The Guardian - December 23, 2024

In this issue

December 23, 2024

Magdeburg suspect was known to police

The German government has vowed to investigate whether a Christmas market car attack that killed five people and injured 200 could have been prevented, after it emerged that authorities had received warnings about the suspect.

3 mins

Revealed: £100m spent to thwart special needs claims

More than £100m was spent last year by local authorities and the government on failed efforts to block support for children and young people with special educational needs in England, according to analysis by the Guardian.

3 mins

Disappeared Across Syria, a grim search for loved ones

The last time Alaa Qasar saw her father, in 2013, he studied her face as if he was trying to memorise it.

5 mins

Charity appeal Readers' donations pass £800,000

More than £800,000 has been donated to the Guardian and Observer charity appeal to support victims of conflict and war just over two weeks into the campaign.

1 min

Bosses expect sharp fall in business activity as economic gloom deepens

Firms are predicting a sharp fall in activity in the new year in the latest snapshot showing an increasingly gloomy outlook for the economy.

2 mins

Alternative Christmas message to champion disabled people

This year's alternative Christmas message on Channel 4 will be an appeal from the comedian Chris McCausland calling for an end to discrimination against disabled people.

1 min

Dickens book read by Scott's doomed team on show for centenary of museum

A seal blubber-stained copy of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield that survived Captain Scott's 1910 expedition to Antarctica will form part of an exhibition marking 100 years since the writer's first London home opened as a museum.

2 mins

Trump threatens to take back control of Panama Canal

Donald Trump has demanded control of the Panama Canal be returned to the US if Panama does not manage the waterway in a fashion that is acceptable to him - and he accused the central American country of charging excessive fees for its use.

2 mins

Winds disrupt festive travel as ferries and flights are cancelled

Thousands of people in the UK are facing a Christmas travel nightmare as strong winds led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and ferries.

2 mins

More buses and coaches to operate on Christmas Day

More buses and coaches are expected to be operating on Christmas Day than at any time since figures were first collected five years ago.

1 min

Priest in sexual abuse case reappointed twice by archbishop of York

The archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has come under increased pressure after reports that he twice reappointed a priest at the heart of a sexual abuse case.

2 mins

Doctors warn of danger to children from water beads

Doctors yesterday issued a health warning over tiny water beads amid reports linking them to serious harm and deaths among children.

1 min

First UK double lung transplant carried out with machine to keep organs alive

Surgeons have performed a double lung transplant using a novel machine that revives donor organs and keeps them alive and breathing outside the human body for the first time in the UK.

3 mins

Theatre review Rhinestones aren't enough to make Dolly show sparkle

Here You Come Again Riverside Studios, London ★★★★☆

1 min

'I'm in a war' Parents clash with struggling councils amid Send funding crisis

'We've appealed to the council but it could take months. It's emotionally and physically draining' Paul McAnenny Father of Tommy

5 mins

Millions spent on attempts to block help for children with special needs

needs and disabilities (Send) services is urgent and essential.

2 mins

Surging demand and shrinking budgets: there is no quick fix for a system that is on its knees

Despite council attempts to ration educational health and care plans, the number increased by 140% between 2014 and 2023

3 mins

Police are still spying on reporters, say pair who were illegally targeted

Two investigative journalists who were unlawfully spied on by police say they are in \"no doubt\" reporters continue to be targeted in the UK.

2 mins

Tea or coffee can limit risk of neck cancers, studies find

If the only thing getting you through a mountain of present-wrapping is a mug of tea or coffee, be of good cheer.

1 min

Family of pioneering artist fear 'plundering' of her works

The family of the Swedish artist Hilma af Klint claim a potential agreement between a leading gallerist and the foundation responsible for preserving her work could lead to a \"plundering\" of her early 20th century abstract pieces.

3 mins

Right-minded pals? Why Musk wants to put his money behind Farage's Reform UK

The get-together last week of Elon Musk, Nigel Farage and Reform UK's treasurer, Nick Candy, wasn't just a gathering of Donald Trump fans. It was a meeting of minds.

2 mins

Disabled customers put at risk of hardship after banks scrap 'lifeline' trust accounts

People with disabilities are facing potential hardship because banks are scrapping trust accounts that allow money to be managed safely on their behalf.

3 mins

Reopening of Citizens marks Scottish drama renaissance

The long-awaited reopening of the Citizens theatre in Glasgow will mark a turning point for Scottish drama in 2025, with new artistic leadership across several venues, including Alan Cumming at Pitlochry Festival theatre, and a renewed determination to champion work beyond London.

2 mins

'A long-distance hug' Readers on the joy - and cost - of Christmas cards

The soaring price of stamps has cast doubt on the future of Christmas cards, but despite the money and time involved, it seems Gen Z want to keep the festive tradition, likened to sending a \"long-distance hug\".

2 mins

Funding gap for women's centres 'will mean more prison sentences'

A £5m funding gap for women's centres will lead to more women being imprisoned and derail government reform plans, experts warn.

1 min

Visa income threshold a 'cruel' barrier to family reunions, says charity

Thousands of children are facing Christmas with one of their parents stranded abroad owing to the Home Office's restrictive visa policies, leading to charities branding the UK \"one of the worst countries in the world for family reunion\".

2 mins

Lib Dems could force Commons vote on Waspi compensation

The Liberal Democrats could force a Commons vote on compensation for the Waspis (women against state pension inequality), the party's deputy leader has said, capitalising on unease among Labour MPs over ministers' decision to rule it out.

