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Train driver killed in second deadly Spain rail crash in days
At least 37 people have been injured, five seriously, in a second crash, after Sunday's two-train collision in Andalusia.
Loved ones of victims reeling after high-speed rail crash in southern Spain
Two deadly crashes in almost as many days have inflicted grief, anger and disruption. Two deadly crashes in almost as many days inflict grief, anger and disruption in Spain.
Shock and confusion as Spain struggles for answers after deadly train crash
Investigators remain baffled by the cause of Sunday's deadly crash in the south of the country.
At the scene of Spain's worst rail disaster in over a decade
The BBC's Guy Hedgecoe visited the scene, where a large police cordon is in place.
Spain train crash survivors describe 'absolutely terrifying' scene
Passengers recount the moment two trains collided between Málaga and Madrid on Sunday evening.
Spain’s rail network under scrutiny after second deadly crash in as many days
<p>Trainee driver killed in accident near Barcelona just days after 43 died in collision between two high-speed trains</p><p>Spain’s rail network is under scrutiny after <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/20/commuter-train-near-barcelona-hits-collapsed-wall-injuring-several-people">a commuter train crashed</a> near Barcelona just days after at least 43 people died and 152 were injured in a collision between two high-speed trains.</p><p>The second crash in as many days occurred at approximately 9pm on Tuesday when a retaining wall collapsed on to the track near Gelida in the region of Catalonia in north-east Spain, derailing a local train.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/spain-rail-network-scrutiny-after-second-train-crash">Continue reading...</a>
Photographer Discovers Train Part That Could Hold Key to Spain Train Crash
Officials said they had located a previously unreported train undercarriage near the site of a deadly train crash in Spain. Experts said the finding could help investigators.
As Spain Mourns Train Crash Victims, Investigators Focus on Track
Officials on Tuesday were struggling to identify bodies from the crash near the southern city of Córdoba, which killed at least 41 people.
Another Train Crash in Spain Kills 1 and Hurts 37, Officials Say
Train service in the Catalonia region will be suspended until it is safe to resume rail traffic, the local operator said.
How 40 People Died In a Train Crash in Andalucia, Spain
The victims of Spain’s deadliest rail crash in more than a decade included a police officer, journalists and a family returning from a musical.
Survivors of Deadly Train Crash in Spain Describe Hellish Scenes
Photographs show a tangled mess of metal, wires and broken glass at the scene of the crash, which killed at least 39 people.
'Europe is at a total loss': Russia gloats over Greenland tensions
The BBC's Russia editor Steve Rosenberg analyses why pro-Russian government papers are full of praise for Donald Trump's desire to buy Greenland.
Trump steps up demand to annex Greenland but rules out using force
<p>US president tells business and political leaders in Davos his country needs ownership to defend ‘unsecured island’</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/21/davos-trump-speech-wef-greenland-bessent-trade-milei-globalisation-business-live-updates">Business live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Donald Trump has stepped up his demand to annex Greenland in an extraordinary speech in Davos, but said the US would not use force to seize what he called the “big, beautiful piece of ice”.</p><p>Addressing thousands of business and political leaders at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/21/davos-trump-speech-wef-greenland-bessent-trade-milei-globalisation-business-live-updates">the World Economic Form in the Swiss ski resort</a>, the US president said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/21/davos-2026-trump-greenland-rules-out-force-part-north-america">Continue reading...</a>
Davos live: Trump rules out taking Greenland by force but calls for ‘immediate negotiations’
<p>Rolling coverage of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the US president delivered a speech to world leaders</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/21/davos-2026-trump-greenland-rules-out-force-part-north-america">Trump steps up demand to annex Greenland but rules out using force</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events/2025/oct/27/guardian-newsroom-is-britain-heading-the-way-of-trumps-america">Guardian newsroom: Year One of Trumpism: Is Britain Emulating the US?</a></p></li></ul><p><em>Q: Is the US worried that institutional investors in Europe might pull out of the US Treasury market, such as pension funds in Denmark?</em></p><p><strong>Bessent</strong> brushes this aside, saying</p><p>The size of Denmark’s investment in US Treasury bonds, like Denmark itself, is irrelevant.</p><p>It is less than $100 million.</p><p>They’ve been selling Treasuries for years. I’m not concerned at all.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/21/davos-trump-speech-wef-greenland-bessent-trade-milei-globalisation-business-live-updates">Continue reading...</a>
Trump Doubles Down on Greenland Threats in Flurry of Truth Social Posts
President Trump posted private messages from France’s president and repeated his desire to take over Greenland in an overnight social media storm.
With Threats to Greenland, Trump Sets America on the Road to Conquest
After a century of defending other countries against foreign aggression, the United States is now positioned as an imperial power trying to seize another nation’s land.
Trump Links His Push for Greenland to Not Winning Nobel Peace Prize
In a text, President Trump told Norway’s prime minister that he no longer felt obliged to “think purely of Peace” and that the U.S. needed the island for global security.
Trump says he wants ‘ownership’ of Greenland, but ‘won’t use force’
Donald Trump said the US needs “ownership” of Greenland, but he “won’t use force” to acquire the territory.
Greenland’s strategic position in seven maps: Why Trump wants the island
The world’s largest island sits in the Arctic Circle and is strategically and economically valuable.
Trump live news: US president says ‘won’t use force’ to acquire Greenland
The US president, at the World Economic Forum, says he'll have 'many meetings' on Greenland as Europe tensions simmer.
Trump calls for 'immediate negotiations' on Greenland, but rules out using force
President Donald Trump called for "immediate negotiations" with Denmark to "discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States."
How to Understand Trump’s Obsession With Greenland
Erratic though the president may sound, the Trumpian worldview is comprehensible.
Lyse Doucet: Trump is shaking the world order more than any president since WW2
Trump's demands over Greenland are a rude awakening in a moment fraught with risk.
Confronted over Greenland, Europe is ditching its softly-softly approach to Trump
Transatlantic relations aren't broken, though they are damaged. And if Europeans want to try to cut through with Trump, they'll have to stick together, writes Europe Editor Katya Adler
Zelenskyy meeting with Trump expected to take place on Thursday – Europe live
<p>Adviser to Zelenskyy says he in Kyiv, not Davos, and meeting will not be today as Trump suggested earlier</p><p><strong>Former Nato secretary general and former Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned that the “time of flattery has ended” as Europe needs to step up its response to Trump’s threats over Greenland – but still look for off-ramps to avoid escalation whereever possible.</strong></p><p>Speaking to BBC News this morning, <strong>he warned that a US attack on Greenland “would be the end of Nato,”</strong> and push Europeans to urgently step up its defence in its own right, regardless of the US.</p><p><em><strong>“</strong>I think those three areas would accommodate the concerns of President Trump.”</em></p><p><em>“Time has come to stand up against Trump.”</em></p><p><em>“<strong>So I think that we should solve this problem in a diplomatic way.</strong> Of course, I appreciate Denmark’s voice, … it’s our partner, but I’m looking at the Greenland as a strategic point in a [broader] geopolitical issue between the free world of democracies … and Russia.”</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/21/europe-donald-trump-davos-speech-greenland-denmark-latest-updates">Continue reading...</a>
Europe’s moment of truth over Greenland looms, as leaders ditch appeasement of Trump
<p>From the ‘big bazooka’ to a world cup boycott, Europe has powerful weapons beyond ‘dialogue. An emergency EU summit could be a turning point</p><p><strong>•</strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/22/this-is-europe-sign-up-guardian-email-updates"><strong> Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up here</strong></a></p><p>“I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland,” wrote Emmanuel Macron in a <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/01/20/trump-leaks-macron-s-private-text-i-do-not-understand-what-you-are-doing-on-greenland_6749612_4.html">private message</a> to Donald Trump this week. Trump posted the text on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, seemingly to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/trump-macron-private-message-intimidation">humiliate the French president</a>. But Macron might have been speaking for millions of bewildered European citizens.</p><p>As Russia’s war physically tears into Ukraine, Trump’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/20/trump-tariffs-over-greenland-are-an-error-says-ursula-von-der-leyen">phoney war on Europe over Greenland</a> risks <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/18/western-alliance-hangs-in-balance-as-europe-stiffens-itself-against-trumps-threats">breaking apart</a> the western defence alliance Nato.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/the-moment-of-truth-over-greenland-as-leaders-ditch-appeasement-of-trump">Continue reading...</a>
Trump Heads to Davos Amid Deep Worries About U.S.-European Alliance
The gathering of the global elite is set to serve as an all-hands effort to de-escalate tensions between President Trump and America’s allies over his insistence on acquiring Greenland.
Trump Escalates Tensions With European Allies With Greenland and Gaza Efforts
President Trump’s bellicose demands about Greenland and participation in his “board of peace” are deepening worries about the fate of the trans-Atlantic alliance.
Trump Is Pushing the U.S.-Europe Alliance to the Brink Over Greenland
As President Trump tries to coerce European leaders over Greenland, they are pondering the unthinkable: Is an 80-year-old alliance doomed?
Can Europe break with Trump? A tale of energy, defence, economic dependence
Trump has angered European leaders with his Greenland ambitions and tariffs-for-all-who-oppose approach.
Davos Man May Burn the Whole Thing Down
Trump threatens to sever the U.S.-European alliance over Greenland.
Trump renews attack on UK for not allowing more oil drilling in North Sea – UK politics live
<p>The US president highlighted the North Sea as part of a wider criticism of clean energy policies</p><p>We’re not far off PMQs. Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.</p><p>There will be two statements in the Commons after PMQs. At 12.30pm Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, will give one about the warm homes plan, and about an hour later Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, will give one on the water white paper.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jan/21/keir-starmer-donald-trump-greenland-uk-politics-live-latest-updates">Continue reading...</a>
Hardened Starmer changes tack as gentle approach fails to sway Trump
<p>Prime minister surprisingly forceful at PMQs over US president’s volte face on Chagos and refusal to drop tariffs threat on Greenland</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jan/21/keir-starmer-donald-trump-greenland-uk-politics-live-latest-updates">UK politics live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>For a man who chooses his words so carefully, there is no doubt that Keir Starmer’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/21/starmer-criticises-trump-pressure-over-greenland">shift in tone</a> towards Donald Trump at prime minister’s questions was intentional.</p><p>Since the turn of the year, as the US president has shown his imperialist ambition, the prime minister’s softly-softly approach to his unpredictable friend in the White House has come under increased strain.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/21/keir-starmer-pmqs-trump-chagos-greenland-tariff-threat-analysis">Continue reading...</a>
CNBC's UK Exchange newsletter: A diplomacy tightrope for Britain’s Starmer after Trump’s tirades
U.K. PM Keir Starmer is treading a fine line in diplomacy — and appears to be banking on Britain’s “special relationship” with the U.S. to deliver a compromise.
Enough appeasement: Britain needs its own ‘trade bazooka’ to take on Donald Trump | Ed Davey
<p>It’s time to stand up for ourselves. With targeted action and tariffs, we can help push back the bully in chief</p><ul><li><p>Ed Davey is leader of the Liberal Democrats</p></li></ul><p>Donald Trump is behaving like an international gangster. His threats to Greenland this week have crossed a line, blackmailing America’s closest allies and threatening the future of Nato itself. From <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/davos/us-treasury-secretary-bessent-brushes-off-hysteria-over-greenland-2026-01-20/">leaking messages</a> with other world leaders to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/donald-trump-greenland-threats-nobel-prize-snub-letter">whining about</a> the Nobel peace prize, the US president has gone from unstable to seemingly unhinged. And our government needs to wake up.</p><p>For months, Keir Starmer has pursued a strategy of quiet appeasement. He told us that by avoiding confrontation the UK could carve out a special status that would shield our industries from the coming storm. Only a few months ago, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/18/trump-lauds-special-relationship-between-uk-and-us-as-historic-second-state-visit-sees-thousands-protest">Trump hailed</a> the “special relationship” at Windsor Castle after being lavished with a state banquet. Now, thanks to his actions, it is nearly in tatters. Starmer’s Mr Nice Guy diplomacy has failed.</p><p>Ed Davey is leader of the Liberal Democrats<br /></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/appeasement-britain-donald-trump-trade-tariffs">Continue reading...</a>
Why the UK won’t retaliate to Trump tariffs over Greenland – The Latest
<p>Keir Starmer has played down the possibility of retaliatory tariffs on the US, after Donald Trump threatened them against Nato allies unless they support his plan to take Greenland. At an emergency press conference, Starmer said tariffs would be the “wrong thing to do”.</p><p>Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s senior political correspondent, Peter Walker <strong>– </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@todayinfocuspodcast"><strong>watch on YouTube</strong></a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/jan/19/why-the-uk-wont-retaliate-to-trump-tariffs-over-greenland-the-latest">Continue reading...</a>
Starmer: ‘We don’t want a trade war’ – podcast
<p>Keir Starmer has held an emergency press conference in response to Donald Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland. Pippa and Kiran discuss what the UK prime minister said and how it may be received</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2026/jan/19/starmer-we-dont-want-a-trade-war-podcast">Continue reading...</a>
Greenland Tensions Rattle Global Markets
Stocks in the U.S. stabilized on Wednesday after an earlier slump had spilled into markets in Asia and Europe, ending a period of relative calm.
CNBC Daily Open: Investors flee from the U.S. as Trump doubles down on Greenland
Markets on Tuesday flashed the classic signs of a "sell America" trade, as investors recoiled from escalating risks tied to Washington's foreign policy.
Gold climbs to new high as Trump’s Greenland-linked tariff threats rattle Asia markets
Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell, mirroring overnight losses on Wall Street after President Donald Trump escalated rhetoric over Greenland.
CNBC Daily Open: Trump's intensifying pressure on Greenland prompts investors to 'sell America'
Markets on Tuesday flashed the classic signs of a "sell America" trade, as investors recoiled from escalating risks tied to Washington's foreign policy.
Stocks Post Biggest Drop in Months as Tensions Over Greenland Mount
The S&P 500 saw its biggest decline since October, and market jitters spread to Asia on Wednesday.
Wall Street sees worst day since October after Trump tariff threats
<p>Sell-off hits US stocks in first trading day since president threatened tariffs against eight countries</p><p>Stock markets fell on both sides of the Atlantic on Tuesday, with Wall Street suffering its worst day since October, as investor concerns persisted over the fallout from Donald Trump’s push for US control of Greenland.</p><p>The sell-off hit US stocks on the first day of trading in New York since Trump threatened <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/17/trump-tariff-european-countries-greenland">new tariffs on eight European countries</a>, after the market was closed for a public holiday on Monday. The S&P 500 closed down 2.1% while the Dow Jones finished down 1.8%.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/20/stock-markets-trump-greenland-tariff-ftse-100-gold">Continue reading...</a>
Israeli PM Netanyahu agrees to join Trump's Board of Peace
Israel is the latest country to publicly accept an invitation to Trump's new organisation, joining Albania, Bahran, Hungary, Morocco and the UAE.
Netanyahu to join Trump ‘board of peace’ despite previous objections
<p>Israeli prime minister accepts position on US-proposed body with initial remit to oversee Gaza ceasefire</p><p>Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Wednesday that he had agreed to join a US-backed “board of peace” proposed by Donald Trump, despite his office having <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/17/israel-objects-to-white-houses-pick-of-leaders-for-board-of-peace">earlier criticised</a> the composition of its executive committee.</p><p>The body, chaired by the US president, was initially presented as a limited forum of world leaders tasked with overseeing a ceasefire in Gaza. More recently, however, the initiative appears to have expanded well beyond that remit, with the Trump camp extending invitations to dozens of countries and suggesting the board could evolve into a vehicle for brokering conflicts far beyond the Middle East.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/benjamin-netanyahu-to-join-trump-board-of-peace-despite-previous-israel-objections">Continue reading...</a>
Trump’s board of peace is an imperial court completely unlike what was proposed
<p>The US president’s global club was endorsed by the security council on a false prospectus and seems aimed at displacing the United Nations</p><p>Like many punters who have tried to do business with Donald Trump in the past, the UN has found itself a victim of a classic bait-and-switch, thinking it was buying one thing, but getting quite another.</p><p>When they voted to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/18/un-security-council-votes-to-endorse-donald-trumps-gaza-plan">endorse</a> the board of peace in November, other members of the UN security council hoped they were binding Trump into a Gaza peace process, but it now appears they were hoodwinked into backing a Trump-dominated pay-to-play club: a global version of his Mar-a-Lago court aimed at supplanting the UN itself.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/trumps-board-of-peace-is-an-imperial-court-completely-unlike-what-was-proposed">Continue reading...</a>
Gaza’s Board of Peace: What to Know
Numerous countries say they have been invited to join President Trump’s newly minted organization, which critics say could undermine the United Nations.
Trump’s ‘board of peace’: Who has joined, who hasn’t – and why
Before a signing ceremony planned for Thursday, several nations have agreed to join the board. But many haven't.
New ceasefire in Syria after Kurdish-led forces pull out of camp for IS families
The government announces a four-day ceasefire with the SDF, which says it was "compelled" to withdraw its fighters from al-Hol camp.
Syrian army takes control of detention camp for Islamic State suspects
<p>Move follows withdrawal of Kurdish forces from al-Hawl, where 24,000 people are being held over alleged IS links</p><p>Syrian government forces have taken control of al-Hawl detention camp, which houses tens of thousands of suspected Islamic State members, after Kurdish forces <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/20/kurdish-forces-withdraw-from-is-detention-camp-in-north-east-syria">withdrew</a>.</p><p>Soldiers entered the heavily fortified camp on Wednesday, part of a handover from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which oversaw the camp for the last seven years, as the Syrian government vowed to secure the facility.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/syria-army-al-hawl-camp-kurdish-withdrawal-islamic-state">Continue reading...</a>
Kurdish forces withdraw from IS detention camp in north-east Syria
<p>US says it no longer supports SDF, which left camp as it loses swathes of territory to government forces</p><p>Kurdish-led forces in Syria have announced a withdrawal from a detention camp in north-east Syria housing tens of thousands of Islamic State-linked detainees, as the US declared it was no longer supporting them.</p><p>The fate of al-Hawl, which houses among others the most radical foreign women suspected to have been members of IS and their families, is of great concern to neighbouring states and the international community.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/20/kurdish-forces-withdraw-from-is-detention-camp-in-north-east-syria">Continue reading...</a>
Syrian army takes control of camp holding thousands linked to ISIL
SDF chief Abdi urged US-led coalition to 'bear responsibilities' for securing facilities coming under gov't control.
Video: Syria SDF ‘outlived usefulness to US’ explains Al Jazeera reporter
Syria’s army has taken control of a large part of the country that had been under the Kurdish-led SDF.
A Few Dozen European Troops in Greenland Set Off Trump
President Trump threatened tariffs on European nations that sent military personnel to Greenland last week. Some have already gone home, but Denmark is now sending about 100 more.
European lawmakers suspend U.S. trade deal amid Greenland tariff tensions
EU lawmakers have suspended the approval of the U.S.-EU trade agreement over President Trump's Greenland-related tariff threats.
Trump Announces New Tariffs on Some European Countries in Greenland Standoff
The president escalated his drive to take charge of the Danish territory, targeting Denmark and seven other European countries with a 10 percent rate.
What are Trump’s latest tariff threats and could EU hit back with ‘trade bazooka’?
<p>Europe could use powerful but untested law amid pressure over Greenland – but it could also lose out from a trade war</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2026/jan/19/markets-trump-us-eu-tariffs">Markets stay calm amid Trump’s gambit, but long-term risks are huge</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/european-industry-donald-trump-greenland-eu-us-tariffs">European industry hits out at ‘ludicrous’ demands</a></p></li></ul><p>Donald Trump’s threat to impose <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/18/europe-diplomats-crisis-talks-trump-tariffs-greenland">punitive US import tariffs</a> on eight European countries opposed to his ambitions in Greenland has raised fears of a full-blown transatlantic trade war.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/donald-trump-tariff-eu-aci-europe-greenland-trade-war">Continue reading...</a>
Nicola Jennings on Greenland, Trump and tariffs – cartoon
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2026/jan/18/nicola-jennings-greenland-trump-tariffs-cartoon">Continue reading...</a>
‘Rupture in the world order’: Speeches by Carney, world leaders in Davos
World leaders, rattled by Trump's latest gambit in Greenland, look to present united front at World Economic Forum.
