10 h. ago Elton John breaks tradition and shows growing sons' faces for first time

Music legend Elton John has made a break with tradition by sharing the faces of the sons he calls his 'greatest achievement' with husband David Furnish in a New Year's Eve post

Politics

31 h. ago The Guardian view on mRNA vaccines: they are the future – with or without Donald Trump | Editorial

Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we examine how the White House’s war on vaccines has left the future of a key technology uncertain and up for grabsThe late scientist and thinker Donald Braben argued that 20th-century breakthroughs arose from scientists being free to pursue bold ideas without pressure for quick results or rigid peer review. The rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines seemed to validate his claim: emergency conditions sped up trials, relaxed regulatory sequencing and encouraged scientists to share findings before peer review. Out of that sprang one of the great scientific success stories of our age: mRNA vaccines. These use synthetic genetic code to train the immune system to defend itself against viruses. Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, whose work enabled the mRNA Covid vaccine, went on to win the Nobel prize. Their breakthrough suggests that loosening traditional constraints could...

Politics

41 h. ago Kirstie Allsopp addresses secret wedding to partner of 21 years after breaking tradition

Location Location Location star Kirstie Allsopp spoke out about her secret wedding to her long-term partner, as she approaches the first anniversary of their special day

Society

8 d. ago Prince Louis spotted breaking royal tradition at Sandringham Christmas Day service

The seven-year-old prince joined his family for the traditional Christmas Day walkabout at Sandringham in Norfolk, but appeared to quietly break a long-standing royal dress code

Politics

9 d. ago PDC World Darts Championships 2026: Christmas break, results, format, schedule, when is Luke Littler's next match?

The World Darts Championship has reached its traditional festive break but the players will be back in a few days - here’s what we have to look forward to.

Politics

1 week ago King breaks tradition again with Christmas message reflecting on emotional milestone

The King's Christmas message will this year come from the historic Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey, which has been the spiritual home of of the Royal Family for over 1,000 years

Politics

3 w. ago See you in March? Debate in New Zealand over extremely long summer break

The country’s long summer holiday has sparked a national conversation, with arguments about whether the break is affecting productivity, or a vital respiteIt sounds idyllic: weeks off work at the warmest time of the year, with relaxation mode kicking in before Christmas and little rush to return to the office until late February.But in New Zealand, there are concerns that the traditional long summer break could be hurting the country’s productivity. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago King Charles to issue 'historic' address to the nation today which 'breaks Royal tradition'

His message, recorded during the final week of November in Clarence House, will reflect on his health journey and highlight the importance of early cancer screening

Culture

3 w. ago Huge change to 2028 Open Championship for first time in 92 YEARS as world’s oldest golf tournament breaks tradition

FOR the first time in 92 years, the 2028 Open Championship is set to be held outside its traditional July slot. Organisers R&A confirmed the tournament, one of golf's four Majors, will conclude on August 6 to avoid a clash with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics to be held from July 19 to 29. The...

Sport

4 w. ago What I saw reporting on the American lives cut short by killer heat

In this week’s newsletter: Coroners can’t agree on how to count heat fatalities – and the dismantling of climate investments is leaving fragile communities exposed• Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereDonald Trump’s decision to boycott Cop30, withdraw the US from the Paris agreement and illegally terminate a slew of investments in renewable energy will not change the reality of climate breakdown for Americans.In what has become an annual reporting tradition, I found myself in Arizona reporting on heat-related deaths during yet another gruelling heatwave, when temperatures topped 43C (110F) on 13 out of 14 straight days in Phoenix. Before embarking on this trip, I spent weeks combing through hundreds of autopsy reports, which I obtained from two county medical examiners using the Freedom of Information Act. Each death report gave me a glimpse into the person’s life, and I used clues from the case notes to track down friends and loved ones in the hopes of bett...

Events

4 w. ago Princess Kate stuns as she breaks tradition with major change at glitzy state banquet

The Princess of Wales stunned royal watchers at last night’s banquet in Windsor with a jaw-dropping Jenny Packham gown, accompanied by a never-before-seen royal accessory

Politics