Calling all parents to the gate for all-inclusive savings and free child places

With British skiers increasingly opting for trips that fit into a long weekend, Chamonix is coming out on top thanks to itas excellent connections via train and plane a Tristan Kennedy reveals how to make the most out of a few days on the mountains

Doug Parker served as the chief executive for American Airlines from 2001 to 2023

Both Delta Airlines and United Airlines are at the bottom of the safest airlines list

Whatever New York neighbourhood you find yourself in, these are the best hotels in the Big Apple

Exclusive: Final departure from Manchester to London Euston will be 4pm as strike timetable will still apply

Tick off your 2025 travel goals with a cruise along Norwayas breathtaking coast, where you can take in views of the Northern Lights

Decision comes despite the firm behind the Spanish airports calling its fees among the lowest in Europe

The dry dock changes will affect sailings out of Southampton and Florida

Carriers including Wizz Air and Lufthansa are reinstating flights to Tel Aviv

Trade in the crowds for some quiet one-on-one time with these equally romantic but less hyped-up European cities

Before you spend big on a holiday this year, hereas how to help make sure your trip goes without a hitch

Bilal Eksi, CEO of the national carrier, confirmed the news on X

At least 138 carriers are not compliant with international safety standards to fly in the UK

Exclusive: aWeave had last-minute bookings for people to go next week,a said Philip Breckner of Discover Egypt

No country saw their security risk decrease in the past 12 months, says International SOS

It comes as the cost of fixing vehicles damaged by potholes reaches a record high

The former First Lady also skipped Jimmy Carteras funeral earlier this month

The aA Complete Unknowna star was spotted wearing a Chanel bag in Paris

The NBA legend-turned DJ will be performing with John Summit ahd Ludacric at his annual Super Bowl after party

Broaden your horizons with these pleasure tech picks and take your experiences to new heights

The TV hostas family says her acurrent situation is not only unfair but also deeply isolatinga

The price of a pint varies by as much as a pound depending where you are in the country, writes Albert Toth

aI ran away from the responsibility of having a familya shared the 74-year-old star

Influencer, who raised awareness about mental health and addiction, was called an aincredible, inspirational figurea

Information labels on food are inspiring people to choose healthier options... but only to the tune of 11 calories

Former shop assistant said heir to throne repeatedly rented our 2002 comedy aBoat Tripa

These days, the concept of making a relationship even vaguely official can send prospective partners running for the hills. Helen Coffey investigates whether itas part of a wider trend that sees grown-ups get perpetually stranded in kidulthood

It could lower blood glucose levels by about 24 per cent

Consumers have been urged to rethink their buying habits to reduce plastic waste

Whether youare embracing Veganuary or simply looking for a plant-based bake to satisfy your sweet tooth, this easy vegan banana bread ticks all the boxes

Olivia Petter talks to experts who say that people with eating disorders are especially vulnerable to the allure of aquick fixa slimming with diabetes drug semaglutide... and are not thinking about its side effects

Baby names inspired by weapons or other acts of violence have recently become popular

Entrepreneur addressed claims the break-up was orchestrated to promote the launch of her clothing brand Maebe

aIt needed to happen,a explains Hague in a new documentary

Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly ruled out rejoining the customs union or single market

Sir Keir says it was his wifeas second visit to Auschwitz but it was ano less harrowinga

After weeks of economic turbulence, new figures suggesting better growth in 2025 than previously expected will come as a welcome relief for the embattled chancellor

Officers facing allegations of domestic abuse and sex attacks could be allowed to return to the Met if the force loses a legal battle over vetting

Reeves has been under pressure over floundering economy with ongoing questions over her fitness for the job

Survivor Samantha Walker-Roberts hit out at Yvette Cooperas plan and called APS5million budget for five government-backed inquiries aabsolutely shockinga

The governmentas Rentersa Rights Bill will bring in measures landlords will need to aprice ina to rents charged, claims an industry figure

Humberside Police will use the artificial intelligence powered cameras asporadically throughout the yeara

aThe safety of everyone on the estate remains a key priority of both Housesa, a House of Commons spokesperson said

Police Scotland continue major search for triplets Eliza and Henrietta Huszti as family issue desperate plea saying aall we want is for them to be founda

Suspect Christian B is set to be released from prison on unrelated charges in September, prosecutor says

Anthony Gardiner carved aI am a n**** killera onto his dinner plate while in prison for a violent robbery, after killing 76-year-old John Coxon

White supremacist who said he wanted to hurt aone of the Channel migrantsa jailed for minimum of 22 years

The 55-year-old woman said she was set upon by a mystery man as she emptied her bins down the communal rubbish chute on Tuesday evening

Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria left a wreath and a poignant written message as they visited Auschwitz, a place the prime minister described as autterly harrowinga, on Friday (17 January).

The Tory leader insisted that ameans-testing is something which we donat do properlya after being pressed on her plans for the pensions triple lock

Jake Fahri is reportedly TEN a who was showcased on BBC a and published music about murdering Jimmy Mizen

Which accent is most likely to report a family member to police for a trivial crime?