‘Adaptive Normalcy’ as the Trump Show Arrives at Davos
The president’s address at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland has trading partners and business executives on edge.
The Trump Drama Hits Davos
Greenland, tariffs and wobbling markets are the talk of the town at the World Economic Forum ahead of the president’s arrival on Wednesday.
World leaders in Davos must stand up to Trump. This is their chance | Robert Reich
<p>The world needs global leaders to clearly and firmly denounce the havoc Trump is wreaking on the US and international order</p><p>Hundreds of global CEOs, finance titans, and more than 60 prime ministers and presidents are in Davos, Switzerland, for the annual confab of the world’s powerful and wealthy: the World Economic Forum.</p><p>This year’s Davos meeting occurs at a time when Donald Trump is not just unleashing his brownshirts on Minneapolis and other American cities, but also dismantling the international order that’s largely been in place since the end of the second world war – threatening Nato, withdrawing from international organizations including the UN climate treaty, violating the UN charter by invading Venezuela and abducting Nicolás Maduro, upending established trade rules, and demanding that the US annex Greenland.</p><p>Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at <a href="http://robertreich.substack.com/">robertreich.substack.com</a>. His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/world-leaders-denounce-trump-davos">Continue reading...</a>
Davos 2026: the last-chance saloon to save the old world order?
<p>Donald Trump will lead the largest US delegation ever at the World Economic Forum, as others plan a fightback against his policies including his latest tariff threats</p><p>“A Spirit of Dialogue”: the theme for this year’s World Economic Forum, the gathering of the global elite in the sparkling Alpine air of Davos, seems a heroic stretch, when star guest Donald Trump has spent the past year smashing up the world order.</p><p>The president will touch down alongside the snowcapped Swiss mountains with the largest US delegation ever seen at the WEF, including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, and the special envoy Steve Witkoff.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2026/jan/18/davos-2026-donald-trump-us-wef-world-economic-forum">Continue reading...</a>
Life sentence for man who killed Japan's ex-PM Shinzo Abe
Abe's assassination stunned the country where there is virtually no gun crime.
Shinzo Abe’s killer sentenced to life in prison over shooting of Japanese former PM
<p>Abe was killed by Tetsuya Yamagami in 2022 while campaigning in the city of Nara, a shooting that shocked Japan, where gun crime is almost unheard of</p><p>A court in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/japan">Japan</a> has sentenced the assassin of former prime minister <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/08/shinzo-abe-japans-former-prime-minister-dies-after-being-shot">Shinzo Abe</a> to life in prison – a case that shocked the public and exposed politicians’ ties to an influential religious group.</p><p>Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, had earlier pleaded guilty to killing Abe in July 2022 as he was making an election campaign speech in the western city of Nara.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/tetsuya-yamagami-assassinated-shinzo-abe-japan-life-sentence">Continue reading...</a>
Man Gets Life in Prison for Killing Shinzo Abe, Former Leader of Japan
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, had admitted to shooting Mr. Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister; but his case divided Japan.
Killer of Japan’s former PM Shinzo Abe sentenced to life in prison
The man who killed Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison.
Supreme court justices push Trump lawyer on how allegations against Fed governor Cook could harm the public – live
<p>Court considers Trump administration’s bid to fire Lisa Cook, asking lawyer to provide evidence for alleged mortgage fraud</p><p>House Republicans are starting a push on Wednesday to hold <strong>former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton</strong> in contempt of Congress over the <strong>Jeffrey Epstein</strong> investigation, opening the prospect of the House using one of its most powerful punishments against a former president for the first time.</p><p>The contempt proceedings are an initial step toward a criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice that, if successful, could send the Clintons to prison.</p><p><em>They’re not above the law. We’ve issued subpoenas in good faith.</em></p><p><em>For five months we’ve worked with them. And time’s up.</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jan/21/us-politics-live-supreme-court-fed-lisa-cook-donald-trump-latest-news-updates">Continue reading...</a>
US supreme court considers Trump’s bid to fire Lisa Cook from Fed board
<p>Case will test the limit of Trump’s powers as he continues extraordinary campaign for control over central bank</p><p>The US supreme court is hearing oral arguments over Donald Trump’s bid to fire a Federal Reserve governor this morning, as his administration continues its extraordinary campaign for control over the central bank.</p><p>The US president <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/26/who-is-lisa-cook-federal-reserve-governor">tried to fire</a> Lisa Cook in August over apparent discrepancies on mortgage applications Trump’s officials claim are evidence of fraud.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/supreme-court-trump-fed-governor-case">Continue reading...</a>
Supreme Court Considers Trump’s Attempt to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook
The justices deferred a decision on the president’s efforts to oust Cook, agreeing to hear arguments on Wednesday instead.
Federal Reserve Inquiry Clouds Trump’s Supreme Court Bid to Oust Lisa Cook
The court is set to hear Ms. Cook’s case challenging her firing as the Justice Department investigates Jerome H. Powell, the central bank chair.
A.I., Big Tech and Trump Shine Most Brightly at the Davos Spectacle
The World Economic Forum is now dominated by global technology companies whose interests shunt aside most others.
As Davos Convenes, Deference to Trump Has Replaced Everything
The traditional rhetoric of the World Economic Forum centered on global integration, climate change and international cooperation. Not anymore.
At Davos, Global Leaders Gather to Ponder the Future of a Messy World
At its 56th annual meeting in Davos, the World Economic Forum will wrestle with war, economics, artificial intelligence and other pressing issues.
Can Davos Help Protect the Planet?
The World Economic Forum, which takes place in Switzerland, aims to meet at least some of the goals its leaders set for the rest of the world.
Nigeria police confirm mass church abductions after previous denial
More than 160 people were reportedly taken from three churches in the northern Kaduna state.
Church Leaders and Police Say Over 160 Kidnapped in Nigeria
Christian groups said gunmen abducted congregants during Sunday services at three churches.
Fear grips Nigerian village after mass church kidnapping
Armed attackers abducted over 170 people from three churches in northern Nigeria.
BBC visits UN compound Israel is demolishing in East Jerusalem
John Sudworth says the sounds of heavy machinery can be heard echoing around the neighbourhood.
Israel Seizes UNRWA’s Jerusalem Headquarters
Bulldozers leveled some structures in a compound that belonged to UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, escalating Israel’s crackdown on the organization.
UN condemns Israel’s demolition of UNRWA HQ in occupied East Jerusalem
UN condemns Israel’s demolition of UNRWA HQ in occupied East Jerusalem
Ros Atkins on...President Trump's year in numbers
Executive orders, pardons, trips and Truth Social posts - the BBC’s Analysis Editor breaks down Donald Trump’s first year back in office, in numbers.
Fact-checking US President Trump’s speech marking one year in office
Trump marked his second term anniversary by showcasing achievements, immigration actions, and addressing foreign policy.
Key takeaways from Trump’s one-year anniversary briefing
Immigration crackdowns, protests, and escalating global chaos have defined the second Trump administration.
Trump Heckles Europe Before Heading to Davos
As European leaders try to engage with the American president over Greenland and the future of Ukraine, he is mocking them as weak.
Trump tells world leaders: Europe is not heading in the right direction
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said some areas of Europe are no longer recognizable — and "not in a positive way."
Donald Trump is not forgetting America’s old alliances – his goal is to destroy them | Rafael Behr
<p>European leaders who know their continent’s history must now see that the US president is siding with the forces of tyranny</p><p>In January 2018, when Donald Trump was in the second year of his first term as US president, Angela Merkel, in her 13th year as German chancellor, gave a <a href="https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2018/sessions/special-address-by-angela-merkel-chancellor-of-germany/">gloomy speech</a> at the World Economic Forum in Davos. She opened her remarks with a warning from Europe’s past. Politicians had “<a href="https://www.weforum.org/stories/2018/01/angela-merkel-at-davos-we-need-global-cooperation-not-walls/">sleep-walked</a>” into the first world war. As the number of surviving eyewitnesses to the second world war dwindled, she added, subsequent generations would have to prove they understood the fragility of peace. “We need to ask ourselves if we have really learned from history or not.”</p><p>Fast forward eight years. Vladimir Putin’s territorial aggression harries Europe’s eastern flank. To the west, Trump, now in his second term and guest of honour at Davos, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mDCAkisRLo">threatens to annex Greenland</a>. This is not a world that has internalised the lessons of the 20th century.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/donald-trump-america-european-leaders-us-president">Continue reading...</a>
Netflix posts narrow earnings beat, reports 325 million global subscribers
Netflix this week amended its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery assets amid a Paramount Skydance hostile takeover attempt.
Netflix Revamps Its Warner Bros. Bid, Seeking to Thwart Paramount
Netflix will pay all cash for the $83 billion deal to acquire major parts of Warner Bros. Discovery, instead of a mix of cash and stock.
Netflix sweetens Warner Bros bid with all-cash offer to block Paramount
<p>Streaming company says proposal speeds up completion and allows WBD investors to vote as soon as April</p><p>Netflix has sweetened its $82.7bn (£61.5bn) offer for the studios and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) by making it an all-cash deal, streamlining its potential completion in the face of a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/12/paramount-to-nominate-directors-to-warner-bros-board-to-vote-against-netflix-deal">hostile bid from Paramount Skydance</a>.</p><p>The streaming company had originally secured the unanimous backing of the WBD board last month with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/05/netflix-frontrunner-warner-bros-discovery-streaming-and-studio-sale">a cash-and-shares proposal</a> that valued the business at $27.75 a share.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/20/netflix-sweetens-warner-bros-bid-all-cash-offer-block-paramount">Continue reading...</a>
A Surprising Change in Trump’s Behavior
The president’s recent follow-through on his threats represents a real shift in his approach.
Trump’s Attack on Democracy Is Faltering
One year into the president’s second term, the country’s institutions and civil society are still checking his authoritarian impulses.
The Levers Trump Isn’t Using
He is dominating a lot of news cycles but failing to advance lasting policy change.
Could US Congress stop Trump from taking over Greenland?
Some of the president's fellow Republicans oppose him - but it's not clear if they would join Democrats to block a takeover of the island.
UK defends Chagos deal after Trump calls it 'act of great stupidity'
The US president says it is "another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired".
Israel postpones demolition of Palestinian children's football pitch
An international campaign to save the pitch in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem appears to have forced the authorities to reconsider.
Palestinian children's football pitch faces Israeli demolition ultimatum
The football club is ordered to remove the pitch, which Israel says was illegally built, or have it torn down.
Oldest cave painting of red claw hand could rewrite human creativity timeline
A stencilled outline of a hand found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is the world's oldest known cave painting, researchers say.
Hand shape in Indonesian cave may be world’s oldest known rock art
<p>Archaeologists say stencil painted with ochre in limestone cave on Muna Island was created at least 67,800 years ago</p><p>The faded outline of a hand on a cave wall in Indonesia may be the world’s oldest known rock art, according to archaeologists who say it was created at least 67,800 years ago.</p><p>The ancient hand stencil was discovered in a limestone cave popular with tourists on Muna Island, part of south-eastern Sulawesi, where it had gone unnoticed between more recent paintings of animals and other figures.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/21/hand-shape-indonesia-cave-rock-art-67800-years-old">Continue reading...</a>
Japan restarts world's largest nuclear plant as Fukushima memories loom large
Japan restarts a reactor at the world's largest nuclear plant nearly 15 years after the Fukushima meltdown.
An Anxious Japan Restarts the World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant
Japan is reviving nuclear power, balancing the need for more clean energy against the lingering trauma of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster.
Ryanair boss thanks Elon Musk for 'boost' in ticket sales after online row
Musk and Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary have called each other "idiots" in recent days, but the airline executive says it's helping lift sales
Elon Musk floats idea of buying Ryanair after calling CEO ‘an idiot’
<p>Tesla boss clashed with Michael O’Leary when airline boss rejected installing Starlink technology on aircraft</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/20/davos-von-der-leyen-he-macron-carney-wef-greenland-trump-uk-unemployment-business-live-news-updates">Business live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Elon Musk has floated the idea of buying the budget airline Ryanair, escalating his public spat with the Irish carrier’s boss, Michael O’Leary.</p><p>The two outspoken businessmen have locked horns since last week, when O’Leary was asked whether he would follow Lufthansa and British Airways in installing Musk’s Starlink satellite internet technology on his fleet of 650 aircraft.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/20/elon-musk-buying-ryanair-ceo-tesla-michael-oleary-starlink">Continue reading...</a>
Ukraine's parliament and half of Kyiv with no heating after Russian strikes
President Zelensky says Russia has started using "far more" ballistic missiles in its attacks on Ukraine.
Fresh Russian Strikes Cut Heat to Thousands in Ukraine’s Freezing Capital
The Ukrainian authorities say the repeated attacks on energy infrastructure are an attempt to force the country into submission.
Colombia sentences ex-paramilitary leader Mancuso to 40 years in jail
Salvatore Mancuso's group committed more than 100 crimes, many targeting an indigenous group, the tribunal ruled.
Colombian ex-paramilitary leader jailed for crimes against Indigenous groups
<p>Salvatore Mancuso given 40-year sentence, which could be reduced after truth and reparation activities</p><p>A Colombian court has sentenced a former paramilitary leader to 40 years in prison for crimes committed against Indigenous communities in the province of La Guajira, including homicides, forced disappearances and the displacement of people from 2002 to 2006.</p><p>The special tribunal that hears cases from the country’s armed conflict said in its ruling that Salvatore Mancuso was responsible for 117 crimes committed by fighters under his command in La Guajira. However, it added that Mancuso’s time in prison could be reduced to eight years, if he collaborated with truth and reparation activities that benefited victims of his former paramilitary group.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/20/colombia-ex-paramilitary-leader-salvatore-mancuso-jailed-crimes-against-indigenous-groups">Continue reading...</a>
Australia parliament passes gun reform and anti-hate bills after Bondi shooting
The reforms are in response to Australia's worst mass shooting in decades at a Jewish festival in December.
Australia Passes Tighter Gun Control Laws, Weeks After Bondi Massacre
Critics said the government had rushed the legislation, along with a bill targeting hate speech, in the wake of the mass shooting in Sydney.
China demands Taliban protect its citizens after deadly Kabul blast
The Islamic State group says they were behind the blast in Kabul, but police say they are still investigating the cause.
Islamic State Claims Deadly Attack on Chinese Restaurant in Afghanistan
A bombing that killed seven people and injured a dozen more at a noodle restaurant in a busy area of Kabul is likely to heighten China’s growing security concerns in Afghanistan.
Locked exits, panic and desperate calls for help: Survivors tell of mall fire horror
The BBC speaks to eyewitnesses and survivors of the fire that ripped through a busy Pakistan shopping centre.
Slow Emergency Response Blamed in Deadly Pakistan Mall Fire
The blaze, which killed at least 23 and left dozens more missing during “wedding season,” burned all night and day through a Karachi plaza with hundreds of shops.
Hiring woes and 'super high' prices: Voters say Trump's progress on the US economy is mixed
We asked six Americans what they make of the US economy one year after President Trump returned to the White House.
Trump’s First Year Could Have Lasting Economic Consequences
President Trump’s policies have so far done little to change the overall state of the American economy, but economists warn they will ultimately weaken the United States.
‘Brazen’ political influence of rich laid bare as wealth of billionaires reaches $18.3tn, says Oxfam
<p>Governments opting for oligarchy while brutally repressing protests over austerity and lack of jobs, charity report says</p><p>The world saw a record number of billionaires created last year, with a collective wealth of $18.3tn (£13.7tn), while global efforts stalled in the fight against poverty and hunger.</p><p><a href="https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/resisting-rule-rich">Oxfam’s annual survey of global inequality</a> has revealed that the number of billionaires surpassed 3,000 for the first time during 2025. Since 2020, their collective wealth grew by 81%, or $8.2tn, which the charity claims would be enough to eradicate global poverty 26 times over.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/19/brazen-political-influence-rich-laid-bare-wealth-billionaires-inequality-poverty-instability-oxfam">Continue reading...</a>
Billionaires have ‘outsized’ political influence — and they’re richer than ever, says Oxfam
Billionaires' wealth has risen sharply to a record high of $18.3 trillion — with the super-rich seeking power "for their own gain," according to Oxfam.
Uganda’s president calls opponents 'terrorists' in victory speech
<p>Yoweri Museveni wins seventh term but poll criticised by observers and rights groups over repression of opposition and internet blackout</p><p>Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, fresh from winning a seventh term in office at 81, said on Sunday that the opposition were “terrorists” who had tried to use violence to overturn the election results.</p><p>Official results showed Museveni <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/17/yoweri-museveni-wins-ugandan-election-as-opponent-condemns-fake-result">winning a landslide with 72% of the vote</a>, but the poll was criticised by African election observers and rights groups due to the heavy repression of the opposition and an internet blackout.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/18/ugandas-president-calls-opponents-terrorists-in-victory-speech">Continue reading...</a>
Yoweri Museveni wins Ugandan election as opponent condemns ‘fake result’
<p>Museveni’s opponent, Bobi Wine, alleges that members of polling staff were kidnapped and called for peaceful protests</p><p>Yoweri Museveni, has won the Ugandan election and his seventh term with more than 70% of the vote, state election authorities have said, amid an internet shutdown and claims of fraud by his opponent.</p><p>His opponent, a youthful musician known as Bobi Wine, condemned what he called “fake results” and alleged that members of polling staff were kidnapped, among other election irregularities. He called for peaceful protests to pressure the authorities to release what he called the “rightful results”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/17/yoweri-museveni-wins-ugandan-election-as-opponent-condemns-fake-result">Continue reading...</a>
Guatemala declares state of emergency after eight police officers killed in prison gang violence
<p>President announces 30-day order after inmates also took 46 people hostage at three prisons</p><p>Guatemala’s president has declared a 30-day nationwide state of emergency to combat criminal gangs after authorities accused them of killing eight police officers and holding hostages at three prisons.</p><p>The killings occurred in the capital, Guatemal City, and surrounding areas a day after gang-affiliated inmates took 46 people hostage in the three prisons across the country to demand incarcerated gang leaders be moved to lower-security facilities.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/19/guatemala-state-of-emergency-police-officers-killed-prison-gang-violence">Continue reading...</a>
Death Toll Rises in Guatemalan Gang Riots
Uprisings in three prisons have killed 10 police officers, presenting another challenge for President Bernardo Arévalo in his fight against corruption and organized crime.
Former South Korean PM jailed for 23 years for role in martial law insurrection
<p>Han Duck-soo verdict marks first judicial ruling stemming from ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol’s 2024 martial law decree</p><p>South Korea’s former prime minister Han Duck-soo has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for his role in an insurrection stemming from the former president <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/03/south-korean-president-declares-emergency-martial-law">Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law declaration</a>.</p><p>The judge, Lee Jin-kwan, ordered Han’s immediate detention.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/former-south-korea-pm-han-duck-soo-jailed-martial-law-insurrection">Continue reading...</a>
South Korean Ex-Premier Gets 23 Years in Prison for Role in Martial Law
Han Duck-soo was convicted of playing a key role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law, which a court said was an insurrection.
Keir Starmer to visit China with British business leaders next week, say reports
<p>Prime minister’s reported trip follows approval by UK government for Beijing to build new embassy in London</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jan/21/keir-starmer-donald-trump-greenland-uk-politics-live-latest-updates">UK politics live – latest updates</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/21/davos-trump-speech-wef-greenland-bessent-trade-milei-globalisation-business-live-updates">Davos live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Keir Starmer will reportedly visit China next week after controversial plans for Beijing to build a vast embassy in London were approved by his government.</p><p>The UK prime minster will lead a delegation of blue-chip British companies, according to Reuters. The same firms, which include BP, HSBC, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls-Royce were also said to be among those who will join a revamped “UK-China CEO council”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/21/keir-starmer-visit-china-british-business-leaders">Continue reading...</a>
Britain Approves Contentious Chinese Mega-Embassy in London
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government approved plans for a massive new Chinese Embassy near Tower Bridge, angering critics who fear it will enable spying.
