Chelsea v Aston Villa: Premier League – live

⚽ Updates from the 5.30pm Premier League kick-off
⚽ Scores | Table | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Will here

The teams are in the tunnel at Stamford Bridge. The Liquidator is blasting out over the sound system. It’s almost time. Everyone ready?

Here are the match reports from the 3pm kick-offs, in no particular order:

Man charged with fatal shooting of woman during backyard target practice

The victim was sitting with her family under a covered porch several blocks away when she was hit by a bullet, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Florian Wirtz nets first Liverpool goal to edge out Wolves on emotional day

Liverpool and Wolves united in a moving tribute to Diogo Jota while Florian Wirtz grabbed the first goal of his Anfield career after a potential £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen. The lasting impression was the relief inside Anfield, however, from Liverpool players and fans alike, as Arne Slot’s team held off the Premier League’s basement club on a tense afternoon.

Rob Edwards’ visitors finished the stronger side yet were beaten again thanks to a swift first-half double from Ryan Gravenberch and Wirtz. That brief flurry aside, Liverpool were subdued and unconvincing as Wolves performed with more adventure and endeavour than many visitors to Anfield.

Ødegaard’s strike and Raya’s wonder save help steer Arsenal past Brighton

A few minutes before half-time in a contest that swung entirely one way and then briefly the other, Brighton threatened what was then a rare foray into Arsenal territory. For the briefest of moments, the visitors seemed certain to muster their first shot of an afternoon that had hitherto been miserable.

No sooner had Maxim De Cuyper received the ball on the counterattack and glanced up, than the Belgian was flattened by a crunching Declan Rice tackle that hastily restored possession for the hosts. De Cuyper slumped, while Rice towered over him and roared; arguably this season’s standout Premier League midfielder making light of playing right-back for the first time in his Arsenal career.

More than 20% of videos shown to new YouTube users are ‘AI slop’, study finds

Low-quality AI-generated content is now saturating social media – and generating about $117m a year, data shows

More than 20% of the videos that YouTube’s algorithm shows to new users are “AI slop” – low-quality AI-generated content designed to farm views, research has found.

The video-editing company Kapwing surveyed 15,000 of the world’s most popular YouTube channels – the top 100 in every country – and found that 278 of them contain only AI slop.

Meet the Los Angeles woman using pickleball to rebuild her community after the Eaton Fire

Joy Chen, an author who was also the administrator of the pickleball WhatsApp group for the Altadena Country Club, has become a leader among other Eaton Fire survivors. "CBS Saturday Morning" takes a look at how Chen is helping her community rebuild after immense losses.

How Robert Redford's conservation efforts helped generations of nature lovers

Robert Redford, who died in September, is known for founding the Sundance Film Festival -- but "CBS Saturday Morning" learns more about his conservation efforts behind-the-scenes that have helped generations of hikers and nature lovers.

Winter storm snarls thousands of flights. Maps show the latest forecast

Millions of Americans live in areas under winter storm alerts stretching from northern Minnesota to the Eastern Seaboard.

Trump is shamelessly covering America in his name | Mohamad Bazzi

Trump is using the presidency as a branding opportunity. He’s slapping his name on as many buildings, monuments and government projects as he can

In 2011, Donald Trump published a book with the self-help guru Robert Kiyosaki titled Midas Touch. It’s a typical self-empowerment manual in which the pair expound on the secrets of entrepreneurial success while drawing on their personal experiences. At one point, they write, “Building a brand may be more important than building a business.”

That was certainly Trump’s approach to business: he was the New York real estate tycoon who turned his fame into a brand that symbolized luxury and savvy strategy – even if his companies had filed for bankruptcy six times. Trump spent decades trying to use his name to turn a profit: he owned an airline and a university, and slapped his moniker on vodka, steaks, neckties, board games and even bottled water. Leveraging the fame he gained from the Apprentice TV show, he expanded to licensing Trump-branded global real estate projects built by other developers. In many of these ventures, Trump collected licensing fees, rather than investing his own money, ensuring that he profited even if the businesses collapsed.

Tom Gauld on 27 December – cartoon

US capitalism casts millions of citizens aside, yet Badenoch and Farage still laud it | Phillip Inman

Rightwing parties want to follow in US’s footsteps of minimal government intervention, but at what cost?

Next month, Donald Trump will welcome a poverty-stricken family to peruse his plans for a $300m glitzy state ballroom in the White House. The event will be staged as part of National Poverty in America Awareness Month, the time every year when charities document the number of US residents surviving on low incomes.

Of course, the president will do no such thing, preferring to summon the press to watch him rub shoulders with the billionaire class as he did at last month’s black tie dinner for the Saudi ruler and his entourage.

Poland preparing €2bn anti-drone fortifications along its eastern border amid Russian threat

Deputy defence minister says new air defence systems will be completed in 24 months

Poland plans to complete a new set of anti-drone fortifications along its eastern borders within two years, a top defence official has said, after a massive incursion of unmanned Russian aerial combat vehicles into Polish airspace earlier this year.

“We expect to have the first capabilities of the system in roughly six months, perhaps even sooner. And the full system will take 24 months to complete,” the deputy defence minister, Cezary Tomczyk, told the Guardian in an interview in Warsaw.

Trump says timing of Christmas Day strikes targeting ISIS in Nigeria was intentional

President Trump said Thursday's strikes on Nigeria targeting ISIS were set for Wednesday but were delayed to Christmas Day for symbolic reasons. Mr. Trump claimed the Nigerian government is failing to protect Christians.

Winter weather disrupts air traffic in New Jersey and New York

Nearly 15,000 flights were canceled or delayed as both states declared weather emergencies after snowstorm

A mix of snow and ice bore down on the US north-east early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday weekend airline traffic and prompting officials in New York and New Jersey to issue weather emergency declarations even as the storm ebbed by mid-morning.

