Tisza leader thanks voters in Facebook post and says his administration will be ‘well-functioning and compassionate’ Programme director of the CEU Democracy Institute, and author of Tainted Democracy: Viktor Orbán and the Subversion of Hungary Magyar’s improbable rise was made possible by the government’s worsening economic record and growing anger over its pro-Russian, anti-European stance. For years, Hungarian voters had felt trapped between an authoritarian government and a feeble, fractured opposition. Magyar broke that deadlock. Removing Orbán from office is one thing. Dismantling Orbánism is quite another. Continue reading...

Updates from 11am BST start across the grounds Sign up for the Spin | Mail Tanya or comment BTL Just the most perfect spring morning in Manchester, birds, blossom, the works. One to store up and remember in November. My husband heard his first willow warbler of the year too. Derbyshire are hoping it stays that way. This was Zak Chappell last night: Continue reading...

Singer voluntarily enters facility after erratic driving incident, where she was found to have drugs and alcohol in her system Britney Spears has entered a rehab facility after her arrest in March for driving under the influence. The pop singer was stopped by police in Ventura county, California, after driving erratically, and was found to have drugs and alcohol in her system. She was briefly detained, and her manager called Spears’ actions “completely inexcusable. Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.” Continue reading...

Every time I successfully place a piece, I get a little rush and a sense of achievement. How could I have thought puzzles were only for children? Until last year, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done a jigsaw puzzle. It must have been at least 20 years ago. As far as I was concerned, puzzles were for children. There were always other more exciting, interesting and productive things to do – or so I thought. While rummaging around at home on a rainy autumn afternoon, however, I stumbled upon a jigsaw puzzle that had been lying untouched since my husband and I were given it a few years ago. I’m not sure what came over me – perhaps it was because my husband was watching a film that didn’t particularly interest me – but I decided to give it a go. I was immediately hooked. Continue reading...

The concept is about much more than acquiring territory, it is also about Netanyahu’s desire for Israel to become a regional superpower • Daniel Levy served as an Israeli peace negotiator at the Oslo II talks and is president of the US/Middle East project Much remains unclear about the significance and durability of the two-week pause in the US and Israel’s war on Iran. But one aspect of the conflict remains as clear today as it was six weeks ago. Donald Trump doesn’t have a plan. Benjamin Netanyahu does. Israel’s war aims were to maximally degrade the capacity of the Iranian state, achieving not so much regime change as state implosion. Despite the ceasefire, Netanyahu has emphasised that this is “not the end of the campaign” and that Israel’s “finger is on the trigger” to resume combat. A seasoned strategist, he has spent the second Trump administration seizing the opportunity of geopolitical fluidity to reach for his end goal: a Greater Israel. Daniel Levy is a political commentator and the president of the US/Middle East Project. He served as an Israeli peace negotiator at the Oslo II talks Continue reading...

PhenMap tool could spare thousands of patients from treatment that would be ineffective for them A new AI-driven way of identifying how patients with advanced bowel cancer will respond to a drug that was recently introduced by the NHS has been announced. Researchers at London’s Institute of Cancer Research and the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dublin have developed the method with the goal of sparing potentially thousands of patients from being given drugs that would be ineffective in fighting their cancers. Continue reading...

The latest in our ongoing series of writers highlighting their go-to comfort watches is a journey back to 2004 and the unusually violent village of Sandford With the endless library of films we all have at our fingertips, in our DVD collections and on whatever the cloud is, finding your top feelgood movie can be a deceptively hard task. Though it seems obvious now, mine was so familiar to me that somehow it managed to hide in plain sight. Eventually, I had to ask my partner what she thought my comfort movie was. She answered decisively: Hot Fuzz. And she’s absolutely right. How could it not be? Hot Fuzz is Edgar Wright’s second entry in his Cornetto trilogy, preceded by the cult classic Shaun of the Dead and followed by pub crawl alien invasion adventure The World’s End. I’m not convinced Hot Fuzz is Wright’s best film – it’s not even my favourite. But as far as feelgood movies go, it’s unbeatable. Continue reading...

