These major issues have brought together Democrats and Republicans in states

Across the country, Republicans and Democrats have found bipartisan agreement on regulating artificial intelligence and data centers. But it's not just big tech aligning the two parties.

Hillary Clinton testifies that she has no information on Epstein’s criminal activities in House oversight hearing – live

Clinton says she does not recall meeting Epstein in deposition taking place behind closed doors

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Cindy McCain announced today that she will step down from her role as executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme to focus on her health.

McCain, the widow of the late US senator John McCain, suffered a mild stroke last October and had returned to Italy to resume her work after that, but the demands of the job were affecting her recovery, the organization said. She started the role in April 2023. She will step down in three months.

Nottingham Forest v Fenerbahce: Europa League knockout round playoff, second leg – live

⚽ Europa League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off
⚽ Live scores | Read today’s Football Daily | Mail Daniel

Nottingham Forest (5-4-1): Ortega; Williams, Morato, Murillo, Jair Cunha, Hutchinson; McAtee, Anderson, Yates, Dominguez; Lucca. Subs: Gunn, Willows, Sangaré, Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Igor Jesus, Bakwa, Milenkovic, Ainoa, Abbott.

Fenerbahce (4-3-3): Tarık; Mert Müldür, Guendouzi, Yiğit Efe, Archie Brown; Kante, İsmail Yüksek, Oğuz Aydın; Nene, Cherif, Kerem Aktürkoğlu. Subs: Engin Can Biterge, Hulusi Ceylan, Asensio, Mercan, Nélson Semedo, Alettin Ekici, Kamil Efe Üregen.

Columbia student arrested by DHS agents who posed as police officers

Acting university president says agents misrepresented themselves to gain entry to the residential building

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A Columbia University student was arrested on Thursday by federal immigration officers who apparently misrepresented themselves by posing as New York police officers looking for a missing child in order to to gain entry to a residential building to make the apprehension.

The acting president of the elite institution in New York City, Claire Shipman, wrote in a statement sent to the wider Columbia community on Thursday that the university was working to gather more information on the incident earlier that morning.

Why it's a bit surprising that the U.S. is attending a key global flu meeting

After the U.S. withdrew from the World Health Organization, it wasn't clear they would participate in this WHO-led meeting to determine the recipe for the next flu vaccine.

Research suggests mating direction bias between Neanderthals and humans

Scientists say DNA evidence indicates male Neanderthals and human females interbred more often than opposite

Tens of thousands of years ago, as modern humans migrated into northerly territories inhabited by our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals, the two species met – and sometimes mated.

Now, genetic evidence has revealed a striking imbalance in these prehistoric trysts, suggesting that interbreeding was mostly between male Neanderthals and female humans.

Democrats plan to force Iran war powers vote next week

The president has commanded a massive military buildup in the region, as he negotiates a new nuclear deal with Iran.

Jeep maker Stellantis posts first annual loss in company history after EV writedowns

The results come shortly after the auto giant scaled back its EV ambitions following a major strategic shift.

Walmart to pay $100 million to settle FTC case on delivery driver wages

The Federal Trade Commission, joined by 11 states, claimed that the retail giant deceived its employees about pay and the tips they could earn.

India thrash Zimbabwe to revive T20 World Cup hopes and South Africa close on semis

• Sharma and Pandya speed India towards 72-run win

• Proteas’ Markram leads nine-wicket win over West Indies

A rampant India piled up a record total and handed Zimbabwe a 72-run shellacking in a Super 8s contest to revive their Twenty20 World Cup title defence. Sent in, the hosts blasted 256 for four, the tournament’s highest score this year, after Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya struck blistering half-centuries.

It rained 17 sixes and as many fours at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium as India’s top order feasted on a modest Zimbabwean attack made even blunter by their sloppy catching.

EBay laying off about 800 roles, or 6% of its workforce

The job cuts are occurring across the company, and are a result of its push to focus on "strategic priorities," eBay said.

Shia LaBeouf must seek treatment as part of bail terms after alleged attack

The actor, long open about his struggle with sobriety, was also ordered to undergo drug testing and pay $100,000 bond

Shia LaBeouf on Thursday was ordered to enroll in substance abuse treatment, undergo a drug testing program and pay a $100,000 bond as conditions of his release from custody after the actor allegedly battered and hurled homophobic slurs at two men at a New Orleans bar.

The requirements imposed on LaBeouf, 39, by New Orleans judge Simone Levine came after the Transformer film franchise star was initially allowed to leave jail without being required to pay a bond in the hours after his 17 February arrest on two counts of misdemeanor battery.

Secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules are made public

The Energy Department made the rules public a month after NPR reported about their existence. The rules slash requirements for security and environmental protections.

Hillary Clinton tells House panel she had "no idea" about Epstein's crimes

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in her opening statement before the House Oversight Committee that she had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.

Nvidia reports earnings and guidance beat as AI boom pushes data center revenue up 75%

Nvidia has been the best performer on Wall Street this year among tech's megacap companies.

MPs condemn hosting of Tommy Robinson by Trump administration

The far-right activist’s trip came amid calls for the US to be included in a probe into foreign interference in UK politics

The hosting of Tommy Robinson by the Trump administration has been condemned by British MPs amid calls for the US to be included in a probe into foreign interference in UK politics.

The far-right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is being feted in the US, where he met figures including a political appointee at the Department of State in Washington DC and a congressman.

Yes, Britain needs more babies – but Reform's nasty plans for women won't help | Polly Toynbee

The UK, like many other countries, has a falling birthrate. But Danny Kruger’s perverse 1970s-style policies offer nothing to mothers-to-be

Babies are beautiful. I always want to smile at them in the street, perhaps because they are a rarer and more precious sight in this ageing country or because they remind me of my grandchildren. There are about 3.5 million children aged four and under, while dogs on the streets are a more plentiful 13.5 million. Is the dog boom compensating for fewer children? As time goes by, there are going to be ever more grandparents and ever fewer children to beam at foolishly.

That is not only a sadness and a loss, but becoming an aged society is a cultural and economic threat. Older people, by and large, are not the innovators or new thinkers. An ageing society risks declining in optimism, creativity and, above all, risk-taking: a top-heavy preponderance of older people makes for a conservative and fearful electorate. We are there already – and it’s getting worse.

