Carmakers such as MG, BYD and Chery are set to pass 200,000 mark in sales, analysis suggests, double 2024’s total Chinese brands are on course to account for one in every 10 new cars sold in Britain during 2025, a marked increase on last year as sales increase across Europe. Manufacturers led by MG, BYD, and Chery are on track to break the 200,000 mark in UK new car sales in 2025, meaning they are very likely to account for 10% of the market, according to Matthias Schmidt, an analyst tracking electric cars across Europe. Continue reading...

Join our live coverage as we start the 26 hours for the entire globe to enter the new year Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of New Year’s Eve celebrations from around the world as 2026 begins. Among the first places to bring in the new year will be Kiritimati on Kiribati Island in the central Pacific Ocean at 10:00 GMT. Continue reading...

US-made device planned by end of year hit by recent government shutdown affecting shipments Trump Mobile, the phone company launched by Donald Trump’s family business, has pushed back its plans to deliver its $499 (£371) gold-coloured smartphone by the end of the year. The Trump Organization licensed its name to launch a mobile service and the device in June, in the latest monetisation of his presidency by a family business empire now run by Trump’s sons. Continue reading...

A vivid account of the creation of one of literary modernism’s greatest achievements In 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...

Forget yet another traditional roast dinner to see out the year, and instead try a spicy, textured and opulent biryani, and a saffron-infused take on tiramisu After weeks of excess, it’s not surprising that our palates begin to feel a little jaded. The thought of another roast dinner makes me yawn, so something with spice feels exciting. Biryani, with its layered complexity of flavour and texture, has always been the ultimate celebratory centrepiece for guests to congregate around, and it needs little accompaniment bar a bowl of cooling raita. This meat-free version made with tender paneer koftas is light and fresh, yet still warming and packed with flavour. End on a sweet note with an incredible, Indian inflected tiramisu, which is fragrant with saffron and rich with nuts. Happy 2026! Continue reading...

PM Sanae Takaichi joins petition calling for better facilities for women to match improved representation Nearly 60 female lawmakers in Japan, including the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, have submitted a petition calling for more toilets in the parliament building for women to match their improved representation. Japanese politics remains hugely male-dominated, although the number of women in the parliament rose at the last election – and Takaichi became the first female prime minister in October. Continue reading...

Aston Villa have a decision to make about Harvey Elliott, Brentford have money to spend and Burnley and Everton need goalscorers A busy summer with the arrival of more than £250m in reinforcements has proved to be invaluable given the number of injuries that have hit Arsenal, particularly in defence. But that also makes any more expensive incomings unlikely in January, especially after the timely return of the influential Gabriel Magalhães this week. A loan signing or two could be on the cards, however, with Arsenal not having filled either slot so far after bringing in Neto from Bournemouth and Raheem Sterling from Chelsea last season. Mikel Arteta could do with more cover at right-back and must also decide whether to allow Ethan Nwaneri to go on loan with the 18-year-old having made only three starts in all competitions. Ed Aarons Continue reading...

Nathan Lyon has been the only specialist spinner on show with touring tweaker Shoaib Bashir sidelined by England Disappointment can be found in all corners of this Ashes series. England’s victory came too late. Australia may have secured the urn again but Glenn McGrath’s usual prediction didn’t hold. It’s been a serious letdown for the neutral, never mind that a 3-2 scoreline is still in the offing. This was meant to be the one where England had a shot, where the Sydney finale would actually have something on the line beyond World Test Championship points. Instead we’ve had 13 days of play out of 20, star quicks from both sides missing hefty chunks or all of it and stern-faced discussions about how much grass was left on the “G”. It’s fallen well short as a spectacle. Part of that lies in the absence of the slow stuff, a lack of high-quality spin ruining the show. Continue reading...

Young footballers have big decisions to make at this time of year as academy directors aim to sign the most talented Any 15- or 16-year-olds who should be revising for their mock GCSEs are probably finding that the end of December is a testing time of year. For those in academy football, it can often be make or break. While the very best – such as Arsenal’s record-breaking Max Dowman, who made headlines in October when he agreed terms on a scholarship deal – secured their futures in good time, many discovered their fates just before the 31 December deadline. “It’s always the sort of classic breakup. It’s not you, it’s us,” says Dr Chris Platts, who has studied the academy system for more than a decade and offers support to young players and their families. “Being released before Christmas isn’t nice for a kid. Then they’ve got about five months before their GCSEs and those five months are now going to include a lot of trials and uncertainty going into the following year.” Continue reading...

Wales back returned to UK without playing NFL game Pat Lam: ‘It’s made him a more rounded player’ The Bristol director of rugby, Pat Lam, has said Louis Rees-Zammit’s recent NFL tilt made him a stronger and more dangerous rugby player. The Wales back joined the NFL’s international pathway programme in January 2024, and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs before a spell at the Jacksonville Jaguars. He returned to rugby after 18 months without playing an NFL match, signing for Bristol in July. Lam said that since signing for the Bears, the 24-year-old has been working to reach match fitness, but that his increased power has made it harder for opponents to stop him. Continue reading...

Cameo’s Candy is one of the all-time great funk records, but after a six-minute dance formation everyone is heading for the door It’s that moment at a Black party you either love or hate. Cameo’s Candy, one of the all-time great funk records, comes on and everyone lines up to do the dance. Maybe you throw yourself into it, maybe you are a white friend who looks around in confusion, or maybe, like me, you just sigh in resignation. The dance is a US import, beginning life as the electric slide in the mid-70s, and eventually becoming the Candy in Britain, thanks to its appearance at the end of the 1999 movie The Best Man. Since then, be it birthdays, christenings, Christmas, NYE – even funerals – you’re certain to see the dancefloor immediately fill and get into formation once the initial few chords are played. Continue reading...