‘Serious mistake’: there’s no benefit for Australia in joining Donald Trump’s ‘board of peace’ – only risk
<p>To tie ourselves to the worst excesses of the Trump regime would be an act of national sabotage</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/jan/21/hate-speech-laws-pass-senate-gun-reforms-anthony-albanese-labor-sussan-ley-coalition-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>The company you keep.</p><p>Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán, Donald Trump.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/australia-trump-board-of-peace-risk-analysis">Continue reading...</a>
‘America first’? Trump financial products raise questions about potential presidential conflicts of interest
<p>Five exchange-traded funds have been launched by Trump Media, owner of the president’s social media platform Truth Social</p><p>The word “Truth” was plastered all around the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday morning. At 9.30am, when the market opened, a small crowd stood on the balcony above the trading floor to ring in the day.</p><p>The group was celebrating the launch of five exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, that are tied to Truth Social, Donald Trump’s social media platform that has spun into a menagerie of products over the last few years.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/18/trump-financial-products-conflicts-of-interest">Continue reading...</a>
French government not in favour of World Cup 2026 boycott over Greenland threats
<ul><li><p>Minister says there is ‘no desire’ to boycott tournament</p></li><li><p>But Coquerel says US should be stripped of World Cup</p></li></ul><p>The French government is not in favour of boycotting the World Cup being co-hosted this year by the US over Donald Trump’s Greenland threats, France’s sports minister has said.</p><p>Trump has targeted France <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/17/trump-tariff-european-countries-greenland">among the eight European countries</a> threatened with tariffs for their opposition to his drive to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jan/21/france-government-not-in-favour-us-world-cup-boycott-greenland-threats">Continue reading...</a>
Olympics chief admits she has not spoken to US president Trump about LA 2028 Games
<ul><li><p>Kirsty Coventry steers clear of global politics in buildup</p></li><li><p>Organisers will meet with vice-president JD Vance</p></li></ul><p>The International Olympic Committee has yet to establish formal communications with the US president Donald Trump on preparations for the Los Angeles Games in 2028, the IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, has confirmed.</p><p>Trump has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/21/davos-2026-trump-greenland-rules-out-force-part-north-america">speaking in Davos in Switzerland</a> after a turbulent start to 2026 during which he has suggested he will invade Greenland, threatened a trade war with Europe and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/15/the-guardian-view-on-trumps-world-from-venezuela-to-iran-to-greenland-the-madness-is-the-method">ousted the Venezuela president Nicolás Maduro</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/21/olympics-chief-kirsty-coventry-not-spoken-to-trump-about-la-2028-us-games">Continue reading...</a>
Majority of Latin Americans Endorsed Trump’s Intervention In Venezuela, Polls Show
Several polls show that a majority of Latin Americans who were questioned endorsed the intervention, suggesting a shift, at least for now, from ideology to pragmatism.
C.I.A.’s New Focus on Latin America Reflected in Raid to Seize Maduro
A senior U.S. official declined to confirm the specific operations in Venezuela, but said a covert team provided real-time support for the military.
Carney Speech on U.S. ‘Rupture’ and Canada’s Survival Draws Standing Ovation at Davos
Prime Minister Mark Carney got a standing ovation in Davos for starkly describing the end of Pax Americana. He is looking for new allies to help his country survive it.
‘The powerful have their power. We have the capacity to stop pretending’: the Canadian PM’s call to action at Davos | Mark Carney
<p>In a rousing speech, Mark Carney made the case for unity in the face of Donald Trump’s new world order. We reproduce it here</p><p>Today I will talk about a rupture in the world order, the end of a pleasant fiction and the beginning of a harsh reality, where geopolitics – where the large, main power, geopolitics – is submitted to no limits, no constraints.</p><p>On the other hand, I would like to tell you that the other countries, especially intermediate powers like Canada, are not powerless. They have the capacity to build a new order that encompasses our values, such as respect for human rights, sustainable development, solidarity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the various states.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/mark-carney-davos-canadian-prime-minister-donald-trump-new-world-order">Continue reading...</a>
For Syria’s Government, Kurdish Deal Is a Big Win on Shaky Ground
The government’s move to assert control over areas under Kurdish rule is a major test for President Ahmed al-Sharaa as fresh clashes erupted.
U.S. Shifts Away From Kurdish-Led Forces in Fight Against ISIS
The U.S. envoy to Syria said Washington was confident the Syrian government could take over the country’s fight against the Islamic State terrorist group.
The New Wild Card on Travelers’ Itineraries: Uncertainty
Politics, military action and climate change have increased risk for destinations that once seemed like sure bets, forcing travelers to change how they plan.
For Travelers in 2026, Prices Are All Over the Map
Luxury travelers can expect to pay more than they did last year, while budget travelers might get a break.
Prince Harry Gives Emotional Testimony About Effects of U.K. News Coverage
Harry said in court that reading articles about him published by Associated Newspapers, which he has accused of acting unlawfully, had been “traumatic.”
Prince Harry v the Daily Mail: high-stakes trial could have profound effects on UK media
<p>Royal will join a group of notable figures in his action against the tabloid and its stablemate, the Mail on Sunday, in a trial expected to last nine weeks </p><p>On Monday morning, Prince Harry’s legal war with the Daily Mail, one of the British media’s most formidable forces, will finally come to trial in court 76 of the high court in London.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/may/09/four-uk-newspaper-editors-named-in-prince-harry-case-against-daily-mail-publisher">prince is joined in his action</a> by some of the most recognisable figures in British life: the singer and songwriter Elton John and his husband, David Furnish; actors Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost; Doreen Lawrence, a Labour peer whose son Stephen was murdered in a racist attack; and former politician Simon Hughes, who once ran to lead the Liberal Democrats.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/18/prince-harry-v-daily-mail-high-stakes-trial-profound-effects-uk-media">Continue reading...</a>
Why Was Macron Wearing Sunglasses at Davos?
An eye condition, not a style choice, prompted President Emmanuel Macron of France to don aviators to address the World Economic Forum.
Macron tells Davos of shift towards 'a world without rules' – video
<p>The French president, Emmanuel Macron, told the World Economic Forum, in Davos, that the world was sliding away from democracy and international law towards autocracy and violence.</p><p>'It's a shift to a world without rules, where international law is trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest,' he said on Tuesday. Imperial ambitions were resurfacing, he added, and Donald Trump's tariff war aimed to 'weaken and subordinate' Europe</p><p></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/20/europe-greenland-donald-trump-davos-europe-live-latest-updates?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-696f800c8f08a58ba710eac4#block-696f800c8f08a58ba710eac4">Europe live</a></p></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/jan/20/macron-tells-davos-of-shift-towards-a-world-without-rules-video">Continue reading...</a>
Trump, Venezuela and Oil
The president’s message since sending troops into Venezuela has been clear: This is about oil, not democracy.
Big Oil’s Complicated Calculus for Investing in Venezuela
The industry has long prioritized projects with quick and reliable payback. Trump is pushing for a return to risk.
Taxing the Ultrarich
The number of billionaires has exploded, yet they often pay taxes at rates well below average.
Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires call for higher taxes on super-rich
<p>Mark Ruffalo, Brian Eno and Abigail Disney sign letter timed for WEF in Davos saying wealthy are buying political influence</p><p>Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires from 24 countries are calling on global leaders to increase taxes on the super-rich, amid growing concern that the wealthiest in society are buying political influence.</p><p>An <a href="https://timetowin.world/">open letter</a>, released to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos, calls on global leaders attending this week’s conference to close the widening gap between the super-rich and everyone else.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/21/millionaires-billionaires-taxes-super-rich-mark-ruffalo-wef-davos">Continue reading...</a>
Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s Prime Minister, Calls for Snap Election
Sanae Takaichi, the first woman to be Japan’s prime minister, is hoping to seize on her popularity by calling a parliamentary election next month.
Japan's snap elections: A reckless risk or calculated gamble?
Takaichi may be trying to capitalize on her high approval ratings to shore up the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's coalition in parliament.
Three Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli air strike
Palestinian journalists Abdul Ra'ouf, Anas Ghunaim and Shaath Mohammad Qeshta have been killed in an Israeli air strike.
Three journalists among 11 Palestinians killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza
The three journalists worked for a committee supervising Egyptian aid in Gaza and were documenting a newly set-up camp.
US, Russia envoys meet in Davos as Ukraine reconstruction plan postponed
US envoy Witkoff to meet Putin on Thursday, the Kremlin confirms, as signing of $800bn Ukraine deal is put on hold.
Putin meeting set for Thursday, Witkoff says, with Ukraine 'land deals' on the table
A meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to take place on Thursday with "land deals" over Ukraine on the table, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said.
UK inflation rises to 3.4% in December, above forecasts
The U.K. inflation rate rose to 3.4% in December, above forecasts of 3.3% from economists polled by Reuters.
UK inflation rises for first time in five months to 3.4% in December
<p>Bigger than forecast rise probably temporary but analysts rule out Bank of England interest rate cut in February</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/21/davos-trump-speech-wef-greenland-bessent-trade-milei-globalisation-business-live-updates">Davos live – latest updates</a></p><p></p></li></ul><p>Inflation in the UK rose for the first time in five months to 3.4% in December, pushed up by higher air fares and tobacco prices.</p><p>The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the annual inflation rate increased from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/17/uk-inflation-falls-interest-rate-cut-bank-of-england">3.2% in November</a> after falling in October and flatlining in the previous three months. The figure overshot City economists’s forecasts of a modest rise to 3.3%.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/21/uk-inflation-rose-december-interest-rate-hold-likely">Continue reading...</a>
Chinese tech giants enter the 'agentic commerce' race as AI reshapes super apps
China's tech giants are jostling to gain an edge in the AI race, as firms seek to develop models capable of coordinating and performing functions across sites.
Tech Firms Are Persuading Retailers to Put A.I. Everywhere
Stores of all kinds are using artificial intelligence to sell everything from luxury handbags to hay for horses.
China's investment crash raises credit risks for homebuilders, banks, government: Fitch
China’s sharp investment downturn is amplifying credit risks across the economy, weighing on the credit profiles of homebuilders, banks and local governments.
Real Estate Crash Weighs on China’s Economic Growth
Falling apartment prices have erased the savings of millions of Chinese households, but exports lifted the economy to 5 percent growth last year.
Trump Threatens New Trade War as Court Weighs Whether to Check Him
President Trump may be on the verge of having his authority on imposing tariffs curtailed, but that hasn’t slowed down his threats.
Trump’s Trade Negotiator Says Response to Court Loss Would Be Immediate
If the Supreme Court rules against its tariffs, the Trump administration would begin replacing them immediately, said Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative.
Trump’s Golden Age of Culture Seems Pretty Sad So Far
The president’s party has total control of government—but not what Americans care about.
Trump Exhaustion Syndrome
Americans can’t seem to keep up.
Scene changers: on the road with the experimental Pip Simmons theatre group – in pictures
<p>The maverick theatre-maker Pip Simmons, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/mar/17/pip-simmons-obituary">who died two years ago aged 80</a>, is captured on stage and off in a book by photographer Sheila Burnett documenting the radical troupe’s years of European touring</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/gallery/2026/jan/21/experimental-pip-simmons-theatre-group-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
‘A new form of theater’: can Ian McKellen, 52 cameras and ‘mixed reality’ reinvent a medium?
<p>At the Shed in New York, attendees wearing enhanced glasses are witnessing an experimental new play where actors appear in video form</p><p>You sit in a circle at the Shed, the cultural center in Manhattan’s futuristic Hudson Yards, waiting for the show to begin. Through your enhanced glasses, you see four empty chairs facing you, just out of reach. You watch strangers look out for the actors to arrive. As they do, one at a time, you feel unsettled – each locks eyes with you, specifically. “Don’t panic,” the esteemed British actor Ian McKellen assures you, as the actors take their seats.</p><p>Except the actors are not there, really – McKellen, along with co-stars Golda Rosheuvel, Arinzé Kene and Rosie Sheehy, appears in An Ark, a new play at the Shed, in video form, a nearly opaque specter overlaid on the candy-apple red carpeting and crisp white walls of the theater and the outlines of your 180 or so fellow audience members. The experimental new play, written almost entirely in the second person by Simon Stephens (whose most recent show, the Andrew Scott-starring <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/sep/22/vanya-review-duke-of-yorks-theatre-london">Vanya</a>, wowed audiences at the Lucille Lortel theater last year), is one of the first so-called “mixed reality” shows staged in New York, blending physical experience with digital elements. Over 47 minutes, the actors address you, the viewer, directly. Their gaze remains trained on you. Don’t panic, they repeatedly assure. (Though due to some technical malfunctions at the preview I attended, there was some panicking.)</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jan/21/an-ark-the-shed-play-ian-mckellen">Continue reading...</a>
Crossing into Darkness review – Tracey Emin takes her heroes on a descent to the gates of hell
<p><strong>Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate</strong><br />Munch, Bourgeois, Gormley and Baselitz go shoulder to shoulder with up-and-coming artists in an exhibition that revels in its stygian gloom</p><p>Tracey Emin catches me looking from her self-portrait to her as I try to assess the closeness of the resemblance. Not that close. This inky screenprint is bigger than she is, its face wider and taller. But it’s not a picture of the outer person but an inner vision. As we stand in front of it I seem to fall into radiating pools of blackness – to cross into darkness.</p><p>Emin has curated an exhibition for the depths of winter. It’s a generous, unexpected show with an eclectic yet profound openness to kinds of creativity many might think incompatible: paintings, installations, performance art all face the night here. She sets artists she nurtures at the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/mar/28/tracey-emin-on-the-joy-of-founding-her-own-art-school-margate">Emin Studios</a> alongside her heroes Edvard Munch, Louise Bourgeois and other luminaries of modern art – if luminary is the right word in this stygian setting. For, by a stroke of lighting genius, the Carl Freedman Gallery has been plunged into nocturnal shadow that still lets you see the art.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jan/19/crossing-into-darkness-review-tracey-emin-carl-freedman-gallery-margate">Continue reading...</a>
Dark depths with Emin, a homoerotic saint and punchy political posters – the week in art
<p>Tracey gathers the melancholy giants, a lost London is remembered and collages celebrate Scots strugglers – <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/oct/19/sign-up-to-the-art-weekly-email">all in your weekly dispatch</a></p><p><strong>Crossing into Darkness<br /></strong>Tracey Emin curates an exhibition about thresholds of despair and the power of melancholy featuring Goya, Munch, Bourgeois, Baselitz and other visionary artists.<br /> • <a href="https://carlfreedman.com/exhibition/crossing-into-darkness/">Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate</a>, opens Sunday</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jan/16/dark-depths-long-lost-london-and-punchy-political-posters-the-week-in-art">Continue reading...</a>
Photos leaked to BBC show faces of hundreds killed in Iran's brutal protest crackdown
The images from one mortuary in Tehran were shown to families who went to identify their loved ones.
Alleged scam mastermind arrested after being exposed by BBC
Kuong Li featured in a 2023 BBC Eye investigation into alleged scam compounds in South East Asia.
Blake Lively called Justin Baldoni 'a clown' in text messages
Newly unsealed court documents show Lively criticising the It Ends With Us director.
Detained veteran Ugandan opposition figure critically ill in hospital, his party says
Kizza Besigye’s party says his condition is critical, but authorities say he was taken to hospital for a routine check-up.
Air India crash plane had record of safety defects, campaigners claim
Campaigners say they have evidence the plane had previously suffered a series of technical failures, including a fire.
Ex-president accused of murder plot extradited to Burkina Faso
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba has not commented on the accusations from Burkina Faso.
Second lady Usha Vance announces she is pregnant with fourth child
Vance posted on social media that she is looking forward to welcoming a boy in late July.
Cow astonishes scientists with rare use of tools
The discovery suggests cows may have far greater cognitive abilities than previously assumed.
France makes first interception targeting small boat crossings to UK
The operation follows a change of tactics agreed amid growing pressure from the UK government to step up interventions.
Bobi Wine tells the BBC from hiding he will not contest Uganda election results in court
The losing presidential candidate calls for "peaceful change", saying Uganda's judiciary is not independent.
The Indian couple who won a $200,000 settlement over 'food racism' at US university
The dispute began after the couple defended their right to heat palak paneer in a campus microwave.
Trump says tiny cars are amazing but will Americans actually buy them?
The president wants to bring to the US tiny vehicles, like those commonly seen on the streets of Japan.
Beckham v Peltz Beckham: Could Brooklyn torpedo the family brand?
Brooklyn's explosive post about Brand Beckham "has ruptured it from within", one commentator says.
Film about Palestinian girl's desperate plea was a 'way to not feel helpless', says director
Kaouther Ben Hani's Oscar hopeful, The Voice of Hind Rajab, tells the tale of a girl killed in Gaza.
Trump's full messages with European leaders – and what they tell us
Experts tell BBC what to read into private messages between US President Donald Trump and European leaders that have been shared publicly .
More than 100 vehicles pile up on US motorway after crash
Jack-knifed trucks were left strewn across the road after heavy snow in Ottawa County, Michigan.
