In new year message, Paul Nowak says ministers must resist pressure from business groups to water down plansKeir Starmer’s government has been urged to “stick to its guns” amid growing pressure from business leaders to water down its plans to improve workers’ rights as the UK economy grinds to a halt.The head of the Trades Union Congress said company bosses were demanding concessions as a “quid pro quo” for accepting tax increases in Rachel Reeves’ autumn budget as they sounded the alarm over Britain’s flatlining economy. Continue reading...

Politics

Hotel review: A faultless location with welcome Irish design touches – why I was Wilde about my city break in London  Irish Independent

Society

Shoppers were quick to snap up the "fabulous" designer watch, which some claim 'reminds them of a Rolex'

Economics

Gunners move up to second behind Liverpool with a third straight victory at the Emirates Stadium

Sport

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

There have been some brilliant series filmed in Wales during 2024

Culture

Nearly 900 flights have been cancelled already as tornado watches are issued in Texas and LouisianaAs the US braces for one of its busiest travel weekends of the year, the threat of severe weather has already led to hundreds of flight cancellations.Tornado watches were issued in the southern states of Texas and Louisiana on Thursday, CNN reported. In Texas, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered ground stops at two airports, CBS reported. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas activated emergency response resources in the state on Thursday. Continue reading...

Transport

Checking my emails at every possible opportunity had become distracting and draining. So I set myself new boundariesAs a freelance writer, the structure of my work day can often vary wildly. Sometimes, it feels as if I have too much to do – other days, too little.Yet no matter the shape of my 9 to 5, one thing remains constant: emails. I receive about 100 a day, ranging from the inane (Tesco Clubcard updates) to the infuriating (the PR who keeps sending me the fluctuating numbers of Taylor Swift’s Instagram following) and the important (editors, often wondering when the piece they have asked me to write might materialise). Continue reading...

Politics

Alison Steadman, 79, is known for playing Pam Shipman in BBC's Gavin and Stacey. The series finale aired on Christmas Day, 2024

Society

Head coach has enjoyed an immediate impact but knows the importance of leading attacker staying put in JanuaryAs Wolves were on Friday night breathing a sigh of relief that Matheus Cunha is set to be available to face Tottenham on Sunday, there are plenty of other positives to be drawn from Vítor Pereira’s first week at the helm alongside their star player’s contributions.Cunha has scored in both of their new manager’s opening games as Wolves have climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time this season following the wins over Leicester and Manchester United. An FA misconduct charge is hanging over Cunha, but the governing body’s disciplinary panel is unlikely to meet before next week. Continue reading...

Sport

Conservationists issue warning as figures show three-quarters of SSSI sites have had no recent assessments Conservationists have said wildlife could be “disappearing in the dark” after figures showed that three-quarters of England’s most precious habitats, wildlife and natural features have had no recent assessment of their condition.The warning follows the publication of figures covering assessments of protected natural sites known as sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) in the last five years. SSSIs are legally protected because they contain special features such as threatened habitats or rare species, and together they cover more than 1.1m hectares (2.7m acres), about 8% of England’s land area. Continue reading...

Events

From sci-fi epics to investigate deep-dives, the Guide readers have their say on the year’s finest cultureWelcome to the last Guide of 2024! I hope you all are enjoying your festive break, and have a better handle on which day it is than I do. As is tradition, after our own roundup of the year’s best culture, we are turning things over to you this week. Here are the films, TV shows, music, performances, and podcasts that wowed you in 2024.Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions and sorry if we weren’t able to include yours. Enjoy the rest of your Christmas break, and see you on the other side of the new year, for our 2025 preview next Friday! Continue reading...

Culture

Hundreds of flights have been delayed at major London airports amid poor weather conditions

Transport

Fast-talking, finger-jabbing Jeff Goldblum on vanity, mortality and becoming a father in his 60s. Elon Musk (father of 11) supports their cause, thousands follow their ideology: to make it easier for everyone to have multiple children. Enter the unsettling world of Malcolm and Simone Collins, America’s premier pronatalists Continue reading...

