The Guardian

What happened next: how KPop Demon Hunters became a global phenomenon and outranked Lady Gaga

It’s the Korean fantasy movie that came out of nowhere to become Netflix’s most-watched film ever. And social media mentions of its characters are outranking those of real-life superstarsWhen KPop Demon Hunters landed on Netflix in late June, no one predicted it would become a globe-sweeping, chart-topping phenomenon. The near-instant success of the animated kids’ film caught the industry by surprise, and six months later, fans are still hungry for merchandise, music, spin-offs and more stories. Here’s what you may have missed.It’s an animated ‘musical urban fantasy film’The story follows a K-pop girl group called Huntr/x (pronounced “Huntrix”), who are also demon hunters, responsible for protecting humanity from supernatural threats with their combat skills and empowering pop. Their rivals are the Saja Boys, who are secretly demons. When the groups are pitted against one another, the stakes are peace on Earth, and in particular the Honmoon: the magical barrier that protects humans from the underworld. Conflict, and personal growth, ensues. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/01/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-korean-most-watched-film

Doomed lovers, high heels and The Odyssey: films to get excited about in 2026

Margot Robbie busts her corset in Wuthering Heights, the Devil Wears Prada sequel goes fashionably to war, and Christopher Nolan brings us a Greek epic. Plus much more in our pick of the best films coming to UK cinemas this year• More from the 2026 culture previewJessie Buckley may need to hire a carpenter for the silverware-cabinet she is expected to need for her hugely admired performance in the film based on the Maggie O’Farrell novel. She plays Anne (or Agnes) Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, grieving the terrible loss of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet, in 1596, which the story imagines to be a spur to the creation of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Paul Mescal plays Shakespeare and Emily Watson his mother, Mary.
• 9 January. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/01/wuthering-heights-devil-wears-prada-odyssey-films-to-get-excited-about-in-2026

Grief, fear and fury: the Israeli and Palestinian mothers still standing united against bloodshed

Israeli movement Women Wage Peace and Palestinian group Women of the Sun held a mass rally in October 2023. Three days later a Hamas attack triggered war – leaving the women more determined than everOn the shores of the Dead Sea, about 1,500 Israeli and Palestinian women had gathered, holding hands and calling for an end to what they called a “vicious cycle of bloodshed”. It was an October evening in 2023 and they had travelled from villages, settlements and refugee camps around the region for a mass peace rally jointly organised by the Israeli movement Women Wage Peace and the Palestinian group Women of the Sun.Two of the organisers were friends: Yael Admi, 66, an Israeli mother of six, and Reem al-Hajajreh, 43, a Palestinian mother of four. The women had hoped their message would cut through decades of violence and mistrust. But three days later, Hamas launched its deadly attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, followed swiftly by what turned into a genocidal war by Israel on Gaza which left more than 70,000 dead, most of whom were women and children. The fragile hope embodied by the Dead Sea event was overtaken overnight by grief, fear and fury. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/01/yael-admi-reem-al-hajajreh-israeli-palestinian-mothers-united-against-bloodshed

When racists shout ‘Go home’, and you come from 15 places, what to do? | Hugh Muir

A DNA test showed me that theoretically I have links to a long list of countries – and that the way we look at belonging makes little senseWhile accepting that David Lammy, the deputy prime minister and justice secretary is, for many, the human embodiment of Marmite – loved or hated, with not much in between – one can still question whether, for all his faults, he should “go home to the Caribbean”. Whether you agree with him over this or that utterance or the broad sweep of government policy, he has, unquestionably made his contribution to Tottenham, in north London, whose people he has represented for a quarter of a century, to parliament, as a senior MP, as foreign secretary and now as an important figure with several key portfolios.So when a lieutenant of Nigel Farage, admittedly no fan of Lammy’s, suggests, without notable contradiction or condemnation from Reform, that Lammy “should go home to the Caribbean”, one is tempted to look at that askance. But then, in the year just past, when bigotry in frontline politics took off its training wheels and othering became the sport that everyone can play, the notion that someone who clearly belongs here should not belong here ceased to shock.Hugh Muir is executive editor, OpinionDo 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. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/01/racist-go-home-place-dna-test-countries

You be the judge: should my boyfriend change the way he showers?

Audrey thinks Noah doesn’t take bathing seriously enough. He says he’s a ‘quick-shower kind of guy’ but keeps himself clean. You decide whose argument scrubs up best• Get a disagreement settled or become a YBTJ jurorNoah doesn’t wash himself thoroughly enough – he just rubs a bit of gel around his body Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/01/you-be-the-judge-should-my-boyfriend-change-the-way-he-showers

26 for 2026: unmissable sporting events over the next 12 months

This year features a football World Cup, a Winter Olympics, a Commonwealth Games and a historic Test match Jannik Sinner will be aiming to become only the second man in the Open era, after Novak Djokovic, to win three consecutive Australian Open singles titles, while in the women’s draw Madison Keys will be seeking to defend the title she landed via a shock victory over Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s final. Elsewhere, Roger Federer is scheduled to return to Melbourne Park for the first time since retiring from tennis in 2022 as part of a Battle of the World No 1s match, alongside Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt. “It still makes me smile when I think about all the moments I’ve had here,” said the Swiss legend. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/01/26-for-2026-unmissable-sporting-events-over-the-next-12-months

Switzerland resort fire latest news: ‘several dozen’ dead after blast at ski town of Crans-Montana, police say

About 100 people were injured in the bar early on Thursday morning, but police have ruled out an act of terrorismOfficials at the press conference are asking for “prudence” from those in the town, reminding them not to make unnecessary demands on hospitals, which are overwhelmed.Please leave investigators to do their work, they say. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/01/switzerland-resort-explosion-dead-blast-ski-town-crans-montana-latest-news-live

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City

New mayor, 34, was sworn in by state attorney general Letitia James in old beaux-arts city hall subway stationZohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City soon after midnight in a private ceremony in an abandoned beaux-arts subway station – a prelude to daylong celebrations set to include a second, public swearing-in and a block party outside city hall.Mamdani, 34, was sworn into office by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, surrounded by wife, Rama Duwaji, members of his immediate family, including Mira Nair, his mother and a film-maker, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor of African studies at Columbia University. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/01/zohran-mamdani-sworn-in-mayor-new-york-city

Israel allowing traders to bring into Gaza ‘dual-use’ items barred from aid organisations

Sources say generators and tent poles restricted from humanitarian bodies but commercial shipments allowed inIsrael is running a parallel system of controls for shipments into Gaza, allowing commercial traders to bring goods into the territory that are barred for humanitarian organisations.Basic life-saving supplies including generators and tent poles are on a long Israeli blacklist of “dual-use” items. The Israeli government says entry of these items must be severely restricted because they could be exploited by Hamas or other armed groups for military ends. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/01/israel-allowing-traders-to-bring-into-gaza-dual-use-items-barred-from-aid-organisations

World is in better place than when Eden Project created 25 years ago, founder says

Tim Smit also says extreme political views will fade when people realise good things around the cornerSir Tim Smit says the world is in a better place than it was when he co-founded the Eden Project 25 years ago and he believes people are more attuned to the natural world.Speaking as the project in Cornwall reaches its 25th anniversary, Smit describedextreme political views as the “roar” of people fearful that they cannot control the future but he said they would fade when people realised that good things were around the corner. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/01/eden-project-25-anniversary-founder-tim-smit

Kim Jong-un hails North Korea’s ‘invincible alliance’ with Russia in New Year’s message

Kim praised his men fighting in an ‘alien land’, congratulating their ‘heroic’ defence of the nation’s honour and instructing them to ‘be brave’The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has praised his troops fighting abroad as forging an “invincible alliance” with Russia in a new year’s message, state media said on Thursday.Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to support Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and western intelligence agencies. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/01/kim-jong-un-north-korea-invincible-alliance-russia

Jack Smith told House committee he had ‘proof beyond reasonable doubt’ in cases against Trump

Ex-special counsel testified in front of judiciary committee about aborted federal prosecution of Donald TrumpJack Smith, the former justice department special counsel who led the aborted federal prosecution of Donald Trump, told a congressional committee that he never spoke to Joe Biden about his cases, according to the transcript of a deposition released on Wednesday.In his behind-closed-doors testimony to the House judiciary committee earlier this month, Smith defended the charges he brought against Trump for allegedly possessing classified documents and attempting to overturn the 2020 election, while warning of the consequences of allowing election meddling to go unpunished. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/jack-smith-house-testimony

Irish man found dead at famous Whitehaven beach among four deaths on Australia’s east coast

A woman has also died after being swept into the ocean in Sydney on New Year’s Day, while the body of a man was found near Palm beachGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Irish man has died at Whitehaven beach near the Great Barrier Reef, with three other people found dead and grave fears for two more after separate incidents in waters off Sydney during a horror New Year period.Queensland police said that emergency services received reports that a 35-year-old Irish man had been found dead in the water at the popular beach in the state’s north at about 11am on Wednesday. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/01/woman-dies-after-being-swept-into-ocean-from-sydney-beach-in-early-hours-of-new-years-day

Xi Jinping vows to reunify China and Taiwan in New Year’s Eve speech

Reunification ‘is unstoppable’, says Chinese president, a day after the conclusion of intense military drillsChina’s president, Xi Jinping, has vowed to reunify China and Taiwan in his annual New Year’s Eve speech in Beijing.Speaking the day after the conclusion of intense Chinese military drills around Taiwan, Xi said: “The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable.” Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/xi-jinping-vows-reunification-china-taiwan-new-years-eve-speech

NewJeans member Danielle sued for millions after bitter feud with K-pop record label

Ador terminated the Australian-born singer’s contract on Monday and is now suing her, a family member and the band’s former producerThe K-pop record label Ador is suing a former member of megaband NewJeans for millions in damages, it has announced, a day after removing her from the group following a year-long dispute that saw the band allege mistreatment and attempt to leave their contract.The compensation suit against Danielle Marsh, a 20-year-old Australian-born singer, comes months after a Seoul district court ruled that NewJeans’ five members must honour their contracts with Ador, whose parent company Hybe is also behind the K-pop sensation BTS. The band’s contract runs until 2029. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/01/newjeans-member-danielle-sued-for-millions-after-bitter-feud-with-k-pop-record-label