Head of US Africa bureau urges staff to highlight US ‘generosity’ despite aid cuts
<p>Email sent to diplomats by state department office’s new boss is labelled ‘racist’ after dismissing Africa as a priority</p><p>US diplomats have been encouraged to “unabashedly and aggressively” remind African governments about the “generosity” of the American people, according to a leaked email sent to staff in the US state department’s Bureau of African Affairs this January and obtained by the Guardian.</p><p>“It’s not gauche to remind these countries of the American people’s generosity in containing HIV/Aids or alleviating famine,” says the email.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/us-diplomats-urged-to-remind-african-leaders-of-us-generosity-despite-usaid-closing">Continue reading...</a>
Confidence runs high in London’s Little Morocco as Afcon glory beckons
<p>Atlas Lions face Senegal in final of Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday and Moroccan diaspora scents victory</p><p>London’s Little Morocco is brimming with pride and anticipation. The Moroccan diaspora in North Kensington is in no doubt that on Sunday the Atlas Lions will triumph against Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.</p><p>“There’s not just an excitement, it has completely taken over everything else,” said Souad Talsi, who runs the Al-Hasaniya Moroccan women’s centre at the base of 31-storey Trellick Tower, at the north end of Golborne Road.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/17/afcon-little-morocco-london-confidence-high">Continue reading...</a>
Catholic cardinals warn US foreign policy under Trump risks global suffering
<p>Church leaders cite Greenland threats, Venezuela action and aid cuts as undermining human dignity and peace</p><p>Three cardinals in the US Catholic church have criticized the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration">Trump administration</a>’s foreign policy, saying its push to obtain or otherwise seize <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/greenland">Greenland</a>, recent military action in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/venezuela">Venezuela</a>, and cuts to humanitarian aid risk “destroying international relations and plunging the world into incalculable suffering”.</p><p>“Our country’s moral role in confronting evil around the world, sustaining the right to life and human dignity, and supporting religious liberty are all under examination,” said a <a href="https://adw.org/news/joint-statement-morality-u-s-foreign-policy-english/">joint statement</a> from Blase Cupich, Robert McElroy and Joseph Tobin, respectively the archbishops of Chicago, Washington DC and Newark, New Jersey.</p><p><em>The Associated Press contributed</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/20/catholic-cardinals-trump-foreign-policy">Continue reading...</a>
Men charged with contract killing of Indigenous leader to go on trial in Peru
<p>Prosecution over death of Quinto Inuma Alvarado seen as test of ability to curb attacks on environmental defenders</p><p>Five men are due to go on trial on Tuesday over the killing of an Amazonian Indigenous leader, in a legal case that could test whether <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/peru">Peru</a> can hold perpetrators accountable for violence linked to illegal logging and drug trafficking in one of the world’s most dangerous regions for environmental defenders.</p><p>The Kichwa tribal leader Quinto Inuma Alvarado was killed on 29 November 2023, after repeatedly denouncing illegal activity within his community’s territory.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/20/trial-peru-amazon-quinto-inuma-alvarado-indigenous-leader">Continue reading...</a>
Chilean president declares state of catastrophe as wildfires kill at least 18
<p>Fires blaze through 8,500 hectares, forcing 50,000 people to evacuate as firefighters struggle to extinguish flames</p><p>Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile have killed at least 18 people, scorched thousands of hectares of forest and destroyed scores of homes, authorities said, as the South American country swelters under a heatwave.</p><p>Chile’s president, Gabriel Boric, declared a state of catastrophe in the country’s central Biobío region and the neighbouring Ñuble region, about 500km (300 miles) south of Santiago, the capital.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/18/chile-president-declares-state-of-catastrophe-as-wildfires-kill">Continue reading...</a>
Thousands of workers flee Cambodia scam centres, officials say
<p>Amnesty International deeply concerned for scores of people ‘walking around in search of assistance’</p><p>Thousands of people, including suspected victims of human trafficking, are estimated to have been released or escaped from scam compounds across Cambodia over recent days, after growing international pressure to crackdown on the multibillion-dollar industry.</p><p>The Indonesian embassy in Phnom Penh said it had received reports from 1,440 of its nationals who had been released from scam centres, while large queues of Chinese nationals were also seen outside the Chinese embassy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/thousands-of-workers-flee-cambodia-scam-centres-officials-say">Continue reading...</a>
Gen Xers the new baby boomers: analysis identifies Australia’s richest landholders by generation
<p>Those born between 1965 and 1980 own an average of $1.455m in housing and land, KPMG report finds</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Gen X households now hold the most property wealth of any generation, as baby boomers downsize their homes and move more of their money into cash and retirement accounts.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/07/gen-x-internet-radicalisation-populist">Once known as the “slacker generation”</a>, those born between 1965 and 1980 are mostly now aged over 50 years and have enjoyed years of inflated home prices.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/22/gen-xers-the-new-baby-boomers-analysis-identifies-australias-richest-landholders-by-generation">Continue reading...</a>
Sydney Water blames food outlets for illegally adding to fatberg. But restaurants say ‘if it’s a problem, it’s their problem’
<p>Huge spike in fats, oils and grease going to Malabar treatment plant follows 2017 changes to reporting regime and reduced inspections, critics say</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Sydney Water says up to 12,000 food businesses in the city’s south-west could be illegally discharging fats, oils and grease into the sewage catchment that flows to Malabar – home to a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/17/fatberg-poo-balls-sydney-beaches-malabar-outfall-secret-report">problematic fatberg that could be as big as four buses</a>.</p><p>The rise in restaurants and food manufacturers without proper grease traps and waste control measures is partly due to an increase in businesses overall.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/22/fatberg-poo-balls-sydney-businesses-could-be-illegally-discharging-waste">Continue reading...</a>
Mass walkout of shadow cabinet is only latest chapter in Nationals’ chaotic decline
<p>Departure of all eight remaining frontbenchers was not sparked by principled policy differences, but by ego, ideology and arrogance</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/jan/21/hate-speech-laws-pass-senate-gun-reforms-anthony-albanese-labor-sussan-ley-coalition-ntwnfb"><strong>Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</strong></a></p></li><li><p><strong>Get our </strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl"><strong>breaking news email</strong></a><strong>, </strong><a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3"><strong>free app</strong></a><strong> or </strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl"><strong>daily news podcast</strong></a></p></li></ul><p>With so little fanfare that almost nobody noticed, the Nationals senators Bridget McKenzie and Ross Cadell first defied their colleagues on the floor of parliament nearly six months ago.</p><p>Late one night in September, the pair voted with Pauline Hanson and One Nation on a motion about migration, ignoring the pleas of Coalition colleagues, including Liberal Anne Ruston, not to cross the floor.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/21/mass-walkout-of-shadow-cabinet-is-only-the-latest-chapter-in-the-nationals-chaotic-decline">Continue reading...</a>
Iran’s central bank using vast quantities of cryptocurrency championed by Farage, says report
<p>Regime appears to have turned to digital currency issued by Tether in the face of sanctions</p><p>Iran’s central bank appears to have been using vast quantities of a cryptocurrency championed by Nigel Farage, according to a new report.</p><p>Elliptic, a crypto analytics company, said it had traced at least $507m (£377m) of cryptocurrency issued by Tether – a company touted by the Reform UK leader – passing through accounts that appear to be controlled by Iran’s central bank.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/iran-central-bank-cryptocurrency-tether-nigel-farage">Continue reading...</a>
Badenoch tells Starmer to ‘just get on’ with under-16s social media ban
<p>Tory leader says delay will harm children’s mental health after No 10 said it would consult on policy by summer</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/britain-parent-conservative-social-media-ban-children-kemi-badenoch">As a parent – and a Conservative – I know that banning social media for under-16s is the right thing to do</a></p></li></ul><p>Kemi Badenoch has called on Keir Starmer to “just get on” with a ban on social media for under-16s, saying delay is a dereliction of duty that is harming children’s mental health.</p><p>After the government said it would <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/20/uk-study-examine-effects-restricting-social-media-children">consult on a social media ban for under-16s by the summer</a>, the Conservative party leader urged the prime minister to act more quickly, “however difficult to implement” it would be.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/21/kemi-badenoch-keir-starmer-under-16s-social-media-ban-uk">Continue reading...</a>
MPs criticise behaviour of senior DWP officials over carer’s allowance scandal
<p>Top DWP civil servant accused of giving out ‘a lot of blancmange’ over department’s response during hearing</p><p>MP’s have criticised the “absolutely unacceptable behaviour” of senior welfare officials over the carer’s allowance scandal in which hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers were unfairly landed with huge debts.</p><p>Sir Peter Schofield, the permanent secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, came under fire on Wednesday from a select committee, which accused him of giving out “a lot of blancmange” over the DWP’s response to the scandal.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/21/mps-criticise-behaviour-of-senior-dwp-officials-over-carers-allowance-scandal">Continue reading...</a>
Sally Tallant appointed as new director of London’s Hayward Gallery
<p>Leeds-born artistic director lands sought-after post as Southbank Centre celebrates its 75th anniversary this year</p><p>Sally Tallant, the former boss of the Liverpool Biennial, has been announced as the new director of the Hayward Gallery and visual arts at London’s Southbank Centre.</p><p>Tallant, who is currently in charge of the Queens Museum in New York, will return to the UK to take over from Ralph Rugoff, who will step down after two decades in charge of the institution, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/21/sally-tallant-director-hayward-gallery-london">Continue reading...</a>
Doge improperly shared sensitive social security data, DoJ court filing reveals
<p>Trump administration acknowledges that Elon Musk’s cost-cutting operation accessed Americans’ sensitive data</p><p>After months of denials, the Trump administration has acknowledged in a federal court filing that employees working for Elon Musk’s supposed cost-cutting operation accessed and improperly shared Americans’ sensitive social security data.</p><p>The justice department <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321/gov.uscourts.mdd.577321.197.0.pdf">court filing</a>, submitted on Friday in an ongoing lawsuit, reveals that a member of the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) signed a secret data-sharing agreement with an unidentified political advocacy group whose stated aim was to find evidence of voter fraud and overturn election results in certain states.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/21/doge-social-security-data">Continue reading...</a>
Taiwan’s $40 Billion Military Spending Plan Stalled by Political Impasse
Taiwan’s domestic gridlock is revealing a deep-seated fracture over how the island should defend itself and how much it can depend on the United States.
French Doctor Listened to Women’s Pain, Then Transformed How It Was Treated
Ghada Hatem-Gantzer, a French doctor, founded a one-stop shop to treat female victims of violence. Now, her revolutionary template is used across France.
After Maduro’s Last Dance, a New Rhythm Goes Viral in Venezuela
For years, Nicolás Maduro and his movement used song and dance to rally support. Now, millions of Venezuelans are dancing to a different political tune.
Pressured by Trump, Mexico Sends 37 Accused Criminals to U.S.
Mexico has sought to do more to combat its cartels in an effort to stave off airstrikes threatened by President Trump.
Rising Global Temperatures May Affect Choices for Winter Olympic Venues
Future games will need to be held at higher altitudes, and spread over multiple venues in order to adapt to a changing climate, new research suggests.
What Are the Chagos Islands and the Diego Garcia Base?
The islands, which Britain has agreed to hand over to Mauritius, are home to a strategically important U.S.-British military base.
Scientists Set Up Camp on Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica
Low clouds have lifted long enough for helicopters to ferry scientists and their gear to a fast-melting glacier on the edge of Antarctica.
The Northern Lights Have Inspired Humans for Thousands of Years
The aurora borealis has animated myths, art, poetry and music for thousands of years. Here are some examples.
A Venezuelan Political Prisoner Finally Comes Home
Ángel Godoy was thrown into jail after writing columns that angered the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Now his family is trying to make up for lost time.
How Trump Flexes Power in White House Meetings With Zelensky and Others
With cameras rolling, President Trump met with more than 40 international leaders in his first year back in office.
After Four Shark Attacks in 48 Hours, Australia Shuts Dozens of Beaches
Many of the closed beaches were in Sydney, the site of three of the attacks.
The Chinese Island Where Dreams of Real Estate Glory Never Die
Intended as China’s version of Dubai’s palm-shaped artificial island, Ocean Flower Island is a $12 billion monument to debt-fueled economic excess.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Says He Will Pass Budget Without a Vote
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s effort to force the measure through Parliament opened up his government to a vote of no confidence.
Clashes Erupt Around Syrian Prisons Holding Islamic State Fighters
New tensions flared a day after a Kurdish-led militia agreed to hand over control of prisons holding some 8,000 Islamic State fighters to the Syrian government.
Canada detains Israeli ex-soldier and comedian over Gaza complaint
Israeli comedian and former soldier Guy Hochman was detained in Toronto after complaints over his conduct in Gaza.
Who was Rifaat al-Assad, commander of Syria’s 1982 Hama massacre?
The ‘Butcher of Hama’ and former Syrian vice president dies in exile at age 89.
Palestinians react to Netanyahu joining Gaza ‘Board of Peace’
Palestinians in Gaza have expressed disbelief at the prospect of Benjamin Netanyahu joining the Board of Peace.
Trump: Hamas will be ‘blown away’ if they don’t give up their weapons
Hamas has agreed to “give up their weapons” and will be "blown away" if they do not follow through, Donald Trump said.
‘Stripped naked’: Yemeni detainee recounts torture in UAE-run prison
A Yemeni man Ali Hassan Ali who spent more than two years in detention in secret prisons seeks justice.
EU parliament refers Mercosur free trade deal to bloc’s top court
Court of Justice of the EU will determine if accord with South American nations is compatible with the bloc's policy.
Europol busts Europe-wide drug ring in ‘largest-ever’ operation
Hague-based agency for fighting international and organised crime says it has dealt 'massive blow' to narco traffickers.
AI’s growing thirst for water is becoming a public health risk
AI’s rapid expansion is placing growing pressure on water supplies and public health.
The US attack on Venezuela and the collapse of international law
The intervention exposes how great-power geopolitics have hollowed out the UN Charter system.
Nvidia's Jensen Huang says AI robotics is a 'once-in-a-generation' opportunity for Europe
Europe's industrial base sets it up well to lead in the physical AI space, Huang told WEF
Gold breaks new record on Greenland tariff threats — $7,000 level on the cards
Gold prices climbed to another record of over $4,800 on Wednesday, extending its sharp rally.
Scott Bessent says U.S. is unconcerned by Treasury sell-off over Greenland, calls Denmark ‘irrelevant’
U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessant addressed reporters at a news conference at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.
How Greenland went from backburner issue to geopolitical flashpoint in just 2 weeks
CNBC takes a look at how diplomatic tensions over Greenland have reached a crisis point.
Crypto markets 'will reach an all-time high' this year, says Ripple CEO
Interest in crypto from large financial institutions is not priced into the market according to Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of blockchain company Ripple told CNBC.
European stocks extend losses as trade war fears send jitters through markets
European stocks moved lower on Wednesday, as the prospect of a U.S.-Europe trade war continues to weigh on investor sentiment.
10-year Treasury yield moves lower as investors monitor escalating trade tensions
The 10-year Treasury yield was relatively unchanged on Wednesday following Tuesday's flight from U.S. assets.
U.S. still 'the closest of allies' with the UK despite rift, Finance Minister Reeves says
The U.S. remains the "closest of allies" with the U.K. despite a growing rift between the U.S. and Europe over the future of Greenland, Rachel Reeves told CNBC.
India’s largest company is caught in geopolitical tensions. But it faces the biggest challenge at home
Slowdown in sales growth of Reliance Retail has led brokerages to cut target prices on Reliance Industries.
Edinburgh Worldwide shareholders reject Saba Capital plan to oust board after bitter dispute
EWIT's board have defeated Boaz Weinstein's U.S. activist hedge fund for a second time following a bitter boardroom battle.
No fear of 'cockroaches'? Private credit funds raise billions as investors look past warnings
Investor appetite for private credit remains undeterred even as warnings mount over looser documentation and rising pockets of borrower stress.
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: China's new global playbook —from exporter to investor
Chinese companies are no longer just exporting overseas, instead eyeing partnerships and local investments for global expansion.
China says trade deal with U.S. will 'drain Taiwan’s economy' for American benefits
China doubled down its rhetorics on the trade agreement between Taiwan and the U.S., saying it would benefit Washington while eroding the island's strategic advantages.
Greenland should be prepared for 'everything,' prime minister says, not ruling out U.S. military action
While the scenario is unlikely, Greenland has to be prepared as "the other side" has not ruled out the use of military force.
'This is sell America' — U.S. dollar, Treasury prices tumble and gold spikes as globe flees U.S. assets
The 'sell America' trade is in full swing Tuesday morning.
India signs $3 billion LNG agreement with UAE, vows to double trade, as U.S. deal remains elusive
With this deal, "India is now UAE's largest customer for LNG" and will account for 20% of sales by 2029, ADNOC said in a release.
Mediaite Starts a Newsletter to Summarize Media Newsletters
A new daily email from Mediaite intends to cut through the cacophony of online media news.
Travel’s Latest Buzzword: ‘Microvacations’
Travelers short on vacation time are embarking on one- to three-day trips that take advantage of time zones and credit card points.
What Do Young Travelers Want? Exclusive Experiences.
More millennials and Gen Z-ers are planning trips around experiences, and the industry is responding with concerts, dinners and V.I.P. events.
At Check-In, Your Face Is Increasingly Your ID
Facial recognition at security and immigration checkpoints and gates could ease airport hassles, even as the technology raises privacy concerns.
Getting Travel Rewards Is Getting Easier
Program updates and new navigation tools help travelers negotiate the increasingly complicated universe of points.
Uber Faces Growing Pressure Over Sexual Assault Record
From the ballot box in California to the halls of Congress and Wall Street, several new initiatives would require more oversight of how the company protects its passengers.
David Rosen, 95, Dies; Video Game Visionary and Co-Founder of Sega
He transformed his Japanese photo booth business into a gaming industry giant that created Mortal Kombat, Sonic the Hedgehog and more.
Bessent Attended a Supreme Court Argument. Now He’s Telling Powell Not To.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it was a mistake for Jerome Powell to attend arguments in a case on Fed independence. But Mr. Bessent attended a tariff case.
Filoplumes Are Nature’s Super Feather
Filoplumes may be tiny, but these hairlike feathers enable nonstop flights that span thousands of miles.
At a Seattle Port Rocked by Tariffs, There Were 70 Jobs for 600 Workers
Dock workers are used to uncertainty, but nothing since the Great Recession of 2008 compares to what they have experienced this year.
Nome, Alaska Is Now Key to Trump’s Global Ambitions
Nome, population 3,700, is accessible only by plane outside a few months when boats can pass through. But it will be the home of the nation’s only deepwater Arctic port.
Prominent Architecture Firm Is Accused of Illegally Ousting Employees
A federal labor regulator says the firm, Snohetta, laid off eight employees in retaliation for trying to unionize.
The Rise of Prediction Markets
Billions of dollars are trading hands on sites like Polymarket and Kalshi, where people bet on everything from Taylor Swift’s wedding date to election outcomes.
‘Masquerade’ Reimagined ‘Phantom,’ and the Fans Are Flocking
An immersive adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical has seen some people return a dozen times since it began performances last summer.
I.M.F. Raises Forecast for Global Growth as Tariff Drag Fades
The 3.3 percent rate for 2026 would match last year’s pace. Booming investment in artificial intelligence is buttressing global output.
One Month Later, CBS Airs Postponed ‘60 Minutes’ Report With Few Changes
A 13-minute segment about Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration had been pulled at the last minute by CBS News’s editor in chief, Bari Weiss.
China’s Birthrate Plunges to Lowest Level Since 1949
China’s population fell for a fourth straight year and its birthrate tumbled as policymakers failed to slow a demographic crisis.
Joe Montgomery, Who Made Bicycles Lighter, Dies at 86
A founder of Cannondale, he was among the first in the U.S. to mass-produce bikes frames out of large-diameter aluminum tubes, replacing heavier steel.
Top Editor at Axel Springer Is Ousted After Workplace Investigation
Jan Philipp Burgard was one of Axel Springer’s most prominent editors, overseeing its influential German broadsheet Welt.
Trump’s Campaign Manager Resolves Daily Beast Defamation Suit
As part of the settlement, The Daily Beast was not required to apologize or issue any payment to Chris LaCivita, who sued the outlet last year.
How to Prevent Aging Parents and Relatives from Making Financial Mistakes
Getting family members to listen to you when you think they are headed down a dangerous financial path can be difficult. But there are preventive steps you can take.
The Man Delivering FedEx Into the Age of Drones, Robots and A.I.
Raj Subramaniam took over three years ago from FedEx’s founder, who ran the company for nearly 50 years. Since then, technology, tariffs and other disruptions have “fundamentally shifted” patterns of global trade.
No One’s Buying? Maybe Consumers Are Just ‘Choiceful,’ Executives Say.
A new way to characterize unenthusiastic consumers has overtaken earnings calls.
White House Warns CBS: Air Trump Interview in Full, or ‘We’ll Sue’
In previously unreported remarks, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS News that Mr. Trump would “sue” the news outlet if it did not air an interview unedited.
National Anger Spills Into Target Stores, Again
Videos of immigration officers dragging an employee out of a store near Minneapolis, the retailer’s hometown, set off renewed political debate after years of boycotts.
At Least $110,000 Worth of Pokémon Cards Stolen From New York Store
The robbery at the Poké Court on Wednesday was the latest in a string of thefts of high-value Pokémon trading cards.
‘Punched in the Face’ by a Rail Disaster, an Ohio Town Fights Its Way Back
Residents and officials are still trying to revitalize East Palestine nearly three years after a derailment and chemical burn.
As Office Rents Rise, Doctors Get Creative
Physicians with independent practices are having to cobble together unconventional office arrangements at a time of rising costs and consolidation in the medical field.
