80 minutes ago Who were the internet's biggest crushes in 2024? From Luigi Mangione to Dua Lipa

Hot rodents? Anyone Irish? Be still, our beating hearts. A broad church formed the pin-ups and poster girls of 2024. Claudia Cockerell catalogues the most memorable of the bunch

Politics

11 hours ago Mavs star Luka Doncic is latest pro athlete whose home was burglarized, business manager says

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized

Society

81 minutes ago Murdoch, Musk, water firms Here are the ‘winners’ in another torrid year for business

As 2025 dawns, we looks back at the star players over the last 12 months of economic drama, mishap and scandalThe end of the year is a time for pausing, reflection and exhaustion. But before throwing ourselves into 2025, it’s worth sifting through the remnants of 2024 to see who in the business world has done something worth remembering.So, once more with gusto, the Observer Agenda page brings you its awards for the brightest – or perhaps most glaring – lights in the business world this year. Continue reading...

Economics

9 hours ago Ianis Hagi tells suffering Rangers fans 'we owe you a win' as away day woes are damaging club's 'image and history'

Rangers have had a string of blows on the road and Hagi wants that to end this weekend

Sport

2 hours ago South Korea plane crash: all except two are presumed dead on Jeju Air flight carrying 181 people, say authorities – live updates

South Korea facing its worst domestic civil aviation disaster after Boeing 737-800 with 175 passengers and six crews skidded off runway and hit wall at Muan airportReport: South Korea plane with 181 onboard veers off runway and hits fenceDozens 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 ...

Events

3 hours ago From climate denial to gothic movies to ‘treat culture’ what to expect in 2025

The new US president will almost certainly bring unpredictability but several themes will dominate the year ahead. Observer writers offer their guide on what lies ahead in politics, film, fashion, sport and moreThe only thing that can be predicted with absolute certainty about Donald Trump’s second term as US president is that it will be unpredictable. Trump does not really know what he wants to do on a range of issues. He talks a good game, which is how he got re-elected. But he often seems to decide policy on the basis of what the last person he spoke to told him. Is he serious about mobilising the military to carry out mass deportations of “illegal” migrants? Will he use the justice department to hunt down political enemies and media critics? Will he impose sweeping tariffs on foreign imports and trigger a global trade war? Or will he act with greater circumspection, using these threats as bargaining tools? Who knows? He doesn’t yet. Continue reading...

Culture

13 hours ago Alien life beyond our planet will be proven within two years, claims intergalactic entity

An alleged extra terrestrial living on earth, Bashar, who connected to his human host through meditation, feels a duty to 'service' our world with knowledge about life beyond our stars

Science

81 minutes ago Kate Middleton 'left in floods of tears' after Prince William 'broke New Year promise'

Before they married, Prince William and Kate would spend Christmas with their respective families and come together for New Year - but one year changed everything

Politics

2 hours ago Scotland’s green freeports will bring in billions of pounds in new investment

Green freeports will maintain high environmental standards and apply fair work principles, while helping Scotland play a leading role in the green energy revolution, writes Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes

Economics

14 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

5 hours ago South Korea plane crash: death toll reaches 47 after Jeju Air flight skids off runway at Muan airport – live updates

Authorities warn that provisional death toll could rise after Boeing 737-800 with 175 passengers and six crews hit airport fenceReport: South Korea plane with 181 onboard veers off runway and hits fenceDozens 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 operatio...

Events

21 hours ago Mum who donated daughter's heart hears it beat again in transplant patient

Mum Amy Anderson was flooded with emotion after she heard her daughter Mia Hicks' heart beat again inside the chest of five-year-old Grace Westwood

Science

2 hours ago How Marks & Spencer shook off its granny pants image and got genuinely cool

Whisper it but you’re allowed to actually like the clothes in Marks and Sparks these days, even if you’re a millennial. Helen Coffey looks at the British brand’s phoenix-like rise from the ashes

Politics

17 hours ago Flavio Briatore opens up on Alpine F1 talks with Carlos Sainz and why deal fell through

Alpine adviser Flavio Briatore, who returned to the Renault-owned team earlier this year, also explained why he believes legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey would not be the right fit for the outfit

Economics

21 hours ago Manchester United end donation to charity for former players as financial worries mount

The latest cost-cutting measure instigated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Man Utd has seen the club end charitable donations to a former players' group.

