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Showing posts from December, 2024

Billy Searle pulls the strings as Leicester prove too strong for Saracens

Leicester 36-28 Saracens Tigers close gap on top four The temperature was zero at kick-off but when the pluses and minuses were totted up, Leicester were comfortably in credit and Saracens were out in the cold. A clinical and cohesive performance by Geoff Parling’s side has them looking upwards, contemplating the playoffs, while the Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall, must reflect on his team’s inconsistency. As the regular season reaches halfway this was a highly significant mid-table encounter: Leicester in fifth, and sixth-placed Saracens still have ground to make up on the top four, but the home side narrowed the gap with an accomplished win. There were plenty of illustrious names on the teamsheet but it was Billy Searle, the Leicester fly-half, whose headline-grabbing performance won him player of the match. At 29, Searle has already played for five different professional clubs in England and three in France. On this sparkling form you wonder why any of them let him ...
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25 for 2025: unmissable sporting events over the next 12 months

This year features two Ashes series, a Lions tour to Australia and the 2025 Euros Novak Djokovic will be aiming to begin the new year by doing something he failed to do throughout 2024 – win a grand slam title. It is a somewhat remarkable drought for an athlete of Djokovic’s standards which in part explains why he has asked Andy Murray to coach him in Melbourne . The partnership should make for a fascinating dynamic, on and off court, but may well not prove strong enough to see the Serb secure a record-breaking 25th slam given the form of reigning champion and world No 1, Jannik Sinner. In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka will be seeking to win the title for a third time in a row. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pDyTWN0 via IFTTT
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Sharp and curious, my 85-year-old neighbour wades into conversations with a joyful openness | Nova Weetman

She isn’t young, and yet she remains outspoken, passionate, and alive to the world in ways that many aren’t My friendships have mostly been with people of a similar age, but that all changed when my 85-year-old neighbour left a CD in my letterbox after hearing my young son drumming wildly in our garage. She wrapped the CD in a note written in her finest hand, explaining that she thought he might enjoy the sounds of her friend’s band, The Necks. Others in our street had understandably complained about the endless noise because the sound reverberated through their walls, creeping into their quiet spaces, and ruining their days. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/NLsdg6V via IFTTT
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Labour’s private school tax plan strongly backed by public, poll shows

Government accuses Tories and rightwing media of being ‘out of touch’, as VAT policy due to come into force The government has accused critics of its plan to put VAT on private school fees of being detached from the real world after polling showed the policy, which will come into force on 1 January, is strongly backed by the public. The poll, commissioned by the Private Education Policy Forum (PEPF) thinktank, found that 54% of people backed the idea, with 22% opposing it. This is an even greater margin of support than seen in similar polls carried out before the election. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/MsCR0KZ via IFTTT
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Welsh ambulance service declares ‘critical incident’ after demand soars

Patients waiting many hours for ambulances to arrive, while those phoning 999 struggle to get through A “critical incident” was declared by the Welsh ambulance service on Monday evening due to significantly increased demand and extensive handover delays. The ambulance service, which covers 3 million-plus people across Wales, said more than 340 calls were waiting to be answered at the time the critical incident was declared. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/cvLWfj3 via IFTTT
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Ukraine war briefing: Russia vows to retaliate after state media reportedly blocked on Telegram in EU

Moscow says the move is ‘censorship’ and that it reserves the right to ‘respond in the same manner’. What we know on day 1,041 Russia has vowed to retaliate after the channels of its state media were apparently blocked on the popular Telegram social media platform in the EU. On Sunday the channels of Ria Novosti news agency, Rossiya 1, Pervyi Kanal and NTV television, and Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspapers were not accessible in several countries, including France, Belgium, Poland, Greece, the Netherlands and Italy, according to media reports. Neither Telegram nor EU sources have yet commented on the disruption. Moscow called the move “an act of censorship”. “The systematic cleansing of all undesirable sources of information from the information space continues,” foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, said. The EU had previously banned Russian state media such as Ria Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta from being distributed in the bloc, accusing them with dissem...
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Sunday with John Cooper Clarke: ‘My wife does a chicken with 60 cloves of garlic’

The poet talks about newspapers and television, coffee and strawberries, and how Monday’s gloomy presence hangs over every Sunday Sunday habits? A favourite is Desert Island Discs on Radio 4. Or I’ll watch a re-run of Match of The Day on BBC One at 7.30am since I missed it working Saturday. Then what? My local newsagents only order about three copies of each newspaper, so I have to get on the bike to snatch them. Then I read them. That’s my Sunday pursuit. Sunday brekkie? I’m a creature of habit. My breakfast is always the same. A quarter pint of espresso. A couple of baked goods – a danish here, a croissant there – and an entire punnet of strawberries. Sunday lunch? I’m not a lunch guy, but I do have a huge… we call it tea. My wife’s French, a terrific cook. The pleasures of the table are close to my heart. What’s on the menu? She does a great chicken with ratatouille, and a chicken featuring 60 unpeeled cloves of garlic. Sixty! Count them. I like Mediterranean grub. I...
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Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen progress in PDC World Championships

