Great Western Railway and Northern passengers face multiple cancellations

An expert guide to avoiding arguments this Christmas

The Prince of Wales hugged and joked with the head chef at a homelessness charity he once visited with Princess Diana.

aIave done some events where I havenat sold any,a author says

Fluffy cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing, reimagined for a healthier twist. Christina Kynigosas quick air fryer recipe keeps the indulgence while adding protein

Christina Kynigos, aka TikTokas Very Hungry Greek, is proving you donat have to ditch carbs, meat or cheese to eat healthily. From air fryer feasts to comforting classics, her viral recipes are all about big flavours, balanced portions and embracing the joy of food

The social media platform is due to halt under-18 access to particular filters in the coming weeks, following worry that young people are experiencing plummeting self-esteem and body image issues. Ellie Muir, a reformed filter-user, hopes itas not too little, too late

Crispy, cheesy, and full of flavour, Christina Kynigosas garlic butter bolognese tacos take comfort food to the next level a all made healthier in an air fryer

Crispy tofu coated in peanut and cornflakes, paired with a fresh, zesty slaw a Christina Kynigosas air fryer recipe is the perfect balance of flavour and texture

The aHappier Than Evera singer says her body image struggles developed when she was 10 years old

aWhy do you need a degree to figure these settings out?a

aI have never even encountered this man in my life,a Hill says

The 10-month-old babyas name came from an episode of aBatman: The Animated Seriesa

aSheas like, aI just want you to look like Mom, not like Amy Adams,aa the Oscar nominee recalls

Man charged with Mussie Imnetuas murder will stand trial in February

All the essential cost of living information you need

Newly elected Tory leader Kemi Badenoch hopes to have found a new political ally in vice president elect J. D. Vance after the two met a but not everyone in Team Trump is happy

PMas two-day trip to the Middle East is likely to be overshadowed by the fall of the Assad regime in Syria

The money expert has given his top tips for Christmas gifting

Tracy Nilsson said she felt aless than a human beinga during years-long battle with her housing association to carry out repairs

The first victim of Storm Darragh, who was killed after a tree fell on to his van in Lancashire, has been named locally as football coach Paul Fiddler

Strong gales will continue to batter the UK following the widespread disruption caused by Storm Darragh

The former German chancellor has spoken to The Rest is Politics podcast

Rachel Reeves will be the first chancellor since Brexit to join a meeting of European finance ministers

aItas not my decision or problem,a actor said

Music mogul branded the claims aidiotica and said amy only heartbreak is for my familya

aI think she was the more deserving winner,a musician quipped

Liam Payneas girlfriend Kate Cassidy posted unseen home videos of the One Direction star in a heartfelt tribute following the singeras death aged 31.

British musician said the announcement came with asorrow and joya

Fans couldnat believe their eyes watching latest season five episode

aI did the best I could with the time I was given,a said Gomez

Itas 30 years since the Christmas single topped the charts a its songwriter talks to Craig McLean about the memories it stirs, the PTSD of fame, Liam Payneas death, and marking the anniversary by working with a music therapy charity

B-Girl Raygun of Team Australia went viral for her unusual moves at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

Sale was nearly 10 times the predicted amount

Craig portrays a gay character in the new film aQueera

AI-generated commenters made inappropriate comments about the spike in streams after the death of Liam Payne

Pattinson recalled an immigration officer asking why he stopped acting after aTwilighta

aHe deserved to be king,a one viewer wrote after third place was revealed

Coleen Rooney, Richard Coles and Danny Jones were put through their paces in Sunday nightas final

Most seemed to agree with the judgesa decision

The 2024 finalists have now been revealed

Actor impressed viewers with his rendition of aThereas no place like Romea

Trisha Paytas made her aSNLa debut in a sketch about Spotify Wrapped

Syriaas White Helmets send rescue teams to Sednaya prison; ousted president Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow, Russian media report

• Full report: Syrians celebrate fall of Bashar al-Assad

This morning our First Edition newsletter poses the question what next for Syria. My colleague Archie Bland writes:

However jubilant Syrians are today about the end of a dark chapter of their history, they know that the next is yet to be written. Because of Hayat Tahrir al-Shamas (HTS) past relationship with al-Qaida and the human rights abuses carried out in the areas that it has ruled, many are sceptical that it will act as the guarantor of a transition to a pluralist and democratic state. And HTS chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani himself is viewed as a terrorist by the US and others.

Sign up here for our free daily First Edition newsletter

In Syriaas capital, residents are in a daze as they try to absorb Assadas dramatic downfall

The road to Damascus was lined with discarded army uniforms. In a panic, Syrian army soldiers stripped down in the streets in the early hours of Sunday morning, realising their leader, Bashar al-Assad, had abandoned them after 54 years of his familyas rule over Syria.

Syrian army tanks, which were supposed to stop the lightning rebel offensive that started just 11 days earlier, stood empty in front of checkpoints with posters of the late leader Hafez al-Assad, his face half torn. Out of habit, a driver stopped and rolled down the window, but there was no one at the checkpoint.