Tesla Cybertrucks are illegal to drive in the UK as they have not passed UK road safety tests

Surrey Police have launched a murder investigation at a converted office block in Ashford

Vet Amir Anwary went viral on TikTok for his hot takes on dog breeds

Kemi Badenoch said Conservatives will look at means testing the measure used to increase the state pension year on year

The exact location of most of these small chips lost in the famous theft from Westminster Abbey remains a mystery

Experts have called the marriage ban, proposed by Tory MP Richard Holden, adamaginga and a apotential health disadvantagea

Soho House boss told mansion could be on site of Iron Age hillfort

The government announced a raft of new measures to address the grooming gangs scandal after rejecting a national inquiry

Senior government officials will also be holding national pandemic preparedness drills later this year

Labour said it will are-consulta on the Conservative plans, but the government is looking to find the same savings

Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were jailed for life for Saraas murder last month, with minimum terms of 40 years and 33 years respectively

Rising temperatures could see more pests introduced on increasingly tropical plants

Directoras forthcoming adaptation of C.S. Lewis book series will be released in 2026

Other musical guests throughout inaugural events include Village People, Carrie Underwood and Kid Rock

Police say alleged incident took place in building in New Yorkas Dumbo neighbourhod

aMy heart beats every single day for what happens in my countrya she said

aBlake Lively was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth,a says Baldonias lawyer

aIt Ends with Usa actoras legal team addressed Baldonias new lawsuit in a statement

Dane DeHaan has opened up about the gruelling experience of filming Netflixas highly anticipated western, American Primeval, saying: aItas hard to put into words how intense this show really is.a

Macchio takes over for Jackie Evancho, who performed aThe Star-Spangled Bannera at the President-electas 2017 inauguration

aIt was insane,a the actor said

aWhen I woke up, I found myself in a wheelchair. I couldnat walk,a says Foxx

aThatas so brutal to have to find out like that,a one fan responded

aThe big C didnat actually get hera wrote Maureen Nolan

Gibson, Sylvester Stallon and Jon Voight have been named as aSpecial Ambassadorsa to Hollywood

Every episode filmed so far will not see the light of day

Roger Nores alleges late staras father made afalse and defamatorya claims to police

In 1994, Channel 4 soap opera Brookside brought the first lesbian kiss to British TV.

David Lynch wished for "everyone to be free from disease" in his final public appearance before his death aged 78.

David Lynch extended his wonderfully strange style to a New York City Sanitation public service announcement back in 1991.

Trump is reportedly a fan of Wainwrightas cover of Leonard Cohenas aHalleujaha

Plowright was the widow of Laurence Olivier and won two Golden Globes during her career

TV host was notorious for her sharp jibes directed at contestants during her 12 year stint on the show

aWasnat on my wish list, but it happened,a the actor said

The filmmaker says viewers aall really connected with the idea of being gaslita

aNice try cancer, but Iam still here!a DJ told his listeners

Actor won an Oscar for his collaboration with Polanski in the 2003 film aThe Pianista

aNo glitz with Los Angeles on firea wrote the 77-year-old writer

As the TimothA(c)e Chalamet-starring Bob Dylan biopic aA Complete Unknowna hits cinemas, Stevie Chick revisits a moment in time where the musician teetered on insignificance... until a single tour in 1974 with The Band cemented the Tambourine Manas place in music history

Szwarc was also a prolific television director

Diaz surprised co-star with her jab at tech billionaireas friendship with Trump

Collaborators including Nicolas Cage and Lara Flynn Boyle have shared their thoughts on the directoras death

The loss of singular talent and visionary filmmaker David Lynch is not only felt in the world of cinema, but music, where he had inextricable influence on multiple generations of artists. Maria Sherman runs through the 10 best songs to remember his legacy

aListen, my motheras gonna watch this show. I canat do this. I wonat do this,a he recalls protesting.

The films loosely based on Dave Fishwickas real-life quest to set up his own bank have got Netflix viewers hooked. Katie Rosseinsky explores the secrets to their success

Adam Scott and co are back after a three-year hiatus in this sharp, funny comment on office life

Linda reveals the biggest fear after being axed from BBC show The Traitors.

Unlike your typical bucket-scraping rattlebag of audio oddities thrown together to con extra cash from grieving fans, this record feels complete and cohesive

The former aWendy Williams Showa host has been under guardianship since 2022 and was diagnosed with dementia last year

Dan Erickson said so far nobody had got it atotally righta

At first, the response toA Appleas dystopian sci-fi was tepid. But itas proved itself to be a deliciously compelling examination of what makes us human, writes Nick Hilton. Plato would have loved it

21 contestants entered the castle for a chance to win the cash prize of up to $250,000

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Katy Perry and Green Day also on line-up for FireAid

Entrepreneur addressed claims the break-up was orchestrated to promote the launch of her clothing brand Maebe

The ever-relatable but private influencer decides to give the audience some of the vulnerable insights they crave, before returning to her first priority: promoting the Molly-Mae brand

aIt needed to happen,a explains Hague in a new documentary

Boxer admitted that alcohol had caused the shock break-up

Exclusive: Labour to announce delay to many of 40 planned projects as costs spiral to estimated APS30bn

At least half of the 40 new hospitals pledged by Boris Johnson will not be built for many years, the Guardian has learned, in a move decried as adevastatinga for staff and patients.

Labour will announce that many of the crumbling NHS hospitals in England that were due to be replaced by 2030 will not be completed according to the original timeframe.

• Striker was part of Unitedas much-fabled aHoly Trinitya
• Bryan Robson leads tributes to aone of footballas giantsa

Great names from Manchester United and Scotland have paid tribute to Denis Law, a legendary figure for both club and country, following his death at the age of 84.

Law, who was diagnosed with dementia in August 2021, scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for United and was the last surviving member of Old Traffordas aHoly Trinitya, following the passing of George Best in 2005 and Sir Bobby Charlton in 2023. As such, his own passing represents a hugely significant moment in the clubas history.

Agreement earlier approved by the security cabinet will pause 15-month war in Gaza for an initial six weeks

• Middle East crisis a live updates

Israelas cabinet has convened to vote on a ceasefire deal to exchange dozens of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians in Israeli jails and pause the 15-month war in Gaza for an initial six weeks.

The agreement, which was earlier approved by the security cabinet, would halt fighting and bombardment in Gazaas deadliest-ever war.

