It’s the “between time” and the fact that we’re all stuffing ourselves with chocolate during it is merely incidental. I make them for the rest of the world instead. This year, I want sunken living rooms (“conversation pits” in the parlance of the 1970s, the last time they were fashionable) to make a comeback. “They walked on each side of the road” – one walked on one side, another walked on the other. FridayAnd now the best day of the year: World Introvert Day!
Abu Khaled al-Zoubi, 67, walks slowly through his orchard in Irbid, northern Jordan, his footsteps kicking up dust from the parched earth beneath centuries-old olive trees. The country is facing its weakest olive oil season in four decades, with production down as much as 70% compared with last year. With an estimated 12 million productive olive trees concentrated in the northern regions of Irbid, Ajloun, Jerash and Mafraq, olive cultivation has been the backbone of rural life for generations. Jordan has long achieved near-total self-sufficiency in olive oil production, covering 98% of domestic needs and generating export revenue. “Olive trees here depend on rain to grow, not chemical fertilisers,” Auran explains.
Railway leaders should “think afresh” about outsourcing contracts and try to run services better, the rail minister has said, as union research indicated six major private suppliers made £150m in profits last year. Rail unions are campaigning to end the widespread outsourcing of jobs such as cleaning, security and catering, arguing that staff employed by third-party companies have worse conditions and that profits could be reinvested in the railway. One of the companies, Carlisle Support Services, is ultimately owned by the former peer, Tory donor and tax exile Michael Ashcroft. Labour promised to bring in “the biggest wave of insourcing of public services in a generation” before the 2024 election. Eddie Dempsey, general secretary, said: “Outsourcing on the railway is a racket that needs to be brought to an end by a comprehensive programme of insourcing.
Only two lucky winners claimed the top £1 million prize this month, with the first being claimed by a winner from Suffolk with the bond number 570QM451332. The second Premium Bonds winner to claim £1 million is from Berkshire, with the bond number 377PG290829. To find out if you have ever won a Premium Bonds prize, you will need to dig out your holder's information and head over to the prize checker. You can also use your NS&I number, which you should be able to find on any communication about your bonds. Premium Bonds are the UK's biggest savings product, with more than 24 million people saving over £122 billion in them, according to Money Saving Expert.
Chelsea have delivered two rather remarkable swipes at former head coach Enzo Maresca following the announcement of his departure on Thursday. Within 48 hours, official confirmation of his exit materialised, leaving Chelsea scrambling to identify a replacement for the vacant role. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENTHe subsequently replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the Stamford Bridge hot seat that summer, ultimately guiding the club to Club World Cup triumph in 2025. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT In a concise 99-word announcement issued on Thursday, the club declared: "Chelsea Football Club and Head Coach Enzo Maresca have parted company. During his time at the Club, Enzo led the team to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Victoria Jones, the 34-year-old daughter of Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones, has been found dead in a San Francisco hotel, according to a theguardian.com report. Emergency crews were called to the five-star Fairmont San Francisco at 02:52 on New Year’s Day after a guest was discovered unresponsive. The San Francisco Fire Department confirmed the response but did not name the deceased. Reporters are said to have contacted representatives for Tommy Lee Jones and the San Francisco Police Department for comment. •Featured image: Victoria and Tommy Lee Jones at the premiere of “Just Getting Started” in Hollywood in 2017/Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Film Magic
Ministers are poised to allow homes in England to be built without carbon-cutting technology in what experts have said is a climbdown after pressure from housebuilders. Battery storage would cost an estimated £2,000 to £5,000 for each new home but result in longterm savings on energy bills. View image in fullscreen Heat pumps are still expected to be mandatory in all new-build homes in England as part of the future homes standard. Photograph: JulPo/GettyBuilding the 1.5m new homes Labour has promised without batteries will also cut off potential advantages to the UK’s electricity grid. Ministers are expected to announce the “warm homes plan” at the same time as the future homes standard, setting out how to insulate England’s draughty housing.