Sport

6 hours 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

2 hours ago 'Prince William and Kate's children say so much about the year they've had,' says royal expert

After a year marked by health struggles and preventative chemotherapy treatment, a royal expert has said that Kate Middleton and her family have "pulled together as a unit"

Politics

21 hours ago Jeremy Clarkson's boozy £85 advent calendar as he slams 'rubbish' Dry January

Clarkson's Farm star Jeremy Clarkson has launched a new "non-advent calendar" for his fans who love a tipple and don't want to ditch their drinks in Dry January

Economics

7 hours ago Trump shocks MAGA by backing Elon Musk in 'civil war' over controversial immigration policy

Donald Trump has broken his silence after a dispute over immigration visas has divided his MAGA supporters.

Events

2 hours ago Topi Keskinen has lived this Aberdeen nightmare before – here's why he ISN'T scared it will last

The Dons' form has taken a nosedive after seven games without a win ahead of facing Dundee United

Politics

22 hours ago Kate Winslet takes poorly fan to theatre and donates £5,000 to see Northern Lights before girl goes blind

A girl who is losing her sight was stunned when her favourite actress Kate Winslet invited her for a night at the theatre and arranged for her to feed tigers at the zoo to fulfil her "visual bucket list".

Economics

7 hours ago Urgent hunt launched after woman repeatedly 'sexually assaulted' on bus: Police release CCTV of man

Police have released CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to following the woman's claims.

Events

2 hours ago 'Kate Middleton's children show us so much about the year the family's endured' says royal expert

EXCLUSIVE: Kate Middleton and Prince William have had a "brutal" year but have "pulled together as a family unit" alongside their children, a royal expert has told OK!

Politics

24 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

9 hours ago Stark images show huge response as fire crews battle blaze at Scots shop

Emergency services raced to Gillespie Place in Tollcross after the inferno took hold at around 6.25pm on Saturday.

Events

3 hours ago Defiant and unwavering: Georgia’s president Salome Zourabichvili is focus for hope

Refusal to leave palace for successor backed by autocratic Georgian Dream party on day of departure stirs protestersIn Georgia’s turbulent political standoff, President Salome Zourabichvili has emerged as a defiant figure.Zourabichvili’s role in Georgia is ceremonial, but far from fading into irrelevance in the twilight of her presidency, she has become a rallying figure for those opposed to the erosion of democracy and the abandonment of Georgia’s European aspirations. On Sunday, she is supposed to step down and hand the Orbeliani Palace to her successor, Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former football player backed by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, but she has said she will refuse. Continue reading...

Politics

10 hours ago At least 1 person has died as several tornadoes touch down around Houston

At least one person has died after several tornadoes touched down in the Houston area, damaging homes and flipping vehicles

Events

6 hours 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

11 hours ago Pictured: Hero parents who 'saved their daughter's life' before they were killed in Boxing Day 'hit

Anthony Hogg, 40, and Georgina Hogg-Moore, 39, died after the incident on Blanchardstown Road North in West Dublin while they walked with their daughter for an evening meal.

Events

6 hours ago A 1st class career! Longest serving Royal Mail postman finishes final shift after 60 years of working for the delivery service

Robert Hudson, from Leyton, east London , started his career in December 1964 - aged 16 - as a messenger in the Whitechapel Delivery Office distributing telegrams.

Politics

11 hours ago Two mums decide to go public after one donates dead daughter's heart to save other's little girl

Amy Anderson and husband Carl made the selfless decision to donate their daughter Mia's heart, liver, pancreas and kidneys after her death to save the lives of four people who needed urgent transplants

Events

7 hours ago Ruben Amorim owes Man Utd fans a proper explanation over brutal Marcus Rashford treatment

The Portuguese manager's tough stance on Marcus Rashford has not outraged supporters but they must be wondering exactly what the striker has done to be frozen out of the squad

Politics

11 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 Taylor Swift fans spot secret message in Travis Kelce date night outfit

The power couple enjoyed a double date in New York City with music producer Jack Antonoff, whom Taylor often works with, and his wife Margaret Qualley this Friday night.

Politics

12 hours ago 'Gift of life you could offer others after your death by donating organs is priceless'

There are 7,900 people waiting for transplants, the highest number in a decade, and 280 of them are children. Last year 400 people died before organs were available.

Events

8 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

12 hours ago MAGA meltdown as Elon Musk threatens 'war like you've never seen' with Republicans and vows to kick out 'hateful, unrepentant racists' from party

The Tesla founder and billionaire, who was recruited by US President-elect Donald Trump to co-lead his new Department of Government Efficiency, has expressed his support for the H-1B visa.

