76 minutes ago What Holyrood party leaders will have on their New Year's wishlist for 2025

The Holyrood party leaders will all have a New Year’s wishlist they will hope comes true as they gear up for a crunch 2025.

Politics

14 hours ago Moment Brazilian lawmaker is assassinated while talking to family outside his home

Gunmen executed Brazilian councilman Marcos Araújo, 58, and wounded his mother-in-law, Marina Maia, 75, in an attack in the northeastern city of Tabuleiro do Norte on Thursday.

Society

2 hours ago ‘Bullets can make a real mess of bones’: the hospital where the war wounded have their lives put together again

At MSF’s pioneering centre in Amman, Jordan, the dedicated team deal with lives that have already been saved. Here they make those lives worth livingAs a sign of commitment to peace, help us support those affected by war | Kath VinerDonate to our charity appeal hereA girl slips through the corridors of the hospital’s fifth floor with her friend, the pair bright-eyed and shy. Today is her last chance to wear her sparkly new shoes, bought for a party last week. Tomorrow, the 12-year-old Iraqi will have a leg amputated.The operation was due two weeks ago but the surgeon, who had tried not to weep as he broke the news that amputation was necessary, agreed to delay surgery. She wanted the chance to wear her new shoes to the party first. Continue reading...

Events

21 hours ago South London Press photographer Keith Gillard approaching 3,500 match milestone

South London Press photographer Keith Gillard approaching 3,500 match milestone  South London News

Culture

18 hours ago Seven major driving rules and law changes for 2025 faced by motorists including car tax

Drivers will be impacted by a number of new rules in 2025, including some that will effect electric vehicle owners for the first time. Here's all you need to know about the changes

Transport

2 hours ago South African retrospective exhibition honors the colorful work of artist Esther Mahlangu

A retrospective exhibition in South Africa is honoring Esther Mahlangu, a local artist from a rural background who has become internationally known for her colorful work in traditional Ndebele painting

Politics

18 hours ago ‘It’s not just a dancefloor’: the precipitous decline of UK nightclubs

A cocktail of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis has left larger ‘chrome and carpet’ venues high and dry as struggling chains look to party bars‘A taste of Ibiza in grotty King’s Cross’: memories of closed UK nightclubsWhen the patrons of Watford’s Pryzm nightclub celebrated New Year’s Eve on 31 December 2023, they were marking the end of an era, or rather, the end of seven eras. Like every beloved local club, the venue had been known by multiple names over the years: Top Rank, Bailey’s, Paradise Lost, Kudos, Destiny and Oceana.Now, it will be reincarnated no more, after failing to reach a deal with its landlord. Continue reading...

Society

4 hours ago Ukraine war briefing: ‘Human wave’ of North Korean troops being sent to their deaths, says US

Kyiv reports heavy casualties among Pyongyang’s soldiers in Russia while Washington accuses generals of seeing the troops as ‘expendable’. What we know on day 1,039See all our Ukraine war coverageNorth Korean troops deployed in Russia’s Kursk region are suffering heavy losses and being left unprotected by the Russian forces they are fighting alongside, according to Ukraine, while the US says Russian and North Korean generals see the soldiers as “expendable”. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that said Russian troops were sending the North Koreans into battle with minimal protection and that the North Koreans were taking extreme measures to avoid being taken prisoner. “Their losses are significant, very significant,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly video address. “We see that neither the Russian military nor their North Korean overseers have any interest in ensuring the survival of these North Koreans.” Zelenskyy said “several” wounded North Korean soldiers had died afte...

