Nima Taleghani’s debut play brings a raucous Greek chorus to the Olivier theatre, while Judi Dench has an enchanting Twelfth Night reunion The National Theatre’s new artistic director, Indhu Rubasingham, launched her tenure last autumn with a big, bold spin on Euripides in the Olivier theatre – by a debut playwright to boot. Heartstopper star Nima Taleghani’s version, featuring choreography by Kate Prince and with Clare Perkins leading the self-styled “raucous Greek chorus”, comes to NT at Home on 6 February. It’s followed by a Q&A with Rubasingham. Continue reading...

Plaintiffs in case say they were lured from Japan, exploited for labour and cut off from families for generations It has been more than six decades since Eiko Kawasaki left Japan to begin a new life in North Korea. Then 17, she was among tens of thousands of people with Korean heritage who had been lured to the communist state by the promise of a “paradise on Earth”. Instead, they encountered something closer to a living hell. They were denied basic human rights and forced to endure extreme hardship. Official promises of free education and healthcare plus guaranteed jobs and housing had been a cruel mirage. And to their horror, they were prevented from travelling to Japan to visit the families they had left behind. Continue reading...

Miller’s hairpiece knocked loose during middle of fight Heavyweight tosses wig into crowd between rounds Fighter goes on to win fight despite mishap Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller was involved in one of the more unusual moments in recent boxing history on Saturday night when his hairpiece was dislodged during his heavyweight victory over Kingsley Ibeh on the undercard of the Teófimo López–Shakur Stevenson card at Madison Square Garden. The incident occurred late in the second round as Ibeh landed a flurry of punches along the ropes. One shot snapped Miller’s head backward and caused his hairpiece to lift from the front, briefly exposing a large bald patch before the wig folded backward. The sequence drew gasps and laughter from the crowd. Continue reading...

Steve Witkoff encouraged ‘that Russia is working toward securing peace’ as Ukraine president looks to meetings ‘next week’. What we know on day 1,439 The US envoy Steve Witkoff has said he held constructive talks with a Russian envoy in Florida as part of Washington’s drive to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting on Saturday came just a day before Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi to discuss a US-backed plan to halt the conflict. “Today in Florida, the Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev held productive and constructive meetings as part of the US mediation effort toward advancing a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict,” Witkoff posted on X. “We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine.” He said the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum also attended the talks. Neither side released details of what was discussed. The second round of peace talks in Abu Dhabi were set to start on Sunday, even if the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggested earlier this week that it might be postponed because of the US-Iran crisis. Zelensky said in his evening address on Saturday his negotiators were also waiting to hear from the US on further meetings. “Ukraine is ready to work in all working formats,” Zelenskyy said. “It is important that there are results and that the meetings take place. We are counting on meetings next week and are preparing for them.” Teams from Ukraine and Russia met last week in Abu Dhabi in their first in-person negotiations on a plan being pushed by Trump. The US says both sides are close to a deal, but they have so far been unable to find a compromise on the key issue of territory in a postwar settlement, according to Kyiv. Emergency power cuts swept across several Ukrainian cities and neighbouring Moldova on Saturday, officials said, amid a commitment from Russia to pause strikes on Kyiv as Ukraine battles one of its bleakest winters in years. Donald Trump on Thursday claimed Vladimir Putin had agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for a week. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Trump “made a personal request” to Putin to stop targeting Kyiv until Sunday “in order to create favourable conditions for negotiations”. In a post on social media, Zelenskyy noted Russia has turned its attention to targeting Ukrainian logistics networks. Ukraine’s energy minister, Denys Shmyhal, said that the outages on Saturday had been caused by a technical malfunction affecting power lines linking Ukraine and Moldova. The failure “caused a cascading outage in Ukraine’s power grid”, triggering automatic protection systems, he said. Blackouts were reported in Kyiv, as well as Zhytomyr and Kharkiv regions, in the centre and north-east of the country respectively. The outage cut water supplies to the Ukrainian capital, officials said, while the city’s subway system was temporarily suspended because of low voltage on the network. The state emergency service said its teams led 500 stranded passengers out of metro stations. Moldova also experienced major power outages, including in the capital Chisinau, officials said. “Due to the loss of power lines on the territory of Ukraine, the automatic protection system was triggered, which disconnected the electricity supply,” Moldova’s energy minister Dorin Junghietu said in a post on Facebook. “I encourage the population to stay calm until electricity is restored.” The large-scale outage followed weeks of Russian strikes against Ukraine’s already struggling energy grid, which have triggered long stretches of severe power shortages. Moscow has sought to deny Ukrainian civilians heat, light and running water over the course of the war, in a strategy that Ukrainian officials describe as “weaponising winter”. Forecasters say Ukraine will experience a brutally cold period stretching into next week. Temperatures in some areas will drop to -30C, authorities said. Continue reading...

