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The race for the golden boot

It feels very strange to scan this page and not see the letters S-A-L-A-H. For a variety of reasons he’s scored only four league goals in 2025-26; his lowest total at in a full season at Liverpool is 18.

Judge orders 5-year-old Liam Ramos and dad to be released from detention

A federal judge in Texas on Saturday ordered 5-year-old Liam Ramos​ and his father to be released from immigration detention.

Milan protesters call for U.S. ICE agents to leave Italy as Winter Games approach

An ICE unit from the US Department of Homeland Security is playing a role providing security at the Winter Games. At past Olympics, their involvement would have been unremarkable. But after the violence in Minneapolis, many Italians protesting in Milan say ICE agents are no longer welcome.

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch says he never visited Epstein’s island and regrets associating with him

• Tisch denies visiting Epstein island after file release

• Giants co-owner says he regrets ties with Epstein

• US justice department files name Tisch over times

New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch said he knew Jeffrey Epstein but denied going to his island after his name was mentioned more than 400 times in files released Friday by the US justice department.

“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments,” Tisch said in a statement provided by the NFL team. “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”

Keir Starmer calls on Andrew to testify in US over Jeffrey Epstein links

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles last year, features heavily in the latest tranche of the Epstein files

Keir Starmer has said Andrew Mounbatten-Windsor should testify before the US Congress about his links to the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The prime minister, who is in Japan for a meeting with its premier, Sanae Takaichi, was asked by journalists if the former prince should apologise to the disgraced financier’s victims and give evidence about what he knew about his crimes.

Bitcoin dips below $78,000 as market digests silver sell-off, Trump's Fed chair pick

Bitcoin and Ethereum plunged following wide swings in the commodities market.

Demond Wilson, "Sanford and Son" and "The New Odd Couple" actor, dies at 79

In 1971, Demond Wilson appeared on an episode of "All in the Family," a role that led him to land a lead part in "Sanford and Son."

Enzo Fernández seals thrilling Chelsea fightback to shatter 10-man West Ham

Stamford Bridge was mutinous at half-time and in disbelief at the end. A pattern is developing under Liam Rosenior. Chelsea’s head coach messed up his starting lineup against Napoli on Wednesday but turned it around. He did it again when his side were 2-0 down and in danger of unravelling.

West Ham were on course for a major win in their fight against relegation after goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville. Chelsea were all over the place before a triple substitution from Rosenior. Wesley Fofana and João Pedro came on to combine for the goal that made it 2-1. Marc Cucurella, another substitute, equalised and there was an explosion of noise when João Pedro cut the ball back for Enzo Fernández to sweep home the winner in added time.

Powerful storm threatens an East Coast still buried under last week's snow

About 240 million people were under cold weather advisories and winter storm warnings Saturday morning.

Federal judge denies bid to end ICE Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota

The crackdown "has had, and will likely continue to have, profound and even heartbreaking, consequences," U.S. District Judge Menendez said in the ruling.

‘The best movement is the next movement’: how to really look after your lower back

An estimated 80% of the population will suffer from lower back pain at some point. The good news is that preventing it is a lot easier than treating it

• Read more in The way you move series

Getting out of bed. Picking up a coffee mug. Waving at a friend. Bending down to pat a dog. Turning to flush the toilet.

Many who have experienced “doing their back in” have been baffled by the discrepancy between the mildness of the precipitating action and the severity of the resulting pain. How could such a small, innocent movement trigger such paralysing pain that lasts for weeks, months, years or, in some cases, decades?

Ollie Peake: the boy who used to sleep in his cricket gear emerges as Ashes hope for Australia

The 19-year-old says touring England in 2027 is a dream but as the hype around him builds the classy batter is keeping his feet on the ground

After five-year-old Ollie Peake had gone to bed in his family home in Geelong, his mother, Sarah, entered his bedroom to check on him. He was fast asleep in his cricket gear. She removed his helmet and gloves before tucking him in for the night.

The next morning she asked her son why he was sleeping in his kit.

The moment I knew: as we sat on the veranda playing Scrabble, it hit me – I was in love

When Dion Padan met Ben Graetz and his drag queen persona, there was an undeniable energy. A weekend away deepened their connection

• Find more stories from the moment I knew series

In 2015, I moved to Sydney from north Wales in the UK. Sydney had always been my dream destination, but then the Australian immigration rules changed, meaning that to get permanent residency with my skillset as a barber, I’d have to move to Tasmania or the Northern Territory. I decided on Darwin because I feared the weather in Tasmania was too much like British weather. So in 2018, I packed my bags and moved to Darwin without knowing anything about the city.

Ben and I first chatted on Grindr and he was very welcoming, offering to show me around town. He was also very interested in my story – how did this Welsh boy end up living here? He asked if I was going to Darwin Pride.

Judge denies Minnesota’s request to end ICE surge in Minneapolis

Federal immigration operation has resulted in government agents killing two people, sparking weeks of protests

A federal judge has denied a request by Minnesota’s state government to end the federal immigration operation in Minneapolis that has resulted in government agents killing two people, sparking weeks of protests.

The state, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, had lodged a lawsuit after the death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent this month, demanding an end to the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge in the city.

Judge says she won't halt the immigration enforcement surge as a lawsuit proceeds

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the ruling on social media, calling it "another HUGE" legal win for the Justice Department.

Sixers' Paul George suspended for drug policy violation, NBA says

Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers has been suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA's anti-drug program.

Trump wants to build 250ft Washington DC arch that dwarfs Lincoln Memorial – report

US president reportedly eyes plot near Memorial Bridge for a large-scale structure named the Independence Arch

Donald Trump reportedly wants the arch he is planning to build in Washington DC to dwarf the Lincoln Memorial.

