44 minutes ago Man City begin search for Kyle Walker's replacement with Premier League star picked

Manchester City are in need of fresh faces and Kyle Walker is among those who could be replaced with the veteran right-back seemingly past his peak and a shortlist being drawn up

Politics

16 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 Debenhams shoppers 'floored' when they see inside of dehumidifier reduced to £85

“Really cant believe the amount of water it collects.”

Economics

20 hours ago World's greatest chess player Magnus Carlsen quits tournament after being told he cannot play while wearing jeans

The Norwegian, 34, was defending his championship titles in New York on Friday when the chess governing body made the request for him to change his trousers.

Sport

96 minutes ago South Korea plane crash: air traffic controllers warned about bird strike minutes before accident feared to have killed 176

Most presumed dead on Jeju Air flight carrying 181 people, after plane hit wall at Muan airportAlmost all presumed dead after aircraft veers off runway and hits wallSouth Korea plane crash: what we know so farDozens 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 o...

Events

9 hours ago INSIDE SHOWBIZ: Why 'uncool' Simon Cowell is defying Liam Payne's grieving bandmates to press on with his televised search for a new One Direction, by KATIE HIND

Liam Payne's membership of One Direction tragically put him on the road to destruction. And it is for that reason that music industry executives had been expecting Simon, 65, to ditch the project.

Culture

66 minutes ago Haunting final image of kayaker before he vanished at sea makes return

The perilous expedition had never been successfully attempted before, but fearless Andrew McAuley set out on his own on the Pacific Ocean, and only his legacy and kayak remain

Politics

4 hours 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

8 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

18 hours ago Young Outnumbered stars hope show returns after filming Christmas special reunion

Daniel Roche, Tyger Drew-Honey and Ramona Marquez loved reuniting to make this year’s Christmas special, so they’re keen to do more episodes - now they are hoping people power can make it happen

Culture

8 hours ago Man Utd transfer news: European club make Marcus Rashford decision as new goalkeeper eyed

Manchester United could be busy with both incomings and outgoings in the January transfer window, with new manager Ruben Amorim keen to revamp his struggling squad

Politics

6 hours ago Arsenal stance on reviving £25m transfer deal as Gunners broaden goalkeeper search

Arsenal are still open to strengthening their goalkeeping department with the acquisition of a young, promising No.2 that can help provide healthy competition for David Raya with loanee Neto not currently expected to seal a permanent transfer

Economics

9 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

9 hours ago Hailey Bieber shows off postpartum body amid claims she and Justin are in 'no rush' to have more kids

Hailey Bieber is embracing her postpartum body just four months after giving birth to her and husband Justin's first child, son Jack Blues Bieber.

Politics

18 hours ago Pensioner won £7m on the lottery but gave away most of his winnings to charity

Inspiring video shows how a couple became overnight millionaires 25 years ago - but gave most of their fortune to good causes.

Economics

12 hours ago Kentucky police fatally shoot man after allegedly serving warrant at wrong home

Doug Harless, 61, was fatally shot by police who showed up at his door to serve a search warrant

Events

12 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

29 hours ago Debenhams' Estee Lauder beauty set worth £110 that 'smooths fine lines' now under £50

This comprehensive three-piece set includes a luscious overnight serum, eye gel and mascara for long lashes.

Economics

14 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

12 hours ago British high street chain forced to close another major store after 34 years

The Body Shop is set to close a store established over three decades ago, with the business confirming not just the closure of the store but the end of two long-running careers in the company

Politics

14 hours ago Missing Benidorm dad's 'distressing' last phone call as family say 'we know he's dead'

John Hardy, 37 travelled to Spain to see friends and was due back home to spend Christmas with his sons but never arrived - now his family has flown out in search of answers

Events

13 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

17 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

13 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

20 hours ago Sweden embarks on a sober search for more cemetery space in case of war

Burial associations in Sweden are looking to acquire enough land for something they hope they’ll never have to do

Events

22 hours ago Scots man who vanished on Christmas Eve sparks desperate police search

Duncan McGregor, 55, was last seen at 2.50pm on Tuesday, December 24.

Events

17 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

24 hours ago 'Unexplained' death probe after body of man, 44, found in East Kilbride flat

Officers are still standing guard at the stairwell to the flats above the Day-Today Express store at Calderwood Square while investigations are carried out.