Military says ‘terrorists’ carried out attacks in Balochistan province in what analysts described it as the deadliest day for militants in decades Pakistan’s military said on Saturday that multiple suicide and gun attacks by “terrorists” across the restive south-western province of Balochistan killed 33 people, including civilians, while security forces responding to the violence killed 92 assailants. Analysts described it as the deadliest single day for militants in decades. Continue reading...

Centre-back scores emotional goal against Newcastle Slot: ‘Everyone was cheering for Ibou in dressing room’ Arne Slot revealed Ibrahima Konaté was not due to face Newcastle after the recent death of his father. The centre-back was rewarded for responding to Liverpool’s defensive crisis with his first Premier League goal at Anfield. Konaté returned from compassionate leave after three matches out to cap Liverpool’s convincing 4-1 comeback win against Eddie Howe’s team. The France international was in tears after scoring in front of the Kop and admitted he did not “have words to describe what I feel right now” after the poignant goal. Continue reading...

From accessible urban strolls to multi-day treks through world heritage-listed sites, walkers are spoiled for choice Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email There has never been a better time to be a hiker in Australia. Once solely the province of experienced backcountry bushwalkers, the country’s ever-expanding network of hiking trails now offers something for walkers of all abilities. According to Ausplay, almost 4 million Australians go bushwalking each year, making it the third-most popular form of physical activity in the country, and in 2025 the AllTrails app saw an almost 300% year-on-year increase in distance walked by Australian users. The largest growth has been in long-distance hikes, and it’s no surprise the boom in trail construction is continuing across the country, with multiple big-ticket walks slated to break ground this year. Continue reading...

Same judge previously ordered pair not removed from US, after preschooler detained with father on 20 January A US judge has ordered the release of a five-year-old boy and his father from a Texas detention center by Tuesday after they were taken into custody by immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this month. Liam Conejo Ramos, an Ecuadorian boy, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis on 20 January after returning from school with his father. Images of the Minnesota preschooler wearing a bunny hat and a plaid coat went viral online, sparking outrage across the country after claims that the child, who was on the driveway of his home during the arrest, was used as bait to try to arrest his mother inside the house. Continue reading...

Kaboré strikes twice in 3-0 win for Premiership leaders Maswanhise double keeps Motherwell on Celtic’s tail Landry Kaboré scored a double as Premiership leaders Hearts cranked up the pressure on title rivals Rangers and Celtic by easing to a 3-0 away win over nine-man Dundee United. The Jambos struck early through Kaboré and then doubled their lead with an Alexandros Kyziridis penalty shortly after home winger Amar Fatah was sent off. Kaboré then sealed a comfortable victory after United substitute Pan Camara was dismissed as Derek McInnes’s rampant league leaders soared seven points clear of Rangers and nine ahead of Celtic. Both Glasgow sides play on Sunday. Continue reading...

US president says Iran ‘negotiating’ as US naval battle group approaches, and says regional allies cannot be told plan Donald Trump has said Iran is “talking to” the US and hinted at a deal to avoid the use of military strikes. “[Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens … We have a big fleet heading out there,” he told Fox News. “They are negotiating.” Continue reading...

