75 minutes ago Leicester’s unlikely hero snatches share of spoils against Harlequins in annual festive treat

Harlequins 34-34 Leicester: Dan Cole’s final-minute try continued a streak of three draws between these two sides in the annual ‘Big Game’ at Twickenham

Politics

2 hours ago Beaches, beer and a rare suspended lake why can’t Nigeria attract more tourists?

Visitor numbers to the African country lag far behind its neighbours due to lack of infrastructure and national planning. Now some are starting to demand changesAt the top of the Ado-Awaye hills lies a lake suspended 433 metres above sea level. Local people say the lake is named Iyake (Yoruba for “crying woman”) after a weeping, barren woman who fell in the water hundreds of years ago, conferring on it powers of fertility.This belief in the divine is evident in the foothills, where a huge boulder is emblazoned with the words, written in golden letters: “Here we come: African Jerusalem.” Continue reading...

Society

4 hours ago Cat Deeley 'signs £600k deal' to continue on This Morning for further year

Presenter has been in hot seat alongside Ben Shepherd since Holly Willoughby’s departure

Economics

3 hours ago Forget Risk, play Fantasy Football for Fascists: grudge matches, foul play and violent conduct guaranteed | Simon Tisdall

Leading FFF teams include Donald Trump’s Mad Angry Geezers Athletic (Maga) and Vladimir Putin’s Greater Russia United (GRU)It’s been a gloomy old year, often reflected in this space – so maybe it’s time to inject some festive cheer with an exciting new Swiftian parlour game: Fantasy Football for Fascists (FFF). Ideal for dictators, autocrats, strongmen, neo-Stalinists, far-right nationalist-populists or just students of geopolitics, it’s fanatical fun for all the family!Under conventional fantasy football rules, imaginary teams are composed of real-life players from the Premier League. In FFF, the principal players are typically politicians and public figures who exhibit extreme totalitarian tendencies. Leading FFF teams include Donald Trump’s Mad Angry Geezers Athletic (Maga) and Vladimir Putin’s Greater Russia United (GRU). China has the Xi XI. Continue reading...

Sport

63 minutes ago London flights continue to face disruption as thick fog sparks travel chaos

More than 400 flights have been delayed at Heathrow and Gatwick

Events

11 hours ago ‘I saw the reflection of his back rolls in the glass door’: Spencer Ostrander’s best phone photo

The American photographer on capturing a moment of intimacy between himself and his baby sonOn a sunny Sunday morning in June, Spencer Ostrander returned from the local hardware store to find his wife, Sophie, gardening in their back yard in Brooklyn, New York. “I handed her the supplies she needed, and a hot coffee, and she handed over our son,” Ostrander says. Their boy, Miles, was six months old at the time.“As I was taking him inside, I saw the reflection of my son’s back rolls in the glass door.” Ostrander grabbed his iPhone 14 Pro and turned the front camera on. “He was teething back then; not crying, but not his usual pleasant self either. I was juggling a wiggling baby and my phone, so I could only take two frames.” Continue reading...

Culture

19 hours ago Revealed: How doctors struck off in Britain for permanently disfiguring patients, sexual assault and financial dishonesty are allowed to continue practising medicine

Surgeons who have committed serious misconduct, sometimes ending in death and life-changing injuries for patients, are continuing to operate on unsuspecting patients around the world.

Science

7 hours ago Thick fog continues to cause flight disruption at some of UK’s busiest airports

Stansted, Heathrow, Manchester, Gatwick and Luton are among airports experiencing delays.

Transport

81 minutes ago Age of tactical ideologues is over as Spain dominates new era of pragmatism | Jonathan Wilson

Coaches such as Arteta, Iraola and Emery play variations of the Guardiola model – flexibility and adaptability are in vogueSpain are the European champions. Real Madrid won the Champions League. Rodri won the Ballon d’Or and has only come to seem more important since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Spanish managers won the Premier League, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 last season. No fewer than five Premier League clubs are managed by Spaniards.It has been another year of Spanish domination but the manager who more than anybody has been the architect of what is now considered the Spanish style is facing the biggest crisis of his career. Continue reading...