Events

18 hours ago Moment boy floating in middle of sea inside bubble found on Christmas Eve

Rafael Graça do Prado was on a boat trip with his children when he saw the bizarre object floating in the water.

Politics

25 hours ago Man missing overnight on Shetland as cops launch search for keen swimmer

Ian Napier has been missing from the island since Friday, December 27 around 9am.

Events

24 hours ago ‘If we don’t look after this treasure, we’re going to lose it’: the fight to restore one of the UK’s most historic streets

Home to choir singers for 650 years, Grade-1 listed Vicar’s Close by Wells Cathedral is in need of funding to keep its medieval houses liveable – and its unique history aliveChoir singers have lived in two handsome terraces of silvery-pink-stoned medieval houses beside Wells Cathedral for more than 650 years. But the gated close – which is thought to be the most complete and continuously occupied medieval street in Europe – is now in desperate need of restoration.“It’s a privilege to live here – it’s a unique place,” says Matthew Minter, 52, who has lived in the close for almost seven years and sings in the cathedral. “But [the house] is cold. The windows leak £10 notes every time you put the heating on and the roof leaks actual water.” Continue reading...

Politics

29 hours ago Colin Firth’s emotional reaction at meeting Lockerbie disaster victim's dad

Colin Firth stars as Jim Swire, whose daughter died in the 1988 Lockerbie plane crash, in new series Lockerbie: A Search For Truth, and he had the opportunity to meet both Jim and his wife

Events

27 hours ago On the towering cliffs, my family found a sanctuary. It still pulls me back today | Kat Lister

My grandmother called it The Haven – a shack perched high above the beach. Years later, another special woman rekindled my love of that placeIn our end of year series, writers and public figures remember the place or time when they felt most at homeIn the 18th century, physicians went looking for a nostalgia bone, as though a person’s yearning for a past time or place could be assigned to a chunk of tissue. But for me, writing in the 21st, the stimulus can be found not in the body I’m in, but the memories I carry. And in particular, as I edge further into my 40s, the memories of coastland I visited in the 1980s: a four-mile stretch in south-east Cornwall where my family and I summered each year with my grandmother.As a child, I would zigzag down the narrow cliff path with wild abandon, my mother nervously calling out to me as I sprinted down to the white sand below. This is where the roots of so many of my happy memories can be found. Not simply in the towering cliffs themselves, bu...

Politics

32 hours ago Search for man missing off NSW north coast amid string of drownings across holiday period

21-year-old Taewoo Kim last seen going for a swim at Moonee beach, near Coffs Harbour, on Boxing Day; police say another man’s body found in sea south of WollongongGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA multi-agency search is under way for a man presumed missing in the ocean since Boxing Day, off the north coast of NSW, as another man’s body has been pulled from the water further south.Taewoo Kim, 21, was last seen around 1pm on Thursday, police said in a statement, going into the water at Moonee beach, north of Coffs Harbour.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Events

28 hours ago That Beautiful Atlantic Waltz by Malachy Tallack review – the joys of country music

A shy man leads a solitary existence until a young girl – and a cat – inveigle their way into his apparently contented life in this big-hearted taleAll Jack Paton ever wanted was to be a famous country singer, but somehow it never happened. Certainly, the odds were stacked against him: cripplingly shy, no self-confidence. And although he considers it “a landscape of country music”, it can’t have helped matters that he was born in one of the more windswept corners of Shetland, far from Texas or Tennessee, and has remained there ever since, keeping his dreams to himself.That Beautiful Atlantic Waltz, Malachy Tallack’s second novel, follows Jack, now approaching his 63rd birthday, as he spends his days pottering about in the cottage he has lived in since he was a child, listening to music, playing guitar and thinking of the past. The narrative flicks between Jack in the present, as he begins to question his life choices, and his parents, Sonny and Kathleen, decades earli...

Politics

30 hours ago Labour must ‘stick to its guns’ on UK employment rights bill, says TUC chief

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

31 hours ago The tiny strip of water where people try to catch the elusive fish ‘as big as a seven

The so-called Queen of the Wharf was more than 47lbs when last weighed – the equivalent of five bowling balls or a seven-year-old child

Politics