Events

4 hours ago Musk says ‘hateful unrepentant racists’ must be removed from Republican Party as visa feud deepens

‘They will absolutely be the downfall of the Republican Party if they are not removed,’ Tesla and SpaceX tycoon warns

Politics

18 hours ago A property in plain sight was found to be hiding a nefarious secret with 90,000 items removed

One woman has been arrested by South Wales Police in connection with the discovery which happened at a property in Oystermouth Road, Swansea

Society

6 hours ago Man dies after Sydney arrest for allegedly attempting to enter vehicles armed with knife

Critical incident team from Bankstown Police Area Command to investigate circumstances surrounding 33-year-old’s deathGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has died after he was arrested while allegedly attempting to enter vehicles armed with a knife in the middle of Sydney traffic.Police declared a critical incident after officers responded to reports of a man trying to stop traffic and enter vehicles on Remembrance Driveway at Tahmoor in Sydney’s south-west at about 1pm on Friday.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

8 hours ago Danish 'Cinderella' who left her golden stiletto at future king's birthday bash bags her very own Prince Charming

Anne-Sofie Tornso Olesen left one of her high heels at Prince Christian's 18th birthday party last year, and has now found her real 'Prince Charming' in 20-year-old Nikolas Kolding.

Politics

23 hours ago Debenhams £222 air fryer reduced to under £40 that's 'perfect' for anyone making New Year's Eve party food

It's the ideal budget buy for making festive picky teas and party spreads

Society

9 hours ago At least 1,000 North Korean troops killed or wounded fighting for Russia, US says

Russia is treating North Korean troops as ‘expendable’ in fight over Kursk region, officials say

Events

12 hours ago Nigel Farage hints at legal action against Kemi Badenoch in Reform membership row

But Tory leader claims own party tally has risen as she accuses Reform UK of ‘fakery’

Politics

10 hours ago Yemenis stand in solidarity with Palestinians after Israeli strikes on Houthi targets

Earlier today (27 December) hundreds of thousands took to the streets in Yemen’s northwestern city of Sa’ada to demonstrate support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Events

12 hours ago Nigel Farage demands apology from Kemi Badenoch in Reform membership row

Nigel Farage would not rule out taking legal action against the Tory leader over her claim of ‘fakery’ in membership row

Politics

10 hours ago New TV documentary about mysterious death on British island to highlight 'inconsistencies' in case

The body of Josh Clayton was found on rocks near Tresco, Isles of Scilly days after he went missing following a party in September 2015, as a new TV doc about the case is released

Events

13 hours ago La Liga issue statement sticking knife into Barcelona after Dani Olmo decision

Dani Olmo will not be allowed to play for Barcelona beyond January 1 after court rejected appeal from club as permit relating to La Liga salary cap rules runs out

Politics

12 hours ago Car rescued by fire service after getting stuck on supermarket bollards

South Wales Rescue and Fire Service were called to a incident outside a supermarket in Aberavon

Events

14 hours ago Value Scope: Each way horseracing tips from Steve Jones for Saturday on ITV

As the busy Christmas schedule continues our man runs the rule over the TV action from Newbury and Leicester and has four selections

Politics

12 hours ago Tornadoes tear through Texas and Louisiana as thunderstorms sweep across South

Barns were damaged in a county just west of Houston but no injuries were reported

Events

14 hours ago Civil servants vote to strike after bosses ordered them back to the office for three days a week

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said around 3,800 of its members based in 14 offices were being given the new working hours.

Politics

13 hours ago Biden administration pledges additional military aid to Ukraine amid Russia war

Security assistance package in works as North Korean troops are deployed in Kursk after Putin-Kim agreementThe Biden administration is pledging to approve fresh military aid to Ukraine in the coming days, including crucial air defense systems, as North Korean forces face mounting casualties in their first major deployment to a European conflict.John Kirby, the US national security communications adviser, told reporters on Friday that in just the last week North Korean troops had suffered more than 1,000 casualties in what he referred to as failed “human wave” assaults near the Kursk border-region, which confirms similar figures reported by South Korea. Continue reading...

Events

15 hours ago Farage threatens action against Tory leader in row over membership numbers

Reform UK leader demands an apology from Kemi Badenoch over accusation the party had produced ‘fake’ data

Politics

13 hours ago Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘wonderful’ brother dies aged 60 after suffering from cancer

The Prime Minister praised his brother for meeting all the challenges in his life with ‘courage and good humour’.

