On the whims of Fifa’s Peace Prize winner, a life usually so focused on sports has found anything but peace It’s Saturday morning, and news breaks shortly after the Premier League kickoff window; another member of your community has been brutally killed in the streets by ICE. There are already a few videos on social media, depicting multiple angles of the grotesque scene. This killing, like the one before, has felt inevitable – because of the actions of the federal government, and in spite of the diligence and peaceful pushback by you and your neighbors. For more than a decade, watching soccer has been a staple of your Saturday routine, as it is for millions of others. Given that, it was hard not to think about a prize awarded by the sport’s most powerful organization just eight weeks prior, to the president overseeing and encouraging all of this. You know, the medal meant to reward “exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace.” Plenty of people have been joking about this “honor” online since the day it was announced. You were among them in December. Today, you find it hard to laugh. Continue reading...

I’ve been a games journalist since 2007, but still there isn’t much video games coverage that feels like it’s specifically for people like me. So I’m creating a home for it: Mothership Whether you’re reading about the impending AI bubble bursting or about the video game industry’s mass layoffs and cancelled projects, 2026 does not feel like a hopeful time for gaming. What’s more, games journalists – as well as all other kinds of journalists – have been losing their jobs at alarming rates, making it difficult to adequately cover these crises. Donald Trump’s White House, meanwhile, is using video game memes as ICE recruitment tools, and game studios are backing away from diversity and inclusion initiatives in response to the wider world’s slide to the right. The manosphere is back, and we’ve lost mainstream feminist websites such as Teen Vogue; bigots everywhere are celebrating what they see as the death of “woke”. Put it all together and we have a dismal stew of doom for someone like me, a queer woman and a feminist who’s been a games journalist and critic since 2007. Continue reading...

Prosecutors allege real-estate trio Tal, Alon and Oren Alexander raped, assaulted and trafficked dozens of women Prosecutors in New York will tell a jury on Monday that three brothers from a wealthy Florida family raped, sexually assaulted and trafficked dozens of women during a decades-long reign of terror and depravity. The high-profile trial in Manhattan with elements of money, fame and power has parallels in other recent sex-trafficking cases held there, including the conviction and sentencing of the musician Sean “Diddy” Combs last year on prostitution-related charges. Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Millennials in South Korea are being mocked for trying too hard to follow fashion. It’s far better to accept the march of time Apparently, South Korea’s millennials are getting ribbed by gens Z and Alpha as mercilessly as their western counterparts. The BBC explains they are getting labelled and parodied as “Young 40s”. It’s a term that used to have positive connotations – youthful and “with it” (yes, an expression no one youthful or “with it” uses) – but is now more mocking. A “Young 40” is a try-hard, clinging to a dearly held idea of their own relevance. Some Young 40s the BBC interviewed sounded wounded and confused by their new status. “I’m just buying and wearing things I’ve liked for a long time, now that I can afford them,” one said of his skate gear and Air Jordans. “Why is this something to be attacked for?” Another felt self-conscious in interactions with younger colleagues: “I try to keep conversations focused on work or career concerns.” Continue reading...

The prospect of a stay in a stately pile with a charming young woman is a draw for these hapless gents, but this horror farce never lives up to its promising premise Very occasionally a film just does not work, and this low-budget horror is unfortunately one of those. The premise is not the problem: a sexy young woman lures six eligible young men to her family’s country pile for a weekend of romance, only to reveal to the men that they are now trapped in a reality-TV-meets-Saw farce in which they will struggle to survive. On paper, The Bachelorette-meets-femme-Jigsaw sounds potentially fun. The biggest problem is that the film never achieves the necessary suspension of disbelief; horror films have to feel at least somewhat real or deliberately ludicrous while you’re watching them; but this just feels like student theatre. You can pick out interesting individual moments that could have been something, but you’re never inside the action, willing the characters to escape (or die). Continue reading...

