General news

• Australian Open 2026: Alcaraz in action after Sabalenka eases through – live

  21-01-2026 05:23 via theguardian.com
  Live updates from the day session at Melbourne Park
  Men’s No 1 plays Hanfmann on Rod Laver Arena
  Any thoughts? Get in touch with an emailSabalenka (1) 2-0 Bai* Bai starts with a slower second serve which Sabalenka easily returns and Bai meekly hits her backhand into the net. Bai is clearly nowhere near Sabalenka’s level. The Belarusian takes the second game and Bai hasn’t got a point yet.*Sabalenka (1) 1-0 Bai Sabalenka dominates from the get-go. Hitting two backhand winners o
  
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• ‘I could never hope to equal it again’: Jeffrey Archer announces next novel will be his last

  21-01-2026 05:11 via theguardian.com
  The 85-year-old bestselling author’s final novel, Adam and Eve, will be published in English in OctoberBestselling novelist Jeffrey Archer has announced his next novel, Adam and Eve, will be his last, coming out 50 years after his debut was published.The 85-year-old author has sold more than 300m books around the world since his first novel, Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less, was published in 1976, according to his publishers. His 1979 novel, Kane and Abel, was his biggest hit, selling mor
  
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• Mark Carney tells Davos the old world order is ‘not coming back’ as Trump heads to Switzerland

  21-01-2026 04:48 via theguardian.com
  Carney warns US-led global system of governance is enduring ‘a rupture’ as US president flies in for showdown with European leaders over GreenlandCanadian prime minister Mark Carney has said that the US-led global system of governance is enduring “a rupture,” defined by great power competition and a “fading” rules-based order.His speech to political and financial elites at the World Economic Forum comes a day before US President Donald Trump was set to address
  
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• New Zealand prime minister sets date for 2026 election

  21-01-2026 03:55 via theguardian.com
  Cost of living likely to dominate the agenda ahead of 7 November poll as centre-right National party battles to retain power The prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has announced New Zealand’s next general election will be held on 7 November, kickstarting a campaign cycle that could become one of the country’s most contested in years.On Wednesday, Luxon told reporters the National party would continue its agenda to “fix the basics and build the future”. Continue reading...
  
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• Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv to replace Chinese-made Mavic drones

  21-01-2026 02:27 via theguardian.com
  Popular Mavic drone will be replaced by homegrown option with longer range, says minister; digital transformation of Ukraine defence ministry and military announced. What we know on day 1,428Ukraine’s new defence minister has announced troops will begin fielding a homegrown replacement for the Chinese-made DJI Mavic drone. Reliance on China for drones and components has been a major concern for Ukraine given Beijing’s close relationship with Moscow. The retail-grade Mavic is used wid
  
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• China sees an opportunity in Greenland, but not in the way that Trump thinks

  21-01-2026 02:25 via theguardian.com
  For years, Beijing has struggled to gain a foothold in Greenland, in part because of US and Danish unity. Trump’s fraying of that alliance could create the opening it needsAccording to Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, China and Russia must be having a “field day” about Donald Trump’s plans for Greenland, which Kallas says will divide Nato.But according to Trump, his plans are motivated by a desire to counter the very threat that Kallas identi
  
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• Judge orders release of actor Timothy Busfield pending child sex abuse case

  21-01-2026 01:13 via theguardian.com
  Emmy award winner faces charges of inappropriately touching a minor while on set directing a TV seriesA judge has ordered that actor Timothy Busfield be released from jail during a detention hearing on child sex abuse charges .The order Tuesday by state district court judge David Murphy is linked to accusations that Busfield inappropriately touching a minor while working as a director on the set of the series The Cleaning Lady. Continue reading...
  
