2 hours ago The Observer view: Donald Trump’s imperial bullying must be nipped in the bud | Observer editorial

Countries that cherish democratic values need to take a stand against the president-elect’s throwback to unabashed American expansionismWatching politicians promise one thing, then do another, is a common experience in all democratic countries. Situations in which voters do not expect a politician to keep his word, and in many instances fervently hope and pray he will not, are rarer. Donald Trump, the US president-elect, fits this latter category. When Trump threatens to subjugate Canada, a Nato ally, by force, unilaterally annex Greenland, the autonomous territory of a friendly EU state, and override Panama’s sovereignty for bogus security reasons, most people assume he is not serious and his remarks carry little real significance. This response, while comforting, is a mistake.It’s entirely possible that Trump, pumped with hype, hot air and testosterone in the lead-up to his 20 January inauguration, is being gratuitously disruptive. He likes to shake things up. It amuses his Make A...

Politics

4 hours ago Eastenders star Patsy Palmer issues update after family evacuated from Los Angeles home

The fires have claimed the lives of 11 people, and burned down more than 10,000 homes

Society

32 minutes ago Revealed: Strasbourg tram 'reversed at full speed' during horror crash that left dozens injured and five people 'fighting for their lives'

Around 50 people are believed to have been injured at the scene at Gare Centrale station in the French city, as emergency crews are in attendance.

Events

2 hours ago Yearbook photos show Charles Mansion's followers before they joined his killing cult

The Manson Family was a cult of around one hundred disaffected young people led by Charles, who encouraged his followers to murder the rich and famous in Los Angeles in 1969.

Culture

4 hours ago 'Batwoman' boffin at centre of Covid lab leak theory still doing 'dangerous' virus tests

Millions died, economies were destroyed and years of people's lives were lost to the Covid-19 pandemic – which some blame the Chinese 'batwoman' for bringing into the world

Science

7 hours ago Three in hospital and cars burst into flames after s'erious' incident on Scottish road

Three people were taken to hospital after a serious road accident last night which saw two vehicles burst into flames.

Transport

4 hours ago Tunng: Love You All Over review – a delightfully quirky return from the folktronica pioneers

(Full Time Hobby)The inventive English six-piece deliver another slice of whimsy, wit and gentle musical experimentationThe arrival of Tunng 20 years back was a gamechanger for British folk, allying its pastoral themes with gentle electronica and an often surrealist sense of humour. Sometimes it was folk horror on the high street as people were changed into hares; at others it became tripped-out domesticity. The group are still at it – a six-piece reunited around the core duo of Mike Lindsay and Sam Genders.Indeed, this eighth studio album, their first in five years, consciously returns them to early days, becoming something of a tribute to themselves; there is even the return of a favourite character, Jenny, still impatient for change. Their default setting remains tumbling acoustic guitars led by the soft-sung vocals of Genders, but backings remain as inventive as ever. Sixes arrives in a jumble of warped percussion and clanging bells, whereas Levitate a Little relies on woodwind ...

Politics

7 hours ago We built our world with fire. Now heat is destroying our lives | John Vaillant

We fell in love with the power and speed that fossil fuels brought us. But the price being paid in California, and around the world, has become too highZero per cent contained. In layperson’s terms, that means “out of control and burning at will”. It’s a common designation for a wildfire – in the wild. But when a fire like this enters an urban area such as Los Angeles County, the most highly populated metropolitan area in the US, it becomes an exploding bomb, and this one has been detonating since last Tuesday.By now, the energy release from this wind-driven, drought-fuelled firestorm turned urban conflagration is into the megatons, and the nuclear-scale destruction is there for all to see: block after block and neighbourhood after neighbourhood levelled – roughly 12,000 structures destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, 55 sq miles of city and mountain burnt, nearly 200,000 residents evacuated – so far. There is more to come. Continue reading...

Society

6 hours ago Shaughna Phillips discusses the emotional battles that led to her drastic weight gain as she reveals she tipped the scales to 15 stone at her heaviest

The Love Island star, 30, delved into the difficulties she has faced since welcoming her daughter Lucia in April last year.

