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Public records and private papers reveal compassion and tacit acceptance before ‘moral panic’ took hold in the 1950s and 1960s Northern Ireland carved a grim reputation for homophobia for over half a century, a record of intolerance and bigotry so baroque it was turned into an opera. In the 1970s, Ian Paisley, the leader of the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) and Free Presbyterian church, led a “save Ulster from sodomy” crusade to resist the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Continue reading...

⚽ Premier League updates from the 7pm BST kick-off ⚽ Latest table | Top scorers | And you can email Luke Relegation, for a club of Tottenham’s stature, is unthinkable. At least it should be given their resources, history and stature. But a deeply horrible season sees them teetering in 18th place, the third and final relegation spot, with four matches remaining. It’s not all bad news: since taking over from the sacked Igor Tudor – who took over from the sacked Thomas Frank – Roberto de Zerbi has managed to generate four points from the past two matches, having opened his tenure with a 1-0 loss away against Sunderland. Continue reading...

World No 1 beats German 6-1, 6-2 in 56 minutes Sinner first man to win five consecutive Masters 1000s It took just 14 minutes of the Madrid Open final for all 12,500 spectators packed inside Estadio Manolo Santana to collectively conclude that the match was already over. Down 0-3 and already desperately searching for a response to the superb play from his opponent, Alexander Zverev opened his service game with two horrific missed overhead smashes in consecutive points. He clearly did not believe he could win this match. While Zverev flailed helplessly throughout his pitiful 56 minutes on court, the world No 1, Jannik Sinner, pieced together yet another startling exhibition of relentless, destructive shotmaking paired with unwavering focus as he continued his total domination of men’s tennis by destroying Zverev 6-1, 6-2 to capture the Madrid Open title for the first time in his career. Continue reading...

Xi Jinping hopes that the president may water down US support for a vibrant democracy. Defending the status quo would be better for America too China senses opportunity when Donald Trump visits later this month. A nakedly transactional US president in need of a trade deal, and hoping that Beijing could lean on Iran, might shift on Taiwan in return. China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, linked the issue explicitly to broader bilateral cooperation in his call with Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, on Thursday. Beijing would be delighted to see Mr Trump soften the US position, and perhaps pull back on arms sales after a mammoth $11bn package was announced late last year. Taiwan has been self-governed since the end of China’s civil war in 1949, so never ruled by China’s Communist party. Xi Jinping has made unification central to his legacy. Three years ago, US intelligence assessed that he had told the People’s Liberation Army to be ready for an invasion by 2027. But Beijing would surely prefer to achieve its goal without force. Continue reading...

On 75 minutes up stepped Kobbie Mainoo with the coolest of winners before the Stretford End to cause bedlam among home fans and wrest the bragging rights Manchester United’s way. After a raid down the left Alexis Mac Allister’s weak clearance rolled to the midfielder who beat Dominik Szoboszlai to punch home a finish that bested Freddie Woodman to the Liverpool goalkeeper’s right. Continue reading...

People are living with sickness or disability younger than a decade ago. That should shock the country and prompt action The two-year decline in healthy life expectancy in Britain, set out in new analysis from the Health Foundation thinktank, is devastating. In a wealthy country like the UK, at a time of rapid advances in the treatment of illnesses including obesity and cancer, people should not be living with sickness or disability earlier than they were a decade ago. The report draws on a survey that relies on self-reporting, so is less objective than statistics based on births and deaths. Worsening mental health among younger adults is the area of sharpest deterioration and in some age groups, physical health was reported as having improved. But healthy life expectancy is a useful measure of quality of life and the findings have serious implications for public services. When, in 2028, the retirement age rises to 67, the average person will be in poor health more than six years before they are due to stop work. The researchers state that the decline cannot be put down to the pandemic. Northern Ireland was excluded due to a lack of data. Continue reading...