Politics

Manchester City midfielder Rodri was the winner of the 2024 Ballon d'Or award

Society

Gunners would move second behind Liverpool with third straight victory at the Emirates

Sport

Cristiano Ronaldo is the latest to speak out on Rodri's 2024 Ballon d'Or triumph

Events

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

Culture

Manchester United have struggled in the 2024/25 Premier League season, and Ruben Amorim's Red Devils may look to bolster their squad in next year's summer transfer window as a result

Politics

Delays of up to four hours at the country’s busiest airports, including Manchester and London Gatwick, as thick fog disrupts travel

Society

Arsenal are looking to close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the table, but will be without Saka after the England star’s hamstring injury

Sport

As New Year's Eve approaches, the public are reminded to be wary of fireworks regulations - with potential fines and even six months in prison for any breaches

Events

There's still time to make plans for the end of the year

Culture

Chris ‘Gibbo’ Gibson created the stunning boozer so that pals have somewhere to meet up and watch games.

Politics

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

Gunners would move second behind Liverpool with third straight victory at the Emirates

Sport

Minister says request regarding welder arrested in 2005 on drugs charges will be discussed in January amid spate of transfer of high-profile detaineesIndonesia has received an official request from France to transfer a French death row inmate imprisoned on drugs charges since 2005, a senior Indonesian minister said on Saturday.“We have received a formal letter requesting the transfer of Serge Atlaoui on 19 December 2024. The letter was sent on behalf of the French minister of justice,” senior Indonesian law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra told Agence France-Presse. Continue reading...

Events

Riverview High School, Venice High School Bands to Perform in London New Year's Day Parade  SRQ Magazine

Culture

Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor (pictured with King Charles) is a citizen of Russia, the UK and Israel, and is currently based in Tel Aviv after living in London.

Politics

Dance till you drop, then home by 10pm – daytime events offer a glorious escape for those of us bogged down by responsibilityLast Saturday night, I went clubbing with friends. Once upon a time, this wouldn’t have been a remotely odd sentence to type, because it was what I did pretty much every weekend. But a lot has changed since then – let’s just say that in my peak raving years there was a Labour government in power, only it was actually popular – and like most people whose happy place was once on the dancefloor, inevitably with time comes the feeling that you no longer belong. Deep down, you still come to life when the bassline kicks in. But you morph from hardened raver to the kind of person who’s always up for dancing at parties and weddings, and then finally into the kind of person whose friends aren’t getting married any more and who spends their Saturday nights giving their children lifts to parties. So eventually you tell yourself sadly that those days are over now, and tha...

Society

Arsenal are looking to close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the table, but will be without Saka after the England star’s hamstring injury

Sport

Champagne corks often pop and loud, boisterous cheers are usually heard around Constitution Dock when the Sydney to Hobart line honors winner finishes in the Tasmanian state capital

Events

A New Year's Eve and New Year's Day forecast which shows a -2C weather shift, while the Met Office The Met Office is predicting flurries and accumulations

Politics

There were no shortage of wacky properties to hit the market this year, including nuclear bunkers, a studio with a cell and a replica of the HMS Endeavour

Society

Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard both return to Mikel Arteta’s first-choice side with Bukayo Saka out

Sport

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

Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen headline huge Saturday night of action at Alexandra Palace

Politics

Viewers have claimed ITV has 'run out of ideas' after the UK broadcaster aired two hours of TikToks on Christmas Eve.

Society

Gunners would move second behind Liverpool with third straight victory at the Emirates

Sport

Australian has accepted provisional suspension for anti-doping breachThompson to play with Chris O’Connell at Brisbane InternationalThe doping ban of Australia’s two-time doubles grand-slam winner Max Purcell has been described as “a joke” by his US Open-winning partner Jordan Thompson.The 26-year-old Purcell was provisionally suspended over an alleged violation of tennis’ anti-doping program. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Monday that Purcell had voluntarily accepted the suspension, after admitting to a breach relating to a prohibited method. Continue reading...

Events

Here is a look at some of the most uplifting stories of the year.

Politics

Supermaxi LawConnect in box seat Friday evening to take line honours for second year runningAs at 5.30pm, 22 yachts from the 104-strong starting fleet had retiredThe Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been left reeling after the deaths of two sailors in wild weather that has forced a fifth of the fleet to retire.Supermaxi LawConnect was in the box seat on Friday evening to take out line honours for a second year running after rival Master Lock Comanche pulled the pin with mainsail damage. Continue reading...

Society

Gunners will be forced into reshuffle in attack after injury blow

Sport

Fan Weiqiu, angry at his divorce settlement, caused ‘great social harm’ when he drove into people as they exercised in the city of Zhuhai, court saysA court in China has sentenced a man to death for killing 35 people last month by driving into a crowd, in an attack that raised national concern about mass killings.Fan Weiqiu was venting his anger because he was unhappy with his divorce settlement, the court in the southern city of Zhuhai said in handing down the sentence on Friday. The victims were exercising at a sports centre at the time of the attack. Fan pleaded guilty to endangering public safety by dangerous means, a court statement said. Continue reading...