Rare spherical egg could fetch in region of APS200, with proceeds of sale going to charity

A farm worker in Devon has discovered what she believes to be a aone-in-a-billiona spherical egg.

Alison Greene, who has worked as an egg handler on Fenton Farm near the Somerset border for three years and handled more than 42m eggs, said she had never found a perfectly round one before.

Verdicts against trio suggest legal representatives are latest target of Kremlinas crackdown on dissent

Russia has sentenced three lawyers who had defended Alexei Navalny to several years in prison for bringing messages from the late opposition leader from prison to the outside world.

The case, which comes amid a widespread crackdown on dissent during the Ukraine offensive, has alarmed rights groups that fear Moscow will ramp up trials against legal representatives in addition to jailing their clients.

Muskas company has been accused of manipulating systems to give far-right posts and politicians greater visibility

The European Commission has asked X to hand over internal documents about its algorithms, as it steps up its investigation into whether Elon Muskas social media platform has breached EU rules on content moderation.

The EUas executive branch told the company it wanted to see internal documentation about its arecommender systema, which makes content suggestions to users, and any recent changes made to it, by 15 February.

PM stressed shared aunbreakable commitment to Nato and Ukrainea with Poland in meeting with Donald Tusk

Keir Starmer has urged world leaders to adouble downa in their efforts to support Ukraine during a visit to Poland, days before Donald Trumpas return to the US presidency risks jeopardising international solidarity on the issue.

Speaking alongside the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, after the pair discussed a proposed defence-focused treaty, Starmer dodged questions on the possible impact of Trump, but insisted the only way forward was apeace on Ukraineas termsa.

Leader urged to clarify suggestion lock could be means-tested amid fears party will lose support among older voters

• UK politics live a latest updates

Kemi Badenoch has been urged by a former Conservative pensions minister to clarify awhat on earth she meansa by suggesting the pensions triple lock could be means-tested, amid alarm within the party that she will lose support among older people.

The Conservative leader suggested she could back a major policy shift away from the universal promise introduced under her party that the state pension will rise each year by whichever is highest out of 2.5%, inflation, or earnings.

House of Commons spokesperson says bar will shut while security and safety are reviewed

Parliamentas Strangersa bar will be closed next week while security arrangements are reviewed after an alleged spiking incident.

A House of Commons spokesperson said the bar, which is located on the parliamentary estate and is frequented by MPs on weekday evenings, would be closed from Monday.

UK economy predicted to grow by 1.6% this year as fund warns of potentially destabilising effect of Trump policy

aC/ Business live a latest updates

The International Monetary Fund has upgraded its forecast for UK growth this year in an update to its biannual assessment of the global economy, while taking a swipe at plans by Donald Trumpas incoming US administration for the potentially destabilising effect of large-scale tax cuts, import tariffs and weaker regulations.

In a fillip to the Labour government, the Washington-based organisation said it expected the UK economy to grow by 1.6% in 2025, up from an earlier forecast of 1.5%.

Criminals stealing hundreds of pounds by snooping locker codes and using them to access accounts with same pin

Police have urged the public to use different pin codes at the gym after a prolific thief stole hundreds of pounds from a man he snooped on while entering a locker code that he also used for his bank card.

Last September Declan Murphy, 35, secretly watched the victim as he typed in a locker code at a luxury central London gym. After stealing the victimas phone and bank card from the locker, Murphy then successfully guessed that the four-digit code on the card would be the same as the locker code.

Mood among relatives in Hostage Square is tense, while outside Netanyahuas office protesters decry asurrendera

News of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas has been greeted with joy by Palestinians, but a more wary approach in Israel, where demonstrators both in favour and against the deal have taken to the streets.

The deal, which is supposed to go into effect on Sunday, is made up of three stages: in the first 42-day phase, 33 Israeli hostages are expected to be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. In Gaza, the 2.3 million population a nearly all of whom are displaced from their homes a will be allowed to move freely around the territory, and there is expected to be a huge increase in aid supplies.

Big oil executive plans to celebrate Trumpas inauguration as California burns a though experts say climatic conditions are only getting more extreme

Donald Trumpas response to the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles has provided a stark prologue to how his US presidency will probably handle the growing threat of such disasters a through acrimony, brutal dealmaking and dismissal of a climate crisis that is spurring a mounting toll of fires, floods and other calamities.

As of Thursday, four fires, whipped up by wind speeds more typically found in hurricanes, have torched 63 sq miles (163 sq km) of Los Angeles, a burned area roughly three times the size of Manhattan, destroying more than 12,000 homes and businesses and killing at least 25 people. The Palisades and Eaton fires, the largest of the conflagrations that have turned entire neighborhoods to ash, are still to be fully contained.

A visit by Donald Trump Jr amid comments by his US president-elect father have put their country and its future firmly in the spotlight

In one corner, friends discuss the aftermath of last weekas visit by Donald Trump Jr, while in another, coffee is being roasted, as the northern lights dance across the dark early evening sky. Suddenly, a group at the neighbouring table, who have broken off their game of backgammon to take a video call, erupt into excited squeals. The rest of the coffee shop responds enthusiastically.

aThere was a big catch of narwhals,a explains Aka Hansen, an Inuit film-maker. aWelcome to Greenland.a

A goalscorer with a courageous flamboyance, Manchester Unitedas ace also pioneered the signature celebration

Whoever first described football as the working manas ballet (it may have been Tony Waddington, the long-serving Stoke City manager), they were surely thinking of Denis Law, whose balance and agility inside an opposition penalty area would have brought a cheer from Nijinsky or Baryshnikov.

Even on the sort of gloomy midwinter day when an English football stadium could seem, in the pre-modern era, to be a dark and glowering place, Law shone through the murk, and not just for the bright red of his Manchester United jersey and the white of his shorts. A shock of straw-coloured hair made him stand out in every opposing teamas penalty area even when he wasnat spontaneously arranging his limbs to execute a spectacular aerial volley.

