You need to check where you stand legally, but I fear you’re being taken advantage of and will have to ask her to leave In spring 2022, my husband and I were lucky enough to sell our house for a profit and, with help from my parents, bought a much bigger home. At the time, my friend was going through a tough time, so I asked if she would like to move in with us and our two children. There was no written agreement, but the plan was that she would either quit her job and retrain, or save for her own place and move out in six months to a year. She pays us £350 a month, which goes towards energy bills, bar a three-month period when she wasn’t working. I also gave her money towards taking a course. She hasn’t retrained, got a new job or saved for a new place. And she doesn’t have the money to move out. I feel trapped and resent all I have to do as a working mum while she’s here, but that’s compounded by guilt as I know I’m very privileged to have a big house and a well-paid job. I hate that she sees me at my worst (rowing with my husband/sorting out arguments between the kids) and I feel as if I’m constantly keeping my emotions in check around her. Our friendship feels warped into a parent-child dynamic. Continue reading...

Punchy cocktails and roaringly traditional Greek food in the heart of Birmingham Cylla, a classy Greek restaurant on Newhall Street, Birmingham, draws inspiration, it says, from Scylla, the legendary Greek man-eating sea monster that lives close to the whirlpools of Charybdis. She’s a beautiful woman, but has six dog heads, all grumpy and snarling, as well as a serpent’s tail. If Scylla herself were ever to turn up at Cylla, dogs’ heads barking and tail flapping, they’d have to seat her in one of the gorgeous private booths at the front as you enter the room. These are the spots to grab if you want a little privacy, which is why we eschewed the long, prettily lit cocktail bar and headed straight to this cosy hidey-hole for a round of Poseidon’s Wrath. “It’s a bit like a dirty martini,” explained our server, who was one of those warm, bright, commanding, knowledgable souls who, in a hospitality setting, is worth her weight in drachma. This invigorating, mega-bitter tipple of vodka and vermouth laced with piney, herbaceous mastiha, seaweed and kalamata olive brine is the cocktail equivalent of being rescued by the RNLI: salty, breathtaking and head-spinning. Fret not, sweetness seekers, because they also offer a dozen other honey-, peach- and even meringue-based cocktails, if those are your thing, and all with equally dramatic, Greek myth-related names. Aphrodite’s Bloom, anyone? It’s a sensuous ode to the golden hour, the menu says. Continue reading...

Jeff Bezos’s axing of more than 300 jobs at the storied newspaper has renewed fears about the resilience of America’s democracy to withstand Trump’s attacks The email landed in Lizzie Johnson’s in-tray in Ukraine just before 4pm local time. It came at a tough time for the reporter: Russia had been repeatedly striking the country’s power grid, and just days before she had been forced to work out of her car without heat, power or running water, writing in pencil because pen ink freezes too readily. “Difficult news,” was the subject line. The body text said: “Your position is eliminated as part of today’s organizational changes,” explaining that it was necessary to get rid of her to meet the “evolving needs of our business”. Continue reading...

It’s chilling to watch as Trump and Netanyahu adopt the methods of regimes their countries once condemned Janine di Giovanni is a war correspondent and the executive director of The Reckoning Project, a war crimes unit in Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza In Syria, where I worked during the years of Bashar al-Assad’s terror, people were often taken away to torture cells before dawn by masked men. The timing was deliberate. It disoriented them at their most vulnerable, ensuring the torture to come would be even more agonising. The testimonies I recorded from survivors almost always contained the same phrase: “The morning they came for me.” One young woman, shattered by rape and violence, later told me that her life had split in two – before and after the masked men came for her. In Iraq, those who spoke against Saddam Hussein – even abroad, even casually – were punished in cruel ways by a vengeful leader determined to crush any hint of dissent. Janine di Giovanni is a war correspondent and the executive director of The Reckoning Project, a war crimes unit in Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza. She is the author of The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria. Continue reading...

Thousands of women with life-changing complications still in limbo two years after call for financial redress The government’s failure to respond to calls for a compensation scheme for women harmed by pelvic mesh has been described as “morally unacceptable” by campaigners. Thousands of women were left with life-changing complications after receiving transvaginal mesh implants, with some unable to walk or work again. Continue reading...