‘We want the mullahs gone’: economic crisis sparks biggest protests in Iran since 2022

Demonstrations against deteriorating living conditions have widened to include criticism of how Iran is governedAlborz, a textile merchant in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, decided he could no longer sit on the sidelines. He closed his shop and took to the streets, joining merchants across Iran who shuttered their stores and students who took over their campuses to protest against declining economic conditions.The sudden loss of purchasing power pushed Alborz and tens of thousands of other Iranians into the streets, where protests are now entering their fourth day. Students have paralysed university campuses, traders have shut down their stores and demonstrators have blocked off streets in defiance of police. Protests have spread from the capital, Tehran, to cities across Iran. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/we-want-the-mullahs-gone-economic-crisis-sparks-biggest-protests-in-iran-since-2022

‘We live with war over our heads’: the Romanian villagers threatened by Russian drones

Intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s Danube ports bring blasts, evacuations and fear of escalation to border communitiesAt the edge of Romania’s Danube delta on the border with Ukraine, in the village of Plauru, cows graze in flat, marshy fields. Houses with blue-painted roofs and window frames line a dirt track, many shuttered or abandoned.Residents can see the cranes and silos of Izmail, a Ukrainian port city separated from Plauru by the 300 metre-width of the Danube River. By day the scene is deceptively calm. But sometimes, after dark, that calm dissolves. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/war-romanian-villagers-threat-russian-drones

Our 2026 listening resolutions: from Radiohead to Kendrick Lamar, critics try to get into music they’ve never liked

Streaming’s algorithms make it easy to avoid whole discographies – so in the interest of deeper listening, our writers dedicate time to the ones who might have got awayThe first time I heard Joni Mitchell, in 1997, she was looped across the chorus of Janet Jackson’s single Got ’Til It’s Gone. The song’s credits would educate me on the sample’s origins; I had previously assumed Big Yellow Taxi was an Amy Grant original. The second time I heard a Mitchell song was when Travis covered the beautiful River as a B-side. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/01/our-2026-listening-resolutions-from-radiohead-to-kendrick-lamar-critics-try-to-get-into-music-theyve-never-liked

Run Away review – James Nesbitt and Minnie Driver give us comfort TV at its finest

The twists and turns come thick and fast in this deeply pleasing Harlan Coben thriller, as a father goes in search of his missing daughter. Even a vegan restaurant owner gets in on the actThey come round sooner every time, do they not? I think we’re now the recipients of a new Harlan Coben adaptation every three weeks or so. Who knows what rate will be attained next year? We watch and wait, though possibly in neither case for long.We are now about a dozen, rating-banking offerings into the bestselling thriller writer’s multi-book deals with Netflix and Amazon. They are generally solid, workmanlike fare that doubtless help fund many passion projects and pay many mortgages along the way. They are comfort TV not just for viewers, but, I suspect, everyone involved. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/01/run-away-review-james-nesbitt-and-minnie-driver-give-us-comfort-tv-at-its-finest

‘It’s a matter of time before a farmer is seriously injured’: on the trail of hare coursers in Wiltshire

Police show the Guardian around hotspots for a rural crime that has links to international gangs – and is on the riseA cold, bright afternoon in the Vale of Pewsey and a couple of brown hares were nibbling away in a field of winter barley. It was a tranquil scene in this tucked-away corner of the English West Country but tyre tracks cutting through the crop were a sign of the violence that takes place when night falls.This is one of the hotspots in Wiltshire for hare coursing, in which criminal gangs set dogs – usually greyhounds or lurchers – on the mammals. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/01/on-trail-of-hare-coursers-in-wiltshire-coursing

10 of the best learning holidays in Europe for 2026

From rock climbing in the Peak District to honing your creative writing skills in Crete, why not take a break with like minds and fellow learners this year?Even complete beginners will soon be scaling sheltered Peak District crags on this two-day course with Pure Outdoor. Participants will master tying in, belaying and several climbing techniques, as well as abseiling down. With a maximum of six learners to one instructor, there is a lot individual attention and personalised targets. The course is suitable for anyone aged 13 and over, from first-time climbers to those with some indoor experience. It is non-residential, but Pure Outdoor has a list of recommended, affordable accommodation nearby, including campsites, hostels, B&Bs and pubs with rooms. The training centre is 10 minutes’ walk from Bamford railway station, which is on the Hope Valley line from Manchester to Sheffield.£199 for two days, weekends from 7 March-8 November, plus weekday courses most months, pureoutdoor.co.uk Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2026/jan/01/best-learning-holidays-uk-europe-2026

Often brutal, always beautiful: the sea hounds of the Frisian Islands – in pictures

For 10 years, the scientist and photographer Jeroen Hoekendijk has been observing pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses) on the fragile North Sea archipelago stretching along the Dutch, German and Danish coastline. A remainder of the now-drowned Doggerland, left behind after the ice age, the low-lying islands are an advance warning sign of the warming and rising seas of the climate crisisPhotographs by Jeroen Hoekendijk, text by Philip Hoare Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2026/jan/01/pinnipeds-seals-sea-lions-walrus-sea-hounds-of-the-frisian-islands-in-pictures

I’ve been a New Yorker for 23 years. Today Zohran Mamdani’s swearing-in makes this city a real home | Mona Eltahawy

The new mayor embraces social justice, and rejects hate and nationalism. That’s why we’re so excited to see what he’ll do in officeOn a cold Saturday morning, a little over a week before the New York City mayoral election in November, I was at a park in Queens to speak at a fundraiser for Asiyah Women’s Centre, the oldest and largest shelter providing support for American Muslim female victims of domestic violence. Vendors selling everything from chai to embroidered Palestinian handicrafts turned out to support the fundraiser; a DJ blasted music and artists painted children’s faces with the colours of Halloween.I chose the vendor with the most protein on offer because I lift and squat more than my bodyweight and must meet a daily goal. “Our kebab is one of Zohran’s favourites,” the man at the King of Kebab stand told me, proudly and unprompted, as he piled my plate with meat.Mona Eltahawy writes the FEMINIST GIANT newsletter. She is the author of The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls and Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/01/new-york-zohran-mamdani-swearing-in-mayor

Cecilia Giménez’s botched Monkey Christ became a global meme. The real marvel was the humble, graceful woman behind it | Sam Jones

The restorer, who died on Monday, brought unwanted attention to herself – and her small Spanish town. Then, slowly, a small miracle took placeVery few of us find fame quite as late, or quite as brutally, as Cecilia Giménez did in the summer of 2012. The Spanish amateur artist was already 81 when her efforts to restore a decent, if unremarkable, fresco of the scourged Christ brought her a renown that almost destroyed her.Almost overnight, Giménez, who died on Monday at the age of 94, was stripped of her quiet existence in the north-eastern Spanish town of Borja, and recast as the well-meaning and unwitting creator of what would become known around the English-speaking world as Monkey Christ. In Spain, the meme phenomenon was dubbed Ecce Mono (Behold the Monkey), a play on the painting’s Latin title Ecce Homo (Behold the Man).Sam Jones is Madrid correspondent for the GuardianDo 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. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/01/cecilia-gimenez-monkey-christ-woman-restorer-spain

Trump is wrong: ‘woke’ policies aren’t the real threat to Europe | Nouriel Roubini

The continent’s problems are not caused by immigration or cultural politics but by economic and technological declineDonald Trump’s new national security strategy offers a misguided assessment of Europe, long regarded as the US’s most reliable ally. Unrestrained immigration and other policies derided by administration officials as “woke”, it warns, could lead to “civilisational erasure” within a few decades.That argument rests on a fundamental misreading of Europe’s current predicament. While the EU does face an existential threat, it has little to do with immigration or cultural politics. In fact, the share of foreign-born residents in the US is slightly higher than in Europe. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/01/trump-woke-policies-europe-economic-technological-decline

It’s easy to feel powerless about climate chaos. Here’s what gives me hope | Nina Lakhani

I’ve spent six years writing about environmental justice. The uncomfortable truth is that we’re not all in it together – but people power is reshaping the fightIt’s been another year of climate chaos and inadequate political action. And it’s hard not to feel despondent and powerless.I joined the Guardian full time in 2019, as the paper’s first environmental justice correspondent, and have reported from across the US and the region over the past six years. It’s been painful to see so many families – and entire communities – devastated by fires, floods, extreme heat, sea level rise and food shortages. But what’s given me hope during these six years of reporting as both an environmental and climate justice reporter are the people fighting to save our planet from catastrophe – in their communities, on the streets and in courtrooms across the world. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/31/environmental-justice-ordinary-people-power

The hill I will die on: Enough of the ‘Hey you!’ faux-friend nonsense. You’re a business, not my mate | Max Fletcher

No, your communications don’t make me feel valued as an individual. A ‘Dear’ or ‘Sir’ wouldn’t hurt once in a whileHow do you feel when big corporations address you directly? (In other words, when they use the second-person pronoun “you” in their communications.) Do you feel like you’re valued? That you’re being treated as an individual? Or does it make you want to grab their CEO by the scruff of the neck and tell them to shut up?It’s impossible nowadays to buy food, walk down the street or even open your emails without businesses trying to chat you up. A carton of Alpro oat milk shouts “Hey you!” from the dairy aisle. A restaurant you visited once sends a circular with “We miss you!” in the subject line. You get a bill from Octopus Energy with 41 uses of this cursed pronoun, but it never once addresses you with “Dear”.Max Fletcher is a London-based writer Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/01/the-hill-i-will-die-on-business-friend-individual

Ella Baron on seeing in 2026 with Trump and Putin – cartoon

Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2025/dec/31/ella-baron-seeing-in-2026-trump-putin-new-years-eve-cartoon

