Ukraine and the US are due to hold a second day of talks in Berlin on a plan aimed at ending Russia’s war
Key Ukraine-US talks are set to continue in Berlin today after five hours of negotiations on Sunday, with a group of European leaders later joining the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to show their solidarity with Kyiv.
Once the talks with the US are concluded, the mini-summit will bring together Britain’s Keir Starmer, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, Finland’s Alexander Stubb, Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre, the Netherlands’s Dick Schoof, Poland’s Donald Tusk, Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson, as well as top EU and Nato officials.
Photos, maps, drone footage and video show how terror attack that left at least 15 dead unfolded on Sunday evening
Warning: contains content that readers may find distressing
Atabout 5pm, the“Chanukah by the Sea” event begins at Archer Park, a small, grassy area at the back of Bondi beach. The park is just north of Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving club, and has several small shelters for picnics and a children’s playground. Chanukah by the Sea is a regular event for Bondi’s large Jewish community, to mark the beginning of the religious festival. The event has been advertised on social media.
Video from the event shows a carnival atmosphere, with families in attendance and activities for kids, including a petting zoo.
The storytelling is brittle, but there is still enjoyment to be had from this story of a mother and child and rescue from a catastrophic flood in Seoul
Kim Byung-woo’s chimeric but not unenjoyable sixth feature begins like a normal apocalypse movie, with a deluge inundating Seoul. Then it flirts with taking on social stratification baggage as a beleaguered mother tries to climb up her 30-storey apartment block to escape the rising flood waters. But once it is revealed that An-na (Kim Da-mi) is a second-ranking science officer for an indispensable research project, the film becomes a different beast entirely – possibly something quite insidious.
As the film gats under way, An-na’s swimming-obsessed six-year-old son Ja-in (Kwon Eun-seong) sees his dreams come true when water begins flooding their apartment. Along with everyone else, they begin pounding the stairs – before corporate security officer Hee-jo (Park Hae-soo) catches up with them and explains that an asteroid impact in Antarctica is causing catastrophic rains that will end civilisation. But a helicopter is en route to evacuate her and Ja-in, because she is one of the pioneering minds who have been at work in a secret UN lab that holds the key to humanity’s future.
The Welsh author vividly captures the solitude, hard labour, dramas and dangers of rural life
In these six stories of human frailty and responsibility, Welsh writer Cynan Jones explores the imperatives of love and the labour of making and sustaining lives. Each is told with a compelling immediacy and intensity, and with the quality of returning to a memory.
In the story Reindeer a man is seeking a bear, which has been woken by hunger from hibernation and is now raiding livestock from the farms of a small isolated community. “There was no true sunshine. There was no gleam in the snow, but the lateness of the left daylight put a cold faint blue through the slopes.” The story’s world is one in which skill, endurance, even stubbornness might be insufficient to succeed, but are just enough to persist.
Extreme heat follows blazes in New South Wales, while winds plunge Brazil’s largest city into darkness
Extreme heat and bushfires have ravaged the parched landscape of Western Australia. With temperatures expected to continue soaring above 40C (104F) over the coming days, the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe heatwave warning across much of the south-west.
The conditions follow bushfires in New South Wales this month, which resulted in the destruction of homes and loss of life. Severe heatwave warnings have also been issued for later this week in parts of South Australia and New South Wales, as a ridge of high pressure moves eastward, bringing blazing sunshine to much of the region.
The Colts quarterback was coaching high school football before his surprise return. And he showed brains are almost important as brawn at his position
Is quarterback the most demanding position in sports? It’s close enough to make no difference: players must memorize a complicated playbook, orchestrate an entire offense, scan for open receivers while 280lb opponents sprint toward them with violent intent, and then thread a pass to a target who could be 30 yards downfield amid a crowd of defenders. Now try doing all that as a 44-year-old grandfather, exactly 1,800 days since you last started an NFL game.
Philip Rivers broke that historic streak for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The longest layoff before then belonged to another 44-year-old quarterback who returned to action after years out of the game, and some time in coaching – Steve Deberg for the Atlanta Falcons in 1998.
When Ahmed al-Ahmed tackled and wrested a gun from an alleged shooter at Bondi beach, he was simply thinking that he “couldn’t bear to see people dying”, his cousin says.
Less than a day later, al-Ahmed remains in a critical but stable condition at St George hospital in Sydney. Since the attack, the 43-year-old father of two young girls has catapulted to international fame and been hailed as a hero by the Australian prime minister, the New South Wales premier and the US president.