Mamady Doumbouya had reneged on promise not to stand and hand west African country back to civilian rule The head of Guinea’s junta, Mamady Doumbouya, who had pledged not to run for office after seizing power four years ago, has been elected president after the country’s electoral commission said he had secured a sweeping majority of the vote. Doumbouya, 41, faced eight rivals for the presidency but the main opposition leaders were barred from running and had urged a boycott of the vote held over the weekend. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news Eurostar has warned passengers could face delays and last-minute cancellations today, as services resume after a power supply failure caused widespread disruption on Tuesday. Eurostar plans to run a full service today, and says: “Services have resumed today following a power issue in the Channel tunnel yesterday and some further issues with rail infrastructure overnight.” “We plan to run all of our services today, however due to knock-on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations.” Continue reading...

Foreign affairs department statement says Australia opposes any actions that ‘increase the risk of accident, miscalculation or escalation’ Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australia says it is deeply concerned about Chinese military exercises near Taiwan, and has raised the issue with Chinese officials. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) said the large-scale simulations risked destabilising the region and could result in an accident or escalation. Continue reading...

Investigation established by UDR party to look at ‘neutrality, workings and financing’ of state TV and radio The French public broadcaster is at the centre of a political row as a parliamentary inquiry examines the “neutrality, workings and financing” of state TV and radio, while the media are expected to play a significant role ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The rightwing UDR party, an ally of Marine Le Pen’s far-right the National Rally (RN), set up the inquiry amid far-right claims that public TV and radio has a bias against them. Le Pen, whose party is expected to reach the final round of the presidential race, has said “there is a clear problem with neutrality in the public service broadcasting” and that she would like to privatise it. Continue reading...

Wildlife trust is raising funds to buy largest piece of land in single ownership to come up for sale in England for a generation “We’ve lost so much,” says Mike Pratt, reflecting on Britain’s nature crisis. “We’re getting to the point where if we’re not careful, children in the future won’t know what a hedgehog is. They won’t have encountered one.” Pratt, the chief executive of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, is speaking on an unseasonably sunny, calm, blue-skied December day surrounded by ruggedly beautiful, spirit-lifting countryside. Continue reading...

The raucous celebration of the new year and the islands’ Nordic heritage culminates in the ritual burning of a longship – and much drinking Beyond a misty veil, dawn breaks above Shetland – sort of. The days feel as if they never quite get going here at this time of year, and it’s important, as the long nights of winter drag on, to have a hobby. Here in Lerwick, the capital of the archipelago, the locals have divined a unique way of passing the time, while honouring the deep-rooted Scandinavian influences on Shetland’s culture and history. A rattling and murmuring begins to grow, and round a corner emerges a marching horde of lusty Vikings in homemade costumes, brandishing axes and round shields, beards flowing over leather breastplates. They carry turquoise standards bearing the flag of Haraldr Óláfsson, the 13th-century king of Mann and the Isles, and sing battle songs of raven flags flying in distant lands, of blazing torches and Vikings ruling over oceans vast. Continue reading...

PA Media’s political photographer Stefan Rousseau chooses his favourite moments from the past year Continue reading...

Two brothers attempt to escape their father’s gangland past in a tense, tender debut that moves between Thatcher-era Northumberland and southern Spain Andalucía 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...

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...

Over four hours, cinema-verite demigod Wiseman takes a gastronomic tour through the minutiae of running a triple-starred Michelin restaurant American cinema-verite demigod Frederick Wiseman’s latest is a 6,000-course tasting menu of a documentary, like one of those supercuts with all the delicious food on offer in Studio Ghibli films. Most of the 95-year-old’s career has been dedicated to chronicling US institutions, but here he returns to the strain of Francophile work he has dipped into since the mid-90s (he lives in the country part-time). In this case, he infiltrates the Michelin triple-starred Le Bois sans Feuilles restaurant in Ouches in the Loire, and serves up four hours of hardcore gastronomy. In long, eavesdroppy tableaux, Wiseman inventories every aspect of the business: recipe-brainstorming, market-stall recon, table-setting, meal preparation, supplier farms, clientele mouthgasms. This prandial haven is part of the Maison Troisgros business that has been run by the same family in nearby Roanne for four generations; Michel Troisgros is the current patriarch, but his son César is now head chef. Wiseman, eschewing narration as is his wont, lets us figure all this out while he follows his nose through the kitchens and dining spaces. Continue reading...

Who dropped the F-bomb on live telly, who flashed their penis and broke the internet – and who should have ended up in a broom cupboard on The Celebrity Traitors? Test your TV nous with our big quiz of 2025 Continue reading...

Power problem and stuck vehicle shuttle halted seasonal rail travel between UK and the continent on Tuesday Eurostar said it plans to run a full service on Wednesday but warned of possible knock-on disruptions after a power supply issue halted Channel tunnel train trips connecting London to the European mainland. Travellers making journeys in the busy run-up to the new year were left scrambling to find alternatives after the operator postponed all services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. Continue reading...

Tom Basden, Alison Steadman and Katherine Parkinson prepare for a disastrous night. Plus: the Hootenanny, of course! Here’s what to watch this evening 8pm, BBC One The Jessops are going somewhere nice for New Year’s Eve (“Dorset? Wales? Leeds?”). But as soon as they arrive, they learn that the Airbnb guests booked to stay at their own house are throwing a huge party. Cue lots of chaotic family fun involving an emergency road trip from hell back home, a large crate of unlicensed fireworks and a missing dummy. Plus, Robin (Tom Basden) can’t stop ripping open his shirt. Jim Howick, Alison Steadman and Katherine Parkinson also star. Hollie Richardson Continue reading...

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 preview Seventeen 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...