Venezuela accuses Trump of ‘international piracy’ after US seizes oil tanker

Venezuela has accused the U.S. of engaging in an “international act of piracy” after one of its oil tankers was seized by the U.S. military.

“Under these circumstances, the true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed… It has always been about our natural resources, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people,” the Venezuelan government said in a statement.

The seizure marks the latest escalation in President Donald Trump’s targeting of Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro.

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “Largest one ever seized actually. And other things are happening.”

The president didn’t supply additional information, but said that the vessel was interdicted for “a very good reason.” When asked what would happen to the ship, he said, “We keep it, I guess.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a video of the seizure on X/Twitter on Wednesday evening, calling the ship a “crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.”

“For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,” Bondi wrote.

“This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely — and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues.”

The DHS X account gloated about the seizure in a post.

“KNOCKOUT. If you threaten our nation, or break the law, there is no place on land or sea where we won’t find you. Thank you to the brave service members from @USCG, @ICEGOV, @FBI, @DeptofWar, and @TheJusticeDept,” the agency wrote.

Two unnamed officials told Reuters that the operation was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard. They didn’t provide the name of the vessel or where exactly the operation took place.

The intercepted tanker had been sanctioned by the U.S. government, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News. The seizure could make it more difficult for the oil-rich nation to conduct trade, as shippers may be wary of handling its cargo. The majority of Venezuelan oil is sent to China.

After the maneuver was revealed, oil prices rose, according to CNBC. Brent crude futures ticked up 27 cents, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures increased 21 cents.

Spokespeople for the White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Independent.

The naval operation comes as the Trump administration is ramping up pressure on President Maduro, whom it accuses of facilitating illegal drug trafficking.

Since September, the Pentagon has launched around two dozen strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, killing at least 87 people. At the same time, the U.S. has amassed a fleet of warships near Venezuela, marking the largest naval buildup in the region in decades. And, in October, the Republican president authorized the CIA to undertake covert action inside Venezuela.

“I think you’re going to find that this is war,” Trump said last week. “And very soon we’re going to start doing it on land too,” referring to the naval strikes.

Maduro has denied that his country is involved in the illegal drug trade and has accused the Trump administration of “fabricating a new eternal war.” He’s also said the real motivation behind Trump’s actions is to force him out of office and take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. In response, he’s called on the nation’s citizens to unite against American aggression and deployed troops, aircraft and ships to the coast.

The administration’s actions in the region have prompted a wave of criticism from Democratic lawmakers.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine described the Pentagon’s strikes in the Caribbean as illegal and warned that they risk dragging a conflict-weary nation into yet another foreign war. “The American people have no interest in stumbling into an illegal new war that would place the lives of our servicemembers at risk,” he said in late November.

A handful of Republicans, too, have expressed opposition. Last week, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul called on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — who has faced heightened scrutiny over a September 2 attack— to testify under oath about the boat strikes.

“I think that Congress, if they had any kind of gumption at all, would not be allowing this administration to summarily execute people that are suspected of a crime,” he told The Independent.

Many Republicans, though, have stood in lockstep with the administration. In November, Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin said Trump is “protecting the United States by being very proactive.”

Public opinion on Trump’s military maneuvers is mixed. Most Americans, 53 percent, approve of using military force to attack vessels suspected of trafficking drugs into the U.S., according to a November CBS News survey. At the same time, 70 percent said they would oppose taking military action in Venezuela.

Dry December: How I’m getting through the Christmas party season sober

“Why don’t I try doing Christmas party season sober?”

I regret these words the instant they leave my mouth. I’m not even sure where they came from, as surprising as they are spontaneous. Surely this isn’t something I’m seriously considering? Dry December?? What a horrifying prospect!

And yet those words did come out of my mouth, at a pitch meeting no less. Though unplanned, the notion must have been bubbling somewhere at the back of my brain before forcing its way out. The fact that I have said it out loud – have suggested, unasked, that I commit to writing about a booze-free festive period – means that I must want accountability. Some part of me, however small or subconscious, wants a reason to try.

