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Received today — 13 December 2025The Guardian

Brown University shooting: two dead and eight in critical condition as suspect remains at large – live updates

Suspect or suspects remain at large as Ivy League university tells students to shelter in place

Police said no weapons were recovered from the scene and the last sighting of the suspect was him leaving the Hope Street side of the building on foot.

Timothy O’Hara, a deputy police chief, told a press conference that the suspect is a “male dressed in black” who exited the complex at Brown University.

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© Photograph: Mark Stockwell/AP

© Photograph: Mark Stockwell/AP

© Photograph: Mark Stockwell/AP

Sunderland hero Gary Rowell dies aged 68 on eve of derby with Newcastle

13 December 2025 at 18:29
  • Former striker scored a hat-trick in 1979 derby

  • Rowell had been diagnosed with leukaemia

The former Sunderland striker Gary Rowell has died at the age of 68, the Black Cats have announced. He was being treated for leukaemia.

The Seaham-born Rowell, who scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 Division Two win over Newcastle at St James’ Park in February 1979, died on Saturday. His death comes 50 years to the day since he made his Sunderland debut and just a day before the Black Cats host the Magpies in the first Premier League derby between the clubs since March 2016, at which the hosts will mark Rowell’s death.

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© Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

© Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

© Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

Police forces in England and Wales to get units that tackle violence against women

13 December 2025 at 17:30

Specialist teams will deal with offences such as rape and stalking as part of VAWG strategy, home secretary says

All police forces in England and Wales will have dedicated rape and sexual offences teams by 2029, the government has said.

The plans are being unveiled as the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, prepares to outline a delayed strategy on violence against women and girls (VAWG) next week.

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© Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images

© Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images

© Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Mosquera’s last-gasp own goal hands Arsenal dramatic win against luckless Wolves

No easy games? Surely this one would be for Arsenal. Never before in English football history had a team endured a worse league record after 15 matches than Wolves. In any of the professional divisions. Their haul of two points gave an outline of the grimness, although by no means all of the detail.

Before kick-off, the bookmakers had Wolves at 28-1 to win; it was 8-1 for the draw. You just had to hand it to the club’s 3,000 travelling fans who took up their full ticket allocation. There were no trains back to Wolverhampton after the game, obviously. It was a weekend. Mission impossible? This felt like the definition of it.

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© Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

© Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

© Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Special delivery: how a Royal Mail postbox ended up in Antarctica

A letter to the king has added a royal flourish to life at Rothera Research Station, where mail remains a vital link to the world

It might be traditional to write to Father Christmas with a gift list, but when Kirsten Shaw wanted a new postbox for staff at the UK’s Rothera Research Station in Antarctica, she wrote to the king.

The request has resulted in a special delivery for Shaw – a station support assistant who, among myriad other tasks, runs the British Antarctic Territory post office at the station.

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© Photograph: British Antarctic Survey

© Photograph: British Antarctic Survey

© Photograph: British Antarctic Survey

Was Salah's return the beginning of the end at Liverpool or start of an apology? | Will Unwin

13 December 2025 at 13:46

Forward made an emotional lap of honour at Anfield after a week that put his future at the club in doubt

Mohamed Salah and Liverpool have put politics to shame by showing what a long week truly looks like. It ended with the Egyptian doing a one-man lap of honour at Anfield, an attempt to rebuild trust with the supporters after creating a ceasefire, if not a complete truce, with Arne Slot.

Over the past seven days a lot has changed, but one thing remained the same, Salah started a Premier League game on the bench, not that he needed to wait long for a chance to do his talking on the pitch. He would finish with an assist after playing 75 minutes against Brighton in a game in which he desperately wanted to score. Maybe his parade was the beginning of the end, but it felt more like the start of the apology that should continue after the Africa Cup of Nations, giving both parties space to breathe.

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© Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images

© Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images

© Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images

Arsenal v Wolves: Premier League – live

13 December 2025 at 16:53

⚽ Premier League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off
Live scores | Table | Follow us on Bluesky | Email Scott

2 min: Doherty skittles Martinelli out on the left. An early free kick for Arsenal. Rice’s delivery is uncharacteristically poor, failing to beat the first man … and that first man is Doherty, who makes good his mistake by clearing.

Arsenal get the ball rolling. They haven’t lost at home yet this season, winning ten from 11. Godspeed, Wolves.

