55 m. ago I've travelled to 193 countries but one stood out so much I quit my job and moved there

Few people have seen as much of the world as Randy Williams. The intrepid traveller has visited all 193 countries and ticked off his final nation, Turkmenistan, in 2023.

Politics

12 h. ago The spiritual economy: young Chinese turn to fortune tellers as anxiety about the future rises

Growing popularity of mysticism can also be connected to increasing sense of cultural confidence as Chinese brands and products go globalPass my exams. Meet Mr Right. Get rich. Pinned to a board by the entrance of a dimly lit fortune telling bar in Fengtai, an urban district in the south of Beijing, handwritten notes reveal the inner worries of customers coming for cocktails with a side of spiritual salvation.One As All is one of several fortune telling bars to have opened in Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese cities in recent years. Hidden on the 12th floor of a commercial building, the bar serves a wide range of drinks starting at an auspicious 88 yuan (£9) (eight is considered to be lucky number in China). As well as enjoying a sundowner with a view over Beijing’s skyline, customers can consult the in-house fortune teller who specialises in qiuqian, known in English as Chinese lottery sticks, an ancient style of divination often found in Taoist temples. From a private side-room,...

Politics

22 h. ago Ryan Reynolds urged to call on world's fourth richest man as Wrexham told to make £173bn decision

Wrexham's owners have been told to enlist one of the world's richest people to help fund their Premier League push as they face a new financial challenge in the Championship

Economics

38 h. ago Turkish police arrest more than 50 people before banned Istanbul Pride parade

City’s bar association says people ‘deprived of their liberty through arbitrary, unjust, and illegal detention’Police arrested more than 50 people in Istanbul on Sunday ahead of a banned LGBTQ+ Pride march, the city’s bar association said.“Before today’s Istanbul Pride march, four of our colleagues, including members of our Human Rights Centre, along with more than 50 people, were deprived of their liberty through arbitrary, unjust, and illegal detention,” the Istanbul Bar’s Human Rights Centre posted on X. Continue reading...

Events

40 h. ago D. Wayne Lukas death: Horse racing pays tribute to Hall of Fame trainer

People from around the world of horse racing are sharing their reaction to the death of Hall of Fame trainer D

Events

46 h. ago Stampede at major festival as 500 people injured in chaotic scenes during intense heat

More than 500 people were injured in a "stampede-like scenario" at the Ratha Yatra festival in eastern India on June 27, after a crowd surge caused panic

Events

48 h. ago Your Wimbledon 2025 queue guide: when does it open each day and which tickets are available?

Wimbledon is one of the only sporting events in the world where people can bag show court tickets and ground passes on the day of the event

Politics

51 h. ago 10 reasons Scotland is the best country in the world from its food to its people

Nowhere is perfect, but there are a lot of things that make Scotland special.

Politics

69 h. ago Israeli strikes kill more than 60 people in Gaza, health officials say

Latest deaths come amid worsening humanitarian situation despite renewed hope for ceasefireAt least 62 people have been killed in Gaza by overnight Israeli strikes, according to health officials, as the humanitarian situation worsens in the besieged strip despite renewed hope for a ceasefire.Airstrikes began overnight on Friday and continued into Saturday morning, killing a dozen people near a displacement shelter near Palestine Stadium in Gaza City. A strike at midday on Saturday killed at least 11 people. Continue reading...

Events

2 d. ago At least 32 people killed after heavy rain causes flash flooding in northern Pakistan

A family died at the Swat river, with eyewitnesses saying they waited to be rescued for more than an hourAt least 32 people have been killed in Pakistan in recent flash flooding caused by heavy rains, including a family of tourists who died after being swept away by flood waters while apparently awaiting rescue.Videos of the family stranded on a small piece of land as the raging Swat river in northern Pakistan swept them away were shared widely on social media, prompting anger towards the provincial government as eyewitnesses said the family waited helplessly for more than an hour. Continue reading...

