Burnham to become first PM to appear on Gogglebox in episode filmed at No 10
The Guardian •

Burnham to become first PM to appear on Gogglebox in episode filmed at No 10

The PM is heard having a long discussion about crisps in the trailer to the show, which is in aid of Stand Up To CancerFrom ranking his favourite crisps in the pub to complaining about people watching TikToks out loud on the train, Andy Burnham has made efforts to show he has the common touch.Now he will become the first prime minister to appear on the popular TV show Gogglebox, in a special chari...

‘Looksmaxxing’ influencer Clavicular pleads not guilty to raping teen
The Guardian •

‘Looksmaxxing’ influencer Clavicular pleads not guilty to raping teen

The social media personality denies allegations he gave a girl alcohol until she was drunk and sexually assaulted herThe “looksmaxxing” livestreamer Braden Peters, better known by his stage name Clavicular, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he raped a 17-year-old girl at his family’s Massachusetts home.A social media personality known for promoting extreme devotion to male beauty, Peters...

Virginia Democrat indicted on federal drug and money laundering charges
The Guardian •

Virginia Democrat indicted on federal drug and money laundering charges

Federal authorities allege state senator L Louise Lucas, a vocal Trump critic, led a ‘criminal marijuana enterprise’Virginia state senator L Louise Lucas, one of the state’s most powerful Democrats, was charged on Thursday in connection with what federal authorities alleged was a role leading a criminal enterprise that acquired and distributed large quantities of marijuana and laundered the procee...

Zadie Smith among authors letting public bid to name new characters for charity auction

Zadie Smith among authors letting public bid to name new characters for charity auction

The Guardian •

Other prizes at Freedom from Torture event include rare Mary Wollstonecraft book illustrated by William BlakeMargaret Atwood, Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan are among a number of literary stars auctioning off the chance for readers to name characters in their next novels to raise money for survivors of torture.The auction is part of Freedom from Torture’s 10th anniversary literary festival, which brin...

Damaging hail pelts Phoenix in rare storm

BBC •

Videos from the Arizona capital show people sheltering inside a car as hail smashes the windscreen, while intense downpours covered neighbourhoods in ice.

Republican leader embarrassed by Ali G film says he plans to sue Sacha Baron Cohen: ‘A liar and a pervert’

Republican leader embarrassed by Ali G film says he plans to sue Sacha Baron Cohen: ‘A liar and a pervert’

The Guardian •

Exclusive: Michael Aboud, whose actions in what he believed to be a documentary are likely to come under considerable scrutiny, has expressed anger at the film-maker• This article contains spoilers for Ali G: Who Iz I?The chair of the El Paso County Republican Party has said he intends to sue Sacha Baron Cohen over footage of the local politician used in new satircal comedy Ali G: Who Iz I?In the ...

Fatal Custody

Al Jazeera •

Two mothers warned family courts their children were in danger. Fault Lines investigates why warnings were ignored.

Shamonda virus detected in human for first time in France

Shamonda virus detected in human for first time in France

The Guardian •

Investigations under way to determine whether virus normally found in livestock contributed to man’s deathA man in France has become the first human known to have contracted Shamonda virus, with investigations under way to explore whether it contributed to his death.Shamonda virus is a type of bunyavirus and is spread by bites from infected midges. According to the Austrian Agency for Health and F...

Pete Hegseth’s staff break priceless historic globe he requested for office

Pete Hegseth’s staff break priceless historic globe he requested for office

The Guardian •

Hegseth’s aides, who attempted to move 30in fragile globe themselves, dropped it during relocation, army officials sayA priceless pre-second world war globe coveted by the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth for his office in the Pentagon was damaged by his staff in a botched attempt to relocate it, army officials have admitted.Photographs published by the Washington Post on Thursday show the shatte...

Rocky campaign nears end as Serbia prepares for watershed election – as it happened

Rocky campaign nears end as Serbia prepares for watershed election – as it happened

The Guardian •

It’s the last day of the electoral campaign in Serbia today ahead of this Sunday’s closely contested parliamentary electionAs we are waiting for Macron, first details of the planned police response to this weekend’s protests are emerging.Junior interior minister, Jean-Didier Berger, said that the police presence will be “20% higher” than last weekend, with reinforcements from the army, elite polic...

Alberta welcomed migrant workers. Now, it wants to restrict their rights

Alberta welcomed migrant workers. Now, it wants to restrict their rights

The Guardian •

‘Scapegoating non-permanent residents is not going to lower the cost of living,’ Vanesa Ortiz saysWhen Vanesa Ortiz came to Calgary from Mexico, she found herself in a city gripped by winter. Outside the airport, it was -15C (5F).“I would come to understand that this was not an extreme cold,” she said. “But in the moment it was terrifying. Continue reading...

Quad confirmed, Manila envoy signals likely ‘Squad’ talks before Trump-Xi summit

Quad confirmed, Manila envoy signals likely ‘Squad’ talks before Trump-Xi summit

SCMP •

The Philippine ambassador to the United States signalled possible meetings of the “Squad” bloc ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Manila, as Washington confirmed that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue would hold its first leaders’ summit in more than two years on the sidelines of the regional talks. An informal defence grouping, the “Squad” forms part of a US-led re...

Rocky campaign nears end as Serbia prepares for watershed election – Europe live

Rocky campaign nears end as Serbia prepares for watershed election – Europe live

The Guardian •

It’s the last day of the electoral campaign in Serbia today ahead of this Sunday’s closely contested parliamentary electionAs we are waiting for Macron, first details of the planned police response to this weekend’s protests are emerging.Junior interior minister, Jean-Didier Berger, said that the police presence will be “20% higher” than last weekend, with reinforcements from the army, elite polic...

Republican governor of Ohio calls on Vivek Ramaswamy to take down ‘deeply troubling’ campaign ad – US politics live

Republican governor of Ohio calls on Vivek Ramaswamy to take down ‘deeply troubling’ campaign ad – US politics live

The Guardian •

Mike DeWine, outgoing governor, says it was ‘wrong’ for campaign to have run ad featuring estranged mother of Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponentSign up for the Breaking News US emailHow will Trump’s mass deportation agenda shape the US midterm elections? Our reporters answer your questionsReporting from Anchorage, AlaskaMary Peltola’s campaign to represent Alaska in the US Senate has taken her to par...