The US president envision the planned arch to be a height of 250ft, or significantly taller than the 100ft-tall Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. It would also be significantly taller than Paris’s 164ft-tall Arc de Triomphe – but less than half the height than the Gateway Arch in St Louis, Missouri, the world’s tallest arch.

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina defeats No. 1 Aryana Sabalenka to win Australian Open

Saturday's win marks the second Grand Slam title for Rybakina, who took Wimbledon in 2022.

Arsenal stroll back to winning ways against outclassed Leeds and go seven points clear

It would be a touch too hyperbolic to suggest this was a season-defining afternoon for Arsenal’s title ambitions, but given the opposition and the pre-match drama surrounding this game, there was no doubting that come full time this was a significant one in the Premier League title picture.

Two points from three games is hardly compelling enough evidence to prompt full-blown crisis talks, but given the lofty standards Arsenal have set in the first half of this season, we would learn plenty about them here. This against a team who have lost once since the start of December and with a ferocious home crowd behind them.

Christian Horner targets F1 return as he breaks silence after Red Bull sacking

• Former team principal was dismissed last September

• ‘I feel like I have unfinished business in Formula One’
  

Christian Horner said he misses Formula One and has unfinished business in the sport as he spoke publicly for the first time since he was ousted by Red Bull but is prepared to wait for an opportunity to “win something”, adding: “I am not in a rush.”

The 52-year-old was dismissed as Red Bull team principal following July’s British Grand Prix before his official exit was agreed in September. He oversaw a period of extraordinary success during his 20-year career with Red Bull, winning eight drivers’ and six constructors’ titles.

Jeffrey Epstein files: don’t be fooled. Millions of files are still unreleased | Moira Donegan

Federal prosecutors had identified 6 million files that were ‘potentially responsive’ to the law, but only released 3.5. Why?

The justice department released a trove of 3.5m files related to the dead financier and pedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, with deputy attorney general Todd Blanche declaring that the release would likely be the last major declassification of files relating to Epstein. Federal prosecutors had identified 6 million files that were “potentially responsive” to the law, meaning that there are millions of files that have still not been released.

The release marked a belated and partial compliance with a bill passed by Congress late last year, which had mandated that all government documents pertaining to Epstein and the various law enforcement investigations into his sexual abuse of girls be made public by 19 December 2025.

Campaigner Peter Tatchell arrested for carrying ‘globalise the intifada’ placard

The veteran activist called his arrest at Palestine solidarity rally in London an ‘attack on free speech’

Peter Tatchell, the activist and campaigner, has been arrested for holding a placard which displayed the phrase “globalise the intifada” at a pro-Palestine march in London.

Tatchell, who attended a Palestine solidarity march in London on Saturday afternoon, held a sign that read: “Globalise the intifada: Non-violent resistance. End Israel’s occupation of Gaza & West Bank.”

‘Justice is optional’: why Trump’s pardon of Honduran ex-president scares nature defenders

Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries for environmentalists – and the release of Juan Orlando Hernández has reinforced its ‘crisis of impunity’, say critics

When Donald Trump announced that he would pardon the former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, only the second world leader to be convicted of drug trafficking, Anna*, an environmental defender, was shocked.

In 2022, Hernández, also known as JOH, was extradited to the US and later convicted, along with his brother, on drug trafficking and weapons charges. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison for conspiring to smuggle more than 400 tonnes of cocaine into the US, becoming the first Honduran head of state to be tried and sentenced abroad for running a narco state. He was also accused of grave human rights violations.

Immigrant pursued by federal agents before Alex Pretti's killing speaks out

"I was there. I saw everything," Jose Huerta Chuma, who remains in hiding, told CBS News.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (Feb. 1)

A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.

Winter Olympics 2026: key Cortina cable car will not be ready, letter claims

• Apollonio-Socrepes lift unfinished a week from Games

• State-backed infrastructure agency says work on course

A cable car being built to carry spectators to the women’s Olympic Alpine skiing events in Cortina is in serious doubt of not being completed in time, prompting Games organisers to request school closures to ease the pressure on the Dolomite resort’s transport system.

The Apollonio-Socrepes lift is one of the most contentious pieces of Olympic infrastructure for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Work on the system, designed to take spectators from the centre of Cortina d’Ampezzo directly to the slopes, began behind schedule, and some residents raised safety concerns about its location in an area prone to landslides.

‘One of the greatest comic talents’: tributes paid to actor Catherine O’Hara

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and Schitt’s Creek co-creator Dan Levy lead tributes to award winning actor

• Catherine O’Hara, actor known for Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek, dies aged 71

Tributes have poured in from the world of showbiz and politics for Catherine O’Hara, with the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, and Schitt’s Creek’s co-creator Dan Levy mourning the loss of a “legend” after the actor died at the age of 71.

O’Hara, who won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role in the TV comedy series, died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness, according to her agency CAA.

‘I always believed’: Elena Rybakina relishes return to top table after Melbourne glory

• Champion plays down significance of trophy for coach

• Aryna Sabalenka frustrated after latest major final loss

Elena Rybakina never stopped believing she would collect a second grand slam title after holding her nerve to defeat Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1 and two-time champion, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and win the Australian Open.

Rybakina, the fifth seed, arrived here as the in-form player after her triumph at the WTA Finals last November. It is her second major title after her win at Wimbledon in 2022.

Massive release of Epstein files includes 3 million documents and photos

The Justice Department released more new documents Friday from the Jeffrey Epstein files, more than a month after the DOJ's original deadline to do so.

Tom Gauld on the rewards of enhanced reading – cartoon

Partial government shutdown begins as funding lapses despite Senate deal

The Senate passed a deal on a package of spending bills late Friday, sending it to the House, though funding for dozens of government agencies has still lapsed.