More than 14,400 domestic US flights on Saturday were canceled or delayed as of mid-morning, with the majority in the New York area, including at John F Kennedy international airport, LaGuardia airport and Newark Liberty international airport, according to the tracking site FlightAware.

Deadly storms slam Southern California

Record rainstorms drenched Southern California this week, leaving residents without power during the holidays.

Our top global photo stories from 2025: Fearless women, solo polar bear, healing soups

These stunning photos include a polar bear in a Chinese zoo, a teen in Zambia facing an uncertain future, Mongolian kids watching TV in a tent, a chef prepping a bowl of good-for-you soup.

Jeffrey R. Holland, next in line to lead Mormon church, dies at 85

Jeffrey R. Holland was next in line to lead the Mormon church under a long-established succession plan.

Naoya Inoue sees off Picasso to set up Tokyo super-fight with Junto Nakatani

• ‘Monster’ dominates Picasso to defend undisputed title

• Unanimous decision in Riyadh keeps Inoue unbeaten

• Nakatani victory fuels chatter of Tokyo super-fight

Naoya Inoue moved a step closer to the biggest bout in Japanese boxing history after outclassing Alan Picasso by unanimous decision in Riyadh on Saturday, retaining his undisputed super-bantamweight titles and clearing the runway for a long-anticipated showdown with countryman Junto Nakatani.

Inoue, widely regarded as one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world alongside Oleksandr Usyk and the recently retired Terence Crawford, was in control from the opening bell at the Mohammed Abdo Arena, neutralizing the previously unbeaten Mexican challenger with precision, speed and sustained pressure over 12 rounds. The judges scored the contest 120-108, 119-109 and 117-111 in favor of the 32-year-old champion.

Afcon 2025: Sadio Mané equaliser keeps Senegal top of group and Benin get first win

• Mané levels in 1-1 draw with DR Congo in Group D

• Benin’s 1-0 victory knocks out Botswana

Sadio Mané scored for Senegal as they came from behind to draw 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday and keep top place in Group D. Cedric Bakambu put DRC into the lead in the 61st minute, but Mane equalised eight minutes later with his 51st goal for his country, one of the favourites to win the tournament.

The two sides have four points from their opening two games and look set to progress into the last 16 with their final group games on Tuesday. Senegal are ahead of DR Congo on goal difference after they beat Botswana 3-0 in their opening fixture while DR Congo edged past Benin 1-0.

This story will be updated

Boy with autism, 6, rescued from pond 15 months after similar incident

The boy, identified by police as Coco, was found in chest-deep waters but was not injured.

Airlines cancel 600 more flights but disruptions from winter storm ease. Here's what to know

Airlines waived change fees ahead of a large winter storm and low temperatures after Christmas holiday.

California woman delivers healthy baby after ‘essentially unheard of’ ectopic pregnancy

Suze Lopez found out she was pregnant only days before giving birth, due to fetus hiding behind 22lb ovarian cyst

A California family is celebrating their first holiday following the delivery of their latest child, a baby that had been growing outside of the mother’s womb.

Suze Lopez, a 41-year-old emergency room nurse in Bakersfield, California, delivered baby Ryu via surgery in August, so the newborn is celebrating his first Christmas. He had been an ectopic pregnancy – when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the uterus – and was hidden behind a large ovarian cyst.

Inflatable frogs and ice scrapers: nine innovative ways Americans protested against Trump in 2025

Historically, when organizers have used tactical innovation, movement activity has peaked

Federal agents in military fatigues carrying assault rifles in major cities. Huge cuts to healthcare, science and the US’s largest anti-hunger program. Immigrants dragged from cars and courthouse hallways. Rising authoritarianism, corruption and anti-democratic behavior. These are just some of the reasons pushback against the Trump administration is growing with each passing day.

While traditional marches such as the massive No Kings protests are a critical part of any resistance movement, sociologist Doug McAdam has shown how tactical innovation – the introduction of creative or novel protest methods – was a key part of the success of the civil rights movement in the US. Historically, when organizers established new tactics, movement activity peaked.

Child abuse victim of Jackanory presenter tells how climbing saved him

Iain Peters waited more than 50 years before going to the police but hopes he can be a beacon for other survivors

A man who was sexually assaulted by a children’s television presenter has spoken of how climbing and mountaineering saved his life and “sanity” during the 50 years in which he kept the abuse secret.

Iain Peters, 77, who has waived his right to anonymity, was between nine and 13 years old when he was abused weekly by John Earle, when he was a geography teacher and deputy head at a now-closed boarding school in Okehampton, Devon.

Kennedy Center president demands $1m from musician who canceled Christmas Eve show

Drummer Chuck Redd decided to cancel his yearly Jazz Jam after Donald Trump added his name to the venue

The president of the Kennedy Center has demanded $1m in damages and fiercely criticized a musician’s sudden decision to cancel a Christmas Eve performance at the venue days after the White House announced that Donald Trump’s name would be added to the facility.

“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment – explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming, which honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure – is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution,” the venue’s president, Richard Grenell, wrote in a letter to musician Chuck Redd that was shared with the Associated Press.

The ascendant San Antonio Spurs are the gift the NBA needed

By puncturing Oklahoma City’s aura of inevitability, Victor Wembanyama and co have restored suspense, drama and joy to a season that was in danger of becoming dull

I’ve seen enough: Give the San Antonio Spurs the keys to Santa Claus’ workshop. Put Stephon Castle in charge of toy assembly. Let De’Aaron Fox toss presents into chimneys, from whatever range he’d like. Devin Vassell can customize the Christmas cookies. Harrison Barnes has the army of elves covered. And, of course, Santa Claus’s sleigh must immediately be resized for a taller, thinner pilot so that the towering Victor Wembanyama can drive it comfortably. The sensational Spurs have felled the Oklahoma City Thunder three times in two weeks, and in doing so revitalized this NBA season. I now have more faith in the Spurs’ ability to grant joy to the masses than any holiday legends of old.