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© Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

Drone strike on UN facility in war-torn Sudan leaves six peacekeepers dead

13 December 2025 at 16:35

UN secretary general António Guterres says ‘unjustifiable’ attack on base in city of Kadugli ‘could be war crime’

A drone strike has hit a United Nations peacekeeping logistics base in war-torn Sudan, killing six peacekeepers, the UN secretary general António Guterres has said.

Eight other peacekeepers were wounded in the strike on Saturday in the city of Kadugli in the central region of Kordofan. All the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).

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© Photograph: EPA

© Photograph: EPA

© Photograph: EPA

Paul Lim, 71, becomes oldest player to win match at PDC World Championship

13 December 2025 at 18:42
  • Lim beats Jeffrey de Graaf to set up Luke Humphries rematch

  • Singaporean beat the future champion in 2020

Paul Lim made World Darts Championship history at Alexandra Palace – and then hoped lightning would strike twice against Luke Humphries.

Lim became the oldest player to win a match at the event as the Singaporean, who turns 72 next month, defeated Jeffrey de Graaf 3-1 to extend his own record set in 2020. On that occasion he overcame Humphries and the pair are reunited in round two after the world No 2 produced eight 180s in crushing Ted Evetts 3-1.

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© Photograph: Godfrey Pitt/Action Plus/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Godfrey Pitt/Action Plus/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Godfrey Pitt/Action Plus/Shutterstock

Tommy Robinson’s London ‘Christmas service’ draws about 1,000 people

13 December 2025 at 15:51

Number is stark contrast with estimated 110,000 at far-right activist’s ‘unite the kingdom’ rally in September

The far-right activist Tommy Robinson led a carol concert to “put the Christ back into Christmas” on Saturday in an event that had a huge drop-off in attendance from his last rally in London.

The Metropolitan police said about 1,000 people attended the event at its peak, in stark contrast to the estimated 110,000 who turned up to Robinson’s “unite the kingdom” rally in September.

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© Photograph: Ben Montgomery/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ben Montgomery/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ben Montgomery/Getty Images

Phil Foden’s rocky road is proof that a prodigy’s promise is no guarantee of glory | Jonathan Wilson

13 December 2025 at 15:00

The Manchester City midfielder is in sparkling club form but that doesn’t mean he is the right fit for Tuchel’s England

By the time the World Cup comes around, nine years will have passed since Phil Foden won the Golden Ball as England lifted the Under-17 World Cup. That tournament can be seen in hindsight as a watershed for the English game, the first indication that the elite player performance plan (EPPP) and the England DNA project – taking youth football seriously – might be beginning to pay off.

Youth football is notoriously unpredictable and England’s record in the Under-17 World Cup since shows a failure to qualify and a pair of last-16 exits, but following that 2017 success, England’s senior side have reached two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final, while the under-21s have won two European titles. Two previous Golden Ball winners from Under-17 World Cups – Cesc Fàbregas and Toni Kroos – have gone on to win the senior World Cup. Some, such as Landon Donovan, Anderson and Kelechi Iheanacho have had perfectly decent careers. And others have vanished almost entirely: Sani Emmanuel of Nigeria, for instance, won in 2009 then made just 16 senior appearances, 10 of them in the Swiss second tier with Biel-Bienne; while another Nigerian, Kelechi Nwakali, winner in 2015, joined Arsenal but, after a series of loan moves and stints in the lower reaches of the Spanish and Portuguese systems, was kicked out of Barnsley this past summer after returning late for pre-season.

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© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Death on high-speed roller coaster in Florida deemed accidental

13 December 2025 at 14:59

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died from blunt-impact trauma on ride at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park

A Florida sheriff’s office has concluded that the death of a 32-year-old man while riding a high-speed roller coaster at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park was accidental.

According to a report released Friday by the local medical examiner, Kevin Rodriguez Zavala suffered a deep cut on the left side of his forehead, a fracture to the bone ridge above his eye and bleeding above his skull. Additional injuries included bruises on his arms and abdomen, a broken nose and a fractured right thigh bone.

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© Photograph: John Raoux/AP

© Photograph: John Raoux/AP

© Photograph: John Raoux/AP

‘No issues to resolve’: Slot claims Salah matter over but talks expected during Afcon

13 December 2025 at 14:14
  • Liverpool manager: ‘There’s nothing for me to talk about’

  • Slot refuses to divulge details of talks with Salah

Arne Slot claimed he had no outstanding issues with Mohamed Salah and would see the Egypt international after the Africa Cup of Nations following the forward’s positive return for Liverpool against Brighton.