Enzo Maresca on brink of Chelsea sack after breakdown of relations

Club set to open new year with emergency talksCryptic comments have led to rapid escalationEnzo Maresca is on the brink of leaving Chelsea after a complete breakdown in his relationship with the club. The situation around the head coach has been unpredictable for weeks and it is highly likely that a parting of the ways is expected to take place on Thursday.Chelsea are set to open the new year by holding emergency talks over Maresca’s position. It is expected that the Italian, who was booed by supporters during the disappointing 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, will not be in charge for Sunday’s trip to Manchester City. Sources have indicated that Maresca wants to leave the club but it is unclear if he is willing to walk away without a payoff. His contract runs until 2029, with an option for an extra year. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/dec/31/enzo-maresca-at-risk-of-chelsea-sack-january

How this strange NFL season broke the Coach of the Year mold

In a season defined by chaos and turnarounds, the award should go not to surprise, but to the coach who solved the hardest problemsThe NFL’s Coach of the Year award is simple. It typically serves as a mea culpa. We’re sorry our preseason predictions about your team were wrong.In theory, it’s a straight line: the coach who oversaw the biggest turnaround is handed the award. In practice, it’s a yearly argument about expectations and whether we’re rewarding actual coaching or just the greatest surprise. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/01/how-this-strange-nfl-season-broke-the-coach-of-the-year-mold

Rodman’s future and Liverpool in need to buy – welcome to the women’s transfer window

With an unusually high number of elite-level players out of contract in 2026 it promises to be an intriguing JanuaryTransfer fees in women’s football have been rising at a rate of inflation that would cause anguish at the Bank of England. Last January alone, $5.8m (£4.3m) was spent in the women’s game globally and then a record $12.3m (£9.1m) was splashed in the 2025 summer transfer window, which was nearly twice as much as 12 months earlier and a four-fold increase on 2023. What can January 2026 possibly have in store?The upcoming winter window – which opens for English women’s clubs on 2 January and closes on 3 February – has already got off to a blockbuster start even before officially opening. The Germany striker Lea Schüller and Norway’s attacking midfielder Signe Gaupset are among those to have already signed for Women’s Super League clubs, but this is set to be a unique window for a different reason than merely the usual clamour for reinforcements. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jan/01/trinity-rodman-liverpool-women-football-transfer-window

What I have learned from watching all 20 Premier League teams this season | John Brewin

Set pieces on the rise, fans transformed to customers and conspiracies seen in every decision – is football losing its fun?English football has always mirrored the passions, conflicts, identities and inequalities of the age. After the golden 1960s, the decay of the 1970s and ensuing disasters of the 1980s came the cap-sleeved, rebounding self-confidence of the 1990s. The 21st century so far has taken in globalisation and wanton commercialism. After that rabid, often reckless push for continued growth, society and the game alight on the uncertainties that encapsulated 2025.To catch the 20 Premier League clubs in live action this season, and this writer completed the full set on Tuesday witnessing Arsenal’s second-half demolition of Aston Villa, has been a study in that uncertainty. From the grumbling of fans, to the ever-fragile egos of managers, to players slugging through the gristle of 90 minutes of hard-pressing slog, a leading question comes to mind: is anyone actually still enjoying this? Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jan/01/what-i-have-learned-from-watching-all-20-premier-league-teams-this-season

Anthony Joshua discharged from hospital in Nigeria after car crash

British boxer is released on New Year’s Eve in IkejaJoshua can ‘recuperate at home’ after treatmentThe British boxer Anthony Joshua has been discharged from hospital, Nigerian authorities said on Wednesday night. The two-time former heavyweight champion and 2012 Olympic gold medallist was a passenger in a car accident near Lagos on Monday which killed two of his close associates and team members.The 36-year-old had been under observation while recovering from minor injuries, his promoter had said on Monday. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/01/anthony-joshua-released-from-hospital-in-nigeria-car-crash-boxing

Football transfer rumours: Manchester United to sign Yan Diomande and Rúben Neves?

Today’s rumours are back and bleary-eyed, babyMen’s transfer window interactive: January 2026 editionAfter the bongs and fireworks, 2026 has finally begun. Naturally, no one really cares about resolutions, the real interest is in whether your team will sign a new left-back. Tittle-tattle is back in the limelight and the Rumour Mill will be firing up the very best – and worst – of it over the coming month. It seems as if everyone in the Premier League needs to get the pen and chequebook out to solve their problems, making it an intriguing month ahead.After missing out on Antoine Semenyo, Manchester United will need to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements. One name that keeps cropping up is RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and the German side want around £87m for the Ivorian teenager. Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping tabs on Diomande, which will make any purchase a touch trickier. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jan/01/football-transfer-rumours-manchester-united-to-sign-yan-diomande-and-ruben-neves

Afcon roundup: Côte d’Ivoire pip Cameroon with dramatic win over Gabon

Holders come from two goals down to win 3-2Burkina Faso beat Sudan as both sides progressCôte d’Ivoire came from two goals down to beat already eliminated Gabon 3-2 in Group F at the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday as the teenager Bazoumana Touré’s headed winner in added time in Marrakech handed them top spot. The Ivorians finished on seven points from their three games, ahead of Cameroon on goals scored after the latter beat third-placed Mozambique.Gabon were ahead on 11 minutes when Guélor Kanga profited from a mistake from the goalkeeper Alban Lafont as he spilled a tame shot, allowing the forward to score from close range. It was 2-0 on 21 minutes and this time Lafont had no chance. Denis Bouanga curled a superb shot from the left-hand side of the box across the goal and into the far corner. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/dec/31/afcon-roundup-burkina-faso-sudan-algeria-equatorial-guinea-cote-divoire-cameroon-gabon-mozambique

Player revolts, owner exits and what breaks next: our bold sports predictions for 2026

On the heels of another sports year that was chock full of surprises, Guardian US contributors make their bold predictions for the months to comeHere are our bold predictions for 2025 in sports. Please note the bold (or should that be bold?) in bold predictions: these are mostly to be taken with a pinch of salt.*** Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/01/bold-sports-predictions-2026

Israeli ban on aid agencies in Gaza will have ‘catastrophic’ consequences, experts say

Thirty-seven NGOs told they have to cease operations, putting Palestinian lives ‘at imminent risk’Israel’s new ban on dozens of aid organisations working in Gaza will have “catastrophic” consequences for the delivery of vital services in the devastated territory and will put Palestinian lives “at imminent risk”, diplomats, humanitarian workers and experts say.Thirty-seven NGOs active in Gaza were told by Israel’s ministry of diaspora affairs on Tuesday that they would have to cease all operations in the territory within 60 days unless they fulfilled stringent new regulations, which include the disclosure of personal details of their staff. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/israeli-ban-on-aid-agencies-gaza-catastrophic-consequences

Search for survivors after US strikes on alleged drug boats

US military announces two separate strikes on boats it claims were transporting drugs in the PacificThe US Coast Guard was searching for survivors of a US military strike against a convoy of suspected drug vessels in the Pacific Ocean, officials said on Wednesday.In a statement, the US military’s Southern Command said the military had carried out a strike against three vessels. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/01/us-coast-guard-search-survivors-boat-strike-pacific-ocean

Wall Street ends 2025 near record highs after year of economic upheaval

US markets buoyed by sustained rise in tech stocks as investors largely shrug off concerns over Trump tariffsWall Street finished 2025 near record highs on Wednesday, as ballooning tech valuations and hopes of lower interest rates helped stock markets defy a year of economic uncertainty.The benchmark S&P 500 rose 16.4% over the course of the year, closing at 6,845.50 on New Year’s Eve in New York, as investors largely shrugged off geopolitical uncertainty and the frenzy around artificial intelligence continued. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/31/wall-street-stock-markets

Keir Starmer to woo voters and MPs with new year plan to cut cost of living

PM to highlight energy bill and interest rate cuts, plus end to two-child benefit cap, and to invite his MPs to ChequersKeir Starmer will attempt to rescue his relationship with disillusioned voters and his own fractious MPs in a new year push to reduce the cost of living.The prime minister will give a speech in the coming days focusing on how his government is bringing down living costs, highlighting recent cuts to energy bills and interest rates and the end of the two-child benefit cap. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/31/keir-starmer-woo-voters-labour-mps-new-year-plan-cut-cost-of-living

Australian man reportedly killed fighting with Ukrainian forces against Russia

Australia’s foreign affairs department seeking to verify reported death of Russell Allan Wilson on 12 DecemberGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe department of foreign affairs is trying to confirm the death of an Australian man who was reportedly killed while fighting with Ukrainian forces against Russia last month.According to multiple posts on social media, Russell Allan Wilson was killed on 12 December in the Donetsk region. The ABC reported that a friend of Wilson said he was killed during his final mission, and had been due to be married the week after his death. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/01/australian-reportedly-killed-fighting-with-ukrainian-forces-against-russia-ntwnfb

How the climate crisis showed up in Americans’ lives this year: ‘The shift has been swift and stark’

Guardian US readers share how global heating and biodiversity loss affected their lives in ways that don’t always make the headlines The past year was another one of record-setting heat and catastrophic storms. But across the US, the climate crisis showed up in smaller, deeply personal ways too.Campfires that once defined summer trips were never lit due to wildfire risks. There were no bites where fish were once abundant, forests turned to meadows after a big burn and childhood memories of winter wonderlands turned to slush. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/climate-crisis-guardian-readers

‘Heartbreaking’: Florida wildlife groups decry state-sanctioned bear hunt

Fifty-two black bears were killed in three-week hunt state officials said was necessary to reduce ursine populationWildlife officials in Florida say the slaughter of dozens of black bears during a controversial three-week hunt this month was a success, despite the opposition of protesters who condemned the “heartbreaking, bloody spectacle”.The Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) on Tuesday announced that 52 bears were killed between 6 and 28 December, and promised to release a “full harvest report” in the coming months that will provide details about where and how the animals died. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/florida-bear-hunt

