56 minutes ago A cold boiled egg pot may be a convenient shot of protein, but where’s the joy in that? | Lucy Dearlove

Somewhere between protein powders and chicken breasts in plastic containers, I fear the pursuit of wellness has become a thief of joyLast year, I needed to eat on the go between exercising and an evening class. Frequently, I would find myself striding up a hill in the dark eating cold boiled eggs from a plastic pot. The eggs had been cooked into submission, with a grey ring around the chalky yolk that plastered itself across my tongue and teeth. The whites were rubbery, and the bottom of the pot held a little pool of mysterious cloudy water that made me shudder.So why choose to eat the cursed eggs? I’m clearly not alone: Tesco recently revealed that boiled egg pots have ousted crisps from the top spot in its meal-deal league table (other retailers have reported equivalent growth in the snack’s popularity). It’s possible to read the “egg protein pot” as evidence of a joyless nation – a variation on the “joyless tubes”, the term the English writer Douglas Adams gave to sausages, bolst...

Politics

23 hours ago Liverpool: Diogo Jota doubtful for Brentford clash as Arne Slot reveals why Luis Diaz missed training

Mixed fortunes on the team news front as Reds look to go seven points clear of Arsenal in Premier League title battle

Society

2 hours ago $285 million Florida mansion becomes one of America's priciest home listings... but there is a giant catch

A remarkable new listing has landed on the market in Florida, which is among the most expensive in American history. 

Economics

2 hours ago It hasn't ended well for the four Liverpool players who made it clear they wanted to leave

Many superstars who once won the hearts of Liverpool supporters have left for pastures new in years gone by. For quite a few, however, it didn't quite go to plan

Sport

4 hours ago A train station was once the pride of Syria's capital. Some see it as a symbol of revival after war

A train station in Damascus was once the pride of the Syrian capital, an essential link between Europe and the Arabian Peninsula during the Ottoman Empire and then a national transit hub

Events

3 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

3 hours ago River Island shoppers 'need' £28 bag that's 'so similar' to £375 one by Coach

The 'expensive-looking' accessory is a must-have for denim lovers who fell in love with the style after it went viral

Economics

15 hours ago Manchester United have clear Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo transfer choice amid FFP threat

Man United face a dilemma over the futures of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo as they look to improve their PSR position

Sport

14 hours ago US Senate forwards bill targeting undocumented immigrants accused of theft

Critics call Democratic lawmakers ‘spineless’ for joining GOP in making bill potentially big legislative win for Donald TrumpThe US Senate on Friday cleared the way for final approval of a bill that targets undocumented immigrants accused of theft-related crimes, a preview of how Republicans will use their majorities to help Donald Trump deliver on his long-promised border crackdown – and an early test of how Democrats will respond.The Laken Riley Act, named after a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan national, cleared a key procedural hurdle by a vote of 61-35, with 10 Democrats joining Republicans to advance it. A vote on final passage was scheduled for early next week, making it potentially one of the first pieces of legislation he signs as president. Continue reading...

Events

6 hours ago Emma Raducanu exits Australian Open after defeat to ruthless Iga Swiatek

Brit outclassed in 6-1, 6-0 loss to second seedSwiatek eases into fourth round at Melbourne ParkOver the past few years of professional tennis, the sight of Iga Swiatek annihilating another poor, defenceless opponent has become as sure as the sun will rise. When Swiatek’s game is flowing and her mind is clear, the combined quality of her violent ball-striking, athleticism and unrelenting focus is so great that, at some point or another, she has rendered nearly all of the best players in the world spectators in their own match.On Saturday afternoon at Melbourne Park, it was Emma Raducanu’s turn to endure such an unpleasant experience. Raducanu cut a lonely, solemn figure on one of the biggest tennis stadiums in the world as she was completely helpless in the face of a supreme Swiatek, who ruthlessly opened up her bakery to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win. Continue reading...

