Labubu and KPop Demon Hunters Join Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Crowds in New York City bundled up to take in the latest version of a tradition that has run for nearly a century. [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong’s Worst Fire in Decades Fuels Scrutiny of Safety Lapses
The authorities said flammable netting and foam boards may have fueled the city’s deadliest blaze in nearly 70 years, killing at least 75 and prompting arrests. [Continue Reading]
Ministers insist plans to absorb council Send debts won't hit school budgets
Ministers say the Office for Budget Responsibility's projections do not take into account upcoming reforms. [Continue Reading]
Ban harmful social media content instead of us, say Australian teens challenging ban
From 10 December, social media firms must ensure Australians aged under 16 cannot have accounts. [Continue Reading]
Households face 'dismal' rise in spending power after Budget, says IFS think tank
Average disposable income is set to grow by "only" 0.5% annually over the next five years, the think tank says. [Continue Reading]
Man, 31, arrested over Manchester synagogue attack
Police arrest a man on suspicion of terror offences over the Manchester synagogue attack. [Continue Reading]
Tanzania accuses MEPs of 'affront to sovereignty' after censure vote on post-election violence
Tanzania has accused the European parliament of an "affront to sovereignty" and defying “natural justice” after MEPs demanded that the EU commission withhold €156m in funding for the country following post-election violence that has killed thousands. [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong fire: Why is bamboo scaffolding used and should it be outlawed?
The traditional use of bamboo scaffolding may be to blame for how quickly the fire spread through the apartment complex in the Tai Pao district. [Continue Reading]
Dublin Airport warns of heavy traffic due to taxi protest
Dublin Airport has advised passengers to give themselves "plenty of time" to travel to the airport this evening due to a planned protest by taxi drivers. [Continue Reading]
Limerick man in court on human trafficking charge
A Limerick man is wanted in Europe on a human trafficking charge which alleges that he attempted to facilitate by speedboat the transportation of 66 people from Greece to Italy. [Continue Reading]
PSNI investigating attempted murder of officer in Derry
Police in Northern Ireland are investigating the attempted murder of one of their officers in Derry last night. [Continue Reading]
Net migration to UK drops 69% year on year, ONS figures show
Figure of 204,000 in 12 months to June 2025 is lowest since 2021, statistics body saysUK politics live – latest updatesNet migration to the UK has fallen by more than two-thirds to 204,000 in a single year, the lowest annual figure since 2021, according to the latest official statistics.Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show there was a 69% drop from 649,000 in the number of people immigrating minus the number of people emigrating in the year to June 2025. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Trump says US should ‘re-examine’ all Afghan refugees after suspect named in national guard shooting | First Thing
President called the shooting in Washington an ‘act of terror’. Plus, Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 65Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Donald Trump has said the government should review every Afghan immigrant who entered the US during Joe Biden’s administration, after authorities identified the suspect in the shooting of two national guard members in Washington as an Afghan national.What is the latest on the condition of the national guard members? They remained in critical condition overnight.Have there been arrests? Yes – police have arrested two directors and an engineering consultant at a... [Continue Reading]
Novel scientific method proves pit circle near Stonehenge was man-made, say researchers
Archaeologists use multiple types of geophysics equipment to analyse ‘extraordinary structure’The presence of an extraordinary circle of yawning pits created by Neolithic people near Stonehenge has been proved thanks to a novel combination of scientific techniques, a team of archaeologists is claiming.While the architects of Stonehenge had the heavens in mind when they built the great stone monument in Wiltshire, the team believes the makers of the Durrington pit circle may have been more interested in an underworld. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Analysts back British gambling firm stocks despite tax rises for sector
Paddy Power owner Flutter and other betting and gaming firms say higher online gambling taxes will hit profits hardBusiness live – latest updatesFinancial analysts have advised buying shares in British gambling firms, despite the sector’s biggest players being hit with tax rises that forced them into issuing £1bn of profit downgrades.Duty rises announced in Rachel Reeves’s second budget as chancellor, targeted at online betting and gaming, are set to cost the industry an extra £8.3bn by 2030-31, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Denmark sets up ‘night watch’ to monitor Trump after Greenland row
