From tourist taxes to caps, here are the holiday hotspots taking measures to bring down escalating visitor numbers

The changes would be in response to climate change

From damaging 140-million-year-old rock formations to simulating sex with statues of Greco-Roman gods, visitors have caused a whole world of outrage in 2024

Exclusive ski resorts, from MegA"ve to Niseko, are home to a wealth of catered chalets, luxury spa experiences and Michelin-starred restaurants

From 80s themed museums to bustling markets and artsy festivals, take a seriously cool culture trip in Croatia

Sun-soaked, beachy and beautifully untouched, Croatia is the perfect place to immerse yourself in nature

Looking for excitement, adventure AND relaxation on your next getaway? Embrace the art of slow travel on a sun-soaked sojurn in Croatia

Non-EU citizens seeking a home in the sun face a huge tax hike on housing

Kyoto city plans to hike lodging tax for hotels and other accommodations

A official opening date has not been released, but the record-breaking Toxicator is set to make its debut ride in the spring

Which flight routes experience the most turbulence on average?

Cosy rooms, locally-sourced dishes and private cinema screens, here are the best boutique hotels the Cotswolds have to offer

Eastern Europeas answer to the Camino de Santiago is best explored on two wheels, says Damien Gabet, as he follows a new route that is giving people a reason to return to the countryside

A trip to the Scottish capital doesnat have to be expensive, especially when there are these budget-friendly hotels to enjoy during your stay

Roads are closed but flight disruption has so far kept to a minimum as fires spread in southern California

Exploring the other side of UAE city

A charity has told the public to avoid these holiday spots

The solo traveler says the woman ascoffed aggressivelya when they said no to switching seats

Exclusive: The projectile crashed through the roof of Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarinias Inglewood home, and slammed into their bedroom, just inches from their pillows, according to court filings obtained by The Independent

Shields suffered a grand mal seizure in 2023

Two tiny cartons of French vanilla coffee creamer were added to the TikTokeras pedicure bath

The new rules reverse the policy put in place in 2018 after two men were arrested

The princess also makes a surprise visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital to meet staff and patients

One consumer also reported that they found aa piece of metala in the product

Presenter stepped in after angering fans with her social media post

The aGone Girla star returned to his home in Brentwood over the weekend following the devestating wildfires

Walmart last redesigned its logo in 2008

The Princess of Wales gave a special message of support to a woman whose life has been turned upside down by cancer.

aTo say good riddance is real sick, and Iam not liking that whatsoever,a Applegate said

The singer and her husband share three children

As a new study suggests that a proportion of Generation Z would rather hire a professional to change a lightbulb or hang a picture frame, Ellie Muir looks into why a and explains how DIY has become a privilege in the current economic climate

aI find him endlessly interesting,a said the broadcaster

Discover how online schooling works and why, for a growing number of families, itas the best learning solution

aWe were young and stupid!a Barrymore recalled looking back on her revenge

The Princess of Wales supported a cancer patient receiving treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital on Tuesday, 14 January, as she made an aincredibly poignanta return to thank her medical team.

Admitting to enjoying of glass of cowas milk as an adult is tantamount to saying you collect cuddly toys and take baths with a sibling. But haters take note: ignoring the ick and downing a glass of the white stuff could come with massive health benefits, finds Helen Coffey

Actor and filmmaker criticised insurance companies for taking abillions of dollars out of communitiesa only to acancel millions of policiesa in fire-prone areas

aWe spend more time with each other than we did before,a the TV personality admitted

aWhat a scam,a said shocked social media users

Researchers highlighted a shift in contraception use in the last five years

Top chef was previously caught up in a row with the culinary guides over a cheese soufflA(c)

Love or hate pineapple on pizza a one Norwich restaurant made its stance very clear

The former art directoras campaigns focused on social themes like the AIDS pandemic, racism, death penalty, and war

Duke and Duchess of Sussex urge Zuckerberg to reconsider changes affecting Facebook and Instagram

The aBasketball Wives LAa star provided a discount code for the air purifier on Instagram

aMeghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers,a said aFamily Tiesa star

Think Veganuary means giving up bold flavours? Think again. Saiphin Moore, the culinary genius behind Rosaas Thai, shares three vegan recipes that are as vibrant as they are satisfying

Police say they are looking for two teenage boys in connecting with the murder of 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa

Independent adviser on ministerial standards says it is aregrettablea Siddiq was anot more alert to the potential reputational risksa of her close familyas association with Bangladesh

Downing Street left door open to an emergency Budget in the spring following the rising cost of government borrowing

Exclusive: Liberal Democrats to table a Bill on moves to allow the under 30s to live and work in the EU

The guidance is contained in a wartime booklet issued to all new recruits to the Security Service

Just Stop Oil claimed responsibility for the protest

The princess also makes a surprise visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital to meet staff and patients

Under current rules landlords are able to request thousands of pounds in upfront rent payments, prompting concern that people will be forced to take on debt to secure a tenancy

It has been an intense past year for the Princess of Wales as she underwent cancer treatment

Exclusive: Millions have been forced to change to a digital immigration system in 2025 but the transition to the eVisa has led to problems for foreign nationals and refugees

The EHRC issued the warning

Sir Keir Starmer hit by second ministerial resignation in six months as Tulip Siddiq steps down as anti-corruption minister

The results are varied, ranging from energy providers, to universities, to tech firms

Tulip Siddiqas aunt is the former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled into exile after being deposed last year

A special cabinet meeting has been called in Mauritius on Wednesday with reports Starmer is preparing to sign a deal before Trump has a chance to veto it

The visit to Royal Marsden Hospital was said to be aincredibly poignanta for the Princess of Wales

Murdered 10-year-old suffered a catalogue of more than 70 injuries inflicted by her father and stepmother, including 25 fractures, bite marks and burns

Exclusive: Londonas social housing residents said amisleading stereotypesa from television shows such as Benefits Street were affecting their employment and career opportunities, and even their dating lives

From a major UK film star to the Queenas senior courtier a declassifed documents tell a new story about British spies

The toxic substances are commonplace a and very hard to get rid of

Eliza and Henrietta were last seen on CCTV at the Victoria Bridge in Aberdeen, Scotland

Watch as Rachel Reeves answered questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 13 January, after returning from a trip to China criticised by political opponents for coinciding with a week of volatility for the pound and soaring yields on UK bonds.

Colchester Zoo says it is conducting a review after male zebra died in mixed species enclosure

Days after victim Kacey Bootheas death, gunman Kammar Henry-Richards bragged about the killing in a rap video

More than 15,600 rental households will be evicted by bailiffs in the first six months of 2025, the Renters Reform Coalition has warned

Kevin Hollinrake is coming under pressure to recuse himself from the debate on the Renters Reform Bill

Ex-shadow chancellor calls for wealth tax to tackle economic crisis

Over 67 per cent of people with housing costs such as rent and mortgages in England have reported experiencing unforeseen pressures over the last year, a survey from HSBC and Shelter shows

Sir Keir Starmer facing growing calls to sack his anti-corruption minister, who referred herself to standards watchdog last week

It comes after Nigel Farageas party claimed to have overtaken the Toriesa membership numbers

The controversial five minute payment rule could finally come to an end as early as February

The average property value increased by APS2,400 last year. But where was it the most?

News analysis: Keir Starmer gave his beleaguered chancellor the vote of confidence on Monday morning, but if he decided on a change in the Treasury who could replace her?

Duke and Duchess of Sussex urge Zuckerberg to reconsider changes affecting Facebook and Instagram

Former first minister of Scotland said the couple, who wed in 2010, ahave been separated for some time nowa

Protesters write a1.5 is Deada in orange spray chalk

Join an exclusive virtual event hosted by our chief political commentator John Rentoul as we analyse the lasting impact of five years of Brexit

aThe entire writeras room looked at me as if I had just slept with their mom...a Schwimmer said

Harrowing documentary deftly points out the systems that permit figures such as Manson to go unchecked for decades

Three-part documentary explores musician Brian Warneras relationship with fans, controversies, and allegations of abuse by former partners and ex-assistants

Actor said he is adefinitely underpaida despite appearing in slew of high-budget projects

aThe Viewa hostas remarks came after the country singer was hit with immense backlash online

The staras educational videos have been viewed over a billion times on YouTube

aBetter Mana has struggled at the box office despite rave reviews

The almost-forgotten millennial antiheroes rose to the top of the TikTok algorithm a and the iTunes charts a after Spenceras response to the Pacific Palisades tragedy, Holly Baxter reports from New York

The 16-year-old high school student was allegedly convinced by Combs to get into his vehicle in New York in late August or early September 2000, a new lawsuit claims

