Them again. The “three-peat” is alive for the Kansas City Chiefs after they narrowly overcame the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game on Sunday to set up a potentially historic Super Bowl clash with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The finale on 9 February in New Orleans is a reprise of the Super Bowl two years ago that was won 38-35 by the Chiefs after they did just enough against spirited but slightly inferior opponents, thanks in large part to the inspirational play of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Bills know all too well what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that agonising experience.
Jenny Kleeman reports on a new therapy where patients who suffer from psychosis create a digital avatar of the voices they hear
Claire was 10 years old when she started hearing voices. They would torment her, call her names and tell her to self-harm.
She tells Helen Pidd about her experience of psychosis, where reality is disturbed by hallucinations and delusions. For decades, she struggled to get effective treatment until she joined a digital avatar therapy trial.
Executive order comes two days after visit to LA, which has been devastated by wildfires that burned over 35,000 acres
Donald Trump on Sunday issued an executive order directing the federal government to override the state of California’s water management practices if they are found to be ineffective.
The order comes two days after the president visited the Los Angeles region, which has been devastated by a series of wildfires that have killed at least 28 people and burned more than 35,000 acres.
Warehouse strike in Russia ‘destroys 200 Shahed drones’; Ryazan oil refinery hit again, says Kyiv’s military. What we know on day 1,069
Russia on Sunday claimed its troops had captured Velyka Novosilka, a strategically important town in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. The statement could not be independently verified, and Ukraine’s 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade said its troops had only strategically withdrawn from certain parts of Velyka Novosilka to avoid encirclement. “This does not mean that we have completely left the city, the fighting in Velyka Novosilka continues. All actions are aimed at minimising our own losses and maximum damage to the enemy.” The brigade said the withdrawal would make it topographically difficult for Russians to advance by making the river an obstacle. “The enemy … will have no peace, any movement is cut off by shells and drones.”
Russia also claimed it troops had taken control of the settlement of Zelene in Donetsk region. There was no independent confirmation. Zelene lies south of Pokrovsk where Russia has incurred mass casualties in a grinding campaign against Ukrainian defenders. In its latest Russia-Ukraine war assessment, the Institute for the Study of War said: “Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka.”
Ukraine’s military said it destroyed 200 Shahed drones in an attack on warehouses in the Oryol region of Russia. “Concrete structures were hit, where thermobaric warheads, which are used to equip drones, were stored. There is information about a strong secondary detonation.”
Ukraine on Sunday claimed a further successful drone strike on the Ryazan oil refinery south-east of Moscow. It was the second attack on the same site in less that two weeks. Kyiv said the refinery is one of the four largest in Russia and is used by Moscow’s air force. “Explosions and a fire were recorded in the targeted area,” it said. The Russian regional governor in Ryazan – Pavel Malkov – said Russian air defence had “destroyed” drones over the region and that authorities were assessing the damage. Russian officials routinely falsely claim that all attacking drones were destroyed and any damage was only caused by falling debris.
An undersea fibre optic cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged on Sunday, likely as a result of external influence, Latvia said, prompting Nato to deploy patrol ships to the area and triggering a sabotage investigation by Swedish authorities. Nato was coordinating military ships and aircraft under its recently deployed mission, dubbed Baltic Sentry. The effort follows a string of incidents in which power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines have been damaged in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Survey for patient watchdog finds over half of those who made complaint were not satisfied with process or outcome
A quarter of people in England experienced poor NHS care over the last year but fewer than one in 10 of them complained about it, a report by the patient watchdog has revealed.
When people did complain, more than half were not satisfied with either the process involved or the outcome, Healthwatch England said. Complaints take many months to resolve.
24% of patients had received poor care in that time – the equivalent of 10.7 million people in England.
56% took no action – and only 9% made a complaint.
20% were scared that complaining would affect their treatment.
34% did not trust the NHS to use a complaint they made to improve services.
