Bruce Springsteen’s angry anti-ICE song is on-the-nose in the right way

The star’s urgent and to-the-point protest song is not subtle about its target and right now that’s why it works so well

Bruce Springsteen’s new protest song isn’t open to interpretation.

In Streets of Minneapolis, the Boss condemns “King Trump’s private army from the DHS” that “came to Minneapolis to enforce the law – or so their story goes”. He names Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both killed by federal agents amid protests. He rages against “Miller and Noem’s dirty lies”, referencing the faces of the Trump administration’s onslaught against immigrants.

Published: January 29, 2026, 2:50 pm

Is Trump about to attack Iran? - The Latest

Donald Trump says ‘time is running out’ for Iran as the threat of war appears to loom closer. A huge US armada is being moved towards the country and is seen as the starkest indication yet that Trump intends to strike. The US president had called on the Iranian regime to negotiate a deal on the future of its nuclear programme, only weeks after he promised Iranian protesters ‘help was on the way’ before backtracking days later. Nosheen Iqbal talks to the Guardian’s deputy head of international news, Devika Bhat, about what Trump could do next

Published: January 29, 2026, 6:07 pm

Brand Beckham and the rise of the clapback costume

When words fail, clothes do the talking – from the Beckhams to Diana’s revenge dress, fashion is the language of image management

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It’s been over a week since Beckxit and still we wait. Yes, we’ve had David’s aphorisms at Davos; Romeo on the Willy Chavarria catwalk; Cruz on tour; Victoria’s reunion – not to mention the various fulsome Instagram posts from both parties. But no rebuttal, no apologies, no tears. Then, the remaining Beckhams hit Paris fashion week and finally we got our first statement.

David Beckham – once the most famous footballer in the world, now its most famous parent – was in town to wingman Victoria Beckham as she became a knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. But he was also there for the optics. The remaining kids flew in. So did their partners. Some wore Victoria Beckham, others wore Loewe, everyone looked demure and sober and matchy-matchy, what a celebrity astrologist might call “a united front”.

Published: January 29, 2026, 5:00 pm

A World Cup boycott would be a big statement but unlikely to accomplish much | Leander Schaerlaeckens

International sporting events don’t often see teams refuse to participate for a cause – but when it’s happened, it hasn’t been effective

It was probably fitting that the first call from someone with genuine power should emanate from Germany, long one of soccer’s moral centers. “The time has definitely come,” German soccer federation vice-president Oke Göttlich told the Hamburger Morgenpost, “to seriously consider and discuss” a boycott of the 2026 World Cup.

“What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?” added Göttlich, who is also the president of FC St. Pauli, Hamburg’s earnestly countercultural club. “By my reckoning, the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion.”

Published: January 29, 2026, 6:40 pm

‘The LED of heating’: cheap geothermal energy system makes US comeback

Minnesota housing project to draw energy from water stored deep underground, 45 years on from city’s initial research

Nearly half a century ago, the US Department of Energy launched a clean energy experiment beneath the University of Minnesota with a simple goal: storing hot water for months at a time in an aquifer more than 100 metres below ground.

The idea of the seasonal thermal energy storage was to tuck away excess heat produced in summer, then use it in the winter to warm buildings.

Published: January 29, 2026, 5:33 pm

The slopaganda era: 10 AI images posted by the White House – and what they teach us

Under Donald Trump, the White House has filled its social media with memes, wishcasting, nostalgia and deepfakes. Here’s what you need to know to navigate the trolling

It started with an image of Trump as a king mocked up on a fake Time magazine cover. Since then it’s developed into a full-blown phenomenon, one academics are calling “slopaganda” – an unholy alliance of easily available AI tools and political messaging. “Shitposting”, the publishing of deliberately crude, offensive content online to provoke a reaction, has reached the level of “institutional shitposting”, according to Know Your Meme’s editor Don Caldwell. This is trolling as official government communication. And nobody is more skilled at it than the Trump administration – a government that has not only allowed the AI industry all the regulative freedom it desires, but has embraced the technology for its own in-house purposes. Here are 10 of the most significant fake images the White House has put out so far.

Published: January 29, 2026, 10:00 am

Senate Democrats reach deal to avert partial government shutdown

Deal calls for splitting a funding bill for DHS from a package of other funding bills

Senators have reached a deal to advance a major package of spending bills to avert a partial government shutdown that was set to begin on Saturday.

The office of Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, confirmed the deal calls for splitting a funding bill for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from a package of other funding bills, and that the deal would fund DHS for two weeks at its current levels.

Published: January 30, 2026, 12:17 am

Iran seeks to avert US military action with talks in Ankara

Turkey hosts urgent mediation as Trump’s threats mount and Tehran weighs painful compromises to avoid conflict

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, will travel to Ankara for talks aimed at preventing a US attack, as Turkish diplomats seek to convince Tehran it must offer concessions over its nuclear programme if it is to avert a potentially devastating conflict.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, proposed a video conference between Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian – the kind of high-wire diplomacy that may appeal to the US leader, but would be anathema to circumspect Iranian diplomats. No formal direct talks have been held between the two countries for a decade.

Published: January 29, 2026, 2:20 pm

Canada separatists accused of ‘treason’ after secret talks with US state department

Alberta activists’ covert meetings with US officials revealed, outlining group’s increasingly emboldened efforts

Covert meetings between separatist activists in the Canadian province of Alberta and members of Donald Trump’s administration amount to “treason”, the premier of British Columbia said on Thursday.

“To go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there’s an old-fashioned word for that – and that word is treason,” David Eby told reporters.

Published: January 29, 2026, 6:39 pm

LA fire department paid celebrity PR firm $65,000 to shape messaging after Palisades fire

LAFD’s non-profit, which raised large sums after 2025 fires, hired firm amid growing criticism over handling of disaster

The official non-profit for the Los Angeles fire department has acknowledged that it had paid $65,000 to hire a leading communications agency to represent the agency last year.

The move came as the department was facing growing criticism over its handling of the Palisades fire.

Published: January 29, 2026, 11:23 pm

Justice department charges man accused of attacking Ilhan Omar at town hall

Anthony Kazmierczak faces federal assault charges after he appeared to spray the congresswoman with liquid from a syringe

The Department of Justice has filed federal charges against the man accused of attacking Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar at a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday. In newly filed court documents, a “close associate” told investigators that the alleged attacker previously said that someone “should kill” the Minnesota lawmaker.

Local police arrested and booked Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, for third-degree assault after he appeared to spray Omar with an acidic-smelling liquid from a syringe as she addressed constituents from a lectern.