Exclusive: Some inmates being advised to change plea to secure earlier release as backlog spirals, watchdogs say

• aLives on holda: a day in the crown court where cases are delayed for years

Court backlogs are forcing alleged offenders to spend up to five years in jail awaiting trial and driving innocent people to plead guilty, two prison watchdogs have revealed.

Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales, said some of the 17,000 prisoners on remand had waited nearly five years for their cases to come to court.

Yoon Suk Yeol subjected to travel ban after his partyas boycott of impeachment vote condemned by opposition

South Koreaas president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been banned from leaving the country, as opposition politicians accused his party of staging a asecond coupa by refusing to impeach him over his botched declaration of martial law last week.

Bae Sang-up, an immigration services commissioner at the justice ministry, confirmed during a parliamentary hearing on Monday that Yoon was the subject of a travel ban.

Starmer will meet crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia for talks about forging closer ties on Monday

Jamal Khashoggias widow has urged Keir Starmer to raise her husbandas murder at his meeting with the Saudi Arabiaas crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Starmer will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with the Saudi crown prince as part of a two-day trip to the Middle East, his first to the region as prime minister.

Jay-Z denies allegations that unnamed girl was drugged and raped by him and Combs at a party after MTV Music Awards in 2000

An amended lawsuit filed in federal court on Sunday alleges that rap moguls Jay-Z and Sean aDiddya Combs raped a 13-year-old girl during a party in 2000.

Jay-Z denied the allegations on social media and lambasted the lawsuit, calling it part of a ablackmail attempta by the plaintiffas lawyer. Lawyers for Jay-Z did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

First speech by UK chancellor to eurozone finance ministers since 2020 will promise abusiness-likea approach to relations

Rachel Reeves plans to end the UKas afractiousa post-Brexit accord with the EU, a relationship she said had been defined by adivision and chaosa, by promising closer ties in the first speech by a UK chancellor to eurozone finance ministers since 2020.

Reeves will say she wants to adopt a abusiness-likea approach through an aeconomic reseta with the EU, offering the goal of driving up trade and growth.

Cath Pinder says the EHRC should investigate amid claims confidentiality clauses prevent women making complaints

GMB must release former female staff members from confidentiality clauses that prevent them speaking publicly about their treatment, a former regional president of the trade union has said.

Cath Pinder, who was suspended from the union for failing to respond to an email and subsequently expelled earlier this year, said she afeels the GMB is riddled with misogyny and cronyisma and that the union was afailing its membersa.

• Teenager could become youngest winner since 1958
• Hodgkinson, Yee, Bellingham, Root and Storey included

Luke Littler will have a shot at becoming the youngest winner of the BBCas Sports Personality of the Year award for more than 60 years, after being named on a six-strong shortlist headed by the Paris 2024 Olympics stars Keely Hodgkinson and Alex Yee.

The England footballer Jude Bellingham, the cricketer Joe Root and the Paralympian Sarah Storey make up the list. But, surprisingly, there is no place for Mark Cavendish, in a year when he broke Eddy Merckxas record for Tour de France stage wins.

Death of Karl Bareham, 37, in 2019 was controversial with coroner told diving equipment may have been faulty and adangerousa

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

A British music producer who died while scuba diving off Byron Bay in New South Wales may have been suffering symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and using faulty dive equipment, a court has heard.

The NSW deputy coroner on Monday heard that Karl Bareham was pronounced dead at about midday on 24 September 2019 at The Pass, a beach and surf spot in Byron Bay.

Sign up for Guardian Australiaas breaking news email

Firm disputes Transport and Environmentas findings, which also ranked Deutsche Bahn as one of the least reliable

Eurostar is the worst-performing rail service on the continent and Germanyas Deutsche Bahn is one of the least reliable, according to a ranking of 27 European operators.

The report from the campaign group Transport and Environment (T&E) scored Europeas rail operators on factors such as ticket prices, punctuality and willingness to give refunds. It found that only 11 operators had punctuality rates above 80%.

Sarah Mullally laments loss of people coming together to watch a show and urges amoments of togethernessa this Christmas

People are losing out on amoments of togethernessa watching TV together because they are streaming shows on separate devices, the bishop of London has said.

Right Rev Dame Sarah Mullally said the profusion of choice meant that watching TV had become a amore solitary and insulara experience.

Resort town struggles with squalid housing, poor nutrition for children and now, statistics show, earlier deaths

It is a league table that no one wants to top. For the first time in 20 years, Blackpool, a once-glamorous seaside resort, this week overtook Glasgow to have the lowest average male life expectancy in the UK.

Men born in Blackpool will now live until just after their 73rd birthday on average, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) study, six years less than the average in the rest of England.

Social media sites have become crucial tools for the sale of endangered species and platforms should do more to combat it, say experts

When the baby parrots were delivered to Alice Soares de Oliveiraas desk they had no feathers and could barely open their eyes. Housed in a dirty cardboard box, the pair were barely a month old, and showed signs of underfeeding.