Greenwashing, illegality and false claims: 13 climate litigation wins in 2025

Legal action has brought important decisions, from the scrapping of fossil fuel plants to revised climate plansThis year marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris agreement. It is also a decade since another key moment in climate justice, when a state was ordered for the first time to cut its carbon emissions faster to protect its citizens from climate change. The Urgenda case, which was upheld by the Netherlands’ supreme court in 2019, was one of the first rumblings of a wave of climate litigation around the world that campaigners say has resulted in a new legal architecture for climate protection.Over the past 12 months, there have been many more important rulings and tangible changes on climate driven by legal action. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/31/greenwashing-illegality-false-claims-climate-litigation-wins-2025

Seven environmental wins across the US in 2025 despite Trump-era reversals

Environmental advocates notched key wins at local and state levels this year despite Trump rollbacksAs 2025 draws to a close, environmental advocates across the US find themselves weighing a year marked by both setbacks and successes.Despite major environmental reversals taken by the Donald Trump administration including loosening fossil fuel rules and weakening endangered-species safeguards, conservationists, lawmakers and researchers still notched key wins at local and state levels. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/31/trump-environment-wins-setbacks

Ethnic minorities in England less likely to have access to diabetes tech – study

‘Concerning’ disparities in access to continuous glucose monitors despite black and south Asian people being more likely to live with conditionPeople from ethnic minority backgrounds in England are less likely to have access to the latest diabetes technology, despite being more likely to live with the condition, according to analysis.Devices such as a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help people check their blood glucose levels in order to better manage the disease. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/01/ethnic-minorities-in-england-less-likely-to-have-access-to-diabetes-tech-study

Eurostar slowly resumes but passengers face more cancellations and delays

Passengers told to expect knock-on impacts after power supply problem and broken-down train halted services on TuesdayRail traffic through the Channel tunnel slowly resumed on Wednesday with more cancellations and delays after an electricity failure on Tuesday stranded thousands of passengers and trapped some for a night in a powerless train.Two London-Paris trains were cancelled and most trips were delayed in both directions as Eurostar warned of “knock-on impacts” on New Year’s Eve. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/31/eurostar-restarts-channel-tunnel-full-service-but-disruption-risk

Rage bait, goblin mode … do words of the year have any real value?

Analysis shows obscure and barely used choices, drawn from online slang, do not stand the test of timeIf you have seen a news story declaring 2025’s chosen “word of the year” in recent weeks, you might be forgiven for asking yourself: what, another one?Depending on which dictionary you turn to, the chosen term this year was either Collins’s “vibe coding”, “parasocial” from Cambridge Dictionaries or their Oxford University Press rival’s “rage bait” – with many other selections besides. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/dec/31/rage-bait-goblin-mode-do-words-of-the-year-have-any-real-value

Violent crimes against parents by children up 60% since 2015, shows London data

Exclusive: Met figures thought to reflect national picture with Covid, poverty and more people seeking help possible factorsThe number of violent offences involving an adolescent attacking their parents or step-parents has increased by more than 60% in the past decade, according to figures recorded by the UK’s biggest police force.Data released by Scotland Yard reveals that there were 1,886 such offences recorded in 2015 but this increased to 3,091 in the first 10 months of 2025 alone. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/31/violent-crimes-against-parents-by-children-up-60-since-2015-shows-london-data

Australian beef industry ‘extremely disappointed’ after China hits imports with 55% tariff

Levy on beef exceeding quotas to begin immediately as Beijing seeks to protect domestic industryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian beef producers said they were “extremely disappointed” after China announced a 55% tariff on imports that exceed quota levels in a move to protect a domestic cattle industry slowly emerging from oversupply.China’s commerce ministry said on Wednesday the total import quota for 2026 for Australia and other countries such as Brazil and the US covered under its new “safeguard measures” is 2.7m metric tons, roughly in line with the record 2.87m tons it imported overall in 2024. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/31/australian-beef-industry-extremely-disappointed-after-china-hits-imports-with-55-tariff

France targets Australia-style social media ban for children next year

Draft bill to be submitted for legal checks as France aims to follow Australia’s world-first ban on platforms including Facebook, Snapchat and YouTubeFrance intends to follow Australia and ban social media platforms for children from the start of the 2026 academic year.A draft bill preventing under-15s from using social media will be submitted for legal checks and is expected to be debated in parliament early in the new year. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/france-plans-social-media-ban-for-under-15s-from-september-2026

Tesla publishes analyst forecasts suggesting sales set to fall

Tesla endured tough year in part thanks to some consumers’ distaste for Elon Musk’s embrace of rightwing politicsTesla has taken the unusual step of publishing sales forecasts that suggest 2025 deliveries will be lower than expected and future years’ sales will be well below targets set by its chief executive, Elon Musk.The US electric vehicle maker published figures from analysts suggesting it will announce 423,000 deliveries during the fourth quarter of 2025, in a new “consensus” section on its investor website. That would represent a 16% decline from the final quarter of 2024. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/31/tesla-surprise-announcement-lower-sales-2025

Lauren Boebert claims Trump’s veto of safe drinking water bill is retaliation

Colorado lawmaker, who pushed for Epstein files release, points to bill’s unanimous passage through US House and SenateRepublican representative Lauren Boebert has fired back at Donald Trump for vetoing a bill that would have funded a drinking water project in her Colorado district, implying the president was playing at political retaliation.The bill was aimed at funding a decades-long project to bring safe drinking water to 39 communities in Colorado’s eastern plains, where the groundwater is high in salt and wells sometimes unleash radioactivity into the water supply. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/lauren-boebert-trump-colorado

Lily Allen’s live return, Charli xcx’s Wuthering Heights and Simon Rattle’s Janáček: music to listen out for in 2026

Raye, Deftones and Yungblud do UK tours, Jill Scott returns for more neo-soul, and the classical world gears up to celebrate Hungarian composer György Kurtág at 100• More from the 2026 culture previewSeventeen years on from the release of her debut single, Florence Welch finds herself in an intriguingly strong position: while most of her early 00s indie peers are forgotten or in reduced circumstances, she is a major influence on pop, from Ethel Cain to the Last Dinner Party to Chappell Roan. Her recent album Everybody Scream was a strong restatement of her theatrical approach – with more light and shade than you might expect – but it’s on stage that she really comes into her own.
• UK tour begins 6 February at the SSE Arena, Belfast Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/31/lily-allen-charli-xcx-simon-rattle-music-to-listen-out-for-in-2026

‘The television event of the decade!’ It’s your top TV of 2025

From the phenomenal Vince Gilligan show Pluribus to horny, life-changing ice-hockey drama Heated Rivalry and much more … here are Guardian readers’ shows of the year(Disney+) It’s embarrassing to say about a product released by the Disney Corporation within the Star Wars brand, but it’s by far the most searing and narratively sound portrayal of the creep of totalitarianism I’ve seen on-screen in years. Airtight character work, pitch-perfect action and the ideal moment to tell an inherently political story about the hope of truth and resistance against an endless barrage of falsehoods and atrocities. Eoin, London Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/31/the-television-event-of-the-decade-its-your-top-tv-of-2025

The 50 best films of 2025 in the UK

Brilliant biopics, daring documentaries and a host of chillers and thrillers – our critics pick the best from another sensational year of cinema• Read the US version of this list• More on the best culture of 2025*** Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2025/dec/08/the-50-best-films-of-2025-in-the-uk

The 50 best TV shows of 2025

This year saw everyone from Alan Carr to demon sheep run riot on our screens – but there could only be one winner. Here’s our full countdown of the very best television of 2025• More on the best culture of 2025*** Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/ng-interactive/2025/dec/10/the-50-best-tv-shows-of-2025

The 50 best albums of 2025

Topped by Rosalía’s multilingual, ultra-ambitious Lux, here are the best albums of the year as voted for by 30 Guardian music writers• More on the best culture of 2025*** Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/ng-interactive/2025/dec/08/the-best-albums-of-2025-50-41

The 20 best video games of 2025

A family classic reborn in a wide open world, a satirical adventure through teenage life and a mystery puzzler for the ages – our critics on the year’s best fun• More on the best culture of 2025Ivy Road/Annapurna Interactive; PC, PS5, XboxAn arena warrior on a losing streak takes refuge in a vast forest where she discovers the joy of working in a cosy teashop. From this simple premise comes a joyful game of mindfulness and social interaction, as Alta learns how to serve up witty conversation and decent hot drinks. Colourful and highly stylised, it is a thoughtful study of burnout and recovery. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/dec/19/the-20-best-video-games-of-2025

Staying in with the old: the best films to watch on New Year’s Eve

For those not going out to celebrate, you can still party with Harry and Sally, play cards with Jack Lemmon and make merry hell at the Overlook HotelAt the end of any especially troublesome year it’s always good to revisit The Apartment, Billy Wilder’s brilliantly bleak comedy of office politics and festive bad cheer. It memorably ends on the stroke of midnight as heartsick Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) abandons a drunken new year’s party to be with hapless, jobless CC Baxter (Jack Lemmon) instead. Is The Apartment suggesting that Kubelik and Baxter then live happily ever after? Probably not, because I’ve never been convinced that these two lovers are going to stay the course. They’re too mismatched and desperate; their wounds are still too fresh. What the ending gives us is the next best thing: a sudden sense of hope and freedom, with everything packed in boxes except for a bottle, two glasses and a deck of cards. Nothing to lose and nowhere to go. “Shut up and deal.” A clean break, a fresh start. Xan Brooks Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/31/best-films-to-watch-on-new-years-eve-when-harry-met-sally

Demon Slayer economics: how the anime juggernaut became a saviour

Once underground art form now props up slumped box office sales and is used by governments to build soft powerAn animated drama featuring hordes of carnivorous fiends might not sound like classic box office fodder, but that’s exactly what Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle proved to be in September.The film set new records for anime – Japanese animated films and series – making more than $70m (£52m) on its opening weekend in the US and £535m so far globally. To put that in context, Ghost in the Shell – an anime classic released in 1995 – made about £2m worldwide. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/dec/31/demon-slayer-economics-how-anime-juggernaut-became-saviour

The year of the self-mocking man sketch: ‘Dumb masculinity is very funny’

