Find light in the darkness

Rosé is not just a summer tipple, it can also be your friend in winter, as The Independent's wine columnist Rosamund Hall reveals with her four choice picks for a sunny disposition

How Curry twins embody England's scrambling spirit

Was it pluck or luck that took England to victory over Scotland? The wheel of fortune has certainly spun.

Magpies withstand Forest fightback with win in chase for Champions League spot

Alexander Isak’s double helped ease Newcastle firmly back into the race for Champions League qualification by denting Nottingham Forest’s hopes in a seven-goal thriller.

Boy, 17, stabbed in full view of shoppers in Nottingham

A teenage boy was stabbed in the chest in front of horrified shoppers in a Primark store in Nottingham city centre.

Zelensky willing to resign for Nato membership

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would give up his presidency if doing so guaranteed lasting peace for Ukraine and membership of Nato.

The star stepping up for a near-impossible Oscars job

As former talk show host Conan O'Brien takes the helm of the Academy Awards for the first time, Kevin EG Perry examines how he'll walk a precarious Hollywood tightrope

Enduring legacy of the 'pirate king' of filmmaking

Pioneering director Robert Altman would have celebrated his 100th birthday this month. Louis Chilton takes a look at the career and influence of one of American cinema's true greats

The Ukrainian children traumatised by invasion

Thousands of youngsters have lost much of their childhood to war but still dream about the future,

Starmer must be 'tough as Churchill' in Trump summit

Political biographer says US talks could be PM's 'finest hour'

DIET DENIAL

With wellness and weight-loss jabs being pushed, admitting to counting calories can feel overwhelming. Helen Coffey looks at how dieting became taboo - and says it shouldn't be

Pope calls for prayers as he battles pneumonia infection

Pope Francis has urged people to pray for him as he battles a serious pneumonia infection from his hospital bed in Rome.

Full toll of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, three years on

From thousands of deaths to millions forced to flee from their own country, Alicja Hagopian and Tom Watling report on the many real costs of Vladimir Putin's war in Europe

SLOVENIAN RHAPSODY

While Slovenia’s enchanting lakes and mountains never fail to make an impression, there’s an abundance of charm to be discovered in its urban spaces, too

Do Hollywood presidents.need a Maga makeover?

Netflix’s Zero Day’ sticks to a long tradition of noble figures occupying the White House. But with Trump in charge once again, Phil Harrison says writers should embrace the insanity

Inspired Bivol avenges loss to Beterbiev in title thriller

Dmitry Bivol avenged his loss to Artur Beterbiev with an inspired showing yesterday, taking the undisputed lightheavyweight titles in a thriller in Riyadh.

The airlines should pay for ruining people's travel plans

It’s time they got to grips with the rules on passport validity instead of making up their own, says a fed-up

On a downer down under

Nearly 50,000 people moved from the UK to Australia on a working holiday visa in 2024. But while many enjoy a new life or a long holiday, others are unsettled by the nation’s politics and pop culture. Kyle MacNeill speaks to the disenchanted

Doublethink is thriving in Trump's dystopian present.

George Orwell insisted his greatest work was a warning, not a prophecy, writes his biographer Dorian Lynskey. Never has his description of hypocrisy and dictatorship been more apt

In the grind of a title race, the best ability is availability

When Liverpool were looking for Jurgen Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot ticked a lot of boxes.

Six Israeli hostages freed

As Tel Aviv delays the release of 600 Palestinian detainees

'I'm a very private person. I try to keep my circle small'

As pop star Tate McRae releases her third album So Close To What’, she chats to Ellie Muir about toxic relationships, fame and collaborating with rapper boyfriend The Kid Laroi

A city filled with Cold War curiosities and odd festivals

A 2025 European capital of culture, Chemnitz in Germany is finally getting the attention it deserves.

Police hunt van driver after girl dies in tram collision

Police are hunting for the driver of a van that crashed with a tram killing a three-year-old girl in Manchester city centre.

United's illogical comeback can't mask alarming trend

David Moyes and Ruben Amorim can testify to the difficulties of walking in Sir Alex Ferguson’s footsteps.

Calcutta Cup misery ends thanks to late Russell miss

For the second game in a row, England found a way. Having been battered and beaten by a relentless Scotland, Steve Borthwick’s side somehow stayed in the contest, edged into the lead and rode their luck to hold on to the most dramatic of 16-15 wins and finally end their half-decade of Calcutta Cup woe.

Starmer backs Zelensky ahead of Trump meeting

Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky are piling pressure on Donald Trump to ensure European leaders are at the table in talks to end Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Families robbed of a future inside war-ravaged Donetsk

Yulia Checheta was at her elderly mother’s house when she popped out to check on her shop.

'Russia's not losing... but they're also not winning'

Ahead of tomorrow’s third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sam Kiley speaks to frontline soldiers, some of whom question the timing of peace talks

Dealers selling weight-loss jabs alongside class-A drugs

Drug dealers are selling weight-loss jabs like Ozempic and prescription medication for ADHD alongside class-A drugs like cocaine, an investigation has revealed.

The heady new Louisiana food trail you need to try

A culinary journey through the Pelican State brings swamp tours, karaoke and many indulgent dishes