41 minutes ago Joe Biden commutes sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates before Trump takes office

Only three federal inmates will remain on death row

Politics

2 hours ago Inside a stunning week across Syria following the overthrow of the Assad regime

Bel Trew spent days travelling across Syria – from Aleppo in the north, to the capital Damascus and Deraa in the south – charting a nation coming to terms with the ends of decades of brutal rule by the Assads. From families trying to find missing loved ones in the regime’s notorious prisons to religious minorities facing an uncertain future under the new Islamist-led administration

Politics

3 hours ago Joe Biden commutes sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates

The clemency action applies to all federal death row inmates except three convicted of terrorism or hate-motivated mass murderJoe Biden has commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates, changing their punishment to life imprisonment without parole.The decision follows month of pressure from campaigners who warned that president-elect Donald Trump backs the death penalty and restarted federal executions during his first term after a pause of nearly two decades. Continue reading...

Politics

3 hours ago ‘Perfect paternalistic nonsense’: why Father of the Bride is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers revealing their favourite mood-lifting films is an ode to the 1991 comedy in which Steve Martin is a farcically over-protective fatherI should hate this film. A possessive father loses the plot at the notion that his 22-year-old daughter – a sophisticated architecture student just back from a semester in Rome – is engaged to a man he hasn’t met. After she tells him the news at dinner, we see her saying it a second time through his eyes, as a seven-year-old. When the groom arrives, dad almost has an aneurysm at him daring to put his hand on her leg, and starts watching America’s Most Wanted every night looking for his face. He goes so cuckoo bananas over the prospect of their wedding that he loses it at the supermarket and briefly ends up in jail. “I was no longer the man in my little girl’s life,” he rues. It is paternalistic nonsense, and it is perfect.I first watched the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride (FOTB) as a kid because it is my dad’s f...

Politics

3 hours ago ‘It’s so crushing’: US families navigate divide over politics during the holidays

After a bruising election year, Americans make no-political-talk deals and avoid relatives to salvage festive gatheringsOver Thanksgiving, a seat at Irena’s table in New York was empty this year.Irena and her husband chose not to share the holiday with his brother, who is a fan of Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Politics

3 hours ago Trump says he wants the US to buy Greenland, declaring its 'ownership and control an absolute necessity' to protect 'national security and freedom throughout the world'

Although he has publicly mused about purchasing Greenland, Donald Trump (pictured) has not shared a specific plan to do so or revealed how much America would pay for the acquisition.

Politics

3 hours ago The best games of 2024: from Black Ops 6 to Astrobot, what came out on top?

The Standard team picks their favourite releases, from AAA to indies

Politics

3 hours ago Scots mum whose life was turned upside down by debilitating condition to fly to America for life

Danielle Gardiner, 40, from Falkirk, will fly to a clinic in Arkansas next month to begin vital treatment, with a race on to secure the final funds needed.

Politics

3 hours ago A teenage road trip for the ages: Why you should see Gasoline Rainbow this Christmas

Jacob Stolworthy is revealing his 2024 picks in his 12 days of Christmas round up and on the tenth day he's picked road trip movie, Gasoline Rainbow.

Politics

3 hours ago Medik8's winter sale offers 40% off on skincare— including cleansers, night creams and serums

The sale from Medik8, a go-to for skincare enthusiasts and dermatologists alike, is the ideal opportunity to invest in glowing, healthy skin for 2025

Politics