From quick and easy roasts to warming curries and a centrepiece wellington, these dishes make for filling dinners, with plenty left over for lunch Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Cauliflower looks like the ghost of broccoli, or a human brain that has been drained of blood. As is the case with many overlooked vegetables, boiling is the absolutely second-worst way to cook it (we do not talk about cauliflower rice), while roasting is best, to coax out its sweet and nutty flavours. A whole head is very good and affordable in Australia at the moment and can easily feed a whole family. Continue reading...

Sports bans have humiliated trans women and girls across America. Now, the Olympics joins in Last month, the International Olympic Committee announced that transgender women athletes would be barred from competing in all Olympic events in the women’s category – but not the men’s events. In addition to trans women athletes, cisgender women with conditions known as DSDs – differences in sexual development – will also be banned from competition. The new rules effectively redefine womanhood – but not manhood – as a novel and previously unrecognized category consisting only of those with a specific set of genetic prerequisites. To comply with this new requirement, women athletes – but not male ones – will be made to submit to genetic testing, to determine whether their womanhood meets the committee’s standards. The rule will be in effect for the upcoming summer Olympics, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles in 2028. The move comes as increased political and media attention to the issue of trans rights and visibility over the past years – along with pressure from the Trump administration – has led athletic federations to ban trans women from sports competitions, a demand that has largely not been made for transgender men in women’s or men’s sports. The vitriol and intensity of this controversy has been acute. Twenty-eight states ban trans girls and women from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity; last year, the NCAA announced a ban on trans athletes competing in women’s collegiate leagues. Continue reading...

A part suspension was tabled by Ireland, Spain and Slovenia but did not receive enough backing from other member states The EU remains split on imposing sanctions on Israel, despite some member states criticising the country over the plight of Gaza and violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, said proposals for a part suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement remained on the table but required states to shift their positions to come into force. Speaking after a meeting between EU foreign ministers on Tuesday, she told reporters: “We didn’t see that today, but these discussions will continue.” Continue reading...

Olly Robbins exposed a deeper failure: when the prime minister’s decision came first, security vetting was left to catch up after the fact It was a classic Whitehall performance: understated and explosive. Sir Olly Robbins did not bluster in front of MPs. The sacked Foreign Office chief calmly stuck to the language of process. He admitted clearing Peter Mandelson to be US ambassador despite UK Security Vetting (UKSV) – in his own words – “leaning against” approval. But the context was key: Downing Street had already set a “very, very strong expectation” that the peer would be in Washington fast and had a dismissive attitude to vetting. The decision to back the peer had effectively been made before the system could catch up. On Monday, MPs skewered Sir Keir Starmer over appointing Lord Mandelson. The issue was not what the prime minister knew, but what he chose to do with the knowledge. By December 2024, he had seen Cabinet Office “due diligence” and was aware of the peer’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after the financier’s child sex conviction. Sir Keir went ahead anyway. Announcement, royal approval and US “agrément” swiftly turned that judgment into policy – before vetting had even begun. Sir Keir insisted that he should have been told Lord Mandelson was, in his words, denied security clearance for the role of US ambassador. Diane Abbott cut through this defence with a single question: “Why didn’t you ask?” Continue reading...

There is growing international concern as the fragile two-week ceasefire reaches its Wednesday deadline. Whatever happens next, the poor will pay More than 3,300 Iranians, including 383 children, have been killed since the US and Israel launched their illegal war, authorities said this week. Asked about Wednesday’s ceasefire deadline, Donald Trump said that he expected to resume bombing “because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with”, though his rhetoric can shift within minutes. Whatever happens – or doesn’t – with the US-Iranian peace talks due to take place in Islamabad, the costs of this disastrous conflict will keep growing. The only thing that the sides have in common is that each needs peace, but thinks that it can force the other into significant concessions. Iran has deployed its drones and missiles to punishing effect, but knows that its chief weapon is the economic pain it can inflict, primarily through control of the strait of Hormuz. The International Monetary Fund warned last week that a further escalation could trigger a global recession. Its head, Kristalina Georgieva, had already said that the crisis would remain a threat to the global economy even if it ended overnight. The costs mount over time. But while the pain is widely spread, it is far from evenly shared. The combination of higher energy, food and fertiliser costs will increasingly hammer poorer and heavily import-reliant nations. Continue reading...

Ministers hope tobacco and vapes bill, which will become law next week, will create a ‘smoke-free generation’ A bill banning anyone born after 2008 from buying tobacco in the UK has completed its progress through parliament in a move that ministers hope will create a “smoke-free generation”. Under the tobacco and vapes bill anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be able to be legally sold tobacco across the UK, in an effort to save lives and reduce the burden on the NHS. Continue reading...

