General news

• Chris Mason: Starmer's robust language nods to immigration failures

  12-05-2025 23:49 via bbc.com
  The PM knows cutting immigration is crucial to his credibility, political editor Chris Mason writes.
  
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• The view on immigration from a town transformed by it

  12-05-2025 23:46 via bbc.com
  Some residents say the town is 'overrun', but public services desperately need immigrant labour.
  
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• Harry Kane: ‘It’s nice to be on the other side … I’ve seen my fair share of other teams lifting trophies’

  12-05-2025 23:30 via theguardian.com
  Having waited so long to win his first title, England striker reflects on his journey amid beer-soaked revelry in MunichIt is late in Munich, approaching midnight, when Harry Kane appears. The nondescript, windowless TV interview room below the Allianz Arena could not be more of a contrast to the giddy, beer-soaked, firework-lit riot of celebration going on outside as Bayern Munich savour a 34th league title. There’s also something different about Kane, and it’s not just the gold med
  
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• O’Hare lands last blow on Bristol City as Sheffield United barrel into playoff final

  12-05-2025 23:03 via theguardian.com
  For a side with such a horrendous record in the EFL playoffs, the way Sheffield United coasted through their semi-final’s two legs into the Championship’s showpiece game at Wembley did little to suggest they are a team with a hoodoo hanging over their heads.In many ways, history is stacked against the Blades: nine previous attempts at the playoffs, five semi-final defeats and four heartbreaking final losses. But if there was one crumb of comfort for manager Chris Wilder and his side
  
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• Virgin Island review – a sex therapy show that Alan Partridge would pitch

  12-05-2025 23:00 via theguardian.com
  As 12 virgins try ‘sexual surrogacy’ and roll around on the floor moaning, this sexperiment is surprisingly touching. Still, you will watch the excruciating bits through your fingersOn paper, almost everything about Virgin Island sets off alarm bells. This “unique experiment” sees 12 virgins, mostly in their 20s (one is 30), heading off to a “radical retreat” on a Mediterranean island, where a team of professional sexperts will work on and guide them through s
  
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• The Last of Us recap: season two, episode five – how long has Ellie had us fooled?

  12-05-2025 23:00 via theguardian.com
  Ellie reveals some hard truths and encounters a terrifying new threat … then ends up in the most dangerous place possible. Is she in too deep?This article contains spoilers for the The Last of Us season two. Please do not read unless you have seen episodes one to five.She may be an impulsive 19-year-old but we know Ellie (Bella Ramsey) isn’t stupid. Her headstrong nature may have something to do with her immunity to the cordyceps infection that has ravaged the world for more than tw
  
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• Inside Our ADHD Minds review – Chris Packham’s revelatory show couldn’t be more crucial

  12-05-2025 23:00 via theguardian.com
  Packham refutes harmful anti-woke ideas about the overdiagnosis of neurodiversity by meeting people like Henry, who finds day-to-day life a severe struggle, and Jo, who has spent years constantly being told she’s ‘too much’Inside Our ADHD Minds is a follow-up, of sorts, to Chris Packham’s memorable 2023 documentary, Inside Our Autistic Minds. In that earlier film, the wildlife and nature presenter used his own experience of neurodiversity to help other people explore and
  
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• ‘Any 11-year-old could tell you that!’ The University Challenge final, reviewed by last year’s winner

  12-05-2025 22:00 via theguardian.com
  As another series comes to a nailbiting end, last year’s Imperial captain finds one team way too leisurely – and some of the questions altogether too easy. Must try harder!This series of University Challenge has been another corker, and the final a gripping showdown between two brilliantly clever teams fighting tooth and nail for every point. After 36 matches and 26 teams knocked out, Warwick and Christ’s College, Cambridge, are left standing. But these two have met before, com
  
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• Hamas frees last living US citizen held in Gaza in what Trump calls a ‘good faith step’