The parrots a along with a pair of young toucans that arrived just under a month later a were victims of wildlife traffickers. Snatched by poachers, perhaps from their motheras nest, they were all advertised for sale on social media.

Recent killings and arrests of government critics suggest end of reformist approach under Samia Suluhu Hassan, say political rivals

When Samia Suluhu Hassan took office as Tanzaniaas president in 2021, many in the east African country hailed what they hoped was a new dawn after the authoritarian and repressive rule of her predecessor John Magufuli.

The signs were positive in her first few years in office: Hassan ended bans on newspapers and political rallies, and legislation that kept pregnant girls and young mothers out of school, all policies that Magufuli had endorsed.

After 152 shows, Swiftas global tour has been the most successful of all time. At the final dates, fans explain their devotion

By now, nearly 21 months after Taylor Swift launched what would become the highest-grossing tour of all time, you could be forgiven for thinking both await, Taylor Swift is still on the Eras Tour?a or that the globe-spanning, headline-dominating, literally seismic show would go on for ever.

After all, the Eras era has spanned an epoch, at least in ever-quickening internet time. But after 152 shows, 10-plus million fans and several pop cultural takeovers, the Eras Tour reached the end of its road in fittingly rainy Vancouver, having become the highest-grossing tour of all time a though total revenue figures have not been released.

After 40 years of work, Bally Bhamra went hiking in Nepal. Now 74, she still travels solo across Africa and Asia, staying with local families

When Bally Bhamra retired at 60, she decided this was her time. She started travelling alone, hiking in Nepal, ato prove that senior citizens shouldnat be afraid to go out and have adventuresa.

Now, 14 years on, Bhamra is 74 and each winter she has ventured to a different part of the world. Last month, she left her home in Berkshire, UK, for south-east Asia, having recently returned from nine months exploring southern Africa and Madagascar. aIf I can do it at this age, anybody can,a she says.

A creepy Hugh Grant, Daniel Craig as never seen before, a gangster trans musical and a fascinating insight into the Taliban help kick off the countdown of the yearas best flicks
aC/ More on the best culture of 2024

***

From maps and kit to travel-themed treats and accessories, here are fun present ideas for the wanderlusters in your life

Not sure what to get friends and family for Christmas? Fear not, we have plenty of ideas for a last-minute present.

Our carefully chosen selection of travel-inspired gifts ranges from the practical to the indulgent, with great books for the armchair traveller and outdoor gear for the active.

The director and actor talk about identifying with the angry lead in their new film Hard Truths a and why it took Netflix less than a minute to turn the movie down

Most days, Mike Leigh and Marianne Jean-Baptiste are divided by an ocean. The 81-year-old director has a home in Cornwall, while the 57-year-old actor moved to Los Angeles more than two decades ago in frustration at the dearth of roles available to her in the UK. This was even after she had been Oscar-nominated for Leighas 1996 masterpiece Secrets & Lies, in which she played an optometrist tracking down her biological mother.

Drinking tea today in a London hotel room, with Jean-Baptiste wearing circular black designer frames and Leigh resembling an off-duty farmer in his blue gilet, it is only a table that divides them. As they chat, one of them will occasionally reach across the gap in affection or solidarity. They canat quite touch a their chairs are a shade too far apart a but the gesture is as fond as a squeeze of the hand.

Two Edinburgh fringe favourites have teamed up to play mainstream entertainment titans Michael Ball and Alfie Boe in this festive seasonas most unlikely stage show

Alone, they are acclaimed and award-hogging entertainment colossi. Together, they are the hottest double-act in the UK. I am describing a of course a beloved crooners Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, but the words might, at a stretch, be applied to comedians Adam Riches and John Kearns. That parallel is part of what has drawn the latter twosome to make this festive seasonas most unlikely stage show, wherein the fringe favourites manifest onstage in character (sort of) as those titans of the mainstream, Ball and Boe.

aThese guys sell out arenas,a says Kearns. aThey have, as we speak, the No 1 album in the UK.a Kearns delighted Taskmaster audiences, and is the only comic to win best newcomer and best show in successive years at the Edinburgh fringe. Riches is an ex-Edinburgh champ too. But arenas have proved resistant to their charms. Meanwhile, reports Kearns with dismay, Ball and Boe awere interviewed on Radio 2 last week, and described as the new Morecambe and Wise.a

A new exhibition displays 40 years of work by the artist who stages scenes to painstakingly replicate the images in his mind a and some, he says, are definitely easier than others

Jeff Wall has long been championed as the master of slow looking. Back in 1985, the year before he turned 40, the British Columbia-born artist received a tip from a close friend. He had, by that point, published landmark scholarly essays, held professorships and made some seminal images, though not that many. His friend had seen a woman fall off her horse, and thought that was something Wall should photograph. aHe said: aThat kind of looked like a subject you could do,a and I totally disregarded it because I just wasnat interested at the time. But, two years ago, it came back to me.a

Over the past 40 years, Wall has utilised the speed and precision of photography to make exquisite, arresting works based on furtive moments just like this. Ask him how he decides what to shoot and heall likely say heas not sure. Somehow, a vision bubbles up to the surface of his mind. As the viewer, the work he makes in response demands your stillness.

