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Ligue 1’s two-faced truth: European success is masking financial ruin | Philippe Auclair

13 hours ago | theguardian.com | Philippe Auclair

If it is results that count, tout va bien for Ligue 1. Having so far accrued its second-highest total of Uefa ranking points in a single campaign, the “league of talents” remains on course to register its best season in Europe since the 1990s, when Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco and others regularly featured in the latter stages of Uefa competitions.
Police launch manhunt after convicted murderer flees open prison in Scotland

21 hours ago | theguardian.com | Nadeem Badshah

Police have launched a manhunt after a convicted murderer escaped from an open prison in Scotland. Raymond McCourt, 59, was reported missing from HMP Castle Huntly in Dundee at 5.30pm on Tuesday. Police Scotland have warned the public not to approach him. McCourt is described as 6ft 2in, stocky, with short grey hair and a beard and has reduced mobility. He uses public transport, with connections to the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas, the force added.
Vapour leak from lorry in Oldham prompts local evacuation

21 hours ago | theguardian.com | Nadeem Badshah

Emergency services are dealing with a chemical and gas leak from a lorry in Greater Manchester that sent an orange plume into the air. Video footage circulating on social media showed a luminous vapour billowing from a gas tanker HGV in Oldham shortly after 3pm on Wednesday. Firefighters wearing PPE and using specialist equipment worked alongside police and ambulance crews on West End Street to make the vehicle and surrounding area safe, some nearby businesses and buildings being evacuated.
Keir Starmer’s realignment with Europe will be a low-key one

1 day ago | theguardian.com | Jessica Elgot

Talk of veterinary agreements, “Canada-plus” and rules of origin are likely to give even the most hardened Westminster veteran terrifying flashbacks. There was once a time when a word from Tory Eurosceptic Bill Cash on dynamic alignment could splash national newspapers. Now the more common reaction to those terms is a barely stifled yawn. And that is exactly how No 10 would like it to stay.
Labour MPs urge Starmer to back youth mobility scheme amid EU trade reset

1 day ago | theguardian.com | Jessica Elgot

Keir Starmer is under pressure from over 60 new Labour MPs to allow thousands of young Europeans to live and work in the UK, a move seen as key to unlocking a more ambitious trade reset with Brussels. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said discussions on a potential scheme were “ongoing” – the clearest hint yet that the government is preparing to do a deal.
Thousands from around world wait hours to visit coffin of Pope Francis

1 day ago | theguardian.com | Angela Giuffrida

Thousands of people queued for hours under the hot spring sun in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday to pay their final respects to Pope Francis, whose simple wooden coffin has been placed on the main altar of the 16th-century basilica, where he will lie in state until Friday evening. The pope, the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, died at his home in Casa Santa Marta on Monday aged 88 after a stroke and subsequent heart failure.
‘Nepo babies should be doing stuff like this’: are rich people ruining or reviving club culture?

1 day ago | theguardian.com | Phin Jennings

Nestled between Millwall FC stadium and an intersection of south London railway lines, the 350-capacity Venue MOT – once an actual MOT garage – is a cornerstone of the city’s underground music scene. But every Tuesday, owner Jan Mohammed gathers his staff at the bar and tells them how much money it has lost since the weekend. Mohammed, a sculptor, started renting a nearby space to use as a studio more than a decade ago.
Tesla investors welcome Elon Musk’s move to step back from Doge - US politics live

1 day ago | theguardian.com | Amy Sedghi

Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureTesla investors relieved after Musk says he will pull back in Doge roleThe Tesla chief executive, Elon Musk, said he will start pulling back from his role at the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) starting in May. Musk’s remarks came as the company reported a massive dip in both profits and revenues in the first quarter of 2025 amid backlash against his role in the White House.
‘Alarming’ increase in levels of forever chemical TFA found in European wines

1 day ago | theguardian.com | Ajit Niranjan

Levels of a little-known forever chemical known as TFA in European wines have risen “alarmingly” in recent decades, according to analysis, prompting fears that contamination will breach a planetary boundary. Researchers from Pesticide Action Network Europe tested 49 bottles of commercial wine to see how TFA contamination in food and drink has progressed.
Robert Jenrick vows to ‘bring coalition together’ to prevent Tory-Reform fight

1 day ago | theguardian.com | Jessica Elgot

Robert Jenrick has told a private meeting he will try to ensure that the Tories and Reform do not compete against each other at the next election, saying to do so would hand a second term to Keir Starmer. In leaked comments obtained by Sky News, the shadow justice secretary said he would “bring this coalition together … one way or another” – though a source close to Jenrick denied he meant a pact with the party and said he was referring to voters.