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US general approved talks with fake Taliban leader

Account of peace talks contradicts Hamid Karzai, who pinned blame on British
- UK blamed for Taliban impostor
The Taliban on life after occupation

Special report: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad asks Taliban members past and present what kind of regime they want to see
- Five days inside a Taliban jail
- Video: 'It was a very, very heavy battle'
Met under fire for charging at protest

YouTube footage shows mounted police riding at speed into a crowd of around 1,000 protesters in London
Warning over WikiLeaks disclosures

No 10 issues defence advisory (DA) notice to remind newspaper editors about their responsibility over leaked documents
Ireland hurries EU bailout deal

Borrowing hits record levels above 9% as byelection loss for Fianna Fáil signals public dissatisfaction
Casualties in Rio gun battle violence

Violence that has left at least 49 dead within a week is focused on headquarters of city's oldest drug faction
D&G accused of €1bn tax fraud

Designers face up to five years in jail if sent for trial, but prosecutor's request goes largely unreported in Italy
Police smash UK paedophile ring

Jailing of sixth man means details of other men in Cornwall paedophile ring can be revealed
I accused my husband of rape. I was locked up – and he was set free

Exclusive: When Sarah reported her rape, the tables were turned and she lost her freedom and children
- Women who report rape fall foul of a harsh system
Met Office warns of likely snowfalls

If the cold front starts to do its work, we can rejoice. After all, there is no downside to a white winter
Refs' strike threat to Scottish football

Crisis in Scottish football will be most visible this weekend as more than 30 senior referees down whistles
- David Lacey: Football cannot exist without referees
- Portuguese referees withdraw from Scotland games
Pirate Bay co-founders lose appeal

Fredrik Neij, Peter Sunde and Carl Lundstrom remain guilty of illegal filesharing with fines trebled
Russia admits guilt over massacre

Symbolic acknowledgment of culpability over Katyn murders in 1940 signals Russia's willingness to face up to its past
Chinese students trash dinner hall

Schoolchildren in Guizhou and Liupanshui riot after learning that the cost of dishes had gone up by 5p

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'It's us against the world at 4am'

The BBC's dream team. Then they moved to ITV. Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley open up
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No pain, no gain horseradish recipes

It may not look up to much, but horseradish is a welcome addition to the winter armoury, says Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
- Yotam Ottolenghi's tart apple and celeriac salad
- More Life and style
A year in the life of a foster parent

One month it's a lying, stealing teenager, the next a boy afraid of crowds and tomatoes. How does it feel, not knowing who'll be coming to stay next?
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Q&A: Alexander Armstrong

'I have a horrible capacity to be unctuous with people I want to impress'
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Equatorial Guinea's gender row

Country accused of fielding two men in recent African women's football championship after reaching tournament final
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Divided by a common language

Are there too many 'Americanisms' in the Guardian, asks our production editor David Marsh
- More Media
Damilola Taylor anniversary

Ten years on, Damilola's father has praised the area's redevelopment but his schoolfriends say little has changed
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'My girlfriend says I'm gay'

Sexual healing: My girlfriend always found a reason not to have sex. But when I cried off, she said I was gay
- A remote prairie town or Quebec – where do we live?
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First Ashes Test, day three

Australia v England – live!

Over-by-over report: Can England's bowlers stop Australia in their tracks on day three at the Gabba? Find out with Rob Smyth and Andy Bull

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Christmas charity appeal

Focusing on disadvantaged youth

Alan Rusbridger: Charities working with disadvantaged teenagers in the UK will be the beneficiaries of this year's appeal
The Butterfly Project

The Butterfly Project helps self-harmers who feel they are ready to stop and need the motivation or support to do so
- IntoUniversity: making university possible
- More on all the charities we are helping

Sport picks

England battle but Hussey fights on

While England's coach, Andy Flower, had a melanoma removed, his bowlers made Australia – including a fortunate Mike Hussey – work hard
Comolli under spotlight at Lane

Liverpool's Damien Comolli has angered senior figures at Tottenham with his claims over players he talent-spotted for them
- Wenger hits back over attacks on 'soft centre'
- Grant denies season and job hinge on beating Wigan

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Sofia Coppola's Somewhere

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Comment & debate

MichaelBulley

Cif Belief, on the boundaries of science

'The Delphic injunction to "know thyself" was not, I think, an instruction to examine yourself with an MRI body scanner'
sexedup

The bike blog, on suggestions for names for the 'book of the blog'

'The Cog Delusion'
BradleyWiggins

Sport blog, responding to a reader's question about riding for Team Sky

'As for Rupert Murdoch ... he's actually a nice bloke. You should come and have a pizza with us one day'

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