46 minutes ago Relax, Australia: confected outrage about Sam Konstas hides the real issue | Barney Ronay

The energy expended on my ‘Ashes war of words’ would be better directed at the fight for the future of Test cricketAustralia: an apology. Earlier this week I wrote an article that compared one of that nation’s brightest sporting stars to a comedic figure with a short-lived pop celebrity lifespan, causing outrage among Australia’s media and elite cricketers. It was cheap, disrespectful and unfair. It is now time to make amends. Raygun, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I compared you to Sam Konstas.Joke! Just a joke. It was all just a joke. In fact, it was a single line buried 1,400 words into a 1,700-word article about the future of Test cricket. Referring to the fevered public reaction to Konstas scoring an unorthodox half-century on his Test debut, I wrote: “There was a sense during the India series of Konstas being installed as a cricketing version of Raygun the Olympic breakdancer, a fun, gimmicky approximation of the real thing.” Continue reading...

Politics

16 hours ago Transport police confirm loss of life on rail tracks at Polmont Railway Station

One person is confirmed dead following a tragic incident on the railway tracks at Polmont station.

Economics

16 hours ago Eliud Kipchoge to make London Marathon return after 'demoralising' Olympics

Eliud Kipchoge, a four-time London Marathon champion and former world record holder, insists he has no plans to retire after confirming he will return to the capital in April

Sport

2 hours ago ‘It raised our spirits’: Palestinian refugees in Syria on the ceasefire in Gaza

Yarmouk camp residents lived through fighting and starvation in the Syrian civil war and feel intimately connected to the suffering in the Gaza StripAfter 15 months of watching their relatives suffering in Gaza, residents of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus finally breathed a sigh of relief. The war in the besieged Palestinian territory was soon to be over.“Hearing that the fighting will finally stop, it raised our spirits. We don’t have any work or money, but now we have something at least to make us happy, now you hear people laughing in the streets,” said Rbeia Abu Hmeida, 45, a Palestinian refugee who lives in the Yarmouk camp. Continue reading...

Events

20 hours ago NASA astronaut trapped in space is dubbed an 'indentured servant' as she steps out of the ISS for the first time in more than 7 MONTHS

As one of NASA's trapped astronauts stepped outside the space station for the first time since arriving in June, many social media users were shocked to realise they were still trapped in space.

Technology

21 hours ago Roman Roadchef! Archaeologists uncover a 'service station' in Gloucester where ancient travellers would have stopped for 'fast food' 2,000 years ago

Archeologists have discovered the foundations of a Roman 'service station' by the A147 in the Cotswolds, about five miles south of Cheltenham.

Transport

2 hours ago Buyer’s remorse about Labour? Why it's clear Keir Starmer is preparing rerun of Tory austerity

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ visit to China and Keir Starmer’s insistence on staying outside the EU single market leaves the UK more vulnerable than at any time since the Second World War

Politics

16 hours ago Minuscule London bedsit with a single bed just inches from the kitchen goes on the market for £1,100 a month

The cramped accommodation is in a prime location in Sussex Gardens, near Paddington Station in London.

Economics

21 hours ago Eddie Hearn delivers Tyson Fury retirement ultimatum as Anthony Joshua fight plan revived

Eddie Hearn has told Tyson Fury that he will have to come out of retirement in the next few weeks if a summer bout against Anthony Joshua is to be agreed.

Sport

4 hours ago The alternative visions of Cardiff that could have made the city look radically different

Ambitious schemes have been planned for the Welsh capital over the years that never materialised

Politics

17 hours ago Miniscule London bedsit with a single bed just inches from the kitchen goes on the market for £1,100 a month

The cramped accommodation is in a prime location in Sussex Gardens, near Paddington Station in London.

Economics

10 hours ago Cops release CCTV image of man after Islamophobic hate crime on Glasgow train 

The British Transport Police released an image of the man after the incident last year.