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• UK grassroots music venues show lowest decline since 2018 as sector stabilises post-pandemic

  21-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  The number of small venues shrank by just nine in 2025, but more than half of them reported making no profit, while employment in the sector dropped almost 22%The number of grassroots music venues (GMV) in the UK shrank in effect by just nine in 2025, the lowest rate of annual decline since 2018.Thirty venues closed permanently between July 2024 and 2025 and 48 ceased functioning as GMVs, citing financial viability, change in ownership and eviction or redevelopment. However, 69 spaces that had p
  
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• Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires call for higher taxes on super-rich

  21-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Mark Ruffalo, Brian Eno and Abigail Disney sign letter timed for WEF in Davos saying wealthy are buying political influenceNearly 400 millionaires and billionaires from 24 countries are calling on global leaders to increase taxes on the super-rich, amid growing concern that the wealthiest in society are buying political influence.An open letter, released to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos, calls on global leaders attending this week’s conference to close the widening gap be
  
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• Judi Dench backs campaign to protect London’s green spaces from developers

  21-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Actor says it is ‘more important than ever’ to safeguard city’s parks as report finds more than 50 are at riskDame Judi Dench has called for greater protections for London’s parks and green spaces, as research finds more than 50 of the city’s parks are at risk from development.The Oscar-winning actor has long loved trees, and in 2017 fronted a BBC documentary about her love for them. She plants a tree every time a close friend or relative dies, including for her lat
  
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• ‘Crunch time’ on rising costs of Send provision in England, says thinktank

  21-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  IFS says system failing to deliver for those who need it and ministers face stark choices with white paper imminentThe government is facing “crunch time” over the rising costs and failures of special needs education for children in England, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.The IFS said government spending on educating children with special needs would double between 2015 and 2028, “squeezing funding” for mainstream schools as a result. Continue re
  
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• Hugh Grant and Esther Ghey sign letter backing under-16s social media ban in UK

  21-01-2026 00:48 via theguardian.com
  Actor and mother of Brianna Ghey among signatories of letter to three party leaders ahead of Lords voteThe actor Hugh Grant is among the signatories of a letter urging Westminster party leaders to ban social media for children under 16.The letter to Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Ed Davey calls on them to back amendment 94a to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill, ahead of peers voting on amendments on Wednesday. Continue reading...
  
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• UK glaucoma cases will rise to 1.6m by 2060 amid ‘demographic timebomb’, experts say

  21-01-2026 00:30 via theguardian.com
  Sharp increase in leading cause of irreversible but preventable blindness driven by ageing population and shows need for early diagnosisNew estimates predict at least 1.6 million people in the UK will be living with glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, by 2060.The figure is much higher than the current 1.1 million people estimated to have the condition, research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology suggests. Continue reading...
  
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• Commuter train near Barcelona hits collapsed wall killing driver and injuring nearly 40

  21-01-2026 00:23 via theguardian.com
  Incident in Spain took place days after collision between two high-speed trains in Andalucía that killed at least 42A commuter train has hit a collapsed retaining wall near Barcelona, killing the driver and injuring 37 people, four of them seriously, firefighters have said.Four people are believed to be in a critical condition after the incident in the Catalonia region of north-eastern Spain, a spokesperson for the region’s fire service, Claudi Gallardo, told reporters. Continue rea
  
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• New York’s Met Opera announces ‘necessary’ layoffs and pay cuts

  21-01-2026 00:17 via theguardian.com
  ‘Cost-cutting’ announcement comes amid uncertainty over deal struck with Saudi Arabia to perform in RiyadhNew York’s Metropolitan Opera has announced a round of layoffs, pay cuts and program reductions as it grapples with financial strain.The organization cited problems left over from the Covid pandemic, which drastically affected performing arts shows across the US and internationally. Continue reading...
  
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• Championship roundup: Wright on time again for Coventry as Ipswich go second

  20-01-2026 23:47 via theguardian.com
  Coventry 2-1 Millwall, Ipswich 2-0 Bristol CityOsmajic sent off as Preston beaten at home by HullHaji Wright scored the winner for the second time in three days as the league leaders Coventry beat Millwall 2-1 at the CBS Arena. Wright scored an 85th-minute goal against Leicester on Saturday and notched his 10th goal of the season as Coventry made it back-to-back victories.The on-loan Crystal Palace winger Romain Esse opened his account for Coventry against his former club before Mihailo Ivanovic
  
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• Mbappé and Vinícius lead Real Madrid resurgence as Monaco are hit for six

  20-01-2026 23:35 via theguardian.com
  The scars remain and there is much to be fixed still but this was a step towards reconciliation. It was something of a statement too, and not just in the goals scored but the reaction to them. Nine days after Xabi Alonso’s sacking, six after their captain said they had hit rock bottom with Copa del Rey elimination and three after the protest of a generation, white hankies and whistles greeting the players and even the president, there were songs and support at last as Real Madrid defeated
  