Salah was reintroduced to the Liverpool side as a 26th-minute substitute having been omitted from the Champions League win at Inter over the incendiary interview he gave at Elland Road last Saturday. Slot refused to divulge details of the conversation that led to Salah being restored to the squad on Friday but insisted that, as far as he was concerned, the matter was resolved. Talks are expected, however, between the Liverpool hierarchy and Salah’s representative while the forward is away on Afcon duty.

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© Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

© Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

© Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Three Americans killed in Syria by suspected Islamic State gunman, Pentagon says

13 December 2025 at 14:14

US Central Command reports an ambush on Saturday, the first attack to inflict US casualties since fall of Bashar al-Assad

Two US army soldiers and one American civilian interpreter have been killed and several other people wounded in an ambush on Saturday by the Islamic State group in central Syria, the Pentagon said.

The attack on US troops in Palmyra is the first to inflict casualties since the fall of the former Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, a year ago.

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© Photograph: Lolita Baldor/AP

© Photograph: Lolita Baldor/AP

© Photograph: Lolita Baldor/AP

Kevin McCloud: ‘We measure the value of a home by the number of toilets it has – which is bonkers’

13 December 2025 at 14:00

The Grand Designs presenter and co-host of Tim & Kev’s Big Design Adventure on living with bats, the most important room in a house and eating fermented shark

There’s an aphorism that Australians only want to talk about two things – sport and real estate. Do you think we talk too much about real estate?

In my experience, Australians never talk about real estate but the Australian media talks about it all the time. It’s a little bit like politics in the UK, where the right wing occupy a tiny minority and yet they’re all over the BBC. The media will always pick up on something they think should be the topic of national conversation because it sells newspapers. But in my dealings with Australians, I find I talk about pretty well every other subject. There is something very exciting about Australia’s can-do attitude. The British national default is to say, “Maybe, I don’t know – ask me in six months”. We’re very good at circumlocuting an issue. But the moment I get off the plane in Australia, it is, “What can we do?” I love the optimism of Australia.

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© Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

© Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

© Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

The moment I knew: as he opened the Uber door, he opened my eyes to a love beyond work

13 December 2025 at 14:00

Ash Jacks McCready had low expectations for her first date with Tom, but after an awkward start, their relationship moved fast and wild

In high school I was in an all-consuming relationship with one thing: dance. Any free time I had was spent on working towards a coveted spot at a performance company.

As soon as I graduated school in Brisbane, I left to begin my career as a performer.

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© Photograph: Ash McCready

© Photograph: Ash McCready

© Photograph: Ash McCready

Maresca’s cryptic comments spark confusion after Chelsea sink Everton

What had seemed like a routine win for Chelsea became something a lot more mysterious thanks to a cryptic comment from Enzo Maresca in the post-match press conference. “The last 48 hours,” he said, “have been the hardest since I joined the club because so many people didn’t support me and the team.”

But which people? It was far from obvious. There was a clear sense Maresca was directing a message to somebody: he made the statement in response to a question about Malo Gusto’s form and repeated it before clarifying: “I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans.” Nor did it seem that he meant the media; he has never previously given any indication he cares what journalists and pundits say, there was no sense of hostility and he had appeared in perfectly good spirits at his pre-match press conference.

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© Photograph: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

© Photograph: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

© Photograph: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Saracens fall just short in South Africa as Sharks survive Champions Cup storm

13 December 2025 at 13:24
  • Pool 1: Sharks 28-23 Saracens

  • Much-changed Sarries beaten in tough conditions

It is a long way to go for just a point, but Saracens all but took the maximum against Sharks in biblical weather in Durban. Now that South Africa has been incorporated into the Champions Cup, these long trips are part and parcel. It meant Saracens changing 10 of their starting lineup. It meant Sharks changing 14 – and a head coach to boot.

JP Pietersen, the former Springbok, stepped up to fill his new role this week when John Plumtree resigned after the Sharks’ heavy defeat in Toulouse on Sunday. One match, one win, his record now reads. For Sharks this was only a second win of the season. They were just about worth it, but still they must despair at finding any rhythm among a squad packed with Springboks.

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© Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images

© Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images

© Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images

Pulp Fiction actor Peter Greene found dead in New York apartment

13 December 2025 at 12:37

Greene, 60, praised for the various villains he played during his career but manager says he also had ‘heart as big as gold’

Peter Greene, the actor known for his roles in Pulp Fiction and The Mask, has died at the age of 60.

He was found dead at his New York City apartment on Friday, his manager said, and the cause of death has not been disclosed.