It might have something to do with last December, a month in which I drank daily for at least 31 consecutive days. This wasn’t intentional, more a natural byproduct of the non-stop carousel of Christmas soirees. Lurching between being tipsy and groggily hungover was inevitably accompanied by appalling sleep and further excess, resulting in the kind of nutritional choices whose natural endpoint was surely gout (deep-fried cheese, anyone?). By the time I reached the New Year, I felt so rancid that I embarked upon the most spartan health kick of my life, adopting a whole foods diet and cutting all sugar and alcohol for the next 10 weeks.

Looking down the barrel of another December, I just wasn’t sure I could handle putting my body – and, more specifically, liver – through all that again. I didn’t want to feel controlled by alcohol either, to experience the uneasy sense that booze, rather than me, was the one in the driving seat. And yet the idea of spending party season completely off the sauce was mildly terrifying.

Like great swathes of Britons, I have a, shall we say… complex relationship with alcohol. The number of British binge drinkers went up by 13 per cent between 2016 and 2019, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report; more specifically, British women are now the biggest female binge drinkers in the world, OECD data revealed.

Very few people I know, myself included, would be classed as “moderate” drinkers by NHS standards, and yet no one I know would admit to having any kind of issue or dependency. In fact, a binge-drinking session is defined as consuming six (for women) or eight (for men) units of alcohol in one sitting, equating to just three pints or two large glasses of wine. By this definition, pretty much everyone I know is binge drinking several times a week.

“It’s such a part of the fabric of our society; we use alcohol to celebrate, commiserate, to drown our feelings, to build relationships,” points out Rosamund Dean, author of Mindful Drinking: How to Break Up with Alcohol. “Lots of us have grown up in a world in which we’ve never socialised sober, apart from when we were children.”

Whether child-free and heading out for bottomless brunch of a weekend or winding down every evening after the kids have gone to bed with a G&T, we have silently imbibed the message that alcohol is the correct response to any and all situations.

And the holiday season is, undoubtedly, a much harder time to abstain than the rest of the year. The number of social engagements goes up alongside stress levels, as the pressure to have the “perfect” Christmas is coupled with the stark reality that many of us actually have very tricky relationships with our nearest and dearest. Drinking through the passive-aggressive comments or casual slights peppered throughout a festive meal with family can often feel like the only sane solution.

As Catherine Gray, the author of The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober and the upcoming Little Addictions: Freedom from Our Tiny But Mighty Compulsions, puts it: opting to go teetotal at this time of year “is like the bushtucker challenge of no drinking. It’s like skipping the 10km race and going straight to running a marathon”.

And yet December can actually be a good time to go on the wagon, counterintuitive as that may seem. After all, doing Dry January proves nothing other than that you’re able to resist “temptation” when spending a month indoors, skint and with little human contact. The real test lies in socialising minus the Dutch courage.

“There’s always going to be an excuse: there’s always going to be a wedding, or a birthday party, or a work party,” says Kayla Lyons, the author of Soberish: The Science-Based Guide to Taking Your Power Back from Alcohol and founder of the Join Soberish and 1,000 Hours Dry online communities. “If you start now, then you are going to prove to yourself you can get through a really hard time, which is going to be a real confidence booster.”

So how can I up my chances of staying the course with temptation at every turn?

The experts recommend interrogating the reasons for taking a break. Maybe it’s to swerve the crippling hangxiety that always follows an evening out; maybe it’s to ensure you feel sharp instead of fuzzy-headed at work; maybe it’s for health reasons or to improve your sleep. “Keeping that thing really, really clear in your mind – the reason why you want to drink less alcohol – is a powerful motivator,” says Dean.

This is a clever technique to convince your brain that you’ve got this. Lyons recommends writing from the perspective of your future self. She says: “I’ll write, ‘Hey, Kayla, it’s Kayla 30 days from now – you just crushed it. I’m so proud of you. Who knew you could deal with Uncle Earl’s talk about how great Trump is for 30 minutes without downing the tequila?’” When you get to read that letter in a month, and it’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy, “you build self-love, self-discipline and self-control,” she adds. “It’s such a good feeling to make yourself proud.”

