MORE NEWS

Major cities at risk from rising sea level threat

Sea levels will rise by twice as much as previously predicted as a result of global warming, new study concludes

Woods skips own tournament as questions mount

Golfer will not play in his own tournament as police aim to establish cause of injuries following late night car crash

Largest spam gang fined $15m by US court

Brothers based in New Zealand ran worldwide junk mail network that sold fake penis enhancement and weight-loss pills

Business news  

Manufacturing growth slows sharply in November

Latest survey of British industry shows signs that industrial output could be about to peak despite rising new orders

BT rivals face price rises to plug pension gap

Telecoms regulator will examine whether to increase charges for phonelines in a move to pay down the shortfall

Tui Travel on track despite sluggish demand

Europe' s largest tour operator says late booking trend continues but that it is confident that its capacity cuts will suffice

Sport News  

Big-spending City top list by handing over £13m in agents’ fees

Premier League clubs hit with £70m bill after figures show the staggering amount paid to middlemen over the past year

• Redknapp warning on agents falls on deaf ears

• Q&A: why are clubs paying agents all this money?

Pacquiao considers becoming eighth wonder

Superbout with Floyd Mayweather Jr may have to wait as Filipino world champion prepares to move up another weight division

Disgraced Jones to launch basketball career

Former 100m Olympic champion has begun training with the San Antonio Silver Stars with a view to playing in the women's NBA

Comment  

It’s not just about Iraq, it’s Blair’s style

The poisoned ink is flowing because mandarins hate Labour’s sofa-style government and hope to end it under the Tories

• Rachel Sylvester

Minarets are not an essential part of Islam

The Swiss vote does not infringe Muslim religious rights

• Taj Hargey

You can’t rank hospitals like football teams

I’m a statistician and even I’m confused by NHS trust league tables. They are unjust and simplistic

• David Spiegelhalter

Life and Style  

How to dress in a downpour

The wet look is easy to master in even the wettest of winters when you have the right coat, boots and umbrella...

Dear Tanya: Our mother refuses to declutter or wear new clothes

My elderly mum cannot throw anything away. The house is cluttered and any suggestion to have a clear-out makes her angry

Love in a locked-in state: a couple's story

How can hope and humour survive when your life partner can’t move a muscle? With patience, therapy and devotion

Arts & Entertainment  

The V & A's new Medieval and Renaissance Galleries

Flooded with light, full of treasures, the new galleries are a revelation — and to think they call it the Dark Ages

Songs from the worldly wise

Success as the voice of Levi’s derailed North London band Zeep. Now they’re back on song with a new album, People & Things

Five stars for The Nutcracker

This is a Nutcracker to cherish, and it remains the finest I have seen in a lifetime of Nutcrackers, says Debra Craine