Economics

2 hours ago Dozens injured after two trams collide in horror crash at Strasbourg station

A rescue operation is underway at Strasbourg station after at least 30 people were injured after two trams collided

Events

3 hours ago Couldn’t put it down: David Hurn’s photographs of people reading – in pictures

In 1983 David Hurn met one of his photographic heroes, André Kertész , and jokingly suggested that, when he reached Kertész’s age of 89, he would remake his seminal volume, On Reading. True to his word, the Magnum photographer has now done so. Wherever Hurn travelled as a photojournalist, he took images of people reading books, magazines and, lately, on mobile phones. “One of the things that happens in every country in the world is people read,” he says. “It’s lovely to read – the touch of the paper, the ease of being able to check back a few pages. But we’re at a time now where we’re not quite sure whether, in the future, books on paper are going to disappear.”David Hurn’s On Reading is published by RRB Photobooks (£35) Continue reading...

Culture

35 hours ago Health expert issues advice to millions to get these five key check ups and vaccines

Vaccinations and routine check ups can help people stay healthy as they age

Science

5 hours ago Carrie Johnson spends almost a week in hospital with pneumonia and flu

Carrie Johnson praised NHS nurses and doctors as ‘the best people on earth’ in her Instagram post.

Politics

19 hours ago Hotel of Mum and Dad! Number of youngsters living with their parents rises by more than a THIRD in two decades

The trend has been driven by rises in rents and house prices, with young people staying home so they can save for a deposit, according to a study from the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Society

8 hours ago Half of people with housing costs ‘starting 2025 worried about home or finances’

Housing charity Shelter and bank HSBC UK are urging those with concerns to seek support.

Economics

3 hours ago Police to hold knife amnesty in Salford as people told 'please hand them to us'

"It's a great way for the community to get behind our initiative to get dangerous weapon off the streets"

Events

24 hours ago Mollie Pearce hopes to ‘show people you can do anything’ on Dancing On Ice

Pearce’s fellow competitor, former Premier League footballer Anton Ferdinand said he would be ‘stepping on the ice nervous’.

Culture

6 hours ago Woman shares Greggs' Too Good To Go haul – and people can't believe how much she got

People said they were shocked at the amount of food one woman got when she purchased a Too Good to Go bag for just £2.59 - and it included four sausage rolls

Politics

21 hours ago After Apalachee school shooting, Georgia lawmakers may seek to share more information on students

Georgia lawmakers could order agencies to broadly share education, child welfare and juvenile court records after four people were shot and killed at Apalachee High School in September

Society

11 hours ago OK! Style team shops– 'beat the blues' buys to lift your January mood from £3

Don't let the January blues seep in– we have just the mood-boosting buys you need to get a much-needed dopamine hit, priced from as low as £3

Economics

3 hours ago UK going ‘backwards’ on online safety, Molly Russell’s father tells Starmer

Ian Russell called on Sir Keir Starmer to act urgently in order to protect young people online.

Events

27 hours ago Dean Windass’ dementia diagnosis revealed as authorities urged to tackle disease

The 55-year-old was diagnosed with stage two dementia last year but it only came to light on Friday morning.

Culture

8 hours ago Fitness influencer shows different 'angles' to prove 'changing body' is normal

A fitness influencer who loves to keep it real with her followers shared all the different angles of her body at the gym, urging people to stop comparing themselves to others

Politics

29 hours ago Professor Tim Spector's two tips for improving gut health and reducing inflammation

Professor Tim Spector has given his advice on what people should be eating more of to improve their gut health and reduce inflammation in the gut, with the Zoe co-founder pinpointing one food type as a must-include

Society

13 hours ago Paradise on a budget: I'm a travel expert and here's how to have a VERY cheap holiday in the Maldives, from £25

The tips come from Kara Wildbur, whose TikTok travel videos have snared her 133,000 followers. Kara tells MailOnline: 'People wrongly assume their trip to the Maldives needs to be expensive.'

Economics

3 hours ago Five 'are fighting for life' and dozens injured as trams crash into each other in major incident at Strasbourg station

 At least 20 people were injured when two trams collided in Strasbourg in eastern France, French media said on Saturday.

