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Thanks to Chris Greenhough and Nick Whitbread, who emailed me within seconds of each other to nominate Paul Warhurst – as both noted, a utility phenomenon in the Premier League and Championship Manager, where he could play pretty much anywhere.

“One memorable utility shift was Ryan Bertrand, moved up to left wing in the 2012 Champions League final, sitting in front of Ashley Cole to track Arjen Robben. I believe he’s still the only player to have made his Champions League debut in the final,” says Rob Hobson.

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© Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters

© Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters

© Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters

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The tug-of-war over CNN shows how dysfunctional US media has become | Margaret Sullivan

The network’s fate has become a battle of corporate ownership, not a question of what benefits Americans

On Thursday evening, as rumors about the Brown University gunman swirled, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins posted on social media, noting the confusion and directing people to her network’s 9pm newscast.

CNN is certainly not a flawless news source, but her words rang true to me. The network is one of the outlets where you can find reality-based and largely dependable reporting – especially in breaking news situations like the one that was developing near a New Hampshire storage facility.

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© Photograph: Ron Harris/AP

© Photograph: Ron Harris/AP

© Photograph: Ron Harris/AP

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Christmas ads put on a diet as UK ban on TV junk food advertising bites

Gone are shots of puddings and sweets as advertisers try to market other foods to stay within rules coming into force on 5 January

The festive season is traditionally a time of national culinary overindulgence but eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that this year’s crop of big-budget Christmas TV ads have been decidedly lean and sugar-free.

From Tesco and Waitrose to Marks & Spencer and Asda, the UK’s biggest exponents of extravagant festive food marketing have put their Christmas ads on a diet to comply with new regulations banning junk food products from appearing in TV ads before 9pm.

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© Photograph: Waitrose/PA

© Photograph: Waitrose/PA

© Photograph: Waitrose/PA

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It’s the Stephen Collins Christmas cartoon challenge. Can you spot 20 people who made headlines in 2025?

Who’s propping up the bar with quizmaster Keir Starmer? Answers below (no cheating now!)

Click here for a larger version of the puzzle

Spotted all the famous faces? See how you did …

1 Sydney Sweeney’s on the bar there, in her denims. Does this mean she is a eugenicist? No, it doesn’t. Are you OK?

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© Illustration: Stephen Collins

© Illustration: Stephen Collins

© Illustration: Stephen Collins

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Unseen Tennessee Williams radio play published in literary magazine

The Strangers, a horror tale written during the playwright’s college days, appeared in the Strand magazine this week

As one of the 20th century’s most successful playwrights, Tennessee Williams penned popular works at the very pinnacle of US theater, including A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Years before his almost unparalleled Broadway triumphs, however, the aspiring writer then known simply as Tom wrote a series of short radio plays as he struggled to find a breakthrough. One is The Strangers, a supernatural tale offering glimpses into the accomplished wordsmith that Williams would become, and published for the first time this week in the literary magazine Strand.

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© Photograph: Dan Grossi/AP

© Photograph: Dan Grossi/AP

© Photograph: Dan Grossi/AP

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