London and Moscow’s rivalry stretches back to the imperial era, but the Ukraine war has brought relations to a new low

In recent years, Britain has become the villain of choice in Moscow’s eyes. It has been accused of plotting drone strikes on Russian airfields, blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline, directing “terrorist” raids inside Russia, and even abetting last year’s gruesome Islamic State concert attack in Moscow.

This week, a new charge was added to the pile: Russian authorities claimed that British intelligence had tried and failed to lure Russian pilots into defecting to the west.

As fewer people tie the knot, four well-known married couples share their secrets, from film director Bruce Robinson and artist Sophie Windham to writers Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman

Bruce Robinson – best known as the writer and director of Withnail and I – met artist Sophie Windham at an Italian restaurant in London in 1982. He proposed three days later. They have been married for 42 years and still live and work side by side in the Welsh borders. They have two grownup children, Lily and Willoughby.

There’s an attention to detail in every dish that makes this place more than fit for a special occasion

It’s 6pm in Herne Hill, south-east London, and I’ve popped out for some Caribbean food wearing fancy athleisure wear. Yoga trousers and a smart hoodie, but PE kit nonetheless. And, once I arrive at 2210 By Natty Can Cook, I realise I am severely underdressed.

When chef Nathaniel Mortley announced that he was opening a restaurant that aimed to celebrate Caribbean culture “in style” and to win a Michelin star, his loyal Instagram following, as well as their families and friends, took the brief and dressed accordingly. As fancily plated ackee and saltfish spring rolls passed by, as well as a lot of rum punch, I rustled in my handbag for some bigger earrings and more makeup. “This isn’t dinner, it’s an occasion!” I hissed at Charles when he asked why I was off to the loo to put on some lippy, leaving him with a menu filled with the likes of confit pork belly with scotch bonnet mayo, lobster rasta pasta and carrot and plantain bhajis. By the time I got back, a plate of thin, crisp roti with a highly addictive scotch bonnet butter dip had appeared. One shouldn’t drink butter, but in this instance it’s excusable.

Parenting guru Gina Ford believes bending over backwards to please your children puts your marriage at risk. Sorry, Gina, but I’m not on board

Gina Ford ruined my life. OK, technically not all of it, just a small but significant chapter: very early motherhood. The parenting guru’s bestselling tome convinced me I was the worst mum in the world, and that my baby was faulty. He didn’t do what her book said he was meant to, you see, even when I followed her strict rules to the absolute apostrophe, never mind letter. It was almost as though he hadn’t read it, or was an individual human being or something.

I was out of my mind with sleep deprivation, and perhaps not seeing the full picture, but I felt like a hopeless failure. I once woke my husband up at 3.47am to read a passage from Ford’s The Contented Little Baby to him, while pointing accusingly at our extremely uncontented one, who was screaming louder than I was.

There are shades of Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives and everything Nicole Kidman has appeared in for the last five years. Put your brain aside, and enjoy

That its ultra-wealthy characters live in a place called Richford Lake tells you almost everything you need to know about the glossy new thriller Wild Cherry. Yes, it’s another entry in the increasingly popular eat-the-rich genre. Yes, it has shades of The White Lotus and everything starring Nicole Kidman for the past five years. Yes, most of the budget has gone to wardrobe, with any woman over the age of 30 apparently allergic to synthetic fibres and every actor seemingly cast primarily for her ability to carry off swagged silk and cashmere in warm beige tones. Yes, you should have bought shares in the colour camel years ago but it’s too late now. Yes, the insular community and soapy vibe suggests an ancestry that includes Desperate Housewives and Gossip Girl. Yes, in short, it’s trash with pretensions. But trash with pretensions is as fun a way to spend the long winter evenings as any, so why not set your brain aside and enjoy it?

We begin with the obligatory the-future-as-prelude scene, which here involves four women – two older, two younger – standing in a well-appointed bathroom in their underwear scrubbing blood off their hands. We then flashback to begin the six-part journey to finding out what the jolly heck is going on.

Retreat from plans to increase income tax means Labour is unlikely to make system fairer and more coherent

For decades now, whenever the British public has faced the prospect of tax rises, large sections of the electorate – so large they sway most politicians – have made it quite clear, let those increases be by stealth.

It is a message every chancellor since Nigel Lawson has heeded, with just a few honourable exceptions in the intervening decades.

Home secretary expected to change system to deny help to those who can work or who have assets

Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce changes to Britain’s asylum system on Monday in an attempt to quell rising fears about immigration.

The home secretary plans to amend laws that guarantee housing and financial support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.

100 police officers injured in Mexico City as demonstrators attack National Palace following death of Michoacan mayor who fought drug trafficking

At least 120 people, mostly police officers, were injured as thousands marched through Mexico City to protest against the government of Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

The demonstration on Saturday was organised by members of generation Z, but ended with strong backing from older supporters of opposition parties.

Taylor Wimpey chief Jennie Daly calls for revival of help-to-buy equity loan scheme to revive property market

The boss of one of Britain’s biggest housebuilders has urged the government to announce more support for first-time buyers to revive a property market that has cooled in the “very long shadow” of the looming budget.

Jennie Daly, the chief executive of Taylor Wimpey, also warned against an “accumulation of regulation”, arguing that a “perverse outcome” of green measures could be that it becomes unviable to build new homes in poorer areas of the country.

Change to crime and policing bill backed by fathers’ rights groups seeking support in cross-border abduction cases

Mothers fleeing domestic violence who keep their children overseas without permission would be criminalised for the first time under a new law.

The change is introduced in a proposed amendment to the crime and policing bill, backed by fathers’ rights groups and the Reunite International charity. The amendment has not been debated in parliament, and is now before the House of Lords.