1. The best songs of 2025 … you may not have heard

2. Young country diary: Our local river is clean again – and the birds are back too Theo

3. ‘The foggy, golden sunrise makes for incredible images’: Sachin Ghai’s best phone picture

4. Madeline Horwath on the joy of Twixmas – cartoon

5. Countdown to 2026 – a New Year’s Eve menu

6. ‘It’s frightening’: How far right is infiltrating everyday culture

7. The year in patriarchy: Taylor Swift, Trump 2.0 and the Epstein files Arwa Mahdawi

8. The hill I will die on: Online shops, please I beg – stop with endless post-purchase emails Athena Kugblenu

9. ‘Painful to hear!’ How podcasts’ rush to video is turning them into dreadful listens

10. Anna Tims’ dishonours list: the not-so good, the bad and the ugly customer service awards 2025

11. Republican behind Epstein files act responds to Trump ‘lowlife’ taunt

12. Premier League buildup, Old Trafford reaction and latest news – matchday live

13. I was there: England’s Euro 2025 glory was a surreal, almost psychedelic blur

14. Morocco no longer continental pariah as Afcon showcases its global standing

15. A conversation between Joe Rogan and Mel Gibson summed up 2025 for me – and not in a good way George Monbiot

16. Dressing the part: the TV characters who nailed small-screen style this year

17. ‘It restored my hope’: how community action is confronting racism in Belfast

18. ‘A lot of men don’t open up’: Kidwild, the UK rapper unafraid to bare his soul

19. Opposition anger as Guinea’s junta leader is frontrunner to be elected president

20. The Guide #223: From surprise TV hits to year-defining records – what floated your boats this year

21. No gels, no foams: Catalonia turns to grannies to teach traditional cooking

22. 11 of the UK’s best winter walks – all ending a cosy pub

23. My cultural awakening: a Turner painting helped me come to terms with my cancer diagnosis

24. Trump supporters hail US strikes in Nigeria as ‘amazing Christmas present’

25. Books to look out for in 2026 – fiction

26. The books to look out for in 2026

27. Which Gascon brandy is France’s oldest? The Saturday quiz

28. ‘Ghost resorts’: as hundreds of ski slopes lie abandoned, will nature reclaim the Alps?

29. Zelenskyy to meet European leaders and Trump for Ukraine peace talks amid fresh strikes on Kyiv

30. Dragged down by an unpopular president, Republicans are bracing for a midterm trouncing

31. No longer ‘unloved’: retailers investing more in physical stores, UK data shows

32. Blind date: ‘Being Scottish definitely worked in my favour. He loves Scotland’

33. Cheesy heaven: Meera Sodha’s recipe for pumpkin fondue Meera Sodha recipes

34. Six great reads – best of 2025: a deep-cover KGB agent, Zadie Smith on Tracy Chapman, and the boy who came back

35. ‘The sight of it is still shocking’: 46 photos that tell the story of the century so far

36. 2025: a year in political cartoons – from a Bond-villain Trump to a toppled prince Martin Rowson, Ella Baron, Nicola Jennings and Ben Jennings

37. Tim Dowling: my 2025 in numbers: not a year to forget, but one of forgetting

38. Thailand and Cambodia agree ‘immediate’ ceasefire after weeks of deadly border clashes

39. Paul Nowak calls on Labour to forge closer relationship with Europe

40. Ukraine war briefing: Kim Jong-un celebrates sharing ‘blood, life and death’ with Russia

41. Trump news at a glance: Nigeria says it provided intelligence for US airstrikes as Hegseth warns of more attacks

42. King Charles and Prince William expected to visit US in 2026 to revitalise trade deal

43. Cyclones, floods and wildfires among 2025’s costliest climate-related disasters

44. Patrick Dorgu volley powers Manchester United into fifth as Newcastle misfire

45. Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist for the Cure, dies aged 65

