65 minutes ago Youth pastor identified as man who died after shark bite off Queensland coast

The 40-year-old school chaplain was bitten by the shark while fishing with family in waters off Keppel Islands on SaturdayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA youth pastor and school chaplain described as an inspirational leader has been identified as the man who died after being bitten by a shark while on holiday with his family in Queensland.Emergency services were called to Humpy Island in the Keppel Bay Islands national park, about 18km off the central Queensland coast, on Saturday after reports a man had been attacked.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Politics

7 hours ago Beaches, beer and a rare suspended lake why can’t Nigeria attract more tourists?

Visitor numbers to the African country lag far behind its neighbours due to lack of infrastructure and national planning. Now some are starting to demand changesAt the top of the Ado-Awaye hills lies a lake suspended 433 metres above sea level. Local people say the lake is named Iyake (Yoruba for “crying woman”) after a weeping, barren woman who fell in the water hundreds of years ago, conferring on it powers of fertility.This belief in the divine is evident in the foothills, where a huge boulder is emblazoned with the words, written in golden letters: “Here we come: African Jerusalem.” Continue reading...

Society

2 hours ago All I want for Christmas is $1.22bn: Mega Millions ticket matches all six numbers

Circle K in Cottonwood, California, where ticket was sold celebrates $1m bonus as winner remains unknownThe new year will ring in brightly for a lucky Mega Millions winner in California: after three months of the top lottery prize rolling over, a ticket worth $1.22bn matched all six numbers in Friday night’s drawing, according to the lottery’s website.The winning ticket was sold at the Circle K in Cottonwood, a rural town of about 6,000 people roughly 145 miles (233km) north of Sacramento just off Interstate 5 in Shasta county. The winning numbers, including the Mega, were 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 and 6. Continue reading...

Economics

7 hours ago 11 players could miss Manchester United vs Newcastle United Premier League clash

The latest Manchester United news as Newcastle United visit Old Trafford in the final game of 2024 with Ruben Amorim's side looking to bounce back from defeat on Boxing Day.

Sport

42 minutes ago South Korea plane crash: dozens feared dead after Jeju Air flight skids off runway at Muan airport – live updates

Authorities provisionally reporting 28 dead after Boeing 737-800 with 175 passengers and six crews hits airport fenceReport: South Korea plane with 181 onboard veers off runway and hits fence Dozens are feared dead after a plane skidded off the runway while attempting a landing without landing gear at Muan international airport in South Korea on Sunday morningThe exact casualty figures have not yet been tallied, though authorities are provisionally reporting that 28 people are believed to have died, according to news agency Newsis. Fire officials have warned that given the severe damage to the aircraft, the number of casualties could rise.Jeju Air flight 2216 from Bangkok to Muan was carrying 181 people – 175 passengers and six crew – when it came down, skidded along the runway and hit fencing and a wall around the perimeter before catching fire.Rescues are underway, with two people brought out of the wreckage so far. Emergency services are continuing their search operation.The Boei...

Events

10 hours ago Sheffield’s museums show how art comes to life when it is connected to place | Rowan Moore

Institutions in and around the city combine great works with humdrum relics of local life, to fantastic effectI’ve been living partly in Sheffield for the past month or so, which has given me the chance to catch up on some of the great monuments of industry and power in and near the city – the model miners’ village and the fantastical Jacobean castle in Bolsover, the stately home of Wentworth Woodhouse with its battleship-length Palladian facade, the buildings of the subtle modernist Peter Womersley in Huddersfield.Also the Weston Park Museum in Sheffield and the Derby Museum and Art Gallery, both of which combine world-class art with humdrum relics of local life. In one, a large John Singer Sargent portrait of three young Yorkshire women shares the premises with the plastic car roof sign of a 1970s driving school. In the other, there is a gallery full of the illuminated tableaux of science and humanity by Joseph Wright of Derby and another room with a collection of stuffed animals,...

Culture

12 hours ago Sir Chris Hoy issues positive health update after terminal cancer diagnosis

Sir Chris Hoy was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer earlier this year and the six-time Olympic gold-medallist has offered an update on his condition as 2024 comes to an end

Science

67 minutes ago Rebel Wilson weds Ramona Agruma in Sydney – and this time it’s for real

The actor announced on social media that the ‘legal wedding’ was officiated by her sisterGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRebel Wilson has married wife, Ramona Agruma, for the second time in Sydney and this time it was legal.Wilson, the Australian actor and director, revealed the “legal wedding” was officiated by her sister on Sunday via Instagram, in a post accompanied by photos of the couple standing in front of the Sydney Opera House with the Harbour Bridge in the background. Continue reading...