Virginia woman strangled days after dumping her deceptive boyfriend

The prosecutor said Katlyn Lyon Montgomery's ex-boyfriend dressed as a "ninja" to sneak up on her while asleep in her Virginia apartment.

Children and police officers among at least 30 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza

Deadly attacks launched day before border crossing due to open as part of ceasefire deal

Israel has carried out some of its deadliest airstrikes on Gaza in months, killing at least 30 Palestinians, some of whom were sheltering in tent cities for displaced people.

Despite a nominal ceasefire, the Israeli military struck a police station in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood west of Gaza City on Saturday, killing 10 officers and detainees, the civil defence said. It indicated the death toll could rise as emergency responders searched for bodies.

Exclusive discounts from CBS Mornings Deals

On this edition of CBS Mornings Deals, we show you items that might just become essentials in your everyday life. Visit cbsdeals.com to take advantage of these exclusive deals today. CBS earns commissions on purchases made through cbsdeals.com.

A wing and a prayer: Rybakina’s quiet resolve wrests glory from Sabalenka | Jack Snape

To the sound of a lone bird chirping, the crash-bang wallop ultimately belonged to the underdog in a blockbuster Australian Open final

The sprinkling rain at Melbourne Park meant the roof stayed closed on centre court for the Australian Open women’s final, turning Rod Laver Arena into a concert hall charged with the music of tennis. But there was one noise that wasn’t quite right. In the sacred moments before each player’s serving motion, the crowd generally obeyed the protocol demanding silence. However, a single bird – perched somewhere high in the rafters – was less compliant.

It must not have been able to escape before the roof shut on Saturday afternoon, and so there it stayed. Tweet-tweet. An unusual accompaniment to a grand slam final. No one could see the critter, though long they tried, as dozens of the 15,000-strong crowd craned their necks in curiosity. Even the umpire kept glancing up, only to recognise the limit of even his broad powers. Tweet-tweet.

Can French Connection make FCUK fashionable again?

With a North American licensing deal under its belt, the reinvented high-street giant is growing again under new owners and a global strategy

French Connection is back on the trail of global expansion with the aid of its cheeky initials-based slogan that made it so popular in the late 1990s.

The label once known for clothes bearing FCUK is seeking to reinvent itself again under the ownership of a group of British entrepreneurs based in the north of England who rescued it in 2021.

This one weird trick could stop US women from voting | Arwa Mahdawi

The Save Act – which would do the opposite of its title – could have a huge impact on the midterm elections

If you are anything like me, then you are currently pickling in your own cortisol. As the US grows increasingly violent, increasingly cruel, every day brings a legion of new horrors. So I’m very sorry to say that I’m here to ruin your weekend by giving you yet another thing to worry about. That thing is called the Save Act and, if the Trump administration gets its way, it could have an oversized impact on the November midterms, particularly when it comes to minorities and married women being able to vote.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

Rosie Jones looks back: ‘Without realising it, I’d been workshopping jokes down the pub, saying, I’m not disabled, I’m drunk’

The comedian on the ridiculous clothes her mum chose for her, her love-hate relationship with mobility aids, and what it takes to be a standup

Born in 1990 in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, Rosie Jones began her career working in television as a researcher on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, before moving into live comedy. Her television appearances include Live at the Apollo, The Last Leg, Taskmaster and the Tokyo Paralympics. She has published a series of children’s books, titled The Amazing Edie Eckhart, and hosts the new series of Out of Order on Comedy Central.

This was taken in my childhood home in Bridlington. My family had moved in not long before the photo was taken, hence the very empty living room in the background. I should also acknowledge my incredible outfit: Mr Men trousers, paired with a black velvet hat. It makes me really fond of my mum. She took so much pride in putting me in ridiculous clothes.

What have we learned from the newly released Epstein files?

Latest documents indicate high-profile figures continued friendships with financier after child sex abuse convictions

• Epstein files latest – follow live

Millions of files related to the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released by the US justice department, the largest disclosure by the government since a law passed last year ruled that the documents should be published.

The disgraced financier was convicted of child sex offences in 2008 but the files indicate that many high-profile figures, including the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, continued friendships with him after this point.

Judge rules Luigi Mangione will not face death penalty if convicted of CEO killing

A judge declared that Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty if convicted on federal charges in the 2024 killing of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson. It's a big win for Mangione, though he still faces the possibility of life in prison.

Justice Department releases new trove of Epstein documents

The Justice Department released more than 3 million documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including new emails between Epstein and New York Giants chairman Steve Tisch.

Immigration crackdown protests continue

There were nationwide protests against President Trump's immigration crackdown on Friday. At least five protestors were arrested in Los Angeles after clashing with police. Meanwhile, former CNN journalist Don Lemon was released from jail after allegedly taking part in an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota.

More winter weather to come for East Coast

A new round of winter weather is set to dump snow on the Southeast and work its way up the East Coast as the regions dig out from last weekend's storm. More than 1,700 flights have been cancelled already, and millions are bracing for the frigid cold.

Record harvest sparks mass giveaway of free potatoes across Berlin

From zoos to soup kitchens, people are hauling away tonnes of surplus spuds after the biggest crop in 25 years

Germans love their potatoes. They eat on average 63kg a person every year, according to official statistics.

But the exceptional glut of potatoes produced by farmers during the last harvest has overwhelmed even the hardiest of fans.

‘Keep on dreaming’: could Europe really defend itself without the US?

Nato chief has glibly dismissed prospect of coping without US support, but in the age of Trump the case for autonomy is growing

The Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, was typically blunt when he met members of the European parliament this week. From the dais of the blond-wood committee room in Brussels, he was clear: “If anyone thinks that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming. You can’t. We can’t.”