Events

12 hours ago Trump moves inauguration indoors to chamber Jan 6 rioters ‘desecrated’ four years ago: Live updates

President-elect says he has ordered inauguration and speeches to take place in the Capitol Rotunda ‘as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985’

Politics

20 hours ago Ben Doak transfer stance made clear as bidding war for Liverpool's £30m man addressed by Middlesbrough boss

The Scotland international has been subject to interest from Premier League clubs

Economics

13 hours ago $10.24 a day to risk their lives – and a lot of pride: incarcerated LA firefighters speak out

People serving out their prison terms as firefighters form an integral part of the response to the devastating LA wildfiresEmbers were raining down, the flames were as tall as telephone poles and nearby palm trees were rapidly igniting as Sal Almanza and his firefighting crew arrived at the Los Angeles blazes.“I’ve never seen anything burn so quick,” said Almanza, 42, recounting the first day of the Eaton fire near Pasadena, California. “Our captains have to make the hard decisions: get yourselves killed or let the house burn.” His eyes welled up recounting the properties devoured as his crew had no choice but to retreat: “I was just so sad and emotional, because there was nothing we could do.” Continue reading...

Events

13 hours ago Trump’s inauguration to be moved indoors because of ‘bitterly cold’ weather

Forecasts for sub-zero temperatures prompts formalities to be moved inside the US Capitol for the first time in 40 years

Politics

24 hours ago Ticketless train passengers should get 'yellow card' for first offences, watchdog says after student was taken to court for underpaying by £1.90

Transport Focus urged all UK operators to introduce a so-called yellow card system. A record of passengers found not to have the correct ticket or railcard would be taken so it can be checked in future.

Economics

16 hours ago Are there 'grooming gangs' in London? Sadiq Khan accused of stonewalling Tory questions

Susan Hall asks mayor nine times whether there are ‘rape gangs’ in the capital

Events

13 hours ago Washington DC residents flee ahead of Trump inauguration: ‘I can’t be here’

Republicans and conservatives meanwhile are pouring in for celebrations with hotels being nearly 70% bookedAlejandra Whitney-Smith has plans for president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week: spend a week in a cabin without technology.“It [inauguration weekend] coincides with my birthday weekend, which I usually do spend in DC, but when the election happened, I told myself, ‘Oh, no, I can’t be here,’” said Whitney-Smith, whose mother was working at the Library of Congress during the January 6 attack on the US Capitol in 2021. “I just remember that feeling of fear for her and then also just concern for me being in the city. I just knew for me – I didn’t want to be around that sort of hostile negative energy.” Continue reading...

Politics

16 hours ago A year of bloodshed on streets of Lawless London: Map shows how many teenagers have been killed since start of 2024 amid knife crime epidemic gripping the capital

London has seen a total of 11 teenage homicides over the last 12 months, prompting one community leader to warn that stabbings ' can happen to a child anywhere'.

Events

15 hours ago Trump’s inauguration to be moved indoors due to ‘dangerously cold weather’: Live updates

President-elect says he has ordered inauguration and speeches to take place in the Capitol Rotunda ‘as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985’

Politics

16 hours ago Sinaloa Cartel turf war hits 'Los Chapitos' casino as huge fire fills sky with smoke

A man suffered severe burns during the fire at the Royal Yak casino in Culiacan, Mexico which saw the building completely engulfed with flames and plumes of dark smoke fill the sky

Events

15 hours ago Ryanair flight 'forced to abort landing after GPS jammed' close to Russian border

A Ryanair flight was diverted after its GPS jammed while it was heading towards the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius - an area in which Estonia and Finland have claimed Russia has placed jamming equipment

Politics

17 hours ago Simple to Train Dogs: Here are the 10 breeds of adorable dog that shouldn't need obedience school

These breeds of dog are known to be biddable and eager to please, making them perfect for inexperienced owners or busy families who don’t have endless time for training.