Politics

13 hours ago ‘Selfless parents gave their child’s organs to save my son. I’m in awe of them’

One year after Ralph was given a life-saving multi-organ transplant, his mother Katie Tatham tells why she is calling for more people in the UK to come forward to helpJust over a year ago, the parents of Ralph Tatham didn’t know if they would make it to Christmas, or if liver cancer would take away their three-year-old son.Now the little boy is just a few weeks away from celebrating his fifth birthday, after receiving a lifesaving multiorgan transplant to replace his liver, pancreas and intestines. Continue reading...

Society

7 hours ago Warren Buffett suddenly buys $563m of stock in three companies after hoarding cash all year

Warren Buffett has bought stakes in three companies, after hoarding cash for most of 2024. 

Economics

9 hours ago Forget Risk, play Fantasy Football for Fascists: grudge matches, foul play and violent conduct guaranteed | Simon Tisdall

Leading FFF teams include Donald Trump’s Mad Angry Geezers Athletic (Maga) and Vladimir Putin’s Greater Russia United (GRU)It’s been a gloomy old year, often reflected in this space – so maybe it’s time to inject some festive cheer with an exciting new Swiftian parlour game: Fantasy Football for Fascists (FFF). Ideal for dictators, autocrats, strongmen, neo-Stalinists, far-right nationalist-populists or just students of geopolitics, it’s fanatical fun for all the family!Under conventional fantasy football rules, imaginary teams are composed of real-life players from the Premier League. In FFF, the principal players are typically politicians and public figures who exhibit extreme totalitarian tendencies. Leading FFF teams include Donald Trump’s Mad Angry Geezers Athletic (Maga) and Vladimir Putin’s Greater Russia United (GRU). China has the Xi XI. Continue reading...

Sport

78 minutes ago South Korea plane crash: casualties reported after Jeju Air flight veers off runway at Muan airport – live updates

At least 20 casualties reported by Yonhap news agency, after plane with 174 passengers and six crews hits airport fenceReport: South Korea plane with 181 onboard veers off runway and hits fence, local media reportSouth Korean news agency Yonhap is reporting that a bird strike may have affected the plane’s landing gear.Footage circulating online appears to show a Jeju Air plane attempting to land without its landing gear down. The footage has not yet been verified. Continue reading...

Events

16 hours ago ‘I saw the reflection of his back rolls in the glass door’: Spencer Ostrander’s best phone photo

The American photographer on capturing a moment of intimacy between himself and his baby sonOn a sunny Sunday morning in June, Spencer Ostrander returned from the local hardware store to find his wife, Sophie, gardening in their back yard in Brooklyn, New York. “I handed her the supplies she needed, and a hot coffee, and she handed over our son,” Ostrander says. Their boy, Miles, was six months old at the time.“As I was taking him inside, I saw the reflection of my son’s back rolls in the glass door.” Ostrander grabbed his iPhone 14 Pro and turned the front camera on. “He was teething back then; not crying, but not his usual pleasant self either. I was juggling a wiggling baby and my phone, so I could only take two frames.” Continue reading...

Culture

19 hours ago The bowel cancer symptoms to look out for as cases in young people rise sharply in England

Diet, obesity, alcohol and smoking could be explanations for the rising cases of early-onset bowel cancer

Science

81 minutes ago Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen quits a tournament in a dispute over jeans

The International Chess Federation says top ranked player Magnus Carlsen has left the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships after refusing to change out of the jeans he wore to the competition

Politics

14 hours ago Jamie Oliver's 'real winter warmer' comforting pumpkin and ginger soup recipe

Jamie Oliver’s pumpkin and ginger soup is an easy-to-follow recipe and whilst it tastes amazing, the ingredients will boost your immune system and keep the circulating colds and flu away this season

Society

10 hours ago Barcelona set to finally register Dani Olmo after agreeing VIP seating deal

Sale of boxes at Camp Nou likely to secure player’s futureBarça had to find way to comply with FFP by 31 DecemberFC Barcelona have reportedly closed a last-minute €100m (£82.9m) deal to sell VIP boxes at the newly renovated Camp Nou to Middle Eastern investors, enabling them to meet financial fair play rules and finally extend Dani Olmo’s registration.With the deadline for registration just three days away and Barcelona facing the prospect of Olmo leaving as a free agent just six months after joining on a a €55m (£45.6m) transfer, club president Joan Laporta exercised a sale option on Saturday which the club believe will see the first payment made before 31 December. Continue reading...