Comedy star was a regular performer on improvisation game show

Star had broken up with her partner Davide Sanclimenti in the months before her aCBBa appearance

aI find him endlessly interesting,a said the broadcaster

Taylor Swiftas team hold apreliminary talksa with Shanghai authorities

Kimmel hit out at the avile and irresponsible thingsa Trump said during LAas adarkest and most terrifying houra

Youall be able to get your fix soon after the UK series finishes

Popular star is the latest in a growing list of cast members leaving ITV series later this year

Former host isnat happy with the fate of the modified vehicles he used on the show

A group of 12 stars are being dropped into the wilderness in Bear Grylls and Holly Willoughbyas new show

Fans of the hit BBC series are anxiously wondering about one cast memberas whereabouts

Actor has launched a new podcast, aAre You A Charlotte?a, in which she reflects on the HBO series

aIt was such a harrowing experience for me,a actor said

Pop icon is currently performing as part of her farewell tour

aItas just strange, in a world of slasher films and porn, that people got so upset about this,a he said

Actor praised how the technology was able to do six months of work ain a nanoseconda

With the western genre an increasingly difficult sell for audiences, the streameras gritty new series seems to have beaten the odds. Louis Chilton looks at the merits and significance of aAmerican Primevala

Controversial artist is accused of abuse by more than a dozen women

From salary disputes and poor scripts to feuds and voiceovers that apparently sound atoo olda, Hollywood is filled with stories of emergency recastings due to off-screen conflicts, writes Adam White

The Danish actor was 50 when he became an international star thanks to the success of the hit art satire aThe Squarea. Since then his career has rocketed with roles in projects such as aDraculaa and aBad Sistersa. He talks to Louis Chilton about learning to shoot a crossbow for his new film aWilliam Tella, and why he insists on having intimacy directors on set

aMeghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers,a said aFamily Tiesa star

New film stars TimothA(c)e Chalamet as the acclaimed singer-songwriter

Pop staras donation comes as LA braces for further devastation

The unconventional film has performed slightly better in the UK, making $4.7 million to date

Musician revealed the latest update as doctors work to discover the cause of his heart problems

TV staras earning have aincreased massivelya since he joined game show

The country singer will sing aAmerica the Beautifula at the swearing-in ceremony next Monday

Macchio takes over for Jackie Evancho, who performed aThe Star-Spangled Bannera at the President-electas 2017 inauguration

The release of The Weekndas sixth album aHurry Up Tomorrowa has been postponed

A number of major pop acts will perform in intimate venues around the venue ahead of the Brit Awards

Siddiq was under pressure over her occupancy of properties linked to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, Bangladeshas ousted leader

Tulip Siddiq has resigned as a Treasury minister after accepting the government was being harmed by the furore over her close ties to her aunt, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh now accused of corruption.

Siddiq, who was the City and anti-corruption minister, stepped aside after an investigation by Laurie Magnus, the adviser on ministerial standards, into her use of properties given to herself and family by allies of the regime of Sheikh Hasina.

Trump Pentagon pick grilled by Democrats at Senate confirmation hearing amid concerns of his personal history

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trumpas pick for US secretary of defense, defended his record in a contentious Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, acknowledging he was anot a perfect persona as Democratic lawmakers grilled the military veteran and Fox News host on allegations of sexual assault, excessive alcohol use and financial mismanagement.

Hegseth can only afford to lose the votes of three Senate Republicans, assuming every Democratic senator opposes his nomination, but none appeared ready to break ranks despite some having previously voiced concerns about Hegsethas personal history and his views on women in the military.

US secretary of state, in last major foreign policy speech, says countries in Middle East must achieve their aspirations in a climate of peace and security

• Gaza ceasefire negotiations aright on the brinka as mediators meet in Qatar

Here are some of the latest images sent over the news wires from Gaza.

Lebanonas National News Agency reports that Israeli forces are operating to the west of Meiss El Jabal. It states they are araiding and storming residential homesa and continues:

They are also carrying out searches, vandalism, scattering contents and burning some of them. Limited explosions, machine gun fire and the movement of vehicles and tanks is also being recorded.

Just when it seemed nothing was dropping for Liverpool in a captivating contest, Arne Slot turned to his substitutesa bench midway through the second half and exhibited his seemingly golden touch. Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota entered, the former teeing up the latter at a corner to equalise courtesy of their first touches. It was Liverpoolas first shot on target and the first goal Nottingham Forest had conceded in more than 500 minutes of action.