Black Panther made him a megastar, but in private the actor and his wife Simone Ledward Boseman were dealing with his terminal cancer diagnosis. In a rare interview, she talks about the shock of losing him, and how a revival of one of his plays has helped her heal Simone Ledward Boseman is reflecting on the five years that have passed since the death of her husband, actor and writer Chadwick Boseman. “The edges of grief get less sharp over time,” she says. “Five years definitely feels like a marker. I’ve had to gradually figure out how I talk about Chad. What do I want to share, and what do I feel comfortable sharing? Can I find something that I might want to share in the midst of something I don’t want to share?” We meet on a video call across time zones – it’s 9am in California, where she lives. “Except for my mom, I’m not talking to anybody before 10am,” she laughs. She’s made an exception to give a rare interview ahead of the UK premiere of her late husband’s play Deep Azure, which is currently in previews in London at Shakespeare’s Globe. When Boseman’s death was announced at the end of August 2020, the shock reverberated across the globe. He was devastatingly young – only 43 – and the world was just getting to know him. The release of the movie Black Panther two years earlier, in which he played the eponymous character also known as T’Challa, had skyrocketed his fame. Before then, he had been a successful Hollywood actor. Now? He was a global megastar – the first Black superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The news was doubly shocking because the family had not previously revealed that he had been suffering with colorectal cancer. Continue reading...

Propping up operations at Scunthorpe site, still legally owned by Jingye, now costs over £1.2m a day – so what are the options? British Steel was losing £700,000 a day last year when its Chinese owner announced plans to shut the steelworks at Scunthorpe. After Jingye rejected support to buy raw materials, the UK government stepped in with emergency legislation to take control of the plant. But that was not the end of the crisis. The cost to the government of propping up British Steel is now more than £1.2m a day. Yet the £359m bill, the latest disclosed to parliament last month, may only be the start. Continue reading...

Laws to be introduced this week include up to two years in prison for distributing, displaying or reciting prohibited phrases to harass or offend Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Queensland could become the first state in Australia to outlaw the phrase “from the river to the sea”, under sweeping new hate speech reforms announced by the state government. The premier, David Crisafulli, announced the proposed laws on Sunday, ahead of their introduction to parliament on Tuesday, describing them as a direct response to the Bondi terror attack, in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukah celebration. Continue reading...

What could be more warming than a tangy soup? Here are some excellent options, whether you’re using up leftover veg or exploring unexpected new flavours Technically, many soups are spiced in some way, even if it’s just with pepper. But we all know what is meant by a spiced soup: something with a jolt to it, and a bit of heat to warm up a winter evening. When it comes to soup, spice is the ultimate companion to a main ingredient that may otherwise be considered boring or bland. In this sense, the spices are the most important component: they are what the soup will taste of. But which spices go with which ingredients, and how? Here are 17 different recipes to help you figure that out. Continue reading...

Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff Last spring, the National Security Agency (NSA) flagged an unusual phone call between two members of foreign intelligence, who discussed a person close to Donald Trump, according to a whistleblower’s attorney who was briefed on details of the call. The highly sensitive communique, which has roiled Washington over the past week, was brought to the attention of the director of national intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard. Continue reading...

People’s party, which is pledging structural changes to Thailand’s political and economic system, leads opinion polls but is not expected to win outright majority Polling stations opened in Thailand on Sunday for an election that pits a youthful pro-democracy party against rivals that are offering a mix of nationalism and populist policies. The People’s party, which is pledging structural changes to Thailand’s political and economic system, has led opinion polls before Sunday’s vote, fuelled by support from younger voters. However, the party, led by 38-year-old former software engineer Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, is not expected to secure an outright majority, and may struggle to build a coalition. Its candidates are also facing a looming legal battle. Continue reading...