BBC announces landmark deal to make bespoke content for YouTube
<p>Agreement a milestone for British television as broadcaster teams up with world’s biggest video platform</p><p>The BBC has announced that it will produce tailor-made content for YouTube in a milestone for British television as the public service broadcaster teams up with the world’s biggest video platform.</p><p>The corporation has previously posted clips and trailers for BBC shows on YouTube but under the new deal it will make fresh programming for its online rival.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/21/bbc-announces-landmark-deal-to-make-bespoke-content-for-youtube">Continue reading...</a>
Half of world’s CO2 emissions come from just 32 fossil fuel firms, study shows
<p>Critics accuse leading firms of sabotaging climate action but say data increasingly being used to hold them to account</p><p>Just 32 fossil fuel companies were responsible for half the global carbon dioxide emissions driving the climate crisis in 2024, down from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/05/half-of-worlds-co2-emissions-come-from-36-fossil-fuel-firms-study-shows">36 a year earlier</a>, a report has revealed.</p><p>Saudi Aramco was the biggest state-controlled polluter and ExxonMobil was the largest investor-owned polluter. Critics accused the leading fossil fuel companies of “sabotaging climate action” and “being on the wrong side of history” but said the emissions data was increasingly being used to hold the companies accountable.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/21/carbon-dioxide-co2-emissions-fossil-fuel-firms-study">Continue reading...</a>
JD Wetherspoon warns of lower profits as pubs hit by rising costs
<p>Rachel Reeves says business rates support for pubs is on its way after chain reveals £45m surge in costs</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/21/davos-trump-speech-wef-greenland-bessent-trade-milei-globalisation-business-live-updates">Davos live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>JD Wetherspoon has warned of lower than expected half-year profits, as the pub chain revealed a £45m surge in costs driven by “higher than expected” bills for energy, wages, repairs and business rates.</p><p>The bigger-than-forecast expenses in the 25 weeks to 18 January meant profits at Wetherspoons are now “likely to be lower” compared with the same period in 2024, said its chair, Tim Martin.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/21/jd-wetherspoon-lower-profits-pubs-higher-costs-business-rates">Continue reading...</a>
Snapchat’s parent company settles social media addiction lawsuit before trial
<p>Snap’s chief executive had been due to testify in civil action also involving Meta, TikTok and YouTube</p><p>Snapchat’s parent company has settled a civil lawsuit shortly before it was due to start in California, but other large tech companies still face a trial under the case.</p><p>Snap’s chief executive, Evan Spiegel, had been due to testify in a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/24/uk-should-act-to-stop-children-social-media-addiction-dopamine-loops">tech addiction</a> lawsuit which also involves the Instagram owner, Meta; ByteDance’s TikTok; and Alphabet-owned YouTube – which have not settled.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/21/snapchat-parent-company-snap-settles-social-media-addiction-lawsuit-before-trial">Continue reading...</a>
The IMF’s banal language is sane-washing an economic crisis created by the egomaniacal Donald Trump
<p>Their latest report makes no mention of Greenland, Venezuela, or even Trump. This is just a pretence that normality continues </p><p>This week the IMF released an update to its World Economic Outlook, titled “<a href="https://www.imf.org/en/publications/weo/issues/2026/01/19/world-economic-outlook-update-january-2026?cid=bl-com-WEOET2026003">Global Economy: Steady amid Divergent Forces</a>” and, seriously, in what fricking world are they living? It was yet another example of international groups, governments and parts of the media sane-washing the utter crisis we all exist in because Donald Trump is an egomaniacal bully with the impulses of a spoiled toddler.</p><p>How’s this for timing: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/17/trump-tariff-european-countries-greenland">on Sunday</a> Donald Trump announced from 1 February he will levy a 10% tariff “on any and all goods sent to the United States” from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland, and will increase it to 25% from 1 June unless they let the US gain control of Greenland.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/22/the-imfs-banal-language-is-sane-washing-an-economic-crisis-created-by-the-egomaniacal-donald-trump">Continue reading...</a>
The government’s retreat from Carillion audit reforms is feeble | Nils Pratley
<p>Eight years after systemic flaws were exposed, ministers have abandoned their long-promised overhaul in favour of another ‘pro-growth’ nod </p><p>The wait for the “long-awaited” government bill to reform the audit market is over. It is not because ministers have decided it’s embarrassing that eight years have passed since <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/15/carillion-fallout-deepens-as-workers-face-pay-being-stopped-in-48-hours">the collapse of Carillion</a>, the massive corporate failure that reminded everybody that auditing is boring until it matters greatly that outsiders can trust the published numbers. Rather, it is because the government has given up on a reform bill. It would rather give another airing of its “pro-growth” refrain.</p><p>“While the planned reforms would be beneficial, some would increase costs on business, and it would not be right to prioritise these over more deregulatory measures,” the minister for small business, Blair McDougall, formally told the business select committee. He had other explanations – not enough parliamentary time and “the need for major reform is less pressing than it was” – but all can be regarded as a case of short memory syndrome.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2026/jan/20/government-retreat-carillion-audit-reforms-feeble">Continue reading...</a>
Water winners: who will gain from the industry’s spending spree in England and Wales?
<p>As Labour shakes up regulation, suppliers are finally investing – but face problems such as contractor shortages and inflation</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/19/water-firms-could-be-let-off-pollution-fines-as-part-of-government-overhaul">Water firms could be let off pollution fines as part of government overhaul</a></p></li></ul><p>When a sluice gate failed 24 metres below the water’s surface at Thames Water’s Queen Mother reservoir near London’s Heathrow airport, there were no easy fixes available. Emptying 37m cubic metres (1,307m cu ft) of water was not an option, meaning that helmeted divers were limited to 98-minute stints in the high-pressure environment.</p><p>The risky project required a team on a floating platform with a crane to cut out the broken equipment with thermal lances, bolt a plate on to the reservoir wall, and install the new equipment. It took more than a year until last October to complete, according to Glenfield Invicta, the contractor that carried out the work for Thames Water.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/20/water-industry-spending-england-wales-investment">Continue reading...</a>
No ban on gas boilers in UK warm homes plan but heat pumps get £2.7bn push
<p>Government opts against phasing out new boilers by 2035 in effort to cut energy bills by as much as £1,000 a year</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/20/labour-warm-homes-plan-all-carrot-no-stick-uk-households">Analysis: Labour’s warm homes plan is all carrot and no stick for UK households</a></p></li></ul><p>There will be no phaseout date for gas boilers in the government’s warm homes plan despite its pledge to wean the UK off fossil fuels, but billions of pounds will go towards heat pumps and insulation upgrades.</p><p>Labour’s principal attempt to solve the UK’s cost of living crisis, the £15bn warm homes plan, will overhaul 5m dwellings, aiming to cut energy bills by as much as £1,000 a year, in the biggest public investment yet made into home upgrades.</p><p>£5bn for upgrades, including insulation, solar panels, batteries and heat pumps, for people on low incomes.</p><p>£2bn towards low-cost loans for people who can afford them.</p><p>£2.7bn for the boiler upgrade scheme, by which people can swap their existing gas boilers for £7,500 on a new heat pump.</p><p>£1.1bn for heat networks, which distribute heat from a central source, which could be a large heat pump or geothermal or other low-carbon source.</p><p>£2.7bn towards innovative finance through the warm homes fund, which could include schemes such as green mortgages offering a lower interest rate to homes that have been insulated and equipped with solar panels and heat pumps.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/20/uk-warm-homes-plan-gas-boilers-billions-heat-pumps">Continue reading...</a>
Toby Carvery owner faces eviction from north London site for felling ancient oak
<p>Felling of 500-year-old oak has provoked fury from public and Enfield council, which leases land to Mitchells & Butlers</p><p>The restaurant chain Toby Carvery is facing eviction from one of its sites after taking a chainsaw to an ancient oak tree without the permission of its council landlord.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/15/felling-of-ancient-london-oak-tree-reported-to-police">partial felling last April of the 500-year-old oak</a> on the edge of a Toby Carvery car park in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, provoked widespread public dismay and fury from Enfield council, which leases the land to the restaurant’s owners Mitchells & Butlers Retail (M&B).</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/21/toby-carvery-owner-faces-eviction-enfield-north-london-felling-ancient-oak">Continue reading...</a>
GSK to buy food allergy drug maker RAPT in $2.2bn deal
<p>US-based biotech firm is developing treatment for allergies to nuts, milk and eggs in children and adults</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/20/davos-von-der-leyen-he-macron-carney-wef-greenland-trump-uk-unemployment-business-live-news-updates">Business live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>GSK, the UK’s second-biggest drugmaker, has unveiled a $2.2bn (£1.6bn) deal to acquire a Californian biotech company which is developing a drug to protect against severe food allergies, including allergies to nuts, milk and eggs.</p><p>It is the first large deal announced by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/29/gsk-emma-walmsley-to-be-replaced-as-ceo">GSK’s new chief executive, Luke Miels</a>, who joined the London-based company in 2017 as chief commercial officer and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/29/emma-walmsley-steadied-gsk-but-doubts-linger-over-growth-targets">took the reins from Emma Walmsley</a> at the start of the year.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/20/gsk-buy-food-allergy-drug-maker-rapt-us-biotech">Continue reading...</a>
‘Exclusively for the elite’: why Mumbai’s new motorway is a symbol of the divide between rich and poor
<p>With 64% of the city’s residents relying on buses and trains so overloaded that up to 10 passengers die a day, anger is rising over a taxpayer-funded road most will never use</p><p>Mumbai is known for its graphic inequality, its gleaming high-rises where the rich live with panoramic views of the Arabian Sea standing next to windowless hovels perched over drains. It is home to <a href="https://www.hurun.net/en-us/info/detail?num=2QJ1CKW4OBC4">90 of India’s billionaires</a>, but also to more than six million slum dwellers, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/556">about 55% of central Mumbai’s population</a>.</p><p>Now Mumbai has a new symbol of the gulf between rich and poor: a <a href="https://www.globalhighways.com/wh10/feature/mumbais-new-coastal-transport-link">high-speed, eight-lane motorway</a> on its western coast, which critics say serves only the wealthy despite being built with taxpayers’ money.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/21/exclusively-for-the-elite-why-mumbais-new-motorway-is-a-symbol-of-the-divide-between-rich-and-poor">Continue reading...</a>
Big tech continues to bend the knee to Trump a year after his inauguration
<p>Inside the big rewards tech titans have reaped from caving to Trump. Plus, a look at the US datacenter boom and the effects of Australia’s social media ban</p><p>Hello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, the Guardian’s US tech editor.</p><p>One year ago today, Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the United States. Standing alongside him that day were the leaders of the tech industry’s most powerful companies, who had donated to him in an unprecedented bending of the knee. In the ensuing year, the companies have reaped enormous rewards from their alliance with Trump, which my colleague Nick Robins-Early and I <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2025/dec/15/ai-trump-openai-google-data-centers">wrote about last month</a> after Trump signed an executive order prohibiting states from passing laws regulating AI. Trump has sponsored the tech industry with billions in government funding and with diplomatic visits that featured CEOs as his fellow negotiators in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/15/trump-artificial-intelligence-uae">massive, lucrative deals</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/20/trump-tech-alliance-datacenters-social-media">Continue reading...</a>
Out of sight: spectacular HS2 tunnels offer glimmer of hope for stalling project
<p>Despite much soul-searching over UK’s inability to build infrastructure, two sections of HS2 under Chilterns are being hailed for their engineering</p><p>Seventy metres down, in deep incognito beneath a disguised ventilation shaft in the Chilterns countryside, lies HS2’s buried treasure: two 10-mile tunnels, built to avoid an area of outstanding natural beauty, eerily spectacular in gleaming concrete.</p><p>They are, laments a staffer on the high-speed railway scheme, what all of the route should look like by now: pristine, fully constructed, and just waiting for a railway to run through them.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/19/hs2-tunnels-chilterns">Continue reading...</a>
‘I’m losing £1,800 a day’: the stark reality for Britain’s dairy farmers
<p>The cost of producing milk is higher than that being paid by milk processors, leaving farmers operating at a loss</p><p>“Every morning that I roll out of bed at 4.40am, I know I’m losing £1,800 that day, just by getting up.” This is the stark daily reality for Paul Tompkins, as he and his fellow dairy farmers struggle in the face of plummeting milk prices.</p><p>Tompkins, who is the third generation to run his family’s 234-hectare (600-acre) farm in the Vale of York, can produce milk for about 40p a litre from his 500-strong herd of black and white Holstein cows. However, he is being paid only 29p a litre by his milk processor, leaving him operating at a loss, despite trying to run his business as efficiently as possible.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/17/the-stark-reality-for-britains-dairy-farmers-milk-price">Continue reading...</a>
‘A gaming success story’: how Warhammer became one of Britain’s biggest companies
<p>Worth £6bn and with revenues recently rising by 10.9%, the niche interest game has become a global business</p><p>You don’t need to spend your weekends organising a face-off between bloodthirsty orcs and elves to have heard of the game Warhammer.</p><p>So popular is the fantasy game that its parent company Games Workshop is valued at a staggering £6bn and is almost ever-present on British high streets.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/18/a-gaming-success-story-how-warhammer-became-one-of-britains-biggest-companies">Continue reading...</a>
How Trump’s promise to slash energy bills in half has failed across the US
<p>Guardian analysis shows electricity bills were up 6.7% last year, and much higher in some states, and gas bills up 5.2%</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/17/trump-promise-energy-bills-costs">Trump’s failed energy bill pledge leaves US households struggling: ‘It’s obscene’</a></p></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump</a> has comprehensively failed to meet a key election promise to slash Americans’ energy bills in half within the first year of his presidency, with power prices instead surging across the US.</p><p>The average household electricity bill in the US was 6.7% more expensive in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to a Guardian analysis of data from the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/">Energy Information Administration</a> (EIA), the Department of Energy’s statistical arm. The increases meant that, on average, US households paid nearly $116 more across 2025 than they did in 2024.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/17/trump-energy-bill-prices-increase">Continue reading...</a>
Driving test cheating up 47% in Great Britain, prompting road safety concerns
<p>DVSA says increase to 2,844 recorded cases in year to end of September is down to more cheating and better detection</p><p>Attempts to cheat on driving tests in England, Scotland and Wales increased by 47% in a year, figures show, raising concerns about road safety.</p><p>There were 2,844 cases recorded in the year to the end of September 2025, according to figures by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), up from 1,940 during the previous 12 months, and 1,274 in 2018-19.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jan/21/driving-test-cheating-increase-great-britain-road-safety-concerns">Continue reading...</a>
UK credit cards: six ways to help you pick the best deals
<p>From understanding jargon such as APRs and 0% transfer offers, to getting perks such as air miles or cashback</p><p>When you apply for a credit card or personal loan, the lender will quote interest as the annual percentage rate (APR). This is, essentially, the total cost of borrowing over 12 months, shown as a percentage of the amount you have borrowed. It takes fees into account, as well as interest. The rate should give you an idea of how much you will have to pay back on top of the money you want to borrow.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jan/21/uk-credit-cards-best-deals-apr-0-transfer-deals-air-miles-cashback">Continue reading...</a>
Rayner urges Starmer to keep promise on leasehold reform
<p>Ex-deputy PM says government must stick to plans to cap charges for leaseholders in England and Wales</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/20/labour-party-rich-investors-hard-working-leaseholders">Is this Labour party for rich investors or hard-working leaseholders? We must make that clear today</a></p></li></ul><p>Angela Rayner has urged Keir Starmer to stick to his campaign pledge to cap ground rents for leaseholders in England and Wales, as cabinet divisions over the government’s plans to rip up the leasehold system come to a head.</p><p>The former deputy prime minister has intervened in a tense standoff between Steve Reed, the housing secretary, and Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, over whether to stand by Labour’s promise to limit annual charges for existing leaseholders.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jan/20/angela-rayner-urges-starmer-keep-promise-leasehold-reform">Continue reading...</a>
I got a fine after Cineworld cut its parking time limit
<p>The cinema chain didn’t warn me clearly when I went to see Avatar: Fire and Ash that I needed to register my number plate</p><p><strong>I parked at Cineworld in Chichester to watch the new film Avatar: Fire and Ash.</strong></p><p><strong>It is </strong><strong>more than three</strong><strong> hours long and, when I returned to my car, I’d received a penalty charge notice (PCN) for overstaying. I’d watched the previous two Avatar films there without a problem.</strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jan/20/fine-cineworld-cut-parking-time-limit">Continue reading...</a>
Trump Can Prosecute Anyone Now
The Department of Justice is his personal law firm.
The Secret to One of Hollywood’s Most Enduring Friendships
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s latest movie doesn’t quite understand their brotherly appeal.
MAGA Jesus Is Not the Real Jesus
Trump is causing incalculable damage to the Christian faith, yet most evangelicals will never break with him.
Today’s <em>Atlantic </em>Trivia: Nobel? Please, Prize Committee!
Test your knowledge—and read our latest stories for a little extra help.
The Real Reason for the Drop in Fentanyl Overdoses
Drug deaths are finally falling—but the cause may be far outside of U.S. policy makers’ control.
America’s Would-Be Surgeon General Says to Trust Your ‘Heart Intelligence’
Casey Means thinks improving health is a spiritual project.
What Iranians Want From Trump
I asked Iranians whether they wanted U.S. intervention. The answers surprised me.
Why So Many Writers Are Athletes
Exercise acts as an extra twist to open the tap of creativity.
What Happened to Pam Bondi?
How the attorney general became a person who loves telling Trump yes
The Military Is Being Forced to Plan for an Unthinkable Betrayal
<span>Attacking an ally would be a perversion of everything the armed forces have been trained to do. </span>
Trump’s Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw
Will Republicans in Congress ever step in?
Welfare Fraud Is a Problem—For Democrats
Safeguarding the social safety net is essential for keeping it.
Those Who Try to Erase History Will Fail
Montgomery shows what’s possible when museums aren’t subject to capricious executive orders.
The Snow Monsters of Mount Zao
Winter conditions atop Japan’s Mount Zao can create “monsters” made of snow and ice that accumulates on trees. These snow monsters, called <em>juhyo</em>, attract visitors to one of the country’s oldest ski resorts.
‘Looksmaxxing’ Reveals the Depth of the Crisis Facing Young Men
The most narcissistic corner of the internet is having a moment.
Minnesota Had Its Birmingham Moment
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. outlined a strategy to expose official brutality. Anti-ICE protesters are following it—and it’s working.
A New Memoir Blasts Kamala Harris for Being Offensive, Ideologically Obsessed
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro discusses the strange questions he received during his vice-presidential vetting.
<em>SNL</em> Aces the <em>Heated Rivalry</em> Meme
The show’s <em>Harry Potter</em> spoof was the ultimate mash-up for a fan culture that can’t let go.
