Reform leader is trying to make it as a mainstream politician – which involves contradicting himself and gaslighting voters

The scene: an old banking hall in the heart of the City. The music: first, Richard Clayderman plays Bach. Then Pachelbel’s Canon, followed by the Adagio from Mahler’s 5^th. Death in Venice, Live in London. Not the usual venue or playlist for a Reform press conference.

Could it …? Could it be? Surely not the latest defection? Step forward, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. It would all have made perfect sense. A grifter joins a party of grifters. After all, Nige had come to Andy’s rescue last week when he called on the country to stop being so beastly to the alleged sex offender formerly known as prince.

A year in Westminster: John Crace, Marina Hyde and Pippa Crerar. On Tuesday 2 December, join Crace, Hyde and Crerar as they look back with special guests at another extraordinary year, live at the Barbican in London and livestreamed globally. Book tickets here.

The Bonfire of the Insanities by John Crace (Guardian Faber Publishing, £16.99). To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

Guardian senior reporter Ben Quinn on the shocking knife attack on a train from Doncaster to London

On Saturday night, a train from Doncaster to London was packed with people heading out for the night when a horrifying mass stabbing attacked unfolded.

Witnesses described “pure panic” as people tried to get away from the knifeman, with some hiding in the train’s toilets.

Adapting your fitness routine to your physical realities can help prevent injury from over-exercising

• Tell us: have you fallen in love this year?

Last year, I had to give up running. It was, as my sports medicine doctor counseled, “time”.

Since I was a teen, it had been my primary form of exercise and stress relief. But for months, I had been ignoring small signs of encroaching decrepitude: the popping and grinding in my right knee and hip joints whenever I stood up, bent down or took the stairs. The medical term for this is crepitus, yet I kept stubbornly persuading myself that I was still a “young” fiftysomething.

Looking for eco-friendly toys, games and presents for little ones that won’t break the bank? We have kits, skittles, crayons, trucks and tractors to add to your list

• The best toys and gifts for one-year-olds

Father Christmas has a hard time of it. In a cost of living crisis, the elves struggle to afford top-notch toy-making materials, and there is strong resistance to using plastic amid the climate crisis. Nonetheless, the wishlists remain the same: teddies, model cars, jewellery, games. What is the person in charge of presents to do?

A YouGov poll last year found more than half of parents planned to spend in excess of £90 a child on Christmas presents. And yet, as research by toy subscription service Whirli found, approximately 26% of Christmas toys – a jaw-dropping 25 million – are neglected by the end of January in the UK alone. What’s more, almost 80% of toys – much of them plastic – will eventually end up in landfill, incinerators or the ocean.

Bombs on trains, coke-fuelled gambling sprees and canine barbecues … from Bodyguard to Industry, here are your most horrific, heart-in-mouth TV moments

The episode starts with the Spooks team locked down while undergoing a drill relating to a hypothetical terrorist attack, overseen by two Home Office officials, but as things progress it appears that there really has been an attack and a chemical weapon has been unleashed. The tension ratchets up as incoming communications show a catastrophe taking place outside, and gets worse as the boss appears to be infected, and the two Home Office officials attempt to leave, forcing Matthew Macfadyen’s character to decide between shooting them, or letting them go and risking contaminating the sealed MI5 offices. This being Spooks, it is unsurprising which one he chooses. Paul, Sheffield

The former Verve singer talks about his supporting role in the big Oasis reunion shows, his AI fears and what he thinks of fans who Shazam his songs

Richard Ashcroft is the man of the moment. Fresh from supporting Oasis as the self-proclaimed “only man for the job”, the former Verve singer is back with an (almost) sold-out arena tour for 2026, and some more Oasis dates in South America, not to mention a seventh solo album, Lovin’ You. We caught up with Ashcroft to chat about loving Abba, being inspired by Serge Gainsbourg and fighting Liam Gallagher.

Hi, Richard! Always a pleasure to interview another Richard – who else is in the club?
Madeley … Hammond … It’s dying out. I wonder if it’s because of the Dick abbreviation? Back in the day, old actors were very happy being Dickie. I went into an off licence in Chiswick and this lad went: “All right, Dickie?” I said: “Do you know what happens to people who call me Dickie?” He said: “Oh no, sorry mate.” I said: “I’m only joking. I don’t give a shit. Call me what you want.”

Questions mount for officers as Anthony Williams, 32, appears in court on charges of attempted murder

Police investigating the mass stabbing on a high-speed train in Cambridgeshire are examining four knife incidents alleged to have taken place hours before passengers fled in terror on Saturday evening.

Questions mounted for police as Anthony Williams, 32, appeared in court on Monday on a series of attempted murder charges related to two stabbing incidents.

The death of the three-time Oscar nominee, whose starred in films including Chinatown, was announced by her daughter Laura Dern

Oscar-nominated actor Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89.

The actor, whose credits included Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Chinatown and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, died at her home in Ojai, California. The news was announced in a statement shared by her daughter, Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern.

UK government alerted after RedBird Capital’s boss allegedly threatened to ‘go to war’ with the title’s newsroom

The boss of the US private equity group bidding for the Daily Telegraph has been reported to the UK government for potentially breaching rules protecting the newspaper’s editorial independence, after allegedly threatening to “go to war” with the title’s newsroom.

The Guardian understands that the independent directors of Telegraph Media Group (TMG) have alerted the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) about supposed comments made by RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale to the Telegraph’s editor, Chris Evans. The government department is thought to be considering if there has been a breach of the legislation.

PM had been given ‘summary of reputational risks’ but did not know about contents of emails before PMQs, MPs told

Keir Starmer was briefed on details of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before he decided to make him US ambassador, senior civil servants have said.

The prime minister received a Cabinet Office report that contained “a summary of reputational risks” associated with appointing Lord Mandelson, including his “prior relationship with Jeffrey Epstein” and past resignations as a Labour minister.