Brigitte Bardot, French screen legend, dies aged 91
Bardot became a celebrated sex symbol in 1950s and 60s, but later embraced animal rights activism and an increasingly controversial political stance
Saving Kyiv’s heritage: a city rebuilding itself in the shadow of war
Volunteers and neighbours are restoring the century-old homes as an act of defiance against Russia’s assault
Branching out: why banks are back on the British high street
In towns such as Northampton, in-person help with finances is a promise many customers still depend upon
More than 20% of videos shown to new YouTube users are ‘AI slop’, study finds
Low-quality AI-generated content is now saturating social media – and generating about $117m a year, data shows
Brigitte Bardot was a zeitgeist-force and France’s most sensational export
Bardot titillated the world for five decades, but the controversy and voyeurism surrounding her shouldn’t overshadow an intriguing film career
‘We are no longer apologising’: Éanna Hardwicke on Ireland’s cultural confidence and what it’s like to play Roy Keane
Currently on stage in a play that provoked riots, the rising Irish actor is also stepping into Keane’s boots to replay a notorious footballing feud. But, he says, his country feels more empowered than ever before
Through the lens of history, Trump’s legacy will be more of a blotch than a Maga masterpiece
Take this hopeful thought into 2026: the tyrants we endure always falter, and their ‘seismic’ upheavals are usually false dawns, says Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall
Zelenskyy heads to Florida for talks with Trump amid fresh strikes on Kyiv
Russia’s “barbaric” attack on capital draws condemnation as Ukrainian leader readies for Florida meeting
Former Wessex Water boss received £170,000 bonus despite ban on performance pay
Company owners say bonus was unrelated to water business and complied with ban after pollution conviction
Ten things I love (and hate) about restaurants in winter
Topjaw’s Jesse Burgess is known for asking chefs and celebrities their favourite places to eat and drink. Time to turn the tables …
‘Have sex to my own music? That sounds repugnant’: KT Tunstall’s honest playlist
The Scots singer thought Kim Wilde was cool and got talked into buying a Cocteau Twins record but which song gives her a slap in the face?
‘Many over-hyped London restaurants left me cold’: Grace Dent’s best restaurants of 2025
Zinging hospitality and heart-thumpingly good food
Cat soap operas and babies trapped in space: the ‘AI slop’ taking over YouTube
Nearly one in 10 of the fastest growing channels globally consist of mass-produced, surreal AI-generated videos
‘Of course he abused pupils’: ex-Dulwich teacher speaks out about Farage racism claims
Exclusive: Chloë Deakin tells how she wrote to Dulwich college master to argue against Farage’s nomination as prefect
Need cheering up after a terrible year? I may have just the story you’re looking for
A single act of kindness reminded me that, despite so much evidence to the contrary, the better angels of our nature are not necessarily doomed, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle
The hill I will die on: Faux Cyrillic is a load of old crдp
To the designers of film posters, I suppose it looks cleverly exotic – but there are 250 million readers of Cyrillic globally, and its misuse grinds our gears, says comedian and author Viv Groskop