52 minutes ago What are we paying senior royals for, if not to show up at presidential funerals? | Catherine Bennett

Perhaps grandma’s grudge against Jimmy Carter explains why Edward, 14th in line, was sentThat legendary boozer the late queen mother liked to entertain her guests with an “anti-toast”, in which she drank to people she disliked. One day the names ill-wished were “Tony Benn, Idi Amin and Jimmy Carter”. The benign US president featured in the same list as a mass murderer because, she explained, “he is the only man, since my dear husband died, to have had the effrontery to kiss me on the lips”.This alleged offence was enough for the queen mother to want it remembered, and not as an innocent accident. She believed it was her misfortune, her biographer William Shawcross wrote, to remind middle-aged men of their mothers; she recognised “the glazed look that came over their faces”, and thought this had made Carter reach in for his kiss. “I took a sharp step backwards. Not quite far enough.” So Carter could hardly help becoming aware of the accusation, which “distressed” him. Continue readin...

Politics

15 hours ago Ozempic didn't work for me because I kept making this big mistake. Then doctors told me the incredible unknown secret to using weight

Often patients reach their goal weight and feel good about themselves. Then, because of the initial success, they decide the drugs have done their job and simply stop taking them.

Society

2 hours ago Ruben Amorim could do something for the first time in Manchester United predicted XI vs Arsenal

Man United will be hoping to embark on another memorable FA Cup adventure when they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Sport

1 hour ago Man Utd face fresh striker transfer nightmare as club chief confirms interest

Manchester United are desperate to add a striker to their squad this month to fix their goalscoring issues but a deal for PSG’s Randal Kolo Muani might be far more difficult than first thought

Events

9 hours ago India headteacher forces 100 'humiliated' schoolgirls to remove shirts after 'Pen Day' celebration

Around 100 schoolgirls at a school in Dhanbad, India, were ordered to remove their uniform tops after their pen day celebrations, when friends write on their outfits

Culture

20 hours ago Carrie Johnson reveals health battle after week in hospital with flu and pneumonia

Ms Johnson praised NHS staff for their care and revealed she has now left the Oxford hospital

Science

52 minutes ago Elon Musk and the new world order: the hijacking of the global conversation

How can we publicly debate policy in the face of the rising – and polarising – influence of the X owner and others whose only aim is to serve themselvesHow should we as a society interact with one another, debate, come to decisions? What impels politicians to focus and act on one thing and not another?The Athenians had the Agora, where (male, slave-owning) citizens gathered to debate and decide the issues of the day. In the early 20th century, John Reith envisioned the BBC, in a most patrician way, as a space where the nation could come together to enhance the (supposedly) British values of democracy, reasonableness and debate. Continue reading...

Politics

21 hours ago ITV presenter Nicki Shields says ’supportive husband’ is secret to balancing family and travel

EXCLUSIVE: Nicki Shields is the face of ITV and TNT Sports' coverage of Formula E motorsport and is able to travel the world with the series despite having three young children at home

Society

16 hours ago 'I turned down Liverpool and Chelsea interest – now I could join Arsenal for £58million'

Ronald Araujo has reportedly told his Barcelona team-mates that he's eyeing a January move to Arsenal amidst rumoured interest from Mikel Arteta, according to a report from Spain

Economics

12 hours ago Manchester City vs Salford City LIVE: FA Cup score and updates as McAtee hat

The League Two side, who are owned by members of Manchester United’s ‘Class of ‘92’, face City in a Greater Manchester derby

Sport

5 hours ago Ukraine war briefing: Ukraine ‘captures two North Korean soldiers in Russia’

Pair being interrogated in Kyiv, with intelligence agency SBU saying one had fake Russian military ID; Russia claims control of village near PokrovskSee all our Ukraine coverageUkraine said it was interrogating two North Korean soldiers after capturing the pair in Russia’s Kursk region – the first time it has announced the capture of North Korean soldiers alive since their entry into the war last year. The president, Volodymyr Zelensyy, said on X on Saturday the soldiers were captured by Ukraine’s special forces and were being interrogated by the SBU domestic intelligence agency in Kyiv. The SBU released a video showing the two men in hospital bunks, one with bandaged hands and the other with a bandaged jaw. It said their questioning was being done in Korean with the help of South Korea’s NIS intelligence agency. Neither Russia nor North Korea immediately reacted to the announcement.The SBU said the two captured North Korean men had told interrogators they were experienced army sold...