A forensic study of the Lucy Letby case leaves many questions unanswered

After the child known as Baby C died, his mother had his tiny handprints and footprints made into a pendant to wear round her neck. It had comforted her to keep them close, she told the court. But even that was taken away from her when Lucy Letby, the nurse convicted of being Britainas worst child serial killer, was arrested: it was Letby who helped the unsuspecting mother make the prints.

She was one of several parents whose victim statements to the court are quoted movingly and at length in Jonathan Coffey and Judith Moritzas diligent, absorbing book. The mother of triplets, two of whom died so soon after birth she only had one photo of them together; the father driven to suicide; the parents whose now seven-year-old son Letby had tried to kill, who were so scarred and distrusting that they wanted him homeschooled so he was never put in anyone elseas care again.

aBrain rota is the Oxford English Dictionaryas word of the year a a fitting choice, given the startling impact the internet is having on our grey matter

If you want to witness the last vestiges of human intellect swirling down the drain, hold your nose and type the words askibidi toileta into YouTube. The 11-second video features an animated human head protruding from a toilet bowl while singing the nonsensical lyrics askibidi dop dop dop yes yesa. The clip has been viewed more than 215m times, and spawned hundreds of millions of references on TikTok and other social media.

Fitting, then, that the Oxford English Dictionary has just announced abrain rota as its word of year. As an abstract concept, brain rot is something weare all vaguely aware of. The dictionary defines it as athe supposed deterioration of a personas mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenginga. But few people are aware of how literally technology is rotting our brains, and how decisively compulsive internet use is destroying our grey matter.

SiAC/n Boyle is a freelance journalist

There will be perilous days to come and the future is uncertain, but I want to believe that home will be home again

It happened so fast. In the evening, about 9:30pm UK time (30 minutes after midnight in Homs), I spotted the first video indicating that my home city was finally free from Bashar al-Assad and his forces. Then a friend shared a link of a man livestreaming from the New Clock Tower Square in Homs. I heard the zaghroutas of women; the chants of men: aThere is no for ever. There is no for ever. Long live Syria and down with Assad.a People started gathering in the square, bringing the memory of the early days of the revolution in 2011, when the people of Homs were inspired by their brothers and sisters in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, but innocent civilians were massacred by the Syrian regime.

Now 2011 and 2024 were meeting each other. Two dates that have left in between them mass destruction of cities, and the displacement of more than half of the Syrian population from their homes.

The daily insults and humiliations women are subjected to here are part of a continuum of violence. When will politicians act?

What is the thing I do 360 times a year a in other words, almost every day? Itas not that easy to say. I probably cook, if warming up leftovers counts. I put my kid to bed, when Iam not doing any work events that collide with bedtime. Almost every day I have the urge to pick up a book, and almost every day I fail. I do my skincare routine, if itas not one of those depressing days when I refuse to look in the mirror. I buy myself a pack of cigarettes. I call my friends. I laugh. I feel bad for not having quit smoking long ago. I take a walk.

But most definitely, Iall be humiliated by a cisgender man shouting a slur at me on the bus, belittling my work, touching me without consent or making inappropriate remarks about my body a and Iall choose to keep quiet about it. Peace of mind over a demand for basic decency.

Fatma Aydemir is a Berlin-based author, novelist, playwright and a Guardian Europe columnist

Fifaas approval of the Gulf stateas proposals for the 2034 football tournament, despite the kingdomas appalling humanitarian record, has been slammed by campaigners

• Saudi Arabiaas 2034 World Cup bid to be ratified by Fifa despite rights violations

In the early hours of Saturday 30 November, Fifa released a glowing evaluation of Saudi Arabiaas bid to host the 2034 World Cup, giving it the joint-highest score of any bidding nation and declaring it carried only a amediuma human rights risk.

At the same time, it slipped out a long-awaited report on whether it should compensate migrant workers who suffered severe labour abuses on projects linked to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Despite a recommendation from its own subcommittee on human rights and social responsibility that it do so, Fifaas answer was, in effect, a resounding no.

Fulhamas Antonee Robinson shines against Bukayo Saka, Tottenham squander another lead and woe at Old Trafford

There are numerous issues when taking over a team mid-season. One is that a new head coach might not have the right players for his plan and he has very little time to implement what he wants with those he does. Ruben Amorim has arranged his players a in various combinations a into his preferred 3-4-3 formation and it is clear what the strategy is, although there are flaws. The defence is struggling, where the three centre-backs are not performing their main duty of keeping clean sheets. Against Forest every set-piece looked like it might result in a goal. Only Nikola Milenkovic did score from a corner but the others were more farcical as AndrA(c) Onana got confused by Morgan Gibbs-White and a seemingly harmless Chris Wood header was allowed to drop in off the post. Maybe chopping and changing is Amorimas issue and he needs to back a first-choice back three to allow them to settle and offer a foundation to build on. Will Unwin

The Giants have some promising players but itas hard to believe that the teamas current ownership will appoint the right staff to halt fansa misery

A $1 ticket for an NFL game a or nearly any professional sporting event for that matter a sounds like a phenomenal deal. But most bargains come with a catch and Sundayas was no exception: you had to watch the New York Giants play football.