For Forest, this is a simply a ride supporters do not want to step off. This was another resounding display under Nuno EspArito Santo, another impressive step in an extraordinary season and a point lifts them to second, six points behind the pacesetters, who also have a game in hand. On this evidence, we may just have a title race, especially with both Chelsea and Manchester City dropping more points.

Lawyer for Northern Ireland MP Sorcha Eastwood said posts were made the day after Commons debate on violence against women and girls

A Northern Ireland MP has launched legal action against the self-styled misogynist Andrew Tate and his brother over social media posts made in the past week.

A lawyer for Sorcha Eastwood, an MP for the Alliance party, said the posts were made on Friday, the day after she had told MPs that she was a asurvivor of abusea and had received rape threats.

Kevin Winters, one of Northern Irelandas best-known solicitors with a series of cases against the state in relation to deaths during the Troubles, confirmed he was acting for the MP.

aWe are instructed to issue legal proceedings against Andrew and Tristan Tate over their continued publication of social media postings on 10 January 2025.

aWe can confirm service of correspondence on todayas date to their solicitors. In light of the sensitivities of the issues engaged, we have no further comment at this stage.a

The posts that prompted Eastwood to launch the legal action were made on social media the day after a debate on violence against women and girls in the House of Commons.

Eastwoodas lawyer did not provide details of the claim but Tateas timeline shows he commented on Friday on posts she had made in October about male role models.

Authorities piece together timeline of radicalization of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the US army veteran behind the attack

Before plowing a pickup truck into a crowd of New Yearas revelers in New Orleans and killing 14 people, the man who carried out the Islamic State group-inspired attack had researched how to access a balcony on the cityas famed Bourbon Street and looked up information about a similar attack at a Christmas market in Germany, the FBI said.

Nearly two weeks after Shamsud-Din Jabbaras rampage, the FBI continues to uncover new information detailing the extensive planning by the 42-year-old US army veteran who scouted out the area multiple times in the months leading up to the attack. Authorities have also been piecing together a timeline of his radicalization.

Deal negotiated through Catholic church will involve agraduala release of 553 political prisoners, says Havana

The Biden administration has notified Congress that it will remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in a deal the countryas communist government said would involve the agraduala release of 553 political prisoners.

The deal, which administration officials said was negotiated through the Catholic church, was announced on Tuesday, just five days before Biden exits the White House and Donald Trump is inaugurated as the countryas 47th president.

Helen Pitcher resigned from the CCRC saying she had been ascapegoateda over Malkinsonas case

Andrew Malkinson has called the former head of the miscarriage of justice watchdog ashamelessa as she resigned from the job saying she had been ascapegoated for entirely legitimate decisionsa taken over his case.

Helen Pitcher handed in her resignation as chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) on Tuesday afternoon after learning that an independent panel had concluded by a majority of two to one that she was no longer fit to be chair.

Slattery, who rose to fame in 1980s, appeared on shows such as Have I Got News for You and Whose Line Is It Anyway?

aC/ Tony Slattery: aI had a very happy time until I went slightly barmya
aC/ Tony Slattery a a life in pictures

The comedian and actor Tony Slattery has died aged 65 after a heart attack, his partner has announced.

Slattery was known for his improvisations on the popular comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, as well as his appearances on Just a Minute and Have I Got News for You.

Former first ladyas office provides no explanation for plan to miss Trump ceremony in unusual break from tradition

The former first lady Michelle Obama will skip Donald Trumpas upcoming presidential inauguration, marking her second absence from a major gathering of US political figures this month.

While her husband and former president Barack Obama will join fellow formers Bill Clinton and George W Bush at the 20 January ceremony, Michelle Obama will not be in attendance. Her office provided no explanation for her planned absence from the event at the US Capitol.

Catherine provides update after visit to thank staff at hospital where she was treated

The Princess of Wales has visited the hospital where she was treated for cancer to thank staff and meet patients, as she expressed her areliefa at being in remission.

During a poignant unannounced visit to the Royal Marsden in London, described by palace aides as an important moment in her apersonal journeya, Catherine recalled her shock at her own diagnosis a and urged patients to keep positive and do athe things that give you joya.

