At 86, she’s a literary seer and saint – and queen of the Canadian resistance. So what does the writer make of our dystopian world?

• ‘From (finally) being given the Booker prize to the day her partner died’: an exclusive extract from Margaret Atwood’s memoir

Margaret Atwood is doing her grocery shopping in her local supermarket in Toronto, and it is taking longer than usual. This is not because The Handmaid’s Tale author turns 86 this month, but because she is checking the provenance of every item before it goes in her trolley: California satsumas out; Canada spuds in. Atwood is a passionate environmentalist, but at the moment she is more worried about boycotting anything that comes from over the border in the US than air miles. “Elbows up!” she declares, taking a furious stance in the fruit and veg aisle.

Back in her kitchen she shows me a YouTube skit of Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and comedian Mike Myers in the national hockey kit to explain the significance of “Elbows up”, a growing gesture of Canadian resistance. “Oh, they’re angry. They’re furious,” she says of the reaction to President Trump’s proposed plans to make Canada the 51st state of America. “We’ve not got a very big army. If they wanted to invade they could do so. But I don’t think they would. Do they have any idea what it would be like to try to occupy a hostile Canada? It would not be a joke.” Trump would have to deal with Atwood, for starters.

How did a former Mormon bishop end up pleading guilty to taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia in the European parliament?

The first thing most people recall about Nathan Gill is his imposing height.

At 193cm (6ft 4in), the one-time Reform UK leader in Wales towered over colleagues and opponents – and he was taller still in his favourite cowboy boots.

The internet has been rumbling about autocorrect for years – and now AI is changing how the technology works

Don’t worry, you’re not going mad.

If you feel the autocorrect on your iPhone has gone haywire recently – inexplicably correcting words such as “come” to “coke” and “winter” to “w Inter” – then you are not the only one.

In an exclusive extract from her autobiography, goalkeeper reveals the painful road to her shock England exit

England felt like such a safe space for me. It was usual to have a team review after a big tournament and after the Euros in 2022 we came together in the Club England meeting room at St George’s Park, the team’s headquarters.

The emotional security that I felt within England was bolstered by the culture and values that had underpinned and contributed to our success. Non-collegiate behaviour was not tolerated. We came back together to the news that Hannah Hampton had been dropped from the squad: her behaviour behind the scenes at the Euros had frequently risked derailing training sessions and team resources.

Buying a place in need of renovation is one way of getting on the ladder – here’s how the cost of doing the work stacks up

When Jess and Rick Sowerby started searching for their first home in 2018, they had not considered a fixer-upper. But after 30 viewings without finding their dream home, it was time for a change of plan.

“I was getting disheartened – I thought we’d never find anything,” says Jess, 33. “Some houses were lovely but weren’t to our taste. I’d have felt guilty ripping out a new kitchen or bathroom just because we didn’t like it, so we decided to buy a home that actually needed the work done.”

Renovation projects were about £90,000 cheaper than “turnkey” homes (those that are finished and ready to move into), giving the Sowerbys more budget for the project. In February 2019 they got the keys to their 1930s semi-detached house on a cul-de-sac in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, and got to work.

“It had been empty for six months and was cold, damp, dated and musty. But it felt like a home,” says Jess, who has documented their renovation on the Instagram page The House that Colour Built.

As house prices continue rising, many buyers are looking to renovation projects as a cost-effective way of getting on the ladder. The average first-time buyer home cost £229,094 in August this year, according to the estate agency Hamptons, which analysed Land Registry data. It was £156,453 in August 2015.

The Manchester City striker recently shared some of the things he credits with his success. Could they bring me similar glory?

Raw milk, LED light treatment, tomahawk steak and a cuddly toy. They sound more suited to the conveyor belt of The Generation Game than to a Premier League star’s daily routine, but these are some of the things the Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland credits with his success.

Haaland recently shared the routine he believes keeps him at the top of his game on and off the pitch, but what would it do for a Guardian journalist? Could it provide a glimpse of how to match Haaland’s amazing physique, boyish appearance that belies his real age (25) and reported net worth of more than £50m? It was time to find out – for one day at least.

The former prince remains under scrutiny as Buckingham Palace finalises plans for his future as a commoner

• Analysis: the monarchy’s crisis may not be over yet

The former Duke of York is in line to receive a large one-off payment and an annual stipend designed to prevent him overspending in his new life as a commoner, the Guardian understands.

One option for a relocation settlement, as the king strives for a “once and for all” solution to the problem of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, includes an initial six-figure sum to cover his move from Royal Lodge in Windsor to private accommodation in Sandringham, Norfolk.

Indulged by his mother and ignored for too long by his siblings, it is behaviour like Andrew’s that could ultimately kill the monarchy

It started with a simple photograph, probably the most consequential ever taken of a member of the royal family.

There was Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh and Knight of the Garter, with his arm around a young woman, while Ghislaine Maxwell stood wolfishly grinning in the background.

Women’s rights groups say announcement sends important message to survivors of abuse

The historic statement from Buckingham Palace stripping Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his title is an “acknowledgment” that something happened to the late Virginia Giuffre, her family has told the Guardian.

In its announcement on Thursday, the palace said Andrew Mountbatten Windsor – as he is now known – will also leave his mansion in Windsor, Royal Lodge, as his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continue to cause controversy.

With King Charles stripping Andrew of his titles, it’s unlikely either are feeling much brotherly love. But they’re not the first siblings to publicly fall out

When King Charles told Prince Andrew he was being stripped of his titles and turned into a commoner, it is unlikely that either man felt a rush of brotherly love.

Of course, the pair are far from the first siblings to publicly fall out with each other. We took a look at four of the most famous disputes between brothers in history …