Away from our families, my flatmate and I hung out in his bedroom, Christmas lunch on our laps, watching a poorly written, jarringly inappropriate movie

In 2022, I was living in a flat in north London above a chicken shop, with two flatmates and a cockroach infestation (what did we expect, said the landlord, living above a takeaway?). My flatmate was from Lithuania, and was due to go home in January, and our other flatmate, his girlfriend, was away for Christmas. I’d been home to Canada the month before, so for Christmas Day itself it was just the two of us.

I bought a small chicken to roast, and served it with stuffing I’d brought back from Canada – it’s the same concept as the stuffing in the UK but somehow fluffier and with more texture – and some pasta. I made brussels sprouts, trying to recreate a dish I like from a restaurant in my home town by cooking them with bacon, maple syrup, parmesan and a mayonnaise drizzle. It wasn’t very nice. We had some prosecco that my flatmate had won in a competition, even though neither of us really liked prosecco. It felt like we should, because it was Christmas.

Across the US, people have been carrying their passports amid reports of citizens being detained. Five people explain what living this reality is like

Across the United States, citizens say they have started carrying their passports with them through their daily activities as widespread immigration raids create a pervasive climate of fear, and reports of citizens being detained circulate in the media.

The Guardian talked to people living this reality.

A selection of the best Kenyan, Nigerian and black diaspora writing from 2025 – and some to look out for next year

From the richness of Nigeria’s modern literary scene, to the thriving publishing ecosystem of Kenya and the booming creativity coming from black British and African American writers, we asked an African publishing house, a UK bookshop dedicated to black authors and Nairobi’s oldest bookshop for some recommendations on what to read in the coming year.

New files include series of emails between Ghislaine Maxwell and someone who says he is at ‘Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family’

Donald Trump has broken his silence on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, complaining that people who “innocently met” the convicted paedophile could have their reputations destroyed.

In his first comments since the justice department began releasing the materials on Friday, the US president on Monday expressed sympathy for prominent Democrats who have come under renewed scrutiny over their associations with Epstein.

How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends? Let me know when you are coming over as I am free from 25th August until 2nd Sept and want to go somewhere hot and sunny with some fun people before having to put my nose firmly to the grindstone for the Fall.

…now my whole life is in turmoil as I have no one to look after me. He was a real rock and almost a part of the family ... If you have any good ideas as to how to get my mind back on track I’d be grateful for advice. See you real soon… I hope if you are coming over. A xxx

Claim by a senior US attorney about US president appears in latest batch of justice department documents

• US politics live – latest updates

A newly released batch of the so-called Epstein files includes many references to Donald Trump, including a claim by a senior US attorney that the US president was on a flight in the 1990s with the now-deceased paedophile and a 20-year-old woman.

There is no indication of whether the woman was a victim of any crime, and being included in the files does not indicate any criminal wrongdoing.

By representing its region’s distinct culture and players, the Canadian Premier League team aims to boost the province’s undoubted soccer potential

Boulevard Saint-Laurent is one of Montréal’s great arteries, a throughway for gourmands coveting smoked meat sandwiches or proper pizza at one of a dozen different joints in Little Italy. It’s also home to Evangelista Sports, a shop that has doubled as a shrine to the city’s soccer-obsessed for more than 40 years and is every bit a part of Montréal’s cultural fabric as poutine or lamenting the cold.

It’s also where FC Supra du Québec opted to announce their first-ever signings last week. The Canadian Premier League (CPL) expansion team is looking to become part of the city and province’s cultural identity, hoping their commitment to recruiting a full roster of Québec-born or raised players, inspired by European clubs like Athletic Bilbao, will go a long way in helping to build a pathway which has so often seen talent slip through the cracks.

Greater Manchester mayor acknowledges ‘pain and suffering’ after region’s police chief declined to apologise

The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has apologised for past police failings towards LGBTQ+ people, acknowledging “unacceptable discrimination and the pain and suffering it caused”.

Campaigners say the apology is in contrast to the stance of the chief constable of Greater Manchester police (GMP), Stephen Watson, who earlier this year declined to apologise on behalf of his force, saying that do so could be seen as “superficial and merely performative”.