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• Things You Should Have Done series two review – the Bafta-winning comedy shows flashes of brilliance

  20-01-2026 23:30 via theguardian.com
  Bridget Christie and Sarah Kendall shine in the return of this dry and quirky comedy. Although it’s starting to feel like a different show altogetherThe first series of Things You Should Have Done aired on BBC Three in early 2024, a dry and quirky comedy about a recently bereaved “stay at home daughter” from middle England. It was the brainchild of Lucia Keskin, better known online as Chi with a C, and the show marked the then 23-year-old’s transfer from internet comic (h
  
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• No ban on gas boilers in UK warm homes plan but heat pumps get £2.7bn push

  20-01-2026 23:30 via theguardian.com
  Government opts against phasing out new boilers by 2035 in effort to cut energy bills by as much as £1,000 a yearAnalysis: Labour’s warm homes plan is all carrot and no stick for UK householdsThere will be no phaseout date for gas boilers in the government’s warm homes plan despite its pledge to wean the UK off fossil fuels, but billions of pounds will go towards heat pumps and insulation upgrades.Labour’s principal attempt to solve the UK’s cost of living crisis, t
  
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• Gabriel Jesus fulfils ‘dream’ at Inter as Arsenal celebrate qualification in style

  20-01-2026 23:02 via theguardian.com
  Mission accomplished for Arsenal. A seventh win out of seven ensured Mikel Arteta’s side will head straight into the last 16 of this competition as one of the two top seeds after Gabriel Jesus scored twice – including their 19th goal of the season from a corner – to see off last year’s beaten finalists.It means that as well as getting one back over an Inter team that they lost to 14 months ago, Arsenal have surpassed their longest winning streak at this level. While Manch
  
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• Solanke leads Tottenham past 10-man Dortmund to offer relief for Frank

  20-01-2026 23:01 via theguardian.com
  It was a contender for shock result of the season. Nobody had given Tottenham any hope after the Premier League disaster here against West Ham on Saturday, one which came coated in vitriol for Thomas Frank. The fans had demanded his immediate removal as the manager, only for him to stagger on.The execution was stayed. But here were Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga’s second-placed team, who had lost only three games all season, to apply the final cut. Continue reading...
  
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• Wall Street sees worst day since October after Trump tariff threats

  20-01-2026 22:53 via theguardian.com
  Sell-off hits US stocks in first trading day since president threatened tariffs against eight countriesStock markets fell on both sides of the Atlantic on Tuesday, with Wall Street suffering its worst day since October, as investor concerns persisted over the fallout from Donald Trump’s push for US control of Greenland.The sell-off hit US stocks on the first day of trading in New York since Trump threatened new tariffs on eight European countries, after the market was closed for a public h
  
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• Canada briefly detains Israeli comedian after complaints over conduct in Gaza

  20-01-2026 22:16 via theguardian.com
  Guy Hochman says he was interrogated for six hours after legal group filed complaint accusing him of war crimesAn Israeli comedian and former combat soldier was detained and interrogated for six hours while traveling to Canada on Monday after a pro-Palestinian legal group filed a complaint against him accusing him of war crimes and “incitement to genocide”.The comedian, Guy Hochman, was detained upon arrival at Toronto Pearson international airport and only released after the interve
  
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• The transatlantic order is crumbling. Greenland is a moment of great rupture | Christopher S Chivvis

  20-01-2026 21:00 via theguardian.com
  Trump’s demand for Greenland is a throwback to the 1884 Berlin conference: a transaction of land and people driven by a might makes right worldviewThe announcement on 17 January that Washington will impose punitive tariffs of 10% to 25% on eight European allies – unless they facilitate the “complete and total purchase” of Greenland – is likely to be the death knell of the post-1945 transatlantic order. By linking the territorial sovereignty of a Nato ally to trade a
  
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• Bodø/Glimt give Manchester City one hell of a Champions League beating