It is extraordinarily rare for a director to change the entire direction of comedy with their first feature, but that’s exactly what Rob Reiner did with this legendary mockumentary. Following a disastrous American tour by a witless British rock group, This Is Spın̈al Tap manages to nail so many music industry cliches so perfectly that the film quickly became a mainstay of tour buses around the world. Reiner himself got in on the act, playing the blowhard documentary director Marty Di Bergi. The fact that something entirely improvised could create so many deathless lines is even more astounding. This year a sequel, The End Continues, was released. What fitting bookends to a brilliant career.
Arsenal and City march on, Sunderland enjoy bragging rights, and Ekitiké gives Liverpool fans a much-needed lift
Mikel Arteta had the option to frame things differently. The Arsenal manager was even teed up to do so with a generous question in the press conference that followed his side’s 2-1 win against Wolves on Saturday. Had his team shown the toughness of champions by recovering from a 90th-minute concession to steal all three points? “That’s something very positive but I don’t put it down to resilience,” Arteta replied. It was of a piece with him essentially reading the riot act to his players. They had not turned up at the start, he suggested, and the less said about the closing stages, the better – apart from the last-gasp winner. It is rare to hear Arteta be so critical but he knew his team had got away with one and he wanted them to know, too. Arsenal have a rare blank midweek before they go to Everton for another 8pm kick-off next Saturday. The standards must be higher. David Hytner
Stilettos are fine for an evening out, but wearing them all day, every day could cause permanent damage
‘If you’d asked me that 15 years ago, I would have said: ‘Absolute nonsense – it’s all genetics and shoes aren’t responsible for any problem,’” says Andrew Goldberg, consultant orthopaedic foot and ankle specialist at the Wellington hospital in London. But viewing 3D scans that show how people’s feet look while standing in their shoes changed his mind completely.
He took two scans of a person’s feet – one barefoot and one in high heels – and the difference was striking. In the high heels, the toes were crowded together, the big toe showed a bunion, and the smaller toes were clawed, gripping for balance.
Culture is not immune from the advances of the hard right – but it isn’t too late for resistance
Into the pale stone wall of the Kennedy Center, above its elegant terrace on the edge of the Potomac river, are carved bold and idealistic sentiments. “This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor. To further the appreciation of culture among all the people, to increase respect for the creative individual, to widen participation by allthe processes and fulfillments of art – this is one of the fascinating challenges of these days.” Those are the words of John F Kennedy, after whom the US’s national performing arts centre is named. The impulse to build it came from Dwight D Eisenhower; it was given JFK’s name after his assassination; and it opened in 1971, to the music of Leonard Bernstein and the choreography of Alvin Ailey, in the presidency of Richard Nixon. The Kennedy Centre, in short, was designed to be bipartisan, a place of gathering for Democrats and Republicans alike, a proud showcase of the best of America’s dance, opera and music.
For 50 years it carefully trod that line, its board balanced by members of Congress from both sides of the political divide. But it turns out it can take just months to unravel half a century of high-minded purpose.
Charlotte Higgins is the Guardian’s chief culture writer
Who’s that daring young farmyard animal on the flying trapeze? The creatures of Mossy Bottom have been put on stage by ‘edgy’ circus stars Circa – but the burlesque shearing had to go
‘It’s a family drama,” says Yaron Lifschitz. “It’s kind of a minor key, gently comic version of the Oresteian trilogy. Without the dismemberment and murder and purple carpets.” Lifschitz is talking about his latest production for Circa, the acclaimed Australian contemporary circus group. Is it a Greek epic? A state-of-the-nation drama? A searing emotional journey? Nope, none of those. It’s a fun, family circus show based on that cheeky cartoon character Shaun the Sheep.
You might not think the antics of an anthropomorphic flock of farm animals can be compared to Aeschylus, but Lifschitz sees characters bound together as family with different personalities, friends and enemies, having to work out how to live together. Shaun the Sheep has been a huge success since the character originated in Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave in 1995. The stop-motion series launched in 2007 has been broadcast in more than 50 countries, and had multiple spin-offs including two feature films and another one in the pipeline.
At least 16 people were killed and more than 40 wounded when gunmen fired on a Hanukah celebration in Bondi beach, which Australian police and officials are describing as a terrorist attack.
In the latest update on Monday morning, the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, confirmed 16 people, including one of the alleged gunmen, have died, and 42 people injured in the shooting were taken to hospital.