Streaming insiders have claimed theyare being made to rewrite scripts for viewers who use their phones while watching. Is this the end of prestige TV? Or pure fiction?

Be honest: how much attention do you pay when you watch TV? If youare familiar with the ritual of half-watching a series or film a Netflix on in the background while you check out what your arch enemy has just posted on Instagram, say a it may surprise you to hear that Netflix doesnat just know you engage in this obscene behaviour. It actually wants you to carry on.

The streamer was in the news recently thanks to an excellent piece by Will Tavlin in n+1, which reminded readers of the platformas microgenre of acasual viewinga: TV shows and movies designed to be watched while doing something else. One paragraph in particular incited a great deal of frustration. Tavlin claimed that Netflix have told various screenwriters to have their protagonists aannounce what theyare doing so that viewers who have this program on in the background can follow alonga.

His unique, twisted visions shocked and seduced generations of filmgoers. Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, Coralie Fargeat and more pay tribute
aC/ Ranked: David Lynchas films and TV shows
aC/ Cigarettes were Lynchas magic wand a and his undoing

Paul Schrader, director

Stage and screen star who was part of a radical generation of actors responsible for establishing the National Theatre

Joan Plowright, who has died aged 95, played a central role in the historic overhaul of British theatre at the Royal Court in the late 1950s. A founder member of George Devineas English Stage Company in 1956, she made her name as Beatie Bryant, the working-class heroine in Arnold Weskeras Roots in 1959, and married Laurence Olivier in 1961. The union of Plowright and Olivier was symbolic of the new theatre order embracing the old glamour, as the greatest actor of the day threw in his lot with the younger generation.

Olivier had scored one of his biggest successes as Archie Rice, the dying music hall star, in John Osborneas The Entertainer at the Court in 1957. When the play transferred to the West End and Broadway, Plowright took over from Dorothy Tutin as Jean Rice, Archieas daughter, and their friendship ripened into an unshakeable intimacy, and marriage, that lasted until Olivieras death in 1989.

Symptoms like insomnia, bloating and emotional shifts can occur before menopause begins, but they are often improperly addressed by doctors

In her 40s, Karen Cummings started to notice a shift in her menstrual cycle. The New Yorkeras typically mild and consistent symptoms had been replaced by bloating, emotional swings and overwhelm before she entered menopause five years ago, at 52.

She thought she might need to switch up her birth control. Her doctor suggested an antidepressant. But the symptoms seemed tied to her menstrual cycle. aIam not depressed,a she remembers thinking. aIam on the wrong birth control.a

Our expert picks the top wetsuits to keep you warm whatever the weather, so you can ride the waves year-round

aC/ The fitness gear that made you fitter

Gone are the days when surfers needed a woolly jumper under their wetsuit a or to wear two wetsuits a to stay warm. Wetties have come a long way in recent years and now offer far greater protection against the cold. This shift has meant more of us are surfing all year round, even in the chilliest of British winters.

But such innovation has come at a cost, as explained in The Big Sea, a documentary made by two surfers from the north-east of England. The film shows the effects of producing neoprene, the synthetic rubber used to make most surf wetsuits, on the predominantly black and low-income residents of Reserve in Louisiana, where cancer rates are alarmingly high.

Best overall winter wetsuit:
Patagonia R4 Regulator front zip hooded full suit
_{Womenas APS560 at Patagonia
Menas APS560 at Patagonia}

Best budget winter wetsuit:
C-Skins NuWave Solace/Session 5/4 chest zip steamer
_{Womenas APS233.95 at Sorted Surf Shop
Menas APS244.39 at Ocean Sports Board Riders}

Best winter wetsuit for flexibility:
Billabong 5/4mm Furnace natural chest zip wetsuit
_{Womenas APS410 at Billabong
Menas APS410 at Billabong}

Best winter wetsuit for warmth:
Finisterre Nieuwland 5.5/4.5mm Yulex chest zip hooded wetsuit
_{Womenas APS345 at Finisterre
Menas APS345 at Finisterre}

The presenter of Premier League games for Sky since 2017 will join Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan from next season

Kelly Cates always gets asked the same questions. What was it like having a footballing legend for a father? And how does it feel being a woman in a manas world?

The response of the veteran football presenter a who has been propelled into the public consciousness after being named as one-third of the new lineup replacing Gary Lineker on Match of the Day a reveals a lot about the BBCas new star.

Periods of physical separation are common in most relationships and it takes effort a but you can have the best of both worlds
aC/ Every week Annalisa Barbieri addresses a problem sent in by a reader

My boyfriend and I are both in our early twenties and have been together for almost a year. In the past two months we have committed to a long-distance relationship.

When we are together everything is perfect; I truly feel like we have something special. However, we both struggle with communicating over text/calls and this can cause our relationship to stagnate. We are only able to meet every month or so as we live in different cities and both lead very busy lives. This situation is causing me tremendous anxiety a so much so that it could irrevocably affect our relationship a especially as there is no clear date as to when weall be able to live in the same area again.

Itas easy to process allegations against textbook scumbags like Harvey Weinstein. When it is beloved authors and aalliesa, less so

Draw near, allies, for these are dark days for akink-shaminga. At best, this is one of the whiniest, most pathetic and least helpful phrases to have entered the parlance of modern times a and at worst, itas just another guyas excuse for sexual abuse. Itas confusing. You try to be modern and post-conventional, and you end up enabling the most old-fashioned and conventional nastinesses of all.

Still, thank heavens for the parade of embattled famous men fighting kink-shamingas corner. I have just one thing to say to all the lady authors, lady pop stars and lady actors out there. And that is: if you havenat had an eye-wateringly expensive lawyer draft a statement about how consensual your sex with a tormented junior was, then are you really properly creative at all?

