General news

• AI as a life coach: experts share what works, what doesn’t and what to look out for

  15-01-2026 18:00 via theguardian.com
  It’s becoming more common for people to use AI chatbots for personal guidance – but this doesn’t come without risksSign up for our free newsletter course on how to make AI work for youIf you’re like a lot of people, you’ve probably ditched your new year resolutions by now. Setting goals is hard; keeping them is harder – and failure can bring about icky feelings about yourself.This year, in an effort to game the system and tilt the scales toward success, some p
  
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• The best (non-greasy) hand creams in the UK to soften dry and chapped skin, tested

  15-01-2026 16:00 via theguardian.com
  Cold weather cracking your hands? From cult classics to anti-ageing formulas, these creams will nourish and protect• The best body moisturisers, testedThe skin on your hands is exposed to all sorts of stressors, from cold weather to cleaning products. Even hand soap can strip skin of its natural oils, causing dryness and irritation. Whether you’re struggling with skin dryness or want something with anti-ageing benefits, there’s probably a hand cream that can help.The best hand c
  
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• My rookie era: peer pressure brought me to bouldering, then I found calm in ‘the way of the wall’

  15-01-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  My friends were already experienced climbers, while I was starting at zero. My first day brought many hard lessonsRead more summer essentialsAt first, I didn’t notice it. When it became too big to not notice, I ignored it. In my ignorance, I even mocked it. It wasn’t until it had completely subsumed my inner circle that I was forced to accept reality: my friends can climb up walls like mountain goats.Bouldering is the art of ascending short “climbs” using time-tested tech
  
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• Tell us: how were you affected by grief over a pet?

  15-01-2026 14:41 via theguardian.com
  We would like to hear about what your pet meant to you and your familyGrief over the death of a pet could be as chronic as that for a human family member, according new research published in the academic journal PLOS One.According to the study, grieving pet owners can suffer from prolonged grief disorder (PGD) – although currently only those grieving the loss of a person can be diagnosed. Continue reading...
  
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• Tell us about the pub that changed you

  15-01-2026 14:14 via theguardian.com
  We would like to hear about your much-loved locals. What was the pub that changed you – and how?As part of a new series, writers are telling the stories of the pub that changed them, kicking off with Zoe Williams who was barred from the Spoons she adored most.Now we would like to hear about your much-loved locals. Was there a bar of your past that left a lasting impression on you? What was the pub that changed you – and how? Let us know and we’ll publish a selection of your res
  
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• Not keen on feeble nolo wine? Try these instead

  15-01-2026 14:00 via theguardian.com
  There are some decent wine substitutes out there that are worth trying – but it’s always worth remembering that they aren’t actually ‘wine’Are you a lover of oaky rioja, or maybe zingy Kiwi sauvignon blanc, and looking to find a non-alcoholic lookalike? To put it bluntly, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. Alcohol does much more than make you tipsy; it is the magic ingredient that gives so much of wine’s wondrous complexity, character and charm. Not on
  
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• Has Joe Rogan fully soured on Trump’s presidency?

  15-01-2026 14:00 via theguardian.com
  With a huge audience and serving as an avatar for millions of centrist Americans, Rogan compares ICE raids to GestapoJoe Rogan’s comparison of US immigration raids to Gestapo operations, made during a podcast episode earlier this week, has sparked speculation about whether the wildly popular podcaster, who endorsed Donald Trump in 2024, has fully soured on Trump’s presidency – and what that might say of the millions of mainly young men who listen to Rogan’s show.Rogan&rsq
  
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• Grief over pet death can be as strong as that for family member, survey shows

  15-01-2026 13:55 via theguardian.com
  Researcher calls for guidelines for diagnosing prolonged grief disorder to be expanded to cover people who lose petsGrief over the death of a pet could be as chronic as that for a human family member, research has shown, confirming what many people already know about their bond with their furry friends.People grieving the loss of a pet can suffer from prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a mental health condition brought about by the death of a loved one, a survey published in the academic journal PL
  
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• Hunt, scroll, strike gold: the best clothes and accessories to buy secondhand – and where to find them

  15-01-2026 13:19 via theguardian.com
  From vintage suede to discount designer heels, these wardrobe staples are often better preloved• From beeswax to baby wipes: how to make your leather last a lifetimeWhat’s not to love about secondhand shopping? You get one-off pieces while making an environmentally conscious fashion choice. From party dresses to jeans, some pieces are even better – and much more affordable – vintage. A well-made, brand-new leather jacket could set you back anywhere between £150 and &
  
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• Greenland: new shipping routes, hidden minerals – and a frontline between the US and Russia?

