Leeds took another significant step towards Premier League survival with a second crucial victory in the space of five days, as Daniel Farke’s side dispatched of the bottom side Wolves: whose own fate is now almost officially sealed. A run of six league games without a win had threatened to drag Leeds back towards the bottom three at precisely the wrong time of the season. However, the Whites’ historic first league win at Manchester United since 1981 on Monday night was backed up in West Yorkshire with another crucial victory when it mattered most. Continue reading...

Labour calls on Nigel Farage to sack candidates and says his party’s checks ‘clearly not fit for purpose’ Reform UK’s checks on candidates are “clearly not fit for purpose”, Labour has said after two more candidates in May’s local elections were accused of making offensive or potentially racist social media posts. Meanwhile, it emerged that Restore Britain, the party set up by the MP Rupert Lowe after he left Reform, appeared to have accepted a donation from someone who has called publicly on social media for “another Hitler” to come to power. Continue reading...

⚽️ Premier League updates from the 5.30pm BST kick-off ⚽ Live scores | Latest tables | Top scorers | Email Simon Look who’s back! As it happens, Roberto De Zerbi was asked yesterday about James Maddison and the possibility of him returning from injury. This is what he said: I don’t know yet. I don’t want to push too much. I’m used to waiting for the players when they are available, totally available to play and to restart the training, because it’s better to lose one game more than to take a risk for another new injury. Continue reading...

⚽️ World Cup 2027 qualifying news, 5.30pm BST kick-off ⚽️ England face landmark 500th game | Mail Xaymaca Hello and welcome to minute-by-minute coverage of Iceland v England in the Women’s World Cup qualifier at the Laugardalsvöllur Stadium. Today’s game is the Lionesses’ 500th of all time. In the build up to this one, the players have paid tribute to and heard from some of the pioneers who came before them. Lucy Bronze, who has 146 caps for England, said: “It’s crazy in two ways. On the one hand it’s only been 500, but at the same time - oh my God - it’s 500 games.” A win today would maintain a 100% record in Group A3 for Sarina Wiegman’s side as they push for automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. Iceland need to put in a strong performance to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat against England six weeks ago. Their only win in the group came four days ago in the form of a 1-0 victory over Ukraine. Thorsteinn Halldórsson’s side will take heart from England’s previous struggles against similarly ranked teams such as Belgium and Portugal. Continue reading...

The chancellor has wisely vowed to drive down the annual deficit, but long-term defence investment must not be delayed There is a good reason Rachel Reeves is wary of the dreaded bond market vigilantes. Anyone who inherits a mountain of debt and then finds out that many of the lenders act like sharks is right to be concerned. Most of the participants in financial markets are not actively predatory. They swim in a sea of money with only one rule, to stick together, hoovering up as much profit as they can at the lowest risk. Continue reading...

Scotland 7-84 England Red Roses in unstoppable mood at Murrayfield The fortress walls of Murrayfield were finally at Scotland women’s disposal for their first standalone game at the stadium but England rocked its foundations with a statement performance where fans were left questioning if the world champions had injury issues at all. The 30,498 crowd was a record attendance for a women’s solo sporting event in Scotland and they were largely silenced. Scotland were sloppy, conceding the most points against England since 2011 and they will have to be sharper when they face Italy in the next round. Continue reading...

(Warner Records) The ‘Queen of Pop’ conjures the heady vibes of a small hours dance floor with this exceptionally crafted single Recent years have not been particularly kind to Madonna. Her tours have been dogged by controversy of a very different type to the scandal she once happily courted: in 2024 some disgruntled fans attempted to sue her for turning up on stage two hours later than scheduled. Her albums have garnered a noticeably mixed reception and sold in increasingly diminishing quantities, each one shifting half what its predecessor did: she dismissed 2012’s MDNA and 2015’s Rebel Heart as albums she made “reluctantly”, but there were fewer takers still for 2019’s Madame X, an authentically bizarre patchwork of trap, reggaeton, Portuguese fado and politically inclined lyrics. Continue reading...

Defeat leaves Foxes five points off safety with three games left Oxford stay 22nd after 1-0 loss at Derby; Millwall 2-0 QPR Ibane Bowat’s second-half goal was enough to lead Portsmouth to a vital 1-0 win at home to their relegation rivals Leicester as the Foxes plunged a huge step closer to League One. The substitute Bowat’s scruffy 63rd-minute strike from a corner earned Pompey a third straight win to leave them one win from staying up. It is now one win in 17 for the hapless Foxes, whose demotion to the third tier 10 years after winning the Premier League could be confirmed as soon as Tuesday night, when they host Hull, dependant on any points deduction for West Brom. Continue reading...