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:43 pm

Georgia lawmakers express alarm to see Tulsi Gabbard at FBI elections office raid

Democratic senators question national intelligence head’s fitness for office after overt, unexplained appearance

Democratic lawmakers are raising questions about why Tulsi Gabbard, the president’s director of national intelligence, was “lurking” in Fulton county on Wednesday while FBI agents carted off boxes of 2020 election documents.

Gabbard visited an elections hub in Fulton county, home to Atlanta, on Wednesday as the FBI executed a search warrant for records related to the 2020 election. The warrant sought all ballots from the 2020 election in the county, tabulator tapes, ballot images and voter rolls, according to a warrant obtained by the Guardian.

Published: January 29, 2026, 11:29 pm

Venezuela approves bill to open oil sector to foreign investment after US pressure

Law will give private companies more control but experts unsure whether reforms go far enough for US

Venezuela’s congress has approved a bill making significant changes to the country’s oil sector after pressure from the US to open it up to foreign private investment.

The new hydrocarbons law promises to give private companies control over oil production and sales, ease taxes and allow for independent arbitration of disputes, while largely maintaining state control over oil production.

Published: January 30, 2026, 12:01 am

AI use in breast cancer screening cuts rate of later diagnosis by 12%, study finds

Swedish study of 100,000 women found higher rate of early detection, suggesting potential to support radiologists

The use of artificial intelligence in breast cancer screening reduces the rate of a cancer diagnosis by 12% in subsequent years and leads to a higher rate of early detection, according to the first trial of its kind.

Researchers said the study was the largest to date looking at AI use in cancer screening. It involved 100,000 women in Sweden who were part of mammography screening and were randomly assigned to either AI-supported screening or to a standard reading by two radiologists between April 2021 and December 2022.

Published: January 29, 2026, 11:30 pm

Greenland threats no laughing matter, says mayor after comic’s flag stunt

Avaaraq Olsen tells content creators to think before making jokes after German tried to raise Stars and Stripes in Nuuk

The mayor of Greenland’s capital has called on media professionals and content creators to act responsibly after a German comedian’s failed attempt to hoist the US flag.

Maxi Schafroth, 41, a Bavarian comic, tried to run up the Stars and Stripes on a flagpole near the cultural centre in Nuuk but was confronted by angry passersby.

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:41 pm

Critics aghast as White House displays framed photo of Trump with Putin

Lawmaker from Estonia says photo celebrates ‘the greatest war criminal of the 21st century’

Donald Trump has apparently added a framed photo of himself standing with Vladimir Putin to the White House decor, prompting criticism from a senator, members of the media and beyond.

Newly surfaced photos from the Palm Room, which connects the West Wing to the executive residence, show a framed image of the US president and the Russian president at their summit in Alaska last August. Notably, that event marked the first in-person meeting between US and Russian leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. The meeting drew complaints from Democrats who accused him of “cozying up” to Putin, and rolling out “the red carpet” for the Russian leader “instead of “standing with Ukraine and our allies”.

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:34 pm

Trump claims Putin agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine energy sites amid extreme cold

US president says he made appeal to Russian leader, but no ceasefire has been confirmed by Moscow or Kyiv

Donald Trump has claimed that Vladimir Putin has agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for one week after he issued a personal appeal to the Russian leader due to the extreme cold in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, did not immediately confirm the ceasefire was in place, but said that Trump had made an “important statement … about the possibility of providing security for Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period”.

Published: January 29, 2026, 10:51 pm

Trump orders immediate reopening of commercial airspace over Venezuela

Order allows direct flights from US to Venezuela, as major oil companies already on ground to assess potential operations

Donald Trump has ordered the immediate reopening of commercial airspace over Venezuela, weeks after US military forces toppled the dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Speaking at the White House during his cabinet’s first meeting of the year, Trump said he had just concluded a telephone conversation with Venezuela’s acting president (and former vice-president), Delcy Rodríguez, in which he informed her of the decision to restore flight access.

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:13 pm

A helper and a patriot: Alex Pretti’s family and friends on the life of nurse killed by federal agents

People who knew Pretti describe him as ‘generous with his time’ and denounce the Trump administration’s assessment of him

Travis Vanden Heuvel had been following the recent news out of Minnesota for weeks. On Saturday morning, like many others, he saw video clips of the second fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month.

But the story became personal later that day. That afternoon, Vanden Heuvel’s former choir director reached out to tell him that the man who had been shot was Alex Pretti – a childhood friend with whom he had been in choir.

Published: January 29, 2026, 10:00 am

Minneapolis ICE watchers face violence, teargas and arrests. They keep showing up

Bystanders say they are determined to keep recording federal agents’ actions: ‘There will be absolutely no accountability unless people are documenting’

• ‘ICE Out’ strike and protests: what to know about demonstrations across the US

Brandon Sigüenza saw his first federal immigration agent just one minute before he was arrested by one.

He and his friend, Patty O’Keefe, were following ICE officers in their vehicle after receiving an alert that agents were nearby. Soon after arriving to observe the scene, an agent approached their car and sprayed chemicals into the front vents, then began shouting.

Published: January 29, 2026, 3:00 pm

Americans recount living through the deadly winter storm: ‘There was ice in the toilets’

With hundreds of thousands of homes still without power, we spoke to residents affected, many confined indoors

More than 40 people have died in a huge winter storm in the US. Schools were closed and flights cancelled as people grappled with heavy snowfall and icy conditions.

Nearly 300,000 households are also still without power, several days later, according to poweroutage.us. We spoke to people affected by the storm. Here are some of their responses.

Published: January 29, 2026, 3:37 pm

The ‘Goldilocks’ of sleep masks and $8 winter gloves: 12 things you loved this month

Here are the things Filter US readers loved in January, from screen-time reducers to fitness essentials – all under $100

• Sign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things

You’ve probably heard the discouraging sentiment that most New Year’s resolutions fail.

At The Filter US, we’re on a mission to disprove this notion, sharing the best products for hitting your goals – including reducing screen time, starting a fitness routine, and traveling somewhere new.

​​The best glass food storage containers: Anyday 2-Cup Glass Round Dish Multipack

Published: January 29, 2026, 8:15 pm

‘I’m battling Father Time’: LeBron James reflective and tearful in possible Cleveland farewell

The future Hall of Famer was given a warm welcome against the team where he began his career. But Wednesday’s game felt particularly poignant

A 60-second tribute video honoring LeBron James has become routine over the past eight years whenever he returns to Cleveland, the city where his NBA journey began.

But Wednesday night at Rocket Arena was different – and it felt that way long before James’s Los Angeles Lakers fell 129-99 to the Cavaliers in a nationally televised game.