Got an event? Picture yourself going out and the challenges that may arise. “If you’re put in a triggering situation, how are you going to handle it?” asks Lyons. “Because a lot of times when people end up taking a drink when they don’t mean to, it’s because they’re caught off guard and they feel obligated or anxious. Prepare yourself – visualise yourself saying no.” And picture yourself saying “yes”, too, followed by the poor decisions that will likely follow. “I call it the apology tour that you’ll be taking,” says Lyons. “All those little bad decisions that knock at your insecurities and your confidence.”

Having allies is key; tell your inner circle of trusted friends in advance that you’re going dry so that they can cheerlead and support, plus help deflect people trying to push alcohol on you. “If you talk about it in advance, you can be in it together,” advises Dean.

When we’re at a party or in a bar, we’re used to having a drink constantly in hand – and we’re used to sipping it frequently, because physiologically we feel thirsty when we’re nervous (a common side-effect of throwing ourselves into a new social setting). Gray refers to “incentive salience”, a process by which certain cues are associated with reward: “A big reason why we walk into a social setting and crave alcohol is that we’re surrounded by cues,” she explains. “There are wine glasses on tables, we can see the bar, hear the pour of drinks and pop of corks; it all triggers dopamine, which is the ‘wanting’ hormone.”

Having a glass permanently in your grasp is incredibly useful for avoiding temptation – plus it can avoid awkward conversations about why you’re not drinking. “You can order an alcohol-free gin and tonic, a lime and soda or a kombucha and have it in a wine glass, or an alcohol-free beer like a Lucky Saint,” says Dean. “You can do stealthy non-drinking.” When going to someone’s house, it’s all about preparation – buy your own booze-free drinks beforehand and take them along.

The initial half hour to 45 minutes at a social event is usually when the temptation to take the edge off is highest. Steel yourself for that part to be hard, knowing that if you can get through that, “the easier it becomes”, says Dean. Gray recommends stepping outside or going to the toilet and taking some deep breaths if you feel overwhelmed. “Parties are confronting when [you] don’t have a disinhibitor,” she advises. “Plan circuit breaks.”

Many of our friends and acquaintances may end up being more of a hindrance than a help when we go dry, responding antagonistically and piling on the judgement or peer pressure. In which case, there’s no harm in a little fib. “If you need to lie, then lie,” says Lyons. “Say, ‘I’m on antibiotics,’ or ‘I’m driving tonight,’ or ‘I’m getting over a virus.’ Whatever you need to do to protect your peace.”

If you’re still at the party when you don’t want to be there any more, that’s a “danger point”, says Gray. Don’t rely on someone else to take you home and have a plan in place. Oh, and don’t feel the need to say goodbye when you want to leave, either. “Do a French exit,” she adds. “No one will notice.”

This is a term used in addiction circles, referring to behaviour that (hopefully) means you can’t drink. A good example is driving yourself to an event – you need to stay sober to get yourself home. You can also take steps that, while not quite “binding”, are certainly incentivising. Lyons recommends booking an early gym class or similar the morning after the night before. “Commit to it, sign up for that 7am class, and you’re probably going to go, because nobody wants to get charged,” she says.

Falling off the wagon doesn’t mean you should scrap the whole project – advice that comes in handy when I end up reneging on my pledge at the work Christmas party (it simply feels too daunting to spend five hours awkwardly dancing in front of colleagues without a drop of prosecco in my bloodstream).

But it’s not the failure that matters, says Lyons – it’s what you do next. “Give yourself grace,” she says wisely. “Remind yourself, I’m committing to this, I’m putting a brick in the wall every day to make a new foundation. You don’t need to sledgehammer the whole thing over one brick. You don’t get to put the brick in the wall that day; you get to sit and intentionally think, ‘Why did I drink? What did I learn?’ And then tomorrow, when you don’t drink, you get to put the brick in again.”

