Fifa to allow traditional highland accessory into grounds Tournament rules only permit certain types of bags Scotland fans have been given the all-clear to wear their sporrans at the team’s matches at the 2026 World Cup. Tournament rules only permitted certain types of bags into stadiums, and the pouch traditionally worn by Scots at the front of their kilt was deemed too large to meet the strict criteria. Continue reading...

‘These guys wanted to leave the chaos and fighting of a neo-Nazi skinhead band playing a school hall – and causing horror. “We’re using your car to count up the takings,” one told me. “As long as I can take a photo,” I said’ In 1990, I was working in photojournalism but doing music photography on the side to make money. At the time there was a rise in neo-Nazi music, with bands such as Skrewdriver and the Blood and Honour movement. I was initially going to do a magazine piece on it but it grew into a much bigger project and I ended up spending two years following these people around the country. It led to a book and a documentary. It was a difficult project and there were moral and ethical challenges as well as dangerous ones, but that was part of the attraction. The people were suspicious of me but I was honest about what I wanted to do. They knew I didn’t agree with their politics but that I didn’t have an agenda. Continue reading...

Lib Dem leader says crisis at William Blake House is ‘one of my worst nightmares’ after Guardian revealed inquiry into finances Ed Davey has accused a trustee of a learning disability care home of embezzlement and called for watchdogs to take over the charity to resolve a crisis he described as “one my worst nightmares”. The Liberal Democrat leader’s intervention at prime minister’s questions came hours after the Guardian revealed the Charity Commission has opened a serious inquiry into concerns around financial mismanagement and potential misuse of funds at William Blake House. Continue reading...

Coalition government agrees to remove parts of controversial law and allow homes to rely on fossil fuels Germany’s coalition government has been accused of abandoning its climate targets after agreeing to scrap parts of a contentious heating law mandating the use of renewables in favour of a draft law allowing homeowners to rely on fossil fuels. While the previous law required most newly installed heating systems to use at least 65% renewable energy, often with a heat pump, the reformed legislation will allow households to keep using oil and gas. Continue reading...

Mike Johnson criticizes congresswomen’s verbal protests during speech The ‘golden age of America’? Trump delivers the State of the Union address – podcast A newly revealed diplomatic cable calls on US diplomats to work against attempts by foreign nations to regulate how US tech companies handle their citizens’ data, as “data sovereignty initiatives” gather steam in Europe over security concerns. More from Reuters: President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered U.S. diplomats to lobby against attempts to regulate U.S. tech companies’ handling of foreigners’ data, saying in an internal diplomatic cable seen by Reuters that such efforts could interfere with artificial intelligence-related services. Experts say the move signals the Trump administration is reverting to a more confrontational approach as some foreign countries seek limits around how Silicon Valley firms process and store their citizens’ personal information - initiatives often described as “data sovereignty” or “data localization.“ Continue reading...

Change in price cap amounts to £10 reduction a month to average annual bill of £1,641 Energy bills will fall by £117 for millions of households in Great Britain from April The luxury carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda is to cut another 500 jobs, reducing its workforce by a fifth. It is looking to save about £40m, after reporting widening losses. Having undertaken at the start of 2025 a process to make organisational adjustments to ensure the business was appropriately resourced for its future plans, we had to take the difficult decision at the end of 2025 to implement further changes. This latest programme will ultimately see the departure of up to 20% of our valued workforce. Continue reading...

The sex offender could exploit these masters of the universe ​because, despite their privilege, ​they still felt short-changed by life One of the things that has been frequently puzzled over as the effluent of the Epstein story flows on, is how a college dropout who thought it was cool to do typos managed to persuade the world’s most powerful into his lair. What, precisely, was the nature of his “genius”? Was it blackmail? Was it the social pyramid scheme of using one big name to reel in another? Nothing has come close to explaining it until, with the latest crop of details from the Epstein files, something has become suddenly clear: that it wasn’t the trafficked girls and women who Jeffrey Epstein groomed. The man’s real talent, if we want to call it that, was in the grooming of his cohort of associates. This isn’t to say, of course, that the men and occasional woman who threw in their lot with a man we must straight-facedly refer to as “the dead paedophile” weren’t culpable. Nonetheless, if you study the huge amount of Epstein-related material, from the New York Times’s deep dive into his finances to the vast cache of correspondence contained in the files, a picture emerges of a man who did the kind of number on his peers that you would more commonly see directed at victims. While multiple survivor testimonies indicate that Epstein regarded the girls and women he trafficked as of such low consequence he didn’t even need to bother to groom them – per Virginia Giuffre’s account, Epstein raped her the first time they met – all of his resources, via a variety of tactics, went into capturing the allegiances of powerful men. Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Goalhanger’s Tony Pastor says Serie A has ‘disappeared’ ‘You have to embrace this idea of fragmentation’ Football “has eaten almost every sport worldwide” thanks to its dominance of TV and digital markets, according to the head of the leading podcast production company Goalhanger. Tony Pastor, CEO of the studio behind the Rest is Football among other podcasts, said that broadcasters were struggling to get value for money for sports rights and that competitions should “embrace fragmentation” to reach audiences where they are. Continue reading...

