⚽ Get updates from England, Scotland and further afield
⚽ Live scores | Tables | Follow us on Bluesky | Email Billy

This afternoon’s fixtures (3pm kick-off GMT unless stated)

Premier League
Brighton v Burnley
Wolves v West Ham

The world will be anxious, and rightly so. For a man so bent on a peace prize, Trump appears to revel in conflict

The overthrow and reported capture by invading US forces of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s hardline socialist president, will send a shiver of fear and consternation around the world. The coup is illegal, unprovoked and regionally and globally destabilising. It upends international norms, ignores sovereign territorial rights, and potentially creates an anarchic situation inside Venezuela itself.

It is chaos made policy. But this is the world we now live in – the world according to Donald Trump.

New documents reveal numerous missed opportunities as experts and victims condemn US authorities’ failures

Over the course of two decades, Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly appeared on law enforcement’s radar for sexual misconduct involving teen girls and young women. And over this same period of time, Epstein avoided serious and meaningful punishment for his crimes.

The US justice department’s recent disclosure of long-secret investigative files related to Epstein has once again raised the question of why he wasn’t interdicted sooner, despite numerous reports of misconduct. The issue has been the subject of many conspiracy theories, often focusing on the idea that Epstein – who lived at the center of a network of powerful people – enjoyed some form of protection.

From squats and lunges to the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, physiotherapists share advice on how to maintain strong knees and avoid pain

Of all the lower body joints, the knee is probably the one most likely to send you to the physiotherapist.

“It carries most of the weight of the body, and being a hinge joint, it means that it doesn’t have a nice socket structure,” says physiotherapist Dr Jillian Eyles, from the University of Sydney. “It relies on the ligaments and the joint capsules and the muscles around it to really stabilise the joint, and it’s fairly easy to injure compared to another joint that’s more supported.”

Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning

From therapy to running and conversing with strangers, we asked experts what the basics are of starting anything new

The hardest part of any new habit or activity is starting it. Do you need special equipment? How do you know if you’re doing it right? What are the basics, and how do you take your practice to the next level?

In the series How to start, we ask experts to break down how to start, well, anything – including running, dating, cooking and lucid dreaming.

Figure out what you enjoy by checking out a variety of books from the library, but don’t force it. If you’re not enjoying a volume, put it down and move on to the next.

Start with short books and whichever medium – physical books, ebooks or audiobooks – works best for you.

Make reading fun and sociable by sharing books with friends, or joining a book club.

Think about your dreams more – way more. Start by keeping a dream journal and recording your dreams every day.

Cultivate the intention to lucid dream. While you’re awake, think: “The next time I have a dream, I’m going to figure out it’s a dream,” says Dr Ken Paller, professor of psychology at Northwestern University.

The Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB) and Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (Mild) techniques can be effective ways to try to lucid dream – but don’t try it more than two to three times a week as they can be tiring.

You don’t need to teach a dog as many commands – some trainers call them cues – as they might think. Two cues – “sit” and “come” – are essential for minimizing behavioral issues and recall.

Besides basic safety commands, think about training functionally.

There’s no need to spend hours on training. Sessa says she usually suggests her clients work with their dogs for no more than 10 to 15 minutes a day.

Begin in a plank position, with your hands and toes on the ground and feet set wide or narrow. Lower yourself until your body is almost touching the ground, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle. Then push yourself back up.

Make sure to maintain correct form, with a line from head to heels, and don’t rush through reps.

Make sure you have the basic tools for cooking: a chef’s knife, a cutting board, a a nonstick pan, baking sheets and spatulas.

Quality spices and pantry staples can improve your cooking. Stock up on good kosher salt, fresh black pepper, olive oil, a neutral oil (like canola oil or avocado oil) for high temperature cooking, a couple of vinegars, bags of rice and some beans.

Watch a knife skills class (many are free online) to master essential techniques.

Try recipes that will teach you core cooking skills, like a lentil soup, to learn how to time sauteing and simmering; or a three-egg omelet, to learn heat control.

Cleansers: Start and end your day with a gentle cleanser.

Moisturizers: For all skin types, moisturizers heal and protect the skin.

Sunscreen: No matter the weather, always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen – at least SPF 30 or higher.