Remind yourself of all the upsides to not drinking – and write them down if helpful. “You have your wits about you in a social situation when you’re not drinking,” says Dean. “You can remember people’s names, what’s going on in their lives. You can have more meaningful conversations, rather than just drunkenly talking over them or not really listening. It makes you a better friend and a better party goer.”

Then there’s skipping the next day, nausea, headaches and anxiety. And a whole new world opens up when one realises that, though initially challenging, socialising is totally doable while stone-cold sober. “Honestly, you will eventually feel like this is way better,” says Dean. “Knowing that you can enjoy yourself without drinking is such an empowering feeling.”

Ukrainian navy cripples Russian tanker with sea drone strike

Dramatic footage has captured the moment the Ukrainian Security Service blew up an oil tanker from Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ using naval drones in its latest attack on Moscow’s oil exports.

The Comoros-flagged Dashan was sailing through Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea towards the Russian port city of Novorossiysk when it was attacked by agents from the SBU.

The ship had its automatic identification system switched off at the time of the strike, an SBU source said.

The strike on Wednesday is the third attack in two weeks on the Russian ‘shadow fleet’ of unregulated ships which help Moscow to export oil around the world – a central component of their wartime economy.

Footage of the blast shows an explosion at the rear of the ship, inflicting critical damage on the vessel, which is under EU and British sanctions.

The SBU source did not specify whether there were any casualties in the incident. Moscow has not commented.

“The SBU continues to take active measures to reduce petrodollar revenues to the Russian budget,” said the official. “Over the past two weeks, this is the third tanker of the shadow fleet put out of action that had helped the Kremlin circumvent international sanctions.”

Vladimir Putin threatened last week to cut Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea in response to attacks on Russian tankers.

“The most radical solution is to cut Ukraine off from the sea, then piracy will be impossible in principle,” the Russian president said in televised remarks, vowing that Russia would intensify attacks on Ukrainian facilities and vessels.

The SBU estimates the Dashan to be worth around $30 million. It can carry roughly $60 million worth of oil goods on a single voyage.

Canada, Australia and Switzerland have also previously imposed sanctions on the vessel over its role in transporting Russian oil and operating with its identification systems turned off, the source said.

Attacks on Russian oil facilities and transport methods now form a key part of Kyiv’s defence strategy as it looks to inflict economic damage. Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian oil refineries using long-range aerial drones to strike deep inside Russian territory.

Since 2024, there have been at least seven other attacks on tankers calling at Russian ports, including in the Mediterranean Sea.

Former SBU officer Ivan Stupak says the attacks are an attempt to “scare tanker owners away from entering the Black Sea ports of the Russian Federation and from loading Russian oil there”, a business which he told the Kyiv Independent was “very lucrative” for the vessels.

Nobel Peace Prize winner appears in Norway after dramatic escape from Venezuela

Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado appeared in Oslo on Thursday to a cheering crowd of her supporters.

It was her first public appearance in almost a year since she went into hiding after being barred from running in her country’s presidential election.

Ms Machado stepped out onto the balcony of Oslo’s Grand Hotel, where Nobel laureates usually stay, dressed in a black puffer jacket and jeans greeted by huge cheers and applause from a crowd of people who had gathered in the dead of the night just to catch a glimpse of the fugitive Venezuelan opposition figure.

Though she could not make it to the ceremony at the Norwegian capital in time to accept the prestigious award in person, Ms Machado’s public appearance was significant.

It was in defiance of a decade-long travel ban imposed upon her in her home country and being declared a fugitive by Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro’s administration.

She is said to have made a daring escape from Venezuela by boat on Tuesday and travelled to the Caribbean island of Curacao, from where she departed on a private plane for Norway, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Ms Machado was forced into hiding after she accused Mr Maduro of stealing the July 2024 presidential election.

With a hand on her heart, the 58-year-old pro-democracy activist joined her supporters in singing the Venezuelan national anthem “Gloria al Bravo Pueblo (Glory to the Brave People)”.