Politics

8 hours ago ‘Selfless parents gave their child’s organs to save my son. I’m in awe of them’

One year after Ralph was given a life-saving multi-organ transplant, his mother Katie Tatham tells why she is calling for more people in the UK to come forward to helpJust over a year ago, the parents of Ralph Tatham didn’t know if they would make it to Christmas, or if liver cancer would take away their three-year-old son.Now the little boy is just a few weeks away from celebrating his fifth birthday, after receiving a lifesaving multiorgan transplant to replace his liver, pancreas and intestines. Continue reading...

Society

5 hours ago Barcelona set to finally register Dani Olmo after agreeing VIP seating deal

Sale of boxes at Camp Nou likely to secure player’s futureBarça had to find way to comply with FFP by 31 DecemberFC Barcelona have reportedly closed a last-minute €100m (£82.9m) deal to sell VIP boxes at the newly renovated Camp Nou to Middle Eastern investors, enabling them to meet financial fair play rules and finally extend Dani Olmo’s registration.With the deadline for registration just three days away and Barcelona facing the prospect of Olmo leaving as a free agent just six months after joining on a a €55m (£45.6m) transfer, club president Joan Laporta exercised a sale option on Saturday which the club believe will see the first payment made before 31 December. Continue reading...

Economics

6 hours ago Barcelona in race to register Dani Olmo and avoid losing him on free transfer

Court denies request to register player beyond DecemberBarça have three days to comply with La Liga FFP rulesBarcelona have three days to find a way to comply with La Liga’s financial fair play rules or they will not be able to register Dani Olmo for the rest of the season – and face the prospect of him leaving as a free agent just six months after joining in a €55m (£45.6m) transfer.On Friday, a court in Barcelona published its decision to deny a lawsuit that the club had brought against the league’s rules, in which they requested a legal order to extend the player’s registration beyond 31 December. Continue reading...

Sport

71 minutes ago Family of OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji demand FBI investigate death

Parents believe San Francisco police lack ability to conduct thorough investigation into multifaceted casePoornima Ramarao greeted everyone with a smile as they offered condolences for the death of her son, Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on 26 November.“I am not grieving,” she told a small group of friends at a vigil held for Balaji in Milpitas, California, a city about 50 miles (80km) south-east of San Francisco. “I have become numb.” Continue reading...

Events

15 hours ago Multiple Oscar winning film that 'lives up to the term masterpiece' is on TV tonight

The Godfather is still a highly regarded piece of cinematic history and fans of the movie can watch it for free this weekend

Culture

12 hours ago 'Nightmare' fog sparks cancellations at UK's busiest airports to 'maintain safety'

The UK's main air traffic control provider explained the essential cancellations were caused by the country's misty conditions, sparking festive chaos as disruptions continue

Transport

1 hour ago Toddler wanders within feet of 400ft cliff near rim of Kīlauea volcano

Child had run off from family ‘in a split second’ as they admired lava within caldera at sunset on 23 DecemberHawaii national park rangers have reissued warnings about volcano tourism after a small child wandered off and came within feet of a 400ft cliff near the rim of Kīlauea volcano, whose latest eruption had begun on 23 December.“The hazards that coincide with an eruption are dangerous, and we have safety measures in place including closed areas, barriers, closure signs and traffic management,” said park superintendent Rhonda Loh in a statement. Continue reading...

Politics

13 hours ago Cheesy anchovy straws and chocolate meringue kisses: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for party nibbles

Bite-sized treats that are big on flavour and will see out the year in styleHappy 2025 everyone, and may the New Year bring with it the positive changes we all so yearn for. Personally, I will be embracing change in a big way, because, after seven years, this is my final column for the Guardian’s Feast. From March, I will be writing a new, long-form quarterly column packed with recipes, personal experiences and general observations about the food world, so stay tuned. The Feast community is the most engaged and greedy I know, so thank you! And I hope you welcome the New Year with these party nibbles I have lined up for this weekend. Here’s to new beginnings! Continue reading...

Society

5 hours ago Barcelona hope to finally register Dani Olmo after agreeing VIP seating deal

Sale of boxes at Camp Nou likely to secure player’s futureBarça had to find way to comply with FFP by 31 DecemberFC Barcelona have reportedly closed a last-minute €100m (£82.9m) deal to sell VIP boxes at the newly renovated Camp Nou to Middle Eastern investors. The club are hopeful the sale will allow them to meet financial fair play rules and finally extend Dani Olmo’s registration.With the deadline for registration just three days away and Barcelona facing the prospect of Olmo leaving as a free agent just six months after joining on a a €55m (£45.6m) transfer, club president Joan Laporta exercised a sale option on Saturday which the club believe will see the first payment made before 31 December. Continue reading...

