Russian army captured more Ukrainian territory in 2025 than previous two years combined; Zelenskyy names new top aide. What we know on day 1,410

Russia’s battlefield gains in Ukraine last year were the highest since 2022, an analysis showed, as Kyiv prepared to host security advisers from allied states despite Moscow’s unrelenting strikes. The Russian army captured more than 5,600 square kilometres, or nearly 1%, of Ukrainian territory in 2025, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War. The land captured is more than in the previous two years combined, though far short of the more than 60,000 sq km Russia took in 2022.

As Russia pressed its advantage against outgunned Ukrainian troops, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said about 15 countries would attend security talks in Kyiv on Saturday, the latest in a flurry of efforts to end the nearly four-year war. The meeting will include representatives from the EU and Nato, while a US delegation would join via video link.

Zelenskyy named military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as his new top aide on Friday, after the president’s previous chief of staff resigned in November over a corruption scandal. Budanov has built up a strong reputation in Ukraine, credited with a series of daring operations against Russia. When formally appointed, he will succeed Andriy Yermak, who resigned in November after investigators raided his house as part of a sweeping corruption probe.

“Kyrylo has specialised experience in these areas and sufficient strength to achieve results,” Zelenskyy said. Budanov, 39, said on Telegram his new position was “both an honour and a responsibility – at a historic time for Ukraine – to focus on the critically important issues of the state’s strategic security”.

Zelenskyy also said he wanted to replace defence minister Denys Shymhal, who was appointed only six months ago, with 34-year-old Mykhailo Fedorov, who is now minister of digital transformation. “Mykhailo is deeply involved in issues related to drones and is very effective in the digitalisation of state services and processes,” the president added.

Moscow kept up its aerial barrage of Ukraine overnight, with the latest strike on a residential area of the city of Kharkiv reducing parts of multi-storey buildings to smouldering rubble. At least two people were killed in the attack, including a three-year-old child, and about 25 more were injured, officials said.

Zelenskyy described the attack as “heinous”. “Unfortunately, this is how the Russians treat life and people – they continue killing, despite all efforts by the world, and especially by the United States, in the diplomatic process,” he said on social media. Russia denied the attack had taken place, suggesting that an explosion at the site was caused by Ukrainian ammunition.

Ukrainian officials on Friday ordered the evacuation of more than 3,000 children and their parents from 44 frontline settlements in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, where Russian troops have been advancing. More than 150,000 people have been evacuated from frontline areas since 1 June, said Ukraine’s restoration minister Oleksiy Kuleba.

Ninth circuit sides with gun owner that ban in counties with more than 200,000 people violates second amendment

A US appeals court on Friday ruled that California’s ban on openly carrying firearms in most parts of the state was unconstitutional.

A panel of the San Francisco-based ninth US circuit court of appeals sided 2-1 with a gun owner in ruling that the state’s prohibition against open carry in counties with more than 200,000 people violated the US constitution’s second amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Decision to carry the weapons at SCG not due to active or imminent threat but ‘to help the public feel safe’, NSW police chief says

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Police will carry long-arm rifles at the final Ashes Test in Sydney as police presence continues to be heightened after the Bondi terror attack.

New South Wales police said public order and riot squad officers would carry the weapons at the fifth and final Ashes Test, which starts on Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), after similar measures were implemented at the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and New Year’s Eve events in Sydney.

• Van Veen wins classic against Gary Anderson 6-3

• World No 1 Littler swats aside Ryan Searle 6-1

It’s barely a couple of years since a 16-year-old Luke Littler and a 21-year-old Gian van Veen came through a 96-player field at Milton Keynes to qualify for the final of the world youth championship. There’s a charming photo of the pair of them with their arms around each other, silly little smiles plastered on to their silly little faces, the cutest high-street haircuts you’ve ever seen. Two kids at the very start of an unforgettable journey.

Did either of them foresee, in those sepia-tinted days of August 2023, that the journey would convey them this far, this fast? I reckon Littler did. There’s never been much room for doubt and scepticism in there. His whole world has been stepping up, throwing a dart and watching it go exactly where he wants it to. Four months later, he would go to Alexandra Palace and change the sport for ever.

Kentucky woman reportedly ordered medication to end her pregnancy and buried remains in her yard

A Kentucky woman is facing multiple criminal charges after she allegedly induced her own abortion using medication.

Kentucky state police arrested the woman, Melinda S Spencer, 35, on charges of fetal homicide in the first degree, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence, according to a local Kentucky news outlet. Spencer reportedly ordered medication online to end her pregnancy, then buried the remains of her pregnancy in her backyard.

