Murphy defeated 6-2 by China’s Wu Yize UK champion Mark Selby also knocked out The defending champion Shaun Murphy is out of the Masters after a shock 6-2 defeat against China’s Wu Yize on the opening day of the 2026 tournament at Alexandra Palace. Wu, the world No 13, dominated...
Trick play helps 49ers eliminate Super Bowl champion Eagles from NFL playoffs
San Francisco 49ers 23-19 Philadelphia Eagles Niners will play Seahawks in divisional round AFC wildcard: Allen shines as Bills beat Jags Brock Purdy threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter, San Francisco used a trick play on a TD toss from wide receiver Jauan...
Guard at Winter Olympic construction site dies in freezing conditions
55-year-old worker died during overnight shift Temperatures plunged to -12C in Cortina d’Ampezzo A guard at a construction site near a 2026 Winter Olympic venue in the mountain resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo died during a freezing overnight shift, authorities have confirmed. Italy’s infrastructure minister, Matteo Salvini, called for a full...
England’s Ashes has been a disaster but touring Australia with a disability has been ‘too easy’
Going to Australia as a freelance journalist with a form of muscular dystrophy was not without trepidation but an away Ashes was too good to pass up “Australia is not for weak men.” Had I heard Ben Stokes’s words in Brisbane earlier perhaps I wouldn’t have decided to cover the...
Michael Carrick emerges as favourite to be Manchester United interim manager
Former midfielder ahead of Solskjær after interviews Darren Fletcher admits he is in the dark over his position Michael Carrick has emerged as the favourite candidate to be Manchester United’s interim manager for the rest of the season ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjær after the interview process, with the club’s...
FA Cup third round: 10 talking points from the weekend’s football
Crystal Palace’s stars wilt, Manchester City’s youngsters shine, and Liam Rosenior starts in stylish fashion Playing against lower-league opposition as a top-flight side in the FA Cup is like batting on the first morning of a Test match – you cannot really win and failure can prompt humiliation and reputational...
‘Lots of people don’t want to do it’: Paul Nurse on his controversial second term as Royal Society president
The Nobel prize winner discusses claims of a ‘boys’ club’, Elon Musk’s fellowship and rightwing attacks on science Paul Nurse is a turn up for the books. A Nobel prize-winning geneticist, former director of the Francis Crick Institute and erstwhile head of Rockefeller University in the US, his CV marks...
Evidence shows benefit of RSV vaccines as Trump officials push restrictions
Shots to prevent respiratory syncytial virus recommended only for high-risk babies even as experts hail jabs’ success As US officials move to restrict vaccines, including the shots to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), more evidence is emerging to confirm how dramatically the jabs reduce hospitalizations. Announced last week as part...
Starwatch: Behold Taurus, the Babylonian bull of heaven
Recorded in cave drawings as far back as 1000BC, this is one of the oldest zodiacal constellations to be recognised in its modern form Taurus, the bull, is our focus this week. One of the oldest constellations to be recognised in its modern form, it was recorded as the bull...
The friendship secret: why socialising could help you live longer
Neuroscientist Ben Rein is on a mission to show that being around others not only feels good, but can even improve recovery from strokes, cancer and heart attacks. So why are so many of us isolated and glued to our phones? ‘I hate it.” I’ve asked the neuroscientist Ben Rein...