46. Manchester United v Newcastle: Premier League – live

47. UN experts raise ‘grave concern’ over treatment of Palestine Action-linked hunger strikers

48. British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah arrives in UK after travel ban lifted

49. Bari Weiss defends decision to pull 60 Minutes episode on El Salvador prison

50. Two killed in stabbing and suspected car-ramming in northern Israel

51. Israel becomes first country to recognise Somaliland as sovereign state

52. Cautious Middlesbrough lose ground on leaders with goalless Blackburn draw

53. Afcon roundup: Mohamed Salah strikes again as 10-man Egypt hold off South Africa

54. The Guardian view on adapting to the climate crisis: it demands political honesty about extreme weather Editorial

55. Digested week: Like sex or massages, Christmas is even better when it stops

56. Defunding fungi: US’s living library of ‘vital ecosystem engineers’ is in danger of closing

57. ‘A bat’s head’: the best and worst gifts 11 people have ever received

58. China imposes sanctions on US defence firms over Taiwan arms deal

59. The perfect morning routine: how to build a happy, healthy start to the day – from showers to sunshine

60. The protesters showing up every week to shut down ‘Alligator Alcatraz’: ‘We will end this’

61. Kentucky plane crash death toll rises to 15 after injured man died on Christmas

62. Parma coach Carlos Cuesta: ‘Leaving Arsenal was maybe the most difficult decision of my life’

63. UK campaigner targeted by Trump accuses tech giants of ‘sociopathic greed’

64. ‘Weapons of mass construction’: the US ‘craftivists’ using yarn to fight back against Trump

65. Jewish klezmer-dance band Oi Va Voi: ‘Musicians shouldn’t have to keep looking over their shoulders’

66. US warns of more Nigeria strikes as Abuja talks of ‘joint ongoing operations’

67. California braces for flooding and avalanche risk during strong storms

68. Venezuela says it released 99 people detained for protesting 2024 presidential election

69. Soul-baring ballads, alt-rock fury and neon-lit techno: five-star albums you may have missed this year

70. ‘A PR stunt’: Post Office scandal victims dismiss plans for museum exhibition

71. Zelenskyy to travel to US for Trump meeting amid push for Ukraine deal

72. AI boom adds more than half a trillion dollars to wealth of US tech barons in 2025

73. Arne Slot believes ‘best is yet to come’ as Liverpool look to end set-piece failings

74. Birmingham v Derby, Egypt v South Africa, and more: EFL, Afcon 2025 – football live

75. Southern separatists on rise in Yemen report Saudi airstrikes near positions

76. Nigeria provided US with intelligence for strikes on Islamist militants, says foreign minister – US politics live

77. An icy vlogger and Boxing Day dips: photos of the day – Friday

78. Cocktail of the week: Ambassadors Clubhouse’s Patiala peg – recipe The good mixer

79. Conservative and Christian? US right champions psychedelic drugs

80. ‘Loyalty over all’: Trump was once known for constantly switching out his staff. Not anymore

81. My big night out: I danced alone in a nightclub – and realised I could make my own good time

82. ‘Cocaine, gold and meat’: how Colombia’s Amazon became big business for crime networks

83. US voters linking climate crisis to rising bills despite Trump’s ‘green scam’ claims

84. Havertz near to Arsenal return with Arteta hoping for ‘different dimension’ in attack

85. The best recent crime and thrillers – review roundup

86. In Gaza we’re trapped in an endless maze of waiting – for peace, for the deaths to stop and for our lives to begin again Aya Al-Hattab

87. The pioneering light boxes helping Orkney islanders avoid seasonal affective disorder

88. How an ex-US Marine became vital in the fight against Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement

89. ‘Not the charmed industry it once was’: can Hollywood find its comeback story?

90. My weirdest Christmas: it was our first year in Sweden – but I insisted on having a big British celebration

91. Pig organ transplants could one day be superior to human ones, says expert

92. Weather tracker: Deep freeze grips Canada as US records warmest Christmas

93. The 50 best TV shows of 2025

94. US judge blocks Trump administration from deporting UK anti-disinformation campaigner

95. John Robertson was a ‘scruffy, unfit’ genius who did not get the kudos he deserved Ewan Murray

96. The secrets of the body clock: how to tune into your natural rhythms – and have a better day

97. Tess and Claudia quit! Celia farts! It’s 2025’s most jaw-dropping TV moments

98. With numbers of abandoned cats soaring, we somehow found ourselves with 11

99. The joy of leftovers – what to cook in the calm after Christmas

100. Now is the time to be bold and give your garden a reshuffle

101. 2025, the year of gifts and grifts: the Stephen Collins cartoon

102. A child is born: Italians celebrate village’s first baby in 30 years

103. The Dominik Diamond alternative game of the year awards 2025

104. Living on the edge: what young people in England told us about life on the coast

105. Fat, fearless and over 50. Thanks to my TikTok outfit posts, I feel powerful and seen Jen Walshaw

106. ‘We bonded over losing very good friends in our mid-20s’: the candid, shoegazey dream-pop of Snuggle

