General news

• Wes Streeting to offer resident doctors bigger pay rise to end dispute

  04-02-2026 23:45 via theguardian.com
  Health secretary to increase pay offer and guarantee working conditions for resident doctors only Wes Streeting is to offer resident doctors a bigger pay rise than other NHS staff in England as part of a new package of measures to try to end their long-running dispute.The health secretary also plans to guarantee resident doctors that hospitals will be fined if they do not give them good working conditions, such as rest areas and access to hot food. Continue reading...
  
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• Michael Jackson: The Trial review – these unheard recordings of the singer make for alarming listening

  04-02-2026 23:00 via theguardian.com
  This troubling documentary charts the events leading up to and surrounding Jackson’s 2005 trial for molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo (of which he was found innocent) – and features newly released tapes of JacksonIn her 2019 essay Lost Boy, the Pulitzer-winning writer Margo Jefferson considered Michael Jackson’s legacy in the wake of Dan Reed’s Leaving Neverland, the HBO/Channel 4 exposé that starkly and devastatingly laid out the testimonies of two men who allege
  
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• US and Iran talks brought back from the brink after White House relents on move to Oman

  04-02-2026 22:33 via theguardian.com
  Talks that had been scheduled in Turkey salvaged after Arab states convince White House not to walk away from negotiationsTalks between the US and Iran scheduled for Friday have been brought back from the brink of collapse after the US initially rejected Iran’s request to move them from Turkey to Oman without the presence of a group of Arab states.Iran’s foreign minister said late on Wednesday that the talks would proceed in Oman after reports of a last-minute effort by Arab states t
  
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• Tesco sorry for putting up Welsh bilingual signs in Cornwall

  04-02-2026 20:12 via theguardian.com
  Campaigners say they appreciate attempt to use Cornish but mistake points to need for more access to languageShoppers in Cornwall could have been forgiven for feeling bemused after a supermarket put up bilingual signs – in Welsh.A branch of Tesco in Helston – about 200 miles from south Wales by road – pointed shoppers towards pysgod, which is Welsh, not Cornish, for fish. It also labelled sweet potato as tatws melys – again Welsh instead of Cornish. Continue reading...
  
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• Palestinians in Egypt torn on returning to battle-scarred Gaza with ‘no future’ - The Times of Israel

  04-02-2026 20:08 via news.google.com
  Palestinians in Egypt torn on returning to battle-scarred Gaza with ‘no future’  The Times of IsraelGazans returning through Rafah crossing describe checks by Palestinian militia  BBCGaza patients head to Rafah crossing as people return amid Israeli attacks  Al JazeeraGaza: Rafah crossing reopens under Israeli restrictions - The Latest  The GuardianWave of emotion as first Gazans use Rafah Crossing to return home to loved ones  Sky Ne
  
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• The Guardian view on Welsh rugby: enduring an existential crisis with cultural roots | Editorial

  04-02-2026 19:36 via theguardian.com
  As the Six Nations Championship kicks off, a nation that bestrode the game in the 1960s and 70s is struggling to competeWelsh rugby fans usually look forward to the start of the men’s Six Nations Championship, which kicks off on Thursday, with excitement, but this time the feeling will be one of trepidation. The Welsh men’s recent record has been abysmal. They have won twice in their past 22 matches – both narrow victories against Japan. Wales’s most recent defeat was a 7
  
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• The Guardian view on Epstein, power and accountability: full transparency is the least survivors deserve | Editorial

  04-02-2026 19:36 via theguardian.com
  As the wheels of justice begin to turn in Britain, a spotlight should also shine on the financier’s wealthy enablers in the US“The more Epstein documents get released, the more we see how he had so many powerful friends, and that’s ultimately what helped him,” commented the US lawyer Lisa Bloom in an interview with the Guardian this week. As Ms Bloom, who represents 11 of Jeffrey Epstein’s dogged and brave victims, drily notes: “That’s not the way the ju
  
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• Nigel Farage’s two-day trip to Davos cost more than £50,000, documents reveal

  04-02-2026 19:20 via theguardian.com
  Reform UK leader received two guest passes from Iranian-born billionaire and declares attendance at event on register of MPs’ interestsNigel Farage’s two-day trip to Davos cost more than £50,000 after he was given two guest passes by an Iranian-born billionaire, documents show.The Reform UK leader officially declared his attendance at the conference on the register of MPs’ interests, after giving speeches at the Switzerland summit in which he pledged to “put the glo
  
