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Aniseed-based Anís del Mono is an ingredient in traditional Spanish cakes and pastries

Prosecution of 10 Hong Kongers detained in mainland China after allegedly attempting to flee to Taiwan also began on MondayZhang Zhan, a 37-year-old former lawyer and citizen journalist who was arrested in May while reporting from Wuhan, has been sentenced to four years in jail.Zhang was arrested for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” – an accusation commonly used against dissidents, activists and journalists – with her video and blog reports from the Wuhan lockdown. Last month she was charged with disseminating false information. Continue reading...

Runaway success of the story of Tanjiro – a boy who shows remarkable resilience in the face of obstacles – comes despite the coronavirus pandemicNot even a pandemic has been able to stop an animated film set a century ago from becoming Japan’s highest-grossing movie ever, surpassing sales from Hollywood blockbusters, the Harry Potter series, and even the works of the revered Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.Since its release in mid-October, Demon Slayer has generated ticket sales of ¥32.47bn [$313m], according to figures released on Monday by its distributors. Continue reading...

Little-discussed reversal of thinking means plans for formal co-operation look deadPlans for the UK to re-establish formal foreign and security policy links with the European Union, frozen during negotiations over a trade deal, may never be revived, as UK foreign policy focuses on bilateral links in Europe and developing new alliances in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East.The freeze marks a little-discussed reversal of thinking from Theresa May’s era, when the political declaration at the time of Britain’s withdrawal spoke about negotiating deep cooperation between the UK and EU. Continue reading...

After almost 12 months of charting developments as Covid sweeps the world, I look forward to better news next year

Beloved bird that inspired toys and a picture book remembered by conservationists as a ‘precious taonga [treasure]’A much-loved and extremely rare white kiwi has died following surgery, prompting an outpouring of grief among conservationists in New Zealand.Manukura the North Island brown kiwi hatched in captivity in May 2011 with a rare genetic trait, leucism, that gave her striking white plumage. Continue reading...

Death toll climbs by two but another 14 missing climbers are found alive after wild weather across the regionTwelve climbers have died after a blizzard triggered avalanches in mountains north of Iran’s capital, Tehran.Ten climbers were declared dead on Saturday after heavy storms hit the Alborz mountains north of the capital, and rescue teams located one more body on Sunday, while another died after being airlifted to hispital. Continue reading...

Frontline workers won’t be VIP guests for fireworks as northern beaches cluster growsPlans to allow about 5,000 frontline workers to watch Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display from the foreshore have been scrapped as the New South Wales government tries to contain the northern beaches coronavirus outbreak.The state premier, Gladys Berejiklian, announced the restrictions for 31 December on Monday as the Avalon cluster grew to 126, with five more locally acquired cases recorded. Continue reading...

There can be no return to the relations of the past. The question for 2021 is how to find a new settling pointAustralians have had a rude awakening this year. Convinced for a decade that the Asian century was theirs for the taking, the downward spiral of Australia’s relationship with China has come as a shock to many.The highlights, or more like lowlights, of 2020 are innumerable. Australian citizens Yang Hengjun and Cheng Lei have been imprisoned in China, with little to no information about their charges. Australian journalists were spirited out of the country in dramatic scenes. Exports from meat to barley, wine to coal, are just some of the Australian industries reeling from a barrage of Chinese restrictions. Continue reading...

From Australian bushfires to Atlantic hurricanes, insurance damages were the highest annual total ever, says Christian Aid studyThe world’s 10 costliest weather disasters of 2020 saw insured damages worth $150bn, topping the figure for 2019 and reflecting a long-term impact of global warming, according to a new report.The same disasters claimed at least 3,500 lives and displaced more than 13.5 million people. Continue reading...

Latest updates: first vaccine doses administered across Europe; Germany rollout delayed after potential irregularities in cooling of Pfizer shot

Popular musician and prominent opposition leader claims member of security team was run over by the military police, which the authorities denyUgandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has said his bodyguard has been killed and two journalists injured amid violent confrontations between security forces and his followers.A tearful Wine, a popular singer and politician who is challenging the country’s long-time leader, said his bodyguard had died of his injuries after allegedly being run over by a truck belonging to the military police. The victim, Francis Senteza, was attacked while helping to transport a journalist injured in an earlier confrontation between police and a group of Wine’s supporters, he said. Continue reading...