Events

14 hours ago Photos of two Coronation Street legends on their real life wedding day

See how many famous faces you recognise in these fascinating photos

Culture

23 hours ago Medical expert verdict on mandatory face masks in UK over 'mystery' Chinese HMPV virus

EXCLUSIVE: The human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has caused concern as the NHS creaks under the pressure of a 'quad-demic', with shocking footage from Chinese hospitals circulating online

Science

52 minutes ago Ruben Amorim told harsh truth that speaks volumes about Man Utd situation

Nigel Winterburn has told Ruben Amorim that he need not worry about Arsenal swooping in for any of his star players in the January window, given the current state of affairs at Old Trafford

Politics

22 hours ago Furious family kicked out of illegally built home after dodging council tax for 11 YEARS when mum's friend 'tells on them' to council

A family in Horspath, Oxfordshire have been given 12 months to find a new home after the local council were told they were living in a log cabin which was built without planning permission.

Society

17 hours ago Marcus Rashford's transfer value plummets as Man United face £25m nightmare amid PSR reality

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has expressed his desire for a new challenge away from Old Trafford.

Economics

13 hours ago Manchester City vs Salford City LIVE: FA Cup score and updates as Doku and Mubama have hosts in control

The League Two side, who are owned by members of Manchester United’s ‘Class of ‘92’, face City in a Greater Manchester derby

Sport

6 hours ago Private school teachers threaten to strike as bosses of UK's largest academy chain are accused of offering a 'Scrooge

Hundreds of private school teachers at United Learning, which runs 90 state academies and 14 independent schools, are set to strike because state school teachers could receive triple their pay rise.

Events

22 hours ago Netflix fans go wild over '10/10' TV series that had them 'hooked' and tell viewers 'drop everything and watch it'

Viewers have flooded the three million member Facebook group Netflix Bangers with praise, urging everyone to stop scrolling and start binging this series immediately.

Culture

1 hour ago UK government to crack down on MPs earning extra cash from media firms

Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nigel Farage are among those who have earned large sums from broadcasters, but a tightening of rules on MPs’ outside interests is being consideredMPs would no longer be able to rake in huge sums that can see them more than double their ­parliamentary ­salaries by signing contracts with media outlets, under plans being ­considered by ministers.The Observer has been told that ­talks on further ­tightening rules on MPs’ ­outside interests, ­including media contracts, will be started by leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, at a hearing of the all-party standards committee on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Politics

17 hours ago Shaughna Phillips discusses the emotional battles that led to her drastic weight gain as she reveals she tipped the scales to 15 stone at her heaviest

The Love Island star, 30, delved into the difficulties she has faced since welcoming her daughter Lucia in April last year.

Economics

24 hours ago Boxing Tonight: TV channels, live streams, ring walk start times and fight cards

Callum Simpson faces a potential banana skin tonight in Steed Woodall - with the British star eager to defend his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles

Sport

7 hours ago Los Angeles Getty Center’s priceless collection braces for wildfires as evacuation order expands to museum

The museum is considered the ‘safest place for art during a fire’

Events

1 hour ago Playing Nice cast: who are ITV cast members and where have you seen them before?

Playing Nice has plenty of familiar faces for ITV viewers 📺

Politics

17 hours ago I filmed a thief stealing £10k tools from my van and escaping in a taxi... but what the police told me after left me gobsmacked

The raider was recorded on a doorbell camera making repeated trips over the course of a full hour to empty the contents of the van he had broken into and prepare it to be collected.