Littler overcomes slow start to defeat Ian White 4-1 Van Gerwen into last 16 by beating Brendan Dolan 4-2 Luke Littler struggled to hit top form but still did enough to ease into the last 16 of the world championship with a 4-1 win over Ian White at Alexandra Palace. The 17-year-old survived a series of errant doubles and had set darts against him in the first and fourth sets before finding his range when it mattered to sink his veteran opponent. Littler, who averaged just under 98 for the match, told Sky Sports: “It was tough, Ian threw everything at me and I had to stay switched on. It was just a case of settling into it. I know what’s gone wrong tonight – the doubles – but most importantly, I’ve won.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pmhP9wZ via IFTTT
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Barcelona hope to finally register Dani Olmo after agreeing VIP seating deal

Sale of boxes at Camp Nou likely to secure player’s future Barça had to find way to comply with FFP by 31 December FC Barcelona have reportedly closed a last-minute €100m (£82.9m) deal to sell VIP boxes at the newly renovated Camp Nou to Middle Eastern investors. The club are hopeful the sale will allow them to meet financial fair play rules and finally extend Dani Olmo’s registration. With the deadline for registration just three days away and Barcelona facing the prospect of Olmo leaving as a free agent just six months after joining on a €55m (£45.6m) transfer, the club president Joan Laporta exercised a sale option on Saturday which the club believe will see the first payment made before 31 December. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/YOmynFW via IFTTT
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Aston Villa in shock after the FA rejects Jhon Durán’s red card appeal

In-form Villa striker will now be banned for three games Unai Emery believes ‘stamp’ on Schär was unintentional Aston Villa are shocked and disappointed after the Football Association rejected their appeal against Jhon Durán’s red card, meaning the striker will serve a three-match ban. The Colombian was given a straight red card by the referee, Anthony Taylor, after being adjudged to have intentionally stamped on the Newcastle defender Fabian Schär when the pair collided in the first half of Villa’s Boxing Day defeat . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pfo8FD3 via IFTTT
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Manchester United ‘just have to survive’ says Ruben Amorim after Wolves loss

Team ‘need time’ says manager after fourth loss in five Pereira praises Cunha after Wolves’ second straight win Ruben Amorim said Manchester United must adopt survival mode to end their miserable run after a fourth defeat in five Premier League matches dropped them to 14th, eight points above the relegation zone. United’s Portuguese manager blamed the lack of time to coach his players as a barrier to progress after a sapping Boxing Day defeat at Wolves , where his captain, Bruno Fernandes, was sent off early in the second half after picking up a second yellow card. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WMylGIR via IFTTT
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Defra scraps England deadline to register thousands of miles of rights of way

Campaigners jubilant after government heeded warning 2031 cutoff would mean loss of precious footpaths A deadline for registering historic rights of way is to be scrapped after a warning that the looming cutoff date could result in the loss of thousands of miles of footpaths. The last government set a deadline of 2031 for all rights of way in England to be added to an official map, after abandoning a previous commitment to scrap the policy. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/BrMo37V via IFTTT
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2m x 6m with a composting toilet: New Zealand embraces tiny home living

Housing affordability and desire for a movable home among the reasons growing numbers are opting for petite dwellings across New Zealand Two years ago, when New Zealand school teacher Liberty Van Voorthuysen was looking for a much-needed break from teaching, she ditched her classroom and signed up for a free construction course. Van Voorthuysen had set herself a fairly low bar: learn how to use power tools. But she left with much more – the skills to build her own tiny home. The 34-year-old bought the shell of a small house, parked it in a Nelson paddock at the top of the South Island, installed solar panels and added a composting toilet. The dwelling measures 6m x 2.4m and is 4m tall. The space took a bit of getting used to and the outdoor shower is “pretty gnarly in winter,” Van Voorthuysen says. But she has learned to be resourceful. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/fpqAOst via IFTTT
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C of E must ‘kneel in penitence’ after difficult year, says archbishop of York

Stephen Cottrell to deliver Christmas sermon in place of Justin Welby, who will step down as de facto head of church The archbishop of York is expected to highlight the need for actions more than words in a Christmas sermon, as the Church of England faces criticism over failures in its handling of recent abuse scandals. Stephen Cottrell, who will become temporary leader of the Church in England in early January in place of the outgoing archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is expected to say the church must “kneel in penitence and adoration” this Christmas and “be changed”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/rxemAJi via IFTTT
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Nigel Farage offers to work with Peter Mandelson to secure US-UK trade deal

