General news

• Did you solve it? The simple question almost everyone gets wrong

  26-06-2023 17:56 via theguardian.com
  
  The answers to today’s stencil stumpersEarlier today I set you these six stencil puzzles, based on a IQ test for children devised by the American psychologist Grace Arthur in the 1920s.In each puzzle there is a patterned square at the top. The challenge is to work out how to create this square by placing some of the available stencils and coloured blocks on top of each other. Continue reading...
  
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• AFC Championship game in the NFL: New England Patriots v Denver Broncos – live

  25-01-2026 20:55 via theguardian.com
  Winner earns Super Bowl LX spot | Message GrahamUpdates from 3pm ET/8pm GMT kickoff The horse is scampering out on to the field ahead of the big men in orange. Kickoff is not far away! This is going to be a fun one, I can feel it.Drake Maye is looking crafty as he goes through his warmup in Mile High. He is going to have to be just that to overcome Denver’s nasty defense. The Broncos have the finest pass rush in the NFL finishing top of the pops with 68 sacks as a team. Maye’s six fu
  
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• Mission to Space with Francis Bourgeois review – did we really need to see him be sick in zero gravity?

  25-01-2026 20:50 via theguardian.com
  Can a social media-famous trainspotter become an astronaut? Erm, no. And it’s far from the best use of this hugely genuine, witty personalityMission to Space with Francis Bourgeois is a tricksy little beast. Unlike, it must be made quite clear, its presenter himself. Bourgeois, for those who have not had the absolute pleasure, is a 25-year-old engineering graduate who came to prominence on social media by making TikTok videos about his great passion: trains. The unforced joy on his face wh
  
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• ‘Huge mistake’: Labour in turmoil as Burnham blocked from byelection race

  25-01-2026 20:46 via theguardian.com
  Allies of Greater Manchester mayor say No 10 has ‘chosen factionalism’ as decision leads to a furious backlashThe Labour party faced the prospect of civil war on Sunday night after Keir Starmer and his allies blocked Andy Burnham’s return to parliament to stave off a potential leadership challenge.There was widespread anger among Labour MPs and union backers after the 10-strong “officers’ group” of the party’s ruling body, including the prime minister hi
  
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• Ella Baron on the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis – cartoon

  25-01-2026 20:29 via theguardian.com
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• European football: Lamine Yamal’s stunning strike caps Barcelona win over Real Oviedo

  25-01-2026 20:14 via theguardian.com
  Three second-half goals put Barça back on topJuventus beat Napoli to leave title challenge in tattersBarcelona capitalised on two defensive mistakes by bottom-of-the-table Real Oviedo to seal a 3-0 victory at a rain-drenched Camp Nou on Sunday, regaining top spot in La Liga. Goals from Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and an acrobatic Lamine Yamal strike powered the Catalans to 52 points, one ahead of Real Madrid, while Atlético Madrid trail in third on 44.Barça struggled to break the d
  
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• Iran president’s son urges authorities to restore internet after protests blackout

  25-01-2026 20:03 via theguardian.com
  Yousef Pezeshkian says nothing will be solved by trying to postpone moment images of violent crackdown circulateThe son of Iran’s president has called for the internet restrictions in the country to be lifted, saying nothing will be solved by trying to postpone the moment when pictures and video circulate of the protests that were violently crushed by the regime.With a battle under way at the top of the regime about the political risks of continuing to block Iran from the internet, Yousef
  
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• The Invite review – A-list ensemble electrify hilarious couples night gone wrong comedy

  25-01-2026 19:54 via theguardian.com
  Sundance film festival: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton are exceptional in a smart and funny winner about sex, marriage and partner-swappingNot enough people managed to see last year’s self-billed “unromantic comedy” Splitsville, a shame for how tremendously entertaining it was and for what it represents at this given moment. A rigorously well-directed, genuinely funny, relatably messy look at two couples dealing with the maelstrom of non-monogamy, it
  
