in what is suspected to be part of a wider attempt to target MPs. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/FGO01SA

Judge rejects defense’s argument based on Presidential Records Act claiming Trump could take documents when he left office A federal judge refused on Thursday to throw out the classified documents prosecution against Donald Trump, rejecting a defense argument that the case should be tossed because he was entitled as a former president to retain the records after he left office. Lawyers for Trump had cited a 1978 statute known as the Presidential Records Act in arguing that he was permitted to designate records from his time in office as personal and take them with him when he left the White House. Prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith’s team vigorously opposed that argument, saying the statute had no relevance in a case concerning classified documents. US district judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, sided with the government in a three-page order, writing that the indictment makes “no reference to the Presidential Records Act, nor do they rely on that statute for purposes

NEU members at conference vote in favour of motion criticised by Gillian Keegan as inappropriate Teachers at the National Education Union conference have voted in favour of a motion calling for solidarity with Palestine and criticising the Israeli government as racist, and declared they would “take no lectures” from the education secretary. Gillian Keegan said the motion was “wholly inappropriate” and would cause significant hurt to members of the Jewish community and thousands of Jewish children and parents in British schools. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/P5lR4py

Emmerson Mnangagwa says country needs $2bn of aid as severe dry spell caused by El Niño afflicts southern Africa Zimbabwe has declared a national disaster over a drought caused by the climate event known as El Niño and President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the country needs $2bn in aid to help millions of people who are going hungry. The severe dry spell is wreaking havoc across southern Africa. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/TiRZhDV

Author’s comments on Monday relating to trans women were posted as new hate crime law came into force in Scotland Comments by JK Rowling that described prominent transgender women activists as “men” will not be recorded as a non-crime hate incident, Police Scotland has said. The Harry Potter author challenged police to arrest her in a series of posts on X on Monday as the Scottish government’s contentious hate crime law came into force, which she described as “wide open to abuse”. She listed sex offenders who had described themselves as transgender alongside well-known trans women activists, describing them as “men, every last one of them”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2OSLsQ4

Writer of The Martian, Cloverfield and World War Z will write and direct fifth film in seminal cyberpunk franchise Movie-goers are headed back to the Matrix . Warner Brothers announced on Wednesday that The Martian screenwriter Drew Goddard will write and direct a new movie in the sci-fi action franchise for the studio. This will be the first in the cyberpunk series, which includes the 1999 original as well as The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections, not to directly involve its co-creators Lana or Lilly Wachowski, though Lana is attached to executive produce. No word yet on whether the franchise stars Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne-Moss, Hugo Weaving and Jada Pinkett-Smith will return. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/S87pNXb

Need to bring a plate? Whether you need a main, side or dessert, Sophie Hansen – Instagram’s @locallovely – has three crowd-pleasing dishes that will travel well This a recipe from my friend Ree Booth and it’s an absolute winner. It’s easy to bring together, tastes wonderful and is a substantial main – a great dish to take to any gathering. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ceZqsjI

Don Hankey, chairman of Knight Specialty Insurance, says underwriting loan to civil fraud judgment was ‘what we do’ The California auto loan king behind Donald Trump’s $175m bond to stave collections while he appeals a $454m civil fraud judgment has said he was “happy to do it”. Don Hankey, chairman and majority shareholder of Knight Specialty Insurance, told CNN that his underwriting of Trump’s loan was “what we do”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/snl0qQb

Humanitarian groups say they cannot operate safely after Israeli targeting of food charity convoy prompts international outcry The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza seems likely to worsen after charities announced they are suspending operations in the territory in the aftermath of an Israeli drone attack which repeatedly targeted a clearly identified convoy of international aid workers, killing seven. The strikes on a team from World Central Kitchen (WCK) led the charity – along with other aid organisations such as Anera, which helps refugees around the Middle East, and the US-based Project Hope, which focuses on healthcare – to announce on Tuesday that it would pause operations in Gaza to protect its staff. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/7PDzoxl

Several people killed in airstrike, including Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy Iran has vowed revenge after Israeli war planes destroyed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing at least eleven people, including a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds force. Iran’s leaders in Tehran described the targeting of a diplomatic mission late on Monday as unprecedented and promised a harsh response. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/VpKqhx3

It’s regularly being created and destroyed – and economic models that don’t reflect that fact are not even slightly useful Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email In the classic 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life, depositors demand their money from a small-town building society. Its manager, George Bailey (in an unforgettable performance by James Stewart), explains that the money is not in the building society’s vault; it has been lent to other people in the town. “The money’s not there,” Bailey pleads. “Your money’s in Joe’s house … And in the Kennedy house, and Mrs Macklin’s house, and a hundred others.” Bailey’s explanation reflects a widespread idea of how banks work. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/dpuFNXw

Kit’s resemblance to infamous SS rune of Nazi paramilitary wing unintentional, company says Adidas has banned football fans from customising the German national shirt with the number 44 due to its alleged resemblance to the symbol used by Nazi SS units during the second world war. The Schutzstaffel (SS), a paramilitary organisation of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich, was tasked with carrying out the industrialised genocide of Jewish people across Europe. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2oDN3SR