The producers who helped define the sound of pop music in the 90s and 00s are in dispute over earnings from their final album as NERD Chad Hugo is suing Pharrell Williams, his production partner in the Neptunes, over claims that Williams owes Hugo up to $1m from their final album as NERD, 2017’s No One Ever Really Dies. The Neptunes defined the sound of pop music in the late 90s and early 00s, producing for artists including Kelis, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Clipse and Justin Timberlake. As NERD, they released five albums. Continue reading...

Suit seeks to reduce the number of agents back to levels before ICE launched its so-called ‘Operation Metro Surge’ last month A growing number of Republicans are pressing for a deeper investigation into federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti – a sign that the Trump administration’s accounting of events may face bipartisan scrutiny. The Republican chairman of the House homeland security committee, Andrew Garbarino, has sought testimony from leaders at ICE, Customs and Border Protection and US Citizenship and Immigration Services, saying “my top priority remains keeping Americans safe”, the Associated Press is reporting. Continue reading...

Warnings issued across 26 US states, while Portugal braces for heavy rain as Storm Joseph rolls in The US is enduring another bout of severe winter weather, as a succession of powerful weather systems brings heavy snow, freezing rain and extreme cold temperatures across much of the country. Twenty-six states, from Texas to Massachusetts, were under storm warnings issued by the National Weather Service over the weekend, with many alerts remaining in place this week. Continue reading...

From capturing Maduro to proposing a take over of Greenland – people respond to the president’s rhetoric As Donald Trump continues to call for the US to take control of Greenland, not long after the US captured the deposed president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, we asked people in the US what they thought about Trump’s foreign intervention and rhetoric. Here are some of their responses. Continue reading...

After the failure of his police career, Jack came to live with us, caring for the whole family indiscriminately. When I was sickest, and felt unlovable, he reminded me I was loved Jack, the cocker spaniel, was sacked by the police. His career as a detection dog was an utter failure – he was more interested in people than cannabis and made some embarrassing mistakes, including begging for treats from potential offenders rather than alerting officers about drugs. A colleague told me about a police dog that needed a home and so Jack arrived – via police van – at our house. He was lithe, glossy black and animated. He ricocheted around the house, knocking over children and pot plants. He chased rabbits and pheasants over the fields. He ate off the children’s plates and collected shoes. He loved us all indiscriminately and liked to have us where he could see us. If anyone left the room, he’d sigh deeply and follow, remaining close until the pack was back together. Continue reading...

The latest in our series of writers picking their go-to comfort films is a tribute to Amy Adams and what might be her greatest performance Much is often made of Amy Adams’ “always the bridesmaid” Oscar record, as she’s yet to claim a win from six nominations. While this is egregious for an actor of her calibre, the bigger snub is that she wasn’t even nominated for her best performance yet. Enchanted’s Giselle introduced Adams to a mainstream audience and was possibly considered too frivolous for Academy tastes, but her pitch-perfect take on a real-life Disney princess is a masterclass in full-bore commitment, and the gravitational force around which this winningly charming Disney film revolves. I was instantly won over by Enchanted on its 2007 release, but having since revisited it many times (including with my own kids), I’m convinced it’s close to a platonic ideal of family-friendly feelgood viewing, and there’s been nothing in this vein that’s come close to matching it since (including, sadly, 2022 Disney+ sequel Disenchanted). It’s also so much better than the Disney’s many official live-action remakes. Continue reading...

Words of stern moral advice to a besotted young man are delivered with a brisk and even sunny touch Song Why, Damon, why, why, why so pressing? The Heart you beg’s not worth possessing: Each Look, each Word, each Smile’s affected, And inward Charms are quite neglected: Then scorn her, scorn her, foolish Swain, And sigh no more, no more in vain. Continue reading...

John Arnison lives with anxiety and ADHD and finds busy cities unsettling, but loves taking pictures of nature at night When he first ventured out into the darkness of the Yorkshire Dales 25 years ago, John Arnison’s only goal was to find a photographic style that people would immediately know was his. Driving for nearly 40 miles from his home in Leeds to Malham, North Yorkshire in the dead of night, John didn’t realise that he was starting a project that would continue for another quarter of a century, and shape the rest of his life. Continue reading...