Former Uruguay prop has praise for new World Cup format but wants more help for developing nations

How did Pablo Lemoine, Chile’s head coach, react when they were drawn with Australia and New Zealand for the 2027 Rugby World Cup? The answer is perceptive and somewhat surprising.

“When countries like Chile play in a World Cup you need a general vision,” Lemoine says. “Thinking only of sport it’s fantastic – it’s awesome. But thinking of the real impact Chile needs: development programmes, political impact, social impact … for our fans, it’s much more difficult to find tickets when you play the All Blacks or Australia.”

The US press have suffered about as many assaults this year as in the previous three years combined

The United States has seen a dramatic increase in violence against journalists since Donald Trump again took office.

Most of the reporters and photographers who were allegedly attacked by law enforcement officials were covering protests over the Trump administration’s efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, according to the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a non-profit that tracks such incidents.

It’s celebrity catnip, but beyond the headlines this is also a tale of family dysfunction. At this time of year, so many people know about that

There is not one saga I have been more invested in this year than the Beckham family feud. In case you are not as shamelessly showbiz-pilled as I am, this is a drama that parses like something between the parable of the prodigal son and Catherine de Medici’s tension with her daughter-in-law Mary, Queen of Scots.

It seems that, after years of a trying in-law dynamic, relations between the Beckham family and their first-born, Brooklyn, and his wife, the heiress Nicola Peltz, have soured. Brooklyn has been repeatedly and conspicuously absent from all the family group shots on Instagram and, most notably, mum Victoria’s Netflix documentary, and dad David’s 50th birthday celebrations and knighthood ceremony (and if you know how long Dave’s been auditioning for that honour, you’ll know that this was the biggest indicator of catastrophe).

Jason Okundaye is an assistant opinion editor at the Guardian and the author of Revolutionary Acts

Do 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.

This normalization of gun violence in the US – who is it serving? Why can we not collectively make this not normal again?

On her first day of fourth grade, wearing her magenta spectacles, my daughter Anna arrived to the Big School where she couldn’t reach the drinking fountains. She was small for her age, in terms of stature, though she had big ideas.

I went to pick her up that afternoon, the first day of school, and I looked eagerly at all the young faces streaming out the door, but no Anna. The high schoolers flooded out, then the middle schoolers. Still no Anna. I started to get that mother panic vibration thing in my belly and I called the lower middle school office.

Sarah Ruhl is a playwright, essayist, teacher, mother of three and Brown University graduate. Her most recent book is Lessons from my Teachers, from preschool to the present. Her collaboration with A Great Big World, the musical Wonder, is at American Repertory Theater in Boston through February

• Head coach and forward clash during huddle

• Pair have won four NBA championships together

Warriors forward Draymond Green had a heated exchange with his head coach, Steve Kerr, in a third-quarter huddle during Monday night’s win over the Orlando Magic before leaving the court and heading to the locker room to calm down.

“We got into it obviously and I took the timeout just because I thought we lost our focus there a little bit,” Kerr said. “We had it out a little bit and he made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off and that’s all I’m going to say about it. Everything is private. I’ve got nothing further to add.”

Philip Young appears at Swindon magistrates court charged with 56 offences relating to 13-year period

A former Tory councillor has appeared in court charged with drugging and raping his former wife over a period of 13 years.

Philip Young, 49, and five other men have been accused of more than 60 rapes and sexual offences against Joanne Young, 48. She can be named as the alleged victim because she has waived her right to anonymity, which would otherwise apply in such cases.

Norman Macksoni, 47, a black British national of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, who has been charged with one count of rape and possession of extreme images.

Dean Hamilton, 46, of no fixed abode, who is white British, has been charged with one count of rape and sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual touching.

Conner Sanderson Doyle, 31, of Swindon, described as white British, has been charged with sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching.

Richard Wilkins, 61, of Toothill, Swindon, who is white British, has been charged with one count of rape and sexual touching.

Mohammed Hassan, 37, of Swindon, described by police as British Asian, has been charged with sexual touching.

• Liverpool head coach claims tackle risked serious injury

• Record signing Isak out ‘for a couple of months’, Slot says

Arne Slot has criticised Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven for the “reckless” challenge that left Alexander Isak with a fractured leg.

