It’s a decade since the first same-sex marriages were performed in England and Wales. What have they meant for LGBTQ+ people?

This week we are revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2024. This episode was first broadcast on 29 March.

Growing up, Lisa never thought she would get married. As a gay woman, she did not even think a wedding was a possibility. Then, in 2014, same-sex couples in England and Wales finally won the right to be legally married. Lisa and her partner, Tracey, were among the first to do so.

‘May 2025 be our year,’ Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation just before the clock struck midnight in Kyiv. What we know on day 1,043

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed that his country would use 2025 to fight for an end to Russia’s nearly three-year-long invasion. The Ukrainian leader’s address caps a difficult year for the war-battered country which has been fending off a better-resourced Russian army for nearly three years. “May 2025 be our year,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation just before the clock struck midnight in Kyiv. “We know that peace will not be given to us as a gift but we will do everything to stop Russia and end the war.”

Zelenskyy said that no one would give peace to his country as a gift, but he believed the US would stand alongside Kyiv in its fight. He recalled conversations with outgoing US President Joe Biden, president-elect Donald Trump and “everyone who supports us in the United States”. “I have no doubt that the new American president wants and will be able to bring peace and end (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s aggression,” he said.

Russian gas is not scheduled to flow via Ukraine to Europe on 1 January, data from Ukraine’s gas pipeline operator showed Tuesday, as a key transit deal between Moscow and Kyiv nears its end. Ukraine has been allowing Russia to pipe gas to Europe via its territory under a five-year deal signed in 2019, but Zelenskyy has ruled out extending it amid Russia’s invasion. Data from Ukrainian operator OGTSU showed deliveries via the only entry point for Russian gas into Ukraine dropping to zero as of 1 January 2025.

Russia advanced by almost 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 miles) in Ukraine in 2024, seven times more than in 2023, an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War showed on Tuesday. The data highlights the pressure Ukraine faces as it enters 2025, with Moscow pouring resources into its invasion and uncertainty hanging over future US aid for Kyiv under a Donald Trump presidency. Much of the Russian gains came in the autumn, as they took 610 square kilometres in October and 725 square kilometres in November. Those two months saw the Russians capture the most territory since March 2022, in the early weeks of the conflict. Russia’s advance slowed in December, coming to 465 square kilometres in the first 30 days of the month.

The Ukrainian military said on Tuesday its forces had hit a Russian oil depot in the western Smolensk region, setting fire to tanks storing oil products. Ukraine’s general staff said on the Telegram app that the depot was used for military purposes. It did not specify the weapon used for the strike but said it was carried out in cooperation with drone forces.
Smolensk region governor Vasily Anokhin said that the attack caused a fuel spill and fire. He said 10 Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russian air defences but the wreckage of one of them fell on the oil facility. Ukraine has staged numerous attacks on Russian oil storage facilities and refineries.

Antony Vo, 32, convicted over January 6 riot, was supposed to begin nine-month prison term but instead fled to Canada

An American man who absconded after being sentenced to prison for his role in the US Capitol riot is now seeking political asylum in Canada, as he hopes for a pardon when Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Antony Vo, 32, was sentenced to nine months behind bars and ordered to report to a federal prison on 14 June 2024, but instead he fled to Canada.

This year features two Ashes series, a Lions tour to Australia and the 2025 Euros

Novak Djokovic will be aiming to begin the new year by doing something he failed to do throughout 2024 – win a grand slam title. It is a somewhat remarkable drought for an athlete of Djokovic’s standards which in part explains why he has asked Andy Murray to coach him in Melbourne. The partnership should make for a fascinating dynamic, on and off court, but may well not prove strong enough to see the Serb secure a record-breaking 25th slam given the form of reigning champion and world No 1, Jannik Sinner. In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka will be seeking to win the title for a third time in a row.

She isn’t young, and yet she remains outspoken, passionate, and alive to the world in ways that many aren’t

My friendships have mostly been with people of a similar age, but that all changed when my 85-year-old neighbour left a CD in my letterbox after hearing my young son drumming wildly in our garage. She wrapped the CD in a note written in her finest hand, explaining that she thought he might enjoy the sounds of her friend’s band, The Necks.

Others in our street had understandably complained about the endless noise because the sound reverberated through their walls, creeping into their quiet spaces, and ruining their days.

Debra Lee Miller, 26, was killed in her apartment in 1981 by James Vanest, who was shot dead by police last month

The murder of an 18-year-old woman in Ohio 43 years ago has been solved with the help of DNA technology, authorities announced on Monday.