Published: January 29, 2026, 3:56 pm

‘Rage knitting’ against the machine: the hobbyists putting anti-ICE messages into crafts

Makers take a stand through ‘Melt the ICE’ red knit caps and sparkly nails – all while raising funds for those affected by immigration raids

In the nine years that Gilah Mashaal has owned Needle & Skein, a yarn store in the suburbs of Minneapolis, she has tried to maintain a rule that “nobody talks politics” in the shop. But amid the weeks-long occupation of the Twin Cities by federal immigration paramilitaries, Mashaal and one of her employees decided to turn one of their weekly knit-alongs into a “protest stitch-along”.

They didn’t want to return to the “pussy hats” that symbolized women’s resistance to Donald Trump in 2016, so Paul, their employee, did some research and came back with a proposal: a red knit hat inspired by the topplue or nisselue (woolen caps), worn by Norwegians during the second world war to signify their resistance to the Nazi occupation.

Published: January 29, 2026, 12:00 pm

Seized review – captivating documentary goes inside a shocking newspaper raid

Sundance film festival: the story of the Marion County Record and the forces that tried to destroy it is expanded for a charming, and concerning, look at freedom of the press

On 11 August 2023, police officers executed a search warrant on the offices of the Marion County Record, a small, family-owned paper in central Kansas. Local law enforcement seized the computers, cell phones and reporting materials from all staff, as well as from the homes of one city council member and paper co-owner Eric Meyer, without incident – though they met the impassioned resistance of Meyer’s 98-year-old mother Joan, the paper’s other co-owner, who threw her walker to the ground and declared the raid “Nazi stuff”.

“This is illegal,” Eric Meyers warns the officers, as seen in a new documentary on the episode. “You’re going to be on national news tonight.”

Published: January 29, 2026, 10:38 pm

Seth Meyers on Minneapolis: ‘Trump is trying to distance himself from the chaos he created’

Late-night hosts covered resistance to ICE occupation and how Trump has recruited Nicki Minaj

Late-night hosts discussed the ongoing Minneapolis chaos and how some Republicans are starting to turn against Donald Trump.

Published: January 29, 2026, 4:42 pm

What technology takes from us – and how to take it back | Rebecca Solnit

Decisions outsourced, chatbots for friends, the natural world an afterthought: Silicon Valley is giving us life void of connection. There is a way out – but it’s going to take collective effort

Summer after summer, I used to descend into a creek that had carved a deep bed shaded by trees and lined with blackberry bushes whose long thorny canes arced down from the banks, dripping with sprays of fruit. Down in that creek, I’d spend hours picking until I had a few gallons of berries, until my hands and wrists were covered in scratches from the thorns and stained purple from the juice, until the tranquillity of that place had soaked into me.

Published: January 29, 2026, 5:00 am

Shut it down! The US is better off with no government than with the one it has | Judith Levine

As senators refuse to fund Trump’s immigration crackdown, a partial shutdown is likely. For Democrats, it’s the right move

It took not one but two killings of unarmed white American citizens by immigration enforcement agents for the Democrats to commit to withholding funds from the Department of Homeland Security, the agency of which Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the border patrol – the killers – are part.

After the first killing, seven House Democrats nevertheless voted with Republicans to allocate $64.4bn to the DHS, including $10bn for ICE. The bill they approved contained none of their party’s “commonsense” reforms, such as prohibition of masks and the requirement that agents obtain a judicial warrant before busting down a person’s door – not just an administrative warrant signed by the same agency invading the home. This last “reform”, which the Republican party rejected, is the soul of the fourth amendment, without which no one is safe anywhere from the state’s intrusion.

Published: January 29, 2026, 11:00 am

Rebecca Hendin on policing protest in the US and Iran – cartoon

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Published: January 29, 2026, 5:52 pm

From worst of times to even worse: the Trump administration continues to spiral | Sidney Blumenthal

In the winter of despair, it was a day of the vile and a night of the obscene

NIt was the worst of times and then even worse; it was the age of lies and then more lies; it was an epoch of preening and cowardice. In the winter of despair, it was a day of the vile and a night of the obscene. It was a tale of two films, one featuring the stark killing of a protester on a cold Minneapolis street and the other starring Melania Trump striking poses in a “documentary” shown at a private screening at the White House.

Throughout the day of Saturday 24 January videos of the killing by ICE agents of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Veterans Administration hospital, on a street in Minneapolis were broadcast endlessly on TV news channels and seen by tens of millions online. The videos clearly showed Pretti with his phone in his hand, holding his hands up as he approached ICE agents who had pepper-sprayed a woman. He was coming to her aid, a Good Samaritan. The ICE agents instantly attacked him. One frame of a video shows one agent with his gun drawn, pointed at Pretti’s back as he fell, hands still in the air. Agents appear to have shot him 10 times in five seconds.

Published: January 29, 2026, 12:00 pm

Sydney Sweeney threw bras around the Hollywood sign. I totally get it | Dave Schilling

The actor was promoting her new lingerie line – and in 2026, marketing requires more than a glossy ad

I would hate to have to launch a new product in 2026. Imagine a scenario where you’ve developed some ingenious new widget that costs millions of dollars to design, produce and bring to market. You could have quit numerous times. You probably wanted to, because there’s a new season of The Traitors and you have to catch up. But you never surrendered. You persevered, and your brilliant invention is ready for the world. All you have to do now is convince a society besieged by a nonstop cavalcade of crises to care. If the US government could kindly stop sending paramilitary forces to occupy major cities, that would be great for my brand.

This is the predicament faced by poor Sydney Sweeney, the actor best known for HBO’s Euphoria and the recent film The Housemaid. This week, Sweeney debuted a new lingerie line called “Syrn”. I presume it’s meant to be pronounced “siren”, since that’s a suitably sultry-sounding name. Also, confusing, which might be part of the brilliant marketing plan behind the launch. If you baffle enough people, they’ll be sure to Google you to see what your damn problem is anyway. If I was the marketing lead on this project, I would have suggested “Syren”, since that at least has a real vowel in it, like most actual words. Unfortunately, “Syren” was the name of a Confederate blockade runner during the civil war, which we (and very particularly Sydney Sweeney) would probably want to avoid associating with.

Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist

Published: January 29, 2026, 3:00 pm

The Minneapolis revolt tells us this: even in Trump’s America, the people have power too | Aditya Chakrabortty

After months of community resistance, the president backed down. Leadership from below succeeded when politics as usual failed

For most politicians and journalists, the answer to nearly every question is to look up. Not at the moon, the stars or even the chimney tops, but at their leaders: the people who sit atop institutions, wield power and set the line that others follow. The top of the totem pole is the sole focal point, and the stories that count usually come from the heights of power.

Bend your neck back far enough and Davos becomes not a talking shop in a Swiss ski resort, but a gathering of world leaders; Keir Starmer flying into Beijing is a summit of great powers; even who should be the MP for Gorton and Denton is really all about the Labour leadership. For this piece, the Guardian’s research librarians counted how many times the words “leader” or “leadership” appeared across the British press. Over the past week alone, the rough total stands at 2,000. A third of those stories concern one man: Donald Trump.

