Leeds v Nottingham Forest: Premier League – live

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I’m not sure Peter Oh has high hopes for this evening’s footballing fare judging from this email.

He says: “Given the various endearing nicknames that have garlanded these two clubs, could tonight be the Nasty/Dirty/Tricky derby?”

Winter Olympics 2026: opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro and beyond – live

• Milano Cortina Games to be opened on Friday evening
• Schedule | Results | Medal table | Briefing | Email Tanya

Lindsey Vonn inspected the Olympic downhill course with other racers early this morning as she prepared to take part in the opening training session despite tearing the ACL in her left knee a week ago.

The 41-year-old Vonn is planning to compete at the Milan Cortina Games with a large brace covering her injured knee.

White House takes down Trump’s racist video about Obamas after outrage over ‘vile, unhinged’ post – live

Multiple outlets cite a senior Trump official as saying, ‘a White House staffer erroneously made the post’

• Trump shares video with racist imagery of Obamas

Top Democrats in Congress have condemned Donald Trump for sharing a racist video of Barack and Michelle Obama that depicts them as apes.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, called the president a “vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder”. He noted that the Obamas were “brilliant, compassionate and patriotic Americans” who “represent the best of this country”.

Austin Butler to play Lance Armstrong in big-screen biopic

Project, following disgraced cyclist, reportedly sparked bidding war, with Conclave’s Edward Berger set to direct

The Oscar-nominated actor Austin Butler is scheduled to take on the role of the disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong in a buzzy new biopic.

According to Deadline, the package has caused a “frenzied” bidding war in Hollywood with the Conclave director Edward Berger at the helm and King Richard’s Zach Baylin set to write the script.

Dow Jones hits 50,000 milestone amid tech gains and hopes of lower interest rates

Although tech stocks and cryptocurrencies suffered recent falls, investors largely shrugged off geopolitical tensions

The Dow Jones industrial average crossed 50,000 for the first time, as ballooning tech valuations, robust corporate earnings and hopes of lower interest rates drive it to new highs.

Leading stock markets on Wall Street came under pressure earlier this week as technology stocks fell amid scrutiny of extraordinary levels of investment into artificial intelligence.

Labour minister was provided with intelligence files on journalists

Exclusive: Material gathered was personally given to Josh Simons when chair of pro-Starmer thinktank, say sources

A Labour minister commissioned and reviewed an intelligence report on journalists investigating the thinktank that helped propel Keir Starmer to power, the Guardian has learned.

The research was ordered and subsequently reviewed by Josh Simons, now a minister in the Cabinet Office, when he was chair of Labour Together, according to sources and documents seen by the Guardian.

Max Richter: the composer who crosses the invisible divide between ‘high’ and ‘low’ music

His first Oscar nomination, for Hamnet, is testament to the German-born British composer’s chameleon-like adaptability

The German-born British composer Max Richter had never been nominated for an Oscar until this year, though he may – unintentionally – have once scuppered someone else’s chance of winning one.

In 2016, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences disqualified Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score for the film Arrival on the grounds that viewers would find it impossible to distinguish the late Icelandic composer’s soundtrack from the bought-in piece of music that book-ended Denis Villeneuve’s alien invasion psychodrama: Richter’s soaring, maximalist-minimalist On the Nature of Daylight.

USA’s downhill threat Breezy Johnson has learned to live with doubt and fear

While much of the attention has been placed on Lindsey Vonn in the run-up to the Winter Olympics, her teammate has an extraordinary story of her own

In December 2024, Breezy Johnson glided into the starting gate on the Stifel Birds of Prey downhill course atop Colorado’s Beaver Creek, a sight for sore eyes and a bundle of nerves. “The anxiety will always be there until I’m in the downhill gate,” the 30-year-old said at Team USA’s pre-Olympics media summit in October. “Like, at no point can [I tell myself], I’ve got this thing.”

Out of World Cup action for 14 months after whereabouts failures, she dropped on to Birds of Prey as bib No 32 in the 45-racer field – all women for the first time in the history of the legendary venue. With a few bends of her reconstructed knees, she snapped through the timing wand, charged through the Abyss (one of Birds of Prey’s steepest pitches) and kept carving her way through the 1.7-mile (2.7km) drop’s icy chop. Altogether, it was a solid run for Johnson, a 13th-place finish on home snow to restart her World Cup scoring streak. And just like that, America’s would-be standard bearer of the slopes was at it again.

Shares of Jennifer Garner's Once Upon a Farm pop 20% in public market debut

The company's IPO comes as shoppers and policymakers alike have pushed back on ultra-processed foods.

Trump takes down racist Truth Social post showing Obamas as apes after blowback

The depiction of the Obamas, posted from Trump's Truth Social account, was included in a video pushing a conspiracy theory about 2020 election voting machines.

Nvidia rises 7% as Jensen Huang says $660 billion capex buildout is sustainable

Huang's comments come after key Nvidia customers Meta, Amazon, Google and Microsoft reported their latest earnings over the past two weeks.

SAVE Act voter ID bill is on the minds of Trump and Congress: What to know

A bill that would make it harder to vote in federal elections is a Republican focus this week, with President Donald Trump calling for enacting the SAVE Act.

Sonia Bompastor agrees Chelsea contract extension with club off WSL title pace

• The head coach’s new deal will run until 2030

• Bompastor says she is ‘delighted to extend my stay’

Sonia Bompastor has agreed a contract extension as Chelsea’s head coach until 2030 as the club issue a strong signal of trust and confidence in the Frenchwoman.

Bompastor has been in charge at Chelsea since the summer of 2024, when she succeeded Emma Hayes on a deal to 2028. The 45-year-old completed a domestic season unbeaten during her first year and won a treble, as well as reaching the Women’s Champions League semi-finals.

Emma Raducanu into first final since 2021 US Open at Transylvania Open

• Briton beats Oleksandra Oliynykova in three tough sets

• British No 4 Katie Boulter also makes final in Ostrava

Emma Raducanu has reached her first final since the 2021 US Open. The ­British No 1 beat Oleksandra ­Oliynykova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in a tough semi-final to take her place in Saturday’s Transylvania Open final in Cluj.

She now has a shot at winning her first title since her incredible success at Flushing Meadows in 2021 when she announced herself as a real force on the WTA Tour.

