Game could be held back without radical change, it says It wants more competitive games for young players Sue Day, the Football Association’s director of women’s football, has defended the governing body’s plans to radically change the structure of the women’s lower leagues, including introducing four Women’s Super League academy sides into third tier, saying she believes the game is at a “crucial turning point”. On Tuesday the Guardian revealed the proposals, which also include a mid-season split in tier three, a financial package of about £1m and enhancements to the loan system, as well as more relegation spots and playoffs in tier four, as part of a major transformation of the Women’s National League’s structure. Reaction has been mixed, with some third-tier coaches heavily critical. Continue reading...

Digital wizard John Gerrard on the energy industry, Michaela Yearwood-Dan’s first UK museum exhibition and a foreboding view from Artemis II – all in your weekly dispatch Extraction This ominous exhibition takes a look at the filthy world of oil, gas and petroleum, all seen through the lens of artists such as biomorphic sculptor Marguerite Humeau and digital wizard John Gerrard. • Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh, 11 April to 26 July Continue reading...

Queenslander clocked 9.96sec in nationals in Sydney Sprinter says he can go even faster In a historic evening for athletics at the national championships at Sydney Olympic Park, Lachie Kennedy became the first Australian 100m sprinter to break the 10-second barrier on home soil. The 22-year-old stormed out of the blocks and surged through the finish line in the first heat of the 100m on Friday night, stopping the clock at 9.96sec with only a modest – and legal – tailwind of +0.3. Continue reading...

In a village in Norway, humans representing flora and fauna of all kinds meet to reimagine ‘nature-centric governance’ “My ask of humans is quite large,” says the northern bat to a room of reindeer, wolf lichen, bog, and other beings. “It’s a shift of consciousness, and an understanding that … we are a relation.” The scene could come from a sci-fi novel imagining a more-than-human uprising. In fact, it’s from a recent “interspecies council” in Oppdal, Norway, in which non-humans – spoken for by humans – convened to discuss the region’s future. Continue reading...

Javier Milei’s reforms to the law will open up high-altitude areas to mining and risk water reserves already strained by the climate crisis, say activists Saul Zeballos was born and raised in Jáchal, a community tucked into the foothills of the Andes in Argentina, drinking water from the river that bears the town’s name. That changed in 2005, when the Veladero gold and silver mine started operating in San Juan province. A decade later, a major cyanide spill from the mine polluted the rivers in the San Juan region, raising fears it could affect waterways downstream in the Jáchal basin, although further studies have shown that cyanide levels remained at safe levels. Two further spills were reported in 2016 and 2017 and are still under investigation. Continue reading...

These gatherings of specialist nurseries are brilliant sources of exciting specimens and expert knowledge Gardeners, a horticultural pal of mine has always said, are an inherently thrifty bunch. Some of us will pay a hefty price for a particularly good pair of secateurs or boots, but in general, the car boot sale spade can be a trusty companion, certain perennials exist to be divided, and seeds are to be saved, swapped and sown. I think that’s why all the plastic tat sold in garden centres – often with a tenuous connection to gardening, at best – winds us up. As one particularly old-school garden writer once espoused, plonking annuals in a window box isn’t gardening, it’s shopping. Still, there are certain commercially minded events that I look forward to with the same fervour I did the Clothes Show at Birmingham NEC as a teenager (if you know, you know); this month is particularly good for them. Continue reading...

John Feeley says US president was ‘flush with victory’ of Maduro capture and could make same mistake in Cuba Donald Trump is “reaping the bitter fruit” of erroneously thinking that the capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, offered a blueprint for toppling the Iranian regime, according to one of the US state department’s most respected former Latin America experts. John Feeley, a Marine helicopter pilot who later served as the US ambassador to Panama, believed Trump had been “flush with the victory from Venezuela” when he made the ill-fated decision to attack Iran in February, leaving a trail of destruction across the Middle East and dealing a hammer blow to the global economy. Continue reading...

The former Fox host has misled the public, prayed for violence and clashed with the press. This is not a serious military leader With his jawline firm and his hair coiffed, Pete Hegseth was a good fit as a Fox News personality. As the defense secretary – or Secretary of War, as his boss, Donald Trump would have it – he’s disastrous. Continue reading...

Designer said to be considering options for his 40% stake in fashion house ahead of negotiations with bank lenders Stefano Gabbana left his post as chair of Dolce & Gabbana at the start of this year, the design house he co-founded with his then partner, Domenico Dolce, in 1985 has said. The Italian luxury fashion house said Gabbana had tendered his resignation, effective as of 1 January, “as part of a natural evolution of its organisational structure and governance”. Continue reading...

