45 m. ago Australia have been blessed by England’s disarray but can still put their stamp on Ashes triumph

Victory in the fifth Test would help hosts send off Usman Khawaja in style in Sydney and ensure England cannot recast series as one that got awayIf you had told Australian observers six months ago that their Test team in Sydney would involve Travis Head opening the batting with Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja at five, no Cameron Green, and some bowling combination of Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Todd Murphy and Brendan Doggett, they would have assumed disaster. Fifth Ashes Tests are the land of Scott Borthwick, of Boyd Rankin and Mason Crane: fringe players getting a glimpse at the wreckage after a series has crashed and burned.Khawaja was one such, in the debut reflected upon so much this week after his retirement announcement: the game when he replaced an injured Ricky Ponting after two Australian defeats by an innings, only to play in a third. Continue reading...

Politics

45 m. ago Kickstart your fitness journey in 2026 with the best fitness tech

A new year means time for a new start and there's plenty that tech can do to help

Politics

69 m. ago World Darts Championship 2026: Schedule and latest results as Luke Littler faces Gian van Veen final

Ryan Searle and Gary Anderson beaten in semi-finals at Alexandra Palace

Sport

80 m. ago Bank holiday dates 2026 confirmed for UK but branded 'ludicrous'

Dates for people living in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have all been published with between eight and 10 days off depending where you live

Economics

2 h. ago DWP confirms Universal Credit health element changes from April 2026

The DWP has confirmed it will proceed with reducing Universal Credit health element for new claimants from April 2026, despite concerns from cross-party MPs

Politics

2 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia makes biggest battleground gains since first year of war, analysis shows

Russian army captured more Ukrainian territory in 2025 than previous two years combined; Zelenskyy names new top aide. What we know on day 1,410Russia’s battlefield gains in Ukraine last year were the highest since 2022, an analysis showed, as Kyiv prepared to host security advisers from allied states despite Moscow’s unrelenting strikes. The Russian army captured more than 5,600 square kilometres, or nearly 1%, of Ukrainian territory in 2025, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War. The land captured is more than in the previous two years combined, though far short of the more than 60,000 sq km Russia took in 2022.As Russia pressed its advantage against outgunned Ukrainian troops, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said about 15 countries would attend security talks in Kyiv on Saturday, the latest in a flurry of efforts to end the nearly four-year war. The meeting will include representatives from the EU and Nato, while a US delegatio...

Events

2 h. ago Swiss ski bar which erupted into New Year inferno used 'essentially the same insulation foam as Grenfell', ex

The Swiss ski bar that catastrophically burst into flames on New Year's Eve used the same insulation foam as Grenfell Tower, a former firefighter commander has claimed.

Politics

2 h. ago Saudi invites Yemen’s southern factions to ‘dialogue’ in Riyadh after surprise independence bid

Southern Transitional Council wants to form a breakaway state, which would split the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest state in twoSaudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has called for Yemen’s southern factions to attend a “dialogue” in Riyadh, after a surprise independence bid and the United Arab Emirates declaring it had withdrawn all troops from Yemen.In a statement on Saturday, the Saudi ministry urged “a comprehensive conference in Riyadh to bring together all southern factions to discuss just solutions to the southern cause”. Riyadh said the Yemeni government had issued the invitation for talks. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Rachel Uchitel dons $1million worth of diamonds as she ties the knot for third time in lavish Palm Beach wedding

We're only a couple of days into 2026, but Rachel Uchitel may have already thrown the celebrity wedding of the year.

Society

3 h. ago EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Celebrity darling Ottolenghi's 'messy' split from husband

He's knocked off nearly a dozen effortlessly inventive cook books and hosted a medley of TV shows. But 2026 has not dawned happily for Yotam Ottolenghi.

Politics

3 h. ago Swiss ski bar which erupted into New Year inferno used same insulation foam as Grenfell, ex

The Swiss ski bar that catastrophically burst into flames on New Year's Eve used the same insulation foam as Grenfell Tower, a former firefighter commander has claimed.