Molotov cocktail attack on OpenAI CEO’s home comes amid growing discontent against artificial intelligence In the early hours of 10 April, a man approached the gate of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s house in San Francisco and hurled a molotov cocktail at the building before fleeing. The suspect, 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama, was arrested less than two hours later while allegedly attempting to break into the headquarters of OpenAI with a jug of kerosene, a lighter and an anti-AI manifesto. Federal and California state authorities have charged Moreno-Gama with a range of crimes including attempted arson and attempted murder. His parents issued a statement this week saying that their son had recently suffered a mental health crisis. Moreno-Gama, who has not yet entered a plea, faces up to life in prison if convicted. Continue reading...

Grammy-winning songwriter says she was deceived into pregnancy, and that cases like hers fall between the cracks When the Grammy award winning songwriter, Olivia Nervo, agreed to start a family with her partner she believed she was in “a monogamous, committed relationship leading to a future”, and had never heard of reproductive coercion. Her world came crashing down when she was six months pregnant and she found out that her partner was in a relationship with another woman who was also pregnant, and with whom he already had a child. Continue reading...

Construction was stopped after suit challenged president’s authority to raze East Wing without congressional approval The Trump administration can continue building a $400m White House ballroom at the site of the former East Wing, a US appeals court ruled on Friday. The three-judge panel of the US court of appeals for Washington DC granted the administration a stay of an order days earlier that had aimed to halt most aboveground construction. That earlier order had resulted from a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged whether Donald Trump had the authority to raze the East Wing and construct the ballroom without congressional approval. Continue reading...

The grind to Europe continues for Brentford. A goalless west London derby with Fulham made it five league draws in succession for Keith Andrews’ side, the chance to go within touching distance of Liverpool squandered. The saviour for Fulham was Bernd Leno with a staggering reflex save in the final minute of regular time, tipping over Dango Ouattara’s close-range effort. Calvin Bassey, the hulking centre-back, was quick to hug his keeper, recognising the game-saving moment. Continue reading...

Rising sea levels and ecological damage caused by heavy use of flood defence system force city authorities to consider next move The Arsenale, the colossal shipyard that was the engine of the Venetian Republic’s domination for seven centuries, remains the nucleus of the city’s control over the water. Its northern section is made up of cavernous brick warehouses called capannoni, which in the 16th century could produce a warship a day through a rigorously ordered assembly line. Now, one of them houses the operations centre of the Mose, the sprawling flood defence system that protects the city. Continue reading...

It breaks my heart to see young people disengaged when so much inspiration is within reach. I want our new museum to bridge that gap Gus Casely-Hayford is director of V&A East One of the most affecting of the many artist commissions that have found a home in the circulation spaces of the new V&A East museum is an exquisite indigo, cobalt blue and cyan stained-glass window, Towards a Civic Museum. Part of our series of New Work commissions, it was created by the Cuban artist Tania Bruguera in extended consultation with a dozen young east Londoners from our V&A East Youth Collective. It is an unusual piece of stained glass, at once a map of the four boroughs that bound our site on the Olympic Park and a list of wishes, a contract between east London and V&A East. Created in the post-pandemic period, it advances aspirations, something I imagine that all reasonable museum professionals would wish for our sector: that we are open, accessible, useful, relevant and engaged. That we care for and reflect the needs of the communities we serve. That we are transparent, encourage advocacy, demonstrate generosity, equity, accountability, sustainability and – critically – a willingness to collaborate. Continue reading...

The restaurant is to cut more than a fifth of its outlets amid an onslaught from supermarkets and rival chains When Franco Manca first opened in south London’s Brixton Market in 2008, its competitively priced sourdough pizzas served in a sophisticated setting quickly drew a buzz. “It was all the rage,” says food blogger Gerry del Guercio of BiteTwice, who visited in the early days and recalls the novelty of seeing queues forming for pizza in London. “It was just desperately cool, and everyone wanted to try.” Continue reading...

⚽️ Follow goal updates and much more on our clockwatch ⚽ Live scores | Latest tables | Top scorers | And mail John From our weekend digest, Louise Taylor’s take on that huge game for Leeds. Leeds are morphing from relegation contenders to reverse kingmakers with a key role to play in determining the identity of the teams that end up descending to the Championship. Thanks to Monday night’s fully merited 2-1 win at Manchester United – their first league victory at Old Trafford since 1981 – Daniel Farke’s 15th-placed side moved six points clear of the relegation zone with six games remaining. A win against rock-bottom Wolves at Elland Road on Saturday would lift Leeds to the virtual sanctuary of 39 points but it is just the first of four impending matches against the bottom four. With Burnley still to visit West Yorkshire and Leeds facing trips to Tottenham and then, on the final day, West Ham, Farke’s FA Cup semi-finalists will likely have a significant say in who finishes where when the top-tier music stops next month. Louise Taylor Continue reading...

