Every year, the first lady — regardless of whether the president is a Republican or Democrat — enjoys the annual tradition of transforming the White House into a winter wonderland.

Americans in 2025 face a wealth paradox where access to modern luxuries coexists with rising costs for housing, healthcare and education that strain budgets.

Minnesota welfare fraud involving Somali refugees costs taxpayers over $1 billion, exposing significant failures in Tim Walz administration oversight.

Supreme Court precedents like Curtiss-Wright support President Donald Trump's vast presidential powers in foreign affairs against narco-states and cartels.

• Updates from the Matildas-Football Ferns game in Adelaide

• Kick-off at Coopers Stadium is 8pm local/8.30pm AEDT

• Any thoughts? Email Joey

Tillies coach Joe Montemurro was asked on the Paramount broadcast about the level of experimentation in tonight’s Matildas XI.

“There’s a little bit of experimentation tonight. A little bit more. I need to tick off one little moment, or one little scenario that we think we could get at the Asian Cup.

So, we’re close, we’re close to solidifying the situation with in terms of the squad. But the reality is, is that we’ve still got a little bit of work to do. And tonight we’ll still do a little bit more work leading into it, we’ve got that opportunity.”

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© Photograph: Mark Brake/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mark Brake/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Pope Leo XIV prayed Tuesday at the site of a deadly 2020 Beirut port explosion that has become a symbol of Lebanon’s dysfunction and official impunity.

We would like to hear about the best album you have heard this year and why

There have been bold British rap breakthroughs from Jim Legxacy and John Glacier, highly personal grief-stricken albums by Blood Orange, Jerskin Fendrix, Jennifer Walton and the Tubs; breakup albums for the ages by Rosalía, Lily Allen and Cate Le Bon; proof there’s life in Britpop yet from Pulp and Suede; emphatic arrivals on pop’s main stage from CMAT and Olivia Dean.

As the Guardian prepares to count down the best albums of 2025, we’d like to know what your top records were, and why: the returns to form, bolts from the blue, slow-burners and surprises. Let us know and we’ll run the best submissions after the Guardian’s No 1 is unveiled later in December.

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© Photograph: James Olaloye

© Photograph: James Olaloye

© Photograph: James Olaloye

OTTAWA — Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says it's only fitting for Canada's top cattle-producing province to tip over its most sacred cow. Read More

In this documentary, high schoolers camp out in subzero temperatures, making their own fires and driving sledges in the wild

The Pasvik Folk high school in remote northern Norway teaches teenagers to grow as young adults and escape the pressures of toxic social media by challenging them to get back in touch with their “stone age brain” and live like hunter-gatherers in the snowy wild. This is the subject of a documentary from Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. Over winter months of almost continuous darkness, the teens cleanse themselves with tasks such as camping out in subzero weather, making their own fires and driving sledges with huskies.

Prior to all this of course is presumably a solemn promise to do without their phones, tablets and laptops, although there are no scenes of the kids actually having to surrender these gadgets (this isn’t rehab, after all). They have to swim in icy water; and they make it look like fun. What doesn’t look like fun is the camping out and there is one tense moment when a whingeing student is told that he cannot avail himself of his teachers’ fire and will have to build his own. As for the hunting part, well, yes, they do hunt, though the moment of the kill isn’t shown on screen.

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© Photograph: Magnolia Pictures/Everett/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Magnolia Pictures/Everett/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Magnolia Pictures/Everett/Shutterstock

Retailer faces December 15 deadline that could prevent recovery of duties paid on imported goods.

Independent inquiry into fire and media questions to leader would not happen in mainland China, but crackdown on dissent has begun

As Hong Kong mourns the victims of its worst fire in decades, the response to the disaster reveals the ways in which the semi-autonomous city retains differences from mainland China – and how some of those differences are being eroded.

Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, announced on Tuesday the creation of an “independent committee” to investigate the blaze, which killed 151 people at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Hong Kong’s New Territories.

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© Photograph: Ng Han Guan/AP

© Photograph: Ng Han Guan/AP

© Photograph: Ng Han Guan/AP

A flock of Father Christmases share the seasonal songs that capture the magic, merriment and occasional heartbreak that comes with donning the red suit

My father was a Santa and my wife got me into doing it. It’s the best thing I ever did. I do schools, universities, supermarkets, Christmas lights switch-ons … As soon as Santa comes along, everybody melts. One little girl brought her guinea pig, who leapt off her hand and dived straight into my Santa beard. The parents were in stitches while we tried to get him out. My favourite Christmas songs are Eartha Kitt’s sultry version of Santa Baby, because it gets all the adults in the mood to get up and have a boogie with Santa, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, because the lyrics are so pure. No Christmas songs drive me mad. It’s Christmas: they’re all great. Paul Fessi

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© Photograph: Santa Himself Publicity

© Photograph: Santa Himself Publicity

© Photograph: Santa Himself Publicity

San Pablo Bay Pipeline risks closure while California refineries lose capacity.

Dear Abby advises parents who feel as though their daughter has cast them out of her life after arriving early to babysit her children.

Wendy Pleasant's husband Malcolm Flynn, 72, was killed in Northumberland in 2020 when he was attacked by a herd of cows and bulls.

The Honduran presidential race remains unresolved after the preliminary vote tally halted at 57% of polling places, leaving two conservative candidates separated by only a few hundred votes.

Putin holds key to Ukraine peace as Trump envoy Steve Witkoff arrives in Moscow for crucial talks following weekend negotiations on 19-point proposal.

Children could be among those subject to the searches

© Getty

It marks the first time that the Bank has assessed its capital requirements in a decade.

© PA Archive

The Bees were one of the earliest clubs to appoint a specialist set-piece coach and Mikel Arteta’s side built on that to create a ‘winning edge’

© Arsenal FC via Getty

Michael Vaughan is concerned for England as they head into the second Ashes Test in Brisbane

© PA Wire

Two accidentally released prisoners remain at large, the justice secretary confirmed

© PA Wire

Snow affected inland regions of New York and Pennsylvania as tens of millions of people across the Northeast braced for a major winter storm.

© Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press

The increase in taxes on income from properties may dampen the supply of new rental properties coming onto the market, the society said.

© PA Archive