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

Guardian Newsroom: Can Labour come back from the brink?
On Monday 30 April, ahead of the May elections, join Gaby Hinsliff, Zoe Williams, Polly Toynbee and Rafael Behr as they discuss how much of a threat Labour faces from the Green party and Reform – and whether Keir Starmer can survive as leader of the Labour party. Book tickets here

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Trump attack threat looms as nuclear talks between US and Iran go to wire

Extension of Geneva negotiations into the night suggest gaps between the two sides remain

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High-stakes talks between the US and Iran over a permanent end to Tehran’s nuclear programme were to continue late into the night on Thursday, with apparent gaps between the two sides leaving open the possibility that Donald Trump will launch an unprecedented punitive military assault on Iran.

Iran’s foreign ministry tried to dampen suggestions that the talks in Geneva had broken down, insisting new ideas had been raised requiring more consultation in both capitals.

UK social media ban for under-16s edges closer with Starmer expected to back it

Liz Kendall to launch consultation next week that will also explore alternatives such as curbs on infinite scrolling

Ministers will take another step towards banning social media for under-16s next week as they launch a consultation on the policy, with government insiders increasingly certain Keir Starmer will back the idea.

Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, will publish the terms of reference for the consultation, which is expected to explore options including an age limit and less hardline action such as curbs on infinite scrolling.

Judge rules construction of Trump's White House ballroom can continue for now

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Thursday that the legal challenge brought by a preservationist group failed because the White House is not a government agency.

Ford recalls 4.4 million vehicles over faulty software

Ford said a tech glitch can increase the risk of a crash for vehicles towing a trailer. Here's what to look for.

The most noteworthy NWSL kits of 2026: Disco, a Lady Liberty fever dream and more

This year’s crop of tops draw on Venus flytraps, cherry blossoms and classic soccer jersey designs – to varying degrees of success

The 2026 NWSL season is upon us, and so are its kits.

All 16 of the league’s clubs got new kits ahead of this season, and for the first time the league gave select clubs the opportunity to design third kits. The resulting collection, which includes initial home and away looks for debutants Boston Legacy and Denver Summit, is a mixed bag.

Mortgage rates fall below 6% for the first time in years

The average home loan rate has dropped below 6% for the first time since 2022. Will that help thaw the frozen housing market?

Warren calls Trump’s bluff on affordability after State of the Union

Trump laid blame on Democrats for affordability and argued his administration has solved the problem, as polls consistently show increased concern from voters.

Family of UN official sanctioned by US over Israel criticism sues White House

Lawsuit against the Trump administration says penalties against Francesca Albanese violate the first amendment

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The family of independent UN investigator Francesca Albanese has sued the Trump administration over US sanctions imposed on her last year for her criticism of Israel’s policies during the war with Hamas in Gaza, saying the penalties violate the first amendment.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the US district court in Washington, Albanese’s husband and minor child outlined the serious impact those sanctions have had on the family’s life and work, including the ability to access their home in the nation’s capital.

‘Premflix’ app to screen all Premier League matches live – but only in Singapore

• Premier League to have its own streaming service

• Shock move to sell direct to viewers in place next season

The Premier League is to launch its own streaming service, with live coverage of all 380 matches over a season available directly to fans – but only if you live in Singapore.

Known as Premier League Plus, the new app will be launched before next season and will be the first time match coverage will be sold direct to consumers.

Drax to stop burning controversial Canadian wood within next year

Yorkshire plant has been criticised for taking material from some of British Columbia’s most environmentally important forests

The owner of Drax power plant has started reducing the amount of Canadian wood pellets it burns, and will stop burning trees from British Columbia entirely within the next year.

The FTSE 250 company Drax Group said its Canadian wood pellet plants, which once supplied millions of tonnes of biomass to be burnt in its North Yorkshire power plant, had cost the company almost £200m in financial impairments last year.

Met police to pilot facial recognition identity checks, mayor confirms

Sadiq Khan reveals 100 officers will use roaming technology for six months but opponents call its use ‘alarming’

Metropolitan police officers are to start scanning citizens’ faces using automated facial recognition technology to check their identities, in a move backed by the mayor of London but described as “alarming” by opponents.

The pilot was revealed on Thursday when Sadiq Khan said 100 officers would use the roaming technology – commonly deployed on smartphones – for six months. The mayor was responding to questioning from an opposition politician amid rising concern about the rollout of AI-powered policing tools. The Met’s website still states it “does not presently use the so-called operator initiated facial recognition”.

Rebecca Hendin on nuclear talks between the US and Iran – cartoon

If the Berlin film festival ousts its director, there may be no way back

Hosting an audience-friendly festival in a highly political capital city has always been a challenge. If Berlinale’s organisers push out Tricia Tuttle over the latest Gaza row, they may as well give up trying

Berlin is a difficult place to hold a major international film festival. Perhaps, as the events of the last two weeks have shown, an impossible one. The main cause of this difficulty is that Berlin, unlike all of its major competitors, is a national capital. Cannes, Venice, Toronto and Sundance are all hosted in locations far removed from political centres of gravity. In Berlin, world events are for ever on the cinema doorstep and keep on spilling inside.

The event has long embraced its geographic fate: unlike Cannes and Venice, it is not simply an industry-facing launching pad for new films but also a public-facing festival selling tickets to new films to ordinary Berliners, and the world’s largest of its kind. But that openness also has downsides: the corridors of the Berlinale Palast are teeming with locally based film critics who are quick to perceive a drop in quality on screen or glamour on the red carpet as a reflection of their own diminished standing. The press conferences are rammed with political journalists who struggle with film-makers that find it tough to give unequivocal answers compared with lawmakers in the Bundestag down the road. (The video journalist who pressed jury president Wim Wenders on the festival’s stance on Gaza usually grills spokespeople at government press conferences.) And the closing gala is attended by politicians who constantly feel they must position themselves for or against whatever is happening on the stage. To make all this worse, the Berlinale takes place in what are usually the last weeks of the city’s interminably grey winter, when everyone is in a bad mood and impatient for the first blossoms of the spring.

