29 h. ago Piers Morgan risks wrath of Donald Trump as he tells England to BOYCOTT World Cup

England are in the middle of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup but the Three Lions have been told to consider their spot at the tournament in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s tariff threats

Politics

5 d. ago Huge pop star secretly training as acrobat to wow fans on next tour as she teases return to music

WITH two Brit Awards, six Top Ten hits and a decade-long career under her belt, Becky Hill has more than proved herself as a singer. But she is preparing to return to music in 2026 with a new skill under her belt — as something of an acrobat. Bizarre’s Howell met Becky at the launch...

Society

8 d. ago German church’s televised ‘slime Jesus’ infuriates the faithful

Christmas Eve live broadcast showed holy child portrayed by female performance artist writhing in sticky rice paperA Roman Catholic diocese in Germany has expressed regret over a televised Christmas Eve mass featuring a portrayal of the newborn Christ by an adult woman covered in sticky rice paper that was described by some critics as “Slime Jesus”.The broadcast on ARD television from St Mary’s in Stuttgart showed a manger in which a female performance actor was huddled up in a foetal position and covered with sticky rice paper. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago German church’s televised ‘slime Jesus’ provokes fury on right

Christmas Eve live broadcast showed holy child portrayed by female performance artist writhing in sticky rice paperA Roman Catholic diocese in Germany has expressed regret over a televised Christmas Eve mass featuring a portrayal of the newborn Christ by an adult woman covered in sticky rice paper that was described by some critics as “slime Jesus”.The broadcast on ARD television from St Mary’s in Stuttgart showed a manger in which a female performance actor was huddled up in a foetal position and covered with sticky rice paper. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Milan’s Catholic archdiocese brings Olympic values into parish life

As Milan prepares to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, the city’s Catholic archdiocese launched a multi-year program that uses sport to promote values such as inclusion and solidarity among children and adolescents

Sport

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: UK earmarks £200m to prepare for possible Ukraine deployment

British defence minister says money will be spent on vehicle upgrades, communication systems and counter-drone protection, ensuring troops are ready to deploy. What we know on day 1,417Britain said it was allocating £200m (US$270m) to fund preparations for the possible deployment of troops to Ukraine, after pledging its soldiers this week to a multinational force for the country in the event of a ceasefire. Visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday, British defence minister John Healey said the money would be spent on upgrading vehicles and communication systems and counter-drone protection, as well as ensuring troops are ready to deploy. The announcement follows Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday agreeing to a declaration of intent at a summit of the “coalition of the willing” of Ukraine’s allies, outlining a potential future deployment. Healey said the funding announcement showed the government was “surging investment” into preparations for Ukrain...

Economics

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: UK earmarks £200m to prepare for possible Ukraine troop deployment

British defence minister says money will be spent on vehicle upgrades, communication systems and counter-drone protection, ensuring troops are ready to deploy. What we know on day 1,417 Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago After Trump’s attack, we Venezuelans need to know what comes next – authoritarianism or democracy | Jesús Piñero

There is palpable tension: not because anyone trusts the president and the US, but because now there is opportunity for changeJesús Piñero is a historian at the Central University of VenezuelaIn 1936, Venezuelans learned for the first time what it meant to transition towards democracy. While this was not the only period of transition the country would experience (since the process that began in 1958 consolidated a more open and enduring political regime), the transition of 1936 was longer and more complex, resembling the one Venezuelans are now experiencing after the capture of Nicolás Maduro on 3 January 2026.Coromoto Escalona, a 35-year-old woman, was preparing her baby’s feeding bottle when she heard some strange noises in the house. It was two o’clock in the morning. She wondered whether the fridge had broken down, since it sometimes made strange noises when it was damaged. Her eldest daughter, who was scrolling on WhatsApp, shouted from her room: “Mum, they’re bombing us.” The ...

Politics

1 week ago Wildcard next Man United manager candidate could be perfect to succeed Ruben Amorim

Manchester United look set for a busy 2026 as they prepare for life after Ruben Amorim and one wildcard option could be perfect for the club

Politics

2 w. ago Why Liam Rosenior’s time at Strasbourg was ideal preparation for Chelsea

The 41-year-old is at home with young players and, crucially, he is familiar with the demands of Chelsea’s ownersBy Get French Football NewsLiam Rosenior looks up at the towering Strasbourg Kop. He shouts and pleads as he points to his players, demanding the fans applaud them. Met with hostility, boos and jeers in the stands, he cuts a lone figure, one at pains to sow unity at a divided club. Strasbourg had just won the game, beating Le Havre 1-0 earlier this season, but the club’s fans were in no mood to celebrate.Behind an image are a thousand words, or three banners in this case. One called for the club president Marc Keller to leave Strasbourg; another criticised the bizarre Ishé Samuels-Smith back-and-forth transfer; and the one to which Rosenior took particular exception concerned his captain, Emmanuel Emegha. It read: “Emegha, pawn of BlueCo, after changing shirts, hand back your armband.” Emegha had agreed a deal to join Chelsea a few days earlier, once again confirming to S...

