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From Beyonce’s many catsuits to the supermodel scion who walked in her first digital show, test your fashion nerd knowledge of this very strange yearWhich designer spent lockdown at the Mercer Hotel in New York?Marc JacobsMichael KorsRalph LaurenTelfar ClemensDonna KaranWho was the first man to appear solo on the cover of American Vogue in December 2020?Louis TomlinsonKerby Jean RaymondHarry StylesTimothee ChalametKanye WestWhich designer brand took to the Seine on a boat to show their haute couture collection in July?Saint LaurentChanelDiorBalmainValentinoWhich Netflix series had its red carpet premiere at home?Emily in ParisThe CrownThe Queen's GambitSchitt's CreekRatchedWhich brand are these two designers connected to?GivenchyBurberryGabriela HearstPradaChloeWhat is one of the stars of the V&A's latest blockbuster exhibition?Naomi Campbell's hazmat suitMargaret Thatcher's handbagBjork's kimonoFloral trousers worn by Harry Styles in the video for GoldenJulia Roberts's boots from Pretty WomanWho designed this look for Beyonce's Black Is King?VersaceValentinoGucciMarine SerreAshishWhose daughter made her catwalk debut in the spring/summer 21 Miu Miu show?Kate MossYolanda HadidKris JennerCindy CrawfordImanWhich trend swept the nation in 2020?CosycoreCottagecoreCashmerecoreLoungecoreShedcoreWhich famous star and their family starred in the AW20 Coach campaign?Victoria BeckhamJ.LoKim KardashianMariah CareyMeghan MarkleWhich brands announced a new creative director this year?Givenchy, Chloe, PradaGivenchy, Chloe, ValentinoGivenchy, Prada, BurberryGivenchy, Prada, ChanelGivenchy, Prada, Louis VuittonTyler Mitchell photographed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the cover of which magazine this year?US VogueBritish VogueElleVanity FairTime11 and above.Good effort. You can give Schitt's Creek's Moira a run for her money8 and above.Not bad. You can recite the 'love it, couldn't wear it' meme9 and above.Not bad. You can recite the 'love it, couldn't wear it' meme6 and above.Meh. You don't know your cords from your co-ords5 and above.Meh. You don't know your cords from your co-ords1 and above.Bad luck. You think Skims is an online banking scam3 and above.Bad luck. You think Skims is an online banking scam2 and above.Bad luck. You think Skims is an online banking scam12 and above.100%. Forget Princess Diana, a new fashion queen is crowned10 and above.Good effort. You can give Schitt's Creek's Moira a run for her money7 and above.Not bad. You can recite the 'love it, couldn't wear it' meme4 and above.Meh. You don't know your cords from your co-ords0 and above.Bad luck. You think Skims is an online banking scam Continue reading...

After a miserable 2014, I knew I had to make more time for myself – and my beloved boatI don’t make resolutions. But one year I made an exception. It was 1 January 2015. It was the only nod to self-improvement I have ever made – and it changed the course of my life. Very seriously, I resolved to have more fun. I had been inspired by the American folk legend Woody Guthrie, whose 1943 resolutions had come to light, a list full of such gems as “dream good” and “dance better”. Yes, I thought. Focus on what brings you joy – if that isn’t improvement, I don’t know what is. (I would humbly suggest this is even more pertinent as the cruel joke that is 2020 comes to a close.)I had had a tough year, having taken on a difficult project on top of a demanding full-time job and spent the months leading up to Christmas working so hard I barely slept. When I did sleep, I dreamed of the ocean (unsurprisingly, given I was writing a book about sea nomads in my spare time). Continue reading...

Our tipsters have seen in the new year stargazing in the Atacama desert, partying hard in New Orleans and jiving in Cape TownOur all-girls group’s plans to celebrate New Year’s Eve while camping and stargazing in Chile’s eerie Atacama Desert almost went wrong. Thanks to Jesus, it all worked out. Our tight budget led us to rent a Jeep from a backstreet car-hire firm in San Pedro. Result – a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, a friendly group of locals led by the aptly named Jesus, who had some mechanical knowledge, were also heading out to the desert and stopped to help us. Result: a shared trip, wine, food, campfires and songs in English and Spanish under the mystical Atacama skies to see out and welcome in the year in a stunning setting and with great company.

