Tornado threat moves south after central states hit by massive storm
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Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, the opening race of the 2025 Formula One season with an immense lap for McLaren in Melbourne.
In what was an enormously tight fight he beat his teammate Oscar Piastri into second by just eight-hundredths of a second. As had been anticipated, the McLaren was the class of the field, comfortably quicker than Max Verstappen’s Red Bull in third and George Russell’s Mercedes in fourth.
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© Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP
Our continent must be prepared to defend itself, by combining the best of its two most influential traditions
Should we all be Gaullists now? In the language of France’s most important European partner, the answer is “Jein!” (a German word combining ja for yes and nein for no). Yes, Emmanuel Macron has been right to warn us ever since he became France’s president in 2017 that, discerning a long-term trend of US disengagement, Europe should be ready to defend itself. Now, confronted with Donald Trump, a rogue US president putting in question an 80-year-old American commitment to the defence of Europe against Russia, lifelong Euro-Atlanticists like me must acknowledge that we need not just a Europe with more hard power – something for which I have always argued – but also the real possibility of European “strategic autonomy”. Oui, Monsieur le Président, you were right.
Yet en mȇme temps (at the same time), to deploy Macron’s signature trope, we should answer “Non”. For De Gaulle, a great man of his time, believed that defence should be the exclusive province of the nation state; that the emerging European Community should be a Europe of states (a disunited version of the European Union to which today’s hard-right populist nationalist parties dream of returning); that Britain should be excluded from the European project (hence his famous “Non!” to British membership in that emerging community); and that Europe should be constructed as a counterweight to the US, having close relations with Russia and China.
Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political writer and Guardian columnist
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© Photograph: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images
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© Illustration: Edith Pritchett/The Guardian
Adrian, 35, who works in advertising, meets Catherine, 36, a yoga teacher
What were you hoping for?
Someone cute for my national press debut, and hopefully a connection, too.
© Photograph: David Levene & Christian Sinibaldi/The Guardian
© Photograph: David Levene & Christian Sinibaldi/The Guardian
Andrew Sheridan is one of a number of chefs who say complaints and threats have severed the trust between restaurants and customers
Restaurant owners are abandoning the age-old “customer is always right” maxim because too many diners try to get freebies through threats, making malicious complaints and underhand tricks.
Andrew Sheridan, cited as “one of the finest chefs north Wales has ever produced”, said he was tired of customers “trying it on”.
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© Photograph: Michelle Martin
Anti-corruption rally is culmination of months of protest shaking grip of autocratic president
Tens of thousands of people from across Serbia are expected to join an anti-corruption rally in Belgrade, in what is seen as a culmination of months of protest that have shaken the grip of the country’s autocratic president, Aleksandar Vučić.
Tensions are running high, as the president’s supporters have begun setting up camp in a park in front of the presidential palace. Earlier this week, Vučić warned that security officers would use force against people at the rally, planned for Saturday.
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© Photograph: Armin Durgut/AP
Marina Hyde on 1,000 grotesque memes of JD Vance – they’re all more likable than the real thing. The actor Michael Sheen grew up poor, got rich, then lost everything backing the 2019 Homeless World Cup. Now he’s giving away more of his money to help 900 total strangers. When John Harris first started noticing that his baby had some unusual quirks, he wasn’t too worried. Then came an autism diagnosis – and a fear of the future. Could a shared passion for music give James a way to shine?
Continue reading...© Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The Guardian
© Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The Guardian
From 15-23 March, Lake Burley Griffin and the surrounding natural scenery is filled with colour as hot air balloons of all shapes and sizes take to the sky. Spectators young and old gathered around John Dunmore Lang Place in Parkes at the crack of dawn on Saturday for the magical experience
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© Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Cambridge scientist behind VR platform says it could help those put off by high cost of speech anxiety treatment
A free online platform that allows speakers to practise in front of thousands of virtual spectators has been released to help with the anxiety many feel when presenting to an audience.
Dr Chris Macdonald, the founder of the Immersive Technology Lab at Cambridge University and who created the online platform, said the approach was an attempt to reduce the lengthy waits or high costs people often face when seeking help.
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© Photograph: Lucy Cavendish
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Follow updates in qualifying in Melbourne as Hamilton eyes pole position in the first race of 2025
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Despite scorching conditions for qualifying, wet weather is expected for the race at Albert Park
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Trump told the DOJ his victory has ‘given us a mandate’ for “a far reaching investigation ... into the corruption of our system’ by Democrats
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Indian foreign ministry rejects ‘baseless allegations’
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