Still, mere pennies to be part of the sights and sounds of an NFL game may be worth it, even if a Giants loss is predetermined. The Giants did indeed lose on Sunday, 14-11 to New Orleans, but the fine print neglected to mention the suffering that would come with watching the teamas latest botch job.

Danny Careas whistleblowing suggests there remains too much of a grey area between tough training, bullying and abuse

Danny Careas stories about the England rugby environment under Eddie Jones reveal important insights into the ways that sport is experienced, organised and led. Beyond the shocking examples of belittling and bullying that he alleges, a picture emerges of an ongoing, highly damaging cultural illiteracy among players, coaches and leaders.

Itas striking how hard it was for Care and his teammates to speak up, for 100kg men bursting with muscles in the most macho of sports to call out what, according to Care, they saw as abusive behaviour that demeaned and damaged players. A cult-like code of silence has played out disastrously in other sports such as gymnastics and cycling; it feels as if there is still a sinister omertA latent in sport that needs addressing.

• Pair involved in heated exchange during Adelaide Test
• IPL teammate Josh Hazlewood says aitas good to see sometimesa

Australia quick Josh Hazlewood has called Mohammed Siraj a agood charactera as the Indian firebrand and Travis Head prepare to be charged following their heated exchange in Adelaide.

The International Cricket Council is due to take action after Head admitted swearing at Siraj on Saturday following the Australianas match-winning 140. Siraj gave the South Australian a send-off after bowling Head, and the hometown hero responded with some choice words.

An area nearly a third larger than India turned permanently arid in past three decades, research shows

An area of land nearly a third larger than India has turned from humid conditions to dryland a arid areas where agriculture is difficult a in the past three decades, research has found.

Drylands now make up 40% of all land on Earth, excluding Antarctica. Three-quarters of the worldas land suffered drier conditions in the past 30 years, which is likely to be permanent, according to the study, by the UN Science Policy Interface, a body of scientists convened by the United Nations.

Average global temperature in November was 1.62C above preindustrial levels, bringing average for the year to 1.60C

This year is now almost certain to be the hottest year on record, data shows. It will also be the first to have an average temperature of more than 1.5C above preindustrial levels, marking a further escalation of the climate crisis.

Data for November from the EUas Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) found the average global surface temperature for the month was 1.62C above the level before the mass burning of fossil fuels drove up global heating. With data for 11 months of 2024 now available, scientists said the average for the year is expected to be 1.60C, exceeding the record set in 2023 of 1.48C.

IPPR and Save the Children call for measures including new not-for-profit nursery trusts and increased funding for deprived areas

Two-thirds of the poorest families in England are missing out on childcare, according to a report.

Analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Save the Children has found that access to affordable and good-quality childcare is defined by class. Among the poorest fifth of parents with young children, only a third (36%) use formal childcare, compared with double that (73%) of the highest-earning families.

Empowering local authorities to pool funding to secure new childcare in the areas of greatest need and organise the new schools-based nursery expansion.

Ensuring childminders are paid monthly.

Increasing funding for deprived areas and children living in deprivation.

Reforming the SEND funding system.

Report calls for aradical rethinka of how ministers approach extremism, amid risk of declining trust in democracy and institutions

Politicians have been criticised for using ainflammatory languagea and peddling conspiracy theories in a report that finds government policies are failing to prevent extremism spreading and taking route in the UK.

The report from Dame Sara Khan, a former counter-extremism commissioner, urges a aradical rethinka of how ministers tackle extremism amid a achronic risk of democratic declinea due to conspiracy theories, worsening social cohesion and other threats.

Twenty-nine percent of people in the UK believe in the agreat reseta conspiracy theory that claims there are plans to impose a totalitarian world government.

Forty-five percent of young men in the UK have a positive view of the misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate.

One in 10 people shared the views of or sympathised with those who engaged in violent disorder and rioting during the summer.

For every APS1 spent on renewable energy projects, only 25p was invested in connecting them to grid, report finds

The UK is lagging behind in the race to rewire the worldas power grids by investing four times more on renewable energy projects than on the electricity cables needed to connect them to the grid and consumers, according to a new report.

For every pound the UK has spent on renewables it has spent only 25p on the cables and power lines, claims the report by Bloomberg NEF, which placed the UK eighth in an index of the worldas 10 biggest energy markets.

Oil and gold prices rise modestly as new era begins in Syria

Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING, has looked at the Chinese inflation figures in more detail.

