74 minutes ago Tom Hanks said he was in 'better shape' now than his 30s weeks before SNL appearance sparked health concerns

The 68-year-old Oscar winner sparked concern among fans when they noticed his hands appearing to shake during a skit

Politics

99 minutes ago The state of flu in Wales right now as cases rise but health bosses warn it'll get worse

Flu cases are rising but the worst is yet to come, according to Public Health Wales. These are all the latest figures on flu, Covid-19 and RSV

Events

1 hour ago The big idea: why we should revive the spirit of Christmas movies past

From Double Indemnity to Women in Love, the accidental viewing of masterpieces was one of the joys of the seasonLast month, I found myself with a few hours to spare on a rainy Saturday night in Antwerp, and only three movie options in the immediate vicinity: Gladiator II, which I had no desire to see; the partly Irish-language rap comedy Kneecap, which I did want to see, but it was subtitled in Dutch; and the 1988 anime Akira, in Japanese with English subtitles, which I had somehow missed all these years. This is my favourite sort of choice: Hobson’s choice, that is. Akira it was.The experience made me think of Max Cherry, the bail bondsman played by Robert Forster in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. Asked what he is going to see at the multiplex that afternoon, he replies: “Something that starts soon and looks good.” For anyone who grew up on films prior to the streaming era, Max’s philosophy, and my Antwerp evening, may recall the days of watching movies on terrestrial television...

Politics

1 hour ago All of Us Strangers and 45 Years both won the Guardian’s film of the year. That’s not all that unites them

Perfectly preserved corpses return to trouble – and liberate – the living in Andrew Haigh’s masterly dramasAll of Us Strangers may have missed out on awards earlier in the year (no Bafta wins, no Oscar nominations) but it has won the prize that matters: the Guardian’s best film of 2024. It is the second time that director Andrew Haigh has received this accolade – 45 Years, his searing study of a marriage plunged into crisis, was the Guardian’s choice as best film for 2015.On the face of it, the two films are sharply contrasting expressions of Haigh’s craft. 45 Years is resolutely realist in its portrait of a retired couple living in Norfolk, investing its middle-class milieu with an understated arthouse aesthetic. All of Us Strangers, meanwhile, returns to the gay themes that marked Haigh’s breakthrough Weekend, but in a shift from his past work operates in an unstable, dreamlike atmosphere that ultimately calls into question whether anything we are watching is supposed to be real. ...

Politics

2 hours ago Jacques Villeneuve announces Sky Sports F1 plan for 2025 season after Damon Hill exit

Jacques Villeneuve was a popular guest pundit on Sky Sports F1 at a couple of races this season and the former F1 champion tells Mirror Sport he'd love to come back next year

Politics

2 hours ago Aldi issues urgent message to shoppers visiting supermarket stores this week

The supermarket chain has issued a reminder to shoppers that it will be changing its opening hours over the festive period, so they will need to make a plan for when they come and do their shopping

Economics

2 hours ago ‘Let’s all go to Gullah Gullah Island!’: the groundbreaking TV show that affirmed Black kids

The Nick Jr series encouraged cultural preservation of the Gullah Geechee, descendants of formerly enslaved people in South CarolinaThirty years ago, Ron and Natalie Daise and their children, Sara and Simeon, beckoned TV viewers: “Come and let’s play together in the bright sunny weather. Let’s all go to Gullah Gullah Island!”The theme song marked the beginning of every episode of Gullah Gullah Island, a musical children’s television show, based upon an idealized version of the Daise family, that ran on Nick Jr for five seasons from 1994 to 2000. As the family sang in the introduction scene, images of curious hogs, frolicking children, Binyah Binyah – a large, yellow anthropomorphic polliwog who served as the family’s playful companion – and other characters danced across the screen. Continue reading...

Culture

2 hours ago BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Chris McCausland lands major new Channel 4 role

Winner of Strictly Come Dancing Chris McCausland is returning to our screens at Christmas to deliver an important message

Politics

2 hours ago Middle East crisis live: 20 killed in Gaza overnight with strike on ‘humanitarian zone’ among deadly attacks

Palestinian medics say strikes included one which hit a tent camp in al-MawasiLebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, has begun a tour of military positions in the country’s south, almost a month after a ceasefire deal that ended Israel’s assault on the country.The truce came into effect on 27 November and prohibits Israel from conducting offensive military operations in Lebanon, while requiring Lebanon to prevent armed groups including Hezbollah from launching attacks on Israel. It gives Israeli troops 60 days to withdraw from south Lebanon. Mikati’s tour comes after the Lebanese government expressed its frustration over ongoing Israeli strikes and overflights in the country. “We have many tasks ahead of us, the most important being the enemy’s (Israel’s) withdrawal from all the lands it encroached on during its recent aggression,” he said after meeting with army chief Joseph Aoun in a Lebanese military barracks in the southeastern town of Marjayoun. “Then the army can ca...

Events

2 hours ago Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special: James Corden's dad's sweet message to Radio 2 makes Smithy star emotional

While live on air during the Gavin & Stacey takeover, the actor and comedian paid tribute to care workers who would be working on Christmas Day

Politics