Politics

21 hours ago Manchester United 'consider' Sporting CP transfer as Bayern Munich stance becomes clear

Ruben Amorim is once again being linked with another of his former Sporting CP players

Sport

19 hours ago My brother and father drowned on a bright summer day. Swimming brings me closer to the two men I’ve lost | Indigo Perry

When my grief was new and raw, I discovered that feeling it was preferable to the numbness that had set in since we’d buried themLast week, I swam in the sea, slowly wading in until the water reached my hips, and then diving under the softly rippling waves. Clear jellyfish gleamed from the sand. Turning over to float on my back, I let my limbs and hair drift around me, and I thought about the spectral presence-absence of my father and brother, who drowned on a very hot summer’s day more than 30 years ago.My memories of the time when they drowned veer up in summer, especially on certain hot days ending with thunderstorms. Anyone who’s spent a summer in Victoria knows the kind of day that marks the end of a heatwave. It starts off hot, everyone kicking off their bedcovers before it’s time to get up. The temperature hasn’t dropped below 30C all night and possibly all week. The sky is a hard blue at midday, and it seems nothing will break the heat, despite the weather bureau’s promises....

Events

15 hours ago Jon Rahm endures torrid tour return as LIV Golf star makes feelings clear

Jon Rahm got his 2025 campaign off to a disappointing start as the LIV Golf star missed the cut on his return to the DP World Tour at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Politics

6 hours ago Man Utd transfer news: Gyokeres stance emerges amid possible Rashford swap deal

Manchester United have a long-term interest in Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres and the Red Devils have now confirmed where they sit on a deal as Marcus Rashford’s future becomes clearer

Economics

20 hours ago Women’s claims of sexual abuse must be heard – unless they’re about master storyteller Neil Gaiman, apparently | Marina Hyde

It’s easy to process allegations against textbook scumbags like Harvey Weinstein. When it is beloved authors and ‘allies’, less soDraw near, allies, for these are dark days for “kink-shaming”. At best, this is one of the whiniest, most pathetic and least helpful phrases to have entered the parlance of modern times – and at worst, it’s just another guy’s excuse for sexual abuse. It’s confusing. You try to be modern and post-conventional, and you end up enabling the most old-fashioned and conventional nastinesses of all.Still, thank heavens for the parade of embattled famous men fighting kink-shaming’s corner. I have just one thing to say to all the lady authors, lady pop stars and lady actors out there. And that is: if you haven’t had an eye-wateringly expensive lawyer draft a statement about how consensual your sex with a tormented junior was, then are you really properly creative at all?Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? ...

Events

16 hours ago Trump inauguration to move indoors amid frigid temperatures in Washington – live

President-elect says festivities scheduled for his inauguration day will be held indoors – including the traditional paradeDonald Trump told CNN that he will decide what to do with TikTok once he takes office, after the supreme court upheld legislation that will ban it on Sunday unless its Chinese owner sells its US operations.“It ultimately goes up to me, so you’re going to see what I’m going to do,” Trump said in an interview with the network. Asked if he would try to reverse the ban, should it go into effect, Trump said: “Congress has given me the decision, so I’ll be making the decision.”It is not clear that the Act itself directly regulates protected expressive activity, or conduct with an expressive component. Indeed, the Act does not regulate the creator petitioners at all Petitioners, for their part, have not identified any case in which this Court has treated a regulation of corporate control as a direct regulation of expressive activity or semi-expressive conduct We hesita...

Politics

19 hours ago Manchester United set clear Viktor Gyokeres timeline as £83m transfer 'approved'

Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres is one of the in-demand forwards in European football after a sensational stint in Lisbon

Economics

22 hours ago Police officer, 51, cleared of rape after pressing businesswoman into sex and telling her 'it feels too good I can't stop now' is found to have committed gross misconduct by disciplinary panel

PC David Longden-Thurgood, 51, had 'non-consensual sex' with the business owner after meeting her on dating app Bumble , a misconduct panel ruled.

Events

17 hours ago TikTok ban live updates: Trump says he’ll make app decision when in office after supreme court ruling

US supreme court cites TikTok’s relationship with ‘foreign adversary’ China in upholding sale-or-ban lawUS supreme court issues ruling upholding nationwide ban on TikTokCan Donald Trump circumvent a TikTok ban?Donald Trump told CNN that he will decide what to do with TikTok once he takes office, after the supreme court upheld legislation that will ban it on Sunday unless its Chinese owner sells its US operations.“It ultimately goes up to me, so you’re going to see what I’m going to do,” Trump said in an interview with the network. Asked if he would try to reverse the ban, should it go into effect, Trump said: “Congress has given me the decision, so I’ll be making the decision.”It is not clear that the Act itself directly regulates protected expressive activity, or conduct with an expressive component. Indeed, the Act does not regulate the creator petitioners at all Petitioners, for their part, have not identified any case in which this Court has treated a regulation of corporate con...