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

The agreement reached this week is basically the plan Joe Biden unveiled in May. So much pain and death could have been avoided

When news of the ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas first broke on Wednesday, a friend offered the kind hope that now, at last, there could be a sense of joy. I wanted very much to feel that way but, at that moment, I could not a and hereas why.

For one thing, a mere announcement did not seem enough. When it comes to the Middle East, abelieve it when you see ita tends to be a good operating principle. Sure enough, there followed 48 hours of hitches and last-minute delays and even now, as I write this and after the Israeli security cabinet approved the deal, it seems like tempting fate to assume everything will run smoothly.

The president-electas latest trio of mischievous appointments show his genius for trolling the celebrity-woke community

Donald Trump has permitted himself the delicious pleasure of trolling Hollywoodas celebrity-woke community who once dreamed of preventing his second term with their collective prestige. He has found a new wellspring of liberal tears in which to bathe. But whatever our feelings about his proposed aHollywood ambassadorsa, Mel Gibson, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone a ambassadors to Hollywood from Maga? to Maga from Hollywood? a itas possible to wonder if the ambassadors themselves have a right to be a bit miffed.

Hollywood ambassador? Gibson has directed a number of feature films, (Stallone and Voight also have directing credits); these are vast organisational challenges, requiring energy, vision, skill and political finesse. And that zero-experience lunkhead Pete Hegseth gets to be defence secretary? Despite only knowing how to do sycophantic interviews with the once-and-future C-in-C on Fox News? What an insult to Gibson, Voight and Stallone who surely deserve cabinet posts. Arnold Schwarzenegger is perhaps constitutionally out of the running to be a Hollywood ambassador despite his own political experience, maybe because of his Austrian birth or his bold questioning of rightwing views.

Lisa Nandy needs creative ideas for the broadcaster. A hybrid funding settlement could protect its Reithian tradition

The BBC is still in the premier league of great British institutions a just. Other countries have public broadcasters, but none has the BBCas range and authority. For generations, the corporation has served as a beacon of quality entertainment and journalism. Its World Service is a global shrine to the English language, with an astonishing 320 million worshippers. The BBCas viewers pay a licence fee of just over APS3 a week per household, which covers national TV channels, radio, iPlayer, a variety of apps and the World Service. That seems remarkably good value.

Yet the problem is obvious. What was designed as the monopoly supplier of British broadcasting is now overwhelmed by a tidal wave of competition. The BBC boasts eight television channels; on my last count Sky had about 50. What with streaming, repeats, catch-ups and podcasts, Britainas computer-literate younger generation sees nothing special in the BBC: in 2019, YouTube overtook the BBC among under-16s. Yes, the BBC delivers Gavin & Stacey, Call the Midwife and Wolf Hall, but so could someone else and simply charge for them. And while documentaries of David Attenboroughas class remain outstanding, BBC One and Two are otherwise desperate for clicks, and seem padded out with hours of low-cost quizshows, antiques sales and celebrity wanderers.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist

Thousands of Palestinians are homeless, their houses reduced to rubble. It could take decades to rebuild their lives

• Al-Meqdad Jamil Meqdad is a writer and researcher from Gaza working in humanitarian and community work

The ceasefire news came suddenly, with an agreement we had heard before, surrounded by bureaucracy, hope and death. People all around me in Gaza a on buses, on donkey carts, in cars, on the street and in the markets a are describing it as a awar after the wara.

The ceasefire is not the end of suffering. It is the beginning of everything else. It is an opportunity for people in northern Gaza, Rafah and elsewhere to mourn their loved ones who were killed and their destroyed homes. It is an opportunity to cry for those who have held back their tears for more than 15 months. We were told we could return to our homes, but those homes now lie in rubble. Most of them were levelled to the ground; some were left standing but are uninhabitable.

Al-Meqdad Jamil Meqdad is a writer and researcher from Gaza involved in humanitarian and community work

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

The Meta boss has ditched his diversity scheme and moved his moderation team. Is he jealous of the attention Musk is getting?

• Joseph Harker is the Guardianas senior editor, diversity and development

Was it just for the PR? Thatas what many who care about fairness in the workplace have been asking since Meta, headed by Mark Zuckerberg, announced the scrapping of all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) schemes within the organisation. Days earlier, fast food giant McDonaldas made a similar announcement. Last year, the car manufacturer Ford and Walmart a the largest private employer in the US a also rolled back their diversity programmes.

So whatas going on? For years, and especially after the Black Lives Matter summer of 2020, these huge corporations have been saying that diversity is a good thing a that it keeps them in touch with their consumers and thereby strengthens the business, as well as being the morally right thing to do.

Joseph Harker is the Guardianas senior editor, diversity and development

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

When my grief was new and raw, I discovered that feeling it was preferable to the numbness that had set in since wead buried them

Last week, I swam in the sea, slowly wading in until the water reached my hips, and then diving under the softly rippling waves. Clear jellyfish gleamed from the sand. Turning over to float on my back, I let my limbs and hair drift around me, and I thought about the spectral presence-absence of my father and brother, who drowned on a very hot summeras day more than 30 years ago.

My memories of the time when they drowned veer up in summer, especially on certain hot days ending with thunderstorms. Anyone whoas spent a summer in Victoria knows the kind of day that marks the end of a heatwave. It starts off hot, everyone kicking off their bedcovers before itas time to get up. The temperature hasnat dropped below 30C all night and possibly all week. The sky is a hard blue at midday, and it seems nothing will break the heat, despite the weather bureauas promises. Then the wind picks up. By late afternoon, the sky darkens as though night has come early. Wind whooshes through trees, fire sirens wail, and the thunder starts rolling. Soon the rain sets in, and we open our windows to let in the cool air as the temperature drops.