You could say Hugo Ekitiké was the one who got away from Newcastle last summer, except there were so many. The Liverpool striker gave Eddie Howe further cause for regret with a gamechanging, match-winning performance at Anfield, however, as Arne Slot’s side found the consistency that has eluded them too often this season to record a second impressive win in succession. Ekitiké struck twice against the club that had agreed a deal to sign him from Eintracht Frankfurt before Liverpool swept in. Their initial outlay of £69m, rising to £79m, is proving money very well spent. Newcastle were the dominant force before Ekitiké’s swift brace transformed the contest. Florian Wirtz added a third in the second half before Ibrahima Konaté, playing for the first time since the death of his father, capitalised on a Nick Pope error to complete an important victory. Konaté was understandably in tears as the moment sunk in. Continue reading...

One person taken into custody after a mass shooting in Clinton leaves six injured, including a child Six people – including a child – were shot during a carnival parade in Louisiana on Saturday, leading authorities to take one person into custody, according to multiple reports. The mass shooting occurred near a courthouse in Clinton, Louisiana, during the town’s “Mardi Gras in the Country” event, local news outlet WBRZ reported. The local sheriff told the local news outlet that the parade was immediately shut down. Continue reading...

The FA Cup triumph has had little impact on a club caught in the mid-table loop, their best assets always slipping away Ask a Crystal Palace fan what price they would have paid at this time last year to win the FA Cup. Would they have taken a run of 11 games without a win, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guéhi sold, Oliver Glasner disillusioned and on his way out of the club, and a probable relegation battle ahead? Almost certainly, yes. But equally that Palace fan would be within their rights to ask why there should be a pay-off at all. This isn’t like Portsmouth winning the FA Cup in 2008 while living beyond their means under Alexandre Gaydamak, going into administration in 2009-10. It’s not like Wigan winning the FA Cup as they were relegated in 2013 having been sustained in the Premier League by Dave Whelan. Continue reading...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles last year, features heavily in the latest tranche of the Epstein files Keir Starmer has said Andrew Mounbatten-Windsor should testify before the US Congress about his links to the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The prime minister, who is in Japan for a meeting with its premier, Sanae Takaichi, was asked by journalists if the former prince should apologise to the disgraced financier’s victims and give evidence about what he knew about his crimes. Continue reading...

Stamford Bridge was mutinous at half-time and in disbelief at the end. A pattern is developing under Liam Rosenior. Chelsea’s new head coach messed up his starting lineup against Napoli on Wednesday but turned it around. He did it again when his side were 2-0 down and in danger of unravelling against West Ham. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side were on course for a major win in their fight against relegation after goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville. Chelsea were all over the place before a triple substitution from Rosenior. Wesley Fofana and João Pedro came on to combine for the goal that made it 2-1. Marc Cucurella, another substitute, equalised and there was an explosion of noise when João Pedro cut the ball back for Enzo Fernández to sweep home the winner in added time. Continue reading...

Former prime minister Tony Blair paid tribute to Triesman as a ‘vital part of the New Labour movement’ Lord Triesman, a former Labour minister and chair of the Football Association, has died at the age of 82. The Labour party said the peer died on Friday night “peacefully and at home”. The former prime minister Tony Blair paid tribute to Triesman as a “vital part of the New Labour movement”. Labour’s leader in the House of Lords, Angela Smith, described him as “respected and loved by his colleagues for his courtesy, kindness, wisdom, loyalty and generosity of spirit”. Continue reading...

An estimated 80% of the population will suffer from lower back pain at some point. The good news is that preventing it is a lot easier than treating it Read more in The way you move series Getting out of bed. Picking up a coffee mug. Waving at a friend. Bending down to pat a dog. Turning to flush the toilet. Many who have experienced “doing their back in” have been baffled by the discrepancy between the mildness of the precipitating action and the severity of the resulting pain. How could such a small, innocent movement trigger such paralysing pain that lasts for weeks, months, years or, in some cases, decades? Continue reading...