The price of silence from western politicians and media outlets over Israel’s actions in Palestine is now being paid by Iranian and Lebanese civilians The president of the United States threatened this week to commit genocide against Iran. As Israel engages in continued bombing in Lebanon, killing more than 200 people in a single day, that fact must never be scrubbed away, not least because there is no guarantee the threat will not be revived. But as we descend towards the abyss, we need to understand where our fall began. “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Donald Trump wrote on Tuesday. Just over a year ago, he announced: “A civilisation has been wiped out in Gaza.” The connection is not hard to trace. Trump knew Gaza had been razed by Israel, insisting it was “not a place for people to be living”. When he joined forces with the perpetrator of that genocide in an illegal war on Iran, the apocalyptic rubble of Gaza became a template. Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Lee Milne sentenced to eight years in landmark case after being found guilty of culpable homicide of Kimberly Milne A man convicted of killing his wife, who took her own life after repeated domestic abuse, has been jailed for eight years in case seen as a significant legal milestone. Kimberly Milne, 28, died when she jumped from a bridge in July 2023. Her estranged husband, Lee Milne, was found guilty of culpable homicide last month after a trial at the high court in Glasgow. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org Continue reading...

Despite a raft of absences, world champions have such depth they will begin the 2026 tournament as firm favourites If there isn’t a conspiracy theory out there about England having a factory that churns out world-class players then there should be. The Red Roses squad will be without at least eight Rugby World Cup winners because of injury, pregnancies and retirements for the Women’s Six Nations but they are still overwhelming favourites for a grand slam. For others, a squad so depleted would throw their campaign into chaos, but not for England. Abby Dow has retired? The brilliant Claudia Moloney-MacDonald can be brought in. The captain, Zoe Stratford, is pregnant? World Rugby player of the year nominee Meg Jones steps up to take the armband. The seemingly endless conveyor belt of generational stars at England’s disposal is why they have been able to dominate the world stage for the past few years. That and bringing in full-time contracts before anyone else. Continue reading...

City Hall, Sheffield The masterful performer previews her allegorical new album about the ‘fight for democracy over tyranny’ amid a set full of immaculate musicianship Ahead of her 18th studio album, In Times of Dragons, and on her first tour in three years, Tori Amos is navigating the brutal state of the world in a way only she knows how: by channelling Celtic gods and turning into a half-dragon, half-woman character. The allegorical tales that make up her forthcoming record – “a metaphorical story about the fight for democracy over tyranny” – are evident on the early outing and live debut of Shush. A dark, doomy, track that slowly unfurls like a southern gothic tale, albeit one about battling an evil billionaire lizard demon husband. It’s big, dramatic, world-building stuff. But it’s also emblematic of Amos’s knack for delivering complex, weighty subject matter with deftness and fluidity. However, this is not a run through of her as-yet-unreleased album. Instead, Amos dives deep into her vast and sprawling back catalogue, from the delicate deep cut Ruby Through the Looking-Glass to the atmospheric, slow-burn jazzy grooves of Little Amsterdam. Continue reading...

Spurs head coach’s apology for past comments about his former player were important but insufficient. If we want things to change in football, we need some accountability Roberto De Zerbi apologised in his first interview as Tottenham’s head coach for past comments about Mason Greenwood when the forward was his player at Marseille. Spurs supporter groups, including Proud Lilywhites and Women of the Lane, both of which I co-founded, were among those who criticised him. De Zerbi said he had never meant to downplay male violence against women. (Greenwood denied charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2022 and the case was discontinued.) That he responded at all matters. Silence from men in positions of power on these issues is its own problem, and I would rather see someone engage than retreat. But what the response offered was self-description rather than accountability. And in this context, that is not enough. I will come to that. Continue reading...

Powerful storm brings destruction, while temperatures soar in Vietnam and torrential rain lashes South Korea Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila, currently in the Solomon Sea, is expected to continue moving south-westwards over the coming days. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Maila had peak sustained winds of 115mph (185k/ph), with gusts up to 160mph on Thursday, making it the strongest cyclone recorded this far north in the Solomon Sea. The storm has caused widespread damage across the Solomon Islands, particularly in Western, Choiseul and Isabel provinces, where schools, clinics and homes have been damaged. The government is prioritising humanitarian assistance, after about 120 people were displaced and almost 73,000 people affected overall. Continue reading...

The South African author on discovering Colette, being inspired by JG Ballard, and the subversive joys of Asako Yuzuki My earliest reading memory The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss, particularly the little red fan the cat holds in the tip of its tail. At the age of five, I was reading The Famous Five, getting to grips with Enid Blyton’s most complex characters, Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin. I was born in apartheid South Africa. The children in the Famous Five series had no human rights problems and it is set in Dorset, a landscape that was totally unknown to me. My bedroom window in Johannesburg looked out on a garden of bone-white grass and a peach tree. My favourite book growing up I was delighted to move on to the imaginative sophistication of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. CS Lewis’s lucky strike was to come up with the idea that a wardrobe was the portal to another world. Although she terrified me, I wanted to meet the White Witch, who rode on a sleigh pulled by white reindeer. Continue reading...

Stars including Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, David Byrne and Addison Rae also head to the desert for the first of two sold-out weekends of live music Justin Bieber is set for a major live performance comeback at this year’s sold-out Coachella with rainy weather set to be a possible spoiler. The Canadian singer will face his biggest live stage since he abandoned his 2022 tour over health concerns. Bieber was experiencing “full paralysis” on one side of his face after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. “I wish this wasn’t the case but obviously my body is telling me I gotta slow down,” he said at the time. Continue reading...