Alternate running and walking. Run for short periods, then walk to recover – this makes the workout more manageable. Over time, you can increase the period of time running, and aim to take fewer walking breaks.

Avoid running too fast or too much. Keep a conversational pace, where you can talk and run at the same time and be sure to take time off as your body adjusts to the new routine.

Get good running shoes. Buying in-person is best, especially if you can visit a running store where you can get properly fitted and try a wide variety of shoes.

Don’t push yourself to run as long and far as you can. It can be draining and lead to injury.

⚽ Premier League updates from the 12.30pm GMT kick-off
⚽ Live scores | Tables | Follow us on Bluesky | Email Sarah

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has confirmed Callum Hudson-Odoi has picked up a knock which is why he is not involved today. He told Sky Sports:

We don’t think it’s too serious… this game has come around a bit quick with another in a few days.

Shall we just put this one to bed early in two words? Sol. Campbell.

Sol Campbell, God bless his soul!

⚽ Scottish Premiership updates, 12.30pm GMT kick-off
⚽ Live scores | Tables | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail David

Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy has his say ahead of kick-off. Teams now warming up.

“This is a special game. It’s a rivalry, so we know the importance of this game. My player wants to do well for them, obviously, but also for the fans, for the club.

Trump’s unprecedented capture of Nicolás Maduro follows months of military campaign and years of strained relationship

• US attacks Venezuela – live updates

Overnight on Friday, the US carried out airstrikes across Venezuela, with explosions rocking the capital, Caracas, before dawn. Shortly afterwards, Donald Trump announced that US forces had captured the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flown them out of the country.

The stunning attack and unprecedented capture of a sitting president follow months of an intense US pressure campaign against Venezuela. Since September, the US navy has amassed a huge fleet off the Venezuelan coast and carried out airstrikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific and seized Venezuelan oil tankers. At least 110 people have been killed in the strikes on boats, which human rights groups say could amount to war crimes.

Venezuelan officials have accused the US of trying to gain access to the country’s oil reserves, the largest in the world.

The bombardment of Venezuela and the capture of Maduro is a serious and dramatic escalation of the US campaign. The future of Venezuela’s ruling regime remains uncertain.

Guardian writers and readers share the simple tricks they use to bring a bit of joy into their lives

During the pandemic, my husband found some wood on our street and used it to build a tiny, squirrel-sized picnic table. We attached it to the side of our fence with a handful of peanuts on top. Few sights are guaranteed to lift my day more than watching a “dining in” Nutkin parking its rump on the tiny wooden seat, occasionally glancing towards the house as if he’s waiting for you to bring the drinks. If you don’t have as much time on your hands as my husband did during lockdown, you can buy one on Etsy.

US president confirms attack on Venezuela and says Nicolás Maduro and wife Cilia Flores have been flown out of country

•​ US strikes on Venezuela – live updates

The US president, Donald Trump, has said Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been captured and flown out of the country after a “large scale” pre-dawn assault on Caracas and the surrounding region. Here is what we know so far:

US attorney general Pam Bondi says deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face criminal charges after an indictment in New York. Bondi vowed in a social media post that the couple will “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts”.

In a statement on X, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Maduro is “under indictment for pushing drugs in the United States”. Republican US Senator Mike Lee said on Saturday that Rubio had told him that he “anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody”.

Earlier, Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that the US had “captured” Venezuela’s dictator, Maduro, and his wife, and flown them out of the South American country after a pre-dawn assault on Caracas and the surrounding region.

Venezuela’s government accused the US of launching a series of attacks against civilian and military targets in the South American country, after explosions rocked its capital, Caracas, before dawn on Saturday.

In a statement, Venezuela’s government urged citizens to rise up against the assault and said Washington risked plunging Latin America into chaos with “an extremely serious” act of “military aggression”. It added: “The entire country must mobilise to defeat this imperialist aggression.”

Explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday. In its statement, Venezuela’s government confirmed that the city had come under attack, as well as three other states: Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua.

Venezuela has accused the US of trying to “seize control” of country’s resources, in particular its oil and minerals. Th country has called on the international community to denounce what it called a flagrant violation of international law that put millions of lives at risk.

In the early hours of Saturday the president of neighbouring Colombia, Gustavo Petro, called for an immediate emergency session of the UN security council, saying on social media that Venezuela had come under attack.