Economics

12 hours ago Barcelona in race to register Dani Olmo and avoid losing him on free transfer

Court denies request to register player beyond DecemberBarça have three days to comply with La Liga FFP rulesBarcelona have three days to find a way to comply with La Liga’s financial fair play rules or they will not be able to register Dani Olmo for the rest of the season – and face the prospect of him leaving as a free agent just six months after joining in a €55m (£45.6m) transfer.On Friday, a court in Barcelona published its decision to deny a lawsuit that the club had brought against the league’s rules, in which they requested a legal order to extend the player’s registration beyond 31 December. Continue reading...

Sport

3 hours ago Venezuelan opposition members holed up in Argentine embassy call it ‘prison’

Government cut power to diplomatic residence where María Corina Machado took refuge in March to avoid arrestFive Venezuelan opposition members taking refuge in the Argentine embassy in Caracas to avoid arrest say it has become a “prison”.The residence has been without power for more than a month, Magalli Meda, adviser to opposition leader María Corina Machado, said on X. Continue reading...

Events

24 hours ago All the amazing TV shows filmed in Wales in 2024 that showcase our beautiful country

There have been some brilliant series filmed in Wales during 2024

Culture

1 hour ago Biden still regrets dropping out of 2024 race and believes he could have beaten Trump, says report

Biden also admitted to aides that he had made other mistakes, including the selection of Merrick Garland as attorney general

Politics

16 hours ago Kieran Culkin on pranks, parenting and why his famous family doesn’t need therapy: ‘Us siblings, we’re already cooked’

He’s been on screen since he was seven – but only prepares for a scene 10 minutes before. Yet somehow the mischievous Succession star is now tipped for an Oscar. How did the chaotic, charismatic actor do it?Kieran Culkin tries the upright chair first, the one opposite me, high-backed and leather. But no, that’s no good. He can see his reflection in the wall mirror, he’ll be catching himself all interview, thinking how tired he looks with his hooded eyes and beard, how jet lagged. Sleep is always tricky, but he’s been up with the kids – five and three – who weren’t supposed to join him for this publicity tour but there was a last-minute crisis, the short version of which is that the whole family is over from New York (with Culkin, 42, there’s always a long and short version).So, he flumps on the banquette, where he’ll be facing guests drinking afternoon cocktails in the low-lit, high-ceilinged bar here at the Corinthia hotel in London. He tests the firmness of the upholstery. Pa...

Society

10 hours ago Barcelona hope to finally register Dani Olmo after agreeing VIP seating deal

Sale of boxes at Camp Nou likely to secure player’s futureBarça had to find way to comply with FFP by 31 DecemberFC Barcelona have reportedly closed a last-minute €100m (£82.9m) deal to sell VIP boxes at the newly renovated Camp Nou to Middle Eastern investors. The club are hopeful the sale will allow them to meet financial fair play rules and finally extend Dani Olmo’s registration.With the deadline for registration just three days away and Barcelona facing the prospect of Olmo leaving as a free agent just six months after joining on a a €55m (£45.6m) transfer, club president Joan Laporta exercised a sale option on Saturday which the club believe will see the first payment made before 31 December. Continue reading...

Economics

16 hours ago 10 best sporting moments of 2024 as Olympics dominate and British icons make history

From celebrating Olympic gold medals in Paris to standing on top of Formula 1 podiums, it's been a brilliant 2024 for British sport, as we round up the 10 best moments

Sport

3 hours ago Luke Littler gets ultimate revenge on Ian White but darts wonderkid given reality check

After Luke Littler’s march into the last 16 at the Paddy Power PDC World Championship, he has one more appointment to fulfil in 2024 - a date with Ryan Joyce on Monday

Events

2 hours ago Duchess of Edinburgh matches Princess Anne for completing highest number of overseas trips this year as pair fill void left by King Charles and Kate Middleton

Both royals visited nine countries in 2024, yet 74-year-old Anne racked up nearly 42,000 air miles while 59-year-old Sophie did around 28,500. The pair were followed by Prince Edward on eight.