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© Photograph: Ken Babolocsay/Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Ken Babolocsay/Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Ken Babolocsay/Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Israel says its military killed Hamas commander Raed Saed in Gaza City strike

13 December 2025 at 12:27

If Saed is dead he would be most senior militant to be killed since October ceasefire, in attack on car that reportedly left four dead

The senior Hamas commander Raed Saedhas been killed in a strike on a car in Gaza City, the Israeli military said on Saturday.

The attack killed four people and wounded at least 25 others, according to Gaza health authorities. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or medics that Saed was among the dead.

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© Photograph: Mohammed Saber/EPA

© Photograph: Mohammed Saber/EPA

© Photograph: Mohammed Saber/EPA

YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos viewed 1.2bn times in 2025

13 December 2025 at 12:00

Exclusive: More than 150 anonymous channels using cheap AI tools to spread false stories about Keir Starmer, study finds

YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos have amassed more than a billion views this year, as opportunists attempt to use AI-generated content to profit from political division in the UK.

More than 150 channels have been detected in the last year that promote anti-Labour narratives, as well as outright fake and inflammatory accusations about Keir Starmer.

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© Photograph: Jacob King/PA

© Photograph: Jacob King/PA

© Photograph: Jacob King/PA

Racing honours Hunt family as outsider Glengouly hits jackpot at Cheltenham

13 December 2025 at 11:25
  • 33-1 shot repels challenge of Jagwar and Vincenzo

  • Race capped a week of events for Hunt Family Fund

This was an afternoon at the track when the big-race result was secondary to the cause it was supporting. For Faye Bramley it also marked a huge step forward in her training career as Glengouly, a 33-1 outsider, made all the running to win the Support the Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup.

The Hunt Family Fund was set up by the BBC racing commentator, John Hunt, and his daughter, Amy, after the murder of his wife, Carol, and daughters, Hannah and Louise, to raise awareness of violence against women and support causes relating to young women.

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© Photograph: David Davies/PA

© Photograph: David Davies/PA

© Photograph: David Davies/PA

Liverpool v Brighton, Chelsea v Everton, and more: football – live

13 December 2025 at 11:31

⚽ Premier League 3pm GMT kick-off updates and beyond
Live scores | Table | Follow us on Bluesky | Email John

Some goals have done in, and it’s Huddersfield 1-1 Wigan, Oxford 1-2 Preston, Salford 1-2 Colchester, Norwich 1-1 Southampton.

At Norwich, whose goal came from Jovon Makama, Southampton missed a first-half penalty and have now equalised through Ryan Manning.

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© Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images

© Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images

© Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images

Giuffre family ‘disappointed’ Met police not investigating claims against Andrew

Relatives of Virginia Giuffre say they are surprised Scotland Yard made decision just before release of Epstein files

The family of Virginia Giuffre have expressed their “deep disappointment” that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not face a criminal investigation in the UK over allegations against him.

It was alleged that Mountbatten-Windsor had sex in London with a teenager who was trafficked, and then put pressure on his police protection officer to dig up dirt on her.

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© Photograph: Steve Parsons/AP

© Photograph: Steve Parsons/AP

© Photograph: Steve Parsons/AP

Cuba denounces US seizure of oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast as ‘piracy’

13 December 2025 at 11:14

Cuban foreign ministry called US military action ‘maritime terrorism’ under a policy of ‘economic suffocation’

Cuban officials have denounced the US seizure of the Skipper oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast on Wednesday, calling it an “act of piracy and maritime terrorism” as well as a “serious violation of international law” that hurts the Caribbean island nation and its people.

“This action is part of the US escalation aimed at hampering Venezuela’s legitimate right to freely use and trade its natural resources with other nations, including the supplies of hydrocarbons to Cuba,” the Cuban foreign ministry statement said.

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© Photograph: Satellite image ©2025 Vantor/Reuters

© Photograph: Satellite image ©2025 Vantor/Reuters

© Photograph: Satellite image ©2025 Vantor/Reuters

Belarus releases 123 prisoners including opposition leaders after US lifts sanctions

13 December 2025 at 11:03

Nobel prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava among those freed after US talks with Alexander Lukashenko

The Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has freed 123 prisoners, including Nobel peace prize winner Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava, after the US lifted sanctions on Belarusian potash, a key export.

The announcement came after two days of talks with an envoy of the US president, Donald Trump, the latest diplomatic push since the Trump administration started talks with the autocratic leader.

