3 h. ago Four ways to save on your favourite seasonal tipples this Christmas

GET the party started with some special festive drinks – without splashing the cash. Whether you’re serving a warming mulled wine, glass of fizz or Christmassy cocktail, there’s bargains to be had. So gather your glasses for these low-cost tipples. MULL IT OVER: Transform a cheap bottle of red wine or cider by adding spices....

Politics

4 h. ago Gaza no longer in famine but hunger levels remain critical, UN says

Monitor says almost one in eight people face food shortages as flooding and cold exacerbate humanitarian emergencyThe famine in Gaza has ended as a result of increased humanitarian aid deliveries into the territory, the UN said on Friday, though it warned that levels of hunger and the humanitarian situation remained critical.Almost one in eight people in Gaza still faced food shortages, the UN said, adding that persistent hunger had been made worse by winter flooding and the colder weather. Most people in Gaza live in tents or other substandard accommodation as Israel destroyed much of the housing and civilian infrastructure during its two-year war. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Cost of primary school expansion increases to more than £22m

Ysgol Iolo Morganwg in Cowbridge is set to expand from 210 to 420 primary places along with space for a part-time nursery

Economics

5 h. ago Santas and elves rob Montreal grocery store to ‘give food to the needy’

Group called Robins des Ruelles later said in statement stunt was intended to highlight cost of living crisis Dressed in red suits and backed by masked elves, a group of Santas marched into a Montreal supermarket, loaded their bags with thousands of dollars worth of groceries and disappeared into the night.The bandit Santas later released a statement saying the food would be distributed to the needy, and saying the Robin Hood-style stunt was intended to highlight the spiralling cost of living crisis that has pushed basic necessities increasingly out of reach for ordinary Canadians. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Dr Oz claims it costs $150K to create male genitalia during surgery

Trump administration moves to effectively block access to gender-affirming care for minors

Economics

6 h. ago Dr Oz bizarrely says it costs $150K to create male genitalia during surgery

Trump administration moves to effectively block access to gender-affirming care for minors

Economics

6 h. ago Independent businesses: have your online sales been affected by the rise of AI?

We’d like to hear from independent retailers about how changes to online searches has affected them. We’d also like to find out from customers about how easy it is to track down independent retailers We’d like to find out more about how your business has been affected by changes to online searches amid the rise of AI.Independent businesses have traditionally relied on online advertising for increased visibility and sales, even if they are based on the high street. However, with the introduction of AI mode and AI Overview summaries on Google, and the proliferation of LLMs such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, people are altering their search habits, which may affect the online visibility of small businesses. Continue reading...

Economics

6 h. ago Why is the Africa Cup of Nations taking place over Christmas?

The expansion of the Club World Cup and Champions League means Afcon will be played over Christmas and the New Year period for the first time.

Politics

6 h. ago I bought a shopping centre pick and mix bag — my jaw dropped at the price

Would you pay this?

Economics

7 h. ago Avengers: Doomsday trailer – as the hype builds, has Marvel got lost in the multiverse?

Marvel has put the first official trailer for the new Avengers meetup before random screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash. Recordings of it have leaked online – but many questions still remainIs anything real any more? For the last few weeks there have been rumours that Marvel is about to drop the first official footage for its forthcoming superhero epic Avengers: Doomsday, ahead of screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash. And it makes a sort of sense: the latest instalment of James Cameron’s 3D mega-project about blue aliens and colonial shame is clearly a visual spectacle, so why not lure fans of Captain America and Thor into cinemas by dangling the promise of a Doomsday trailer in front of them? In a world in which everyone expects everything to be online instantly, could the most radical experiment be to put this thing in cinemas?If it once seemed like a good idea, it increasingly looks less so. There are rumoured to be multiple Doomsday trailers in circulation, to be ushered in ahead o...

Politics

8 h. ago Families reminded of 75% energy bills rule ahead of change from next week

You can do several things to help keep your energy bills down

Science

9 h. ago Conservative legal group aims to export its rightwing Christian mission beyond US borders

Alliance Defending Freedom has ramped up its global spending on litigation and other campaigns to push its ultra conservative Christian valuesAlliance Defending Freedom, the conservative legal advocacy group behind the overturning of Roe v Wade, has ramped up its global spending on litigation and other campaigns, in what appears to be an attempt to export what critics call its hard-right Christian theocratic values beyond US borders.ADF and ADF International, a separate legal entity, spent a combined $10.9m on international grants and programs for the year ending June 2024, according to its most up to date public tax records, and appears to have increased by 70% year-on-year spending on Europe-related issues. Continue reading...

Events

9 h. ago 4 months in, activists say Trump's operation in DC increasingly targets immigrants

Washington, D.C., activists and local leaders say the law enforcement operation President Donald Trump launched four months ago with the goal of fighting crime has led to a crackdown on immigrants

Events

9 h. ago Christmas shoppers told to look out for counterfeit goods as expert guide revealed

Toys and clothes are among the top counterfeit goods this year, with experts revealing how to spot the fakes and get your money back

Politics

10 h. ago 'When did Iceland get so expensive?': Shopper sparks heated debate when he posts picture of everything he buys from frozen food supermaket every fortnight

A supermarket customer's post showing off his fortnightly big shop at Iceland for nearly £120 has sparked a huge online debate amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Society

10 h. ago Sinn Fein accused of ‘misinformation’ around funding for teachers’ pay

Education Minister Paul Givan also said he can give a pay increase of up to 4% for teachers.

Economics

10 h. ago Oncologist says pill millions take daily increases cancer risk up to 30 per cent

A doctor says they are linked to increased rates of lung cancer, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, and breast cancer

Events

11 h. ago Trump says war with Venezuela is possible – US politics live

President says ‘I don’t rule it out’ when asked about the possibility of conflict during NBC interviewThe Trump administration announced on Thursday it will suspend a green card lottery that allowed a man believed to be behind both a mass shooting at Brown University and the killing of an MIT professor into the United States.Claudio Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national, is accused of bursting into a building at the Ivy League school on Saturday and opening fire on students, killing two and wounding nine. Continue reading...

Politics

11 h. ago Paul Rudd says he lied about being directed by Sir Ben Kingsley on his CV

Rudd said he had done ‘an afternoon masterclass’ with Oscar-winning Sir Ben when he was in school.

Politics

11 h. ago Oncologist says common pill increases cancer risk up to 30 per cent

A doctor says they are linked to increased rates of lung cancer, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, and breast cancer

Events