And if Europe wanted to supplant the US nuclear deterrent, existing spending commitments would have to double, he added – “so hey, good luck!”

Big Food gets leaner with divestitures and breakups as consumers turn away from packaged snacks

Big Food has been selling off underperforming brands or even splitting up, as the industry faces weaker demand.

Opinion: Remembering Catherine O'Hara

Actor Catherine O'Hara, famed for her comedic skill, died Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness. She was 71.

Eton head apologises after former teacher jailed for sexual assault of pupil

Jacob Leland, who taught Russian, jailed for more than three years for sexually assaulting boy on school trip

The headteacher of Eton college has apologised and said he was “appalled” after a former teacher was jailed for sexually assaulting a pupil.

Jacob Leland, 37, who taught Russian, was jailed on Friday for three years and three months for sexually assaulting one of his pupils at his flat and during a school trip in 2012.

Trump is pressuring Minnesota to make a deal with the devil. They should stand firm | Claire Finkelstein

Minnesota should not cave to Trump’s demands. The rights of 49 other states and their citizens are hanging in the balance

Donald Trump appears to be practicing his “art of the deal” on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz: he is attempting to extract concessions from the North Star state in exchange for a “drawdown” of federal ICE agents. While the details of the contemplated agreement are not clear, border czar Tom Homan’s remarks on Thursday morning and reports of his negotiations with state and local leaders suggest dialing back Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is contingent on striking an agreement for increased cooperation between federal and local law enforcement: Minnesota must agree to participate in ICE roundups by turning over undocumented immigrants in its custody, ending various “sanctuary city” protections, and giving ICE agents more direct access to state penitentiaries to conduct their own roundups prior to the release of undocumented inmates. A letter from Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, sent earlier this week went even further and suggested the justice department’s civil rights division might be demanding access to state voter rolls in exchange for the ICE drawdown. Trump’s offhand remark Thursday evening denying plans to draw down ICE confused matters by contradicting Homan’s statement from earlier in the day – but perhaps that was just an indication that negotiations on Thursday did not go all that well for Team Trump.

That would not be surprising. If Walz were to agree to such terms – concessions literally extracted at gunpoint under threat of continued use of unlawful force by federal immigration agents – he would be abandoning critical domains of state autonomy for the fruitless attempt to appease a president that will accept no limits except those forced upon it by necessity or recommended to it by self-interest. As law firms, universities, foreign leaders, and even former partners in crime have discovered, it is perilous to negotiate with a rank opportunist who lives by no other rule than that of self-interest. For Trump, the alternative to getting handed what he wants voluntarily is taking it by force. The FBI raid on the Fulton county elections office in Georgia to seize about 700 boxes of ballots from the 2020 election sent a well-timed message to Minnesota as well as to any other swing state from which the Trump administration may demand such data: if you don’t give us what we asked for, we’ll take it anyway.

Claire Finkelstein is the Algernon Biddle professor of law and professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. She is also the founder and faculty director of the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law at The University of Pennsylvania

What could bring down extortionate ticket prices? Perhaps stars like Harry Styles taking a stand | Simon Price

The knock-on effect on the rest of the industry is immense. There are many factors at play, but the ones with the power here are the big artists

In October 2024, Heat magazine’s list of the UK’s 30 richest celebrities under 30 ranked Harry Styles at the very top, with an estimated wealth of £200m. (He’d doubtless have fared well in last year’s survey, too, but he’s 31 now.)

Whatever your views on the fabulous wealth accrued by a small elite of megastars, and regardless of your opinion of Styles’ musical merits, that figure doesn’t sit well next to the headlines he is now making.

Simon Price is a music journalist and author

‘Under pressure’: Greenland’s PM gains fans at home and abroad after his rebuke of Trump

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, impressed Danes with his handling of the crisis but he says many Greenlanders are ‘afraid and scared’

This time last year, Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, was better known on the global stage for his sporting achievements than international politics. For years he dominated the territory’s badminton scene, winning the singles and doubles championships almost every year. He won several medals at the Island Games, earning himself a reputation for “very competitive” play on the court.

As it turned out, that was useful preparation for his time in office.

The U.S. will likely lose its measles elimination status. Here's what that means

The South Carolina measles outbreak is now bigger than last year's Texas outbreak and is happening as the U.S. is poised to lose its measles elimination status.

‘There’s no way my daughter would have jumped’: why are so many Turkish women falling to their deaths?

Every year in Turkey, hundreds of women are recorded as having taken their lives by ‘throwing themselves from a high place’. But many grieving families maintain that investigators are missing the full story

Almost nothing seemed to scare Şebnem Köker. With her hair dyed fire-engine red, the 29-year-old nurse lived life by her own rules. Friends say she was so headstrong, she’d be getting ready for a night out in their home town, the Turkish coastal city of İzmir, and suddenly suggest a change of plan to a last-minute trip away. Even a prospective move to Canada didn’t seem to daunt her. But there was one thing that had terrified Şebnem: heights. Her father, Abdullah, says she was afraid to even tiptoe on to the slim balcony that wraps around the third-floor apartment they shared in İzmir.

“She wouldn’t even have a cigarette or eat out there. She wouldn’t hang laundry on the balcony,” he says, sitting on the sofa in the darkened living room they once shared. A pouting portrait of Şebnem is tucked into the frame of a mirror on the opposite wall.

Israeli strikes kill 23 Palestinians as Gaza ceasefire inches forward

Hospitals in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 23 Palestinians Saturday, one of the highest tolls since the October ceasefire aimed at stopping the fighting.

Mass grave in Jordan sheds new light on world’s earliest recorded pandemic

Researchers tell ‘human story’ about crisis during plague of Justinian, which killed millions in Byzantine empire

A US-led research team has verified the first Mediterranean mass grave of the world’s earliest recorded pandemic, providing stark new details about the plague of Justinian that killed millions of people in the Byzantine empire between the sixth and eighth centuries.