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• Cunha’s stunner earns Manchester United thrilling late win at Arsenal

  25-01-2026 19:48 via theguardian.com
  The Emirates Stadium was a sea of anxiety. Arsenal fans are acutely aware that a first Premier League title since 2004 is within their grasp and when it is so tantalising, it will be fraught. Especially when matches such as this become a grind. When the attacking patterns do not work. When the team look vulnerable.Arsenal could feel their nearest rivals, Manchester City and Aston Villa, on their backs. Both had won to cut their lead at the top to four points. Mikel Arteta’s team had drawn
  
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• Canada has no intention of pursuing free trade with China, says Carney

  25-01-2026 19:33 via theguardian.com
  PM says recent agreement just cuts tariffs on a few sectors, as Trump threatens 100% tariffs on Canadian importsCanada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, said on Sunday his country had no intention of pursuing a free trade deal with China, responding to Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada if the US’s northern neighbour went ahead with a trade deal with Beijing.Carney said his recent agreement with China merely cut tariffs on a few sectors tha
  
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• Calls mount on Trump administration to fully investigate Alex Pretti’s killing

  25-01-2026 19:19 via theguardian.com
  Republican senator says ‘credibility’ of ICE and DHS are ‘at stake’ as calls come from both sides of political dividePressure mounted on Donald Trump’s administration on Sunday to fully investigate the previous day’s killing by federal immigration officers of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.Calls for an investigation have come from all sides of the political divide after video analysis showed officers had removed from Pretti a handgun he was repor
  
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• Sajid Javid calls on Nigel Farage to apologise for alleged schoolboy racism

  25-01-2026 19:03 via theguardian.com
  Reform leader’s remarks wrong and lack of formal apology ‘disturbs me’, former Tory chancellor saysThe former Tory cabinet member Sajid Javid has called on Nigel Farage to apologise for alleged racist comments as a schoolboy.It came after a Guardian investigation found more than 30 of Farage’s contemporaries at Dulwich college have accused the Reform UK leader of racist and antisemitic bullying. Continue reading...
  
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• Hearts stay clear of Celtic after Braga rescues late point against title rivals

  25-01-2026 18:51 via theguardian.com
  A contender must land a convincing blow to dethrone a champion. Hearts swung at Celtic throughout a breathless encounter at Tynecastle but were unable to take a major step towards a first league title since 1960, as Martin O’Neill’s side halted their winning run against the Old Firm this season.Celtic led twice and were pegged back twice as the league leaders, shorn of several leaders through injury, benefited from their vulnerability at set pieces. The biggest winners of the day wer
  
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• Almost a quarter of UK GPs are seeing obese children aged four and under

  25-01-2026 18:44 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: Almost half of GPs have seen children up to the age of seven who have obesity, research findsAlmost a quarter of GPs are seeing children aged four or under who are obese, according to a survey of UK family doctors.The “alarming” research also found that almost half (49%) of GPs have seen boys and girls up to the age of seven who have obesity, including a handful younger than a year old.Almost one in four (23%) said they had seen children aged zero to four where obesity was
  
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• The Friend’s House is Here review – timely, secretly made tale of creativity in Iran

  25-01-2026 18:43 via theguardian.com
  Sundance film festival: an underground scene of creatives in Tehran is threatened in this lived-in hangout movie that bravely chooses optimism over negativityIt’s a summer evening in Tehran, and the streets of the Iranian capital are lively. A young creative couple, an actor and a dancer, coolly take in a performance from a band of street musicians. “This country is so full of artists,” the man, Ali (Farzad Karen), says to Hanna (Hana Mana). She replies warily: “Let&rsquo
  
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• Underground wit and poor attention spans | Letters