  12-05-2025 21:27 via theguardian.com
  American soldier Edan Alexander meets family at Israel border after masked fighters hand him over to Red Cross Hamas has freed the last living US citizen it held in Gaza, soldier Edan Alexander, in a unilateral move Donald Trump described as a “good faith step” towards ending the war and bringing home all remaining hostages.The release of 20-year-old Alexander, a dual national serving in the Israel Defense Forces who spent 584 days in captivity after he was seized from his base on 7
  
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• Dropping Alexander-Arnold following boos may be most palatable option for Slot | Andy Hunter

  12-05-2025 21:00 via theguardian.com
  Stormy Anfield reaction to news of full-back’s exit on a free gives Liverpool coach a choice to make as trophy lift nearsA large portion of Liverpool’s match‑going support delivered a damning verdict on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s career choice on Sunday and, in one short sentence, Virgil van Dijk explained perfectly why there is no need for an encore when the champions return to Anfield to collect the Premier League trophy on 25 May. “There’s a lot more pla
  
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• Starmer defends plans to curb net migration after backlash from MPs

  12-05-2025 20:46 via theguardian.com
  Prime minister’s ‘island of strangers’ speech was likened to rhetoric of Enoch PowellKeir Starmer has defended his plans to curb net migration after an angry backlash from MPs, businesses and industry to a speech in which he said the UK risked becoming an “island of strangers” without tough new policies.The rhetoric was likened by some critics to the language of Enoch Powell, and the prime minister was accused of pandering to the populist right by insisting he inten
  
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• British man being held in Saudi Arabia jailed for 10 years, say lawyers

  12-05-2025 20:26 via theguardian.com
  UK Foreign Office criticised by campaigners as Ahmed al-Doush given sentence for charges thought to relate to deleted tweetA British national arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges that appear to relate to a deleted tweet has been jailed for 10 years, according to British lawyers and campaign groups representing the family.Ahmed al-Doush was arrested in August and, while it is understood that UK Foreign Office officials were allowed into the Saudi court for his hearing, the British government has b
  
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• Edi Rama on course to win fourth term as PM in Albania elections

  12-05-2025 20:02 via theguardian.com
  Socialists set for clear victory with 30% of votes counted in poll seen as pivotal to country’s hopes of joining EUAlbania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, is poised for victory in general elections after preliminary results showed voters returning him to power for an unprecedented fourth term.With 30% of the ballots counted, Rama’s party was leading the leftwing Socialists to a resounding win over Sali Berisha’s centre-right Democratic party in a poll viewed as pivotal for th
  
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• Stained, warped and terroir rich: the global and shockingly sustainable lives of wine barrels

  12-05-2025 20:00 via theguardian.com
  Wood barrels circle the world and can be used for more than a century. They tell a story, but they’re imperiled by tariffsNo one at Tucson’s Hamilton Distillers knows exactly what wood the cognac barrels holding whiskey are made of.“Probably Spanish oak?” one employee ventures a guess. The age of the barrels is also a question mark. No one working here is old enough to vouch for that; the distillery believes they are anywhere from 100 to 125 years old, which is old in the
  
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• Emma Raducanu’s Italian Open run screeches to halt against Coco Gauff

  12-05-2025 19:58 via theguardian.com
  Fourth seed overwhelms British player in 6-1, 6-2 winAmerican wins last four games to go throughDuring her encouraging journey to the second week of the Italian Open, Emma Raducanu showcased her quality and fighting spirit across three wins against solid top 100 opponents.The best players in the world, ­however, present a completely dif­ferent physical and mental challenge. This was reinforced on a windy Monday afternoon as ­Raducanu was outclassed by a supreme display from the fourt
  
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• Rodrigo Duterte wins Philippines mayoral election from jail cell in The Hague

  12-05-2025 19:44 via theguardian.com
  Former president of nation re-elected as mayor of city of Davao despite his enforced absenceFormer Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has been re-elected as mayor of the city of Davao, the family’s stronghold, despite being imprisoned thousands of miles away in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.With more than 60% of returns in, Duterte, 80, had an insurmountable lead of 405,000 votes – far ahead of his nearest competitor who trailed on 49,000, according to unofficial r
  
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• ‘Would do more harm than good’: what will Trump’s tariffs really mean for Hollywood?

