Here’s what Farke said on the survival equation for his team now:
We need one point average [from 38 games] to stay in this league, so we need 12 points to have this average. This means three wins and three draws, whatever – six positive results from the last 14 games. The last 12 games we’ve played, we had 10 positive results. I would back my players to get six positive results. I want all 14 to be positive, but I’m confident we are capable to win enough to stay in this league.
Peter Mandelson’s former lobbying firm sought work with companies controlled by the governments of Russia and China shortly after he left ministerial office, according to emails the disgraced former minister forwarded to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The emails show how Mandelson and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser scrambled to drum up high-paying foreign business after co-founding Global Counsel even as Mandelson remained a member of the House of Lords. Potential clients included the Russian state investment firm Rusnano and the state-owned China International Capital Corporation, the emails suggest.
Subdued tone as political leaders spoke on eve of Waitangi Day amid some fatigue in Māori communities over divisive coalition policies
When New Zealand’s political leaders gathered to speak at the Waitangi treaty grounds where Māori chiefs and the British Crown forged a nation 186 years ago there was a striking absence: the public.
As a light rain fell on the green peninsula in the far north of New Zealand on Thursday, fewer than 100 people gathered to watch the leaders welcomed onto the grounds, and only a handful of people heckled ministers as they spoke.
The abuse of women by figures such as Epstein, and of political power by the likes of Mandelson, must be confronted. As far as I am able, I will play my part
In Jeffrey Epstein’s wider circle, women and girls were treated as less than human by powerful men acting far beyond the law. The sexual trafficking plotted by him and his fellow criminals is the most egregious example of a global network of wealthy and powerful men that thinks it can act with impunity. Nothing less than a century-defining rebalancing of power and accountability is equal to this moment and the trauma of the victims. This scandal is primarily about them and their pain.
But as I digest the details of what has emerged, I also find it hard to find words to express my revulsion at what has been uncovered about Epstein and his impact on our politics. During the financial crisis, I wanted every moment of every day to be spent doing everything that could be done to save people’s homes, savings, pensions and jobs. That a member of the cabinet at the time was thinking more of himself and his rich friends is a betrayal of everything we stand for as a country. That the leaks of sensitive information were going to someone we now know was the ringmaster of a cabal of abusers and enablers sickens me.
Gordon Brown is the UN’s special envoy for global education and was UK prime minister from 2007 to 2010
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Lightning-fast attacker lines up at full-back against England insisting that his gridiron tilt will only help his rugby
The late, great Tom Petty wrote the song that, ultimately, defined Louis Rees-Zammit’s American football adventure.“Runnin’ down a dream, that never would come to me …” Twelve months ago Rees-Zammit was in New Orleans watching the Superbowl and still hoping to carve out a multimillion dollar NFL career. Now here he is, back in a Welsh rugby shirt and eager to make up for lost time.
Sliding doors and all that. This weekend in America all roads lead to this year’s Superbowl in California: the Seattle Seahawks v the New England Patriots . But as Wales’s 25-year-old prodigal son prepares for the contrasting vibes and smells of a sodden Twickenham in February, he insists he still has no regrets about the gridiron flirtation that removed him from Six Nations circulation for two years.
Properties in London and Wiltshire targeted by officers investigating alleged leaks to late child sex offender
Police are searching two properties connected to Peter Mandelson as part of an investigation into claims that he passed market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein.
A Metropolitan police statement, which did not name Mandelson, said searches were taking place in Camden, north London, and Wiltshire. Mandelson has been living in a rented property in Wiltshire since being sacked as ambassador to the US over his links to the late convicted child sex offender.
Renny Harlin’s thankless trio of movies, taking a simple story and extending it for no creative reason, is at least finally over
If you’re wondering how this shrug-along horror series has got this far, Renny Harlin shot all three back-to-back in Bratislava in late 2022; reshoots followed the indifferent response to the first chapter in 2024, which didn’t much alleviate the even more indifferent response to last year’s second. We’re getting them whether we wanted them or not: the modest resources had been spent, and so we now arrive at the last knockings which comprise this year’s most dutiful carnage. The mistake is to expand a morally gloomy universe that was better off self-contained; the more light Harlin and collaborators let in, the more their set-up presents as generic runaround, hopelessly out of place amid the recent horror renaissance.