Events

28 hours ago Poignant short film Clodagh shows ‘how art can change people’, says director Portia A Buckley

Oscar-longlisted film captures powerful moment someone’s life is changed ‘by seeing a form of artistic expression’

Culture

8 hours ago People with 'sharp eyes' can spot sneaky reptile hiding in garden snap

Optical illusions can often be difficult to solve, but we can assure you the latest one might leave you scratching your head for sometime. So can you find the sneaky reptile?

Politics

31 hours ago Woman's genius tip for heating up food if you have a power cut this winter

Instead of panicking next time your lights go out, be prepared with a genius tip that could make all the difference - people in hurricanes and power cuts say it really works

Society

13 hours ago Thousands of households can get free cost of living cash worth up to £225

The City of Doncaster Council is offering cost of living support to people who are on a low-income or claiming certain Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits

Economics

3 hours ago Los Angeles wildfires force new evacuations as 13 people missing and 22 arrested

Fire chiefs warned of a ‘significant flare-up’ on the blaze's eastern edge, with flames now moving northeast

Events

29 hours ago When cruises go horribly wrong – from harrowing 'falling man' photo to 'sewage on walls'

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: From cold and starving passengers turning into 'savages' over cucumber sandwiches to 33 people losing thier lives before the captain was jailed, below we look at some cruise ship disasters

Culture

8 hours ago ‘There are a lot of bitter people here, I’m one of them’: rust belt voters on why they backed Trump again despite his broken promises

Many in Youngstown, Ohio, believe the president-elect will tackle the town’s decline this time. Others are worried about his character flaws. Their concerns help explain how he returned to power – and how his second term might play outThe last time Donald Trump was president, he travelled to Youngstown, Ohio, among the most depressed of America’s rust belt cities, and promised voters the impossible.The high-paying steel, railroad and car industry jobs that once made Youngstown a hard-living, hard-drinking blue collar boom town were coming back, he said. “Don’t move. Don’t sell your house,” he crowed to a rapturous crowd in 2017. “We’re going to fill up those factories – or rip ”em down and build brand new ones.” Continue reading...

Politics

34 hours ago New mystery virus leaves hundreds of adults and children bald as health officials baffled

Hundreds of people have been left bald by a mystery virus, with health officials at a loss as to what has caused it with not much in common between all 15 villages where it's been seen

Society

16 hours ago PIP payments of up to £737 each month for people with muscle or joint conditions

More than one million people are receiving between £28.70 and £184.30 each week through PIP or Adult Disability Payment for musculoskeletal conditions.

Economics

4 hours ago At least 30 injured after two trams collide in horror crash at Strasbourg station

A rescue operation is underway at Strasbourg station after at least 30 people were injured after two trams collided

Events

30 hours ago ‘They created a Vegas in 10 years’: photographing the hedonistic gambling mecca of Macau

Photographer Adam Lampton discusses capturing the vice, cash and sheer excess of the special administrative region of China – a place built on contradictions“I am not a huge gambler,” says Adam Lampton. “The first time I went to Macau, fresh out of grad school, I didn’t have any money to spare – it all went on camera film. People take it all very seriously, so I was too intimidated to sit down and be the white guy who didn’t know what the hell he was doing.”As a non-gambler in Macau, the American photographer would have been an oddity – most tourists go there to “play”, hoping Lady Luck glances their way. The former Portuguese colony, now a special administrative region of China, is the world’s gambling mecca. Located on China’s south-east coast, just across the water from Hong Kong, Macau’s gambling revenues often put the US’s “Sin City” in the shade. The Macau government expects its gaming revenues to hit about $27bn in 2024, while declining Nevada looks set to fall below 2023’s r...

Culture

8 hours ago What is No Trousers Tube Ride? Bizarre reason you'll see loads of people with no pants on

This weekend marks the annual 'No Trousers Tube Ride' day, which is something that would probably give a nun a heart attack. We take a closer look at the London 'sausage fest' (some may say)

Politics

18 hours ago Charity launches handy PIP tool to help people make successful claims up to £737

The Turn2us PIP Helper aims to cut through the confusion of the PIP application process, with step-by-step guidance, award estimations, mental wellbeing resources, and essential information

Economics

4 hours ago Mystery as South Korean jet's TWO black boxes stopped recording four minutes before aircraft crashed and killed 179 passengers and crew

Investigators previously said the flight data and cockpit voice recorders were key to finding out the cause of the crash that killed all but two of the 181 people on board.