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• Lindsey Vonn forced to wait as first women’s Winter Olympics downhill training cancelled

  04-02-2026 19:06 via theguardian.com
  US skiing icon must wait to test injured kneeCoach confident skier will be competitive at GamesLindsey Vonn has been forced to wait for her chance to test her injured knee after heavy snowfall led to the cancellation of the first women’s downhill training at the Winter Olympics.The American skiing icon was due to take part in Thursday morning’s training session in Cortina d’Ampezzo as she attempts to compete at the 2026 Games with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her le
  
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• Glencore-Rio Tinto megamerger ‘hangs in the balance’ as deadline looms - Financial Times

  04-02-2026 19:05 via news.google.com
  Glencore-Rio Tinto megamerger ‘hangs in the balance’ as deadline looms  Financial TimesRio Tinto and Glencore abandon $260bn merger plan  Financial TimesRio Tinto and Glencore abandon revived $260bn merger plan  The GuardianRio Tinto investors ditch Australian shares as merger talks climax  AFRRio Tinto abandons £190bn mega-merger with Glencore  The Telegraph
  
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• Why the Chagos Islands’ ecology will not be wrecked by return to Mauritius | Letters

  04-02-2026 18:57 via theguardian.com
  Readers respond to a letter which warned that Mauritius could destroy the islands’ ‘pristine’ tropical ecosystemThere has long been a lobby against returning the Chagos Islands to Mauritius based on tenuous environmental arguments, and Clive Hambler’s letter (28 January) is an example. While the marine ecosystems of the Chagos are relatively pristine, the terrestrial environments are not, as the islands were used as major coconut plantations for a couple of centuries befo
  
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• Who would want to lead the ‘British FBI’? | Letter

  04-02-2026 18:57 via theguardian.com
  The proposed National Police Service, encompassing counter-terrorism and regional crime units along with the duties of the National Crime Agency, will be unmanageable, writes Peter SommerThe National Police Service (NPS) is the fourth or fifth iteration of a “British FBI”, not the third (What is Shabana Mahmood proposing in ‘biggest ever’ policing reforms? 26 January). Before the Serious And Organised Crime Agency and the National Crime Agency, we had a National Crime Squ
  
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• The link between population growth and biodiversity loss | Letters

  04-02-2026 18:57 via theguardian.com
  Amy Jankiewicz says the government must address the effect of global increases in population and unsustainable consumption patterns as intertwined challengesGeorge Monbiot’s article (The UK government didn’t want you to see this report on ecosystem collapse. I’m not surprised, 27 January) highlights the grave risks identified in the UK government’s report Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security. However, it overlooks a key factor highlighted in
  
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• PE funding and the true cost of obesity | Letter

  04-02-2026 18:57 via theguardian.com
  A call for a joined-up approach to tackling obesity from Prof Les MayhewThe possible cuts to Whitehall’s physical education funding left one misty-eyed for that jargonistic catchphrase of the Blair era: joined-up government (Government row breaks out over plan to cut spending for PE in England’s schools, 27 January).Coincidentally, your story appeared hours after the NHS published data from its Health Survey England. Inevitably, the 2024 data revealed another rise in the percentage o
  
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• Nicola Jennings on Keir Starmer and Peter Mandelson – cartoon

  04-02-2026 18:22 via theguardian.com
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• Tell us your all-time favourite moments from the Winter Olympics

  04-02-2026 18:15 via theguardian.com
  We would like to hear about your favourite ever moments from the Winter Olympics With the Winter Olympic Games underway, we would like to hear about the moments from the games that stayed with you, and why. Was there a particular athlete who entertained you? Or an event that inspired you? Tell us your favourite ever moment from the Winter Olympics and why.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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• Goofy! Pouty! Unvampy! With nine films on the go, can Charli xcx act?