We’re deep into Strangers lore now, but last girl standing Maya (Riverdale graduate Madelaine Petsch, who surely hoped this was her Neve Campbell moment) continues to scurry about a devout woodland community like a bloodied fieldmouse with resting iPhone face; the masked thrill-killers – previously three, now two – have now gained ulterior motives for pursuing her. Also present: tatted survivor Gregory (Gabriel Basso, who must have been hoping for more to do) and ever-shifty Sheriff Rotter (Richard Brake), whose link to the killers is finally made explicit. New blood arrives in the form of Maya’s sister Debbie (Hollyoaks alumna and recent short-film Oscar-winner Rachel Shenton) who comes to town seeking answers, only to be drawn into another round of humdrum stalk-and-slash.
The disgraced royal was sheltered by silence. Accountability to victims must mean testimony abroad and scrutiny at home, not palace containment tactics
When Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his titles last October, it was presented as a final act: a disgraced royal cut loose to protect the monarchy. The Epstein files suggest otherwise. Photographs and emails released by US authorities place Mr Mountbatten-Windsor deep inside Epstein’s network of favours. And they reveal an intimacy that goes far beyond poor judgment by the former prince.
This is no longer about salacious gossip or constitutional niceties, but about providing accountability to victims of sexual abuse. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor insists on his innocence yet refuses to cooperate with investigators. The US Congress continues to pursue Epstein’s connections. In Britain, parliament still averts its gaze. This looks untenable.
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Sonia Bompastor has agreed a contract extension as Chelsea’s head coach, the Guardian can reveal, as the club issue a strong signal of trust and confidence in the Frenchwoman.
Bompastor has been in charge at Chelsea since the summer of 2024, when she succeeded Emma Hayes on a deal to 2028. The 45-year-old completed a domestic season unbeaten during her first year and won a treble, as well as reaching the Women’s Champions League semi-finals.
Jon Ruben, 76, who laced sweets with drugs, used ‘cloak of Christianity’ to abuse children in Leicestershire
A Christian camp leader who sexually abused young boys after lacing sweets with tranquillisers has been jailed for 23 years and 10 months.
Jon Ruben, 76, a retired vet and church youth volunteer, used the “cloak of Christianity” to carry out sexual assaults on vulnerable children, Leicester crown court heard.
Acts are alleged to have occurred in 2024 on set of TV drama The Cleaning Lady, which Busfield acted in and directed
A grand jury in New Mexico has indicted the actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges, officials announced on Friday.
Busfield was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, the Bernalillo county district attorney’s office said in a statement.
In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
Exclusive: Sasan Ghandehari reluctant to share details of $10bn trust in row with Christie’s auction house
A high court battle over a Picasso painting has shone a light on the offshore financial structures of an Iranian-born businessman who paid for Nigel Farage’s £50,000 trip to Davos.
The details about Sasan Ghandehari, who funded Farage’s tickets to the summit, emerged in court papers about a £4m claim brought by a British Virgin Islands firm, which has accused Christie’s auction house of misrepresentation when it sold the art to it.
Exclusive: Material gathered was personally given to Josh Simons when chair of pro-Starmer thinktank, say sources
A Labour minister was provided with intelligence files gathered on journalists investigating the thinktank that helped propel Keir Starmer to power, the Guardian has learned.
The documents were personally given to Josh Simons, now a minister in the Cabinet Office, when he was chair of Labour Together, according to sources.
Two coins celebrating Queen Elizabeth II criticised for failing to resemble late monarch
Two Australian coins commemorating Queen Elizabeth II have been criticised for failing to resemble the late monarch.
The $5 (£2.56) and 50c (26p) silver coins, created by Royal Australian Mint to commemorate the centenary of the queen’s birth, were released in an online ballot that closed on Wednesday.
The latest tranche of Epstein files has sent shock waves around the world, but many of the powerful men who minimised and dismissed his crimes are still yet to face any real consequences. The documents show the likes of Noam Chomsky and Steve Bannon were happy to maintain relationships with Epstein even after he spent time in jail for child sex offences. What message does that send to the abused women and girls, whose experiences should be the real focus? And will these men ever be held to account? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian columnist Marina Hyde.