It looked dire for a while there. The Thunder might have won the Larry O’Brien trophy in June, but began this season in even more ominous form. They reeled off 24 wins in their first 25 games (the lone loss was a fluky 20-point comeback). In most of them, Jalen Williams, their second-best player, was on the sidelines recovering from wrist surgery. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, their best, seldom had to play in fourth quarters. The Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings by 31. The Los Angeles Lakers, who some expected to be a plausible rival, lost by 29; their basketball savant Luka Doncic looked like he was playing against ten men. The Phoenix Suns’ valiant first earned them a close loss, by just four points. When they met again 12 days later, the Thunder won by 49. This game knocked all the remaining leaves off the trees and started winter 10 days ahead of schedule. Oklahoma City looked capable of shredding anything in its path, even the 2016 Golden State Warriors’ legendary regular season record of 73-9.

Zelenskyy to hold talks with European leaders amid fresh strikes on Kyiv

Attacks leave hundreds of thousands in city without heating as Ukrainian leader prepares for flurry of weekend diplomacy

A third of Kyiv is without heating after a Russian drone and missile barrage on the Ukrainian capital cut off power supplies, leaving hundreds of thousands of people facing freezing temperatures.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Moscow had used nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles, including ballistic missiles, in the overnight attack. “The primary target is Kyiv – energy facilities and civilian infrastructure,” he said in a post on X.

Opinion: The best gift we can give the departed is to keep their sparkle alive

Christmastime is full of joy, sure, but also full of bittersweetness from nostalgia and loss. NPR's Scott Simon details a holiday encounter in his kitchen with a wise man in a red suit.

Dad uses cell phone data to rescue missing daughter, police say

After a teen didn't return from walking her dog, her dad used cell phone data to find her in a secluded area two miles away.

‘It brings you closer to the natural world’: the rise of the Merlin birdsong identifying app

Merlin has been trained to identify the songs of more than 1,300 bird species around the world

When Natasha Walter first became curious about the birds around her, she recorded their songs on her phone and arduously tried to match each song with online recordings. After a friend recommended Merlin Bird ID, a free app, she tried it in her London garden and was delighted to discover the birds she assumed were female blackbirds – “this is how bad a birder I was” – were actually song thrushes and mistle thrushes.

“I’m obsessed with Merlin – it’s wonderful and it’s been a joy to me,” says Walter, a writer and human rights activist. “This is what AI and machine-learning have been invented for. It’s the one good thing!”

‘They can open doors’: the community-based project helping people into work in Teesside

Stockton’s JobsPlus is a pilot scheme with caseworkers who connect individual people with potential jobs, providing direct financial help where necessary

“We’ve had quite a few people on the estate get jobs,” says Bryan Stokell, who found work as a full-time security guard thanks to Stockton-on-Tees’s JobsPlus project. The 47-year-old father has since become a “community champion”, encouraging his neighbours to enrol.

“It got to the point where even my little boy was coming home and saying, ‘my friend’s mam and dad are looking for work’,” he grins. “They [the project] have a lot of contacts, they can open doors into places.”

From Central Cee to Adolescence: in 2025 British culture had a global moment – but can it last?

Despite funding cuts and shuttered venues, homegrown music, TV, film and, yes, memes have dominated the global zeitgeist over the past 12 years. Now this culture must be future-proofed from the forces of globalisation

On the face of it, British culture looks doomed. Our music industry is now borderline untenable, with grassroots venues shuttering at speed (125 in 2023 alone) and artists unable to afford to play the few that are left; touring has become a loss leader that even established acts must subsidise with other work. Meanwhile, streaming has gutted the value of recorded music, leading to industry contraction at the highest level: earlier this year the UK divisions of Warners and Atlantic – two of our biggest record labels – were effectively subsumed into the US business.

In comedy, the Edinburgh fringe – the crucible of modern British standup, sketch and sitcom – is in existential crisis thanks to a dearth of sponsorship and prohibitively high costs for performers. Our film industry is at this point almost totally reliant on (dwindling) US funds; while Britain remains a popular filming destination due to tax breaks and appealing locations, the vast majority of the productions made here ultimately generate American profits.

Glasgow hospital launches inquiry after wrong body cremated

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde apologises after error meant one family had no remains at a funeral

An investigation has been launched by a Glasgow hospital after an error led to the wrong body being cremated.

The mistaken release of the body by the hospital to the undertakers was only discovered after the funeral service and the cremation had taken place.

ADHD drugs may work indirectly to boost attention

Drugs like Adderall and Ritalin appear to help children with ADHD by activating brain areas involved in alertness and motivation.

The best songs of 2025 … you may not have heard

From a folk murder ballad to an impassioned call for peace, Guardian writers pick their favourite lesser-heard tracks of the year

• The pick of 2025’s film, music, art, TV, stage and games, chosen by Guardian critics and writers

There is a sense of deep knowing and calm to Not Offended, the lone song released this year by the Danish-Montenegrin musician (also an earlier graduate of the Copenhagen music school currently producing every interesting alternative pop star). To warmly droning organ that hangs like the last streak of sunlight above a darkening horizon, Milovic assures someone that they haven’t offended her – but her steady Teutonic tenderness, reminiscent of Molly Nilsson or Sophia Kennedy, suggests that their actions weren’t provocative so much as evasive. Strings flutter tentatively as she addresses this person who can’t look life in the eye right now. “I see you clearly,” Milovic sings, as the drums kick in and the strings become full-blooded: a reminder of the ease that letting go can offer. Laura Snapes

Ministry of Defence to offer gap year–style scheme to young people

Pilot programme for under-25s will offer paid placements aimed at introducing participants to military life

Young people in Britain will be offered a gap year-style scheme by the Ministry of Defence, in an effort to introduce citizens to military life early as part of a new “whole of society” approach to defence.

After initially announcing plans to implement the scheme earlier this year, the government has now confirmed that about 150 under-25s will be recruited for the pilot programme, which is due to start in March 2026.

