Putin praises Orbán’s ‘balanced’ position on Ukraine as leaders meet in Moscow – Europe live
Hungarian prime minister and Russian president also discussed energy deliveries during Kremlin meeting The Commission also totally rejected dismissed Russia’s criticism of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “illegitimate” leader of Ukraine, after Vladimir Putin suggested yesterday that was a technical reason he couldn’t agree a peace deal with Zelenskyy.“President Zelensky is the democratically elected president, by the Ukrainian people, of Ukraine,” a commission spokesperson said in response, somewhat mockingly adding that Putin seems to have “some difficulties in recognising the democratically elected president of his neighbour country, Ukraine.”“Let me stress the fight against corruption is a key element for a country to... [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong community groups deliver aid to survivors of Wang Fuk Court fire
Volunteers that emerged during the pro-democracy protests regroup to help those affected by the blazeHong Kong’s grassroots community groups have sprung into action to help coordinate and deliver aid to the survivors of the Wang Fuk Court fire, a catastrophic blaze that is confirmed to have killed at least 128 people, with hundreds still missing.Restaurants, churches and gyms in the Tai Po area, where the Wang Fuk Court housing estate is located, have been turned into temporary shelters for people in need of clothes, food and information as a result of the tragedy. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
More than 50 killed in deadly Sri Lanka floods: What we know so far
Cyclone Ditwah caused landslides in the central mountainous tea-growing regions of Badulla and Nuwara Eliya. [Continue Reading]
Why has Venezuela banned six international airlines amid US tensions?
Venezuela's decision to revoke permits for carriers is the latest response to escalating tensions with the US. [Continue Reading]
Palestinian American teen freed after 9 months of Israeli detention
16-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim is recovering after spending 9 months in an Israeli prison, for allegedly throwing rocks. [Continue Reading]
The man who broke the BBC
I saw how Robbie Gibb’s behind-the-scenes influence helped drive the BBC into crisis. [Continue Reading]
Death toll from flooding in southern Thailand reaches at least 145
Human toll rises as flooding leaves trail of damage and causes severe disruption, leaving thousands of people stranded. [Continue Reading]
Israeli Forces Kill Two Palestinians in West Bank After They Appear to Surrender, Video Shows
The Israeli authorities said they were reviewing the shooting, which came amid days of extensive military operations in the West Bank. [Continue Reading]
Black Friday: Buy loo roll and keep the receipt to get a good deal
Discounts often aren't the cheapest prices, but here's how to make sure you're getting value for money. [Continue Reading]
UK submits 2035 World Cup bid and lists new Old Trafford stadium as venue
Manchester United's proposed new Old Trafford stadium is one of 22 venues named in the UK's bid to host the 2035 Women's World Cup. [Continue Reading]
Hong Kong tower blocks fire death toll rises to 128
Authorities say 89 bodies are unidentified and 79 people remain injured after Wednesday's blaze. [Continue Reading]
Listen: Belgium objects to the Russian assets loan as the EU prepares to table its plan
Belgium’s PM Bart De Wever has thrown quite a spanner into the EU’s plans to use frozen Russian state assets to fund Ukraine. But what’s really behind Belgium’s resistance and could one country derail Europe’s entire Ukraine strategy? [Continue Reading]
JoJo Siwa fans freak out after Chris Hughes says he’s ‘single’ on TV show
He made a strange admission on the latest episode that left fans scratching their heads. [Continue Reading]
Manhunt launched after disabled passenger sexually assaulted on a train
A disabled man was sexually assaulted on a train to Euston station [Continue Reading]
Amazon issues scam warning to 300,000,000 customers as Black Friday arrives
For Black Friday season, 'a little caution goes a long way'. [Continue Reading]
Rodial’s Black Friday sale landed with up to 25% off make-up and skincare
It’s deals galore! [Continue Reading]
Woman banned from Devon for life for ‘campaign of harassment’ against family
The woman threw herself to the ground, sobbing, as the judge delivered his verdict. [Continue Reading]
Michael D Higgins to open Other Voices festival
Michael D Higgins and Myles O'Reilly will open this year's Other Voices in Dhaingean Uí Chúis tonight, it has been announced. [Continue Reading]
Gender pay gap narrows at RTÉ this year to 8.85%
The gender pay gap, the difference between what men and women earn, has narrowed at RTÉ. [Continue Reading]
UN decries 'apparent summary execution' in West Bank
The United Nations has said that the killing of two Palestinians, shot dead in the West Bank while seemingly surrendering to Israeli forces, was an "apparent summary execution". [Continue Reading]
Man jailed for life over murder of pensioner in London