Politics

4 h. ago California ban on openly carrying guns is unconstitutional, court rules

Ninth circuit sides with gun owner that ban in counties with more than 200,000 people violates second amendmentA US appeals court on Friday ruled that California’s ban on openly carrying firearms in most parts of the state was unconstitutional.A panel of the San Francisco-based ninth US circuit court of appeals sided 2-1 with a gun owner in ruling that the state’s prohibition against open carry in counties with more than 200,000 people violated the US constitution’s second amendment right to keep and bear arms. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Elizabeth Hurley, 60, channels Bond sex symbol Ursula Andress in a skimpy white bikini at 007 New Year's Eve bash with boyfriend Billy Ray Cyrus

Elizabeth Hurley channelled Bond sex symbol Ursula Andress as she attended a 007 New Year's Eve bash with her boyfriend Billy Ray Cyrus. 

Events

4 h. ago PDC World Championship: Gian van Veen sets up final with Luke Littler

World No 1 Littler swats aside Ryan Searle 6-1 in semiVan Veen wins classic against Gary Anderson 6-3It’s barely a couple of years since a 16-year-old Luke Littler and a 21-year-old Gian van Veen came through a 96-player field at Milton Keynes to qualify for the final of the world youth championship. There’s a charming photo of the pair of them with their arms around each other, silly little smiles plastered on to their silly little faces, the cutest high-street haircuts you’ve ever seen. Two kids at the very start of an unforgettable journey.Did either of them foresee, in those sepia-tinted days of August 2023, that the journey would convey them this far, this fast? I reckon Littler did. There’s never been much room for doubt and scepticism in there. His whole world has been stepping up, throwing a dart and watching it go exactly where he wants it to. Four months later, he would go to Alexandra Palace and change the sport for ever. Continue reading...

Sport

4 h. ago Gian van Veen denies Gary Anderson in epic to set up final against Luke Littler

Van Veen wins classic against Gary Anderson 6-3World No 1 Littler swats aside Ryan Searle 6-1It’s barely a couple of years since a 16-year-old Luke Littler and a 21-year-old Gian van Veen came through a 96-player field at Milton Keynes to qualify for the final of the world youth championship. There’s a charming photo of the pair of them with their arms around each other, silly little smiles plastered on to their silly little faces, the cutest high-street haircuts you’ve ever seen. Two kids at the very start of an unforgettable journey.Did either of them foresee, in those sepia-tinted days of August 2023, that the journey would convey them this far, this fast? I reckon Littler did. There’s never been much room for doubt and scepticism in there. His whole world has been stepping up, throwing a dart and watching it go exactly where he wants it to. Four months later, he would go to Alexandra Palace and change the sport for ever. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Banjo & Ro’s Grand Island Hotel breathes new life into a tiny Hebridean island

The designer duo battle storms and decay to bring a mansion back to life in their new BBC show.

Politics

4 h. ago Seven rare species discovered in Scotland in boost for conservation

Among the ‘remarkable’ finds are an unusual beetle and a rare fungus

Politics

4 h. ago Horoscope today, January 3, 2025: Daily star sign guide from Mystic Meg

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in March 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes. Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. ♈ ARIES March 21 to April 20 The full moon tells you that stability starts with you. A time of...

Politics

4 h. ago I make up to £10k a month including while I sleep – how YOU can earn thousands without lifting a finger in 2026 too

WOULD you like to make money while you sleep?   Steph Ward is one of ­thousands of people not lifting a finger while cash drops into the bank overnight.   The 34-year-old, from Market Rasen, Lincs, runs a coaching business and sells online courses — putting her in the ranks of those with “passive income”.  Here, Mel...

Economics

5 h. ago Watch: Kim Jong Un’s daughter kisses father during rare public appearance

Kim Jong Un’s daughter has made a rare public appearance at a New Year’s Eve ceremony in Pyongyang.

Politics