Danish PM calls an early election seeking ‘Greenland bounce’

Mette Frederiksen hopes to profit from her stand against Donald Trump’s attempt to claim the Arctic territory

Denmark’s prime minister has called an early election to take advantage of a “Greenland bounce” after Donald Trump’s threats to invade the Arctic territory.

Mette Frederiksen, who has been in office since 2019, is required by Danish law to call an election by 31 October. Setting a date with eight months to go appears to be an attempt to ride improved poll ratings after disastrous local elections in November that saw her Social Democrats lose control of Copenhagen for the first time in a century.

I can’t stop picking at my pimples. How do I break this habit?

Treating the underlying acne can help. But stress relief measures like meditation can too – and may depend on the severity

Hi Ugly,

I tend to get pimples, especially around my period. This is fine and normal. What’s not fine is that I cannot stop picking at them, making my skin irritated and red.

Why is this column called ‘Ask Ugly’?

How should I be styling my pubic hair?

How do I deal with imperfection?

My father had plastic surgery. Now he wants me and my mother to get work done

I want to ignore beauty culture. But I’ll never get anywhere if I don’t look a certain way

Nancy Guthrie's house to be returned to her family as search goes on

The release of Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson, Arizona, comes nearly four weeks after she was reported missing on Feb. 1.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia back in court in bid to have criminal case dropped

A federal judge is weighing whether to dismiss the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia on the grounds the prosecution is vindictive.

Is the U.S. headed toward a military conflict with Iran?

New York Times journalist David Sanger discusses how we got here, the state of Iran's nuclear weapons program, the likelihood of U.S. military force against Iran and if Trump's goal is regime change.

Boss of World Economic Forum quits after links to Epstein revealed

Børge Brende admitted dining with the convicted sex offender on three occasions between 2018 and 2019

The boss of the World Economic Forum (WEF) has quit following criticism of his connections to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Børge Brende said he will step down as president and chief executive after more than eight years leading the body, which is best known for its annual meeting held each January in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos.

Seth Meyers on Trump’s State of the Union address: ‘A vehicle to attack anyone who doesn’t bend the knee’

Late-night hosts discussed the response to the long-winded speech and suspicious redactions from the Epstein files

Late-night hosts tore into Donald Trump’s extremely long State of the Union address and a bombshell new report on redactions from the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Igor Tudor admits Spurs salvage job is biggest challenge and harder than expected

• Interim manager: ‘Now it’s a question of life and death’

• Fulham clash is ‘not time to think about performance’

Igor Tudor says the salvage operation he has taken on at Tottenham is tougher than he envisaged and most likely his hardest job in management.

The interim coach, who is preparing for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Fulham, has worked with his new squad since the beginning of last week, having replaced the sacked Thomas Frank. Tudor lost his first game 4-1 at home to Arsenal on Sunday, which left Spurs four points above the relegation zone.

Scream 7 review – nostalgic slasher sequel settles for solid over seminal

Neve Campbell, Kevin Williamson and Courtney Cox return for another Ghostface whodunnit that is messy but mostly entertaining

Whether you love or hate the Scream franchise, it’s hard at this stage not to at least respect it. Even without the subterranean bar set by other lazy slasher sequels (stalk, stab, repeat, yawn) it’s a series that has now been around for 30 years and tasked itself with extending an ongoing narrative of insanely convoluted soap, finding new ways to comment on the horror genre and appealing to a savvier generation of younger fans (the sixth film managed to be the highest-grossing in the US). If nothing has rivalled the 1996 original, it’s still hard to argue that there’s been an objectively bad Scream movie, even at the franchise’s less effective moments, there’s been a buzz of effort and energy present.

The run continues, albeit with perhaps more notes than usual, with Scream 7, a scrappy, passably entertaining new chapter that limps to the screen with wounds on show. The original plan had been to continue the story of the Carpenter sisters, introduced in 2022’s hit relaunch, but after the shameful firing of star Melissa Barrera who dared to speak out about a genocide, it was back to the drawing board. Said drawing board was then just a headshot of Neve Campbell, the original Scream queen, and a bunch of dollar signs next to it as the actor had rightfully turned down the sixth film over what she said was a lowball offer. Some seven million reasons to rejoin later (according to reports) and she’s back front and centre, along with many amusing “why weren’t you in New York?” references, and with some familiar, and confusing, old friends.

Salesforce climbs on earnings beat as company commits $50 billion for buybacks

Salesforce posted accelerating growth and pushed up its long-range revenue target thanks to a recent acquisition.

Netflix to release four-part series about Rupert Murdoch’s family drama

‘Dynasty: The Murdochs’ will debut on the streamer on 13 March

The real-world drama that is said to have inspired the hit HBO show Succession is set for its own four-part series when Netflix debuts Dynasty: The Murdochs on 13 March.

The docuseries, based on thousands of pages of documents, emails and text messages, presents an exhaustive history of Rupert Murdoch’s rise while homing in on the tensions that have built for decades between him, his chosen heir Lachlan, and Rupert’s three other adult children: James Murdoch, Elisabeth Murdoch and Prudence MacLeod.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow end of TPS for Syrians

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to end temporary deportation protections for thousands of Syrian immigrants living in the U.S.

UK parents fear young will be worse off for first time in a century, ex-minister warns

Alan Milburn says people feel ‘social contract is being broken’ as number of Neets climbs to 957,000

The number of young people in the UK not working or in education has risen closer to a million, figures show, as a government adviser warned that for the first time in a century parents do not think their children will have a better life than them.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people aged 16 to 24 who were not in education, employment or training (Neet) rose to 957,000 in the final three months of last year, equating to 12.8% of this age group.

Safety concerns for popular spring break destinations

There are safety concerns for some popular spring break destinations amid unrest that erupted in Mexico this week and rising measles cases in parts of the U.S. Cristian Benavides reports.

At least 10 FBI staffers who worked on Mar-a-Lago case are fired, sources say

At least 10 FBI employees who worked on former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President Trump's retention of classified records were fired Wednesday, multiple sources said.

"Nearly blind" refugee dies in Buffalo after Border Patrol release, mayor says

A mayor and a federal lawmaker called for an investigation into the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a nearly blind blind refugee who went missing after being released by Border Patrol.