Hamas and Israel ain final stagesa of agreement, with Gazans still reeling from fresh deadly airstrikes

• Middle East crisis a live updates

Hopes rose across Gaza on Tuesday that the war that has devastated the territory, killing more than 46,000 and displacing millions, was finally over.

Amid widespread reports that Hamas and Israel were in the afinal stagesa of agreeing a ceasefire agreement, residents of the embattled territory expressed mixed emotions: hope and fear for the future but pain and grief for the past 15 months.

As PM pins hopes on AI, what effect will building energy-hungry datacentres have on Labouras clean power pledge?

Keir Starmer this week launched a plan to bring a 20-fold increase in the amount of artificial intelligence (AI) computing power under public control by 2030.

But the race to build more electricity hungry AI datacentres over the next five years appears to work against another government target: to plug in enough low-carbon electricity projects to create a clean power system by the same date.

More women are using apps instead of the pill, but while some find them afreeinga, others had unwanted pregnancies

After 15 years on the contraceptive pill Francesca* decided that she wanted to know how her body felt without additional hormones. She started using a fertility tracking app a which tracks menstrual cycles or symptoms of ovulation to help estimate a womanas fertile window a after learning about them on social media.

aI had been taking hormones since my teens, and had no real conception of my menstrual cycle in my adult life,a said the Londoner, now in her early 30s. She had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at 18 and told to continue taking the pill to help with symptoms. aRemarkably, pretty much all of my hormonal imbalance symptoms started to subside after stopping taking the pill,a she said.

A high-budget series set in the Outer Hebrides a itas hard to believe itas taken this long, given how popular subtitled TV is. Itas a good, solid series, even if the plot stretches credulity

It is difficult to imagine An t-Eilean being made even 10 years ago. It is billed as the UKas first ever ahigh-enda Gaelic drama series, which means, I think, that it was expensive to make (a report last year put it at APS1m for each of its four episodes). The title translates as The Island, and it is set mostly on the Western Isles, which makes it breathtakingly beautiful and means that everyone is in possession of a good solid coat. An t-Eilean exists thanks to renewed interest in and support for the speaking of Gaelic and, with subtitles no longer being seen as a barrier to enjoyment, has a strong shot at winning over an audience far larger than the 60,000 or so fluent speakers in Scotland.

Local businessman and boy-done-good Sir Douglas Maclean (Iain Macrae) is one of the richest men in Scotland, having outgrown his humble beginnings as athe proud son of a bin mana, and he and his family now live in a baronial mansion on the shoreline of Harris. The Macleans and their more loyal members of staff appear to lord it over the local people, some of whom are their tenants, and there is a distinct tension brewing between rich and poor. When Sir Douglas and his wife, Lady Mary, are attacked at home, there is one obvious suspect, and no shortage of potential others who might have been eager to dole out his comeuppance.

An t-Eilean aired on BBC Alba and is on BBC iPlayer now.

As legislation returns to the Commons, hopes rise of an end to no-fault evictions in England, but some fear loopholes

• Landlords in England face ban on aoutrageousa upfront charges

When Nicola Jalland, 62, was served with a section 21 no-fault eviction in March 2022 a which means a landlord can oust a tenant for no reason a she was upset to leave the property she had lived in for 11 years. She had made the home a sanctuary, with a garden full of flowers.

But when Jalland got her second no-fault eviction in two years in November 2023, she was angry. aIt was an incredible feeling of imbalance of power,a she says. aThe second time it happened, I literally felt worthless.a

Want to switch to a dumbphone but worry about things like two-factor authentication or map apps? These are my best tips and workarounds

• Sign up to Reclaim your brain, our free coaching newsletter to help you spend less time on your phone

I have spent years of my life online. I have nearly crashed my car because I was composing a message. I have had panic attacks over losing my data connection. I have scrolled for hours, and then failed to recall anything I saw during those hours. I have chosen a screen over a conversation, a view, a book, a good nightas sleep, a moment of quiet reflection.

In other words, I have owned a smartphone.

Instead of evaluating chancelloras performance, her shadow apes rightwing press and calls for her sacking

You can only conclude that Conservative MPs are just too trusting for their own good. Either that or they are catatonically dim. The rest of us know enough to not always believe what we read on the front page of the rightwing papers, but Tory MPs seem to take everything at face value. If itas in the paper, it must be true. Itas almost touching.

