Fifth Ashes Test; day two: Australia 166-2, England 384 Root makes 160 but hosts’ opener helps reduce lead to 218 The Richies were out in force for the final time on the second day at the Sydney Cricket Ground, an entire block decked out in either cream, bone, white, off-white, ivory, or beige. Bathed in sunshine, flags fluttering over the two heritage-listed pavilions, the backdrop for Joe Root’s 41st Test century was absolutely marvellous. This has not been the case for Root here over the years. In 2014 the SCG witnessed the one and only time he has been dropped by England. In 2018 he made scores of 83 and 58 not out here but ended up on a drip due to the extreme heat, his side having crumbled to a 4-0 series defeat. Four years later came a duck and 23, England saving the Test to dodge the whitewash but his captaincy long since sunk. Continue reading...

Raise an eyebrow for World Logic Day All days of the year host an annual celebration. January 14 is a day of the year. Continue reading...

This intensely personal film follows Colombian director Inti Jacanamijoy’s grandfather to the ancestral lands of the Wayuu people Spirituality and history collide in Inti Jacanamijoy’s debut documentary, shot among the rugged, enigmatic terrain of La Guajira, Colombia, the birthplace of his grandfather, José Agustín. Now in his 90s, the older man muses on the inevitability of death, all while looking back on his painful upbringing as a Wayuu Indigenous person. His voiceover, laid over the sight of lush forest and babbling brooks, recalls a cruel separation from his mother and his ancestral land, forced by Catholic invaders. This sense of fracture resonates throughout the family lineage. Jacanamijoy too speaks of his feelings of loss caused by generational trauma. Against such emotional and geographical disconnects, the film looks to dreams – and even the afterlife – as a possible space for reconciliation and healing. José Agustín’s mother has long passed, yet he often sees her in his nocturnal reveries, filled with all-consuming longing. The film’s sensorial soundscape, which builds a symphony out of natural sounds, further enhancing this metaphysical atmosphere. It is as if the presence of José Agustín’s mother, along with the souls of other Indigenous people, are embedded on the land itself, despite the efforts of colonial occupiers to erase their culture. In a beguiling moment, as the old man envisions his own burial, the film conjures the imagined voice of his deceased mother, welcoming him into another realm of existence. Continue reading...

Kayvan Novak revives bungling art critic Brian Badonde to interview celebrities. Plus, inside a shocking multimillion-dollar child cancer scam Fonejacker and Facejacker prankster Kayvan Novak is back with this very silly, very Marmite series, in which he revives one of his most infamous personas: the bungling art critic Brian Badonde. Interviewees include “bodcaster” Adam Buxton and singer Ella Eyre, who – in spite of her interviewer’s shtick and inability to correctly pronounce any words that don’t start with a b – offers a candid account of her time in the music industry. Hannah J Davies Widely available, episodes weekly Continue reading...

On a running pilgrimage in the land of my forebears I was blown away by the scenery – and even more so by the warmth of the people As a long-distance runner, I had always wanted to use running as a means of travel, a way to traverse a landscape. I’d heard of people running across Africa, or the length of New Zealand, and the idea of embarking on an epic journey propelled only by my own two legs was compelling. I had just turned 50, and some might have said I was having a mid-life crisis, but I preferred to envisage it as a sort of pilgrimage – a journey in search of meaning and connection. And the obvious place to traverse, for me, was the land of my ancestors: Ireland. Most summers as a child, my Irish parents would take us “home” to Ireland, to visit relatives, sitting on sofas in small cottages, a plate of soda bread on the table, a pot of tea under a knitted cosy. Having been there many times, I thought I knew Ireland, but, really, I knew only a tiny fragment. Continue reading...

Diane Munday helped secure legal terminations in 1967 and, aged 94, is still calling for wider reproductive rights When the 1967 Abortion Act cleared parliament, marking one of the most significant steps forward for women’s rights in history, Diane Munday was among the campaigners raising a glass of champagne on the terrace of the House of Commons. “I’m only drinking a half a glass,” she told her colleagues at the time, “because the job is only half done.” Continue reading...

UK weather warnings for frost and ice have been extended into next week and temperatures are forecast to plunge across central, western and south-west Europe Continue reading...

It allocated my NI number to a stranger who has died, and will not process my pension top-up request as a result HM Revenue and Customs allocated my national insurance (NI) number to a stranger who has since died. It therefore now insists that I am dead and so will not process my pension top-up request. I’ve had this number since 1991 when I moved to the UK for six years to work. Continue reading...

Leo Suter steps into the role for a polished reboot. Plus: Lucy Worsley gets her teeth into a grisly Victorian cold case. Here’s what to watch this evening 8.30pm, BBC One Leo Suter (Sanditon, Vikings: Valhalla) steps into DI Tommy Lynley’s well-heeled shoes in this reboot of the 00s series, based on Elizabeth George’s novels. Lynley is paired with working-class DS Barbara Havers (Sofia Barclay), who reckons he is just a “fresh-faced city boy who doesn’t know his arse from his elbow”. But as the chalk-and-cheese duo get on with solving their first murder case, could their work prove they’re a dream team? Hollie Richardson Continue reading...