It’s a ridiculous time to be male – and that’s good news for a new genre of social media comedy poking fun at the shifting notions of masculinity“I’m gonna miss toxic masculinity,” says the comedian Kiry Shabazz. “I feel like it’s going to be in a museum someday.”In the ensuing standup routine, Shabazz describes a fight with a friend who, like him, is “doing the work” to be a better person. He called the friend several unprintable names while acknowledging: “I’m only calling you that because culturally that’s how I know how to express myself.” The friend’s reply to the torrent of insults: “I hear you and I receive that.” The whole thing, Shabazz says, made him “miss the good old days, when men handled beef like men”. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/dec/30/self-mocking-man-sketch-dumb-masculinity

‘Terry Jones tried to eat the studio’s pet goldfish!’ The tiny village TV station that became a 90s smash hit

When the people of Waddington teamed up to broadcast self-written soap operas, horoscopes and magic tricks, little did they know it would be the most successful channel in the world – despite the chaos behind the cameras‘What a cock-up!” Those were the words that ended the first broadcast on the world’s tiniest TV station. Hours earlier, four young locals had been wrangled into being live presenters at their quiet village Sunday school. Despite dead air and awkward line delivery, it was the poor transmission quality that made the stars – Michelle Hornby (31), Jonathan Brown (27), James Warburton (25) and Deborah Cowking (21) – apologise and cut the inaugural broadcast. But Cowking, not realising they were still on air, slipped past the censors and summed up the evening’s vibe perfectly: chaotic, amateur and unrelentingly British.This was The Television Village – a first-of-its-kind social experiment from 1990 that had the Lancashire village of Waddington “watch, make and become” television. For a short spell in the early 90s, the Ribble Valley was worth a fortune, as Granada Television shipped £3m worth of cutting-edge TV equipment to the rural hills of north-west England. Hidden cameras were set up in villagers’ living rooms to record viewing habits, day and night. Meanwhile, Channel 4 filmed the entire thing for a six-part documentary series. All of this was to monitor how people would react when the number of channels made the leap from four up to 30 – offering everything from sport, film and even porn, with villagers having access to terrestrial, cable and satellite channels, including from Europe and the US. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/30/tiny-village-tv-station-90s-waddington

‘Being annoying is worse than being evil’: the high-octane, low-culture genius of indie duo Getdown Services

Scatological lyrics, social conscience and a shoutout from Walton Goggins – 2026 is going to be the laptop garage band’s yearIt’s a Saturday night in Camden, London, and Getdown Services’ fans are getting the beers in before “Britain’s best band” play one of their final gigs of the year. The Electric Ballroom is heaving, despite this being their second show here in a month. There’s no shortage of twentysomethings with shag hairstyles to explain why the duo live up to their slogan. “They’re fun, which we need right now – life is bleak,” says Dulcie. “And they’re socially aware,” adds her friend Lotte. “Even though they are quite silly, they’re grounded.”Across the bar, Dylan, 22, says that he finds Getdown Services and their genre-agnostic beats empowering: “They’re a laptop garage band that are having fun doing what they love, and seeing that makes me want to do what I love as well.” His pal James, 29, has returned for a repeat performance. “I came to the other Getdown Services show and I felt more jubilant than I did at Oasis,” he says. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/31/being-annoying-is-worse-than-being-evil-the-high-octane-low-culture-genius-of-indie-duo-getdown-services

‘A hell of a lot of fun!’ Your favourite podcasts of 2025

True crime, AI, romantasy and strange stories from a small Welsh town are among your picks of the best podcasts of the yearI stumbled across this podcast a few weeks ago and romped through the first season in short order. My Dad died recently, and I often feel sad. Ill-advised has helped me feel lighter. I have laughed out loud at both the questions and Bill’s dryly-delivered answers. I love the banned word portion (such as “pivot” and “like“, when used as fillers in sentences), while the book suggestions at the end are a perfect closer. Julie Hannaford, 59, librarian, Toronto, Canada Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/31/a-hell-of-a-lot-of-fun-your-favourite-podcasts-of-2025

Songs about love, poverty and swimming in Bacardi lemon: Dutch ‘levenslied’ captures a new generation

The Netherlands’ guttersnipe answer to French chanson and German schlager is as popular as ever – but has it lost its roots as the defiant voice of the working class? Our writer sways along at the Muziekfeest van het Jaar to find out‘U doet wat, precies, meneer?’ My chic twentysomething hairdresser throws me a puzzled look: “You’re doing what, exactly, sir?” I am not behaving like an Englishman. I have just told her that I have bought tickets for the Muziekfeest van het Jaar (Music of the Year festival) in Amsterdam’s cavernous Ziggo Dome: a two-night extravaganza that is being recorded to be broadcast on New Year’s Eve as a kind of Dutch equivalent to Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, all dedicated to the brassy, sentimental, often untranslatable and still monumentally popular Dutch pop known as levenslied.“Levenslied” roughly translates as “songs about life”, and although popular throughout the land, especially in North Brabant, it is commonly associated with Amsterdam, and specifically the formerly working-class district of the Jordaan. A social and local music, levenslied concerns itself with family, friends and close associates. Stylistically, it has a connection to the 20th-century French chanson réaliste of Edith Piaf and, when in a party mood, finds common cause with German schlager. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/30/levenslied-music-netherlands-muziekfeest-van-het-jaar

‘By 15, I was hanging out with Skrillex’: the idiosyncratic club music of reformed EDM kid Villager

Disillusioned by his early EDM success, Alex Young bought hardware, embraced UK dance culture – and reinvented himselfFrom Washington, DCRecommended if you like Floating Points, Jon Hopkins, Joy OrbisonUp next A slew of new music from the vaultIt was probably the moment when he was paid $10,000 to DJ a spin fitness class that Alex Young, barely 16 at the time, felt he had lost touch with what music was all about. “At 13, I was like, if I could ever hang out with Skrillex, my life would be complete,” he says, sipping a pilsner on an icy day in Washington DC. “Then by 15, I’m doing it.” Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/30/by-15-i-was-hanging-out-with-skrillex-the-idiosyncratic-club-music-of-reformed-edm-kid-villager

Googoosh: A Sinful Voice by Googoosh with Tara Dehlavi review – the extraordinary story of an Iranian icon

Her voice soundtracked the 60s and 70s, but the revolution silenced her. The legendary singer finally has her say in this uneven memoirIf you ask any Iranian to name the most important female pop star in our country’s history, they’ll say Googoosh. Nobody else comes close. Over six decades of revolution, suppression and exile, Googoosh has gone from singer to cultural icon, a symbol of a country’s grief for its murdered, imprisoned, and muzzled artists, and a living link between pre-revolutionary Iran and the diaspora.Googoosh was just three years old when she started singing in small halls and cabaret venues where her father worked. By her teens she was a film actor and a fashion icon. In the 60s and 70s, when my mother was a teenager, Googoosh was everywhere: on television, in films, magazines, on the radio. She kept recreating herself – her style, her moves, her hair. (My mother and many of her university classmates copied Googosh’s famous wispy haircut.) For a while, this bold, creative young woman shaped how westerners saw Iran, and how a generation of Iranian women understood modernity, femininity and public life. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/01/googoosh-a-sinful-voice-by-googoosh-with-tara-dehlavi-review-the-extraordinary-story-of-an-iranian-icon

The Dead Don’t Bleed by Neil Rollinson review – a gripping tale of family and forbidden love

Two brothers attempt to escape their father’s gangland past in a tense, tender debut that moves between Thatcher-era Northumberland and southern SpainAndalucía is famous for its variety: high alpine mountains and snow-capped peaks, river plains and rolling olive groves, sun-baked coastlines and arid deserts. It is the perfect setting for Neil Rollinson’s debut novel, which is its own kind of spectacular mosaic. Built from short, seemingly discrete chapters that take us between Spain in 2003 and the coalfields of Northumberland in the 70s and 80s, The Dead Don’t Bleed coheres into an extraordinarily tense and tender portrait of two brothers trying to escape their father’s gangland past.Until now, Rollinson has been known as a poet; his collection Talking Dead was shortlisted for the 2015 Costa poetry prize. Here he brings his talent for compressed evocation to an exploration of fraternal rivalry and the enduring impact of a violent patriarchy. If you took Frank and his brother Gordon apart on the autopsy table, he writes, “you’d find the same bones, the same blood. Almost everything interchangeable. The corkscrews of DNA, the cells, the posture, the downcast glance.” But from a young age, change is afoot within Frank. He knows his father has “high hopes for him” in the family business of petty crime: “Frank Bridge. King of Northumberland”. But Frank wants to be a different kind of king. He carries within himself a “yearning for something more expansive” – the kind of dream that could get him killed in his family’s closed world of criminal secrecy. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/31/the-dead-dont-bleed-by-neil-rollinson-review-a-gripping-tale-of-family-and-forbidden-love

The Master of Contradictions by Morten Høi Jensen review – how Thomas Mann wrote The Magic Mountain

A vivid account of the creation of one of literary modernism’s greatest achievementsIn a 1924 letter to André Gide, Thomas Mann said he would soon be sending along a copy of his new novel, The Magic Mountain. “But I assure you that I do not in the least expect you to read it,” he wrote. “It is a highly problematical and ‘German’ work, and of such monstrous dimensions that I know perfectly well it won’t do for the rest of Europe.”Morten Høi Jensen’s approachable and informative study of The Magic Mountain positions Mann as a writer who was contradictory to his core: an artist who dressed and behaved like a businessman; a homosexual in a conventional marriage with six children; an upstanding burgher obsessed with death and corruption. Very much the kind of man who would send someone a book and tell them not to read it. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/31/the-master-of-contradictions-by-morten-hi-jensen-review-how-thomas-mann-wrote-the-magic-mountain

The Zorg by Siddharth Kara review – scarcely imaginable horrors at sea

A vivid and chilling account of the deadly voyage that triggered the abolition of the Atlantic slave tradeOver the nearly four centuries during which the transatlantic slave trade operated, 12.5 million Africans were trafficked by Europeans to the Americas. 1.8 million of them perished on the voyage under scarcely imaginable conditions of overcrowding, filth and disease. Some threw themselves overboard. And others were thrown into the sea.In The Zorg, Siddharth Kara tells two stories. The first is of a harrowing incident aboard the eponymous slave ship – the murder of 132 Africans by the British crew. The second relates how that event came to play a role in the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade in 1807, in large part through the work of a dazzling array of committed campaigners. One of these was Olaudah Equiano, author of one of the few surviving accounts of the Middle Passage from the perspective of an enslaved person, in which he described it as “a scene of horror almost inconceivable”. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/30/the-zorg-by-siddharth-kara-review-scarcely-imaginable-horrors-at-sea