A 59-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of an elderly Irish pensioner in north London last May. [Continue Reading]
Spanish police arrest two Camorra crime mob fugitives wanted by Italy
Spanish police arrested two fugitives linked to the notorious Neapolitan organised crime group in Tenerife and Almería, wanted in Italy for serious crimes including extortion and homicide. [Continue Reading]
Pub chain Mitchells & Butlers faces £130m hit from rising wage and food costs
Group, which also owns restaurant brands including Toby Carvery, feels impact of increase in employer NICsBusiness live – latest updatesThe All Bar One owner, Mitchells & Butlers, has warned that it is facing about £130m in extra costs over the next year because of a soaring wage bill and rising food prices.The group, which also owns brands including Toby Carvery, Harvester and Miller & Carter, said the cost increases were largely being driven by April’s increases to the minimum wage and employers’ national insurance contributions. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
‘The new Hamilton’? Show with Mary Todd Lincoln as drunken first lady comes to London
The one-act play Oh, Mary! – ‘the stupidest, funniest thing possible’ – to open after blockbuster run in New YorkWhat if, in the final weeks before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the first lady could not care less about the American civil war and was instead hell-bent on becoming a cabaret star?That is the question posed by Oh, Mary!, the smash-hit show that reimagines Mary Todd Lincoln as a gloriously unhinged alcoholic who despises her closeted husband. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
‘Delays inevitable’: Starmer leadership safe until May elections, say Labour MPs
While some call budget ‘tactical victory’, few MPs believe it is enough for Labour to beat ReformUK politics live – latest updatesLabour MPs have said they believe Keir Starmer’s leadership is safe until at least the May elections, after a budget that avoided any major damaging measures but which few MPs believe will revive the party’s fortunes.More than a dozen previously loyal MPs told the Guardian they did not believe the budget would shift the fundamentals required for the party to beat Reform. “It only delays what is inevitable,” one minister said. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Kemi Badenoch defends budget speech attack on Rachel Reeves, saying ‘she started it’ – UK politics live
Conservative leader said the chancellor acts ‘like she’s still at school’ and claimed that her speech was reactive On Wednesday Kemi Badenoch had to respond to Rachel Reeves’s speech because, by convention, with budgets that’s a job for the leader of the opposition, not the shadow chancellor. And normally no one takes much interest, because what’s in the budget is more interesting.But Badenoch’s speech has attracted a lot of attention, for two reasons. First, even by Badenoch’s standards, it was unusually personal, and brutal. The full text is here, but it’s best to watch it to get a full sense... [Continue Reading]
Search under way after British man falls from cruise ship off Tenerife
Coastguard says 76-year-old passenger reported missing from TUI-operated vessel on Thursday morning A British cruise company has said it is working with authorities after a passenger on one of its ships was seen entering the water in the seas around the Canary Islands.Marella Cruises, which is operated by TUI UK, said the guest went overboard as the vessel was heading towards La Gomera, the second-smallest of the main islands in the Spanish archipelago off the coast of north-west Africa. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
UK energy bill payers will hand £2bn a year to EDF for new power stations
French government-owned company to receive funding for Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C Business live – latest updatesUK energy bill payers will hand over £2bn a year in subsidies to EDF, the French company building two nuclear power stations, according to government figures.EDF, owned by the French government, will be entitled to £1bn in annual payments as soon as Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, comes on to the grid in 2030. The sum is due under the contracts-for-difference system that guarantees low-carbon energy companies a fixed price for the electricity they generate. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Weather tracker: Snowfall cuts power in Poland and flooding devastates Sri Lanka
Temperatures dip to -8.5C in Poland and 250mm of rain falls in 24-hour period across Sri Lanka Temperatures plummeted this week across the eastern half of Europe, with the Alps dipping as low as -20C and to -8.5°C in the Polish town of Zakopane in the Tatras Mountains.Heavy snow also affected other parts of Poland with 15-20cm (about 6-8in) of snow falling in much of the central swathe of the country and more than 40cm in the south towards the mountains. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Rescue efforts end at Hong Kong tower block fire as death toll reaches 128