  15-01-2026 13:10 via theguardian.com
  Key maps show the growing strategic importance of Greenland as Arctic ice melts under global heatingLying between the US and Russia, Greenland has become a critical frontline as the Arctic opens up because of global heating.Its importance has been underscored by Donald Trump openly considering the US taking the island from its Nato partner Denmark, either by buying it, or by force. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘​How do you really tell the truth about this moment?’: George Saunders on ghosts, mortality and Trump’s America

  15-01-2026 12:00 via theguardian.com
  The Lincoln in the Bardo author is back with another metaphysical tale. He discusses Buddhism, partisan politics and the terrifying flight that changed his lifeLike his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the Booker prize in 2017, George Saunders’s new novel is a ghost story. In Vigil, an oil tycoon who spent a lifetime covering up the scientific evidence for climate change is visited on his deathbed by a host of spirits, who force him to grapple with his legacy. What draws Saunde
  
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• World's biggest offshore wind farm being built off Yorkshire coast - £6bn boost for UK

  15-01-2026 11:37 via express.co.uk
  The UK's energy minister has hailed the project as a way of making "billions for the UK while also delivering thousands of good jobs".
  
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• Emley LIVE: Police swarm small UK village as forensics comb path

  15-01-2026 11:37 via express.co.uk
  Scientific support officers were spotted arriving to the scene.
  
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• Lidl to open 19 new UK stores by March – full list of locations

  15-01-2026 11:26 via express.co.uk
  Lidl is expanding in the UK. After recently opening its 1,000th store, more are on the way for fans of the budget supermarket.
  
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• Two chocolate giants shrink Easter eggs in 2026 by 18% - with increased prices

  15-01-2026 11:14 via express.co.uk
  The changes affect some of the UK's most recognisable Easter products.
  
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• Commodore 64 Ultimate review – it’s like 1982 all over again!

  15-01-2026 11:14 via theguardian.com
  Showing the value of great design over visual impact, this faithfully resurrected home computer seamlessly integrates modern tech with some wonderful additional touchesThe emotional hit was something I didn’t expect, although perhaps I should have. The Commodore 64 Ultimate, a new version of the legendary 8-bit computer, comes in a box designed to resemble the original packaging – a photo of the machine itself on a background of deep blue fading into a series of white stripes. Then w
  
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• 'I quit UK for Spanish region that becomes paradise in January'

  15-01-2026 11:12 via express.co.uk
  Brit Mark Danby swapped his life in the United Kingdom for the Costa Del Sol a year ago after realising he was fed up with the British winters
  
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• Cold Weather Payments hit 1.5 million Brits' bank accounts - full list of postcodes

  15-01-2026 11:09 via express.co.uk
  Payments from the end of December will be dropping into Brits' bank accounts this week. Find out if your postcode is included.
  
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• 'Major incident' declared as schools and homes evacuated after two bombs found in UK city

  15-01-2026 10:32 via express.co.uk
  The two unexploded bombs, including one weighing 50kg, were discovered in the city.
  
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• Met Office urges Brits in 47 areas to ‘store valuables up high’ during weather warning

  15-01-2026 10:27 via express.co.uk
  Heavy rain is forecast to lash the UK with people urged to prepare themselves.
  
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• RAC urges 'don't' warm engine up before driving in winter

  15-01-2026 10:12 via express.co.uk
  Drivers can save money thanks to the RAC-approved advice shared online
  
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• Rush hour chaos on major A-road as horror incidents with horses spark 60-minutes delays

  15-01-2026 10:03 via express.co.uk
  The road has temporarily been closed and diversions in place.
  
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• South East Water under investigation by regulator amid UK water outage chaos

  15-01-2026 09:58 via express.co.uk
  South East Water has been hit with a probe from the industry watchdog after repeated outages since November have left tens of thousands of homes and businesses without supply across Kent and Sussex.
  
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• Keir Starmer just hit a humiliating new low - somebody please put him out of his misery

  15-01-2026 09:55 via express.co.uk
  Yesterday, the Prime Minister embarrassed himself. The nation cringed as one.
  
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• M60 closed LIVE: Traffic chaos as 'sewage spill' floods major motorway near Manchester

  15-01-2026 09:27 via express.co.uk
  National Highways said flooding is affecting the carriageway between J16 and J15
  
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• You be the judge: should my daughter pay the fine we incurred dropping her at the airport?