Trump had called for ‘retaliatory measures’ including 50% tariffs on Colombia after Gustavo Petro blocked two aircraft
Colombian president Gustavo Petro blocked two US military aircraft carrying deported Colombians from landing in his country, prompting a feud with Donald Trump who enacted emergency tariffs and other retaliatory measures.
The US president responded fiercely in a post on his Truth Social network when he was informed that two repatriation flights from the US to Colombia had been denied landing clearance.
Manchester United’s head coach has frozen out forward
Amorim says veteran goalkeeping coach a bench option
Ruben Amorim said he would rather name his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach as a substitute than Marcus Rashford or any Manchester United player who was not prepared to give “the maximum”.
The manager watched his starting centre-forward, Rasmus Højlund, endure a torrid time in the club’s 1-0 win at Fulham on Sunday night; he was forced to replace him with Joshua Zirkzee, who made little impact.
The missing 73-year-old set off his distress beacon during stormy weather on Saturday afternoon
A 73-year-old British sailor is lost at sea and his yacht has been found “eviscerated” off the French coast in stormy weather.
A French air force helicopter was dispatched to find the man after he set off his distress beacon at 3pm on Saturday, approximately 50 miles (80km) west of Lacanau in south-west France.
Mediator Qatar has announced that an agreement has been reached to release an Israeli civilian hostage and allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, easing the first major crisis of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Qatar’s statement early on Monday said Hamas would hand over the civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, along with two other hostages before Friday. And on Monday, Israeli authorities will allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.
Saquon Barkley – who else? – reeled off an electrifying 60-yard touchdown run the first time he touched the football on Sunday, in the first game he had played in for a spot in the Super Bowl. His Philadelphia Eagles kept up the audacious charge all game.
With splendid Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, in a burgundy ski cap, watching from the bench for much of the afternoon, the Eagles pummeled the Washington Commanders 55-23 to win the NFC championship at home for the second time in three years.
If you feel there are not enough people in your life making bizarre pronouncements on your character, might I suggest deciding to be childless. At the age of 34, and having felt for my entire adult life that I do not want to procreate, I have heard most of them, from the infuriatingly condescending – “don’t worry, you will one day!” – to the vaguely hostile – “so you don’t like children?”
My own family have mostly resigned themselves to the knowledge that I have self-selected to be the future strange uncle, who plays a vital role in my niece and nephew’s lives by recommending cool records during adolescence (can’t wait to force a teenager to listen to Metal Machine Music in full.) But a dizzying number of people ask me about my plans for children, from strangers to friends. Making my decision to be childless caused me no stress. But it does, for some reason, cause stress to others.
Zverev admits the world No 1 is superior in almost every aspect of the game, as the Italian claims his third slam title
It could only be heard in the quiet before a serve. An unmistakable drumbeat, the bass reverberating to a rhythm throughout the 162 minutes it took for Jannik Sinner to win his third grand slam title. This one was in straight sets, over the willing but outmatched Alexander Zverev.
Where the sound was coming from, nobody could say. It had the unhtz of techno, and there had been a particularly loud set pumping out of the party court in Melbourne Park an hour before the final began. But that music was scheduled to end, like all the other attractions, making way for the Australian Open’s traditional Sunday-night tennis climax.
The Stringer, which premiered at Sundance, alleges that an incorrect credit was given for iconic ‘Napalm Girl’ picture
A controversial new documentary that premiered at the Sundance film festival on Saturday night disputes the authorship of one of the most famous press photographs ever taken, challenging 50-plus years of accepted history.
In The Stringer, directed by Bao Nguyen, a group of journalists and investigators claim that the photograph colloquially known as Napalm Girl – an indelible image of American war in Vietnam that galvanized the anti-war movement in the US – was not taken by Nick Ut, the Associated Press staff photographer long ascribed credit by the news group.
Lisandro Martínez has form for putting his laces through the ball to help Ruben Amorim and Manchester United on the road. Remember his roof-of-the-net banger in the 2-2 Premier League draw at Liverpool? The central defender was at it again here and if there was a slice of luck about his late winner, one to blow open a previously dismal spectacle, it did nothing to dampen the celebrations.