Push for good nature news before polls with reintroduction of white-tailed eagles, pine martens and beavers in England White-tailed eagles, pine martens and beavers will be released across England before the May elections as the Labour government attempts to staunch the flow of nature-loving voters to the Green party. Plans to reintroduce these lost species to the country have been mooted for years, but the previous Conservative government failed to get them over the line after opposition from landowners and its own MPs. Continue reading...

The leadership shown by four Premier League players in highlighting racism last weekend must be replicated, and addressing representation is part of that Recent incidents involving Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Vinícius Júnior have offered a new layer to the question Kick It Out is often asked when discrimination occurs: is it getting worse or are more people reporting it? The question has been posed again this week after four Premier League players highlighted racist abuse sent to them on social media after matches last weekend. Continue reading...

Emma Thompson voices the anonymous ‘Van Man’ in a documentary about local people standing their ground against heavy-handed immigration enforcement The extraordinary story of Glasgow’s Kenmure Street uprising in 2021 is retold in this absorbing documentary from film-maker Felipe Bustos Sierra. Kenmure Street is now a location to resonate with London’s Cable Street. An immigration detention van had been sent in to this diverse community on 13 May, the morning of the Muslim festival of Eid, to arrest two men of Indian Sikh background. Maybe that date was pure chance, which protesters could exploit to rally their own side, or maybe it was chosen because the Home Office calculated that the community would be largely at home on this holiday and more vulnerable. Either way, it was a crucial strategic error, consolidating the community view that this was heavy-handed policing against a proud, close-knit Scottish community by the Westminster authorities. Moreover, as the day progressed, the fact that the men would have no legal representation underscored the impression of unfair play. Continue reading...

Lord advocate Dorothy Bain informed first minister of embezzlement charges against former SNP chief executive a year before they were made public Serious doubts have been raised about the dual role of Scotland’s top law officer after it emerged that the first minister was informed of criminal charges against Peter Murrell nearly a year before they were made public. The lord advocate, Dorothy Bain, who acts as Scotland’s chief prosecutor as well as the government’s principal legal adviser in cabinet, has faced calls to resign but the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service maintains she was acting in line with her duties. Continue reading...

The director of Finding Nemo and Wall-E has made an ambitious yet entirely baffling mess with the help of Rashida Jones and Kate McKinnon In the first few minutes of In the Blink of an Eye, director Andrew Stanton’s long-gestating, epoch-spanning sci-fi epic, a Neanderthal man (Jorge Vargas) explores a perilously rocky beach 45,000 years ago. For some reason, he decides to climb one of the larger, steeper rocks – for food? For a view? But he loses his grip and falls backward, landing on the sharp stones below with a sickening, visceral squelch. That moment is, I think, supposed to convey the fragility of early human existence – one second you’re foraging, the next you’re impaled and/or imperiled – though I couldn’t help but think of the film’s own cursed journey. Shot all the way back in 2023, In The Blink of an Eye is just now arriving on Hulu about three years later after many delays – not unheard of in the relatively glacial world of movie production, though never a good sign, especially considering that Stanton is the creative force behind such sentimental juggernauts as Wall-E and Finding Nemo (as well as several other Pixar movies, plus John Carter). The protracted timeline suggested that it was either going to be tricky and ambitious, a hard-fought journey of space and time, or, more likely, a complete mess. Continue reading...

Proposal approved by Modi government will bring official English name into line with Malayalam language The Indian state of Kerala, known as “God’s own country” for its golden beaches and lush tea plantations, is to be given a new name. Narendra Modi’s cabinet has approved a proposal to change the southern coastal state’s name from Kerala to Keralam. The move will bring the official English name into line with how it is pronounced in Malayalam, the primary language spoken by the state’s estimated population of 35 million. Continue reading...

Thomas Woldbye says major funding model decisions need to be taken if the airport is to meet government timetable Heathrow has reported falling profits and a squeeze on passenger growth, as its boss said that slow progress on its “underestimated” £33bn third runway scheme should be a national concern. Chief executive Thomas Woldbye said major decisions on its funding model and the legal underpinning for expansion needed to be taken by regulators and government this year if the airport was to meet the timetable set down by chancellor Rachel Reeves, for construction to start by 2029. Continue reading...

Terrestrial channels seeking more legislative protection Number of Labour MPs are understood to be supportive Public service broadcasters are making renewed attempts to persuade the government to expand the list of televised sport’s free-to-air “crown jewels”. A call from the then BBC director of sport, Barbara Slater, to add the Six Nations Championship to the group A list of events that must be offered to terrestrial channels was rejected three years ago, but a group of Labour MPs is understood to be working with the broadcasters to force a change of policy. Continue reading...