‘We played to 8,000 Mexicans who knew every word’: how the Whitest Boy Alive conquered the world
<p>He lit up Europe with bands ranging from Peachfuzz to Kings of Convenience. But it was The Whitest Boy Alive that sent Erlend Øye stratospheric. As they return, the soft-singing, country-hopping sensation looks back</p><p>If you were to imagine the recent evolution of music in Europe as a series of scenes from a Where’s Wally?-style puzzle book, one bespectacled, lanky figure would pop up on almost every page. There he is in mid-90s London, handing out flyers for his first band Peachfuzz. Here he is in NME at the dawn of the new millennium, fronting folk duo Kings of Convenience and spearheading the new acoustic movement. There he is strumming his guitar in the vanguard of Norway’s “Bergen wave”. Then he’s off spinning records in Berlin nightclubs during the city’s “poor but sexy” post-millennial years. By the 2010s, he’s driving a renaissance of Italian chamber pop as part of La Comitiva, his bandmates hailing from the southern tip of Sicily.</p><p>It’s hard to think of a figure more musically cosmopolitan than Erlend Otre Øye, connecting the dots across a continent where national scenes rarely overlap – and making magic happen. No wonder his debut solo album, with 10 tracks recorded in 10 different cities, was called Unrest. Of all his reincarnations, though, the one that has best endured (if you go by Spotify) is his four-piece, The Whitest Boy Alive. And this spring and summer, they’re reuniting for a tour of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRfZmU9Da3_/?hl=en&img_index=1">South America</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DTdFPEJCCWn/?hl=en">Europe</a> to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dreams, their debut album.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/jan/21/whitest-boy-alive-erlend-oye-kings-of-convenience-interview">Continue reading...</a>
The shot that got me a police beating: Rod Morris’s best photograph
<p>‘After I took this, police officers bundled me into the back of a car and drove me to the local station where I was questioned for a long time. On the way out, they took turns to punch and kick me’</p><p>In 1993, a photograph I’d taken of a bus driver in Luxor, Egypt, won a competition. The prize was some money, a camera and a return ticket to anywhere in the world. I chose Chile. The camera was an all-bells-and-whistles model: I sold it to a taxi driver at 3am. I’ve always preferred working with light 35mm cameras.</p><p>After three months in Chile, I caught a train that rose up to the high Bolivian Altiplano plateau, leaving me with a splitting headache only relieved by some coca tea. I had an open-ended commission with the Financial Times to provide photographs from financial areas of the South American cities I went to, so while my main aim was to wander around photographing exciting things I came across, I also made sure to head to the financial district and government quarters in the city of La Paz, which is where this was taken.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jan/21/rod-morris-best-photograph-police-beating">Continue reading...</a>
‘I’m 86 for goodness sake!’ Prue Leith to leave The Great British Bake Off
<p>The judge steps down after nine seasons on the baking competition</p><p>Prue Leith has announced that she will leave The Great British Bake Off as one of its judges. After nine series of the baking competition, she will hand over her duties to someone else.</p><p>“Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years, I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul, Alison and Noel and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4,” said Leith.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/21/prue-leith-to-leave-the-great-british-bake-off-gbb">Continue reading...</a>
‘A cash advance on your death’: the strange, morbid world of Aids profiteering
<p>In Oscar-shortlisted documentary short Cashing Out, a little-known industry that saw dying LGBTQ+ people sell their life insurance policies is remembered</p><p>During the summer of 2020, at the onset of the Covid pandemic, the documentary director Matt Nadel was back home in Boca Raton, Florida. He remembers one particular evening walk that he took with his father, Phil, as they weathered out those early months.</p><p>As they strode through the neighborhood, Nadel, now 26, said that the prospect of a vaccine was exciting, but the idea of pharmaceutical executives profiting off a devastating virus left him feeling uneasy. Phil grew concerned by the complex ethical predicament that his son laid out, and Nadel could quickly tell that his father was acting strangely.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/21/cashing-out-documentary-short-aids-profiteering">Continue reading...</a>
‘The most dangerous man in America’: how Paul Robeson went from Hollywood to blacklist
<p>The groundbreaking singer, actor and athlete became a victim of McCarthyism and saw his shining career destroyed and his legacy tarnished</p><p>In August 1972, the front page of the New York Times arts section published a story titled, Time to Break the Silence on Paul Robeson? The legendary bass-baritone spent the first half of the 20th century as one of the greatest talents the US had ever produced, and its second, both in life and in death as an outcast, the greatest casualty of the second Red Scare period to which today’s current attacks on liberal and progressive politics draw comparison.</p><p>This week marks 50 years since Robeson’s death and the silence remains. His erasure from the lineage over the decades shows that what Robeson’s political opponents did not take from him, the years have most certainly. Robeson’s decoupling from the story of African American culture has been so complete that in the half-century since his death, even generations of Black Americans have never heard of him.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/21/paul-robeson-hollywood-blacklist-mccarthyism">Continue reading...</a>
A new Henry V is a barometer of our times – what can Shakespeare’s war play tell us amid global chaos? | Michael Billington
<p>Revivals of this history play usually reflect the politics of the moment. Now a fresh RSC retelling arrives in a world of instability and fractured alliances</p><p>I have long argued that Shakespeare’s history plays have more urgent relevance today than his tragedies. The issues they raise – such as the nature of good governance and the difficulty of deposing a tyrant – are precisely those that still haunt us. Henry V, shortly to be given a new RSC production directed by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/jan/28/tamara-harvey-daniel-evans-royal-shakespeare-company-power-duo-artistic-directors">Tamara Harvey</a>, seems especially timely as we are living in a world where the threat of war is painfully real.</p><p>It is also a play that constantly changes its meaning. James Shapiro wrote <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/mar/15/rsc.history">in the Guardian in 2008</a>: “There’s no better way to know which way the cultural and political winds are blowing than by going to see a performance of Henry V.” He reminded us that in 1599, when the play was first performed, playgoers anxiously waited to hear whether an Irish uprising had been suppressed.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jan/21/a-new-henry-v-is-a-barometer-of-our-times-what-can-shakespeares-war-play-tell-us-amid-global-chaos">Continue reading...</a>
Triple J’s Hottest 100: more than 2m votes have been cast – but who will win?
<p>The radio station keeps its countdown tightly guarded – but there are a few predictions that can safely be made</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/newsletters/2019/oct/18/saved-for-later-sign-up-for-guardian-australias-culture-and-lifestyle-email?CMP=cvau_sfl">Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email</a></p></li></ul><p>Inside the offices of Australian youth broadcaster Triple J, the results of the Hottest 100 – which will be counted down on Saturday – are a closely guarded secret.</p><p>Mornings host Lucy Smith says presenters don’t see their section of the countdown until an hour before going live, with only a select few staffers ensuring the votes and statistics are tallied correctly inside a private “Triple J bunker” that is occupied from the day voting closes.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/newsletters/2019/oct/18/saved-for-later-sign-up-for-guardian-australias-culture-and-lifestyle-email?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/22/triple-js-hottest-100-more-than-2m-votes-have-been-cast-but-who-will-win">Continue reading...</a>
TR-49 review – inventive narrative deduction game steeped in the strangest of wartime secrets
<p><strong>PC; Inkle<br /></strong>The UK game developer’s latest is a database mystery constructed from an archive of fictional books. Their combined contents threaten to crack the code of reality</p><p>Bletchley Park: famed home of the Enigma machine, Colossus computer, and, according to the premise of TR-49, an altogether stranger piece of tech. Two engineers created a machine that feeds on the most esoteric books: treatises on quantum computing, meditations on dark matter, pulp sci-fi novels and more. In the mid-2010s, when the game is set, Britain finds itself again engulfed by war, this time with itself. The arcane tool may hold the key to victory.</p><p>You play as budding codebreaker Abbi, a straight-talking northerner who is sifting through the machine now moved to a crypt beneath Manchester Cathedral. She has no idea how it works and neither do you. So you start tinkering. You input a four-digit code – two letters followed by two numbers. What do these correspond to? The initials of people and the year of a particular book’s publication. Input a code correctly and you are whisked away to the corresponding page, as if using a particularly speedy microfiche reader. These pages – say, by famed fictional physicist, Joshua Silverton – are filled with clues and, should you get lucky, further codes and even the titles of particular works. Your primary goal is to match codes with the corresponding book title in a bid to find the most crucial text of all, Endpeace, the key to understanding the erudite ghosts of this machine.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jan/21/tr-49-review-inventive-narrative-deduction-game-steeped-in-the-strangest-of-wartime-secrets">Continue reading...</a>
UK grassroots music venues show lowest decline since 2018 as sector stabilises post-pandemic
<p>The number of small venues shrank by just nine in 2025, but more than half of them reported making no profit, while employment in the sector dropped almost 22%</p><p>The number of grassroots music venues (GMV) in the UK shrank in effect by just nine in 2025, the lowest rate of annual decline since 2018.</p><p>Thirty venues closed permanently between July 2024 and 2025 and 48 ceased functioning as GMVs, citing financial viability, change in ownership and eviction or redevelopment. However, 69 spaces that had previously ceased operating as GMVs returned to the sector.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/21/uk-grassroots-music-venues-show-lowest-decline-since-2018-as-sector-stabilises-post-pandemic">Continue reading...</a>
‘I could never hope to equal it again’: Jeffrey Archer announces next novel will be his last
<p>The 85-year-old bestselling author’s final novel, Adam and Eve, will be published in English in October</p><p>Bestselling novelist Jeffrey Archer has announced his next novel, Adam and Eve, will be his last, coming out 50 years after his debut was published.</p><p>The 85-year-old author has sold more than 300m books around the world since his first novel, Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less, was published in 1976, according to his publishers. His 1979 novel, Kane and Abel, was his <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jun/15/jeffrey-archer-rewrites-kane-abel">biggest hit</a>, selling more than 34m copies in 119 countries and 47 languages, and being reprinted more than 130 times.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/21/jeffrey-archer-author-adam-eve-next-novel-last">Continue reading...</a>
New York’s Met Opera announces ‘necessary’ layoffs and pay cuts
<p>‘Cost-cutting’ announcement comes amid uncertainty over deal struck with Saudi Arabia to perform in Riyadh</p><p>New York’s Metropolitan Opera has announced a round of layoffs, pay cuts and program reductions as it grapples with financial strain.</p><p>The organization cited problems left over from the Covid pandemic, which drastically affected performing arts shows across the US and internationally.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/20/new-york-met-opera-cuts">Continue reading...</a>
Amy Adams, Ashley Walters and Charli xcx among the stars lined up for Berlin film festival
<p>Programme for February’s Berlinale includes Adams in ‘enthralling’ film At the Sea, the directing debut for the Adolescence actor and the pop star’s tour mockumentary</p><p>New movies starring Amy Adams, Channing Tatum, Pamela Anderson, Callum Turner and Charli xcx and the directorial debut of British rapper-actor <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/ashley-walters">Ashley Walters </a>will headline next month’s Berlin film festival, the first major European cinema showcase of the year.</p><p>The Berlinale, as the event is known, will spotlight new work on screen from 80 countries in its 76th edition, bringing A-list stars and fresh faces to the German capital during its 12-22 February run.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/20/berlin-film-festival-amy-adams-ashley-walters-charli-xcx-">Continue reading...</a>
King Harold coins from 1066 and Roman artefacts top 2024 treasure finds
<p>British Museum hails record-breaking year for archaeological discoveries – thanks largely to metal detectorists</p><p>A hoard of pennies linked to Harold II and most likely buried on the eve of battle in 1066, a rare Roman vehicle fitting, and a group of early medieval objects are among the archaeological finds and treasure discovered in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2024.</p><p>It was a record-breaking year for archaeological and treasure finds, with the highest number recorded in a single year – thanks in large part to metal detectorists.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/20/king-harold-coins-from-1066-and-roman-artefacts-top-uk-2024-treasure-finds">Continue reading...</a>
A later-life love triangle? Redefining how to grow old – in pictures
<p>From naked embraces and sofa snogging to the very final stages of life, a new exhibition proves there is no one way to age </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/jan/21/a-later-life-love-triangle-redefining-how-to-grow-old-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>
Steal review – you long for Sophie Turner to triumph in this wild thriller
<p>This breathless and hugely entertaining financial heist show isn’t just packed with twists. It’s a clever meditation on the evil of money – in which you’re rooting for the Game of Thrones star</p><p>The trick, Zara Dunne tells her new underling as she shows her round the trades processing floor of the pension management company for which they both now work, is not to dwell on the fact that every day that passes is another day wasted. And to know where the nice biscuits are. This is very good advice for any twentysomething starting their first job, but especially one called Myrtle, as this one is, whom I imagine has already had much of the stuffing knocked out of her by her peers’ reactions to this odd parental choice of moniker.</p><p>Soon, however, they are all in need of substantially more comfort than even a chocolate Hobnob can provide, as a team of armed villains swarms the floor. From there, the glossy new six-part thriller Steal kicks into high gear and doesn’t let up for a moment. The baddies – sporting not masks but sophisticated, subtle prosthetics that can fool all the facial recognition software the police will soon be applying to the CCTV footage – herd Zara (Sophie Turner, continuing to deliver sterling work post-Game of Thrones), Myrtle (Eloise Thomas), Zara’s friend and colleague Luke (Archie Madekwe) and the rest of the rank into one conference room while the management committee is locked in another. A couple of gruesome beatings later, so that nobody is in any doubt about the dedication of the villainous gang, Luke and Zara are yanked out and forced to help them execute a set of trades worth £4bn, and the committee is forced to sign off on them all. At one point, Luke crumbles and Zara must step in to save the day. She is hailed as a hero once the thieves have completed their hi-tech heist and left the building.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/21/steal-review-sophie-turner-thriller-prime-video">Continue reading...</a>
‘What did I just watch?’ The TV shows that utterly baffle us – but we can’t switch off
<p>From David Bowie being reincarnated as a kettle to Reese Witherspoon in space, our writers list the TV head-scratchers they can’t get enough of</p><p>With a gun to my head, I couldn’t tell you with any degree of accuracy what Tim Robinson’s The Chair Company is actually about. In terms of straight plot, it’s the story of a man who is drawn into a conspiracy after a chair breaks when he sits on it. But beyond that, it’s honestly anyone’s guess.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/20/most-confusing-tv-shows-industry-twin-peaks-lost">Continue reading...</a>
Things You Should Have Done series two review – the Bafta-winning comedy shows flashes of brilliance
<p>Bridget Christie and Sarah Kendall shine in the return of this dry and quirky comedy. Although it’s starting to feel like a different show altogether</p><p>The first series of Things You Should Have Done aired on BBC Three in early 2024, a dry and quirky comedy about a recently bereaved “stay at home daughter” from middle England. It was the brainchild of Lucia Keskin, better known online as Chi with a C, and the show marked the then 23-year-old’s transfer from internet comic (her repertoire ranged from parodies of American Horror Story to impressions of Gemma Collins) to TV star. It also came with the co-sign of Roughcut, the production company behind People Just Do Nothing and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/nov/30/stath-lets-flats-must-never-die-can-this-really-be-the-end">Stath Lets Flats</a>, helmed by The Office producer <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/article/2024/jun/15/ash-atalla-i-cry-easily-i-get-nostalgic-about-the-passing-of-years">Ash Atalla</a>.</p><p>The premise was almost unbearably sad (inept young girl loses her parents in a horrifying car crash and has to navigate life without them, as per a list they left for her), but the end product was zany rather than gloomy. An episode on getting a job saw Chi (Keskin) decamp to a care home, embracing an early retirement in a bid to avoid employment at all, while the chapter devoted to learning to cook ended with two family members being admitted to hospital. The tension between Chi and her bitter aunt Karen (Selin Hizli) was a constant, complete with insults about Chi’s “fat ham hock legs”. Not one but two characters spat into a bowl of pancake mix and no one so much as flinched. And there was a truly unforgettable rendition of Pure and Simple by Popstars winners Hear’Say. The characters tended towards their own nonsensical idiolect and failed to understand the most basic of concepts (see: Chi thinking a breast screening was some kind of peep show), giving the programme more than a dash of Stath-like incompetence. Frequent ghostly appearances by Chi’s dead parents added a sadcom touch, although – wisely – it was never enough to feel truly devastating.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/20/things-you-should-have-done-series-two-review-bafta-winning-comedy-bbc-three-iplayer">Continue reading...</a>
TV tonight: Dawn French is a hoot in insurance-scam comedy
<p>The cat’s out of the bag in the latest episode of Can You Keep a Secret? Plus: an Anglo-Saxon cemetery on Digging for Britain. Here’s what to watch this evening</p><p><strong>9.30pm, BBC One<br /></strong>Dawn French continues to be a hoot as Debbie, a woman who’s pretending her husband has died for the insurance payout. But now the cat’s out of the bag: her police officer daughter-in-law Neha (Mandip Gill) knows that William (Mark Heap) is alive and demands they give the money back. Meanwhile, somebody else has worked out the scam and has used a very uninspiring font in a blackmail letter. But Debbie has zero intention of cowering to any threats. Great fun. <em>Hollie Richardson</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/21/tv-tonight-dawn-french-is-a-hoot-in-insurance-scam-comedy">Continue reading...</a>
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart review – her frankness about her ordeal is truly inspiring
<p>Taken from her bedroom at the age of 14 and sexually abused for nine months, Smart, now a child safety activist, rails powerfully against shame in this true-crime documentary</p><p>New year, new true-crime documentary from Netflix. Age cannot wither the genre made famous by the streamer all the way back in 2015 with Making a Murderer, which explored the wrongful conviction of Steven Avery for sexual assault and attempted murder who spent 18 years in prison for that and who was later tried and convicted of another murder. That documentary was a decade in the making. Things move more quickly now, and the preferred content is more palatable to a mass audience – tales of victims’ survival and the very rightful conviction of perpetrators meet the voyeuristic appetite and proxy lust for vengeance without requiring too much painful thinking abut the inadequacies of a country’s legal system, say, or the corruption of its law enforcement.</p><p>Still, the new approach has brought some astonishing untold stories of forgotten victims into the light and – usefully or not – given us a better measure of the depraved depths to which men can go. (And it is almost always men, who either have an innate problem or need to bring a suit against an incredibly biased set of film-makers and commissioners tout damn suite.)</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/21/kidnapped-elizabeth-smart-review-her-frankness-about-her-ordeal-is-truly-inspiring">Continue reading...</a>
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review – this is the Game of Thrones we all need now
<p>The real world is way worse than Westeros – so why not let this heartwarming underdog tale of a simple soul and his ethereal squire be your safe space</p><p>‘Bless their little cotton socks!” is not a response one expects to have to any of the inhabitants of Westeros, the land of the bloody, violent, incestuous and often depraved series of Game of Thrones. But the endearing protagonists of the latest spin-off of the franchise, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, invite it.</p><p>Their names, as in the George RR Martin novellas on which the series is based, are Dunk – short for Ser Duncan the Tall – and Egg. Dunk (Peter Claffey, a suitably tall former Irish rugby union player, last seen in Bad Sisters) was squire to a hedge – non-noble – knight, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), who took the boy under his wing but never quite got round to knighting the man before dying. We first meet Dunk burying his mentor under an old elm tree and taking up his arms against the sea of troubles that are about to engulf him. Dunk is a simple soul (very simple, some might say – he may look like a medieval Jack Reacher, but inside he is more of an eager but baffled labrador) and sets out to find a lord he can himself serve as a hedge knight.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/19/knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-review-game-of-thrones-we-need-now">Continue reading...</a>
The most popular show among gen Z? The Rookie – a police procedural
<p>In an era of TikTok and YouTube, teens have never watched old-school television less – yet zoomers love this broadcast drama series</p><p>Hannah Leef knows she should be studying for midterms this week. But she has to also make time to watch her all-time favorite episode of The Rookie, an ABC procedural drama about Los Angeles cops. (That would be season two, episode eight.) The 15-year-old, who lives in New England, calls the show her “hyperfixation”.</p><p>Leef first watched the entire series, which is now in its eighth season, in three weeks. “Which is, like, not healthy,” she admits. She keeps up with new episodes while constantly rewatching the series – which she’s done 10 times now. She’s hooked “about 12 or 13” of her friends on The Rookie, and one of them ploughed through the entire series in a week: “She did not sleep.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/18/the-rookie-popular-gen-z">Continue reading...</a>
Vigil by George Saunders review – will a world-wrecking oil tycoon repent?
<p>The ghosts of Lincoln in the Bardo return to confront a dying oil man’s destructive legacy – but this time they feel like a gimmick</p><p>George Saunders is back in the Bardo – perhaps stuck there. Vigil, his first novel since 2017’s Booker prize‑winning <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/08/lincoln-in-the-bardo-george-saunders-review">Lincoln in the Bardo</a>, returns to that indeterminate space between life and death, comedy and grief, moral inquiry and narrative hijinks. Once again, the living are largely absent, and the dead are meddlesome and chatty. They have bones to pick.</p><p>They converge at the deathbed of an oil man, KJ Boone. He’s a postwar bootstrapper: long-lived, filthy rich and mightily pleased with himself. “A steady flow of satisfaction, even triumph, coursed through him, regarding all he had managed to see, cause and create.” Boone is calm in his final hours, enviably so. He seems destined to die exactly as he lived, untroubled by self-reflection. But as his body falters, his mind becomes permeable to ghosts, and they have work to do. The tycoon has profited handsomely from climate denial, and there is still time for him to acknowledge his fossil-fuelled sins before the lights go out.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/21/vigil-by-george-saunders-review-will-a-world-wrecking-oil-tycoon-repent">Continue reading...</a>
Sex, death and parrots: Julian Barnes’s best fiction – ranked!
