53 m. ago ‘A gilded temple to the new world order’: inside the former US embassy that is now a super

Even the cheap rooms cost £1,400 a night at London’s bling-heavy hangout for high net worth individuals. From mega-basement spa to gaudy rooftop bar, our writer takes a tourRumours have long swirled about what lies beneath the great 1960s fortress of the former US embassy on Grosvenor Square. There have been lurid fables of cold war bunkers, secret service shooting ranges, CIA interrogation chambers and even escape tunnels to Hyde Park. But none of these fictional fantasies quite compare to the underground lair that has now been excavated below the imposing block, in its new incarnation as one of the fanciest hotels in London.Owned by the royal family of Qatar, and operated by an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands, belonging to one of Hong Kong’s wealthiest dynasties, this former outpost of US imperialism has become a gilded temple to the new global order. Reborn as the Chancery Rosewood, it is a beacon of luxury designed to attract the cream of the world’s ul...

Politics

54 m. ago I've seen Hearts Rolls Royces break down before but Ageu could purr as McInnes seeks a smoother ride – Ryan Stevenson

Stevo is impressed by the record signing's brief cameo but knows Derek McInnes will be desperate for less stressful wins going forward

Politics

68 m. ago This digital air compressor has dropped to just £14.98 in Amazon sale

A best-selling car accessory has just dropped in price on Amazon, with the AstroAI digital air compressor now under £15 in a limited-time deal

Economics

82 m. ago Boy, 8, 'loses significant amount of blood' and in critical condition after shark attack

The child was swimming with his father and sister near Horseshoe Reef in Key Largo, Florida, when the shark struck just before 3.30pm on Monday. He suffered severe injuries, losing a "significant amount of blood" from a deep bite above the knee

Events

1 hour ago Meet the revenge quitters: why people are ditching their jobs

From marching bands to TikTok takedowns, employees are resigning in spectacular fashion. While going viral seems risky, some find it opens new doors ...In 2011, Joey La Neve DeFrancesco had been working in room service at a luxury hotel in Providence, Rhode Island, for nearly four years, whisking delicacies on demand to guests’ rooms, when he reached breaking point. He was paid a measly $5.50 (£4) an hour, made to work punishingly long shifts and, to top it off, had managers taking a cut of his hard-earned tips.The poor treatment ratcheted up after DeFrancesco and colleagues tried to unionise workers at the hotel. In response, managers would berate those involved for making tiny mistakes. Things got so petty that workers on shift who had to take calls from guests were banned from sitting down. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago ‘You need solidarity and consistency’: Pedro Sánchez on the EU, Trump and fighting the far right

Spanish PM insists ‘migration is an opportunity’ and is not afraid to discuss what he considers Europe’s recent failuresWhen Pedro Sánchez and Keir Starmer meet in Downing Street on Wednesday it will be the first such bilateral summit between a Spanish prime minister and his British counterpart for more than a decade, an interregnum explained by Brexit and the now healed sore of Gibraltar.The absence of highest level diplomacy has become more glaring given the two men are the leading social democratic leaders of Europe, facing similar problems of migration, souring populist parties, the climate crisis and divisions over how to minimise the damage caused to the European global influence by Donald Trump’s erratic unilateralism. Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Liverpool transfer news: Reds make Marc Guehi decision as outgoing star breaks silence

Liverpool spent more than £400m in the summer transfer window as they made a bold statement of their intentions to defend their Premier League title, with Alexander Isak coming in for a British transfer record of £125m

Politics

3 h. ago Brit tourist 'grabs crying boy from his mum and refuses to hand him back' at airport

Alvina Omisri Agba, 23, was arrested at Miami International Airport on Tuesday after allegedly taking a four-year-old boy from his mother and refusing to hand him back

Society

4 h. ago Thousands of counterfeit viral dolls seized over safety concerns

Labubu dolls have been promoted by celebrities across the globe.

Politics

4 h. ago Tourist 'grabs crying boy from his mother and refuses to hand him back' at airport

Chaos unfolded at Miami International Airport in the US when 23-year-old Alvina Omisri Agba, from Luton, Bedfordshire, allegedly took the little boy from his mother

Society

5 h. ago Trump claims video of items thrown from White House is fake AI and he knows the culprit

The White House has confirmed that a contractor threw a bag out of a window at the White House - but President Trump insists the viral video is AI

Politics

5 h. ago Forget oil and cook the 'best bacon ever' using chef's simple method

A chef has shared his simple hack for cooking the "best bacon you'll ever have" - and it doesn't require any oil. The method has gone viral on TikTok with users dubbing it "life-changing"

Politics

6 h. ago Airport chaos as woman grabs crying boy, 4, from his mother and refuses to let go

Alvina Omisri Agba, 23, from Luton, England, was arrested on Tuesday after she allegedly grabbed a young boy from his mother at Miami International Airport and refused to hand him back.

Events

6 h. ago More than 7,300 Afghans to be resettled in UK after MoD data leak, says National Audit Office

Watchdog’s report says government is unable to calculate exact cost of response to data breach, raising doubt over £850m estimateMore than 7,300 Afghans are expected to be resettled in the UK as a result of a major government data breach, according to a National Audit Office report that raises doubts over officials’ claims of a £850m cost.The accidental leak by an MoD official in 2022 of 18,700 Afghans’ details who had worked with or for the British government led to the opening of a new route by which those endangered could seek relocation to the UK from their home country. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago Jaws child star shares impressive amount he still earns from movie 50 years on

Actor starred in the film for a fleeting scene 50 years ago – and has been able to retire from his earnings as an extra

Politics

7 h. ago Google is barred from exclusive search engine contracts but does not have to break up, judge rules in monopoly case

It was the culmination of a landmark antitrust case that imposed sweeping remedies aimed at restoring competition in online search.

Events

7 h. ago Bake Off’s first baker exits 2025 series over disastrous Swiss Roll

The Great British Bake Off has claimed its first baker of the new series, with 30-year-old scientist Hassan leaving the tent after a disastrous Swiss Roll.

Events

8 h. ago Google will not be forced to sell Chrome, federal judge rules

Judge says tech giant can keep world’s most popular browser in ongoing battle over firm being ruled monopolyGoogle will not be forced to sell its Chrome browser, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday in the tech giant’s ongoing legal battle over being ruled a monopoly last year.The company will be barred from certain exclusive deals with device makers and must share data from its search engine with competitors, the judge ruled. Continue reading...

Events

8 h. ago Great British Bake Off contestant devastated by exit after cake drama

Great British Bake Off returned with an explosive exit as it was clear from the start that something had to give in the very first challenge.

Events

8 h. ago Trump deploys military to immigration courts to speed up mass deportations

Pentagon plan could send up to 600 military lawyers to immigration courts to speed up president’s mass removal agenda

Events