39 m. ago Freemasons seek injunction against Met policy requiring officers to declare membership

Exclusive: Organisation accuses Sir Mark Rowley of religious discrimination and ‘whipping up conspiracy theories’Freemasons have demanded an emergency injunction from the high court to halt the Metropolitan police’s new policy that orders officers to tell their bosses if they are members of the organisation.The Freemasons filed papers in London on Christmas Eve and claim the Met’s policy amounts to “religious discrimination” against Freemasons who are also police officers. Continue reading...

Events

39 m. ago ‘I tried. I felt everything’: readers tell us how they would use their last chance to send a letter

With the Danish postal service ending its letter deliveries, we asked what you would put in your final envelopeAt the end of December, the Danish postal service will deliver its last letter, focusing on packages, citing the “increasing digitalisation” of society.While the public will still be able to send letters through the distributor DAO, it made us think about how we would use that last chance to send a letter. Continue reading...

Politics

39 m. ago Search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 expected to resume on Tuesday

Marine robotics firm to renew its search more than decade after plane disappeared with 239 people onboardThe search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is expected to resume on 30 December, more than a decade after the plane disappeared with 239 people onboard in one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.A renewed search by Ocean Infinity, a UK and US-based marine robotics company, had begun earlier this year but was called off in April because of bad weather. Continue reading...

Politics

39 m. ago The mystery of flight MH370: will a new search find the missing airliner after more than a decade?

In 2014 the Malaysian Airlines jet vanished over the Indian Ocean. Now the team that located Shackleton’s Endurance is looking again with the latest undersea robotsMore than a decade after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing after veering thousands of miles off course, its location remains unknown.The Malaysian government has promised to pay a private company, Ocean Infinity, $70m (£56m) to search for the plane on a “no find, no fee” basis. Continue reading...

Events

39 m. ago The photographs that defined 2025 – and the stories behind them

As wars in Ukraine and Gaza continued, anti-government protests erupted around the world. Amid the violence, there were moments of humanity, sporting glory and stunning natural beauty. Photographers reflect on the moments behind the picturesA man cries out in distress as a fire spreads across multiple buildings on a housing estate in Hong Kong Tyrone Siu/ReutersA massive fire broke out around 3pm at Wang Fuk Court, a densely packed housing estate in Tai Po, and I arrived about an hour later. By then, the flames were raging across multiple blocks, with thick black smoke. Unsafe bamboo scaffolding and foam may have led to what became Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades. Residents were streaming out in panic, while emergency crews fought a losing battle against the inferno spreading from one tower to the next. Continue reading...

Culture

39 m. ago ‘That video saved our lives’: how women are defying the Taliban’s brutal crackdown on protest

The activist Zarmina Paryani speaks from exile in Germany about how Afghanistan has tried to silence the voices of women and girls since the 2021 takeoverIt was nearly dark on 19 January 2022 when the knocking began. At first soft, then insistent, the sound echoed through the flat in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Zarmina Paryani and her sisters froze. They had known this day was coming.“We always knew the risks of protesting and we were prepared to die on the streets,” the 26-year-old activist told the Guardian. “But I never imagined they would come for us like that – in the middle of the night, breaking into our home.” Continue reading...

Events

39 m. ago Heat, drought and fire: how extreme weather pushed nature to its limits in 2025

National Trust says these are ‘alarm signals we cannot ignore’ as climate breakdown puts pressure on wildlifeExtremes of weather have pushed nature to its limits in 2025, putting wildlife, plants and landscapes under severe pressure, an annual audit of flora and fauna has concluded.Bookended by storms Éowyn and Bram, the UK experienced a sun-soaked spring and summer, resulting in fierce heath and moorland fires, followed by autumn floods. Continue reading...

Society

69 m. ago Scotland's top TikToker of 2025 revealed in 'true honour sharing these stories'

The content creator has been named as the 'most influential Scot on TikTok'

Politics

69 m. ago Police Scotland responds to calls about domestic abuse every eight minutes

Police Scotland insisted its “relentless” focus on tackling the problem had seen 32 “high harm and serious” offenders sentenced to more than 228 years in prison during 2025.

Events

69 m. ago Largest earthquake in UK recorded in Scotland as 300 reported throughout 2025

The two largest quakes happened hours apart in the Perth and Kinross area earlier this year.

Politics

2 h. ago Hungary's 'water guardian' farmers fight back against desertification

Southern Hungary landowner Oszkár Nagyapáti has been battling severe drought on his land

Politics

2 h. ago Europe’s largest defence groups set to return $5bn to shareholders in 2025

Sector increases investment and rewards investors after surge in global military spending following Ukraine war

Politics

2 h. ago Here are some people you’ll find in every local community Facebook group | Jess Harwood

Some of them are exactly the kind of members you want to meet, others not so much Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Grave fears for woman missing in SA outback for 16 days as search renewed

Police are expanding aerial searches near where the abandoned car of 41-year-old Trisha Graf was foundGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSouth Australian police hold grave fears for a woman missing in the outback for 16 days and have renewed search efforts near where her car was found abandoned.Trisha Graf was last seen in the early hours of Friday 12 December in the Roxby Downs area, 510km north of Adelaide. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Usman Khawaja locked in for fifth Ashes Test with ‘no indication’ of retirement plans

Australia coach Andrew McDonald guarantees veteran will play at SCG39-year-old’s future beyond series finale against England still in doubtAustralia coach Andrew McDonald has guaranteed Usman Khawaja will play at the SCG, but is unsure if it will be the veteran’s last Test.After turning 39 earlier in December, Khawaja’s future will continue to be a talking point until he announces his retirement. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago ‘We need to know’: Bondi victims’ families demand federal royal commission from PM

Open letter to Anthony Albanese calls antisemitism ‘a national crisis that demands a powerful national response’Ten minutes of terror: how the Bondi mass shooting unfolded in real time – videoFamilies of Jewish Australians killed in the Bondi shooting have demanded that Anthony Albanese call a commonwealth royal commission to investigate antisemitism and questions about law enforcement issues surrounding the terror attack that claimed 15 lives.In an open letter to the prime minister, relatives of 11 of the victims killed at the Bondi beach Hanukah event on 14 December say Jewish families feel unsafe at schools, at work, at home and in public spaces. Continue reading...

Events

5 h. ago Horoscope today, December 29, 2025: Daily star sign guide from Mystic Meg

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes. Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. ♈ ARIES March 21 to April 20 This morning is for personal projects and strong application to getting some new schedules...

Politics

5 h. ago Humphries given almighty scare by Clemens magic at PDC World Championship

The 2024 world champion won but faced an unexpected test against a man whose game had basically been in hibernation for three yearsEveryone says they want a good solid test at this stage of the tournament. Keep the skills sharp, keep the mind keen. But how big a test? How tough? How many beats per minute? How much spinal fluid do you want to shed? How close do you really want to get to smelling the paint on the exit door?Luke Humphries reckons he got it about right here, and for now we will have to take his word for it. But the outpouring of emotion we saw at the conclusion of his 4-2 win over Gabriel Clemens was a measure of just how thoroughly the 2024 world champion had been rattled by a man whose game had basically been in hibernation for the past three years. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Girls basketball roundup: WildCard title stays with New London

Girls basketball roundup: WildCard title stays with New London-Spicer Wildcats  West Central Tribune

Politics

6 h. ago CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Death In Paradise: Swindon's not exactly paradise, but this whodunnit was still a delight

The more impossible the killings, the more delightful this show is. And this 90-minute special served up a real puzzler... because while the corpse was in the Caribbean, the murder weapon was in Wiltshire.

Events