Economics

7 hours ago LA fires: international crews arrive to battle raging wildfires as evacuations spread

Neighborhoods under orders now include Encino and Brentwood, with the Getty Center and its art collectionCalifornia wildfires – liveThousands of firefighters labored to contain the four wildfires raging across the Los Angeles area Saturday before evening winds forecasted to fan additional flames.In the Pacific Palisades, incarcerated firefighters dug wide trenches across the charred landscape in an attempt to contain the blaze, which has been called the most destructive in the city’s history. Across the city, in Altadena, first responders dragged hoses over burned-out cars and rebar. In Mandeville Canyon, where the Palisades fire grew closer to the UCLA campus – prompting evacuation orders across the Brentwood and Encino neighborhoods – firefighting planes dropped water and retardant in an aggressive aerial attempt to halt the fire’s path. Continue reading...

Events

2 hours ago Simon Schama: ‘Britain is a much more tolerant place now. I’m Mr Sunshine on this’

The historian on taking the social pulse of the nation in his new TV series, why we’re such word addicts, and his fear that the needle in the US is moving towards redSimon Schama, 79, is a writer, television presenter and professor of history and art history at Columbia University in New York. His bestselling, prize-winning books include The Embarrassment of Riches, about the Dutch Golden Age, and Citizens, a study of the French Revolution. His television series for the BBC include A History of Britain, Simon Schama’s Power of Art, and The Story of the Jews. His new series, Simon Schama’s The Story of Us, traces the history of postwar Britain in an effort to locate the origins of the current culture wars and to celebrate the art that has united us in the past.How did you begin thinking about this series?Well, I live most of my time in America, but I come back here often and it always pierces me. I’m heartfelt about it. I wanted to take the social pulse of Britain, and I wanted to lo...

Politics

18 hours ago Our wedding videographer charged us £600... and then did a runner: How 'fraudster' faces police probe over leaving dozens of couples at the altar

Detectives are looking at a significant number of claims made against Sarah Stanton, who runs Wallflower Weddings.

Economics

8 hours ago Naomi Watts says she was told revealing that she'd hit the menopause at 36 would end her Hollywood career

Now, aged 56, British-born actress Naomi Watts has spoken of her experiences of menopause in a new book aimed at challenging the stigma older women face in Hollywood.

Events

2 hours ago Disney worker vanished after wife buried him in garden and blamed daughter, 7

Michael Shaver, 36, from Florida, was reported missing by a friend three years after he was last seen - his wife Laurie Shaver had told people he'd left her for another woman

Politics

18 hours ago Uranium prices hit record as thirsty AI data centres add to market squeeze

Industry pressured to build new conversion facilities to cover end of US import waiver and impact of Ukraine war

Economics

9 hours ago Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim studying Sir Alex Ferguson footage ahead of FA Cup clash vs Arsenal

Manchester United are set to face Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday and Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim is hoping his side will go on to lift the trophy in May

Events

3 hours ago Backers of trans row nurse complain “lip service” is being paid to keeping women

“They pay ­lip-service to the idea of women only spaces but, in practice, set the demands of a group of men over the safety, dignity, and privacy of their female staff.”

Politics

19 hours ago Billionaire investor says Americans face 'rude awakening' if they follow Warren Buffett's advice

A billionaire investor has claimed Americans are in for a 'rude awakening' if they follow one of Warren Buffett's most popular pieces of advice. 

Economics

11 hours ago Sarah Beeny's life from tragic loss and cancer diagnosis to unique tradition with husband

Channel 4 property expert Sarah Beeny has been a fixture on screens for decades, but has faced her fair share of tragedy and heartache in her personal life

Events

3 hours ago Cleaning fans say 98p bathroom item will leave your floors smelling 'lush'

A woman took to Facebook to ask for help on how to remove the smell of wee from her bathroom floor - and fellow cleaning fans flocked to the comments to share the 98p product they swear by

Politics

31 hours ago Reeves defiant over China trip in face of growing criticism and economic turmoil

Labour chancellor accused of ‘undesirable’ policies and ‘incompatible promises’

Economics

11 hours ago Former Labour MP Ivor Caplin arrested after 'paedophile hunter' Facebook live stream sting

Sussex Police have arrested ex-Labour defence minister Ivor Caplin, MP for Hove between 1997 and 2005, in Brighton on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a child

Events

7 hours ago Minister's controversial academies reforms accused of being 'betrayal of Blair's legacy' in part of 'plot to succeed Keir Starmer'

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson faced claims her controversial school academy reforms are an attempt to play down her Blairite reputation and curry favour of Left-wing Labour MPs.