2 mins

'It needs to be safe' PinkNews claims prompt fears for LGBTQ+ reporting

As it nears its 20th anniversary next year, PinkNews should be celebrating a period that has seen remarkable progress for some but not all LGBTQ+ people in Britain.

4 mins

Zelenskyy urges Ukraine diplomats to fight hard for Nato membership

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told his country's diplomats that Ukraine will have to fight to persuade allies to allow it to take up Nato membership, but has described the goal as \"achievable\" as Kyiv searches for security guarantees to protect it from Russia.

3 mins

'The fat one': lottery fever grips Spain as winners share €2.7bn pot

Players with winning tickets in Spain's huge Christmas lottery draw celebrated with sparkling wine, cheers and hugs yesterday in a 200-year-old tradition that marks the beginning of the festive season.

1 min

Holy trail Assisi braced for influx as faithful celebrate jubilee and millennial saint

Inside a souvenir shop in Assisi, the face of a boy with thick black curly hair smiles out from wall tapestries, fridge magnets and keyrings, outshining the flying cherubim, snow globes and other religious trinkets that cram the shelves.

3 mins

Schools in Serbia to shut early as student protests spread over station roof collapse

Schools across Serbia will close for the winter holidays a week earlier than planned as the government of the nationalist president, Aleksandar Vučić, seeks to stop anti-corruption protests that have gripped universities from spreading to the secondary education sector.

2 mins

US shoots down two of its own navy pilots over Red Sea

Two US navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea yesterday in an \"apparent case of friendly fire\", the US military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in more than a year of the country targeting Yemen's Houthis.

1 min

Family of Ethiopian hero claim medal taken by Italian troops

Descendants of a hero of Ethiopia's resistance against European imperialism are seeking to retrieve a gold medal taken from him by Italian troops, after the artefact's current holder failed to sell it at auction.

2 mins

Florida's bitter harvest

Orange crops ruined by hurricanes and an incurable tree disease

2 mins

London retains monopoly on Britain's priciest streets

London continues to dominate the super-prime property market, with all 20 of the country's priciest streets, research shows.

2 mins

Restaurant workers consider legal action on cover charges

Workers are considering legal action against a swathe of upmarket London restaurant owners including Harrods, the Savoy Grill, the Ivy and the Wolseley that add a cover charge to diners' bills that does not go to workers.

2 mins

Fund to save community assets shelved with £15m unallocated

A state-funded scheme that has helped save cherished community sites including mainland Britain's most remote pub is to shut early, leaving millions of pounds unallocated.

1 min

Chancellor's push to improve relationship with EU remains boxed in by Labour's red lines

A \"deeper, more mature relationship\": this was Rachel Reeves's central message to the bloc's finance ministers in Brussels a fortnight ago. In her brief speech - the first such meeting a chancellor had attended since Brexit - Reeves mentioned the relationship with the EU nine times.

2 mins

The Sphinx's plot Will new Royal Mail owner sell off valuable properties?

Will new Royal Mail owner sell off valuable properties?

4 mins

Political football

Sport has shown me success is not about quick wins but collective effort

4 mins

Usyk retains his class in and out of ring in beating Fury

Boxing is full of unsavoury people but it also produces extraordinary men such as the heavyweight champion

5 mins

Time for the cackling disrupter to make his exit but there is no shame in losing to a true great

In the end everyone runs out of road. It was probably necessary for Tyson Fury to say he was robbed in the Kingdom Arena on Saturday night.

4 mins

Burke helps Saracens show title ambitions

It was a cold, bleak midwinter afternoon in north London but the race to be crowned as England's top club side in 2025 is hotting up.

3 mins

Theory of nothing earns Saints and Rusk worthy draw

It turns out it wasn't so hard after all. Southampton stopped giving the ball away in their own half, adopted an approach rooted in expediency and kept their second clean sheet of the campaign.

3 mins

Pereira's Wolves reign gets off to flying start

It took less than 45 minutes of Vítor Pereira's Wolves tenure for the fans to sing his name as he witnessed his new side thrash Leicester.

3 mins

Semenyo shatters United to leave Amorim facing squall

After mid-morning wind and rain that might have caused Noah a problem, the skies cleared and Bournemouth took apart a Manchester United team as amateurish as any of the iterations of the past decade or so.

3 mins

Maresca 'happy' but Chelsea streak ends

The immediate aim of the Friedkin Group is to restore stability to Everton after their takeover on Thursday. In some ways, Sean Dyche has beaten his new employers to it. High-flying Chelsea became the latest team to run into a royal blue wall and out of ideas as they lost valuable ground in the title race.

3 mins

Díaz and Salah double up in leaders' statement win

Liverpool stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points, having played one game fewer than second-placed Chelsea, with the latest illustration of their remorseless cut and thrust under Arne Slot.

3 mins

Postecoglou's Spurs pay price for being an unserious team

Liverpool are serious about this. They're not in London for souvenirs or sightseeing. They had a game four days earlier, they've got another in four days' time, and so all they really want for Christmas is to get in, get the points and get out.

4 mins

United players were 'nervous' says Amorim after new low

Ruben Amorim has admitted Manchester United's players were nervous during their 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth, which left the club 13th and in the bottom half on Christmas Day for the first time since 1989.

1 min

Slot issues title warning Liverpool scolded for easing off while shredding Spurs

Arne Slot urged his players to keep their foot on the accelerator after Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points with a wild 6-3 victory against Tottenham.

2 mins

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