Tourism operators in PNG’s highlands offer access to lush scenery, adventure and culture – in contrast with the region’s dangerous image

In the lush hills of Papua New Guinea’s highlands, Ambua Lodge sits in picturesque but troubled surrounds. From this region – one of the country’s poorest and most dangerous – the hotel is attempting to carve another path for Hela province, which has long been beset by tribal fighting.

Despite a history of conflict in the area, the hotel has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world, and the country’s leaders want to attract even more tourists to this hard-to-access location.

Series in Australia was meant to bring the best out of opener but he goes into Sydney Test with questions unanswered

It seems a little distant now, a little by-the-by, that this Ashes series was billed, among other things, as a referendum on Zak Crawley’s England career. The tour he was groomed for. The hidden sub-menace in his one-year central contract offer. Here was a chance to justify the high-wire walk of the last few years, to find an answer, perhaps, to the eternal question: is Zak Crawley actually any good?

In the event other things have happened, other warning lights blinked, other elements of England’s collective failure creaked more urgently. Shoaib Bashir, the project spinner, plucked from social media for this tour, is in the 12 for Sydney. He hasn’t taken a wicket in a proper game since July. Good luck babe!

In politics, clothes matter – as the mid-market formal wear favoured by the new, young New York mayor testifies

Growing up in London in the 00s, I was surrounded by suits. On City boys darting around the Square Mile. In Hyde Park, where Arab dads in baggy suits kicked footballs with their children in honeyed light. At school, where cheap grey suits were our uniform. The suit has always been a costume of seriousness that signals powerfulness and performance; all the things I was apparently supposed to want if I ever intended to become a “man”. But until recently, my generation seemed to wear them less and less, and they had all but disappeared from my consciousness.

Then came the newly elected New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who was sworn in at a private ceremony dressed in a sober black overcoat, crisp white shirt and an Eri silk tie from New Delhi-based designer Kartik Kumra of Kartik Research – styled by US fashion editor, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson. Buoyed up by an ingenious campaign, he caught the imagination of the world like no other New York mayoral candidate of recent times. But whether he was throwing his hands in the air at a hip-hop club or at a premiere party for the film Marty Supreme, one thing on his campaign trail rarely changed: he was almost always in a suit. Loosely tailored, modern with soft shoulders, yet conventional and ordinary, his is a typically middle-class millennial suit – well, as typical as it can be for a generation that rarely bothers to wear one.

• Frank likens challenges at Spurs to running a marathon

• Tottenham booed off after goalless draw at Brentford

Thomas Frank has admitted he is not enjoying his job at Tottenham. The head coach is dealing with numerous problems as he navigates what always stood to be a transitional season, the most insistent being his team’s lack of creativity.

Spurs were booed off after Thursday’s 0-0 draw at Brentford by the travelling support, who also chanted “boring, boring Tottenham”. But Frank is confident he will come to look back on the first half of his debut campaign more fondly once – and not if – his squad emerges on the other side, stronger and wiser for the suffering. Tottenham are 12th in the Premier League – their next game is at home to Sunderland on Sunday and Frank leant into a marathon-running analogy when he was asked whether he was enjoying the challenge to which he has signed up.

Humberside police confirm death of 67-year-old as rescue operation under way in ‘horrendous conditions’

A man has died as a search continues for two people believed to be missing off Withernsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Humberside police confirmed the death of a 67-year-old man, who was pulled from the water unconscious but died later.

Jewish family say crew did not seek consent to film inside their home days after it was wrecked by Hamas in southern Israel

The BBC has said it has reached a settlement with a Jewish family who survived Hamas’s 7 October attacks in southern Israel after a news crew filmed inside their destroyed home.

The reporting team, which included senior correspondent Jeremy Bowen, entered the Horenstein family’s home in the days after the attacks in 2023.

Executive chair Richard Baker to replace Marc Metrick after company misses $100m interest payment on debt

Saks Global said on Friday that its CEO, Marc Metrick, has stepped down and named executive chair, Richard Baker, as his successor, amid reports that the luxury retailer is preparing for bankruptcy.

The change at the top comes days after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Neiman Marcus parent company is preparing for bankruptcy after missing an interest payment exceeding $100m on debt from its Neiman merger.

Star Wars alum gives an impressively modest performance in this slightly smarter-than-average survival tale

Unlike some other less resilient horror subgenres, the zombie movie is, fittingly, never going to really die. Neither will film-makers attempting to add their own twist, understandable given how repetitive the die, wake up, lumber, bite and repeat formula has become. Australian director Zak Hilditch’s attempt, the rather buried We Bury the Dead, is therefore not quite as striking as it might have seemed a decade and change ago. Using words such as “contemplative” and “mournful” to describe a film that includes its fair share of gnarly head-smashing has become something of a cliche, so much so that last month’s meta-comedy Anaconda reboot had its characters joke that these days, even a film about a giant snake needs “intergenerational trauma” to work.