About half of the 420 visitors ordered to self-isolate left Verbier in ‘cloak-and-dagger’ operation this week

UK’s leading psychiatrist predicts impact will be felt for years after pandemic ends

Three people wounded in clash between camp residents and youths near coastal city of TripoliHundreds of Syrian refugees have fled their makeshift camp in north Lebanon after their tents were set alight when fighting broke out between local youths and camp residents.At least three people were wounded in the clash on Saturday in the Miniyeh region near the coastal city of Tripoli, after which youths set fire to the camp, Lebanon’s state-owned National News Agency said. Continue reading...

Cats, Pineapple, Hamilton? Test your memory of the huge and not-so-huge stories of the year with our five daily quizzesIn October an Irish court ruled that the US sandwich chain Subway could not describe its buns as what?BreadA snackLunchDinnerWhich of these is not a chief medical or health officer?Brett SuttonJeannette YoungKerryn ColemanKerry Van DiemenWhat is Australia’s biggest “big thing”, relative to its size in real life?Big Funnel Web SpiderBig BananaBig PotatoBig MerinoIn July the “palace letters” between Sir John Kerr and Buckingham Palace were finally released. Which veteran Australian journalist was described by Kerr in the letters as “pro-Labor”?Michelle GrattanPaul KellyAlan RamseyKerry O’BrienWhat is the name of this year’s favourite cooking show whose host swears a lot?Matt’s What I SaidIso-lordUncook YourselfNat’s What I ReckonOne of the following screenshots is from Animal Crossing, a game that became hugely popular during Covid-19 lockdowns. Which is it?Which federal minister declared they would not resign during the second wave of Covid-19 infections in Victoria?Greg HuntJosh FrydenbergRichard ColbeckMarise PayneA homeowner near the ACT-NSW border interrupted a Scott Morrrison press conference in June when he yelled at the gathered media “can everyone get off the grass please”. He was upset because he’d just ...Mown his lawnReseeded his lawnFertilised his lawnWatered his lawnWhen the filmed original Broadway production of Hamilton landed on streaming, eagle-eyed fans spotted something noteworthy. What was it?That the same cast member played Phillip Hamilton and Hercules MulliganThat Jonathan Groff, as King George, generated a lot of spitThat Leslie Odom Jr, as Aaron Burr, seemed to be autotunedThat Lin-Manuel Miranda mouthed along to other people’s linesWhich of the following famous Australian destinations was not included in a “joy flight around Australia that was condemned by climate campaigners?Which football federation did not vote for the successful joint Australia/New Zealand bid to host the 2023 Women's World Cup?United StatesMadagascarEnglandJapanWhen did the federal parliament return after the Covid-19 lockdowns?24 August14 September17 August5 OctoberThe mayor of which Queensland city posted a Facebook video of herself encased in bubble wrap, as a warning against the election of her rival, a barefoot climate activist named Pineapple?GladstoneMackayBundabergRockhamptonIn July, Donald Trump gave an interview to Fox News in which he touted successfully passing a cognitive test, including repeating the order of specific words. Which was the phrase he repeated?“Man, woman, person, camera, TV”“Person, woman, man, camera, TV”“Woman, man, person, TV, camera”“Man, woman, camera, TV, person”Vincent Namatjira became the first Indigenous Australian to win the Archibald prize. Who featured in his portrait?Queen Elizabeth and Vincent NamatjiraVincent Namatjira and his great grandfather AlbertAdam Goodes and Vincent NamatjiraCaptain Cook and Vincent NamatjiraWhich Australian premier said “I don’t need to know about that bit” in a taped phone call later played at a public corruption watchdog hearing?Daniel AndrewsAnnastacia PalaszczukMark McGowanGladys BerejiklianPaul Jennings released his memoir this year. What is its name?Have You Ever?Strange Things HappenUntwistedThe Lighthouse YearsWhich ABC presenter kept viewers entertained throughout most of the year with a changing selection of books on show during broadcasts from home?David SpeersLeigh SalesAlan KohlerLisa MillarThe New Zealander of the year competition in 2020 was unusual because ...The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, was the only entrantThere were no men on the listA cat was nominatedThe event was cancelledWhich Spanish city stood in for Brisbane in the filming of The Crown?MalagaBarcelonaGranadaValencia20 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...