Arcola theatre, London Beguiling but deeply disturbing verbatim solo show is based on testimony of Gazan children and relates the confusion and tragedy of war Eleven-year-old Renad dreams of becoming a famous storyteller. She brims with tales of the grandmother who inspired her love of stories, and of the rest of her family, and also of myriad other children who, like her, are living through war, hunger, displacement and terror in Gaza. This is a beguiling yet deeply disturbing solo show performed by co-deviser Sarah Agha, which builds its drama through multiple young voices, based on verbatim accounts from a booklet compiled by Leila Boukarim and Asaf Luzon called A Million Kites: Testimonies and Poems from the Children of Gaza. Continue reading...

Airline raises forecasts for profits and passenger numbers, after boss said spat with Tesla CEO boosted bookings Business live – latest updates Ryanair would be open to using Elon Musk’s Starlink wifi on its planes in the future, its finance chief has suggested, amid a feud between the boss of the Irish airline and the world’s richest person. The airline would look at “whoever is the best, when the tech and price is right” for in-flight wifi, the Ryanair chief financial officer, Neil Sorahan, said. Continue reading...

Minister defends move, saying that a mayoral campaign in Greater Manchester would have ‘a substantial and disproportionate impact’ on party resources Andy Burnham has suggested that Labour is more likely to lose the Gorton and Denton byelection now that it has blocked him from being the candidate. He implied this last night in a reply on social media to a post from Tom Baldwin, Keir Starmer’s biographer and communications director for Ed Miliband when he was Labour leader. Baldwin said: I’ve always liked @AndyBurnhamGM but the prospect of him returning to Westminster has already added to inward-looking psychodrama that does no one any good. And an unnecessary by-election for Mayor of Manchester might well have resulted in long term damage to his reputation too. I’m not sure losing a by-election does us any good either, Tom. I am disappointed by today’s NEC decision and concerned about its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us. To whoever is Labour’s candidate and to our members in Manchester and Tameside: you will have my full support and I will be there whenever you need me. Continue reading...

This moral thriller offers a perceptive account of specifically Indian anxieties The title characters of Megha Majumdar’s second novel are a young man referred to only by a nickname, Boomba, and a woman known as Ma. Each regards themselves as a guardian, and the other as a thief. The reader is not asked to take sides, but instead to observe how the world makes thieves of guardians, and vice versa. A Guardian and a Thief takes place over what is meant to be the last week of Ma living in Kolkata. She, her father and her two-year-old daughter are about to join Ma’s husband in the United States, as the recipients of prized “climate visas”. Floods and extreme heat have turned Kolkata into a city of persistent food shortages. Black marketeers hoard eggs, fruit and vegetables, while fish, previously the cornerstone of Bengali cooking, has vanished altogether. The terrifying word famine is disinterred. This is one of the many ways in which climate change has sent Kolkata forward into the past. While Majumdar’s acclaimed debut, A Burning, laid out the appalling consequences of a young woman’s Facebook post, in A Guardian and a Thief the city appears to be almost entirely smartphone-free. Continue reading...

Director Miklós Jancsó creates a bizarre psychodrama set after the fall of the 1919 Hungarian Soviet republic, encompassing postwar trauma and erotic overtones Miklós Jancsó’s mysterious film from 1968 is a deeply strange somnambulist ballet. It shows a piece of Hungary’s political history implicitly juxtaposed with the postwar Soviet present, in which Czechoslovakia and Hungary have been crushed. The brutality of the anti-Communist powers of 1919 depicted in the film would have been an officially acceptable subject, but the indictment of brutality is clearly transferable. And it is an impenetrable psychological trauma with weird erotic overtones, like an absurdist bad dream transcribed by Kafka. The scene is the vast Hungarian plain, with a desolate wind always blowing, on which the characters perform their roles as if on a gigantic stage; it is a single unitary space which appears to extend, Sahara-like, to the far horizon in all directions. People do not quite enter and exit in the conventional fashion, but rather can often be seen gradually arriving from an impossibly long way away, and leave by progressively dwindling to a vanishingly small dot in the distance. Jancsó’s distinctively sinuous camerawork glides and swoops elegantly around the action in a series of long unbroken takes. Continue reading...