  20-01-2026 20:59 via theguardian.com
  To channel Bjørge Lillelien and his famous commentary on Norway’s win against England in 1981: Pep Guardiola, your Manchester City boys took a heck of a beating here on the shores of the Norwegian Sea, below the skies of the aurora borealis, and on the Aspmyra Stadion’s ­artificial pitch graced by this immortal Bodø/Glimt victory which downed a ­continental superpower.Jonas Gahr Støre was present to witness a win that came courtesy of Kasper Høgh&r
  
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• UK to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius despite Trump’s taunts, No 10 says

  20-01-2026 20:42 via theguardian.com
  PM’s spokesperson insists government’s position is unchanged and that the US still supports the dealThe UK will press ahead with plans to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius despite Donald Trump calling it an “act of great stupidity” and suggesting it was among the reasons he wants to take over Greenland.The US president said ceding sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes the Diego Garcia military base, was a sign of “total weakness&r
  
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• Concerned European football chiefs discuss response to Trump over Greenland

  20-01-2026 20:34 via theguardian.com
  Annex attempt could bring about Uefa-led boycott Implications for World Cup alarming heads of FAsEuropean football leaders are increasingly concerned about Donald Trump’s wish to annex Greenland, and they have held initial discussions about how the sport could respond.The Guardian understands the implications for the World Cup this summer were among the topics raised among about 20 football association heads in Budapest on Monday. Talks about the Greenland crisis were held informally on th
  
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• Starmer could face rebellion by north-west Labour MPs over local funding

  20-01-2026 20:33 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: Northern towns are unfairly penalised by new three-year council settlements, say members with Liverpool seatsKeir Starmer is facing another potentially damaging rebellion, as Labour MPs from north-west towns urge the government to give their local councils more money over the next three years.Labour MPs from the Liverpool city region have written to the local government secretary, Steve Reed, urging him to change the recent three-year local funding settlement, which they say unfairly
  
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• Wales coach Steve Tandy left trapped in middle of toxic Ospreys and Cardiff saga

  20-01-2026 20:18 via theguardian.com
  Doubt over regions is fast escalating into a civil warSix Nations squad announcement overshadowedThe prevailing mood in Welsh rugby has been frequently dark, but rarely this bible black. Once upon a time a Six Nations squad announcement would have topped the agenda across the country; on Tuesday it felt like a semicolon in a much bigger narrative. Even Wales have never selected seven players whose club is in imminent danger of being axed by their own union.The bare facts of the situation are inc
  
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• Biodiversity collapse threatens UK security, intelligence chiefs warn

  20-01-2026 20:03 via theguardian.com
  Ecosystem destruction will increase food shortages, disorder and mass migration, with effects already being feltThe global attack on nature is threatening the UK’s national security, government intelligence chiefs have warned, as the increasingly likely collapse of vitally important natural systems would bring mass migration, food shortages and price rises, and global disorder.Food supplies are particularly at risk since “without significant increases” the UK would be unable to
  
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• Ella Baron on Keir Starmer, Donald Trump and social media bans – cartoon

  20-01-2026 19:56 via theguardian.com
  Continue reading...
  
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• Nervous rex: the Davos elite brace for Trump and his dinosaur diplomacy

  20-01-2026 19:52 via theguardian.com
  Leaders of EU, France and Canada stake out positions on Greenland ahead of US president’s speech to World Economic Forum“There’s no diplomacy with Donald Trump: he’s a T rex. You mate with him or he devours you.” Debate at the World Economic Forum annual meetings high in the Swiss Alps is usually scrupulously polite, but as this year’s gathering got under way in Davos on Tuesday, California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, had this blunt advice for h
  
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• The Guardian view on the French far right: mainstream parties are running out of time | Editorial

  20-01-2026 19:30 via theguardian.com
  A Paris appeals court will decide if Marine Le Pen can stand in next year’s presidential election. But legal troubles have not damaged the fortunes of her partyIn a Paris courtroom, the first act of the 2027 French presidential election is already under way. On Tuesday Marine Le Pen began to answer judges’ questions in her appeal against a conviction relating to the embezzlement of European parliament funds. If she wins, the far-right leader will be free to run for the presidency for
  
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• The Guardian view on food security: Britain can no longer trust markets alone | Editorial

