Around the world in 50 countries: the globe-trotting Christmas travel quiz
From the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to Donald Trump’s territorial wishlist, test your travel knowledge. Every answer is the name of a country
The hill I will die on: Fruit with meat? What kind of pervert are you?
Please don’t ever offer me cranberry sauce with my roast turkey – that’s just jam on your Christmas dinner, and who wants that, asks Guardian Opinion deputy editor Katy Guest
Plant ‘tredges’ to boost England’s tree cover, gardeners urged
Royal Horticultural Society’s call backs government aim to increase woodland cover from 10% to at least 16.5% by 2050
‘Wouldn’t it be lovely if I could shut up?’ Meet Lola Petticrew, TV’s most fearless actor
The award-winning star of Say Nothing and Trespasses refuses to play the fame game when they can fight government inaction. They open up on making amazing TV … and why morals matter more than nice handbags
Car with ‘Happy Chanukah’ sign firebombed in suspected antisemitic attack in Melbourne
Police say the vehicle was set alight in the driveway of a property in St Kilda East in the early hours of Christmas Day
Sydney to Hobart yacht race forecast to be cold, wet and bumpy as Australia’s west faces bushfire threat
Tropical Cyclone Grant to pass close to Cocos Islands while a flood watch is in place for much of northern Australia
We can be heroes: the inspiring people we met around the world in 2025 – part one
From the Indigenous doctor balancing traditional and western medicine to a father risking death to provide for his family in Gaza, these are some of the people whose determination and bravery stood out
My weirdest Christmas: I was 11 and braced for tension. Then I found my parents and step-parents in bed together
It was our first joint family Christmas, and I watched fearfully as my mum walked into the kitchen she had once called hers. The next 48 hours were full of surprises
What happened next: the Oasis comeback – and how it transformed a hill in Manchester
When the band played their homecoming shows, the city council attempted to discourage ticketless fans from an area that became known as ‘Gallagher Hill’. But, realistically, nothing could keep them away ...
Former Labor senator Nick Bolkus, minister in Hawke and Keating governments, dies aged 75
The Adelaide-born senator is remembered for his role in ‘shaping modern multicultural Australia’
Trump news at a glance: EU could respond to ‘unjustified’ US visa bans, official says
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron accused Washington of ‘coercion and intimidation’. Key US politics stories from Wednesday 24 December
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy open to creating demilitarised zone in country’s east
The proposal pushes Washington and Kyiv closer to a jointly agreed formula to end the war. What we know on day 1,401
Trump-backed candidate Asfura declared new president of Honduras
Winning margin of 28,000 votes announced a month late but before review of all ‘inconsistent’ ballots was completed
The 12 days of Trump-mas
What has Donald Trump given us in his second term? We look at some of the numbers
No pain, no game: how South Korea turned itself into a gaming powerhouse
Gaming was once compared to drugs, gambling and alcohol in South Korea. Now its gaming academies offer a chance to earn a six-figure salary – if you make the grade
Wounded Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed recovering well and may soon leave hospital
The 44-year-old has gone through three rounds of surgery in a Sydney hospital since suffering five gunshot wounds
Cracker jokes and custard chemistry: ways to smuggle science into Christmas
Researchers share the easy ways to uncover moments of festive discovery, proving you don’t need a lab coat to experiment this Christmas
Two Doors Down Christmas Special review – festive larks with TV’s most hilarious monsters
The Glasgow-set sitcom is back after two years … and the highlight is Cathy losing any semblance of civility, flirting aggressively then calling Eric a ‘big stupid donkey’. Happy holidays!
The Room in the Tower: A Ghost Story for Christmas review – Tobias Menzies is perfect in Mark Gatiss’s spooky tale
The understated lead in this year’s creepy festive drama is ideal for the whispered dread it drips with. Be warned, though: it verges on horror – young kids may well be terrified
UK, Canada and Germany condemn Israel for 19 new West Bank settlements
Fourteen countries, also including France, Italy, Ireland and Spain, say actions ‘violate international law and risk fuelling instability’