Stormy weather pushes some areas, including Gunnedah and Grafton, into record-breaking territoryParts of New South Wales could potentially break rainfall records by the end of December, as thunderstorms bring a rainy end to 2020.By New Year’s Day, areas in northern NSW, including the town of Gunnedah, could have officially broken previous December rain records, according to preliminary data collected by the Bureau of Meteorology. Continue reading...

From worst crash in a generation to record highs on news of a Covid vaccine, experts review the rollercoaster that was 2020

David Simpson rescued three hours after his yacht was discovered run aground between Bribie Island and CaloundraA man has been found clinging on to a marine beacon after he fell from his boat into the sea off Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.Emergency services scrambled to find the man after his 13-metre yacht was discovered run aground between the northern tip of Bribie Island and Caloundra at about 4pm on Tuesday. Continue reading...

A terrible year is finally over but are we really in the mood to party? The Guardia Australian team reflect on how they’ll be marking 2020’s demise – please join us in the comments with your own plans and suggestionsIn many ways, the end of this terrible year deserves the biggest, loudest and most cathartic party of all time. In a pandemic, of course, that was never going to happen – but it seems to be the last thing many want to do anyway.When asked how they’d be marking New Year’s Eve – amid Covid restrictions, bad weather and general 2020 exhaustion – many people on Twitter shared the same sentiment: they would not be doing much. One is looking forward to “a quiet night with my dogs”; another a “rousing boardgame”; a third replied: “glass of wine, bed early.” Continue reading...

Proposed MCC membership for Mugabe and Thatcher’s birthday party plans among stories kept under wraps – until nowJohn Major vetoed a Foreign Office idea to offer honorary membership of the MCC to Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, saying it was a “dodgy precedent”, records released by the National Archives reveal. The FCO proposed the offer for Mugabe’s 1994 state visit to the UK, stating he was “reportedly keen on cricket”. Continue reading...

His criticism in 1995 chimed with No 10 misgivings over ownership of PM records, National Archives showBoris Johnson, who has sought comparison with Winston Churchill, denounced spending national lottery money to save the wartime leader’s personal papers for the nation.Confidential files released to the National Archives reveal that a vituperative attack on the initiative by Johnson, then a Daily Telegraph columnist, coincided with Downing Street suspicions over ownership of past prime ministers’ private records. Continue reading...

The prominent Kremlin critic, poisoned in August, is under investigation for allegedly mishandling $5m private donationsRussian authorities have ramped up the pressure on the prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny by levelling new fraud accusations against him.The Investigative Committee, Russia’s main investigative agency, said on Tuesday it had opened a new criminal case against Navalny on charges of large-scale fraud related to his alleged mishandling of $5m in private donations to his Anti-Corruption Foundation and other organisations. Continue reading...

American Airlines flight takes off from Miami for the first time since two deadly crashes grounded the airliner worldwidePaying passengers flew on a Boeing 737 Max in the US on Tuesday for the first time since safety regulators allowed the plane to fly again after two deadly crashes.The American Airlines flight from Miami to New York City had about 87 passengers onboard, according to an airline spokeswoman. The flight landed safely just after 1pm local time and a return flight was scheduled for later in the afternoon. Continue reading...

Man who had driven 200 miles to walk in the hills and minibus of people among those stopped

Surprise at end of episode featuring Sir Elton John, comedian James Corden and tennis star Naomi OsakaWhen the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they would put guest speakers at centre stage in their new podcast, few would have expected to hear from their toddler Archie.But Prince Harry and Meghan’s 19-month-old son made a surprise cameo appearance at the end of the first episode, released on Tuesday, revealing a slight American accent as he wished listeners a happy new year. Continue reading...

Canada’s worst-hit province shortened hours of vaccination clinics as frustrations mount across country over slow rollout of the drugThe head of Ontario’s Covid taskforce has apologized for “pausing’” coronavirus vaccinations during the Christmas holidays, as frustrations mount across Canada over a slow rollout of the drug.Officials in the country’s most populous – and worst-hit –province shortened the hours of vaccination clinics on 24 December and closed them on 25 and 26 December, citing staffing concerns. By Tuesday, all 19 had re-opened. Continue reading...

Father Sergiy charged with inciting suicidal actions through sermons urging people to ‘die for Russia’Russian riot police have stormed a monastery to detain a rebel monk who has castigated the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox church leadership and denied the existence of the coronavirus.In the overnight showdown, police clashed with the priest’s supporters at the Sredneuralsk monastery in the Ural mountains. Continue reading...