Robert Albon cannot be declared four-year-old’s father because he ran illegal sperm donation business, court rules A prolific unregulated sperm donor described in the high court as a “highly dangerous man” has lost a legal fight to be named as the father of a child conceived using his sperm. Robert Albon, who calls himself Joe Donor, was not entitled to be declared the father of a four-year-old child because he was running an illegal sperm donation business, Britain’s most senior family court judge ruled. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer’s decision to oust senior official may have knock-on effect for No 10’s relationship with civil service Fury within Whitehall about the treatment of Olly Robbins remains white hot, several days on from Keir Starmer’s decision to sack the senior Foreign Office civil servant. “It’s just total self-serving, narrow, selfish, political endgame stuff,” said one supporter of Robbins, who was dismissed for failing to tell the prime minister that the now disgraced former US ambassador Peter Mandelson had not passed UK security vetting. Continue reading...

Analysts say next boss John Ternus should diversify tech giant away from iPhones and raise its game in AI John Ternus takes over from Tim Cook as chief executive of Apple in September. A company insider, Ternus is moving up from his role as head of engineering to take control of the entire $4tn (£3tn) business. Apple is a vast, successful tech company and one of the most recognised brands in the world. But it faces challenges nonetheless. Here is a look at Ternus’s in-tray. Continue reading...

Lai Ching-te abandons visit after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoke overflight permission Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, has cancelled his trip to Eswatini, the democratic island’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, after his government said several countries had revoked overflight permits because of “intense pressure” from China. Lai was to leave on Wednesday for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession. Continue reading...

⚽ Premier League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off ⚽ Today’s Football Daily | Follow on Bluesky | Mail Simon Hello world! Six defeats in seven games in all competitions, with the one non-defeat an FA Cup win over Port Vale who play in League One and thus doesn’t count, mean Chelsea have all but kissed goodbye to their chances of a place in the top five. Brighton meanwhile have won five of their last seven, all of them in the Premier League. On Valentine’s Day Chelsea were fifth and Brighton 13 points back in 14th; if they win tonight Brighton will go above them. “My job is to be accountable. The buck stops with me,” says the beleaguered Liam Rosenior, whose summer holiday looks increasingly likely to be indefinite in length. So, and to summarise, actually quite a lot riding on this. Here’s Jacob Steinberg on Chelsea’s sticky spot: Liam Rosenior has acknowledged his job will be under threat if he cannot turn around Chelsea’s poor form before the end of the season. Although the head coach recently received public backing from the co-owner Behdad Eghbali, he is aware that retaining long-term support is dependent on results. Chelsea are under growing pressure as four consecutive league defeats have left them seven points off fifth-placed Liverpool with five games to play, and Rosenior was realistic when asked whether his bosses had assured him his future did not hinge on securing Champions League qualification. Continue reading...

Donald Trump says US ready to renew attacks but Iran appears unwilling to bend to US president’s threats Intense efforts are under way to bring Iran and the US together in Pakistan for a new round of talks a day before the end of the two-week ceasefire that has paused the conflict in the Middle East. Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was ready to renew attacks against Iran if progress was not made at any talks, with the US military “raring to go”. Continue reading...

The government plan to de-link gas and electricity prices will have a modest effect – more promising are plans on EVs and heat pumps It’s a holy grail of UK energy policy – de-linking gas and electricity prices. After all, we’ve been told endlessly that one reason why our energy bills are so high is because “gas sets the price of electricity”. And here it comes: “decisive action” from the government to “break the link”. So, tell us, by how much can we expect bills to fall? Energy secretary Ed Miliband and colleagues didn’t offer even a tentative answer. The big announcement was a prediction-free zone on bills for two reasons. First, because the outcome won’t be clear until older wind and solar projects with legacy subsidies, the target of the reform, have been shuffled on to fixed-price contracts next year with a prod from the chancellor in the form of a higher rate of windfall tax if they stay on their current set-up. Continue reading...

Weinstein switched legal teams for this retrial, but his new attorneys are echoing their predecessors’ themes Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Prosecutors once again portrayed Harvey Weinstein as a one-time Hollywood power player who used his sway as a tool of sexual assault, painting a now-familiar picture on Tuesday at a rape retrial nearly eight years after the former movie tycoon’s arrest. “This case will come down to power, to control and to manipulation,” said Candace White, a Manhattan assistant district attorney, to jurors as opening statements began in the bellwether #MeToo case, with Alvin Bragg, the district attorney, watching from the audience. Continue reading...

Researchers find model starts to mirror tone when exposed to impoliteness – sometimes escalating into explicit threats ChatGPT can escalate into abusive and even threatening language when drawn into prolonged, human-style conflict, according to a new study. Researchers tested how large language models (LLMs) responded to sustained hostility by feeding ChatGPT exchanges from real-life arguments and tracking how its behaviour changed over time. Continue reading...

Police bring criminal case over alleged manipulation of party database in Croydon East constituency Four Labour activists have been charged over allegations that a party database was manipulated to increase a candidate’s chance of selection. The four include Joel Bodmer, 40, who ran as a potential candidate for the Croydon East constituency in south London but later withdrew. He is charged with perverting the course of justice for allegedly altering phone records. Continue reading...

Story has led to resignation of NFL reporter Vrabel says he is focused on this week’s draft New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has said he has had “difficult” conversations after photographs of him and NFL reporter Dianna Russini were made public earlier this month. Russini resigned from her post at the Athletic after the New York Post published photos of her and Vrabel embracing and holding hands at an Arizona resort. The pair are married to different people and have said their relationship is platonic. Continue reading...