Liverpool will be without their record £125m signing “for a couple of months”, Slot confirmed on Tuesday, after he was injured while scoring in the team’s 2-1 win at Tottenham on Saturday. Isak had surgery on Monday to repair an ankle injury that includes a fractured fibula.

An exceptional cast, astonishing directing and the talent discovery of the decade – not to mention a plot so of-the-moment it was discussed in parliament. This may actually have been perfect TV

• The 50 best TV shows of 2025
• More on the best culture of 2025

How could it be anything else? Adolescence is the Guardian’s best television series of 2025. And you’d have to assume that we’re not the only ones who think so. In any available metric – story, theme, casting, performances, execution, impact – Adolescence has stood head and shoulders over everything else.

So ubiquitous was Adolescence upon release that it would be easy to assume that everyone in the world has watched it. But just in case, a recap. Adolescence is the story of a terrible crime, and how its shock waves ripple out across a community. In episode one, 13-year-old Jamie Miller is arrested on suspicion of murdering a female classmate. In episode two, we follow a pair of police officers through a school, and learn that Jamie was radicalised online. The third is a two-hander between Jamie and his psychologist, in which Jamie’s anger rushes to the surface. The fourth returns to Jamie’s parents, as they question what more they could have done to stop this from happening.

PC, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox; Bitmap Bureau/Reef Entertainment
Arcade specialists Bitmap Bureau ply their craft in this retro remake of James Cameron’s action film. But Terminator 2D is at its strongest when colouring outside the director’s lines

Like Arnie’s pulverised cyborg at the end of T2, the Terminator franchise has lumbered on long past the point of being properly functional. Every film since Judgment Day has been a disappointment or an outright disaster, and its video game spinoffs haven’t fared much better. While some half-decent ones have emerged, such as 2019’s Terminator: Resistance, there hasn’t been a great Terminator game in about 30 years.

So it makes perfect sense for Terminator 2D: No Fate to attempt to fix our broken future by travelling back to the past. Developer Bitmap Bureau appeals to the series’ heyday by retelling the story of Judgment Day through a medley of retro 80s and 90s playstyles. The result is a charming and frequently thrilling action throwback, though ironically it is at its strongest when it strays furthest from James Cameron’s film.

They are sustainable, contain nutrients and may deter pests, but you need to use them sparingly

The problem
Coffee lovers often wonder if waste from their morning habit can feed their plants. The internet says yes; coffee grounds are packed with nitrogen and organic matter, in theory making them a natural fertiliser and pest deterrent. But can the dregs from your cafetiere really replace plant food, or will they do more harm than good?

The hack
Adding used grounds to your plant’s soil provides a nutrient boost and improves soil texture. Some also sprinkle them directly on to the surface of pots to deter pests. It sounds like a sustainable dream come true – recycling waste into nourishment – but it’s not quite that simple.

As the number of the semi-aquatic creatures soars so can tensions. But the Swiss have a tried and tested system to calm the neighbours and restore harmony

“I hate beavers,” a woman tells the beaver hotline. Forty years ago she planted an oak tree in a small town in southern Zurich – now at the frontier of beaver expansion – and it has just been felled: gnawed by the large, semi-aquatic rodents as they enter their seasonal home-improvement mode.

The caller is one of 10 new people getting in touch each week at this time of year. Beavers, nature’s great engineers, can unleash mayhem during winter as they renovate their lodges and build up their dams. For people, this can mean flooding, sinkholes appearing in roads and trees being felled. A single incident can clock up 70,000 Swiss francs (£65,000) in damages.

The American author uses fiction to explore the life of her Chinese mother as she seeks to understand the violence that marked their relationship

At first glance, the protagonist of Gish Jen’s latest novel seems like many of the other Chinese American immigrants Jen has portrayed so astutely in her decades-long career. Loo Shu-hsin is born into privilege in 1924 – her father is a banker in the largely British-run International Settlement of Shanghai – but her life is marked by her mother’s constant belittlement. “Bad bad girl! You don’t know how to talk,” she’s told, after speaking out of turn. “With a tongue like yours, no one will ever marry you.” Her only solace in the household is a nursemaid, Nai-ma, who vanishes one day without warning – a psychic wound that lingers even as she grows up, emigrates to the US and enrols in a PhD programme.