Events

15 hours ago In Pictures: Wales marks 25 years of Senedd and elects two first ministers

Visits by several members of the royal family and some television stars brought the crowds out across the country.

Politics

14 hours ago South Africa’s Marco Jansen sparks flurry of wickets to hit Pakistan hopes

The tourists looked poised to take a lead in their second innings at Centurion before bad light stopped play

Events

15 hours ago Across the west, the centre right is collapsing – and with it, any notion of what is ‘too extreme’ | Owen Jones

So-called moderates are mimicking populist demagogues, with potentially disastrous consequencesIt was once known as the “centre right”, and this was the year it definitively perished. It never had a coherent political philosophy, but it tended to blend deference to the perceived needs of large business interests, the championing of so-called traditional values that were actually longstanding prejudices, and admiration for established institutions. Above all else, it supposedly offered a cordon sanitaire, preventing anything further to the right from acquiring political legitimacy.That hasn’t quite worked to plan. Nigel Farage now claims his populist-right Reform party has a higher membership than the Tories: if true, it is the first time in British history that members of a rightwing rival have outnumbered the Conservative party’s. Nearly two decades ago, then Tory leader, David Cameron, dismissed Farage’s Ukip as “fruitcakes and loonies and closet racists mostly”; but today, Camero...

Politics

16 hours ago Handré Pollard back at Twickenham and still enjoying pressure of big occasions

Leicester fly-half returns to scene of South Africa’s autumn triumph, where his opposite number is also a familiar face There will be those at a sold-out Twickenham on Saturday who will be sick of the sight of Handré Pollard. The 30-year-old fly-half returns to the stadium with Leicester six weeks after his accuracy from the tee kept the Springboks out of reach against England, his goalkicking once more a dagger to the heart of Steve Borthwick. That his opposite number will be Harlequins’ Marcus Smith only heightens the sense that England’s bete noire is back.As was the case in the 2023 World Cup semi-final, Pollard began November’s victory over England on the bench, only to come on and turn the screw from the tee. He is the elder statesman of South Africa’s pool of No 10s but is at home playing the role of safe hand on the tiller, just when Rassie Erasmus needs it. For the Springboks it has been a year of experimentation, all the while maintaining their place at the top of the worl...

Events

16 hours ago South Korea 'should start Squid Game to see who runs government' says ex

Squid Game is back with a second series but for one armchair viewer of South Korea's scandal-ridden government, it ought to be introduced in real life to decide on country's next leader

Politics

16 hours ago Russia warns Trump NOT to test nuclear weapon and says it would 'not rule anything out' in response

During Trump's first term as president, his administration discussed whether or not to conduct the first US nuclear test since 1992

Events

17 hours ago Deserted beaches, wild rivers and seaside chill: four days walking in NSW’s largest coastal park

The Yuraygir coastal walk in northern NSW offers 65km of beachy bliss broken up by tiny towns with food and shelter – ideal for hardcore hikers and ragtag families alikeThe tiny town of Brooms Head in northern New South Wales is not much more than a headland, a row of Norfolk Island pines and a sprawling caravan park separating the main road from the beach. It’s the kind of place with one shop, where the bestsellers are bait, mixed lollies and icy poles.On a day trip there from nearby Angourie, our family lay sprawled on the beach, eating Cornettos in the sun, when four men walked past wearing packs – big, proper ones, adorned with damp swimmers. I gave chase. Continue reading...

Politics

16 hours ago Squid Game 2 reviews: Smash hit Netflix series underwhelms critics who claim latest outing has 'lost its edge' and is a 'thorough letdown'

The South Korean series' first outing back in 2021 swiftly became the streaming service's biggest ever show and racked up a whopping 1.65 billion viewing hours.