White House removes Trump post with racist footage of Obamas hours after defending it

The footage is included in a video that promotes false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against Mr. Trump.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, ICE protests in Los Angeles, Snoop Dogg at the Winter Olympics and Storm Leonardo – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

Mandelson lobbying firm sought work with Russia and China state companies, Epstein emails show

Former minister and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser met disgraced financier before formal foundation of Global Counsel

• Boss of lobbying firm founded with Peter Mandelson quits

Peter Mandelson’s former lobbying firm sought work with companies controlled by the governments of Russia and China shortly after he left ministerial office, according to emails the disgraced former minister forwarded to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The emails show how Mandelson and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser scrambled to drum up high-paying foreign business after co-founding Global Counsel even as Mandelson remained a member of the House of Lords. Potential clients included the Russian state investment firm Rusnano and the state-owned China International Capital Corporation, the emails suggest.

‘An experience you can’t buy’: Louis Rees-Zammit on his NFL adventure and fresh hope for Wales

Lightning-fast attacker lines up at full-back against England insisting that his gridiron tilt will only help his rugby

The late, great Tom Petty wrote the song that, ultimately, defined Louis Rees-Zammit’s American football adventure. “Runnin’ down a dream, that never would come to me …” Twelve months ago Rees-Zammit was in New Orleans watching the Superbowl and still hoping to carve out a multimillion dollar NFL career. Now here he is, back in a Welsh rugby shirt and eager to make up for lost time.

Sliding doors and all that. This weekend in America all roads lead to this year’s Superbowl in California: the Seattle Seahawks v the New England Patriots . But as Wales’s 25-year-old prodigal son prepares for the contrasting vibes and smells of a sodden Twickenham in February, he insists he still has no regrets about the gridiron flirtation that removed him from Six Nations circulation for two years.

We owe it to Epstein’s victims and to British democracy to demand historic change | Gordon Brown

The abuse of women by figures such as Epstein, and of political power by the likes of Mandelson, must be confronted. As far as I am able, I will play my part

Former prime minister ‘deeply regrets’ bringing Mandelson into his government

In Jeffrey Epstein’s wider circle, women and girls were treated as less than human by powerful men acting far beyond the law. The sexual trafficking plotted by him and his fellow criminals is the most egregious example of a global network of wealthy and powerful men that thinks it can act with impunity. Nothing less than a century-defining rebalancing of power and accountability is equal to this moment and the trauma of the victims. This scandal is primarily about them and their pain.

But as I digest the details of what has emerged, I also find it hard to find words to express my revulsion at what has been uncovered about Epstein and his impact on our politics. During the financial crisis, I wanted every moment of every day to be spent doing everything that could be done to save people’s homes, savings, pensions and jobs. That a member of the cabinet at the time was thinking more of himself and his rich friends is a betrayal of everything we stand for as a country. That the leaks of sensitive information were going to someone we now know was the ringmaster of a cabal of abusers and enablers sickens me.

Gordon Brown is the UN’s special envoy for global education and was UK prime minister from 2007 to 2010

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Police search two homes connected to Peter Mandelson over Epstein scandal

Properties in London and Wiltshire targeted by officers investigating alleged leaks to late child sex offender

Police are searching two properties connected to Peter Mandelson as part of an investigation into claims that he passed market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein.

A Metropolitan police statement, which did not name Mandelson, said searches were taking place in Camden, north London, and Wiltshire. Mandelson has been living in a rented property in Wiltshire since being sacked as ambassador to the US over his links to the late convicted child sex offender.

The Strangers: Chapter 3 review – pointless remake trilogy ends with a sputter

Renny Harlin’s thankless trio of movies, taking a simple story and extending it for no creative reason, is at least finally over

If you’re wondering how this shrug-along horror series has got this far, Renny Harlin shot all three back-to-back in Bratislava in late 2022; reshoots followed the indifferent response to the first chapter in 2024, which didn’t much alleviate the even more indifferent response to last year’s second. We’re getting them whether we wanted them or not: the modest resources had been spent, and so we now arrive at the last knockings which comprise this year’s most dutiful carnage. The mistake is to expand a morally gloomy universe that was better off self-contained; the more light Harlin and collaborators let in, the more their set-up presents as generic runaround, hopelessly out of place amid the recent horror renaissance.

We’re deep into Strangers lore now, but last girl standing Maya (Riverdale graduate Madelaine Petsch, who surely hoped this was her Neve Campbell moment) continues to scurry about a devout woodland community like a bloodied fieldmouse with resting iPhone face; the masked thrill-killers – previously three, now two – have now gained ulterior motives for pursuing her. Also present: tatted survivor Gregory (Gabriel Basso, who must have been hoping for more to do) and ever-shifty Sheriff Rotter (Richard Brake), whose link to the killers is finally made explicit. New blood arrives in the form of Maya’s sister Debbie (Hollyoaks alumna and recent short-film Oscar-winner Rachel Shenton) who comes to town seeking answers, only to be drawn into another round of humdrum stalk-and-slash.

The Guardian view on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: driven by a belief that his status made him untouchable | Editorial

The disgraced royal was sheltered by silence. Accountability to victims must mean testimony abroad and scrutiny at home, not palace containment tactics

When Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his titles last October, it was presented as a final act: a disgraced royal cut loose to protect the monarchy. The Epstein files suggest otherwise. Photographs and emails released by US authorities place Mr Mountbatten-Windsor deep inside Epstein’s network of favours. And they reveal an intimacy that goes far beyond poor judgment by the former prince.

This is no longer about salacious gossip or constitutional niceties, but about providing accountability to victims of sexual abuse. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor insists on his innocence yet refuses to cooperate with investigators. The US Congress continues to pursue Epstein’s connections. In Britain, parliament still averts its gaze. This looks untenable.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Camp leader who drugged and sexually abused boys jailed for more than 23 years

Jon Ruben, 76, who laced sweets with drugs, used ‘cloak of Christianity’ to abuse children in Leicestershire

A Christian camp leader who sexually abused young boys after lacing sweets with tranquillisers has been jailed for 23 years and 10 months.

Jon Ruben, 76, a retired vet and church youth volunteer, used the “cloak of Christianity” to carry out sexual assaults on vulnerable children, Leicester crown court heard.

