76 m. ago Government borrowing higher than expected after winter fuel payments U

Official figures showed borrowing stood at £11.7 billion last month, the lowest level for November since 2021.

Politics

88 m. ago Paul vs Joshua predictions: Boxing legends and experts tip their winner for Netflix fight

Who does everyone have their money on?

Sport

92 m. ago Chess: Magnus Carlsen back in World Rapid and Blitz as Fide signals jeansgate peace

The Norwegian world No 1 will compete at Doha next week, a year after he was penalised for wearing jeans in New YorkOne year ago, the world No 1, Magnus Carlsen, and the global chess body, Fide, were at loggerheads after the Norwegian was penalised for wearing jeans at the World Rapid in New York. The 35-year-old also agreed to share the World Blitz crown despite a rule requiring an outright winner.Relations worsened further when Fide opposed Carlsen’s wish for the new Freestyle circuit winner to be called a world champion, he announced that he was “done” with Fide. Continue reading...

Politics

92 m. ago Finally, Labour is finding its nerve and getting Britain’s bad Brexit deal undone | Polly Toynbee

Rejoining Erasmus should just be a first step – as the economic evidence piles up, the need for closer ties with Europe could not be clearerMonth by month, Labour is bringing us closer to Europe. This week, the UK announced it is rejoining the Erasmus+ youth exchange programme. This will open the door beyond the many young people who attend university – its remit includes FE students, apprentices, and youth and school groups. A whoop of excitement greeted the announcement, with opportunities for those involved in education, training, culture and sport, and a commitment to maximise take-up by disadvantaged young people. Widening experience, encouraging adventure: Erasmus+ may help cure Britain’s monolingual handicap and the catastrophic decline in language courses. Last year in the UK, less than 3% of A-levels were in languages.This all eludes Europhobes such as Andrew Neil, who posted on X that “extra taxes now being inflicted on working people will be used to finance some ‘study’ i...

Economics

92 m. ago Aston Villa’s surge to title contention feels unsustainable. So can they really win the Premier League?

After a wretched start to the season, Unai Emery has worked wonders and Villa have won nine in a row, writes Richard Jolly. But the numbers suggest it’s not going to last

Politics

93 m. ago World Darts Championship Day 9 order of play: Full Friday schedule and start times as Aspinall and Greaves headline

Full Friday schedule and start times as Nathan Aspinall kicks-off title bid with Beau Greaves and Josh Rock also starring

Politics

1 hour ago NHS Lanarkshire’s Treatment Rooms helping reduce winter pressures by offering patients quicker access to care

With services now standardised across Lanarkshire, most procedures can be booked directly with local Treatment Rooms.

Sport

1 hour ago Thierry Henry shares advice for young players after winning BBC SPOTY lifetime achievement award

Thierry Henry reflected on winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award as he encouraged people to “believe in yourself”.

Sport

1 hour ago England are left on the brink of Ashes humiliation in Adelaide after another miserable day

LAWRENCE BOOTH IN ADELAIDE: On the day England needed a miracle, they got the off-spin of Will Jacks and Joe Root. Australian minds will know that the tourists are not serious about winning.

Politics

2 h. ago Ruben Neves emerges as bargain option for Man Utd in January transfer window

Ruben Neves left the Premier League for Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023 but the Portuguese international could be ready to return to England in the new year

Politics

2 h. ago Travis Head piles more misery on England as Australia edge closer to Ashes win

Head struck a match-winning hundred in the first Test and another vital ton put his side in sight of an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Politics

2 h. ago BBC viewers say the same thing minutes into Sports Personality of the Year 2025

Sports Personality of the Year returns with a star-studded lineup, but viewers were left disappointed as soon as the programme kicked off

Politics

2 h. ago Ukraine faces horror Christmas as Putin ramps up fighting in bitter winter

Putin's 'hundreds of millions of pounds a-day' war machine eats up Moscow's war budget almost as fast as he sacrifices 1,000 troops a-day - but Ukraine faces bitter winter

Politics

2 h. ago Man United's Adam Wharton transfer alternative emerges amid £65m Antoine Semenyo plan

Manchester United want to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window with Ruben Amorim's side eyeing up a central midfielder and a versatile forward

Economics

2 h. ago Making Mary Poppins by Todd James Pierce review – the musical brothers behind the movie magic

Bob and Dick Sherman take centre stage in this well-researched account of how Walt Disney created a classicLike many kids of the VHS generation, I must have watched my taped-off-the-telly copy of Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964) well over 100 times. I probably knew every frame as well as Walt Disney himself, who invested 20 years in bringing it to the screen.The culmination of his live action achievements, Mary Poppins remained the project Walt was most proud of. A sophisticated, multi-Oscar-winning musical that proved the House of Mouse was about more than just cartoons, its box office success enabled him to expand his Florida ambitions for Disney World resort and shore up the company’s financial future. Continue reading...

Culture

2 h. ago Expert's simple 29p cleaning method to banish streaky windows this winter

If your windows are looking a little less sparkling at the moment, you're not alone. Winter sunlight exposes every streak, but there is a simple five-step method to achieve a spotless finish - and it only costs 29p

Politics

3 h. ago Brown shooter revealed to be PhD student whose main target was MIT professor as Reddit post that led to his demise is revealed

The gunman who opened fire at Brown University and killed two students has been revealed to be a Portuguese national who studied at the Ivy League school more than 20 years ago.

Events

3 h. ago Kevin Spacey set for TV return after 8 years with Italian comedy ‘Minimarket’

Oscar winner was fired from Netflix’s ‘House of Cards’ over sexual misconduct allegations in 2017

Culture

3 h. ago My lesson from 2025: Reform is much more vulnerable than it appears | Gaby Hinsliff

The party’s astonishingly speedy growth disguised shallow roots – and its success has brought a level of scrutiny for which it simply isn’t readyImagine a classroom with almost nothing in it, save some hard wooden benches and a stack of Bibles. Imagine the school it is in has only one loo, no canteen, gets freezing cold in winter – oh, and the playground is full of gravestones.If this sounds to you like the perfect setting to teach the country’s most vulnerable children, then you’re going to love Reform UK’s new Send policy, which involves cutting the bill for taxiing children to far-flung special schools by repurposing nearby “empty churches” (a term that in itself may surprise vicars) as schools on weekdays. But if you have actually met any children, and therefore suspect this idea isn’t going to fly, then read on to find out why Reform looks more beatable at the end of what has undeniably been its breakthrough year than it did at the beginning.Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnis...

Politics

3 h. ago A chef’s Christmas: Anna Haugh’s Irish family favourites – recipes

Red chicory leaves with blue cheese, honey and walnuts; a big jug of caramelised swede and honey soup; a turkey wellington with red wine gravy, cranberry relish and a hispi and sprout slaw; and a showstopping yule log to finishChristmas lunch in my family is about as traditional as it comes, and is pretty much the same every year no matter who’s house we’re at (including at least three monumental rows about things that happened years ago). Everyone chips in, too, even the kids – well, they’ve got to earn their dinner somehow. Rather than shooing them off to watch cartoons while the adults do all the work, we make sure they’re hands-on in the kitchen alongside us, especially with the annual yule log. Not only is this a valuable life lesson, it also helps develop and strengthen our family culture. The children get to share in that sense of pride at a job well done, too, and everyone feels a part of the occasion. And isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Continue reading...

Society