After the attempted arson attack on a London synagogue, communities remain determined that ‘building higher walls’ will not stem rising tide of antisemitism “How good and how wonderful it is when friends sit together,” reads a quote from the Psalms painted high on the wall inside Finchley Reform Synagogue (FRS). For the congregation gathering in a cheerful hubbub before its Shabbat service on Friday evening, that felt like an especially apt sentiment. Three days after the synagogue was the victim of an attempted firebombing, hundreds of members made an extra effort to get together in determined if slightly nervy solidarity, joined by guests including local politicians, other faith leaders, police officers – and one particularly special group of neighbours. Continue reading...

Changing climate, new techniques and a homegrown study programme have all helped drive a UK viticulture boom Rows of vines stretch across the rolling hills of rural Dorset. Currently waist height, they appear bare against a bleak spring sky. Up close, you can see they are already dotted with tiny woolly buds as they exit their winter dormancy for a new growth cycle. Come summer these rows will be laden with chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes, ready to make the latest batch of English sparkling wine from the Langham estate near Dorchester. Continue reading...

Justice for Fayed and Harrods Survivors group claim there are ‘dozens of individuals who must be held to account’ A group of 50 survivors of alleged sexual abuse by Harrods’ former owner Mohamed Al Fayed are calling for “meaningful consequences” for those who they claim facilitated and ignored the abuse. “If they think the money is the important factor they are so far off the mark,” said Jen Mills, a member of the Justice for Fayed and Harrods Survivors group. They claim there are “dozens of individuals who must be held to account”, from a range of eras. Continue reading...

Herbs, spices and love may be the secret to great falafel, but which supermarket versions hit chickpea perfection and which are over-processed duds? • The best tinned and jarred chickpeas It was surprisingly hard to find good, traditional falafels in the supermarkets for this test. While most of those on offer were delicious, many had long, complex ingredients lists, other than two standouts made with just chickpeas, herbs, spices and sodium bicarbonate. Even some of the better falafels had unnecessarily long ingredients lists, despite being relatively minimally processed, but at their worst, some of these falafels were much more processed and included dehydrated potato flakes, pea protein, refined soya bean oil and stabilisers. The best, however, were delicious and contained lots of herbs, spices and even love. Continue reading...

Women’s Six Nations updates, 1.30pm BST kick-off Scotland ready for Murrayfield landmark | Mail Daniel Hi everyone! Welcome to the second round of the 2026 Women’s Six Nations. England have travelled north of the border in search of a 25th consecutive win over Scotland in the competition. And you wouldn’t bet against them, would you? Continue reading...

⚽️ Premier League updates from the 12.30pm BST kick-off ⚽ Live scores | Latest tables | Top scorers | And email Tim All quiet on the west London front. If you’ve never sent us an email, now might be a good time. A tale of two benches … Brentford’s is short of experience and stuffed with defenders, whereas Fulham’s has a full front six and flair to spare. Continue reading...

Manager goes into Sunday’s showdown with Arsenal as a subplot bubbles regarding whether this is a farewell title tilt Manchester City versus Arsenal on Sunday is a showdown for the ages. Second hosting first at what is likely to be a febrile Etihad Stadium might well be scripted by a Hollywood studio. Enter Pep Guardiola and the box‑office subplot of whether this could be his swansong season and, as such, a farewell tilt at the championship of an epoch-defining period piloting City. Lose to Arsenal and Guardiola’s hope of a seventh crown will be all but extinguished. He would have “only” the FA Cup left to add to 16 major honours won while in charge at City, the last being last month’s fifth League Cup triumph – over Arsenal. Defeat the visitors, however, and you would not bet against Guardiola leading his team home for a grandstand finish to the campaign – and his tenure. City would be only three points behind Arsenal with an extra match to play. Continue reading...

Cities look to registration, regulation and infrastructure improvement to cut number of e-bike injuries and deaths The increasing number of traumatic injuries from e-bikes in the United States has caught the attention of physicians, lawmakers, pedestrians and others. While there is a shared concern about people recklessly riding the trendy machines, there are significant differences among roadway safety advocates about the best ways to prevent accidents – including whether the government should focus on improving infrastructure rather than regulating e-bikes. Continue reading...

Suspicious wagers on the US-Israel war in Iran are creating huge windfalls and raising concerns among lawmakers Sixteen bets made $100,000 accurately predicting the timing of the US airstrikes against Iran on 27 February. Later, a single user would make over $550,000 after betting that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would topple, just moments before his assassination by Israeli forces. On 7 April, right before Donald Trump announced a temporary ceasefire with Iran, traders bet $950m that oil prices would come down. They did. These bets and other well-timed wagers accurately predicted the precise timing of major developments in the US-Israel war with Iran, creating huge windfalls and raising concerns among lawmakers and experts over potential insider trading. Continue reading...