Sir Ed Davey a and even Kemi Badenoch a are saying new things about post-Brexit challenges. It is time for Sir Keir Starmer to do likewise

A settled British relationship with the European Union has become an increasingly pressing part of Britainas unfinished national business. Labour came into office promising a welcome post-Brexit reset with Europe. As a result, there have been some useful changes. Yet the reset remains more performative than substantive.

In the material world, Britain has not yet moved a single inch a or, if you prefer, a single centimetre a closer to the more constructive trading relationship that should be at any resetas core. But that may be about to change. Not before time.

Human creativity is more powerful than any machine but it still needs analogue nurturing in the digital age

In the six decades since the release of The Times They Are a-Changina, Bob Dylanas success has turned out to be one thing that doesnat change much. Each generation has rediscovered and loved his work, much to the gratification (or sometimes dismay) of their baby-boomer parents and grandparents.

The cycle will be perpetuated by A Complete Unknown, James Mangoldas acclaimed cinematic retelling of the early chapters in the singeras career a the transition from penniless minstrel to counter-cultural icon by way of the New York folk scene of the early 1960s. As is normal for biopics, the movie takes liberties with the historical record, but the thrust of the narrative is not disputed. And while the music itself might be timeless, the analogue mechanism that conveyed Dylan to stardom looks very dated.

AI is a backward-looking technology that reinforces old biases, warns Natalie Bennett, while fuelling energy-hungry AI data centres will leave the green transition in tatters, writes Christopher Tanner. Plus letters by Philip Ward, Kevin Donovan and Giles du Boulay

There are at least three major concerns to raise with the governmentas apparent betting the future of the UK on so-called artificial intelligence (aMainlined into UKas veinsa: Labour announces huge public rollout of AI, 12 January).

First, as Prof Shannon Vallor at the University of Edinburgh has pointed out in her book The AI Mirror, generative AI is not creative; it only looks backward. It can only remix and reproduce what we have done before, the same errors, failures and biases that have got us into our current mess.

The international community must now make up for its failure of Palestinians, writes Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob. Plus, letters by Michael Peel and Andrew M Rosemarine

The relentless anguish of Palestinians, the colossal magnitude of the calamity in Gaza, is beyond anything seen in history. Living conditions are deplorable. Hospitals are destroyed. Food is scant. Clean drinking water is nonexistent. Public health is shattered to pieces. Malnutrition, vaccine-preventable diseases and infections are rampant.

Children, women and the elderly are deeply traumatised and need urgent medical, humanitarian and psychological assistance. Despite that, the international community has failed Gaza. Let us hope that the ceasefire will pave the way towards a sustainable peace and security in the region and wider world.
Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob
London

Norwegianas near decade-long contract on APS500,000 a week could backfire spectacularly if champions are punished

Erling Haalandas bumper nine-and-a-half-year record new contract with Manchester City is a certifiable coup for the champions and a life-changing deal for the 24-year-old that provokes several intriguing questions.

The thorniest is what occurs if City are relegated should the club be found guilty of the more than 100 charges brought by the Premier League. The champions deny all the allegations but if they are unsuccessful then, depending on the severity of the verdict, one potential tariff is demotion.

• Gambling companyas logo superimposed on images
• Advertising Standards Authority assessing the posts

The Advertising Standards Authority is investigating the trend of social media posts which superimpose the logo of the gambling company Stake on to viral images, many of which feature disturbing content.

Stake, the Australian bookmaker which has been Evertonas front-of-shirt sponsor since the 2022-23 season, has been accused of working with accounts on X to promote its brand via unofficial advertising campaigns which appear to contravene gambling rules. Although the majority of posts originate outside the UK they can be freely viewed in the country. The ASA is responsible for ensuring gambling adverts are socially responsible, with aparticular regarda to the need to protect children.

Aberdeen missed out on the striker on their doorstep who Sir Alex Ferguson regards as Scotlandas greatest ever player

15 April 1967 is a date implanted in the mind of any Scotland supporter who wants to declare their team unofficial world champions. The 3-2 victory over Alf Ramseyas all-conquering England at Wembley is about as good as it has ever got. Denis Law had already missed a sitter from Willie Wallaceas cross by the time he put the visitors in front. Jim Baxter roamed from midfield, Wallace fired towards goal and, following brief ping-pong inside the England penalty area, Law slammed home. Scotland had fretted that Law might not be fit to play in the Home Championship match; he was to be part of a team celebrated over decades.

It is the same fixture at Hampden Park in 1966, though, that better epitomises Law. The forward is already mid-air to meet Willie Johnstonas corner by the time Bobby Moore sees fit to move. George Cohen and Gordon Banks are statuesque on the England goalline as the ball flies past them via Lawas head to afford Scotland a way back into a game where they already trailed by two. Lawas speed of thought was what set him apart. Journalists of the time noticed Law was rarely comfortable speaking about his method of scoring goals; instinct and a sublime talent were his key attributes. The best footballers often find it tricky to articulate how they do things.

• British No 1 faces Carlos Alcaraz after latest five-set match
• aI still have a long way to go, this is a huge drive forwarda

Jack Draper says his trio of five-set victories at the Australian Open are evidence of the hard work he has put into his career, effort that is finally paying off for him in the biggest matches.

aI still have a long way to go, but this is a huge drive forward, the fact that Iave come through three five-set matches, mentally and physically, it doesnat happen often,a said Draper. aThatas a testament to the work Iave done and the place Iam in. So very, very proud of that.a

The team are unbeaten under Slegers and Leah Williamson has emphasised the positive atmosphere during her time

Sometimes, the grass is greenest in your own back garden. That may be a little cliched but it is the reality of Arsenalas managerial hunt. The club have been at pains to stress how thorough a process they have gone through in their search for a successor to Jonas Eidevall before settling on his assistant RenA(c)e Slegers.

