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Labour can justify local government reform. It cannot justify delaying elections. Tweaking maps won’t enrage voters; stagnant pay and broken services will Being forced to abandon plans to delay local elections in England with fewer than three months’ notice is not just another policy U-turn by the government. It brings to a head issues of aptitude and judgment. The rationale seemed sound: avoid electing councillors to bodies that would be abolished under Labour’s reorganisation of local government. The political problem was that 21 of the 30 councils were Labour-led. That created a perception – fair or not – of democratic manipulation. The elections should have gone ahead. The Electoral Commission last December warned of “unprecedented” uncertainty around them. The commission was clear: “Scheduled elections should as a rule go ahead as planned, and only be postponed in exceptional circumstances.” Changing course late in the day puts their smooth running at risk and piles pressure ...

⚽ Champions League updates from the first-leg matches ⚽ Live scores | Follow us over on Bluesky | And email Scott The free kick is just to the right of the Juve box. Gabriel Sara whips it in viciously. All Davinson Sánchez has to do is tickle the ball with his eyebrow to send it across Michele Di Gregorio and into the top left. He couldn’t miss! Sara put that on a plate, a world-class delivery. And the hosts respond to Juve’s turnaround with one of their own. What a match this is! Galatasaray 2-2 Juventus. Juan Cabal brings down Barış Alper Yılmaz, flying down the right, just to the side of the box. Cabal goes into the book, and nearly earns a second booking by pawing at the referee’s arm, Danny Makkelie telling him to get his hands off in angry fashion. And from the resulting free kick … Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/oX07tpO

Top dozen horses for Aintree all rated 160 or above I Am Maximus is top weight above Nick Rockett The unveiling of the weights for the 2026 Grand National started with a montage of clips from 50 years ago, when the world’s most famous steeplechase was at its lowest ebb, the crowd had dipped below 10,000 and the track was odds-on to be sold off for housing. It was, as Ruby Walsh pointed out on the voiceover, a reminder of how the National has been revived and transformed. A glance back no further than the 2011 Grand National, however, also offers clear evidence of how much the great race has changed, even in the space of 15 years. The field, of course, is now down to a maximum of 34, rather than the 40 runners that we all grew up with, but it is the depth of quality in the names, ratings and weights that were published on Tuesday that stands out. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/O2dJvKV

Official rules say government should keep gifts worth more than £140 unless ministers pay the value over that limit Keir Starmer has bought a pair of personalised silver cufflinks which were given to him by Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, according to the latest transparency records . The cufflinks, which were worth more than £140, were an official gift from the Trumps during the US president’s second state visit last September. They were the second gift from Trump that Starmer has chosen to buy, having paid for a personalised necklace last year. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WIN9GgL

Dana Eden, 52, co-creator of hit TV series Tehran, reported to have taken her own life on Sunday, according to Greek police The co-creator of an Israeli hit TV series has been found dead in a hotel room in Athens where the fourth season of the spy thriller is being filmed. Dana Eden, 52, was discovered by her brother late on Sunday, Greek police said, attributing her death to suicide. Her passing was described as “a moment of great sorrow for the family, friends, and colleagues” by Donna and Shula Productions, the international production company set up by Eden. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie . In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org , or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue ...

Ofelia Torres, 16, spotlighted her dad Ruben’s illegal detention last fall during Trump’s crackdown in Chicago A Chicago teenager, whose father was detained by immigration authorities while she navigated cancer, died on Friday, a family spokesperson said. Ofelia Torres, a 16-year-old in Chicago, had been undergoing treatment for an aggressive and rare form of cancer since late 2024. As she and her family struggled with the medical procedures, her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was detained by immigration authorities while at a Home Depot in October, leading to a contentious and public case that highlighted the human effects of the Trump administration ’s aggressive immigration crackdown . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lK4cZS6

Love has long been framed as a pursuit of the young, but this narrative lags behind reality As Valentine’s Day approaches, we are once again flooded with the usual suspects: roses, chocolates, sophisticated dinners and glossy ads featuring young heterosexual couples staring earnestly into each other’s eyes. The problem isn’t just that this version of romance is exclusionary – though it is – it’s that it’s profoundly out of step with how love is actually being lived, negotiated and reimagined in contemporary Australia. Culturally, love has long been framed as a pursuit of the young. From Romeo and Juliet to Normal People, from Bridget Jones to When Harry Met Sally, romantic fulfilment is depicted as something you secure early; ideally before your knees give out or your mortgage locks in. The message is consistent: find love in your twenties or thirties, settle down, and then coast (emotionally paired and narratively complete) until death do you part. Lisa Portolan is an academic. Her...