Young country diary: Our local river is clean again – and the birds are back too | Theo

River Wandle, south London: I can see the water from my bedroom window, the pollution has gone and it’s bursting with life

Most mornings now, I peek out of my bedroom window and immediately feel happy. Right outside, the River Wandle is awake and bursting with life. The grey heron swoops down and swiftly lands with a big splash, then stands up, still as a statue. Once I spotted an electric-blue kingfisher zapping along so quickly that I could barely see it.

Sadly, in February at half-term, there was a diesel leak into the river. A putrid stench came out of the water and the shock of the smell was overwhelming. The shimmering rainbow swirl of oil seemed to kill any fish that were in its path. My family and I were so worried, especially about the birds. The community worked together to clear the spill and monitor the river, and someone came to do a clean-up.

England’s MCG triumph is a genuine coup – and a picture of what might have been | Barney Ronay

What winning in Melbourne says is: here is what you could have had with Australia’s weaknesses exposed

Na-na na-na na-na na na na, Duckett’s on the piss. On the piss. Duckett’s on the piss.

Don’t take me home, please don’t take me home. And while we’re here, stand up, stand up, please do stand up if you love a two-day Test on a pitch as green and ridged as an under-ripe roasting potato. For an hour in mid-afternoon on day two at the MCG England’s top order finally did the thing. The clocks stopped. Dogs miaowed. Birds flew backwards across the sky. And Test cricket turned into darts.

Countdown to 2026 – a New Year’s Eve menu

Gather your friends and raise a glass to the year gone by with recipes from Thomasina Miers, Honey & Co and Benjamina Ebuehi

When it comes to throwing parties, the world falls into two quite distinct camps: those who love to do so, and those who would rather do almost anything else. Getting organised early is key, and finding a few delicious recipes to start the proceedings will amuse your guests while you try to keep the show on the road.

‘It’s frightening’: How far right is infiltrating everyday culture

Extremist messaging now woven into music and YouTube videos, with one expert saying: ‘You can be radicalised sitting on your couch’

The two men chop peppers, slice aubergines and giggle into the camera as they delve into the art of vegan cooking. Both are wearing ski masks and T-shirts bearing Nazi symbols.

The German videos – titled Balaclava Kitchen – started in 2014 and ran for months before YouTube took down the channel for violating its guidelines.

The year in patriarchy: Taylor Swift, Trump 2.0 and the Epstein files | Arwa Mahdawi

The year 2025 saw a Swift engagement, a rapid rollback of rights and a slow release of the heavily redacted Epstein files

The year 2025 would have been far better if we could have sent a few billionaires and world leaders into intergalactic exile. Instead, we had to make do with Katy Perry spending 11 minutes on the edge of space as part of Blue Origin’s all-female crewed mission. Perry promised us all that, in service of women’s empowerment, the crew would “put the ‘ass’ in astronaut” and “make space and science glam”. Truly, one giant leap for womankind!

Space may have got glam, but it was another glum year for many on Earth. The war in Ukraine continued, with increasing numbers of women volunteering to fight. The civil war in Sudan raged on, with the UN urging the world not to ignore harrowing details of targeted sexual violence, torture, and abductions from the region. The slaughter in Sudan is so extreme that the blood can even be seen from space. Although I’m not sure the billionaires and celebs doing celestial joyrides in their expensive rockets are particularly bothered by that view.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist and the author of Strong Female Lead

Russia attacks Kyiv, killing 1 and wounding many ahead of Ukraine-US talks

Russia attacked Ukraine's capital with missiles and drones early Saturday morning, killing one and wounding over 20 people a day before talks between Ukraine and the U.S., local authorities said.

Myanmar is set to hold phased elections. Here's why they're being called a 'sham'

Myanmar's military rulers are holding a general election in phases starting Dec. 28 amid the country's civil war. The head of the U.N. says the vote will be anything but free and fair.

The hill I will die on: Online shops, please I beg – stop with endless post-purchase emails | Athena Kugblenu

You really want me to review my buy? Yes, it was fine. But that is where I would like our relationship to end

When I buy something online, I don’t want to receive more than two emails: one to confirm my order has been received, and another to tell me when it will be delivered. The numerous notifications we receive while browsing, buying and then waiting for delivery are presumably meant to be reassuring. But since when is harassment reassuring?

Imagine a world in which the second you walk into a shop, someone taps you on the shoulder and asks: “Can I help you today?” Then someone asks for your email address in exchange for a 5% discount. When you find what you are looking for and place it in your basket, this instigates more nuisance. “Hurry! Twenty-one other people have this in their basket too!” Of course 21 other people have this in their basket, it’s shower gel and a significant number of people shower. This doesn’t make you rush. It makes you thrilled that the consensus remains in favour of personal hygiene. You wander around the shop a bit more. Someone grabs your arm. “There is still an item in your basket. Don’t forget to check out!”

Athena Kugblenu is a comedian and writer

Republican behind Epstein files act responds to Trump ‘lowlife’ taunt

Kentucky’s Thomas Massie used the president’s insult to raise funds to run against a Trump-endorsed candidate

A Kentucky congressman singled out by Donald Trump on Christmas as a “lowlife” after co-authoring a law requiring the federal government to release all of its Jeffrey Epstein files says the president attacked him for keeping a commitment to “help victims”.

Thomas Massie then successfully sought donations for his run for another term in the 2026 midterm elections against an opponent that Trump – his fellow Republican – has already endorsed.

Anna Tims’ dishonours list: the not-so good, the bad and the ugly customer service awards 2025

It is time to roll out the red carpet in recognition of those that worked hard to keep customers at arm’s length

When the year began, I was a listening ear to Your Problems, my column for the Observer. Now I’m a Guardian consumer champion. Reinvention is always bracing. My old life was spent wrestling airlines, insurance firms and energy providers intent on plundering readers’ piggy banks. My new life? Wrestling airlines, insurance firms and energy providers intent on plundering readers’ piggy banks.