Events

9 hours ago ‘I didn’t want to fit in a box of what an Aboriginal person should write’: how Alexis Wright found her voice

As her ground-breaking biography of Aboriginal activist Tracker Tilmouth is re-issued, the acclaimed Australian author remembers her late friend and talks about her latest novel, PraiseworthyOn the day she decided she had finally finished Praiseworthy, after almost a decade of writing and rewriting until she was happy with every one of its 700-odd pages, Alexis Wright went out to her garden in Melbourne’s north-east, and started furiously weeding. “It was like another edit!” she laughs. “And that garden was weeded within an inch of its life.”Wright, an Indigenous Australian novelist – one of the Waanyi people from the Gulf of Carpentaria – has written four novels since 1997. Her most recent, Praiseworthy, described by the New York Times as “the most ambitious and accomplished Australian novel of this century”, was an exhilarating, exhausting labour. “It took me a while to come down from it,” the 74-year-old says. “I didn’t realise how much emotional, physical ene...

Politics

23 hours ago The Rochdale grooming gang that has run up £2m bill for taxpayers after fighting attempts to deport them

Members of a child sex grooming gang have cost taxpayers more than £2m in legal aid bills while battling deportation - with £285,000 paid to the ringleader, it emerged yesterday.

Economics

4 hours ago ‘Most of my work is a response to war’: Colombian artist Doris Salcedo on violence, Trump and her crack in Tate Modern’s floor

The artist, famed in the UK for her extraordinary fissure in the turbine hall, has turned her focus to the climate catastrophe and the plight of migrants, but old concerns about her country remainAs the world turns toward another fractured year, Doris Salcedo, the Colombian artist, is at work trying to fathom how to create a house out of human hair. Salcedo, 65, has long made herself a channel of collective trauma, her art expressing profound anger at political crimes and atrocities at home and abroad – as well as creating imaginative spaces for mourning. Her hair project, she says, comes in response to what she has come to think of as “domicide”: the calculated bombing and destruction of places that people call home.“Most of my work is a response of some kind to war,” she says. “And we have all witnessed – of course for decades in Colombia, but also now in Ukraine and Syria and Sudan and in Gaza – this destruction of houses for the sole purpose of escalating human suffering. In Gaz...

Events

10 hours ago ‘A perfect harmony of geometry and the dance of shadows’: Ömer F Kuranli’s best phone picture

The architectural photography artist is captivated by colour and abstract forms, and one sunny afternoon, something caught his eye Ömer F Kuranli describes Istanbul’s Levent-Nispetiye district as a “skyscraper-filled business hub with an enclave of detached properties, home to various vibrant startups”.He says that the day he took this shot had got off to a dull start. “I had been immersed in my usual routine, but around midday I headed out with a friend to meet some company executives and discuss a project we were working on. It’s not uncommon for people here to step away from the office grind for a while and find solace in lunchtime sports. Where we were meeting, a startup company had set up a basketball and tennis court to bring their employees together and encourage a social spark.” Continue reading...

Politics

23 hours ago People in Swansea can have say on how hundreds of millions of pounds are spent

Cabinet members have approved budget proposals and also changes to social service charges - but final decisions will come later

Economics

4 hours ago Sammy The Bull Gravano's defiant words as he admits 'regrets' over murders of 19 people

Former Mafia underboss Sammy 'the Bull' Gravano reveals why he spoke out against John Gotti and shared his thoughts on his deadly time with the Gambino crime family

Events

11 hours ago Nick Frost: ‘I’d like to say sorry to my mum. She was an alcoholic and I spent a lot of time hating her’

The actor and comedian on being a people-pleaser, the benefits of looking after himself, and his celebrity crushBorn in London, Nick Frost, 52, was working in a restaurant when he met Simon Pegg. The pair appeared in the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced from 1999 to 2001, and went on to make films such as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Paul, which they co-wrote. Frost wrote, produced and stars in the comedy horror Get Away, which is available on Sky Cinema. He lives with his partner in London and has three children.When were you happiest? Now. Five years ago, I started looking after myself a bit more, emotionally and spiritually, and it’s paid dividends. Continue reading...

