A convoy believed to be carrying Iranian diplomats arrived on Thursday at the Omani residence in Geneva for indirect nuclear talks with the United States.

The Oman-mediated discussions take place amid a massive buildup of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East

The third round of US-Iran nuclear talks have begun in Geneva, according to Iranian state media.

Omani mediators will once again sit across from Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

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© Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

© Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

© Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

Artificial intelligence is boosting productivity in the euro zone but it is not yet causing a wave of layoffs due to greater automation of labour, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has claimed.

Testifying to the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs committee this morning, Lagarde said:

“What we are seeing for the moment is that it’s increasing productivity. But we are not yet seeing consequences in terms of labour market and waves of redundancies that are feared, and that you know we will be extremely attentive going forward.”

“Our transformation continues with pace and intensity. We are consistently achieving outcomes that were not possible before our transformation. With our new capabilities and mindset, we have navigated challenges from supply chain to tariffs, and delivered a strong performance in 2025, all while we built the foundations for significant growth for years to come.”

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© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

© Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

OTTAWA— Prime Minister Mark Carney departs Thursday on his first travels to India, Australia and Japan as prime minister.  Read More

OTTAWA — A gnawing dispute spilled into public view this month when the premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan publicly demanded an exemption to a federal ban on a deadly nerve toxin used to neutralize agricultural pests. Read More

Powerful case studies can’t make up for this book’s superficiality when it comes to the broader issues

‘We are today in need of more humility in how we frame geographies of the mind,” says Gavin Francis, a GP and travel writer. In his new book he attempts to combine both disciplines as he treks the uncanny topography of mental illness.

The journey is divided into chapters that explore various genres of human anguish – clinical anxiety, trauma, bipolar disorder, depression and psychosis – as well as autism and ADHD. He attempts to summarise each condition’s history in roughly 20 pages, evaluate past and contemporary theories, and weigh up the efficacy of treatments. To call this ambitious is to break new frontiers in understatement.

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© Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

© Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

© Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

OTTAWA — Canada's public safety minister says he believes the federal government's delays in launching its compensation program for banned firearms has partly contributed to the drop in support among police across jurisdictions and sowed confusion among Canadians. Read More

Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski said in a speech to parliament that cost could pass €1.2tn ($1.42 trillion

Defending Nato’s eastern flank in case of a potential Russian aggression would cost at least €1.2tn ($1.42 trillion), Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski said in a speech to parliament, Reuters reported.

“Defending the countries of Nato’s eastern flank in the event of a potential Russian aggression would cost at least twelve hundred billion euros - twenty-four times more than the Polish defence budget,” he warned.

“Despite what its propaganda claims, Russia is by no means winning. Don’t fall for it. Russia is not, and never has been, invincible.”

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© Photograph: Wojtek Jargiło/EPA

© Photograph: Wojtek Jargiło/EPA

© Photograph: Wojtek Jargiło/EPA

Homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances of Shah Alam's death.

Rep. Ilhan Omar said that one of the guests she invited to the State of the Union on Tuesday was arrested and “forcibly removed” from the House gallery — as she slammed the “heavy-handed” Capitol police response. Omar (D-Minn.) claimed software engineer Aliya Rahman, who was dragged out of her vehicle while driving to a...

‘Index of repression’ includes smears, harassment, job losses and arrests, legal advocacy group says

Palestinian solidarity is being “silenced, criminalised and sanctioned”, according to an advocacy group that says it has recorded more than 900 examples of repression across Britain in the last six years.

People had been targeted with smears, disinformation, harassment, doxing (having private or identifying information published online), visa cancellations, financial blacklisting, loss of employment and arrest, according to the European Legal Support Center, which, along with the research group Forensic Architecture, has created the “index of repression”.

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© Photograph: Guy Bell/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Guy Bell/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Guy Bell/Shutterstock

Police in the Dominican Republic have arrested a 64-year-old woman who went viral on social media after singing the national anthem to the high-tempo local rhythm called dembow during a karaoke session at a restaurant.

The Bridgerton family’s father died before the events of the show, but otherwise, this is the first major death to happen onscreen. 

We love every character in the ton, but what happened to letting the main love story take center stage?

Wendy Faith and Alesi Diana Denise were taken into custody under laws that have outraged LGBTQ+ community and rights activists

Two women have been arrested and detained in Uganda after allegedly kissing in public, an act of “same-sex activity” which can lead to a life sentence in the east African country..

