The Guardian

The 54-year-old was admitted to hospital on Boxing Day Martyn played total of 67 Tests between 1992 and 2006 The former Australian Test cricketer Damien Martyn has been admitted to hospital and placed in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis. The sporting community is rallying around the 54-year-old, who “is in for the fight of his life”, according to the former AFL player Brad Ha…

Artwork by one of the most influential artists of 20th century raffled to fund Alzheimer’s research His work is consistently ranked among the world’s most expensive art, with paintings fetching more than a $100m at auction. But you no longer need to be a multimillionaire to own a Picasso – for €100, anyone in the world has the chance to walk away with a painting by one of the most influential art…

Can inflation be tamed without further interest rate hikes? And will the hot streak for gold and silver continue in 2026? Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Australian share market delivered a 6.8% return in 2025, representing a third consecutive year of gains in a volatile period marked by trade wars, reigniting inflation and fears of an artificial intelligence-fuel…

Albanese will face a crucial test on the economy while the Coalition deals with existential questions after an election drubbing Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Before 14 December, Anthony Albanese was enjoying the most successful year of his long parliamentary career. A landslide election win delivered Labor 94 lower house seats and crushed its political opponents. C…

Officials warned of major economic, environmental and social disruption to Australia due to its dependence on coal Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Howard government was warned in 2005 that climate change was occurring more quickly than previously predicted and “many human and natural systems and economic activities in Australia” were vulnerable, newly released doc…

Alexander Downer told senior colleagues the H5N1 strain of bird flu could mutate into a pandemic ‘with potentially devastating consequences’ for Australia and the world Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Health officials warned the Howard government that Australia might need to close schools and shut international borders in the event of a global influenza pandemic, near…

US president’s assertions climate change is ‘a hoax’ and London has police no-go areas left unchallenged, say critics Britain’s media regulator Ofcom is under pressure to investigate a GB News interview with Donald Trump after complaints that it contained misleading and inaccurate claims that the network failed to challenge. The rightwing channel claimed a “world exclusive sit-down interview” wit…

Reunification ‘is unstoppable’, says Chinese president, a day after the conclusion of intense military drills China’s president Xi Jinping has vowed to reunify China and Taiwan in his annual New Year’s Eve speech in Beijing. Speaking the day after the conclusion of intense Chinese military drills around Taiwan, Xi said: “The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable”. …

Draft bill to be submitted for legal checks as France aims to follow Australia’s world-first ban on platforms including Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube France intends to follow Australia and ban social media platforms for children from the start of the 2026 academic year. A draft bill preventing under-15s from using social media will be submitted for legal checks and is expected to be debated in p…

Border guards find boat with its anchor down after telecoms link between Helsinki and Tallinn targeted A ship suspected of damaging an underwater cable running between Helsinki and Tallinn has been seized by police. Finnish officials say the vessel is suspected of being “responsible for the damage to the cable” owned by the telecoms group Elisa and located in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone. Co…

Near-freezing temperatures likely but clear, dry skies will be perfect for viewing fireworks, says Met Office Snowfall is expected across much of the UK in a chilly start to the new year, forecasters have said, as revellers were advised to wrap up with near-freezing temperatures expected on New Year’s Eve. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations are expected to go ahead after last year’s cancellation d…

Hospitals brace for new year surge in sick patients as temperatures plummet and with 95% of beds full The NHS is under “extraordinary pressure” and braced for a new year surge in sick patients as amber cold health alerts were issued for the whole of England. While the number of patients in hospital with flu is levelling off, according to data published on Wednesday, health leaders said the NHS wa…

Rail services between Sheffield and Doncaster affected on New Year’s Eve after incident at Conisbrough Train passengers in South Yorkshire are facing disruption on New Year’s Eve after the theft of signalling cables, Network Rail has said. The rail body said services between Sheffield and Doncaster would be affected all day after the theft in Conisbrough. Continue reading...

As a judge puts a security hold on Rob and Michele Reiner’s cases and Joe Rogan criticises Donald Trump’s comments about Reiner’s death, collaborators continue to pay tribute More than two weeks after the deaths of the film director Rob Reiner and his photographer wife, Michele, friends and colleagues continue to pay tribute to the couple. Writing on Instagram, Cary Elwes, who starred in Reiner’s…

Exclusive: Met figures thought to reflect national picture with Covid, poverty and more people seeking help possible factors The number of violent offences involving an adolescent attacking their parents or step-parents has increased by more than 60% in the past decade, according to figures recorded by the UK’s biggest police force. Data released by Scotland Yard reveals that there were 1,886 suc…