As the military pushes ahead with a widely condemned election, Beijing’s priorities are proving decisive Myanmar’s first election since the 2021 coup: everything you need to know Myanmar’s military has managed to regain momentum in its battle against a determined patchwork of opposition groups, retaking some territory, and pushing ahead with a widely condemned election that begins on Sunday. It is a turnaround for the military, which had appeared so beleaguered that some dared to question if it could collapse. Continue reading...

World No 63 wins 4-3 to claim biggest victory of his career Luke Littler eases past Mensur Suljovic 4-0 in round three By the end, the room had gone still and quiet. The air was warm and smelled faintly of spilled pints. The chants of “One Stephen Bunting” had long since died away, and all that was left was one Stephen Bunting: three darts in his hand and no more tricks up his sleeve. No place left to run. And so as James Hurrell pinned tops to win 4-3 and claim the biggest victory of his life, there was just the merest whiff of anticlimax to it all: a seismic shock that also somehow felt like the most natural thing in the world. The crowds dispersed with barely a murmur. Hurrell packed up his darts and left the stage: not overawed or overcome, but bearing the immense calmness of a man who had seen this all coming in advance. Continue reading...

Blackmail! Murder! Horny Republicans! This starry bonkbuster is about as good as nonsense television gets This is it. This is your reward. For getting through Christmas, for getting through the crisis-laden sorrowfest that was 2025, the gods of television have vouchsafed us all The Hunting Wives, eight episodes of the most perfect trash to fill our screens since – well, I don’t even know when. Since Rivals? Maybe, but like the book it was based on by the late, great Jilly Cooper, that show was too good to qualify for this coveted title. The Hunting Wives is not. The Hunting Wives is perfect trash. The most perfect trash possibly ever – how’s that? I’m not sure I can explain quite how much fun it is with only the paltry resource of the written word at my disposal but let me limn first its hysterical outlines and we’ll see how we get on. Continue reading...

The 70-metre-long cloth about the Norman invasion has not been seen in England since it was created in 11th century The Bayeux tapestry will be insured for an estimated £800m when it returns to the UK in 2026 for the first time in more than 900 years. The Treasury will insure the 70-metre embroidered cloth, which depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, for damage or loss during its transfer from France and while it is on display at the British Museum from September. It will back the cover under the Government Indemnity Scheme, an alternative to commercial insurance that allows art and cultural objects to be shown in the UK. The Financial Times reported the Treasury had provisionally approved an estimated valuation for the tapestry with the final valuation expected to be about £800m. An HM Treasury spokesperson said: “The Government Indemnity Scheme is a longstanding scheme that allows museums and galleries to borrow high value works for major exhibitions, increasing visitor numbers and providing public benefits. “Without this cover, public museums and galleries would face a substantial commercial insurance premium, which would be significantly less cost effective.” Continue reading...

GMB union says 30,000 claims settled with six local councils for average of £30,000 and expects 10,000 more in 2026 Equal pay settlements for female workers at local councils have passed the £1bn mark, with thousands more expected next year. Legal claims have been brought against local councils on behalf of people in female-dominated roles, such as cleaners or carers, who for years have been denied the conditions and benefits given to employees in traditionally male-dominated jobs. Continue reading...

Bath 21-41 Northampton Visitors run in six tries at Rec to leapfrog rivals in table The champions have been mugged at home by the team they deposed. Well, not quite the team. Northampton rung the changes for this match, but the understudies proved the stars of the show to terrorise their hosts. Six tries, a hat-trick for Tommy Freeman and the lead, no less, of the Prem for good measure. The bookies gave Northampton a 20-point head start for this one. In the end it was Bath who needed it. Bath were at full strength, the Saints some way short of it, but this will surely prove one of the performances of the season. Continue reading...

The old ways are over and nobody is entirely sure what is to follow but football revolutions once experienced are never forgotten If you want a picture of the future, imagine Michael Kayode winding up to take a long throw – forever. Or at least that was how it seemed in October. Already, though, the picture has begun to change. This was the year of the backlash, and then a bit of a backlash to the backlash. For almost two decades football had accepted the guardiolista consensus. Football was about possession, about the press, but most of all about position, about the careful manipulation of space. Much-improved pitches meant first touches could be taken for granted: players receiving the ball didn’t have to focus on getting it under control but could instead be parsing their options. The game had become chess with a ball, a matter of strategy more than physicality. Continue reading...

For 58 minutes the notion of Aston Villa as plausible title challengers was laughable. They were second best at Stamford Bridge, were 1-0 down to an inspired Chelsea and looked destined to rue Unai Emery’s decision not to start Ollie Watkins. Few managers are more cunning than Emery when it comes to turning a game, though. The Spaniard is never slow to act and his substitutions were key to Villa recording their 11th consecutive win in all competitions. Watkins equalised five minutes after coming on and the celebrations were wild when the striker punished Chelsea’s collapse in the second half with a lethal winning header in the 84th minute. Continue reading...

