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Ira ‘Ike’ Schab, one of last remaining Pearl Harbor survivors, dies aged 105

Schab was a 21-year-old navy musician aboard USS Dobbin when Japan carried out surprise attack in 1941

A second world war veteran who was among the last survivors of the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor died on Saturday.

Ira “Ike” Schab, who served in the US navy at the time of the bombing, was 105, according to a statement from the USS Arizona Memorial, which pays tribute to military members who were killed at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.

The Associated Press contributed reporting

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© Photograph: Mengshin Lin/AP

© Photograph: Mengshin Lin/AP

© Photograph: Mengshin Lin/AP

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Élysée Palace staff member accused of stealing tableware worth up to €40,000

Silver steward is one of three people arrested in connection with alleged theft from presidential residence

A silver steward employed at the Élysée Palace in Paris has been arrested for stealing silverware and porcelain, amid a wave of thefts from high-profile French institutions.

Investigators arrested the man and two alleged accomplices last week. They are accused of taking the objects from the official Paris residence of the French president and trying to sell them on online auction websites such as Vinted.

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© Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images

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The kindness of strangers: a boy picked up my spilled shopping when I was too pregnant to reach the ground

I’d turned around for a second but that was all it took for my trolley to start rolling away. Before I could react, it tipped over

I was heavily pregnant with twins and doing the weekly grocery shop for our already-large family. Doing much of anything when you’re that big isn’t fun, especially as I was battling issues including constant, intermittent contractions. Bending over to load groceries into the boot was sure to set the contractions off, so I was already dreading getting everything into the car.

I wheeled my shopping trolley out to the car park, then got my keys out to open the car and put my handbag on the passenger seat. I’d turned around for a second but that was all it took for my trolley to start rolling away. Before I could react, it had shot away from me and tipped over, spilling its contents across the ground.

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© Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design

© Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design

© Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design

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Readers reply: what is – or was – the best-ever internet meme?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

The dramatic chipmunk, distracted boyfriend, the raccoon with the candy floss or “success kid”, what is – or was – the absolute top, world-beating, best-ever internet meme? Antony Scacchi, Los Angeles, US

Send new questions to nq@theguardian.com. The next new question and replies to this week’s question will appear on Sunday 4 January.

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© Photograph: AntonioGuillem/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: AntonioGuillem/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: AntonioGuillem/Getty Images/iStockphoto

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The Trump administration is trying to legislate trans people out of existence | Judith Levine

Robert F Kennedy Jr is pushing a plan to block medical treatments, the latest move against bodily autonomy

On Thursday, when Robert F Kennedy Jr announced an effort to block medical treatments for transgender youth, he used the term “sex-rejecting procedures” in place of “gender-affirming care”.

And where transgender advocates and healthcare providers view puberty blockers, hormones and (in rare cases) surgical interventions as suicide prevention measures, the health secretary claimed that these “procedures” will do the opposite: “rob children of their futures.”

Judith Levine is a Brooklyn-based journalist, essayist and author of five books. Her Substack is Today in Fascism

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© Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP

© Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP

© Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP

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Joe Wicks looks back: ‘When I look at that picture, I think about the care and love a kid needs’

The health and fitness coach on his difficult childhood, why he’s never been single – and doing his first YouTube workout with a broken hand

Born in Epsom in 1985, Joe Wicks is a health and fitness coach and author. He studied sports science at St Mary’s University and started posting recipes and workouts on social media in 2014, while working as a personal trainer. His Lean in 15 videos went viral, leading to a bestselling publishing career. During the pandemic, Wicks hosted daily livestreamed PE lessons, raised more than £1m for charity and earned an MBE. His 13th book, Protein In 15, is out now.

I was always covered in food as a kid – a real messy eater. This was probably readymade spaghetti from a tin. Our family didn’t have the greatest diet – we were on benefits, a lot of our money went on Dad’s heroin addiction, and Mum was young and didn’t know much about nutrition.

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© Photograph: Courtesy of Joe Wicks

© Photograph: Courtesy of Joe Wicks

© Photograph: Courtesy of Joe Wicks

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Trump does presidency via Truth Social – what are Americans missing out on?