Economics

2 w. ago Rightmove records busiest ever Boxing Day as home hunters prepare for 2026 moves

New buyer and seller activity on Boxing Day in 2025 was busiest in the South East, East of England and London, the website said.

Politics

2 w. ago All the new cruise ships sailing in 2026 from Disney Cruise Line to Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line and MSC Cruises are some of the cruise lines preparing to welcome new additions to their fleets for 2026

Politics

2 w. ago Britain’s fragile frontrunners Draper and Raducanu try again to break injury cycles | Tumaini Carayol

Duo begin 2026 again troubled by physical problems and hoping this will finally be the year things changeFrom the moment news of Great Britain’s planned team for the United Cup was announced in October, jokes began to fly. On paper, it was a dream. Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu, the top tennis players in the country and figureheads of a new generation, finally united on the same side of the court.However, recent history has shown that things are never straightforward with Britain’s two greatest hopes. Both players have had to navigate injuries and physical problems in their young careers, so to some fans and onlookers the real question was which player would withdraw first. Draper won that race, but on the first day of the 2026 season neither player was physically prepared to take to the court. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago ‘I’d never heard anything like it’: the prepared piano revelations of jazz star Jessica Williams

Dave Brubeck called her a great and Mary Lou Williams gave her advice. But the prodigy grew frustrated with jazz, quit and started dismantling her instrument. A superb new reissue showcases her findingsFlipping through the jazz section on a visit to his local record store a few years ago, artist Kye Potter found a battered tape by American pianist and composer Jessica Williams. It looked every bit the quintessential DIY release. “The labels had come off the tape,” he says. “It was home-dubbed, with photocopied notes, a little bit of highlighter to accentuate the artwork, and released on her own label, Ear Art.”As a collector and occasional producer particularly interested in the American musical avant garde after John Cage, Potter was intrigued by a tape called Prepared Piano. Yet it seemed unusual from Williams, who was best known for making sparkling jazz in the straight-ahead tradition of Thelonious Monk and Errol Garner. If the west coast jazz circuit knew her as a musical exper...

Politics

2 w. ago Pixel Artworks Transforms London Eye For New Year’s Eve With Hologauze Illusions

Pixel Artworks Transforms London Eye For New Year’s Eve With Hologauze Illusions  Live Design Online

Politics

2 w. ago Savvy savers prepared to shop around can easily beat inflation during 2026

“Sluggish savers are going to work harder to stay ahead of inflation in 2026” – Mark Hicks, Hargreaves Lansdown

Economics

2 w. ago ‘The perfect storm’: Trump has left the US less prepared for natural disasters, experts say

Emergency managers say the US president has presided over a dangerous erosion in US capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disastersDonald Trump has presided over a dangerous erosion in US capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, according to emergency management experts.The first year of his second term was marked by crackdowns on climate science that produced world-class weather forecasts and the gutting of frontline federal agencies - policies that have left the country, already struggling to keep pace with severe storms, even more at risk. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago World ‘may not have time’ to prepare for AI safety risks, says leading researcher

AI safety expert David Dalrymple said rapid advances could outpace efforts to control powerful systemsThe world “may not have time” to prepare for the safety risks posed by cutting-edge AI systems, according to a leading figure at the UK government’s scientific research agency.David Dalrymple, a programme director and AI safety expert at the Aria agency, told the Guardian people should be concerned about the growing capability of the technology. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Strictly's Dianne Buswell shares baby boy shower photos with Joe Sugg

Strictly Come Dancing professional Dianne Buswell has shared heart-warming photos from her baby boy shower in Australia, as she and partner Joe Sugg prepare to welcome their first child in 2026

Culture

2 w. ago Moment CNN anchors say Meghan's jam is 'something to say goodbye to' in the New Year on US television

Viewers were split over whether the mention of Meghan's jam by Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen on their 'New Year's Eve Live' show in Times Square was high-praise or a huge burn.

Politics