Events

The world No 1 was defaulted from the World Rapid Championship and has also chosen to withdraw from the World Blitz saying ‘it became a matter of principle’Magnus Carlsen, the world No 1, has been disqualified from the World Rapid Championship in New York due to a dress code violation, refusing to change from jeans, after a previous warning. He is also withdrawing from the World Blitz which starts on 30 December.Fide explained their decision in a statement while Carlsen said: “I said I’ll change tomorrow but they said you have to change now it became a matter of principle for me so here we are! Honestly I’m too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do I’ll probably set off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer.” Continue reading...

Politics

North-east England will enjoy the brightest weather of the day, with some sunshine in Aberdeenshire in the afternoon and temperatures of about 10C to 12C across the country

Society

Gavin and Stacey fans expressed their shock after discovering Smithy's full name during the 2024 Christmas special, with one joking they "watch the show too much"

Sport

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

Staff arrested, injured and killed as Israeli forces burn and destroy key Kamal Adwan hospital departments, says WHOThe last major health facility in northern Gaza has been put out of service, the World Health Organization has said, after an Israeli military operation targeting sites near the Kamal Adwan hospital.“Initial reports indicate that some key departments were severely burnt and destroyed during the raid,” the WHO said in a statement on X. Continue reading...

Politics

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

Society

More than 12 million people tuned in to watch the show

Sport

In-form Villa striker will now be banned for three gamesUnai Emery believes ‘stamp’ on Schär was unintentionalAston Villa are shocked and disappointed after the Football Association rejected their appeal against Jhon Durán’s red card, meaning the striker will serve a three-match ban.The Colombian was given a straight red card by the referee, Anthony Taylor, after being adjudged to have intentionally stamped on the Newcastle defender Fabian Schär when the pair collided in the first half of Villa’s Boxing Day defeat. Continue reading...

Events

Like all new moons, black moons are invisible to the human eye

Politics

We cooked ragu and listened to records while lying on chaises longues. Then the M11 link road was built – and everything changedIn our end of year series, writers and public figures remember the place or time when they felt most at homeIn the mid-1980s, I was in my early 20s and was reading for the Bar in London. I was living in a mouldy Balham bedsit and returning regularly to the comfort zone of my native York, when a friend told me a room was going in a shared house in Leytonstone.I wasn’t expecting much of E11. I wasn’t expecting trees, for example, but my walk from the attractive art deco tube station took me along roads better described as avenues. The house itself seemed almost the last one in London, an illusion created by the proximity of Wanstead Flats. It was a rangy, detached 1920s house, white with a red roof, and it had a name, but I’ll just call it the villa.Andrew Martin is an English novelist; his latest book is The Night in Venice Continue reading...

Society

The Gunners are aiming to build on a 5-1 win last time out

Sport

Olympic champion and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is expected to challenge for more major titles next year after becoming a two-time Masters winner at Augusta in 2024

Events

Big Fat Quiz of the Year aired its 2024 edition tonight, with Jimmy Carr hosting once again - and a first ever appearance from a Strictly star

Politics

As a student in London I yearned for home, until I found paradise: a vast old villa with perfect housemates  The Guardian

Society

The US president-elect’s ties with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and boxing, as well as World Wrestling Entertainment, might tell us about the kinds of sport he appreciates. But then there’s golf As the US prepares to host the World Cup and the Olympics during Trump’s presidency, Jonathan Freedland and Karim Zidan walk through his history with sport to see if it explains more about himArchive: BBC, WWE, Fox 9 Minneapolis, NBC 10 Philadelphia, PBS Newshour, TMZ, MSNBC Continue reading...

Sport

American cuts hand on broken glass during festive periodGolfer will now miss the first tournament of seasonThe men’s world No 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has had surgery on a hand injury he sustained while cooking Christmas dinner. The 28-year-old American has been forced to withdraw from the first tournament of the season, next week’s The Sentry in Hawaii, after cutting his right hand on broken glass.The PGA Tour said: “World No 1 and 2024 FedEx Cup Champion Scottie Scheffler has withdrawn from the PGA Tour’s 2025 season-opening tournament, The Sentry, which will take place next week, 2-5 January at The Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii.” Continue reading...