Economics

11 hours ago 10 best sporting moments of 2024 as Olympics dominate and British icons make history

From celebrating Olympic gold medals in Paris to standing on top of Formula 1 podiums, it's been a brilliant 2024 for British sport, as we round up the 10 best moments

Sport

2 hours ago Police in Christmas cake 'poisoning' probe find mysterious white liquid in bottle

Police in Torres, Brazil, continue to investigate the deaths of three women from the Terezinha Silva dos Anjos family; Maida, Neuza and Tatiana who'd all eaten a Christmas cake

Events

30 hours ago Our readers on their pick of 2024’s best films, music, TV shows and podcasts

From sci-fi epics to investigate deep-dives, the Guide readers have their say on the year’s finest cultureWelcome to the last Guide of 2024! I hope you all are enjoying your festive break, and have a better handle on which day it is than I do. As is tradition, after our own roundup of the year’s best culture, we are turning things over to you this week. Here are the films, TV shows, music, performances, and podcasts that wowed you in 2024.Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions and sorry if we weren’t able to include yours. Enjoy the rest of your Christmas break, and see you on the other side of the new year, for our 2025 preview next Friday! Continue reading...

Culture

28 hours ago Severe weather threatens US flights during one of busiest travel weekends

Nearly 900 flights have been cancelled already as tornado watches are issued in Texas and LouisianaAs the US braces for one of its busiest travel weekends of the year, the threat of severe weather has already led to hundreds of flight cancellations.Tornado watches were issued in the southern states of Texas and Louisiana on Thursday, CNN reported. In Texas, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered ground stops at two airports, CBS reported. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas activated emergency response resources in the state on Thursday. Continue reading...

Transport

2 hours ago Allanah lost her son when she was 22 weeks pregnant. Now she’s helping others though the grief of stillbirth

Australia has protocols for stillbirths and neonatal deaths, but the quality of care varies widely across the countrySign up for the Rural Network email newsletterThe birth of Allanah Crameri and Braydon Newell’s son Lenny in September 2022 should have been filled with joy. But at just under 22 weeks, pregnancy complications led to a preterm labour and Lenny was born too early to survive.“I felt everything from sadness, despair, anger and shock,” Crameri says. Continue reading...

Politics

32 hours ago ‘It’s not just a dancefloor’: the precipitous decline of UK nightclubs

A cocktail of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis has left larger ‘chrome and carpet’ venues high and dry as struggling chains look to party bars‘A taste of Ibiza in grotty King’s Cross’: memories of closed UK nightclubsWhen the patrons of Watford’s Pryzm nightclub celebrated New Year’s Eve on 31 December 2023, they were marking the end of an era, or rather, the end of seven eras. Like every beloved local club, the venue had been known by multiple names over the years: Top Rank, Bailey’s, Paradise Lost, Kudos, Destiny and Oceana.Now, it will be reincarnated no more, after failing to reach a deal with its landlord. Continue reading...

Society

9 hours ago Men’s transfer window January 2025: all deals from Europe’s top five leagues

All the latest Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A deals and a club-by-club guideWomen’s transfer interactive – all the January deals Continue reading...

Economics

22 hours ago Pereira hopes rejuvenated Wolves can cling on to ‘special player’ Cunha

Head coach has enjoyed an immediate impact but knows the importance of leading attacker staying put in JanuaryAs Wolves were on Friday night breathing a sigh of relief that Matheus Cunha is set to be available to face Tottenham on Sunday, there are plenty of other positives to be drawn from Vítor Pereira’s first week at the helm alongside their star player’s contributions.Cunha has scored in both of their new manager’s opening games as Wolves have climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time this season following the wins over Leicester and Manchester United. An FA misconduct charge is hanging over Cunha, but the governing body’s disciplinary panel is unlikely to meet before next week. Continue reading...