It is a comfort in this era of seismic shifts to know some things remain constant. You can bank on energy firms to chill your marrow with billing psychodramas and phantom accounts. Meanwhile, certainty is still the business model of insurers: many would say you can be certain that if you damage your car, or yourself, your provider will look for a reason to stall over your claim.

‘It restored my hope’: how community action is confronting racism in Belfast

An initiative linking people across race, class and faith offers an antidote to silence, hate and growing division

• Donate to the charity appeal here

As a black woman in Northern Ireland, Maureen Hamblin knows that racism comes in many forms. “It’s not just the smashing in of shop windows,” she says. “It can be quiet, it can be silent.”

Bystanders who hear racist remarks and remain mute, as if oblivious, amplify the hurt and leave victims feeling alone and isolated, a recurring experience that left Hamblin drained. “There was a time when I’d lost a lot of faith in white people, in white men.”

‘A lot of men don’t open up’: Kidwild, the UK rapper unafraid to bare his soul

As a child he performed in the West End and appeared in a Stormzy video. But after his early music career faltered, he began to write about his troubled childhood – and hit a nerve

From Newham, London
Recommended if you like Dave, Bashy, Nemzzz
Up next Debut mixtape planned for spring

It’s a measure of how quickly Keaton Edmund, AKA Kidwild, has speed-run his way through a performing arts career that the rapper describes himself as being in the “comeback part of my life” at age 20.

Opposition anger as Guinea’s junta leader is frontrunner to be elected president

Mamady Doumbouya accused of betraying his promise to be the restorer of democracy after leading 2021 coup

In September 2021, a tall, young colonel in the Guinean army announced that he and his comrades had forcibly seized power and toppled the longtime leader Alpha Condé.

“The will of the strongest has always supplanted the law,” Mamady Doumbouya said in a speech, stressing that the soldiers were acting to restore the will of the people.

New Battle of the Sexes is cynical bid for attention and own goal for Sabalenka

World No 1’s clash with Nick Kyrgios is on track to being one of the most inane tennis events ever conceived

This has been the year of Aryna Sabalenka for so many reasons. In 2025, she has reached three of the four grand slam finals, winning her fourth major title at the US Open and further positioning herself as a generational great. From her humble origins as a volatile, one-note ball-basher, the 27-year-old has admirably evolved into an increasingly complete player. Sabalenka is the best player in the world for a second year in succession.

The fleeting tennis off-season is usually an opportunity for players and spectators alike to reflect on such great feats before the new season is upon them. This year, however, the December discourse has been derailed by the fast-approaching train wreck Sabalenka stands at the heart of.

Judge to hold hearing on whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being vindictively prosecuted

A federal judge this week canceled the trial of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and scheduled a hearing on whether the prosecution is being vindictive in pursuing a human smuggling case against him.

Thailand and Cambodia sign new ceasefire agreement to end border fighting

In addition to ending fighting, the agreement calls for no further military movements by either side and no violations of either side's airspace for military purposes.

Books to look out for in 2026 – fiction

Maggie O’Farrell, Yann Martel and Julian Barnes are among the authors publishing new novels this year

The beginning of the books calendar is usually dominated by debuts, but January 2026 sees releases from some of the year’s biggest authors. Known for his surreally bittersweet short stories, George Saunders has written only one novel so far – but that one won the Booker prize. The follow-up to 2017’s Lincoln in the Bardo, Vigil (Bloomsbury) focuses on an unquiet spirit called Jill who helps others pass over from life to whatever comes next. She is called to the deathbed of an oil tycoon who is rapidly running out of time to face up to his ecological crimes, in a rallying cry for human connection and environmental action. Ali Smith’s Glyph (Hamish Hamilton) is a companion to 2024’s Gliff, and promises to tell a story initially hidden in that previous novel. Expect fables, siblings, phantoms and horses in a typically playful shout of resistance against war, genocide and the increasingly hostile social discourse. And in Departure(s) (Jonathan Cape), Julian Barnes announces his own – this blend of memoir and fiction, exploring memory, illness, mortality and love across the decades, will be his last book. “Your presence has delighted me,” he assures the reader. “Indeed, I would be nothing without you.”

The Hamnet adaptation hits UK cinemas in January, but Maggie O’Farrell’s next novel isn’t out until June. Land (Tinder), a multigenerational saga which opens in 19th-century Ireland in the wake of the famine, is inspired by her own family history and centres on a man tasked with mapping the country for the Ordnance Survey. There’ll be much anticipation, too, for The Things We Never Say from Elizabeth Strout (Viking, May). The ultra-prolific Strout is adored for her interconnected novels, but this story of a man with a secret is a standalone, introducing characters we’ve never met before. In John of John (Picador, May) Douglas Stuart, author of much-loved Booker winner Shuggie Bain, portrays a young gay man returning home from art school to the lonely croft on the Hebridean island where he grew up. And September sees a new novel from Irish writer Sebastian Barry: The Newer World (Faber) follows Costa winner Days Without End and A Thousand Moons in transporting the reader to late 19th-century America in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Which Gascon brandy is France’s oldest? The Saturday quiz

From Benefits Supervisor Sleeping and Hideous Kinky to the “modern Prometheus”, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz

1 Which US president vomited on the Japanese prime minister?
2 Which literary character was the “modern Prometheus”?
3 What global event began in 2004 as the Bushy Park time trial?
4 Which consecutive digits made up this year’s most perplexing meme?
5 Which medieval coin was worth four pence?
6 What Gascon brandy is France’s oldest?
7 Which wild west gunfighter was a dentist?
8 Which element was used in rat poison and pre-X-ray “meals”?
What links:
9 Appia; Aurelia; Cassia; Flaminia; Salaria; Tiburtina?
10 Jerry and Mike; Carole and Gerry; Burt and Hal; Brian, Lamont and Eddie?
11 Of a large city (magenta); 1977 (grey); 1819-1901 (light blue); 360 degrees (yellow)?
12 Balearic; Cory’s; great; Manx; sooty?
13 Rania; Noor (Lisa); Muna (Toni); Dina; Zein?
14 Yerevan; Minsk; Beijing; Copenhagen; Cairo; Paris; Berlin?
15 Totem and Taboo; War and Children; Benefits Supervisor Sleeping; Hideous Kinky; 1970 jumper?