Labour party divided on whether incoming US ambassador should lean on Reform leader’s ties with Donald Trump Nigel Farage has said he would be willing to help Peter Mandelson negotiate with the Trump administration, after the Labour grandee was confirmed as Westminster’s new ambassador to the US. Lord Mandelson has indicated he believes the Reform UK leader, a friend of Donald Trump, could serve as a link between the UK and the Republican president-elect. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/yWiqoOj via IFTTT
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Two puppies at once was a terrible idea. But Earl and Monty stole my heart | Jenny Sinclair

My garden remains destroyed and plastic toys vanish – but it’s like having children: freedom ripped away and replaced by love It happened accidentally: viewing a litter of golden retrievers, in a moment of weakness, we took two instead of the one puppy we’d promised our kids. No. We didn’t “take two”. What happened was: after our teenager had chosen his pup, Earl, I cracked, and took another I named Monty. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CbOg8Wq via IFTTT
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Israel confirms it killed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July

Defence minister Israel Katz threatens Houthi rebels in Yemen, saying the military will ‘decapitate their leadership – just as we did with Haniyeh’ Israel’s defence minister has confirmed that the IDF assassinated former Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year, and warned that the military would also “decapitate” the leadership of Yemen’s Houthi rebels. “We will strike hard at the Houthis ... and decapitate their leadership – just as we did with Haniyeh, [Yahya] Sinwar, and [Hassan] Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon, we will do so in Hodeida and Sanaa,” Israel Katz said on Monday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/i0DmBlI via IFTTT
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Here’s what I learned in medical school – beyond the curriculum | Roland Bull

Studying medicine is not an identity – and self-care should be considered a matter of medical ethics rather than an indulgence After four long years of study, I wrapped up a medical degree this year. It’s been an adventure, and the downturn in activity post-exams has made me pensive. Way back in orientation week, an enthusiastic clinician noted that they still consider their time at medical school to be some of the best years of their life. Reflecting on my own experience, I’ve begun to wonder whether that person needs to get out more. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CeajO7w via IFTTT
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Chris McCausland to deliver Channel 4’s alternative Christmas message

Comedian and Strictly Come Dancing winner will appeal for an end to discrimination against disabled people This year’s alternative Christmas message on Channel 4 will be an impassioned appeal by the comedian Chris McCausland calling for an end to discrimination against disabled people. Earlier in the month McCausland became the first blind person to win Strictly Come Dancing while being hailed as a saviour of the troubled programme , and will now give the alternative to monarch’s annual televised address, which was first initiated in 1993. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/TGgAz7H via IFTTT
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Elon Musk among billionaires set to donate to Reform UK, says treasurer

Nick Candy promises that party will deliver ‘political disruption like we have never seen before’ The treasurer of Reform UK has said that Elon Musk is among a “number of billionaires” interested in donating to Nigel Farage’s party, promising “political disruption like we have never seen before”. Nick Candy told the Financial Times that the party will raise more funds than “any other political party” for grassroots campaigning, data and polling. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/YqDZ94j via IFTTT
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Maddi Levi: ‘I’m not the only one who suffers with self-doubt’ | Jack Snape

Australian cross-code athlete’s own expectations weigh heavy even as she soars to greater heights as World Rugby’s sevens player of the year Pressure on Maddi Levi, Australia’s best women’s rugby sevens player, had been building. In a whirlwind four years she had swiftly progressed from D-grade teams in Queensland, through a brief stint in AFLW, to an Olympic Games and recognition from World Rugby as one of the best female athletes in the world. But as her feats grew, so did her own expectations. Finally, before the first stop of the 2023 season just over a year ago, the tears flowed in a meeting in a Dubai hotel room with the Australian team’s psychologist. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/4ExLC3A via IFTTT
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Luke Littler nears darting perfection in spectacular opening win at PDC worlds

Teenager into third round after 3-1 win over Ryan Meikle Littler just misses nine-dart finish in fourth set A tearful Luke Littler came within millimetres of opening his quest for a maiden World Championship crown with a nine-dart finish as he beat Ryan Meikle in record-breaking fashion. The teenage sensation was back on the Alexandra Palace stage 12 months on from his remarkable debut run to the final and showed everyone why he is the favourite to win the title. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/XjFKq1l via IFTTT
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The Tempest review – Sigourney weaves weird magic in West End debut

Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London Inspired by the filmography of its Prospero, Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lloyd’s production is audaciously odd – a sci-fi Shakespeare, or gestural Greek theatre in outer space Sigourney Weaver, the latest in the line of high status screen stars to be wooed to the stage by director Jamie Lloyd, may for ever be known as Ellen Ripley to fans of her defining science fiction role on film. She is certainly in alien territory here, and plays Prospero with the steely-voiced conviction of a commander giving urgent instruction to an interstellar space crew at imminent risk of attack. She is making her West End debut in this late Shakespearean drama as its gender-reversed central sorcerer and usurped Duchess of Milan, and the remote isle of sounds and sweet airs which she sequesters appears to be floating in deep space. The dark hills and rubble on Soutra Gilmour’s set look lunar, the booms and bursts in the black background sound like explosions of interplanetary ...
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My best friend of 40 years has a skewed impression of me. How do I set her straight?

Big ‘about us’ conversations can be tricky between friends, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith . Try small, good-humoured stop signals instead Read more Leading questions My best friend of almost 40 years has always had a slightly skewed impression of who I am. She tends to express concern over decisions I make, and seems to believe that I am naive, gullible and lonely. I am, however, none of these and have had a successful career, live a highly independent life and have a number of good friends with whom I spend time. In the past I simply brushed off this minor issue, as it seemed important to her to view me this way, and I have no lack of self-esteem. However, lately this has verged on untenable, with her ordering me to “eat everything on my plate” at a restaurant, assuring me that I’ve made multiple mistakes in handling my finances, and lecturing me on fourth grade maths, loudly and in public, when I calculated a discount on a cute pair of shoes. Continue reading......
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Can’t-do attitude: why the real horror of Nightbitch is weaponised incompetence

Women around me in the cinema groaned at what Amy Adams’ character had to put up with in the film – and it was nothing to do with dogs Nightbitch is not the best film of the year. But if it becomes a cult classic, that will primarily be down to its perfect portrayal of one specific dynamic: weaponised incompetence. In Marielle Heller’s adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s bestselling novel, Scoot McNairy embodies the “useless” husband, weaponising his incompetence to varying degrees of absurdity. Amy Adams plays the protagonist, “Mother”, who grows increasingly frustrated and angry at her husband’s idiocy, eventually transforming into a dog, complete with eight nipples. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/bjrNqR2 via IFTTT
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Fleeing Xi’s China: following the trail of migrants trying to reach Australia through Indonesia

A new and high-stakes escape route has been revealed, through the Indonesian archipelago to a smuggler’s boat Paul, an Indonesian fisherman, says he was working as a rideshare driver in the dusty streets of Kupang in West Timor when he came across half a dozen Chinese men on the side of the road. They were wet up to their waist, carrying a backpack each, and spoke no Indonesian. “They had walked from the beach, from the mangrove forest to the main road. They said they had difficulty with their boat engine,” Paul recalls. They asked for directions to a nearby hotel … and went on their way. Paul, a former people smuggler from Rote Island, called the police. “I used to bring people like this.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/j3hDMpq via IFTTT
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Cancer screening take ups not back to pre-pandemic levels, charity warns

Cancer Research UK concerned over dwindling participation in breast and cervical cancer screening A health charity has sounded the alarm over a dip in the proportion of people taking up the offer for cancer screening as figures show how effective the tests are at catching cancers early. Breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening programmes have jointly spotted nearly 90,000 cancers between 2019 and 2023, according to analysis by Cancer Research UK (CRUK). Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/6hylgcv via IFTTT
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Two former Rotherham police officers arrested over child sexual abuse

Offences alleged to have taken place in 1990s while ex-constables, now in their 50s and 60s, were on duty Two former police officers have been arrested as part of an investigation into child sexual offences in Rotherham dating back to the 1990s. South Yorkshire police said a retired constable, now in his 60s, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, attempted rape and three counts of indecent assault. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/q2yIr3g via IFTTT
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Lloyds advert banned for making false environmental claims

Watchdog ruled social media post failed to provide balanced information over bank’s ongoing financing of polluting industries A Lloyds Banking Group advert has been banned for making false environmental claims, making it the second major lender to break the UK advertising watchdog’s rules against greenwashing. The ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) follows an investigation into a billboard poster and three paid-for posts on the networking website LinkedIn, all of which hailed the lender’s climate credentials. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lBxzOhR via IFTTT
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Pollution exposure linked to mental health hospital admissions, says study

Researchers from St Andrews found rise in nitrogen dioxide exposure associated with higher admissions Exposure to air pollution is linked to an increased risk of hospital admission for mental illness, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind. The research, involving more than 200,000 people in Scotland, found an increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide in particular was associated with a higher number of people being admitted to hospital for behaviour disorders and mental illnesses. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/cipoO15 via IFTTT
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‘Several hundred’ North Korean troops killed fighting Ukraine, says US official