Sport

3 hours ago People smugglers take advantage of the fog to slip more migrants across Channel two days after total topped 150,000 since records began in 2018

People smugglers appear to have taken advantage of the UK's dreary weather with small boat crossings across the English Channel continuing today despite foggy conditions.

Events

2 hours ago Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko pardons 20 people jailed for ‘extremism’

Putin apologises over Azerbaijan plane crash; Russia’s Gazprom announces it will halt gas supplies to MoldovaReport: Putin apologises for Azerbaijan plane crash without admitting Russia at faultItalian police said on Saturday that they were investigating cyberattacks claimed by a pro-Russian group targeting several websites including Milan’s airports and the foreign ministry.The websites of the ministry, Malpensa and Milan-Linate airport, and the transport systems in Siena and Turin were hit, according to national cybersecurity police spokesman Marco Valerio Cervellini, Reuters reports. Continue reading...

Politics

36 hours ago Sydney to Hobart yacht race: LawConnect leads after two deaths in wild weather leave fleet rocked

Supermaxi LawConnect in box seat Friday evening to take line honours for second year runningAs at 5.30pm, 22 yachts from the 104-strong starting fleet had retiredThe Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been left reeling after the deaths of two sailors in wild weather that has forced a fifth of the fleet to retire.Supermaxi LawConnect was in the box seat on Friday evening to take out line honours for a second year running after rival Master Lock Comanche pulled the pin with mainsail damage. Continue reading...

Society

30 hours ago Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy succeed where LIV Golf continues to struggle after landing crucial deal

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TGL will debut next month and it has added a major TV partner in the form of Sky Sports, something that LIV Golf has been unable to do in the UK

Economics

22 hours ago Arsenal player ratings: Kai Havertz continues to silence the doubters with crucial Ipswich winner

Arsenal moved up to second in the Premier League table after beating Ipswich.

Sport

4 hours ago ‘Create our own history’: Alisson targets title to mark new Liverpool era

The Liverpool goalkeeper expected ‘hard work’ for Arne Slot but flying start to season means their end goal is clearIf 2024 included the final chapter of Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, the year may yet be recalled as the start of something else special. It was on 26 January that devastated fans learned one of the best-kept football secrets of modern times, that Klopp could give no more. In late December, a renewed team, more patient in style, far less exuberant yet just as potent, already threatens to emulate Klopp’s finest achievements.The bond between Klopp and former players remains firm. When Curtis Jones made his 100th Premier League appearance against Leicester on Boxing Day, he realised only because his former manager had congratulated him on the milestone. When Klopp returns to public life next week as head of global football for the Red Bull conglomerate, the sight of him in the stands, talking to the media, will take some getting used to. Continue reading...

Events

2 hours ago WHO ‘appalled’ by Israel attack on northern Gaza’s last functioning major hospital

Kamal Adwan in Beit Lahia was partially destroyed and critical patients are at grave risk, the UN body saysThe World Health Organization says it is “appalled” by an Israeli raid which it said had shut down and partly destroyed the last major hospital still functioning in northern Gaza.Israel’s “systematic dismantling of the health system” combined with a siege of the population in the north of the coastal strip over the past 80 days “puts the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk”, the WHO said. Continue reading...

Politics

36 hours ago Homes Under The Hammer host's stark health update saying 'I don't know how much time I've got left'

A much-loved Homes Under The Hammer presenter has revealed to fans that he's not sure 'how long he has left' as he continues to battle with a serious heart condition

Society

30 hours ago Gavin and Stacey fans spot continuity error during Mick's stag night tribute to Smithy

The gaffe comes as James Corden thanked fans for tuning into the finale after it secured the highest Christmas Day ratings since 2008

Sport

4 hours ago Matheus Cunha’s wizardry for revived Wolves spells trouble for Tottenham | Ben McAleer

Spurs’ defensive injury crisis spells danger when facing one of the Premier League’s most unpredictable forwards By Ben McAleer for WhoScoredDecember was always going to be a tough month for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham. Spurs faced crunch domestic and continental meetings with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Rangers and Bournemouth, and failed to win all four. Of the eight games this month, they have won two, beating Southampton and Manchester United, and the latter they did their best to throw away.Next up for Postecoglou’s side is Sunday’s home game against Wolves. On paper, a meeting with a relegation-threatened side should pose little threat to Spurs. However, Wolves come into the weekend’s trip to the capital following back-to-back league wins over Leicester and Manchester United. Vítor Pereira has made the desired impact having succeeded Gary O’Neil at the Molineux helm earlier this month, watching on as his side have scored five times and conceded none. Continue reading...