Events

16 hours ago Ryanair flight from Luton is forced to abort landing after airliner's GPS signal is 'jammed' near the Russian border

The flight, which left from London Luton Airport was bound for Lithuanian capital Vilnius and had begun its descent when the captain decided to divert to Warsaw, Poland 400 miles away.

Politics

17 hours ago International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor meets with Syrian leader in Damascus

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan has made an unannounced visit to Damascus, meeting with the leader of Syria’s de facto government

Events

17 hours ago London's newest exhibition venue set to open at Battersea Power Station within weeks

Exhibition space bills itself as first built entertainment and cultural exhibition space next to Battersea Power Station

Politics

17 hours ago Kilburn fire: Firefighters rush to huge blaze with people 'choking on smoke'

Reports posted on social media pinpointed the fire as being 'opposite Kilburn High Road Station', with photos showing the 'choking black smoke' that has now enveloped the area

Events

17 hours ago Life at the UK's most remote train station where hardly anyone gets on or off

The quaint two-carriage train departs from Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire and offers an awe-inspiring journey through the Welsh countryside - but barely anyone ever gets on or off at one of the stops

Politics

17 hours ago Watch live: Israelis gather in Hostage Square as security cabinet approves ceasefire deal

Watch live as Israelis gather in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv, on Friday, 17 January, as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war-time security cabinet approves a long-awaited ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Events

17 hours ago Woman who travelled 110 miles to 'UK's best petrol station' was amazed by 3 things

Morgan Bold took to TikTok to share her experience travelling across the country to what she claimed was 'the best' petrol station in the UK - and three things particularly made her giddy

Politics

17 hours ago Illegal Tesla Cybertruck is confiscated by police at UK petrol station

A Tesla cybertruck, pictured at a petrol station near Bury in Greater Manchester, has been seized by police with the car which is more than 18ft long illegal in the UK

Events

18 hours ago Syrian Christians want their identity and freedoms protected in any new constitution, envoy says

As Syria begins recovering from 50 years of autocratic rule by the Assad family, an international envoy says Christians and other religious groups expect their rights and freedoms to be preserved under a new constitutional settlement

Politics

18 hours ago ‘In Gaza, a press vest makes you a target’: the journalists who have paid a price for reporting on the war

Under the Geneva conventions, media workers are not legitimate military targets, yet at least 166 have been killed in the conflict with Israel. As a ceasefire deal takes shape, we tell the stories of three of those killed or injured in the last yearAfter 15 months of relentless bombardment, the war in Gaza has been the deadliest on record for journalists – with at least 166 Palestinian media workers killed according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).As the world waits for the Israeli cabinet to approve the first phase of a ceasefire due to start on Sunday, press freedom organisations are now demanding unfettered access into Gaza for foreign journalists – who have so far been barred by Israel – and calling for accountability for Israel’s alleged war crimes, urging justice to replace a culture of impunity. Continue reading...

Events

18 hours ago North Korea troops fighting for Putin ‘could all be dead or wounded by April’ as casualties mount

North Korean troops have suffered thousands of casualties in Russia’s Kursk region, according to Ukrainian estimates

Politics

18 hours ago Israel's security cabinet backs Gaza ceasefire deal which could see first hostages handed over and ceasefire begin on Sunday

Israel's security Cabinet has today recommended approval of a ceasefire deal that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza

Events

19 hours ago Drake’s lawsuit against Kendrick Lamar also puts artistic freedom on trial

Drake is understandably vexed about lyrics framing him as a ‘certified paedophile’ – but diss tracks are a deliberately lurid part of rapThere were people who thought Drake v Kendrick was the greatest hip-hop beef of all time, attracting a wider level of public interest and proceeding at a more dizzying velocity than any previous feud: the parties involved released 10 tracks in the space of six weeks, more if you count J Cole’s withdrawn 7 Minute Drill and producer Metro Boomin’s BBL Drizzy, released as a contest to see which member of the public could add the best insult of Drake to the instrumental beat.On the other hand, there were high-profile naysayers, among them rapper Macklemore, who complained that the feud was distracting attention from the war in Palestine; and Roots drummer, DJ and hip-hop historian Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson, who called it “wrestling match level mudslinging and takedown by any means necessary” for an “audience wanting blood [that] will soon put up RIP p...