Ministers also asked to alter compensation rights and suspend emissions trading scheme amid Middle East war Airlines are lobbying the UK government to relax environmental and noise rules, modify passenger rights and cut taxes on flying, as they prepare for higher costs and a possible shortage of jet fuel because of the war in the Middle East. A list of policy requests submitted to ministers and the aviation regulator includes suspending the emissions trading scheme and relaxing limits on night flights, it has emerged. Continue reading...

John Ashby, 32, admits using Islamophobic slurs during attack on Sikh woman he thought was Muslim A man who racially abused a Sikh woman as he raped her has pleaded guilty to the assault after being confronted in court by a member of the public. John Ashby pleaded guilty to rape, religiously aggravated assault, intentional strangulation, robbery and religiously aggravated assault of the woman at her home in Walsall. Continue reading...

Inquiry launched after Ofcom received evidence that suggested illegal content was being shared on messaging platform Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether the Telegram messaging platform is failing to prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material under the UK’s Online Safety Act. The communications regulator carried out an assessment and decided to launch an investigation after receiving evidence from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection that suggested child sexual abuse material was allegedly present and being shared on Telegram. Continue reading...

A low approval rating will not cause the US president to hang his head in shame. He’s more likely to dig in You’ll know the famous quote, bastardised from a 1926 column by the Baltimore journalist HL Mencken, that “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.” The rest of the quote, less often cited, is: “Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.” It’s hard to disagree when you look at the polls. Because, despite everything, more than a third of Americans continue to think Donald Trump is doing a great job. I’m not saying all is rosy for Trump: a new NBC News poll has found Trump’s popularity has plummeted to a second-term low. The cost of living in the US is rocketing and the country is embroiled in an immoral and economically disastrous war: two-thirds of Americans say the country is on the wrong path. But 37% still approve of Trump’s overall performance. That’s down from 42% in December but it’s still pretty damn high considering the US is being led by an adjudicated sexual predator who has started wars with both Iran and the pope recently, while making life at home harder. Trump can’t be blamed for everything, but there is evidence his policies have negatively affected growth, jobs and inflation. Continue reading...

The Foreign Office chief sacked over the Peter Mandelson security vetting scandal has finally given his side of the story in an explosive appearance before MPs. Olly Robbins told the foreign affairs select committee that he faced ‘constant pressure’ to get Mandelson in post as US ambassador as soon as possible, and claimed Downing Street took a ‘dismissive’ attitude to vetting. It came a day after Keir Starmer accused Robbins of ‘obstructing the truth’ about the vetting process in a high-stakes appearance in parliament. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar Continue reading...

Exclusive: Victims’ commissioner makes formal complaint after committee session left one attender ‘shocked, upset and extremely distressed’ Victims of rape and sexual violence have told parliamentarians they felt anxious and distressed during a Westminster evidence session, with one stating that witnessing “pugnacious” questioning had resulted in her “breaking down, sobbing and struggling to breathe”. The victims’ commissioner has made a formal complaint to the chair of an influential group of MPs after a highly charged evidence session carried out by the public bill committee for the courts and tribunals bill about controversial changes to jury trials. Continue reading...

Lightroom, London This hour-long, 360-degree film may skip over some chapters of Bowie’s career, but what is here is irresistible – and thrillingly huge For a decade now, the posthumous David Bowie industry has been in full, unremitting swing. There have been umpteen reissues, box sets, books, documentaries, exhibitions and an ever-expanding range of merchandise that occasionally makes you wonder if there’s anything on which that quote about not knowing where he’s going but promising it won’t be boring can’t be printed. After 10 years, the possibility that the public might be suffering from Bowie fatigue has been raised, but the appetite seems insatiable. Hence You’re Not Alone, an hour-long 360-degree film directed by Mark Grimmer – lead designer for the V&A’s blockbusting 2013 exhibition David Bowie Is – showing at London’s “immersive exhibition space” Lightroom. A lot of what’s been produced since Bowie’s death is clearly aimed at diehard fans. You’re Not Alone sets itself a trickier task: keeping them onside while appealing to a younger audience, allegedly more resistant to Bowie’s allure than those who remember his imperial phases first-hand. You sense the desire to cater to the latter in the way it concentrates on Bowie’s biggest-streaming songs: you get a lot of Let’s Dance, but no mention of Ashes to Ashes or Sound and Vision. Continue reading...

Readers respond to an editorial on difficulties with replicability of results in social science research Your editorial on social science research (15 April) highlights the poor replicability of results, and the misuse of this by some to dismiss all social science. As was indicated, in a field as complex as human behaviour, poor replicability can be due to many factors: methodology, misused statistics, variations in sample characteristics and so on. There is one factor underlying much of this, not much discussed, which is a dearth of observation of human behaviour in everyday environments in the same manner as scientists would observe any other species in order to find out what the behaviour is and so what needs to be understood. Continue reading...