Events

4 hours ago A ceramicist’s personal take on commemorative blue plaques – in pictures

For more than 25 years, Horace Lindezey has been making art at Venture Arts, a Manchester-based studio working with learning disabled artists. In his ever-growing collection of ceramic blue plaques, created with the assistance of ceramicist Caroline Tattersall, he celebrates people who have meant something to him – family members, friends, TV personalities and musicians – focusing on life’s central milestones: births, marriages and deaths. “I feel happy with making the plaques,” says Lindezey. “I roll the clay on to the mould, paint it white, then I put the letters on it. I like showing them in exhibitions, in Blackburn and London. I like to see them out there – they are nice memories of some people that have died.”A limited edition book of The Blue Plaques (£25), signed by the artist, is available at venturearts.org Continue reading...

Politics

39 hours ago Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni: A timeline of the feud and lawsuit between It Ends With Us co

Bitter feud is alleged to have begun while filming the box office hit ‘It Ends With Us’

Society

35 hours ago Gavin and Stacey fans spot hilarious continuity error during Mick's touching stag night tribute to Smithy

The moving scene showed an emotional Mick describing Smithy as a second son to himself and wife Pam, after they struggled to conceive another child.

Sport

5 hours ago Court rejects Starbucks’ challenge to US labor board ruling that it illegally fired baristas

Judge says coffee giant has no standing in appeal of NRLP finding it illegally fired two workers for trying to unionizeA federal appeals court has largely rejected Starbucks’ appeal of a National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) finding that the coffee chain illegally fired two Philadelphia baristas because they wanted to organize a union.The third US circuit court of appeals said the coffee shop giant lacked standing to challenge the constitutionality of administrative law judges of the NRLB, the government agency that is set up to enforce labor laws in the US concerning labor practices and collective bargaining. Continue reading...

Events

4 hours ago Sheikh Jassim's Man United takeover plan, David Beckham's true feelings and Tottenham truth

Former Manchester United takeover hopeful Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani continues to lurk in the background as Ineos suffer difficult first year

Politics

39 hours ago As a student in London I yearned for home, until I found paradise: a vast old villa with perfect housemates | Andrew Martin

We cooked ragu and listened to records while lying on chaises longues. Then the M11 link road was built – and everything changedIn our end of year series, writers and public figures remember the place or time when they felt most at homeIn the mid-1980s, I was in my early 20s and was reading for the Bar in London. I was living in a mouldy Balham bedsit and returning regularly to the comfort zone of my native York, when a friend told me a room was going in a shared house in Leytonstone.I wasn’t expecting much of E11. I wasn’t expecting trees, for example, but my walk from the attractive art deco tube station took me along roads better described as avenues. The house itself seemed almost the last one in London, an illusion created by the proximity of Wanstead Flats. It was a rangy, detached 1920s house, white with a red roof, and it had a name, but I’ll just call it the villa.Andrew Martin is an English novelist; his latest book is The Night in Venice Continue reading...

Society

40 hours ago UFC, boxing and golf: what is Donald Trump’s relationship with sport? – podcast

The US president-elect’s ties with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and boxing, as well as World Wrestling Entertainment, might tell us about the kinds of sport he appreciates. But then there’s golf As the US prepares to host the World Cup and the Olympics during Trump’s presidency, Jonathan Freedland and Karim Zidan walk through his history with sport to see if it explains more about himArchive: BBC, WWE, Fox 9 Minneapolis, NBC 10 Philadelphia, PBS Newshour, TMZ, MSNBC Continue reading...

Sport

5 hours ago River Plate women’s players released from prison after arrest for alleged racism

Four players were detained after game in São PauloMatch was called off after apparent monkey gestureA Brazilian judge has ordered the release from prison of four players from River Plate’s women’s football team, all of whom were arrested over an alleged racial slur during a match against Grêmio.Judge Fernando Oliveira Camargo decided to free the Argentinian club’s quartet of Candela Díaz, Camila Duarte, Juana Cángaro and Milagros Díaz, on condition they remain in Brazil and show up at court in São Paulo every month until the case is concluded. Continue reading...