Aditya Chakrabortty is a Guardian columnist

Published: January 29, 2026, 6:00 am

The Guardian view on Trump’s Iran threats: military strikes won’t help civilians facing state brutality | Editorial

Protesters need support following the bloody crackdown by a ‘zombie’ regime – not wild threats or worse from the US president

The brutality of Iran’s crackdown on protesters is almost unfathomable. Despite the authorities cutting off communications and destroying evidence, it is clear that a regime never reluctant to shed its citizens’ blood has done so with unprecedented zeal, sensing an unprecedented threat from unrest across the country, challenging not only its policies but its very existence.

Officials have reported 3,000 deaths, but human rights groups have tallied many more, and a network of medical professionals has estimated that 30,000 could have been killed. Security forces shot people dead as they fled a fire and are arresting doctors for helping the wounded.

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.

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:02 pm

Gauff’s racket rage fallout: are players right to feel like they’re on Big Brother? | Tumaini Carayol

After the American’s venting went viral, players’ privacy has become a serious issue and deserves to be respected regardless of their income

The court access corridor at Melbourne Park is buried inconspicuously underneath the tournament grounds. A long, spacious walkway, it connects the east and west points of the vast Australian Open venue, allowing competitors to move unaccosted between the courts, player areas and media facilities. Right in the middle of the corridor, a large pair of automatic doors open up to the various private player areas.

Those same doors also lead straight to the entrance of Rod Laver Arena. On Tuesday, in the immediate aftermath of her excruciating 6-1, 6-2 loss to Elina Svitolina, Coco Gauff removed a racket from her bag, exited the double doors into the vacant corridor and up a ramp that she believed was hidden by a wall. She then proceeded to obliterate her racket on the concrete floor. Two days later, the force of that racket smash continues to reverberate around the tour.

Published: January 29, 2026, 4:47 pm

LIV and let die: Reed’s return to PGA fold shows why Saudi golf experiment is doomed | Ewan Murray

Despite an estimated outlay of $6bn since 2022, LIV appears to be far away from establishing itself in the manner of PIF projects in other sports

In one sense, it is difficult to detect anything warm and cuddly in all of this. Elite golfers, who were already obscenely rich, take the bounty on offer from a Saudi Arabian-backed disruption model before shuffling back whence they came – essentially for a trivial penalty – when the novelty wears off. This is hardly sport at its purest. Instead, an admission by Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed that they blundered in believing the fairways were greener on the LIV side. The PGA Tour, desperate to portray itself as the big boy in the playground, welcomes one-time pariahs back with open arms. Other golfers who spurned LIV’s fluttering eyelashes scratch their heads, wondering why they bothered.

There is, however, an underlying and endearing point. All the petroleum pounds in the world are no substitute for legacy. Trying to match the achievements of Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy carries significance. LIV golf has no relevance beyond its own domain. Saudi Arabia has made inroads into various sports but, in golf, the kingdom is unquestionably doomed. LIV is on the road towards oblivion, far earlier than most had anticipated. Only those who will gain financially from its continuation can try to spin an alternative story.

Published: January 29, 2026, 3:12 pm

MLS to cut a quarter of Spanish-language broadcast talent on Apple TV, according to sources

• Spanish-language MLS 360 show will cease

• Some live games will be produced from London

Major League Soccer will make significant changes to its broadcasts on Apple TV this season, including a significant scaling back of its Spanish-language broadcast talent during the regular season, five sources familiar with the league’s plans said this week. The sources spoke to the Guardian under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the league’s plans, which also include downscaling English-language offerings and sending some behind-the-scenes production to the UK.

Executives at MLS and Apple alike placed special emphasis on their Spanish-language broadcast plans when Season Pass debuted in 2023, suggesting the league would put those broadcasts on even footing with their English-language counterparts. Initially that held true, with the league sending a Spanish-language broadcast team to every match. In 2026, with MLS matches now out from behind the Season Pass paywall on Apple TV+, that will no longer be the case.

Published: January 29, 2026, 8:39 pm

O’Neill delight as Celtic ease to Europa League playoff with win over Utrecht

• Celtic race into 3-0 lead inside 19 minutes and win 4-2

• O’Neill’s side now face either Stuttgart or Ferencvaros

This was only briefly a little more fraught than it needed to be and looked as if it would be for Celtic. Martin O’Neill can focus on the most important factor in that he has guided the Scottish champions into the Europa league’s playoff phase. Job done, once again, for the effervescent O’Neill. Ferencvaros or Stuttgart lie in wait after Celtic closed in 21st place.

Celtic were fully deserving of their win in what unexpectedly developed into an entertaining clash with Utrecht. O’Neill, thought to be a managerial yesterday’s man not so long ago, continues to do his bit for 70-somethings everywhere. The Irishman will know Celtic must improve to make meaningful, further progress in this competition but such detail can wait. Even continuation in the Europa League had looked a long shot at one point. Utrecht will be delighted to see the back of a tournament which yielded just a single point from eight grisly fixtures.

Published: January 29, 2026, 10:06 pm

Champions League review: discontent for Real Madrid in a chaotic conclusion to group play

Álvaro Arbeloa’s team have concerns as they look ahead to the knockout stages, while Jamie Carragher has concerns about the draw

It was billed by broadcasters as “Matchday Mayhem”. Finally, after 17 of the 18 final day matches had finished, came a chaotic denouement. Not even José Mourinho’s long Champions League heritage had included a moment like this, though his wild celebration was familiar. Benfica were beating Real Madrid 3-2, and Mourinho’s former club were already dropping out of the top eight. “I was told [the scoreline] is enough, so let’s close the door,” said Mourinho.

Published: January 29, 2026, 2:38 pm

USWNT great Crystal Dunn announces retirement after decorated career

• Versatile talent helped US to World Cup, Olympic gold

• Dunn starred in striker, midfield and left back roles

• 2015 NWSL MVP also won three league titles

Crystal Dunn, an Olympic champion and World Cup winner who made 160 appearances for the US women’s national team, announced her retirement from professional soccer on Thursday.

A key figure in the United States’ 2019 World Cup win and their 2024 Olympic triumph, Dunn hoisted the NWSL championship trophy three times, with the North Carolina Courage in 2018 and 2019 and with the Portland Thorns in 2022.

Published: January 29, 2026, 5:26 pm

Boxing star Gervonta Davis arrested on kidnapping charges after two-week manhunt

• Davis arrested after US Marshals surveillance operation

• Warrant alleges battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping

• Arrest follows lawsuit and cancelled Jake Paul bout

Gervonta Davis, a three-division world champion and one of boxing’s biggest stars, was taken into custody in Miami on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after police issued an arrest warrant accusing the fighter of battery, false imprisonment and attempted kidnapping in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident last fall.

