Rebel Moon goes darker than Star Wars ever dared

Zack Snyder's Netflix epic often feels like a pale imitation of the iconic sci-fi franchise, writes Louis Chilton. But when it comes to redemption arcs, it is braver and more gripping

'In memory of my mate, it's the perfect test of character'

Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham, who runs her first marathon today, speaks to Kieran Jackson about her good friend Caroline Flack, who took her own life four years ago

Hayes's farewell story adds an unthinkable chapter

As the ball fell to Alexia Putellas, four yards out and in the ninth minute of additional time at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, there was already enough evidence to show that this was a day for the unexpected.

Arsenal end torrid week with hard-fought victory

A torrid week ends with Arsenal top of the table. There are worse places to be and they could be four points ahead of Manchester City before the champions play again. If the eventual verdict is that the last seven days costs Arsenal the Premier League as well as the Champions League, none of the damage was done at Molineux.

Jackson's comedy of errors lets Man City off the hook

Death, taxes and Wembley woe for Chelsea. Sorry, Mr Jackson, but you need to apologise a trillion times for this one. This is on you. A bruised and battered Manchester City were there for the taking, just as Liverpool were on the ropes two months ago. Once again, Chelsea weren’t just creating good chances but gilt-edged, match-deciding ones, with regularity.

Chinese runner stripped of Beijing Half Marathon title

A Chinese gold medallist and three African runners in the Beijing Half Marathon have been stripped of their medals after an investigation found the African trio deliberately decelerated near the finish line to enable the Chinese contestant to claim victory, organisers have said.

Israeli strike on Rafah kills nine, including six children

An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city has killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said yesterday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Congress finally passes $60bn Ukraine aid bill

The House of Representatives finally passed aid for Ukraine yesterday in a move that could threaten speaker Mike Johnson’s political future. Members voted 311-112 to pass the $60.8bn package, which the Senate had previously passed.

'The ones who stay behind, we are not tragic characters'

As Russia closes in on the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, some of its residents tell Samya Kullab why they've refused to leave

Barton contacted by police over posts on social media

Former Premier League footballer Joey Barton has been contacted by police over comments posted on social media. Cheshire Constabulary confirmed they had received “reports of offences under the Communications Act”.

Public schools included in scheme for giving deprived pupils access to Cambridge

Private school pupils may have been included in a scheme for deprived teens to get into Cambridge University. Varsity, the student newspaper, reported that schools flagged under the prestigious universities’ “widening participation” scheme included £17,705 per term boarding school Gordonstoun (the King’s old school), and an online school set up by Harrow.

Met issues double apology for 'openly Jewish' remark

Force withdraws 'victim blaming' initial response to incident

Small boats policy officials refer to 'bloody migrants'

Cabinet Office officials working on the government's small boats plan reportedly referred to \"bloody migrants\" and told colleagues they were expected to leave their \"humanity at the door\" in a sign of civil service tensions over the controversial policy,

Brother of Princess of Wales tells of feud with neighbour

James Middleton says the actions of a local man have 'caused anxiety and distress' to his family at their home in Berkshire

Starmer plots to win over Tory-supporting pensioners

Labour is plotting a new campaign to win over Tory-supporting pensioners in a move aimed at wiping out one of the government’s few remaining electoral strengths. It comes as evidence shows the Conservatives are currently performing as badly among the demographic as the party was under former prime minister Liz Truss.

Tory voters turn on 'Richy' Sunak ahead of by-election

Cynicism reigns supreme in 'neglected' Blackpool South

Conservatives and Labour reject EU proposal to ease travel for young Britons

The government has ruled out any post-Brexit deal that would make it easier for young Britons to live, study and work in the EU.

Temporary jail staff ferried round UK at cost of £16m

Government admits spending seven times more last year on providing officers to plug gaps in struggling jails than in 2019

Can Coe win a race against the clock - and irrelevance?

Previous attempts to revive an ailing sport have failed, writes Ben Bloom. But as attention builds ahead of the summer's Olympics, athletics knows it needs to innovate to survive

Crucible faces hard choices as Saudi shadows lengthen

The tournament is not guaranteed to remain at the theatre in Sheffield, writes Luke Baker, as the game ponders its future

Barcelona stand in the way of perfect farewell for Hayes

Chelsea women in mouthwatering Champions League game

The basement battle that exposes a relegation crisis

Everton and Nottingham face each other tomorrow in an unwanted 'points deduction derby', writes Miguel Delaney

Implosion experts Chelsea must find a Wembley way

The blue billion-pound bottle jobs return to the scene of the crime. Or one of the crimes, anyway. For Chelsea, a second visit of the season to Wembley is an unwanted reminder that they can snatch ignominy from the jaws of respectability, that they can seem embarrassing when they could otherwise be impressing. Sadly for them, it may not be necessary.

Taliban approval dependent on women's rights, says US

The Taliban will not be recognised as the legitimate government of Afghanistan until it allows the full participation of girls and women in the wartorn country's society, the US State Department has said.

Why India's Muslims fear Modi winning a third term

As the country enters its election period, Muslims speak to Shweta Sharma about their growing fear of persecution after two terms of BJP government have seen a rise in polarisation

Final jurors selected for Trump hush-money trial

Attorneys for Donald Trump told a judge overseeing the former president’s hush money trial yesterday that Manhattan prosecutors are merely trying to “distract” jurors and “pile things on” by introducing evidence from his string of other criminal and civil cases.

What Israel's strike on Iran tells us about Netanyahu

The conflict between Israel and Iran, fought out often in secret and through proxies, has now erupted with Israel carrying out strikes deep inside Iran, six days after Tehran’s attack that used more than 350 drones and missiles. Explosions were heard near the central city of Isfahan, which has a large airbase, a major missile production complex and number of nuclear facilities.

Fears of escalation as Israel launches airstrikes on Iran

Western leaders urge calm as Tehran says drones intercepted

Byron's brutal takedown of wife and mother-in-law revealed in unseen letter

Lord Byron’s brutal takedown of his wife and mother-in-law has been revealed in a newly discovered letter that provides fresh insight into his burnt memoirs.

Women serving long prison sentences being failed by 'a system designed for men'

Women serving long jail sentences are being treated with programmes designed for violent male offenders and are punished when male prisoners misbehave, a damning new report has suggested.