It’s not just the triumphalism in the White House. Leaders loth to oppose this gangsterism must think how that looks to Putin, Xi and in the UAE I never thought it possible that you could look back on the Iraq war, and the foreign invasions of the “war on terror” in general, and feel some measure of nostalgia. For a time when there were at least concerted attempts to justify unilateral interventions and illegal wars in the name of global security, and even a moral duty to liberate the women of Afghanistan or “free the Iraqi people”. Now, as the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, is in essence abducted and Venezuela taken over by the US, there is barely any effort to situate the coup in any reasoning other than the US’s interests. Nor are there any attempts to solicit consent from domestic or international law-making bodies and allies, let alone the public. The days of the US trying to convince the world that Saddam Hussein did in fact have weapons of mass destruction despite secretly having no reliable intelligence were, in fact, the good old days. Continue reading...

Exclusive: union facing claim for unfair dismissal from one of two women who complained of bullying and harassment The GMB trade union is facing fresh turmoil over claims made by two of its female senior leadership team, as it heads towards a crucial general secretary election this year. The infighting at a senior level comes as Gary Smith, the union’s general secretary, faces a potential battle to retain his job in May. Continue reading...

Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner unite for Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Michael Sheen launches Welsh National Theatre and Bridget Christie revs up for a return to the stage Continue reading...

Batch-cook weekday breakfasts in advance, and you’ll always have something filling and healthy to kickstart your day The saying goes that you should breakfast like a king, and I’ve long found that the key to making that happen during the busy work week is to batch-prepare breakfast at the weekend. As we start a new year, the focus is back on balance, and these dishes offer both nourishment and flavour, while also being ideal for making ahead. The overnight oats are a source of fibre, the muffins are high in protein and the pie is a source of both. Continue reading...

These hearty, warming dishes will brighten up the dark cold months – and remind you there is a world of flavours out there You can’t get much more than this tender chicken by way of comfort and pure deliciousness Continue reading...

Delcy Rodríguez adopts conciliatory tone as she stands in for Nicolás Maduro after Venezuelan leader captured by American forces and brought to US Tense calm spreads at border with Colombia after Maduro capture Analysis: European leaders appear torn in face of new world order Hello and welcome to our live coverage after US forces seized Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and took him to the US to face drug charges. Donald Trump said after the military operation early on Saturday that the US would “run” Venezuela and warned on Sunday that the US might launch a second strike if the government’s remaining members did not cooperate with his efforts to get the country “fixed”. Rodríguez announced a commission to seek the release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro is in a New York detention centre awaiting a court appearance on Monday on drug charges. Top officials in Maduro’s government called the seizure of Maduro and his wife a kidnapping. “Let no one fall for the enemy’s provocations,” interior minister Diosdado Cabello said. Trump’s administration described Maduro’s capture as a law-enforcement mission to force him to face US criminal charges filed in 2020, including narco-terrorism conspiracy. Maduro has denied criminal involvement. Continue reading...

The 73-year-old Oscar-nominated actor was issued with an eviction notice in December Mickey Rourke has turned to fundraising to pay the US$59,100 (£44,000, A$89,000) he allegedly owes in rent, after being sued by his landlord and facing eviction from his Los Angeles home. The 73-year-old actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for his performance in the 2008 drama The Wrestler, has approved a GoFundMe page launched by Liya-Joelle Jones, a friend and member of Rourke’s management team. At time of writing, the fundraiser had raised US$33,000 of its US$100,000 goal. Continue reading...

Yulia Lemeshchenko was defiant and did not deny the accusations, saying she had decided to fight against Russian military aggression At the beginning of autumn 2023, Yulia Lemeshchenko stopped appearing at the Kharkiv gym where she trained most days. A driven athlete, whose talent for weightlifting led her to become champion of Ukraine in 2021, her disappearance prompted confusion among her training partners. Months later, she resurfaced in a Moscow courtroom, accused of plotting sabotage and assassinations in Russia on behalf of the Ukrainian security services. Prosecutors claimed Lemeshchenko had blown up power lines outside St Petersburg and had later travelled to Voronezh, where she was staking out a Russian air force commander with a view to killing him. Continue reading...

‘You don’t have to be tortured to make great art,’ says founder of mental health support organisation Artist Wellbeing From Vincent van Gogh to Virginia Woolf, from Nina Simone to Amy Winehouse, the tortured-artist archetype looms large: private torment fuelling public brilliance. But across opera, theatre, film and television, a growing movement is pushing back against what many now insist is a corrosive myth – the romanticised necessity of creative martyrdom. Continue reading...