Semi-final: Bordeaux Bègles 38-26 Bath Maxime Lucu scores 18 points for holders Bath had hoped that a return to Bordeaux might rekindle fond memories of their Champions Cup triumph in the city in 1998. Sadly for their cautiously optimistic supporters it was not to be as their hosts moved a big step closer to retaining the trophy they secured at Northampton’s expense in Cardiff last year. Bordeaux Bègles will face Leinster in the final in Bilbao in three weeks’ time, propelled there by the familiar trio of their brilliant half-backs Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert and their star wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who scored one of his side’s five tries. Will Muir scored a brace in response and the contest was never less than gripping but England’s domestic champions could ultimately have few complaints. Continue reading...

Readers respond to an editorial about technology’s impact on children’s wellbeing, saying that many schools increasingly rely on iPads as teaching aids As a parent of two primary schoolchildren, I read your article with recognition and concern (The Guardian view on screens in schools: big tech is finally under the microscope, 27 April). Our school has recently introduced a one-to-one iPad scheme, and almost all of the children’s work now seems to be completed on iPads. At the same time, parents are expected to manage multiple, and often poorly designed, apps for communication, payments and even recording children’s reading. Many parents are increasingly uneasy about this shift. Schools in the trust appear to be increasing screen time at precisely the moment when there is little clear evidence of any overall benefit for children. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence of the downsides: distraction, reduced concentration, difficulty sustaining attention away from devices and poorer literacy and learning outcomes. Continue reading...

Readers respond to an article by Emma Beddington on how PE lessons can shape lifelong beliefs around physical activity Emma Beddington is spot-on (There are two kinds of people: those who enjoyed school PE lessons – and the rest of us, 27 April). PE at school in the 1980s was a mix of sadism and masochism, with the majority forced to endure the cold, rain and physical discomfort. Occasionally, the motivation was glory for the school in the sport of the season, but primarily it was a timetable-filler. While a few egos were boosted, for most it was an ordeal. How different the consequences might have been if framed in terms of choice and physical health. Richard Madge Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex • I am now 75 years old and spent my formative years as a convent girl. My horror of the gym is as strong as ever. Outdoor sports were just about tolerable, but the gym classes were a nightmare: unsuccessfully climbing ropes, crashing into the horse while those more nimble flew over the top. However, I have successfully navigated a healthy life with plenty of outdoor exercise and, despite pressure from the younger generation, retain absolutely zero desire to frequent the gym in my dotage. Fanny Jones Twineham, West Sussex Continue reading...

Nicholas Serota says the north has received over £40m from the Arts Everywhere Fund. Plus a letter from John Edmondson In response to recent letters (26 April) about the Arts Everywhere Fund, it is important to note that this programme was heavily oversubscribed, reflecting the acute need for capital investment across the cultural sector. We are pleased that there will be further rounds of the fund, with details to be published in the coming months. While we are always mindful of the geographic spread of the investment we make, this fund had a clear purpose: to prioritise organisations facing critical capital need. On that basis, the north received more than £40m – approximately 31% of the £128m awarded in total – supporting 45 museums, libraries and cultural organisations, the highest number of awards made to any area. Continue reading...

Lap-by-lap coverage as the championship restarts Antonelli on pole as storms circle | Email Tom A reminder that the start time for this race was brought forward three hours to 1pm ET/6pm BST because of the threat of heavy storms. Outdoor sports events in Florida must be stopped if there’s a lightning strike within an eight-mile radius of the venue and can’t restart until there’s been no thunder of lighting for 30 minutes, which means we could be in for a little disruption this afternoon. There was heavy rain earlier this morning and it’s dry now, but the storms are forecast to return around 1pm … which also happens to be the start of the race. Tom will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s how qualifying went down: Continue reading...

Exclusive: Biometrics commissioners say face-scanning not as effective as claimed and new laws needed to regulate use How does live facial recognition work and how many police forces use it? Guilty until proven innocent: shoppers falsely identified by facial recognition Britain’s biometrics watchdogs have warned that national oversight of AI-powered face scanning to catch criminals is lagging far behind the technology’s rapid growth. With the Metropolitan police almost doubling the number of faces they scan in London over the past 12 months and a rising use of the technology by retailers in the UK, Prof William Webster, the biometrics commissioner for England and Wales, said the “slow pace of legislation was trying to catch up with the real world” and “the horse had gone before the cart”. An independent audit of the Met’s use of facial recognition technology (FRT) has been indefinitely postponed after the police requested delays. Polling shows 57% of people believe the systems are “another step towards turning the UK into a surveillance society”. A whistleblower claimed shop-based face-scanning systems had sometimes been misused by shop or security staff “maliciously” adding members of the public to watchlists. Continue reading...