107. Staying at home could leave you exposed to indoor air pollution, study reveals

108. Country diary: Little rituals to help sparrows and wrens Paul Evans

109. Premier League, EFL and Afcon buildup and John Robertson tributes – matchday live

110. ‘All brakes are off’: Russia’s attempt to rein in illicit market for leaked data backfires

111. Unpublished ‘Tupperware erotica’ novel prompts fierce contest for TV rights

112. Nick Cave, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rami Malek, CMAT and more! The best Guardian portraits of 2025 – in pictures

113. Year in wildlife – in pictures

114. Asian women in England almost twice as likely to suffer severe childbirth tears

115. We can be heroes: the inspiring people we met around the world in 2025 – part two

116. Brown shooting suspect: gruelling academic climate may have taken mental toll, say ex-classmates

117. The hill I will die on: Washing-up bowls are horrible and should be banned Jason Hazeley

118. Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak found guilty of abuse of power in latest 1MDB trial

119. ‘It’s all about love’: how a Swiss photographer’s intimate honeymoon pictures caused a scandal

120. ‘Like Kafka by way of Pedro Almodóvar’: 10 debut novels to look out for in 2026

121. The 10 best jazz albums of 2025

122. Cambodia accuses Thailand of launching strikes during border peace talks

123. Japan’s cabinet approves record defence budget amid escalating China tensions

124. Helen Goh’s recipe for an espresso martini pavlova bar The sweet spot

125. ‘Bob Odenkirk called to check on me after he saw it’: Rhea Seehorn on the intensity of making hit show Pluribus

126. ‘The hidden engine room’: how amateur historians are powering genealogical research

127. Radu Lupu: The Unreleased Recordings album review – treasures from the vaults are a wonderful surprise

128. ‘Keeps your mind alert’: older Swedes reap the benefits of learning for pleasure

129. Our king, priest and feudal lord – how AI is taking us back to the dark ages Joseph de Weck

130. Experience: I cycled the length of the UK on a wooden bike

131. My weirdest Christmas: on Boxing Day I vomited in the sink – and began to suspect I had a mysterious condition

132. What happened next: The We Do Not Care Club – how a funny, furious feminist movement began

133. ‘When no one laughs, your soul leaves your body’: have you heard the one about the Bradley Cooper film inspired by John Bishop … ?

134. The Lowdown review – Ethan Hawke’s new drama is hilariously poignant

135. Why has Trump ordered strikes in Nigeria and what has it got to do with the persecution of Christians?

136. Stranger Things season five vol 2 review – the fact that this isn’t unbearable is a miracle

137. ‘Not for the people’: Myanmar junta prepares for elections designed to legitimise grip on power

138. US carries out airstrikes against Islamic State ‘terrorist scum’ in Nigeria, Trump says

139. Man charged after allegedly performing Nazi salutes at Canberra shopping centres

140. Kobbie Mainoo is ‘the future of Manchester United’, insists Amorim

141. Eddie Howe challenges Newcastle owners to end ‘limbo’ over stadium plans

142. There’s an itsy-bitsy fear I want to overcome. I will never be a fan, but can I at least be Normal about spiders? Rebecca Shaw

143. Russian opposition leader sentenced to six years in prison

144. Don’t fret the first night and nap if you need: how to sleep well, away from home

145. ‘International community has lost interest’: Afghanistan’s first female vice-president sees history repeating

