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'She can win': Lindsey Vonn’s improbable comeback is another risk she’s ready to take

Time has never seemed to stop the US skiing star. Entering Sunday’s Olympic downhill medal race, injuries haven’t either

It was all going a little too easy for Lindsey Vonn. All the nervous apprehension, the paternalistic concern, the arch skepticism and hushed snickers that had rippled through the sports world when she announced her comeback from a six-year retirement had long since gone silent. A once-unthinkable fairytale ending at the age of 41 on the slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo was practically within touching distance.

Back in November 2024, having been chased from the sport in 2019 by a battered right knee worn down by a string of gruesome crashes and multiple surgeries, Vonn proposed a return to a high-risk sport where no woman had ever won a race past the age of 34. There’s a history of comebacks like these going brutally wrong, and even Vonn’s most dedicated fans were bracing themselves for the worst. Think Joe Louis getting battered through the ropes and on to the ring apron by Rocky Marciano. Or Björn Borg returning to the tour in the early 90s with a wooden racket, defiantly flailing through a sport that had moved on without him.

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Moment judge's phone plays history podcast out loud during supreme court hearing – video

The Rest is History podcast started playing from the phone of one of the justices during a hearing at the UK supreme court last week. The music briefly interrupted the hearing before the judge turned it off and apologised, telling the court: 'It was switched to silent'

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Why has Elon Musk merged his rocket company with his AI startup?

SpaceX’s acquisition of xAI creates business worth $1.25tn but whether premise behind deal will work is questioned

The acquisition of xAI by SpaceX is a typical Elon Musk deal: big numbers backed by big ambition.

As well as extending “the light of consciousness to the stars”, as Musk described it, the transaction creates a business worth $1.25tn (£920bn) by combining Musk’s rocket company with his artificial intelligence startup. It values SpaceX at $1tn and xAI at $250bn, with a stock market flotation expected in June to time with Musk’s birthday and a planetary alignment.

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Trump posted something blatantly racist? What a surprise | Arwa Mahdawi

The Obama video should take a toll on the president’s political career – but of course it won’t

Despite Donald Trump’s war on woke, he hasn’t (yet) made Black History Month illegal. In fact, on Tuesday the president issued a proclamation declaring February 2026 to be a celebration of Black history and called “upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities”.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

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Anthems, agency and arias: baritone Davóne Tines on rewriting his role – and the rules

The acclaimed US opera singer refuses to restrict himself or his audience. His current Barbican residency sees him range across genres. Always ask questions, always engage, he says. He talks ‘capital O opera’ and big ideas

In performance, Davóne Tines is electrifying. In the first concert of the US bass-baritone’s 2025-26 residency at London’s Barbican Centre, he appeared at the back of the auditorium and then slowly descended towards the stage, spotlit and subtly miked. His unaccompanied voice fractured into stentorian booms, spat-out consonants and the violent crackle of mouth noises. This, unmistakably, was the musician whom the New Yorker announced back in 2021 was “changing what it means to be a classical singer”.

Since then, Tines has been named Musical America’s vocalist of the year, he has won a 2024 Chanel next prize for “international contemporary artists who are redefining their disciplines”. And he was awarded the 2025 Harvard arts medal for distinguished alumni of the Ivy League university who have demonstrated achievement in the arts. Recent winners of the latter include architect Frank Gehry and novelist Margaret Atwood. Unlike those cultural figureheads, Tines is not yet 40.

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Arsenal v Sunderland, Wolves v Chelsea, Burnley v West Ham and more: football – live

⚽ Premier League and EFL updates from the 3pm GMT kick-offs
Live scores | Tables | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Dominic

Bournemouth starting line-up: Petrović, Truffert, Cook, Hill, Senesi, Scott, Jiménez, Adli, Kroupi, Rayan, Evanilson.

Subs: Mandas, Milosavljević, Dacosta, Smith, Diakite, Ünal, Toth, Brooks, Christie.

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peace / pose

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peace / pose

Benesse House designed by Tadao Ando

The outstanding

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The outstanding

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Italiaanse politie ondervraagt man over ‘sluipschuttertoerisme’ in Sarajevo

Volgens mediaberichten in Italië zouden in de jaren negentig rijke westerlingen veel geld over hebben gehad om ‘voor de lol’ in Sarajevo burgers dood te schieten. Maandag ondervraagt de politie hierover een 80-jarige Italiaan. Mogelijk zijn er nog vier andere Italianen in beeld.