How do I tell my boss I need to go down to a four-day week to spend more time playing with my 3yo daughter's new Brio train set?

They let me write about Spurs again for Christmas. #thfc #coys www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/d...

Earlier this year I bought a camera trap so I could figure out where foxes were getting into the garden. 8yo son, sceptical of Father Christmas, has borrowed it for tonight. So...obviously I've now bought a Santa outfit. Your move, boy.

It's the moooost wonderful tiiiiime of the yeeeeear!

We've all signed for a parcel on behalf of someone else but this takes it a bit far. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Many thanks to Ollie's family for telling his story to warn others. Covering the gambling sector, I've met so many people who have refused to be victims, instead channelling their grief into something positive. It's very uplifting.

I'm a recovering addict, not gambled in 5 years but still get "not on gamstop" texts every day. Although my life was completely destroyed by regulated bookmakers, they don't behave much better they just pay the odd fine (none of which goes to the lives they destroy) so hard to sympathise with them

UK will transfer £2.5bn of Abramovich cash to Ukraine fund, Starmer says

This was an extraordinary, spine-tingling moment, recognising fearless and crucial journalism. I don't think I've ever seen a standing ovation like that at a journalism awards do.

Or there's always Sole Man by Salmon Dave. If you can't do song and artist, don't play IMO.

Lings can only get battered by B:REAM

Looking to speak to anyone who has had trouble finding Pokemon cards to buy for kids at Christmas. Have you had to resort to auction sites where the prices are jacked up?

Looking to speak to anyone who has had trouble finding Pokemon cards to buy for kids at Christmas. Have you had to resort to auction sites where the prices are jacked up?

So you're saying....the people who make the music and put on the shows will get the money instead of touts*? Don't threaten me with a good time. *In most cases, artists choose not to charge as much as they could. Fans of acts who milk them need to take it up with the act.

One of my unpopular opinions is that this, from Ryan Bourne, is correct

Brighton accused of ‘dangerous precedent’ after ban on Guardian over Tony Bloom coverage

On a purely factual point, Trevor Phillips’s column in the Times misrepresents our reporting in casting doubts on claims that there were more boys called Patel than Smith at Dulwich in 1980 (we did not report 1976 as the year it occurred). 1980 roll shows 13 Patels and 12 Smiths.

The overhaul of funding for gambling addiction treatment and education does not appear to be going well. Transition to new system beset by problems, risking disruption to "life-saving" services. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Exclusive from @annaisaac.bsky.social and me. [1/3] www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Brook double century redemption arc, here we go.

Exclusive from @annaisaac.bsky.social and me. [1/3] www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Bancone exists though? (Yes, yes, only in London so far)

Earlier this week, the Guardian's @annaisaac.bsky.social revealed details of a lawsuit alleging that the Brighton FC owner, Tony Bloom, used Reform UK funder George Cottrell as a "beard" to place big bets. The case highlights a secretive gambling world the public rarely gets a glimpse into.

God, imagine if Australia had more than one fit bowler. Doesn't bear thinking about.

Leave Jacks on strike against Starc until the last ball of the over, please.

Root is going to be 99 not out at the end of this innings, I can feel it.

Hard to know whether the defining feature of this England Test side is aggression or stupidity.

As a fan of Welsh rugby and Tottenham Hotspur, all I ask of the sporting gods is a Joe Root century in Australia. Just this one thing. Please?

My Spotify age is 83. Which is what happens when your solution to having to knock out 1200 words in a couple of hours is to drown out the world with John Coltrane.

I don't want to play BrewDog's game by soliciting negative responses to this. And yes, "commercial suicide" is a widely-used term in its own right. But...

Briefly checked the reaction to this on Twitter, where the consensus is that creeping toxicity is, in fact, good.

"Is this off the record?" Steve, nobody cares about your mid-level work gripes.

Friends fear he is writing about Tottenham Hotspur Football Club again. #thfc #coys www.theguardian.com/football/202...

All I'm saying is, since Spurs hired Thomas Frank, I haven't seen the Mum at the school gates who looks like him. Not impossible he's tied up in her basement right now. #thfc #coys

I watched Wales lose by a record margin at home in the rugby, then dashed out the door to travel the length of London to see Spurs. Am available to attend your hated ex's wedding.

Is there anything to be said for another Big Ange? #thfc #coys

Cracking scoop from @jasperjolly.bsky.social. Hard to see how this can possibly be fair or justified. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Somewhat counter-intuitively, shares in most of the UK's biggest listed gambling companies (except William Hill owner Evoke, which is a basket case) are up since the budget added £8bn+ to their tax bill over five years. An attempt to unpick why... www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Very lucky (and tired) to have seen Radiohead twice and English Teacher in the same week. Tonight's gig, after a busy Budget day, was such a treat. The pipes on Lily Fontaine.

Here we go. Three gambling firms have now updated investors on the impact of the Chancellor's duty rises after the market closed. Entain (Ladbrokes/Coral): -£150m operating profit by 2027 Evoke (888/William Hill): £135m extra duty cost Rank (Grosvenor Casinos/Mecca Bingo) -£40m operating profit

Looks like the market may have misjudged how gambling firms will be affected by the rise in duties announced by the Chancellor. Rank Group (owner of Mecca Bingo and land/online casinos) finished the day up 10%. It just announced a hit to operating profit of £40m.

As the person live-updating the Guardian's "at a glance" Budget story, may I thank whoever at the OBR accidentally published the forecasts early and offer them dinner on me, should they end up experiencing cashflow problems in the immediate future for any reason. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...