Since just 3% of Americans use platform Trump owns, public may be unaware of his mental state and performance

When Donald Trump has something to say, he takes to Truth Social.

Trump has used the platform to announce policies on everything from the economy to travel bans, making declarations that are key for Americans seeking information about his government.

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© Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

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Thanks to Donald Trump, 2025 was a good year … for white-collar criminals

Why would the Trump administration choose to set aside consequences from criminals whose actions threaten the stability of the broader American economy?

When Islamic State needed to move and disguise its money, it turned, US prosecutors said in 2023, to the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange: Binance. So too did al-Qaida, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which used the platform to help bankroll its operations in the years leading up to the 7 October attack in Israel. Binance was not accused of directly financing these groups, but prosecutors found that it knowingly allowed its exchange to function as a conduit – enabling extremist organisations to shift funds, evade scrutiny and frustrate investigations.

At the centre of it all was Binance’s founder and chief executive, Changpeng Zhao. By 2024, the self-styled “king” of crypto had fallen from grace, pleading guilty to money laundering charges and entering prison, while Binance agreed to pay a record $4.3bn penalty for its role in facilitating terrorist financing. The case was hailed as a rare victory for regulators willing to take on the industry’s biggest players – and for victims of the violence linked to those financial flows. Among them were the families of US citizens killed on 7 October, who are now suing Binance in a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of “pitching itself to terrorist organisations”.

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© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

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Do prawns feel pain? Why scientists are urging a rethink of Australia’s favoured festive food

Studies show crustaceans can learn, remember, solve problems and form relationships

Crustaceans are a festive season staple for many families, particularly in Australia where an estimated 18.5m kilograms of prawns and more than 150,000 lobsters are eaten over Christmas and New Year.

Globally, trillions are caught and consumed each year. Australia is a major producer, with prawn, lobster and crab industries valued at more than $1bn.

Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter

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© Photograph: Steven Markham/AAP

© Photograph: Steven Markham/AAP

© Photograph: Steven Markham/AAP

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Sea change: the drive to restore millions of oysters on the Norfolk coast

The first ever mass deployment of mother reef bricks aims to rebuild habitats – and could reshape the North Sea

Allie Wharf’s career unfolded amid conflict. As a senior foreign producer for Newsnight, she reported on Iraq and Afghanistan. Just two years ago, she was filming mass graves in Ukraine.

But burnt out by wars, and after a detour farming ducks in Tanzania, Wharf has now settled on the quiet north Norfolk coast. Here, alongside her life and business partner, Willie Athill, she has embarked on a different kind of mission: the creation of Europe’s largest natural oyster reef.

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© Photograph: Purina oyster heaven

© Photograph: Purina oyster heaven

© Photograph: Purina oyster heaven

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Extremists are using AI voice cloning to supercharge propaganda. Experts say it’s helping them grow

Researchers warn generative tools are helping militant groups from neo-Nazis to the Islamic State spread ideology

While the artificial intelligence boom is upending sections of the music industry, voice generating bots are also becoming a boon to another unlikely corner of the internet: extremist movements that are using them to recreate the voices and speeches of major figures in their milieu, and experts say it is helping them grow.

“The adoption of AI-enabled translation by terrorists and extremists marks a significant evolution in digital propaganda strategies,” said Lucas Webber, a senior threat intelligence analyst at Tech Against Terrorism and a research fellow at the Soufan Center. Webber specializes in monitoring the online tools of terrorist groups and extremists around the world.

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© Illustration: Guardian Design

© Illustration: Guardian Design

© Illustration: Guardian Design

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Lindsey Vonn, 41, adds yet another podium to blistering comeback start

  • Vonn places third again in super-G at Val-d’Isère

  • 41-year-old logs 142nd World Cup podium finish

  • Milan-Cortina Olympics firmly in sight for US star

Sofia Goggia finally got the win her fast skiing this season deserved in a World Cup super-G on Sunday and Lindsey Vonn was third for the second straight day.

The two former Olympic downhill champions were split on a high-class podium by runner-up Alice Robinson, who is already a two-time winner this season on the World Cup circuit.

