Culture

Magritte painting sells for record $121m at auction

A painting by René Magritte shattered an auction record for the surrealist artist on Tuesday, selling for more than $121m at Christie’s in New York.The seminal 1954 painting had...

Prado show aims to highlight true colours of polychrome sculpture

In a darkened corner of the Prado, not far from an outsized crucifixion and a sculpture of a...

Minecraft enters real world with $110m global theme park deal

The global gaming phenomenon Minecraft is coming to the real world for the first time in a global...

‘Happy hour in reverse’: where dynamic pricing may creep further

Paying a premium for a flight during the school holidays or a cab at peak hours might be...

After decades, tiny 500-year-old royal portrait is identified as Mary Tudor

It’s Mary Tudor – by a nose. Not in a horse race, but from a comparison of portraits...

BBC promises ‘innovative’ return for Casualty in Christmas special

Casualty is to return to TV screens for an “innovative” Christmas special, the BBC has revealed. The news was announced in a cryptic teaser...

Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain look back at Soccer AM: ‘We fought like siblings. She couldn’t stand me and I couldn’t stand her’

Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain in 2000 and 2024.Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain in 2000 and 2024. Later photograph: Simon Webb/the Guardian. Styling: Andie...

‘Shut up’: Liam Gallagher shrugs off criticism of Oasis ticket prices

Liam Gallagher has shrugged off criticism over the Oasis ticket sale fiasco in a series of tweets – including telling one fan to “shut...

Watchdog to investigate Ticketmaster over Oasis ticket sales

The competition watchdog has launched an investigation into the Oasis ticket sales fiasco. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will investigate Ticketmaster’s handling of sales...

European Commission to examine Ticketmaster’s ‘dynamic pricing’

Ticketmaster’s ability to raise the price of concert tickets based on demand is being scrutinised by the European Commission, the Guardian has learned, as...

Constantine Arch in Rome damaged by lightning during violent storm

Lightning has struck the Constantine Arch near the Colosseum in Rome during a violent thunderstorm, breaking off fragments from the ancient structure, officials have...