But Hilditch mercifully avoids drowning his film in drab self-seriousness. Yes, it’s a zombie survival thriller that’s also about grief – but it’s also just a zombie survival thriller, albeit one with less carnage than some might expect. Those gearing up for gore would be forgiven for expecting such given the film’s cursed 2 January release date, typically handed over to the silliest of studio horror, from One Missed Call to Texas Chainsaw 3D to Season of the Witch (they’ll likely be satiated by next week’s killer chimp schlocker Primate instead). We Bury the Dead, which was partly funded by the Adelaide film festival before premiering at SXSW, is less focused on death toll and more on the toll left on those who’ve lost someone, in this iteration as the result of a US government blunder.

Enzo Maresca got the sack because of his actions. That does not mean the club’s structure needs a complete overhaul

Some clubs build around their manager. Eddie Howe is hugely influential at Newcastle and Aston Villa are pretty much Unai Emery FC these days. Chelsea, though, have adopted an alternative model. They have a team of five sporting directors, led by Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, and do not want one person to hold all the power.

Yet the question many are asking in the wake of Enzo Maresca’s demise is whether the template will yield success at the very highest level. It is never quiet at Chelsea. They are often busy in the transfer market, meaning there is an element of players coming and going, and they are now looking for their fifth permanent head coach since a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm run by Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano, bought the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.

• Defending champion fights back to win 6-1

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First set: *Littler (0) 0-1 Searle (0) *denotes next to throw first Searle gets down to 56 and takes it out with Littler waiting on double top. “Ryan, Ryan, Searle” chant the crowd, to the perhaps overused tune of KC & the Sunshine Band’s “Give it Up.”

Ryan Searle to throw first, as the crowd remind the rest of us that “there’s only one Luke Littler …”

• NHL players return to men’s Olympic ice hockey

• US, Canada unveil rosters packed with star talent

• Knight leads US women as PWHL era reaches Games

The return of ice hockey’s biggest stars to the Winter Games could spark a renaissance for the sport on the global stage, as gold-medal favorites United States and Canada handpicked top NHL talent for the Milano-Cortina Olympics.

The National Hockey League has not permitted its athletes to participate in the Games since 2014, putting a damper on the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament as the world’s best players were forced to stay home in 2018 and 2022.

Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova, 19, died on the Devil’s Backbone trail after reportedly falling 500ft

A 19-year-old college freshman has been identified as one of the hikers whose remains were found on California’s Mount Baldy on Monday.

The San Bernardino county sheriff announced this week that Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova, a resident of Seal Beach, California, was discovered along a mountain trail known as the Devil’s Backbone.

Brian Cole, accused of planting bombs before Capitol attack, presents ‘intolerable risk of danger’, court finds

A federal magistrate judge has ruled that the man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican headquarters the night before the January 6 Capitol attack must remain in custody while awaiting trial.

In a memorandum opinion, the court determined that Brian Cole Jr, 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, “poses an intolerable risk of danger to the community if released”, granting the government’s motion for pretrial detention.

Hiroshi Nagai, in a post on X, has objected to his artwork being used by the agency to promote its deportation agenda

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is facing backlash once again, this time from a Japanese artist who has condemned the agency for using, without permission, his work to promote deportations.

In a post on X on New Year’s Eve, the department posted a photo featuring a pristine and empty beach with palm trees and a vintage car. Written across the photo was “America after 100 million deportations,” along with a separate caption that said: “The peace of a nation no longer besieged by the third world.”

Scientists argue ape-like Sahelanthropus tchadensis that lived in Africa 7m years ago is best contender but more fossils are needed

In the murky first chapters of the human story is an unknown ancestor that made the profound transition from walking on all fours to standing up tall, an act that came to define us.

The odds of stumbling on the fossilised evidence of such an evolutionary prize are slim, but in new research, scientists argue that an ape-like animal that lived in Africa 7m years ago is the best contender yet.

The first Muslim to play for Australia has been an inspiration for many in the way he has broken down barriers during his career

More than half an hour into the press conference, with his retirement from Test cricket confirmed, Usman Khawaja was asked about the role of opening the batting and its relevance in the modern game. He answered with ease, detailing the specific mental challenges of facing the new ball. Minutes later, he was asked how Australia can unite after last month’s terrorist attack at Bondi Beach. Again, there was little hesitation before the lengthy reply. He cited the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, politicians who “try to divide and conquer” and closed with his reflections on the tragedy itself. This was no ordinary sporting farewell.