The findings, published in February’s Journal of Archaeological Science, offer what researchers say is a rare empirical window into the mobility, urban life and vulnerability of citizens affected by the pestilence.

Madeline Horwath on the mistakes of evolution – cartoon

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With decades-long restrictions lifted, a Pakistani brewery has started exporting beer

Drinking is illegal for Pakistan's Muslim majority, but Murree Brewery's beer has long been available to non-Muslims and foreigners there. Now it's being exported to the U.K., Japan and Portugal. Is the U.S. next?

‘Here we go again’: $75m Melania film embodies venal spirit of Trump 2.0

First lady’s big-screen documentary premieres with criticisms over $28m payday and questions over relevancy

Donald and Melania Trump were walking a charcoal-coloured carpet beneath a stark black-and-white “MELANIA” backdrop. “Do you believe you’d be the man you are today if you hadn’t met your wife?” a reporter asked the US president.

Trump smiled and said: “He’s asking me a very dangerous question!” He went on to praise his wife without answering. When the reporter put the same question to Melania, she ventured: “Well, we will all be in different places, I guess.” With a nervous laugh, she turned to look at Trump and asked, “Right?”

South African artist sues minister for blocking her Venice Biennale Gaza entry

Gabrielle Goliath says Gayton McKenzie violating freedom of expression after ‘highly divisive’ artwork Elergy banned from SA pavilion

A South African artist is suing the arts minister after he blocked her from representing the country at the Venice Biennale, having called her work addressing Israel’s killing of Palestinians in Gaza “highly divisive”.

Gabrielle Goliath filed the lawsuit last week, with Ingrid Masondo, who would have curated the pavilion, and the studio manager, James Macdonald. It accuses Gayton McKenzie of acting unlawfully and violating the right to freedom of expression and demands the high court reinstates her participation by 18 February, the deadline for confirming installations with biennale organisers.

Young Japanese voters adore their new conservative PM. But that doesn’t mean they are shifting to the right | Karin Kaneko

Sanae Takaichi may seemingly have old-fashioned values, but it’s her economic offering that has captured young people’s imaginations

Japan has rarely seen a prime minister as bold or as social media-savvy as Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female leader.

Where previous prime ministers have gone viral for unflattering moments, such as the spectacle of one scoffing an onigiri in one messy gulp or another caught dozing off in the parliament during a key vote, Takaichi is being read by supporters as a symbol of a different era of leadership – one they feel Japan has lacked in recent years.

Karin Kaneko is a freelance journalist and a former reporter for the Japan Times

A red hat, inspired by a symbol of resistance to Nazi occupation, gains traction in Minnesota

A Minneapolis knitting shop has resurrected the design of a Norwegian cap worn to protest Nazi occupation. Its owner says the money raised from hat pattern sales will support the local immigrant community.

Want to get stronger? Start with these 6 muscle-building exercises

If you're curious about starting a resistance training routine and not sure where to begin, start with these expert-recommended movements.

Durable, determined Djokovic undaunted by Alcaraz’s historic final challenge

The 38-year-old master perfectly understands the measure of the challenge against the young pretender in the Australian Open final

Novak Djokovic had barely even begun to digest the madness of one of his great late-career victories, still fighting back tears on Rod Laver Arena, when he was asked by his on-court interviewer to cast his mind ahead to the final.

After his monumental five-set Australian Open semi-final win over Jannik Sinner, where he matched the quality, intensity and athleticism of one of the two commanding players in men’s tennis, he was immediately reminded that Carlos Alcaraz, the other dominant player, was next. “I just hope that I’ll have enough gas to stay toe to toe with him,” said Djokovic. “That’s my desire, then let the gods decide the winner.”

The rise of ‘beef days’: why even meat lovers are cutting back

Inspired by YouTube creators, some people are limiting beef to a handful of ‘feast days’ a year to cut their climate impact

“I love beef,” says Vlad Luca, 25. But unlike most other self-proclaimed steak lovers, Vlad eats it only four times a year, on designated “beef days”.

The “beef days” phenomenon has been popularised by the brothers John and Hank Green, known collectively as vlogbrothers on YouTube. John, 48, is better known for his YA fiction, including The Fault in Our Stars, while Hank, 45, is a self-described science communicator and entrepreneur.

Fatima Bhutto on her abusive relationship: ‘I thought it could never happen to me’

Fifteen years after her explosive memoir of growing up in Pakistan’s ruling political dynasty, the author has written a devastating account of the abuse she has since endured. She talks about a life on the run and finally settling down

Had Fatima Bhutto been left to her own devices, her devastating forthcoming memoir would have been almost entirely about her relationship with her dog, Coco. “I know it sounds nuts,” she laughs. And it’s true that being dog-crazy doesn’t quite track with the public perception of Bhutto as a writer, journalist, activist and member of Pakistan’s most famous political dynasty. But the pandemic had forced something of a creative unravelling and when Bhutto took stock, she found herself only really able to write about Coco. Her agent politely suggested her memoir might need something more. A second draft was written, then abandoned.

“Until I thought, what if I just tell the truth? And then it fell out of me – it didn’t even pour, it fell.” In around three weeks Bhutto had reworked her draft and, in the process, revealed a shocking chapter of her life that she’d kept secret from everyone around her.

Protesters to demand resignation of Hungarian politician for anti-Roma remark

Thousands set to gather in Budapest after János Lázár’s remarks captured on video

Thousands of people are set to gather in Budapest to demand the resignation of a senior Hungarian politician, for making a racist remark against Roma people earlier this month.