There is little need to be anxious about it being suggested that Arsenal may have been lax in their search because, for anyone who has had the opportunity to sit in a press conference with Slegers during her spell as interim manager, even for the shortest amount of time, the sense that the club have a class act on their hands is evident.

• Task force report has completed initial feasibility work
• OTRTF claims huge value could be added to UK economy

Old Traffordas rebuild as a new 100,000-seater stadium and the wider regeneration of the local area could deliver an extra APS7.3bn to the UK economy and bring more than 90,000 employment opportunities, according to the latest task force report.

Manchester United are examining options over whether to redevelop the current stadium to increase capacity to 87,000 or build a new ground which could hold 100,000 fans. A survey released in November found a majority of United fans favour a new stadium rather than the redevelopment of Old Trafford.

Giving them a compound name indicates level established by centre pairing Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones

There will be talk over the next week or two, as there usually is in the buildup to any Six Nations these days, of the possibility of a first Scotland title since five became six at the start of the millennium. The weary will roll their eyes, so familiar is the pang of yet more Scottish disappointment, but if this time, seriously, a title really, really is on the cards, the reason might be found in midfield.

The Scotland centre pairing is so established now, for club and country, it comes with its own compound name: Huwipulotu. As Brangelina could have told them, or any cockapoo, the conferring of a portmanteau indicates a special place in the firmament. Sure enough, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones are on most rugby folkas shortlists for the Lions tour this year. The more excitable have even started dubbing them the best centre pairing in the world.

• Former coach spent three years at club and left in 2009
• 61-year-old steered Albion to Championship title in 2008

Tony Mowbray will take charge of West Brom for the second time after being appointed head coach on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Mowbray replaces Carlos CorberA!n, who left the Hawthorns in December to take up the role of manager at Valencia.

The 61-year-old steered Albion to the Championship title in 2008 and spent three years at the Midlands club until 2009. Since leaving the Baggies, Mowbray has managed Celtic, Middlesbrough, Coventry, Blackburn, Sunderland and Birmingham.

From the Himalayas and Nepal to Northern Ireland, sustainable source of energy seems to be back in vogue

In the foothills of the Himalayas, a group of villagers hauled a sturdy metal waterwheel into place. Its horizontal blades soon caught the rushing water of the stream directly below it. The machine began to spin, and electricity began to flow.

The roughly 2-metre-tall waterwheel, installed in a village in Kashmir, India, was the result of years of design work and development by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and partners.

Some wildlife species have accumulated many times more than safe amount of PFAS in their tissue and organs

• Revealed: drinking water sources in England polluted with forever chemicals
• Revealed: scale of aforever chemicala pollution across UK and Europe

Dolphins, otters, porpoises, fish and birds across the UK have been found to have toxic aforever chemicalsa in their tissue and organs, analysis of official data has revealed.

Manmade chemicals called PFAS, known as forever chemicals because they do not degrade, are used in a wide range of consumer products and industrial processes and some have been linked to serious diseases in humans and animals, including cancers. PFAS have been found widely to pollute water and soils and are thought to be in the blood of every human on the planet.

Scientists say frogas journey shows difficulty of spotting insects or fungi spread by global plant trade

A tiny tree frog hitchhiking in a bunch of roses to Sheffield from Colombia has inspired a study into invasive species reaching the UKas shores.

Dr Silviu Petrovan, a researcher in the University of Cambridgeas zoology department and a senior author of a paper published today in the journal BioScience, had his interest piqued when he was asked to identify a live frog found in roses in a floristas shop in Sheffield.

Experts criticise Defraas decision not to use OECD definition of PFAS, with one asking if move is apolitically baseda

• What are PFAS, how toxic are they and how do you become exposed?

Leading scientists have criticised the UK government for failing to take stronger action to tackle aforever chemicala pollution and refusing to match moves in the EU to ban non-essential uses of the substances.

Last year, 59 experts in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) sent a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) asking it to follow the science, which has established that PFAS do not biodegrade and that despite variations in toxicity, this persistence itself is sufficiently worrying that all PFAS should be regulated as one class.

Senior officers say fraction of child abuse cases relate to gangs and funding could be diverted from current cases

Senior police officers fear that government pressure to reinvestigate closed historic cases of gang grooming could make it harder to catch those targeting children today.

The government on Thursday announced more reviews of past cases and also that victims, whose cases did not end in prosecutions, will be given a new right of appeal to have their investigations reopened.

Inaccurate notices branded with broadcasteras logo sent to iPhone users but tech firm works on improvements

Apple is suspending an artificial intelligence feature that made inaccurate summaries of news headlines.

The tech company received a complaint from the BBC after the AI-generated service issued a news alert branded with the corporationas logo falsely telling some iPhone users that Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing the UnitedHealthcare chief executive, Brian Thompson, had shot himself.

My mother Jane Ogborn, who has died aged 91, was committed to opening up the study of English Literature to secondary school pupils of all backgrounds.

She worked with like-minded colleagues to introduce young people to the classics and to broaden the curriculum to include writing in English of all sorts.

Engineer whose trigger probe made his company Renishaw a world leader in measuring for hi-tech mass production

In engineering, quantity production is possible only with fine, repeatable measurements. Starting from a problem in aerospace, David McMurtry, who has died aged 84, did much to advance the scientific study of measurement a metrology a and so facilitated hi-tech mass production in many fields.

While working for Rolls-Royce in 1972 at its Filton factory, near Bristol, on the Olympus engines used in the Concorde supersonic airliner, McMurtry became frustrated with the foibles of the existing coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). One morning he arrived at work with a home-modified measuring probe that could cope with the complex task of properly measuring the twisting aerofoils of the Olympus fan blades a data needed to ensure that engine reached the required performance.

