Boxer has raised funds for Ukraine but faced criticism in the past for his apparent Moscow-leaning sympathies On the streets of Kyiv this week, the name of the Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk prompted a few eye-rolls, alongside expressions of admiration for his sporting prowess. The former cruiserweight, who fights the Briton Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night, has been an active fundraiser for the Ukrainian military and humanitari

Marina Hyde: So Russell Brand was baptised in the Thames, and all his sins were washed away. Cheaper than a lawyer, I suppose; plus Jenny Kleeman meets Raffaella Spone, the woman accused of creating and circulating a damaging deepfake video of teenage cheerleaders. The problem? Nothing was fake after all. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president admits his army lacks enough troops and has only 25% of the air defences it needs as Russia advances in the north-east. What we know on day 815 Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has warned that Russias offensive in the north-eastern Kharkiv region this month may only be the first wave of several and Russian troops could aim for the city of Kharkiv. We have to be sober and understand that they are going deeper into our territory. Not vice versa, Zelenskiy said on Friday

The frustration that erupted into deadly violence in the French territory last week has been building for years In the middle of the main road in Rivire-Sale, north of Nouma, sits a burnt-out car. After days of rioting, young men with masked faces wave a Kanak flag as vehicles pass. All around is desolation. Shops with gutted fronts, burnt buildings, debris on the pavements and roads. Gangs of young people roam the area. The violence that erupted last week is the worst in New Caledonia since unr

An office drone must suffer the machismo of an Australian coastal town in this barmy, low-budget thriller about a would-be wave-chaser Here is a gloriously demented B-movie thriller about a middle-aged man who wants to ride a big wave and the grinning local bullies who regard the beach as home soil. Dont live here, dont surf here, they shout at any luckless tourist who dares to visit picturesque Lunar Bay on Australias south-western coast, where the land is heavy with heat and colour. Tempers ar

Strikingly large sum being recouped from people who fell foul of system that did not flag overpayments Ministers are clawing back more than 250m from unpaid carers over benefit infringements that occurred largely as a result of government failures, it can be revealed. More than 134,000 people who care for loved ones are being forced to repay often huge carers allowance overpayments. The debts are incurred in many cases through no fault of their own, and leave carers saddled with enormous debts,

A cold, damp spring depressed plant sales in the UK, but help is at hand from the Glastonbury festival of the gardening world The sixth-wettest April on record has not been kind to Britains gardens or its 1,600 garden centres. So far this year, with most of the key selling season over, garden centre sales are up just 2% on last year and down 11% on 2022, after the sodden spring depressed sales of shrubs, trees, bedding plants andseeds. Continue reading...

John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds go family-friendly in their new imaginary-friends comedy, while the singer swaps introspection for lust on her long-awaited new album If Out now In what has to be one of the more enviable showbiz lives, John Krasinski has played Jim in The Office, married Emily Blunt, and written and directed acclaimed horror franchise A Quiet Place. Now he turns his hand to family entertainment, writing and directing this part-animated fantasy about imaginary friends made visibl

Supporters gather enough valid signatures to put measure that would enshrine abortion rights into constitution on to ballot Voters in Colorado will have a say on abortion rights this fall after supporters collected enough valid signatures to put a measure on the ballot, part of a national push to pose abortion rights questions to voters since the US supreme court removed the nationwide right to abortion. The Colorado measure officially made the ballot on Friday and would enshrine abortion righ

Cannes film festival A dying director who fled from the US to Canada agrees to make a confessional film in Schraders fragmented and anticlimactic story Muddled, anticlimactic and often diffidently performed, this oddly passionless new movie from Paul Schrader is a disappointment. It is based on the novel Foregone by Russell Banks (Schrader also adapted Bankss novel Affliction in 1997) and reunites Schrader with Richard Gere, his star from American Gigolo. Though initially intriguing, it really f

Arsenal manager vows to try again should the Gunners fail in their quest for a first Premier League crown in 20 years Mikel Arteta pondered the question for a split second, then responded. Had he been in touch with Pep Guardiola this week to discuss Sundays denouement of the Premier League title race ? No, no, came the emphatic answer. The Arsenal manager remains on good terms with his Manchester City counterpart, who gave him hisfirst opportunity in coaching back in 2016 when Arteta turned down

New Hampshire employees of day care arrested after six-month investigation and each face 10 charges of endangering children Four New Hampshire daycare employees allegedly spiked childrens food with the sleep supplement melatonin and were arrested on Thursday. The arrests stem from a November 2023 investigation at a daycare in Manchester, New Hampshire, about 30 minutes outside the state capital of Concord. Continue reading...