Fashion designer will forever be associated with the decade that embraced his space-age aesthetic

A handful of working class suburbs on the outskirts of Melbourne had the most Covid cases in Australia. This is how they fought back

Actors, musicians and comedians sign petition urging Britain to negotiate free culture work permit

Songwriter and performer whose compositions were covered by Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley tested positive for coronavirus earlier this monthArmando Manzanero, one of Mexico’s most revered songwriters and musical performers, has died aged 85 from Covid-19. He tested positive for the disease on 17 December and was intubated on 22 December.The Society of Authors and Composers of Mexico (SACM), of which Manzanero was president, announced his death, saying: “The romantic soul of Mexico and the world is in mourning.” Continue reading...

Experts from the World Health Organization have told the end of year media briefing that even though the coronavirus pandemic has been severe, it is 'not necessarily the big one', and that the virus is likely to become endemic and the world will have to learn to live with it. The head of the WHO emergencies programme, Dr Mike Ryan, warned that the next pandemic may be worse, while Prof David Heymann, the chair of the WHO's strategic and technical advisory group for infectious hazards, said the 'destiny' of the virus is to become endemic, even as vaccines begin to be rolled out across the world

Former foreign minister says Iran must faces consequences and ‘it is not clear there have been any’The former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt says the UK “is beginning to look weak” over its failure to protect citizens imprisoned in Iran, such as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.The 42-year-old British-Iranian dual national has been detained in Iran since 2016, when she was sentenced to five years in prison over allegations, which she denies, of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government. Continue reading...

As she prepares to ring in 2021 with a performance on screens at Piccadilly Circus, the punk poet explains why she’s optimistic amid the ‘debris’ of Trump’s years in officePatti Smith talks about her first poetry performance – in 1971 at St Mark’s Church in New York’s Bowery – as if it were yesterday. “I remember everything,” she says over the phone from her home in New York. Smith was in her early 20s, working at a bookshop and living in the Chelsea Hotel with her then lover, the playwright Sam Shepard. She had attended poetry readings before, most of which put her into a deep sleep. “I wanted to do something that wasn’t boring,” she recalls. “Sam said that since I sang to myself all the time, I should try singing a song, or maybe do something with a guitar.” And so she called on the musician Lenny Kaye to provide “interpretative” noises on guitar while she half-read, half-sang her poems.The show was an instant hit. “It seemed to make a big impression on people – which I really didn’t understand,” she says. The producer Sandy Pearlman approached her afterwards and suggested she front a rock band. She eventually took his advice, making the landmark album Horses in 1975, and an icon of American punk was born. Continue reading...

More contagious variant identified in returned traveller; three shops in Sydney CBD and two supermarkets in eastern suburbs visited by people who tested positive. This blog is now closedQueensland detects case of South African variantNSW records three new coronavirus casesSydney New Year’s Eve restrictions explainerCovid hotspots NSWAustralia border restrictionsFollow our global coronavirus live blog7.27am GMTAnd with that, we’ll wrap up the blog. Here’s a summary of everything that happened today:7.09am GMTFairfield City has taken the decision to cancel New Year’s Eve celebrations, due both to the pandemic and the weather.Mayor Frank Carbone says in a statement he knows people will be disappointed by the decision, but it is the right decision.Council has been closely monitoring the escalating Covid situation in Sydney. The decision was made due to the increasing number of unlinked cases announced in the last few days outside of the northern beaches, which potentially means the virus has not been contained. Continue reading...

We asked our photographers to pick an image that best highlighted an aspect of the coronavirus pandemicWe asked the Guardian and Observer’s team of photographers to pick an image that represented something interesting about covering the pandemic in 2020. From heatwave swims to anti-racism demonstrations in the summer to lockdown imagery and individual tragedy, these images and the thoughts of the photographers form a very personal take on the experience of covering the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Continue reading...

Combined wealth rises by 52.4% in the past year – ‘turbocharging’ inequalityThe combined wealth of Australian billionaires has risen by more than 50% over the past year, new figures show, prompting concerns that the pandemic-triggered recession has “turbocharged” the gap between rich and poor.The combined net worth of Australia’s billionaires dropped in March – when Covid-19 restrictions ramped up – before rebounding strongly and increasing throughout the course of the year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Continue reading...