Jason Bammann, the Mansfield police chief, said the cold case of Debra Lee Miller, a local waitress beaten to death with an oven grate in her apartment on 29 April 1981, was finally solved when DNA of a man shot dead by police was linked to the crime scene.

Roy Cooper’s historic clemency action comes a week after Biden’s resentencings shielded dozens from execution

The governor of North Carolina has granted commutations to 15 people on death row on his final day in office, changing their sentences to life without the possibility of parole.

Roy Cooper, a Democrat, announced his clemency action on New Year’s Eve, prompting praise from opponents of capital punishment, who have advocated for mass commutations to thwart executions.

PM says in his new year message that 2025 will be a year of rebuilding, comparing the task to that Attlee faced in 1945

Keir Starmer has promised to rebuild Britain as Labour did after the second world war as he enters a pivotal year for his premiership.

The prime minister said in his prerecorded new year message that 2025 would be a year of rebuilding, with his government looking to turn the corner after a turbulent first six months in power.

Sixteen air force personnel who apprehended boys being held in custody as inquiry into deaths continues

Ecuador’s attorney general’s office has confirmed that incinerated bodies found on Christmas Eve belong to the four children missing since early December, in a case posing a severe challenge to President Daniel Noboa’s “war on drugs”.

The four boys – all black, aged between 11 and 15, and residents of Las Malvinas, a poor area in the country’s largest city, Guayaquil – were returning from a football game on 8 December when they were apprehended by 16 air force soldiers.

Agents discovered more than 150 pipe bombs and other devices in raid on home of Brad Spafford, 36, documents say

A federal judge has granted bond to a Virginia man accused of holding extremist views and amassing what prosecutors say is the largest ever cache of homemade explosives found by the FBI. The judge stayed the order pending government appeal.

Agents found the weapons, including more than 150 pipe bombs and explosive devices, during a 17 December raid on a 20-acre property in Isle of Wight county, according to court documents.

Experts hope flight recorders will provide answers to key questions surrounding crash in which 179 died

As investigators set to work unpicking the cause of Sunday’s devastating plane crash in South Korea, the black boxes carried on the aircraft will be of prime importance, with retrieval of data from the cockpit voice recorder under way.

All but two of the 181 people onboard died in the disaster, with the victims aged from three to 78. The Korean airline’s chief executive, Kim E-bae, said he wanted “to bow my head and apologise”, according to a statement on the company’s website, adding it was “difficult to determine the cause of the accident”.

How long does it take to change a habit? It varies, but one paper suggests it takes an average of 66 days. We asked writers to change one thing in their lives within that timeframe … and tell us if it works

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Growing up in Sydney, I knew the city prided itself on its “first light culture” long before the state government made it the focal point of its tourism campaign. It’s hard to miss the golden rays lighting the masses returning in their Lycra from runs in Centennial Park or surfing Bondi’s waves long before the work day has even begun. For one glorious morning, I joined them getting myself up to go to a 6am pilates class followed by a dip in the ocean. The beauty of the morning combined with the supercilious sense of having accomplished so much before my alarm normally went off was intoxicating.

There was only one problem. I cannot get to bed early to save my life.

In Plains, residents remember the 39th US president as just a ‘regular guy’, good neighbor and Sunday school teacher

The signs, made by hand or machine, less than a meter squared or the size of a truck, were everywhere in this small town on Monday: “Thank you, Jimmy Carter.” “Home of Jimmy Carter.” And, left over from October: “Happy 100th birthday.”

Smiling portraits of the 39th president of the US were hanging around the town where he was born and raised – at city hall, in a restaurant.

We are the wealthiest nation on Earth. There is no rational reason as to why we are not the healthiest nation on Earth

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of serving as chair of the US Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions (Help). As I leave that position, let me reflect upon where I think our country should be going in healthcare, and the obstacles we face.

We are the wealthiest nation on Earth. There is no rational reason as to why we are not the healthiest nation on Earth. We should be leading the world in terms of life expectancy, disease prevention, low infant and maternal mortality, quality of life and human happiness. Sadly, study after study shows just the opposite. Despite spending almost twice as much per capita on healthcare, we trail most wealthy nations in all these areas.

Bernie Sanders is a US senator, and chair of the health education labor and pensions committee. He represents the state of Vermont, and is the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress

Revellers across the globe welcome the arrival of 2025 with spectacular fireworks and festivities

• New Year’s Eve 2024 celebrations around the world – live updates

Opponents say rule could hike premiums by 40% and does not require new policies to be written at fast enough pace

Insurance companies that stopped providing home coverage to hundreds of thousands of Californians in recent years as wildfires became more destructive will have to again provide policies in fire-prone areas if they want to keep doing business in the state.

