54 m. ago Australia have been blessed by England’s disarray but can still put their stamp on Ashes triumph

Victory in the fifth Test would help hosts send off Usman Khawaja in style in Sydney and ensure England cannot recast series as one that got awayIf you had told Australian observers six months ago that their Test team in Sydney would involve Travis Head opening the batting with Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja at five, no Cameron Green, and some bowling combination of Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Todd Murphy and Brendan Doggett, they would have assumed disaster. Fifth Ashes Tests are the land of Scott Borthwick, of Boyd Rankin and Mason Crane: fringe players getting a glimpse at the wreckage after a series has crashed and burned.Khawaja was one such, in the debut reflected upon so much this week after his retirement announcement: the game when he replaced an injured Ricky Ponting after two Australian defeats by an innings, only to play in a third. Continue reading...

Politics

54 m. ago Kickstart your fitness journey in 2026 with the best fitness tech

A new year means time for a new start and there's plenty that tech can do to help

Politics

59 m. ago World's tallest skyscraper would reach 2.5 miles into sky and house 1million people

The world's tallest skyscraper would be five times bigger than the unparalleled Burj Khalifa in Dubai if the 'dream' proposal created in 1995 ever becomes a reality

Events

89 m. ago Bank holiday dates 2026 confirmed for UK but branded 'ludicrous'

Dates for people living in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have all been published with between eight and 10 days off depending where you live

Economics

2 h. ago You can get to world's hottest city where fish boil in the sea for £78 this month

The city is, by some counts, the hottest in the world. However, in January, the coldest time of the year, the thermometer rarely rises much higher than 20 °C, while staying in the balmy mid-teens

Economics

2 h. ago Saudi invites Yemen’s southern factions to ‘dialogue’ in Riyadh after surprise independence bid

Southern Transitional Council wants to form a breakaway state, which would split the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest state in twoSaudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has called for Yemen’s southern factions to attend a “dialogue” in Riyadh, after a surprise independence bid and the United Arab Emirates declaring it had withdrawn all troops from Yemen.In a statement on Saturday, the Saudi ministry urged “a comprehensive conference in Riyadh to bring together all southern factions to discuss just solutions to the southern cause”. Riyadh said the Yemeni government had issued the invitation for talks. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Rachel Uchitel dons $1million worth of diamonds as she ties the knot for third time in lavish Palm Beach wedding

We're only a couple of days into 2026, but Rachel Uchitel may have already thrown the celebrity wedding of the year.

Society

3 h. ago RICHARD KAY: The blueprint for Charles's annus mirabilis that could see a new home for Andrew and a big decision on Harry and Meghan

RICHARD KAY:There were times in the last tumultuous 12 months when the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor drama threatened to obliterate all the good works of the Royal Family

Politics

4 h. ago California ban on openly carrying guns is unconstitutional, court rules

Ninth circuit sides with gun owner that ban in counties with more than 200,000 people violates second amendmentA US appeals court on Friday ruled that California’s ban on openly carrying firearms in most parts of the state was unconstitutional.A panel of the San Francisco-based ninth US circuit court of appeals sided 2-1 with a gun owner in ruling that the state’s prohibition against open carry in counties with more than 200,000 people violated the US constitution’s second amendment right to keep and bear arms. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago QUENTIN LETTS: British voters are fed up with mass immigration, 'two tier' policing and welfarism. They're moving to the Right in droves... so when will selfish Labour MPs wake up?

Early alarm calls at this time of year are brutal. Christmasis over, a new year has begun - and the mornings are black.

Politics

4 h. ago Second person dies at sea as major search off UK coast continues

A second body has been recovered from the sea off the UK coast as a major search continues as the Coastguard and police attempt to locate one more missing person

Events

4 h. ago I visited the tiny Cornish fishing village from famous TV show – with treasure hunting and no crowds

WITH its tiny, twisty streets that lead to the harbour, there’s something magical about the small Cornish fishing village that is the setting for ITV’s Doc Martin.   The TV series, set in stunning Port Isaac, aired its final episode in 2022 but its legacy lives on.   Daily tours take in some of the most famous landmarks and...

Culture

4 h. ago Second death confirmed in Withernsea tragedy as search continues

A second body has been pulled from the water after people got in trouble in the sea off the East Yorkshire Coast as emergency services continue to look for one missing person

Events

4 h. ago PDC World Championship: Gian van Veen sets up final with Luke Littler

World No 1 Littler swats aside Ryan Searle 6-1 in semiVan Veen wins classic against Gary Anderson 6-3It’s barely a couple of years since a 16-year-old Luke Littler and a 21-year-old Gian van Veen came through a 96-player field at Milton Keynes to qualify for the final of the world youth championship. There’s a charming photo of the pair of them with their arms around each other, silly little smiles plastered on to their silly little faces, the cutest high-street haircuts you’ve ever seen. Two kids at the very start of an unforgettable journey.Did either of them foresee, in those sepia-tinted days of August 2023, that the journey would convey them this far, this fast? I reckon Littler did. There’s never been much room for doubt and scepticism in there. His whole world has been stepping up, throwing a dart and watching it go exactly where he wants it to. Four months later, he would go to Alexandra Palace and change the sport for ever. Continue reading...

Sport

4 h. ago Gian van Veen denies Gary Anderson in epic to set up final against Luke Littler

Van Veen wins classic against Gary Anderson 6-3World No 1 Littler swats aside Ryan Searle 6-1It’s barely a couple of years since a 16-year-old Luke Littler and a 21-year-old Gian van Veen came through a 96-player field at Milton Keynes to qualify for the final of the world youth championship. There’s a charming photo of the pair of them with their arms around each other, silly little smiles plastered on to their silly little faces, the cutest high-street haircuts you’ve ever seen. Two kids at the very start of an unforgettable journey.Did either of them foresee, in those sepia-tinted days of August 2023, that the journey would convey them this far, this fast? I reckon Littler did. There’s never been much room for doubt and scepticism in there. His whole world has been stepping up, throwing a dart and watching it go exactly where he wants it to. Four months later, he would go to Alexandra Palace and change the sport for ever. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Bitterly cold start to year to continue as heavy snow falls in some areas

Amber snow warnings for northern Scotland and Shetland remain in place until Saturday.

Politics

4 h. ago Campaign for murdered soldiers will continue until answers found, says relative

Brothers John and Joseph McCaig from Ayr and Dougald McCaughey from Glasgow were shot dead by the IRA in Belfast in 1971.

Events

4 h. ago Never a more important time to be a unionist or conservative, says Findlay

The Scottish Conservative leader attacked Reform UK’s unionist credentials.

Politics

4 h. ago Horoscope today, January 3, 2025: Daily star sign guide from Mystic Meg

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in March 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes. Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. ♈ ARIES March 21 to April 20 The full moon tells you that stability starts with you. A time of...

Politics

5 h. ago I make up to £10k a month including while I sleep – how YOU can earn thousands without lifting a finger in 2026 too

WOULD you like to make money while you sleep?   Steph Ward is one of ­thousands of people not lifting a finger while cash drops into the bank overnight.   The 34-year-old, from Market Rasen, Lincs, runs a coaching business and sells online courses — putting her in the ranks of those with “passive income”.  Here, Mel...

Economics