Traditional bodybuilding advice has been to push workouts to the point of failure, and that soreness is an indicator of effectiveness. But recent studies show there’s another way Until pretty recently, the conventional wisdom about building muscle was that it worked via a system you might think of as “tear and repair” – the idea being that working out causes microtears in the muscle fibres, which trigger the body’s repair processes, encouraging the muscles to come back bigger and stronger. That’s why many old-school trainers will tell you that there’s no gain without pain, and why a lot of bodybuilding advice includes increasingly byzantine ways of pushing your biceps and triceps to the point where you can’t do another repetition: the more trauma you can cause, the thinking goes, the more “swole” you can become. Continue reading...

Commons seat campaign by Greater Manchester mayor mid-term would drain resources, says Douglas Alexander Labour’s decision to bar Andy Burnham from standing in a Westminster byelection was about “focus than about factionalism”, so the party would not be distracted ahead of vital elections in May, Douglas Alexander, the Scotland secretary, has said. Defending the decision by the party’s national executive committee (NEC) to block the Greater Manchester mayor from being a candidate for the Gorton and Denton byelection, Alexander said this was not because Keir Starmer was scared of a leadership challenge. Continue reading...

Britain is losing more jobs than it creates owing to artificial intelligence, Morgan Stanley research suggests More than a quarter of Britons fear losing job to AI in next five years Business live – latest updates The UK is losing more jobs than it is creating because of artificial intelligence and is being hit harder than rival large economies, new research suggests. British companies reported that AI had resulted in net job losses over the past 12 months, down 8% – the highest rate among other leading economies including the US, Japan, Germany and Australia, according to a study by the investment bank Morgan Stanley. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president’s remarks come as Russia praises trilateral talks but warns against expectations of ‘significant results’ Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the negotiations with the US over a security guarantees agreement were “100%” done and the deal was just waiting to be signed, as Russia has praised the trilateral talks with Ukraine and the US over the weekend as held in “constructive spirit.” “It would be a mistake to expect any significant results from the initial contacts … But the very fact that these contacts have begun in a constructive spirit can be viewed positively. However, there is significant work ahead,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists. Continue reading...

Today’s rumours are fixing a hole The thing about the transfer market that a few people forget is that not every deal comes off. Andy Robertson’s move to Tottenham from Liverpool, a head scratcher for many, seems to be OFF. It appears that Liverpool have pulled the plug over a lack of defensive options, with Saturday’s loss at Bournemouth helping them come to that decision. A long-term option, this summer, to the left-back conundrum, is said to be Antonee Robinson of Fulham. Another factor in Liverpool’s slide this season, though some fans may only admit this through gritted teeth, was the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold. To compound the misery on that score, there’s talk that Manchester City, without a senior right-back, might attempt to loan “Trent” from Real Madrid. Or even buy him this summer. That’s a move that might set the Mersey to boiling over. Continue reading...

Bridget Phillipson says pupils should not use mobiles at any point, as Ofsted prepares to inspect compliance Schools should be phone-free throughout the entire day, the education secretary has told headteachers in England, stressing that pupils should not use the devices even as calculators or for research. Bridget Phillipson wrote to schools to underline updated guidance issued by the government last week, according to the BBC. Continue reading...

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback has endured a rocky NFL career. But in the biggest game of his career, he delivered the performance of a lifetime Moments after clinching a Super Bowl berth, Sam Darnold strolled over for his obligatory television interview. He was thrilled; the Seahawks had just toppled the Rams in a 31-27 thriller. But he was also measured. Unlike receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who would follow and was teeming with emotion, Darnold simply spoke about his love for his teammates. And when asked about his improbable journey, he replied, “I haven’t really thought about it that much.” He may not have, but the rest of us have. And whether Darnold likes it or not, his comeback story will be the prevailing storyline of Super Bowl 60. How can it not, especially after the quarterback saved what may have been the best performance of his life for Seattle’s third, and most important, tilt with the Rams this season. Continue reading...