Miami Gardens police said Davis was apprehended following a multi-day surveillance operation conducted across three counties in coordination with the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Authorities said he was arrested without incident in Miami’s Design District and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center late Wednesday night.

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:12 am

Keir Starmer opens door to UK visit by Xi Jinping after bilateral talks

PM says trip to China has put relationship in stronger place, but possible return visit angers British critics

Keir Starmer has taken a big step towards rapprochement with China, opening the door to a UK visit from Xi Jinping in a move that drew immediate anger from British critics of Beijing.

During the first visit by a UK prime minister to China in eight years – a period which Starmer has described as an “ice age” – he said talks with the Chinese president had left the bilateral relationship in a stronger position.

Published: January 29, 2026, 6:37 pm

‘Chilling’ hacking network is targeting vulnerable children, charity warns

Ecosystem known as the Com is carrying out extreme exploitation, violence and sexual abuse, says report

A leading UK online safety charity has issued a “public warning” about a hacking community that is targeting vulnerable children for sexual abuse, self-harm and suicide.

The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) said online networks linked to a global ecosystem labelled the Com were carrying out extreme exploitation, cyberbullying, violence and abuse – and called for a coordinated global response from governments, regulators, law enforcement and tech companies.

Published: January 30, 2026, 12:01 am

Helena Bonham Carter joins Steve Coogan for The White Lotus season four

The Oscar-nominated star of The King’s Speech will check in for the new season of hit comedy drama set in France

Oscar-nominee Helena Bonham Carter has joined Steve Coogan for the fourth season of HBO’s comedy drama The White Lotus.

Bonham Carter is one of three new cast members officially announced today alongside Chris Messina and Marissa Long. Messina is known for roles in Sharp Objects, The Mindy Project and Julie & Julia, while Long is a model with only a short film to her name as an actor.

Published: January 29, 2026, 8:35 pm

US regulators open inquiry into Waymo self-driving car that struck child in California

Federal transportation regulator to investigate after child in Santa Monica sustained minor injuries from incident

The US’s federal transportation regulator said Thursday it had opened an investigation after a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in southern California last week, causing minor injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the child in Santa Monica ran across the street on 23 January from behind a double parked SUV towards the school and was struck by the Waymo autonomous vehicle during normal school drop-off hours. The agency said there were other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles in the vicinity.

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:59 pm

Apple reports massive spike in iPhone revenue, particularly in China

The iPhone maker reported first-quarter earnings after market close

• Big tech results show investor demand for payoffs from heavy AI spending

Apple released its first quarter earnings on Thursday exceeding Wall Street’s expectations, seeing its revenue skyrocket 16% from the same time last year.

“Apple is proud to report a remarkable, record-breaking quarter, with revenue of $143.8 billion,” Tim Cook, the company’s CEO, said in a statement. “iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment.”

Published: January 29, 2026, 10:25 pm

Kennedy Center official resigns less than two weeks after hiring

Kevin Couch says he ‘resigned yesterday’, amid recent turmoil following a leadership overhaul initiated by Trump

The newly appointed senior vice-president of artistic programming at Washington DC’s John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Kevin Couch, has resigned less than two weeks after his hiring was announced.

Couch confirmed he “resigned yesterday” in a statement to the Guardian on Thursday.

Published: January 29, 2026, 2:54 pm

‘Unjust and inhuman’: how royal family ignored a Black abolitionist’s plea to end the slave trade

In this adapted excerpt from The Crown’s Silence, which examines the royal family’s links with slavery from Elizabeth I to the present, Ottobah Cugoano directly appeals to the monarchy – but is met with silence

One autumn day in 1786, an unexpected parcel arrived at Carlton House, the London residence of George, Prince of Wales. The sender was Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, a free Black man living in London, one of roughly 4,000 people of African descent in the city at the time. Inside the package were pamphlets describing the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and the brutal treatment of enslaved people in Britain’s Caribbean colonies. The accompanying letter, signed “John Stuart,” Cugoano’s alias, urged the heir to the British throne to read the “little tracts” enclosed and to “consider the case of the poor Africans who are most barbarously captured and unlawfully carried away from their own country”.

Africans, Cugoano warned, were treated “in a more unjust and inhuman manner than ever known among any of the barbarous nations in the world”.

Published: January 29, 2026, 3:53 pm

Former Illinois deputy sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing Sonya Massey

Sean Grayson receives maximum possible sentence for second-degree murder conviction in 2024 fatal shooting

A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy was sentenced on Thursday to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, who had dialed 911 to report a possible prowler outside her Springfield home.

Sean Grayson, 31, was convicted in October. Grayson, who is white, received the maximum possible sentence. He has been incarcerated since he was charged in the killing.

Published: January 29, 2026, 5:22 pm

What is behind the extraordinary rise in investment into silver and gold?

Experts say factors including Trump’s aggressive policies and pressure on the dollar are pushing investors toward ‘safe haven’ of precious metals

Last year’s extraordinary run in precious metals has only intensified in 2026, as Donald Trump has continued to rip up the rules of the global economy.

Gold has been on a tear since last summer, repeatedly breaking records. It has risen by more than a quarter this month and hit a new high of just under $5,595 (£4,060) an ounce on Thursday.

Published: January 29, 2026, 5:53 pm

US leads record global surge in gas-fired power driven by AI demands, with big costs for the climate

Projects in development expected to grow global capacity by nearly 50% amid growing concern over impact on planet

The US is leading a huge global surge in new gas-fired power generation that will cause a major leap in planet-heating emissions, with this record boom driven by the expansion of energy-hungry datacenters to service artificial intelligence, according to a new forecast.

This year is set to shatter the annual record for new gas power additions around the world, with projects in development expected to grow existing global gas capacity by nearly 50%, a report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) found.

Published: January 29, 2026, 1:58 pm

Valium, health checks and fabric slings: the complex logistics of moving 30 beluga whales

Canada has reached a tentative deal for 30 belugas in an amusement park to be shipped to four aquariums in US

• ‘It’s heartbreaking’: how 30 captive beluga whales have become pawns in row over animal cruelty

Before boarding the plane, the travellers will be given a dose of Valium to calm their nerves. For some, it will be the first time they’ve flown. Others have logged thousands of miles over the Pacific Ocean. Like most weary and anxious passengers, they will be offered minimal personal space on board and food isn’t included in their fare.

But for these jet-setters, the tight quarters and minimal refreshments aren’t meant to maximize airline profits: they’re meant to keep them safe.