Politics

26 hours ago 'Fits like a glove' £7 lingerie giving women confidence 'no matter their size or age'

"As a member of the itty-bitty committee, this style fits like a glove. Totally enhanced my God-given attributes, and made me feel super sexy and desirable. The lift was perfect."

Economics

5 hours ago Bereaved mother: Social media firms ‘awful’ in search for answers on son’s death

Jools Sweeney was found unconscious in his bedroom in April 2022.

Events

11 hours ago Cat owner shares freaky reality of owning pet – and people are horrified

Owning a pet can be quite joyous, but at times they really could put you on the edge of your seats. Now one pet owner recently revealed the reality of owning a feline

Politics

27 hours ago Billionaire victim of Titan sub disaster left wife less than £100k for cruel reason

Shahzada Dawood was one of five people killed when the Titan submersible suffered a 'catastrophic implosion' but, despite being heir to a Pakistan business dynasty, has left very little to his wife, Christine

Economics

5 hours ago South Korea plane crash black boxes missing last four crucial minutes of data

The black box of the doomed Jeju Air flight that killed 179 people when it crash landed in South Korea stopped recording four minutes before it slammed into a wall

Events

11 hours ago 'I joined Chelsea from Man Utd like Kobbie Mainoo could – it was my biggest career regret'

Kobbie Mainoo is still being paid just £20,000 per week by Manchester United and has been unable to agree terms over a new contract, which has sparked Chelsea's interest in the January transfer window

Politics

30 hours ago Specific group of women on State Pension due back payments of nearly £8,000 this year

HMRC has issued more than 370,000 letters to older people whose State Pension may be underpaid.

Economics

5 hours ago Strasbourg tram crash sparks major incident as dozens injured in horror station smash

Around 30 people have been hurt after two trams collided in Strasbourg, France, earlier today, as emergency teams get to work on the injured in the area

Events

13 hours ago The image that speaks a thousand words about our inhumane migration debate | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

The birth of a baby boy on a dangerously overcrowded refugee boat should be a wake-up call to all of usIt has become something of a cliche to compare modern photographic compositions to Renaissance paintings, but that is what I thought of when I saw the image of the baby boy born on a crowded small boat that was rescued off the coast of Lanzarote this week. Granted, Renaissance painters were notoriously bad at babies, and with his wrinkled little face and his full head of hair, this baby is as real as it gets. But composition-wise, there is something in the twist of the torsos of all those exhausted people turning towards him and his mother, the arms outstretched, hands reaching. For a photo not taken by a professional, the effect is startling.What had this new mother just gone through? To be in early labour in such circumstances, let alone the later stages, let alone delivery once again, I’m left astonished by the sheer physical and emotional endurance of women.Rhiannon Lucy Cossle...

Politics

30 hours ago DWP urged to make state pension change that would affect eight million people

MPs may have to debate the proposal

Economics

5 hours ago LA fires: Ultra rare 'fire tornado' caught on camera tearing towards leafy neighbourhood

Terrifying images show a 'fire tornado' forming as wildfires in LA edge closer to San Fernando Valley - at least 11 people have now been killed, with thousands of buildings destroyed

Events

13 hours ago Influencers mock people telling them to 'get a job' as they flaunt Louis Vuitton bags

A group of influencers hit back at those who criticise them for not having a 'real job' by posting a funny Instagram reel pretending to cry while holding Louis Vuitton shopping bags

Politics

30 hours ago Older people in specific areas across Scotland can claim new £434 monthly benefit from March

Pension Age Disability Payment will only be available to people over State Pension age living in Scotland.