Israeli government pushes for Hamas to abandon weapons first and claims US deadline imminent Progress in the Gaza peace plan has stalled over disagreements on how Hamas should be disarmed, with Israel threatening to go back to full-scale war if the condition is not carried out quickly. The second phase of the US-brokered ceasefire, which Washington declared had begun in January, was meant to involve Hamas disarming, Israeli forces withdrawing and a Palestinian interim administration moving into Gaza backed by a Palestinian police force and an International Stabilisation Force (ISF). Continue reading...

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Man, 32, shot dead by deputy after stabbing attack was the subject of domestic violence protection orders Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A man shot dead by a sheriff’s deputy after he fatally stabbed four people outside his mother’s home near Gig Harbor, Washington, on Tuesday morning was the subject of domestic violence protection orders recording mental health and substance abuse issues stretching back at least five years. Records reviewed by Associated Press show that the woman living at the address had obtained a 12-month protection order against her 32-year-old son in May. The order noted that he struggled from substance abuse, and had threatened his mother saying that her “grave has been already dug up”. Continue reading...

Jumps star has fallen in three of last four hurdles runs Horse switched to Flat campaign after Southwell romp Constitution Hill will not run in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on 10 March and is now on course for a campaign on the Flat. Trainer Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley came to the decision having agonised over it for days since the nine-year-old impressed greatly in his first ever run on the Flat at Southwell. Continue reading...

It was once reserved for office workers and Rishi Sunak, but now pop stars and supermodels can’t get enough of the preppy look My favourite kind of fashion moment is not a Met Gala headline-maker or a Paris catwalk extravaganza. Nope. My favourite fashion moment is when one piece of clothing is suddenly everywhere for no obvious reason, which is what is happening right now with the quarter-zip sweater. The jumper with a chin-to-breastbone zip, which has been around for ever, is the breakout main character of the 2026 wardrobe. At a Chanel catwalk show held in New York recently, a quarter-zip knit was the star of the show, worn with a fancy cocktail-hour skirt and diamond drop earrings. Charli xcx teamed a Saint Laurent one with sunglasses and shorts on her last trip to Paris fashion week. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wears stealth-wealth dark merino ones in the dugout, rapper Central Cee wears a cream Ralph Lauren one on TikTok – and the man opposite you on the train right now, taking a Zoom call on his AirPods while eating Pret porridge, is probably wearing one too. Continue reading...

Consortium included Dunfermline co-owner James Bord They say due diligence showed their offer was far too high A consortium seeking to buy Sheffield Wednesday says it has withdrawn from the process. The consortium, which features James Bord, the co-owner of Dunfermline, was granted exclusivity by club administrators in December. However, it has released a statement confirming that interest is at an end. A spokesperson for the consortium said: “Throughout the process to purchase Sheffield Wednesday Football Club we have at all times respected the integrity of the process, working professionally, constructively and transparently with the administrator, the EFL and the IFR to provide them with the details they need to satisfy their tests. Continue reading...

Jamieson Greer warns tariffs may climb from 10% after Trump imposed global levy amid US supreme court setback The US tariff rate for some countries will go up to 15% or higher from the newly-imposed 10%, Jamieson Greer, the US trade representative, said on Wednesday, without naming any specific trading partners or other details. “Right now, we have the 10% tariff. It’ll go up to 15 [%] for some and then it may go higher for others, and I think it will be in line with the types of tariffs we’ve been seeing,” Greer said in an interview on Fox Business Network’s Mornings with Maria program. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Alvi Choudhury claiming damages against Thames Valley police after biased technology confused him with man looking ‘10 years younger’ Police arrested a man for a burglary in a city he had never visited after face scanning software deployed across the UK confused him with another person of south Asian heritage. Alvi Choudhury, 26, a software engineer, was working at the home he shares with his parents in Southampton in January when police knocked on his door, handcuffed him and held him in custody for nearly 10 hours before releasing him at 2am. Continue reading...

Former Labour MP’s lawyers Mishcon de Reya issued short statement on his behalf that ended up saying an awful lot UK politics live – latest updates It didn’t take long for Peter Mandelson to go public. Only a few hours after he was pictured on Tuesday returning home after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, he hit back. His lawyers issued a short statement that said an awful lot and attempted to pack a punch – several, actually. It showed that the veteran of multiple past political controversies intends to do what he has always done: work the problem. Peter Mandelson was arrested yesterday despite an agreement with the police that he would attend an interview next month on a voluntary basis. The arrest was prompted by a baseless suggestion that he was planning to leave the country and take up permanent residence abroad. There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in any such suggestion. We have asked the MPS for the evidence relied upon to justify the arrest. Peter Mandelson’s overriding priority is to cooperate with the police investigation, as he has done throughout this process, and to clear his name. Continue reading...