146. My five-year-old daughter is learning to love cricket. It’s a source of delight in a difficult summer Kate Lyons

147. Dear Britain: things are bad, but America will recover from Donald Trump. Just give us three years Jimmy Kimmel

148. The Guardian view on May 2026 elections: a new political geography is coming into view across Britain Editorial

149. Two men feared missing in sea off Devon beach on Christmas Day

150. Nosy researcher’s quest to map the world’s ‘smellscapes’

151. British campaigner launches legal challenge against Trump administration after deportation threat

152. ‘Not an enabler’? A glimpse behind the curtain at Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles

153. Southern California sees third death from atmospheric river storm drenching region

154. Tell us: are you a UK centenarian or do you know one?

155. King Charles calls for reconciliation and unity in Christmas message

156. In 2025 reparations became central to UK ties with the Caribbean and Africa – so how do we move forward? Kenneth Mohammed

157. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell audiobook review – the life and loss of the woman behind the Bard

158. ‘They’re scared of us now’: how co-investment in a tropical forest saw off loggers

159. Arkansas Powerball lottery player wins 1.817bn jackpot on Christmas Eve

160. Epstein survivor calls for Mountbatten-Windsor to be ‘brought to justice’ in US

161. The best old music we discovered this year

162. Divine messengers: Italian nuns’ social media posts go viral

163. John Robertson, Nottingham Forest and Scotland legend, dies aged 72

164. Inside the US’s psychedelic church boom, where taking drugs is legal

165. Blood test could predict who is most at risk from common inherited heart condition

166. My big night out: I went to a White Stripes gig with a colleague – and she became my best friend

167. Into the void: how Trump killed international law

168. Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice join royal family for Christmas Day service

169. Israeli police arrest Palestinian man dressed as Santa Claus at Christmas party

170. Liverpool praying for a golden sky after seven months of storms

171. ‘It’s the wildest place I have walked’: new national park will join up Chile’s 2,800km wildlife corridor

172. How the French fell in love with family-driven memoirs and autofiction Anne-Laure Pineau

173. From childhood staple to luxury food: how Nigeria’s jollof became too expensive to eat

174. Concerns about ageing society ignore huge opportunities, says population expert

175. My weirdest Christmas: the oven was broken, the turkey was raw and all the crisps had been eaten …

176. Bono busking and a festive royal duet: photos of the day – Christmas Day

177. Michael Mann: ‘I make films for a large presentation’

178. ‘Dancing on bones’: Mariupol theatre to reopen with staging of Russian fairytale

179. Key figures in creation of Milton Keynes criticise UK’s new towns plan

180. ‘We were treated like enemies of society’: Japan’s dangerous hardcore punk scene looks back to its roots

181. Nicola Jennings on Trump and Putin’s Christmas Day – cartoon

182. Grassroots group’s bank account frozen due to ‘Palestine Action investigation’

183. The video games you may have missed in 2025

184. Did 2025 mark the end of British parliamentary democracy as we know it? Andy Beckett

185. Dordogne murder mystery: British woman’s death confounds detectives

186. It’s turkey time! The 12 worst films of 2025

187. ‘A quick learner’: how Declan Rice went from Chelsea reject to Arsenal’s Rolls-Royce

188. Bewildering and bewitching Newcastle seek solution to end chaos

189. Falling price of cocaine forces drug traffickers to reuse narco-submarines, say Spanish police

190. Ukrainian refugee leaves UK sixth-form college that urged her ‘to study Russian’

191. Dr Alex George looks back: ‘A dying friend told me to throw myself into things more – Love Island came into my mind’

192. Wild animals are great gift givers – and there’s one present in particular I’d love to receive for Christmas Helen Pilcher

193. You be the judge: my partner is obsessed with our home’s water consumption. Should he stop?

194. Hundreds of thousands newly displaced as Islamic State insurgency expands in Mozambique

195. Ice by Jacek Dukaj review – a dazzling journey to an alternate Siberia

196. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants review – swashbuckling, snicker-inducing silliness

197. Books to look out for in 2026 – nonfiction

198. The hill I will die on: Fruit with meat? What kind of pervert are you? Katy Guest

199. Around the world in 50 countries: the globe-trotting Christmas travel quiz

200. More than a million pounds spent on influencers by UK government since 2024

201. ‘Wouldn’t it be lovely if I could shut up?’ Meet Lola Petticrew, TV’s most fearless actor