Investigation ongoing into 25 October incident involving Nave Andromeda vesselPolice have charged two men in connection with the alleged hijacking of a tanker off the coast of the Isle of Wight in October.Matthew John Okorie, 25, and Sunday Sylvester, 22, appeared in court on Saturday charged with an offence relating to conduct endangering ships, Hampshire constabulary said. Continue reading...

The novelist’s hit debut, a witty spin on race, feminism and sex based on her time as a nanny in New York, has even won fans among her former employers…This time last year, Kiley Reid was a tantalising rumour, the truth of which was known only to her publishers and to the film company that had optioned her debut novel two years before it was ready to see the light of day. When Such a Fun Age was published – on New Year’s Eve in the US and a week later in the UK – the rumour checked out: here was a smart comedy of manners, which treated interracial relationships of the early 21st century with the sort of needling wit that Jane Austen had applied to class 200 years earlier.It was the start of a year in which Reid seems to have been travelling in the opposite direction to the rest of the world. By the time the Covid pandemic shut everything down, she had introduced the novel to 19 cities, including London. Reese Witherspoon had picked it for her book club; in July, it was longlisted for the Booker prize. Continue reading...

Critic of UK decision to ban Huawei from 5G networks to be replaced by China’s vice-foreign minister

Announcement follows health ministry’s approval of vaccine use by elderly people

2020 led to surges in everything from domestic abuse to black markets in fake vaccines

Coastal areas forced to erect flood defences to counter impact of waves whipped up by 100mph gusts

The director of archaeology at Pompeii shows an exceptionally well-preserved snack bar, or thermopolium, which served food and drink to passers-by. Traces of food have been found in some of the jars, and the frescoes offer insights into Pompeiian eating habits. Human remains were also found of a victim of the volcanic eruption in AD79 that buried the ancient Roman city

Looking for a more positive new year resolution? From a Shirley Jackson short story to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 30-minute Ted talk, nourish your mind with our one-a-day selection of literary treats

The notorious murderer who preyed on 70s backpackers is the subject of a new BBC drama. Our writer recalls his bizarre meetings with a charmer and psychopathAt the beginning of The Serpent, the new BBC drama series based on the exploits of a real-life serial killer, a title page declares: “In 1997 an American TV crew tracked Charles Sobhraj down to Paris where he was living as a free man.”The ABC team were not the only ones back then to speak to Sobhraj, who was suspected of committing at least 12 murders. I too made the journey to Paris and managed to arrange an interview for the Observer with the Vietnamese-Indian Frenchman. He had just been released from jail in India, where he had spent 20 years on various charges (but not for any of the murders for which he was alleged to be responsible). Continue reading...

She was the face of popular culture, but then Fearne Cotton reached crisis point. Now she has found her voice again...Fearne Cotton keeps a pile of notebooks next to her computer, each brimming with plans for projects. Many of us have struggled to focus during the pandemic, but for Cotton, the past nine months have been among the most productive of her professional life. “I’ve found this time really creative,” she says, in that presenter voice of hers, so soothingly familiar. “It’s like when I go on holiday. In moments I’m forced to do nothing, I find this clarity.”It’s 10am on a grey December morning when we meet over Zoom and her schedule, when she takes me through it, sounds exhausting. Her lockdowns have been busy. She’s written two books since the pandemic started and has kept up her popular wellness podcast, Happy Place, alongside her weekly Radio 2 show. And though the second instalment of her annual summer wellness event, Happy Place Festival, could have become another Covid casualty, Cotton and her team took the programme online. She juggled all this with home schooling her kids. Continue reading...

PM says agreement ‘does not go as far as we would like’ over sector’s access to EU marketsBoris Johnson has conceded that the Brexit trade deal “perhaps does not go as far as we would like” over access to EU markets for financial services, while insisting he had achieved an accord his critics said would be impossible.In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the prime minister said he had defied accusations of “cake-ism” – seeking the impossible – in getting a trade deal that allowed divergence from EU standards. Continue reading...