János Lázár told attendees at a political forum that migration was not the solution to the country’s labour shortage. “Since there are no migrants, and someone has to clean the bathrooms on the InterCity trains,” Lázár said Roma people would do the job, using an offensive slur in his speech.

How the right won the internet | Robert Topinka

In the second part of our series on digital politics, we look at how online provocateurs have advanced extreme political ideas – and watched them seep into the mainstream

• Robert Topinka is a reader in digital media and rhetoric at Birkbeck, University of London

• Part one: How liberals lost the internet

The internet has totally changed the way in which politics is conducted. As established in the first piece in our series, liberals have totally failed to grasp this fact. The right, however, are thriving in this new world. Future historians studying the role that fringe online ideas played in the US republic’s demise will be spoiled for choice. One episode in particular comes to mind: Tucker Carlson, a former primetime speaker at a Republican convention, inviting a white supremacist livestreamer, Nick Fuentes, on to his YouTube show in 2025 for a chat in which he talked about the influence of “organised Jewry” in the US.

Carlson spent years echoing white nationalist talking points on his Fox News show, but Fuentes’ style – combining Nazi salutes with cheeky grins – places him beyond the pale for broadcast television. However, under the logic of YouTube, the meeting of these two major influencers is almost inevitable. Platforms incentivise audience cross-pollination, which is why Fuentes routinely livestreams with figures such as Adin Ross and Andrew Tate, who are known more for their homophobia and misogyny than their thoughts on ethnostates.

Robert Topinka is a reader in digital media and rhetoric at Birkbeck, University of London

Trump has tapped a new Federal Reserve chair. Has he finally found his yes-man?

Trump nominated Kevin Warsh, an ex-Fed governor, for the role as the White House continues to attack Jerome Powell

The US Federal Reserve requires “strong, sound and steady leadership”, according to Donald Trump. The president found a man to lead the central bank who would “provide exactly that type of leadership”, he declared.“He’s strong, he’s committed and he’s smart.”

This is not how Trump described Kevin Warsh, the former Fed governor whom he unveiled as his new nominee to chair the central bank on Friday – but how he hailed Jerome Powell, the current Fed chair, when nominating him for the job about eight years ago.

Alarm raised over Chinese CCTV cameras guarding ‘symbol of democracy’ Magna Carta

Campaigners criticise use of ‘vulnerable’ devices at Salisbury Cathedral and Parthenon despite their removal from sensitive UK government sites

Security cameras guarding Magna Carta are provided by a Chinese CCTV company whose technology has allegedly aided the persecution of Uyghurs and been exploited by Russia during the invasion of Ukraine, it has emerged.

In letters seen by the Guardian, campaigners called on Salisbury Cathedral, which houses one of four surviving copies of the “powerful symbol of social justice”, to rip out cameras made by Dahua Technology, based in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

Catherine Connolly is the third woman to become what? The Saturday quiz

From the Cloak of Invisibility and the Elder Wand to Eugène Manet on the Isle of Wight, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz

1 Which European city changed its name in 1914, 1924 and 1991?
2 Which gun dog has won best in show at Crufts the most times?
3 Catherine Connolly is the third woman to become what?
4 Which arm of the Arctic Ocean is named after a Dutch navigator?
5 Which nut characterises Dubai-style chocolate?
6 What is the most abundant metal in the human body?
7 Where do you hear Hayley Sanderson and Tommy Blaize sing?
8 Where were the monumental Buddhas of Bamiyan destroyed in 2001?
What links:
9 Court and King, 1973; Navratilova, 1992; Sabalenka, 2025?
10 Cloak of Invisibility; Elder Wand; Resurrection Stone?
11 AMS; AV; AV+; FPTP; PR; STV?
12 JB Books; Father Karras; Władysław Szpilman; László Tóth; George Valentin?
13 Bucentaure; Santísima Trinidad; Victory?
14 Adopt Me!; Dress to Impress; Flee the Facility; Grow a Garden; Steal a Brainrot?
15 The Cradle; Eugène Manet on the Isle of Wight; The Harbour at Lorient; Woman at her Toilette?

Electric ​cars ​go ​mainstream as ​adoption ​surges ​across ​rich and ​developing ​nations

A wave of affordable Chinese-made EVs is accelerating the shift away from petrol cars, challenging long‑held assumptions about how transport decarbonisation unfolds

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Last year, almost every new car sold in Norway, the nature-loving country flush with oil wealth, was fully electric. In prosperous Denmark, which was all-in on petrol and diesel cars until just before Covid, sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) reached a share of 68%. In California, the share of zero-emissions vehicles hit 20%. And at least every third new car now bought by the Dutch, Finns, Belgians and Swedes burns no fuel.

These figures, which would have felt fanciful just five years ago, show the rich world leading the shift away from cars that pump out toxic gas and planet-heating pollutants. But a more startling trend is that electric car sales are also racing ahead in many developing countries. While China is known for its embrace of electric vehicles (EVs), demand has also soared in emerging markets from South America to south-east Asia. BEV sales in Turkey have caught up with the EU’s, data published this week shows.

The Fukushima towns frozen in time: nature has thrived since the nuclear disaster but what happens if humans return?

The UK government didn’t want you to see this report on ecosystem collapse. I’m not surprised

The 16-month battle to reveal the truth about Sydney Water’s poo balls

Powering up: how Ethiopia is becoming an unlikely leader in the electric vehicle revolution

‘My Tesla has become ordinary’: Turkey catches up with EU in electric car sales

The electric vehicle revolution is still on course – don’t let your loathing of Elon Musk stop you joining up

The Muppet Show: this thrilling return is so great I can’t even count how many times I laughed

Sabrina Carpenter fangirling Miss Piggy, Beaker losing his eyes … yes, Kermit and co are back for a trip down memory lane – and it’s a perfect, saucy joy

The Muppet Show is back! We need this, don’t we? We need them. The TV show ended in 1981, yet decades later, memes of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal et al still circulate. We give their movies Oscars. Their version of A Christmas Carol is a non-negotiable tradition for anyone with sense. Jim Henson’s furry anarchists bring us together like few things can. As a beady eyed fun-sponge, I can’t help but wonder – why?