<p>As the Booker prize-winning author prepares to publish his final novel at 80, we assess his finest work</p><p>Duffy is the first in a series of crime novels about a bisexual private eye that Barnes published under the pseudonym Dan Kavanagh. It came out the same year as Barnes’s debut novel proper, Metroland, but where that took seven years to write, this took 10 days. Not that it shows: this “refreshingly nasty” (as Barnes’s friend Martin Amis put it) crime caper is beguilingly well written, with passages that display all of Barnes’s perception and wit. The plot of reverse blackmail and the shocking climax only add to the fun.<br /><strong>Sample line</strong> “Two in the morning is when sounds travel for ever, when a sticky window makes a soft squeak and three Panda cars hear it from miles away.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/19/sex-death-and-parrots-julian-barness-best-fiction-ranked">Continue reading...</a>
Be More Bird by Candida Meyrick review – less soaring avian self-help than a parroting of tired cliches
<p>This contrived addition to a sub-genre popularised by H is for Hawk and Raising Hare falls to earth with a thud</p><p>In July 2020, Candida Meyrick, better known as the novelist Candida Clark, became the owner of Sophia Houdini White Wing, better known as Bird. Bird is a Harris hawk, a feathered killing machine who hunts the rich Dorset fields on the edge of the New Forest. She can take down a rabbit but much prefers cock pheasants. Recently she has been eyeing up the peacocks that the Meyricks keep on their estate.</p><p>Meyrick’s starting point in this puzzling book is that Bird has a rich interior life that we flightless clod-hoppers would do well to emulate. What follows are 20 brief “life lessons” inspired by the hawk’s assumed musings. So, for instance, the fact that Bird prefers to hunt her own dinner rather than accept substitute snacks from Meyrick is used to urge the reader to “stay true to your higher self”. Likewise, her ability to keep cool under threat from a pair of thuggish buzzards becomes an exhortation to “hold your ground, you’re stronger than you think”. Other maxims include “Stay humble. Keep working at it” and the truly head-scratching “Just show up; and when you can’t, don’t”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/19/be-more-bird-by-candida-meyrick-review-less-soaring-avian-self-help-than-a-parroting-of-tired-cliches">Continue reading...</a>
Is listening to an audiobook as good as reading?
<p>Queen tells reading campaign that listening counts too – and the publishing industry increasingly agrees</p><p>Queen Camilla has met many disreputable characters in her time as a royal, but her encounter this week with two celebrity reprobates was at least for a good cause. The queen has appeared in the Beano alongside its celebrated bad boy Dennis the Menace and his dog, Gnasher, as part of a campaign to promote reading.</p><p>It wasn’t the cartoon Camilla’s waspish waist that captured the headlines (“I wish,” <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2026/01/19/audiobooks-count-as-reading-says-the-queen/">she said</a> of her comic strip avatar), but what she had to say while encouraging the tween menace to “go all in” for reading: “Comics and audiobooks count too!”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/21/is-listening-to-an-audiobook-as-good-as-reading">Continue reading...</a>
Cameo by Rob Doyle review – a fantasy of literary celebrity in the culture war era
<p>In this larky autofiction, the ups and downs of creative life are cartoonishly dramatised as the writer becomes an action hero</p><p>Rob Doyle’s previous novel, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jan/10/threshold-rob-doyle-review">Threshold</a>, took the form of a blackly comic travelogue narrated by an Irish writer named Rob. In one episode before Rob becomes an author, we see him as a sexually pent-up teacher abroad, masturbating over an essay he’s marking. That the scene is an echo of one in Michel Houellebecq’s Atomised (once named by Doyle as the best book from the past 40 years) hardly lessens our discomfort, and it’s hard not to feel that our unease is precisely the point. “Frankly, a lot of my life has been disastrous,” he once told an interviewer – which might not be quite as self-deprecating as it sounds, given that Doyle has also argued that “great literature” is born of “abjection” not “glory”.</p><p>The autofictional game-playing continues in his new novel, Cameo, but instead of self-abasing display, we get a perky book-world send-up for the culture war era, cartoonishly dramatising the ups and downs of creative life. It takes the form of a vertiginous hall of mirrors centred on gazillion-selling Dublin novelist Ren Duka, renowned for a long novel cycle drawn on his own life, the summaries of which comprise the bulk of the book we’re reading. Duka’s work isn’t autofiction à la Knausgård: hardly deskbound, still less under the yoke of domesticity, he leads a jet-set life of peril, mixing with drug dealers, terrorists, spies, and eventually serving time for tax evasion before he develops a crack habit, a penchant for threesomes in Paris and – perhaps least likely of all – returns to his long-forsaken Catholicism.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/20/cameo-by-rob-doyle-review-a-fantasy-of-literary-celebrity-in-the-culture-war-era">Continue reading...</a>
This month’s best paperbacks: Anne Tyler, Jason Allen-Paisant and more
<p>Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some great new paperbacks, from a Renaissance romp to an ode to optimism</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/jan/16/this-months-best-paperbacks-anne-tyler-jason-allen-paisant-and-more">Continue reading...</a>
‘I’d come back to the UK – but I’m not playing a cop’: Oscar-tipped Wunmi Mosaku on sensational vampire smash Sinners
<p>She grew up on a Manchester council estate. Now she’s gone stratospheric for her pivotal role in Sinners. The star talks about leaving Britain for LA – and the £30 bus trip that changed her life</p><p>‘I do love a Greggs,” says Wunmi Mosaku, as she settles into a sofa in a hotel in London’s Holborn. She’s extolling the virtues of the high-street baker after I jokingly suggested that’s what she could have for lunch, now she’s back in the UK from her base in Los Angeles. Despite being Stateside for the best part of a decade, she has lost none of her Manchester twang or sense of humour.</p><p>“You know what I love about Greggs?” she asks, leaning in. “In each city, they have something specific to that place. So in London, they’ve got the Tottenham cake. Manchester’s got the Eccles cake. In Liverpool, they’ve got the scouse pie. In Newcastle, they’ve got … a ton of breads. You can’t get them anywhere else!”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/20/oscar-tipped-wunmi-mosaku-vampire-hit-sinners">Continue reading...</a>
Return to Silent Hill review – video game horror series births another middling movie
<p>Director Christopher Gans returns to the haunted town franchise but can’t seem to figure out what to do with it</p><p>There’s an admirable loyalty, maybe even poetry, in a film-maker returning to an unpromising, barely there movie series 20 years after his first crack became a minor hit. The horror film Silent Hill, based on a video game of the same name, has garnered a cult following in the decades since its 2006 release, but it’s not exactly a genre classic nor beloved franchise, with a single little-seen 2012 sequel to its name – until now. Return to Silent Hill brings back the first film’s director, Christopher Gans, for a new story set in the same ash-strewn ghost town, this one based on the Silent Hill 2 video game. Characters in these movies tend to wander into a place that is obviously haunted or cursed, refusing to leave even after it becomes clear that they should, and only decide to escape after it’s too late. Maybe Gans can relate.</p><p>Or maybe he’s the only man for the job because no one else will take it. That could almost describe James (Jeremy Irvine), the hapless protagonist of Return to Silent Hill. After a chance traffic-accident meeting with Mary (Hannah Emily Anderson) that unconvincingly thwarts her attempt to leave home, the two fall in love, and after a time James even moves to Mary’s oddball town; as a painter, he can go anywhere (though if there’s a reason that Mary couldn’t leave, given that she was already ready to hop a bus when they meet, I missed it). Despite the movie skipping over what makes them so instantly compatible, James is all in; someone has to be.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/21/return-to-silent-hill-movie-review">Continue reading...</a>
Cosmic Princess Kaguya! review – trippy anime adapted from Japanese folk dives into virtual reality popworld
<p>Emojis explode all over the screen in this hyperactive adaptation of a Japanese folk tale about a princess who has run away from the moon</p><p>Never has a film been more deserving of an exclamation mark at the end of the title than this animation from Japan. Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is an adaptation of a Japanese folk tale, the story of a princess from the moon discovered inside a bamboo stalk in a poor rural village. A decade ago, Studio Ghibli adapted the tale into <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/19/the-tale-of-the-princess-kaguya-review-lush-imagery">a gorgeously animated movie</a> with a traditional, lovingly hand-painted feel. This film could not be more different, a trippy, high-energy, techno anime set in the near future, half of it in a virtual reality world – and TikTok-ifed with emojis and stickers exploding all over the screen.</p><p>It begins when a 17-year-old high school student called Iroha finds a baby girl inside a glowing lamppost (rather than the bamboo stalk of the original). Iroha (voiced by Dawn M Bennett in the English dub) is a sensible kid, a talented musician and grade-A student who has already moved out of the family home and is living alone, working all hours to pay the rent of her tiny studio flat. In any free time she does have, Iroha follows her idol, AI musical megastar Yachiyo, in a crazy, chaotic virtual reality world called Tsukuyomi.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/20/cosmic-princess-kaguya-review-trippy-anime-adapted-from-japanese-folk-dives-into-virtual-reality-popworld">Continue reading...</a>
‘Kids referenced it as they asked for condoms’: the makers of cult hip-hop film House Party look back
<p>‘I wanted Kid ’n Play but the studio said, “Who are these guys?” I replied, “They’ve got platinum records.” I had no idea if they did’</p><p>Black music videos weren’t played on MTV in the late 80s. So while I was still at Harvard, I’d make music videos in my head. One day, while listening to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwctl2VNBBc">Bad Boy/Having a Party by Luther Vandross</a>, I thought: “This could be a great music video or movie.” And I sat down that night and wrote a script for a short film that ended up not only being made but shown at festivals and becoming a big hit in the world of student films. Spike Lee’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/dec/01/shes-gotta-have-it-film-spike-lee-tracy-camilla-johns">She’s Gotta Have It</a> had piqued interest in up-and-coming black film-makers. New Line Cinema saw my short and brought me in for a meeting. I pitched an expanded version of my idea and they said: “Let’s do it.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/19/condoms-cult-hip-hop-film-house-party-kid-n-play">Continue reading...</a>
Heavyweight review – locker room becomes pressure cooker in real-time boxing face-off
<p>Christopher M Anthony’s drama about a self-destructive slugger features Jordan Bolger prepping to fight the champ – but distrustful of those around him</p><p>Typically, boxing films are all about the flashbulb-popping, rope-a-dope climactic confrontation capping them off. So here, debut director Christopher M Anthony proves himself a contender by coming up with a new take: a pugilism flick that charts, in real time, the behind-the-scenes buildup to the showdown. Jordan Bolger plays “Diamond” Derek Douglas, drafted in on a wildcard to fight the current champ. But his preparations are jolted when his camp learns that Derek’s former training partner Cain (Osy Ikhile) has thrown his lot – and his insider knowledge – in with the enemy.</p><p>The boxing-movie genre is hardly short on self-destructive sluggers, but Anthony cranks up this exploration of mental fragility by hemming Derek into the locker room for the film’s duration. He suspects stalwart trainer Adam (Nicholas Pinnock) of being in cahoots with Cain and begins compulsively dialling his brother, a former fighter who once blew his own big shot. Punching a mirror in frustration isn’t exactly the stuff winners are made of, forcing Adam to conceal Derek’s injured hand. But, with camera crews, celebrities and firebrand promoter Freddie (Jason Isaacs) hovering, the underdog has to make like it’s no big thing.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/21/heavyweight-review-boxing-drama-jordan-bolger-christopher-m-anthony">Continue reading...</a>
A Poem for Little People review – Ukraine’s war with Russia seen through eyes of emergency evacuation team
<p>Ivan Sautkin films efforts to help residents abandon their frontline homes, as well as a pensioner acting as a spy for the Ukrainian army from the Russian border</p><p>There is a scene in this Ukrainian documentary in which a woman gruffly shrugs off the offer of evacuation from her property on the frontline. Her son has put in the request to the volunteer humanitarian team ferrying civilians to safety in the east of the country. But she is caring for her brother, who is paralysed, the woman protests – and what about her German shepherd? As explosions boom terrifyingly close, a volunteer patiently explains that his team will carry her brother to the minivan – and don’t worry, bring the dog. Eventually, the woman agrees to leave, brusquely wiping away a tear.</p><p>Director Ivan Sautkin is a film-maker by trade and served as a volunteer on the evacuation team. A Poem for Little People is his one-man film; Sautkin is behind the camera, recording everything. These are no interviews, explainers or voiceovers (which admittedly makes it hard to follow at times). The leader of the volunteers is Anton, a cool head under the heaviest fire. The trauma is raw, the situations desperate – in one, volunteers drive an elderly woman out of harm’s way, but as they bump along cracked, potholed roads, they question if they are doing the right thing putting her through the agonising journey.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/20/a-poem-for-little-people-review-ukraines-war-with-russia-seen-through-eyes-of-emergency-evacuation-team">Continue reading...</a>
Polyamory, regrets and revenge: changing the story on infidelity
<p>From Lily Allen to Raven Leilani’s Luster, a new generation is re-writing the script around love and cheating, argues the author of The Ten Year Affair</p><p>O n the first track of Lily Allen’s breakup album West End Girl, we hear a long phone call that leads to a marriage’s unravelling. Allen listens, confused then hurt, for almost two minutes as a presumed husband on the other end asks to open up the relationship. Fans made the obvious connection to Allen’s own marriage to David Harbour, the cop from Stranger Things (who is perhaps equally well known for his <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/lily-allen-david-harbour-brooklyn-home">tasteful Brooklyn townhouse</a>). The two dabbled in polyamory, goes the tabloid story, only to have Harbour break the rules and hurt Allen in the end.</p><p>The album is good – pretty and catchy, with an appealing edge of anger. But public reaction went beyond appreciation for the work. The breakup became the object of gruesome rubbernecking. It was a juicy story about one of the oldest topics: infidelity, betrayal, an affair.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/18/polyamory-regrets-and-revenge-changing-the-story-on-infidelity">Continue reading...</a>
I Do review – immersive hotel drama as wonderful as a real wedding day
<p><strong>Malmaison hotel, London<br /></strong>Theatregoers move from room to room as emotional messiness is laid bare with spirited bridesmaids, painful encounters and ‘call it all off’ nerves</p><p>When <em>isn’t </em>there big family drama in the buildup to a wedding? The nerves, the tantrums – sometimes even charges of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/20/brooklyn-peltz-beckham-david-victoria-family-feud-explained">“inappropriate” first dances</a>. Isn’t it all part and parcel of the apparently perfect day?</p><p>That emotional messiness is laid bare in <a href="https://danteordie.com/i-do">Dante or Die</a>’s utterly gorgeous site-specific show, first performed in 2013, now reprised at a number of Malmaison hotels, including this one in London as part of the Barbican’s <a href="https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/series/scene-change">Scene Change</a> season.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jan/21/i-do-review-malmaison-hotel-wedding-day-immersive-play">Continue reading...</a>
‘To me, Lady Macbeth sounds like Tina Turner’: the musical mashup about to rock the RSC
<p>In All Is But Fantasy, the fates of Juliet, Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra and more are given a thrilling twist by US writer, director and singer Whitney White. She talks about untimely deaths – and being left speechless by Judi Dench</p><p>Whitney White is practically swooning. “I have more respect and love for William Shakespeare than I can honestly communicate,” she says on a video call from Stratford-upon-Avon. When she went to <a href="https://www.stratford-upon-avon.org/shakespeare">Holy Trinity Church</a> to visit his grave, she says: “I just wept, because the language is so beautiful to me.”</p><p>White’s first encounter with Shakespeare’s work was in Chicago at high school, where A Midsummer Night’s Dream unleashed her inner “theatre nerd”, she says. “I remember thinking, ‘Shouldn’t all theatre have music and dance and text and fights and be as full as possible?’ Then you grow up and start doing theatre – and we segment the business into musicals and plays.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jan/20/macbeth-tina-turner-all-is-but-fantasy-musical-mashup-rsc-whitney-white">Continue reading...</a>
Safe Haven review – Kurds left on the sidelines of diplomat-driven drama
<p><strong>Arcola theatre, London<br /></strong>Chris Bowers, a former British diplomat in Iraqi Kurdistan, brings authenticity but not enough human drama to his play about the 1991 Kurdish uprising</p><p>This historical drama about the 1991 Kurdish uprising in Iraq abounds with diplomats. There is the Whitehall contingent, speaking in clipped tones about Kurds hiding in the mountains, at the mercy of Saddam Hussein’s armed forces. There’s Iraqi diplomat Al-Tikriti, Saddam’s half-brother, and there is also Chris Bowers, the play’s writer and a former British diplomat in Iraqi Kurdistan.</p><p>Bowers infuses the debates and wrangles at the heart of this crisis with an authenticity that carries weight, but it does not make for good drama in itself.</p><p>At <a href="https://www.arcolatheatre.com/event/safe-haven/">Arcola theatre, London</a>, until 7 February</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jan/21/safe-haven-review-kurds-diplomat-drama-arcola-theatre-chris-bowers">Continue reading...</a>
Between the bars: theatrical gig about life after prison reveals hard truths of homecoming
<p>A Giant on the Bridge, performed by a ‘Scottish indie folk supergroup’, draws on dozens of interviews about the confines former prisoners experience on the outside</p><p>When we talk about crime and punishment, the notion of homecoming is often absent but decarceration and re-entry are critical aspects of the justice system. These subjects are at the heart of A Giant on the Bridge, the singer-songwriter Jo Mango and the theatre-maker Liam Hurley’s urgent piece of gig-theatre, which premiered in 2024 and heads out on tour across Scotland next month.</p><p>It was born from a research project, Distant Voices: Coming Home, that revealed dire statistics for the number of people who come out of prison and then go back in again, says Mango. “Research showed that the process is often less about the individuals and more about societal and structural issues – whether they can get a job when they come out, whether they have any family left who are there to support them.” A Giant on the Bridge emerged as “a kind of way of writing an essay about what we learned”, Mango says, but using songs co-written by people who have lived experience of the prison system.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jan/20/prison-homecoming-a-giant-on-the-bridge">Continue reading...</a>
Yorke Dance Project: Modern Milestones review – a bold and brilliant night
<p><strong>Linbury theatre, London<br /></strong>These gems, old and new, include an intense revival of Martha Graham’s Deep Song and a new piece by Christopher Bruce set to Leonard Cohen songs</p><p>Wow, the energy in a single big toe. That’s dancer Amy Thake’s toe, her sole thrust forth with implacable strength, that digit stretching away, bristling with intention. If you can get that much out of one foot, just wait till everything else starts moving. Thake’s solo is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/oct/06/martha-graham-pushed-dance-in-dazzling-new-directions">Deep Song by Martha Graham</a>, from 1937, made in response to the Spanish civil war. It’s only six minutes long, but it is an intense six minutes: the exactitude of Graham’s stripped-to-the-core style, the weight and grace and power. Among other things it is a picture of a kind of exhaustion when one’s soft edges are shorn off by the load borne.</p><p>As well as reviving 20th-century gems – such as Bella Lewitzky’s Kinaesonata (1970), danced with racing speed and millimetric accuracy – <a href="https://yorkedance.com/productions/modern-milestones/">Yorke Dance Project</a> is trumpeting two premieres in this rich and really excellent programme. Troubadour is the first new work from choreographer Christopher Bruce (now 80) for more than a decade.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jan/20/yorke-dance-project-modern-milestones-review-linbury-theatre-martha-graham-christoper-bruce-leonard-cohen">Continue reading...</a>
Hilary Duff review – first gig in 18 years for former teen icon is euphoric, escapist fun