Events

5 hours ago ‘Ludicrous’: bitter row erupts over plan to replace original Notre Dame windows

Fury as President Macron reveals the new ‘contemporary gesture’ for cathedral devastated by 2019 fireIn the wake of the April 2019 fire that devastated Notre Dame cathedral, the French president Emmanuel Macron promised the monument would be rebuilt with a “contemporary gesture”.There followed all manner of madcap ideas: a glass spire; a 300ft ­carbon-fibre flame, a swimming pool on the roof and a covered garden. In the end, Notre Dame was restored to its original former glory and ­reopened in a ceremony this month. Continue reading...

Politics

40 hours ago Climate crisis exposed people to extra six weeks of dangerous heat in 2024

Analysis shows fossil fuels are supercharging heatwaves, leaving millions prone to deadly temperaturesThe climate crisis caused an additional six weeks of dangerously hot days in 2024 for the average person, supercharging the fatal impact of heatwaves around the world.The effects of human-caused global heating were far worse for some people, an analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central has shown. Those in Caribbean and Pacific island states were the hardest hit. Many endured about 150 more days of dangerous heat than they would have done without global heating, almost half the year. Continue reading...

Society

6 hours ago Putin apologises for Azerbaijan plane crash without admitting Russia at fault

Kremlin says Russian president has spoken to Azerbaijan counterpart after crash in which 38 people diedRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesVladimir Putin has apologised for a “tragic incident” in which an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed on Christmas Day, but stopped short of admitting Russia was responsible. The Kremlin said in an official statement that Putin had spoken to Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, on Saturday by phone in his first comments since the crash, which killed 38 of the 67 people onboard. “Vladimir Putin apologised for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,” the statement said.Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said he had expressed condolences to President Aliyev and called on Russia for a clearer explanation of the crash. Continue reading...

Events

6 hours ago ‘They’re stuck’: Cape Cod seeing more whale, turtle and dolphin strandings

Changing tides have led to an increase of beached marine life, whom rescuers scramble to save before they dieWhile Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is known as a popular vacation destination in the north-east US, it has built a reputation for an entirely different reason this year: animal strandings.Dolphins, whales, sea lions and turtles are turning up in large numbers on the beaches of the famous peninsula in a phenomenon that has experts scrambling to execute more rescue operations than ever before. The cause? Changing tides. Continue reading...

Politics

6 hours ago Call The Midwife creator admits she's unsure how long BBC drama can continue

Call The Midwife creator and writer Heidi Thomas has opened up on the future of the BBC period drama, admitting she doesn't know how long the show will go on for

Events

6 hours ago The year in political books: mapping an astonishing moment in US history

Readings from politicos, political insiders and even Trump family members charted how we got to this uncertain pointDonald Trump finally won the popular vote. His narrow margin, 1.48%, proved sufficient to devastate the Democrats. Come noon on 20 January, inauguration day, Republicans will sit atop all three branches of the federal government.It is an astonishing moment in US political history, but the year in books maps how America reached this point. Continue reading...

Politics

7 hours ago Putin apologises over Azerbaijan plane crash as Kremlin says Russian air defences were repelling Ukrainian attack – live

Kremlin say Russian air defences were repelling attacks while plane was trying to land – but stops short of admitting Russian forces shot planeItalian police said on Saturday that they were investigating cyberattacks claimed by a pro-Russian group targeting several websites including Milan’s airports and the foreign ministry.The websites of the ministry, Malpensa and Milan-Linate airport, and the transport systems in Siena and Turin were hit, according to national cybersecurity police spokesman Marco Valerio Cervellini, Reuters reports. Continue reading...

Events

6 hours ago The best slippers for men and women, from cosy sheepskin mules to chic ballet shoes

Whether you’re receiving guests, working from home or don’t like slippers at all, we’ve found the perfect pairs of slippers and bed socks for keeping every foot warmIf it’s true that you can judge a person by their shoes, then it is perhaps even more so when it comes to their slippers. What you choose to put on your feet in your own home is a window into what you value most. As such, buying the perfect pair for yourself is an act of self-nurture.If that all feels too hyperbolic, it feels safe to say that they’re at least a reflection of your favourite mode of relaxation and how high you like to turn up the heating. Continue reading...