  04-02-2026 17:53 via theguardian.com
  She’s the edgy British brat who conquered the world with her hard-partying, electro-banging aesthetic. But can the star now go where Beyoncé and Harry Styles stumbled – and smash the silver screen?In the back of a cab, Charli xcx drags a makeup wipe across her face. A closeup of that face, with its distinctive halo of dark hair, the lipstick-smeared pout and lush, overgrown eyebrows, is perhaps the most striking scene in her new film The Moment. Charli peels a strip of ugly st
  
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• King must feel vindicated for cutting off Andrew by latest Epstein files release

  04-02-2026 17:43 via theguardian.com
  Position of Mountbatten-Windsor now appears even more grave, and the shadow cast over his family even darkerWhen King Charles stripped Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his titles and announced he would be booted out of Royal Lodge, Buckingham Palace said the “censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him”.Four months and more than 3m documents later, Charles must surely feel vindicated on his tough approach. For while there
  
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• Shamed by the Epstein scandal, riven by infighting: have the UK royals ever been in a bigger mess than this? | Stephen Bates

  04-02-2026 17:33 via theguardian.com
  The sad truth is that we are witnessing a legacy of the over-indulgent late queen: an organisation unable to meet today’s challengesCurious that the Epstein scandal, which has caused such an overwhelming furore in the US, should so far have done more to damage the British royal family than the US presidency. Even though many Americans have an obsession with the minutiae of the monarchy and all its works – despite proudly revolting against the institution themselves 250 years ago &nda
  
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• Rete ridges form via evolutionarily distinct mechanisms in mammalian skin - Nature

  04-02-2026 17:04 via news.google.com
  Rete ridges form via evolutionarily distinct mechanisms in mammalian skin  NaturePigs may hold clues to youthful human skin  National Hog FarmerPigs and grizzly bears may be the key to youthful human skin  The Brighter Side of NewsWSU researchers say studying pig and grizzly bear skin may unlock new anti-aging, scar repair therapies  KREM
  
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• ‘Downright adorable’: why Alan Carr and Amanda Holden are TV’s most lovable duo

  04-02-2026 16:41 via theguardian.com
  One is the ultimate hun, the other is TV’s most infectiously funny presence and together, they’re a dream team. Their feelgood Greek Job is like a holiday with your two most outrageous matesIt might have aired on 5 January but it was instantly hailed as a contender for TV moment of the year. Egged on by his pal Amanda Holden, the reluctant Alan Carr braved a huge slide at a water park in Corfu called the Black Hole. “It’s pitch black,” warned Holden. “You won&
  
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• Chinese carmaker Chery to launch fourth brand in UK

  04-02-2026 16:04 via theguardian.com
  State-owned company will sell under the Lepas brand, continuing its rapid expansion in the British marketBusiness live – latest updatesThe Chinese carmaker Chery is launching a fourth brand in the UK, continuing a push into the British market where it has rapidly become a major player.The state-owned company said on Wednesday it would sell cars under the Lepas brand, which is developing battery and hybrid SUVs aimed at younger families, mainly in the European market. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘One moment it was a little blip. The next, our friends are dying’: the gay porn soundtrack composers lost to the Aids crisis

  04-02-2026 16:00 via theguardian.com
  Gay porn in the 80s was home to beautifully moody synth music that is only now getting rediscovered – tragically too late for many of its creatorsMichael Ely knew from the first moment he met James Allan Taylor that he had found someone special. The pair had separately hitchhiked to a gay bar, with fake IDs, in Sunset Beach, California. They connected, they danced and stepped outside for a kiss in the thick fog. “I was only 18 but I knew I had just met my soulmate,” says Ely.Th
  
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• I cooked 40 batches of soup to test the best soup makers in the UK – here are my favourites

  04-02-2026 16:00 via theguardian.com
  We simmered 40 batches of soup to see which makers are worth their stock, including self-cleaning wonders and the best for busy families• The best blenders, testedWhen our bodies crave something nourishing, few things fit the bill better than a bowl of thrifty, healthy and comforting homemade soup. Having a few soup recipes in your back pocket is an affordable and easy way to up your vegetable intake.However, homemade soups can be time-consuming to make – what with having to saute the
  
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• Team GB’s best chance of Winter Olympics gold dealt major blow after helmets ban

  04-02-2026 15:48 via theguardian.com
  Skeleton crew’s helmets ruled ineligible on eve of GamesGreat Britain appeal to court of arbitration for sportGreat Britain’s best hopes of gold at these Winter Olympics have suffered a setback after skeleton’s governing body banned its new aerodynamic helmets for being the wrong shape.Team GB’s Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt have dominated skeleton all season, winning all seven of the World Cup races between them, and are strong favourites to win gold and silver in Milan.
  