There is a case to be made as Amorim feels his way into the Impossible Job, encountering so many problems, that his team is shaping up OK away from home. United’s best performances under him have been at the grounds of their biggest rivals – Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City.
The new graves in the main cemetery in Khan Younis, in the south of Gaza, have been hastily laid in close rows, often just as mounds of sand. For most, jagged chunks of concrete or breeze blocks, or plastic boards, serve as headstones.
When there are funerals, which is often, the graveyard is full of activity. Otherwise, mourners grieve in silence and the only sounds are the laughing play of the displaced children living in tents nearby and the occasional chirping of birds.
ICYMI – former Commanders owner Dan Snyder, who presided over decades of unaccomplished football and off-field controversies, is apparently beside himself that the team has done so well without him.
The national anthem is being performed by a Broadway star wearing Eagles gear. Is that allowed?
Official and his family have been targeted by online abuse
PGMOL says police investigations have commenced
The referees’ body, Professional Game Match Officials Limited(PGMOL), has said it is appalled by the “abhorrent abuse”, including death threats, Michael Oliver and his family have received after his controversial decision to send off Myles Lewis-Skelly in Arsenal’s 1-0 victory at Wolves.
PGMOL said it has involved police after Oliver and his young children had been subjected to various threats in the wake of Saturday’s match at Molineux. Riccardo Calafiori scored the only goal after the Wolves midfielder João Gomes was given a second yellow card for a poor challenge on Jurriën Timber.
Former secretary of state has faced threats from Iran since since he took hard-line stances on the Islamic Republic
The Ohio Republican Mike Turner said on Sunday’s Face the Nation he is “very concerned” for former secretary of state Mike Pompeo after Donald Trump revoked his security detail earlier in the week.
Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, who have faced threats from Iran since they took hard-line stances on the Islamic Republic during Trump’s first administration, were told of the loss of protection on Wednesday evening.
Furious Spurs fans demand chairman Daniel Levy quits
Spurs have picked up just one point in last seven games
Ange Postecoglou admitted his future is out of his hands after a 2-1 defeat to Leicester deepened Tottenham’s troubles and saw furious supporters repeatedly call for Daniel Levy to quit as chairman.
Postecoglou, whose side are eight points above the bottom three after one win in their past 11 league games, had to be realistic. Spurs led at half-time but Leicester moved out of the relegation zone after responding with goals from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss.
Works created in hospital after ear mutilation incident to be shown at Courtauld Gallery next month
Two Vincent van Gogh paintings created in the months after the Dutch artist mutilated his ear will be exhibited in London for the first time.
The works, The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles and The Ward in the Hospital at Arles, would appear at the Courtauld Gallery from next month, the Art Newspaper reported.
Full-back says new rule gives fans value for money
Steward studies Australian Rules Football for technique
Freddie Steward has praised the Six Nations’ decision to introduce 20-minute red cards in this season’s championship, hailing it as “good for the game”. The England full-back was shown a red card against Ireland in Dublin two years ago which was subsequently rescinded and he believes the game’s increasingly fine margins makes the new initiative a fairer solution.
Under the new approach, England would now be able to replace Steward with another player after 20 minutes rather than having to play the rest of the match at a numerical disadvantage. “The bunker stuff is really good,” insisted Steward. “It has such a significant impact on Test matches, as you saw in that game. It needs to be the right decision because it shapes campaigns for teams. You can lose games on a decision. It really kills you. I am glad they have taken strides to get it right.”
Putin ally projected to easily secure seventh term in election that US and EU have said could not be free or fair
Alexander Lukashenko was firmly on track to win a seventh five-year term as Belarusian president in an election western governments have rejected as a sham.
An exit poll broadcast on state television projected that Lukashenko would take 87.6% of the vote. The close ally of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had earlier defended his jailing of dissidents and declared: “I don’t give a damn about the west.”
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