The real risk for American broadcasters is not that dissent will be visible. It is that audiences will start assuming anything they do not show is being hidden The modern Olympics sell themselves on a simple premise: the whole world, watching the same moment, at the same time. On Friday night in Milan, that illusion fractured in real time. When Team USA entered the San Siro during the parade of nations, the speed skater Erin Jackson led the delegation into a wall of cheers. Moments later, when cameras cut to US vice-president JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance, large sections of the crowd responded with boos. Not subtle ones, but audible and sustained ones. Canadian viewers heard them. Journalists seated in the press tribunes in the upper deck, myself included, clearly heard them. But as I quickly realized from a groupchat with friends back home, American viewers watching NBC did not. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president says US has invited Ukraine and Russia to more talks next week. What we know on day 1,446 Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hinted that a new June deadline from the US for peace between Ukraine and Russia could be linked to Trump’s midterm elections campaign. The Ukrainian president on Saturday told reporters that both sides had been invited to further talks next week. Zelenskyy said the Trump administration “will probably put pressure” on Ukraine and Russia to end the war by the beginning of the summer. “They say they want to get everything done by June,” he said. He told reporters the Trump administration was proposing to host the next round of trilateral talks in the US, probably in Miami, in a week’s time. “We confirmed our participation,” he said. “The [midterm] elections are definitely more important for them [the Americans]. Let’s not be naive.” He added: “If the Russians are really ready to end the war, then it is really important to set a deadline.” US and Ukrainian negotiators had discussed how to secure a quick deal, according to sources familiar with the matter quoted by Reuters. Ukraine had suggested a sequencing plan, Zelenskyy said, but he provided no specific details. The Ukrainian president has also criticised Russia for an overnight attack on Ukrainian energy facilities areas, saying in comments posted on X that Moscow must be deprived of the ability to use the cold winter weather as leverage against Kyiv. A “massive attack” by Russian forces on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Saturday caused power outages across the country, the state grid operator said. There are clear signs the Russian economy is finally running aground, as the Kremlin faces its most precarious economic position since its tanks first rolled into Ukraine. Growth has slowed to a crawl amid falling oil prices – a key source of government revenue. Russians face tax hikes while funding for welfare, education and healthcare is being crowded out by defence spending. Trade with key allies has become more muted, corporate bankruptcies are rising and labour shortages are severe. Experts say how the malaise affects the conflict in Ukraine will depend on Russia’s recent macroeconomic manoeuvres, and whether global events continue to drive down oil prices. The UK is threatening to seize a Russia-linked shadow fleet tanker in an escalatory move that could lead to the opening up of a new front against Moscow at a time when the country’s oil revenues are tumbling. British defence sources confirmed that military options to capture a rogue ship had been identified in discussions involving Nato allies – although a month has gone by since the US-led seizure of a Russian tanker in the Atlantic. In January, 23 shadow fleet ships using false or fraudulent flags were spotted in the Channel or Baltic Sea, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Many are linked to the export of Russian oil, largely by water to China, India and Turkey. President Donald Trump has taken what some experts have said is an unusual step of tapping military leaders for high-level diplomacy, positioning the Army secretary as a key negotiator on ending the Russia-Ukraine war and sending the top US commander in the Middle East, Adm. Brad Cooper, to talks about Iran’s nuclear program. As Army secretary Dan Driscoll reprised his role at Russia-Ukraine talks this week, he worked to keep the conversation going with Ukrainian officials in the downtime between sessions, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks. Continue reading...

The age of ‘liquid salad’, fibremaxxing and recolonising your microbiome is here – but our meals should be about pleasure, too The crisis point came with the sea moss. Or perhaps the hemp protein powder? Certainly, when I started adding goose-poo-coloured dust to my breakfast, the unease I have been feeling around food culture deepened. Turning an already drab meal (plain vegan yoghurt, enough seeds to kill a gerbil) into what looked, and tasted, like mud felt more like self-harm than self-care. But, no, what pushed me over the edge was the tiny £2 Marks & Spencer sea moss shot. Sorry, not just sea moss: “High-quality red algae sea moss … high in iodine, vitamins C, B1, B6 and B12.” It was blue and tasted awful, with hints of bubble bath. Of course it did – I’m not a limpet; I’m not supposed to consume sea moss! When did food become medicine? There’s all the pseudoscientific supplementary stuff, but even normal food has started to feel functional, mere units of nutrition. A tally runs in my head of things I “need” to eat: am I getting enough oats, beans, leafy greens? What about nuts? I cut back on crisps to cram more nuts in and chuck tofu into everything, because neglecting protein is the worst crime a middle-aged woman can commit. I’m not sure I remember what I actually enjoy eating any more. I’m certain no one on earth enjoys eating flaxseeds – they have all the personality of polystyrene packaging chips – but I choke them down daily, for my cholesterol and gut health. Continue reading...

The exodus of grown children mostly happens without fanfare. For Lisa Walker, hiking the Camino turned into both a goodbye and a glimpse at the future Read more summer essentials Don’t let them push you around, my youngest son said halfway through the Camino de Santiago. You don’t have to get up early if you don’t want to. I didn’t know that was an option, replied his brother from his bunk. Continue reading...

Today show host tells potential kidnappers of mother Nancy that family is prepared to pay for safe return Savannah Guthrie told the potential kidnappers of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on Saturday that the family is prepared to pay for her safe return, as the frantic search for the 84-year-old entered a seventh day. “We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said in a video posted on social media, flanked by her siblings. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.” Continue reading...