The new state regulation, announced on Monday, will require home insurers to offer coverage in high-risk areas, something the state has never done, the office of the California insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, said in a statement.

Erik ten Hag salvaged a sorry season with FA Cup glory but Ruben Amorim has so far overseen even worse results

8 Jan, Wigan (a), FA Cup, 2-0 win; 14 Jan, Tottenham (h) 2-2 draw; 28 Jan, Newport County (a), FA Cup, 4-2 win

1 Feb, Wolves (a), 4-3 win; 4 Feb, West Ham (h), 3-0 win; 11 Feb, Aston Villa (a), 2-1 win; 18 Feb, Luton (a) 2-1 win; 24 Feb, Fulham (h), 2-1 defeat; 28 Feb, Nottingham Forest (a), FA Cup, 1-0 win

3 Mar, Manchester City (a), 3-1 defeat; 9 Mar, Everton (h), 2-0 win; 17 Mar, Liverpool (h) FA Cup, 4-3 win (aet); 30 Mar, Brentford (a), 1-1 draw

4 Apr, Chelsea (a), 4-3 defeat; 7 Apr, Liverpool (h), 2-2 draw; 13 Apr, Bournemouth (a) 2-2 draw; 21 Apr, Coventry, FA Cup, 3-3 (aet; win 4-2 on pens); 24 Apr, Sheffield United (h) 4-2 win; 27 Apr, Burnley (h), 1-1 draw

6 May, Crystal Palace (a), 4-0 defeat; 12 May, Arsenal (h), 1-0 defeat; 15 May, Newcastle (h) 3-2 win; 19 May, Brighton (a) 2-0 win; 25 May, Manchester City, FA Cup final, 2-1 win

Revealed: lorry with 400 kegs of the Irish stout onboard disappeared from Northamptonshire depot, sources say

In the days leading up to Christmas, stout-lovers were left reeling from a nationwide shortage of Guinness so severe that some pubs were forced to ration pints of the “black stuff” as taps began to run dry.

Supermarkets remain at risk of running out due to customers’ stockpiling, according to reports, while the maker of the popular stout, Diageo, has even sent for back-up Guinness reserves from Ireland.

Officials have faced threats and harassment campaigns since 2020. Here’s where election denialism stands now

When the Gwinnett county board of elections held its monthly meeting on 20 November just outside of Atlanta, the county’s election director, Zach Manifold, noticed something was different.

For months leading up to the presidential election, there had been a steady stream of people who would come to speak at the board’s meetings, many of them concerned about the potential for fraud or wrongdoing. But this time around, weeks after Donald Trump’s victory both in Georgia and in the US presidential election, fewer than a half-dozen people signed up to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Nigeria-born, Australia-raised, Kim Sajet is the cosmopolitan director of the National Portrait Gallery, whose collection includes 1,700 images of presidents from Washington to Trump

“All portraiture is a lie,” observes Kim Sajet, standing before the revered Lansdowne portrait of George Washington. Artist Gilbert Stuart painted only Washington’s face from life; the body was a stand-in. The canvas is also replete with symbols: a rainbow, an inkwell shaped like Noah’s Ark, books about the American revolution and constitution.

Portraits are a four-way fabrication, argues Sajet, director of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, an oasis of calm in the maelstrom of modern Washington. There is the subject: the more famous they are, the stronger their opinion. There is the artist, striving to be true to their own aesthetic. There is the patron, often with a strong, very particular view of their own. And finally there is the one party that constantly evolves: the audience.

Debrina Kawam, 57, of Toms River, New Jersey, identified as victim who was killed after being set alight in Brooklyn

The woman who was set on fire in a subway car in New York earlier this month, horrifying New Yorkers and renewing a debate over city safety, has been identified as 57-year-old Debrina Kawam, of Toms River, New Jersey.

The victim’s identity, released by the New York police department, came nine days after the fatal incident. Investigators had previously said they were using forensics and video surveillance to identify the victim.

Exclusive: warning that lack of NHS dentists and soaring cost of private work puts essential care out of reach for many

How soaring fees for private care are deepening England’s dentistry crisis

Private dentists are cashing in on the scarcity of NHS treatment by hiking their charges for fillings, checkups and extractions to “eye-watering” levels, research has found.

Patients are paying as much as £775 for root canal work, £435 to have a tooth out and £325 for a white filling due to fees for common dental procedures soaring since 2022.

A white filling has gone from £105 to £129 – up 23%.

An extraction has risen from £105 to £139 – 32% more.

A half-hour scale and polish is now £75, up from £65 – a 15% jump.

An initial consultation for a new patient is up 23% from £65 to £80.