Samantha Power says barely 100 trucks of aid a day enter Gaza, far less than 600 needed to address threat of famine Humanitarian assistance has begun to arrive in Gaza along a US-made pier , but the US aid chief said the new sea corridor could not be a substitute for land crossings, and warned that deliveries of food and fuel entering Gaza had slowed to dangerously low levels. The White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, confirmed on Friday that truckloads of humanitarian aid, inc

From the rubble to the Ritz? The rousing pre-match welcome Southamptons supporters gave their players left a wreckage of flares, smoke bombs, empties and cans but as fans exited a supercharged St Marys they left with a trip to Wembley to plan. Russell Martins side were given a heroes welcome and now they are one game from returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking, a date with Leeds to prepare for a week on Sunday. Will Smallbone settled any lingering nerves early in the second

Yonaguni is a tourist hotspot but its location just 100km from Taiwan means residents must wrestle with the creeping militarisation of their home In the minds of many Japanese people, Yonaguni is a sleepy paradise of crystal-clear sea and pristine beaches, where miniature horses graze on clifftops and empty roads dissect fields of sugar cane; where tourists dive with hammerhead sharks and marvel at the Ayamihabiru the worlds largest Atlas moth. But this tiny island, located far closer to Taipe

Bakery scent added via microcapsules to postage stamp celebrating jewel of French culture The French Post Office has released out a scratch-and-sniff postage stamp to celebrate the baguette, once described by President Emmanuel Macron as 250 grams of magic and perfection. The stamp, which costs 1.96, depicts a baguette decorated with a red, white and blue ribbon. It has a print run of 594,000 copies. Continue reading...

Firm asked to back up claims about Fiona Harvey after executives appearance before select committee An MP has asked Netflix to provide evidence that the woman who inspired the character Martha Scott in Baby Reindeer is a convicted stalker, claiming that a record of her conviction has not yet been found. Netflixs director of public policy, Benjamin King, told the culture media and sport committee on 8 May that the show was the true story of the horrific abuse that the writer and protagonist, Rich

Arsenal have been impressive challengers but a unique fourth English title in a row is there for the taking at the Etihad The Manchester City fanbase like it to be known that theyre not really here . But as the club stand on the verge of history, it is a line from Pep Guardiola which offers the clarity, the explanation; a sense of wonder, too. We are there, Citys manager has said repeatedly over the course of this season and those that have gone before. His team are pushing yet again to secure

The attacking turbo-thrust at the Rec has helped set in motion the final-day drama of Saturdays fight for playoff places For multiple reasons this has been a Premiership season like no other. Just 10 competing clubs, a prolonged midterm hiatus and only 11 points separating the top seven teams before the final weekend of the regular league campaign. Tight at the top with plenty of thrills and spills on the field is a collective winwin for players, fans, television executives and sponsors. Should

Hotel surveillance cameras at InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles captured incident Combs had vehemently denied A newly released video shows Sean Diddy Combs manhandling and kicking singer Cassie Ventura his former girlfriend in plain view of hotel surveillance cameras in 2016, before the rapper, music producer and businessman rapidly settled a lawsuit that she brought against him this past November, according to footage exclusively obtained by CNN . The video in question illustrates in the

War in Gaza, the Russian offensive in Kharkiv, protests in Georgia, the Northern lights and the Cannes Film Festival: the last seven days as captured by the worlds leading photojournalists Warning: this gallery contains images that some readers may find distressing Continue reading...

Four suspects arrested at scene of shooting in major tourist area Bamiyan Three foreign tourists and an Afghan have been killed in a shooting attack in Bamiyan province in central Afghanistan . Four suspects were arrested at the scene in Bamiyan, a major tourist area, and officials said an investigation was under way. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the late-evening attack. Continue reading...

In texts received in Spanish and translated to English, the girl tried to describe her location, though she did not know where she was Authorities rescued a 17-year old girl after she was trafficked to Ventura county, California, from Mexico two months ago and texted 911 for help. On Thursday, the Ventura county sheriffs office announced that on 9 May authorities rescued the girl after she sent messages to 911. The text message correspondence began with a call taker at a 911 communication center

Updates from second leg, first leg ended 0-0 (8pm BST) Norwich sack Wagner after heavy playoff loss to Leeds Get in touch! Email Taha with your thoughts on the game Right then, Southampton make two changes from the first leg: Ryan Fraser and David Brooks come in for Ryan Manning and Skou Mara. West Brom have one Jed Wallace replaces Brandon Thomas-Asante. Heres how theyre looking Continue reading...

Young girl was among six people killed in gunfire in an area of Chiapas where shootings have become common and widespread A mayoral candidate and five other people have been killed when gunmen opened fire at a campaign rally in the violence-racked southern Mexico state of Chiapas. State prosecutors said a young girl was among the six people killed in the gunfire late on Thursday, along with the mayoral candidate Lucero Lpez Maza. Two others were injured, they said. Continue reading...