Among Jews the meaning of the term has evolved – but there is still no consensus. And when people talk past one another there are real-world consequences The 14 December Bondi Beach attack targeting Jews at a Hanukah celebration has brought the issue of antisemitism into sharp national focus. In response, the New South Wales government announced measures to further curb hate speech and symbols, and, more controversially, new protest powers. This event and the government’s response have once again raised questions about the relationship between Jews, Israel, Zionism and anti-Zionism. Zionism is a Jewish national movement that sought to create a Jewish state, then to secure and sustain it. But “Zionism” is also a contested label: for many Jews it signifies safety, continuity and belonging; for Palestinians – and for many others – it denotes dispossession and ongoing domination. It’s clear that for different people, the word Zionism means very different things, which leads to people talking past one another – with real-world consequences. Continue reading...

Winner carries huge weight to success at Chepstow Cheltenham Gold Cup on horizon after brave victory It is seven years and counting since Native River became the last horse trained in Britain to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but the beleaguered home team has conceivably emerged from the first two days of the Christmas programme with not one, but two realistic contenders for next year’s race, after Haiti Couleurs put up a magnificent performance to win the Welsh Grand National here under 11st 13lb on Saturday. Or, as Haiti Couleurs’ connections might prefer it, England has a chance with Friday’s King George winner, The Jukebox Man, and Wales has a shout with Haiti Couleurs, who is trained by Rebecca Curtis in Pembrokeshire and ridden by Sean Bowen, the champion jockey, who was born just down the road from her yard. Continue reading...

Liverpool and Wolves united in a moving tribute to Diogo Jota while Florian Wirtz grabbed the first goal of his Anfield career after a potential £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen. The lasting impression was the relief inside Anfield, however, from Liverpool players and fans alike, as Arne Slot’s team held off the Premier League’s basement club on a tense afternoon. Rob Edwards’ visitors finished the stronger side yet were beaten again thanks to a swift first-half double from Ryan Gravenberch and Wirtz. That brief flurry aside, Liverpool were subdued and unconvincing as Wolves performed with more adventure and endeavour than many visitors to Anfield. Continue reading...

If Antoine Semenyo is in his final days as a Bournemouth player, he departs a club with problems. Andoni Iraola’s status as a hot property has chilled amid difficult winter months. Bournemouth are the latest club to struggle after selling players to offset harsh financial winds. Of the Premier League’s set of “well-run”, smaller clubs, perhaps Brentford now provide the best example of how to stay afloat after losing key personnel. Igor Thiago and hat-trick hero Kevin Schade positively ravaged Bournemouth’s defenders suggesting if the Semenyo money can be reinvested, the place to start is at the back. Semenyo, said to be Manchester-bound, got on the scoresheet but by then, his team were three goals down. There would be no comeback. Continue reading...

A few minutes before half-time in a contest that swung entirely one way and then briefly the other, Brighton & Hove Albion threatened what was then a rare foray into Arsenal territory. For the briefest of moments, the visitors seemed certain to muster their first shot of an afternoon that had hitherto been miserable. But, no sooner had Maxim De Cuyper received the ball on the counterattack and glanced up, than the Belgian was flattened by a crunching Declan Rice tackle that hastily restored possession for the hosts. De Cuyper slumped, while Rice towered over him and roared; arguably this season’s standout Premier League midfielder making light of playing right-back for the first time in his Arsenal career. Continue reading...

Bristol 36-27 Newcastle Visitors lose after leading 27-17 but four tries earn first point In the end Bristol had too much. A display of equal parts grit and skill by Newcastle threatened a huge festive upset in the freezing-cold south-west, but two tries by the elusive Louis Rees-Zammit and some classically fluent attacking by Pat Lam’s buoyant team eventually enabled them to overpower their spirited visitors. After the Bears ruined Harlequins’ Christmas at Twickenham last weekend, sticking 40 points on the Londoners in Big Game 17, they were widely expected to ease to victory against the Prem’s bottom side, who were yet to muster even a bonus point after seven matches. The question seemed to be not if Bristol would win, rather by how many. Continue reading...

Low-quality AI-generated content is now saturating social media – and generating about $117m a year, data shows More than 20% of the videos that YouTube’s algorithm shows to new users are “AI slop” – low-quality AI-generated content designed to farm views, research has found. The video-editing company Kapwing surveyed 15,000 of the world’s most popular YouTube channels – the top 100 in every country – and found that 278 of them contain only AI slop. Continue reading...

⚽ Updates from the 5.30pm Premier League kick-off ⚽ Scores | Table | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Will here Chelsea: Sanchez, James, Badiashile, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Palmer, Garnacho, Joao Pedro. Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Delap, Bynoe-Gittens, Santos, Gusto, Fofana, Acheampong, Estevao. Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Lindelof, Konsa, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Malen. Subs: Bizot, Watkins, Digne, Garcia, Sancho, Jimoh, Onana, Bogarde, Hemmings. Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire) Continue reading...