Dance Centre Kenya, one of the leading performing arts schools in east Africa providing opportunities for talented young dancers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, has staged The Nutcracker for its 10th-anniversary annual ballet production, at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi
A festive musical blends fairytale optimism with lush orchestration and Sound of Music sweetness – even if this often overwhelms a thin storyline
Reported to be the first Thai musical in 50 years, The Christmas Dream is directed by Englishman Paul Spurrier, and is an intriguing blend of new and old: a modern Oliver Twist that progresses from the country’s northern hills to Bangkok, with old-school Technicolor trappings and emotionally lush showstoppers aplenty (written by Spurrier and set to an orchestral score by Mickey Wongsathapornpat).
With a Michelle Yeoh-like resoluteness but half her size, Amata Masmalai plays 10-year-old schoolgirl Lek, who is forced to flee after her abusive stepfather Nin (Only God Forgives’ Vithaya Pansringarm) fatally beats her mother (Chomphupak Poonpol). Hitting the road with her one-legged doll Bella for company, Lek has only a strong moral compass to guide her to the new home she is promised by her mum’s ghost. A number of picaresque companions put it to the test, including a spoiled rich girl (Kathaya Chongprasith) desperate for a friend and a quack doctor (Adam Kaokept) hawking dodgy cure-alls.
Going away for the festive season has left me with unforgettable memories, from a boat trip with Bangladeshi fishermen to exploring Castro’s Cuban hideout
I have made a point of escaping Christmas for as long as I can remember. Not escaping for Christmas, but avoiding it altogether – the stressful buildup, consumer chaos, panic buying, the enforced jollity and parties. When the first festive gifts start appearing in the shops in September, it’s time to confirm my travel plans, ideally to include New Year’s Eve as well.
Sometimes I travel independently, but more often in a group, and while it’s not always possible to avoid the tinsel and baubles – even in non-Christian countries thousands of miles away – I just relish not being at home at this time of year.
Correspondence between the Lord of the Flies author and his editor reveals one of the great literary collaborations of the age
When William Golding submitted Lord of the Flies to Faber in 1953 it had already been rejected at least seven times, maybe as many as 20. Charles Monteith could tell from the dog-eared typescript that it had done the rounds, and a reader for Faber called it “absurd and uninteresting … Rubbish and dull. Pointless.” But Monteith, young and new to the job, could see the book’s potential, and suggested ways that Golding – then a Salisbury-based schoolmaster in his early 40s – might improve it. More radically cut and revised than Monteith expected, the novel became a school syllabus classic. Thus began an author-editor friendship that lasted 40 years.
Their early exchanges by post were formal in the extreme: it took two years for Dear Monteith, Dear Golding to become Dear Charles, Dear Bill. But as provincial grammar school boys who both read English at Oxford, the two were attuned to each other. And after the rescue act performed on his first novel, Golding remained humbly grateful for whatever help he could get: “I’m in your hands as usual. I’ve no particular feeling of possession over the book.” Monteith’s touch was gentle for the next few years: enthusiastic, even effusive, he reassured Golding that his drafts of The Inheritors and Free Fall were the finished product. With later novels, such as The Spire and Rites of Passage, editorial feedback was tougher and more extensive. But there were no fallings out. “I’ve always had a feeling of you there, present but not breathing down my neck!” Golding said. He never seriously considered moving to another publishing house.
Japanese green tea named stain of the year as survey finds Aperol spritz and bubble tea are also leaving their mark
It used to be curry sauce, egg yolk and red wine that ruined Britain’s clothes but in a sign of the times laundry detergents are being reformulated to tackle stains left by matcha lattes, Aperol spritz and bubble tea.
In a month when year-end gongs are dished out, from BBC Sports Personality to Pantone’s Colour of 2026 (a white called “cloud dancer”), matcha has received the dubious accolade “stain of the year”.
Just as Tottenham appeared to be generating some momentum, they put on a limp display and suffer an embarrassing defeat at Nottingham Forest. Ibrahim Sangaré leathered in a sensational first-time strike in off an upright that pinballed around Guglielmo Vicario’s net to cap the 3-0 victory and a deeply satisfying week for Sean Dyche, whose side established some welcome daylight between them and the relegation zone, moving five points clear of West Ham.
An unedifying defeat for Spurs was underpinned by another erratic performance by their goalkeeper, who was at fault for Forest’s first two goals, both scored by Callum Hudson-Odoi; Vicario’s hospital pass led to the opener and his positioning was exposed for a freakish second. By the end, the olés were out in force on a truly miserable afternoon for Thomas Frank.
Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon, is facing life in prison after being found guilty of national security and sedition offences, in one of the most closely watched rulings since the city’s return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Soon after the ruling was delivered, rights and press groups decried the verdict as a “sham conviction” and an attack on press freedom.
Josh Tongue comes in for Gus Atkinson for Adelaide Test
Brook rues ‘shocking shots’ in Perth and Brisbane
England have made one change to their line-up for the third Ashes Test, with Josh Tongue coming in as a like-for-like replacement for Gus Atkinson in the bowling attack.
Seamer Atkinson failed to take a wicket in the series opener in Perth, although he did make a useful 37 runs with the bat in the second innings, before returning figures of 3-151 in the second Test in Brisbane.
Australia experienced one of its deadliest mass shootings in its history on Sunday when two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish celebration at Bondi in Sydney. At least 16 people are dead, including one of the alleged killers.
Here is what we know so far:
On Sunday at 6.47pm local time, police and emergency services were called to Archer Park next to Sydney’s Bondi beach after reports of gunshots.
Footage shared on social media showed two gunman firing continuously at a large group who had gathered to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukah.
At least 16 people are dead, including one of the alleged shooters. Among the dead are holocaust survivor Alexander Kleytman, London-born rabbi Eli Schlanger, French national Dan Elkayam, businessman Reuven Morrison, retired police officer Peter Meagher and a 10-year-old girl. Police believe the oldest victim is 87.
Forty-two people were taken to hospital after the attack. At 1pm local time on Monday, there were 27 people in Sydney hospitals. Six were in a critical condition, six were in a critical but stable condition and 15 were in a stable condition.
Two police officers were among the injured and were both in a critical but stable condition.
Police said they were treating the attack as an act of terrorism.
The alleged gunmen were a 50-year-old, who was shot by police and died at the scene, and his 24-year-old son, who suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital under police guard where he remained on Monday.
Police have not named the alleged gunmen, but media have identified them as Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid Akram.
Naveed Akram is an Australian-born citizen, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said. His father arrived in 1998 on a student visa, transferred in 2001 to a partner visa and, after trips overseas, had been on resident return visas three times.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the son first came to the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) in October 2019. He was examined “on the basis of being associated with others”.
New South Wales police and the director general of Asio, Mike Burgess, said one of the shooters was known to authorities, “but not in an immediate threat perspective”.
The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, said the father was a licensed firearms holder with six guns.
Bomb disposal experts removed two active improvised explosive devices from the scene. Police said on Monday a third IED was located at Bondi.
The outrageous Scottish sitcom became a sleeper hit – then its co-creator died tragically. Ahead of its festive special, the stars open up about the show’s poignant comeback
When taxi drivers in London started shouting punchlines at him – that’s when Jonathan Watson knew that Two Doors Down, the BBC Scotland sitcom set in a Glasgow suburb, had gone from slow-burn to blazing.
The yelling is appropriate in itself, since Watson’s character, Colin, is congenitally unfiltered. Whether it’s telling his neighbours they needn’t worry about a spate of burglaries because “nobody’ll target your place – they’ll want stuff they can actually sell”, or sharing the secrets of his Tinder success: “You have a chat: ‘How are you? I just put on a wash,’ and the next thing she’s in my bed, well more on top of it with a towel down …”
Revolution is still being sought three decades after the landmark ruling with a Dutch lawyer calling for a collective bargaining agreement for players
On 15 December 1995, judges at the European court of justice (CJEU) took two minutes to bring an end to a legal process that had lasted five years. The Bosman rule, as it was known, was to stand, the judges said. European football clubs were no longer allowed to demand transfer fees for players whose contracts had expired, with governing bodies stopped from capping the number of Europeans in any team. The man whose dogged legal pursuit had brought about these changes, Jean‑Marc Bosman, emerged from a crowd of cameras and well‑wishers to give his verdict. “I have got to the top of the mountain and I am now very tired,” he said.
For Bosman himself, it was downhill from there. “In the past I got a lot of promises but never received anything,” he told the Observer in 2015, claiming he “earned nothing” from the changes that ensued. He went bankrupt, was treated for alcoholism and was found guilty of assault against his then partner in 2013, resulting in a community service order that included mowing the grass of his local football pitch. There can be no argument, however, that the ruling that took his name was historic and, 30 years on, it has helped bring about a revolution in the sport from which the man himself was ultimately shunned.
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