When Dion Padan met Ben Graetz and his drag queen persona, there was an undeniable energy. A weekend away deepened their connection Find more stories from the moment I knew series In 2015, I moved to Sydney from north Wales in the UK. Sydney had always been my dream destination, but then the Australian immigration rules changed, meaning that to get permanent residency with my skillset as a barber, I’d have to move to Tasmania or the Northern Territory. I decided on Darwin because I feared the weather in Tasmania was too much like British weather. So in 2018, I packed my bags and moved to Darwin without knowing anything about the city. Ben and I first chatted on Grindr and he was very welcoming, offering to show me around town. He was also very interested in my story – how did this Welsh boy end up living here? He asked if I was going to Darwin Pride. Continue reading...

Federal immigration operation has resulted in government agents killing two people, sparking weeks of protests A federal judge has denied a request by Minnesota’s state government to end the federal immigration operation in Minneapolis that has resulted in government agents killing two people, sparking weeks of protests. The state, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, had lodged a lawsuit after the death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent this month, demanding an end to the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge in the city. Continue reading...

⚽️ Premier League updates from the 8pm (GMT) kick-off ⚽️ Live scores | Full table | Top scorers | Follow on Bluesky Hello and welcome to live coverage of Liverpool v Newcastle at Anfield. It’s a Premier League game whose context is provided almost exclusively by the Champions League. It’s the most moreish competition in world football, so you can understand why these teams are desperate for more – both this season and next. Liverpool and Newcastle finished third and twelfth in the league stage of Europe’s big competition – yet they are currently only the sixth and tenth best teams in England, which means a dogfight to qualify for another crack in 2026-27. Perhaps Snakes and Ladders is a better metaphor: Newcastle will jump four places and go above Liverpool if they win tonight. Continue reading...

Newly released files reveal how the paedophile tried to leverage his relationship with the former Duchess of York When Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, was confronted in 2011 about her closeness to the paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein she could not have been more fulsome in her regret. “I personally, on behalf of myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me,” she said. “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say.” Continue reading...

US president reportedly eyes plot near Memorial Bridge for a large-scale structure named the Independence Arch Donald Trump reportedly wants the arch he is planning to build in Washington DC to dwarf the Lincoln Memorial. The US president envision the planned arch to be a height of 250ft, or significantly taller than the 100ft-tall Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. It would also be significantly taller than Paris’s 164ft-tall Arc de Triomphe – but less than half the height than the Gateway Arch in St Louis, Missouri, the world’s tallest arch. Continue reading...

David Moyes could not contain himself. As the ball hit the back of the net after substitute Beto had bundled in the equaliser in the seventh minute of injury time, the Everton manager set off. Moyes may be 63 in a couple of months but he sprinted towards the away supporters in sheer delight as his players celebrated on the pitch. Somehow Everton’s unbeaten record here that stretches back to 2019 is still intact. It had seemed that a goal from Pascal Gross would be enough for Brighton to claim victory after they had spurned a number of chances in the first half. But while it is one thing to plan how you are going to overcome a team managed by Moyes, it’s not quite so easy in practice. Continue reading...

It would be a touch too hyperbolic to suggest this was a season-defining afternoon for Arsenal’s title ambitions, but given the opposition and the pre-match drama surrounding this game, there was no doubting that come full time this felt like a significant afternoon in the Premier League title picture. Two points from three games is hardly compelling enough evidence to prompt full-blown crisis talks, but given the lofty standards Arsenal have set in the first half of this season, it felt as though we would learn plenty about them here . This against a team who have lost once since the start of December and with a ferocious home crowd behind them. Continue reading...

Two clubs in the process of a reset. If Wolves’ fate is all but sealed, they seek to carry good vibes into the Championship. Bournemouth’s objective was to make last week’s defeat of Liverpool the staging post for one of those streaks of good results that have made Andoni Iraola’s reputation. Mission accomplished for the Cherries, who could celebrate only their second away win of a hitherto troubled season, a first since August. In the performance of second-half sub Rayan, who supplied Alex Scott’s late clincher, there is much to look forward to. Without Antoine Semenyo, a scorer against Wolves last week, Iraola is finding solutions. A callow asset-stripped squad is still full of promise. The manager paired Eli Junior Kroupi playing behind the centre-forward wiles of Evanilson. Kroupi duly delivered a brilliant first-half strike. Continue reading...