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© Photograph: Ints Kalniņš/Reuters

© Photograph: Ints Kalniņš/Reuters

© Photograph: Ints Kalniņš/Reuters

Psychedelic treatments show promise for OCD while cannabis doesn’t, review finds

13 December 2025 at 11:00

Psychiatry professor theorizes that the difference is related to how the substances interact with areas of the brain

A recent review of alternative treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) indicates that psychedelic treatments show promise for the disorder while cannabis does not.

Dr Michael Van Ameringen, a psychiatry professor at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada and lead author of the review published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, said that 40-60 % of OCD patients get either partial or no relief with available treatments, including SSRIs and exposure and response prevention therapy.

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© Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

© Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

© Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

Labour is procrastinating over policy as UK’s economy goes backwards | Phillip Inman

13 December 2025 at 11:00

New business rates regime that is poised to hit pubs and hotels is latest example of hasty decision-making

There is a heavy cloud hanging over Labour’s Christmas celebrations.

The most recent figures show the economy is going backwards and worse, the slide is prompting recession talk in the corridors of City banks.

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© Photograph: Jon Crwys-Williams/Alamy

© Photograph: Jon Crwys-Williams/Alamy

© Photograph: Jon Crwys-Williams/Alamy

Zoe Ball to leave role as presenter of her BBC Radio 2 show

13 December 2025 at 10:57

Ball will be replaced by Emma Willis but will continue to host special programmes for the station

Zoe Ball has announced she is leaving her role as presenter of her BBC Radio 2 show.

Speaking on the show, the 55-year-old said she would be replaced by the broadcaster Emma Willis. Ball will present her last programme next Saturday and will continue to host special programmes on the station.

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© Photograph: BBC/PA

© Photograph: BBC/PA

© Photograph: BBC/PA

European football: Raphinha sinks Osasuna to consolidate Barcelona’s lead

13 December 2025 at 18:02
  • Real Madrid, who play on Sunday, now trail by seven points

  • Leverkusen’s Terrier hits back-heel volley against Cologne

Raphinha struck twice late in the second half as Barcelona secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a resolute Osasuna side, extending their lead at the top of La Liga to seven points. Hansi Flick’s men now sit on 43 points, comfortably clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand and play at Alavés on Sunday.

Despite their control of the game, Barcelona struggled to break down Osasuna’s deep defensive block until the 70th minute when Pedri’s incisive pass cut through the visitors’ defence, finding Raphinha in his stride. The Brazilian forward took a controlled touch before unleashing a thunderous strike from the edge of the area, the ball arrowing inside the left post to finally break the deadlock. Raphinha sealed the win in the 86th minute. A deflected cross from Jules Koundé on the right found the Brazilian unmarked at the far post, and he calmly volleyed the ball into an empty net, giving the scoreline a more comfortable look.

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© Photograph: Europa Press Sports/Europa Press/Getty Images

© Photograph: Europa Press Sports/Europa Press/Getty Images

© Photograph: Europa Press Sports/Europa Press/Getty Images

How did Mail on Sunday’s US editor become ‘rock solid friend’ of Meghan’s father?

13 December 2025 at 10:00

Duchess of Sussex says journalistic ethics breached as dad turns to journalist first to break news of leg amputation

When Thomas Markle received bad news about his health earlier this month, he immediately texted someone close to him to let them know. The 81-year-old had been admitted to hospital after one leg swelled up and turned black. “Going to lose the leg today,” he wrote.

The message was not sent to his son, Thomas, who lives with him in Cebu in the Philippines, nor to his older daughter, Samantha, who is based in Florida. Instead, Markle contacted Caroline Graham, the US editor of the Mail on Sunday, who is based in Los Angeles. It was she who called Markle’s two older children to let them know the news. She wrote later that they were “flabbergasted”.

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© Photograph: Kola Sulaimon/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kola Sulaimon/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kola Sulaimon/AFP/Getty Images

Championship roundup: Fatawu strikes from own half as Leicester sink Ipswich

13 December 2025 at 14:10
  • Winger’s 65-yard lob helps Foxes to 3-1 win

  • Coventry stay top; Boro tighten grip on second

Abdul Fatawu scored from inside his own half as Leicester cruised to a 3-1 win against Ipswich at the King Power Stadium. Fatawu’s remarkable lob from about 65 yards doubled Leicester’s lead two minutes before half-time, after Bobby De Cordova-Reid lashed home from distance on eight minutes.

Leicester sealed the points on 52 minutes when Jordan Ayew converted Ricardo Pereira’s cutback before substitute Jens Cajuste scored for the visitors after an error from goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk.

