67 minutes ago The tunnel hidden deep underground that links two ancient north Wales communities

Bangor and Bethesda were linked by a railway in the late 19th and 20th centuries

Politics

2 hours ago 'El Gordo' lottery in Spain spreads Christmas riches worth $2.8 billion

Spaniards have been anticipating the arrival of “El Gordo” or “The Fat One” for weeks

Economics

2 hours ago Ange Postecoglou fires back at Jamie Carragher Tottenham criticism ahead of Liverpool showdown

The Tottenham gaffer isn't taking any notice of those criticising his all-action style in North London after a breathless victory against Manchester United

Events

4 hours ago A strange black liquid is oozing onto a north west beach, and nobody is sure what it is

"We do not know what it is"

Politics

7 hours ago New Year's Eve boozers set to get trapped in snowstorm as map shows where chaos will hit

New weather maps show a huge purple patch signifying heavy snowfall covering much of the north of the country on December 31 as Brits prepare to welcome in the New Year

Events

7 hours ago Urgent appeal for missing woman last seen in beach bar on busiest night of year

South Wales Police are urging the public for information to help find missing woman Cursty Cahill who has not been heard from since being in a beach bar in Swansea

Events

7 hours ago Death is at the heart of Christmas. That’s why we love to tell festive ghost stories | Kate Maltby

It’s a creepy time of year from The Archers to Nosferatu to Mark Gatiss’ Woman of StoneThis Christmas, find some pity for Lynda Snell MBE. Fans of the BBC radio soap The Archers know Lynda as the stalwart organiser of every Christmas panto in the fictional village of Ambridge. This year, she found herself tasked with something more arduous: voice-coaching the hard-living Mick, who had volunteered to play Father Christmas at the local pub, only for the landlords to discover that Mick had a performance voice so rasping and gravelly it was guaranteed to terrify the children.Readers who, like me, are incurable listeners of The Archers will know the solution: Lynda sparkily announced that this year, Ambridge would host a “creepy Christmas” event, allowing Mick to snarl to his heart’s content as Krampus, not Santa, and a range of other Christmas bogeymen. Hilarity, by Ambridge standards, ensued when Lynda found herself scrambling to hide Mick and his demonic horns from the vicar. Continue...

Events

8 hours ago Rudolph’s never going to get a very shiny new role in Santa’s family firm | Torsten Bell

Workers in family-run businesses earn less on average and have fewer opportunities to progress into senior jobsSanta has a great reputation. Generous, jolly, snazzily dressed. But he’s obviously a terrible employer. The elves are entirely unpaid for their gruelling manual labour. Their fixed smiles and constant singing are evidence of a culture of fear. Does anyone believe he’s keeping the Lapland workplace temperature above the Health and Safety Executive’s 16C minimum? And the reindeer’s 24-hour shift this week will be a clear breach of the working time directive.The complete lack of progression (not to mention a highly segregated workforce) is another warning sign. Everyone has been doing the same job for centuries – which works for Santa at the top, but means few opportunities for others to move on up. Continue reading...

Politics

9 hours ago From Charli to Jilly to Moo Deng the hippo: the faces we won’t forget from 2024

Some made a splash in politics, social media, sport or the arts. Others took a brave personal stand. Observer writers and critics pick the names on everyone’s lips this year Continue reading...

Politics