  12-05-2025 19:30 via theguardian.com
  The US president’s proposed film industry tariffs have led to confusion and unrest within HollywoodCitizen Kane, The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, Goodfellas, Sunset Boulevard and the Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle Bloodsport – Donald Trump’s favourite movies are thoroughly American and 20th century. Foreign films? Not his thing.At campaign rally in 2020 he reacted to the South Korean movie Parasite winning the best picture Oscar by demanding: “What the hell was that all
  
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• Broadcast mogul Sanjog Gupta in frame to increase Indian influence at ICC

  12-05-2025 19:23 via theguardian.com
  Jiostar chief tipped for key role at governing bodyIPL set to resume on Saturday following suspensionIndian influence at the top table of world cricket could be set to increase with Sanjog Gupta, the head of live sport at broadcast giants Jiostar, having emerged as the frontrunner to become the new chief executive of the International Cricket Council.The ICC is looking to fill the role with Geoff Allardice, the incumbent, serving a notice period that runs until the body’s AGM in July. Thre
  
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• The Guardian view on UK trade: quiet re-engagement is a slow fix for Brexit’s mistakes | Editorial

  12-05-2025 19:20 via theguardian.com
  As an Asian giant rises and Trump postures, the UK offers commercial credibility while inching toward a pragmatic European reset it won’t nameIn the theatre of 21st-century trade diplomacy, symbolism often eclipses substance. Last week’s UK-India and US-UK agreements reveal a curious asymmetry: in both, the larger partner, in terms of GDP, leveraged the relationship for political ends, while the UK supplied what matters – regulatory prestige and high-income consumers. The forme
  
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• The Guardian view on Labour’s immigration plan: cohesion isn’t helped by talk of ‘strangers’ | Editorial

  12-05-2025 19:20 via theguardian.com
  The prime minister says he wants to rebuild communities and opportunities, but risks playing into opponents’ handsEvery government needs an immigration policy and the one led by Sir Keir Starmer is no exception. Laws are required to establish the terms under which migration to the UK is allowed, and to deal with the complexities surrounding irregular arrivals. But the decision to publish an immigration white paper a week after Reform UK made significant gains in local elections, when it is
  
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• Ben Jennings on Keir Starmer’s new stance on immigration – cartoon

  12-05-2025 19:11 via theguardian.com
  Discover and buy more of Ben’s cartoons hereOrder your own print of this cartoon from the Guardian Print Shop Continue reading...
  
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• The race to the bottom is on as Starmer delivers his great immigration reset | John Crace

  12-05-2025 19:00 via theguardian.com
  A week after Reform cleans up at the local elections, the prime minister decides it’s time to ‘take back control’The Guardian view on Labour’s immigration plan: cohesion isn’t helped by talk of ‘strangers’You know how it is. You get on the 87 at the Vauxhall depot and you suddenly realise you know no one on the bus. Time was when everyone in the queue would have been best mates. Off for pie, mash and jellied eels together before a knees-up down the Old B
  
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• Labour's immigration plans at a glance

  12-05-2025 19:00 via bbc.com
  The government says its proposals will reduce record levels of migration to the UK in recent years.
  
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• It’s the great immigration experiment. But will Starmer test Labour to destruction? | Polly Toynbee

  12-05-2025 18:49 via theguardian.com
  There’s more to this policy than merely chasing Nigel Farage. But it risks driving voters towards the Lib Dems and GreensImmigration is a tinderbox. No one listening to voters on doorsteps in recent local elections could deny this. Nothing Labour does will satisfy those few who rate immigration as their top concern, but its new immigration plan is a serious endeavour to stop cheap labour undercutting pay. How will it go down? If Labour HQ celebrates a splash of rightwing front pages whoopi
  
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• O’Brien’s mastery, big-spending Joorabchian: Derby contenders jostle for position

  12-05-2025 18:47 via theguardian.com
  York’s Dante Stakes will reveal state of play for the 2025 Flat season with Epsom favourite, The Lion in Winter, facing big test after a year outAs a snapshot of the early state of play in the 2025 Flat season, the field for the Dante Stakes at York on Thursday, the last recognised trial for the Derby at Epsom on 7 June, promises to be pin-sharp. Aidan O’Brien will be hoping to complete an unprecedented clean sweep of the five major trials for the Derby at Epsom with the current ante
  