Wendy Faith, a 22-year-old musician known as Torrero Bae, and Alesi Diana Denise, 21, were taken into custody after police raided their rented room in Uganda’s north-west Arua City last week.

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© Photograph: Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters

© Photograph: Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters

© Photograph: Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters

Half a century ago, the famed New York venue run by a former marine and folk singer was ground zero for the punk and new wave scenes. Now the bands who played there are being celebrated on a 101-track box set

Fifty years ago, a dive bar in New York’s East Village started to attract attention as a new hub for rock music. Initially, this was a whisper conveyed in a handful of small-circulation music magazines. Then, celebrated musicians, record label executives, hip journalists and photographers, followed by the influencers of that era, began making a beeline for 315 Bowery, the home of CBGB.

Inside, an array of young, unknown artists were making music that would change rock’s sound and look, attitude and aesthetic. These outsiders created a template for punk, spoken word, powerpop, new wave, no wave, mutant funk, hardcore and so much more besides.

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© Photograph: Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

Some on the right portray this TikTok phenomenon as tantamount to treason. That says more about them than the fans of Chinese culture

As it’s Chinese lunar new year, it would not be surprising if you’ve found yourself scrolling through some China-inspired content. But before you click the heart on a TikTok of paper lanterns or mouthwatering noodles, think twice. As an unsuspecting citizen, you may well be participating in a geopolitical battle where western civilisation itself is on the line.

This isn’t the plot of a mediocre action thriller on Amazon Prime – this is “Chinamaxxing”, an internet trend that has got some commentators worrying that gen Z are about to topple the west from the inside.

Coco Khan is a writer and co-host of the politics podcast Pod Save the UK

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© Photograph: Guy Bell/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Guy Bell/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Guy Bell/Shutterstock

The Palace hero must wonder how things have gone so wrong so quickly, but still hopes ‘to shift the narrative’

Dean Henderson became a cult hero in south London after saving a penalty in Crystal Palace’s victory against Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup final. The England goalkeeper then boosted his popularity when he dropped into a local pub as supporters celebrated August’s penalty shootout victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield and put £1,000 behind the bar.

Henderson, made captain when Marc Guéhi was sold to Manchester City in January after Palace were humbled in the Cup by non-league Macclesfield, must be wondering how things have turned sour at Selhurst Park so quickly. Supporters turned on the manager, Oliver Glasner, during the first leg of the Conference League playoff against Zrinjski Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina last week and demanded his sacking after another unconvincing performance in the 1-1 draw.

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© Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

© Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

© Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Emily wants Ananya to load the machine methodically. Ananya is happy with her more random approach. Whose argument stacks up? You decide

• Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror

There is a correct way to load a dishwasher. Ananya’s haphazard method makes no sense

My method works fine. By dictating how it should be done, Emily is being superior and controlling

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© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

How did a small Nordic country dominate the Games? By making sport fun and not something for kids to suffer

Norway’s Olympians stormed the mountains of Milano Cortina and left the rest of the world wondering how a nation of 5.6 million people regularly tops the Winter Olympics medal table, this year winning 18 gold medals and 41 medals overall.

They’re not bad at the Summer Olympics either, despite not playing to their obvious national geographical strengths, winning four gold medals and a total of eight medals in Paris 2024. But all this talk of medals detracts from looking more closely at what the Norwegians do to create one of the best and most sustainable sports systems in the world.

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© Photograph: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images

• Costs will increase at extended 2026 tournament

• Around 10 federations want Fifa to tackle problems

A number of European football federations fear they will lose money sending their national teams to the World Cup this summer, with an unusual hike in costs and inconsistencies around tax exemptions among the problems Fifa is being urged to rectify.

Although Fifa approved record prize money of £539m for the tournament last December it may not be enough to prevent losses, or reduced profits, for competitors who would usually expect a World Cup to generate vital funds. An investigation by the Guardian and PA Media found particular concerns among football associations about the consequences of missing out on money that would largely be reinvested in local initiatives.

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© Photograph: Ulises Ruiz/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ulises Ruiz/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ulises Ruiz/AFP/Getty Images

Dear Abby advises a disabled person who others are pushing past in public.

Defense expert says UK and allies may 'get much tougher' with suspected vessels.

The two skiers came across the set of skis buried in the snow and begin to frantically dig out the person buried on the slopes.