Election Populist likely to be Portugal's kingmaker

Tempting as the tables of pastries were, strong as the voice of the shaven-headed singer belting out Phil Collins was, and enjoyable though the dinner dance might have been, these were not the lure for 200 people attending a remote northern Portugal wedding venue on a cold mid-week evening.

'We messed up' Google's attempt to avoid bias allows AI to rewrite history

Google's co-founder Sergey Brin has kept a low profile since quietly returning to work at the company.

Tourists banned from parts of Kyoto's historic geisha district

Visitors to the geisha district of Gion - one of Kyoto's most popular sightseeing spots will be banned from entering its picturesque alleyways as authorities in Japan attempt to tackle a dramatic rise in tourism.

A rock and a hard place Plan for new salmon farm splits Hebridean islanders

On the tiny Hebridean island of Gigha, a 20-minute ferry hop from the Scottish mainland, Marion Stevenson drives along the only main road, pointing out white beaches and \"wilderness paths\".

Row over steep increase in 'last-chance tourism' in Canada's melting Arctic

A rise in \"last-chance tourism\" in Canada's melting Arctic is causing a row between people who warn of the environmental devastation it is causing and those who rely on tourist income to survive as hunting becomes more difficult.

Clean strokes Row over swimming in River Cam

The waters of the River Cam are a lurid green on a dull day. The river that flows through Cambridge and has been enjoyed by swimmers including Lord Byron, Charles and Roger Deakin is increasingly polluted from sewage discharges as well as phosphates and nitrates from farmland.

Oscar bravo? Awards rely on army of Kens to bring new energy to flagging ceremony

Tomorrow night in Los Angeles at the Dolby theatre, one name will ring out louder than any other: not Cillian or Emma, but Ken.

EU opens sea corridor to ship aid from Cyprus to Gaza amid famine fears

The EU has announced the opening of a sea corridor this weekend for shipping humanitarian aid from Cyprus to Gaza in the race to stave off a famine that is already claiming lives.

Royality show Uncle Gary keeping palace PR on its toes

Celebrity Big Brother offers a fly-on-the-wall look at \"celebrities\" lounging on the sofa in their pyjamas. But it would have been trumped this week if hidden cameras had tracked the reaction of the royal family as Gary Goldsmith, the Princess of Wales's \"bad uncle\", walked into the reality show house.

Move over sons Change to '& Daughters' helps companies stand out

A new van gave Paul Major the idea of changing his \"❝& Sons\" construction business to \"& Daughters\".

Spread of AI in music 'terrifying', says hit songwriter

A songwriter behind hits for Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue has described the acceleration of artificial intelligence in the music industry as \"terrifying\" in terms of its potential to replace songwriters.

King James I What do we really know about his male lovers?

In 1617, King James I of England addressed the privy council about the young man he had recently promoted.

Sunak lags behind predecessors over peerages for women

Rishi Sunak has the worst record on appointing women from his party to the Lords of any prime minister since John Major, with female Tory peers making up only 17% of those recommended by him, a report has found.

'Stuffed' Tory party insiders on why morale and hope are in freefall

Hours after Wednesday's budget, the Conservative party's great and good assembled under the sweeping stone arches of London's medieval Guildhall to hear Rishi Sunak address the 50th anniversary dinner for the Centre for Policy Studies thinktank.

Theresa May to step down at next election as Tory exodus gathers pace

The former prime minister Theresa May will step down as an MP at the next general election after 27 years in parliament, making her one of the highest-profile Conservatives to join a wave of departures from the House of Commons.

Khan hails 'remarkable progress' on air quality in London

Sadiq Khan has hailed what he said was remarkable progress in improving London's air quality during his tenure as mayor, after a study showed roadside pollutant levels falling faster in the city than elsewhere in the UK.

Crufts under fire as French bulldog 'with no discernable nostrils' wins

A row has erupted at the world's biggest dog show after the prize for the best canine in the utility group went to a French bulldog that some claim has no discernible nostrils.

'An act of betrayal': García Márquez's sons publish last novel in defiance of his final wish

A novel written by the Colombian Nobel prize winner Gabriel García Márquez in the last years of his life has been published against his instruction that it be destroyed.

'More lives lost than saved by British spy in the IRA'

The police chief who led the inquiry into a murderous British spy in the IRA known as Stakeknife yesterday condemned MI5 for stalling his investigation, as his report was hailed by victims' families as proof that the British state and the IRA had been \"co-conspirators\" in murder.

Tenth of elective operations done in private hospitals

Private hospitals are doing one in 10 of all planned NHS operations amid patients’ frustration at long delays in NHS care and political pressure to cut waiting times.

Núñez strikes twice before Konaté blow hits Liverpool

The perfect night in Prague for Liverpool. Almost. Jürgen Klopp's quadruple-chasing team effectively secured their place in the quarterfinals with a comprehensive and clinical defeat of Sparta Prague.

Borthwick’'s England feel weight’ of shirt before tough Ireland test

Steve Borthwick believes the England jersey has been weighing heavy on his players as they seek to salvage their Six Nations campaign against Ireland and suggested inconsistent team selections during Eddie Jones's reign were a contributing factor.

Raducanu impresses with victory at Indian Wells

Emma Raducanu moved into the second round of Indian Wells with a clean performance and no significant problems, confidently closing out a 6-2, 6-3 win over the qualifier Rebeka Masarova. Raducanu will now face Dayana Yastremska, the 30th seed, for a place in the third round.

India send Bairstow's big day spinning out of control

The hills of Dharamsala were alive with the sound of music but not even the eclectic blend of power ballads and dad rock that pumped out of the speakers at this postcard-perfect ground could soften the sense of dread among the England supporters.

Joshua needs statement victory over Ngannou

British boxer has regained some of his old swagger and should win despite the MMA star's proven punching power

Missing magic Sensible criticism of me is fair. But please, stay out of my back garden

When should you take criticism seriously and when you should just ignore it? This has been on my mind since the Carabao Cup final Liverpool's victorious teenagers against the \"billion-pound bottle jobs\" of Chelsea. I found myself questioning Gary Neville's planned line. This Chelsea team are also young. You can cost £100m and still be young.

None of the government's 12 rail targets are on track, report says

Government plans to overhaul the country's ailing railway system are significantly delayed while promised savings have yet to be achieved, according to a highly critical report by the government's spending watchdog.

Profits may be down but there are hints that the digital signal is improving at ITV - finally

It's been two years since Carolyn McCall, the chief executive of ITV, sent the share price crashing by 27% in a day as she announced a plan to ramp up the broadcaster's adventures in streaming by launching ITVX.

UK Insolvency Service seeks up to 15-year director ban for Greensill

The Insolvency Service has begun legal action to have Lex Greensill disqualified from running companies for up to 15 years after the outcome of an investigation into the directors of his failed finance firm.

ITV profits fall by 60% to £193m amid advertising downturn

ITV has recorded a sharp drop in annual profits as the brutal advertising downturn experienced last year outweighed record revenues in its studios business, which made the recent hit drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.