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• India has only ‘paused’ military action against Pakistan, Modi says

  12-05-2025 18:47 via theguardian.com
  Indian PM says he is ‘monitoring every step of Pakistan’ as ceasefire holdsNarendra Modi has said India has only “paused” its military action against Pakistan and would “retaliate on its own terms” to any attacks, after a ceasefire brought escalating hostilities between the two countries to a standstill at the weekend.In his first address since attacks began between India and Pakistan – culminating in both sides launching missiles at each other’s k
  
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• The new pope is the internet’s biggest meme. What does that say about us? | Tayo Bero

  12-05-2025 18:31 via theguardian.com
  Social media has been fun for the first time in years. But the joy of this moment is about more than just jokesWhile most good Catholics spent the early days of this week in solemn contemplation, praying that the church’s new leader would be a person of character and someone who could unite us in these tense, ungodly times, the rest of us were on X cackling at our screens and reposting chimney memes.Social media has been having a field day since Pope Francis passed and the race was on for
  
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• Six Bulgarians jailed after spying for Russia in UK

  12-05-2025 18:25 via theguardian.com
  Ringleader Orlin Roussev sentenced to nearly 11 years for his role in operations that put lives and national security at riskSix Bulgarians convicted of spying for Russia in Britain have been jailed at the Old Bailey.Orlin Roussev, 47, who was the leader of the ring and had pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months for his role in executing six “sophisticated” operations that risked national security and the safety of the public. Continue reading...
  
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• Inside the world’s largest archeology museum - the Grand Egyptian Museum in pictures

  12-05-2025 18:21 via theguardian.com
  Featuring pharaohs and sustainable design, the $1bn museum in Giza, Egypt, is finally opening after years of delays Continue reading...
  
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• Putting up a defence for jury trials in Britain | Letters

  12-05-2025 18:20 via theguardian.com
  Bob Marshall-Andrews, Francis Fitzgibbon and another reader respond to an article by Simon Jenkins on ditching trial by jurySimon Jenkins’ indictment of jury trial (Here’s a radical way to save England’s collapsing justice system: get rid of juries, 5 May) deserves a damning verdict on a number of counts. He points to the excessive delays afflicting English criminal courts, which he attributes to the 1% of cases that are decided by juries. He provides little evidence for this,
  
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• How credible Labour candidates kept Reform at bay | Letters

  12-05-2025 18:20 via theguardian.com
  We listened to voters’ concerns and made a point of talking about the positive contribution of immigrants to our locality, writes John Hanley. Plus a letter from Howard Spencer The local election results in the north-east of England have been understandably portrayed as disastrous for the Labour party, which lost Durham county council (The Guardian view on Labour’s drift and Tory collapse: Reform fills a vacuum they created, 6 May). Labour also lost seats in Northumberland, but there
  
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• Words of courage and hope in dark times | Letters

  12-05-2025 18:19 via theguardian.com
  Mahmoud Khalil’s message to his newborn son reminds Nick Kart of the letter written for his father in 1934I have a letter like the one from Mahmoud Khalil to his newborn, written by my grandfather as he lay dying to my father (To my newborn son: I am absent not out of apathy, but conviction, 11 May). My father was a Jewish Kindertransport refugee to the UK from Vienna in May 1939. My grandfather wrote it in 1934 as the clouds of fascism were massing.Khalil’s letter speaks to courage
  
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• Do you feel proud when you succeed – or just relieved?