Events

9 hours ago Motorway junction closed as emergency services called to 'concern for welfare incident'

Police, paramedics all attended the scene near junction 2 of the M66

Politics

12 hours ago Syria's embassy in Lebanon suspends services as Lebanon hands over former Syrian army officers

Syria’s embassy in Lebanon has suspended consular services a day after two relatives of deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad were arrested at the Beirut airport with allegedly forged passports

Events

9 hours ago Mystery as kayaker's haunting final image before he vanished at sea resurfaces

Andrew McAuley admitted he 'may have bitten off more than I can chew' in a chilling last video message recorded before the kayak was discovered capsized and abandoned

Politics

14 hours ago I broke down in tears when I spotted my dad in his favourite spot on Google Street View 11 years after he died

Katie Scott, 49, found a picture of her late father Arthur, who passed away in 2013, on the search engine's 360 historic street imagery this month.

Events

9 hours ago John Hardy's family 'ripped to pieces' as man vanishes in Benidorm Christmas mystery

John Hardy, known as John George, was due to fly home to spend Christmas with his two children aged 7 and 13 but he never showed up to his flight from Alicante, Spain - his family believe he is dead

Politics

14 hours ago Back To The Future's George McFly star unrecognisable almost 40 years since hit films

Crispin Glover played George McFly in the hit 1985 movie Back To The Future and now looks worlds away from his geeky character in the hugely successful cult film

Events

10 hours ago Prince Harry backed mental health firm slammed by workers as 'toxic train wreck’

BetterUp, the life-coaching and mental health organisation that has Prince Harry as part of its leadership has been canned by employees who say management has 'no moral compass'

Politics

14 hours ago First picture of tragic couple killed in Boxing Day horror in front of young daughter

Anthony Hogg, 40, and wife Georgina Hogg-Moore, 39, were walking with their daughter near Blanchardstown Shopping Centre when they were knocked down and killed

Events

10 hours ago Kate Middleton and Prince William's 'fish finger' beds at Sandringham for royal Christmas revealed

Every year members of the Royal Family celebrate Christmas at Sandringham in Norfolk, but the huge guest list means it's reportedly at tight squeeze at the residence

Politics

15 hours ago Mum and son die 'from carbon monoxide poisoning' after neighbours hear loud bang

Images from the scene showed multiple police cars, ambulances and Cadent vans lining Foxholes Road on Friday evening. Witnesses reported seeing a large emergency services presence in the area.

Events

12 hours ago I've played against Rangers and Celtic – here's the painful truth fans at Ibrox don't want to hear

Ryan McGowan has played against both recently and he reckons the gap is glaring

Politics

16 hours ago North Korea 'executing wounded soldiers to stop them becoming Ukrainian PoWs'

North Korea is 'executing' its own soldiers to stop wounded servicemen from being captured by Ukrainian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed while confirming a missile strike on Russia

Events

14 hours ago Coronation Street confirms how long Rob Donovan is really back for as actor issues four

Fans have been left both shocked and delighted to learn that actor Marc Baylis will be reprising his role in the ITV soap

Politics

17 hours ago Incredible Spirit Bird tribe who don terrifying masks to guard a waterfall

A self-titled 'travel creator' has shared footage of a Papua New Guinea tribe that guard the river with an eye-catching appearance, leading fans to both fear for his safety and doubt the video's reality

Events

14 hours ago Mum and son in suspected carbon monoxide poisoning named as tributes paid

Residents were left distraught as emergency services swarmed their quiet street after a 'mum and son' died.

Politics

18 hours ago How I beat overwhelm: Tracking my heart rate left me feeling like a frustrated failure

Biofeedback devices promised a whole new world of mental and physical harmony. They did change my life, but not in the way I’d hopedI love to run, but ask me about my running times or distances and I will have no idea. For me, running is about squeezing exercise into a busy schedule, clearing my head and being in nature. I don’t need to measure it.But unfortunately I am not immune to the oh-so-pleasing dopamine injection of unboxing a new bit of wearable tech, personalising the app for hours and thinking this might just change my life – the new, calmer, fitter, stronger, smarter me dangling tantalisingly within reach. One such scenario occurred after researching the importance of human connection on mental and physical health: less stress, less inflammation, less illness. Human connection, I learned, can stimulate and be facilitated by the vagus nerve – a primitive part of the nervous system. Continue reading...

Events