Politics

18 hours ago After the ceasefire, Gazans face a different kind of war. But we’re still clinging to hope | Al

Thousands of Palestinians are homeless, their houses reduced to rubble. It could take decades to rebuild their livesAl-Meqdad Jamil Meqdad is a writer and researcher from Gaza working in humanitarian and community workThe ceasefire news came suddenly, with an agreement we had heard before, surrounded by bureaucracy, hope and death. People all around me in Gaza – on buses, on donkey carts, in cars, on the street and in the markets – are describing it as a “war after the war”.The ceasefire is not the end of suffering. It is the beginning of everything else. It is an opportunity for people in northern Gaza, Rafah and elsewhere to mourn their loved ones who were killed and their destroyed homes. It is an opportunity to cry for those who have held back their tears for more than 15 months. We were told we could return to our homes, but those homes now lie in rubble. Most of them were levelled to the ground; some were left standing but are uninhabitable.Al-Meqdad Jamil Meqdad is a writer a...

Events

22 hours ago Which London Underground and Overground stations are closed this weekend?

The Jubilee and Overground lines are set to be impacted

Politics

19 hours ago UK police seize Cyberpunk Tesla Cybertruck at Morrisons petrol station over 'concerns'

The Tesla Cybertruck is a beast of a vehicle, but it is also a danger to other road users. The vehicle was seized by police in Greater Manchester and the driver was reported

Events

22 hours ago Space X Starship explodes minutes after launch from Texas forcing airlines to alter course

Video captured by Reuters showed orange balls of light streaking across the sky over the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, leaving trails of smoke behind

Politics

19 hours ago ‘A ceasefire is just the start’ say British Palestinians with family in Gaza

The ceasefire deal would release dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza and pause the 15-month-war.

Events

24 hours ago Trump inauguration: 10 things to know – from when it starts to how to watch

Our guide on what to know about the moment Trump becomes 47th US president – from the oath of office to who is attendingDonald Trump, 45th and soon to be 47th president of the United States, will be inaugurated in Washington on Monday, on the same Capitol steps where he was first sworn into power eight years ago.In front of an expected huge crowd of supporters and protesters Trump will again take the oath of office, and complete an astonishing political comeback. Continue reading...

Politics

19 hours ago In Guatemala and Minnesota, holy feast brings migrant families hope and pride amid crackdown fears

Hundreds of Guatemalan faithful found the sounds and colors of their tropical homeland during the biggest-yet celebration of the Black Christ of Esquipulas in the heartland farming town of Worthington, Minnesota

Events

27 hours ago The Middle East, inflation and Trump’s return – what will Biden’s legacy be? – podcast

After 15 months of war, a ceasefire deal in Gaza has been reached. In his farewell address to the nation, Joe Biden tried to convince the US public that it was just one of many successes he’d had in the White House. But is that how his time in office will be remembered? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the author Franklin Foer about Biden’s legacyArchive: CBS, PBS Newshour, CBS Chicago, CNC, WPLG Local 10, BBC Continue reading...

Politics

20 hours ago Israel's security Cabinet meets to vote on a ceasefire to pause the war in Gaza and release hostages

Israel’s security Cabinet has convened to vote on a ceasefire deal after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed an agreement had been reached that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by militants there

Events

31 hours ago Chaos in Georgia state capitol as Republican lawmaker dragged from chamber during Brian Kemp address

In an update from the hospital, Moore said he took a ‘beating’ and his right hand was ‘swollen’ and ‘purple’

Politics

22 hours ago Giant horned dinosaur discovered in Egypt after fossils were destroyed in World War 2

Findings suggest dinosaurs were much more diverse in North Africa than previously thought

Events