Politics

18 hours ago Cheesy anchovy straws and chocolate meringue kisses: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for party nibbles

Bite-sized treats that are big on flavour and will see out the year in styleHappy 2025 everyone, and may the New Year bring with it the positive changes we all so yearn for. Personally, I will be embracing change in a big way, because, after seven years, this is my final column for the Guardian’s Feast. From March, I will be writing a new, long-form quarterly column packed with recipes, personal experiences and general observations about the food world, so stay tuned. The Feast community is the most engaged and greedy I know, so thank you! And I hope you welcome the New Year with these party nibbles I have lined up for this weekend. Here’s to new beginnings! Continue reading...

Society

14 hours ago Men’s transfer window January 2025: all deals from Europe’s top five leagues

All the latest Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A deals and a club-by-club guideWomen’s transfer interactive – all the January deals Continue reading...

Economics

19 hours ago Boxing's best star, fight, knockout and prospect of 2024 named as Usyk does awards double

BOXING CLEVER COLUMN: 2024 has been another huge year for boxing with the heavyweight division providing most of the big storylines including two epic showdowns between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury

Sport

4 hours ago Royal Family's most heartbreaking year in full from health traumas to deaths and scandal

The Royal Family has endured a tumultuous 2024 that nobody could have ever predicted this time last year - and it has been marred by health battles, ongoing bitter feuds and a heartbreaking tragedy

Events

3 hours ago Extraordinary size and staying power: the unlikely origin of a mighty Australian avocado

A chance planting 30 years ago produced an avocado three times the size of other varieties. From March, Jala trees will be sold nationallyMore summer essentialsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThirty years ago, Ken Spackman cut down an avocado tree planted by his father on the family’s Palmwoods property on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. He planted a seed from the tree in a different spot on the farm, with no expectation it would flourish.“That seed did it pretty tough – no water, no fertiliser,” recalls neighbour John Mongan. “But a tree grew from nothing, alone and out of the way, so it must have been lucky.” Continue reading...

Politics

20 hours ago Christmas leftovers meet Italian flair: Three recipes to reinvent festive staples

Christmas meets Italian flair in these recipes that turn festive leftovers into bold, satisfying dishes. From turkey meatballs to cacciatore-style chicken, here’s how to reinvent your festive staples with ease

Society

19 hours ago ‘The impact has been out of this world’: the stranger who gave away a £100,000 inheritance to his neighbours

When David Clarke’s mother died, it took him 10 years to work out what to do with the money she left him. This year, a panel of locals in Liverpool made the decision for himIt was a quiet act of generosity that briefly captured the news agenda: David Clarke, a researcher in Liverpool, made the extraordinary decision to give away the £100,000 he had inherited from his late mother a decade ago. But instead of donating it to one cause, Clarke did something radical. He wrote to 600 addresses in the L8 postcode, where he lives, inviting people to nominate where the money should go.Clarke lost his mother in a cycling accident. “Her death was a devastating shock to me,” he says. “She had a huge social conscience and was interested in the world and how it worked – a lot of my moral framework comes from her. I don’t believe in holding on to inherited wealth, so I spent a long time thinking about what to do with the money.” Clarke wanted to do something that would speak to his mother’s values...

Economics

4 hours ago Big Fat Quiz of the Year slammed for failing to make show accessible for Chris McCausland

Channel 4 viewers hit out at the Big Fat Quiz of the Year after blind comedian Chris McCausland took part in the 2024 episode, with some claiming it was not inclusive for him

Events

5 hours ago Justin Herbert shines as LA Chargers trounce Patriots to clinch playoff spot

Herbert throws three TDs as Chargers win 40-7Patriots lose sixth straight for second time in 2024Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots on Saturday.The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with the San Francisco 49ers. Continue reading...

Politics

24 hours ago Gavin and Stacey star enjoys one superfood snack that's linked to 'better heart health'

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

Society

5 hours ago Rescuers race to save Indian girl, 3, stuck 150ft down 700ft well for five days

A rescue operation to save Chetna, a three-year-old who is stuck 150ft down a 700ft well in the village of Kotputli in Rajasthan., India, is now in its fifth day as teams struggle to reach the youngster who has gone 90 hours without food or water

Events

6 hours ago Age of tactical ideologues is over as Spain dominates new era of pragmatism | Jonathan Wilson

Coaches such as Arteta, Iraola and Emery play variations of the Guardiola model – flexibility and adaptability are in vogueSpain are the European champions. Real Madrid won the Champions League. Rodri won the Ballon d’Or and has only come to seem more important since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Spanish managers won the Premier League, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 last season. No fewer than five Premier League clubs are managed by Spaniards.It has been another year of Spanish domination but the manager who more than anybody has been the architect of what is now considered the Spanish style is facing the biggest crisis of his career. Continue reading...