Published: January 29, 2026, 12:11 pm

‘Pesticide cocktails’ polluting apples across Europe, study finds

Pan Europe found several pesticide residues in 85% of apples, with some showing traces of up to seven chemicals

Environmental groups have raised the alarm after finding toxic “pesticide cocktails” in apples sold across Europe.

Pan Europe, a coalition of NGOs campaigning against pesticide use, had about 60 apples bought in 13 European countries – including France, Spain, Italy and Poland – analysed for chemical residues.

Published: January 29, 2026, 12:38 pm

Social media star Shirley Raines dies after years helping homeless in LA

Known as “Ms Shirley”, she used TikTok to bring food, dignity and hope to Skid Row and beyond

Shirley Raines, a social media creator and non-profit founder who dedicated her life to caring for people experiencing homelessness, has died, her organization Beauty 2 The Streetz said Wednesday. She was 58.

Raines was known as “Ms Shirley”, to her more than 5 million TikTok followers and to the people who regularly lined up for the food, beauty treatments and hygiene supplies she brought to Los Angeles’ Skid Row and other homeless communities in California and Nevada.

Published: January 29, 2026, 4:08 pm

Matt Mahan, mayor of San Jose, announces run for governor of California

The former tech entrepreneur joins a sprawling but stagnant field to succeed Gavin Newsom

Matt Mahan, the centrist Democrat and mayor of San Jose, announced on Thursday that he would run for governor of California, joining a sprawling but stagnant field to succeed Gavin Newsom.

Mahan, 43, is a former tech entrepreneur who was first elected mayor of Silicon Valley’s largest city in 2022.

Published: January 29, 2026, 9:54 pm

Klobuchar declares Minnesota governor run as Walz vows not to seek office again

Senator says she is running ‘for every Minnesotan who wants ICE and its abusive tactics out of the state we love’

Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic US senator and one-time presidential candidate, announced she will run for governor of Minnesota, an expected move after the incumbent governor, Tim Walz, dropped out of the race in early January.

Klobuchar’s announcement comes less than 24 hours after Walz said that he would never run for public office again.

Published: January 29, 2026, 1:51 pm

Bari Weiss’s new CBS hires include ‘germ theory denialist’ doctor

Dr Mark Hyman, who claimed he reduced his biological age by 20 years, brought on as a contributor

Among the new hires at CBS announced by Bari Weiss is a doctor who has claimed that he has reduced his biological age by 20 years with therapies including cold plunges; that cod liver oil can treat autism and that conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia can be reversed with the kind of nutritional supplements he also sells on his online store.

Dr Mark Hyman, who has been called a “germ theory denialist” by the medical author Harriet Hall, and has been brought on as a contributor in Weiss’s revamping of CBS’s news division. He is perhaps the most prominent exponent of so-called “functional medicine” (FM), an alternative medicine that the oncological surgeon David Gorski has described as “pure quackery”.

Published: January 29, 2026, 1:00 pm

Criminal investigation opened into two officials over deadly new year Swiss fire

Prosecutors questioning Crans-Montana head of public safety and a former fire safety officer, documents show

Prosecutors investigating the deadly new year bar fire that killed 40 people in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana have opened a criminal investigation into a current and a former local council official, according to documents and local media reports.

The municipality’s head of public safety was this week summoned to a hearing next Friday, their lawyer, Nicolas Rivard, confirmed on Thursday, adding that his client would be reserving any statement for the public prosecutors.

Published: January 29, 2026, 4:59 pm

Nearly 150 flood alerts in place across England in aftermath of Storm Chandra

Met Office issues yellow rain alerts in south-west, with 66 flood warnings – indicating expected flooding – in force

Nearly 150 flood alerts remain in place across England as communities continue grappling with the aftermath of Storm Chandra.

A yellow rain alert spanning from noon to midnight on Thursday has been issued for parts of south-west England, with the Met Office warning that more flooding could hit roads, homes and businesses.

Published: January 29, 2026, 9:03 pm

Taliban birth control ban: women ‘broken’ by lethal pregnancies and untreated miscarriages

Women across Afghanistan describe the traumatic impact of disappearing clinics and contraception

Parwana* no longer recognises her own children. Once known for her beauty in her village in Kandahar province, the 36-year-old sits on the floor of her mother’s home, rocking silently. After nine pregnancies and six miscarriages, many under pressure from her husband and in-laws, Parwana has slipped into a permanent state of confusion.

“She is lost,” says her mother, Sharifa. “They broke her with fear, pregnancies and violence.”

Published: January 29, 2026, 9:00 am

The ‘overlooked’ saint: digitally recreated shrine marks 800th anniversary of William of York

Exhibition at York Minster celebrates nearly forgotten 12th-century archbishop said to be behind Ouse Bridge miracle

The inscription on the large 13th-century stone slab on display at York Minster does not bode well: “Qui cecidit svper capvt Rogeri de Ripvn.” Or, as it translates: “Which fell on the head of Roger of Ripon.”

“We don’t quite know who Roger of Ripon was,” said Jennie England, research coordinator at the cathedral. “But he survived, and a miraculous incident was reported in the 1280s when a stone fell on someone’s head.”

Published: January 29, 2026, 3:55 pm

Nick Frost: ‘Tarantino has pictures of me in his cinema’

The actor on manifesting the part of Hagrid in Harry Potter, struggling with his looks and his issue with Strictly

You’re big on pies on your Insta. What’s your go-to pastry recipe and, briefly, your favourite filling – savoury and sweet? TopTramp
Well, as much as I can make it, I like to have a little block of shop-bought shortcrust or flaky pastry in the fridge. It’s so much easier to just roll it out and stick it on top. The pies have to be double crust. The one I make the most is slow braised, tiny chunks of steak with minced beef and roasted shallots, like a minced beef and onion pie. The kids love that with chips for Saturday night dinner. I like making chicken and mushroom with leek, although my partner’s a veggie, so she would probably say fish pie, with boiled eggs, which is a real labour of love, so I tend to save that for special occasions. I like a nice apple and cinnamon pie with a Demerara sugar crust, and cherry pie made with that really shit fake filling.

What happened to your live-action remake of Captain Pugwash? keithrickaby
That was nearly 10 years ago. There was quite a good script. I think the money was coming from China, and I’m not sure they’d seen Captain Pugwash before. I think it was one of those things that never quite reached escape velocity. I do remember they just had normal names, and not the double entendres like Seaman Staines or Master Bates that everyone thinks were in the cartoon.

Published: January 29, 2026, 3:00 pm

A night without Nessun Dorma: what does booing at the opera say about UK audiences?

Critics worry that heckling, such as that at a recent Royal Opera performance, is becoming more common

Opera audiences pride themselves on knowing when – and how – to make noise. Cries of “bravo”, “brava” and “bravi” have become a celebrated part of the tradition, with shouted approval seen as evidence of connoisseurship.