Politics

7 hours ago The year in patriarchy: coconut trees, ‘childless cat ladies’ and crimes against humanity | Arwa Mahdawi

It’s now time to ‘hold space’ for everything that happened in 2024 with a list – so here are 10 of the biggest stories from the year in patriarchy2024 was a very demure, very mindful, very dystopian sort of year. I started last year’s annual roundup by noting that it had been the hottest year on record and guess what? 2024 has now surpassed 2023 as the hottest year ever. Many of the same extreme themes from last year have also persisted: anti-abortion activists are still trying to roll back reproductive rights in the US and the horrific situation for women in Iran and Afghanistan has only got worse.Meanwhile Gaza is still being destroyed, and – despite the fact that an increasing number of experts are terming the bombardment a “genocide” – the US is continuing to enable the destruction and much of the world is still continuing to look away. The civil war in Sudan, which started last April, has also spread catastrophically, with women and girls bearing the brunt of the humanitarian c...

Events

6 hours ago Donald Trump's second state visit to the UK is Keir Starmer's latest bid to woo the US President

Donald Trump is to become the first elected politician in modern history to be hosted for two state visits by the Royal Family, it was reported last night.

Politics

7 hours ago How I beat overwhelm: Tracking my heart rate left me feeling like a frustrated failure

Biofeedback devices promised a whole new world of mental and physical harmony. They did change my life, but not in the way I’d hopedI love to run, but ask me about my running times or distances and I will have no idea. For me, running is about squeezing exercise into a busy schedule, clearing my head and being in nature. I don’t need to measure it.But unfortunately I am not immune to the oh-so-pleasing dopamine injection of unboxing a new bit of wearable tech, personalising the app for hours and thinking this might just change my life – the new, calmer, fitter, stronger, smarter me dangling tantalisingly within reach. One such scenario occurred after researching the importance of human connection on mental and physical health: less stress, less inflammation, less illness. Human connection, I learned, can stimulate and be facilitated by the vagus nerve – a primitive part of the nervous system. Continue reading...

Events

6 hours ago Israel detains director of one of last functioning Gaza hospitals, Palestinians say

Gaza officials say it is not clear what has happened to Abu Safiya, adding it was concerned about his well-being

Politics

7 hours ago At least 15 men in Gisèle Pelicot rape and assault trial appeal against convictions

Court found 51 men guilty including Dominique Pelicot, who was given a 20-year prison sentenceAt least 15 of the men found guilty of raping or sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot have appealed against their convictions and will be given a second trial.All 51 men, including her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, were convicted and given prison sentences of between three and 20 years before Christmas after a trial lasting three and a half months. Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years. Continue reading...

Events

7 hours ago ‘Dubious’ use of the Freedom of Information act stopping access to files on Prince Andrew, researchers say

Biographer says government departments give contradictory refusals to requests and accuses them of ‘cover up’Researchers have called for greater transparency from the Foreign Office over the files it holds on the Duke of York. Officials responding to freedom of information requests have given a variety of reasons why the files cannot be released.Andrew Lownie, an author who is researching a biography of Prince Andrew, was told that the files could not be made public until 2065, and implied there was a general rule that papers relating to members of the royal family must remain closed until 105 years after their birth. Continue reading...

Politics

7 hours ago Russia warns of severe environmental damage from huge Black Sea oil spill

Two tankers were hit by a storm in the Kerch strait near Crimea on 15 December, causing one to sink and another to run agroundRussia has warned of severe environmental damage from a huge oil spill in the Black Sea caused when two tankers were hit by a storm near Crimea, which has declared a state of emergency.One tanker sank and another ran aground on 15 December in the Kerch strait between Russia and the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula. Continue reading...

Events

7 hours ago ‘Dubious’ use of the Freedom of Information Act stopping access to files on Prince Andrew, researchers say

Biographer says government departments give contradictory refusals to requests and accuses them of ‘cover up’Researchers have called for greater transparency from the Foreign Office over the files it holds on the Duke of York. Officials responding to freedom of information requests have given a variety of reasons why the files cannot be released.Andrew Lownie, an author who is researching a biography of Prince Andrew, was told that the files could not be made public until 2065, and implied there was a general rule that papers relating to members of the royal family must remain closed until 105 years after their birth. Continue reading...