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© Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

© Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

© Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

Two girls, 9 and 11, awarded $31.5m after sister’s California torture death

13 December 2025 at 09:52

Arabella McCormack, 11, died after being tortured and starved by adoptive family and police and church failed to intervene

A lawsuit over the death of an 11-year-old California girl who was allegedly tortured and starved by her adoptive family reached a settlement on Friday totaling $31.5m from the city and county of San Diego as well as other groups.

The suit was brought on behalf of the two younger sisters of Arabella McCormack, who died in August 2022. The girls were ages six and seven at the time. Their adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, and McCormack’s parents, Adella and Stanley Tom, are facing charges of murder, conspiracy, child abuse and torture. They pleaded not guilty to all charges, and their criminal case is ongoing.

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© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

Two men arrested after Christmas tree in Durham village chopped down

13 December 2025 at 09:33

Tree, which was planted more than 10 years ago, was felled hours after its Christmas lights were switched on

Two men have been arrested in relation to a “disgusting act of mindless vandalism” after a Christmas tree which had stood in a village for more than 10 years was cut down.

On Wednesday, the tree in Shotton Colliery, County Durham, was felled sometime between 10pm and 11pm, just hours after the Christmas lights were switched on.

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© Photograph: Durham Police/PA

© Photograph: Durham Police/PA

© Photograph: Durham Police/PA

Wes Streeting calls for ‘cross-party consensus’ on gender identity ahead of puberty blocker trial

13 December 2025 at 09:23

Health secretary wrote to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, urging her to ‘take heat and ideology’ out of debate

The health secretary, Wes Streeting, has called on the Conservatives to maintain the cross-party consensus on gender identity services built before the last election in a letter to Kemi Badenoch.

Streeting wrote to opposition leader on Friday urging her to “take the heat and the ideology” out of debate amid controversy over a puberty blocker trial for children.

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© Photograph: Jeff Overs/PA

© Photograph: Jeff Overs/PA

© Photograph: Jeff Overs/PA

Comedian Robin Ince quits Radio 4 show, claiming BBC found his views ‘problematic’

13 December 2025 at 09:15

Ince says he resigned as co-host of Infinite Monkey Cage because of what he described as his lack of ‘obedience’

The comedian and author Robin Ince has resigned from his role as co-host of the long-running BBC Radio 4 podcast The Infinite Monkey Cage after a fallout with BBC executives over “problematic” opinions and what he described as a lack of “obedience”.

Ince, who has co-presented the popular science show alongside Prof Brian Cox for 16 years, posted on social media that his personal views, aired outside the BBC, “have been considered problematic for some time” and he “felt he had no choice but to resign”.

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© Photograph: Keith Morris/Hay Ffotos/Alamy

© Photograph: Keith Morris/Hay Ffotos/Alamy

© Photograph: Keith Morris/Hay Ffotos/Alamy

Olivia Smith erases all doubt for Arsenal after frenetic first-half spell at Everton

13 December 2025 at 09:14

The Women’s Super League’s December goal-of-the-month compilation will probably include three contributions from this match. Arsenal scored two of them and climbed to second in the table as half-volleys from Katie McCabe and Olivia Smith helped them on their way to a valuable victory.

It will have felt all the more satisfying for Arsenal after Chelsea dropped points against Everton last Sunday. They were momentarily given a scare when Honoka Hayashi levelled the scores in a frenetic first-half spell, but that proved to be a rare Everton attack in a contest that was otherwise managed well by Arsenal’s midfield.

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© Photograph: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

© Photograph: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

© Photograph: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Can you imagine raising a kid without ChatGPT? Sam Altman can’t | Arwa Mahdawi

13 December 2025 at 09:00

The OpenAI CEO gushed about the bot’s parental-assistance abilities. Is it really his best child-rearing hack?

Just how does he do it all? Every time I look at the news, Sam Altman’s face seems to be staring back at me. The CEO of OpenAI, a well-known workaholic, is constantly in the public eye explaining how AI will probably cure cancer and transform the social contract and generally change the world. While doing all that he’s reportedly gearing up for OpenAI to file for a stock market listing valuing the company at $1tn, as soon as next year. And he’s also a new dad: Altman and his husband, Oliver Mulherin, welcomed their first child into the world in February. So he’s got a lot on his plate.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

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© Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Satellite images show huge fog formation haunting central California

13 December 2025 at 09:00

Dense, 450-mile-long fog bank lingering over central valley as experts blames unusual combination of weather factors

New Nasa satellite images reveal the scope of central California’s dreary December, caused by an enormous fog formation that has been haunting the Central Valley for weeks, trapping residents in colder-than-usual temperatures.