Politics

25 hours ago Festive air fryer gyros recipe takes just 15 minutes and is a 'serious banger'

Use all of your favourite Christmas dinner trimmings to create a healthy festive gyros that you'll want 'immediately'

Society

6 hours ago Man dies after shark bite while fishing with family off Queensland coast

The 40-year-old was bitten by the shark in waters off Keppel IslandsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has died after he was bitten by a shark while fishing with his family.Emergency services were called to Humpy Island in the Keppel Bay Islands national park, about 18km off the central Queensland coast, on Saturday following reports a man had been attacked. Continue reading...

Events

7 hours ago Dean Phillips, early Democratic critic of Biden, reflects on party’s presidential loss

Outgoing representative, whose assessment of campaign now feels prescient, saddened to be vindicatedDean Phillips, the Democratic representative from Minnesota who bucked his party to become the only elected official to challenge Joe Biden for the Democratic primary earlier this year, has said he is “saddened” by the accuracy of his prediction at the time that the outgoing president could not win re-election.“If what I feel now is vindication, it’s awfully unsatisfying,” Phillips told Politico, adding: “The fact was, he was not in a position to win. The fact was his approval numbers were historically low. The fact was his physical decline was real.” Continue reading...

Politics

6 hours ago French swimmers reveal shocking state of their Olympic bronze medals four months on from Paris 2024

Two French swimmers have become the latest Olympians to complain about the shocking state of their bronze medals - four months on from the close of the Paris Games. 

Events

7 hours ago Toddler wanders within feet of 400ft cliff near rim of Kīlauea volcano

Child had run off from family ‘in a split second’ as they admired lava within caldera at sunset on 23 DecemberHawaii national park rangers have reissued warnings about volcano tourism after a small child wandered off and came within feet of a 400ft cliff near the rim of Kīlauea volcano, whose latest eruption had begun on 23 December.“The hazards that coincide with an eruption are dangerous, and we have safety measures in place including closed areas, barriers, closure signs and traffic management,” said park superintendent Rhonda Loh in a statement. Continue reading...

Politics

6 hours ago Family of OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji demand FBI investigate death

Parents believe San Francisco police lack ability to conduct thorough investigation into multifaceted casePoornima Ramarao greeted everyone with a smile as they offered condolences for the death of her son, Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on 26 November.“I am not grieving,” she told a small group of friends at a vigil held for Balaji in Milpitas, California, a city about 50 miles (80km) south-east of San Francisco. “I have become numb.” Continue reading...

Events

7 hours ago Allanah lost her son when she was 22 weeks pregnant. Now she’s helping others though the grief of stillbirth

Australia has protocols for stillbirths and neonatal deaths, but the quality of care varies widely across the countrySign up for the Rural Network email newsletterThe birth of Allanah Crameri and Braydon Newell’s son Lenny in September 2022 should have been filled with joy. But at just under 22 weeks, pregnancy complications led to a preterm labour and Lenny was born too early to survive.“I felt everything from sadness, despair, anger and shock,” Crameri says. Continue reading...

Politics

9 hours ago ‘Create our own history’: Alisson targets title to mark new Liverpool era

The Liverpool goalkeeper expected ‘hard work’ for Arne Slot but flying start to season means their end goal is clearIf 2024 included the final chapter of Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, the year may yet be recalled as the start of something else special. It was on 26 January that devastated fans learned one of the best-kept football secrets of modern times, that Klopp could give no more. In late December, a renewed team, more patient in style, far less exuberant yet just as potent, already threatens to emulate Klopp’s finest achievements.The bond between Klopp and former players remains firm. When Curtis Jones made his 100th Premier League appearance against Leicester on Boxing Day, he realised only because his former manager had congratulated him on the milestone. When Klopp returns to public life next week as head of global football for the Red Bull conglomerate, the sight of him in the stands, talking to the media, will take some getting used to. Continue reading...