Kim Kardashian’s unique talent, the return of AC/DC, that mysterious drive to Barnard Castle… How well can you recall the past year? Take our quiz to find out.In May, which Co Durham attraction was momentarily the UK’s most reviewed tourist spot?Durham CathedralThe world’s oldest working railway, at TanfieldBarnard CastleTeesdale Alpaca FarmIn November, the Russian state aviation authority recommended that Aeroflot immediately sack an executive of their budget airline Pobeda. Why?The airline transported a live bear in the flight compartmentThe airline advertised a discount for gay and lesbian passengers, in protest at homophobic legislationThe airline produced an instructional video for staff showing them how to make homemade PPE out of serviettes, vodka and shoelacesAn airplane carrying 102 passengers deviated from its route to trace a flight path which resembled a scrotum on a flight-tracking appThe BBC’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People was one of lockdown’s biggest TV hits. Following its success, which item fetched a reported €70,000 (£63,700) in a charity auction in June?Connell’s neck chainMarianne’s notebookA vial containing both their tearsA generalised sense of horny ennuiJohn Banville courted controversy this year by saying authors like him are unlikely to win the Booker prize because the “woke religious cult” within the literary establishment is suspicious of straight, white men. Perhaps confirming that bias, which former Booker prize winner has called Banville’s collected works “an embarrassment and a deep source of shame”?Hilary MantelBernardine EvaristoRoddy DoyleJohn BanvilleIn September, American teacher Wesley Barnes was arrested in Koh Chang, Thailand, charged with what offence?Impersonation of a police officer, after he attended a fancy dress party as the T-1000 cyborg from the Terminator movies“Criminal defamation,” after he left a negative review on Tripadvisor for a resort hotel“Romantic fraud”, after he misled his former fiancée about his salary and career prospects“Possession of arson equipment”, after he was found to have a liquid fuel cigarette lighter in his possession shortly after their proscriptionBrazilian senator Chico Rodrigues was arrested in October, when, during a raid on his property, police allegedly discovered:Diamonds worth $25,000 (£18,700) hidden in his cat’s collarCocaine and amphetamines worth $5,000 hidden in a fake lighter like you used to see on sale in gadget shopsAlmost 30,000 reais (£4,100) in cash hidden “inside his underwear, near his buttocks”A version of Edvard Munch’s The Scream, which was stolen in Oslo in 2016, and thought lostKeeping Up with the Kardashians ended after 19 seasons this year. Which unlikely talent does star Kim Kardashian West claim to possess?She can see other people’s “emotional energy”She can smell people’s dental cavitiesShe can hear dogs’ thoughtsShe can taste rainbowsHow was a serious train crash averted in Rotterdam in October this year?A train crashing through a stop barrier came to rest on a conveniently placed sculpture of a whaleA train hit a car deliberately abandoned on the track, which prevented it from derailingAn engine fire was extinguished by convenient torrential rainA runaway train was halted by a helicopter using a winchConservative MP Gary Sambrook hit the headlines when he complained about which unkind graffiti in his constituency?Gary Sambrook claps when the plane landsGary Sambrook eats big dinnersGary Sambrook sells Avon round the doorsGary Sambrook likes BountiesWhich of the following real politicians is the Ukip candidate in the 2021 London Mayoral election?Dick BrainePeter GammonsMark RecklessPat MountainGiovanna Fletcher won this year’s I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here which, due to Covid-19, was moved to Wales. Coincidentally, Wales has long been used as a reference measurement for deforestation. At 12m hectares, how much rainforest is destroyed every year?An area half the size of WalesAn area twice the size of WalesAn area six times the size of WalesAn area exactly the size of WalesIn June, Liverpool became the champions of England for the first time since the 89-90 season. Which of these players in their title-winning squad was not alive when they last won the top division title?Dejan LovrenAdam LallanaJames MilnerJordan Henderson2020 saw the death of cinema legend Sean Connery. Before starring as James Bond and becoming one of the world’s best-known actors, he had a varied career path. Which of the following is not a job that he previously held?SoldierCoffin polisherMilkmanNude modelTaylor Swift had this year’s highest-selling albums with Folklore and Evermore and garnered critical plaudits for her