Politics

7 hours ago YouTuber's harrowing last words revealed as his mother details devastating survival challenge

Storm De Beul, 22, was a well-known YouTuber who tragically died after being caught in a snowstorm while camping in the wilderness in Lapland and documented his final hours

Events

8 hours ago Trump’s threat to defund all US public media has NPR and PBS on the back foot

President-elect’s agenda and Project 2025 playbook align in stripping Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s licenseOn the campaign trail this year, Donald Trump routinely criticized US media. The president-elect called for CBS to be stripped of its broadcast license after it aired an interview with Kamala Harris, refused to participate in an interview with 60 Minutes and routinely called journalists the “enemy of the people”.But perhaps no American media has attracted as much ire from the president-elect as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – a non-profit corporation created by federal law in 1967 to distribute funding to public media organizations like PBS and NPR. Continue reading...

Politics

8 hours ago Putin apologises over Azerbaijan Airlines crash as Kremlin says Russian forces were repelling Ukrainian attack at the time – live

Kremlin say Russian air defences were repelling attacks while plane was trying to land – but stops short of admitting Russian forces shot planeItalian police said on Saturday that they were investigating cyberattacks claimed by a pro-Russian group targeting several websites including Milan’s airports and the foreign ministry.The websites of the ministry, Malpensa and Milan-Linate airport, and the transport systems in Siena and Turin were hit, according to national cybersecurity police spokesman Marco Valerio Cervellini, Reuters reports. Continue reading...

Events

9 hours ago Trump versus trade: the global economic outlook for 2025 in five charts

Unpredictable change will sweep through America, while old problems, from war to inflation, are likely to afflict other countriesThe global economy is entering the new year with rising geopolitical tensions looming over its prospects, as the world’s leading central banks attempt to cut interest rates after the worst inflation shock in decades.Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is expected to dominate the economic agenda. Global trade tensions are on the horizon as the president-elect threatens to impose sweeping tariffs on US imports. Continue reading...

Politics

8 hours ago At least 15 men in Gisèle Pelicot rape trial appeal against convictions

Court found 51 men guilty including Dominique Pelicot, who was given a 20-year prison sentenceAt least 15 of the men found guilty of raping or sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot have appealed against their convictions and will be given a second trial.All 51 men, including her husband, Dominique Pelicot, were convicted and given prison sentences of between three and 15 years before Christmas after a trial lasting three and a half months. Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years. Continue reading...

Events

9 hours ago This is how we do it: ‘I struggle to fully enjoy sex because I’m so conscious of what I look like’

Alexandra and Jake contend with insecurities, but are slowly discovering sexual intimacyHow do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymouslyWhen we’re doing missionary it’s a lot easier, but if I’m on top I feel as if there’s nowhere to hide Continue reading...

Politics

9 hours ago Small boat Channel crossings continue after migrant total reaches 150,000

More than 1,100 people have crossed the Channel in small boats over the Christmas period.

Events

9 hours ago Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for leek, pistachio and jalapeño galette | The new vegan

A French-style tart stuffed with a zippy pistachio paste and covered in soft leeksWhenever I think of galettes, I think of my friend Henrietta Inman, who left London to set up Wakelyns bakery in Suffolk. Ever since she showed me how to make them, galettes have been my go-to when I need to whip up something impressive and beautiful, but also actually quite easy, and with a reasonably large margin for flexibility when it comes to ingredients and error, especially if, like me, you don’t consider yourself to be a particularly good pastry chef. Today’s recipe is a homage to some of my favourite greens: leeks, chives, pistachios and jalapeño chillies, to help usher in the New Year with a fresh dose of optimism. Continue reading...

Politics

10 hours ago Demonstrators arrested outside Netanyahu’s Jerusalem home – Middle East crisis live

Protestors shouted through loudspeakers that the Israeli hostages in Gaza were suffering in the tunnels and were ‘cold, tortured and sick’Five Israeli demonstrators protesting for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 have been arrested outside the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.Twenty protestors gathered outside the home in the early morning, shouting through loudspeakers at the prime minister that the hostages were suffering in the tunnels and were “cold, tortured and sick” while he enjoyed home comforts, Channel 12, an Israeli broadcaster, reported. Continue reading...

Events