‘All ranks’ among casualties in Kursk after Pyongyang sent thousands of soldiers to reinforce Russia’s war effort North Korean forces have suffered “several hundred” casualties fighting against Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region , according to a senior US military official. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce Russia’s war effort, including to the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces seized territory earlier this year. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/XbcaBLz via IFTTT
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Edd Kimber’s recipes for nutmeg baked custard and quick trifle pots

Simple but impressive, these laidback versions of classic desserts provide the final flourish to dinner Today’s silky dessert takes the idea of a classic English custard tart and turns it into a simple but impressive plated dessert. The custard is pretty traditional, made with vanilla and plenty of grated nutmeg, but the pastry is replaced with a hazelnut streusel, and the two are then tied together by boozy, rum-soaked raisins. Meanwhile, no Christmas is complete, at least for my family, without an old-school sherry trifle, and this is my simplified version for when I want those flavours but in a more laid-back style. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/FSf4GbV via IFTTT
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Margaret Hodge to lead review of regional inequality in the arts

Anti-corruption champion to examine Arts Council England projects and lack of facilities in some areas of country Margaret Hodge will oversee a review into regional inequality in the arts after the culture secretary described some areas of Britain as “cultural deserts”. Sky News first reported a week ago that Hodge, who was last week named as the government’s anti-corruption champion , would take control of the review into Arts Council England, which was originally announced by the Conservative government and was to be chaired by Mary Archer but was shelved shortly after Labour won the general election. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/et6Xjwo via IFTTT
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Keir Starmer to visit British troops on Russia’s border

Prime minister tells Joint Expeditionary Force conference in Estonia that Ukraine requires ‘all the capability it can get’ Keir Starmer is to visit British troops serving on Russia’s border after saying that Ukraine will require more funding and capability. The prime minister was speaking at the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) conference in Estonia, where he met leaders of other Baltic states. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZM2buGf via IFTTT
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Forget the novelty mugs and homemade biscuits: here’s what teachers really want for Christmas | Myke Bartlett

There is no getting around the cliche that it’s the thought that counts – even if that thought is an acknowledgement of the 11 months of thoughtlessness preceding it I’m not sure when teacher gifts became another hot item on the December stress list. I have vague memories from my childhood of carrying to school homemade shortbread on paper plates, wrapped in green or red cellophane. A generic message on a cardboard tag. How quaint those festive footnotes seem now. What cheapskates we were then. There are probably rules about buying presents for teachers. Legally binding rules that prevent government employees from accepting gifts above a certain value. But when it comes to end-of-year gifts for professionals who have probably spent more of the year with our children than we have, those rules – if they do exist – matter less than the more informal and bewildering rules of social niceties, gratitude and, yes, guilt. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/hnjTFu2 via I...
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Mayors to get powers to stop planning delays in England, Angela Rayner to say

Pledge set out in white paper to be unveiled this week is part of a ‘devolution by default’ approach by Whitehall Mayors will be given sweeping powers to unblock planning delays for major building projects in England, Angela Rayner has announced, as she promised a “devolution by default” approach to handing down authority from Whitehall. The pledge set out in the white paper to be unveiled this week will give regions more planning powers over housing numbers and will identify key developments and infrastructure needed to support growth, from roads to major junctions, water reservoirs, freight and logistics. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/dYXcxeD via IFTTT
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Guy Pearce says he was blocked from working with Christopher Nolan by Warner Bros

Memento actor says a studio executive told his agent ‘I’m never going to employ Guy Pearce’ and stopped him from appearing in Batman Begins and The Prestige Guy Pearce has revealed that the reason he has not worked with Christopher Nolan since the 2000 film Memento is because he was repeatedly blocked by a Warner Bros executive who didn’t like his acting. Speaking to Vanity Fair , Pearce said he had not worked with Nolan – famed for working with the same actors in many of his films – since the director began working with Warner Bros for his 2002 thriller Insomnia, an 18-year relationship that ended with his 2020 film Tenet. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pU2ulb1 via IFTTT
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Alexandra Palace is a venue that fits, but will darts outgrow it one day? | Jonathan Liew

All 90,000 world championship tickets sold out in 15 minutes, so it seems a matter of time before money talks They’re always finding stuff here. Every time the trustees of Alexandra Palace undertake some renovation work on the 151-year-old building, they discover artefacts from the venue’s past: a kind of people’s history in detritus. Usually it’s just rusty coins and ticket stubs. But then there was the time they found perfectly preserved vials of early prototype tetanus vaccine embedded in a wall, a relic from when the place was a first world war hospital. Or a bit of Victorian era graffiti from a disgruntled tradesman, reading: “The wages of sin is death, the wages of a carpenter is worse.” What will they find of today, decades hence, in the palace’s dusty niches and beneath its rotting floorboards? What will the archivists of the future make of the crumpled nun’s wimple, the faded receipt for a halloumi pitta pocket (only £12.50 at 2024 prices), the multiple small plastic sachets...
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Ben Elton: ‘I fancied Olivia Newton-John. It’s alright to say that about a third cousin, right?’