Hamilton at Imola for first time since agreeing 2025 Ferrari move Max Verstappen angry after Hamilton blocked him in practice Lewis Hamilton, for so long the thorn in Ferraris side, takes to the track this weekend in Italy as a potential hero in waiting. The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola will be Hamiltons first race in front of the Ferrari faithful since he signed for the Scuderia in February and, while still driving a Mercedes, for the tifosi Hamilton embodies visions of a return to glory

DePape, a rightwing conspiracy theorist, broke into the Pelosis San Francisco home in 2022 and hit Paul Pelosi with a hammer David DePape, a rightwing conspiracy theorist who broke into Nancy Pelosis northern California home in 2022 and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. A federal jury convicted him of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official in November 2023 , just over a year after t

Manager determined to depart on a high while Manchester City aim to spoil leaving party on what could be a dramatic final day Emma Hayes is not having to work hard to keep emotions in check as she prepares for her final game as Chelsea manager Saturdays mouthwatering match-up with Manchester United at Old Trafford because she is used to doing it. The last drive into work, the last coaching session, the final away trip with the team, watching her family mourn the end of her working relationship

Libertarian president Javier Milei has slashed public spending as he wrestles to tame hyperinflation, now at 289% annually Commuters in Buenos Aires have been hit by an overnight 360% increase in subway fares, in one of the most dramatic price hikes in a harsh budget austerity campaign launched by Argentina s libertarian president, Javier Milei . After weeks of hearings, a judge on Thursday lifted an order that had temporarily blocked the scheduled increase in subway fares. That cleared the way

Exclusive: FOI request reveals Arts Council updated guidance after discussing Gaza conflict with DCMS Arts Council England (ACE) issued a warning that political statements could break funding agreements after discussions with the government about artists speaking out over the Israel-Gaza war, newly released documents suggest. A freedom of information request made by the actors union Equity has revealed that the conflict was discussed in a meeting between ACE and the Department for Culture, Media

Patients are already dying as wonder drugs lose their effectiveness. International action is urgently needed As apocalyptic horror stories go, its up there with thescariest. Yet its not fiction writers but top scientistswho are warning of how the world could look once superbugs develop resistance to the remaining drugs against them in our hospital pharmacies. Patients will die who can currently be cured; routine surgery will become dangerous or impossible. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) it happ

The departure this weekend of Chelseas Emma Hayes from the WSL and Liverpools Jrgen Klopp will be felt outside sport The departure this weekend of two of Englands most influential and successful football managers will be felt beyond sport. Theres no doubt that the loss of Chelseas Emma Hayes from the Womens Super League and Liverpools Jrgen Klopp from the Premier League offers important lessons for the gameon why leadership matters. Their personalitiesand tactical nous demonstrated why managers

Bodies of Amit Buskila and Itzhak Gelerenter also recovered from Gaza as Israel says 129 hostages remain in captivity The bodies of three hostages kidnapped by Hamas, including the German-Israeli Shani Louk, have been retrieved from Gaza by the Israeli military, it announced. The other two hostages were identified as Amit Buskila, 28, and Itzhak Gelerenter, 56, according to the military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, who said the three victims were taken to Gaza after being killed by Hamas

Medical professionals and women who had bad experiences themselves respond to the findings of the birth trauma report The maternity trauma report is deja vu all over again ( Women having harrowing births as hospitals hide failures, says MPs report, 13 May ). I cannot read about it because it makes me want to scream. I was around for the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital trust report a couple of years ago. All those dead babies, all those mothers and parents talking about not being listened to or r

We can only address the politics of Israel/Palestine by recognising the suffering of both Jewish and Palestinian people, writes Lynne Segal . Plus a letter from Ron Mendel It is indeed a tragic time for Jewish people, as Dave Rich argues ( The 7 October Hamas attack opened a space and antisemitism filled it. British Jews are living with the consequences, 16 May ). He rightly insists on the extreme dangers of historic and continuing antisemitism, today rising and falling with the extremities of

Exclusive: Experts call for higher taxes and tougher regulation as research shows cost to NHS, other public services and economy The cost of alcohol abuse is laid bare in a new study that shows 27bn a year being spent in England on the health and social harms of drinking. The research that found the extra burden on the NHS, social services, the criminal justice system and the labour market cost at least 37% more than in 2003, when comparable research by the Cabinet Office estimated the costs at

Chancellor also criticised for dodgy dossier on Labour plans as he aims to make low tax a key election issue Jeremy Hunt has been accused of exaggerating the Conservatives economic record and presenting a dodgy dossier on Labours spending plans, as he moved to put low tax at the heart of his partys offering at the next election. The chancellor gave a speech in central London on Friday, pitching the Conservatives as having helped the UK recover from economic troubles more quickly than expected. H