  25-01-2026 18:32 via theguardian.com
  Roger Tagholm on poetry that reflects the reality of tube travel and John Keenan on the clever tactics used by HomerWhile Judith Chernaik deserves credit for establishing Poems on the Underground (Editorial, 19 January), very few of the poems chosen have caught what it is like down there. My own book, Poems NOT on the Underground, published in 1996, sought to address this anomaly.Thus, with apologies to Philip Larkin: “They fuck you up, the Northern Line trains / They may not mean to, but
  
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• The looming risk of food shortages and anarchy in the UK | Letters

  25-01-2026 18:32 via theguardian.com
  To ensure that we can feed the nation in the event of war, trade disagreements or world shortages, we must make the most of our land to increase self-sufficiency, writes Richard HarveyYour case for the accumulation of public food reserves in the UK, to ensure that we can feed the nation in the event of war, trade disagreements or world shortages, is well made (Editorial, 20 January). We are rapidly moving into times where the risks of such scenarios are high. Without food for its population, the
  
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• NHS staff must be protected from abuse | Letters

  25-01-2026 18:32 via theguardian.com
  Our health service must be safe for all those who work in it, writes Kate Jarman, while Prof Vivien Lees says NHS do not feel safe reporting sexual misconductIt is right to draw attention to the physical, verbal, racial and sexual violence and abuse experienced by ever increasing numbers of NHS staff in the course of their work (Editorial, 19 January). These threats to NHS staff safety are experienced both physically – in wards, departments and GP practices across the country – and v
  
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• Donald Trump’s remarks about UK troops will not be soon forgotten | Letters

  25-01-2026 18:32 via theguardian.com
  Readers respond to the US president’s widely condemned comment that Nato allied troops stayed off the frontline in AfghanistanIn response to your article (Trump claims Nato troops ‘stayed a little off the frontlines’ in Afghanistan, 22 January), I write this letter to the people of the United Kingdom.I served 20 years in the US Navy and had many interactions with Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel. They might say they suffered us, but the camaraderie was real. (I remember
  
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• The Guardian view on Europe’s payments problem: sovereignty starts at the till | Editorial

  25-01-2026 18:30 via theguardian.com
  Donald Trump’s leverage over Visa and Mastercard highlights a blind spot in Europe’s ‘independence’ strategy. Emulating India’s response might helpWhen the centre-left French politician Aurore Lalucq posted a warning last Wednesday that Donald Trump could cut off Europe from international payment systems, the clip went viral. To many, her message made sense. After all, if Mr Trump was prepared to test allies’ boundaries over Greenland, it is not far-fetched to
  
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• The Guardian view on the future of cinema: gen Z is falling in love with the big screen | Editorial

  25-01-2026 18:25 via theguardian.com
  Film is in a state of existential crisis. But a new generation of cinephiles might save it from the streaming giants“It was from a weekly visit to the cinema that you learned (or tried to learn) how to walk, to smoke, to kiss, to fight, to grieve,” Susan Sontag wrote 30 years ago, in an essay to mark 100 years of film entitled The Decay of Cinema. For Sontag, the onset of the “ignominious, irreversible decline” of the 20th century’s greatest art form was the arrival
  
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• Patrick Reed wins LIV duel with David Puig to secure Dubai Desert Classic title

  25-01-2026 18:21 via theguardian.com
  Reed seals four-shot victory after final round 72Puig tied-seventh following two-stroke penaltyA penny for the thoughts of the PGA Tour hierarchy, who awoke in Ponte Vedra Beach to news of a LIV duel in Dubai. A penny for the thoughts of LIV’s office bearers, who had information they would presumably rather remain private put into the public domain by the new Desert Classic champion.Patrick Reed emerged from the joust, thereby delivering a reminder that he remains among the finest golfers
  
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• ‘You don’t want to live inside his head’: diplomats’ dilemma in the age of Trump

  25-01-2026 18:00 via theguardian.com
  Flood of boasts, broadsides and conspiracy theories leaves envoys sifting for the signal within the Trumpian noiseHow does one keep tabs on, and then interpret, a president who in a single year sent out more than 6,000 social media posts, conducted more than 433 open press events and held free-associating press conferences lasting close to two hours? The White House Stenographer’s Office calculates it has transcribed 2.4 million of Trump’s words, four times the length of Tolstoy&rsqu
  
