80 m. ago Beast Games season two review – this mindless, vibeless reality show is like Squid Game meets Love Island

Is this big-money challenge cruel? Yes. But it’s mainly just tedious to watch these immature players and their teenage machinations as they battle for cashThe first season of Beast Games – the big-money reality challenge masterminded and hosted by internet personality Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast – prompted a lawsuit. Five anonymous contestants sued both the production companies behind the series and Donaldson himself, claiming that they had been kept “underfed and overtired”, and alleging an unsafe environment on the set of the Gladiators-ish, Squid Game-esque series (claims, of course, firmly denied by all parties). While the participants claimed they had been “shamelessly exploited” in the name of entertainment, this did little to impede the success of Beast Games, which went on to become Amazon’s most-watched unscripted series ever, garnering 50 million viewers in the month after its release.You may well come to Beast Games with a sense that this is a slightly murky,...

Politics

80 m. ago Rosalía’s Lux is more than epic Catholic pop – it grapples with a world fraught with complexity and crisis | Carlos Delclós

Behind its lavish ‘nun-core’ aesthetic, the Spanish star’s hit album pushes us to think beyond good and evil – to see that we contain multitudesI went into Lux primed not to like it. Not because I doubt Rosalía’s virtuosic talents or her intense intellectual curiosity, but because the album’s promotional campaign had already done too much work on my nerves. The rollout was relentless: thirsty reels teasing the album on social media, fashion-forward mysticism, even bringing Madrid’s city centre to a halt – everything about it felt designed to send the message that this is less a set of songs than a global event demanding reverence.Over the past decade, Rosalía has become Spain’s biggest pop export, and Lux appears to inaugurate her imperial phase. The album debuted at No 1 in five countries, was voted the Guardian’s album of the year, broke streaming records on Spotify, and reached No 4 in the US and UK charts, where non-anglophone pop rarely thrives. Multilingual and stylistically e...

Events

83 m. ago Aliens could be chatting with each other in plain sight using light flashes like fireflies, scientists say

Alien signals may not have inherent meaning, but just meant to stand out against cosmic background

Events

1 hour ago See what Miles Teller, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody's homes look like one year after apocalyptic Palisades fire reduced mansions to rubble

On the one-year anniversary of the disaster, little visible progress has been made at either property, as the oceanside community of Pacific Palisades remains flattened.

Events

1 hour ago Gordon McQueen 'attributed dementia to heading ball' so let's change law in his name

Record View says it is too late for heroes like Gordon McQueen but justice can still be done for others affected.

Politics

2 h. ago 'I visited the charming town packed with independent shops named best in Wales'

I was left amazed by the characteristics of this small but charming Welsh town that has become a celebrated culinary hub, along with a thriving high street and a nearby vineyard

Politics

4 h. ago Pictured: Boy, five, who died after being struck by electric vehicle that 'accelerated on its own accord'

Fareed Amir was left with fatal head injuries when Ashenafei Demisse's parked Volkswagen ID.4 suddenly accelerated into him outside a block of flats near London Bridge, a court heard.

Events

4 h. ago Pictured: Salvation Army worker, 56, who was fairly sacked for saying refugees should all be sent back 'on a boat'

Salvation Army worker Charles Markie, 56, was sacked for saying: 'There wouldn't be a housing shortage if we weren't taking in 150 refugees,' and 'send them all back on a f****** boat'.

Economics

4 h. ago How Blue Ivy became the 'greatest nepo baby in the world': The incredible life of Beyonce and Jay

She's enjoyed a taste of the finer things in life, having holidayed on luxury yachts, travelled on private jets and attended star-studded Hollywood soirees.

Politics

4 h. ago Josie Gibson's weight loss secrets: How TV star, 40, shed five stone after years of yo

Josie Gibson has amazed fans with her stunning new physique after she shed an incredible five stone. 

Politics

5 h. ago Storm Goretti: Exact places up to 8 inches of snow to batter UK amid

Storm Goretti, named by Meteo France, is a deep area of low pressure, which the Met Office says will bring further snow, strong winds and heavy rain to southern parts of the UK from Thursday night

Events

5 h. ago EastEnders star Nina Wadia shows off her glamorous makeover as she insists that weight loss jabs 'don't work'

Nina Wadia showed off her incredible glow up and weight loss as she laid into fat jabs in a new interview and insisted they 'don't work'.

Economics

7 h. ago Headmaster, 54, who was jailed for attacking his deputy with a spanner after discovering he was sleeping with his secret mistress speaks out about his downfall for the first time

Dr Anthony John Felton, 54, was jailed for two years and four months for the brutal assault on colleague Richard Pyke after discovering they were both having an affair with the same woman teacher.

Events

7 h. ago Heartwarming moment beloved dog is rescued from cliff after pooch fell 100ft & landed on ledge

THIS is the heartwarming moment a beloved dog is rescued after falling 100ft off a cliff. Dramatic footage shows the family pet, named Bruno, stranded and pacing from side to side on a rocky ledge in Cornwall. The four-legged companion had been enjoying a walk at Trebarwith Strand on Sunday when he suddenly vanished. His...

Events

7 h. ago Elon Musk’s xAI announces it has raised $20bn amid backlash over Grok deepfakes

AI company’s chatbot faces criticism over its generation of sexualized, nonconsensual images of women and girlsElon Musk’s artificial intelligence company has raised $20bn in its latest funding round, the startup announced Tuesday, even as its marquee chatbot Grok faces backlash over generating sexualized, nonconsensual images of women and underage girls.xAI’s Series E funding round featured big name investors, including Nvidia, Fidelity Management and Resource Company, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, and Valor Equity Partners – the private investment firm of Musk’s longtime friend and former Doge member Antonio Gracias. The funding round exceeded its initial $15bn target, according to xAI’s press release. The company touted Grok’s image generation abilities in the announcement of its latest funding round Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago Jennifer Aniston, 56, shows off her incredible abs as she reveals workouts to fans

IT’s an abby new year for Jennifer Aniston as she shows off her toned torso in gym gear. The Friends star, 56, demonstrated equipment for fitness brand Pvolve — which included a few yoga moves. Jen said finding motivation to work out was hard but persevering gave her a buzz. She explained: “That feeling is...

Politics

8 h. ago Murderer and violent pal who escaped jail spotted on CCTV, police say

We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.

Events

8 h. ago Anthony Joshua driver charged over crash that killed boxer’s two close friends is pictured as he faces life in prison

THIS is the chauffeur charged with causing the deaths of two of boxing superstar’s Anthony Joshua's best pals in a horror smash. Adeniyi Kayode, 47, was at the wheel of the black Lexus SUV which had its passenger side torn open in a crash into a parked lorry in Nigeria. Strength and conditioning coach Sina...

Events

8 h. ago A Royal wedding? King Charles to host ceremonies at his new £6.5million venue

The entertainment space at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, will cater for 200 guests and see users charged upwards of £5,500 for midweek weddings, rising to £8,500 for weekends.

Economics

8 h. ago Luxury wedding venue to open at King’s Foundation headquarters

The development is named The King’s Hall in honour of the monarch

Politics