The 10 most anticipated video games of 2026

As 007 makes his gaming return, you can climb a mountain in Cairn, play a scaredy-cat in Resident Evil, and play a criminal couple in GTA VILive your mountaineering fantasies and brave the elements in a wonderfully illustrated climbing game. You must carefully place climber Aava’s hands and feet to make your way up a forbidding mountain, camping on ledges and bandaging her fingers as you go. Like real climbing, it is challenging and somewhat brutal.
• PC, PlayStation 5; 29 January Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/dec/30/cairn-resident-evil-gta-vi-10-most-anticipated-video-games-of-2026

Arc Raiders review – pure multiplayer pleasure

PC, Xbox, PlayStation 5; Embark StudiosThe breakout hit, which has players coming together (or turning on each other) to battle intimidating robots in an apocalyptic future, is worth the hypeArc Raiders is an extraction shooter from Embark Studios – so, a game where you deploy into a map full of other players and do as much shooting and looting as you can before making an escape. This is my first real go at the genre, and it’s excellent. It has smooth, only occasionally cumbersome combat, sound design that scratches the brain just right and robotic enemies that genuinely terrify. And it satisfies my constant need to sift through my inventory and rifle through every drawer.But I have to keep my head on a swivel: Arc Raider’s player v player element means I can get jumped for my precious cargo by a malicious rival at any moment. And also, the knowledge that this game was made with the help of generative AI voice acting makes me slightly ashamed of how much I enjoy it. I play every game sheepishly looking over my shoulder (and my character’s) in case someone in-game takes my sought-after blueprint, or someone in real life kicks down my door to call me a hypocrite. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/dec/29/arc-raiders-review-pure-multiplayer-pleasure

The Dominik Diamond alternative game of the year awards 2025

There was no shortage of fun and video games in the Diamond household in the last 12 months. Which ones did we play so much our thumbs hurt? And which one saved my soul? Let the ceremony begin …• The 20 best video games of 2025So, how was 2025 for your household? Was it really all as good as you pretended it was on Facebook? Full of A-grades for the kids and riotous themed fancy dress birthday parties for the grownups? Or was it a sea of disappointment with only occasional fun flotsam? And was any of it actually real, or are we all now seven-fingered AI slop beings with Sydney Sweeney’s teeth?I have gathered my thoughts (and the Diamond household) together, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the most important thing in any given year: which video games we enjoyed the most. Without further ado: Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/dec/26/the-dominik-diamond-alternative-game-of-the-year-awards-2025

The video games you may have missed in 2025

Date a vending machine, watch intergalactic television and make the most out of your short existence as a fly. Here are the best games you weren’t playing this year• The 20 best video games of 2025• More on the best culture of 2025PS5, Xbox, Switch, PCHave you ever wanted to romance your record player? Date Everything! offers players the chance to develop relationships with everyday objects around your house, in a fully voiced sandbox romp featuring over 100 anthropomorphised characters. Wonderfully meta; you can put the moves on the textbox, or even “Michael Transaction” (microtransaction – get it?) himself. Meghan Ellis Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/dec/25/the-video-games-you-may-have-missed-in-2025

‘There is a crack in everything’: capturing the dark of winter – in pictures

How do you photograph darkness? A question Sarah Lee considers with her work as the nights draw in: ‘I’ve always been drawn to photographing the darkness as the winter months draw in after the clocks go back and we head towards the solstice. I wondered why that was given that the world itself seems so dark at the moment. I realised this year that it is not the darkness I’m photographing, but, rather, the light. Always the light.’ Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/dec/30/there-is-a-crack-in-everything-capturing-the-dark-of-winter-in-pictures

‘The most culturally Iranian of all Iranians died so far from Iran’: the towering legacy of Bahram Beyzaie

Beyzaie, who has died aged 87, wove myth, folklore and classical Persian literature into stories that defend against a regime which sought to obliterate themOne of the last messages I sent to the great Iranian stage and screen writer-director Bahram Beyzaie was a recent photograph, taken by a friend, of the interior ruins of Tehran’s oldest cinema, Cinema Iran. There, on one of the walls, hung posters of Beyzaie’s 1988 film Maybe Some Other Time, positioned above and below the torn portraits of the supreme leaders of the theocratic regime.The symbolism – the ideological ruin; cinema and the future – was too striking for something so accidental, particularly given that Beyzaie’s theatre and cinema are intricate mazes of carefully constructed and overlapping allegorical moments. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/29/the-most-culturally-iranian-of-all-iranians-died-so-far-from-iran-the-towering-legacy-of-bahram-beyzaie

‘They want to destroy my career’: Kiwi Chow on life as a dissenting director in Hong Kong

With his new film rejected by official censors, the award-winning film-maker says he is being punished for his outspoken viewsIn Hong Kong, where dissent is now characterised by silence, few dare openly criticise the government or the Chinese Communist party (CCP) that controls it. Film-maker Kiwi Chow is one of the few.“The Chinese Communist party’s practice is to try and destroy history and truth,” the 46-year-old director says from his home in the region. “It’s ridiculous that I can still live in Hong Kong without being in jail.” Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/29/kiwi-chow-dissenting-director-deadline-hong-kong

‘He has come back from the dead’: Chevy Chase spent eight days in a coma during Covid pandemic

In documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, the actor and his family revealed that doctors told them to ‘prepare yourselves for the worst’Chevy Chase suffered “near fatal” heart failure which led to him being placed in an induced coma during the pandemic in 2021, according to a new film about the American actor and comedian.As documented in I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, the star of films such as Caddyshack and the National Lampoon movies, who hosted the Oscars twice, spent a total of five weeks in hospital. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/29/chevy-chase-eight-days-coma-covid-pandemic

Don’t stress, do less: 52 ways to make your life easier in 2026

We asked experts in fields from homes to health to horticulture for advice on tasks we can simply stop doing and problems to take off our worry platesMore summer essentialsThe dawn of a new year brings visions of an idealised version of yourself. Fresh-faced, we eagerly pile our to-do lists with things we’ve been putting off and ambitions to aim for. But the energy that comes after a few days off quickly disappears as we settle back into the daily grind of school runs and inbox maintenance.So instead of adding to your to-do list, why not resolve to take something off it? Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/01/ways-to-make-your-life-easier-2026

My big night out: I realised I could leave the house party behind – and everything else that made me feel small

It was New Year’s Eve and there had been fireworks, drinking and dancing. Amid it all, I felt ashen and cold. As I walked out, I felt my first surge of quiet liberationWe drove out along the coast one afternoon, to a fireworks shop a couple of towns along. It was late in the year, and the light was low and dismal, rain scudding the windscreen. In a couple of days’ time it would be New Year’s Eve, and then our small town would scatter itself to parties held in bars and houses and nightclubs, and out along the harbour. At midnight, there would be an amateur firework display on the roof of the old lido.In the shop that afternoon, some of the fireworks sat behind a glass-fronted cabinet. They had names like Stinging Bees, Vendetta and Sky Breaker, and beneath each item was a small laminated caption: “One hundred shot roman candle firing high whistling bees,” read one. “Twenty-five secs of time rain salutes. Noisy,” read another. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/31/my-big-night-realised-i-could-leave-house-party

Curb the cod, park the prawns: top chefs on how to swap out the ‘big five’ seafood

From moules marinière to scallop, bacon and garlic butter rolls, here’s how to cast your culinary net wider and embrace more sustainable speciesFor a nation surrounded by water, Britain’s seafood tastes are remarkably parochial – we mostly eat cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns. But with a huge range of species out there, making the decision to swap the “big five” for more sustainable options could be a good new year resolution to aim for. Here are five species to consider – and if you’re worried these won’t taste as good as cod and chips, we’ve rounded up a selection of top chefs to tell you how to make the best of what could be on your plate in 2026. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/31/cod-prawns-top-chefs-how-swap-out-big-five-seafood-sustainable

How to make garlic bread – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

You may think you know how to make garlic bread. But have you made this garlic bread?Once upon a time, an ex and I used to throw an annual party – a non-chic affair with a recycling bin full of ice and bottles – where the star, and the thing that everyone really came for, was the garlic bread: 10 or 15 loaves of the stuff, always demolished while still dangerously hot from the oven. I believe the original recipe was Nigel Slater’s; this is my tweaked version.Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Makes 1 loaf Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/dec/28/how-to-make-garlic-bread-recipe-felicity-cloake

Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy party platters: halloumi with pineapple salsa and za’atar carrots with labneh | Quick and easy

Your bring-along to a New Year’s shindig could be this grilled halloumi with punchy sweet-and-sour salsa, or easy za’atar roast carrots with labneh and pistachioThis hot halloumi platter is such a crowdpleaser that it’s worth making with two blocks of halloumi, even for a smaller group. I like to include this as part of a spread of mixed hot and cold dishes – a jolly, festive update on cheese and pineapple on a stick (which is admittedly hard to improve on). Then, a high-impact, low-effort dish: za’atar roast carrots with labneh and pistachio. On a whim, I hung a carton’s worth of plain yoghurt in muslin for labneh the other week, and now I can’t stop – it takes just 30 minutes for a soft-set, which is what you want here (for a firmer set, leave it to hang for an hour). Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/dec/30/quick-easy-party-food-recipes-halloumi-pineapple-salsa-zaatar-carrots-labneh