  15-01-2026 09:00 via theguardian.com
  Margaret says her daughter didn’t pay the airport charge, so it’s on her. Georgie says this cock up is all her mum’s doing. You decide who got them into this fine mess
  • Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a jurorWe dropped Georgia off in her own car and she didn’t pay the drop-off fee, so the fine is hersI didn’t know you had to pay for drop-off. Mum knew and didn’t tell me, so she should help pay Continue reading...
  
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• New fury at Rachel Reeves as fuming independent booksellers issue new demand

  15-01-2026 08:51 via express.co.uk
  Industry figures have hit out at a "frustrating lack of recognition" for the value of bookshops after the Chancellor refused to extend a financial aid scheme.
  
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• Major insurance company plunges into administration - 16,000 policies cancelled

  15-01-2026 08:16 via express.co.uk
  Over 16,000 policyholders have been affected by the failure.
  
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• Major UK retailer loved by Princess Kate plunges into administration - 9 stores at risk

  15-01-2026 08:04 via express.co.uk
  The Princess of Wales has been photographed in stunning dresses from the fashion chain over the years during royal engagements.
  
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• ‘I’ve never felt such a skin-zinging feeling of being alive’: my year of swimming in Nordic seas

  15-01-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Dipping in the freezing waters of Scandinavia, Greenland and Finland was life-changing – and full of warmth thanks to saunas, hot springs and like-minded peopleWarm lights shine from the houses that dot the wintry slopes of Mount Fløyen and a cold wind blows as I stand in a swimming costume trying to talk myself into joining my friends in Bergen harbour. Stars are already appearing in the inky mid-afternoon sky.Life-changing moments are easy to spot in retrospect, but at the time th
  
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• Labour's 'disgraceful attack on democracy' denies 4 million people vote

  15-01-2026 06:37 via express.co.uk
  In a surprising twist, millions may find themselves voiceless in the upcoming local elections, sparking outrage and accusations of a democratic betrayal.
  
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• Is it the end of the line for one of India’s most distinctive garments?

  15-01-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  The bandhgala jacket will no longer be part of the formal uniform for Indian Railways staff, following claims it symbolises a ‘colonial mindset’It is one India’s most ubiquitous garments, with origins in the grand Mughal courts and Rajasthani kingdoms of times past, and still widely favoured by sharply dressed grooms at wedding receptions.But this week, the distinctive high-collared bandhgala jacket – known to many as the “princely jacket” in a nod to its roya
  
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• Shabana Mahmood humiliated as Home Office-funded migrant work app exposes Labour 'lies'

  15-01-2026 05:54 via express.co.uk
  An app, funded by the Home Office, is stirring debate as it aids Channel migrants in finding work in the UK, sparking a furious response from critics
  
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• Iran closes airspace to all flights as foreign minister denies it plans to execute protesters – live

  15-01-2026 04:59 via theguardian.com
  US president says ‘important sources’ also told him executions not going ahead as Iran extends order closing its airspace to commercial flightsUS and UK military to withdraw some personnel from Middle East amid Iranian threatsAnalysis: why western diplomats are wary of predicting end days for Iran’s regimeMassacres and executions: what are we hearing from inside Iran? – podcastFor the first time in days, Iranians were able to make calls abroad from their mobiles on Tuesda
  
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• Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy declares energy emergency as cities shiver

  15-01-2026 03:30 via theguardian.com
  Night-time temperatures dip close to -20C; minister outlines major problems with desertion and conscription evasion. What we know on day 1,422Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to declare a state of emergency in Ukraine’s energy sector to tackle disrupted power supplies after heavy Russian attacks. Energy imports would also be increased, the Ukrainian president said. Emergency crews in Ukraine have proceeded with round-the-clock efforts to restore power and heating supplies at a time when night-time t
  
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• ISS astronauts begin journey back to Earth in Nasa’s first ever medical evacuation

  15-01-2026 02:54 via theguardian.com
  Four astronauts undock from International Space Station, with the affected crewmember in a stable condition, says space agencyFour crew members have left the International Space Station (ISS) and are heading back to Earth after a medical issue prompted their mission to be cut a month short in Nasa’s first medical evacuation.A video feed from Nasa showed American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui undocking from the IS
  
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• All Blacks begin search for new coach after ‘gutted’ Scott Robertson departs

  15-01-2026 02:32 via theguardian.com
  Robertson leaves role two years into four-year contractDecision to part ways comes after internal NZR reviewScott Robertson has stepped down as New Zealand coach following an internal review of the All Blacks’ performance.Speculation over Robertson’s future has mounted since December amid reports of friction between senior players and All Blacks staff. Continue reading...
  