Actor Timothy Busfield indicted in New Mexico on child sex abuse charges

Acts are alleged to have occurred in 2024 on set of TV drama The Cleaning Lady, which Busfield acted in and directed

A grand jury in New Mexico has indicted the actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges, officials announced on Friday.

Busfield was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, the Bernalillo county district attorney’s office said in a statement.

In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International

Court battle over Picasso art exposes offshore finances of Farage’s billionaire Davos sponsor

Exclusive: Sasan Ghandehari reluctant to share details of $10bn trust in row with Christie’s auction house

A high court battle over a Picasso painting has shone a light on the offshore financial structures of an Iranian-born businessman who paid for Nigel Farage’s £50,000 trip to Davos.

The details about Sasan Ghandehari, who funded Farage’s tickets to the summit, emerged in court papers about a £4m claim brought by a British Virgin Islands firm, which has accused Christie’s auction house of misrepresentation when it sold the art to it.

A timeline of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance as search stretches into 6th day

Savannah's Guthrie's mom, Nancy Guthrie, went missing over the weekend, and authorities have still not identified a possible suspect or person of interest.

Trump to sign executive order quadrupling beef imports from Argentina

President Trump is expected to sign an executive order Friday that quadruples the amount of beef imported into the U.S. from Argentina.

Nancy Guthrie "still out there," sheriff says, as FBI offers $50,000 reward

Investigators have no proof that the missing mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie is still alive but are holding out hope she is "still out there," the sheriff said.

Actor Timothy Busfield indicted on child sex abuse charges

Actor Timothy Busfield has been indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, officials said Friday.

Elizabeth Smart's father says Nancy Guthrie disappearance is "so surreal"

Ed Smart, the father of Elizabeth Smart, spoke to "CBS Mornings" about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie and gave advice to the missing mother's family.

Olympian explains unique skills required to compete in luge

Jonathan Gustafson talks about discovering his love for luge at 11 as he prepares to represent Team USA at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

Queen’s image on Australian commemorative coins likened to Shrek

Two coins celebrating Queen Elizabeth II criticised for failing to resemble late monarch

Two Australian coins commemorating Queen Elizabeth II have been criticised for failing to resemble the late monarch.

The $5 (£2.56) and 50c (26p) silver coins, created by Royal Australian Mint to commemorate the centenary of the queen’s birth, were released in an online ballot that closed on Wednesday.

Trump posts racist meme of the Obamas — then deletes it

Trump's racist post came at the end of a minute-long video promoting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. 

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Winter Olympic wonders, Premier League thrills and Super Bowl LX – follow with us

Here’s how to follow along with our coverage – the finest writing and up-to-the-minute reports

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.

Luigi Mangione has outburst in court as judge sets June state trial date

Luigi Mangione appeared in a Manhattan courtroom Friday in the state's case against him for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Martin Rowson on Peter Mandelson and the Labour party – cartoon

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How America’s EV retreat is increasing China's control of global markets

U.S. automakers are pivoting away from EVs to refocus on gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs while Chinese manufacturers are expected to keep growing electric exports.

Epstein said he was ‘asked everyday’ for advice on #MeToo: ‘So many guys reaching out to me’

Files released by DoJ reveal the financier engaging in efforts to blunt the impact of the movement as it was gaining ground

In August 2018, as the #MeToo movement spread across social media and women around the world demanded justice from sexual predators, Michael Wolff, a journalist, forwarded Jeffrey Epstein a plea for help. Wolff wanted Epstein to support Stephen Elliott, a writer looking to sue the creator of the Shitty Media Men List, a crowd-sourced Google Doc that detailed anonymous allegations of misconduct against dozens of men who worked in the media industry.

“I have always thought that the way back from this climate is through specific instances of individuals successfully challenging their persecution,” Wolff wrote to Epstein, according to emails released in a tranche from the so-called Epstein files. “If his story is solid he might be worth supporting.”

How much does a ticket to this year's Super Bowl cost?

Eager to attend this year's Super Bowl? Be prepared to pay four figures for the ticket alone — and those are the cheap seats.

Suspect in 2012 Benghazi attack arrested and brought to the U.S.

The FBI has arrested "one of the key participants" behind the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 that killed four Americans.

Sonny Jurgensen, Hall of Fame quarterback, dies at age 91

Sonny Jurgensen's strong arm, keen wit and affable personality made him one of the most beloved figures in Washington football history.

Missing person search turns into serial killer hunt

An 18-month search for a missing New Jersey woman ended on Long Island where police believe they've found the body of 23-year-old Shannan Gilbert. 48 Hours Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports how the search for one woman uncovered a far greater mystery.

Bill Bratton weighs in on new crime stats

William Bratton, former police chief of Los Angeles, New York City and Boston, talks to Erica Hill and Chris Wragge about new FBI statistics that show violent crime is down across the U.S.

Millions at risk of losing unemployment benefits

If Congress does not act before the end of the year, the unemployment benefits that millions of Americans receive will disappear. Ben Tracy reports on how that will affect one household in California.

Amanda Knox: Headed home with family

"48 Hours Mystery" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports from Perugia, Italy with a wrap-up of the last 24 hours in the Amanda Knox case - from the announcement of her freedom, to her release from prison, to her trip to the airport with her family.

TSA pre-screening speeds up boarding process

The TSA began testing a new program that will let pre-screened passengers speed through airports in four major airports. Mark Strassmann reports.

Behind the Scenes: South Carolina Republican Debate

National Journal reporter Rebecca Kaplan sat down with debate hosts Scott Pelley of the CBS Evening News, and Major Garrett, National Journal's Congressional correspondent, to talk about debate preparation. The hosts talked about how they prepared for the debate, their rapport on stage, and how they'll spend the rest of the day getting ready.

Football Daily | Villa, Al-Nassr, Fenerbahce, Zenit: does Jhon Durán have football’s itchiest feet?

