Author: The Guardian

In the five months between the end of the Australian Open and the start of Wimbledon, Barbora Krejcikova won just two singles matches. She is trapped in a cruel cycle of illness, injury and pity, from which at times there seems to be no way out. She arrived at Wimbledon with low expectations and is still trying to find her footing.But in tennis, things change so quickly. It only takes a few key wins to build enough confidence in a player’s game that their game suddenly flows as if nothing is wrong. Krejcikova has gone through the process thoroughly over…

The legendarily frank sex therapist and cultural icon Dr Ruth Westheimer, known simply as Dr Ruth, has died at the age of 96, according to her publicist.Westheimer died on Friday at her home in New York City, surrounded by her family.Westheimer never advocated risky sexual behavior. Instead, she encouraged an open dialogue on previously closeted issues that affected her audience of millions. Her one recurring theme was there was nothing to be ashamed of.“I still hold old-fashioned values and I’m a bit of a square,” she told students at Michigan City high school in 2002. “Sex is a private art…

Steve Borthwick says England are still heading in the right direction despite losing 2-0 in the New Zealand series. The head coach believes his side have earned the respect of their opponents and silenced many New Zealanders who warned him the All Blacks would sweep his side away with ease.England have been unable to hold on to their second-half leads in both Tests, but Borthwick is encouraged by their progress and is looking forward to facing the All Blacks again at Twickenham in November.”People on the street tell me 10 times a day we’re going to be blown away at…

Serge, 58 We remained very intimate throughout the months she was recovering Five months after we met, Lucy was diagnosed with breast cancer. We were deep in lust, still discovering each other, and it was frightening news to receive. I offered to move in, to support her, so in some ways the diagnosis accelerated our relationship. Luckily, doctors caught the cancer early and she didn’t need a mastectomy. We remained very intimate throughout the months she was recovering. We would often have sex in the morning before I drove her to hospital. It was relaxing and therapeutic to be close…

England’s mission on the eve of this Test series is to change some perceptions in New Zealand. They want the All Blacks to “know who we are” and leave behind the baggage of past failures. On a mesmerizing night in Auckland, they once again left their mark on the hearts of New Zealanders but failed to become the first team in 30 years to win against the hosts’ supposedly impregnable fortress.There will be other days, not least when New Zealand come to Twickenham for the rematch this November. But on a cool night, the visiting team led 17-13 towards the…

It was the moment when long-simmering media resentment at a seemingly opaque White House broke through the surface with startling intensity.With Joe Biden’s candidacy teetering in the wake of last month’s alarming debate showing, journalists who had covered his presidency full-time for years suddenly asserted that it lacked that most basic political element: credibility.The trigger was the revelation – disclosed in several news outlets – that a specialist in Parkinson’s disease had visited the White House eight times in as many months. The press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, was forced in a live televised briefing on to the defensive over a…

The risks of banking on mobile phones have been highlighted by stories from Guardian readers who had their phones taken over by scammers and their bank accounts wiped out.In recent months, Guardian Money has become increasingly concerned about the frequency with which people have reported having their mobile accounts stolen – with O2 being our most complained about provider.In some cases we heard about, the victim’s email account was initially hacked, while in another case the phone may have been taken over by malware. Once they take control of the email account and other personal data, the scammers pretend to…

For Anne-Marie Azevedo, 13 July 2022 started off like a normal day. Her brother David was staying with her while he got his life back on track after a period of unemployment. He was on the third day of a new job in construction and had been asked to work extra hours. Eager to make a good impression, David was up and out of the door first thing.As she got ready for work later in the morning, Anne‑Marie thought David had mistakenly picked up her house keys, so she called him. She was reassured to hear that he sounded fine,…

wattWhen Alec Baldwin began production on the western Rust in 2021, it was a passion project for the veteran actor. He co-wrote the story, served as a producer, and stars in the film as Harland Rust, an outlaw with a bounty on his mind.Nearly three years later, the 66-year-old is a criminal defendant on trial in New Mexico for manslaughter in the death of photographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal for the film.Baldwin walked into a Santa Fe courtroom on Wednesday, the day his trial was to begin, facing the prospect of 18 months in prison. By the weekend, in…

If you’re on medication or diagnosed with a health condition; pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your GP before taking any new supplementsVitamin D for a boostSunshine turns cholesterol under our skin into vitamin D, but the UK climate means we don’t always get enough. “I go outdoors with my legs and upper arms exposed in summer, which, I’ve found, gives me enough vitamin D to last until December (it is fat soluble so can be stored),” says Dr Jenny Goodman, medical doctor and member of the British Society of Ecological Medicine. She takes 2,000 international units (IU, equivalent to 50 micrograms) every evening between…