After last season’s near-miss, the leaders are two points clear of Rochdale, who they play in what could yet be a final-day shootout York is a city famed for centurions of the Roman kind, but now its football club are centurions too. With 101 points on the board and 109 goals scored, the Minstermen have a Football League return firmly in their sights after a decade away. It has been a gruelling journey, punctuated by a near miss last season. The job isn’t done, but Monday’s last-gasp win against Altrincham put them two points clear of Rochdale at the top of the National League with three games to play. Tantalisingly, they go to Rochdale for what could be a final-day shootout for the one automatic promotion spot on 25 April. Traditional pre-match pies, fans enjoy themselves and Yorkie the mascot. Continue reading...

As The Super Mario Galaxy Movie storms the box office, we look back at the best forgotten games inspired by Tetris, Lemmings and … vitamins? It should be no surprise that the latest Super Mario movie is smashing box office records – despite the, let’s say mixed, reviews. Nintendo’s iconic plumber has been a pop culture staple for 45 years, starring in some of the bestselling video games ever made, from the original Donkey Kong through to the joyous Super Mario Bros Wonder and the chaotic Mario Kart World. But as with any storied showbiz career, there have been some lesser works. Who can forget – or actually remember – Hotel Mario, a door-shutting puzzle game for the doomed Philips CD-i console? Or what about Mario Teaches Typing, a 1992 educational game for the PC in which players navigate the Mushroom Kingdom by … correctly inputting words. Yet there have also been genuine treasures lost along the way. Here, then, are six of our favourite much-overlooked Mario odysseys. Continue reading...

Updates from the second round of Championship games Sign up for The Spin | And mail Tanya or comment BTL Middlesex 22 Derbyshire 16 Continue reading...

Opposition candidate Péter Magyar warns supporters against complacency as some voters undecided ahead of Sunday in Budapest We talked to a few Budapest residents this morning in the city centre at Jászai Mari Square. Continue reading...

Residents of Fleetwood say continuous foul smell from Transwaste site is making life hell and making them sick In the week that many families took to the coast for the fresh sea air or the tang of fish and chips, visitors to one Lancashire resort inhaled a rather more unpleasant aroma. “Welcome to Fleetwood,” read the local newspaper headline. “The town that smells of bin juice.” Continue reading...

(New Year) Londoner Alex Peringer breaks from his intriguing and outlandish dance music with this debut album of charming bedroom-pop ballads A decade ago, Londoner Alex Peringer intrigued underground club circles with his outlandish take on dance music. Structured around dizzying time signatures and wry tales of unfulfilling lovers and pills gone wrong, his tracks referenced everything from UK funky to new wave and sea shanties. Then came several years of near silence – now broken by this self-released debut album, How Long Has It Been? The record acknowledges this break not just in the title, but also in its sound. On first listen, it couldn’t seem more different to Peringer’s early work, with those discordant constructions now replaced by the warm tinkering of the Rhodes electric piano and ostensibly earnest sentiment. But traces of that eccentricity still linger in this collection of atmospheric bedroom-pop ballads. The record takes winter as its theme, though it feels fitting for this transitional time of year, with its stories of introspection and dodgy weather set against soft, simple arrangements. A handful of subtly wonky elements stop it from sounding overly polished or guileless: Before and After slips in a reference to a “fateful bong”; on the dreamy duet Two Lovers, glitches cut through the twinkling keys and mumblecore guest vocals. Elsewhere, the chords waver on Black Keys, one of several gorgeous and forlorn instrumentals. Continue reading...

⚽️ News and buildup before a big weekend of football ⚽️ Read the latest Football Daily | And you can mail Barry Column: While his “big team who win things” (well, the odd thing) are hovering above the Premier League relegation zone, his small team who never win anything have just dropped out of the League Two automatic promotion places. It’s small wonder the Guardian’s Football Weekly presenter Max Rushden is a bag of nerves … Tottenham Hotspur: While he has already been interviewed by the club media team, Roberto De Zerbi’s maiden press conference as Spurs head coach is likely to be today’s hottest ticket in town. The Italian is scheduled to speak to the media at 1.30pm (GMT), ahead of his side’s match against Sunderland on Sunday afternoon. If West Ham beat the Premier League’s bottom side, Wolves, at the London Stadium tonight, Spurs will be in the relegation zone when their game kicks off at the Stadium of Light. Continue reading...

Reports say Fed chair Jerome Powell among attenders at meeting in Washington The US Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, summoned major American bank chiefs to a meeting in Washington this week amid concerns over the cyber risks posed by Anthropic’s latest AI model, according to reports. Bosses including the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, were said to have gathered at the Treasury headquarters for the meeting after the release of the Claude Mythos AI model that Anthropic says poses unprecedented cybersecurity risks. Continue reading...