Events

17 hours ago Democratic strategist calls for ‘new generation of leaders’ as party plots response to Trump’s victory

Strategist who aided resurgence after Reagan urges focus on ‘fundamentals’ – but cautions against leftward driftRepublicans jubilant after winning the White House with a candidate who promised to “make America great again”. Democrats lost in the political wilderness, apparently out of touch with working people. America, apparently, shifting inexorably to the right. Not 2024 but 1984, when Ronald Reagan won the presidency in a landslide.Al From remembers it well. The political strategist responded by launching the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) with a mission to rebuild the party and make it electable again. He succeeded in 1992 when Bill Clinton led the “New Democrats” back into power – and four decades on he has advice for how the party can rise from the ashes of another election defeat. Continue reading...

Politics

16 hours ago Sky's controversial Lockerbie drama with Colin Firth receives mixed reviews from critics after families of the victims expressed their anger over TV recreation of deadly 1988 bombing

In 1988, Pan Am flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie in south-western Scotland, killing all 259 on board. Another 11 people died when wreckage hit their homes.

Events

18 hours ago Black school worker told he was 'punching above his weight' for having age

Jamiu Alagangan sued Ormiston New Academy in Wolverhampton for discrimination after he was told by a colleague he had 'punched above his weight', an employment tribunal heard.

Politics

16 hours ago Starmer pays tribute to ‘wonderful’ brother Nick who died on Boxing Day

The Prime Minister thanked those who cared for his brother, saying ‘their skill and compassion is very much appreciated’.

Events

18 hours ago King Charles allows royal to flout Sandringham rule first broken by Meghan Markle

Princess Margaret's grandson, Samuel Chatto, was given special permission to invite his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to spend Christmas with the royals - and it could be a sign of things to come

Politics

17 hours ago Squid Game 2 reviews: Smash hit Netflix series divides critics who claim latest outing has 'lost its edge' and is a 'thorough letdown'

The South Korean series' first outing back in 2021 swiftly became the streaming service's biggest ever show and racked up a whopping 1.65 billion viewing hours.

Events

20 hours ago Dragons, demons and Grand Theft Auto VI: the games to look out for in 2025

Vice City returns, but there are plenty of new games and reboots, from Monster Hunter Wilds and Atomfall to Civilization VII and DOOM: The Dark AgesExplore, expand, exploit, exterminate: the rules of Civilization haven’t changed, but this devilishly compelling strategy series has long been due an overhaul. Next year’s instalment lets you pick and choose between many more different leaders and peoples to guide to world domination, from antiquity and through the age of exploration to the modern era – peacefully, or otherwise. • Released 11 Feb 11; all platforms Continue reading...

Politics

18 hours ago Scots councillor glassed in horror pub attack calls for better support for scarred victims

Robert Innes has relived his ordeal after lodging a motion which received cross-party Renfrewshire Council support.

Events

20 hours ago The truth about Kim Kardashian's 'boob job': Plastic surgeon's verdict on how 44 year

Kim, who is thought to have breastfed two of her children, nearly spilled out of a low-cut red leather dress at a party in Los Angeles last week.

Politics

21 hours ago Major development in search for Gwent man Michael Lloyd who disappeared on morning walk

Michael Lloyd from Risca, south Wales, was first reported as a missing person last month by Gwent Police, who said that he was last seen the day on his daily walk

Events

21 hours ago Nigel Farage boasts of larger social media following than Kemi Badenoch in party membership numbers row

Nigel Farage compared his and Kemi Badenoch's social media following as he hit out at the Conservative leader's accusation of “fakery” over claims that Reform UK membership has surpassed the Tories, making it the second-largest political party in the UK.

Politics

23 hours ago Ukraine ‘captures its first North Korean prisoner of war fighting for Putin'

A Kim Jong-un fighter believed to have been held in Russia’s Kursk region is purported to be in the image and, following its release, South Korea released a curious statement

Events