  12-05-2025 18:05 via theguardian.com
  If you don’t appreciate your success when completing a tough project, these tips can change the way you thinkEvery time I complete a professional project, the dominant emotion I feel is relief – relief that I didn’t fail, and that something I did was “good enough”.But do I appreciate my success or have pride in my achievement? Nope. I just move on to the next task. Relishing the accomplishment feels superfluous, because I’ve only done what’s expected of
  
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• Raphinha, the man who almost left, leads Barcelona to verge of dream title | Sid Lowe

  12-05-2025 18:04 via theguardian.com
  Captain has swapped rejection for affection and added to a season of unbelievable highs in thrilling clásicoBarcelona couldn’t get the player they wanted so they just had to settle for the best. At the end of another wild, joyous and exhausting afternoon, another clásico won their way, the captain called them all into the middle of Montjuïc. And where Raphael Dias Belloli calls, his teammates follow, all the way to the title. Which was why, an arm raised, a wrist wrapped
  
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• CERN boffins turn lead into gold for about a microsecond at unimaginable cost - theregister.com

  12-05-2025 18:03 via news.google.com
  CERN boffins turn lead into gold for about a microsecond at unimaginable cost  theregister.comLarge Hadron Collider scientists mimicking the Big Bang accidentally turn lead into gold  The IndependentWorld's largest atom smasher turned lead into gold — and then destroyed it in an instant  Live ScienceScientists turn lead into gold for 1st time, but only for a split second  ABC NewsAlchemists rejoice as Cern turns lead into gold — for a flash&nbs
  
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• From missiles to ceasefire: how India and Pakistan pulled back from the brink

  12-05-2025 17:59 via theguardian.com
  As nuclear war became a real possibility, Trump tasked Marco Rubio and JD Vance to contact the feuding countriesIndian surface-to-air missiles were already soaring towards Pakistan’s most significant military bases when the first call came from the US.It was 4am in Islamabad and Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state and recently appointed US national security adviser, was on the line to the man everyone knew was calling the shots in Pakistan: army chief Gen Asim Munir. Continue reading...
  
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• Did you solve it? Are you craftier than a cat burglar?

  12-05-2025 17:53 via theguardian.com
  The answers to today’s puzzlesEarlier today I set these two puzzles. Here they are again with solutions.1. Go compare! Continue reading...
  
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• Port Talbot Gotta Banksy review – street art Santa’s awkward gift to small town

  12-05-2025 17:51 via theguardian.com
  Sherman theatre, Cardiff
  Play edited from 150 hours of interviews shows how working-class communities are always subject to the whims of global market forces – be those of steel or the art worldChristmas seemed to come early to Port Talbot in 2018 when residents woke up to find that Banksy, like some street art Santa, had gifted the town with his latest work. Graffitied in the shadows of the steelworks, “Season’s Greetings” appeared to festively depict a child with their
  
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• ‘Cheap foreign labour’ – this is how Keir Starmer denigrates the migrant carers looking after your loved ones

  12-05-2025 17:33 via theguardian.com
  The government’s claims about immigration driving down wages are so demonstrably untrue, it’s hard to feel the appropriate level of outrage I would love to know what exactly happens, in the top-level meetings where the prime minister decides to be even tougher on immigration. Is there anyone in there saying: “This will not halt Reform. This will not make Reform less obnoxious. This will not make them more moderate, and it will not stop people voting for them. All it will do is
  
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• ‘I had a chance to pass my mum’s story on’: Kazuo Ishiguro on growing up in shadow of the Nagasaki bomb

  12-05-2025 17:30 via theguardian.com
  The film version of A Pale View of Hills, the Nobel-winner’s tale of loss, exile and a pregnant radioactive bride, is about to premiere at Cannes. The writer explains why this story is so personal to himKazuo Ishiguro still remembers where he was when he wrote A Pale View of Hills: hunched over the dining room table in a bedsit in Cardiff. He was in his mid-20s then; he is 70 now. “I had no idea that the book would be published, let alone that I had a career ahead of me as a writer,&
  
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• Setback for Europe after Trump insists Ukraine has ‘immediate’ peace talks with Russia

  12-05-2025 17:20 via theguardian.com
  Zelenskyy had no choice but to accept Putin’s invitation to talks, diplomats sayDonald Trump’s social media post insisting Ukraine must immediately start peace talks with Russia has set back, and possibly jeopardised, Europe’s carefully laid plans to persuade the US to impose sanctions on Moscow for refusing the US president’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, European diplomats have said.Volodymyr Zelenskyy had no choice but to accept Vladimir Putin’s invitation to
  