Residents wonder why Eliza and Henrietta Huszti would walk icy river path so late at night, as police continue search

On a rough, unlit path that runs alongside the River Dee, a bunch of tulips still fresh in their wrapping stands out among the mangled beer cans and strewn litter.

The simple bouquet is addressed to Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, 32-year-old sisters, originally from Hungary but living in Aberdeen for about a decade, who vanished from this spot in sub-zero temperatures in the early hours of 7 January.

The entrepreneur suffered with anxiety all his life, then a court case fuelled his alcoholism and nearly cost him everything. Now, an ADHD diagnosis has brought him clarity, a podcast and determination to help others

When Alex Partridge decided to become a podcaster, he dismantled his bed and soundproofed his bedroom, spent a fortune ordering recording equipment, hired a producer and booked guests a all in one evening. As an entrepreneur, the creator of the online entertainment brands Unilad and LadBible, he thought a podcast about business was a great idea. He could certainly talk about the downs as well as the ups, given that he had been kicked out of one of those companies, and only got back in after a legal battle that pushed him into alcoholism.

Three days later, before the equipment had even been delivered, head lost interest. aI remember just being so confused,a he says, anot understanding how I could have this feeling of emptiness, compared to the euphoria and the determination that it was my new lifeas purpose just three nights before.a

FCA also aims to change law to try to prevent a repeat of mass compensation schemes for consumers such as PPI

Mortgage rules could be loosened by the City regulator as it comes under government pressure to increase economic growth and home ownership across the UK.

The move to asimplify responsible lendinga for property purchases is part of a range of proposals put forward by the Financial Conduct Authority in an attempt to prove that the watchdog is not standing in the way of the Labour cabinetas agrowth missiona.

Callum Parslow said he was aangry and frustrateda about Channel crossings when he stabbed young man at a hotel

A Nazi-obsessed terrorist who tried to stab an asylum seeker to death in a protest over Channel crossings has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 22 years and eight months.

Callum Parslow repeatedly stabbed Nahom Hagos, 25, in the attack at a hotel previously used to house asylum seekers in Worcestershire on 2 April last year. Parslow, who has Adolf Hitleras signature tattooed on his left arm, said he was aexterminating the invasive speciesa in a aterrorist manifestoa found on his phone after the attack.

Aimee Betro, who was extradited to UK, also charged with firearm possession and illegally importing ammunition

A US citizen accused of plotting to murder a Birmingham shop owner has appeared in court after being extradited to the UK from Armenia where she was arrested last summer.

Aimee Betro, originally from Wisconsin, is accused of being involved in a conspiracy to kill Aslat Mahumad and members of his family.

These gems are so reliable, they"re def worth every penny (and then some).

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This cold brew pitcher will have you gold medaling in "not spending all your life savings at Starbucks this week."

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Challenge: try not to buy every single product on this list.

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Being equal levels of both is my entire winter personality tbh.

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Keshi on how much rizz he has: "It"s probably zero, like deadass a zero. I don"t think I have genuine rizz..."

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Life is hard enough without overthinking awkward cashier interactions.

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Once you try this adaptive "instant awake" undereye brightener, you"ll apologize for ever doubting her.

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TikTok has faced scrutiny for years over its ties to China despite its efforts to dampen concerns.

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We"re baaaaaack.

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"[changes out of gray sweatpants and puts on gray sweatpants]"

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I hate to break it to you, but the US could learn a thing or two.

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"I knew I wanted to marry Miracle the day I laid eyes on her."

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Can you imagine the trajectory of the world without Olaf the snowman?

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"Lorne [Michaels] fired him pretty much as he walked off the stage."

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"Michelle Obama doesn"t have to do a thing except remain true to Michelle Obama."

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Listen a being a couch potato is hard work, but cozying up with these teddy slippers and a heated throw blanket will make it easier.

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"In loving memory of Tikiana Tokson..."

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I"ve recently had to increase my family"s food budget due to groceries being even more expensive these days. But here"s how I"m making everything work.

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"If you want to take it outside, we can do that." a GOP Rep. Nancy Mace

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"Dancing to Heidi"s song Superficial might be my last Tik Tok and I"m good with that." a Josh Peck

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I TOTALLY forgot Lindsay Lohan starred as this Hollywood icon!!!!

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PSA: Clean your washing machine.

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Cynthia previously said that she and Ari are so PDA-heavy because Ari aneeds contact when thereas emotion.a

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Packing for your next getaway is going to be *so* much easier.

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You don"t have to choose functionality over aesthetics a these goodies excel at both.

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Looking like you have your life together can be as simple as having actual placemats on your kitchen table.

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Your white sneakers with a red wine stain aren"t total goners after all.

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All my love to the witch behind the internet"s favorite under-eye elixir.

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Pete joined SNL in 2014 when he was just 20 years old.

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A calming diffuser, heavy-duty litter box liners, and more things to keep your feline-filled household running smoothly.

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It turns out, there IS a product for that curious feeling in your foot.

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"Women LOVE when you pay attention to this."

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Say goodbye to kitchen FOMO with these worthwhile buys.

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New year, new jeans, sweater, and ballet flats.

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Let the games being!

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There"s a singing rainbow poop in this post with a cult following. Parenting is so great, and weird.

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"After ironing, she would insist on leaving it plugged in and placed on a high shelf "so the leftover electricity would drain back out." Apparently, it took a long time to convince her that electricity did not work like water."

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aIt was quite something on seta| that waft coming in every day.a

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You probably "Remember the Alamo..." just not the way it actually happened.

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Like a pack of fast-acting pimple patches and hair treatments that"ll a ta-da a make you look like you just stepped out of a salon.

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