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• ‘It’s about hurling yourself into the unknown’: Charmaine Watkiss on turning a UK museum upside down

  04-02-2026 15:35 via theguardian.com
  The artist’s work resurfaces skills and knowledge that colonialism buried. She explains how her drawings and sculpture weave botanical illustration and traditional craft to engage with generational traumaWhen the artist Charmaine Watkiss was a child, she frequently visited G Baldwin’s, a herbalist who sold natural remedies and essential oils in London’s Elephant and Castle, to pick up medicinal herbs and sarsaparilla for her mother. “They’ve had an apothecary for ov
  
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• Revealed: Israel bulldozed part of Gaza war cemetery containing allied graves

  04-02-2026 15:17 via theguardian.com
  Satellite images and witness testimony show destruction as IDF claims it was forced to take defensive measuresIsraeli forces have bulldozed part of a Gaza cemetery containing the war graves of dozens of British, Australian and other allied soldiers killed in the first and second world wars, satellite imagery and witness testimony reveal.Satellite imagery of the Gaza war cemetery in al-Tuffah, a district of Gaza City, shows extensive earthworks in the southernmost corner of the graveyard. Bomb cr
  
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• Drax insiders privately raised concerns over its sustainability claims, court papers show

  04-02-2026 15:02 via theguardian.com
  Company publicly denied allegations that primary forests were being cut down to fuel UK’s biggest power plantSenior executives at Drax raised concerns internally about the validity of the energy company’s sustainability claims while it publicly denied allegations that it was cutting down environmentally important forests for fuel, court documents have revealed.Britain’s biggest power plant assured ministers and civil servants of the company’s green credentials as it scram
  
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• Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: lift your winter look with a pop of white

  04-02-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Like the first cluster of snowdrops, a burst of white is a reminder to focus on the positive – just don’t go full snowmanEveryone knows that the prettiest scraps of winter are the precious snow days. At this time of year, when it feels like we’ve been scurrying around in near-constant darkness like moles for as long as we can remember, we crave the brightness you get with snowfall – and the glamour of it, too. The disco-ball sparkle of frost is a counterpoint to
  
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• Bamboo: superfood or superfad? Here’s what our study actually said - The Conversation

  04-02-2026 14:53 via news.google.com
  Bamboo: superfood or superfad? Here’s what our study actually said  The ConversationIndonesian Bamboo Shoots: A Low-Calorie Food to Support Cholesterol and Blood Glucose Control  Universitas Gadjah Mada4 surprising health benefits of bamboo, the new superhero in wellness  Moneycontrol🌱 Bamboo, the future of gastronomy?  Techno-Science.netChannel Your Inner Panda: Bamboo May Just Be the Next Big Superfood Trend  VegNews.com
  
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• UK services sector job cuts continue as companies automate, PMI survey shows

  04-02-2026 14:47 via theguardian.com
  ‘Longest period of job shedding’ in 16 years taking place as business activity grows at fastest rate since August• Business live – latest updatesCompanies in the UK’s services sector cut jobs last month, as they turned to “automation” rather than hiring new staff, a closely watched survey showed.The monthly purchasing managers’ index showed employment numbers fell more sharply in January compared with December, continuing a trend that started in Oct
  
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• Dancing robots and a military parade: photos of the day – Wednesday

  04-02-2026 14:27 via theguardian.com
  The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world Continue reading...
  
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• ‘A small Africa in Colombia’: the palenqueras of Cartagena

  04-02-2026 14:13 via theguardian.com
  In the south American port city, an expressive Black ancestral community live full, self-fashioned lives protected by culture and identity• Don’t already get The Long Wave in your inbox? Sign up hereHello and welcome to The Long Wave. This week, it comes to you from Cartagena, Colombia, where I was attending a literary festival but, to be honest, have been mostly eating empanadas. It was my first time in Latin America, and I was not quite ready for a strange sort of culture shock, one
  
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• Pro-gun groups quickly rallied for Alex Pretti. Why didn’t they do the same for a Black gun owner?