tender, emotional and introspective songwriting. As a child, growing up on her parents’ Christmas tree farm, Swift displayed particular tenderness to which unusual pet(s)?Several hermit crabsThree beesOne two-toed slothAn entire nest of carpenter antsThe infamous “R number” became a household initial this year, but what does it actually stand for?ReplicationReproductionRate (of propagation)RiseAll Blacks forward Ardie Savea was in trouble with his team doctor in January over fears he could exacerbate his knee injury by doing what?Entering the New Zealand version of StrictlyPosting dance videos on TikTokTaking part in a motorcycle human pyramidJumping from Auckland Harbour Bridge in a wingsuit, which is exactly what it sounds likeInventor “Mad Mike” Hughes died in February after he did what?Crashed his steam-powered home-made rocket attempting to prove the world is flatDeliberately infected himself with Ebola in order to prove the efficacy of his UV light cureJumped into the Grand Canyon to test his Mandalorian-style jetpackLeapt from the top of the Luxor Las Vegas casino to promote his wingsuitBite-sized streaming service Quibi shut down after just six months and $1.75bn worth of investment raised by Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg. Viewers complained its 15-minute long offerings were mystifying and unwatchable. Which of the following is not a real Quibi show?Gayme Show – a LBGTQ-friendly quiz in which non-gay celebrities compete to be crowned “Queen of the Straights”Dishmantled – a cookery show where chefs are shot in the face with food cannonsGolden Arm – a thriller directed by Sam Raimi in which Rachel Brosnahan falls in love with her golden prostheticDustin for Prince – a music show in which Dustin Hoffman shares highlights from the life and times of The Artist Formerly, and later presently, Known As PrinceThe daughter of which notorious criminal launched a fashion line and craft ale in January, named after her notorious father?Pablo EscobarAlejandro “El Chapo” GuzmanJohn GottiChristy “the Dapper Don” KinahanAC/DC made a triumphant comeback in 2020. Along with guitarist Malcolm Young’s passing, several other things have changed for the band. Which of the following things has not happened since the band last reformed?Singer Brian Johnson went deafRhythm guitarist Angus Young paid a $500,000 ransom for his trademark school uniform which was stolen in a burglary in the band’s officesGuns N’ Roses’ frontman Axl Rose performed lead vocals for numerous tour datesDrummer Phil Rudd was charged with attempting to procure a murder, and later convicted of making threats to killWhat was remarkable about the Oxford English Dictionary’s announcement of its Word of the Year for 2020?The word was actually a graph showing how best to “flatten the curve”It was spelled wrongIt was a numberIt was a list of entries, as “2020 has been filled with new words unlike any other”Cinema had a desultory year in 2020. Last year’s bestselling movie Avengers: Endgame is the number one highest-grossing film of all time. The previous year’s Avengers: Infinity War is fifth. Where does 2020’s highest grossing movie, the Chinese war epic, The Eight Hundred, sit on the all-time rankings list?2054166247Scots Wikipedia – the Wikipedia for speakers of the Scots language – was embroiled in controversy this August when what was discovered about 120,000 edits on its pages?They were actually written in IrishThey were made by an American teenager who cannot speak ScotsEvery single one consisted of changing the name Rabbie Burns to “Big Billy Bawbag”They contained secretly coded anti-English messaging23 and above.Quiz superstar! Give yourself a big round of applause22 and above.Quiz superstar! Give yourself a big round of applause21 and above.Quiz superstar! Give yourself a big round of applause20 and above.Quiz superstar! Give yourself a big round of applause19 and above.Quiz superstar! Give yourself a big round of applause18 and above.Quiz superstar! Give yourself a big round of applause17 and above.Quiz superstar! Give yourself a big round of applause16 and above.Quiz superstar! Give yourself a big round of applause15 and above.Well done! You pass the 2020 test14 and above.Well done! You pass the 2020 test13 and above.Well done! You pass the 2020 test12 and above.Not bad for 202011 and above.Not bad for 202010 and above.Not bad for 20209 and above.Not bad for 20208 and above.Not bad for 20207 and above.Not bad for 20206 and above.Not bad for 20205 and above.Uh oh! Try again in 20214 and above.Uh oh! Try again in 20213 and above.Uh oh! Try again in 20212 and above.Uh oh! Try again in 20211 and above.Uh oh! Try again in 20210 and above.Uh oh! Try again in 2021 Continue reading...