  20-01-2026 19:29 via theguardian.com
  As climate and geopolitics shocks bite, countries are rebuilding food buffers. The UK clings to neoliberal ideas while households pay the priceFood policy across much of the world is changing. But not in Britain. That may be a costly mistake as the prices of essentials rise because of the climate emergency, geopolitical tensions and the fragility of just-in-time supply chains. Many capitals are now reviving their strategic food reserves. European nations such as Sweden, Finland, Norway and Germa
  
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• Trump’s board of peace is an imperial court completely unlike what was proposed

  20-01-2026 19:20 via theguardian.com
  The US president’s global club was endorsed by the security council on a false prospectus and seems aimed at displacing the United NationsLike many punters who have tried to do business with Donald Trump in the past, the UN has found itself a victim of a classic bait-and-switch, thinking it was buying one thing, but getting quite another.When they voted to endorse the board of peace in November, other members of the UN security council hoped they were binding Trump into a Gaza peace proces
  
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• Era of ‘global water bankruptcy’ is here, UN report says

  20-01-2026 19:00 via theguardian.com
  Overuse and pollution must end urgently as no one knows when whole system might collapse, says expertThe world has entered an era of “global water bankruptcy” that is harming billions of people, a UN report has declared.The overuse and pollution of water must be tackled urgently, the report’s lead author said, because no one knew when the whole system could collapse, with implications for peace and social cohesion. Continue reading...
  
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• Save Greenland for us all with a global protectorate | Letters

  20-01-2026 18:54 via theguardian.com
  Rupert Read, Andrew Boswell, Nick Brooks and Bridget McKenzie look to the Antarctic treaty to find a way forward for the high north. Plus letters from Dee Cook, Glyn Ford and othersYour leader marks the historic moment when European nations finally stepped up to Trump’s bullying over Greenland (The Guardian view on Trump and Greenland: get real! Bullying is not strength, 18 January). However, Keir Starmer’s response remains weak. By saying Greenland is only a matter for Denmark and G
  
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• We Venezuelans must choose our own path | Letter

  20-01-2026 18:53 via theguardian.com
  We need fair elections, not bombs or contracts with the US oil industry, says Gabriel Moncada BelisarioRegarding your report (Dictator ousted but regime intact – what next for Venezuela’s opposition?, 18 January), I spent the early hours of Saturday 3 January watching how my country was being bombed by the United States.While many Venezuelans hoped that Edmundo González Urrutia would be installed as the new president or that new elections would be called, t
  
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• The postponement of local elections could present an opportunity | Letters

  20-01-2026 18:53 via theguardian.com
  Readers discuss the reorganisation of councils under the English devolution bill, which has led to election delaysOne thing that’s been missing from the debate around the English devolution bill is what this change will mean for town and parish councils (More than 20 England council elections likely to be delayed until 2027, 15 January). As combined authorities start to form, it is these hyperlocal councils that will be taking the lead in shaping solutions that are
  
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• The government’s retreat from Carillion audit reforms is feeble | Nils Pratley

  20-01-2026 18:52 via theguardian.com
  Eight years after systemic flaws were exposed, ministers have abandoned their long-promised overhaul in favour of another ‘pro-growth’ nod The wait for the “long-awaited” government bill to reform the audit market is over. It is not because ministers have decided it’s embarrassing that eight years have passed since the collapse of Carillion, the massive corporate failure that reminded everybody that auditing is boring until it matters greatly that outsiders can trus
  
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• Superstates and spheres of influence | Brief letters

  20-01-2026 18:51 via theguardian.com
  Orwell’s insight | Antisocial media | AI takeover | Howff Club | Beyond the TamarInteresting article by Brendan Simms of Cambridge University on spheres of influence in the world (Has a Nazi theorist’s vision of a world divided into ‘great spaces’ found a new advocate in Trump?, 16 January). Is anyone else reminded of the three superstates in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia)?
  Carol KewleyPort Glasgow, Inverclyde• The gov
  
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• Naomi Osaka’s jellyfish-inspired outfit steals the show at Australian Open