Latest updates: South Africa bans alcohol sales and extends nationwide curfew; UK breaks cases record; Macron to meet cabinet ministers amid surge

Backing of EU27 paves way for new arrangements between UK and EU to come into force on 1 January

From practical impacts on business travellers to odd references to obsolete software, three Brexologists dive deepExperts are still poring over the 1,246-page Brexit trade deal, but the devil is always in the detail.Dozens of UK-EU committees overseeing all aspects of the deal will now have to be set up, committing the UK and the EU to semi-permanent Brexit negotiations. Continue reading...

Anger that EU boats can work six miles off coast and that end of ‘quota swapping’ could outweigh any gainsThe UK’s fishing sector will face immediate hardship and long-lasting damage under the new European Union deal, industry leaders and boat owners have claimed.There is anger that “marginal” gains on the share of fish the UK fleet will be allowed to catch may be outweighed by the end of the system of “quota swapping”, which has until now enabled deals to be made between British boats and their counterparts from mainland Europe. Continue reading...

Lancashire police charge Jamie Dixon, 18, and two males aged 16 and 17 over the death of Sarmad Al-Saidi

We adjusted to exciting new concepts, such as ‘Leppington Triangle’. Test your memory of the past 12 months with our five daily quizzesWhat is the title of Jimmy Barnes’ newest memoir?Good TimesKilling TimeToo Much Ain’t EnoughWorking Class GrandpaIn May, federal treasury was forced to announce a significant correction in its forecast for how much would be spent on the jobkeeper wage subsidy. How big was the revision?$44bn$70bn$60bn$100bnWhich Australian politician referred to Adolf Hitler, Tamerlane, Stalin, Lech Wałęsa, Galileo, Michelangelo, Pope John Paul II and Christopher Columbus, among others, in his joyful Christmas message?George ChristensenCraig KellyBob KatterBarnaby JoyceA pair of chicks preparing to leave their nest on a city centre skyscraper captivated Melbourne during the city’s long lockdown. What species were they?Peregrine falconsPowerful owlsWhite-bellied sea eaglesWedge-tailed eaglesIn what month of this cursed and eternal year did Kim Kardashian West’s deceased father appear to her via hologram?NovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustWhich of these Australian parliamentarians did not welcome a baby during 2020?Ed HusicKate ThwaitesMatt KeoghAnika WellsWhich of the following dinosaurs was discovered in Australia for the first time in 2020?Which Australian government agency posted mysteriously on Twitter: “Hi internet. We thought it would be fun if you followed us for a change.”Australian federal policeAsioAustralian Taxation OfficeAustralian Border ForceWhich national sport chief executive did not lose their job this year?Todd GreenbergJames JohnsonRaelene CastleKevin RobertsWho launched a new booze label in Australia this year?Tina ArenaKylie MinogueKyle SandilandsNeil FinnWhich reviled historical figure caused a stir with an appearance as a cardboard cutout at an NRL game in May?Adolf HitlerHarold ShipmanPol PotIvan MilatWhat was the name of the sellers of the parcel of land at the “Leppington Triangle” – a transaction criticised by the commonwealth auditor general?Leppington Dairy FoodsBringelly Golf CoursesLeppington Pastoral CompanyBringelly Koi FarmThe micronation known as the Principality of Hutt River announced in August that it would be dissolving itself and officially rejoining Australia as a result of the pandemic. Which state or territory will it (still) be in?Western AustraliaNorthern TerritorySouth AustraliaTasmaniaAt Easter, Dominic Cummings, the former adviser to the British prime minister Boris Johnson, travelled to Barnard Castle in England’s north-east, sparking controversy over whether he had breached lockdown laws. Why did he say he visited the castle?It was his son’s birthdayHe wanted to test his eyesightTo celebrate his wedding anniversaryTo test-drive a new carWhich of the following photographs of Bondi Beach was taken in November 2020?Which of these is Don Farrell's shadow portfolio?TradeHealthSpecial minister of stateTransportNational Public Radio in the US sparked consternation in Australia by ruling that a very odd pronunciation of the name one of our native animals was acceptable. Which one?KoalaPlatypusEmuCassowaryDuring the vice-presidential debate, how long did a fly sit on Mike Pence’s head?2 mins 7 secs2 mins 14 seconds2 mins 3 secs2 mins 32 secondsIn September a meteorite crater 5km in diameter was discovered north-west of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia. How old was it believed to be?100,000 years1 million years10 million years100 million yearsAn individual specimen of one of these houseplants sold for more than $NZ8,000 ($A7,500) in New Zealand in September. Which one?20 and above.19 and above.18 and above.17 and above.16 and above.15 and above.14 and above.13 and above.12 and above.11 and above.10 and above.9 and above.8 and above.7 and above.6 and above.5 and above.4 and above.3 and above.2 and above.0 and above.1 and above. Continue reading...