Economics

6 hours ago LA fires: Terrifying moment weatherman's live forecast interrupted by urgent phone warning

Fox News 11 chief meteorologist Adam Kreuger was left puzzled after alarms from people's phones started blaring with evacuation orders in the broadcaster's west LA studio

Events

15 hours ago Only people with 'eyes of a sniper' can spot iguana hiding in sunny garden snap

Loads of people like to try and work out optical illusions, but it's no secret they can be tricky. It's said you need the eyes of a sniper to be able to spot the iguana in the picture

Politics

30 hours ago New calls for household bills and expenses to be paid through wages before any tax deductions

Paying for things through your company payroll using your pre-tax salary is known as ‘salary sacrifice’.

Economics

6 hours ago ‘White people shouldn’t mess with it’: Native American church laments psychedelic cactus shortage

Western ‘psychedelic renaissance’ is partly to blame for dwindling supplies of peyote, which produces mescalineAldous Huxley wrote about the spiritual visions he had while taking the drug mescaline in The Doors of Perception, while Hunter S Thompson wrote of driving at 100mph while under the influence of it in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.But now a growing number of western spiritual seekers dabbling in psychedelics are accused of causing a shortage of the plant that produces mescaline. Continue reading...

Events

16 hours ago Outraged man waiting seven months for lift to be repaired in Edinburgh flats

Michael MacDonald bought his Edinburgh flat 12 years ago. His home on Bredalbane Street, Bonnington has always had a chequered past with general lift breakdowns but they were always promptly repaired.

Politics

31 hours ago 'I tried £10 tool to stop face sagging – people can't get over my real age'

A woman stunned online commenters when she revealed her real age on TikTok – and people were delighted when she posted about how she stays looking so young

Economics

6 hours ago In utterly unsurprising news, Maga blames diversity for the Los Angeles wildfires

Elon Musk, one of the brightest minds of his generation, is saying it, so it must be trueWomen, eh? They’re simply not to be trusted. Eve ate that apple; Pandora opened that horrible little box; and now women are to blame for the devastating wildfires in California. I know that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say, but it’s what Elon Musk, one of the brightest minds of his generation – and one of the most powerful people on Earth – is saying, so it must be true. Continue reading...

Events

18 hours ago The village with just 750 people living down a quiet country lane named the UK's poshest place to live

This could be one of Wales' most underrated places to live but it's an absolute gem

Politics

32 hours ago People on Basic State Pension of less than £406 each month could be due extra DWP payment

There are also 760,000 older people eligible for Pension Credit not claiming the £4,200 annual income top-up.

Economics

6 hours ago ‘This place instilled constant fear in us’: the man who lived next door to the brutal Homs security unit for 50 years

For 50 years Taha Tadmori had a window to the surveillance complex of the Assad regime. As Syria starts a new chapter, he recalls the horrors he witnessed and the family he lostThe three floors and subterranean prison of the Homs security directorate have loomed over 65-year-old Taha Tadmori’s daily life since he was a teenager. His family often shut their window blinds and doors in an attempt to block out the constant sound of screams and cries of pain from the facility’s basement prison, loud enough to reach their third-floor apartment overlooking it.The moustachioed man with a gentle smile was 15 when he watched the construction of the neighbouring building that would later terrorise him and other people in Homs. Continue reading...

Events

19 hours ago The unusual drink you've never heard of that helps weight loss and diabetes

A study says it can help people "overcome health problems" related to lifestyle-associated diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and skin problems

Politics

32 hours ago Are the £25 cold weather payments enough? Take our poll and have your say

With the cold weather payment set at just £25 as temperatures plummet and heating costs soar, we ask if you think the extra cash is really enough to help keep people warm

Economics

8 hours ago Alarming addiction risk facing young people prompts unlikely craze for NASAL STRIPS

A more sinister trend may be behind the humble nasal strip becoming an unlikely must-have fashion accessory for Gen Z.

Events

22 hours ago ITV Emmerdale fans label episode 'a farce' as they question 'stupid' storyline

Emmerdale fans called out the soap as Rhona hit breaking point as April is still missing from the village

Politics

33 hours ago Universal Credit: pay rise for millions who claim UC with rates increase of up to £10.50 coming in April 2025

Millions of people in the UK will soon see a boost in their monthly payments 💷

Economics

8 hours ago Van and car burst into flames in horror crash as three people rushed to hospital

Two people are being treated for serious injuries.

Events