2 h. ago My dream of jet set glamour has died – in a pleather chair full of other people's crumbs | Emma Beddington

The use of airport lounges is soaring, born of a desire to feel a bit special. The reality is we’re all going to end up crammed into the same awful, environmentally disastrous metal tubeThe New Yorker has published a deliciously fact-stuffed long read on the airport lounge: there are more than 3,500 worldwide, of which 37 are in Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok. American Airlines opened the first in 1939 and called its VIP members “admirals”.There are almost more admirals than ordinary seamen now (a weird metaphor in an air travel context, yes; blame American Airlines). The “mostly low- and mid-tier” lounge network Priority Pass saw a 31% increase in usage last year, including me: my credit card came with this seemingly seductive perk. I was thrilled to join the global elite in what I imagined would be a cashmere and champagne cocoon, saved from the usual three hours (my husband is one of those travellers) crouched by a bin in the purgatorial wasteland of Manchester Terminal 3, nursi...

Events

3 h. ago This Week in History: Soviet collapse, Clinton’s impeachment, and the death of Pinochet

From power struggles to global crises, explore how major events between 8 and 14 December were captured on The Independent’s front pages

Events

5 h. ago Israeli surveillance targets US and allies at joint base planning Gaza aid and security, say sources

Concerns over recording of meetings at coordination centre excluding Palestinians that was set up to provide support for Trump’s Gaza planIsraeli operatives are conducting widespread surveillance of US forces and allies stationed at a new US base in the country’s south, according to sources briefed on disputes about open and covert recordings of meetings and discussions.The scale of intelligence gathering at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) prompted the US commander of the base, Lt Gen Patrick Frank, to summon an Israeli counterpart for a meeting to tell him that “recording has to stop here”. Continue reading...

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5 h. ago Billionaire Howard Says Abu Dhabi Can Rival London as Global Hub

Billionaire Howard Says Abu Dhabi Can Rival London as Global Hub  Bloomberg.com

Events

6 h. ago London Underground live updates amid severe delays ahead of morning rush hour

London Underground live updates amid severe delays ahead of morning rush hour  MyLondon

Politics

6 h. ago London Underground live updates amid delays during morning rush hour

London Underground live updates amid delays during morning rush hour  MyLondon

Politics

7 h. ago AD FEATURE: Swansea University offers global learners a world of opportunity

It gives students the global experiences, real-world skills and support they need to thrive in an ever-changing world

Politics

8 h. ago A year after fall of Assad, a divided Syria struggles to escape cycle of violence

While country’s return to global stage has filled many Syrians with pride, domestically old grievances threaten efforts to rebuild the stateLying in bed recovering after his latest surgery, Ayman Ali retells the story of Syria’s revolution through his wounds. His right eye, lost in an attack on a rebel observation post he was manning in 2012, is covered by yellow medical tape. Propped against the wall is a cane he uses to walk, after a rocket attack in 2014 left him with a limp.For 14 years, Ali dreamed of freedom and of justice. A year after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, he has his freedom but not his justice. The man he was dreaming of holding accountable – a member of his extended family who was a part of an Assad militia – had already fled the country by the time Ali returned to his home in Damascus. Continue reading...

Events

8 h. ago ‘A producer grabbed me, and I thought, Oh, for God’s sake’: Patricia Hodge on sexual harassment, drugs – and being in her prime at 79

Until she reached her 50s, the actor was a constant presence on stage and screen. Then the offers disappeared. Now, as her renaissance continues, she is taking on Mrs Malaprop in The RivalsAfter six decades as an actor, Patricia Hodge says she still gets nervous before a play opens. “I think nerves are always the fear of the unknown,” she says. “Particularly with comedy, where there is no knowing how the audience will react: you’ve got to surf that.”We meet on a sunny winter morning at the Orange Tree theatre in Richmond, south-west London, where Hodge is about to appear in The Rivals, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Richard B Sheridan play, in which she plays the ironic – sorry, iconic – Mrs Malaprop. “You’re sort of in a tunnel, your entire being is focused on this,” she says. She was here in rehearsals until 11pm the night before. Today, she is sitting at a table with a large coffee. Does she enjoy this bit, the putting together of a play? “I think it’s love-hate actual...