The standup talks about tensions behind the scenes of Blackadder, his Wiggles movie that never happened and his opinions on hecklers Of all the things you’ve written, what gets quoted at you the most? It’d be something from my three series of Blackadder [2-4]. That’s the one that really entered the culture. I think the thing I’m proudest of is how both Young Ones and Blackadder genuinely seeped into language. It’s not so much quotes you hear, but people using the rhythms of it – like “You’re as small as a very small thing that’s got a degree in being small.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lkjoXTO via IFTTT
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Australia v India: third men’s cricket Test, day two – live

Updates from the match at the Gabba in Brisbane Play starts at 9.30am local/10.30am AEDT Any thoughts? Get in touch with an email 15th over: Australia 31-0 (Khawaja 21, McSweeney 4) First runs! And it’s a handsome back foot swish through covers by Khawaja. Two runs. Bumrah was a tad short yesterday and he starts day two in the same vein. No sign of seam movement or swing so far. Bumrah squares up Khawaja on the next – good comeback by the master quick who starts his seventh over with 0-10. Big shout on the third as Khawaja misses a straight one but the edge was audible for mine. Maybe Jasprit was just warming up the tonsils. He finishes with a flourish, beating the batter with two zingers to close. Game on! 14th over: Australia 29-0 (Khawaja 19, McSweeney 4) It’s Akash Deep’s birthday today and he gets a four-ball over first-up to celebrate. His first ball is… wide. So is his second. Two sighters for McSweeney – what a gift for a batter who’s starting the day with four runs fro...
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Carry-On review – Taron Egerton channels Kenneth Connor in misleadingly titled Netflix thriller

Sadly for UK viewers, this is not a sexy reboot of one of our greatest film franchises. All the roles in it, however, have their equivalents For vulgar-minded Brits, a Hollywood film title sometimes carries its own unintended associations and unfortunate resonances. Many were pained at the raucous response from some here in 2017 to the title of Robert Redford’s earnest film Our Souls at Night . Now here is a moderate new piece of Netflix product, a thriller about a bomb smuggled on to a plane in hand-baggage, starring Taron Egerton as Ethan, the airport security officer in a tense situation and Jason Bateman as the sinister explosives mastermind. It’s called … Carry-On. That title is self-explanatory for everyone in the United States. But it’s bound to get British Netflix subscribers very overexcited, assuming as they surely will that the greatest movie franchise in the history of cinema is about to be rebooted with a sexy new cast. Egerton is a Brit. Couldn’t he have warned Netflix ...
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BBC says it has complained to Apple over AI-generated fake news attributed to broadcaster

Notifications from a new Apple product falsely suggested the BBC claimed the New York gunman Luigi Mangione had killed himself The BBC says it has filed a complaint with the US tech giant Apple over AI-generated fake news that was shared on iPhones and attributed to the broadcaster. The Apple Intelligence, which was launched in Britain this week, produces grouped notifications from several information sites that have been generated by artificial intelligence. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/r0pjgGq via IFTTT
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Guardian and Observer charity appeal raises more than £250,000

Readers reach donation milestone before Saturday telethon, securing money to help families in Gaza and Ukraine • Donate to our charity appeal here More than £250,000 for charities supporting families hit by war and violence in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere has been raised by Guardian and Observer readers less than a week after the appeal launched. The milestone was achieved before the annual fundraising telethon on Saturday 14 December. Journalists who will be on hand to take donations over the phone include Polly Toynbee, John Crace, Marina Hyde and Zoe Williams. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/JWnGkeA via IFTTT
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My long-distance partner is moving in with me, but I have trepidation. How can I be at peace with it? | Leading questions

‘Going off’ someone isn’t the same as realising they’re taking more than you want to give, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith Read more Leading questions My long-distance partner of nearly 10 years is moving in with me in the next few months. For most of this time it is what I thought I wanted, but the closer it gets, the more trepidation I have. I used to put up with behaviours from people that I didn’t really like, but kept relationships going for fear of what would happen if I ended them. I’m not that person any more. I left my husband of 25 years a decade ago and have dropped many friends who I feel no longer give me what I need, who I was “people pleasing” – doing what they wanted to my detriment. I love my partner very much. He is a good, kind, caring man who adores me. But I’m so scared that suddenly I’ll “go off” him like I have other people and that I’ll be stuck living with someone I don’t want to be around. I know I sound dismissive of people. But I have cult...
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Worried about what to buy the man in your life for Christmas? The perfect gift may be more modest than you think | Joel Snape