Hungary’s return to democracy will be hard. But the impact of Péter Magyar’s decisive victory could be profound, inside the country and beyond Continue reading...

PM rejects claim plan is integration with EU ‘by stealth’, saying changes will happen only if parliament passes law UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer has defended plans for the UK to align more closely with some EU rules without parliamentary votes, saying a closer relationship with Europe “is in the UK’s best interest”, particularly given the international turmoil over the Iran war. Speaking to the BBC after the Guardian revealed that ministers were planning to use so-called Henry VIII powers to dynamically align with EU rules by default, Starmer argued that, nearly 10 years after the Brexit referendum, it was time to “look forward”. Continue reading...

Engine-maker CEO hails ‘critical milestone’ for company in race to deliver SMR technology built at Wylfa plant on Anglesey Business live – latest updates Rolls-Royce has secured up to £599m from Britain’s national wealth fund as it races to develop the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors. The fund will help support Rolls-Royce’s design of small modular reactors (SMRs) at Wylfa on the island of Anglesey (called Ynys Môn in Welsh). Continue reading...

PM says opening waterway is ‘vital’ as he rules out any UK involvement in US moves to blockade strait Good morning. The parliamentary recess is over, the Iran war disaster isn’t, campaigning is ramping up because the May elections are less than four weeks to go, and there will be plenty for MPs to discuss as they meet in the Commons this afternoon. The full timetable, as usual, is down below. Keir Starmer is in Greater Manchester this morning, on a visit linked to the English local elections. But he is expected to be in the Commons later giving an update on the UK response to the Iran war, and in an interview on Radio 5 Live a few minutes ago he confirmed that Britain will not join the US in enforcing the new blockade of the stait of Hormuz proposed by Donald Trump. We’re not supporting blockade. The strait is shut or not free for navigation in the way it should be. That means that oil and gas is not getting to market. That means the price is going up. That means everybody listening to this is facing higher energy bills. And I don’t want that to happen. I want their energy bills to be stabilised and lower. And so it is, in my view, vital that we get the strait open and fully open. Continue reading...

Four children zip around to meet historical characters such as 9th-century mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, but there’s more educational value than entertainment value There are not many children’s animated adventures that include 9th-century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age among their settings, or which can boast the historical figure Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi as a featured character. Who he? As one of a plucky quartet of gifted children explains, “That’s the father of mathematics! … he’s why we have algorithms!” This interesting backdrop is one of several – as the title suggests, the kids hop to different timelines – which is among the film’s strengths. Another boon are some pretty good Christmas-cracker style jokes, usually made in passing by background characters such as these two guards trading witticisms: “Why should you never race a Muslim during Ramadan? Because they fast.” Continue reading...

No 10 understood to be ready to drop block on Security Service being covered after concerns from families and Labour MPs The delayed Hillsborough law could come into force after a shift by the government on forcing intelligence services to give evidence to public inquiries. Disagreement on the issue had seen the bill’s progress halted earlier this year. Downing Street is understood to be willing to give way over a block on intelligence staff coming under the law’s terms, which enforces a duty of candour on public officials and contractors in the aftermath of disasters. Continue reading...

US Navy to impose blockade today in bid to choke off flow of Iranian oil Explainer: strait of Hormuz blockade Business live – latest updates Oil prices have jumped back above $100 a barrel after weekend talks between the US and Iran ended without an agreement and Donald Trump imposed a blockade of the strait of Hormuz. The US president announced the blockade on Sunday, targeting Iranian vessels and ships that have paid a toll to Iran for passage through the strait, in an attempt to choke off the flow of Iranian oil. Continue reading...