UK prime minister Keir Starmer has reacted to Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela saying: “The UK was not involved in any way in this operation.” He added that “we should all uphold international law”.

Russia has demanded “immediate” clarification about the circumstances of the capture of Maduro during an attack ordered by Trump. Earlier, Venezuela’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, said the US needed to provide “proof of life” for Maduro.

Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said the US bombardment of Venezuelan territory and the capture of Maduro “cross an unacceptable line”, amounting to a “grave affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent” for the international community.

President Gustavo Petro says Colombia rejects US aggression against sovereignty of Venezuela

• US attacks Venezuela: latest news updates

• What we know so far about the attack

• Watch: Aircraft fly low over Caracas as explosions hit city

Colombia has mobilised its armed forces in the aftermath of US strikes on neighbouring Venezuela. President Gustavo Petro said Colombia was concerned about refugees fleeing in the aftermath of the attacks.

Petro posted on X that his government had held a national security meeting in which it was decided that forces should be sent to the border amid a potential “massive influx” of people leaving Venezuela.

The state has created the first registry in the US to track repeat domestic violence offenders

Let’s say you’re going on a first date and you want to make sure the person you’re meeting up with isn’t a registered sex offender. If you live in the US, you can find this out very quickly: there’s a centralized website provided by the US Department of Justice that lets you search a name or location in seconds.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian US columnist

From Britain’s medieval buildings to western pop and contemporary art, these creations showcase our interwoven stories

We are repeatedly sold a painfully two-dimensional picture of the motivations of those seeking shelter in Britain. According to this picture, migrants are eager to experience the benefits of our society, but they are also out to undermine it, because they come from cultures whose values are dramatically different from our own. Think of the ongoing “grooming gangs” scandal: an undeniably appalling series of events, institutional failures and victim-blaming that has been transformed into a narrative that suggests any “alien” is likely to be a sexual predator, since their predatory behaviour is a direct consequence of their religious and cultural background.

So often, all we are allowed to know about asylum seekers is that they are asking – with irritating persistence – for a place in our social fabric, as if they have no world of their own, no cultural hinterland, no really recognisable human values aside from mysterious and dangerous belief systems. This explains why there is now a feverish pressure to instantly reveal the ethnicity of any suspect in a major crime of unprovoked violence – as with the Cambridgeshire train attack (where, confusingly, it transpired that the hero of the day was a man of north African background), or the tabloid habit of illustrating stories about migrants with images of young men, usually of Middle Eastern appearance.

The photographer’s painted bottles and hoops enhanced a carefree afternoon on a Burmese beach

As a tuk-tuk driver, Moe Wai feels that he has honed both his observational and people skills. Wai lives and works in Myin Ka Par, a village in Myanmar, and became interested in mobile photography several years ago. In this instance, he used his phone to capture this gaggle of local children as they were returning home from school.

“They were playing on a sandbank with their own plastic bottles,” Wai recalls. He’d been collating props for some time; bottles and hoops he had painted in a variety of colours, including neon pink. “The children were happy to let me replace theirs with my own colourful ones for the purpose of this photo.” He later applied some minor edits using the Lightroom app.

The US may be making positive noises, but exhausted Ukrainians remain wary after nearly four years of war

“I would give anything in the world if, in this address, I could say that peace will also come in just a few minutes,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a message to the Ukrainian people released just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. “Unfortunately, I cannot say that yet.”

Zelenskyy said a peace agreement was “90% ready”, but added something that subverted Donald Trump’s constant claims that a deal is just around the corner. “Those 10% contain, in fact, everything,” he said.

Prof Shitij Kapur says there are too many graduates and degree is now just a ‘visa’ to enter professional world

The UK now has a “surfeit” of graduates and students must accept that a university degree is no longer a “passport to social mobility”, a leading vice-chancellor has argued.

Prof Shitij Kapur, the head of King’s College London, said the days when universities could promise that their graduates were certain to get good jobs are over, in an era where nearly half the population enters higher education.

