89 minutes ago The Christmas that went wrong: The day was saved by the new friend I’d made on a drunken night out

I was alone in New York during the pandemic, in the aftermath of a breakup and unable to go home. A Korean family taught me to believe in the kindness of strangersLike many Jewish families, the Wolfsons take Christmas extremely seriously. Latkes and smoked salmon are served before homemade cranberry sauce and brussels sprouts. My dad’s hand-painted menorah, which he made during the ceramics cafe boom of the early 2000s, sits proudly underneath the Christmas tree.As such, I had never missed a Christmas with the family – although there had been some near misses. In 2019, we spent Christmas by my dad’s hospital bed after his stroke – us sipping on hospital canteen gingerbread lattes, him having Christmas dinner in the guise of vanilla-scented protein, fed through a tube. In 2020, I saw my family only from six feet away, double-masked and on the doorstep. I delivered presents, but they were not opened for a few days, to let any stray virus dissipate. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Man questioned over death of Scots mum on Crete 'was stalker', claims son

Police in Greece are preparing to interrogate the suspect in relation to the death of Jean Hanlon, 53, from Dumfries, whose body was found in Heraklion harbour in March 2009.

Events

3 hours ago Welsh TikTokers go viral in New York 'takeover' as Americans say they're 'obsessed'

'I hope y'all make it home safe and sound. New York misses you already, please come back' - is what one person said after following the Welsh TikTokers' videos

Politics

3 hours ago Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi issue 'do not eat' warning as festive favourites urgently recalled

Some of the UK's most popular supermarkets have issued urgent recalls on a range of products including beef slices and cheese amid concerns they might be 'unsafe'

Events

5 hours ago Victoria bushfire fight continues in Grampians as flood warnings persist in parts of Queensland

Firefighters battle to contain out-of-control blaze ahead of hotter conditions on Boxing DayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFirefighters battled to contain an out-of-control bushfire in Victoria’s west on Sunday before temperatures spike in the region on Boxing Day.The fire in Grampians National park, about three hours west of Melbourne, grew to 34,000 hectares on Sunday after it was ignited by a series of lightning strikes almost a week ago.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

6 hours ago Oleksandr Usyk wins heavyweight rematch to silence Tyson Fury in Riyadh

Ukrainian wins 116-112 on all three scorecardsBriton shakes his head and leaves ring speechlessOleksandr Usyk remains the shining king of boxing’s dark and chaotic world. The great Ukrainian retained his three titles as the heavyweight champion of the world when he defeated Tyson Fury on points in a defining contest in the early hours of Sunday morning in Riyadh. Usyk boxed with clinical authority to win clearly by a score of 116-112 on all three cards.The pace was unrelenting and, ultimately, Usyk was just too fast, too smart and too skilled for Fury. His movement, accuracy and precision of punching were simply too much for Fury, who tried valiantly and had his moments of success. But Fury flagged and he looked exhausted at key moments of the bout as Usyk pulled away to secure his ­comprehensive victory. Continue reading...

Politics

6 hours ago Kate Middleton's touching gesture to grieving Lady Gabriella Windsor at Christmas Eve carol concert

Kate, 42, made her appeal over the summer to Lady Gabriella, 43, whose husband Thomas Kingston killed himself in February.

Politics

6 hours ago Luke Littler, 17, explains why he burst into tears and had to be consoled by his parents in mystery emotional ending after winning first match at World Darts Championship in sensational style

KIERAN GILL AT ALEXANDRA PALACE: Littler was unable to conduct the live chat on Sky Sports after a challenging match in which he was made to work to win 3-1.

Politics

6 hours ago Prayers said for victims on 10th anniversary of Glasgow bin lorry crash

The incident on December 22, 2014 saw a 26-tonne truck veer out of control and hit shoppers, killing six people.

Events

7 hours ago Revealed: Police were warned a year ago that Xmas market maniac was planning an atrocity

German police were warned about 'unstable' Dr Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen in September last year, but did nothing more than take screenshots of his twisted online threats.

Events