202. My weirdest Christmas: I was 11 and braced for tension. Then I found my parents and step-parents in bed together

203. We can be heroes: the inspiring people we met around the world in 2025 – part one

204. What happened next: the Oasis comeback – and how it transformed a hill in Manchester

205. Tiny Pacific nation of Palau to take migrants from US in return for aid

206. Car with ‘Happy Chanukah’ sign firebombed in suspected antisemitic attack in Melbourne

207. No pain, no game: how South Korea turned itself into a gaming powerhouse

208. Trump-backed candidate Asfura declared new president of Honduras

209. Pope Leo calls for kindness to strangers and the poor in Christmas message

210. Southern California braces as powerful winter storms threaten up to 8in of rain

211. Netflix releases glimpse of Peaky Blinders film starring Cillian Murphy

212. One Mitzvah for Bondi campaign fights hate with love … one small act of kindness at a time

213. Israel condemned for approval of 19 settlements in occupied West Bank

214. Wounded Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed recovering well and may soon leave hospital

215. From Lily Allen to six-seven: it’s the 2025 bumper pop culture quiz of the year

216. Democratic lawmaker sues Trump over Kennedy Center’s name change

217. Farage criticised for 400,000 job promoting physical gold as pension investment

218. US justice department still has hundreds of thousands of Epstein files due to be released

219. How to end the year right: come up with your own personal rituals

220. ‘There’s no going back’: Iran’s women on why they won’t stop flouting dress code laws

221. Afcon roundup: Tapsoba seals dramatic injury-time comeback for Burkina Faso

222. ‘Freedom is a city where you can breathe’: four experts on Europe’s most liveable capitals

223. Amorim challenges Manchester United to ‘step up’ after Bruno Fernandes injury

224. Israel strikes southern Lebanon as deadline to disarm Hezbollah nears

225. Algeria passes law declaring French colonisation a crime

226. ‘It’s the story of my life’: how a retired teacher transformed his memories into a miniature world

227. Trump’s claims to Venezuelan oil are part of broader ‘resource imperialism’, experts say

228. The video games readers couldn’t switch off in 2025

229. Trump approves deployment of 350 national guard members to New Orleans

230. Truth in fantasy: what Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials taught us over its 30-year run

231. When my father first came to the UK, people bonded and looked after him. Would that happen now? Nell Frizzell

232. Is Trump mentally OK? A look back at the president’s unusual behavior in 2025

233. Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: when it comes to lace, it’s all about the trimmings

234. Christmas Eve swims and an underground mass: photos of the day – Wednesday

235. US and Ukraine edge closer to joint plan to end war – with Moscow’s response uncertain

236. ‘That’s a rare find!’ The casting genius who plucked this year’s biggest TV star out of 600 auditions

237. How to turn an excess of herbs into a showstopping sauce for just about anything – recipe Waste not

238. ‘You sneak in and hope you make it back’: the Sudanese volunteers risking it all to bring care to millions

239. My big night out: I spent the evening with Ant and Dec – and it sparked an audacious new ambition

240. Thailand and Cambodia begin talks to end deadly clashes after venue row

241. Tell us: do you have unusual living arrangements?

242. Macron and EU condemn US visa bans as row over ‘censorship’ escalates

243. How we eat and gather is central to who we are: the diaspora at Christmas

244. Woman deported before she could see dying husband in ICE custody: ‘I never saw him again’

245. Manchester Arena plotter’s alleged prison attack sparks call for US-style rewards system

246. Enticing Salah would be a coup for Saudi league searching for an identity

247. A key question for every believer: does God approve of Santa Claus? I hope so, or I’m in trouble Ravi Holy

248. Ukraine’s best hope may lie elsewhere as Russia inches forward on the battlefield

249. Burkina Faso v Equatorial Guinea: Africa Cup of Nations – live

250. Martha Stewart becomes latest celebrity to invest in Swansea City FC

251. Rob and Michele Reiner died minutes after attack, says death certificate, as children announce memorial

252. Dancing! Fighting! Impregnating! The best movie moments of 2025

253. The 20 best podcasts of 2025

254. Why are drug prices so high in America? Trump doesn’t have the right answer Susi Geiger and Théo Bourgeron

255. BP agrees deal to sell 7.4bn stake in Castrol to US investment firm

256. Sali Hughes on beauty: the new crop of milky toners are a game-changer

257. ‘I plugged in Zelda and everything changed’: developers share their fondest Christmas gaming memories

