The art of giving up

We give things up when we believe we can change; we give up when we believe we can't. But both are attempts to make adifferent future.

Trump surrogates swarm Iowa before first caucuses

Outside, traders braved the bitter cold to sell Trump hats, T-shirts and other merchandise. Inside, hundreds of Trump supporters were sporting Make America Great Again (Maga) regalia. They were surrounded by big screens, loudspeakers, TV cameras, patriotic flags and Team Trump logos.

Fighting talk: Fired-up Biden shows gloves are off against loser' Trump

This time it's personal. Last Friday Joe Biden tore into his predecessor Donald Trump as never before. He brimmed with anger, disdain and contempt. He apparently had to stop himself from swearing. So much for \"when they go low, we go high\" - and plenty of Democrats will be just fine with that.

'Dangerous to be funny' Has India lost its sense of humour?

It is rare for India's politicians to laugh at themselves, but a row over an act of mimicry has exposed the extent of the lack of humour and intolerance of satire in the country's political and public life.

Boy wonder Luke Littler's stunning rise will take him from Butlin's to Berlin

The dust has barely settled on Luke Littler's extraordinary performance at the PDC World Darts Championship last week, where he reached the final before losing to Luke Humphries. But attention is already beginning to turn to just how far the 16-yearold's unquestionable talent can take him.

Hidden secrets: Epstein court files leave questions unanswered

Documents released bya judge are littered withnames but mysteries remain over the disgraced financier

Spies like Us

Julian Borger thought his family had survived the Holocaust almost unscathed, and that his great-aunt Malciin Vienna was a gentle oddball. Then he discovered her important role in the resistance during the second world war and its tragic consequences for her family

Don't feel pity for Oscar Pistorius: the real victim is Reeva Steenkamp

Who's in the mood to throw a pity party for Oscar Pistorius? Anyone? Or, like me, do you find his crime so disturbing it sticks in the craw to feel you're being sold a \"broken man\" narrative?

If Javier Milei's plans for Argentina sound familar, it's no surprise

There are elements of fascism, elements borrowed from the Chinese state and elements that reflect Argentina's history of dictatorship.

Growing pains

Jodie Foster on films, family and working out how to be famous on her own terms after 58 years in the spotlight

Tipping point

A Hamas leader killed in Beirut. Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. A US airstrike in Baghdad. As the Israel-Gaza war bleeds across borders, is wider violence in the Middle East inevitable?

Big band theory - The rise of jazz orchestras

Before bebop, large outfits dominated the scene. Now a new generation of musicians is bringing back the tradition - and its sense of community

The older masters

There is a particular stereotype of creative genius: that of the youthful prodigy of irrepressible talent.

All hung up

Smartphones and social media apps dominate our attention, sometimes to a damaging and unhealthy extent. But is it really an addiction? By Simar Bajaj

In search of sanctuary

What was it like to grow up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles? Darran Anderson explores his memories of life in a low-level police state, the hostile feeling of being a stranger in his own land and how the birth of his son accentuated his need to find a place of peace

NYT sues OpenAI and Microsoft over use of its content

The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft over the use of its content to train generative artificial intelligence and large-language systems, a move that could see the company receive billions of dollars in damages.

Third-party group rebuts claims it will boost Trump vote

Third parties could hurt Donald Trump as much as Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election, the group No Labels has claimed, insisting its contentious effort to build a unity ticket cannot be compared to spoiler candidates of the past.

Handbrake turn Europe's cities take on the car

In Paris, Barcelona and Brussels, authorities are adopting different approaches in a bid to reduce congestion and cut air pollution

New year sees Moscow and Kyiv intensify attacks

Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed in his new year's address to unleash \"wrath\" against Russian forces in 2024, saying Ukraine had become stronger as the war moves toward its second year.

Israelis look for any sign of victory as death toll mounts

Israeli planes bombed refugee camps in Gaza last weekend as its troops expanded ground operations and tens of thousands of Palestinians fled their homes, setting the stage for a new year as bloody as the last three months of 2023.

Broken ties Putin and Netanyahu content as entente ends

When Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone last month to Benjamin Netanyahu, their first conversation themselves in weeks, they found in an unusual dynamic, engaging not as partners but against the backdrop of historic tensions.

Shipping lanes Could the Red Sea crisis risk sparking a wider conflict?

So far, the war in Gaza prompted by Hamas's attack on 7 October has not precipitated the nightmare scenario - a wider Middle East conflict drawing in the US and Iran. But that risk appears to be becoming more serious.

FRONTLINES OF WAR AND NATURE WHAT ELSE TO WATCH FOR IN 2024

The year 2024 will be a critical one.

RUSSIA PUTIN WILL SEIZE HIS CHANCE TO PROVE THAT THE WAR IS ON TRACK

In news that probably shocked no one, Vladimir Putin announced last month that he will seek a fifth presidential term in the upcoming March elections.

INDIA MODI LOOKS POISED FOR SUCCESS AS DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS FEAR WORST

India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, cut a confident figure as 2023 drew to a close. As his Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) swept three major state elections in December, Modi did not hold back from predicting that \"this hat-trick has guaranteed the 2024 victory\"

POLLS APART

More than 2 billion people could vote in 2024, the biggest year ever for global democracy. But electoral systems face multiple pressures including AI manipulation, far-right extremism and crackdowns on free speech and dissent. Our correspondents preview some of the most significant elections-and the threats facing them

UNITED KINGDOM A PERILOUS ELECTION: PHOTO ID, STAFF SHORTAGES AND CYBER THREATS

While the general election date itself remains in the hands of Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, one thing is certain: when the campaign does begin it has the potential to be one of the more perilous and chaotic in UK history.

TV

The Guardian Weekly team reveal our small-screen picks of the year, from Top Boy's poignantly nihilistic finale to a second helping of The Bear's kitchen chaos

Film

From gruelling documentary to yearning romance - the 10 best movies of the year | Our critics' selection of the pick of the year's films and albums

Call me what you want - I'll keep telling the truth about livestock farming

Everything that makes campaigning against fossil fuels difficult is 10 times harder when it comes to opposing livestock farming.