Events

9 h. ago Air France to Launch Paris Charles de Gaulle – London Gatwick Route on March 29, 2026

Air France to Launch Paris Charles de Gaulle – London Gatwick Route on March 29, 2026  TRAICY Global

Politics

12 h. ago The leader of ISIS's British wife and her life in Slough: How 'supreme commander' abandoned her and three children to pursue global terror

The new global leader of the ISIS terror network has a British wife and three children living in Slough who he walked out on to pursue his terrorist vision, The Daily Mail can reveal.

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12 h. ago Explore the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) 2026 Funding & Fully Funded Scholarship Opportunities

Explore the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) 2026 Funding & Fully Funded Scholarship Opportunities  Global South Opportunities

Politics

15 h. ago Diddy's mother Janice furiously explodes at Netflix for 'false' claim he SLAPPED her

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' mother, Janice Combs, is pushing back hard against allegations made in Netflix's new docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning , released last week.

Politics

15 h. ago Countryfile guest steps in as 'worried' Matt Baker shut in underground cave

BBC Countryfile presenter Matt Baker explored Britain's deepest cave system during Sunday's episode (December 7)

Politics

17 h. ago Man United on red alert for Carlos Baleba January transfer after constant Brighton issue

Carlos Baleba has been substituted off by Brighton & Hove Albion in 12 of his 13 Premier League starts which could play a big role in Manchester United's January transfer plans

Events

18 h. ago Readers’ Letters: Scottish Greens should go global with climate complaints

The latest demands from the Scottish Greens brought a suggestion from one reader

Society

23 h. ago Revealed: The Royal Family's full extraordinary property portfolio worth billions... and the financial deals shrouded in secrecy for decades

It was Prince Andrew's dogged refusal to accept the scale of the public disapproval he had provoked that started it.

Economics

24 h. ago An animal rights activist was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for 15 years. Will he be returned to the US?

Daniel Andreas San Diego, now 47, is fighting extradition from the UK amid accusations he set off three pipe bombs in 2003Twenty-two years ago, a dark-haired, bespectacled young man vanished off the streets of San Francisco. Daniel Andreas San Diego, a 25-year-old information technology specialist, diehard vegan and animal rights activist, was the FBI’s main suspect in a series of pipe bombings that exploded in front of the headquarters of Chiron Corporation and Shaklee Corporation, two Bay Area companies, in August and September of 2003.Communiques attributed to the Revolutionary Cells – Animal Liberation Brigade were posted to the website of an animal rights magazine, claiming the attacks were carried out to highlight both firms’ alleged work with Huntingdon Life Sciences, a British research company that conducted tests for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other chemical companies and had drawn the ire of activists on both sides of the Atlantic opposing its tests on animals. Cont...

Events

24 h. ago ‘You have to stay curious’: Michael Kors on his inclusive brand’s global rise

With a return to thinness in the fashion industry, catwalks spanning size, age and race may be the secret of the Kors appealThe sale of Versace to Prada this week in a $1.4bn deal marked a new chapter for two storied Italian fashion houses.It also left Versace’s former parent company, Capri Holdings, with an even greater focus on Michael Kors, the 44-year-old brand know as America’s Armani that made up about 70% of sales in its last financial year. Continue reading...

Politics

28 h. ago Hostile powers sending spies to west’s universities, says former security chief

Canadian expert David Vigneault warns of China’s ‘industrial-strength’ attempts to steal new technologiesHostile spy agencies are now as focused on infiltrating western universities and companies as they are on doing so to governments, according to the former head of Canada’s intelligence service.David Vigneault warned that a recent “industrial-scale” attempt by China to steal new technologies showed the need for increased vigilance from academics. Continue reading...

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