The low cloud formation, known as tule fog, first formed over central California in November and persisted into early December. The Central Valley typically sees this type of fog during the colder months of the year, when the air near the ground is cold and moist, and the winds are calmer, allowing moisture in the air to transform into a thick layer of fog.

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© Photograph: Kevin Carter/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kevin Carter/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Who is Al Carns? Former Marine and Labour minister with sights on leadership

13 December 2025 at 09:00

Ex-special forces colonel, who is sounding alarm on Russia, has risen swiftly to role of armed forces minister

A former special forces colonel, government minister Al Carns was this week on manouevres warning that the UK needs to be preparing for war with Russia.

“The shadow of war is knocking on Europe’s door once more. That’s the reality. We’ve got to be prepared to deter it,” he said, in comments that go beyond previous warnings by his boss, the defence secretary, John Healey.

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© Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

© Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

© Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

Lindsey Vonn second at St Moritz a day after historic World Cup win

13 December 2025 at 08:22
  • Vonn denied second straight downhill win at St Moritz

  • Aicher edges ageless American star by 0.24sec

  • Vonn remains atop downhill standings after two races

At 41, Lindsey Vonn is no longer defying expectations so much as resetting them. One day after becoming the oldest woman to win a World Cup race, the American came within a quarter-second of doing it again, finishing second in Saturday’s downhill at St Moritz behind Germany’s Emma Aicher.

Less than 24 hours after rewriting the World Cup age record, Vonn briefly looked on course for another victory as she surged ahead of Italy’s Sofia Goggia on the sunlit Corviglia course. But Aicher, skiing immediately after her, attacked the increasingly rutted track and edged Vonn by 0.24 seconds to deny her a rare opening-weekend double.

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© Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott/EPA

© Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott/EPA

© Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott/EPA

‘Tastes like scented candle’: the best (and worst) supermarket chocolate truffles, tasted and rated

13 December 2025 at 08:00

Our resident Sweet Spotter had the (mis)fortune of eating a selection of widely available chocolate truffles to save you one more Christmas chore ….

The best supermarket mince pies, tasted and rated

A perfect chocolate truffle, for me, has a fine, tempered shell that, with a soft, satisfying snap, gives way to a ganache that melts luxuriantly on the tongue (and, failing that delicate snap, then give me a classic bitter dusting of cocoa). Truffles may come in endless variations, but at their core, they are simply chocolate and cream, which makes the quality of both non-negotiable.

A good dark chocolate, about 60-70% cocoa, brings complexity and depth without bitterness, while the right cream-to-chocolate ratio creates a ganache that’s smooth, rich and just soft enough to dissolve in the mouth. Any further additions such as salt, liqueur, citrus, coffee or spices should never be dominant. And, whatever the finish, be it cocoa powder, toasted nuts, coconut or a glossy shell, it should complement rather than compete with the chocolate ganache inside.

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© Photograph: Robert Billington/The Guardian. Food styling: Robert Billington.

© Photograph: Robert Billington/The Guardian. Food styling: Robert Billington.

© Photograph: Robert Billington/The Guardian. Food styling: Robert Billington.

‘Chalk Revolution’ strikes nerve as Slovakia fears return to authoritarian past

Teenager who first scrawled messages on pavement in protest at rightwing government did not expect so many others to follow suit

Scrawled in chalk on the pavement near a secondary school in eastern Slovakia, the messages were short and to the point: “Enough Fico,” read one, echoing a popular anti-government slogan, while the other joked about the Slovakian prime minister providing sexual favours to Vladimir Putin.

Appearing hours before the prime minister, Robert Fico, was due to speak at the school, the messages struck a nerve. Similar comments swiftly began sprouting up across Slovakian pavements in what was labelled the “Chalk Revolution” by some and “November Chalk Wave” by others.

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© Photograph: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

The Katie Miller Podcast: an aggressively vibeless curriculum for the Maga mom

13 December 2025 at 08:00

The wife of the Trump adviser aims to entice conservative women into Maga – but like much of the rest of the movement, her sales pitch is fundamentally lacking

When Katie Miller, the wife of Donald Trump’s powerful adviser Stephen Miller, interviewed Pete Hegseth on her podcast last week, she didn’t ask him about whether the war secretary had ordered the US military to kill the shipwrecked survivors of an airstrike. She didn’t ask him about the settlement he paid a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her. Nor did she ask about allegations of alcohol abuse, or the accusation that he had made his ex-wife so terrified that she hid in a closet.