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Despite Aston Villa’s twin-engine strike force being linked with moves elsewhere just over a year ago, Unai Emery was dreaming of a dynasty. “Hopefully we can be together with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Durán for 10 years,” he told reporters with the optimistic tone of a man who hadn’t yet checked the young Colombian’s WhatsApp status. “Maybe 12 years, maybe 15!” Despite interest at the time from Arsenal, Watkins remains at Villa but his considerably younger former teammate has just forced a move to his third club in three different time zones since leaving Birmingham. Of course, it’s no secret that he has form in the itchy feet department, as Villa fans who remember his ill-advised crossed-arms ‘Irons’ pose on a live Social Media Disgrace feed before a move to West Ham that never materialised will attest.

Football Daily gave me a great idea (imagine that!) in yesterday’s Quote of the Day. In every article and letter that you publish, let’s declare the main participant’s age, as of James Milner’s top-flight debut in 2002. I feel like I could learn a lot about Noble Francis and the other regulars like this” – Mike Wilner (Milner +36).

I was at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco last weekend for the Manet & Morisot exhibition when I saw a fellow museum-goer wearing a Manchester City scarf, but looking distinguished otherwise. I was tempted to ask him what he was doing there because the Monet exhibition isn’t until next month” – Peter Oh.

From ‘Leicester is like my son, so I have to do it right’ to ‘Leicester in relegation danger after six-point deduction for financial rules breach’. Well, ‘a week is a long time in politics football’, as former UK prime minister Harold Wilson would have said, if he were still alive and interested in East Midlands-based football (which he wasn’t, he was a Huddersfield fan)” – Noble Francis.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

There’s one argument Starmer could make to save his skin – but he won’t dare do it | Jonathan Freedland

Among those focusing on what the PM knew about Peter Mandelson are many who themselves knew plenty and chose to ignore it

Everything Donald Trump touches dies. He put his name on the Kennedy Center in Washington, prompting artists and performers to flee in such numbers that the venue will now shut down for “approximately” two years. The Washington Post under owner Jeff Bezos sought to ingratiate itself with the second Trump presidency; this week it announced 300 layoffs and the withering of that once great institution. And now we can add one more, unexpected item to the list poisoned by the touch of Trump: Britain’s Labour government.

It’s easily forgotten, but it was because of Trump that Keir Starmer appointed Peter Mandelson to serve as the UK ambassador to Washington. The prime minister decided it would take a snake to navigate the serpentine backchannels of the new administration and that Mandelson had the skill set. The result is an irony rich enough to make you retch. The Epstein files, which contain more than 38,000 references to Trump, his Mar-a-Lago estate and other related terms, seem set to bring down a national leader who is not mentioned by Epstein even once.

Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Stellantis CEO says automaker is stronger together as stock plummets amid $26 billion charge

The automaker announced $26 billion in charges from a business restructuring that includes pulling back on electrification plans and reintroducing V8 engines.

Uber held liable, ordered to pay $8.5 million in driver rape suit

The case lays the groundwork for about 3,000 other sexual misconduct cases the ridesharing platform is facing nationwide.

Iran says ‘good start’ made in talks with US over nuclear programme

Indirect talks end with agreement to maintain diplomatic path and possible continuation in coming days, officials say

Indirect talks between Iran and the US on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme ended on Friday with a broad agreement to maintain a diplomatic path, possibly with further talks in the coming days, according to statements from Iran and the Omani hosts.

The relieved Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, described the eight hours of meetings as a “good start” conducted in a good atmosphere. He added that the continuance of talks depended on consultations in Washington and Tehran, but said Iran had underlined that any dialogue required refraining from threats.

Hate them or not, Patriots fans want the glory back in Super Bowl LX

As Bostonians bemoan their long years of suffering without a Super Bowl win, rival fans gripe that Title Town has become Entitled Town.

It's about to get easier for Trump to fire federal workers

Since his first term, President Trump has wanted to be able to fire federal employees for any reason. A new rule vastly expands his authority to do that.

Behind the glitz in Milan, the Epstein scandal casts its shadow over the Olympic movement

The Epstein scandal has spread to the Olympic movement. The top organizer of the Los Angeles Summer Games faces calls to step down because of his past contacts with Epstein collaborator Ghislaine Maxwell.

‘A modern masterpiece’: writer Jack Thorne’s best TV shows – from This Is England to Adolescence

As his new version of Lord of the Flies comes to the BBC, we count down the 20 boldest and most moving productions by the quintuple Bafta-winning scriptwriter

He has been hailed as the hardest-working writer in Britain. Looking at Jack Thorne’s astonishing list of credits, it’s hard to argue. The prolific playwright and screenwriter’s output includes many of the best homegrown TV dramas of the past two decades.

That’s without the many hit plays and films he has also written. There’s more to come, too. Next out of the Thorne pipeline is Channel 4’s forbidden romance Falling, with Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu, and the film Enola Holmes 3, which will be followed by the small matter of Sam Mendes’ four Beatles biopics.

UK ‘could lose generation of scientists’ with cuts to projects and research facilities

UK’s research funding body says best scientists are taking posts overseas due to lack of job stability at home

Hundreds of early career researchers have warned the UK will lose a generation of scientists after the announcement of significant cuts to physics projects and research facilities.

Scientists working in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics have been told their grants will be cut by nearly a third, with project leaders asked to report back on how their research would fare with cuts up to 60%.

Congress passes $50 billion foreign aid bill, despite Trump's cuts in 2025

Congress allocated $50 billion for initiatives aimed at supporting democracy, scholarship programs, U.S. embassy operations and health and humanitarian programs around the world.

The Eternal Shame of Sue Perkins review – a Bake Off star basks in self-abasement

Darlington Hippodrome
Perkins’ return to live comedy features some lurid stories of her personal and professional ineptitude, and jaunty tales about vacuum cleaners and a drug-addled trip to a shaman

Shame is what Sue Perkins promises us in this return to live comedy after years away: her public personae withdrawn like the layers of a Russian doll to reveal the true, humiliated person beneath. Who wouldn’t want to see the former Bake Off star, after “30 years in our living rooms”, put on such a show? But it’s not quite what Perkins delivers. Like Dawn French before her, in a touring set purporting to show what a “huge twat” she was, The Eternal Shame of Sue Perkins compiles a series of perky professional and personal anecdotes only loosely connected to that theme, and is judicious with its intimacies.

