12 h. ago Confused about why everyone’s obsessed with Labubus? We asked a psychotherapist to explain

Everyone wants to add a Labubu to the hook of their backpacks, but why exactly do normally sane women suddenly feel obsessed with little furry monsters they previously found ugly? Amber Raiken speaks to two psychotherapists about the success of the toys

Politics

3 d. ago Freaky 4ft Labubu doll sells for more than £110,000 at auction as viral craze continues

The Labubu craze has seen recent fights in POP MART stores; 235,984 mentions online; celebs like Dua Lipa, Rihanna and LISA sporting the bag-charm; and now a million yuan sale for a life-sized doll

Economics

4 d. ago 'Do not eat' urgent warning issued over sweets sold in UK shops – see full list

The Food Standards Agency has issued an urgent warning over Jolly Rancher sweets, saying they're not safe to eat and are not compliant with UK laws - the FSA has also told shops to stop selling the sweets

Events

6 d. ago Labubus are taking over — here’s what they are and how to buy one

The Labubu resale market is booming but exercise caution as knockoffs (coined Lafufus) are on the rise

Politics

6 d. ago China bans banks from luring customers with popular Labubu dolls

Regulator asks local banks not to give non-compliant perks amid fierce competition as interest rates fallBusiness live – latest updatesChinese authorities have banned domestic banks from luring customers with gifts including the hugely popular Labubu dolls, amid fierce competition among lenders as interest rates and profit margins decline.The Zhejiang branch of China’s financial regulator, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, has asked local banks to refrain from offering non-compliant perks to attract deposits, Bloomberg News reported. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Homeowners warned of 'glaring' problems that are stopping your house from selling

Buyers will be 'put off' if they spot any of these features during viewings, a property expert says

Events

1 week ago Part toy, part fashion, the arrival of the viral Labubu was a long time in the making

Labubu, the plush toy from China’s Pop Mart is a social media darling, but the toothy little monsters are not an overnight success

Politics

2 w. ago Children injured, wildlife slaughtered, forests ravaged: is it time to ban disposable barbecues?

Single-use grills are ‘the worst form of litter’, says the boss of Keep Britain Tidy, whose own young son was badly burned by one left on a beach. They’re also a terrible way to cook. Should shops stop selling them?Toby Tyler can still hear his son William’s scream. “That will never, ever leave us,” he says, speaking on a video call from the family home in Stockport, Greater Manchester. “But we didn’t understand what had happened. We thought he’d stood on something that had gone into his foot. It was only when he got to us and we grabbed him that we could see his foot completely stripped – all the skin had gone.”It was 2020, in a break between lockdowns, and the Tyler family – Toby and Claire, their kids Lily and William, who was nine at the time – had gone to the beach at Formby. “There was another family who’d brought a disposable barbecue which they’d used on the sand in the morning. The whole unit had cooled, so they had moved it because they were worried about the kids standing...

Events

2 w. ago Trump orders US chip software suppliers to stop selling to China

Move by Washington is latest effort to stymie geopolitical rival’s technological advance

Politics

2 w. ago Labubus are taking over the internet – here’s where to buy (or even rent) them

Maximalism is having a moment

Politics

2 w. ago Trump rants at ‘monster’ judges, then one accuses WH of ‘manufacturing chaos’ in South Sudan deportations

Biden-appointed judge faces barrage of attacks from White House over court rulings demanding due process

Events

2 w. ago Why are adult women obsessed with Labubu dolls – and should I be, too?

As Chinese retailer Pop Mart temporarily halts sales of its keychain gremlin doll Labubu in UK stores, Ellie Muir speaks to proud connoisseurs of the toy and luxury goods experts about why accessorising bags has taken over fashion runways and street style simultaneously – and how a small monster creature is uniting women

Politics

3 w. ago Labubu chaos as 'battlefield' resale market erupts after Pop Mart pulls viral dolls

A collector who has spent more than £1,000 on viral Labubu dolls says the resale market is a 'battlefield'

Events

3 w. ago How we went goo goo for Labubu dolls: 'There's something primal about collecting them'

Pop Mart has promised to introduce a fairer system for buying the cult bag charms, but some fans are worried it’s gotten out of hand. India Block meets the obsessives

Politics

3 w. ago Labubu doll fans vent anger as Pop Mart pauses sales after 'fighting' at London store

One customer said: ‘It was just getting ridiculous to be in that situation where people were fighting and shouting and you felt scared’

Sport

3 w. ago Hit toy shop Pop Mart famed for Labubus to open at Trafford Centre

The shop has gone viral thanks to its collectable toys and the wildly successful Labubu furry monsters that see customers queuing out the door

Events

3 w. ago Legendary Scottish pit stop marks 60 years with rare whisky sale including £35,000 bottle

The pit-stop is celebrating 60 years by selling over £200,000 worth of rare Scotch from one man’s private collection.

Economics

3 w. ago Labubu chaos as Pop Mart halts sales of viral 'monster' doll due to 'increasing demand'

'Labubu fever' is real as POP MART UK has had to temporarily stop sales due to crazy queues - leaving fans distraught and some even claiming they've booked the day off work

Events

3 w. ago Pop Mart stops selling popular Labubu 'monsters' after chaos seen across UK

Sales of the hugely popular Labubu monster dolls are being paused throughout the UK after Kim Kardashian caused panic with one Instagram post seeing huge queues outside every store

Events

4 w. ago Labubus are taking over the internet – here’s where to buy them

Maximalism is having a moment

Politics