Russia says Cuba situation is escalating after deadly incident with U.S.-tagged speedboat

The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Havana.

Football Daily | Ramy Bensebaini and the stuff of nightmares in Europe for Dortmund

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Not so much a bad night at the office as a high-stakes, avant-garde masterpiece of self-destruction, Ramy Bensebaini’s performance for Borussia Dortmund as they crashed out of Bigger Cup is destined to go down in the annals as one of the most hapless in the tournament’s history. While there have been costlier mistakes (hello, Loris Karius) and far more high-profile disintegrations (bonjour, b@nter-era PSG), it is difficult to recall any one elite professional footballer being responsible for quite so many howlers in one game as the hapless Algerian left-back.

Italian woman awarded compensation after breaking ankle while working from home

University of Padua employee fractured ankle when getting up to fetch documents during video meeting

An Italian woman who fell and broke her ankle while working from home has obtained compensation in an unprecedented court ruling hailed a victory for workers’ rights.

In April 2022, the woman, an employee in the University of Padua’s law department, fractured her ankle in two places. The injury, which happened during a Zoom meeting where she fell after she got up from her desk to fetch documents, required surgery and treatment lasting more than four months.

Homeland security awarded $250,000 contract to Trump-aligned consulting firm

Exclusive: DHS chose firm with ties to Corey Lewandowski after demanding partisan loyalty, in departure from federal procurement guidelines

The US Department of Homeland Security has awarded a $250,000 public relations contract to a Republican political consulting firm led by former Trump campaign officials with connections to Corey Lewandowski, a senior adviser to DHS secretary Kristi Noem, according to federal records reviewed by the Guardian.

On 26 September 2025, DHS posted an opportunity for “public affairs consulting services”, specifying that the successful applicant would provide “strategic counsel” to top officials at the department including Noem. The work would also include ensuring that media outlets in “alignment with DHS priorities” were present at appearances with Noem, as well as drafting position papers and devising negotiation strategies “tailored to DHS’s priorities in border security, immigration enforcement, and cyber defense”.

Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li audiobook review – a deconstruction of grief

The author’s prize-winning memoir about losing both her sons to suicide is a calm, sensitive account of ‘radical acceptance’

‘There is no good way to say this.” This is the phrase used by police when visiting the Chinese-American author Yiyun Li – twice. On the first occasion, officers advise her and her husband to sit down before telling them their son, Vincent, has died by suicide. The couple hear the same line several years later when James, their other son, dies – also by suicide. “My husband and I had two children and lost them both,” Li states.

In this memoir, Li describes how Vincent, 16, enjoyed baking, while 19-year-old James was a brilliant linguist and a deep thinker. Shortly before Vincent’s death, Li had written a memoir about her depressive episodes which led to her own suicide attempts. She wonders if this contributed to both her sons’ sense that suicide could be a viable way out of difficulty.

Mafia accused of using Naples hospital for fraud and illegal transport of corpses

Four arrests over Camorra’s alleged infiltration of San Giovanni Bosco to carry out lucrative criminal activity

Italian police on Wednesday arrested four people over an alleged Camorra plot to infiltrate a Naples hospital, stage fake crashes for insurance payouts and spirit corpses away on oxygen-masked stretchers to profit from private ambulance transfers.

The investigation, prompted by the testimony of a state witness, uncovered a web of lucrative criminal activity allegedly carried out by members of the Contini clan of the Camorra, the Neapolitan mafia, inside San Giovanni Bosco hospital. Prosecutors said the “operations were made possible by the organisation’s capacity for intimidation, a force that bent public officials and private citizens alike to its will”.

British-Danish couple say new UK passport rules may separate them from children

Family learned of change while abroad, and fear dual-national children will have to stay with relatives while they return to apply for passports

A British man and a Danish woman fear they will be separated from their young children in Copenhagen airport because of new border control rules on British dual nationals.

James Scrivens and his wife, Sara, who live in Wales, were visiting relatives in Norway and Denmark during the school holidays, and learned about the new Home Office rules only while they were abroad.

Details emerge about one of men killed on U.S.-registered boat off Cuba

Michael Ortega Casanova is one of four people who were killed after people aboard a U.S.-registered speedboat allegedly opened fire on Cuba's border patrol.

US ‘bullying’ could scupper carbon levy on shipping, warn experts

Panama joins smaller nations in dropping support for policy aimed at cutting maritime emissions

US “bullying” over a proposed carbon levy on shipping appears to be paying off, experts have said, after Panama reversed its support for the measure.

In a leaked document seen by the Guardian, the key maritime state has co-sponsored a proposal to the International Maritime Organization that would in effect cancel the carbon levy and undermine attempts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

DoD officials sent Anthropic final offer for military use of AI, sources say

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic until Friday at 5 p.m. to grant the military unresticted use of its AI technology.

Judge rules Trump policy for "third-country" deportations is unlawful

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled that the Trump administration's policy for swiftly deporting migrants to third countries violates federal immigration law and the Constitution.

David Hockney’s first English landscape on show for first time in almost 30 years

English Garden, painted in 1965, is on display before it goes under the hammer with estimate of £2.5m-£3.5m

David Hockney’s first English landscape, depicting a perfectly manicured Oxfordshire garden, is on show for the first time in three decades before being auctioned.

Sotheby’s said the 1965 painting, English Garden, which was completed in Boulder, Colorado, was pivotal for Hockney as well as holding an important place in wider art history.

FBI searches home of L.A. schools superintendent

The FBI searched the home of L.A. Unified School District superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday. It's unclear what they were looking for. The FBI also targeted district headquarters. In a statement, the school district said it is cooperating with the investigation.

An oil refinery defined life in this quaint California city. What happens when it’s gone?

For decades, the Valero refinery shaped Benicia’s economy, politics and health. Now the city has become a reluctant test case of whether an oil town can reinvent itself

Less than 40 miles north of San Francisco, the city of Benicia has the quaint ambience of an American small town, where a white gazebo and sign for a community crab bake mark the approach to a vibrant downtown stretch of restaurants, cafes and antique shops.