In one striking way, however, Loo Shu-hsin is different from Jen’s previous protagonists: she happens to be Jen’s own mother. Bad Bad Girl is in part a fictionalised reconstruction of Jen’s mother’s life, in service of a searching attempt to excavate their troubled relationship. “All my life, after all,” Jen writes, “I have wanted to know how our relationship went wrong – how I became her nemesis, her bête noire, her lightning rod, a scapegoat.”

Four-year-old child among those killed in drone and missile assault targeting energy infrastructure amid cold snap

A massive Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine has killed three people and cut power to several Ukrainian regions two days before Christmas and as the country enters a cold snap.

Russia sent more than 650 drones and more than 30 missiles into Ukraine in the attack, which began overnight and continued into Tuesday morning, local officials said. At least three people were killed, including a four-year-old child.

Ahead of his new album, My Days of 58, the US singer-songwriter will answer your questions for the Guardian’s reader interview

In a career hardly plagued with lows, Bill Callahan has been on a hot streak recently. Since 2019’s Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, the Maryland-born songwriter has shared his beguiling meditations on being changed by parenthood and marriage, while his music has loosened and expanded accordingly. The latter is in part down to the chemistry that Callahan has formed with his live band – guitarist Matt Kinsey, saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi and drummer Jim White also of the Dirty Three – audible on the extraordinary 2024 live album Resuscitate! It’s this ensemble and their facility for improv that powers Callahan’s forthcoming solo record, My Days of 58, the first tastes of which offer up some Callahan wisdom.

The song Lonely City, he said, was an odd one for him to write, being generally more concerned with “humans and the spirit within”.

So writing about concrete and steel felt like a no go. Like I’m going to write a song about a car next? But of course cities are made by humans so they are human, too. You have a relationship with them, like friends.

Like many of his US counterparts, the Russian science prodigy turned hugely successful ‘digital populist’ has a deep suspicion of government constraint

Tech visionary, Kremlin dissident, FSB agent, free speech absolutist, health guru. These are just some of the labels admirers and critics have attached to Pavel Durov over the past decade.

The Russian-born tech entrepreneur founded Russia’s version of Facebook before going on to create the messaging app Telegram, launch a cryptocurrency ecosystem and amass a multibillion-dollar fortune, all while clashing repeatedly with authorities in Russia and beyond.

Political backbiting has led to accusations Fifa is running the show as tournament switches to four-year cycle

It was a decision that took many by surprise, although not those who have been watching closely since February 2020. Members of the Confederation of African Football’s (Caf) executive committee, along with various other dignitaries including George Weah, the former Ballon d’Or winner and president of Liberia at the time, were assembled in Rabat at a seminar to hear Gianni Infantino outline his plan for the development of competitions and infrastructure in African football.

As well as improving standards in refereeing and mobilising investment in the continent’s infrastructure, the president of Fifa floated the prospect of holding its most important tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations, every four years instead of every two and described the current arrangement as “useless”. The argument ran that it would be more beneficial for countries “at the commercial level” and would help to “project African football to the top of the world”. “Let us show the world what we can do,” added Infantino. “This day is special – it’s the start of a new chapter for African football.”

The chaos is undeniable, but where else are you going to get a pair of jeans and a pistachio-cream panettone cake for such a reasonable price?

‘Oh it’s a mess!” my mum says, shaking her head. “It’s like a jumble sale.” I’m fresh from a trip to TK Maxx, and all I’m getting is negativity. A couple of days later I’m watching Educating Yorkshire when it happens again: one of the teachers tells his pupils to tidy up, lest their classroom look like one of its stores.

Quite frankly, I’m sick of the slander. Sure, I’ve been in some branches that do look like a tornado has just blown through them. But, these days, they’re few and far between. My local TK Maxx, in a nice enough London suburb, is tidy and organised – so much so that when I hid a pair of Good American jeans the other day to “have a think” and then circled back for them, they had already been moved.

Hannah J Davies is a freelance culture writer and editor