  04-02-2026 14:00 via theguardian.com
  Philando Castile, a lawful gun owner, was shot and killed by a police officer in 2016 – gun rights groups were largely silentThe killing of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis has sparked a thorny conversation among gun rights groups and Trump administration officials about the second amendment and the right to carry concealed firearms at protests and demonstrations. Among the questions is which cases the movement rallies behind – and which it doesn’t.In th
  
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• How to make moreish cookies from store-cupboard odds and ends – recipe | Waste not

  04-02-2026 14:00 via theguardian.com
  Almost anything goes with these thrifty and delicious cookiesI often eat a bag of salty crisps at the same time as a chewy chocolate bar, alternating bite for bite between the two, because the extreme contrast of salt from the chips and the sweetness of the chocolate fire off each other and create an endorphin rush. The same goes for these cookies, adapted from a recipe by Christina Tosi at New York’s legendary Milk Bar. Continue reading...
  
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• Goodbye, breast implants: why I went back to having a flat chest

  04-02-2026 14:00 via theguardian.com
  At 56, I want to age naturally. Having breast implants ran counter to that, so I got explant surgery, which has surged in demand recentlyFor 22 years, I ran around with small bags of saline water on my chest – a fact I shared with only a handful of close friends. I felt ashamed of having chosen artificial enhancement.I’m an outdoorsy mountain runner. At 56, I want to model aging naturally, but having breast implants ran counter to that. Now they are gone, thanks to explant surgery &n
  
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• Gaming’s new coming-of-age genre embraces ‘millennial cringe’

  04-02-2026 13:35 via theguardian.com
  Perfect Tides perfectly captures the older millennial college experience, and a time when nobody worried about being embarrassing online• Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereI’ve noticed an interesting micro-trend emerging in the last few years: millennial nostalgia games. Not just ones that adopt the aesthetic of Y2K gaming – think Crow Country or Fear the Spotlight’s deliberately retro PS1-style fuzzy polygons – but semi-autobiograp
  
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• Winter Olympics: full schedule and live scores for Milano Cortina 2026

  04-02-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  Keep abreast of every event at the Winter Olympics with our day-by-day and sport-by-sport schedules, and follow events liveThe Winter Olympics returns to Italy for the first time in two decades. From the fashion capital of Milan to the dramatic peaks of Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Milano Cortina Games – the first to be co-hosted by two cities – will stretch across northern Italy blending world-class winter sport with a strong sense of history and ambition.Sixteen sports and more tha
  
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• Dog the Bounty Hunter's stepson 'arrested over fatal shooting of his child' - The Mirror

  04-02-2026 12:45 via news.google.com
  Dog the Bounty Hunter's stepson 'arrested over fatal shooting of his child'  The MirrorCollier County man faces life for son's death in alcohol-fueled gun mishap  WINK NewsDog the Bounty Hunter’s stepson arrested over fatal shooting of his son  The IndependentTom Homan pledges Trump admin ‘not backing down’ as hundreds of officers are removed from Minnesota  AOL.comCollier County prosecutors want bounty hunter's stepson jailed until trial
  
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• Space tourism raises ‘urgent’ fertility questions, NASA scientists say - Ground News

  04-02-2026 12:25 via news.google.com
  Space tourism raises ‘urgent’ fertility questions, NASA scientists say  Ground NewsSpace tourism raises ‘urgent’ fertility questions, Nasa says  thetimes.comWe urgently need to research how humans can reproduce in space, scientists say  The IndependentStudy Raises Serious Concerns About Reproduction in Space  extremetech.comScientists issue chilling warning about ‘space babies’ as Mars colonisation dreams race ahead 
  
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• Sali Hughes on beauty: why cica creams belong in every first-aid kit

  04-02-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  More than mere beauty products, these rich, multipurpose emollients are perfect for soothing and comforting sore skinIf you were to open the smallest cupboard in my kitchen, you’d find some Elastoplast, paper-wrapped wound dressings, sterile latex gloves, surgical tape and some La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume (£11). I could name a good handful of consultant dermatologists who would probably say the same.Some cosmetic creams are more – at least in practice – than
  
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• ‘I think we feel stuck’: Kate Pickett on how to build a better, fairer, less stressed society