From many vantage points, it’s easy to forget the city is home to a massive 900-acre oil refinery, its imposing sprawl of stacks, holding tanks and billowing steam hidden from view. But for nearly 60 years, the refinery has loomed over every aspect of life in Benicia, exerting outsized influence on its economy and politics, while posing serious risks to public health.

‘A gift that falls from the sky’: why farmers are using Etna’s ash as fertiliser

Falling volcanic ash has for years been viewed as a nuisance. But a Sicilian project has discovered its agricultural potential and wants to spread the word

In the Sicilian town of Giarre overlooking Mount Etna, Andrea Passanisi, a tropical and citrus fruits producer, uses an unusual fertiliser on his 100-hectare (247-acre) stretch of land: volcano ash.

Like hundreds of farmers and citizens of rural towns perched on the slopes of Europe’s highest and most active volcano, the 41-year-old’s family has had to deal with the nuisance of falling volcanic ash for generations. But it is only in recent years that the quantity of ash has become so excessive that it required an alternative approach.

‘Fountain of filth’ and an inflatable Maradona: photos of the day – Thursday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Resident Evil Requiem review - there’s plenty of life in the undead yet

Fear, fights and feverish fanservice collide in this celebration of Resident Evil’s recent and retro legacy
PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2; Capcom

There’s often an undercurrent of existential fatigue in games that look back at their legacy. Dark Souls III’s dying kingdom, Metal Gear Solid 4’s decrepit Snake. So when Capcom showed us an ageing Leon Kennedy entering the ruins of the police station that marked the start of his journey from rookie cop to hardened veteran, it felt tinged with ennui as much as nostalgia. That self-reflective swansong for this 30-year series may still happen one day, but Requiem isn’t it. Even at its dourest and most pensive, this is less a song for the dead, more a knees-up in honour of the rocket launchers and typewriters that came before. Leon may be getting on a bit, but this is Capcom as energised, devious and goofy as ever.

Leon’s old scars will have to wait, anyway. Requiem’s new blood is FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft. Equal parts tenacious and nervous, she’s a fitting lens on the horror portion of Requiem’s split focus between disempowered terror and cathartic action. The story opens with Grace – more acquainted with desk work than field ops – tasked to go over a crime scene at a gutted hotel. She knows the place well, since it holds some horrific memories for her. Still, she heads off with little more than a flashlight and a pistol you’ll never find quite enough ammunition for to feel safe.

Hundreds of film-makers back Berlinale director in row over winners’ Gaza comments

Tilda Swinton among those to sign petition supporting Tricia Tuttle, who reportedly faces sack after pro-Palestine speeches at gala

Prominent directors and actors have rallied in support of the American head of the Berlin film festival in response to reports she could be sacked over comments by award-winners criticising the war in Gaza and the German government’s support for Israel.

Germany’s federal government commissioner for culture and media, Wolfram Weimer, convened a crisis meeting on Thursday on the “future direction of the Berlinale”, which is among Europe’s top three cinema showcases with Cannes and Venice.

Far-right Base group claims murders in Ukraine amid questions over Russia ties

Leaked information obtained by Guardian paints disturbing picture of violence waged by terror group’s Ukrainian cell

The Ukrainian wing of an internationally proscribed terrorist organization with suspected links to Russia is continuing to claim multiple murders in Ukraine, which comes after it was linked to the brazen assassination of an intelligence officer in Kyiv over the summer.

In a Telegram post, the Ukrainian cell of the Base – born in the US, but with a web of cells all over the world – claimed “a successful operation to eliminate an enemy agent in Odesa” in a car bombing, which was later reported on in local Ukrainian media.

Bitter-sweet symphony: vermouth is more than just another cocktail ingredient

There’s depth, complexity and nuance to this fortified wine that’s worth its own moment in the spotlight

I like to think of vermouth as the Nile Rodgers of drinks, a backbone of good times known more for big hit collaborations than for its solo work. It is a foundation of any self-respecting cocktail cabinet (though it should be kept in the fridge), and also a family of drinks with many individual talents, which are now at long last being more widely recognised – Waitrose’s most recent Food & Drink report even touted vermouth as a 2026 trend, with searches for the stuff up by 26%.

A fortified wine that originated in 19th-century northern Italy, vermouth is most associated with western Europe, but these days it’s produced in or close to many wine-producing regions across the world. It is made by aromatising a base wine with botanicals – traditionally wormwood, from which it takes its name (wermut in German), but also gentian, citrus peel, herbs, spices and others – before that’s bolstered by grape spirit or brandy, generally taking the ABV to between 15% and 18%. This is a gladiator of a wine: it has brawn, but also plenty of complexity.

The tech worker cleaning condoms and old socks off the Brooklyn Bridge: ‘People have no shame’

It took Ellen Baum about 16 hours to finish clearing one section of hair ties, condoms and tissues woven into the fencing

On a blisteringly cold day earlier this month, Ellen Baum was not in the best mood as she walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to meet some friends in Manhattan.

“I had read particularly horrible news that morning about, you know, the general state of the world,” said Baum, who is 37 and works in tech. And then there was the garbage. Baum stared at the dirty tissues, hair ties, trash bags and socks affixed to the suspension bridge’s frame – sometimes she even sees condoms and tampons woven into the fencing – and had a thought. “I can’t do anything about some of these big problems that the world and the city are facing. But I can do one modicum of something nice.”

‘Play like a dog biting God’s feet’: Steven Isserlis on the formidable György Kurtág at 100

Their friendship and musical partnership spans four decades. As the legendary Hungarian composer turns 100, cellist Steven Isserlis celebrates a musician of boundless imagination, humour – and his vivid way with words

I vividly remember my first meeting with György Kurtág. It was 40 or so years ago at the International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove, Cornwall. I was sitting in the dining hall there, when a man with grizzled hair and an unusually fervent countenance came up to me and, with barely any introduction, started talking about my pizzicato playing in a performance he’d heard of the Schubert quintet some years earlier, in which I’d taken the second cello part. This man was none other than Kurtág – accompanied then, as almost invariably during those years, by his wife Márta; she hung back somewhat, but didn’t miss a word.