In an 1810 essay, German poet Heinrich von Kleist argued that puppets demonstrate pure grace: a weightless unself-consciousness that humans long for but never achieve. He was talking about marionettes, suspended from strings. Yet Muppets are hand puppets; extensions of a body. They have weight. As for grace, have you seen how Kermit moves? His arms flap, and he bounces vertically, while moving forwards. It’s hard to imagine a less efficient walk. That frog, he silly.

What makes Finland the happiest place on Earth?

For the last eight years, Finland has topped the list of the world’s happiest countries. Our writer embarks on a tour to discover their secret

I’ve been visiting the happiest country on Earth every year since I was a baby. At first glance, Finland doesn’t seem like an obvious breeding ground for happiness. In midwinter the sun only appears for two to five hours a day and temperatures can plummet to below -20C. (It would seem a warm-year-round, sunny climate is not a prerequisite to happiness.)

The World Happiness Report is based on a survey in which people rate their satisfaction with life – and the Finns have been happiest with their lot for the last eight years. Not short of marketing savvy, Visit Finland latched on to this with a “Masterclass of Happiness” advertising campaign. And it’s probably no coincidence that Lonely Planet named Finland in its 2026 Best in Travel guide as a country “for finding happiness in wild places”.

Can you eat pineapple leaves and how do our taste buds work? The kids’ quiz

Five multiple-choice questions – set by children – to test your knowledge, and a chance to submit your own junior brainteasers for future quizzes

• ​Submit a question

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children’s questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book, as well as her new title, Everything Under the Sun: All Around the World.

Venezuela announces amnesty bill that could lead to release of political prisoners

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Friday announced an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners detained for political reasons.

Tim Dowling: the dog’s training regime has taken a weird turn

Intermediate Dog School involves hiding behind trees in the park …

It is rare for my wife and me to do a midweek dog walk together, but on this particular afternoon I find myself at a loose end, and volunteer to come along.

Joint walks require a bit of negotiation: my wife expects a minimum level of conversation, which is not a normal feature of my weekday afternoon. To solve this, we take turns delivering monologues of complaint – my wife going first. Because I’m a good listener, I can’t help but notice that a lot of my wife’s complaints are about me. Finally, she exhausts herself.

Starmer hopes his China trip will begin the thaw after recent ice age

PM flies out after courting world’s second biggest economy aware of difficult balance of risks and potential rewards

The last British prime minister to visit China was Theresa May in 2018. Before the visit, she and her team were advised to get dressed under the covers because of the risk of hidden cameras having been placed in their hotel rooms to record compromising material.

Keir Starmer, in Beijing this week, was more sanguine about his privacy, even though the security risks have, if anything, increased since the former Tory prime minister was in town.

Meera Sodha’s vegetarian recipe for patates yahni

Sometimes, all that’s required for supper is simply stewed Mediterranean vegetables and potatoes with a dollop of yoghurt on top …

The world over, you’ll find home cooks trying to turn bags of potatoes into dinner, myself included. Sometimes, my answer is a Sri Lankan potato curry, or a Gujarati one. Perhaps a slow-cooked Spanish omelette if it’s a date night with Hugh at the kitchen island (like this Friday) but today, the solution is Greek. Yahni is the Greek word for a style of cooking: vegetables braised in plenty of olive oil and tomatoes, until tender. It’s a way of being, a vote for the simple and the slow and the good (but it is also dinner, if you wish).

‘Homes may have to be abandoned’: how climate crisis has reshaped Britain’s flood risk

As rivers swell and homes are cut off, scientists say UK winter rainfall is already 20 years ahead of predictions

When flooding hit the low-lying Somerset Levels in 2014, it took two months for the waters to rise. This week it took two days, said Rebecca Horsington, chair of the Flooding on the Levels Action Group and a born-and-bred resident. A fierce barrage of storms from the Atlantic has drenched south-west England in January, saturating soils and supercharging rivers.

Can you guess our screen time? A priest, pensioner, tech CEO and teenager reveal all

From the person who scrolls on the toilet to the one without any social media, what do their digital habits tell us?

• Will Storr: we have lost so much of ourselves to smartphones – can we get it back?

Dayeon, 16: the teenager who spends less than an hour a day on screens

Epstein files show Elon Musk apparently discussed plans to visit sex offender's island, host him at SpaceX

Elon Musk corresponded with Jeffrey Epstein in 2012 and 2013, according to newly released files, and sought to visit Epstein's island and host him at SpaceX.

1/30: CBS Evening News

Catherine O'Hara, star of "Home Alone" and "Schitt's Creek," dies at 71; He saved a snowball for 50 years after one perfect snow day

U.S. government partially shuts down; House vote could reopen it by Monday

The funding deal addresses concerns Democrats have about funding the Department of Homeland Security because of enforcement actions in Minnesota.

Is Harry Styles losing his ‘Mr Perfect’ image? Six things you need to know

After a three-year hiatus, the former One Directioner has announced a record-breaking tour. But this week he’s facing a backlash. Will his big comeback go to plan?

God save Harry Styles! Thus far in his career, the former One Direction frontman and unproblematic fave has been the golden boy of British music, one of our few stars to successfully crack America and not embarrass us in the attempt. Amid ever-dwindling sources of national pride, Styles has been a constant, the UK’s preferred Prince Harry and even less controversial than Paddington. But is his charmed run about to come to an end?