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• Trump is making China – not America – great again, global survey suggests

  15-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: US is less feared by its traditional adversaries, while its allies feel ever more distant, results showA year after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, a global survey suggests much of the world believes his nation-first, “Make America Great Again” approach is instead helping to make China great again.The 21-country survey for the influential European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank also found that under Trump, the US is less feared by its traditi
  
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• Traces of cancer-linked pesticide found in tests at UK playgrounds

  15-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Pressure mounting for use of glyphosate, listed by WHO since 2015 as probable carcinogen, to be heavily restrictedChildren are potentially being exposed to the controversial weedkiller glyphosate at playgrounds across the UK, campaigners have said after testing playgrounds in London and the home counties.The World Health Organization has listed glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen since 2015. However, campaigners say local authorities in the UK are still using thousands of litres of glyphos
  
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• Reform UK politicians should be barred from speaking on campus, say 35% of students

  15-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Survey by education thinktank finds ‘contradictory’ attitudes towards free speech at UK universitiesOne-third of students think Reform UK politicians should be barred from speaking on university campuses, according to a survey of student attitudes towards free speech that organisers described as “contradictory” and confusing.While 69% of students told the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) survey that universities should “never limit free speech”, simila
  
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• NHS corridor care is ‘torture’ leading to patient deaths and staff nightmares

  15-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Royal College of Nursing publishes dossier of evidence including case of elderly patient who choked to death in corridorCorridor care is “a type of torture” that is leading to patients dying and causing NHS staff to have nightmares, the UK’s nurses union has warned.In one case, an elderly patient choked to death in a corridor, unseen by staff, according to a new dossier of evidence highlighting the problem published by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Continue reading...
  
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• Dog owners are only just learning why pets show them their bellies

  15-01-2026 01:01 via express.co.uk
  Dog experts have explained the top five reasons why a pooch might show off its belly, after an owner shared concerns about the behaviour.
  
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• Churchill’s desk and rare artwork among items donated to UK cultural institutions

  15-01-2026 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Items worth £59.7m allocated to museums, galleries, libraries and archives as part of Arts Council England schemeWinston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli’s desk, a painting by Vanessa Bell and a rare artwork by Edgar Degas are among the items of cultural importance saved for the nation this year.The items, worth a total of £59.7m, will be allocated to museums, galleries, libraries and archives around the UK as part of Art Council England’s cultural gifts and acceptance in
  
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• Police chief behind Maccabi Tel Aviv ban clings to job despite home secretary wanting him to quit

  15-01-2026 00:48 via theguardian.com
  Shabana Mahmood has lost confidence in Craig Guildford over his force’s ‘exaggerated and untrue’ intelligence assessmentsExplainer: What did West Midlands police chief get wrong in decision to ban Maccabi fans?The police chief who used “exaggerated and untrue” intelligence to justify a ban on Israeli football fans was clinging on to his job on Wednesday, despite the home secretary demanding he resign.Craig Guildford, who leads West Midlands police, is determined to
  
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• Judd Trump and Neil Robertson wins continue run of 6-2 scores at Masters

  15-01-2026 00:30 via theguardian.com
  Trump defeats Ding Junhui, Robertson sinks WakelinAll eight first-round games ended in same scorelineThe world No 1 Judd Trump made three centuries as he saw off Ding Junhui 6-2 to move into the quarter-finals of the Masters, before Neil Robertson defeated Chris Wakelin by the same score – meaning that all eight first-round matches at London’s Alexandra Palace finished 6-2.After edging a lengthy first frame, Trump – who was not able to lift any silverware in 2025 – crafte
  
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• Arbeloa starts Real Madrid tenure with disastrous Copa del Rey defeat at Albacete

  15-01-2026 00:25 via theguardian.com
  Last 16: Albacete 3-2 Real MadridStoppage-time winner secures huge upsetFor 20 minutes of Álvaro Arbeloa’s debut as manager of Real Madrid, the fog came down and no one could see any football. For the other 70, they couldn’t either. Not from his team, at least. From Albacete Balompié, 17th in the second division, they witnessed something magical. An outrageous goal scored with single second to go was the perfect end to the greatest story they ever told, history made. Wh
  
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• Morocco book place in home Afcon final as Bounou denies Nigeria in shootout

  15-01-2026 00:10 via theguardian.com
  Morocco advanced to the Africa Cup of Nations final on penalties, beating Nigeria 4-2 in the final shootout after their semi-final ended goalless after extra time.Yassine Bounou saved two spot kicks for the tournament hosts, keeping out Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi’s efforts. Nigeria keeper Stanley Nwabali denied Hamza Igamane with the first save of the shootout, but it proved to be in vain. Continue reading...
  
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