The North Korean leader visits Kumsusan to honour his grandfather, state founder Kim Il-sung, and his father, Kim Jong-il, on key dates and anniversaries. View image in fullscreen The North Korean ruler, Kim Jong-un, his daughter Kim Ju-ae and wife, Ri Sol-ju, during a performance celebrating the new year. Photograph: KCNA/EPAHong Min, an expert on North Korea at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, said North Korea had been portraying an image of Kim’s “stable family” by showing his wife and daughter with him at major events. Kim Ju-ae, who is believed to have been born in the early 2010s, attended this year’s New Year celebrations, according to state media. North Korea has never confirmed her age.
At a specialist treatment centre in Ukraine, as other amputees play volleyball nearby, Vladislav shows a video on his phone of how he lost his left leg. “The numbers here are truly humbling,” says Mike, a British rehab consultant and an army lieutenant colonel, who is part of the UK team helping out. “I’m proud that the UK is stepping up to ensure wounded Ukrainian soldiers get the best possible treatment,” said John Healey, the defence secretary, praising their work. View image in fullscreen Injured veterans playing volleyball at the rehabilitation centre in Kyiv region. After he arrived at the treatment centre, a succession of further surgeries proved necessary.
In a poignant recount of her father's immigrant story from the 1960s, broadcaster Narinder Kaur illuminated the struggles he faced while working tirelessly in a steel foundry. They were hard workers, hard graft, in a tumultuous time for the country. “My dad came from India in the early 60s and went straight into hard labour. The new immigrants ALSO are desperate to work and make a life for themselves,” she said.Kaur concluded by urging a change in how immigrants are viewed in 2026. She highlighted every instance of resilience, dedication, and contribution of immigrant families to British society.
Last month, the Minister for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook, described further adjustments to the policy – sparking fresh concerns. Previously, the Government was talking about lighter rules to developments of 10–49 homes on sites up to one hectare. Affordable housingAt the moment, councils usually require a proportion of homes to be provided as affordable housing on sites of a certain size. Local plansCouncils will be required to set aside more land for small-to-medium housing sites when they draw up their local plans. “This is the most significant rewrite of planning rules in over a decade and will fix the broken system we inherited.”
But today, Zohran Mamdani became the first socialist mayor of New York City. In New York at the turn of the century, Jewish workers created a secular, socialist, but specifically Yiddish world. “Where is the synagogue of our Jewish workers? In 1914, these neighborhoods sent Jewish socialist labor lawyer Meyer London to Congress. In 1920, five New York socialist assemblymen were expelled from office on accusations of disloyalty.
In New York City, and everywhere else I’ve been, 2025 was the year when everybody learned his name. I moved from Egypt to Seattle in 2000, and then to New York City a year after the September 11 attacks. “The capital of linguistic diversity, not just for the five boroughs (of New York City), but for the human species, is Queens,” Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro wrote in Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas. As is Republican New York City councilwoman Vickie Paladino, who called for the “expulsion of Muslims” in the wake of the Bondi Beach massacre. The year after I moved to New York City, my brother and his wife had a daughter – my own immediate family’s first US citizen.
Daisies and dandelions are among hundreds of native plant species blooming in the UK, in what scientists have called a “visible signal” of climate breakdown disrupting the natural world. “This new analysis shows a very clear link between rising temperatures and impacts on our plant species,” said Walker. Last week, the Met Office said 2025 was likely to be the UK’s hottest year on record. Debbie Hemming, a vegetation expert at the Met Office, said it was “tangible evidence” that climate breakdown was directly influencing the world around us. “These findings underscore how rising temperatures and increasing climate extreme events are shifting the natural cycles of our plants and wildlife,” she said.
With the misery of England’s Ashes cricket debacle, we’ve got high hopes for better things in the Six Nations rugby. If that turns into another sporting flop, how about our chances in the football World Cup next summer? What are the chances of achieving something respective councils have failed to do over the past 18 years? But we want to see the promised shops, flats and leisure venues - or should that be commerces, appartements et lieux de loisirs? On a positive note, yes there are some vacant shops in Taunton, but we fare a lot better than most towns around the country.