Jose Pizarro’s recipe for caramelised brussels sprout and panceta montaditos

Caramelised sprouts with onion, thyme and sweet vinegar, served on a crisp open sandwich with soft cheese and pine nutsBrussels sprouts are perhaps not the first thing you think of when you think about Spanish food, but they do have a little history in my homeland. They arrived in Spain in the 16th century, through trade with Flanders, and were often paired with pork, which we love. Here, however, I caramelise them with onion, thyme and sweet vinegar, then serve on crisp baguette with soft cheese and pine nuts. A small bite with big flavour, and just right with a glass of oloroso – perfect for festive times. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/dec/30/caramelised-brussels-sprout-and-panceta-montaditos-recipe-jose-pizarro

Sali Hughes on beauty: I don’t make new year resolutions, but these are my pledges for 2026

Hydrated skin and some trips to the gym – I’ll be embracing better beauty habits next yearI’m not given to making new year resolutions, but by coincidence I have recently made a number of pledges to adopt better beauty habits. I believe that even someone in this job, who already moisturises and UV protects religiously, can still find areas for improvement.Once again, I have pledged to drink more (or indeed some) water. After decades of tea dependency, I never find myself thirsty in the way others describe, and so force myself to hydrate only for the sake of my skin (to which it makes a noticeable difference) and well, aliveness. To this end, I’ve bought one of those ridiculously enormous mugs influencers drain several times daily, and hope to make my way through perhaps one by bedtime. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/dec/31/sali-hughes-on-beauty-new-year-resolutions

‘It’s cooler than saying I bought this on Asos’: the big car boot sale rebrand

Whether Vinted’s to blame or TikTok’s to thank, people are flocking back to car parks in search of secondhand bargains. How did the car boot get hip again?It’s a crisp Sunday morning in south-west London. Tucked within rows of terrace houses, the playground of a primary school has been transformed into an outdoor treasure trove. Tables are filled with stacks of books and board games; clothes hang from metal racks or are piled into boxes which are strewn over a hopscotch. It’s the 10am opening of Balham car boot sale. A modest queue filters through the entrance: families, pensioners, fashion influencers, TikTokers.Three friends – Dominique Gowie, Abbie Mitchell (both 25 years old) and Affy Chowdhury (26) – arrived an hour earlier, to set up. They are selling at a car boot for the first time, enticed by the growing hype circulating on social media. “If you go out and say: ‘Oh I bought this at the car boot,’ I think it’s actually cooler than saying I bought this on Asos,” says Dominique. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/dec/31/its-cooler-than-saying-i-bought-this-on-asos-the-big-car-boot-sale-rebrand

Why the quarter-zip trend is about much more than jumpers

Young men swapping Nike Tech fleeces for quarter-zips are all over TikTok, as well as staging IRL meetups worldwide. What’s behind the growing movement centring a once unremarkable garment?As I’m wearing a quarter-zip jumper and sipping on an iced matcha, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s my last day of term before the school holidays. The giveaway is it’s a Saturday in London’s Soho, and I’m surrounded by 20 or so young men between the ages of 13 and 21 who are all here for London’s first ever “quarter-zip meetup”.Organised, rather bizarrely, by sibling rappers OKay the Duo, the meetup is the latest manifestation of a growing tongue-in-cheek trend for quarter-zips and matcha that has taken over TikTok globally. Previous meetups have taken place in Houston and Rotterdam. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/dec/29/young-predominantly-black-men-swapping-nike-tech-fleece-for-quarter-zip-jumper

Off-the-shoulder tops and a signature hair-do: Brigitte Bardot’s style legacy

Model turned actor never lost the poise from her dancing days – but she also made gingham and leopard print her ownFrench screen legend dies aged 91Brigitte Bardot: a life in picturesObituary: star who shot to fame in the 1950sAnd God Created Woman, the title of the 1956 film that made Brigitte Bardot a global star, is the phrase that captures the magic of her. Bardot had an allure that was dazzling in its glamour, yet so natural that to gaze on it felt like a gift from the heavens.In style, as in life, timing is everything – and Bardot became the poster girl for that sweet spot of postwar France in which the storied heritage of Gallic culture was electrified by the Bohemian spirit of Paris in the 1950s and 60s. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/28/off-the-shoulder-tops-and-a-signature-hair-do-brigitte-bardot-style-legacy

My big night out: I finished the 1990s with fireworks, a funfair, flirting – and furious hope for the future

It was the end of a fabulous decade, when spontaneous, unpredictable parties seemed not just possible but typical. A new millennium was dawning. What could possibly go wrong?‘We wish you peace,” said Tony Blair as the clock struck 8pm. It was New Year’s Eve 1999, a Friday night, and I was on the banks of the Thames. Britain’s fresh-faced prime minister – only two years into the job – was giving a gimmick called The British Airways London Eye its first spin. The Eye was physically unremarkable and harrowingly slow, but it didn’t matter because it only had a five-year lease and definitely wouldn’t still be around a quarter of a century later, littering the skyline.It was the end of the 90s and, as the Thatcher/Major doldrums whizzed out of view like the subplot of Sliding Doors, we maintained a Bridget Jones-like innocence and entrusted the future to guys like Blair, Peter Mandelson and Bill Clinton, who didn’t seem like (respectively) warmongers, abuse excusers or sex pests. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/30/my-big-night-out-fireworks-funfair-flirting

The secrets of a great sex life: how to keep the flame alive in the bedroom

Sex is an appetite like any other and there is much you can do to make it a priority, from making sure you find the time for it to building your confidence and maintaining intimacy throughout the day• Sign up here to get the whole series straight to your inboxIf you have sex, chances are, you’ll have a good day. But scheduling it makes it feel like a chore. And unlike any other chore or fitness enterprise, you conceive it more as self-indulgence than self-improvement, and as such, even if you’re already in a relationship, it’s hard to find that chin-out determination to get it done. Yet sex is an appetite like any other, a necessity like any other, a nourishment like any other. If you let it go dormant the effect on your relationship might be as if one or both of you are on a permanent diet – and also lonely. That might be fine for both of you, but for many of us, sex is a thing worth prioritising.At its core, before you introduce any other domestic obstacles, it’s a two-person job, so you have to be attuned to one another; you can’t just decide unilaterally. To take this in ascending order of hurdles; if you’re a childless couple, the main block is going to be each other – not being in the same mood at the same time, not being in the house at the same time. This is true for your entire relationship, not just sex; I once interviewed a fertility doctor, who described working with a couple, trying to find an appointment time for when one was ovulating and both were in the country. They scrolled through several weeks before they managed it. “I felt as if I was beginning to get to the bottom of why they couldn’t conceive,” she said. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/19/the-perfect-way-to-keep-the-flame-alive-in-the-bedroom

Dining across the divide: ‘There’s nothing more irritating than being told you’re an idiot by a teenager’

Two film producers discuss second homes, the use of the word ‘woke’, and the importance of the BBC. Could they find any common ground?Alex, 28, LondonOccupation Assistant producer for documentaries Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/28/dining-across-the-divide-alex-mike

This is how we do it: ‘As we’re newlyweds there’s a pressure to always be at it. We’ve even had sex in a train toilet’

Maddy feels insecure if Luke isn’t in the mood, while he worries that he doesn’t measure up to her exes. But ultimately, their marriage has given the couple new freedom• How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymouslyI would tell him about my hook-ups, including a threesome I’d had Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/28/this-is-how-we-do-it-newlyweds-pressure-sex

What is norovirus and how contagious is it?

Symptoms of the virus include diarrhea and vomiting and it infects about 684 million people globally every yearNorovirus is the term for a family of about 50 strains of virus that all share one miserable endpoint: copious time in the bathroom. Every year, an estimated 684 million people globally come down with it.Norovirus is a kind of infectious gastroenteritis, “an inflammation of the bowel and the colon that can cause diarrhea” and vomiting, explains Dr Ambreen Allana, an infectious disease physician based in Texas. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/dec/30/what-is-norovirus-and-how-contagious-is-it

Beyond Kegels: I found a fix for a common type of incontinence – why don’t more women know about it?

After years of worrying that running or sneezing would leave me needing fresh underwear, a quick, minimally invasive procedure changed my lifeSome of my earliest memories feature my mother’s leotard-encased body bouncing to Jane Fonda with abandon. A similar carefree fluidity prevailed a decade later, as her feet struck hard-packed sand on a shorebreak jog. Twelve-year-old me panted alongside, so desperate to be made in her image that I tolerated heated cheeks and shaking quads. Their trembling barely subsided during the one stop we made, for her to wade into the waves and pee.But it got easier to keep up after she gave birth to my youngest brother, with her squatting in the bushes every 10 minutes or so. Soon, even that wasn’t enough to staunch the flow. She gave up and switched to hiking. “I should have done more Kegels,” she quipped. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/30/peeing-after-childbirth-incontinence-sui-solution

‘Let them’, creatine and fibermaxxing: the biggest wellness trends of 2025

Here’s what you need to know about the supplements, procedures and hacks everyone’s discussingTell us: share your experiences of traveling with friendsStaying up to date on wellness trends can be tough. What if you get sat next to an energy healer at a dinner party? What are you going to talk about? Raw milk is already sort of passé.Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are the wellness trends everyone was discussing in 2025, and what you need to know about them. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/jul/31/creatine-fibermaxxing-biggest-wellness-trends

Is it true that … you’re more likely to get sick when you’re stressed?