Visitors to a site near Gisborne in New Zealand’s North Island get to interact with the animals in their habitat and learn about their importance to Māori culture In a shallow reef close to New Zealand’s east coast shore, a group of 30 people wearing khaki overalls and boots huddle together like a crescent moon, waiting for the stars of the show to arrive. They don’t have to wait long. Continue reading...

Resolution Foundation finds one in three carers from poorer families unable to work because of responsibilities A growing “unsung army” of 1 million people with full-time caring responsibilities needs better support, according to a report that found one in three unpaid carers from poorer backgrounds were unable to work because of their duties. The trend is the result of an ageing society and rising ill-health and disability concentrated in the poorest half of the country’s working-age families, the Resolution Foundation’s research found. Continue reading...

Several demonstrators taken into custody Saturday after marking killing of Minnesota woman by immigration officer Police arrested several demonstrators Saturday outside a federal building just south of Minneapolis, breaking up a protest marking the one-month anniversary of a Minnesota woman’s death at the hands of an immigration officer. Renee Good was killed on 7 January as she was driving away from immigration officers in a Minneapolis neighborhood. Her death and the killing of another Minneapolis resident, Alex Pretti, just weeks later have stoked outrage nationwide over Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Continue reading...

Met Office forecasts more rainfall to continue UK’s 37-day run, and flooding expected especially in south-west England and Midlands The unrelenting rain is expected to continue on Sunday and into next week with dozens of flood warnings in place across Great Britain. The Environment Agency (EA) has issued 85 warnings for England, meaning flooding is expected, mainly concentrated in the south-west and Midlands. Continue reading...

Lead singer died on Saturday, months after he announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer Brad Arnold, the lead singer of the Grammy-nominated rock band 3 Doors Down, has died, months after he announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. He was 47. The band said in a statement on Saturday that Arnold “passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in his sleep after his courageous battle with cancer”. Continue reading...

Lewis’s departure comes days after publication laid off nearly one-third of its staff, including 300 journalists Will Lewis, the Murdoch media veteran who took over as publisher and chief executive of the Washington Post in early 2024, announced abruptly on Saturday evening that he is leaving the company. His departure comes just three days after the Post laid off nearly one-third of its entire staff, citing the need to cut costs and reposition the money-losing publication. Lewis, who did not appear on the all-staff meeting during which the cuts were announced, has faced criticism for his absence and leadership. Continue reading...

It’s refreshing, groundbreaking and absolutely piles up the gags. The return of this Glaswegian sitcom is very welcome indeed The second series of Dinosaur opens on the Isle of Wight – a mere seven-hour drive and ferry ride away from our heroine’s beloved Glasgow. Oh dear. Nina (Ashley Storrie) is eight months into a dig, the job she took at the end of series one, and despite discovering a metazoic dung beetle and getting pally with a big American fella called Clayton who is so charming he can call her “Scotland” and get away with it, she’s homesick. She is missing Lee, her almost-sort-of boyfriend who used to make her morning coffee outside the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, where she worked in the palaeontology department (not with the dirty grave robbers over in antiquities). She is missing watching The Real Housewives with her sister, Evie, their takeaway Tuesdays and walks around the “wee dodgy parks in case we uncover a homicide”. She’s all set to go home when she is asked to stay on another year. Will she choose her precious old rocks, or head to the exact midpoint between the Isle of Wight and Glasgow to reunite with Lee? So begins the madcap rush (in a very slow buggy) to a park bench in Knutsford, and the happy return of this hilarious, heartwarming and covertly groundbreaking sitcom. Continue reading...

‘I think I’ve got to do better, I’ve got to do more’ Ouattara’s late goal gave Brentford 3-2 victory Eddie Howe said he was facing a “harsh reality” and felt “angry” with himself after watching his Newcastle team lose 3-2 at home to Brentford on Saturday evening. It was their fourth defeat in five games in all competitions and left the Saudi Arabian-owned club 12th in the Premier League. A soundtrack of boos greeted the final whistle but Newcastle’s manager did not complain. Continue reading...

Former culture minister Jack Lang resigns from Arab World Institute in Paris and is also subject of tax investigation Jack Lang, a former French culture minister, has resigned as head of Paris’s prestigious Arab World Institute after revelations of his past contacts with the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the launch of a financial investigation by French prosecutors. Lang, 86, resigned on Saturday night before he was due to attend an urgent meeting called by the French foreign ministry to discuss his links to Epstein. Continue reading...