35 m. ago Community set on buying 'Burke and Hare' kirk 'disgusted' by Church of Scotland's sale process

The community had plans to turn the Midlothian property in a multi-purpose community centre with a cafe, nursery facilities and history tours.

Economics

35 m. ago Labour has succeeded only in strengthening Farage. The way is now open for Zack Polanski’s Greens | George Monbiot

By caving to the hard right and corporate greed, Labour has left a gaping hole the new Green party leader is best placed to fillThere’s an obvious way to destroy Nigel Farage’s political momentum. A poll by the research group Persuasion UK, testing various messages, found that by far the most effective line of attack is highlighting his complicity with corporate interests. The message that hit hardest was that Farage’s real loyalties lie with “the rich, the powerful, his mates in big business”, and his “party” (actually a business called Reform 2025 Ltd) “has taken over £2m from fossil fuel lobbyists, polluters, and climate change deniers He’s not smashing the system. He and his rich friends basically are the system.”But this is a string Labour cannot yank, as it would pull its own roof down. If there is a defining mark of Keir Starmer’s administration, it is immediate capitulation to powerful lobby groups, especially corporations and billionaires. This is what explains the otherwis...

Politics

35 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

35 m. ago Turn mangoes into a rich, spiced curry with this recipe from Karnataka

In Karnataka’s Udupi cuisine, mangoes aren’t just for desserts. In this recipe from Camellia Panjabi’s new book ‘Vegetables: The Indian Way’, they’re transformed with tamarind, jaggery and spice into a dish that’s sweet, sour and deeply satisfying

Politics

65 m. ago John Lewis shoppers race to buy 'soft and warm' lounge set worth £42 for £27

The Snit Ribbed Polo Lounge Set has been crafted from a comfy cosy ribbed knit fabric

Economics

84 m. ago China shows off new missiles, drones and fighter jets in massive military parade

China's missiles, drones and fighter jets were on display in a major parade as troops marched in lockstep by President Xi Jinping, who leads the Communist Party

Events

95 m. 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

95 m. ago Sun, sex, but no sangria? The Balearics’ booze crackdown might just save their tourist industry | Dimah Ajeeb

The islands say they no longer want to be Europe’s cheap, consequence-free party playground. But is the move upmarket working?Last summer, Spain’s Balearic Islands launched one of Europe’s toughest crackdowns on alcohol-fuelled party tourism. In popular resorts such as Magaluf in Mallorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza, tourists spilled out of bars at dawn, clutched cheap bottles from late-night shops, and treated entire neighbourhoods as giant open-air nightclubs.Local people were fed up. Noise complaints, violent brawls and clashes between residents and intoxicated tourists became routine. Rents rose while longstanding neighbourhoods became hollowed out into seasonal party zones. Pilar Hernando, from Palma, Mallorca told Reuters in 2024: “Prices go up, rents go up, everything goes up except salaries.” Hernando had to move into a caravan owing to the lack of affordable housing. Average rents have risen 158% over the past decade in the Balearics, with Palma now among the most expensive ci...

Politics

95 m. ago Crypto scandal sinks Russian elite’s $8.5mn polar party cruise

Company owned by France’s billionaire Pinault family sued by Russian-owned travel agency after trip collapses following payments chief’s arrest

Politics

1 hour ago They fantasized about a 'fortress of Christianity'. Now US expats in Russia reveal harrowing details of their new lives... and what they're forced to do

From Moscow suburbs to windswept Siberia, a trickle of westerners have arrived, waving Bibles and clutching dreams of raising their children in a fortress of Christian order.

Politics

4 h. ago 'Britain's Lip King' is found selling weight loss jabs on Facebook despite being on police bail after mother

The beautician, from Dudley, appears to be flogging jabs and teeth whitening treatments online while boasting of his lavish lifestyle on the Cape Verde island of Boa Vista.

Events

4 h. ago QUENTIN LETTS: His jagged, gapped teeth had shades of Hannibal Lecter. Better watch out

The new supremo is Zack Polanski, 42, a smooth-talking vegan and ex-Lib Dem hypnotherapist who used to tell women they could think their way to a bigger bust.

Politics

5 h. ago Harry Styles 'buys fourth house on same street in Hampstead' amid £30M mega

Harry Styles has reportedly snapped up another sprawling mansion in Hampstead, his fourth house on the same street.

Economics

7 h. ago Hundreds of mysterious containers found floating off Alaskan island as authorities probe where they came from

The Coast Guard recovered mysterious containers with yet-to-be-determined contents along the southern coastline of Montague Island in Alaska

Culture

8 h. ago Helen Flanagan transforms into the Evil Queen ahead of her pantomime debut in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs in Liverpool

Helen Flanagan transformed into the evil stepmother ahead of her pantomime debut in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs in Liverpool this Christmas.

Events

9 h. ago Banksy Transformed This Police Box Into a Piranha Tank. Soon, the Artwork Will Go on Permanent Display in London

Banksy Transformed This Police Box Into a Piranha Tank. Soon, the Artwork Will Go on Permanent Display in London  Smithsonian Magazine

Events

9 h. ago BBC dating show set to rival Love Island bags for second series before first has aired

The BBC's latest dating series is set to air but it's thought bosses have been so impressed that they have already signed off a second run

Culture

9 h. ago Pressure is mounting on Green Party's new leader to sack his deputy for defending Hamas's attack on Israel

Zack Polanski won a landslide victory on a ticket of 'eco-populism' and a new focus on Left-wing issues such as supporting Palestine.

Politics

10 h. ago Reform pledges to cut 'wasteful spending' in NHS and 'the nonsense' if it wins power in Wales

In an interview which was typically lacking in detail Richard Tice said 'back office' jobs needed to be cut in Wales to save money and his party would scrap Welsh Labour's 20mph policy

Politics

10 h. ago Love Island's Lochan shares why he thinks Whitney went public with racism claims

Following a dramatic split, former Love Islander Lochan Nowacki has revealed what he believes to be the 'real reason' behind ex Whitney's explosive 'racism' claims

Events