Watchdog will also monitor online ban for high fat and sugar products as part of wider effort to tackle childhood obesity A ban on junk food advertising on TV before 9pm and a total ban online has come into force as the government attempts to tackle the childhood obesity crisis. Under the rules, which will be enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) 13 categories of products can no longer be advertised on TV before the watershed or at any time online. The banned products are high in fat, sugar and salt. Continue reading...

The US president’s fears about ‘woke’ Europe are laughable. He would feel right at home in today’s EU I expected the EU to push back strongly against Donald Trump’s new national security strategy. Not only does it show contempt for the EU and its “weak” leaders, but it also targets European citizens and migrants with racist dog whistles and barely disguised Islamophobia. Yet instead of a rousing defence of the bloc’s commitment to human rights and equality, there have just been bland platitudes. António Costa, the president of the European Council, denounced Trump’s plans to boost support for Europe’s far-right parties. But there was no public challenge to the racist logic underpinning his argument. Costa, who has spoken proudly of his mixed ancestry, could have made a convincing counterargument to the US president’s false premise that Europe was heading for “civilisational erasure” because of migrants and, by extension, millions of Europeans of colour. Shada Islam is a Brussels-based commentator on EU affairs. She runs New Horizons Project, a strategy, analysis and advisory company Continue reading...

Bangladesh was scheduled to play three cricket matches in Kolkata next month, but concern about players’ safety has spiked Bangladesh will not play their Twenty20 World Cup matches in India, with the country’s cricket board saying they are concerned for the safety of their players amid growing tensions between the countries. Bangladesh were scheduled to play three Twenty20 World Cup matches in Kolkata next month, with the 7 February to 8 March tournament being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Continue reading...

Russia’s defence ministry said Ukraine had targeted Moscow with drones every day of 2026 so far. What we know on day 1,412 Russia’s defence ministry claimed that Ukraine has targeted Moscow with drones every day of 2026 so far, in what would mark an escalation from earlier, more sporadic attacks on the Russian capital. By midnight on Sunday alone, Russian air defence systems had destroyed 57 drones over the Moscow region out of 437 downed over Russia, the ministry said. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, but Kyiv has increasingly used long range drones to strike targets deep inside Russia. Ukraine says such attacks aim to disrupt military logistics and energy infrastructure, raise costs for Moscow’s war effort and respond to repeated Russian missile and drone attacks in the war that Russia launched nearly four years ago. Three out of four of Moscow’s airports shut to air traffic on Sunday after Ukraine launched dozens of drones, authorities said. The attacks led to multiple flight delays, including at Moscow’s second-busiest airport of Vnukovo, Russian media reported. The disruption comes during Russia’s extended New Year and Orthodox Christmas break, when many Russians take vacations and travel domestically and abroad, making it one of the country’s busiest periods for transport and tourism. Two people were killed in Ukrainian drone strikes in Russian border regions, local officials said on Sunday. Belgorod’s governor said one person died and two others, including a young child, were wounded when a Ukrainian drone struck a car. Another person was killed in a drone strike on a village in the Kursk region, the region’s governor said. In Ukraine, three people were wounded in the Kharkiv region in drone strikes overnight into Sunday, the country’s state emergency service said. Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian missile attack on the city of Kharkiv on Friday increased to five when body parts were found under the rubble of a building, Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said. A Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire in an industrial zone in the town of Yelets in Russia’s Lipetsk region, the regional governor said. There were no casualties reported. Yelets is home to the Energiya battery plant, a major producer of batteries and accumulators for Russia’s defence industry, which Ukraine said it has hit in the past. Continue reading...

Businesses being hit by rising cost of interest rates, energy costs and wages, says Resolution Foundation The UK is poised for a rise in unemployment in 2026 fuelled by the collapse of “zombie” companies that have struggled to adapt to a rise in business costs, according to a report. At the start of what could be a pivotal year for the economy, the Resolution Foundation said businesses were grappling with a “triple whammy” of multiyear increases in interest rates, energy prices and the minimum wage that could “finish off” some underperforming companies. Continue reading...

Marvel, Lost and Hobbit actor says ‘almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity’ after she fainted and fell face-first into a boulder Evangeline Lilly has revealed she has brain damage, months after she suffered a concussion when she fainted and fell face-first into a boulder. The 46-year-old Canadian actor, known for her roles in Lost, The Hobbit films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shared the “bad news” video on her Instagram, one of many updates she has shared since she suffered the traumatic brain injury (TBI) in May, when she fainted on a beach and hit her head on a rock. Continue reading...

People who are sent to Manston processing centre will be eligible for searches for electronic devices from Monday Home Office plans to immediately begin seizing asylum seekers’ mobile phones and sim cards without the need for an arrest have been condemned by a solicitor and anti-torture campaigners. People who arrive by small boat and are sent to Manston processing centre in Kent will from Monday be eligible for searches for electronic devices, a minister has said, with technology on site to download data. Continue reading...