New ex-Cowboys teammates get into social media spat after free agency decision: 'Clown s--t'
Ed Miliband travels to Beijing saying co-operation with China vital to protect future generations, as US and Russia push for expansion of fossil fuels
The UK is hoping to shape a new global axis in favour of climate action along with China and a host of developing countries, to offset the impact of Donald Trump’s abandonment of green policies and his sharp veer towards climate-hostile countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Ed Miliband, the UK’s energy and net zero secretary, arrived in Beijing on Friday for three days of talks with top Chinese officials, including discussions on green technology supply chains, coal and the critical minerals needed for clean energy. The UK’s green economy is growing three times faster than the rest of the economy, but access to components and materials will be crucial for that to continue.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP
© Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP
The kingdom’s capital is a world heritage site – and it has now honoured its once-biggest industry with a ‘pearling path’ wending through two miles of architectural delights. But did its car parks really have to be so lavish?
Think of contemporary architecture in the Gulf and you might think of gilded towers rising from the desert, eye-popping “iconic” museums, and artificial islands carved into ever more fanciful shapes. But, sandwiched between the petrodollar glitz of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, there is an enclave that has been quietly bucking the trend.
In Bahrain’s old capital of Muharraq, a place of winding low-rise streets studded with markets and minarets, a project has been under way over the last two decades that goes against the usual penchant for brash bling. It takes the form of a two-mile (3.2km) route that meanders through the densely packed city, linking new public squares and cultural venues, combining careful conservation with daring contemporary interventions. the Pearling Path shows how the treatment of a Unesco world heritage site doesn’t have to mean choosing between preserving a place in aspic, or resorting to Disneyfied pastiche.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Archive Olgiati
© Photograph: Archive Olgiati
© Alexander Zemlianichenko/Associated Press
© Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
Official going news from the Jockey Club.
Friday 14th March
And unlike Mullins’s Al Boum Photo, who came up short as a 9-4 shot when attempting a third straight win in 2021, it is very hard to see Galopin Des Champs being beaten.
With the sole exception of his stumble three years ago, Galopin Des Champs has scarcely made a mistake in any of his previous starts at the festival, but the real secret to his dominance, the special power that sets him apart not only from the current crop of chasers but all but a handful of the greats of the past, is the raw finishing power that kicks in as he closes out a race.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Steven Cargill/racingfotos.com/REX/Shutterstock
© Photograph: Steven Cargill/racingfotos.com/REX/Shutterstock
(Interscope)
It’s back to the dancefloor as the US superstar doubles down on what she does best – albeit with one eye on Madonna, Charli xcx, Taylor Swift and more…
Pop stars spend their careers impaled on the horns of a perennial dilemma: whether to reinvent themselves and show range, or stick to core value variations. With Mayhem, her sixth solo album, her 10th overall, Lady Gaga has dumped the former strategy, which was stuttering of late, for an emphatic reiteration of the latter.
Mayhem marks a wholesale return to dancefloor freakiness, complete with self-quotes (Abracadabra) and a hard-edged electronic takedown of fame (Perfect Celebrity) that would not have been misplaced on her debut album, 2008’s The Fame.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Frank Lebon
© Photograph: Frank Lebon
Experts say legislation will prevent vulnerable people from accessing justice in latest government-backed crackdown
Human rights groups in Peru have voiced alarm over a controversial anti-NGO law that prevents civil society organisations from taking legal action against the state for human rights abuses – a move that activists say will prevent the vulnerable from accessing justice.
Peru’s deeply unpopular congress added a harsher amendment to an existing bill which was fast-tracked through the chamber with 81 votes in favour, 16 against and four abstentions on Wednesday.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Martín Mejía/AP
© Photograph: Martín Mejía/AP
Scott Anthony Gastal, who at age 11 had testified in court in the 1980s that his priest had raped him, was beaten to death
The clergy abuse survivor who effectively ignited the US Catholic church’s reckoning with clerical molestation when – at age 11 – he testified in the 1980s that his priest had raped him was recently beaten to death in south-west Louisiana.
Scott Anthony Gastal, whose later life was marked by legal struggles after enduring child sexual abuse at the hands of notorious clergy predator Gilbert Gauthe, was 50.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Google Maps
© Photograph: Google Maps
While potatoes are cheap to buy, growing unusual varieties is a joy – and delicious too
As a rule, I discourage small-space gardeners from growing potatoes as they need a fair amount of room and are cheap to buy. Nonetheless, they’re a classic grow-your-own crop: satisfying to cultivate, a pleasure to harvest and delicious – especially if you choose a variety you might not see in a supermarket, such as the heirloom variety Sharpe’s Express (pictured above).