It is stronger in its second half, which cleaves more tightly to the theme and affords more glimpses behind our host’s brisk demeanour. Act one begins with Perkins alluding to her shame at being middle-aged and tired in an industry dedicated to youthful vigour. The ensuing anecdotes have nothing to do with that whatsoever, as she relates an inconclusive tale about local drug dealers cloning her car registration, and a literal shaggy dog story, more suggestive of pride than shame, about rescuing a wounded pup on a trip to Bolivia.

TB or not TB? That is the question

A new study in "Nature Medicine" estimates that 2 million people are incorrectly told they have tuberculosis each year — and clinicians miss diagnosing TB in 1 million people. Why so many misdiagnoses?

Giorgia Meloni’s face on a church mural is offensive – but not for the reason the Vatican thinks | Jonathan Jones

When the likeness of the populist leader as an angel was painted into a cheesy tribute to Italy’s last king, it caused outrage. But far better artists have been similarly profane for centuries

It must be the ugliest wall painting in Rome - and that’s even without the bizarre portrait of Giorgia Meloni as an angel. Artist Bruno Valentinetti painted his tribute to Umberto II, the last king of Italy, earlier this century in a side chapel of the ancient church of San Lorenzo in Lucina in its historic heart, the Centro Storico. It’s the kind of unsightly accretion you try to ignore when enjoying the city’s artistic glories which include, in this particular church, a staggering, stormy vision of the Crucifixion by the 17th-century painter Guido Reni, his most unforgettable masterpiece.

Valentinetti’s mural, by contrast, is a glib, tacky, photorealist effort that didn’t even last two decades before water damage demanded restoration. Valentinetti, now 83, carried out the repairs himself and had the genius idea of giving an angel the face –highly recognisable because obviously based on photos of her – of Italy’s populist prime minister. What was he thinking? Is he in love? Or was this an insidious piece of propaganda?

House of ice on a warming planet: Italy’s turn for the Olympics winter mirage

There will be twists, flips and turns to savour in a Games whose financial and environmental costs nonetheless continue to spiral out of control

Pierre de Coubertin never wanted a Winter Olympics. He spent the best part of two decades lobbying, politicking and organising before he finally got the first summer Games up and running in Athens in 1896. Its winter sibling though, well, “the great inferiority of these snow sports …” De Coubertin once wrote, “is that they are completely useless, with no useful application whatsoever.” He allowed ice skating and ice hockey, the two stadium sports, to be part of the roster for the early summer Games, but it was another two decades before he was persuaded to hold a separate winter event.

That was in 1924, in Chamonix. The 100th anniversary fell midway between the last winter Games in Beijing and this one in Milano Cortina. It’s an interesting event to look back on. It was described at the time as a 10-day “winter sports week”, an “appendage” De Coubertin called it, to that year’s summer Games in Paris. There were 16 countries competing in five sports, with four more, including “military patrol”, added as demonstration events. It was only later, after the International Olympic Committee had become more interested in burnishing its own history, that this knockabout event was officially designated as the very first Winter Olympic Games.

Russian general Vladimir Alekseyev in critical condition after Moscow shooting

Deputy director of Russia’s military intelligence agency shot several times in the stairwell of his apartment

A top Russian military official who plays a major role in the country’s intelligence services has been taken to hospital after being shot in Moscow, state media has reported.

Lt Gen Vladimir Alekseyev was shot several times on the stairwell of his apartment on Friday by an unknown gunman in the north-west of the city and is in critical condition, according to reports.

Trump’s family is embroiled in a $500m UAE scandal. We’ve hardly noticed | Mohamad Bazzi

A crypto startup founded by Trump’s family signed a huge deal with the UAE president’s brother. Where’s the political fallout?

Days before Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, an investment firm controlled by a senior member of the United Arab Emirates royal family secretly signed a deal to pay $500m to buy almost half of a cryptocurrency startup founded by the Trump family. Under any other president, such an arrangement, which was revealed this past weekend by the Wall Street Journal, would cause a political earthquake in Washington. There would be demands for an investigation by Congress, televised hearings and months of damage control.

But this latest example of corruption involving Trump and his family business hardly made a blip over the past few days, relegated to a passing headline in a relentless news cycle often dominated by Trump’s actions and statements.

How anti-ICE pin badges became the essential red carpet accessory

Billie Eilish and Biebers wore ‘ICE out’ pins at the Grammys, as more and more celebrities find their political voices

The red carpet is being used increasingly as a platform for protest – and one accessory in particular has become key: the pin badge.

At Sunday night’s Grammy awards, stars including Hailey and Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish wore black and white pins that read “ICE out”, a condemnation of the recent actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

My simple message for England: get the ball into Arundell’s hands early against Wales | Ugo Monye

Expectations abound for Six Nations and Bath wing deserves another shot in the starting lineup to show his raw attributes

Optimism abounds about England’s Six Nations chances. They go into a tournament considered as one of the genuine favourites for the title for the first time in years and they have the body of work to back that up after 11 consecutive victories. That sort of winning streak leads to greater expectations but these players can walk tall and handle external pressure.

I would warn against expecting another 50-point victory against Wales on Saturday, however. The fixture list aligns perfectly for England – if Steve Borthwick were to handpick his side’s schedule then this would probably be it – and while I fully expect them to beat Wales and claim a bonus point, we have to remember that they are never at their best at the start of a campaign. The Professional Game Partnership might have made some aspects of bringing together players from 10 different clubs an easier task, but it is still a challenge. As a result, we cannot expect that England will be at their fluent best at Twickenham.

A quick fix for broken zips – and 84 other tips to keep your clothes looking good

From keeping whites white to preventing ‘bacon neck’, keep your clothes looking better for longer with these expert hacks

First, be sure to buy the best quality you can. Layla Sargent, founder of The Seam, which connects people with skilled menders, cleaners and restorers, advises going for “a slightly higher denier, a good amount of elastane/Lycra, and reinforced toes and gussets”. Brands such as Falke, Heist and Swedish Stockings should last longer than a supermarket three-pack.

‘On a knife edge’: can England’s red squirrel population be saved?

Government plans to protect species by increasing woodland and removing greys, but campaigners say it needs to go further

When Sam Beaumont sees a flash of red up a tree on his Lake District farm, he feels a swell of pride. He’s one of the few people in England who gets to see red squirrels in his back garden.