De Zerbi looks past Simons, Arsenal fans are not helping their team and Ngumoha can give PSG something to think about Football is such that, when you’re down, there’s a good chance the game boots you in the solar plexus, and that’s exactly what happened to Tottenham at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland’s winner coming by way of a deflection. But you can also take steps to help yourself and, though Roberto De Zerbi’s midfield setup made some sense – he picked three hard-runners in order to compete with Sunderland’s physicality – even pre-match, it wasn’t clear who would create their chances. It’s true that Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus are out injured, but in that context, it is surely even more important a place in the XI, whether in midfield or out wide, be found for Xavi Simons, left on the sidelines until the 85th minute. Simons is not perfect, but of the players De Zerbi has available he is the only one with the imagination and technique to make things happen. He may lack physicality, but what Spurs need more than anything is quality. Daniel Harris Match report: Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham Match report: Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth Match report: Chelsea 0-3 Manchester City City improve in good weather, says Guardiola Continue reading...

The two-time Grand National winner is surely second only to ‘Rummy’ and will be a strong favourite at Aintree in 2027 Relentless drama, no significant injuries to any of the 34 runners and a winner who inked himself on to the exclusive list of Aintree legends with the possibility of better to come next year. Saturday’s Grand National produced everything racing could realistically hope for and more, and if I Am Maximus can stay sound and return to Aintree in 2027 for a fourth run in the race, it promises to be one of the highlights of the sporting year. There was a 45-year wait for the next dual Grand National winner after Red Rum’s second success in 1974. Now, seven years after Tiger Roll’s second victory, I Am Maximus is only the third horse since the mid 1930s to register win number two, and the first since the peerless “Rummy” to win in nonconsecutive years. Having also finished a close second in 2025, he is arguably already second only to Red Rum in the list of all-time Aintree greats. He is a marketing person’s dream: a sporting hero who carries a gladiatorial name into combat, always rises to the challenge in the most famous race of the year, and won’t overturn his car or pick a fight in a nightclub. Continue reading...

Wales and Scotland produced drama at the Principality Stadium while England and Ireland drew a record crowd as the tournament began at major venues Sporting theatre reached Shakespearean heights at the Principality Stadium on Saturday as Wales and Scotland produced the best match of the opening Women’s Six Nations weekend. Welsh hearts broke seven minutes past the full 80 as Scotland managed to get a comeback win over the line. The fixture had sensational tries and late drama, and played out on BBC Two. The only thing missing was the type of crowd that such a thriller deserved. Wales hosted the game at the national stadium, the only one taking place there during this year’s tournament, watched by 10,569 supporters. The number is a record for a fixture between the two teams in Wales but if it had been held next door at Cardiff Arms Park, which has an official capacity of just over 12,000, or at Cardiff City Stadium, which holds about 33,000 and is hosting Wales men v Fiji in July, the atmosphere would have translated better to the players as well as to those watching at home. Continue reading...

Kara Nortman talks Monarch Collective’s sports ownership portfolio and potential investment in England Many Women’s Super League clubs are treated as “an afterthought” by their owners according to Kara Nortman, the co-founder of the women’s sport investment fund Monarch Collective and Angel City FC. Monarch last month became the first women’s multi-sport group by buying a minority stake in Cleveland WNBA, the basketball franchise joining an ownership portfolio that includes the NWSL teams San Diego Wave and Boston Legacy, and the German club Viktoria Berlin. Continue reading...

One of 17 children, she lived in a shack and devoted herself to needlework. Now her dazzling creations – showing everything from giant feet in Africa to the ‘fallen woman’ of Babylon – are being rediscovered Elizabeth Allen lived at the end of a steep, muddy track in a dilapidated hut with a notice on the door that read: “Knock very loudly.” One day in the winter of 1965, the artist Patrick Heron did just that – and overnight Allen, then in her 80s, became lauded as a luminary of the art world. There were exhibitions across Britain, not to mention in New York, Los Angeles and Barcelona. The Guardian called her “a remarkable colourist”, adding that “Klee and Matisse would undoubtedly have been impressed”. One of Allen’s pieces, 1966’s The Great Swan Song, reflects the surprise she felt at this flurry of fame after a life lived in total obscurity. This textile work features a black bird stitched into a cobalt-blue pond fringed by brown-leafed trees. The bird’s red eyes are gazing up at a vermilion sky, while a patchwork piece of bright green striped cloth seems to represent Allen’s hut. Continue reading...

