42 minutes ago Sweden says China denied request for prosecutors to board ship linked to severed cables

Foreign minister says China denied request for prosecutor to investigate onboard Yi Peng 3, which sailed over cablesSweden has accused China of denying a request for Swedish prosecutors to board a Chinese ship that has been linked to the cutting of two undersea cables in the Baltic despite Beijing pledging “cooperation” with regional authorities.The Yi Peng 3 left the waters it has been anchored in since last month on Saturday – despite an ongoing investigation. Continue reading...

Events

56 minutes ago Leaked draft of Matt Gaetz ethics report finds evidence he paid for sex with minor

CNN publishes draft concluding GOP congressman paid tens of thousands for sex and drugs among other violationsA leaked draft of a House ethics committee report on Matt Gaetz, the former Florida Republican congressman, found “substantial evidence” that he engaged in sex trafficking and paid for sex with a minor, among other serious violations of state law and congressional rules.The draft investigation was obtained by CNN and concludes that Gaetz, Trump’s first pick for attorney general, made payments totalling tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex and drugs across at least 20 separate occasions. The draft report also states that in 2017 Gaetz paid a 17-year-old girl for sex, which would constitute statutory rape under Florida law. Continue reading...

Politics

56 minutes ago Scots grandad to sue brickworks after developing incurable lung disease

John McCrae, 79, claims breathing toxic air for almost 20 years has lead to a condition called silicosis.

Politics

58 minutes ago Liverpool thrash Spurs, Villa stun City and Forest go fourth – Football Weekly

Max Rushden is joined by Barney Ronay, Seb Hutchinson and Sanny Rudravajhala to discuss all the weekend’s Premier League gamesRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.On the podcast today, the panel unpacks another wild weekend of Premier League action, including Liverpool’s 6-3 demolition of Spurs in a chaotic game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Should Ange Postecoglou be more flexible and adapt? Continue reading...

Politics

59 minutes ago The kindness of strangers: on a stressful day, I reversed into another mum’s car – and she told me not to worry

Perhaps she could hear a child’s shrieks over the blasting Baby Shark, but in that moment she chose mercyThis is the first in a series of stories on the kindness of strangersLast year, on a hot afternoon just before Christmas, I was picking my daughter up from childcare. That in itself is usually a pretty stressful situation. But on this day my seasonal anxiety was compounded by a toddler’s sleep regression and a family fight that, after decades of simmering tension, was at last boiling over.Out of respect for involved parties – and fear of setting off round two – I’ll skip the details. But for the sake of this story all you need to know is that I was trying to back out of a very busy car park while a child screamed and I wondered if the people I loved most in the world would ever speak to each other again. Somewhere in that fugue of emotional and auditory anguish I backed right into another mum’s car. Continue reading...

Politics

65 minutes ago St Mirren v Rangers injury news: 5 out and 2 doubts in Paisley but Philippe Clement confirms key man to return

Here is the early team news ahead of St Mirren vs Rangers in the Scottish Premiership at the SMiSA Stadium.

Economics

75 minutes ago The Scottish regions set for balmy Christmas Day temperatures of 14 degrees and bright sunshine

Sunshine on the north east is due

Politics

83 minutes ago Schick and Wirtz run wild to show only Leverkusen can live with Bayern | Andy Brassell

Celebrations were dampened by tragedy in Germany but two 5-1 wins left two teams in the Bundesliga title raceThe celebrations were not what they might have been. Bayern Munich had planned a Christmas display after the Friday night game with RB Leipzig, the full stop to their calendar year, which was swiftly cancelled after news filtered through of the awful attacks in Magdeburg, as the club’s CEO, Jan-Christian Dreesen, explained on the pitch at full time. While the mood was understandably dampened, Bayern had said what they wanted to on the field, just as Bayer Leverkusen did later on Saturday. In case you were in any doubt, there are just two to watch in the title race in the second half of the Bundesliga campaign. The team of 2024, and the team that is determined to make 2025 theirs.A 5-1 statement by the leaders answered in kind less than 24 hours later by the champions. Leverkusen needed their equally resounding win over Freiburg to keep pace with Bayern after their demolition ...

Politics

85 minutes ago Etiquette expert's 'classy' hack to tell someone they have food on face without embarrassment

Etiquette expert William Hanson has provided more sound advice when it comes to dining with company – this time explaining how to go about warning someone they have sauce on their lip

Politics

87 minutes ago Celtic raise £400k for 2024 Christmas appeal in most successful festive campaign

The Celtic FC Foundation appeal not only supported grassroots work in Glasgow but also across the UK and Ireland and even the Canadian capital of Ottawa.

Economics