“I feel very lucky to have them on the farm. It’s an important thing to try and keep a healthy population of them. They are absolutely beautiful,” he said.

Mosque bombing in Pakistan capital kills at least 31 people

Police investigating whether blast that injured at least 169 at Friday prayers in Islamabad was suicide attack

An explosion has ripped through a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital during Friday prayers, killing 31 people and injuring at least 169 others, according to officials. Police said they were investigating whether the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.

There were fears the death toll from the blast at the Khadija al-Kubra mosque in Islamabad could rise as some of the injured were reported to be in a critical condition. Television footage and social media images showed police and residents transporting the injured to nearby hospitals.

From Jesus to Jurassic Park: This year's Super Bowl ads are playing it safe

Early Super Bowl spots show advertisers want lots of buzz but not controversy.

Cage fights at the White House! A gigantic arch! Trump’s gaudy plans for America’s 250th anniversary

From minting coins featuring his own face to covering buildings with gold, the president’s proposals for marking America’s semiquincentennial say a lot about the country’s backwards outlook

When the United States celebrated its bicentennial on 4 July 1976, it marked the occasion with the opening of the National Air and Space Museum’s exhibition hall on Washington DC’s National Mall. Designed in a boldly modernist style by the blue-chip firm Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (now HOK), it stood as a testament to American aeronautical derring-do, from the Wright brothers to the moon landings.

At the time, even though the stench of Republican political shenanigans was never far off, with Gerald Ford replacing the disgraced Richard Nixon in 1974, there was a sense of a nation embracing progress, looking forward, not back. For all the historical re-enactments of Washington crossing the Delaware, the US chose to see itself through the prism of modernity and technological puissance.

Lindsey Vonn, skiing with ruptured ACL, takes crucial step in downhill medal bid

• US star clocks successful practice run a week after injury

• Olympic medal race is set for Sunday at Cortina

Lindsey Vonn moved a step closer to one of the most improbable Olympic starts in Alpine skiing history on Friday, producing an aggressive and largely clean downhill training run on the Olimpia delle Tofane course less than a week after fully rupturing the ACL in her left knee and being airlifted off a mountain in Switzerland.

The 41-year-old American clocked 1min 40.33sec in a fog-delayed session, but the time itself was secondary to what the run represented: proof that she can still attack a course at speed – and survive it – as she targets Sunday’s medal race.

Why Amazon’s CEO is ‘confident’ with $200 billion spending plan

The company boosted its 2026 capital expenditures to $200 billion, with most of the spending going to data centers.

Filled with good intention: could the new It bag be an antidote to the tote?

From a £149 John Lewis version to LA’s gorpcore take, the ‘good intention’ bag is intended to look good but hold more

It’s not a multi-thousand pound handbag from Hermès that best captures the new era of It bags, but a £149 tote from John Lewis.

Launched this season, it’s deeper (45cm) and taller (33cm) than your average handbag, and comes loaded with good intentions. It’s able to hold your packed lunch, flask and book, as well – at a push – as your gym kit. The high street retailer is calling it the Intentional tote bag.

Super cities showdown: Seattle vs. Boston

It has been more than a decade since Seattle's last Super Bowl appearance and it was against New England - then led by quarterback Tom Brady. Omar Villafranca and Jamie Yuccas visited the home cities of each team to see which one reigns supreme.

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi review – big, generous, provocative music-making on a small stage

Wigmore Hall, London
Grammy-winning Giddens fused folk, opera, jazz, pop and classical elements in a recital ‘honouring composers who don’t often get called composers’

‘Hopefully you didn’t come for banjos and guitars,” Francesco Turrisi quipped, seated at the Wigmore Hall’s grand piano. A ripple of laughter passed around the hall – which had sold out on the strength of the artists alone, with no hint of what they might perform. But then, when half of your duo is Rhiannon Giddens – multi-Grammy-winning folk singer and instrumentalist, MacArthur “genius” grant recipient and now a Pulitzer prize-winning composer to boot – the name is all it takes.

For this second concert in their Wigmore Hall residency, Giddens and long-time musical partner Turrisi asked a question: what might our version of a recital look like? The answer was an eclectic fusion with folk, opera, jazz, pop and classical elements all adding their accent to a traditional voice and piano concert – a performance “honouring composers who don’t often get called composers”.

Winter Olympics Team GB skier targets ICE with graphic message written in snow

• Gus Kenworthy says ‘enough is enough’ over ICE in US

• ICE agents are in Milan with US vice-president JD Vance

Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy has launched a blistering attack on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers by urinating the words “Fuck Ice” on the snow just before the start of the Winter Olympics.

In a post on Instagram the 34-year-old, who will compete for Team GB in the free-ski half-pipe in Milano Cortina, also urged Americans to write to their senators to “rein in” ICE and border patrol.

‘Christian pastors declared Pikachu to be a demon’: how Pokémon went from moral panic to unifying global hit

Nintendo’s monster-collecting franchise was pilloried as a ‘pestilential Ponzi scheme’ in the 90s. But as its celebrates its 30th birthday, it now stands as a powerful example of video games’ ability to connect people

When I was 11, it was my dream to compete in the Pokémon World Championships, held in Sydney in 2000. I’d come across it in a magazine, and then earnestly set about training teams of creatures, transferring them between my Pokémon Red Game Boy cartridge and the 3D arenas of Pokémon Stadium on the Nintendo 64. I never made it as a player but I did finally achieve this dream on my 26th birthday, when I went to Washington DC to cover the world championships as a journalist. I was deeply moved. Presided over by a giant inflatable Pikachu hanging from the ceiling, the competitors and spectators were united in an unselfconscious love for these games, with their colourful menageries and heartfelt messaging about trust, friendship and hard work.

It is emotional to see the winners lift their trophies after a tense final round of battles, as overwhelmed by their success as any sportsperson. But it’s the pride that the smaller competitors’ parents show in their mini champions that really gets to me. During the first wave of Pokémania in the late 90s, Pokémon was viewed with suspicion by most adults. Now that the first generation of Pokémaniacs have grown up, even becoming parents ourselves, we see it for what it is: an imaginative, challenging and really rather wholesome series of games that rewards every hour that children devote to it.