We were told we couldn’t take a joke, and that social media isn’t real life. Now the misogyny of early chatrooms and Gamergate has reached the White House Why has it taken so long for us to treat misogyny as a political problem? The modern manosphere has been metastasising for many years – and for years, mainstream culture has responded with a helpless shrug. There was nothing unusual about men hurting women, even if the technology was new. In the early aughts, angry and alienated men began indulging in recreational misogyny online, bombarding women and girls in the public eye with threats, insults, harassment, hacking, and hideous “revenge porn”. Strange as it may now sound, though, “the internet” was still seen as separate from “real life”. Laurie Penny is a journalist, author and screenwriter. They write the substack Force of Culture Continue reading...

Having diverse microbes in the gut has been promoted as a way to boost immunity, but studies suggest it’s more complicated than that The trillions of microorganisms that live in and on our bodies – known as the microbiome – have been hailed as the key to better immunity. “Lots of studies correlate the types of bacteria in your microbiome with health and disease across almost every mental and physical condition,” says Prof Daniel M Davis, head of life sciences at Imperial College London and the author of Self Defence: A Myth-busting Guide to Immune Health. “But most of that evidence is correlative, and we still need to understand exactly how the microbiome affects health.” Scientists often look at one measure: diversity. In other words, how many different species of microbes live in the gut. “The more diverse your microbiome is, the more it seems to correlate with not being ill.” Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news Strait of Hormuz blockade explained: why is Trump threatening it now and will it increase the price of oil? The breakdown of US-Iran peace talks last weekend has only led to modest losses in Asia-Pacific markets. Japan’s Nikkei index is down 0.75%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index and the South Korean KOSPI have both dropped by 1.15%. While crude has advanced, and stocks slipped a touch, the overall market reaction to the weekend news of a US Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has been relatively contained, as participants view the move largely as a negotiating gambit from President Trump. While it’s clearly a risk-averse start to the trading week, amid President Trump’s announcement of a Navy blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, the general market reaction can be summed up as ‘could be worse’. “I gave my notice exactly one month ago. I’ve informed the master, I’m not willing to sail through the strait. It’s about safety, it’s all about safety.” Continue reading...

A trio of tricky teasers Tanya Khovanova is a luminary of the recreational mathematics scene. She is one of its foremost bloggers and also runs Number Gossip, a site where you can sumbit a number and she “will tell you everything you want to know about it but were afraid to ask.” Tanya has now written her first book, Mathematical Puzzles and Curiosities, in collaboration with two other puzzle enthusiasts, Ivo David and Yogev Shpilman. It’s packed with fantastic new puzzles and twists on old ones. Continue reading...

Swedish retailer continued to advertise partnership with Soly and failed to offer me any advice I am one of many left thousands of pounds out of pocket after signing up for solar panels via Ikea’s website late last year. Ikea had partnered with the European installer Soly, and the fact the panels were being advertised via such a well-known company gave us confidence. Continue reading...

Late-night gallery tours and new venues signal a city staking its claim as a regional arts capital On a recent weekday evening, the doors of more than a dozen galleries and museums across Abidjan stayed open till midnight, several hours later than usual, as art enthusiasts went around town on a bus tour. It was the Night of the Galleries, designed for people to drop in after work and enjoy Abidjan art week to the fullest. The after-hours special showcase was first tested in January 2024 on the sidelines of the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament hosted and won by Côte d’Ivoire. The tradition continued this year during the art week’s third edition, which ran from last Tuesday to Sunday. Continue reading...