25 h. ago Trump seizes SEVENTH tanker in Caribbean as footage shows special forces on boat after it ‘took oil from Venezuela’

AMERICAN forces have seized a seventh oil tanker linked to Venezuela as President Donald Trump ramps up his campaign to choke off illicit crude exports from the country. US Southern Command said the Motor Vessel Sagitta was boarded and taken under control “without incident” in the Caribbean after operating in defiance of Trump’s quarantine on...

Politics

57 h. ago Families living in Britain's worst town for quality of life say it's like living in a 'real

Walsall, in the West Midlands, was ranked the most deprived place in the UK in the Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index 2025.

Politics

64 h. ago FTSE 100 Live 19 January: Markets lower amid tariffs threat, WH Smith surges

The FTSE 100 index is under pressure after Donald Trump threatened fresh tariffs on eight European countries including the UK.

Economics

65 h. ago FTSE 100 Live 19 January: Gold higher and index down amid Greenland tariffs threat

The FTSE 100 index is under pressure after Donald Trump threatened fresh tariffs on eight European countries including the UK.

Events

67 h. ago China’s economy hit growth goal last year despite Trump trade war and property crisis

Economy weathered a fraught geopolitical landscape to reach 5% target but structural challenges at home ‘are not going away’, say expertsChinese authorities can say they hit their growth goals last year, but Donald Trump’s ongoing trade aggression, a slow-motion housing market collapse and unhappy consumers remain major challenges for the world’s second-largest economy.Data released on Monday showed the Chinese economy grew by 5% in 2025, steady on the year before and hitting the official target of “around” that pace. Continue reading...

Events

2 d. ago China’s GDP grows 5% in 2025 as exports offset weak domestic outlook

Latest data reflects 2-speed economy as Beijing grapples with Donald Trump’s trade policies

Politics

2 d. ago China's economy grows 5% in 2025, buoyed by strong exports despite Trump's tariffs

China has reported its economy expanded at a 5% annual pace in 2025, buoyed by strong exports despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs

Politics

5 d. ago Survey says slowing economy is the No. 1 worry for US businesses in China, not trade friction

A survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China has found that U.S. businesses are more concerned about the country's slowing economy than trade friction

Economics

1 week ago ‘It’s younger people seeking some sort of spirituality’: UK Bible sales reach record high

Surge in 2025 sales correlates with the growth in church attendances in England and Wales, research showsFor Christian booksellers, the good news about Bible sales has been few and far between. But in recent retail figures, there was a revelation.Sales of the good book reached a record high in the UK in 2025, increasing by 134% since 2019 – the highest since records began – according to industry research. Last year, the total sales of Bibles in the UK reached £6.3m in 2025, £3.61mup on 2019 sales. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Why boosting production of Venezuela's 'very dense, very sloppy' oil could harm the environment

Environmental experts warn that U.S. plans under President Donald Trump to restart and control Venezuelan oil exports could intensify pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and ecological damage in a country already burdened by decades of oil-related degradation

Politics

2 w. ago Venezuela ‘turning over’ up to 50m barrels of oil to the US, Trump says

The president’s announcement comes as Venezuela seeks to avoid deep cuts in output amid an ongoing blockade on exports imposed by the USDonald Trump has said Venezuela will be “turning over” 30 to 50m barrels of sanctioned oil to the US, as the South American country seeks to avoid deep cuts in output amid an ongoing blockade on exports imposed by Washington since mid-December.“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump said in a post online. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago The Guardian view on Trump’s raid in Caracas: oil matters, but it’s not the whole story | Editorial

The seizure of Venezuelan leader was induced by the prize of petroleum, but driven by spectacle, geopolitics and domestic politicsIt’s all about oil. That was the reason Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan leader illegally abducted by US forces at the weekend, had given for Donald Trump’s fixation with his country. A better way to think about Venezuela is that oil was necessary but not sufficient. The presence of vast reserves made Mr Trump’s interest understandable – if Venezuela’s main export was bananas this would not have happened. But oil alone cannot explain the timing or scale of the move.Venezuelan crude is extra-heavy as well as expensive and slow to bring online; it will not immediately transform US energy systems, nor rescue refineries that have already adapted to years without it. Instead, oil is the “prize” around which other agendas cohere. These include future profits for US firms; modest downward pressure on oil prices; depriving China of a meaningful ally in Am...

Politics

2 w. ago RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: Trump has every right to confront the banana republics exporting drugs into his backyard......don't you wish Starmer would smash the gangs with equal ruthlessness?

The Prime Minister's knee-jerk reaction to this stunning military operation was to insist that he is a 'lifelong advocate of international law'.

Events

2 w. ago Kenya mourns legendary ‘super tusker’ elephant Craig after death in national park

Kenya’s elephant population has grown from 36,280 in 2021 to 42,072 in 2025

Events

2 w. ago Hibs state where they want to be after taking down Hearts and Aberdeen

O’Hora buoyed by strong recent results

Politics

2 w. ago UK house prices rise less than expected in 2025 as growth slows

Unexpected December drop dragged annual gains below expectations, Nationwide figures show

Politics

2 w. ago What I have learned from watching all 20 Premier League teams this season | John Brewin

Set pieces on the rise, fans transformed to customers and conspiracies seen in every decision – is football losing its fun?English football has always mirrored the passions, conflicts, identities and inequalities of the age. After the golden 1960s, the decay of the 1970s and ensuing disasters of the 1980s came the cap-sleeved, rebounding self-confidence of the 1990s. The 21st century so far has taken in globalisation and wanton commercialism. After that rabid, often reckless push for continued growth, society and the game alight on the uncertainties that encapsulated 2025.To catch the 20 Premier League clubs in live action this season, and this writer completed the full set on Tuesday witnessing Arsenal’s second-half demolition of Aston Villa, has been a study in that uncertainty. From the grumbling of fans, to the ever-fragile egos of managers, to players slugging through the gristle of 90 minutes of hard-pressing slog, a leading question comes to mind: is anyone actually still enj...

Politics

3 w. ago Oasis reunion and Taylor Swift vinyls fuel boom year for UK music industry

BPI figures show music lovers listened to equivalent of 210.3m albums by UK artists in 2025 in 11th consecutive year of growthNostalgia surrounding the Oasis reunion tour, alongside Taylor Swift fans’ clamour for vinyl, contributed to another boom year for the UK music industry, as physical formats continued their comeback.Music lovers listened to the equivalent of 210.3m albums by UK artists during 2025, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) annual report, up 4.9% on 2024 and the 11th year of growth in a row. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago UK recorded music market grows for an 11th consecutive year in 2025

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) said British artists such as Olivia Dean and Lola Young led a British music revival over the past 12 months.

Politics

3 w. ago UK’s biggest property value hotspots of 2025 revealed by Lloyds

The bank said that most parts of the UK recorded growth in the value of homes in 2025.

Politics