The main reason for the slowdown was food prices, which fell -2.7% month-on-month to bring the year-on-year level to just 1.0%.

Non-food inflation, on the other hand, managed to bounce back to 0.0% YoY after two months of year-on-year deflation. Non-food prices remain under pressure amid high price competition in China.

The unexpectedly weak November read further confirms our view that there is still plenty of room for monetary policy easing in the months ahead.

Markets have been discussing the possibility of an imminent RRR [reserve requirement ratio] cut which is certainly on the table, but the inflation data shows that there is capacity to bundle an RRR cut with a further interest rate cut as well. We are expecting 30bp of rate cuts and 100bp of RRR cuts before the end of 2025.

This is the first time a British chancellor has addressed the Eurogroup [of finance ministers] since Brexit.

It is a signal of the new UK governmentas commitment to resetting our countryas relationship with the European Union, and the importance I place in realising the economic potential of our shared future.

I believe that a closer economic relationship between the UK and the EU is not a zero-sum game. Itas about improving both our growth prospects.

The reset in relations is about doing what is the best interests of our shared economies and those that depend on it. That means breaking down barriers to trade.

Itas the glorious final season of emotional comedy Somebody Somewhere. Plus: Charles Dance is Michelangelo in Renaissance a The Blood and the Beauty. Hereas what to watch this evening

10pm, Sky Comedy
Of all the underwatched series of recent years, this tale of a woman finding her feet after leaving the big city to return to her smalltown Kansas childhood home is top of the list. Itas a poignant, belly-laugh-packed emotional journey thatas crude, sweet, heartbreaking and has such an artsy vibe it wouldnat feel out of place at Sundance. Its glorious final season begins with a double bill in which Sam (Bridget Everett) looks into dog adoption while her erstwhile roommate Joel moves in with his boyfriend, Geoff. Brace for an hour of glorious TV that runs the gamut from weepy to joyful a and features the filthiest rendition of Sheall Be Coming Round the Mountain youare ever likely to hear. Alexi Duggins

Columbus, Indiana, is a mecca of modernism that still embodies the progressive ideals of its founders and star designers. Our writer explores athe Athens of the prairiea

Imagine growing up in a place where every stage of your life was framed by the best architecture of its day. You start out in an experimental elementary school, learning on a multi-level landscape of open-plan terraces connected by slides, before moving to a junior school where little towers of classrooms are linked by brightly coloured sloping tunnels. You spend your high school years in a heroic piece of brutalism, attend university in a sleek glass temple and go to church in a space-age tipi.

Your libraries, banks and even the local discount store are all the work of notable architects, and if your house is ever set ablaze, firefighters will come from a famous fire station, designed by a Pritzker prize winner. If you end up in jail, rest assured you will be incarcerated in a work of high postmodernism. And you may even die in a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired hospital, then have your ashes scattered in the shadow of an Eero Saarinen-designed chapel.

Such a place exists a and itas situated where you would least expect to find it. Set in the middle of the rolling agricultural plains of Indiana, a landscape dotted with aFarmers for Trumpa billboards and White Castle hamburger outposts, the small city of Columbus makes for an unlikely modernist mecca. aSeldom, if ever, has so small a community contained so many examples of innovative architectural achievements,a declared the New York Times in 1970, noting that Columbus had been building at least atwo masterpieces a yeara since the early 1950s. Locals took to calling it athe Athens of the prairiea, and itas a reputation the place has continued to uphold ever since.

The cityas many masterpieces, and the fascinating stories behind them, have now been brought together in a hefty tome, American Modern, authored by an architecture writer who grew up here. aI walked past the Saarinen church every day on my way to school,a says Matt Shaw, whose detailed text is accompanied by photographs by Iwan Baan, which celebrate the buildings as well-used backdrops to everyday small-town life. aMy high school was actually part of the reason the contemporary architecture programme began,a Shaw adds, abecause no one liked it.a

The programme he refers to was initiated by Joseph Irwin Miller, a wealthy industrialist and social reformer, who held an evangelical belief in the power of architecture to improve society. From the 1940s onwards, he worked to transform his familyas business, the Cummins Engine Company, into the worldas largest manufacturer of diesel engines, with $6bn in annual sales. To do so, he had to attract the best engineers from around the world, which, in turn, meant turning Columbus into the avery best community of its size in the countrya, with the best schools, staffed by the best teachers, and the best civic buildings and parks, all built with the aim of aattracting good people to Columbus in all capacitiesa.

The plan wasnat to turn it into a company town, like the Victorian paternalist visions of Bourneville or Saltaire in the UK. Instead, the city itself was the client, and paid for these public buildings as usual, but the Cummins Engine Foundation covered the architectsa fees a as long as they were selected from a list it provided, of the best designers of the day. aWe believe nothing is more expensive than mediocrity,a the foundation stated, aand that good design need not cost any more than bad design.a

The Primal Scream man is resolutely unromantic and really dislikes the royals, but what does he put on at a party when aeveryoneas had a fewa?