Booing, too, has a long history, and as a brave stand-in at the Royal Opera House found out on Tuesday night, its impact may sometimes seem a little blunter.

Published: January 29, 2026, 6:33 pm

Undertone review – disappointing podcast horror is mostly skippable

Sundance film festival: there are some effective early moments in this ultra low-budget, audio-first horror but deja vu soon replaces intrigue

There’s a swirl of creepy noises in A24’s new hyped-up horror Undertone – screaming, gargling, singing, banging – but nothing is quite loud enough to drown out the swirl of films it’s cribbing from. The debut feature from writer-director Ian Tuason, about horror podcasters who receive a set of mysterious recordings, has elements of Paranormal Activity, Session 9, Hereditary, The Ring, The Blair Witch Project and The Exorcist, enough sighs of familiarity to give horror fans a scary case of deja vu. It’s not that total originality is expected at this particular moment (this weekend’s Send Help has been touted as Misery meets Castaway), but given the genre’s overcrowd, it’s hard to see what pushes Undertone above the noise.

What it does do is make for an impressively resourceful use of a low budget, the whole thing costing about $500,000. It’s all shot in one house (Tuason’s actual home) and for the most part, any sinister goings on are restricted to audio footage, heard through the headphones of our lead Eva (Nina Kiri, who reminds me of a young Alice Eve). She’s living back home with her terminally ill mother, fending calls from a thoughtless boyfriend and patiently awaiting those from her friend, and maybe one that got away, Justin (the voice of White Lotus breakout Adam DiMarco, replacing the original voice after the A24 acquisition). The pair co-host a podcast that analyses creepy tales, Eva as the skeptic and Justin as the believer, the pair’s flirtatious pitter-patter positioning them as the Mulder and Scully of the audio world.

Published: January 29, 2026, 6:34 pm

Chasing Summer review – incoherent small-town comedy is a baffling car crash

Sundance film festival: comedian Iliza Shlesinger’s nonsensical misfire is a swirl of cliches, unfunny comedy, stock characters and bizarre direction from Josephine Decker

I will give Chasing Summer this: there’s something inherently interesting about its unexpected union of two opposite forces. On one side there’s Josephine Decker, an unusual film-maker whose genre-challenging work spans experimental theater (2019’s Madeline’s Madeline), claustrophobic psychodrama (2020’s perversely thrilling, woefully underseen Shirley) and magical realism (the 2022 YA grief flick The Sky Is Everywhere). On the other, comedian Iliza Shlesinger, whose brand of fast-paced, ribald, sometimes hilarious (and sometimes too gender-essentialist) standup is both subverted and enhanced by her own white, blond conventional attractiveness. I can’t imagine many saw the former choosing to direct Chasing Summer, a Hallmark-esque comedy written by and starring the latter. Theoretically, the collision should generate sparks.

It does, though I can’t imagine in the way the odd couple intended. The 98-minute film, which premiered this week at Sundance, is one of the most bizarre combinations of director and material I’ve ever seen, more curious car crash than collaboration. It is almost worth it to watch a sensitive and surprising director, so attuned to inner turmoil and unreality, wrangle anything substantial out of razor-thin characters and a boilerplate set-up.

Chasing Summer is screening at the Sundance film festival and is seeking distribution

Published: January 29, 2026, 2:40 pm

Why US cinemagoers are dressing as Jimmy Savile to see 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

The disgraced and despised British entertainer’s distinctive look is trending among some film fans on TikTok. Should somebody tell them what he did?

When British people think of Jimmy Savile, it isn’t typically as someone whose style to admire. But at screenings of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the latest film in the 28 Days Later franchise which was released this month, that does seem to be what some US filmgoers are thinking.

In the film, a murderous cult known as “the Jimmies” stalk the ruins of post‑apocalyptic Britain. Led by Sir Jimmy Crystal, played by Jack O’Connell, the sect are instantly recognisable for their cheap tracksuits, bleached blonde wigs and particular mannerisms.

Published: January 29, 2026, 12:09 pm

From incel culture to the White House: American Psycho’s dark hold on modern masculinity

As the musical version of the notoriously gory book returns to the stage, its tale of 80s yuppie nihilism feels more relevant than ever in the era of Andrew Tate, Trump and tech bros

I have just witnessed a murder. Spattered against the white walls of the Almeida theatre are several thin streaks of blood. Underneath them a particularly gruesome-looking hand axe rests on a table. And on the other side of the room, a clue to who the perpetrator might be. Discarded next to someone’s laptop is a business card – bone-coloured, raised black lettering – bearing a familiar name: Patrick Bateman.

Him again.

Published: January 29, 2026, 8:00 am

Blood, butter and boys in luv: BTS’s 20 best songs – ranked!

As the superstar K-pop boyband prepare for their first album in three years – after its members completed their military service – we count down the best of their toothsome pop

At the start of their career, BTS were marketed as a cross between a Korean idol band and a blinged-out rap act: “Our life is hip-hop,” offered band member Suga early on. No More Dream is actually far tougher-sounding than you might expect: the vocals growl, the backing blares, the double-bass sample that drives the intro is great.

Published: January 29, 2026, 1:00 pm

Tyler Ballgame: For the First Time, Again review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

(Rough Trade)
The much-hyped LA singer – who has been compared to Tim Buckley, Elvis and more – certainly has a beautiful voice, though he can lean too eagerly on his influences

Scrolling back through Tyler Ballgame’s Instagram posts is a striking experience. Barely a year ago, they largely comprised flyers for – and cameraphone footage from – gigs in tiny Los Angeles bars, the kind that make as much virtue out of the fact that entry is free as of who’s playing: one bills his performance alongside a vintage clothes market and “tarot readings”. A support slot with a minor jam band called Eggy is a very big deal indeed; the news that he’s playing a show in London is greeted with disbelief: “What,” asks one baffled correspondent, “does London know of Ballgame?”

Things changed dramatically over the ensuing 12 months. Not long after his first trip to London, a video of him performing live at a Los Angeles bar called the Fable began circulating online. By the time he came back to the UK to perform at Brighton industry showcase the Great Escape, he had signed to Rough Trade. Critical hosannas began raining down on Ballgame: he has variously been compared to Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Jim Morrison and Tim Buckley.

Published: January 29, 2026, 12:00 pm

Virgin by Hollie McNish audiobook review – myth-shattering poetry about purity and sex

The author and spoken word artist’s delivery is full of tenderness and humour as she confronts the outdated notions of innocence that surround women

The latest collection by the poet Hollie McNish is dedicated to anyone who has been “blamed, shamed, pressured, tortured, dehumanised, de-mothered over a man-made concept about your own body”. Virgin is a series of poems and prose stories aimed at busting myths and challenging stereotypes about sex and the body.