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© Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock

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A tape measure, a metal detector and a spirit level: 25 surprisingly useful things you can do with your phone


While many use our phones predominantly to doomscroll, smartphones have a range of little-known functions that could make life better and easier – from heart monitoring to even developing camera film

Our smartphones are magical things – far more than dopamine drip providers and a way to keep in touch with friends and family. Using the built-in features and easily available additional apps, there are plenty of clever things you can do with your smartphone.

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© Illustration: Getty Images

© Illustration: Getty Images

© Illustration: Getty Images

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The Guardian view on the Palestine Action hunger strikers: the government is trying to ignore this protest | Editorial

Doctors have warned that the lives of these prisoners are now in danger. Pretending this is not happening is not good enough

In 1981, IRA and other republican prisoners went on hunger strike in Northern Ireland, demanding the restoration of their political status. Ten would die; extraordinarily, their leader, Bobby Sands, had been elected as an MP by the time of his death. Margaret Thatcher took a hardline public stance. But by the end, behind the scenes, the government was looking for an exit, and public opinion had shifted significantly.

The lives of the Palestine Action-affiliated remand prisoners now on hunger strike are at growing risk. On Friday, two reached day 48 without food. (In 1981, one IRA prisoner – 29-year-old Martin Hurson – died on the 46th day.) Twenty-year-old Qesser Zuhrah is being treated in hospital after she reportedly collapsed at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey. Amu Gib, 30, has also been treated. Three more have refused food for more than 40 days and another, who has diabetes, is eating only every other day. Two others have now ended their protest, one after hospitalisation.

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.

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© Photograph: Martin Pope/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Martin Pope/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Martin Pope/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

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Gunmen kill nine in Johannesburg township in South Africa’s second mass shooting this month

Attackers wound 10 others in Bekkersdal after opening fire at people in a bar and ‘randomly’ shooting in the street, police say

Nine people have been killed after gunmen opened fire at a bar near Johannesburg in the second mass shooting in South Africa this month.

Ten more were wounded in the early morning attack at the tavern in the impoverished Bekkersdal township in a gold mining area about 25 miles (40km) south-west of Johannesburg.

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© Photograph: Alfonso Nqunjana/AP

© Photograph: Alfonso Nqunjana/AP

© Photograph: Alfonso Nqunjana/AP

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Top economists call for halt to Sri Lanka debt repayments after Cyclone Ditwah

Group of 120 experts including Joseph Stiglitz urge fresh debt restructuring plan given scale of destruction

A group of the world’s top economists – including the Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz – have called for Sri Lanka’s debt payments to be suspended as it tackles the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

More than 600 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of homes destroyed across the island, in what Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, called the “largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history”.

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© Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images

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The books quiz of 2025 – set by Mick Herron, Bernardine Evaristo, Ali Smith and more

The romantic proclivities of the Shelleys, a notable corpse and a diner delight – test your knowledge with questions posed by favourite authors

• In the mood for more? For all our crosswords and sudoku, as well as our new football game, On The Ball, and film quiz, Film Reveal, download the Guardian app. Available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

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© Composite: Phil Hackett; Ali Smith, Antonio Olmos, Andy Hall/The Guardian

© Composite: Phil Hackett; Ali Smith, Antonio Olmos, Andy Hall/The Guardian

© Composite: Phil Hackett; Ali Smith, Antonio Olmos, Andy Hall/The Guardian

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Sister of Epstein victim reported him in 1996, but FBI failed to investigate, files reveal

Maria Farmer, whose sister Annie was abused by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, says Epstein ‘stole’ nude images

While Donald Trump’s justice department did not deliver on a legal requirement to disclose all Jeffrey Epstein-related files by Friday, one document in an otherwise underwhelming disclosure lifted the veil on authorities’ inaction – and its dire consequences for dozens of teen girls.

That document is an FBI report from Maria Farmer, a painter who worked for Epstein around 1996.

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© Photograph: Netflix/Courtesy of Netflix

© Photograph: Netflix/Courtesy of Netflix

© Photograph: Netflix/Courtesy of Netflix

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There’s a new space race – will the billionaires win?

The commercialisation of the cosmos is already underway, and our current laws aren’t fit for purpose

If there is one thing we can rely on in this world, it is human hubris, and space and astronomy are no exception.