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• This Drug Reduces Symptoms Before a Migraine Strikes, Study Shows - ScienceAlert

  12-05-2025 17:01 via news.google.com
  This Drug Reduces Symptoms Before a Migraine Strikes, Study Shows  ScienceAlertView Full coverage on Google News
  
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• I’ve watched every single Nicolas Cage film made so far. Here’s what I learned about him – and myself

  12-05-2025 17:00 via theguardian.com
  One day I set myself the project of watching all of his movies, and finished about three months later. There was one film I really hated – and I wish he’d do more romcomsGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailWhen I was growing up, I always told my parents, “Don’t expect me to become a doctor.” But in high school I really liked the TV show House and I really liked solving problems. So I never knew what else I wanted to become except for a doctor. I’ve been
  
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• Budget-friendly recipe: one-pot orzo with peas, mushrooms and bacon

  12-05-2025 17:00 via theguardian.com
  Make use of that forgotten bag of frozen peas in this easy, adaptable midweek pasta dish from food editor Samuel Goldsmith, author of The Frozen Peas CookbookGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailFrozen peas are endlessly versatile, nutritious and budget-friendly. They’re also a great way to add more veg into a meal, and they mix well with other flavours.Because I like a properly browned mushroom, I fry them first, then remove them from the pan to mix back in later. If you’re no
  
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• ‘A horror movie’: sharks and octopuses among 200 species killed by toxic algae off South Australia

  12-05-2025 17:00 via theguardian.com
  Karenia mikimotoi algae can suffocate fish, cause haemorrhaging and act as a neurotoxin, one expert saysAustralia news live: latest politics updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGet Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as an emailMore than 200 marine species, including deepwater sharks, leafy sea dragons and octopuses, have been killed by a toxic algal bloom that has been affecting South Australia’s coastline since March.Ne
  
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• Naked dressing: why Cannes is demanding celebrities wear clothes on the red carpet

  12-05-2025 16:56 via theguardian.com
  The film festival seems to have rejected one of this season’s hottest fashion trends - wearing very little at all. But why all the worry? Name: Naked dressing.Age: You could say the trend goes back to Genesis … Continue reading...
  
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• UK special forces veterans accuse colleagues of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan

  12-05-2025 16:54 via theguardian.com
  Former personnel describe soldiers exhibiting ‘psychopathic traits’ and executions of handcuffed prisonersFormer UK special forces personnel have accused colleagues of committing war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, including alleging that they executed civilians and a child.Graphic accounts of routine executions of handcuffed prisoners and the killings of people in their sleep were handed to the BBC, which reported that weapons were planted during cover-ups. Continue reading...
  
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• Arsenal’s statistical victories only hide some very obvious flaws | Jonathan Wilson

  12-05-2025 16:52 via theguardian.com
  Mikel Arteta has explanations for his team’s shortcomings that may hold water, but ultimately the Gunners simply couldn’t get it done when neededSign up for Soccer with Jonathan Wilson hereThe problem is that when the game doesn’t matter, other elements begin to take over. In other circumstances, Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool on Sunday would have been an intriguing minor classic; but then, in other circumstances, it might not have gone like that. As it was, with the tit
  
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• Closure of post-Brexit subsidies wrongly blocked 3,000 English farmers from funding

  12-05-2025 16:35 via theguardian.com
  Sustainable farming initiative is part of payment package that replaced EU’s common agricultural policyUK politics live – latest updatesMinisters wrongly refused nature funding to 3,000 farmers in England when they shut the post-Brexit subsidy scheme, the government has admitted.There was anger earlier this year when the environment secretary, Steve Reed, suddenly paused a key post-Brexit farming payments scheme with little information about what would replace it and when. Continue r
  
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• How Labour plans to ‘take back control’ on migration – Politics Weekly Westminster

  12-05-2025 16:21 via theguardian.com
  Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the government’s plans to drastically reduce net migration. Will it work? And how will it land with the public and the Labour party? Continue reading...
  
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