Later, she also walked downstairs to meet the supporters who chanted “courageous!” and “freedom!” outside her hotel.

She spent several minutes outside, where she was joined by members of her family and several of her closest aides. She hugged many in the crowd amid chants of “president! president!”

“I want you all back in Venezuela,” Ms Machado said as people lifted their phones to take pictures.

Videos showed her climbing over metal barricades to hug some of her supporters who had gathered to meet her outside the 19th-century building. Her appearance came shortly after her daughter received the Nobel Prize on her behalf at the ceremony.

A large portrait of a smiling Ms Machado hung in the Oslo City Hall to represent her at the ceremony.

Ms Machado said in an audio recording of a phone call published on the Nobel website that she wouldn’t be able to arrive in time for the ceremony but that many people had “risked their lives” for her to arrive in Oslo.

“I am very grateful to them, and this is a measure of what this recognition means to the Venezuelan people,” she said, before indicating that she was about to board a plane.

“Freedom is a choice that must be renewed each day, measured by our willingness and our courage to defend it. For this reason, the cause of Venezuela transcends our borders,” she said in her prepared speech.

“A people who choose freedom contribute not only to themselves, but to humanity.”

Ms Machado has been in hiding since 9 January when she made a brief appearance to address her supporters at a rally protesting the swearing in of the president for a third term.

Mr Maduro is widely considered a dictator and not recognised by the US as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. He was sworn in to a third six-year term in January, and he maintains he was the legitimate winner of the presidential election last year.

The contentious elections were widely dismissed by Venezuela’s opposition and much of the international community as rigged, igniting protests across the country.

Ms Machado had won an opposition primary election and intended to challenge Mr Maduro in the election last year in July but the government barred her from running for office. Retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzilez stood in her place.

The lead-up to the election saw widespread repression, including disqualifications, arrests and human rights violations. That increased after the country’s National Electoral Council, which is stacked with Mr Maduro’s loyalists, declared the incumbent the winner.

Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee, told the award ceremony that Ms Machado has “done everything in her power to be able to attend the ceremony here today – a journey in a situation of extreme danger.” The audience cheered and clapped when Mr Frydnes said during his speech that Ms Machado would be coming to Oslo.

He said “Venezuela has evolved into a brutal authoritarian state”, describing Ms Machado as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in recent Latin American history.”

Many past Nobel laureates have been unable to collect their awards with some detained or imprisoned in their home country.

Most recently, Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi in 2023 and Belarusian human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski in 2022 were unable to attend the ceremony. Others include Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar in 1991 and Carl von Ossietzky of Germany in 1935.

Iceland becomes the fifth country to boycott Eurovision

Iceland has become the fifth country to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.

The Nordic country joins Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in saying that they will not participate in next year’s competition after it was confirmed last week that Israel will be taking part, despite some calls for the country to be excluded over its military action in Gaza.

“Participation of Israeli national broadcaster, Kan, in the contest has created disunity among both members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the general public,” Icelandic broadcaster RÚV said in a statement on Wednesday (10 December).

As reported by BBC, Iceland had previously indicated it intended to skip next year’s contest, but wished to wait until the issue could be discussed by its board of directors before making it official.

The meeting took place just a few hours before the deadline for countries to confirm whether they will participate in the 70th edition of the singing competition, due to be held in Austria next May.

The EBU had backed away from calling a vote on Israeli participation, and instead passed rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We support the collective decision made by members of the EBU. This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive.”

By contrast, Irish national broadcaster RTE described Israel’s participation as “unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza”.

The RTE statement said: “Following today’s EBU winter general assembly in Geneva at which Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest was confirmed, RTE’s position remains unchanged.”

Israel’s presence at Eurovision has been an increasing source of tension due to its war in Gaza, as well as the accusations that Israel’s government tried to influence the public vote at this year’s event.

Russia was banned from Eurovision after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but Israel has continued to compete for the past two years despite disputes.

The EBU has introduced a range of measures designed to protect the integrity of the vote, but the Icelandic broadcaster said it “believes that there are still doubts whether the agreed adjustments would be fully satisfactory”.