<p><strong>Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London</strong><br />Despite never being a huge pop force after her years as Disney star Lizzie McGuire, fans come from Brazil and Saudi Arabia for Duff’s charming, self-deprecating return</p><p>It’s fair to say that US actor-singer-writer-entrepreneur Hilary Duff has never been a force to be reckoned with in pop music. Her songs and albums have neither been particularly critically acclaimed nor commercially dominant; many people would know her only as Lizzie McGuire, hero of the Disney Channel sitcom from the early 00s. But for the 38-year-old Duff’s first live performance in 18 years, she’s met with a sold-out crowd screaming back every word of her music like they are all universally adored hits. Duff seems overwhelmed by the rapturous reception. Fans have come from Brazil, Saudi Arabia and all over Europe, and they are often so loud you can’t hear the woman on stage.<br /><br /> But after the shock wears off, Duff shows no signs of rust and her fierce sincerity combined with girl next door charm infuses the night with euphoria and escapism. When she jumps up and down on the stage’s sofa singing Why Not, you get the sense that this is how everyone in the crowd once sang the song in their adolescence. She’s also not afraid to poke fun at herself and her past: she brings three fans on stage to recreate the low-energy dance choreography of her 2007 single With Love that went viral on TikTok in 2021.<br /><br /> The 17-song set expertly sprinkles five new numbers from forthcoming album Luck … Or Something in between fan favourites such as 2015’s criminally underrated Sparks and 2003’s So Yesterday to keep the mood elevated. Time has made Duff’s voice more textured and refined, adding new depth to songs like Fly and Come Clean, though the twee Someone’s Watching Over Me, a ballad about self-acceptance, is cloying.</p><p><br /> The biggest noise of the night comes with the one-two encore of her new single Mature and the Lizzie McGuire classic What Dreams Are Made Of. A wild singalong ensues complete with pink butterfly confetti as a giddy Duff jumps for joy on stage. It’s an emotional conclusion that takes this devoted crowd to new levels of noisy rapture and proves that Duff could easily put music at the centre of her portfolio career.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/20/hilary-duff-review-first-gig-in-18-years-shepherds-bush-empire-london">Continue reading...</a>
‘Why was it me?’ Mon Rovîa on going from war-torn Liberia to US folk-pop stardom
<p>Having just released his debut album, Bloodline, the singer discusses his fractured identity, survivor’s guilt and how he took solace in Mumford & Sons</p><p>Long before he started packing out theatres and earning millions of listeners with his poetic folk-pop, Mon Rovîa began life in Liberia at a time when many of his country’s youngest were armed with assault rifles and forced to fight as child soldiers in a brutal civil war. After his mother died, his grandmother needed help raising his sister, brother and him, and placed him with a white missionary family from Florida. He was the only member of his family to escape the war. “That is something that weighed heavy on me as I grew,” he says. “Why was it me? Why couldn’t my siblings come, or why wasn’t it one of them?” It would be years until he knew what became of them.</p><p>Today, his stage name – he was born Janjay Lowe – is a stylised version of the Liberian capital Monrovia; his songwriting addresses his fractured identity, and the spectre of colonialism that surrounded him in Liberia and the US, applying emotional intimacy to global realities. His approach, he theorises, “starts with people trusting that you’re not afraid to be vulnerable in your own way. Then you start talking about the bigger picture.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/20/why-was-it-me-mon-rovia-on-going-from-war-torn-liberia-to-us-folk-pop-stardom">Continue reading...</a>
Release the beast! How Iron Maiden and a naked Ralph Fiennes created the ultimate big-screen needle drop
<p>The Number of the Beast lights up an unforgettable scene in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple thanks to director Nia DaCosta expertly blending ‘craziness and romance’</p><p>There were laughs of surprise around me in screen three of the Everyman in Muswell Hill, north London, as 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple drew to its conclusion. Without giving too much away for those who haven’t seen it, Ralph Fiennes dancing semi-naked among piles of human bones to Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast is not how you expect one of our greatest thespians to deport himself on screen.</p><p>“Alex Garland chose that song,” says the film’s director, Nia DaCosta. “He wrote it into the script. And you can’t get better than that in a film about satanists.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/20/28-years-later-bone-temple-iron-maiden-and-naked-ralph-fiennes">Continue reading...</a>
Is this man the future of music – or its executioner? AI evangelist Mikey Shulman says he’s making pop, not slop
<p>Worth a staggering $2.45bn, Suno is an AI music company that can create a track with just a few prompts. Why is its CEO happy to see it called ‘the Ozempic of the music industry’?</p><p>‘The format of the future,” says Mikey Shulman, “is music you play <em>with</em>, not just play.” As the CEO and co-founder of the generative AI music company Suno, Shulman currently finds himself in the exhilarating if perhaps unenviable position of being simultaneously regarded as the architect of music’s future – and its executioner.</p><p>Suno, which was founded just over two years ago, allows users to create entire songs with just a few text prompts. At the moment, you can’t prompt it with the name of a specific pop star, but asking for “stadium-level confessional pop-country” that “references past relationships” or “public rivalries” might get you a Taylor Swift-style song or thereabouts.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/19/ai-music-company-mikey-shulman-suna">Continue reading...</a>
‘Even thinking about Coldplay I get tearful’: Denise Lewis’s honest playlist
<p>The former heptathlete throws shapes to Cameo and got gold-medal inspiration from Whitney, but which rapper helps get her out of bed?</p><p><strong>The first song I fell in love with</strong><br /> I was at nursery school when Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen was the song of the moment. I remember seeing the video on Top of the Pops, which is chilling at first, but epic when it gets to the big guitar break.</p><p><strong>The first single I bought</strong><br /> My mum had this little record player that used to keep me very entertained, so I got her to buy me Ring My Bell by Anita Ward for my birthday or Christmas, from a record shop in Wolverhampton.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/18/denise-lewis-honest-playlist-queen-whitney-houston-coldplay">Continue reading...</a>
David Byrne review – hope, humanity and dancing in a superbly paced and choreographed show
<p><strong>Brisbane Entertainment Centre<br /></strong>Solo songs and Talking Heads classics mingle in a spectacular performance that doesn’t pull any punches</p><p>Dressed from head to foot in iridescent orange, David Byrne and his 12-piece backing band look as if they’re about to burst into flames. On a vast, empty stage – uncluttered by amplifiers, microphones or any of the usual things that anchor a live performance – the former Talking Heads frontman is still full of twitchy energy.</p><p>Thankfully, there’s no spontaneous combustion. The template for tonight’s spectacle remains the legendary <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/sep/22/stop-making-sense-review-demmes-talking-heads-doc-still-burning-down-the-house">Stop Making Sense tour</a> of 1984 <strong>– </strong>via <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/oct/20/american-utopia-review-david-byrne-starts-making-sense">American Utopia</a><strong> –</strong> where the show is built in increments. It starts slowly with Heaven, from Talking Heads’ 1979 album Fear of Music, a song that has lost none of its existential power.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/18/david-byrne-review-hope-humanity-and-dancing-in-a-superbly-paced-and-choreographed-show">Continue reading...</a>
‘We wouldn’t still be playing if we’d got stinking rich’: the Damned celebrate 50 years of punk, goth and holy grail hunting
<p>An appetite for self-destruction left Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies hugely influential but financially insecure. They’re back with a big show and their first album together since 1995</p><p>‘There isn’t one songwriter, and so the flavour of the band is always going to change,” says Dave Vanian, reflecting on 50 years of the group of which he has been the sole constant member, the Damned. “Captain Sensible is a great fan of syrupy pop music and prog and glam rock. So his writing is very poppy, melodic and quite wonderful. My writing is more melodramatic, more theatrical. And Rat Scabies was a mod who really loved bands like the Who. That melting pot would either not work at all, or be an absolute firecracker.” As the history of the Damned attests, it has, on occasion, been both.</p><p>There have been three break-ups: in the late 70s, late 80s and early 90s; Sensible and Scabies have had repeated spells out of the band; Scabies only started working with them again in 2022, after 27 years away. “The rift was really between him and Captain,” says Vanian, though at one time or another, it seems as though each of the three principals has been in a relationship-ending rage with one or both of the others.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/16/we-wouldnt-still-be-playing-if-wed-got-stinking-rich-the-damned-celebrate-50-years-of-punk-goth-and-holy-grail-hunting">Continue reading...</a>
Andrew Clements obituary
<p>Chief classical music critic of the Guardian admired for writing without fear or favour</p><p>Andrew Clements, who has died aged 75 after a period of ill health, was for more than three decades the Guardian’s chief classical music critic. His style was a model of critical integrity – authoritative and intelligent, sometimes enthusiastic and sometimes slightly grumpy, dry-humoured yet never showy.</p><p>Music may say things that words cannot express, but he mastered the rare art of putting music into words, always using language with precision; reading him, you knew what a performance had sounded like. Best known for championing new music with tireless devotion, Andrew had much wider musical interests than many realised.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/19/andrew-clements-obituary">Continue reading...</a>
BBCSO/Schuldt review – Phibbs cello concerto brings cohesion to uneven programme
<p><strong>Barbican, London</strong><br />Clemens Schuldt kept the volume high in an inconsistent evening in which the BBC Symphony Orchestra ranged across Tchaikovsky’s Hamlet, Mel Bonis’s Ophélie and a suite from Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier</p><p>Performances aside, this somewhat frenetic concert could have benefited from a sharper curatorial eye to bind together its disparate works. Fortunately, Joseph Phibbs’s cello concerto, written for Guy Johnston and here receiving its world premiere, brought its own musical cohesion, distinguishing itself in an otherwise uneven programme.</p><p>Scrupulously crafted, its five contrasting movements basked in a warm tonality and boasted a multihued orchestration with rich, fluent string writing and imaginative effects in wind, brass and percussion. Emerging from gentle double bass pizzicatos and cushioned cellos, Johnston’s solo line, pensive and unshowy throughout, was neatly framed thanks to Clemens Schuldt’s mindful control over his BBC Symphony Orchestra forces.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/19/bbcso-schuldt-review-barbican-london-world-premiere-phibbs-cello-concerto">Continue reading...</a>
CBSO/Yamada review – Moore’s trombone adventures into Fujikura’s sonic oceans
<p><strong>Symphony Hall, Birmingham<br /></strong>Dai Fujikura’s elusive trombone concerto was given its UK premiere by Peter Moore, who made its colours and textures sing; a persuasive but perhaps too sunny reading of Mahler’s first symphony followed in the concert’s second half</p><p>Trombone concertos don’t come around every day. The last time this Cinderella of the brass section had a major moment in the spotlight was in 2022, when the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/eb52rz">Proms hosted their first solo trombonist</a> in almost 20 years. Before that, you have to go back to 2008 for headlines – when a dazzling 12-year-old broke records as <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/youngmusician/sites/news/pages/pete_winner.shtml">the youngest ever winner of BBC Young Musician</a>. The trombone player in each case? Peter Moore.</p><p>Now with a decade-long stint at the London Symphony Orchestra under his belt, Belfast-born Moore is one of the great champions of his instrument, whose growing concerto repertoire has a lot to do with his persuasive advocacy. He had an intriguing platform in <a href="https://www.daifujikura.com/">Dai Fujikura</a>’s Vast Ocean II (2023) – a reworking of the composer’s 2005 trombone concerto, given its UK premiere here by Kazuki Yamada and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/16/cbsoyamada-review-moores-trombone-adventures-into-fujikuras-sonic-oceans">Continue reading...</a>
Brahms: Late Piano Works album review
<p><strong>Piotr Anderszewski<br />(Warner Classics)</strong><br />Darkness hangs over a fluid and distinctively emotional take on a dozen introspective works</p><p>Brahms’s late piano music is a pinnacle of 19th-century Romanticism, though its atmosphere of introspection and veiled emotion is a million miles from the more turbulent works of his youth. Piotr Anderszewski sees in it a testament of sorts, but one that keeps as many secrets as it reveals. By selecting a dozen of these intimate miniatures to make up an absorbing 48-minute programme, the Polish pianist opens a markedly individual window on to the composer’s solitary artistic maturity.</p><p>He opens with the aching B-minor Intermezzo from the Op 119 set, the tempo measured and laden with melancholy reflection. Phrasing is fluid across concentrated interpretations that exhibit a distinctive emotional core. The moderate pace continues throughout, with Anderszewski preferring to avoid leavening the mood merely for the sake of contrast. The cumulative effect is one of penetrating regret.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/16/brahms-late-piano-works-album-review-piotr-anderszewski">Continue reading...</a>
Animal Crossing’s new update has revived my pandemic sanctuary
<p>After years away revisiting my abandoned island uncovers new features, old memories and the quiet reassurance that you can go home again</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/ng-interactive/2021/nov/24/sign-up-for-pushing-buttons-keza-macdonalds-weekly-look-at-the-world-of-gaming"><strong>Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up here</strong></a></p><p>Nintendo’s pandemic-era hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons got another major update last week, along with a £5 Switch 2 upgrade that makes it look and run better on the new console. Last year, I <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/jan/08/pushing-buttons-hogmanay-playing-games-with-my-children">threw a new year’s party</a> for my children in the game, but apart from that I have barely touched my island since <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/mar/16/animal-crossing-new-horizons-review-nintendo-switch">the depths of lockdown</a>, when sunny Alba was my preferred escape from the monotonous misery of the real world. Back then, I spent more than 200 hours on this island. Stepping out of her (now massive) house, my avatar’s hair is all ruffled and her eyes sleepy after a long, long time aslumber.</p><p>I half-expected Alba to be practically in ruins, but it’s not that bad. Aside from a few cockroaches in the basement and a bunch of weeds poking up from the snow, everything is as it was. The paths that I had laid out around the island still lead me to the shop, the tailors, the museum; I stop by to visit Blathers the curatorial owl, and he gives me a new mission to find a pigeon called Brewster so that we can open a museum cafe. “It’s been four years and eight months!” exclaims one of my longtime residents, a penguin called Aurora. That can’t be right, can it? Have I really been ignoring her since summer 2021? Thankfully, Animal Crossing characters are very forgiving. I get the impression they’ve been getting along perfectly fine without me.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jan/20/animal-crossings-new-update-has-revived-my-pandemic-sanctuary">Continue reading...</a>
‘It’s a loving mockery, because it’s also who I am’: the making of gaming’s most pathetic character
<p>The team behind Baby Steps discuss why they made a whiny, unprepared manbaby the protagonist – and how players have grown to love Nate as he struggles up a mountain</p><p>“I don’t know why he is in a onesie and has a big ass,” shrugs game developer Gabe Cuzzillo. “Bennett just came in with that at some point.”</p><p>“I thought it would be cute,” replies Bennett Foddy, who was formerly Cuzzillo’s professor at New York University’s Game Center and is now his collaborator. “Working on character design and animation brings you over to liking big butts. I could give you an enormous amount of evidence for this.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jan/16/its-a-loving-mockery-because-its-also-who-i-am-the-making-of-gamings-most-pathetic-character">Continue reading...</a>
Commodore 64 Ultimate review – it’s like 1982 all over again!
<p>Showing the value of great design over visual impact, this faithfully resurrected home computer seamlessly integrates modern tech with some wonderful additional touches</p><p>The emotional hit was something I didn’t expect, although perhaps I should have. The Commodore 64 Ultimate, a new version of the legendary 8-bit computer, comes in a box designed to resemble the original packaging – a photo of the machine itself on a background of deep blue fading into a series of white stripes. Then when you open it, you find an uncannily accurate replica of what fans lovingly referred to as the breadbox – the chunky, sloped Commodore 64, in hues of brown and beige, the red LED in one corner above the row of fawn-coloured function keys. It’s like 1982 all over again.</p><p>My dad bought us a C64 in late 1983. It was our second computer after the ZX81 and it felt like an enormous leap into the future with its detailed colour graphics, advanced sound chip and proper grown-up keyboard. We unpacked it on our dinner table, plugging it into a small portable TV and loading the one game we had, a very basic Donkey Kong clone named Crazy Kong. My life would never be the same again. This contraption was my obsession for the next four years – my friendships and free-time would revolve around games such as Bruce Lee, Paradroid and Hyper Sports. To this day, I treasure the memories of playing golf sim Leaderboard with my dad. The sound effects, speech samples and graphics conjured by that computer have lived rent free in my head for, god, almost 40 years.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jan/15/commodore-64-ultimate-review-computer">Continue reading...</a>
‘Radical and joyous’: Beryl Cook show aims to prove she was a serious artist
<p>Major retrospective in Plymouth, her adopted city, presents her as a skilful chronicler of social transformation</p><p>In her lifetime, Beryl Cook’s colourful, vibrant paintings tended to be dismissed by most critics as mere kitsch or whimsy.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.theboxplymouth.com/blog/press-release/the-box-announces-landmark-beryl-cook-exhibition-for-2026?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23322861047&gbraid=0AAAABA9fwSdRbuAmHahUMfK7d0O_RVncX&gclid=CjwKCAiA4KfLBhB0EiwAUY7GAfQYO120jDLJG4heeFisBXKDFu8IStViao2s5HovjsdyHQC0K_U26hoCyVEQAvD_BwE">major retrospective of Cook’s work</a> opening in her adopted city of Plymouth next weekend makes the case that she was a serious, significant artist who skilfully chronicled a tumultuous period of social transformation.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jan/18/beryl-cook-artist-retrospective-show-plymouth">Continue reading...</a>
A 10p masterpiece! The golden age of crisp packet design, from Chipsticks to Frazzles to Hedgehogs
<p>Aliens drawn by a 2000AD artist, graphics echoing the Dark Side of the Moon cover, Dennis the Menace fronting bacon and baked bean flavour … we pop open a new 140-page celebration of the weirdest, wildest crisp bags ever</p><p>Would you eat a smoky spider flavour Monster Munch? What about a Bovril crisp, cooked up to celebrate the release of Back to the Future? Then there’s hedgehog flavour – and even a Wallace and Gromit corn snack designed to capture the unique taste of moon cheese, which the duo rocketed off to collect in A Grand Day Out.</p><p>All these salty, crunchy and perhaps even tasty snacks are celebrated in UK Crisp Packets 1970-2000, a 140-page compendium that delves into the colourful, often strange and occasionally wild world of crisp packet design. The book will come as a heavy hit of nostalgia for many people, featuring various childhood favourites – Chipsticks, Frazzles, Snaps – along with the lesser known and the rare.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jan/19/uk-crisp-packet-designs-sports-banger">Continue reading...</a>
Beatriz González obituary
<p>Colombian artist whose haunting work dealt with questions of power and conflict for six decades</p><p>In the middle of Bogotá’s Central Cemetery stands the columbarium, built in 1943 to house the bodies of poor and unidentified people. Abandoned and neglected, in 2009 the decaying mausoleum was transformed by the Colombian artist Beatriz González, who has died aged 93. On each of the 8,957 tombstones, she had silkscreened one of eight silhouetted motifs, each featuring two figures hauling a body between them. Auras Anónimas (Anonymous Auras) is González’s haunting memorial to the nameless victims of Colombia’s near century of political violence and drugs wars.</p><p>González, whose prints and paintings mined questions of power and conflict for six decades, appropriated imagery from mass media, including pictorial encyclopaedias, postcards, sensationalist newspapers, religious calendars and pamphlets, initially to portray events both humdrum and tragic. <a href="https://www.artforum.com/events/museo-nacional-centro-de-arte-reina-sofia-5-240709/">Los Suicidas del Sisga (1965)</a> is a suite of three paintings based on newspaper photographs of a couple who died by suicide. González renders the lovers, he in a hat, she in a headscarf, clutching a bouquet of flowers between them, in flat blocks of colour.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jan/18/beatriz-gonzalez-obituary">Continue reading...</a>
A novelty golf-ball finder that conned the military: best podcasts of the week
<p>This unbelievable, Alice Levine-narrated true story sees governments fooled by a fake bomb detector. Plus, Peter Bradshaw’s darkly comic thriller about a charming nurse</p><p>Alice Levine <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3g89DYSv46rN1AnYmBjDgc">narrates</a> this scam story in customary wry fashion. We meet Steve, an ex-copper who helps his childhood best pal sell his cutting-edge bomb detector, only to end up with detectives arresting him. It’s a slickly produced tale of a con that fooled governments and militaries, with action flitting from questionable Hong Kong banks to the Iraqi airports in which it’s installed as a security measure – with potentially lethal consequences. <em>Alexi Duggins</em> <br /><em>Widely available, episodes weekly</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/19/a-novelty-golf-ball-finder-that-conned-the-military-best-podcasts-of-the-week">Continue reading...</a>