I was immediately struck by his magnetic intensity, his fierce passion for music and his unique way of speaking English – punctuated by frequent utterances of “er-er-er” (Many years later, Kurtág was to tell me: “Stuttering is my natural mode of expression.”) He and Márta simply embodied – he still embodies – music. I had never met anyone to whom each note mattered so much. They both reminded me of what a friend once said about Beethoven: “He didn’t know the meaning of the words ‘it doesn’t matter’.”

The bubbling beauty of baked pasta

From a Sichuan-inspired lasagne and a simple macaroni cheese to pasta al forno with meatballs, here are a few easy, inspired recipes to enjoy hot from the oven

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The other day, I climbed the communal stairs and opened the front door to the smell of cheese on toast. A welcome aroma made even more welcome when I realised that it was actually the tips of pasta tubes turning golden among grated cheese and creamy bechamel sauce. To add to the pleasant scene, my partner, Vincenzo, was washing up. Because that is the thing about pasta al forno – baked pasta – the time between finishing the construction and the eating is around about 25 minutes. That is, exactly the right amount of time to wash up and wipe up, or delegate those tasks to someone else while you make a salad and open a bottle of wine. There are few things as beautiful, inviting and complete as baked pasta and a clean kitchen.

The baked-pasta galaxy is a big one, with many stars. Ann and Franco Taruschio provide a brilliant recipe for a classic lasagne bolognese, made with fresh pasta, a rich (but not tomato-rich) ragu and parmesan-enriched bechamel. While their recipe is undoubtedly written for fresh pasta – either homemade or bought – it can and should be adapted for dried pasta, too. Just remember to plunge the dried sheets in boiling water for 30 seconds before using them, even if the packet instructions say not to soak them. Also, make the bechamel slightly more liquid by increasing the milk by 100ml. Meanwhile, for a lasagne recipe specifically written for dried pasta and with a juicy, tomato-rich meat sauce, look to Katie Stewart via Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Alternatively, Tamal Ray has a fantastic-sounding Sichuan-inspired lasagne made with pork mince, fermented bean ragu, bechamel and chard (pictured top).

2/25: CBS Evening News

Four killed aboard U.S. speedboat that entered Cuban waters and opened fire, Cuba says; Moving crew helps rescue abducted toddler by blocking truck.

U.S. and Iran to hold nuclear talks. And, Harvard professor resigns over Epstein ties

U.S. and Iranian officials are set to meet today in Geneva to discuss Tehran's nuclear program. And, Harvard professor Larry Summers is resigning over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Indiana Bears? Why an interstate move for a cherished NFL team may work out

An exit from Soldier Field could lead the Bears across state lines. But it could help revive a once thriving area and the team would still be in most fans’ orbit

You think you’re locked out of the housing market? The Chicago Bears have been renting since Warren G Harding was president.

They started out in the NFL as tenants at Wrigley Field, sharing the baseball cathedral with the Cubs for 50 seasons before the league insisted all teams play in a stadium with a capacity of at least 50,000. So in 1971, the Bears decamped to Soldier Field, where they’ve been ever since – save for a season-long “road trip” in 2002 to the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium during renovations. Soldier Field is prime football real estate: neoclassical, on the downtown lakefront, with sweeping views of one of America’s most sumptuous skylines. But the lease terms are crazy, the city park district (which owns the stadium) is a borderline slumlord, and the Bears – star-crossed to play in the league’s oldest and smallest stadium while representing its third-largest market – have outgrown the place.

Canadian Sikh activist faces fresh death threats on eve of Carney visit to India

Police warn Moninder Singh, head of the Sikh Federation of Canada, his family are also at risk

Police in Canada warned a prominent Sikh activist of “credible threat” to his family’s life, days before the prime minister, Mark Carney, visits India in search of new trade deals.

Moninder Singh, who heads the Sikh Federation of Canada, said officers visited his home on Sunday, to warn him that a confidential police informant had passed information suggesting he and his family were at risk.

‘Really a lot of amazing beauty’: emails show how model scout connected Epstein with young women

Daniel Siad, facing allegation of rape in France, appears in more than 1,000 documents in latest declassified files

“In This busyness I feel like fisherman some time I cache quick, some time no fish,” Daniel Siad, a model scout, wrote to Jeffrey Epstein in July 2014, explaining the frustrations of his work scouring the world for future models.

In this exchange, released in the latest batch of US Department of Justice documents, Siad was annoyed with Epstein, who had failed to turn up for a planned meeting.

Gorillaz: The Mountain review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

(Kong)
Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s cartoon band mark 25 years with an album inspired by India and shaped by loss, featuring collaborators living and dead

It is 25 years since Gorillaz released their eponymous debut album. A project you might reasonably have assumed was a jokey one-off on the part of a Britpop star has instead lasted a quarter of a century, long enough for Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s concept of a “virtual group” to seem less like a snarky gag at the expense of manufactured pop than oddly commonplace: their latest release is launched into a world where cartoon K-pop bands Huntr/x and Saja Boys have collectively spent 100 weeks and counting on the UK singles chart, where the anime “vocaloid” Hatsune Miku is playing the O2 Arena and where celebrated producer Timbaland has launched an AI-generated singer called Tata Taktumi. Meanwhile, Gorillaz’s oeuvre has sprawled to nine albums, involving something like 100 guest artists; they are the thread that links Carly Simon to Shaun Ryder, Skepta to Lou Reed and Bad Bunny to Mark E Smith.

Perhaps inevitably, marshalling so many eclectic contributors has proved a challenge, even for someone as undoubtedly talented as Damon Albarn. Gorillaz albums are seldom concise affairs and are of variable quality, thus tricky to navigate. The best ones are those unified by a strong underlying concept, as on Demon Days’ glum survey of “the world in a state of night” post-9/11, or the ecological satire of 2010’s Plastic Beach.

Riding the wave: can surf tourism save Peru’s ancient reed-boat fishing culture?

As fish stocks dwindle, surf tourism may offer a lifeline to traditional caballitos de totora fishers, whose vessels are thought to be among the first ever used to ride waves

Just before dawn, in a scene that has repeated itself over thousands of years on the north coast of Peru, fishers drag boats made of bound reeds to the water’s edge and, kneeling on them, use paddles shaped from split bamboo to row out into the Pacific Ocean to catch their breakfast. A few hours later, these surfer fishers return with netfuls of their catch, riding waves on the final stretch back to the shore. From the main beach in Huanchaco – a seaside town near the city of Trujillo – the fish are taken to sell at the market or to beachfront restaurants preparing meals for tourists.