If you really care, get us an upgrade of a bargain-basement product you’ve spotted us using. Our gratitude will be eternal When I was a small boy, socks were the inverse of a Platonically ideal present – the last resort of a tragically unimaginative relative, correctly derided in the Beano as the worst possible gift. Now that I’m a 45-year-old dad, though, I’ve done a 180 – few things make me happier on Christmas morning than the tell-tale crinkle of a floppy, foot-shaped gift. Maybe this is what being a grownup really means. I think it’s because, as you age, you tend to invest in fewer luxuries for yourself. Fine, I’m not above a subscription box of IPAs or some nice fineliners, but when it comes to the essentials of life, I buy … the basics. A set of AirPods? You can get a set of Bluetooth headphones for less than £20. Designer glasses? Not when I look so stylish in my nerd-frames. A six-pack of white athletic socks? Yes, please — throw in a pack of plain T-shirts while you’re at ...
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Bowel cancer rising among under-50s worldwide, research finds

Study suggests rate of disease among young adults is rising for first time and England has one of the fastest increases The number of under-50s being diagnosed with bowel cancer is increasing worldwide, according to research that also reveals rates are rising faster in England than almost any other country. For the first time, global data suggests doctors are seeing more young adults develop early-onset bowel cancer, from Europe and North America to Asia and Oceania. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/LSWBhFU via IFTTT
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Christmas disruption likely as Avanti West Coast train managers vote to strike

RMT members plan to take industrial action on 22, 23 and 29 December in dispute over rest day working Train managers at Avanti West Coast are to strike in a dispute over rest day working. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union plan to walk out on 22, 23 and 29 December. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/VSoK3bv via IFTTT
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Further South Korea martial law protests as ex-defence minister and senior police arrested

Minister Kim Yong-hyun formally arrested amid concerns evidence might be destroyed amid protests against President Yoon and vandalism of ruling party lawmakers South Korea’s former defence minister has been formally arrested on insurrection charges related to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief declaration of martial law, a court spokesperson said early on Wednesday. Kim Yong-hyun, who had first been detained on Sunday, has now been arrested on charges including “engaging in critical duties during an insurrection” and “abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/H5prgF8 via IFTTT
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Ukraine war briefing: Our war dead 43,000 and Russia’s 198,000 says Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggests foreign troops to protect Ukraine until it can join Nato; Ukraine’s president woos potential next German chancellor. What we know on day 1,021 Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the war, while of 370,000 injured, about half had been able to return to service after treatment . The Ukrainian president said 198,000 Russian soldiers had been killed and a further 550,000 injured. Almost 800,000 Russian troops are deployed in Ukraine, he said. The figures were not independently verified. Zelenskyy on Monday made the case for a diplomatic settlement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and raised the idea of foreign troops being deployed in his country until it could join the Nato military alliance. It came after Donald Trump said Kyiv was ready to make a deal with Moscow to stop the war and that Vladimir Putin should make efforts toward negotiating a truce. The Ukrainian president told reporters he was hoping to ca...
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Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas review – CBeebies star’s scientific wonderland

Apollo theatre, London There’s plenty of festive, fact-filled fun at this kids’ show hosted by the cheery TV presenter Maddie Moate’s USP is maximum enthusiasm. She never stops smiling, as any parent who has seen her CBeebies show Maddie’s Do You Know? will attest. On TV (and YouTube) she breezily explains how things work, zooming in with closeup cameras. And that’s much of what happens in this special Christmas live show, where the set-up is that Maddie is doing work experience at Santa’s workshop, and with the help of two elves, and the audience, has to solve some urgent problems in time for Mrs Claus’s Christmas party: what makes crackers go bang? Why do Brussels sprouts make us fart? Moate is the kind of person who makes even chat about poos and farts edifying. It’s all extremely wholesome. A theatre full of children singing along to a song about how great science is. “Sci-ence, sci-ence / Making sense with evi-dence” it goes. “She’s very energetic,” says my seven-year-old, who ...
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Ukraine war briefing: Trump urges China to help end Ukraine war

After meeting US president-elect, Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautions that Ukraine needs a ‘just and robust peace, that Russians will not destroy within a few years’. What we know on day 1,020 See all our Ukraine war coverage Donald Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, a day after meeting the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy , in Paris, claiming Kyiv “would like to make a deal” to end its war with Russia. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed,” Trump said on Sunday in an online post. “I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!” Trump added. Trump said both sides had suffered enormous losses in the war – which he claimed on the US election campaign trail he would be able to end “in 24 hours” if elected. “Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” he added. Zelenskyy described his discussi...
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Government seeks Whitehall ‘startup’ culture with tech worker secondments