No gels, no foams: Catalonia turns to grannies to teach traditional cooking

Region famed for molecular gastronomy begins video project to collect and share rustic recipes

Catalonia’s avant garde chefs have made a name for themselves with their revolutionary techniques and molecular gastronomy, yet they are fond of saying they are merely paying homage to the simple dishes served at their grandmother’s table.

Maybe so, but now the grannies have been given a chance to show off the real thing under a Catalan government initiative called Gastrosàvies.

11 of the UK’s best winter walks – all ending at a cosy pub

Too much turkey and Baileys? Blow away the Christmas cobwebs on one of our rambles. And if that doesn’t work, they all end at a pub for a hair of the dog

Distance 7 miles
Duration 5 hours
Start/finish Ditchling village car park

My cultural awakening: a Turner painting helped me come to terms with my cancer diagnosis

Fear and feelings of intense vulnerability caused me to retreat into my shell, until I saw myself in an unlikely feature in one of the British master’s prints

My thyroid cancer arrived by accident, in the way life-changing things sometimes do. In May of this year, I went for an upright MRI for a minor injury on my arm, and the scan happened to catch the mass in my neck. By the following month, I had a diagnosis. People kept telling me it was “the good cancer”, the kind that can be taken out neatly and has a high survival rate. But I’m 54, and my dad died of cancer in his 50s, so that shadow came down on me hard.

My eldest son was doing A-levels at the time, so we didn’t tell him at first. I felt as if I’d stepped across some irreversible Rubicon that you hear about happening to other people, but never imagine will actually come for you.

England survive MCG mayhem to break Ashes drought in Australia with win in fourth Test

• 4th Test, D2: England, 110 & 178-6, bt Australia, 152 & 132, by 4 wkts

• Crawley, Duckett and Bethell help set up win inside two days

Stop press. Hold the back page. Drag out the dusty bunting and book three more nights in Noosa. England’s men have won a Test in Australia for the first time in nearly 15 years, chasing down 175 to win by four wickets and prevent an Ashes defeat from becoming a whitewash.

Granted it was not a live victory, England merely dragging the scoreline back to 3-1 and doing so courtesy of a two-day heist on a pitch that made batting a lottery. But given the ordeal of this tour, and that grim run of 18 Tests without a win on Australian soil, it was not insignificant either. Though robbed of three days’ play, their supporters could finally crack a smile.

‘Ghost resorts’: as hundreds of ski slopes lie abandoned, will nature reclaim the Alps?

With the snow line edging higher, 186 French ski resorts have shut, while global heating threatens dozens more

When Céüze 2000 ski resort closed at the end of the season in 2018, the workers assumed they would be back the following winter. Maps of the pistes were left stacked beside a stapler; the staff rota pinned to the wall.

Six years on, a yellowing newspaper dated 8 March 2018 sits folded on its side, as if someone has just flicked through it during a quiet spell. A half-drunk bottle of water remains on the table.

Dragged down by an unpopular president, Republicans are bracing for a midterm trouncing

As Americans tire of Donald Trump, a Democratic midterm ‘tsunami’ could sweep the GOP out of power

It was a wake-up call for America. In January, Donald Trump took the oath of office, declared himself “saved by God to make America great again” and issued a barrage of executive orders. In the ensuing months the US president and his allies moved at breakneck speed and seemed indomitable.

But as 2025 draws to a close with Trump struggling to stay awake at meetings, the prevailing image is of a driver asleep at the wheel. Opinion polls suggest that Americans are turning against him. Republicans are heading for the exit ahead of congressional contests next November that look bleak for the president’s party.

Cheesy heaven: Meera Sodha’s recipe for pumpkin fondue | Meera Sodha recipes

A decadent, cheesy centrepiece to steal the attention at any party, and built for comfort and joy

As 2025 closes, I wanted to leave you with one of my favourite recipes: the pumpkin fondue. This started life as a Lyonnaise dish that I saw Anthony Bourdain enjoy on his TV series Parts Unknown at Daniel Boulud’s parents’ farmhouse. My adapted version could be a centrepiece of your New Year’s Eve party, where the molten cheese mixture can be spread on bruschetta and topped with pickles. Equally, however, it could be a main meal shared with friends alongside a salad, pickles and bread. Either way, it’s built for comfort and for joy. Happy New Year to you.

Six great reads – best of 2025: a deep-cover KGB agent, Zadie Smith on Tracy Chapman, and the boy who came back

Need something brilliant to read over the holidays? Here are six of our best pieces from 2025. Look out for part two next Saturday

‘The sight of it is still shocking’: 46 photos that tell the story of the century so far

Did the 21st century begin on 1 January 2000? Or was it that blue sky day in September 2001 when the planes hit the twin towers? These images from the last 25 years chronicle modern history in the making

At the turn of the century there was a modest debate, mainly conducted on the letters pages of the newspapers – back then, still the prime forum for public discussion – as to when, exactly, the new millennium and the 21st century began. Most assumed the start date was 1 January 2000, but dissenters, swiftly branded pedants, insisted the correct date came a year later. As it turned out, both were wrong.

The 21st century began in earnest, at least in the western mind, on a day that no one had circled in their diaries. Out of a clear blue sky, two passenger jets flew into the twin towers of the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001 and so inaugurated a new age of anxiety – a period in which we have lived ever since.