“RÚV has repeatedly raised concerns that various Icelandic stakeholders, such as artist associations and the general public, were opposed to participation in the contest,” they said.

“Furthermore, RÚV had requested the EBU to exclude KAN from the contest in accordance to precedents.”

“It is a complex matter, which has already damaged the contest’s reputation and EBU, emphasising the necessity of a solution for all concerned parties.”

Last week, Spain said it had decided to withdraw after it asked for a vote on Israel’s participation. Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands also pulled out after the summit.

Israel has taken part in Eurovision since 1973 because its public broadcaster, Kan, is a member of the EBU. Israel has won four times, most recently in 2018. It came second in the 2025 contest.

From bean tech to bespoke brews, discover the ultimate coffee machine

There aren’t many Christmas gifts that are guaranteed to be used every day, unless you opt for a toothbrush. Which to be honest, isn’t the most exciting present to rip open on Christmas morning. Unlike a brand new, stylish and sleek coffee machine.

De’Longhi’s stellar Rivelia system will steal the show in any kitchen it calls home. Its bean-to-cup system gives you at-home coffee that’s as delicious as the one made by your favourite barista, and also offers a more sustainable option, that feels as good as it tastes. So whether you’re looking for your first machine, or want to upgrade your existing coffee set-up, here’s why this market-leading crema-de-la-crop needs to be top of your 2025 Christmas list…

Bean-to-cup machines are the most sustainable way to enjoy coffee, with no single-use coffee pods, minimal packaging and biodegradable grounds that you can throw straight into your compost bin. Bean-to-cup also serves up the fullest flavour, whatever coffee you’re in the mood for. And if that preference tends to change, the Rivelia’s interchangeable bean hoppers mean you can flip between your I-need-to-wake-up-in-the-next-two-minutes espresso and leisurely afternoon decaf with ease.

The Rivelia comes equipped with Bean Adapt technology as well as a how-to guide, to make it super simple to get the best out of your beans. The guide helps you find the right grind, extraction temperature and aroma intensity for the specific blend and roast, all of which means that you get to enjoy the most perfect, personally crafted coffee. You can even name each bag of beans entered for future caffeine (or non-caffeine) hits.

With four user profiles, the Rivelia can get to know everyone in your household and their coffee preferences, even better than Dan from the local coffee shop. And he knows them well. Nothing is set in stone though: you can always tweak your order when needed. Is it the kind of day that demands an extra shot? Throw one in. Going large and savouring a long coffee in the garden this morning? Not a problem, the Rivelia lets you customise away.

Did you get the nativity tickets? Where are the Christmas lights? Have you pre-ordered the turkey? If your pre-Christmas to-do list is already sixteen pages long and you can’t cope with another question, the De’Longhi Rivelia can take one decision off your plate. Pre-programmed choices include a classic flat white, on-trend cortado, and trusty Americano among many others (16 in total). Hot water and milk-only options are available and when the sun finally comes out again, the Rivelia can do its magic on iced coffee choices too. Simply hit the button, and breathe.

The Rivelia’s LatteCrema carafe creates hot milk and milk foam to give the sort of silky-smooth finish you normally associate with a ten minute queue and a six quid bill. Now, you can get the same barista-style experience at home, whilst lolling in your kitchen in your slippers. Want an alternative milk option? Not a problem; the Rivelia is compatible with oat, soy and coconut milk too.

How clever is this? If you tend to start your day with a flat white but crave the pep of an espresso by mid-morning, your Rivelia will learn that. Soon it will know your personal preferences and update its screen to show the drink that you’re likely to fancy, at the time that you fancy it. It’s almost as if you have your own barista hanging out in your kitchen (without the awkwardness when you turn up bleary-eyed in your dressing gown).

It’s not just flavour and sustainability it excels at: the Rivelia’s sleek look means that it’s a design win for any stylish home too. And it’s easy to keep it looking and working at its best. The De’Longhi Rivelia rinses automatically and is easy to wash by hand (bonus: some parts will go in the dishwasher), with the brewing unit simple to remove and rinse too. All you need to do is descale it regularly (frequency depends on water hardness in your area), plus you can register your machine for a two-year guarantee, for even more peace of mind.

