6 h. ago My weirdest Christmas: I took a family friend to A&E – and he went from peaky to barely responsive on the way

He insisted he was OK, but he didn’t look it, and when he tried and failed to eat Christmas lunch we knew it was time for a mercy dash to hospitalOur family friend has always been a larger than life figure. Witty, unsentimental – and not one to say no to another brandy. At family parties, he’s the one gossiping about the latest scandal to catch up with a local MP, or regaling us with tales of the outrageous philandering of various Sheffield Wednesday players over the past 40 years. He could make anything – a jacket potato, a broken relationship – funny, somehow.We would often spend Christmas morning with him and his family, before going our separate ways. But, one Christmas, about 10 years ago, when he was supposed to be meeting family abroad, he fell down the stairs, whisky in one hand, suitcase in the other, and broke his ribs. The hospital had patched him up and told him not to fly. So, here he was back with us in Sheffield, making the best of it, but looking increasingly peaky. ...

Politics

17 h. ago The Guardian view on gene editing: breakthroughs need a new social contract | Editorial

Cutting-edge therapies exist, but the market cannot deliver them cheaply. Britain must build NHS capacity so that cures become collective goods, not expensive productsJust a small fraction of our 20,000 genes can cause disease when disrupted – yet that sliver accounts for thousands of rare disorders. The difficulty is: what can a doctor do to treat them? In a common condition such as type 2 diabetes, the underlying biology is similar for millions of patients. The doctor can prescribe metformin. But with a genetic disorder, the mutation might only affect a small number of people worldwide. In many cases, doctors won’t even know which mutation is responsible, let alone how to fix it.Novel gene-editing breakthroughs are making headlines. But therapies are expensive and complex to develop. The cost of bringing any new drug to patients is now around $2bn, in part because, as Brian David Smith notes in New Drugs, Fair Prices, the “success rate, from discovery to market, is ...

Politics

18 h. ago Taskmaster's Greg Davies 'loses three stone on Ozempic' after doctor's warning

TV star Greg Davies has opened up about his personal health - revealing he turned to diabetes drugs to help him lose weight after receiving a blunt comment from his doctor

Events

20 h. ago Ally Pally stage is not survival I had to roast a rabbit on a spit in Kosovo – World Darts Championship can’t faze me

ALAN SOUTAR says he can survive the Ally Pally cauldron after having to roast a RABBIT while a commando in Kosovo. The Arbroath firefighter faces red-hot Dutch ace Gian Van Veen in a mouthwatering World Championship second round clash at the Ally Pally on Monday afternoon. Soots, 47, believes he can continue to deal with...

Events

29 h. ago Christmas gravy will be delicious and 'free of lumps' if 1 ingredient is added

Gravy is a key part of any roast dinner, but it can be tricky to get right. A recipe developer has shared a simple method to make sure your Christmas gravy is free of lumps and tastes delicious

Events

29 h. ago ‘I’m going to scream!’: how to survive (and maybe even enjoy) your family Christmas

From preparing safe topics to taking silly games, we ask the experts how to avoid falling out with your nearest and dearest – before, during and after the big day• I threw a potato. Mum brandished a knife – would whole-family therapy save our Christmas?Plan breaks in your schedule Spending time with difficult family members requires careful planning, says Katie Rose, a therapist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the founder of TherapEast. “If you’re going to stay with somebody for three or four days, find ways to politely give yourself a break. Go for lunch with friends who live locally, or book a ticket to a museum or a National Trust place so that you have ways of getting yourself out of the house.” Tamara Hoyton, a senior practitioner for Relate at Family Action, agrees that scheduling breaks is a good strategy. “Arrange a trip out, or offer to cook so that you’re away from the living room where everyone else ...

Events

29 h. ago A vegetarian Christmas: Chantelle Nicholson’s French mushroom pie, caramelised pear pud and more

Blue cheese and honey gougeres, roast squash soup with melting brie, mushroom and celeriac pithivier, roast miso brussels sprouts, and a caramelised pear and rosemary puddingChristmas for me began as a summertime celebration in New Zealand, with long days and warm evenings. Twenty-plus years on, the wintry cosiness of a UK Christmas has taken hold. Now, my essentials include perfectly crisp roast potatoes with plenty of gravy, and sprouts (non-negotiable). Even my young niece and nephew love them, which is a small victory I’m quietly proud of. Continue reading...

Politics

30 h. ago I tried a Christmas pie and it was the perfect alternative to the roast

There is no getting away from the fact that we eat a roast most days in the run up to December 25, but what if you made a pie out of the Christmas dinner?

Politics

44 h. ago Eight chefs agree on essential step for perfect roast potatoes this Christmas

While there's debate about oils and fats, expert chefs all agree on one often-forgotten technique that ensures restaurant-quality crispy roast potatoes for Christmas dinner

Politics

47 h. ago Two slivers of clementine and one roast potato: Welcome to Ozempic

Christmas dinner or Christmas thinner? Nicole Wootton-Cane went to a pop-up ‘Ozempic restaurant’ to find out what a GLP-1 festive meal looks like, and how the politics of the dinner table might react

Politics

51 h. ago GUY ADAMS: My journey from couch potato to shirtless cover star

For ten weeks I pumped iron, avoided carbohydrates, ran up hills and gorged myself silly on supplements.

Politics

52 h. ago Michelin restaurant chef shares the perfect recipe for your Christmas roasties

Liam Dillon says he has a cheat code for the ultimate roast potatoes - for both Christmas dinner and family roasts

Society

67 h. ago Chef shares 1 secret ingredient that makes roast potatoes taste 'life

A chef has shared his 'secret ingredient' to making roast potatoes so good they'll 'change your life' - and it's easy to add right before serving

Events

67 h. ago Make roast potatoes so tasty they'll 'change your life' if you add 1 ingredient

A chef has shared a simple method to make roast potatoes taste even better - and all it takes is one extra ingredient added just before serving

Events

2 d. ago Cocktail of the week: La Petite Maison’s bikini – recipe | The good mixer

Clementines and cranberries sing Christmas carols in this classy festive premixThis is a home-friendly version of one of the drinks on our new cocktail menu. It’s a batch premix that’s packed with the flavours of Christmas, making it ideal for a festive party. Save the excess cordial for breakfast drinks or for puddings, or for another round of bikinis.Tibor Krascsenics, group beverage director, La Petite Maison, London W1 Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago How DOES Christina Aguilera look better than ever at 45? Star shocks fans with her age

When Christina Aguilera appeared on The Jennifer Hudson show last week some viewers were left doing a double take as she showed off her incredible, age-defying appearance.

Events

3 d. ago Rutherglen primary school kids enjoy traditional Christmas lunch

School kitchens across South Lanarkshire prepared and served an amazing 26,100 slices of turkey, 31,500 potato croquettes, 1294kg of stew and 605kg of chipolatas.

Politics

3 d. ago Food influencer 'Cooking With Tubz' has earned himself a legion of fans including AngryGinge as he shares his Mounjaro weight

Hilarious food influencer Marc Almond, known online as Cooking With Tubz, is loved by 394,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, including King of the I'm A Celebjungle AngryGinge.

Society

3 d. ago Bloke crowned World Pie Eating Champion after scoffing meat and potato in 60 seconds

The competition has been held annually in Wigan - where locals are known as pie eaters - since 1992 and attracts top crust munchers from around the world for the prestigious event

Politics

3 d. ago Chef says you can make Christmas dinner alternative in 30 minutes

The recipe has all the ingredients and flavours of a traditional roast with less time and effort

Politics