Tuesdayas front pages of the Mail and the Telegraph insisted Rachel Reevesas time was up. Going to China while the international bond markets crept upwards was the last straw. The chancellor should resign. Whatas more, the prime minister had expressed his afull confidencea in Reeves, which could only mean that he was about to sack her. Letas just say that Monday had been a slow news day in Westminster and some hacks had decided to make mischief.

Believe it or not, you know more about babies than you think a and try to have fun with your mum and dad. Advice from the experts for the asandwich generationa

My father doesnat give much advice, which is a bit of a pisser considering he should know more about parenting than any man alive. He raised 11 children, and did most of that as a solo parent after my mum died tragically young. While she was alive, my parents supplemented their existing family responsibilities by fostering half a dozen children alongside their own, some for years at a time. He should, by rights, be a repository of information, the end-boss of disapproving dads needling me over every misstep and false start.

From Babe to Pet Sematary to Toy Story, the same furious yowl crops up in film after film. So who was the cat and who made the recording? We solve the enigma of the aWilhelm Miaowa

There is a movie star youave never heard of, but whom youave almost certainly heard. Sheas in Toy Story and Babe, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Home Alone 3. You can catch her in Les MisA(c)rables. And if youare a fan of being frightened, sheas also in End of Days and Pet Sematary. Once youare familiar with her work, you start to hear her everywhere. Picture the scene: a frustrated character flings something, possibly a boot, off-camera. Perhaps we hear a bin lid clattering to the ground, and then it comes: the sound of a shocked cat screeching ferociously.

You may have heard of the Wilhelm Scream. In the 1953 western The Charge at Feather River, a character named Private Wilhelm loudly yelled aArgh!a after being shot in the thigh with an arrow. This yell subsequently became an overused sound effect, appearing in Star Wars and Indiana Jones among many, many other films. Hollywood is full of similar stock noises a spooky birds, ominous thunderclaps and generic telephone rings. The one Iam talking about could perhaps be christened the aWilhelm Miaowa.

aDefiance isnat a one-size-fits-all prescription,a says psychologist Sunita Sah a hereas what happened when I gave it a whirl

Giving in to a pushy salesperson. Keeping quiet when you witness a workplace interaction that strikes you as unjust. Biting your tongue when a hairstylist declares that life is not worth living without micro-bangs. Weave all been there. Weave all caved in.

Thank goodness for Sunita Sahas spirited book, Defy: The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes, which unpacks the act a and art a of refusal. The Yorkshire-raised physician, organizational psychologist and Cornell Business School professoras manifesto is a rousing call to action a or inaction, as it may be. She has researched our inclinations to submit to othersa suggestions, expectations and orders, even when they entail putting our core beliefs and best interests on the back burner.

At the start of the year, many people embark on a new workout programme a leaving regular exercisers longing for Quitteras Day

Name: Resolutionaries.

Age: As old as there have been new years.

Zuckerberg, Musk and Bezos are falling over themselves to suck up to the incoming president. And heas just as keen to let them

Over the past month, weave learned that Donald Trumpas inauguration fund has received million-dollar donations from, among others, Google, Meta overlord Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Apple boss Tim Cook. Hard to know whether itas encouraging or quite the opposite to find them being so public about it. Traditionally when industrialists have made knee-bending gestures to incoming self-confessed authoritarians, theyave preferred to do it in a back room somewhere, rather than on a publicly available list that also risks implying they like Carrie Underwoodas music.

So letas deal first with the entertainers. Underwood will perform at Trumpas inauguration, having previously insisted it was absolutely impossible to put her in some kind of ideological box. aI feel like more people try to pin me places politically,a she mused a few years ago. aI try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins. Itas crazy. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like itas black and white. And itas not like that.a Update: it now is like that.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

The city of culture celebrations will show the truth breadth of our community, from the BrontA<

More than 11,000 people crammed into Bradfordas City Park last Friday, on a frigidly cold January night. Hats were on, coffees were in hand and fingers were crossed as Bradfordians waited to see the year-long city of culture celebrations kick off with Rise, a fusion of music, magic, poetry and performance.

Banners announcing aThis is our timea hung around the city centre, but there were also constructions sites, messy reminders of a huge pedestrianisation project that is yet to be completed. And the nearby Odeon cinema still hasnat been transformed into the promised Bradford Live music venue. Both were supposed to be ready in time for Bradford 2025as launch. Nervous guides told journalists to watch their footing on the icy pavements; nobody wanted a misstep. Not now.

Lanre Bakare is an arts and culture correspondent for the Guardian