To find out more about the Rivelia and buy your machine, visit Delonghi

Roman occupation brought new diseases to Britain, archaeologists find

The Roman occupation of Britain nearly 2000 years ago exposed people to new diseases and introduced class divides that restricted access to resources for several communities, a new study has found.

Archaeologists suspect urbanisation during this period resulted in limited access to resources, overcrowded and polluted living situations, and exposure to lead, which was a key part of urban Roman infrastructure. It resulted in harsh, long-term impacts on the population’s health.

Even though the Romans claimed they brought “civilisation” to the people of Britannia, the occupation in 43AD led to dramatic social upheaval.

Since health among Britons during the preceding Iron Age remains less studied, especially among women and infants, exactly how the Roman occupation affected the native population remained unclear.

Now, archaeologists have unearthed infant skeletons from the period that were found with significant “negative health markers”, pointing to a population-wide suffering during the Roman Period – albeit only in urban areas, researchers say.

Although rural skeletons showed a slight increase in pathogen exposure, there was no significant difference between Iron Age and Roman health in the rural contexts, according to the study published in the journal Antiquity.

In the study, scientists developed a new method to study population health during the Iron Age, which has remained a challenge until now.

“Iron Age funerary rites are very different to the organised cemeteries we often associate with the dead. Instead, their customs largely demonstrate that they believed fragmenting the body was required to release the soul into the afterlife,” said Rebecca Pitt, an author of the study from the University of Reading.

“This complicates analysis of this period as there are comparatively fewer human remains available for study, and examination of the complete skeleton cannot always take place,” Dr Pitt explained.

Infants from the period, however, were frequently inhumed intact rather than being cremated or disarticulated.

Scientists looked for signs of specific health “stressors” in infant skeletons that are known to have an impact on development throughout their lifetime.

These stressors, such as disease, malnutrition, or other traumatic events, can influence an individual’s overall health, result in issues later in life, “and even impact subsequent generations,” researchers explained.

Archaeologists specifically probed the health of ancient infants and women to gain an impression of the stressors affecting different generations.

This gave them a more representative view of the long-term socioeconomic changes associated with the Roman occupation.

“By looking at mother-infant experiences together, we can observe the long-lasting impact urbanisation has on the health of individuals, with negative health signatures passed from mothers to their children,” Dr Pitt said.

Overall, researchers studied 646 skeletons – 372 of children and 274 of adult females – from urban and rural Iron Age and Romano-British sites across south and central England.

The analysis confirmed there was a significant rise in diseases during the Roman Period in the urban areas of Britain.

The findings could have “connotations to the health of modern communities”, Dr Pitt said.

“Currently, children are being born into an increasingly polluted world, and a growing number of families are struggling with the cost of living,” she said.

“This can severely impact the development of young children, and result in a major impact on their health and well-being, which will last throughout their lifetime and possibly into future generations,” the archaeologist warned.

How Man City fightback sealed Champions League revenge on Real Madrid

If this is to prove the last game Pep Guardiola manages at the Bernabeu, what a way to go. And if it ends up as Xabi Alonso’s final match in charge of Real Madrid, what a quick, undignified end. A match that unravelled like a reign that began well.

An eight-minute meltdown brought Real a second successive home defeat. First Celta Vigo triumphed at the Bernabeu, now Manchester City have. A Real team with a mere two victories in eight games represent a club with a culture of impatience. Alonso could become its latest victim.

“It’s not up to me,” he admitted. “I am looking forward to the next game.” If he gets one.

But as he was beaten by a mentor, Guardiola’s seventh win at the Bernabeu may have been his most unlikely, for all Real’s problems. City exited the Champions League in Madrid last season and revived their chances of a top-eight finish in the league phase this year; the damage done by defeat to Bayer Leverkusen was repaired in spectacular fashion.