The four-metre-long reed vessels – known as caballitos de totora in Spanish, or “little reed horses” – are placed upright on their ends by the promenade on El Mogote beach so that the seawater drains away and they are ready to be used the next morning.

Instagram to start parent alerts for teen suicide, self-harm searches as Meta trials continue

Parents will receive alerts via email, text, WhatsApp or Instagram if their teens are repeatedly searching for "phrases promoting suicide or self-harm."

Instagram to alert parents when teens search for info on suicide

Starting next week, parents will get an alert if their teen repeatedly searches for certain terms related to self-harm or suicide in a short time span.

What we know so far about the deadly boat shooting off Cuba’s coast

Cuba says it thwarted armed exiles on a Florida-registered speedboat who were trying to infiltrate from the US

A deadly exchange of fire between two boats off the coast of Cuba, killing four and wounding six, has raised already high tensions between Washington and Havana.

Cuba’s government said a US-registered boat was carrying 10 people, most of whom it claimed “have a known history of criminal and violent activity”. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the US was gathering its own information but called the open sea shootout “highly unusual”.

Subscribing to digital apps has gotten a lot pricier, new data shows

Consumers today can easily spend more than $1,000 a year for streaming TV, music and other widely used apps, new analysis finds.

Toucan seen flying around Las Vegas for months is rescued

The toucan has been living in Las Vegas since November, much to the concern of bird experts who were worried about the exotic bird's health and ability to survive.

Ex-Air Force pilot who allegedly trained Chinese military pilots arrested

Former Air Force fighter pilot Gerald Brown, who allegedly trained Chinese military personnel without authorization, has been arrested, the Justice Department says.

Perfect for an apocalypse! How the nuclear bunker became TV’s hottest property

With tech bros investing in vast underground homes to shield them from future horrors, a slew of ‘bunker-buster’ dramas like Paradise and Silo are asking: do they know something we don’t?

Sam Altman’s got one – although Mark Zuckerberg’s is, apparently, bigger. Peter Thiel’s is described as “mega” and located in New Zealand. These days, a doomsday bunker (or, in Elon Musk’s case, an “apocalypse resort”) is de rigueur for any self-respecting billionaire – enough to make you wonder if they know something we don’t.

A slew of recent dramas suggests that we are fascinated by such impressive underground real estate. Most audacious is Paradise on Disney+, in which tech-billionaire Samantha Redmond (Julianne Nicholson) funds a staggeringly elaborate building project under the not-so-subtle codename “Versailles”. Unlike Clive Owen’s Andy Ronson in A Murder at the End of the World, saving a few hand-picked individuals isn’t enough for this girl-boss-cum-tech-bro. Instead, Redmond has gone a step further, building “the world’s largest underground city”, an ersatz all-American suburb, accommodating 25,000 people while a climate catastrophe plays out above their heads.

Pentagon shifts toward maintaining ties to Scouting

Months after NPR reported on the Pentagon's efforts to sever ties with Scouting America, efforts to maintain the partnership have new momentum

‘Extremely low IQ and cries like a child’: Donald Trump renews attack on Robert De Niro

After the star made a fresh denunciation of the US president at an alternative State of the Union event, Trump returned fire at length on Truth Social, calling De Niro ‘sick and demented’

Donald Trump has responded to a recent podcast appearance by Robert De Niro, in which he called the president “an idiot”.

Speaking on Monday’s episode of The Best People with Nicole Wallace, De Niro, who has long criticised the politics, morals and competence of Trump, said: “He’s an idiot. We gotta get rid of him. He’s gonna ruin the country.”

Why farmers in California are backing a giant solar farm

Many farmers have had to fallow land as a state law comes into effect limiting their access to water. There's now a push to develop some of that land … into solar farms.

'Israel is promised only to the Jewish people' | In search of Palestine: episode 2 – video

In the second episode of a new series, reporter Matthew Cassel travels across the West Bank to document what daily life looks like under deepening Israeli occupation. In this episode he travels from Bethlehem to Nablus, to ask those living there if a Palestinian state is possible amidst an increasingly entrenched settler network.

Keen bosses, strange mistakes and a looming threat: workers on training AI to do their jobs

Some say the technology is devaluing their work, while others reckon it is not yet – and might never be – good enough to replace them entirely

Workers grappling with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence have said they feel “devalued” by the technology and warned of a downward trajectory in the quality of work.

Recent analysis by the International Monetary Fund found AI would affect about 40% of jobs around the world. Its head, Kristalina Georgieva, has said: “This is like a tsunami hitting the labour market.”

My friend was killed for telling you the truth. Now the powerful are even more desperate to silence us | Janine di Giovanni

Murderous governments and armed groups always considered reporters like Marie Colvin a nuisance – now they see them as legitimate targets

A friend wrote to me last week to tell me that my name appeared in the Epstein files. “But it’s for a good cause,” he wrote. “Nothing sinister.”

In 2012, shortly after my friend and colleague Marie Colvin was killed in Homs, Syria, I met with the now-disgraced Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen. Rød-Larsen was a renowned fixer who had negotiated the 1993 Oslo accords.

Janine di Giovanni is a war correspondent and the executive director of The Reckoning Project, a war crimes unit in Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza. She is the author of The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Every business wants your review. What's with the feedback frenzy?

Customers want to read reviews and businesses need reviews to attract customers. But the constant demand for reviews could be creating a feedback backlash, experts say.

Health premiums threaten their nest egg. A terminal diagnosis may spare it.

Chaz and Jean Franklin were facing a sevenfold increase in their health premium payments with the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans. Then Jean received a crushing diagnosis.