2025: a year in political cartoons – from a Bond-villain Trump to a toppled prince | Martin Rowson, Ella Baron, Nicola Jennings and Ben Jennings

Our cartoonists look back at a year of covering tragedy, farce and everything in between – and having to draw far too many Donald Trumps

In a year in which I’ve drawn too many cartoons about powerful people acting with impunity, the fall of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor stood out to me as a rare win for justice and accountability. Dark humour feels vital to make light of everything that’s going wrong, but I’ve also been trying to draw cartoons that highlight reasons for hope, such as the fragile ceasefire in Gaza or Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York.

Tim Dowling: my 2025 in numbers: not a year to forget, but one of forgetting

From the books I’ve read (and forgotten) this year to the number of times my jokes bombed on stage

As the end of the year looms up like the handle of a rake I’ve just stepped on, I recall the preceding 12 months as a period characterised by a steep erosion of trust and a sinking feeling that nothing is to be taken at face value. We subsist on a steady diet of lies, distortion and AI slop. Everything is getting stupider, including me.

That’s why, when it comes to examining the year, I choose to reckon with nothing but cold, hard numbers. Here, then, is how things stand for me, statistically, at the close of 2025.

12/18: CBS Evening News

Greg Biffle killed in plane crash; Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson sign off from the "CBS Evening News."

12/26: CBS Evening News

Snow, ice and freezing rain bears down on Northeast; Boy goes viral after sharing his bird mimicking talent with the world

Thailand and Cambodia agree ‘immediate’ ceasefire after weeks of deadly border clashes

Two countries pledge in joint statement to halt all forms of attacks and further troop deployments in long-running dispute over contested territory

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an “immediate” ceasefire, pledging to end weeks of deadly border clashes that have killed more than 100 people and displaced more than half a million on both sides.

In a joint statement, the two south-east Asian neighbours said the ceasefire would take effect on Saturday at noon local time and involve “all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructures, and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas”.

3 wounded in shooting at rural Idaho sheriff's office, officials say; suspect killed

The suspected gunman was shot and killed by law enforcement, authorities said.

Second actor accuses Tyler Perry of sexual assault in new lawsuit

It marks the second lawsuit in recent months accusing the filmmaker and studio mogul of leveraging his power in Hollywood to make sexual advances.

Planning to return unwanted Christmas gifts? You may be charged fees.

Several major retailers are now charging customers to return items even if they are unopened and in perfect condition.

California rain may ease, but more mudslides, flooding possible, forecasters say

A strong storm system that brought relentless winds, rain and snowfall to California was expected to ease Friday, but there was still a risk of more mudslides and flooding, forecasters said.

Returning unwanted gifts may now come with fees

Hassle-free returns may be a thing of the past, and if you're staring at a stack of unwanted Christmas gifts, you may have to think twice before mailing them back. Dave Malkoff reports.

How to save money on your energy bill as heating costs surge

The cost of heating a home is going through the roof, but there are steps you can take to try to keep your energy bills down. Ash-har Quraishi has details.

Doctor hopes flu season peak is near as cases surge nationwide

Flu season is in full swing, with close to 5 million cases and nearly 2,000 deaths, including at least three children, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Kati Weis reports.

Homes buried in mud after atmospheric river brings deluge to California

The soggy California landscape is preparing for even more rain. Los Angeles, which started the year with the costliest fires in U.S. history, is ending it with the most rain the city has ever seen over Christmas. Andres Gutierrez reports.

Snow, ice and freezing rain bears down on Northeast

A triple threat of snow, ice and freezing rain is bearing down in parts of the Northeast. Tom Hanson reports and Bill Kelly has the forecast.

King Charles and Prince William expected to visit US in 2026 to revitalise trade deal

Royals are expected to make separate trips after Donald Trump paused implementation of agreement

King Charles III and the Prince of Wales are expected to make separate trips to the US in 2026 as part of a campaign to revitalise a trade deal with Donald Trump, it has been reported.

Advanced talks on a visit by the king are said to be under way, the Times reported. The paper suggested that Charles’s visit to the US was likely to take place in April.

Cyclones, floods and wildfires among 2025’s costliest climate-related disasters

Christian Aid annual report’s top 10 disasters amounted to more than $120bn in insured losses

Cyclones and floods in south-east Asia this autumn killed more than 1,750 people and caused more than $25bn (£19bn) in damage, while the death toll from California wildfires topped 400 people, with $60bn in damage, according to research on the costliest climate-related disasters of the year.

China’s devastating floods, in which thousands of people were displaced, were the third most expensive, causing about $12bn in damage, with at least 30 lives lost.

Karoline Leavitt announces she is pregnant with her second child

Karoline Leavitt and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, welcomed their first child, also named Nicholas, in July 2024.

New York Jets reverse decision and reinstate fan in $100k field-goal contest after uproar

• Jets reinstate fan after backlash over kick contest

• Coach had qualified before being ruled ineligible

The New York Jets have reversed a decision that had barred a longtime fan from participating in a $100,000 halftime field-goal contest, announcing Friday that she will be allowed to take part in Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.

The New York Post first reported that Ashley Castanio-Gervasi, a Long Island high-school soccer coach and lifelong Jets supporter, had been informed earlier this week that she was no longer eligible for the team’s “Kick for Cash” promotion because of her coaching status.

Two police officers injured, suspect killed during child custody exchange

Police were called to a shopping center late Friday morning. Two officers were shot and are in critical condition.

Nvidia-Groq deal is structured to keep 'fiction of competition alive,' analyst says

Groq's description of its Nvidia deal as a "non-exclusive licensing agreement" mimics other recent big AI transactions orchestrated by U.S. tech giants.

Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist for the Cure, dies aged 65

Starting as a roadie and guitar tech, Bamonte joined the band in 1990 after its breakthrough album Disintegration

Perry Bamonte, longtime guitarist and keyboard player for the Cure, has died aged 65.