McNish tackles the persistently weird and outdated notions of innocence and purity around young women: “Do not tell me which touches have mattered the most / This is your obsession not mine.” In Send Nudes she notes how any shame about those who have sent “a snapshot of your body stripped autumn bare” lies with the person who broke trust by sharing or mocking it, and not with the sender.

Published: January 29, 2026, 3:00 pm

Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash review – clever comedy for our conspiracy theory age

This tender satire of a dysfunctional American family’s search for moral guidance is precisely what our times need

Making the comic novel succeed is a rich, tricky project in our age of desperate, sometimes weirdly eager apocalypticism. Madeline Cash has spotted that a combination of tenderness and satire may be precisely what our times require. Lost Lambs, her debut novel about the Flynn family, is a witty, quickfire book set in a small American town, punch-drunk on clever, skewering lists and infested typographically by the gnats that plague the local church the family attends (“explagnation”, “extermignation”).

The Flynns are in a mess. It was easy for Catherine and Bud to be passionate when he was a young rock star and she was an aspiring artist. But since then they’ve acquired three daughters and a lot of Tupperware. Catherine succumbs to the advances of Jim, an amateur artist who gives her “the youthful comfort of being understood”. He’s rekindled her artistic ambitions, prompting her to decorate the Flynn house with nude self-portraits and proclaim an open marriage. She doesn’t yet know that Jim has a collection of pottery vaginas in his basement (“each of these pussies has touched my life”).

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:00 am

Cairn review – obsession, suffering and awe in a climbing game that hits exhausting new heights

PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox; The Game Bakers
A punishing, beautiful survival game that turns mountaineering into an intimate test of endurance, fixation and emotional resolve – you’ll be in tears by the end

Mountaineers and climbers, especially the free-solo kind, are humanity’s most fascinating maniacs: single-minded, daring souls who throw themselves into profoundly optional life-endangering feats. It is hard not to be compelled, and appalled, by someone like Alex Honnold. Even with ropes, a single wrong move can mean death in mountaineering, a mad activity that puts you at the full mercy of nature. You cannot help but wonder what kind of person willingly chooses this: what kind of person looks at a towering cliff face, or a wall of wind-whipped ice, and thinks, I bet I can get up there.

Aava, Cairn’s protagonist, is that kind of person: a champion climber, a woman who has conquered summit after summit, but for some reason can’t walk away. Before her stands Mount Kami, an ice-tipped, Himalayan-style peak that has never before been climbed. Kami was once home to a tribe of people, whose remnants you find as you pull yourself up each section of the mountain, but now you are very much alone. Controlling Aava’s limbs, you move her hands and feet towards imperfections in the rock, jamming her fingers into cracks and her toes on to tiny ledges. You quickly learn to read the mountain, as Aava would.

Published: January 29, 2026, 2:00 pm

‘Of course I’m scared’: people confront their final days – in pictures

Sibylle Fendt’s intimate photographs of terminally ill patients and their carers were inspired by the death of her own husband – a period in which she experienced pain, tenderness and love

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:00 am

The rise of Fafo parenting: is this the end of gentle child rearing?

Mothers on social media are advocating a tough, no-nonsense approach to parenting. Does this teach children important lessons – or just make them feel isolated and ashamed?

A couple of weeks ago, a video posted on TikTok by Paige Carter, a mother in Florida, went viral. Carter explained that she had thrown her daughter’s iPad out of the window when she had been misbehaving on the way to school, and she films herself retrieving the tablet, now with a cracked screen. The video has been watched 4.9m times, and Carter was congratulated in the comments, with one person writing “Learning Fafo at an early age: top tier parenting.” Welcome to the parenting trend that doesn’t seem to be disappearing: “Fuck around and find out.”

In another video, when a small child announces he is going to leave home, his mother says “see ya”, shuts the front door behind him, and turns off the outside light – then opens the door to him screaming and pounding to be let back in (it has been liked 1.5m times). He had learned, said his mother, “the meaning of Fafo”.

Published: January 29, 2026, 5:00 am

You be the judge: should my husband stop expecting me to come to all his family gatherings?

Edwin wants Chloe to join him at all of his large family’s events, but she values her independence. You decide who is playing happy families
• Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror

It’s thoughtless to wheel me out to his family as a formality. I need my own space sometimes

Published: January 29, 2026, 8:00 am

Sledges, bears and a hotel with Wes Anderson vibes: Switzerland’s quirkiest family ski resort

Forget flashy St Moritz or Zermatt, the unsung village of Arosa has childlike charm, with animal sanctuaries, cool accommodation and kid-friendly tobogganing

On the approach to Arosa in the Graubünden Alps, the road is lined with mountain chapels, their stark spires soaring heavenwards; a portent, perhaps, of the ominous route ahead. The sheer-sided valley is skirted with rugged farmhouses and the road twists, over ravines and round hairpin curves, to a holiday destination that feels like a well-kept secret.

On the village’s frozen lake, young families ice skate, hand in hand. A little farther along, on the snow-covered main street, children sled rapidly downhill, overtaking cars. The resort’s mascots are a happy gang of brown bears. And there are Narnia lamp-posts, which turn the falling snow almost gold every evening. Switzerland is replete with ski towns but none feel quite this innocent and childlike, like stepping into a fairytale.

Published: January 29, 2026, 7:00 am

‘It’s still a family favourite’: your heirloom recipes – and the stories behind them

From baked beans with a Gujarati twist to billowing Yorkshire pudding with bramley apples, Guardian readers share the dishes that have connected their families across the generations

• Sign up here for our weekly food newsletter, Feast

A few years ago, I bought my mother a notebook for her recipes. It was a weighty, leather-bound affair that could act as a vault for all the vivid stews, slow-cooked beans and many other family specialities – the secrets of which existed only in her head. Although the gift has basically been a failure (bar a lengthy WhatsApp message detailing her complex jollof rice methodology, she still has an allergy to writing down cooking techniques or quantities), I think the impulse behind it is sound and highly relatable. Family recipes are a form of time travel. An act of cultural preservation that connects us deeply to people we may not have met and places we may not have visited.

Those realities shine through in this week’s gathered compendium of heirloom recipes submitted by readers. Baked beans given a Gujarati twist. An Atlantic-hopping riff on spinach and feta pie. A billowing yorkshire pudding with sticky bramley apples in its base. All of these preparations, particularly when a recipe for anything is a mere tap away, point to the power of human connection and the ingenuity of domestic chefs. And perhaps the best thing about ancestral culinary approaches is that they can be passed from one clan to another, living on even as they are adapted and evolve.

Published: January 29, 2026, 12:35 pm

Tokyo blossom and ice on the Hudson: photos of the day – Thursday

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

Published: January 29, 2026, 2:33 pm