Politics

19 hours ago Alejandro Garnacho stars align as Liverpool deal dies and Spurs kiss goodbye to £77m man

Manchester United rejected an opening bid for Alejandro Garnacho, but Napoli's sale of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the impact on Liverpool and Tottenham's transfer hopes has cleared the way

Economics

19 hours ago I live too far away from my boyfriend and our relationship is suffering | Ask Annalisa Barbieri

Periods of physical separation are common in most relationships and it takes effort – but you can have the best of both worlds• Every week Annalisa Barbieri addresses a problem sent in by a readerMy boyfriend and I are both in our early twenties and have been together for almost a year. In the past two months we have committed to a long-distance relationship.When we are together everything is perfect; I truly feel like we have something special. However, we both struggle with communicating over text/calls and this can cause our relationship to stagnate. We are only able to meet every month or so as we live in different cities and both lead very busy lives. This situation is causing me tremendous anxiety – so much so that it could irrevocably affect our relationship – especially as there is no clear date as to when we’ll be able to live in the same area again. Continue reading...

Politics

20 hours ago Dunelm dressing gowns slashed to £1.33 for one day only in deal that rivals £1 Oodie sale

"Absolutely wonderful dressing gown. It's soft and fluffy and toasty warm. Great to cuddle up in on a cold winter's night"

Economics

21 hours ago Pep Guardiola breaks silence on Erling Haaland contract with clear message

Pep Guardiola has given his immediate reaction to the news that Erling Haaland will remain at Manchester City until 2034 having signed a huge new contract.

Politics

21 hours ago Dunelm shoppers praise heating gadget reduced to £1.32 for one day only that's 'like a warm cuddle'

"It’s like having a warm cuddle just for your feet. So relaxing."

Economics

21 hours ago 15 best laptop bags and backpacks to keep your tech safe whilst looking stylish

From handbags to backpacks and more, these will keep your laptop secure when you’re on the go

Politics

21 hours ago 'Lovely' M&S £10 perfume that's 'very similar' to popular £107 designer version

The sweet pistachio-scented perfume is perfect for spring - and it's a fraction of the price of a much more expensive favourite

Economics

21 hours ago Arsenal sent clear Benjamin Sesko message by RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose after agent speaks out

Striker no longer has a £55m release clause in his contract

Politics

21 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

21 hours ago ‘There’s a majesty to grief’: TS Eliot poetry prize winner Peter Gizzi

The American writer won the prestigious prize for Fierce Elegy, a collection informed by the deaths of his family members. He explains why poetry is like friendship – and why he loves small wordsWinning the TS Eliot prize came as a shock to American poet Peter Gizzi. “I had zero expectations”, he says. “All I know is I was overwhelmed.” In fact, the 65-year-old says he almost cried when his name was read out for his collection Fierce Elegy.When we talk the next day – Gizzi is speaking over Zoom from Valencia, where he flew to see family after attending the ceremony in London on Monday night – he is clearly still emotional. The prestigious poetry award holds particular significance for him, having long felt an affinity with TS Eliot. In fact, Gizzi and his friend, the poet and scholar JH Prynne, even went on a pilgrimage to the village that features in the final poem in Eliot’s Four Quartets. Continue reading...

Politics

22 hours ago Home Bargains restocks 'gorgeous' £8 lamp shoppers say 'looks expensive'

The Home Bargains lamp has been praised by shoppers for its design, with some comparing it to a more expensive luxury alternative but costing just a fraction of the price

Economics

22 hours ago ‘The brief was practical but playful’: an adventurous redesign of a tiny top floor flat

This pint-sized Brighton Regency renovation is full of fun, colour and stylish space-saving hacks‘Us, 15 years ago, pre-kids, is how we imagined the perfect inhabitants for this space,” says interior designer Edwina Boase. She and her interior architect husband, Marc Boase, bought the tiny, top-floor rental flat, in one of Brighton’s graceful Regency buildings, specifically to have a bit of fun with it.With sole access to the loft, the couple embarked on an adventurous redesign, boosting the unloved and long-neglected flat’s footprint from 40 to 55 square metres, and turning it into a two-bedroom maisonette, now bursting with colour, pattern and small-space design hacks aplenty. Continue reading...

