Campaigner recently released from prison makes statement after PM’s support is questioned by Tory MPs Alaa Abd el-Fattah, the British-Egyptian human rights campaigner, has unreservedly apologised for what he accepted were shocking and hurtful tweets that he wrote more than 10 years ago in what he described as heated online battles. He said he was shaken by the criticism that has rained down on him since the tweets were highlighted by shadow ministers challenging Keir Starmer’s support for him since he was released by the Egyptian government to travel to the UK after his release from more than 10 years in prison. Continue reading...

These unfairly maligned animals were nuggets for our ancestors and served for the UK during the second world war Is there something I would figuratively die on a hill for? Yes, there is – and as it happens, I’m sitting on a literal hill right now, feeding them. Pigeons. Why pigeons? Because it’s about time they get the respect they deserve. I like pigeons. Because they’re like me, working class. You can tell pigeons are working class because every pigeon looks knackered. It’s about this point in the conversation that people politely make their excuses and slowly back away (literally) while avoiding eye contact. No doubt, reading this, you are doing the same (figuratively). Toussaint Douglass is a comedian from Lewisham, south London. His show Accessible Pigeon Material will be showing at Soho Theatre, 26-31 January 2026 Continue reading...

Like her forebears Fiona Apple and Giant Drag, Izzy Hagerup puts a distinctly twisty take on indie-rock, and is unafraid of dark emotional truths From Chicago Recommended if you like Wednesday, Fiona Apple, Giant Drag Up next European/UK tour kicks off in May A word that Prewn, AKA Izzy Hagerup, often uses to describe her music is “dissociation” – the disconnected emotional state embodied by many of the Chicago-born musician’s songs. It’s not an impression anyone would be left with from listening to her bitter, potent take on indie-rock. Hagerup’s guitar lines snake as they thrash; her balladry is grimy and expansive, steered by febrile vocals that recall mid-period Fiona Apple and the drone of the cello she played as a kid. Unexpected moments lurk, such as the shadowy slip into trip-hop on recent single Dirty Dog. Continue reading...

Stress releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can suppress your immune system – but chronic concerns are more of an issue than short-term worries ‘Stress has a well-established effect on your immune health,” says Daniel M Davis, head of life sciences at Imperial College London. “But stress is a very broad phenomenon. You can feel stressed watching a horror movie, or you can experience long-term stress, like going through a divorce.” Short-term stress can temporarily affect your immune system. “The number of immune cells in the blood changes,” says Davis. “But it returns to normal within about an hour, so it’s unlikely to have any major impact.” Continue reading...

Manchester and Bristol among those worst hit as most airports face bills more than doubling in next three years Business live – latest updates Air passengers are being warned to brace for ticket rises as regional airports across the UK face “unprecedented” rises in property tax next year. Analysis of government data for the Press Association has revealed regional airports are among those facing the steepest increases in business rates of any sector in the UK amid an overhaul of property valuations underpinning the tax. Continue reading...

Hinata Goto reportedly fell as he was trying to get off the 30-metre-long walkway A five-year-old boy has died after becoming trapped in a moving travelator at a ski resort in northern Japan, local media have said. The victim, Hinata Goto, died on Sunday after his right arm became trapped in the walkway’s winding mechanism during a family skiing trip to Otaru, a city on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. Continue reading...

Prevention and and keeping on top of the small problems will save you money in the long term Looking after electrical goods will save you money in the long term. “Regular, small tasks keep appliances working efficiently and help you avoid early replacements,” says Paula Higgins, the founder of the HomeOwners Alliance. Continue reading...

The former Woman’s Hour host speaks candidly with older stars such as Paul Merton and Trevor McDonald. Plus, the secrets of how to win the World Cup! Former Woman’s Hour host Jenni Murray offers an amiable slant on the celebrity interview podcast. Her Saga magazine series features exclusively older interviewees, speaking about the life lessons they’ve learned thus far. Paul Merton is rather candid when it comes to mental health and Ian Hislop (“Is he as nice as he looks? He’s nicer …”), with Tony Blackburn and Trevor McDonald also appearing this season. Hannah J Davies Widely available, episodes fortnightly Continue reading...

Coastal erosion may threaten the area around Southwold, but a new ‘movable’ cabin makes a great base for exploring its windswept beaches, remote marshes and welcoming inns The crumbling cliff edge is just metres away. An automatic blind, which I can operate without getting out of bed, rises to reveal an ocean view: the dramatic storm-surging North Sea with great black-backed gulls circling nearby and a distant ship on the horizon. A watery gold sunrise lights the clouds and turbulent grey water. I’m the first person to sleep in the new Kraken lodge at Still Southwold, a former farm in Easton Bavents on the Suffolk coast. It’s a stylish wooden cabin, one of a scattering of holiday lets in an area prone to aggressive coastal erosion. The owner, Anne Jones, describes the challenges of living on a coast that is rapidly receding in the face of climate-exacerbated storms: the waves have eroded more than 40 hectares (100 acres), and the family business “is no longer a viable farm”. Instead, it is home to low-carbon cottages and cabins, “designed to be movable when the land they stand on is lost to the sea”. The latest projects include a sea-view sauna and a ‘dune hut’ on the beach for reflexology treatments “with the sea and waves as the backdrop”. Continue reading...