Files released by DoJ reveal the financier engaging in efforts to blunt the impact of the movement as it was gaining ground
In August 2018, as the #MeToo movement spread across social media and women around the world demanded justice from sexual predators, Michael Wolff, a journalist, forwarded Jeffrey Epstein a plea for help. Wolff wanted Epstein to support Stephen Elliott, a writer looking to sue the creator of the Shitty Media Men List, a crowd-sourced Google Doc that detailed anonymous allegations of misconduct against dozens of men who worked in the media industry.
“I have always thought that the way back from this climate is through specific instances of individuals successfully challenging their persecution,” Wolff wrote to Epstein, according to emails released in a tranche from the so-called Epstein files. “If his story is solid he might be worth supporting.”
Zubayar al-Bakoush is suspected in Libya attack resulting in deaths of US ambassador and three other Americans
The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, announced on Friday the arrest of a “key participant” in the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack that killed four US government officials, including the US ambassador to Libya, J Christopher Stevens.
Bondi said the suspect, Zubayar al-Bakoush, was taken into US custody at 3am ET on Friday. “We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law. He’ll face charges related to murder, terrorism, arson, among others,” Bondi told reporters at a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington DC.
Despite Aston Villa’s twin-engine strike force being linked with moves elsewhere just over a year ago, Unai Emery was dreaming of a dynasty. “Hopefully we can be together with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Durán for 10 years,” he told reporters with the optimistic tone of a man who hadn’t yet checked the young Colombian’s WhatsApp status. “Maybe 12 years, maybe 15!” Despite interest at the time from Arsenal, Watkins remains at Villa but his considerably younger former teammate has just forced a move to his third club in three different time zones since leaving Birmingham. Of course, it’s no secret that he has form in the itchy feet department, as Villa fans who remember his ill-advised crossed-arms ‘Irons’ pose on a live Social Media Disgrace feed before a move to West Ham that never materialised will attest.
Football Daily gave me a great idea (imagine that!) in yesterday’s Quote of the Day. In every article and letter that you publish, let’s declare the main participant’s age, as of James Milner’s top-flight debut in 2002. I feel like I could learn a lot about Noble Francis and the other regulars like this” – Mike Wilner (Milner +36).
I was at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco last weekend for the Manet & Morisot exhibition when I saw a fellow museum-goer wearing a Manchester City scarf, but looking distinguished otherwise. I was tempted to ask him what he was doing there because the Monet exhibition isn’t until next month” – Peter Oh.
A crypto startup founded by Trump’s family signed a huge deal with the UAE president’s brother. Where’s the political fallout?
Days before Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, an investment firm controlled by a senior member of the United Arab Emirates royal family secretly signed a deal to pay $500m to buy almost half of a cryptocurrency startup founded by the Trump family. Under any other president, such an arrangement, which was revealed this past weekend by the Wall Street Journal, would cause a political earthquake in Washington. There would be demands for an investigation by Congress, televised hearings and months of damage control.
But this latest example of corruption involving Trump and his family business hardly made a blip over the past few days, relegated to a passing headline in a relentless news cycle often dominated by Trump’s actions and statements.
Expectations abound for Six Nations and Bath wing deserves another shot in the starting lineup to show his raw attributes
Optimism abounds about England’s Six Nations chances. They go into a tournament considered as one of the genuine favourites for the title for the first time in years and they have the body of work to back that up after 11 consecutive victories. That sort of winning streak leads to greater expectations but these players can walk tall and handle external pressure.
I would warn against expecting another 50-point victory against Wales on Saturday, however. The fixture list aligns perfectly for England – if Steve Borthwick were to handpick his side’s schedule then this would probably be it – and while I fully expect them to beat Wales and claim a bonus point, we have to remember that they are never at their best at the start of a campaign. The Professional Game Partnership might have made some aspects of bringing together players from 10 different clubs an easier task, but it is still a challenge. As a result, we cannot expect that England will be at their fluent best at Twickenham.
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