Events

2 d. ago At least 32 people killed as flash floods hit northern Pakistan

Family dies in Swat River, with witnesses saying they waited to be rescued for more than an hourAt least 32 people have been killed in Pakistan in recent flash flooding caused by heavy rains, including a family of tourists who died after being swept away by flood waters while apparently awaiting rescue.Videos of the family stranded on a small piece of land as the raging Swat River in northern Pakistan swept them away were shared widely on social media, prompting anger towards the provincial government as witnesses said the family waited helplessly for more than an hour. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago At 100, this globetrotting Catholic priest still bakes pies, enjoys opera and performs daily Mass

The Rev. James Kelly baptized and married thousands of people, ministered to the ill at hospitals, and traveled the world

Politics

3 d. ago Just when the world desperately needs wise elders, its fate is in the hands of old and ruthless patriarchs | David Van Reybrouck

The global order is being dismantled by a generation that will not live to see the wreckage they leave behindLet’s attempt something delicate: talking about age without slipping into ageism. Never before in modern history have those with the fate of the world in their hands been so old. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are both 72. Narendra Modi is 74, Benjamin Netanyahu 75, Donald Trump 79, and Ali Khamenei is 86.Thanks to advances in medical science, people are able to lead longer, more active lives – but we are now also witnessing a frightening number of political leaders tightening their grip on power as they get older, often at the expense of their younger colleagues.David Van Reybrouck is philosopher laureate for the Netherlands and Flanders. His books include Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World and Congo: The Epic History of a People Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Rising poverty in conflict zones ‘causes a billion people to go hungry’

In first assessment since pandemic in 2020, World Bank urges other countries to step up supportExtreme poverty is accelerating in 39 countries affected by war and conflict, leaving more than a billion people to go hungry, according to the World Bank.Civil wars and confrontations between nations, mostly in Africa, have set back economic growth and reduced the incomes of more than a billion people, “driving up extreme poverty faster than anywhere else”, the Washington-based body said. Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Massive fireballs rain down from the sky as people declare 'this is WW3 – it's over'

A number of massive blazes have been reported around America with several videos showing a fiery ball plummeting from the sky, leaving people worried it could be 'World War Three'

Events

4 d. ago Former CIA director says people must understand ‘how dangerous a world we live in right now’ in the wake of Trump’s Iran strike

Donald Trump’s rejection of his own intelligence officials’ expert assessments undermines U.S. credibility and leaves the future ‘a very scary prospect,’ Leon Panetta warns

Politics

4 d. ago Rampant street crime. One alleged rape every hour. Homeless beggars. And demographic changes that have made the city unrecognisable. With a heavy heart, MATT GOODWIN says London is OVER

When I fired off a tweet about my day trip to London last week, I didn't expect it to be read by 12 million people around the world.

Events

4 d. ago Manzanar teaches about Japanese American incarceration in the US. That’s in jeopardy under Trump

As visitors to the national historic site are urged to inform on anything ‘negative’, advocates warn of the same playbook that led to concentration campsAt the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, more than 200 miles (320km) outside Los Angeles, in what feels like the middle of nowhere, is Manzanar national historic site. It marks the place where more than 10,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during the second world war, crowded into barracks, surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers with searchlights, and patrolled by military police.Since then, Manzanar, which now has a museum and reconstructed barracks that visitors can walk through, has been transformed into a popular pilgrimage destination for Japanese Americans to remember and teach others about this history. (Manzanar was one of 10 concentration camps where the US government forcibly relocated and held more than 110,000 people of Japanese descent during the second world war.) Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Bus carrying school kids crashes through railings into river as 17 injured

The Bluestar bus carrying pupils from Barton Peveril Sixth Form College came off the road and ended up in a river at Bishopstoke Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire, at 10.07am on Thursday.

Events

5 d. ago Disney World blasted for refusing woman entry over 'perfectly appropriate' outfit as people say this is 'crazy'

Nicole Arena, from the U.S., ignited a heated debate on social media after claiming she was denied access to a Disney World ride due to her 'inappropriate' attire in June.

Politics