258. How hope is fading: the mobs bringing violence back to the streets of Bangladesh

259. Cracker jokes and custard chemistry: ways to smuggle science into Christmas

260. Converts by Melanie McDonagh review – the road to Rome Catholicism’s unlikely 20th-century resurgence

261. Song Sung Blue review – Neil Diamond tribute act gets sweet treat of movie thanks to Jackman and Hudson

262. Gold, silver and platinum hit record highs as investors look for Santa rally; oil climbs amid Venezuela blockage – business live

263. British boy, 13, stabbed to death in Portugal, say reports

264. No bickering around the Christmas tree! If your family are trapped by their algorithms, here’s the way out Dr Kaitlyn Regehr

265. How the Guardian reported 2025, with editor-in-chief Katharine Viner

266. The hill I will die on: Being late can be the height of good manners and decorum, actually Rachel Connolly

267. The 10 best folk albums of 2025

268. ‘We refuse to be afraid’: solidarity and vigilance in British Jewish community targeted by IS plot

269. Killing the Dead by John Blair review – a gloriously gruesome history of vampires

270. Three killed in Moscow car explosion, say Russian authorities

271. Labour is living in a fool’s paradise if it thinks it has plenty of time to turn Britain around Larry Elliott

272. ‘I think I was relatively astute in The Traitors!’ Nick Mohammed on magic, TV mayhem and why he turned on Joe Marler

273. Barracuda, grouper, tuna – and seaweed: Madagascar’s fishers forced to find new ways to survive

274. In Berlin, I took an evening class on fascism – and found out how to stop the AfD Tania Roettger

275. ‘Warning to others’: murky death of militia leader as Kremlin reasserts control

276. What happened next: how a shocking rape and murder case was solved – 58 years later

277. My weirdest Christmas: I insisted, through gritted teeth, that it would be fun to eat outside

278. Retribution fears as Australian Muslims see surge in Islamophobic hate since Bondi terror attack

279. British man’s Australian visa cancelled after being charged with displaying Nazi symbols

280. TikToker who allegedly hit and killed man while livestreaming is arrested

281. Some like it hot: why cold Christmases are a feeble imitation of celebrating in summer Eleanor Burnard

282. Great Barrier Reef’s Hamilton Island to be bought by US private equity firm in reported 1.2bn sale

283. Rare footage from trial of Chinese general who defied Tiananmen crackdown order leaked online

284. Former EU commissioner and activists barred from US in attack on European tech regulators

285. Ukraine war briefing: Pope Leo expresses ‘great sadness’ at Russian rejection of truce calls

286. TikToker arrested for alleged hit-and-run of pedestrian during livestream

287. After more than a decade of tragedy, Christchurch emerges as New Zealand’s most ‘vibrant city’

288. Keir Starmer encourages Britons to ‘reach out’ to others this Christmas

289. Pro-Palestine prisoners pause hunger strike as their health deteriorates

290. Arrizabalaga Arsenal’s shootout hero at expense of Lacroix and Crystal Palace

291. Police call explosion at nursing home near Philadelphia ‘mass casualty incident’

292. Stuffed review – Guz Khan’s Christmas special is charming, funny and genuinely sweet

293. Myanmar’s first election since the 2021 coup: everything you need to know

294. NWSL proposes 1m salary cap breach to keep players like Trinity Rodman in US

295. Afcon roundup: Nigeria squeeze past Tanzania as Senegal cruise to win

296. US supreme court blocks Trump bid to deploy national guard to Chicago

297. Trump administration bans US veterans agency from providing abortions

298. Libya’s army chief dies in plane crash in Turkey

299. Trump officials halt offshore wind-farm projects over ‘national security risks’

300. Bari Weiss yanking a 60 Minutes story is censorship by oligarchy Margaret Sullivan