  20-01-2026 18:32 via theguardian.com
  Over the years, tennis has had its share of noteworthy fashion moments. And Osaka added another in MelbourneNaomi Osaka’s renowned 125mph serve is positively slow compared with a jellyfish’s sting, which can cover 10 to 20 micrometres in less than one-millionth of a second. But it wasn’t just the invertebrate’s speed that the tennis player was calling on when she wore a jellyfish-inspired outfit to face Antonia Ruzic of Croatia in their first-round match at the Australian
  
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• Beckham feud: why has Brooklyn gone nuclear? | The Latest

  20-01-2026 18:32 via theguardian.com
  Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, son of David and Victoria Beckham, has appeared to permanently cut ties with his family. In an explosive statement posted on Instagram, he claimed his parents had been controlling narratives in the press about his family and tried to 'ruin' his relationship with his wife, Nicola. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian columnist Marina Hyde Continue reading...
  
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• Lucy Letby will face no new charges, Crown Prosecution Service says

  20-01-2026 17:46 via theguardian.com
  Ex-nurse is serving 15 whole-life prison terms for murder of seven babies and attempted murder of seven othersThe former nurse Lucy Letby will face no new charges on suspicion of murdering or harming babies, prosecutors have announced.Letby, 36, is serving 15 whole-life prison terms after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others in the year to June 2016. Continue reading...
  
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• Almshouse to haunted student digs: historic Newcastle building to become affordable homes

  20-01-2026 17:41 via theguardian.com
  Keelmen’s hospital, which housed dockers in 1700s, awarded £4.6m lottery grant after lying empty for 16 yearsIt was built 300 years ago as an almshouse for men who did some of the most backbreaking and dangerous work on the River Tyne.Most recently it provided fun, if chilly, accommodation for students. Now a new chapter is to be written in the history of a building considered the most at-risk structure in Newcastle, with the announcement of £4.6m lottery money to convert it in
  
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• ‘I’d come back to the UK – but I’m not playing a cop’: Oscar-tipped Wunmi Mosaku on sensational vampire smash Sinners

  20-01-2026 17:35 via theguardian.com
  She grew up on a Manchester council estate. Now she’s gone stratospheric for her pivotal role in Sinners. The star talks about leaving Britain for LA – and the £30 bus trip that changed her life‘I do love a Greggs,” says Wunmi Mosaku, as she settles into a sofa in a hotel in London’s Holborn. She’s extolling the virtues of the high-street baker after I jokingly suggested that’s what she could have for lunch, now she’s back in the UK from her
  
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• In the face of Trump’s threats, Britain’s best path is clearer than ever: hurry back to Europe | Stella Creasy

  20-01-2026 17:00 via theguardian.com
  Labour must urgently seek new roles and alliances, while also enhancing the UK’s own military capabilitiesStella Creasy is chair of the Labour Movement for EuropeIf the threats of Donald Trump prove anything, it is that the mantra of “shared values” with his administration is as much use as a chocolate teapot. Countries across the world are scrambling to adjust. Canada has announced a trade realignment towards China – and talk grows of counter-sanctions in Europe. If the
  
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• UK approves Chinese ‘mega embassy’ in London after reassurances from spy chiefs

  20-01-2026 16:57 via theguardian.com
  Critics expected to mount legal challenge to plans for vast complex at Royal Mint Court amid security concernsThe communities secretary, Steve Reed, has given permission for China to build a vast new embassy near the Tower of London after spy chiefs told him that the risks to UK national security could be controlled and dealt with.The decision paves the way for Keir Starmer to visit Beijing in the coming weeks – though local residents plan to legally challenge the decision, potentially del
  
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• Tell us your favourite confusing TV show

  20-01-2026 16:53 via theguardian.com
  We would like to hear about the shows that leave you confused, yet entertained all the sameWhat is a TV show that leaves you confused, yet entertained all the same? The Guardian’s writers are compiling their favourites – and now we would like to hear yours.If you’re having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here. Continue reading...
  
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• Russell Brand appears in UK court charged with further sexual offences

  20-01-2026 16:53 via theguardian.com
  Comedian, 50, appeared via video link from US over charges of rape and sexual assault in relation to two womenRussell Brand has appeared in a UK court via video link from the US charged with two further sexual offences, including rape.The 50-year-old comedian was charged in December with one count of rape and one count of sexual assault in relation to two women. The two alleged offences took place in 2009. Continue reading...
  
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