Devastating cameo highlighted the crucial role the winger has to play if Mikel Arteta’s men are to pip Manchester City There was one name on everyone’s lips at the Emirates on Saturday night. Robert Pires, who wore Arsenal’s No 7 shirt with such distinction for Arsène Wenger’s Invincibles, could not stop smiling as he made his way downstairs from the press box for some half-time refreshments. “Bukayo’s back,” said the former France forward. A frustrated spectator as he battled an achilles injury and his side’s quest for silverware spluttered, Arsenal’s talisman could not have picked a better moment to rediscover his golden touch on his first start since the Carabao Cup final six weeks ago. After leaving Raúl Jiménez on his backside to set up the first goal for Viktor Gyökeres, Saka settled everyone’s nerves with a brilliant second goal and also played his part in the third. The only disappointment was that the England winger didn’t emerge for the second half – a move that Mikel Arteta explained was precautionary ahead of the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Atlético Madrid on Tuesday evening. Arsenal might live to regret not piling on the goal difference given how tight things are at the top of the Premier League. But with Saka on song again, anything seems possible. Continue reading...

People shamed and ordered to leave shops after being misidentified then ‘given no help’ to investigate verdicts AI facial recognition oversight lagging far behind technology, watchdogs warn How does live facial recognition work and how many police forces use it? When Ian Clayton, a retired health and safety professional from Chester, popped into Home Bargains one February lunchtime, he was suddenly approached by a stern-looking member of staff. “Excuse me, can you please put everything down and leave the shop now?” she said. Clayton recalled how he was stunned, and it was only as he was briskly walked past the tills towards the exit that he stopped to ask what he had done. Continue reading...

The neoliberalism problem | Trump’s hypocrisy | Spurred on | Social media and the over-80s | Beatles’ trademark challenge Zoe Williams is right to question if voters can ever be satisfied (Are our prime ministers the problem – or is the UK ungovernable?, 27 April). The problem governments face is trying to make social promises of quality public services through an economic model that doesn’t work for the majority. Unless we can ditch neoliberalism, which rewards capital not labour, inequality will continue to frustrate voters and defeat governments. Rosie Smithson Felixstowe, Suffolk • I was entertained by Donald Trump’s accusation that “so many people are incensed by [Jimmy] Kimmel’s despicable call to violence”, while Melania explained “Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country” (Jimmy Kimmel defends Melania ‘widow’ joke after the Trumps call for him to be fired, 28 April). A case of the Potus calling the Kimmel black. John Brindle Hingham, Norfolk Continue reading...

Former United manager felt unwell at Old Trafford 84-year-old initially treated as precautionary measure Sir Alex Ferguson was taken to hospital from Old Trafford after feeling unwell before Manchester United’s hosting of Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. The move is thought to be a precautionary rather than an emergency measure regarding the 84-year-old former United manager who won 13 Premier League titles and the Champions League twice in his 27-year tenure at Old Trafford. Ferguson is a regular at United’s home games and has a row of seats in the Old Trafford directors’ box. Continue reading...

Formula One racing driver who took up hand-cycling after an accident and went on to become a paralympic gold medallist Alex Zanardi, who has died aged 59, was a Formula One driver and two-times champion in Cart (previously IndyCar); he was also a paralympian who won four gold medals as a hand-cyclist. Perhaps above all he was esteemed as an inspirational figure who reinvented his life after losing both legs in a racing accident in 2001. In September that year, Zanardi was competing in a Cart race at Lausitzring in north-east Germany, the first time the American series raced in Europe, and was leading the race when he made a late refuelling stop. He lost control while exiting the pits, spun across the track and was hit broadside-on by Alex Tagliani. The impact sheared Zanardi’s car in half. “Part of the car stayed with me, and the other part left, with parts of me in it,” Zanardi recalled in his autobiography My Story (2004). Continue reading...