Events

7 hours ago Allanah lost her son when she was 22 weeks pregnant. Now she’s helping others through the grief of stillbirth

Australia has protocols for stillbirths and neonatal deaths, but the quality of care varies widely across the countrySign up for the Rural Network email newsletterThe birth of Allanah Crameri and Braydon Newell’s son Lenny in September 2022 should have been filled with joy. But at just under 22 weeks, pregnancy complications led to a preterm labour and Lenny was born too early to survive.“I felt everything from sadness, despair, anger and shock,” Crameri says. Continue reading...

Politics

9 hours ago Matheus Cunha’s wizardry for revived Wolves spells trouble for Tottenham | Ben McAleer

Spurs’ defensive injury crisis spells danger when facing one of the Premier League’s most unpredictable forwards By Ben McAleer for WhoScoredDecember was always going to be a tough month for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham. Spurs faced crunch domestic and continental meetings with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Rangers and Bournemouth, and failed to win all four. Of the eight games this month, they have won two, beating Southampton and Manchester United, and the latter they did their best to throw away.Next up for Postecoglou’s side is Sunday’s home game against Wolves. On paper, a meeting with a relegation-threatened side should pose little threat to Spurs. However, Wolves come into the weekend’s trip to the capital following back-to-back league wins over Leicester and Manchester United. Vítor Pereira has made the desired impact having succeeded Gary O’Neil at the Molineux helm earlier this month, watching on as his side have scored five times and conceded none. Continue reading...

Events

7 hours ago Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko pardons 20 people jailed for ‘extremism’

Putin apologises over Azerbaijan plane crash; Russia’s Gazprom announces it will halt gas supplies to MoldovaReport: Putin apologises for Azerbaijan plane crash without admitting Russia at faultItalian police said on Saturday that they were investigating cyberattacks claimed by a pro-Russian group targeting several websites including Milan’s airports and the foreign ministry.The websites of the ministry, Malpensa and Milan-Linate airport, and the transport systems in Siena and Turin were hit, according to national cybersecurity police spokesman Marco Valerio Cervellini, Reuters reports. Continue reading...

Politics

10 hours ago The killer drivers who have claimed the lives of others on Welsh roads

Here is a round up of the defendants who have been convicted of causing death by dangerous and careless driving in 2024.

Events

8 hours ago Woman's 'Christmas dinner' called 'minging' until people realised their mistake

"A lot of people are doing what I'm doing now. But maybe I’ve set a trend."

Politics

10 hours ago Court rejects Starbucks’ challenge to US labor board ruling that it illegally fired baristas

Judge says coffee giant has no standing in appeal of NRLP finding it illegally fired two workers for trying to unionizeA federal appeals court has largely rejected Starbucks’ appeal of a National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) finding that the coffee chain illegally fired two Philadelphia baristas because they wanted to organize a union.The third US circuit court of appeals said the coffee shop giant lacked standing to challenge the constitutionality of administrative law judges of the NRLB, the government agency that is set up to enforce labor laws in the US concerning labor practices and collective bargaining. Continue reading...

Events

8 hours ago WHO ‘appalled’ by Israel attack on northern Gaza’s last functioning major hospital

Kamal Adwan in Beit Lahia was partially destroyed and critical patients are at grave risk, the UN body saysThe World Health Organization says it is “appalled” by an Israeli raid which it said had shut down and partly destroyed the last major hospital still functioning in northern Gaza.Israel’s “systematic dismantling of the health system” combined with a siege of the population in the north of the coastal strip over the past 80 days “puts the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk”, the WHO said. Continue reading...

Politics

10 hours ago River Plate women’s players released from prison after arrest for alleged racism

Four players were detained after game in São PauloMatch was called off after apparent monkey gestureA Brazilian judge has ordered the release from prison of four players from River Plate’s women’s football team, all of whom were arrested over an alleged racial slur during a match against Grêmio.Judge Fernando Oliveira Camargo decided to free the Argentinian club’s quartet of Candela Díaz, Camila Duarte, Juana Cángaro and Milagros Díaz, on condition they remain in Brazil and show up at court in São Paulo every month until the case is concluded. Continue reading...

Events

8 hours ago Hamilton Accies boss demands more from Oli Shaw despite derby day heroics in win over Airdrie

Shaw has hit 14 goals for the season so far, yet Rankin says his hitman should be delivering more for the team

Politics

11 hours ago Putin apologises for Azerbaijan plane crash without admitting Russia at fault

Kremlin says Russian president has spoken to Azerbaijan counterpart after crash in which 38 people diedRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesVladimir Putin has apologised for a “tragic incident” in which an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed on Christmas Day, but stopped short of admitting Russia was responsible. The Kremlin said in an official statement that Putin had spoken to Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, on Saturday by phone in his first comments since the crash, which killed 38 of the 67 people onboard. “Vladimir Putin apologised for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,” the statement said.Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said he had expressed condolences to President Aliyev and called on Russia for a clearer explanation of the crash. Continue reading...