Stress releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can suppress your immune system – but chronic concerns are more of an issue than short-term worries‘Stress has a well-established effect on your immune health,” says Daniel M Davis, head of life sciences at Imperial College London. “But stress is a very broad phenomenon. You can feel stressed watching a horror movie, or you can experience long-term stress, like going through a divorce.”Short-term stress can temporarily affect your immune system. “The number of immune cells in the blood changes,” says Davis. “But it returns to normal within about an hour, so it’s unlikely to have any major impact.” Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/29/is-it-true-sick-stressed-ill

The perfect evening routine: how to prepare for bed – from blue light to baths

Whether you go for an easy jog or actively limit your screen time, studies show there are tried and tested ways to wind down and be sure of a good night’s sleep• Sign up here to get the whole series straight to your inboxAfter a hard day at work, the last thing you want to do is fritter away your precious downtime slumped on the sofa in a dazed doomscroll. Yet, in the absence of a better plan, it happens with depressing ease. How we spend the hours between shutting down the laptop and slipping under the duvet affects sleep quality, mood and how restored we feel the next day. So, how can we reclaim those lost evenings?According to Jason Ellis, a professor of psychology at Northumbria University and director of the Northumbria centre for sleep research, establishing a regular end-of-day routine sends a signal to your brain that you are making a shift between work mode, and rest and recreation. “It’s about putting the day to bed before you go to bed,” he says. Gretchen Rubin – an author, podcaster and creator of the Happiness Project – agrees. “Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life,” she says. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/31/the-perfect-evening-routine-how-to-prepare-for-bed-from-blue-light-to-baths

What happened next: Valerie the dachshund taught us how to survive – and thrive

We could learn a lot from the pampered sausage dog who became a canine Bear Grylls. Perhaps all of us are capable of more than we might expectWho among us hasn’t yearned, at least momentarily, to cast off the trappings of our comfortable lives and live wild, unfettered and free? This year someone showed us the way: a charismatic Aussie sausage dog (I believe that’s “snag” in local vernacular). Whether you already carry Valerie the miniature dachshund’s story in your heart or managed, somehow, to miss the pint-sized phenomenon’s incredible journey, join me as we revisit this heart-warming tale.In November 2023, Valerie was a one-year-old “absolute princess” of a pup – those are the words of her emotional support human, Georgia Gardner, who received the sausage as a graduation gift. A diminutive 15cm high, she needed a ramp to help her get into bed in her New South Wales home and wore a pink sweater in chilly weather, with matching pink collar and lead. But Valerie chose to swap her pampered life of roast chicken and pupuccinos for freedom in the dangerous wilds of Kangaroo Island, South Australia, escaping while Gardner and boyfriend Josh Fishlock were on holiday there. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/31/what-happened-next-valerie-the-dachshund-taught-us-how-to-survive-and-thrive

Threesomes, rough towels and ‘lesbian bed death’: 23 of the best Sexual Healing columns

The Guardian’s sex advice column is coming to an end after 20 years. Here are some of the most memorable questions and answers• Pamela Stephenson Connolly on two decades of solving readers’ sex problemsMy wonderful new wife is everything I have always looked for in a woman. The issue is that she is openly and proudly bisexual. When we first became involved, she even joked that she didn’t want me getting mad when it was time for her to visit her friend on girls’ trips. A threesome with a bisexual woman has always been my fantasy. She even gave me permission to go online and find a “unicorn” for us. But when I set up a meeting, she didn’t seem to want to follow through with it, so I stopped looking. Recently, on holiday, she made a sexual comment about a girl in a bikini, so I again brought up the idea of a threesome. But she said she might have grown out of that phase of her life and just wants to be with me. She also said that adding another person would ruin the marriage, and I worry that things might change between us if we get together with another girl. I am at a loss as to what to do. If she is truly bisexual, I am worried that if those desires are not met, she may pursue them without me. My only rule is that if she is with a girl, I am also present. Most guys would love my situation – am I making this harder than it is? Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/30/pamela-stephenson-connolly-the-very-best-of-sexual-healing

Houseplant hacks: should I use ice cubes to water my plants?

Ice cubes offer a slower form of watering, reducing the risk of soggy soil – but are not suitable for most tropical houseplantsThe problem
Many a houseplant is killed with kindness; watering every time you look at them can be terminal. Using ice cubes for watering promises slower, more controlled hydration. But does it work?The hack
Place one or two ice cubes on the soil. The idea is that as the ice melts it slowly releases water, giving the roots time to absorb it and avoiding soggy soil. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/30/houseplant-hacks-should-i-use-ice-cubes-to-water-my-plants

Threshold: the choir who sing to the dying – video

Dying is a process and in a person’s final hours and days, Nickie and her Threshold Choir are there to accompany people on their way and bring comfort. Through specially composed songs, akin to lullabies, the choir cultivates an environment of love and safety around those on their deathbed. For the volunteer choir members, it is also an opportunity to channel their own experiences of grief and together open up conversations about deathWith thanks to onscreen contributor, Lindsey, who died since the making of this filmFull interview with Nickie Aven, available here Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/global/ng-interactive/2025/dec/12/threshold-the-choir-who-sing-to-the-dying-video

The man taking over the Large Hadron Collider – only to switch it off

Next head of Cern backs massive replacement for world’s largest machine to investigate mysteries of the universeMark Thomson, a professor of experimental particle physics at the University of Cambridge, has landed one of the most coveted jobs in global science. But it is hard not to wonder, when looked at from a certain angle, whether he has taken one for the team.On 1 January, Thomson takes over as the director general of Cern, the multi-Nobel prizewinning nuclear physics laboratory on the outskirts of Geneva. It is here, deep beneath the ground, that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest scientific instrument ever built, recreates conditions that existed microseconds after the big bang. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/dec/31/large-hadron-collider-head-of-cern-mark-thomson

Elon Musk’s 2025 recap: how the world’s richest person became its most chaotic

How the tech CEO and ‘Dogefather’ made a mess of the year – from an apparent Nazi salute during his White House tenure to Tesla sales slumps and Starship explosionsThe year of 2025 was dizzying for Elon Musk. The tech titan began the year holding court with Donald Trump in Washington DC. As the months ticked by, one public appearance after another baffled the US and the world. Musk appeared to give a Nazi salute at Trump’s inauguration, staunchly championed a 19-year-old staffer nicknamed “Big Balls,” denied reports of being a drug addict while advising the president, and showed up at a White House press conference with a black eye – all in the first half of the year alone.“Elon’s attitude is you have to get it done fast. If you’re an incrementalist, you just won’t get your rocket to the moon,” Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, told Vanity Fair in an expansive interview earlier this month. “And so with that attitude, you’re going to break some china.” Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/31/elon-musk-doge-tesla-ai-trump

Five charts that explain the global economic outlook for 2026

Inflation is predicted to cool but uncertainty over AI-driven growth and trade policy poses risks in the year aheadThe global economy proved to be more resilient in 2025 than had been feared, despite severe headwinds that ranged from Donald Trump’s trade war to geopolitical tensions and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.Entering the new year, the hope is that the worst of the recent inflation shock has passed, as the world’s most powerful central banks lower interest rates. However, the pre-Covid age of rock-bottom borrowing costs is a distant memory, global growth is slowing and conditions remain fragile. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/30/five-charts-that-explain-the-global-economic-outlook-for-2026

Tell us: have you trained your AI job replacement?

We’d like to hear from people who are training AI to replace their current rolesAnalysis by the International Monetary Fund says Artificial intelligence will affect about 40% of jobs around the world.We’d like to find out more about the impact of AI on jobs now. With this in mind, we want to hear from people who have been training AI to replace their current roles. What has the experience been like? How do you feel about your future at your company? Do you have concerns? Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/31/tell-us-have-you-trained-your-ai-job-replacement

Tell us: do you have unusual living arrangements?

Perhaps you have been living with friends for many years, or live in a communeDo you have what could be described as unusual living arrangements?Perhaps you live in communal housing, or a commune or with extended family. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/24/tell-us-about-your-unusual-living-arrangements

Tell us: have you changed your career plans because of the risk of an AI takeover?

Did you decide not to pursue your dream profession or did you have to retrain? We would like to hear from youAI will affect 40% of jobs and probably worsen inequality, the head of the International Monetary Fund has said.What has your experience been of trying to future-proof your career? Have you retrained or moved jobs because your previous career path is at risk of an artificial intelligence takeover? Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/dec/29/tell-us-have-you-changed-your-career-plans-because-of-the-risk-of-an-ai-takeover

Independent businesses: have your online sales been affected by the rise of AI?

We’d like to hear from independent retailers about how changes to online searches has affected them. We’d also like to find out from customers about how easy it is to track down independent retailers We’d like to find out more about how your business has been affected by changes to online searches amid the rise of AI.Independent businesses have traditionally relied on online advertising for increased visibility and sales, even if they are based on the high street. However, with the introduction of AI mode and AI Overview summaries on Google, and the proliferation of LLMs such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, people are altering their search habits, which may affect the online visibility of small businesses. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/19/independent-businesses-have-your-online-sales-been-affected-by-the-rise-of-ai

Sign up for the First Edition newsletter: our free daily news email

Wake up to the top stories and what they mean – free to your inbox every weekday morning at 7amScroll less, understand more: sign up to receive our news email each weekday for clarity on the top stories in the UK and across the world.Explore all our newsletters: whether you love film, football, fashion or food, we’ve got something for you Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/global/2022/sep/20/sign-up-for-the-first-edition-newsletter-our-free-news-email

Sign up for the Football Daily newsletter: our free football email

Kick off your afternoon with the Guardian’s take on the world of footballEvery weekday, we’ll deliver a roundup the football news and gossip in our own belligerent, sometimes intelligent and – very occasionally – funny way. Still not convinced? Find out what you’re missing here.Try our other sports emails: there’s weekly catch-ups for cricket in The Spin and rugby union in The Breakdown, and our seven-day round-up of the best of our sports journalism in The Recap.Living in Australia? Try the Guardian Australia’s daily sports newsletter Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/info/2022/nov/14/football-daily-email-sign-up

Sign up for the Feast newsletter: our free Guardian food email

A weekly email from our star chefs featuring the latest recipes and seasonal eating ideasEach week we’ll send you an exclusive newsletter from our star food writers. We’ll also send you the latest recipes from our star chefs, stand-out food features and seasonal eating inspiration, plus restaurant reviews from Grace Dent.Sign up below to start receiving the best of our culinary journalism in one mouth-watering weekly email. Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jul/09/sign-up-for-the-feast-newsletter-our-free-guardian-food-email

Sign up for The Long Wave newsletter: our weekly Black life and culture email

Nesrine Malik delivers your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/global/2024/oct/16/sign-up-for-the-long-wave-newsletter-our-weekly-black-life-and-culture-email

New year celebrations around the world – in pictures

Revellers across the globe welcome the arrival of 2026 with spectacular fireworks and festivitiesNew Year’s Eve 2026 celebrations around the world – live updates Continue reading...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2025/dec/31/new-year-celebrations-around-the-world-in-pictures