Those who have tracked the path of Khawaja’s career closely will not have been surprised by the openness in the 50-minute press conference on Friday and the lines to have come from it. Reflecting on his proud journey as a Muslim boy born in Pakistan “who was told he would never play for the Australian cricket team”, Khawaja claimed he was still subject to “racial stereotypes”, arguing they had re-emerged at the start of the Ashes when he was scrutinised for playing golf in the buildup before sustaining back spasms in the first Test.

From therapy to running and conversing with strangers, we asked experts what the basics are of starting anything new

The hardest part of any new habit or activity is starting it. Do you need special equipment? How do you know if you’re doing it right? What are the basics, and how do you take your practice to the next level?

In the series How to start, we ask experts to break down how to start, well, anything – including running, dating, cooking and lucid dreaming.

Figure out what you enjoy by checking out a variety of books from the library, but don’t force it. If you’re not enjoying a volume, put it down and move on to the next.

Start with short books and whichever medium – physical books, ebooks or audiobooks – works best for you.

Make reading fun and sociable by sharing books with friends, or joining a book club.

Think about your dreams more – way more. Start by keeping a dream journal and recording your dreams every day.

Cultivate the intention to lucid dream. While you’re awake, think: “The next time I have a dream, I’m going to figure out it’s a dream,” says Dr Ken Paller, professor of psychology at Northwestern University.

The Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB) and Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (Mild) techniques can be effective ways to try to lucid dream – but don’t try it more than two to three times a week as they can be tiring.

You don’t need to teach a dog as many commands – some trainers call them cues – as they might think. Two cues – “sit” and “come” – are essential for minimizing behavioral issues and recall.

Besides basic safety commands, think about training functionally.

There’s no need to spend hours on training. Sessa says she usually suggests her clients work with their dogs for no more than 10 to 15 minutes a day.

Begin in a plank position, with your hands and toes on the ground and feet set wide or narrow. Lower yourself until your body is almost touching the ground, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle. Then push yourself back up.

Make sure to maintain correct form, with a line from head to heels, and don’t rush through reps.

Make sure you have the basic tools for cooking: a chef’s knife, a cutting board, a a nonstick pan, baking sheets and spatulas.

Quality spices and pantry staples can improve your cooking. Stock up on good kosher salt, fresh black pepper, olive oil, a neutral oil (like canola oil or avocado oil) for high temperature cooking, a couple of vinegars, bags of rice and some beans.

Watch a knife skills class (many are free online) to master essential techniques.

Try recipes that will teach you core cooking skills, like a lentil soup, to learn how to time sauteing and simmering; or a three-egg omelet, to learn heat control.

Cleansers: Start and end your day with a gentle cleanser.

Moisturizers: For all skin types, moisturizers heal and protect the skin.

Sunscreen: No matter the weather, always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen – at least SPF 30 or higher.

Alternate running and walking. Run for short periods, then walk to recover – this makes the workout more manageable. Over time, you can increase the period of time running, and aim to take fewer walking breaks.

Avoid running too fast or too much. Keep a conversational pace, where you can talk and run at the same time and be sure to take time off as your body adjusts to the new routine.

Get good running shoes. Buying in-person is best, especially if you can visit a running store where you can get properly fitted and try a wide variety of shoes.

Don’t push yourself to run as long and far as you can. It can be draining and lead to injury.

England have a final chance to salvage something from tour but must accept Ashes defeat was self-inflicted and changes, however limited, must be made

As well as being a bucket list venue for players and supporters, the Sydney Cricket Ground has a reputation in England as the ground of the one-cap wonders. This is based on Mason Crane, Scott Borthwick and Boyd Rankin getting a go at the end of recent Ashes tours, rather than anything more historically substantial.

If anything, as the traditional scene for the final Test of the Australian summer, the SCG is more like the Oval – the ground where careers often come to an end. And on Friday, surrounded by his family and with a fair bit to get off his chest, Usman Khawaja confirmed the final instalment of this Ashes series, starting on Sunday, will be his international farewell.

A UK government warning that Amal Clooney risks US sanctions over her role in the issuing of an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister is key among reasons the couple have sought French citizenship

The exodus from Hollywood to shores not presided over by Donald Trump has been busy and loud. Ellen DeGeneres, Robin Wright and Courtney Love moved to England; Rosie O’Donnell opted for Ireland; Eva Longoria, Spain. Other Trump critics, including Richard Gere, Lena Dunham and Ryan Gosling, have upped sticks without citing the re-election as a motivating factor.

In the case of Clooney, however, there has appeared little doubt that his decision to gain French citizenship was primarily because of Trump, whose re-election he energetically campaigned against. Yet amid the heat and headlines generated by the pair’s war of words, some of the actor’s reasons for relocating may have flown under the radar.