‘UK caved in on fish to win a wider treaty’, industry bodies say, while leading Brexiter David Davis says one-day debate is ‘too fast’Senior Conservative MPs late on Saturday expressed alarm at plans to rush the historic UK-EU trade deal through parliament in just one day, as fishermen’s leaders accused Boris Johnson of “caving in” at the 11th hour to clinch agreement on Christmas Eve.And there were growing fears among senior Tories, who will spend the next three days poring over the 2,000-page agreement published on Saturday, that details in the fine print could still allow the EU to impose punitive tariffs on British exports if businesses fail to follow European rules. Continue reading...

2020 has been a difficult year, but there are some glints of light in the gloom. From nature-friendly farms to anti-ageing worms and even a way of conjuring vodka out of thin air, here are a few nuggets of good cheer to look forward to in 2021The Covid-19 vaccinations captured the world’s attention in November yet, around the same time, researchers behind a trial known as HPTN 084 also published spectacular results. The trial, which took place across seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa, found that an eight-weekly injection with a drug called cabotegravir was more effective than daily medication in an oral pill form in preventing HIV in women. Continue reading...

Dissenters are facing persecution, with 16,000 HDP members arrested or detained. But hardcore support keeps the struggle aliveIt has been a lonely year for Adalet Fidan, the mayor of Silopi in Turkey’s Kurdish south-east – and not just because of the pandemic.In 2019, when she was elected, Fidan was among a solid cohort of 65 candidates from the progressive left, pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to win seats in nationwide local elections. Now, after a sustained government purge of HDP officials, she is one of only five HDP mayors left in office, the rest sacked or imprisoned and replaced with government appointees. Continue reading...

Medieval statue smashed in reign of Henry VIII was found behind church pipe organHis stone face was smashed in by Henry VIII’s soldiers during the Reformation. His alabaster hands, once clasped in prayer, were cut off and the angels who cradled his head were decapitated. Afterwards, his shattered form lay hidden for centuries behind an old pipe organ, unseen, forgotten and enveloped in dirt.Now, in a find that conservators have described as “exciting beyond our expectations”, this desecrated effigy – believed to be of a local priest, John de Belton – is being unveiled for the first time in a medieval church in Derbyshire. Continue reading...

Thousands are protesting in the Indian state, suspecting the coal lobby is behind construction plans in sanctuaryMollem national park has long been the emerald in Goa’s crown.The verdant jungle which covers this steep area of India’s Western Ghats mountain range is home to leopards, Bengal tigers, pangolins, black panthers and hundreds of endemic species of flora and fauna found nowhere else on the planet. The muscular state animal of Goa – the gaur, or Indian bison – is often seen trudging through the forests, and the park’s Dudhsagar waterfall is among the highest in the country. Continue reading...

In seven revealing interviews, the late US supreme court justice sheds light on her astonishing career in a profession once the preserve of menWhen Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated from law school in 1959, women made up 3% of lawyers in the US and there were no women judges on the federal courts of appeal. The most she could aspire to, the late justice tells us, in one of seven interviews that make up this timely and inspiring book, was to earn her living as a lawyer, but even that was no foregone conclusion. The story of Bader Ginsburg’s rise from one of nine women in her class at Harvard Law School to a justice on the supreme court and a beloved American figure, becomes no less astonishing the more times one revisits it.Bader Ginsburg died in September this year, at the age of 87. This book, marketed as The Last Interview, is part of a series of interview compilations with late thinkers and writers that features, among others, James Baldwin, Nora Ephron and Hannah Arendt. It’s a wonderfully wide-ranging and unmediated way to engage with each subject and to be transported back to their earliest ventures in public life. When we meet Bader Ginsburg, it is as a 38-year-old speaking to the New York Times on the occasion of her accepting a professorship at Columbia University. The year is 1972 and it is the first time Columbia has chosen a woman for a full-time post higher than lecturer. Reading Bader Ginsburg’s comments gives one slight vertigo – to encounter her as a young woman and see, for a second, the entire arc of her life, right up to her death – and an intimacy with the justice that a more conventional retrospective might lack. Continue reading...