Events

9 hours ago A ceramicist’s personal take on commemorative blue plaques – in pictures

For more than 25 years, Horace Lindezey has been making art at Venture Arts, a Manchester-based studio working with learning disabled artists. In his ever-growing collection of ceramic blue plaques, created with the assistance of ceramicist Caroline Tattersall, he celebrates people who have meant something to him – family members, friends, TV personalities and musicians – focusing on life’s central milestones: births, marriages and deaths. “I feel happy with making the plaques,” says Lindezey. “I roll the clay on to the mould, paint it white, then I put the letters on it. I like showing them in exhibitions, in Blackburn and London. I like to see them out there – they are nice memories of some people that have died.”A limited edition book of The Blue Plaques (£25), signed by the artist, is available at venturearts.org Continue reading...

Politics

11 hours ago Britain's filthiest pubs named and shamed: One in 40 boozers fail hygiene ratings... so is YOURS one of them?

More than 1,200 pubs, bars and nightclubs across Britain and Northern Ireland have failed to reach minimum food safety standards according to analysis conducted by MailOnline.

Events

10 hours ago How will AI reshape the world? Well, it could be the spreadsheet of the 21st century | John Naughton

Large language models have changed how big corporations function, and the arrival of AI ‘agents’ – essentially automated Moneypennys – could prove irresistibleIf 2024 was the year of large language models (LLMs), then 2025 looks like the year of AI “agents”. These are quasi-intelligent systems that harness LLMs to go beyond their usual tricks of generating plausible text or responding to prompts. The idea is that an agent can be given a high-level – possibly even vague – goal and break it down into a series of actionable steps. Once it “understands” the goal, it can devise a plan to achieve it, much as a human would.OpenAI’s chief financial officer, Sarah Friar, recently explained it thus to the Financial Times: “It could be a researcher, a helpful assistant for everyday people, working moms like me. In 2025, we will see the first very successful agents deployed that help people in their day to day.” Or it’s like having a digital assistant “that doesn’t just respond to your instruct...

Politics

12 hours ago Putin apologises over Azerbaijan plane crash as Kremlin says Russian air defences were repelling Ukrainian attack – live

Kremlin say Russian air defences were repelling attacks while plane was trying to land – but stops short of admitting Russian forces shot planeItalian police said on Saturday that they were investigating cyberattacks claimed by a pro-Russian group targeting several websites including Milan’s airports and the foreign ministry.The websites of the ministry, Malpensa and Milan-Linate airport, and the transport systems in Siena and Turin were hit, according to national cybersecurity police spokesman Marco Valerio Cervellini, Reuters reports. Continue reading...

Events

10 hours ago Liverpool XI vs West Ham: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest for Premier League

Ibrahima Konate Conor Bradley closing in on comeback for Arne Slot’s leaders

Politics

12 hours ago 2025 in SPACEFLIGHT: The incredible missions set to take off next year, revealed

There's no doubt 2024 saw some incredible space feats - including the first private spacewalk - but 2025 could be an even more remarkable year.

Events

10 hours ago Manchester United XI vs Newcastle: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest for Premier League

Ruben Amorim hit by suspensions for final United game of 2024

Politics

12 hours ago The year in patriarchy: coconut trees, ‘childless cat ladies’ and crimes against humanity | Arwa Mahdawi

It’s now time to ‘hold space’ for everything that happened in 2024 with a list – so here are 10 of the biggest stories from the year in patriarchy2024 was a very demure, very mindful, very dystopian sort of year. I started last year’s annual roundup by noting that it had been the hottest year on record and guess what? 2024 has now surpassed 2023 as the hottest year ever. Many of the same extreme themes from last year have also persisted: anti-abortion activists are still trying to roll back reproductive rights in the US and the horrific situation for women in Iran and Afghanistan has only got worse.Meanwhile Gaza is still being destroyed, and – despite the fact that an increasing number of experts are terming the bombardment a “genocide” – the US is continuing to enable the destruction and much of the world is still continuing to look away. The civil war in Sudan, which started last April, has also spread catastrophically, with women and girls bearing the brunt of the humanitarian c...

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