Residents who escaped violence tell of bandits riding in on motorbikes and shooting indiscriminately Armed assailants on motorbikes killed at least 30 people and burned houses and shops during raids on three villages in north-west Nigeria’s Niger state early on Saturday, residents who escaped the violence told Reuters. The attacks on villages in the Borgu local government area, near the border with Benin Republic, are part of a surge in attacks blamed on “bandits” who have carried out deadly assaults, abductions for ransom, and displaced communities across northern Nigeria. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/BgWF9ip

At a moment of stagnation and political drift, Andy Burnham’s push for a new plan suggests the centre-left debate has moved beyond Downing Street Once a political leader’s net favourability sinks deep into negative territory, recovery is the exception, not the rule. It usually takes an economic rebound, a dramatic political reset or an opposition implosion to reverse the slide. Sir Keir Starmer’s personal ratings are in a danger zone from which few escape. Yet the prime minister, like the Bourbons, has learnt nothing and forgotten nothing. He made a speech this week after coming close to being ousted suggesting he would “ fight ” on. He doubled down in parliament despite glaring errors in judgment. He forced out his cabinet secretary while his own failures remain unaddressed. He seemed to blame everyone but himself. When support slips and a leader answers with defiance, voters don’t see strength – they see denial. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this arti...

⚽ FA Cup fourth-round updates, 7.45pm (GMT) kick-off ⚽ Live scoreboard | Follow us on Bluesky | Email John Seven changes for Chelsea with Cole Palmer, Malo Gusto, Josh Acheampong, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro all stepping down. It still looks a pretty strong team though how cohesive will the starting team be? Si x changes, and with some regret for Hull , with the EFL a clear priority. Not much magic in a selection that drops Ivor Pandur, Charlie Hughes, John Lundstram, Joe Gelhardt, Oli McBurnie and Kyle Joseph. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Bto7I1c

Here’s how to follow along with our coverage – the finest writing and up-to-the-minute reports Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZOiUq3G

Doubling of fish biomass and rebounding of endangered species shows government measures starting to work, biologists say The Yangtze River in China, which has been in ecological decline for 70 years, is showing signs of recovery thanks to a sweeping fishing ban. The ban was made more effective by the implementation of “evolutionary game theory”, which included finding alternative employment for fishers. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zToc7hd

US attorney general Pam Bondi and veteran affairs secretary Doug Collins clash with House Democrats; Trump hosts Netanyahu amid Iran tensions Transportation secretary Sean Duffy said the El Paso airport closure was to “address a cartel drone incursion”. “The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region,” Duffy said on social media. “The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pkithxT

Kalshi says ‘incredible weekend’ after $145m in bets on Bad Bunny’s opening song and guests during half-time show Online prediction market Kalshi hit a daily record on Super Bowl Sunday, surpassing $1bn in trading volume, the company announced on Tuesday. Kalshi’s CEO, Tarek Mansour, called it an “incredible weekend”, telling CNBC that “Kalshi was the biggest brand of the Super Bowl this year, without running a Super Bowl ad”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5s4XuiY

Prosecutor claims Juan Pablo Guanipa was re-arrested due to non-compliance with terms of release One of Venezuela’s most prominent opposition politicians, Juan Pablo Guanipa, has been detained by security forces just hours after being released from prison, as the South American country’s leaders sent mixed signals about their commitment to political reform after Nicolás Maduro’s downfall. Guanipa, who is a close ally of the Nobel laureate María Corina Machado, emerged from nearly nine months’ detention on Sunday – one of at least 35 political prisoners to be freed over the course of the day. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/E0kI6oL

‘You can’t underestimate these guys any more’ Curran’s final-over heroics sealed four-run win England flirted with one of the great T20 World Cup upsets in Mumbai before getting their campaign under way with victory against Nepal by four runs and, although they did not lose the game, Sam Curran insisted they had lost any sense of complacency. “We take those two points and take great confidence, because it wouldn’t have been a nice dressing room this evening,” said Curran, who conceded just five runs in the final over to decide the game. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/P0tLEqS

The Seahawks quarterback was once seen as just another high-profile quarterback bust. But now he is one win from clinching the NFL title For the teams, the reality of the Super Bowl hits like deja vu: a ritual they’ve watched and fantasized about for years suddenly arrives, sucking them into its vast, chaotic center. For Sam Darnold, though, it’s a reality come full circle. San Francisco, after all, was the city that gave him a chance after he crashed and burned in New York and washed out in Carolina, long after most around the NFL had consigned him to history’s pile of first-round draft busts. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/KZkBa0w

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 ...

After weeks of talks mining companies say they cannot reach a deal that delivers value for shareholders Rio Tinto and Glencore have abandoned plans for a $260bn merger, walking away from a deal that would have created the world’s largest mining company. Rio Tinto said it was no longer considering a “merger or other business combination” with Glencore after it “determined that it could not reach an agreement that would deliver value to its shareholders”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/K3M9F0J

British firms could get more opportunities to supply defence equipment to Kyiv if agreement can be reached The UK could reap greater benefits from a €90bn (£78bn) EU loan for Ukraine, if it agrees to help pay the cost of borrowing, after European countries signed off long-awaited financial aid for Kyiv. British firms could have greater opportunities to supply defence equipment to Ukraine funded by the loan, if the government agrees a “fair” contribution towards EU borrowing costs. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/kjqIrtg