Snoop Dogg curling and a police baton charge: photos of the day – Friday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

‘People on top of people’: Sydneysiders flock to netted beaches and ocean pools after shark attacks

Wylie’s Baths in Coogee turns away swimmers for the first time in memory. But people will head back into open waters soon, experts say

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At Wylie’s Baths in Sydney’s east, the blue and yellow-ringed upper deck has never been busier.

On the concrete below, towels are crowded together. In the water, regular lap swimmers have to contend with an onslaught of first-timers.

Mewgenics review – infinite ways to skin a cat

PC; Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel
This mischievous roguelike escapade featuring utterly fiendish felines is compelling, and impressively tasteless

You know that old saying about cats having nine lives? Well, as far as Mewgenics is concerned, you can forget it – and you can also forget the idea that a game about cats has to be in any way cute. These kitties are red in tooth and claw, prone to strange mutations, and strictly limited to just the one life, which often ends swiftly and brutally.

Such is the nature of roguelike, a format that has spawned some of the biggest indie hits of the past 20 years. In these games, failure is permanent; dying sends you back not to the last checkpoint but back to the beginning, the game reshuffling its elements into a new shape for your next run. And so it goes in Mewgenics. You gather a party of four felines and send them out on a questing journey, from which they return victorious or not at all.

Father of Elizabeth Smart reacts to Nancy Guthrie disappearance and gives advice to family

The father of Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped when she was 14 and held for nine months, talks to "CBS Mornings" about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Ed Smart called the case "so surreal" and gave his advice to the Guthrie family. He also reflected on being a person of interest in his daughter's abduction.

Suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on Islamabad's outskirts kills at least 31

It was a rare attack in the capital of Pakistan as its Western-allied government struggles to rein in a surge in militant attacks across the country.

So the Epstein scandal is about politics? Silly me for thinking it’s about the mass abuse of women and girls | Marina Hyde

Obsessing over individual players and political chaos leaves less time to focus on the misogyny. And that’s for the best, isn’t it guys?

Fair play to Bill Gates’s ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, a woman who fronted up to appear on a podcast this week while so many of the men who feature in the latest Epstein files drop found that their diaries had them scheduled to stay hiding under their rocks. Melinda was asked about Jeffrey Epstein, obviously, and executed a very graceful drive-by. “Whatever questions remain there of what I don’t – can’t – even begin to know all of it, those questions are for those people, and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me. And I am so happy to be away from all the muck that was there.” Oof. Yet she also said, more generally: “I think we’re having a reckoning as a society, right?”

Cards on the table, I don’t think we’re having one at all. Look at the headlines, or what’s dominating all the news bulletins. We’re talking about anything but the things that most need to be reckoned with. In the UK, we’re talking round the clock about Peter Mandelson, the one guy in this we at least know wasn’t making sexually abusive use of Epstein’s trafficked women and girls. Even if he did offer Epstein image rehab advice, which, as discussed here in depth on Tuesday, was a foray into the moral abyss. (Again.) But the frenzied and remorseless focus on political fallout – and not the male-on-female debasement that is the entire heart of this story, and always has been – is weird, isn’t it? I had a mirthless laugh at the New Statesman’s cover this week, which characterised the Mandelson affair as “the scandal of the century”. Guys, it’s not even the biggest scandal of the scandal.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Weather tracker: Storm Leonardo continues to batter Europe and northern Africa

Spain and Portugal hit with torrential rain while flash floods in Morocco force more than 100,000 people to evacuate

The Iberian peninsula has been placed under severe weather alerts as Storm Leonardo continues to batter parts of Spain and Portugal with torrential rain and strong winds.

Since Tuesday, the slow-moving system has brought widespread disruption, flooding and evacuations. In Grazalema, in southern Spain, more than 700mm of rain has fallen since Wednesday, roughly equivalent to the country’s average annual rainfall.

Menstrual blood test could offer alternative to cervical screening for cancer

Researchers say blood sample strip, which can be used at home, can pick up virus that causes cervical cancer

A pioneering test of period blood for signs of cervical cancer could be a convenient, non-invasive and accurate way of screening for the disease, researchers have said.

A regular sanitary pad topped with a blood sample strip can pick up human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer, and could be used by women at home, the results of a study indicate.

Amazon stock falls 8% on $200 billion spending forecast, earnings miss

The company also said it expects capital expenditures to hit roughly $200 billion in 2026, compared with $146.6 billion estimated by analysts.

White House launches direct-to-consumer drug site TrumpRx. Here's what to know

It's still unclear if all patients, particularly those with insurance coverage, will see more cost savings from using that site to buy their medicines.

Cocktail of the week: Maré’s kiwi caipirinha – recipe | The good mixer

A totally tropical livener with familiar cachaça and lime and an intriguing kiwi jam twang

This tropical, vibrant drink is our most popular cocktail, perhaps because it’s a twist on something familiar. Rather than building it in the glass with crushed ice, as for a traditional caipirinha, this is shaken so that the kiwi jam is mixed into the drink more thoroughly.

Jake Garstang, restaurant manager and sommelier, Maré, Hove, East Sussex

‘It’s the rubbish, female A-team!’ Derry Girl Lisa McGee on her hilarious new mystery thriller

After plundering her tearaway teens for the comedy classic, Lisa McGee is back with a Scooby-Doo-style caper. As How to Get to Heaven from Belfast hits our screens, she explains why the craic’s about to get deadly

How do you follow up a show about girls in Derry? With one about women in Belfast, obviously. That’s what Lisa McGee has done. Her new eight-parter, How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, is as far away from Derry Girls as you can get when the distance between the worlds amounts to 70 miles along the A6.

Or as she puts it: “I wanted a shit, female, Northern Irish A-Team!”

Why are Nicki Minaj’s fans defending her Maga shift? | Tayo Bero

The Barbz have built a parasocial relationship with the rapper – in some cases to their own detriment

Nicki Minaj is back doing PR for Donald Trump, and it’s messier than ever. Last week, she appeared at a treasury department summit in Washington DC to show support for Trump accounts, a new kind of investment account designed to “provide eligible American children with tax-advantaged investment accounts courtesy of President Donald J. Trump”, according to a government website.