Firefighters comb through high-rises with as many as 200 people still missing, according to officialsAnger swells in Hong Kong over deadliest fire in more than 70 yearsHow the Hong Kong fire unfolded – visual guideThe death toll from the Hong Kong apartment complex fire that began on Wednesday has risen to 128 with as many as 200 missing, officials have said, as rescue operations were declared over.Firefighters were combing through the high-rises on Friday morning, attempting to find anyone alive after the massive fire that spread to seven of eight towers in one of the city’s deadliest ever blazes. Continue... [Continue Reading]
Pope, Orthodox leader mark Christian milestone in historic Turkiye meeting
First American pope urges Catholic Church in Turkiye to serve the most vulnerable, including migrants and refugees. [Continue Reading]
Home of Ukraine’s Lead Negotiator Is Searched in Corruption Case
The scrutiny of Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, could disrupt U.S.-led peace talks and further rattle Ukrainian politics. [Continue Reading]
'Business rates changes will cost me £62,000', pub boss warns
Pub bosses have warned they face a sharp rise in business rates bills despite government support. [Continue Reading]
What we know about shooting of National Guard in Washington DC
Sarah Beckstrom, 20, has died, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in a critical condition. [Continue Reading]
Awards season is approaching: 25 Oscar-tipped films, and how to watch them
Hamnet, Avatar and Marty Supreme will face one battle after another as the awards race heats up. [Continue Reading]
Cats became our companions way later than you might think
In true feline style, cats took their time in deciding when and where to join us on the sofa. [Continue Reading]
Nuns who ran away from care home to Alpine convent can stay - if they leave social media
The three nuns say they were taken out of the convent against their will and placed in a care home. [Continue Reading]
The 'Made in Europe' label debate comes round again, 20 years on
Twenty years ago as a mid-ranking official in the European Commission, I was told to develop an EU regulation requiring products to be labelled “Made in Europe”. That particular poisoned chalice did not go ahead, but now it's coming around again, writes former EU trade negotiator John Clarke. [Continue Reading]
The UK can’t get enough of fried chicken right now — and it’s all to do with the economy
A new chain seems to be popping up everywhere you go... [Continue Reading]
Irish Life Health to increases prices again in January
Irish Life Health is to increase the price of its policies by an average of 5% from January 2026. [Continue Reading]
Moscow antique salon showcases rare artworks
Moscow’s antique salon has opened with an eastern-inspired theme, featuring hundreds of exhibitors and a wide range of artworks from different eras and genres. [Continue Reading]
More than 40 dead as heavy rains trigger landslides and floods across Sri Lanka
Severe rains in Sri Lanka have triggered deadly landslides and floods, killing more than 40 people, cutting off major roads, and forcing emergency rescues in several regions. [Continue Reading]
Alabama priest leaves clergy after woman alleges ‘private companionship’ beginning when she was 17
Robert Sullivan’s self-imposed removal comes after accusations he provided financial support in exchange for arrangement which included sexA longtime Roman Catholic priest in Alabama has voluntarily left the clergy after a woman alleged to his superiors that he provided her financial support in exchange for “private companionship” including sex beginning when she was 17.Robert Sullivan’s self-imposed removal from the priesthood – known as laicization – was announced Wednesday, the day before the US holiday of Thanksgiving, in a public statement from Birmingham, Alabama, by Bishop Steven Raica. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Ukraine corruption scandal threatens Zelenskyy’s special relationship with top aide
Police raid at the home of Kyiv’s main peace negotiator is causing shock waves across Ukraine’s political sceneThe revelations that anti-corruption police are searching the property of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, could have huge repercussions for the Ukrainian political scene and possibly for peace negotiations as well.It is hard to overstate the significance of Yermak in the Ukrainian political system. He combines multiple roles for Zelenskyy: most trusted sounding board, domestic political enforcer, controller of access to the president, main point of contact for foreign politicians and chief peace negotiator. Yermak is such a powerful chief of... [Continue Reading]
Tunisia hands long prison sentences to opposition, business, media figures
A court sentences suspects over charges on 'conspiracy against state security' and 'belonging to a terrorist group'. [Continue Reading]
Iran to boycott FIFA 2026 World Cup draw in US over visa dispute
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being staged in United States, Canada and Mexico, with Washington DC hosting December's draw. [Continue Reading]