A year on from the purge, with thousands of jobs cut and billions in foreign aid lost, a former leader reflects on the sorry saga – and why it would never happen to NasaA year has passed since I and thousands of colleagues lost our jobs at USAID. Asking myself “Why us?” I have come to the conclusion that the…

One of 43 unaccounted for Australians has been located in Tibet, Dfat saysAustralians missing in the Nepal floods: what we know so farAn Australian believed to be missing after floods ravaged the Nepal-Tibet border last week has been found alive.The person made contact with officials from the Department of Foreign…

Beijing-Taipei tensions a feature at meeting in Palau, with Australia and New Zealand saying the forum – not another country – will determine who attendsChina ⁠said it had serious concerns ⁠about Taiwan’s presence at ​the annual Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, warning of “consequences” after the…

Who dreams of having a Euro summer now when staying in an ancient, uncooled building in the Old Town is like trying to sleep in a wood-fired pizza oven?This week the Euro summer comes to an end – and so does a certain type of posting on Instagram.Waiting at the bus stop in the grey winter dawn, a slanting rain…

In Alaska, the Himalayas, the Andes, Greenland, and perhaps also the Alps, deadly chain reactions are just waiting to be triggeredYou may not have felt it, but the earth beneath our feet is getting twitchier, and global heating is to blame. As temperatures surge and climate breakdown accelerates, interactions between…

The retired second-row on his recovery from addiction, depression and incarceration to find a new life as a meditation teacher“Carefree,” says Ryan Caldwell when I ask him what word is tattooed across his fingers. He looks up from his hands on a rainy morning in Belfast. The former Ireland international, who…

This rubbly cousin of hummus is flavourful and satisfying at any time of day, served warm, topped with a colourful salad and just made to eat with homemade flatbreadsFew things make me happier than a bowl of warm musabaha served with freshly baked bread straight from the pan. It’s a combination that shouts comfort…

Sum of financial support from a baby’s birth until age 17 is the city-state’s offer to address low birthrate and reluctance of couples to have childrenWith leafy cycle paths, rooftop water parks and child-friendly restaurants, Singapore’s east coast is one of the best places in the island city-state to raise a…

Beth Mead and Niamh Charles are notable additions to the champions’ squad that looks just as strong as last seasonGuardian writers’ predicted position: 1st (NB: this is not necessarily Tom Garry’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 1st Continue reading...

Exclusive: How a court case over an unoccupied office block could end a widely used tax avoidance schemeFrom the outside, the seven-storey building at 2 America Square looks like any other office block in the heart of London’s financial district.Located about half a mile from Tower Bridge, one might expect it to be…