The musician, known affectionately as Teddy, passed away after a short illness over Christmas, the band announced on their website.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

Christmas in Kyiv, destruction in the West Bank, the funeral of Mani and the winter solstice at Stonehenge: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

Over 300,000 student loan borrowers were denied a new repayment plan, court filing shows — here's why

Trump officials rejected 327,955 income-driven repayment plan requests from student loan borrowers, according to a recent court filing. Here's what to know.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (Dec. 28)

A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.

Bari Weiss defends decision to pull 60 Minutes episode on El Salvador prison

CBS News editor-in-chief argues in memo that network’s priority was ‘comprehensive and fair’ coverage

• Who is Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief of CBS News?

CBS News’ editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, defended her decision to pull a 60 Minutes episode on allegations investigating a notorious prison in El Salvador, arguing that the network’s priority was to ensure its coverage was “comprehensive and fair”.

In the memo sent to staff on Christmas Eve, Weiss said news organizations needed to do more to win back the trust of the American public and vowed that “no amount of outrage” would “derail us”.

Trump supporters hail US strikes in Nigeria as ‘amazing Christmas present’

Some even celebrated ‘mass killing’ and the president’s ‘resolve’ in attacking Islamic State targets

The US’s Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State targets in Nigeria have been met with praise by Donald Trump supporters who for months had been agitating for the president to respond forcefully to the killings of Christians in the country.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Christmas than by avenging the death of Christians through the justified mass killing of Islamic terrorists,” the far-right political activist Laura Loomer posted on X. “You’ve got to love it! Death to all Islamic terrorists! Thank you.”

U.S. stocks hover at record highs after the Christmas holiday

Stocks are mostly flat in quiet morning trading on Friday as investors return from the Christmas holiday.

The Guardian view on adapting to the climate crisis: it demands political honesty about extreme weather | Editorial

Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look at how the struggle to adapt to a dangerously warming world has become a test of global justice

The record-breaking 252mph winds of Hurricane Melissa that devastated Caribbean islands at the end of October were made five times more likely by the climate crisis. Scorching wildfire weather in Spain and Portugal during the summer was made 40 times more likely, while June’s heatwave in England was made 100 times more likely.

Attribution science has made one thing clear: global heating is behind today’s extreme weather. That greenhouse gas emissions warmed the planet was understood. What can now be shown is that this warming produces record heatwaves and more violent storms with increasing frequency.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

The 'Trump-class' battleship faces a large obstacle in its way: Reality

Even if it were technically feasible, the cost of building the battleship would be prohibitive.

Oracle shares on pace for worst quarter since 2001 as new CEOs face concerns about AI build-out

Investors want to know if Oracle, under new CEOs Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia, can pay for and deliver data centers packed with Nvidia chips for OpenAI.

Veterans Affairs Department reimposing near total abortion ban

The Veterans Affairs Department is reimposing a near total ban on abortions for veterans and their families that was modified in 2022.

Top Instagram reels from Goats and Soda in 2025: Plumpy'Nut, aid cuts, soccer grannies

Our most-viewed Instagram videos include reports from a Rhode Island factory that makes special food for malnourished children and from a tournament for soccer-playing "grannies."

UK campaigner targeted by Trump accuses tech giants of ‘sociopathic greed’

Exclusive: Imran Ahmed says US companies are ‘corrupting the system’ of politics by seeking to avoid accountability

A British anti-disinformation campaigner told by the Trump administration that he faces possible removal from the US has said he is being targeted by arrogant and “sociopathic” tech companies for trying to hold them to account.

Imran Ahmed, the chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), is among five European nationals barred from the US by the state department after being accused of seeking to push tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.

Jewish klezmer-dance band Oi Va Voi: ‘Musicians shouldn’t have to keep looking over their shoulders’

After 20 years playing around the world, the group had two UK gigs cancelled this year after protests from activists. It’s made them feel targeted for who they are, the band say

Josh Breslaw was looking forward to a homecoming gig with his band of two decades’ standing. Oi Va Voi, a predominantly Jewish collective mixing traditional eastern European folk tunes with drum’n’bass and dance, were due to conclude a spring tour of Turkey with a gig in May at Bristol’s Strange Brew club, plus one in Brighton where Breslaw lives. But then, after protests from local activists about both the band’s past performances in Israel, and with Israeli singer Zohara, Strange Brew abruptly cancelled, citing “the ongoing situation in Gaza”.

To be told they hadn’t met the venue’s “ethical standards” was devastating, says Breslaw, the band’s 52-year-old drummer: “It felt so unjust.” But worse came when his home-town venue cancelled in solidarity. “It changed how I felt about the city, how I felt about parts of the music industry. And it changed how I felt about the political home I always felt I lived in.” Although the Brighton promoter swiftly apologised, only in November did Strange Brew issue a statement saying it had “made a mistake”, adding that the band likely only attracted scrutiny because they are “a Jewish band performing with an Israeli singer”.

Here's what is open on the day after Christmas, from retailers to banks

With President Trump declaring Dec. 26 a federal holiday, here's what's open and closed on Dec. 26.

Nvidia buying AI chip startup Groq's assets for about $20 billion in its largest deal on record

Nvidia is making its largest purchase ever, acquiring assets from 9-year-old chip startup Groq for about $20 billion.

I was trained from childhood to be a stickybeak. My dad’s philosophy was ‘always follow your curious nose’

Debra Oswald’s father taught her to be inquisitive about the world. As an adult she discovered that curiosity can help us endure whatever is happening

When I was 11 years old and expressed an interest in writing plays, my father was on it – booking theatre tickets, driving me to Parramatta Library to borrow scripts and giving me a portable typewriter for my 12th birthday. Soon after, when my teenaged sister mumbled an interest in genetics, we all found ourselves in a university lecture hall for a public talk on the subject.

My dad’s philosophy was “always follow your curious nose” and along the way, he was inspired to conduct his own research into theatre or genetics or whatever happened to be fascinating to us kids. Even if it was mostly through books, Mind Alive encyclopedias, and vicariously through his children, he was a stickybeak about the world.

Debra Oswald is a writer of novels, children’s books, stage plays and television