Seventh case lives on northern beaches with source under investigation, as Avalon cluster grows to 122. Follow all the latest news and updates, live

After black women helped push Trump from office, Seyward Darby’s work on white extremists is more resonant than everIt’s not Proust, Nietzsche or even Toni Morrison when it comes to difficult reading, but some are sure to find Seyward Darby’s book even more arduous to wade through.Related: From A Very Stable Genius to After Trump: 2020 in US politics books Continue reading...

The historian and novelist charts the ups and downs of Britain’s relationship with Europe55BC-409

Four people recently arrived from UK test positive for variant in Madrid, one in Sweden and two in Canada

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The 2020 Observer Business Agenda Awards honour showoffs, light-touch founders and even … Big PharmaEach year, our awards celebrate the physical prowess of the finance world’s most alluring tycoons – who get their very own entry on our prestigious topless calendar. Continue reading...

Severe flood warnings are in place and winds of 60mph are expected into Sunday, Met Office saysFlood defences have been erected and gusts of more than 80mph recorded as large parts of the UK braced for Storm Bella.Related: Flood and wind warnings across UK as Storm Bella sweeps in Continue reading...

Our critic chooses her highlights, recalling inventive lockdown venues and the emotional return of the Royal Ballet

Exotic wildlife and an evolving cast of furniture bring this Georgian home to lifeThis is the house that keeps on giving,” says rug designer Wendy Morrison, who lives in Dunbar, East Lothian, with her family – and lurcher Eddie, as well as some pet chickens and a cockerel, Napoleon – in a Georgian farmhouse. “It has beautiful bones and was built with a lot of thought and love, as Georgian houses tend to be.”Wendy and her husband Gregor, and sons Woody, 15, and Harvey, 12, initially rented the house from friends after moving back to Scotland from France. “When I first came here it was a really sunny day and, as I walked down the hall, I remember thinking, this feels like home,” she recalls. Continue reading...

From astrology to tarot, interest in the mystical arts has flourished during the pandemic. So what is in store for the year ahead?This age of uncertainty has been a boon for crystal ball gazers. From New York to New Delhi, fortune-tellers have seen spikes in business; in the US, Forbes magazine reported a 136% rise in people seeking supernatural readings. In societies where religious belief is dwindling, and trust in the establishment under threat, the idea of looking elsewhere for guidance – to the stars or beyond, if you believe in a beyond – has made a kind of sense.2021 will present an opportunity to reassess what’s important. It brings a chance to rebuild Continue reading...

Here are the current coronavirus hotspots in New South Wales and what to do if you’ve visited them

From the Spider-Men who rescued the children of Stockport, to the women who won the Nobel prize, here are seven people who brightened the darkest daysWhen Andrew Baldock decided to don a Spider-Man suit for his daily jog in March, to cheer up locked-down children on his estate, he never expected such a huge response. “The original idea was just to put some smiles on faces and then it snowballed,” says Baldock, 45, who lives in Stockport, Greater Manchester. “Everyone loved it.” Continue reading...

Black Mirror co-creators Brooker and Annabel Jones discuss new comedy special Death to 2020, and the importance of being silly in the face of disaster

Eight of the new cases are directly linked to the northern beaches cluster as the NSW premier urges shoppers to steer clear of the city centre for Boxing Day sales. This blog is now closedNSW Covid hotspots – list of venues and case locationsNSW premier calls on shoppers to avoid Sydney’s Boxing Day sales

In an unusual year that’s kept us most of us away from live music venues, Guardian writers pick the songs that deserve to have made more impact Continue reading...

From cricket to Washington Redskins, stay on the ball with our 2020 brain teasers1 Which 94-year-old took under five hours to reach a million followers on Instagram?