The most disappointing part of the rapper’s recent turn toward Maga, though, is how her stans – a significant portion of whom are Black and queer – are responding. After the summit, Minaj’s followers defended her online and even helped push Trump’s agenda. “In a society full of hate and division, supporting Nicki Minaj is reminding people to see past political differences and see the human in one another,” one supporter wrote. Oh brother. Minaj is a perfect example of the cult of celebrity, the dangers of modern fan culture and how celebrity worship can intersect with politics in truly dangerous ways.

Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist

ICC braced for major financial hit if Pakistan v India World T20 game off

• Intensive negotiations going on behind scenes

• Game could be worth up to £367m in media rights

The Pakistan v India T20 World Cup fixture remains in doubt on the eve of the tournament with International Cricket Council sources telling the Guardian they expect the dispute to go down to the wire before their scheduled meeting in Colombo next weekend.

Intensive negotiations are continuing behind the scenes after the Pakistan government triggered a crisis last weekend by announcing their national team would not take the field against India on 15 February – a boycott that could cost the ICC a huge rebate in a fixture worth around $500m (£367m) in media rights.

Add to playlist: the bizarro punk of Dutch upstarts Grote Geelstaart and the week’s best new tracks

Dressed in Sunday school apparel and singing exclusively in Dutch, this unorthodox five-piece embrace clinical chaos

From Kapelle, Holland
Recommended if you like Black Midi, King Crimson, YHWH Nailgun
Up next New single Maalstroom out now

Tight-fitted in scrimpy Sunday school apparel, Grote Geelstaart – Dutch for great yellowtail fish – make music that’s decidedly less orthodox than appearances suggest. Drums skirmish with frighteningly efficient, jackhammer velocity; synths and guitars buzz and ring like fire alarms; the bass rumbles like a jammed freighter engine. Grote Geelstaart’s clinical chaos goes hand in hand with vocalist/guitarist Luuk Bosma’s primal punk dramaturgy, reminiscent of Nick Cave, James Chance and underrated Dutch punk thespians De Kift. This MO translates wonderfully to Grote Geelstaart’s Zeelandic roots, a place where an intricate network of dykes is built and maintained to keep the unforgiving North Sea at bay: human ingenuity v lawless elements.

U.S., Iran to hold nuclear program talks. And, Dems unveil new list of DHS demands

The U.S. and Iran begin high-stakes talks today over Iran's nuclear program. And, Democrats unveil a detailed list of demands to change how DHS immigration enforcement officers operate.

Newly revealed emails undermine RFK Jr testimony about 2019 Samoa trip ahead of measles outbreak

Kennedy later said the purpose of his trip had nothing to do with vaccines. US embassy and UN staff at the time said otherwise, emails show

Over two days of questioning during his Senate confirmation hearings last year, Robert F Kennedy Jr repeated the same answer.

He said the closely scrutinized trip he took to Samoa in 2019, which came ahead of a devastating measles outbreak, had “nothing to do with vaccines”.

The Japanese gardening technique of kokedama will bring a touch of magic into your home

Recreate a centuries-old technique from the far east with moss, soil, twine, bonsai compost – and a little patience

I’ve lived in the same corner of London for the best part of 15 years, and increasingly the pavements and parks are layered like onion skins, holding memories of my youth that I don’t realise are there until I return. This week I took my newborn daughter to Peckham in south-east London, to meet a friend in a cafe I’d never heard of. When I turned up, I realised it used to be a regular haunt of mine, and suddenly I was both a tired woman in her late 30s with two kids, and also 22, unemployed and making the most of happy hour.

I bring this up because of what was on the table: a kokedama. If you’re unfamiliar, the word translates to “moss ball”. A decade ago, I saw them hanging outside the doorways of houses in deserted, snow-covered mountain villages in Japan, holding the tremulous fronds of overwintering ferns. The technique dates back centuries, a side-product of the art of bonsai that has become popular in its own right. Kokedama are a lot easier to create at home than bonsai trees: plants’ rootballs are removed from their pots and packed tightly with dense moss, before being bound with the string that can be used to hang them up with.

Canada and France open Greenland consulates in show of Denmark support

Founding of diplomatic outposts in Nuuk comes after US made efforts to secure control of Arctic island

• Opposition to US has hardened in western Europe after Greenland threat, poll finds

Canada and France are to open diplomatic consulates in the capital of Greenland on Friday, showing support for their Nato ally Denmark and the Arctic island after US efforts to secure control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Canada’s foreign minister, Anita Anand, was travelling to Nuuk to inaugurate the consulate, which officials say also could help boost cooperation on issues such as the climate crisis and Inuit rights. She was joined by Canada’s Indigenous governor general, Mary Simon.

The best recent poetry – review roundup

Afterburn by Blake Morrison; Into the Hush by Arthur Sze; Unsafe by Karen McCarthy Woolf; Only Sing by John Berryman; Lamping Wild Rabbits by Simon Maddrell; Dream Latitudes by Alia Kobuszko

Afterburn by Blake Morrison (Chatto & Windus, £12.99)
Best known as a memoirist, Morrison returns to poetry after 11 years with a masterclass of lyric distillation and charged observation, demonstrating that nothing is beneath poetic deliberation. His subjects range from social and political justice to meditations on poetic heroes such as Elizabeth Bishop and sonnet sequences elegising the writer’s sister. The interwoven specificity and occasional nature of the poems is captivating: one feels their movement, “in the flesh, / in his memory / and in the words”, as they unspool with control and purpose. “I’m still capable of being in love.” This is a poet clearly still in love with life.

Into the Hush by Arthur Sze (Penguin, £12.99)
This first UK publication introduces readers to the current US poet laureate’s bold vision of the world’s fragility: one of unceasing iridescence and glimmer, even in the face of ecological destruction and dilapidation. While the title suggests a sonic organisation, it may be more apt to understand the poems as painterly brushstrokes. “When you’ve / worked this long your art is no longer art / but a wand that wakes your eyes to what is.” Single-line stanzas that decrescendo to em dashes recur, illustrating the silence into which Sze feels both world and body disappearing: “you have loved, hated, imagined, despaired, and the fugitive colours of existence have quickened in your body -”. Even in its continual replenishing beauty, the collection is eerie, as though these poems were a last attempt to bring order to the disorder of living. “What in this dawn is yours?” asks one. Perhaps nothing, because “once lines converge, lines diverge”.