The guardian @theguardian

2 days ago • sport •

Emma Raducanu ruled out of United Cup opener in false start to new season

British No 1 withdraws from Osaka clash with foot injuryKatie Swan steps in as Team GB beat Japan 2-1 in PerthEmma Raducanu remains hopeful that she will be able to compete this week at the United Cup after her 2026 season began with a concerning false start when she was forced to withdraw from her

2 days ago • global •

From K-pop and The Traitors to Dune and the return of Madge: your A-Z of the biggest culture of 2026

With 2025 but a distant memory, it’s time to get stuck into a huge year of entertainment. To help with this daunting task, we’ve provided a handy, alphabetised guide to the big releases and trends coming in the next 12 months, from AI’s continued rise to a whole lot of ZendayaBad news: the intellectual property

2 days ago • global •

In 2026, remember this: Britain is much better than it was in so many ways. Don’t swallow the right’s lies | John Harris

Populists rewrite the history of this nation because they were complicit in much of its ugliness. The progressive fightback must start nowA couple of the more disruptive boys in the class put red laces in their Dr Martens, because someone had told them that was how you showed your support for the National Front. “Jew”

2 days ago • sport •

Root and Brook star for England before storm halts Ashes charge against Australia

Fifth Test, day one: England 211-3 before bad light stops playUndefeated duo put on tourists’ best partnership of seriesAs the rain fell on the Sydney Cricket Ground, cutting the opening day of this fifth Ashes Test into exactly half the number of allotted overs, you could practically hear the champagne corks being popped in the

4 days ago • global •

Experience: My friend turned out to be my long-lost sister

We were colleagues, had both been put up for adoption and were from the same place – but the paperwork said we weren’t related. Then a DNA test changed everythingI grew up in a small town in Connecticut. I always knew I was adopted: my mum told me that, as well as her, I had my “tummy mummy”.

4 days ago • sport •

PDC world darts: Van Veen dumps Humphries out as Littler wins over crowd

Former world champion beaten 5-1 by rising starLittler cheered during rout of Krzysztof RatajskiFor the third time in this match, Gian van Veen is lining up the bull finish for a 170. This time, though, he steps away from the oche, and as the noise builds and swells around him, as the applause hardens into

4 days ago • global •

The Traitors review – this amazing new twist changes everything

‘We don’t need middle management,’ yell the new batch of traitors. With just one audacious tweak, the hit show promises to become even more satisfying – and full of bombshellsNew year, new killing spree. This is the third time the BBC has dropped a new season of The Traitors on or close to 1 January,

4 days ago • sport •

Enzo Maresca forgot Chelsea’s golden rule: the manager does not call the shots | Jacob Steinberg

Coach stopped toeing the line at Stamford Bridge with one eye on the Manchester City job, frustrating his employersIt was late on New Year’s Eve when Chelsea’s patience ran out. They knew that Enzo Maresca was attempting to engineer an exit from the club and now they were ready to call his bluff. Midnight was

5 days ago • global •

The perfect day for parents: how to keep kids healthy and happy – without neglecting yourself

Having a routine but not overplanning, getting them involved with chores and making sure you have time just for you can all help you stop being overwhelmed• Sign up here to get the whole series straight to your inboxMy four-year-old is in the living room playing with a dinosaur, a pig and Jessie the cowgirl

5 days ago • global •

Doomed lovers, high heels and The Odyssey: films to get excited about in 2026

Margot Robbie busts her corset in Wuthering Heights, the Devil Wears Prada sequel goes fashionably to war, and Christopher Nolan brings us a Greek epic. Plus much more in our pick of the best films coming to UK cinemas this year• More from the 2026 culture previewJessie Buckley may need to hire a carpenter for

1 week ago • global •

The perfect working day: how to get everything done – without getting stressed

From writing lists to taking a walk, it can be possible to gain clarity and perspective, even when faced with the most daunting tasks• Sign up here to get the whole series straight to your inbox“Perfection,” the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once wrote, “is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but

1 week ago • global •

Conditions may feel rife for a coup within Labour – but a change of leader alone isn’t going to fix things | Polly Toynbee

For all the talk of coups, this much is clear: without a strong vision, Labour will face a fresh crisis of legitimacyWill he still be there to see in the next new year? Noise about Keir Starmer’s durability quietens with MPs being away from Westminster’s tearooms and murmuring corridors, but WhatsApps zing to and fro

1 week ago • sport •

The alternative 2025 sports awards: quotes, gaffes and animal cameos

The best and worst of 2025 – featuring devotion in DC, late-night tweeting and the fly that sank a birdieThe White House, issuing a communique to reporters covering April’s global market meltdown over tariffs as US losses hit $6.6tn (£4.9tn) in two days. “The President won his second round matchup of the Senior Club Championship

1 week ago • sport •

Anthony Joshua’s camp confirm two of his close friends died in Nigeria car crash

British former boxing champion sustained minor injuriesSina Ghami and Kevin ‘Lateef’ Ayodel killed in accidentThe British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has issued a statement after he was injured in a car crash in Nigeria on Monday morning which killed two of his close friends.The former world heavyweight boxing champion was taken to an undisclosed hospital

1 week ago • sport •

Manchester United v Newcastle: Premier League – live

⚽ Premier League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off⚽ Live scores | Table | Mail ScottThe teams are out! It’s a heartwarming festive scene, because whenever these storied old clubs meet, both get to keep on their famous kits. Manchester United in red and black, Newcastle United in black and white. A classic look as