Events

The Premier League season has not reached its halfway point and yet Arsenal knew this was a game they had to win. Liverpool’s stunning form at the top of the table had seen to that. It was scrappy for long spells, Ipswich digging deep, determined to show a response to the 4-0 home drubbing against Newcastle from last Saturday – the only time they have taken a real battering this season.Arsenal were restricted. They found chances difficult to come by. But in the end, one goal was enough – together with another clean sheet for David Raya, his 23rd in 50 league appearances for the club. Kai Havertz was the scorer, turning home a Leandro Trossard cross midway through the first half; he made it look simple. Continue reading...

Politics

Analysis shows fossil fuels are supercharging heatwaves, leaving millions prone to deadly temperaturesThe climate crisis caused an additional six weeks of dangerously hot days in 2024 for the average person, supercharging the fatal impact of heatwaves around the world.The effects of human-caused global heating were far worse for some people, an analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central has shown. Those in Caribbean and Pacific island states were the hardest hit. Many endured about 150 more days of dangerous heat than they would have done without global heating, almost half the year. Continue reading...

Society

Americans point to coverage denials and steep profits from insurance industry after Brian Thompson’s killingIn a new poll, more than two-thirds of respondents said they believed denials of coverage and profits in the health insurance industry were partially responsible for the killing of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO, in early December.Thompson was shot dead on the streets of Manhattan. His killer fled, sparking a nationwide manhunt, which ended when Luigi Mangione was arrested and charged with the killing after being arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s. Mangione’s alleged writings indicated that he was angry at the US healthcare industry and saw it as exploitative. Continue reading...

Events

Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich: The German’s first-half goal was enough to Mikel Arteta’s side to end 2024 with a win

Politics

US Department of Housing and Urban Development reports largest increase among families with childrenThe US saw a dramatic rise in homelessness at the start of 2024, counting 18% more unhoused people during its annual tally in January than the year before, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (Hud) reported on Friday.Cities reported counting a total of 771,480 unhoused people in January, a number that is larger than the population of Seattle. Representing 23 out of every 10,000 Americans, the number is the highest ever recorded during the tally. Still, experts consider the number an undercount, since it reflects one point in time and misses many people staying with friends or family. Continue reading...

Events

Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz, 56, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses following a sacrilegious rampage on Tuesday

Politics

London Drug Dealer Sentenced to Prison After This Stupid Mistake Connected Him Back to the Crime  The Root

Events

When Brighton produced a stirring comeback to defeat Manchester City here at the start of November and move into the top four, Fabian Hürzeler could have been forgiven for thinking that being a Premier League manager is a pretty straightforward business. But after another disappointing performance from his side that made it six matches without a victory and allowed Brentford to pick up only their second away point of the season, the 31-year-old may have a different opinion now.Despite creating a plethora of chances, Brighton could not find a way past Thomas Frank’s battling side, who lost their goalkeeper Mark Flekken to injury in the first half and handed a Premier League debut to Hákon Valdimarsson. In the absence of their top scorer, Danny Welbeck, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury, and for all their positivity and possession under Hürzeler, Brighton lack a cutting edge in attack that was exposed again by Brentford. They have not won at home since beating City and it wa...

Politics

Italian band Planet Funk had no idea their song 'Chase the Sun' had become the sound of darts until they heard it blaring out inside the lobby of a London hotel

Events

Met Office weather forecasters have predicted snow could hit the UK in the New Year - but it will follow potentially severe rainfall that looks set to disrupt people's New Year's Eve plans

Politics

Manchester United midfielder has been more disciplined this term but unique demands of his job keep him in the firing lineAgainst Leicester on Boxing Day Virgil van Dijk took to 50 the number of successive league games he has played every minute of. This alone does not explain why the Dutchman is such an effective leader, nor why his Liverpool side are currently so successful, but it certainly helps. There are many kinds of captain, many ways of leading, but above all the one unarguably necessary thing is to be present. You cannot lead a team from the stands.At which point it is tempting to go in two-footed on Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, as many newspaper headlines did on Friday morning. The Portuguese is, for a couple more days at least, one of only four other captains to have played in every game of this Premier League season but that run ends with the visit of Newcastle on Monday, for which he will be suspended after Tony Harrington, just after half-time in the Boxing Da...

Events

The brothers and their father were out with their father on Christmas Eve

Politics

Tim Dillon appeared in front of a projection reading: ‘UnitedHellcare CEO’

Events

Stand-up comedian Hannah Berner appeared on Netflix’s ‘Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year’

Politics

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain that could bring "significant disruption" to parts of the UK ahead of New Year's Eve, and some areas may also see snow

Events