‘It felt feral!’ The dance dynamo behind The Testament of Ann Lee’s sweat-soaked rituals

Spurred on by a vision of the Shakers’ founding leader, Celia Rowlson-Hall masterminded the whirl of movement in Mona Fastvold’s feverish film

‘I’ll tell you something I’ve not told anyone,” says Celia Rowlson-Hall. “This might make me sound a little wild, but I don’t care.” The choreographer is recounting her experience on The Testament of Ann Lee, a fever dream of a film starring Amanda Seyfried as the leader of 18th-century Christian sect the Shakers, whose ecstatic prayer rituals could involve dancing for days. “The night before we started filming, I was sleeping and, literally, the ghost of Ann Lee was over my bed with angels around and she said: ‘Go forth!’” Rowlson-Hall laughs at herself for revealing this. “Was that my imagination allowing myself to go forth? Maybe, probably,” she smiles. “It was so intense that I will never forget it.”

In Mona Fastvold’s film, we see Lee, a blacksmith’s daughter from Manchester, having vivid religious visions that trigger her evangelism. Much like creative visions, I say. Maybe in a different time Lee would have been an artist? “She was an artist, without a doubt,” says Rowlson-Hall. To be an artist, she continues, “you have to believe in more than just what you see in front of you. It’s a concoction of faith and drive, a little delusion and a lot of energy. Like gunpowder.” Lee definitely had those qualities, leading the Shakers to the US, preaching piety, pacifism, celibacy and the confession of sins, and inspiring devotion as well as ire.

The Unfragile Mind by Gavin Francis review – a GP’s guide to mental health

Powerful case studies can’t make up for this book’s superficiality when it comes to the broader issues

‘We are today in need of more humility in how we frame geographies of the mind,” says Gavin Francis, a GP and travel writer. In his new book he attempts to combine both disciplines as he treks the uncanny topography of mental illness.

The journey is divided into chapters that explore various genres of human anguish – clinical anxiety, trauma, bipolar disorder, depression and psychosis – as well as autism and ADHD. He attempts to summarise each condition’s history in roughly 20 pages, evaluate past and contemporary theories, and weigh up the efficacy of treatments. To call this ambitious is to break new frontiers in understatement.

Britain and the US, calm down. The gen Z Chinamaxxers will do you no harm | Coco Khan

Some on the right portray this TikTok phenomenon as tantamount to treason. That says more about them than the fans of Chinese culture

As it’s Chinese lunar new year, it would not be surprising if you’ve found yourself scrolling through some China-inspired content. But before you click the heart on a TikTok of paper lanterns or mouthwatering noodles, think twice. As an unsuspecting citizen, you may well be participating in a geopolitical battle where western civilisation itself is on the line.

This isn’t the plot of a mediocre action thriller on Amazon Prime – this is “Chinamaxxing”, an internet trend that has got some commentators worrying that gen Z are about to topple the west from the inside.

Coco Khan is a writer and co-host of the politics podcast Pod Save the UK

You be the judge: should my girlfriend change the way she loads the dishwasher?

Emily wants Ananya to load the machine methodically. Ananya is happy with her more random approach. Whose argument stacks up? You decide

• Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror

There is a correct way to load a dishwasher. Ananya’s haphazard method makes no sense

My method works fine. By dictating how it should be done, Emily is being superior and controlling

Norway’s all-conquering Winter Olympians have a message for us all – and it’s not what you think | Cath Bishop

How did a small Nordic country dominate the Games? By making sport fun and not something for kids to suffer

Norway’s Olympians stormed the mountains of Milano Cortina and left the rest of the world wondering how a nation of 5.6 million people regularly tops the Winter Olympics medal table, this year winning 18 gold medals and 41 medals overall.

They’re not bad at the Summer Olympics either, despite not playing to their obvious national geographical strengths, winning four gold medals and a total of eight medals in Paris 2024. But all this talk of medals detracts from looking more closely at what the Norwegians do to create one of the best and most sustainable sports systems in the world.

European countries fear playing in World Cup will mean financial loss

• Costs will increase at extended 2026 tournament

• Around 10 federations want Fifa to tackle problems

A number of European football federations fear they will lose money sending their national teams to the World Cup this summer, with an unusual hike in costs and inconsistencies around tax exemptions among the problems Fifa is being urged to rectify.

Although Fifa approved record prize money of £539m for the tournament last December it may not be enough to prevent losses, or reduced profits, for competitors who would usually expect a World Cup to generate vital funds. An investigation by the Guardian and PA Media found particular concerns among football associations about the consequences of missing out on money that would largely be reinvested in local initiatives.

Zoning in on Ménilmontant, Paris: ‘bohemian, arty and off the tourist trail’

This former industrial quartier is now getting noticed for its community-focused art spaces, lively local bars and inexpensive north African food

On a hill that rises up between Belleville’s Chinatown and Père-Lachaise cemetery, Ménilmontant was once a rural hamlet with vines and farms, before becoming more industrial in the 19th century. The quartier boasts a united, colourful community whose working-class Parisian roots have long been integrated with a strong north African diaspora. Bohemian, arty and socially committed, it remains off the tourist trail with no notable museums or monuments; it’s just a genuinely Parisian neighbourhood. The locals were bemused to learn that Time Out made Ménilmontant one of its World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods for 2025, though tourists who do venture here to discover a glimpse of a fast-disappearing Paris are sure of a warm welcome.

Railsong by Rahul Bhattacharya review – a heartfelt tale of life on the Indian railways

We follow one woman across decades of change in this deeply compassionate novel of independence and dreams

Indian Railways has been a source of patriotic pride, controversy, endless cover-ups, labyrinthine bureaucracy and death on an industrial scale since its founding in 1951. Rahul Bhattacharya’s Railsong, his first novel in 15 years since The Sly Company of People Who Care, explores its other major and fiercely contested impact on Indian society, as one of the country’s foremost employers of women and sources of female empowerment, especially in rural areas.

We follow the irrepressible, motherless Charu Chitol, from her childhood in 1960s smalltown Bihar with her rail employee father, a frustrated writer and frustrated socialist, through her dizzying encounters with rapidly modernising big-city Bombay, and on to a railways personnel department job, first office-bound, then as a roving welfare officer, investigating pensions claims, frauds and other abuses. The book ends in the early 1990s, all post-independence goodwill long spent.

FBI raids home of Los Angeles schools chief Alberto Carvalho

Along with Alberto Carvalho's L.A. home, search warrants were also executed at LAUSD headquarters and a home in South Florida, according to the FBI.