Pat McFadden to urge departments to adopt ‘test-and-learn’ approach as part of £100m scheme for public sector reform Tech employees will be seconded to work in Whitehall for year-long stints to help the UK government function “more like a startup” under plans to rewire the state. Ministers will spend £100m on public sector reform as part of a shake-up of the workings of government to achieve Keir Starmer’s targets. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/tiBNp29 via IFTTT
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The 100 best female footballers in the world 2024

Aitana Bonmatí finishes top of our rankings for a second consecutive year, with Caroline Graham Hansen second and Sophia Smith third Bonmatí on top of world again | How every judge voted | Video top ten | 2023 list | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 Subscribe now to our free women’s football newsletter Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mBbYg5C via IFTTT
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Long, unhurried days with a cooler: the cricket fans sticking with New Zealand’s forgotten format

In an age dominated by T20, New Zealand’s long-form Plunket Shield is a throwback to another time and retains a small group of committed fans From the spot where Helen Julius spread her arms across the peeling, sun-flecked green paint of the pavilion’s bench seats, Eden Park’s Outer Oval in Auckland was almost picturesque. There were the white-clad cricketers – Auckland batting, Canterbury in the field – and a bank of agapanthus just beginning to break out in flower beyond the sight-screen on the ground’s northern boundary. Sparrows, nesting in the pavilion roof, chattered incessantly. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/dVkrDjO via IFTTT
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European football: Lookman’s late winner sends Atalanta top of Serie A

Atalanta beat Milan 2-1 to leapfrog Napoli at summit Inter third after comfortable win over Parma A late goal from Ademola Lookman secured Atalanta a hard-fought 2-1 win over Milan on Friday, lifting the hosts to the top of Serie A. Three minutes before full-time, a corner sailed across the box and an unmarked Lookman headed in the winner. The result propelled Atalanta to the top of the standings with 34 points, two ahead of Napoli, who will play fifth-placed Lazio at home on Sunday. Milan are seventh with 22 points. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/wq1ZxhP via IFTTT
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French authorities rescue 85 migrants trying to cross Channel

Authorities say ‘numerous’ boats set out to sea and that one called for help after hitting a sandbank off the Pas-de-Calais region The French navy rescued 85 migrants trying to cross the Channel from France to England on Wednesday, maritime authorities said, the latest in a deadly series of dangerous crossings. One of “numerous” migrant boats that set out to sea called for help after hitting a sandbank off the Pas-de-Calais region, France’s Channel and North Sea maritime prefecture said in a statement. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ceqni9t via IFTTT
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Four minutes of daily exertion can halve heart attack risk in women, finds study

Bursts of intense movement such as climbing stairs can make big difference to health, finds UK Biobank research Women who add four minutes a day of high-intensity routine activities such as climbing the stairs instead of taking a lift could halve their risk of heart attacks, a study suggests. Less than five minutes of brief bouts of exertion in everyday life could have a significant effect on heart health, reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular events, researchers found. The results were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/EoYmVzc via IFTTT
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Replica Harry Potter swords recalled in Japan for breaking weapons law

Police said 86cm stainless steel blade – mounted on a wooden plaque and sold in the hundreds – contravened Japan’s firearms and sword control law Full-size replica swords sold as souvenirs at a popular Harry Potter exhibition in Tokyo have fallen foul of Japan’s strict weapons control law and been recalled. The 86cm stainless steel blade, which comes mounted on a wooden plaque, is described on the Warner Bros website that promotes the event as an “authentic recreation of Godric Gryffindor’s sword”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Z2LT7xY via IFTTT
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Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty review – Charles Dance is gloriously game as Michelangelo

This astonishing docu-drama delves into the blazing rivalry between Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo – and Dance somehow resists the urge to ham it up to the max. Whatever you do, just don’t make a Ninja Turtles joke There is a growing fashion in historical documentary-making for blending factual accounts with dramatised versions thereof. Royal Kill List (about the Restoration) and Royal Bastards: The Rise of the Tudors used actors to deliver both, but others prefer to use sensible people for at least the factual stuff, and the latter is the path Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty has chosen to follow. Here are gathered contemporary artists including Antony Gormley, Alison Lapper, biographers of the artistic colossi under discussion and art historians aplenty, along with pertinent others, such as Sarah Dunant – author of several novels about Renaissance Italy. Their role is to impart the vital facts about the careers, creations and increasingly intense rivalries of Michelangelo,...
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