From an acclaimed short-story writer, this epic of power and class across generations in Pakistan is brutal, funny and brilliantly told Imagine a shattering portrayal of Pakistani life through a chain of interlocking novellas, and you’ll be somewhere close to understanding the breadth and impact of Daniyal Mueenuddin’s first novel. Reminiscent of Neel Mukherjee’s dazzling circular depiction of Indian inequalities, A State of Freedom, it’s a keenly anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed short-story collection with which he made his debut in 2009, In Other Rooms, Other Wonders – also portraying overlapping worlds of Pakistani class and culture. We begin in the squalor and bustle of a Rawalpindi bazaar in the 1950s, where the heartbreaking figure of a small child, abandoned to his fate and clutching a pair of plastic shoes, is scooped under the protection of a tea stall owner. He proceeds to raise the boy as his own son, having only daughters, but Yazid is also adopted by the stall’s garrulous regulars, who teach him both to read and to pay keen attention to the currents of class, wealth and power which flow past him every day. Continue reading...

Jérémie Battaglia’s captivating documentary follows two north African raseteurs battling bulls and systemic racism in southern France In southern France, the ancient and controversial tradition of Camargue bullfighting remains to this day. In contrast to more lethal forms of the sport, participants – or raseteurs – win points by snatching various ribbons attached to the bulls, each of which comes with a cash prize up to thousands of euros. Following a group of athletes of north African descent, Jérémie Battaglia’s documentary paints a captivating portrait of multicultural France. For Jawad Bakloul and Belkacem Benhammou, the two young men at the centre of the film, the hardships multiply. Because of their ethnic background, the pair encounter a world of contradictions when they step into an arena. Not only do they face mortal danger, they also face racial abuse from the older, largely white spectators, despite upholding a piece of traditional French culture. Continue reading...

Norfolk police say man believed to be driver of one of the vehicles shot by armed officers after leaving scene holding a handgun A man believed to be carrying a handgun has been shot and killed by police after a two-vehicle collision in Thetford, Norfolk police said. Officers were called to London Road at about 8.25pm on Sunday after receiving reports of a two-vehicle collision. Police said one man, believed to be the driver of one of the vehicles, left the scene holding what was described as a handgun. Continue reading...

Survivors urge government to stop using suppliers cited in public inquiry into fire in which 72 people died Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have called on the government to stop companies implicated in the disaster from receiving public contracts, after it was revealed several were still in receipt of multimillion-pound deals. New analysis found at least 87 contracts across the public sector in the government’s own database involve companies criticised in the phase 2 report into the Grenfell fire, published in September 2024, though some contracts may have since expired. Continue reading...

DCI Barnaby and DS Winter deal with an angry artist. Plus: Rob Rinder and AJ Odudu suffer in The Celebrity Apprentice. Here’s what to watch this evening 8.30pm, ITV1 Families, eh? When Stourwick patriarch Henry Shirewell pops his clogs, his eldest son, ceramicist Lucian, announces to his siblings that he plans to transform the family pile into a – shock, horror! – residential artists’ community. That means kicking everybody out for good. But when a letter is discovered that casts suspicion on his actions, DCI Barnaby and DS Jamie Winter are called in to solve a potential murder. Hollie Richardson Continue reading...

The Guardian’s fans’ network on 2025-26 at the half-way stage: best games, worst setbacks, and their January window wish lists Story so far It would be pretty churlish to be anything other than super-chuffed, with those displays over Bayern Munich and our neighbours among the highlights. But, as we know, there are no prizes for being top at Christmas. Our success so far has largely been due to our defensive resilience; it’s the most talented squad we’ve had in many a moon but we’ve only shone going forward in fits and spurts. Find that spark on a consistent basis and we really will be firing. Bernard Azulay onlinegooner.com; @GoonerN5 Continue reading...

Health minister decries criticism of vaccinations by heads of four authorities as ‘dangerous and utterly irresponsible’ A third of Reform UK’s council leaders across the country have expressed vaccine-sceptic views, openly questioning public health measures that keep millions safe. The leaders of four of the 12 councils where Reform is in charge or the largest party – Kent, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Durham – are among those in the party who have publicly criticised vaccinations. Continue reading...

Rural depopulation compounding challenges of climate emergency and changing technologies in drawing young people to sector The huge concrete vats that have held countless litres of verdejo white wine in the 90 years since the Cuatro Rayas cooperative winery was founded are dwarfed by the stainless steels tanks that sit opposite and serve as reminders that, even in an enterprise as ancient as winemaking, times change. Outside, a chilly but welcome rain falls on the surrounding vines, autumn-brown after another furnace-hot summer in the northern Spanish province of Valladolid. But changing technologies and the vagaries of the climate emergency are not the only challenges facing Spain’s €22.4bn (£20bn) wine industry. Continue reading...

