An astute debut novel follows the personal and political upheaval of three friends in a thinly fictionalised contemporary Mumbai

India and its youth jointly confront the challenge of self-definition in Devika Rege’s excellent debut novel, Quarterlife . Set in the months after the 2014 landslide victory of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s rightwing Bharatiya Janata party (here fictionalised as the Bharat party), the book tunes into the hopes and anxieties of a knot of spirited young individuals, as they navigate caste, class, selfhood, ambition and pride amid the rising tide of Hindu nationalism.

Among them is 31-year-old management consultant Naren Agashe who is back home in Mumbai, after a decade spent in the US. Lured by the economic and policy reforms promised by the new government, he sees himself as part of the “golden generation” that will lead the country into a future of prosperity. Accompanying Naren is 27-year-old New Englander Amanda Harris Martin, a university friend who has accepted a teaching fellowship in a Muslim-dominated Mumbai slum in a bid to find her true purpose. Naren’s younger brother, Rohit, an indie film-maker with whom Amanda gets involved, is on his own private journey of self-discovery, after his once-solid conviction that he and his friends “were the voice of a generation” has fissured. Rohit’s friends “are all outraged that a man with blood on his hands has the nation’s mandate” while Rohit, much like his brother, is optimistic about the future (“Parties evolve,” they both believe).

This is a very English wonder, fusing the arcane symbolism of northern England with then modern ideas from Renaissance Italy

Bolsover Castle, topped with turrets, sits at the crest of a hill with the best view in Derbyshire. You could be forgiven for thinking it must be the home of a medieval knight, if not a wizard. But really it’s a gothic, chivalric, romantic recreation of a medieval castle, constructed by a 17th-century aristocrat. He was so pleased with his “new castle” that he took it for his title, becoming Duke of Newcastle.

The castle seems pretty wondrous to me, not least because it determined my choice of career. As a teenager, I read about it in a book describing a treasure hunt undertaken in the 1960s by the architectural historian Mark Girouard . He was looking for traces of the lost houses designed by the Smythsons, a talented family of master masons and designers in Elizabethan England. Their work at Bolsover formed the climax of his quest, and through several lucky breaks I ended up working there myself in my first proper job as assistant inspector of ancient monuments for English Heritage.

Never heard of your lower trapezius? Don’t know your rotator cuff from your neck flexor? To alleviate common injuries, it’s time to get to know them

Killer abs, beefy biceps and perky pecs are classic signifiers of strong, well-exercised bodies, but not many people walk into a gym with a goal of building up their teres minor. This more low-key muscle, along with several others, is often underappreciated and weak, even among fitness fans. Neglecting such muscles as the teres minor can cause overuse of other muscles to compensate, or a lack of stability around a joint, which can lead to common painful injuries. And as anyone currently in musculo-skeletal pain knows all too well, it’s preferable to build up these forgotten muscles before you end up on the physiotherapist’s waiting list with an agonising shoulder, hip or lower back. Here are those elusive muscle groups to look out for.

Taskforce to act as ‘security camera of the Baltic’ after string of suspected sabotage incidents on critical infrastructure

A Nato flotilla likened to “the security camera of the Baltic” has assembled off the coast of Estonia as the military alliance seeks to protect European undersea cables and pipelines from sabotage.

In a move that ratchets up a struggle with Russia over the seabed that has remained largely covert until now, a Dutch frigate and naval research ship, as well as a German minesweeper have all arrived in Tallinn under a thick January sea fog.

• Captain confident tourists can succeed in T20 format
• Australia won three ODIs to leave tourists on brink

Heather Knight said that England’s strength in the T20 format will give them the best chance of rescuing their Ashes chances with their series hopes hanging by a thread after three straight ODI defeats.

England need to win all three T20s, which begin on Monday in Sydney, to stand any chance of regaining the Ashes, but their captain is confident they England can pull off the feat.

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

• Says reporter ‘mocked’ Serbia fans and insulted him
• Djokovic skipped interview after defeat of Lehecka

Novak Djokovic will boycott on-court interviews at the Australian Open and media appearances with Channel Nine until he receives an apology from the Australian television network after its reporter “made a mockery” of Serbian fans and “made insulting and offensive comments” towards him.

Djokovic had been due to speak with Jim Courier for the on-court interview after advancing into the quarter-finals, but after a brief off-mic conversation with Courier Djokovic instead took the mic and briefly addressed the crowd before signing autographs and leaving the court.

Shipments fell nearly 10% last year with French firms blaming economic and political anxiety, and cheaper drinks

Changing habits and the gloomy state of the world are taking the fizz out of French champagne sales, the producers’ association has said, with shipments down nearly 10% last year.

Consumers in crucial markets such as the US and home country France cut down on the luxury beverage, as economic and political anxiety dampened the party mood.

Community baselessly demonized by Republicans dread what Trump’s return means for TPS and immigrants

When then president Donald Trump ’s Department of Homeland Security attempted to end temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians in 2017, Gilbert Fortil had just arrived in Springfield, Ohio .

Fortil, from Gonaïves in northern Haiti , has spent the years since then working to make a new life in Springfield. He has opened a radio station to serve the growing Haitian community, bought and renovated abandoned properties, and been joined by thousands of other Haitians who have helped revive a once-struggling town in western Ohio.