As Styles gears up for his big comeback, after a three-year hiatus from music and in large part public life, there are signs he may have set his sights too close to the sun, with controversy over ticket prices and a backlash brewing. Can Harry style it out?

‘I never imagined this!’ How KPop Demon Hunters could make history at the Grammys and the Oscars

As the film’s megahit song Golden looks likely to sweep everything in awards season, its singer Ejae explains why she’s ready to step out from behind her animated alter ego

‘The directors were crying, the producer was crying, and I thought: Oh my gosh, this is an incredible musical world.” It was February 2025, and Ian Eisendrath was conducting an orchestra through the final flourishes for the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. He knew that the team had built something special – “but I never thought it would be like this,” he laughs, marvelling at what came next.

Mere weeks after its release in June, the animated film – about Korean girl band Huntr/x who battle soul-hungry demons through song – became Netflix’s most-watched title ever. The film’s soundtrack, a fleet of emotionally charged, devilishly catchy hits crafted by real K-pop heavyweights, became a platinum-rated phenomenon all its own.

Venezuela announces mass amnesty plan for political prisoners dating back to Chavez era

Delcy Rodríguez also plans to close notorious El Helicoide prison as opposition figures remain wary over new leadership

Venezuela’s acting president announced on Friday a proposal for mass amnesty in the country, in her latest significant reform since the US toppling of Nicolás Maduro just weeks ago.

In a speech at the Venezuelan supreme court attended by top government officials, Delcy Rodríguez said she would propose a “general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present”.

"Dances With Wolves" actor Nathan Chasing Horse convicted of sexual assault

A Nevada jury convicted "Dances With Wolves" actor Nathan Chasing Horse of multiple charges of sexually assaulting a minor.

Dozens confirmed dead as extreme cold continues to grip much of U.S.

The death toll continues to rise from a massive winter storm that left an ongoing spell of freezing weather in its wake.

Amazon asks FCC for extension for Leo satellite internet service

The company needs to bring more of its satellites online so it can begin offering an internet-from-space service that was recently rebranded as Amazon Leo.

Amazon wraps controversial week ahead of 'Melania' premier, fourth-quarter earnings

Amazon's week included a White House screening of the "Melania" documentary and another massive round of layoffs.

Jeffrey Epstein victims blast DOJ for 'incomplete' release of files

"We did not protect President Trump ... or anybody," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said as he revealed there would be no more release of Epstein files.

More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in eastern DRC, officials say

Rubaya mine produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, used in mobile phones

More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, a spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located, told Reuters on Friday.

Rubaya produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum – a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. The site, where local people dig manually for a few dollars a day, has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024.

Man accused of falsely confessing to killing Charlie Kirk faces up to 15-year sentence

George Zinn, 71, further admitted to possessing child sexual abuse material and pleaded no contest to allegations

A man accused of trying to thwart authorities investigating Charlie Kirk’s killing by falsely confessing to the deadly shooting faces up to 15 years in prison after pleading no contest to the allegation – and separately admitting to possessing child sexual abuse material.

The case centering on George Zinn, 71, all but concluded at a court hearing on Thursday in Provo, Utah, about 5 miles away from the college campus where the Turning Point USA executive director was fatally shot on 10 September 2025.

Once Upon a Time in Harlem review – remarkable Harlem Renaissance documentary

Sundance film festival: a once-in-a-lifetime dinner party from 1972 is transformed into a thrilling and inspiring hang-out movie

In August 1972, the experimental film-maker William Greaves convened a once-in-a-lifetime dinner party at Duke Ellington’s townhouse in Harlem. The occasion was a celebration and reconsideration of the Harlem Renaissance, the watershed African American cultural movement of the 1920s. The guest list included its still-living luminaries, some of the 20th century’s most influential – and still underappreciated – musicians, performers, artists, writers, historians and political leaders, all in their sunset years. Over four hours and untold glasses of wine, talk wheeled freely from vivid recollections to consternation, lively anecdotes to contemplations of ongoing struggle. Greaves, by then niche renowned for his innovatively meta documentary Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One, lightly directed the conversation but otherwise let the energy flow. He considered it the most important footage he ever recorded.

You could probably release that remarkable footage in full, completely unedited and unstructured, and still have a good documentary; every piece is now, 50 years later – the same distance to us as the Harlem Renaissance was to them – a bridge to a time no living person can remember, each face and gesture informed by decades of aftermath no straightforward nonfiction film on the period could capture. But Once Upon a Time in Harlem, directed by Greaves’s son David, who was one of four cameramen that day, manages to seamlessly clip and contextualize the party into 100 mesmerizing minutes. It’s both a sublime hang-out of a film and a celebration of individual achievements, a fascinating map of a long-ago scene and a referendum on legacy.

Once Upon a Time in Harlem is screening at the Sundance film festival and is seeking distribution

Eli Lilly CEO says Medicare coverage of obesity drugs could 'change the game' for upcoming pill launch

Lilly CEO Dave Ricks is confident in the ability of the company's pill to compete and is preparing for a "full launch" in the second quarter.

Luigi Mangione won't face death penalty in CEO murder case, federal judge rules

Luigi Mangione is accusing of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street in December 2024.

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon arrested by feds over Minnesota church protest

Lemon's "constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done," his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said.

Trump nominates Kevin Warsh for Federal Reserve chair to succeed Jerome Powell

President Trump named Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Fed chair, ending an odyssey that has seen unprecedented turmoil around the central bank.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

ICE in Minneapolis, Russian airstrikes in Kyiv, Alex Honnold climbing a Taipei skyscraper and Sabalenka at the Australian Open – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

Wealth inequality and the 'K-shaped' economy are more striking than ever, data shows

The K-shaped economy is as apparent as ever and isn't going away anytime soon, economists say.