Politics

12 hours ago Freeport’s Paityn London has a new team, school and conference, but the same amazing skill set and attitude

Freeport’s Paityn London has a new team, school and conference, but the same amazing skill set and attitude  MyStateline.com

Events

7 hours ago Ruben Amorim urged to brutally axe Man Utd star who spoke out over 'leaders' claim

Manchester United have endured a rollercoaster season under Erik ten Hag and then Ruben Amorim and the Red Devils boss has been told to stop playing one star in particular

Politics

14 hours ago Police to hold knife amnesty in Salford as people told 'please hand them to us'

"It's a great way for the community to get behind our initiative to get dangerous weapon off the streets"

Events

8 hours ago Kelsey Parker says Tom told her to date via a psychic as she shares big relationship update

Kelsey Parker has shared that her late husband Tom told her via a psychic that she should date again, as her new partner Will Lindsay moves in with her

Politics

14 hours ago Polish general is sacked and four soldiers face up to five years in jail after 240 anti

To lose one anti-tank mine may be regarded as a grave misfortune, but to lose 240 -  and then have them turn up near an Ikea warehouse - has been deemed serious neglect by a Polish district prosecutor.

Events

10 hours ago Pep Guardiola explains strange Man City team decision with fresh transfer update

Pep Guardiola named just one senior centre-back in his Manchester City side to face Salford in the FA Cup.

Politics

15 hours ago Iran unveils underground 'missile city' that houses rockets to be used in attacks on Israel in chilling footage

Chilling footage broadcast by Iranian media on Friday showed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander inspecting an underground missile facility.

Events

11 hours ago Rudy Giuliani's Florida condo and World Series rings at stake in trial over assets

After he was found in contempt twice in one week, Rudy Giuliani faces another treacherous week ahead at a trial to determine whether his Florida condominium and three World Series rings must be turned over to two Georgia election workers

Politics

15 hours ago ‘Most of my work is a response to war’: Colombian artist Doris Salcedo on violence, Trump and her crack in Tate Modern’s floor

The artist, famed in the UK for her extraordinary fissure in the turbine hall, has turned her focus to the climate catastrophe and the plight of migrants, but old concerns about her country remainAs the world turns toward another fractured year, Doris Salcedo, the Colombian artist, is at work trying to fathom how to create a house out of human hair. Salcedo, 65, has long made herself a channel of collective trauma, her art expressing profound anger at political crimes and atrocities at home and abroad – as well as creating imaginative spaces for mourning. Her hair project, she says, comes in response to what she has come to think of as “domicide”: the calculated bombing and destruction of places that people call home.“Most of my work is a response of some kind to war,” she says. “And we have all witnessed – of course for decades in Colombia, but also now in Ukraine and Syria and Sudan and in Gaza – this destruction of houses for the sole purpose of escalating human suffering. In Gaz...

Events

11 hours ago The school which launched the Reeves sisters into politics would fail under Labour reforms, claim Tories

Tories claim improvements to the school which educated two of Keir Starmer’s cabinet ministers would not have been allowed by Labour’s education reforms

Politics

16 hours ago Naturists go to war with Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg as he won't let them show their bits

Naturists are beefing up against Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and the firm's 'discriminatory moderation practices', because they want to see all sorts of naked bodies on social media

Events

12 hours ago BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty scolds Saturday Kitchen star over live blunder as segment 'spoiled'

BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty was left unimpressed when she was left red-faced after she accidentally revealed Saturday Kitchen's guest Emilia Fox ahead of schedule

Politics

17 hours ago Sir Jim Ratcliffe sent Kobbie Mainoo warning but told one Man Utd star 'won't be missed'

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been warned he would be making a huge mistake selling Kobbie Mainoo as the Manchester United co-owner admits every player has a price

Events

13 hours ago Bonnie Tyler reveals heartbreaking miscarriage at 39 and says she feels 'blessed' to 'have known I could be pregnant'

The Total Eclipse Of The Heart singer, 73, told the Mirror that when she fell pregnant aged 39 with her partner Robert, she felt it was the right time to have a baby.