Brazil footballer accused of dancing on the graves of coronavirus victims with celebrity blowout

Around 150 journalists watched as Yuan Bao (Round Baby) clambered over climbing frame and played with sawdustA second Taiwan-born giant panda made her media debut on Monday, clambering over a wooden climbing frame and playing with sawdust to the sound of clicking cameras.The cub was born on 28 June to Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, who were gifted by China in 2008 to mark then warming relations between the two rivals. Continue reading...

Hundreds left Verbier after discovery of new Covid variant despite order to self-isolate

It took me five years just to admit that I wanted to quitFor a long time I kept all of them. And not just at New Years, either. Two stone? Lost. Savings target? Met. Dry January? Easy. I took a healthy packed lunch to work every day. I kept my trainers by the bed for 6am runs. I read War and Peace, then I read it again. In short, if I willed some lifestyle change, it happened – but isn’t that how it works for everyone?Apparently not. Spock-like, I noted how the other humans seemed to sack off their good intentions within a few weeks – even making a big joke of the whole “resolutions” business – and I was confused: like, seriously, when are you lot going to get your acts together? Continue reading...

Central bank says Ant Group governance is unsound and tells it to rectify ‘illegal activities’China has escalated its campaign to rein in the vast tech empire controlled by Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba and one of the country’s richest people.Authorities in Beijing, who had on Christmas Eve ordered an investigation into allegations of “monopolistic practices” by Ma’s online retail giant, have now ordered his financial technology company Ant Group to scale back its operations. Continue reading...

Police in China detain colleague of Yoozoo Games founder Lin Qi on suspicion of involvement in death

People in tier 4 areas must stay at home and not meet up with other householdsLarge areas of England are to join London, the south-east and east of England in tier 4, amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and alarm about a new strain of coronavirus spreading rapidly. Continue reading...

Court suspends some of sentence and backdates start of term, meaning she only has three months left to serveLoujain al-Hathloul, the Saudi women’s right activist detained three years ago by the Saudi government, has been sentenced to five years and eight months in jail after being found guilty of spying with foreign parties and conspiring against the kingdom.But the court suspended 2 years and 10 months of her sentence, and backdated the start of her jail term to May 2018, meaning she only has three months left to serve. Continue reading...

Vote came after ministers on Lewis said parents and teachers unhappy about government-backed materialsThe Western Isles has been hit by a fresh row over the influence of churches on public policy after councillors voted to endorse a Catholic manual on teaching sex education and relationships in schools.A large majority of councillors on Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES) backed a motion “commending” Roman Catholic teaching materials, which uphold an orthodox Catholic stance against sexual intercourse outside heterosexual marriage. Continue reading...

A celebratory slowed-cooked pork shoulder, porcini and juniper berry pot roast with herby roast potatoes and chestnutty cabbage on the sideThere are two emporiums in Testaccio. One is ancient, and in ruins. The other is a shop, not much larger than an emperor-sized double bed, just off the main piazza. The ancient L’Emporio, built between 193 BC and 174 BC, was a river port where goods from all over the globe (Empire), notably olive oil from Hispania Baetica, Libya and Turkey; and durum wheat from North Africa, Egypt and Sicily, were docked, unloaded and moved into storage. Excavated remains of both the port and warehouses punctuate Testaccio nonchalantly; a colossal arch butting up against a 19th-century block of flats here, a section of quay there. Continue reading...

My time in Europe transformed my outlook; those who think Brexit is all about trade deals ignore what else was at stakeThe prime minister offered the country a “feast” this Christmas but many of us still haven’t been able to digest it. The truth is it was never very appetising, not so much an oven-ready treat as a cheap ready meal. Boris Johnson’s trade deal does not bring “glad tidings of great joy” but final confirmation that a special relationship has been turned into a purely transactional one.To the mercantilist Brexiteers, any losses incurred are mere trifles. Take the end of the Erasmus scheme, which enabled students to spend time in other member states’ universities. Compared with fish quotas and level playing fields this may seem like small fry. But a feast without the trimmings is just another meal, and a trade deal without cultural ties makes for a much shallower relationship with our European neighbours. Continue reading...