The first single I bought
Blockbuster by the Sweet in 1973 from Soundtrack Records on Cathcart Road in Glasgow age 11 or 12, after seeing them on Top of the Pops. I loved all the Sweet singles after that.

The song I do at karaoke
I donat think Iave ever done karaoke. I hate hearing people murder songs. If I had to do it, Iad do Youare the One That I Want by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Primal Scream used to do it in soundchecks in the 80s.

Lucie KrA!lovA!as daring documentary uses a choir and an original libretto to recount the story of the renegade Czech musician

Retelling the complicated life of prolific Czech composer Jan Kapr, Lucie KrA!lovA!as category-defying documentary harmonises the artistas never-before-seen archive with a new libretto from JirIA AdA!mek. Sung in the operatic sprechgesang style, the latter composition recounts Kapras triumphs and struggles in the public as well as the private spheres. Full of early ideals, he joined the communist party in 1945 and his popular propaganda songs were crucial to the partyas ideological machine, cemented by his winning of the coveted Stalin prize in 1951. After the Soviet Unionas invasion of Czechoslovakia, however, a disillusioned Kapr began to distance himself from his comrades, to the point where he even attempted to return the prize.

These turbulences are recounted with rigour and playfulness. As Kapr also means acarpa in the Czech language, water imagery recurs in both the lyrics as well as the visuals. Dressed in all black against white-painted rehearsal spaces, the choir are filmed with a geometric minimalism that nicely contrasts with Kapras colourful home recordings. More than just an illustrative accompaniment to AdA!mekas composition, these images from the past are imbued with a vitality thatas achieved through strikingly impressionistic editing.

Stephen Joseph theatre, Scarborough
The titular heroas coming-of-age tale takes advantage of local tourist attractions and a bright hard-working cast in this brisk and cheerful production

It has been years since master magician Kalibali disappeared, but as his son Aladdin reaches the magical age of 12 years and 12 days, his absence hangs heavy. The boy and his mother struggle to keep the family firm on the road: Kalibalias House of Magic is all floppy wands and failing cup-and-balls. How can the fumbling Aladdin hope to live up to his fatheras reputation?

The slumming-it Princess Jeannie sees through him. Worse, he is ripe for exploitation. The man claiming to be his Uncle Barcaza offers a shortcut to the riches of adulthood: all he has to do is venture into Hairy Bobas Cave (rather more voluminous than the Scarborough tourist attraction of the same name) and retrieve the treasure.

Do we really need to gulp down eight glasses of water a day a or is it a myth? We ask an expert

Sorry Stanley cup devotees, the environmental physiology professor Lewis Halsey at Roehampton University says there has been an aoverselling of concernsa about consuming enough H2O.

aItas a tricky one,a Halsey says. aObviously people can become dehydrated. We are set up to have quite a high water turnover rate: we sweat it out to keep cool, and we therefore need to recover those fluids. However, we can, at least in the short or even medium term, lose quite a lot of fluids and be fine.a

A chutney you can make in an hour, and some easy, nutty spiced crackers, for gifting or keeping to yourself

Christmas is incomplete without a cheeseboard, and a good cheeseboard is incomplete without chutneys and crackers. This apple and ginger chutney is my take on the traditional Indian mango chutney a itas sweet, sharp and spicy a while the versatile crackers are gluten-free, quick and easy to put together, and perfect for snacking on all year round. Alternatively, pair the two for a lovely last-minute gift.

Literary logic

Midway though the new Sally Rooney novel, Intermezzo, two of the characters discuss a puzzle about hats. I thought it would make a perfect puzzle for this column, so here it is.

A liar who always lies says aAll my hats are green.a

After meeting US president-elect, Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautions that Ukraine needs a ajust and robust peace, that Russians will not destroy within a few yearsa. What we know on day 1,020

• See all our Ukraine war coverage

Donald Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, a day after meeting the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Paris, claiming Kyiv awould like to make a deala to end its war with Russia. aThere should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed,a Trump said on Sunday in an online post. aI know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!a Trump added. Trump said both sides had suffered enormous losses in the war a which he claimed on the US election campaign trail he would be able to end ain 24 hoursa if elected. aZelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,a he added.

Zelenskyy described his discussions with Trump, brought together by French President Emmanuel Macron, as aconstructivea but gave no further details. Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine needs a ajust and robust peace, that Russians will not destroy within a few years.a aWhen we talk about an effective peace with Russia, we must talk first of all about effective peace guarantees. Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else. Russia brought war to our land,a he said Sunday in a post on the Telegram messaging app. Among Zelenskyyas inner circle, there is an increasing awareness that, as the army struggles to hold back Russia on the frontline, some kind of negotiations will be necessary soon. But they fear that without solid security guarantees from the west, a ceasefire would be meaningless.

Like Joe Biden, president-elect Trump made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russiaas war in Ukraine, noting that allies of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, aare in a weakened state right nowa. Trump has suggested that Assadas ousting could advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine.