US president’s threat to seize territory prompts intelligence briefings reminiscent of Game of Thrones patrolThe Danish government has set up a “night watch” in the foreign ministry, not to keep out the wildlings and White Walkers like the Night’s Watch of Game of Thrones, but rather to monitor Donald Trump’s pronouncements and movements while Copenhagen sleeps.The night watch starts at 5pm local time each day and at 7am a report is produced and distributed around the Danish government and relevant departments about what was said and took place, the Politiken newspaper reported. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Australian diet set to worsen as national food policy is drawn up by profit-driven industry, experts warn
Exclusive: Many industries on new council are ‘associated with significant health harms’, one academic saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCheap and unhealthy foods are set to become further entrenched in the Australian diet, according to health experts, who warn the federal government is developing a national food policy with heavy influence from profit-driven food and agriculture industries.Dr Matt Fisher from the University of Adelaide’s Stretton Institute’s health equity department said the policy could “compromise crucial public health considerations”. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
State Library of Victoria faces job cuts as staff accuse management of pursuing ‘digital vanity projects’
Under the plan, 39 jobs would be lost and the public-facing workforce of reference librarians would be cut from 25 staff to 10Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastState Library of Victoria staff have accused management of undermining the 171-year-old institution’s core purposes in favour of flashy tourist-oriented “digital vanity projects” in a proposed restructure.Under the plan, 39 jobs would be lost and the public-facing workforce of reference librarians would be cut from 25 staff to 10, while many publicly accessible computers would be removed. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
‘How far is it going to escalate?’ Fear Santos gas plan in Beetaloo basin could be start of NT fracking rush
Environment group warns of ‘major risk’ to groundwater, which supplies 90% of Northern Territory water supplyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA plan by fossil fuel company Santos to expand gas exploration in the Beetaloo basin has been criticised by environmentalists who fear it may mark the beginning of a fracking rush in the Northern Territory.Santos has published plans to drill 12 fracking wells at Tanumbirini Station, a 5,000 sq km cattle station about 340km south-east of Katherine. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe claims her employer gave her immunity from complaints by pro-choice campaigners
University of Adelaide, who employs Howe as a law professor, states that it ‘considers each matter on its merits’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA prominent anti-abortion campaigner who was banned from the South Australian parliament and accused of bullying, claims her employer has granted her immunity from complaints from anyone who is pro-choice.Anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe, who has pledged to make abortion “unthinkable”, says the University of Adelaide, who employs her as a law professor, has agreed that those with ideologically opposed viewpoints to hers will be deemed “vexatious”, and any complaints they make about... [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong police say unsafe scaffolding and foam may have spread fire that killed at least 65
Three construction employees arrested as firefighters battle to reach trapped people, with more than 250 still missingHong Kong fire – latest updatesHow the fire unfolded – visual guideHong Kong police have alleged unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work may have been behind the rapid spread of a devastating fire at a group of residential tower blocks that has killed at least 65 people and left more than 250 missing.Firefighters were still battling to reach people who could be trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex on Thursday due to the intense heat... [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong fire that killed dozens ‘under control’; hundreds still missing
Death toll rises to 65 as rescuers rush to reach victims trapped in upper apartments of high rises. [Continue Reading]
Can Trump ban South Africa from 2026 G20 summit, as he says he will?
US President Donald Trump reiterated unfounded claims of 'human rights abuses' of Afrikaners in South Africa. [Continue Reading]
The British Public Thinks Immigration Is Up. It’s Actually Down, Sharply.
Net migration to Britain has fallen by almost 80 percent from its 2023 peak, according to data released on Thursday. [Continue Reading]
Trump Cut Europe Out of Ukraine Talks. Here’s How Europe Pushed Back.