Politics

17 hours ago ‘This place instilled constant fear in us’: the man who lived next door to the brutal Homs security unit for 50 years

For 50 years Taha Tadmori had a window to the surveillance complex of the Assad regime. As Syria starts a new chapter, he recalls the horrors he witnessed and the family he lostThe three floors and subterranean prison of the Homs security directorate have loomed over 65-year-old Taha Tadmori’s daily life since he was a teenager. His family often shut their window blinds and doors in an attempt to block out the constant sound of screams and cries of pain from the facility’s basement prison, loud enough to reach their third-floor apartment overlooking it.The moustachioed man with a gentle smile was 15 when he watched the construction of the neighbouring building that would later terrorise him and other people in Homs. Continue reading...

Events

13 hours ago What's really riling Vaclav Cerny as Rangers winger snaps at reporter – but the look on his face tells whole story

Cerny wasn't happy in the Dens press room on Thursday night as the Czech winger had to explain yet another dismal display

Politics

18 hours ago Dog owners told to 'wash paws' after walks in snow and ice to prevent common toxic risk

Dog owners have been warned to wash their pets' paws after walks in snow and ice to prevent a common toxic risk

Events

14 hours ago Joe Biden got plenty right at home, but on the world stage he let himself be taken for a fool | Simon Tisdall

In another era, the outgoing president would have made a great cold war leader. Instead, his tenure was dogged by errors, naivety and overcautionIn a week when the US bade a sad farewell to Jimmy Carter, presidential legacies came under particular scrutiny. Yet few presidents are widely remembered beyond their lifetimes, their “historic” achievements even less so. In the 20th century, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D Roosevelt, John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon make the truly memorable list. Most of the rest are mere school-book names and dates.Joe Biden’s standing in this unprepossessing pantheon is now being assessed, as he prepares to depart the White House on 20 January. Like his 44 predecessors, he reportedly frets about his “place in history”. All presidents do this. It smacks of vanity. They give valedictory lectures, endow foundations, build libraries, write memoirs. They confuse fame with continuing relevance. Continue reading...

Politics

18 hours ago Ons Jabeur: ‘Kids are dying everywhere in Ukraine or Gaza. I have to speak out and use my platform’

Former world No 2 shares her struggles with seeing suffering in Palestine and how she is working with the World Food Programme to help Few players wear their heart on their sleeve as much as Ons Jabeur. The Tunisian, whose sublime skills and smile have lit up the women’s Tour over the past decade, reached the Wimbledon final in 2022 and 2023 and earned herself the nickname Minister of Happiness.But somewhere along the way, Jabeur lost the joy. Keen to start a family, she had told herself that if she won Wimbledon in 2023, that would be the perfect time to take a break. It didn’t happen – she lost to Marketa Vondrousova – and so continued playing. But injuries, illness and the scenes of human suffering in Gaza made her struggle over the past year. Continue reading...

Events

15 hours ago Arne Slot brings Federico Chiesa back down to earth after Liverpool breakthrough

Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa scored his maiden Reds goal in the FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley, but Arne Slot has told fans they shouldn't be getting carried away

Politics

18 hours ago Ons Jabeur: ‘Kids are dying everywhere in Ukraine or Gaza. I have to speak out’

Former world No 2 shares her struggles with seeing suffering in Palestine and how she is working with the World Food Programme to help Few players wear their heart on their sleeve as much as Ons Jabeur. The Tunisian, whose sublime skills and smile have lit up the women’s Tour over the past decade, reached the Wimbledon final in 2022 and 2023 and earned herself the nickname Minister of Happiness.But somewhere along the way, Jabeur lost the joy. Keen to start a family, she had told herself that if she won Wimbledon in 2023, that would be the perfect time to take a break. It didn’t happen – she lost to Marketa Vondrousova – and so continued playing. But injuries, illness and the scenes of human suffering in Gaza made her struggle over the past year. Continue reading...

Events