Dealer in antiquities who discovered large-scale thefts from the collections of the British Museum With a doctorate in Roman religion and a university chair, Ittai Gradel, who has died of cancer aged 61, might have confined his achievements to a successful scholarly career. However, in 2008, bored with routine bureaucracy, he left his post at Reading University, and returned to his native Denmark to deal in antiquities. His disillusionment with academia was reinforced when, a few years later, he discovered that large-scale thefts had been taking place from the British Museum’s collections. At first reluctant to believe the accumulating evidence, Gradel contacted the museum in 2021 only when it became impossible to deny – and was told nothing was missing. Continue reading...

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For more than two decades, Pardington has been photographing taonga (Māori cultural treasures) and natural history specimens in museums around the world. In the South Canterbury museum, she was struck by a collection of stuffed native birds which had been subject to taxidermy – many of them now extinct or endangered. They inspired a new human-scale portrait series of these manu (birds), revered within Māori culture as intermediaries between human and divine worlds. The resulting works will be exhibited at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Pardington invites viewers to reconsider how they think of birds, and how we might better protect them Fiona Pardington: Taharaki Skyside will be exhibited at the Aotearoa New Zealand pavilion at the Venice Biennale from 9 May – 22 November 2026 Continue reading...

Mum taught us to stay kind and honest, even when things were hard. Now I feel her presence in choices that don’t feel easy, but feel right Making sense of it is a column about spirituality and how it can be used to navigate everyday life Mum was kind and gentle in a way that felt so natural. She raised all five of us pretty much on her own after Dad passed away. Those were not easy years, and there were many moments when life could have pushed us in the wrong direction, but she never let that happen. She taught us to stay kind and honest, even when things were hard. Her father named her Ţalā, which means gold in Farsi. But she was even more precious than that. Continue reading...

He didn’t just shout me a drink, he made me feel understood and seen. I’ve never forgotten his gesture I had picked up a box of books at work when my back just went – I have never experienced pain like that in my life. I was off work for weeks, consumed by the agony of it and barely able to move. In desperation, I tried every treatment I could – massage, physiotherapy, herbal compresses. You name it, I’d given it a go. On one such Hail Mary mission I went to a back pain clinic, where my lower back was injected with anaesthetic. The treatment was so painful, I left the clinic in tears. I remember walking out in such a state and thinking, “How am I even going to get myself home?” As I stumbled along, it occurred to me that I needed something to calm myself down. Spotting a chocolate shop, I stepped inside. Continue reading...

Linbury theatre, London The Jette Parker Artists ran the full spectrum from sombre lyricism to frenzied satire via divorce drama in works by Elizabeth Maconchy, Charlotte Bray and Elena Langer Tales of Love and Loss: the title made this triple bill of English-language one-acters from the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Artists sound like something very serious. In fact, it sent us out laughing. Admittedly, after the first work the mood could only lighten. Elizabeth Maconchy’s 1961 two-hander The Departure, last staged in 2007, begins with a woman watching a funeral through her bedroom window; when her husband comes home she realises it is her own death that is being mourned, and that she is there to say farewell. Directed by Talia Stern, in a 1960s set designed by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita, it flirted with melodrama, especially in the flashing-light effects as she remembered the fatal car crash, and the ending, with the sound of a baby crying, felt mawkish. Still, Maconchy’s music, sombre yet lyrically expansive in a way that made it feel like the orchestra was bigger than the 14-strong Britten Sinfonia, made an impressive vocal showcase for the mezzo-soprano Ellen Pearson and baritone Sam Hird. Continue reading...

PM’s attendance at European Political Community meeting in Yerevan signals effort to build new ties after US rupture Canada is to become the first non-European country to attend a meeting of the European Political Community when the prime minister, Mark Carney, joins Monday’s summit of the 48-plus nation grouping in Yerevan, Armenia. Carney has said he is determined to build a new network of trade and diplomatic alliances after the loss of US markets under Donald Trump. His presence will also represent a show of western support for Armenia in its efforts to distance itself from Russia at a time when the US’s approach to Moscow’s opponents, such as Ukraine, is at best ambiguous. Canadian diplomats have rejected suggestions Ottawa might seek EU membership. Continue reading...