  04-02-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  In her new book, the co-author of The Spirit Level gathers jaw-dropping facts about the inequality crisis in the UK – and explores creative ways to address itThere was a moment when reading Kate Pickett’s new book that I realised I was underlining something on nearly every page. Occasionally it was an exclamation mark, or a star. Other times, she herself was doing something similar. “I’m sorry to say that is not a typo,” she writes, at one point. And then, in a late
  
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• 15 of the best men’s coats for winter – from puffer jackets to parkas to trenchcoats

  04-02-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  A quality coat is central to a successful winter wardrobe, so here are our top tips for choosing the perfect style for you• The best men’s boots for winterDuring winter, you wear your coat more than anything else in your wardrobe. When the drizzly season hits, it’s the weatherproof saviour that makes leaving the house just about bearable. Beyond practicalities, though, it’s also an important style choice. As the top layer of every outfit, it’s the piece of clothing e
  
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• Tantrums, rancid meatloaf and family silver stuffed into underpants: the delicate art of the Holocaust comedy

  04-02-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Making light of one of the darkest horrors of the 20th century is a risky business – but a new generation is taking ownership of family histories by making space for human foibles, says an award-winning graphic novelistMy beloved German-Jewish grandmother Gisela was not an affable person. She enjoyed laughing at her own jokes, revelling in the misfortunes of others, and telling people off. If an event combined opportunities for all three activities, so much the better.When my father was si
  
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• ‘She thought it was too sexy!’: portraits of Kate Moss, Grace Jones and a tea-drinking chimp – in pictures

  04-02-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  From a gold-covered Dennis Rodman to Jack Nicholson sitting in the snow, Albert Watson has spent a career shooting the stars – as well as the occasional giant coffee spoon Continue reading...
  
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• Getting ready to remortgage? Here’s how to get the best rates

  04-02-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  With 1.8m fixed-rate deals due to end this year, now’s the time to dig out the details and look at what’s on offer About 1.8m fixed-rate mortgage deals are due to end in 2026, and most of these borrowers will need to get a new home loan. If that includes you, but you are not sure when your deal expires, dig out the details. Continue reading...
  
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• Fairphone 6 review: cheaper, repairable and longer-lasting Android

  04-02-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Sustainable smartphone takes a step forward with modular accessories, a good screen and mid-range performanceThe Dutch ethical smartphone brand Fairphone is back with its six-generation Android, aiming to make its repairable phone more modern, modular, affordable and desirable, with screw-in accessories and a user-replaceable battery.The Fairphone 6 costs £499 (€599), making it cheaper than previous models and pitting it squarely against budget champs such as the Google Pixel 9a and t
  
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• Crux by Gabriel Tallent review – a passionate portrait of teenage climbers

  04-02-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  The follow-up to My Absolute Darling, this tale of best friends who dream of a better life features exquisite sports writing and a lovable heroine – but the plotting is unconvincingTamma and Dan are 17-year-old best friends growing up in a California desert town blighted by the strip-mall nihilism of late capitalism. They’re poor. They’re unpopular. Their families are a wasteland. But they have each other and their great shared passion: trad rock climbing. Whenever they can, th
  
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• A different kind of girls’ weekend: adventure and creativity in Carmarthenshire

  04-02-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Curated getaways in south-west Wales offer wellbeing and crafty fun for groups of women amid beautiful sceneryThe scent of hand-poured candles filled the air in the Little Welsh Dresser, one of Llandeilo’s clutch of arts and crafts shops. This vibrant Welsh market town is a creative spot – it’s where the famous Dinefwr wool blankets are woven and boasts many galleries and antique stores – and is a pretty place to wander. Our eyes land on the rows of handmade cards and mug
  
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• A moment that changed me: I shaved off my hair – and immediately became an invisible woman

  04-02-2026 07:55 via theguardian.com
  Strangers used to open doors, help lift my pram and greet me with approval when I looked ‘like a mum’. After one simple haircut, I was treated very differentlyIn November 2000, two weeks after giving birth to my first and only child, I found myself collapsed in bed, breastfeeding in front of Top of the Pops, hair matted, sheets dirty, surrounded by sick-soaked muslin rags. I liked it. Or at least, it felt like a perfectly reasonable thing to be doing, until Madonna – who had gi
  
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