The presenter on a Strictly apology, her high-wire triumph, and flashing her knickers at David Cameron

Born in Cumbria, Helen Skelton, 42, began her broadcasting career at BBC Radio Cumbria and Newsround. From 2008 to 2013, she was a Blue Peter presenter. Her other credits include reporting on the London 2012 Olympics and presenting Countryfile and BBC Morning Live; she also voices Annie in Fireman Sam. In 2023, she published her autobiography, In My Stride. A new series of her show Lost and Found in the Lakes starts on 5 January on BBC One. She lives in Cumbria and has three children with her former husband, Richie Myler.

What is your greatest fear?
Getting to the end and thinking that I haven’t laughed enough.

Palmer and Delap are among five academy players who learnt their trade at City, as links between the clubs grow

Chelsea’s visit to Manchester City on Sunday will be a homecoming for members of the travelling party. Five Chelsea players were nurtured at the academy that sits a few hundred yards from the Etihad Stadium, on the other side of a bridge.

The London club’s recent recruitment has been heavily influenced by City’s teaching of players and coaches. Tosin Adarabioyo, Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Roméo Lavia were members of City’s youth ranks, most working there under Enzo Maresca. If one thread was unpicked this week when Maresca dramatically departed Chelsea, the link remains strong because Sunday’s caretaker, Calum McFarlane, was formerly the under-18s assistant manager at City.

Donald Trump says Nicolás Maduro and wife captured by US during ‘large scale strike against Venezuela’

• Full report: US captures Maduro during ‘large scale’ attack

• Why has US attacked Caracas and captured Venezuela’s president?

• What we know so far about the attack

• Watch: Aircraft fly low over Caracas as explosions hit city

The Reuters news agency says it has been told by a US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, that the US carried out strikes inside Venezuela on Saturday.

The unnamed official did not provide details. As mentioned earlier, the White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to request for comment on Saturday morning.

After 35 years of teaching fiction writing, the prize-winning author shares her wisdom. First tip? Don’t write what you know…

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to want to write a first sentence so idiosyncratic, so indelible, so entirely your own that it makes people sit up or reach for a pen or say to a beloved: “Listen to this.” A first line needn’t be ornate or long. It needn’t grab you by the lapels and give you what for. A first line is only a demand for further attention, an invitation to the rest of the book. Whisper or bellow, a polite request or a monologue meant to repel interruption. I believe a first line should deliver some sort of pleasure by being beautiful or mysterious or funny or blunt or cryptic. Why would anyone start a novel, “It was June, and the sun was out,” which could be the first line of any novel or story? It tells you nothing. It asks nothing of you.

Ailing economy sparks biggest uprising in years, with protesters saying it’s time to hit regime when it’s at its weakest

Mehnaz was too young to protest when Mahsa Amini died in police custody three years ago after she was arrested for allegedly wearing the hijab improperly. Her mother did not let her join the throngs of crowds chanting “woman, life, freedom” in Tehran and across the country – so she could only watch at home as they were beaten back by batons and bullets.

Since then, the 19-year-old computer science student in Tehran has waited for the chance to join fellow Iranians in protest. On Sunday, the moment finally came.

Spaniard resumes intense rivalry with Jannik Sinner, while Sabalenka and Swiatek remain at the top of women’s game

In the endless flood of Instagram photo dumps and gushy captions from social media users around the world saluting another year gone by, Carlos Alcaraz’s efforts were particularly interesting. The candid photos from his camera roll included dozens of friends and family, various barbecues and his many haircuts throughout the year, but there was no room for one notable individual: Juan Carlos Ferrero.

The abrupt dissolution of their partnership is one of the most shocking recent coaching splits and the reaction has been dramatic. Journalists swarmed outside Alcaraz’s tennis club in El Palmar a day after the news in their futile attempts to speak with the world No 1, then Ferrero decided to give a number of interviews to offer his own side of the story.

From Trader Joe’s totes to Greggs jewellery, swag mania reveals how small businesses can promote their ‘brands’ – and how we use stuff to signal our tribe

For all its many charms, Norwich tends to lag behind London on internet-buzzy trends (personally, I count that as among its charms), but it’s not always easy to pinpoint by exactly how long. So I was interested to spot, on a recent trip into the fine city, a woman carrying a Trader Joe’s-branded tote bag.

Trader Joe’s is a US supermarket; it does not operate in the UK, let alone East Anglia. And yet its merchandise – specifically this black-strapped, red-stamped but otherwise unremarkable tote bag – has been increasingly ubiquitous in London this year, as noted by the New York Times in July.