Instead, when Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, appeared on the Katie Miller Podcast, the titular host asked questions like: “If you could write one Hegseth family rule on that whiteboard, what is that?”

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© Composite: Guardian Design/Screenshot via The Katie Miller Podcast

© Composite: Guardian Design/Screenshot via The Katie Miller Podcast

© Composite: Guardian Design/Screenshot via The Katie Miller Podcast

Dior, Chanel and … Veja? The ethical Paris trainer worn by A-listers and royalty

13 December 2025 at 08:00

Veja doesn’t do surveys or freebies, hates greenwashing and Black Friday, and as demand for trainers wanes, it continues to go its own way

In the grand hierarchy of Paris fashion, it’s tricky for a brand to stand out. Especially one whose coup de maître is a goes-with-everything white sneaker. Yet 20 years after Veja first began selling sustainable footwear, it has become the ultimate affordable It brand for scooter-wielding mums, sustainably minded millennials and A-list bigwigs who want to wear their values on their ethical leather-clad feet.

Veja’s co-founder Sébastien Kopp says he doesn’t know if people buy his trainers because of how they are made or because of how they look. The company is fastidious about social and fairtrade practices, “but because we don’t do surveys, we don’t do marketing, we simply don’t know this information”, he says, speaking from Veja’s Paris headquarters.

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© Photograph: VEJA

© Photograph: VEJA

© Photograph: VEJA

Sunderland and Newcastle steeled for resumption of football’s ‘most intense derby’

13 December 2025 at 07:00

Eddie Howe says revitalised derby rivals will be a tougher mental test for his side than the Champions League

Midnight was fast approaching when Eddie Howe faced a curve-ball question: if he could be offered a draw at the Stadium of Light on Sunday would he accept it?

If the typically straight-bat answer – “no chance, we prepare to win every game” – was expected, Howe’s subsequent reaction spoke volumes about Sunderland’s recent metamorphosis.

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© Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

© Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

© Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

The ethnic cleansing of the US will destroy it | Heba Gowayed

13 December 2025 at 07:00

Trump’s racist remarks on Ilhan Omar and Somali immigrants reveals his vision for the US as a white Christian nation

A rally on affordability in Pennsylvania on 9 December devolved into a racist tirade when Donald Trump said to the crowd: “We only take people from shithole countries. Why can’t we have some people from Norway, Sweden, just a few? … From Denmark. Do you mind sending us a few people? Send us some nice people. But we always take people from Somalia, places that are a disaster, right? Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime.”

Referring to the US representative Ilhan Omar’s hijab as a “little turban”, Trump continued: “She should get the hell out. Throw her the hell out.” His supporters erupted in chants of: “Send her back.”

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© Photograph: Getty Images

© Photograph: Getty Images

© Photograph: Getty Images

Trump attacks old foe Biden – but presidential parallels hard to avoid

13 December 2025 at 07:00

US president finds himself shouldering same burdens of affordability crisis and the inexorable march of time

He was supposed to be touting the economy but could not resist taking aim at an old foe. “Which is better: Sleepy Joe or Crooked Joe?” Donald Trump teased supporters in Pennsylvania this week, still toying with nicknames for his predecessor Joe Biden. “Typically, Crooked Joe wins. I’m surprised because to me he’s a sleepy son of a bitch.”

Exulting in Biden’s drowsiness, the US president and his supporters seemed blissfully ignorant of a rich irony: that 79-year-old Trump himself has recently been spotted apparently dozing off at various meetings.

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© Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

© Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

© Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Top Democrats call for investigation into share-buying spree by Trump allies

Fossil fuel execs Robert Pender and Michael Sabel deny wrongdoing after report on potential conflict of interest

Two more senior Democrats have called for an investigation into a share-buying spree by two fossil fuel billionaires with close ties to the Trump administration, after a Guardian investigation raised questions about potential wrongdoing.

Robert Pender and Michael Sabel, the founders and co-chairs of Venture Global, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company headquartered in Virginia, bought more than a million shares worth almost $12m each in March. The trades took place just days after a meeting with senior White House officials, who then issued a key regulatory permit that helped expand the company’s business in Europe.

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© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Christmas unwrapped! Your bumper festive TV guide 2025

From Judi Dench’s very naughty tea with Kenneth Branagh to the Peep Show Bake Off special – including Olivia Colman! – here’s your definitive guide to the best holiday viewing. Bring it on

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© Composite: Guardian Design

© Composite: Guardian Design

© Composite: Guardian Design

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