The ancients believed that everything revolved around Earth. In the 16th century, Copernicus and his peers overturned that view with the heliocentric model. Since then, telescopes and spacecraft have revealed just how insignificant we are. There are hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, each star a sun like ours, many with planets orbiting them. In 1995, the Hubble space telescope captured its first deep-field image: this showed us that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in our known universe, huge wheeling collections of stars dispersed through space.

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© Illustration: Elia Barbieri/The Guardian

© Illustration: Elia Barbieri/The Guardian

© Illustration: Elia Barbieri/The Guardian

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Not just love, actually: why romance fiction is booming

From Emily Henry to Rebecca Yarros and Alison Espach’s The Wedding People – romance has dominated the book charts this year. So why is it still dismissed by critics?

People buy lipstick when the world is falling apart. This genuine economic theory, known as the “lipstick index”, was first noted by Leonard Lauder (son of the more famous Estée). When the world seems very bleak – in the weeks and months after the twin towers fell, for instance, or after the 2008 financial crash – and spending generally goes down, lipstick sales trend strongly upwards.

The psychological truth at the heart of this equation is real: when people have less than they need, they spend more on small, beautiful things. It’s easy, maybe, to dismiss this in the way most feminine-coded things are dismissed: frivolous, wasteful, foolish. But that would be a mistake. A single treasure, bright and gorgeous, is like a talisman; a candle in the night. It is possible, with your small candle, to make your way in the darkness. One delight, against all this. The world crumbles, and lipstick sales go up.

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© Composite: N/A

© Composite: N/A

© Composite: N/A

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Alarm over ‘exploding’ rise in use of sanctions-busting shadow fleet

Fear that confrontation is on the cards as policing of ships becomes more aggressive and Russia challenges Europe

The “shadow fleet” used by Russia, Iran and Venezuela to avoid western sanctions and ship cargo to customers including China and India is “exploding” in its scale and scope, and there are concerns that efforts to counter it are drawing closer to dangerous military confrontations.

Complicating the issue is that Russia has begun putting its own flag on some former shadow fleet tankers, in an open challenge to Europe.

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© Photograph: Reuters | Security Service of Ukraine

© Photograph: Reuters | Security Service of Ukraine

© Photograph: Reuters | Security Service of Ukraine

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Arrogant England’s cricket machine collapses like a castle of dust in 11 days | Barney Ronay

So this is Christmas. And what have we done? The Ashes is over. With two Tests still to come

When the moment finally came the visuals were perfect: clean lines, neat angles, figures picked out in crisp afternoon sun against the almost satirical splendour of Adelaide Oval.

Scott Boland took the final wicket to seal Australia’s unassailable 3-0 Ashes series lead, the 74th time this moment has been played out down the centuries, and immediately the white shapes converged to form a bobbing huddle. England’s batters stood in an attitude of formal deflation. The umpires began their priestly last-things walk, framed against that huge, empty, lime-green field.

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© Photograph: Matt Turner/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Matt Turner/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Matt Turner/Shutterstock

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The US healthcare system hurts poor Americans. It’s about to get worse

As Congress cuts healthcare access to pay for tax cuts and poor Americans die earlier, billionaires invest in anti-ageing

There’s a weird disconnect to the public debate about health in the United States. In January, millions of Americans may drop their health insurance as premiums skyrocket following the Trump administration’s decision to end federal subsidies that helped some 20 million people afford insurance on the Obamacare marketplaces.

Earlier this year, Republicans in Congress agreed to cut more than $850bn from the 10-year budgets of Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income people, and the Chip health insurance program for children, in order to pay for some tax cuts. Given the US’s budgetary rules, that cut means an additional $500bn in funding for Medicare is at risk.

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© Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

© Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

© Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

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This is how we do it: ‘Even after 16 years I only have to look at him and I’m ready to go’

Ally and Jason met when she was 25 and he was 47. After more than a decade apart, they’re back together and their sexual connection is stronger than ever

How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously

Ally notices the occasional looks people give us, and her response is to ask me to give her a kiss in front of them

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© Illustration: Ryan Gillett/The Guardian

© Illustration: Ryan Gillett/The Guardian

© Illustration: Ryan Gillett/The Guardian

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