With his new film rejected by official censors, the award-winning film-maker says he is being punished for his outspoken views In Hong Kong, where dissent is now characterised by silence, few dare openly criticise the government or the Chinese Communist party (CCP) that controls it. Film-maker Kiwi Chow is one of the few. “The Chinese Communist party’s practice is to try and destroy history and truth,” the 46-year-old director says from his home in the region. “It’s ridiculous that I can still live in Hong Kong without being in jail.” Continue reading...

From Tchaikovsky to Turnage, and Handel to Heggie, here are Guardian photographer Tristram Kenton’s favourite opera images of the year • Shock and awe: our critics on the best classical events of the year • The best classical recordings of the year Continue reading...

Israel’s PM travels to Mar-a-Lago as US administration reported to be running out of patience over Gaza ceasefire Benjamin Netanyahu is to meet Donald Trump at the US president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday evening amid growing fears Israel could launch new offensives against regional enemies, potentially plunging the Middle East further into instability. The Israeli prime minister left Israel on Sunday on his fifth visit to see Trump in the US this year. Continue reading...

I love many shows on the streaming channels, but the BBC is our storyteller. It defines a nation and its culture – and we must defend it Tony Hall was director general of the BBC between April 2013 and August 2020 Don’t let President Trump cloud the real debate about the BBC. Of course, his demand for damages of no less than $5bn has dominated our thinking about the corporation over the past few weeks, as has its cause. But let’s get this into perspective. This was a serious own goal and journalists make mistakes. Salvation in this case would have been a line of script between the clips, or once a mistake had been discovered, a very speedy public acknowledgment. Now, though, the BBC is right not to yield on this. It has apologised. And, unlike other broadcasters and institutions in the United States, it doesn’t need the president’s support. This is a chance to demonstrate the BBC’s independence. Fight on. But we must not let this cloud the debate here about the sort of BBC we all want and need, and I hope that is what dominates our conversation in the coming crucial year. The government’s green paper, published in December, starts off with a reminder of what, despite all its travails, the BBC delivers for the country. “It’s not just a broadcaster,” says the introduction, “it’s also a national institution … if it did not already exist, we would have to invent it.” The secretary of state, Lisa Nandy, is even more forthright: “I believe the BBC, alongside the NHS, is one of the two most important institutions in our country. While one is fundamental to the health of our people, the other is fundamental to the health of our democracy.” Seeing the BBC not just as a media organisation, but as a cultural organisation helping to define who we are is crucial to next year’s debate about what we want the BBC to be. It should be seen as part of our social infrastructure. Continue reading...

Move over, nachos: a loaded crisp platter is the new party snack in town Pimento cheese, a much-loved American spread, has been a permanent fixture in my kitchen this month. Whether it’s a quick sandwich filling in times of chaos or an effortless party dip, I am addicted. My favourite way to serve it, though, is as part of a loaded crisp platter. Use salted or pickle crisps, and load them up with spoonfuls of pimento cheese, sliced pickles, herbs and heat. Move over nachos, there’s a new crisp platter in town. Continue reading...

Old Sulehay Forest, Northamptonshire: Distant church bells are about all I can hear as I stand below a 500-year-old small-leaved lime – a tree that may be making an unlikely comeback On a bright winter’s day, I stand at the centre of a ring of multi‑stemmed small-leaved limes. Their gnarled bases are furred with moss and feathered with sprays of epicormic growth. Lime trees are notoriously hard to age, but this one is probably more than 500 years old, shaped and reshaped by centuries of coppicing, now with a vast canopy stretching nearly 20 metres. Looking up, I marvel at the intricate fractal lattice of branches and twigs of each tree. Every stem holds its own space, the crowns kept neatly apart from their neighbours – a quiet phenomenon known as crown shyness. This seems somehow appropriate, given how quiet the woodland is. It feels emptied, with only the rush of a chill wind numbing my bare fingertips, a peal of distant church bells, and a robin offering its muted winter song. Continue reading...

‘I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost,’ Ahmed tells CBS News of those who died on 14 December Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Ahmed al-Ahmed, who disarmed one of the Bondi gunmen before being shot five times, says he knows his bravery saved many lives but is sad for those who were killed in the attack. In an interview with CBS News, Ahmed said he “didn’t worry about anything” except for the lives he could save as he disarmed Sajid Akram on 14 December. The act was caught on camera and shared around the world. Continue reading...

Western Highlands and southern Wales among most active regions, according to British Geological Survey More than 300 earthquakes have been recorded in the UK this year, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS). Among the most active regions to experience quakes were Perthshire and the western Highlands in Scotland, southern parts of Wales, and Yorkshire and Lancashire in England, the BGS data shows. Continue reading...