Potatoes are divided into different groups based on how long it takes them to produce crops. The most coveted – and expensive – are the “first earlies”, or new potatoes, which can be planted now and into April, to be ready in June and into July. Those that follow are called “second earlies” and go into the ground a couple of weeks later, to be dug up in August. The earlies are delectable when freshly harvested; they can’t be stored for long and have the added bonus of (hopefully!) hitting your plate before blight threatens.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Compulsory Credit: GAP Photos/Gary Smith
© Photograph: Compulsory Credit: GAP Photos/Gary Smith
The accused human trafficker flew ‘home’ from detention in Romania only to be greeted by a state criminal investigation
It was a welcome to Florida that Andrew Tate was not expecting, far less the warm embrace he believed he was entitled to.
The controversial influencer, an accused rapist and human trafficker, walked straight into a state criminal investigation after descending the steps of the private aircraft that flew him and his brother Tristan from Romania last month, inducing a fit of apoplexy in Tate that appears to be still raging two weeks on.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Alon Skuy/Getty Images
© Photograph: Alon Skuy/Getty Images
© JSC/NASA
The blockage – thought to be the state’s biggest ever – was discovered at a wastewater facility during routine maintenance
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The biggest ever fatberg found in Western Australia has been pulled from a sewer, weighing in at 30,000kg.
Fatbergs are made up of material that cannot dissolve in water – such as oil, grease and wet wipes flushed down sinks and toilets – which then pile up and stick together.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Water Corporation
© Photograph: Water Corporation
Russia says there are reasons to be ‘cautiously optimistic’ and said there is an understanding talks are needed between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump
The Kremlin said there were “reasons to be cautiously optimistic” in discussion on ceasefire, but “there is still much to be done," in further discussions between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Speaking after last night’s visit of US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “when Mr Witkoff brings all the information to President Trump, we will determine the timing of a conversation (between Trump and Putin).”
Continue reading...© Photograph: UKRAINE’S 65TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT/EPA
© Photograph: UKRAINE’S 65TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT/EPA
Letter from Elon Musk’s firm to US trade representative warns of ‘downstream impacts’ of tit-for-tat tariffs
Elon Musk’s Tesla has warned that Donald Trump’s trade war could expose the electric carmaker to retaliatory tariffs that would also affect other automotive manufacturers in the US.
In an unsigned letter to Jamieson Greer, the US trade representative, Tesla said it “supports fair trade” but that the US administration should ensure it did not “inadvertently harm US companies”.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Filip Singer/EPA
© Photograph: Filip Singer/EPA
The work of making change is difficult. Most of it is boring, unsexy and, at best, modestly incremental from day to day
Donald Trump is attempting to dismantle American constitutional democracy before our eyes. For the past six weeks, many of us have been telling ourselves we have to do something about this before it’s too late. And yet many people who feel this way – no matter how outraged they are or how genuinely worried they are about our country’s future – are doing very little but handwringing and doomscrolling.
Elected leaders in the Democratic party are mostly failing to provide inspiration for people who are alarmed about the president’s actions. The protest paddles they held up at Trump’s speech before a joint session of Congress underscored the fact that they’re flailing more than they’re leading. Meanwhile, for most of us, the chance to vote again is almost two years away.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock
© Photograph: Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock
© The New York Times
Mayor of city ‘with steel in its veins’ says ‘There’s a lot of tension … a lot of worry’ as 25% export levy kicks in
The sprawling ArcelorMittal Dofasco steel plant in Hamilton, Ontario has in recent months become a site of pilgrimage for Canadian political leaders.
Dressed in pristine orange coveralls and hard hats, prime ministers and provincial premiers gaze at coiled sheets of steel with the stern grimaces and keen interest of generals reviewing a military parade.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Nathan Denette/AP
© Photograph: Nathan Denette/AP
Four days after she arrived I thought: this is it. I bought an engagement ring
The first time I saw Rachel was on Bumble. We matched, but then both ended up taking a break from dating apps. So when we reconnected on Tinder a few months later, in February 2020, it felt like fate.
She exuded confidence and had bright blue eyes – I was into her straight away. We chatted for a couple of weeks in the early days of Covid, and when it became clear it wasn’t going away, we made a plan for a date, eager to meet in person before any restrictions were implemented.
Continue reading...© Photograph: Peter Flude/The Guardian
© Photograph: Peter Flude/The Guardian