European leaders were blindsided by President Trump’s 28-point-plan to end the Ukraine war, setting off a dash for influence. [Continue Reading]
France Creates Voluntary Military Service as Europe Faces Russian Threat
The effort is aimed at young people and came after an army chief angered many by saying the country must accept the possible loss of children in a future war. [Continue Reading]
Clarke fighting for his career in title bout - TKV
Frazer Clarke and Jeamie TKV bicker through a news conference before Saturday's British heavyweight title fight in Derby. [Continue Reading]
Norris 'relaxed' before maiden title bid in Qatar
Lando Norris says he is "relaxed" heading into the Qatar Grand Prix, the race in which he could become world champion for the first time. [Continue Reading]
Track UK's latest migration numbers - including asylum, visas and small boats
Use our interactive tracker to explore the latest migration statistics for the UK [Continue Reading]
EU fails to protect disabled people in institutions from violence, watchdog warns
One-in-five people with disabilities are victims of violence. The number is even higher for those living in institutions, according to new findings from the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency. [Continue Reading]
Mikel Arteta urged to start ‘underrated’ Arsenal star instead of £64m signing against Chelsea
The Arsenal star 'has been excellent'. [Continue Reading]
Trainee police officer banned for passing inside information to drug dealer boyfriend
Maryam Ilyas resigned before her misconduct hearing [Continue Reading]
Activists awkwardly try to citizens arrest Southern Water CEO for ‘pollution’
Anti-pollution protestors accused him of four counts of causing a public nuisance. [Continue Reading]
A new UK passport is about to drop — and there’s one major change
The end of an era. [Continue Reading]
National Guard shooting: Trump says US should ‘re-examine’ all Afghan refugees after suspect named
President calls the shooting in Washington an ‘act of terror’, as officials name Rahmanullah Lakanwal as suspected shooterDonald Trump has called for his government to re-examine every Afghan immigrant who entered the US during Joe Biden’s administration, after law enforcement officials identified the suspect in the shooting of two national guard members in Washington as a man from Afghanistan.A statement from the Department of Homeland Security named the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the US under a Biden-era policy set up after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Immigration authorities granted Lakanwal asylum earlier... [Continue Reading]
Belfast youth football coach expelled after posting cocaine prices on league group chat
List detailed times and costs for ‘proper pure bags’ and specified cash paymentA Northern Ireland football club has removed a coach who posted an apparent menu of cocaine prices in a group chat for a youth league.The list of prices for “proper pure bags” detailed times and meeting locations and specified cash payment. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Italy’s parliament delays new law to define sex without consent as rape
Legislation stalls after coalition ally says measure would ‘clog up the courts’ and fuel personal vendettasItaly’s parliament has delayed a debate over a landmark law that would define sex without consent as rape amid a rift within the ruling coalition.The measure, the result of a rare pact between the far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and her main political opponent, the centre-left leader, Elly Schlein, passed in the lower house last week and had been expected to get final approval in the senate this week. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
‘There should have been an alarm’: in air thick with acrid smoke, people in Hong Kong are reeling and angry
As apartment complex still blazes more than 24 hours after fire began, police suspect cause is owing to ‘grossly negligent’ action How the Hong Kong fire unfolded – visual guideHong Kong fire – latest updatesMore than 24 hours after the first tower caught fire, the Hong Kong residential complex was still burning. Fire crews blasted water from cherry pickers at the mid level floors, but above that, the fires were still roaring out of reach.Wang Fuk Court, in the northern Hong Kong district of Tai Po, was home to about 4,800 people. The eight tower complex had been under renovation... [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong police say unsafe scaffolding and foam may have spread fire that killed at least 65
Three construction employees arrested as firefighters battle to reach trapped residents, with more than 250 people still missing Hong Kong fire – latest updatesHow the fire unfolded – visual guideHong Kong police have alleged unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work may have been behind the rapid spread of a devastating fire at a group of residential tower blocks that has killed at least 65 people and left more than 250 missing.Firefighters were still battling to reach people who could be trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex on Thursday due to the... [Continue Reading]
Guinea-Bissau general sworn in as transitional president after coup
General Horta Nta Na Man declares himself the leader of the transitional government. [Continue Reading]
A ceasefire in name only? A year of Israeli attacks in Lebanon
Nearly 10,000 Israeli violations have been recorded in Lebanon in the year since the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire. [Continue Reading]
Trump, Venezuela and the new cold war with China
The US and Venezuela are edging towards war, but is this about Trump’s war on drugs or sending a message to China? [Continue Reading]
Egypt’s all-important parliamentary elections aren’t elections at all
The vote is carefully managed so that only one outcome is possible: a longer lease on power for el-Sisi. [Continue Reading]
Japan denies report Trump told PM Takaichi not to provoke China on Taiwan
Takaichi's suggestion earlier this month that Tokyo could intervene militarily if Taiwan is attacked enrages Beijing. [Continue Reading]
Washington, DC, shooting: Does US view 77,000 Afghans as potential threats?
Two National Guard members are shot near the White House. The suspect, identified as an Afghan national, is in custody. [Continue Reading]
ABBA Voyage, the Popular London Hologram Show, Could Come to New York City
ABBA Voyage, the popular London show, features holograph versions of the Swedish pop band when they were decades younger. [Continue Reading]