Politics

24 hours ago Home Bargains' £8 lamp that shoppers say 'looks expensive' is finally back in stock

Shoppers have been left impressed by a "beautiful" lamp that has been restocked multiple times - and it's available in two stunning colours

Economics

23 hours ago Gardener's 'simple and stylish' planting trick to keep out nosy neighbours

There's nothing worse than nosy neighbours peeping into your garden, especially if you live in a terraced or semi-detached house - but a gardening expert has shared how to keep them at bay

Politics

26 hours ago I found a £35 garden storage box that 'hides any clutter' cheaper than B&Q and The Range

Perfect for getting your garden in shape ahead of spring, the storage boxes are cheaper than similar offerings from Amazon, B&Q and The Range

Economics

23 hours ago Erling Haaland contract is Man City's clearest hint yet over 115 charges verdict

Huge contract for the Norwegian striker follows Pep Guardiola's new commitment to a club to suggest any Premier League punishment might not be as severe as some people think

Politics

28 hours ago Food and 9 other things likely to be more expensive this year despite inflation fall

10 common items and services are likely to continue rising in price over the new few months

Economics

24 hours ago Darts star rages ‘what is the point’ after PDC tournament rule change is confirmed

The Professional Darts Corporation announced a change to the European Tour rules which wasn't well received by Ryan Searle, who made his feelings perfectly clear on social media

Politics

24 hours ago Patrick Reed makes stance clear on making PGA Tour return after LIV Golf punishments

Patrick Reed has not competed on the PGA Tour since joining LIV Golf in 2022, but the American is keen to play golf across all of the major circuits after making his DP World Tour return

Politics

26 hours ago Arsene Wenger's thoughts on Karim Benzema joining Arsenal after Rio Ferdinand demand

Arsenal have been urged to sign Karim Benzema as Mikel Arteta bids to solve the Gunners' striker issue in the January transfer window, with Arsene Wenger having made his feelings clear

Politics

27 hours ago An interesting speech full of hard truths? Kemi Badenoch is clearly rattled | Gaby Hinsliff

The Tory leader gave an address that was full of candour about her party’s failures. You can sense Nigel Farage’s delightWell, finally. Only eight years on from kneecapping the economy and crowing “you lost, get over it” at anyone impertinent enough to notice, a Conservative party leader has tacitly admitted the painfully obvious: Brexit was an act of wilful negligence by a government that dragged Britain out of its most important trading relationship “before we had a plan for growth outside the EU”. There wasn’t a considered Plan B, just a government frantically trying to catch itself up as it went along. And that’s only the start of it, Kemi Badenoch argued this week, in the first interesting thing the Conservative party has had to say to the nation since its bone-crushing defeat.Successive Conservative governments dating back to David Cameron’s had promised to get immigration down but hadn’t thought through how to do that either, she pointed out, and consequently achieved the opp...

Politics

28 hours ago Severance season two review – this weird, wild show is impossibly mesmerising

Adam Scott’s workplace thriller is back – and somehow even more clever, trippy and heartbreaking than before. A total TV triumphIt has been a three-year wait for fans, but the creators of Severance clearly haven’t wasted a minute of it. The first series was fantastically stylish, clever, trippy and compelling. The second is even more so. It demands all your concentration and takes you down rabbit holes so deep and twisted that you may meet yourself coming back. One half of your brain tries to keep up with developments while the other half is trying to digest what it all means. You are effectively severed yourself.When we left our four heroes, Dylan (Zach Cherry) had broken into the security room and tripped the switch that awoke his three friends’s Innies in the Outie world, in the hope of shining a light on Lumon’s cruelties towards employees and its ultimately-unknown-but-surely-not-morally-sound purpose. Mark (Adam Scott) discovered that his supposedly dead wife, Gemma (Dichen La...

Politics