Guardiola did not get carried away or see his side as potential champions. “I have been here many times in the last five years and we played better than today and didn’t win,” he said. “The reality is that in the last stages we have to do better.”

But he smiled as he said it. “Winning in Bernabeu is a big, big task,” he said.

He had a comeback to savour. It gave Erling Haaland the status of the match-winner in Madrid; a player who was long expected to join Real instead made it to the Bernabeu to condemn them to defeat.

But perhaps the match revolved around Nico O’Reilly. Arguably at fault when Rodrygo put Real ahead, he went on to level. “He makes mistakes but he tries and that is top,” added Guardiola.

A year ago, O’Reilly had not even played in the Premier League. Now he is an England international who has scored at the Bernabeu. “This goal will be with me forever,” he said. No wonder.

Because a Champions League Clasico is a clash that always delivers. It seemed set to offer Alonso a much-needed win before Real collapsed at the end of the first half. They had looked in control and then fell apart. If it was Alonso’s last stand, Real stumbled and tumbled to lose their footing.

“Until the goal we scored, they were much better,” admitted Guardiola. City’s turnaround appeared to come from nowhere and yet exposed Real’s frailties. Their patched-up defence looked fragile, conceding from a corner, giving away a penalty. They seemed vulnerable when City attacked them. Certainly, the stand-in right-back Fede Valverde did as he was tormented by Jeremy Doku. “Jeremy was outstanding,” said Guardiola.

Initially, though, the irrepressible wingers were in Real white. They were awarded a penalty when Matheus Nunes tripped Vinicius Junior, only for VAR to determine the offence occurred outside the area. Yet Nunes against Vinicius shaped up as an unfair contest.

Then Rodrygo, one of those who has suffered from Alonso’s appointment, seemed to come to his rescue. His goal was his first of the season, or for Alonso, or in 32 games. “Rodrygo played a great game,” said Alonso. The scourge of City in the 2022 semi-final mustered a fifth goal against them.

City were outflanked, as they were at the start. Rodrygo kept finding space outside O’Reilly. It cost City when Jude Bellingham switched play to the Brazilian, who placed a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma. So far, so good for Real.

Then, stunningly, it went wrong. O’Reilly followed up to finish after Thibaut Courtois parried Josko Gvardiol’s header. It was uncharacteristically poor goalkeeping by the Belgian, but the Mancunian has a fearlessness that can equip him for such stages. He had endured defensive difficulties at the start, Rodrygo repeatedly evading him. He was undeterred. He took to making buccaneering surges forward.

Next, it was Haaland’s turn to strike. He had been dominated by Antonio Rudiger two seasons ago, but exacted revenge. The Norwegian won and converted a penalty. Dragged down by Rudiger, he may have been alone in appealing, but a VAR intervention meant the offence was spotted. Haaland sent Courtois the wrong way for his 21st goal of the season.

“We have to find a way to find him more,” said Guardiola, but Haaland’s first half was a masterclass in efficiency. He only had six touches but two were shots on target. Courtois made a double save from Haaland and Rayan Cherki to deny City a third. He later thwarted Doku, too.

Haaland’s Real counterpart was missing. It was billed as a battle of two superstar strikers, but only one figured. “I expected to come up against Kylian [Mbappe],” said Haaland. But Mbappe was benched by an ankle problem, costing Real the services of a man with 25 goals this season. When Alonso used up his three substitution windows without turning to the Champions League’s top scorer, it confirmed Mbappe was not fit.

So it fell to Vinicius, another who has floundered under Alonso, to try and save Real. He almost did. He had two chances to equalise, directing a header and a volley just wide. Endrick headed against the bar. Real mounted a frenzied pursuit of a leveller. It eluded them. “The players are giving to the last breath,” said Alonso. That may not be enough.

But Guardiola added to his list of wins over Real. His name had been whistled before kick-off. There were times, though, when the Bernabeu descended into silence. He had provided supportive words the previous day for Alonso, the player he signed for Bayern Munich. But if that helped his cause, this hindered it.