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• Amsterdam prepares to ‘ban the fatbikes’ amid rise in serious accidents

  25-01-2026 17:29 via theguardian.com
  Experts say souped-up e-bikes pose big risk for children aged from 12 to 15, who account for many A&E casesOn a busy lunchtime, thick-tyred electric bikes zoom through the leafy lanes of the Vondelpark in Amsterdam. But after a marked rise in accidents – particularly involving children – these vehicles the Dutch call “fatbikes” are to be banned in some parts of the Netherlands.“It’s nonsense!” said Henk Hendrik Wolthers, 69, from the saddle of his wi
  
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• Wicker review – Olivia Colman is smelly fisherwoman falling for wicker man in uneven fable

  25-01-2026 17:27 via theguardian.com
  Sundance film festival: an inventively made fantasy boasts eye-catching premise and typically rewarding performance from Oscar-winner but something’s missingIn terms of attention-demanding loglines, this year’s Sundance has a few. There’s body horror Saccharine, about a diet craze that involves eating human ashes, midnight movie Buddy, about a Barney-esque kids TV star who starts murdering children and then there’s Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant which, well, you can probab
  
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• Leicester City sack Martí Cifuentes after dropping to 14th in Championship

  25-01-2026 17:21 via theguardian.com
  Departure was ‘difficult decision’, says Foxes’ ownerAndy King will take interim charge for Charlton matchLeicester have sacked Martí Cifuentes after dropping to 14th in the Championship. The club held crunch boardroom talks on Sunday before deciding to relieve the manager of his position.The Foxes slumped to a humiliating home defeat against a struggling Oxford United on Saturday and have won only one of their past five matches. Andy King, the club’s former Premie
  
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• Buendía and Watkins stun Newcastle to keep Aston Villa’s title hopes alive

  25-01-2026 17:17 via theguardian.com
  Some wins are a little bit lucky and others downright fluky or simply ground out, but this Aston Villa victory belonged to a different category entirely.A triumph secured by goals from the impressive Emiliano Buendía and Ollie Watkins, and illuminated by Morgan Rogers’s skill, was firmly of the sort that can be filed under “thoroughly deserved”. Continue reading...
  
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• LPO/Jurowski review – Mahler’s 10th is full of colour, and the composer’s pain, in Barshai’s completion

  25-01-2026 17:15 via theguardian.com
  Royal Festival Hall, London
  Rudolf Barshai’s audacious completion of Marhler’s final unfinished symphony slathers on the colour, and its diverse timbral details came over loud and clear thanks to the LPO’s playing and Vladimir Jurowski’s textural lucidityFor decades following his premature death at the age of 50, it was believed that the fragments of Gustav Mahler’s 10th symphony were just that: skeletal ideas impossible to flesh out into anything worth hearing. It
  
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• Sir Mark Tully obituary

  25-01-2026 17:07 via theguardian.com
  BBC correspondent and author whose sensitive reporting from India made him a revered public figure in the subcontinentIn 2017 Mark Tully was making a documentary for the BBC World Service to coincide with the 70th anniversary of partition – the moment that marked the end of British colonial rule in India and the creation of Pakistan. As Tully toured locations across the subcontinent, it was clear that his standing as the BBC’s “voice of India” still endured, even though h
  
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• Thousands march in Crowborough over asylum plan for former military camp

  25-01-2026 17:05 via theguardian.com
  Protesters walk to Sussex market town from base where Home Office plans to house up to 500 asylum seekersThousands of people have marched through an East Sussex market town to protest against UK government plans to house asylum seekers on a former military site.Crowds of men, women and children walked to Crowborough from the base, where the Home Office plans to house up to 500 male asylum seekers as part of plans to end the use of hotels for the same purpose. Continue reading...
  
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