In an interview taped on Friday, Trump said that his incoming administration would be open to reducing aid to Ukraine, which the United States has been steadfastly backing since its invasion by Russia. aPossibly. Yeah, probably, sure,a he told NBCas Meet the Press. Trump renewed his warning to Nato allies that he did not see continued US participation in the alliance as a given during his second term. Asked whether he would consider the possibility of pulling out of Nato, Trump indicated that was an open question. aIf theyare paying their bills, and if I think theyare treating us fairly, the answer is absolutely Iad stay with Nato,a he said. But if not, he was asked if he would consider pulling the US out of the alliance. Trump responded, aAbsolutely. Yeah, absolutely.a He refused to say if he had spoken to Putin since winning election in November. aI donat want to say anything about that, because I donat want to do anything that could impede the negotiation,a Trump said. The interview was taped Friday and aired on Sunday, ahead of three-way talks with Macron and Zelenskyy over the weekend in Paris.

Hopes for victory, a swift end to the war and prayers for their loved onesa survival or return from Russian captivity are among the wishes scattered throughout letters sent by Ukrainian children living in frontline areas to a volunteer group. Every winter the volunteers travel to heavily damaged cities to deliver gifts and ensure that, despite the war, Ukrainian children can celebrate the holiday season. Gift requests include power banks to help families endure outages, as well as bicycles, books and even pets. This year, the group received 2,310 letters, according to project manager Inna Achkasova from the NGO Ukrainian Frontiers, who launched the St. Nicholasa Reindeers initiative in 2015.

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors.

This week from 2023: Since Sudanas capital was engulfed by violence in April, life there has been all but destroyed. As we tried to get family members to safety, the ruination of my former home became hard to fathom. By Nesrine Malik

Guardian US tech editor, Blake Montgomery, explains what the US president-electas embrace of the cryptocurrency world might mean for his second term

Bitcoin has never been more valuable. Last week, it reached a record $100,000 (APS79,000) per bitcoin a the climax of a surge in cryptocurrencies overall since the election of Donald Trump in November.

As Guardian US tech editor, Blake Montgomery, explains to Michael Safi, the relationship between Trump and crypto has not always been so smooth a as recently as his first presidential term, he called bitcoin a ascam against the dollara.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow. Islamist-led rebels declared they had taken the Syrian capital in a lightning offensive, sending al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. The presidential palace in Damascus has been overrun by rebel forces and now people are taking selfies in the grand reception rooms

• Syrians celebrate fall of Bashar al-Assad after five decades of dynastic rule
• aOur father did not die for nothinga: disbelief turns to jubilation in Damascus

No need to panic a these crowd-pleasing stocking stuffers will land at your doorstep in time for all the Christmas Day fun.

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Even something for your cousin"s husband who can"t help but bring up his Big Footahunting at every family meal.

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Because you always forget someone, but you don"t have to leave them empty-handed.

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If you suffer from a perpetual fear of missing out, you"ll want to take a look at these viral products immediately.

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Cheap and chic are your middle names and we"re here to help you live up to them.

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May one of these gifts feel like the equivalent of deep, relaxing breath for your uptight lil" friend.

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All the homebodies in your life will rejoice.

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Max out your style, not your credit card.

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Get in loser, we"re deckin" these halls.

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Practically everyone has a weird Bill Murray story...

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Just things to help you work smarter, not harder so you can have more time to elegantly rot away in your blanket nest.

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This customizable memory foam pillow and self-care planner will have you remembering your favorite song, "Quit Playing Games (With My Quality Of Sleep, Skincare Routine, And/Or Coziness Levels)."

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An expert guide to avoiding arguments this Christmas

The Prince of Wales hugged and joked with the head chef at a homelessness charity he once visited with Princess Diana.

aIave done some events where I havenat sold any,a author says

Fluffy cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing, reimagined for a healthier twist. Christina Kynigosas quick air fryer recipe keeps the indulgence while adding protein

Christina Kynigos, aka TikTokas Very Hungry Greek, is proving you donat have to ditch carbs, meat or cheese to eat healthily. From air fryer feasts to comforting classics, her viral recipes are all about big flavours, balanced portions and embracing the joy of food

The social media platform is due to halt under-18 access to particular filters in the coming weeks, following worry that young people are experiencing plummeting self-esteem and body image issues. Ellie Muir, a reformed filter-user, hopes itas not too little, too late

Crispy, cheesy, and full of flavour, Christina Kynigosas garlic butter bolognese tacos take comfort food to the next level a all made healthier in an air fryer

Crispy tofu coated in peanut and cornflakes, paired with a fresh, zesty slaw a Christina Kynigosas air fryer recipe is the perfect balance of flavour and texture

The aHappier Than Evera singer says her body image struggles developed when she was 10 years old

aWhy do you need a degree to figure these settings out?a

aI have never even encountered this man in my life,a Hill says

The 10-month-old babyas name came from an episode of aBatman: The Animated Seriesa

aSheas like, aI just want you to look like Mom, not like Amy Adams,aa the Oscar nominee recalls