Trump is using the presidency as a branding opportunity. He’s slapping his name on as many buildings, monuments and government projects as he can In 2011, Donald Trump published a book with the self-help guru Robert Kiyosaki titled Midas Touch. It’s a typical self-empowerment manual in which the pair expound on the secrets of entrepreneurial success while drawing on their personal experiences. At one point, they write, “Building a brand may be more important than building a business.” That was certainly Trump’s approach to business: he was the New York real estate tycoon who turned his fame into a brand that symbolized luxury and savvy strategy – even if his companies had filed for bankruptcy six times. Trump spent decades trying to use his name to turn a profit: he owned an airline and a university, and slapped his moniker on vodka, steaks, neckties, board games and even bottled water. Leveraging the fame he gained from the Apprentice TV show, he expanded to licensing Trump-branded global real estate projects built by other developers. In many of these ventures, Trump collected licensing fees, rather than investing his own money, ensuring that he profited even if the businesses collapsed. Continue reading...

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Rightwing parties want to follow in US’s footsteps of minimal government intervention, but at what cost? Next month, Donald Trump will welcome a poverty-stricken family to peruse his plans for a $300m glitzy state ballroom in the White House. The event will be staged as part of National Poverty in America Awareness Month, the time every year when charities document the number of US residents surviving on low incomes. Of course, the president will do no such thing, preferring to summon the press to watch him rub shoulders with the billionaire class as he did at last month’s black tie dinner for the Saudi ruler and his entourage. Continue reading...

Deputy defence minister says new air defence systems will be completed in 24 months Poland plans to complete a new set of anti-drone fortifications along its eastern borders within two years, a top defence official has said, after a massive incursion of unmanned Russian aerial combat vehicles into Polish airspace earlier this year. “We expect to have the first capabilities of the system in roughly six months, perhaps even sooner. And the full system will take 24 months to complete,” the deputy defence minister, Cezary Tomczyk, told the Guardian in an interview in Warsaw. Continue reading...

Nearly 15,000 flights were canceled or delayed as both states declared weather emergencies after snowstorm A mix of snow and ice bore down on the US north-east early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday weekend airline traffic and prompting officials in New York and New Jersey to issue weather emergency declarations even as the storm ebbed by mid-morning. More than 14,400 domestic US flights on Saturday were canceled or delayed as of mid-morning, with the majority in the New York area, including at John F Kennedy international airport, LaGuardia airport and Newark Liberty international airport, according to the tracking site FlightAware. Continue reading...

Raphael Sallinger made two crucial stoppage-time saves as Hibernian held off a late fightback from Hearts to defeat the Scottish Premiership leaders 3-2 in the Edinburgh derby at Easter Road. Hibs were three up and seemingly coasting early in the second half after Kieron Bowie added to first-half goals from Jamie McGrath and the substitute Josh Campbell. But Hearts hit back through Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin, setting up a grandstand finale in which Shankland and Beni Baningime were denied by Sallinger, as Derek McInnes’s side suffered only their second league defeat of the season. This story will be updated Continue reading...

Yohan Roche scores only goal in first half Botswana out after second group loss Benin kept alive their hopes of staying in the Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-0 victory over Botswana in Rabat in Group D. It ended a run of 15 games – five draws and 10 defeats – without a win in the competition. Two minutes before the half-hour mark Yohan Roche’s shot from inside the area was deflected in. Botswana hit the bar through Mothusi Johnson but they were unable to avoid a second successive defeat and are now out of the competition. This story will be updated Continue reading...

The collection of top images published in 2025 offers a layered portrait of the nation As the US confronted intensifying climate threats, widening inequality, and political and economic turmoil, the Guardian called on photojournalists across the country to document both the hardships and the resilience of their communities over the past year. These images and stories go beyond breaking news alerts, capturing the truths and complex lives of individuals and groups. They tell the stories of caregivers, survivors of gun violence, families forced to leave their homes due to political threats, the rapid growth of datacenters, and advocates working to protect democratic processes. Continue reading...

Judging by the way Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrated Rayan Cherki’s late winner at Nottingham Forest, this was a significant victory for Manchester City. Donnarumma hurtled towards the bench where Pep Guardiola was being mobbed by his coaching staff, including Kolo Touré, Pep Lijnders and the set-piece coach James French, seemingly the architect behind Phil Foden’s corner that led to the goal. Cherki smacked a right-foot effort through the legs of Morgan Gibbs-White and into the corner of the Forest goal. Omari Hutchinson had cancelled out Tijjani Reijnders’ second-half opener. Guardiola had warned his squad against overindulging on Christmas Day, promising to weigh his players on their return to training and before they departed for Nottingham. “Only the manager is overweight – the rest are perfect,” the City manager, fresh from a couple of days in Catalonia, said with a smile before kick-off. City arrived in ominous form and have now won their past eight matches in all competitions, including six in a row in the Premier League. Continue reading...