From advances in carbon-sequestering sequins to a boom in second-hand shopping, there have been chinks of light in 2020, despite the grim big pictureEven the most ardent fan of elasticated waistbands would have to concede that 2020 has been an ugly year for fast fashion. The industry’s environmental issues are well known. It emits more carbon emissions than all international flight and maritime shipping combined, according to UNEP, the UN Environment Programme. The UK alone sends an estimated £140m worth, or 350,000 tonnes, of used clothing to landfill. And 2020 highlighted the human cost of over-production, with grim reports from Pakistani factories supplying clothes to Boohoo topping off a year in which garment workers in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam were among the first to pay the price of the pandemic as western companies refused to pay for orders.But there has been good news too, even within the limitations of this strange, sad year – sometimes because of them. Here are five promising developments – from mindset shifts to disruptive technology – which could help us emerge from this wearing something we can feel good about. Continue reading...

Chancellor aims to firm up agreements that would allow institutions to trade as if still in EURishi Sunak has offered financial services firms the prospect of closer access to EU markets than outlined in the Brexit trade deal, after Boris Johnson conceded that this aspect of the agreement fell short of UK hopes.With MPs and experts still poring over the 1,246-page details of the agreement ahead of votes in the Commons and Lords on Wednesday, increasing focus has fallen on the relative lack of provision for the service sector, which makes up about 80% of the UK economy. Continue reading...

Activists say the island of Bhasan Char is not safe and that the refugees are being moved against their willBangladesh has begun moving the second group of Rohingya refugees from crammed camps in Cox’s Bazar to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, in defiance of safety and security concerns from international rights advocates.Groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have urged the Bangladeshi government to halt the relocation of Rohingya to Bhasan Char, which is hours by boat from the mainland, flood-prone, vulnerable to frequent cyclones and could be completely submerged during a high tide. Continue reading...

A survivor warns against the harmful practices many are forced to undergo to try to change their sexuality or gender identityWhen I was nine, my parents took me to a traditional healer. He used a razor to make three incisions on the insteps of my feet, my wrists, my elbows, my forehead and on the back of my neck. As blood started to flow, the healer rubbed a concoction of herbs into the incisions and gave me a potion to drink. He took alligator pepper and rubbed it on various parts of my body. There was a rooster, into which he cast the “demon” inside me. The rooster was slaughtered and thrown into the river, supposedly taking my sexuality with it.

NSW premier says all new cases are on the northern beaches and associated with the Avalon cluster. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

Photographer Murdo MacLeod spent time in the Cairngorms with a search and rescue team whose dogs and volunteer handlers help the police and mountain rescue teams hunt for missing peopleDog Tom, as he is known to his mountain rescue colleagues, has spent close to three decades searching for lost and injured souls across Scotland’s most breathtaking and treacherous terrain. But his memory of that first call-out is as clear as unbroken snow.Tom Gilchrist and his dog, then a Border collie named Orna, were dropped off by helicopter just before dawn on to the Five Sisters of Kintail, an 8km ridge that rises steeply out of Glen Shiel in the north-west Highlands. “The sun was rising and the dog just went off, following a scent.” The ground they covered was rough and dangerous as the pair searched for a missing hillwalker, who had lost his bearings and hunkered down for the night. “Watching a dog work is a joyous thing,” says Gilchrist. Continue reading...

Pusey faces numerous charges, including making threats to kill and false imprisonmentThe Melbourne Porsche driver Richard Pusey, who is awaiting trial on several charges over April’s Eastern Freeway crash in which four police officers died, faces fresh charges, including making threats and breaching bail.Pusey was taken to hospital after Victoria police raided his home late on Sunday. Police confirmed they had to force their way into a home in Fitzroy after reports of a disturbance about 11.30pm on Sunday. Continue reading...

31 December 1920 The birds go by the weather and not by any artificial, hard and fast arrangement of times and seasonsThere is a winter moth on the curtain; it fluttered in last night. Its presence is normal at this season, and has little to do with the mild weather, but the merry tinkle, almost a laugh, of the blue tit is not the usual passing bell of the old year. Close to where the ploughman was cutting neat furrows in the moist earth two coveys of partridges squatted on the still undisturbed grass, where more than the usual number of daisies, though slightly, rain-soiled, are fully open.Related: Country diary 1917: warmth from the sun brings out winter wildlife Continue reading...