Cannes film festival Yorgos Lanthimos reinforces how the universe keeps on doing the same awful things with a multistranded yarn starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Jesse Plemons Perhaps its just the one kind of unkindness: the same recurring kind of selfishness, delusion and despair. Yorgos Lanthimoss unnerving and amusing new film arrives in Cannes less than a year after the release of his Oscar-winning Alasdair Gray adaptation Poor Things . It is a macabre, absurdist triptych: three stories

Cannes film festival A drama of despair plays out in a remote village, as a debt-ridden father is mortified to discover his son is gay Here is a self-laceratingly painful tale of repression and denial in a remote Romanian village in the Danube delta, directed by Emanuel Parvu. Its in the gimlet-eyed observational and satirical style of the new Romanian cinema, a kind of movie-making that in extended dialogue scenes seeks out the bland bureaucratic language of the police and church authorities; t

The heavyweight on why hes happier picking up dog mess than facing life in the limelight before his fight against Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury can be boorish and crass. He can make you squirm and shudder with his outbursts and prejudices. The giant WBC world heavyweight champion can also seem petty and ridiculous when insulting his opponents. But there is a telling difference between the cartoon version of the Gypsy King and the reflective man who talks with stark candour about his life away from t

After an 81-year-olds fatal collision with a cyclist in Londons Regents Park, calls have risen for stronger sanctions It is a bright early spring morning in central London, and inside Regents Park the birds are chirping as the sun rises sleepily over the lawns and lake. On the road which encircles the park, however, the mood is anything but lazy. Scores of cyclists are riding on the 4.5km Outer Circle some of them clearly commuters, others on racing bikes and dressed in Lycra or the colours of

Wall Street Journal notes that British example may not be a good one, as plan hasnt gone into effect yet amid legal challenges Aides to Donald Trump working to transform US immigration policy should he return to power are pursuing goals including the largest mass deportation in US history while part-inspired by the UK governments deal to ship asylum seekers to Rwanda, the Wall Street Journal reported . The Conservative UK government reached an agreement with the African country in 2022. Since th

Updates from the second match of three at Northampton Opening match report: Jones helps hosts recover from wobble Email Daniel with your thoughts on the series so far I should have mentioned earlier that last weeks game was Amy Jones 100th for England. And she snaffled four catches as well dig her team out of a hole with the bat. If you want to show her some love, or anyone love, or indifference, or criticism, or want to share something with the group, or just want to say hi, drop me a line at d

Shadow foreign secretary sets out vision for a more strategic, less elitist attitude to UK diplomacy The shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, has said his family history as descendants of enslaved people will inform his work in government as he seeks to deepen the UKs relations with the global south and the Commonwealth. I will take the responsibility of being the first foreign secretary descended from the slave trade incredibly seriously, he said in a speech setting out how Labour will reform

Chancellor seems to cherrypick data as he tries to outline how the Tories have got the country back on its feet Jeremy Hunt called a press conference on Friday to outline why the electorate should trust the Conservatives with the economy, but some of his claims appear to have used cherrypicked facts and figures. He gave his speech just over a week after the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, accused the Conservatives of gaslighting the UK over the state of the economy by presenting too rosy a pic

But economists say it could be offset by the creation of new roles and non-automated sectors Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence could lead to short-term increases in unemployment, a rise in carbon emissions and leave regulators trailing in the wake of technological advances, according to an international panel of experts. The inaugural report on the safety of advanced AI, inspired by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , raised a number of concerns about a technology which has sh

Politics is about achieving things and telling a compelling story. But neither the president nor Starmer can match Trumps gift for narrative The smile was the giveaway. Asked whether he was just a copycat of Tony Blair at the launch of his Blair-style pledge card on Thursday, Keir Starmer positively glowed. He was delighted with the comparison, which the entire exercise was surely designed to encourage. Blair won three elections in a row, Starmer said, beaming. Of course, hes thrilled to be li

Josh Hawley among conservatives delighted by football players commencement speech pummeling Pride and working women Harrison Butkers university commencement address at Benedictine College excoriating Pride month, working women, abortion rights activists and others has prompted the National Football League to disavow his remarks but the Kansas City Chiefs placekickers jersey sales have spiked as conservatives seize on their latest culture war. Butker has also drawn an impassioned statement of su

Jane Fonda in an animal print coat, Lily Gladstone in Gucci and Chris Hemsworth in an old Hollywood jacket there was a lot to enjoy on the Croisette this week Continue reading...

A woman alleged that the magician sexually assaulted her on his private island in 2007. His lawyers said he was falsely accused Lacey Carroll headed straight to Harborview Medical Center after touching down in Seattle following a three-day stay on David Copperfields private island in the Bahamas. It was August 2007 and according to police records she had gone to get medical treatment for sexual assault. The 20-year-old later alleged to Seattle police and in court filings that she had embarked