62 minutes ago ‘She should have a bit of me’: the Dutch mothers fighting for their children to carry their surname

Women are challenging the law that prevents them giving their kids both family names without father’s consentWhen 43-year-old Rebecca Lee took her birth mother’s Korean surname, it was a revelation. “I was adopted and got a Dutch name but I never felt completely Dutch,” she says. “When, a few years ago, I first went to Korea, things fell into place. You don’t just go ‘one, two, three’ and change your name, but now I feel more whole.”The entrepreneur from Groningen split from her husband and wants to give her five-year-old daughter “Lee” as part of a double-barrelled surname – but she cannot, under a Dutch law that some women, a leftwing MP and legal experts believe is unfair. Continue reading...

Politics

62 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

62 minutes ago Exclusive: photographs reveal first glimpse of uncontacted Amazon community

Automatic cameras in the Brazilian rainforest show images of the Massaco people, who are flourishing despite environmental threatsRead more on this story: New images show Brazil’s uncontacted people are thriving – but with success comes a new threatRemarkable images taken by automatic cameras in the Brazilian rainforest reveal an isolated community that appears to be thriving despite pressure from ranchers and illegal encroachment into the Amazon.The pictures, of a group of men, offer the outside world its first glimpse of the community – and give further evidence the population is growing. The group is known as the Massaco after the river that runs through their lands, but no one knows what they call themselves, while their language, social fabric and beliefs remain a mystery. Continue reading...

Culture

1 hour ago ‘I won that fight’: Tyson Fury rejects defeat as judges’ ‘Christmas gift’ to Oleksandr Usyk

Despite a unanimous decision against him by all three judges, Fury refuses to accept the Ukrainian fighter has now beaten him in back-to-back title bouts Tyson Fury described Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over him as a “Christmas gift” from the three judges who all scored the fight 116-112 in favour of the champion. The verdict was justifiably much more clear-cut than the split-decision ruling which had also given Usyk victory in May.But Fury offered his contrasting belief at the post-fight press conference: “I thought I won that fight. I thought I won both fights but I’m going home with two losses on my record. There’s not much I can do about it. I can just fight my heart out. Continue reading...

Events

2 hours ago Mary Berry's 'hearty' Irish stew recipe that takes just 10 minutes to prepare

Mary Berry is known for her delicious yet simple recipes and her take on an Irish stew is no different - it's the perfect comfort food for those cold winter nights

Politics

2 hours ago Here comes the Bezos bride: How Lauren Sanchez has been prepping her look for blockbuster Christmas wedding

Wedding bells may be ringing soon for Lauren Sanchez and her billionaire hubby-to-be, Jeff Bezos - and she's showing all the signs that she's ready to walk down the aisle.

Politics

3 hours ago Vanuatu hit by another earthquake as hundreds of Australians return home

Magnitude 6.1 quake shakes country’s main island as RAAF flights carrying 144 passengers land in Brisbane and SydneyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVanuatu has been hit by another earthquake after hundreds of Australians landed on home soil from the islands and the federal government announced a new round of financial assistance.The latest magnitude 6.1 quake shook buildings on the country’s main island at 2.30am on Sunday after it struck 30km west of the capital, Port Vila. Continue reading...

Events

4 hours ago Beijing 'trying to harvest NHS health data from British patients to develop bioweapons', experts warn

MPs along with security and biological specialists have raised the alarm about the growth of Chinese medical technology in Britain's hospitals.

Events

4 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

5 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