Man Utd told they made the ‘signing of the season’ ahead of Liverpool and Newcastle
Louis Saha has shared his thoughts. [Continue Reading]
The unexpected age you ‘become an adult’ now — and 9 signs to prove it
Turns out, I'm just a baby. [Continue Reading]
What does the Autumn Budget mean for your money? Metro’s money expert explains what you need to know
Banned horror game Horses is on Epic Games Store but not Steam
A controversial Italian horror game has been banned from Steam over explicit content, prompting a wider discussion about censorship on Valve's storefront. [Continue Reading]
UK's Reeves comes back for more tax to bolster finances
British finance minister Rachel Reeves delivered a budget today that will take more tax from workers, people saving for a pension and from investors to give herself more room for meeting her borrowing targets. [Continue Reading]
€24bn Government plan for transport announced
The Government has published its €24bn plan for roads, rail, aviation, maritime and active travel projects it intends to begin over the next four years. [Continue Reading]
France's top court upholds ex-President Sarkozy's conviction for illegal campaign financing
This decision is another blow to the former president's reputation and legacy, just two weeks after his release from prison pending an appeal in another campaign financing case. [Continue Reading]
Departing Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘the canary in the coal mine’ for Republicans, says former House speaker – US politics live
Kevin McCarthy says exit of the Trump loyalist turned critic is a sign of broader trouble for RepublicansCertain Republicans are moving to criticize Steve Witkoff and his relationship with Moscow, after the transcript of a call between Trump’s envoy and a senior Kremlin official was leaked yesterday.“It is clear that Witkoff fully favors the Russians. He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Would a Russian paid agent do less than he? He should be fired,” said outgoing Republican congressman Don Bacon, of Nebraska. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Karoline Leavitt’s nephew’s mother detained by US immigration agents
Bruna Ferreira, who has a child with the White House press secretary’s brother, is now in custody at an ICE facilityUS politics live – latest updatesKaroline Leavitt’s nephew’s mother has been detained by US immigration agents in Revere, Massachusetts, as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.Bruna Ferreira, a Boston-area resident who migrated with her family to the US from Brazil as a child, is now in custody at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Louisiana, according to Boston radio station WBUR, which first reported the arrest. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Trump envoy Witkoff reportedly advised Kremlin official on Ukraine peace deal | First Thing
Witkoff also offered tactical guidance on how Putin should raise subject with Trump, audio recording suggests. Plus, the female pilots on Ukraine’s frontlineGood morning.Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told a senior Kremlin official last month that achieving peace in Ukraine would require Russia gaining control of Donetsk and potentially a separate territorial exchange, according to a recording of their conversation.What did Witkoff say? “Now, me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere,” Witkoff told Ushakov during the five-minute conversation, according to a transcript of... [Continue Reading]
Budget 2025 live: Reeves scraps two-child benefit cap and confirms mansion tax as OBR apologises for leaking details
Office for Budget Responsibility blames ‘technical error’ after forecasts were published ahead of budgetAt a glance: the key points from the budgetPaul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, has rejected the concerns raised by the Resolution Foundation (see 9.54am) about the rise in the minimum wage rates. Asked about the thinktank’s comments, Nowak told Times Radio:I don’t accept those concerns ...First of all, that recommendation is based on the Low Pay Commission, which brings together employers, unions, independent experts, they’re tasked with making a recommendation on the minimum wage, which balances getting money into people’s pockets and the impact on unemployment.... [Continue Reading]
Nicolas Sarkozy convicted of illegal campaign financing in failed 2012 re-election bid
Former French president released from prison only this month in connection with separate convictionThe former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been convicted of illegal campaign financing in his failed 2012 re-election bid, after the country’s highest court rejected his final appeal.Sarkozy, who was the country’s rightwing president between 2007 and 2012, was convicted of hiding illegal overspending for his unsuccessful re-election campaign that was shaped by vast American-style rallies. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
‘Progress is happening’: gender pay gap narrows but Australian women still earn $28,000 less than men
Western Australian employers reported the biggest pay gap and Tasmanian employers the smallest, but all states reported an improvement, study finds Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s gender pay gap narrowed further in 2025, but women still earn on average about $28,000 a year less than men, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s latest equality scorecard has revealed.Women earn, on average, 78.9 cents for every $1 men earn, according to the analysis of 5.4 million Australian workers across more than 8,200 employers. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Online ‘ghost stores’ capitalising on Christmas and Black Friday sales to lure shoppers, ACCC warns
Consumers advised to be sceptical about sales season discounts as AI makes it even harder to detect scamsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSo-called “ghost store” operators are taking advantage of Christmas and Black Friday to lure shoppers to their websites, as the consumer regulator warns Australians that artificial intelligence is making it even harder to identify deceptive retailers.The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) considers ghost stores – which falsely market themselves as local brands – to be “scam adjacent”, as some send imitation products from overseas and others fail to deliver anything at all.... [Continue Reading]
Australia’s emissions from fossil fuels down as electricity from renewables passes 40%
While greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.2% or 9.9m tonnes last financial year, new policies are needed to meet the 2035 targetSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereAustralia’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.2% last financial year, in what the Albanese government says is the largest annual drop due to reduced fossil fuel use outside the Covid-19 pandemic.About half of the 9.9m tonnes reduction was due to an increase in solar and wind generation pushing coal-fired power out of the system, according to new government data to be released on Thursday. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
At least 13 dead as fire engulfs Hong Kong high-rise residential buildings
Authorities call blaze a level five alarm as flames engulf several high-rise buildings in a northern Hong Kong estate. [Continue Reading]
Palestine Action’s legal challenge against UK government ban begins
Cofounder Huda Ammori says the ban is 'one of the most extreme attacks on civil liberties in recent British history'. [Continue Reading]
Russia-Ukraine ‘peace plan’: What’s the latest version after US-Kyiv talks?
Moscow is reportedly unhappy with changes to a controversial US draft plan which leaked earlier. [Continue Reading]
The Tourism Slump Squeezes Navajo Nation Parks Like Monument Valley
Things were looking up last year at pandemic-battered Navajo Nation parks. Then their lifeblood, foreign visitors, slowed to a trickle. [Continue Reading]
Trump Administration Will Raise Prices for Foreign Visitors at National Parks
The increases come as more and more international travelers are choosing to stay away from the United States and amid turmoil at the National Park Service. [Continue Reading]
Is batting getting harder in Australia?
After Australia and England played out the first two-day Ashes Test in 104 years, chief cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt looks at the reasons why and asks if the rest of the series could be played on fast forward. [Continue Reading]
Second arrest after boy shot in city centre
Two boys, 15 and 16, are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. [Continue Reading]
Attack on house treated as racially motivated hate crime
Police say windows were smashed at the property on Ormeau Embankment while racially-motivated graffiti was sprayed on the walls. [Continue Reading]
'Classical music isn't boring': How Rosalía's new album is inspiring young musicians
The singer's latest, Lux, has got us talking about classical music. Its popularity might surprise you. [Continue Reading]
UK growth forecasts lowered from next year
Downgrades to productivity means the economy is set to grow at an annual rate of 1.5% on average over the next five years. [Continue Reading]
Properties worth more than £2m face new tax
The surcharge begins at £2,500, rising to £7,500 for properties valued at more than £5m. [Continue Reading]
Reeves reduces workplace pension tax break
Some pension savers face a hit to the amount of money they can put into their pension without paying national insurance. [Continue Reading]
When will the two-child benefit cap be lifted?
Since 2017, some benefits have been limited when parents have a third child or more, so how does it work? [Continue Reading]
At-a-glance: Key measures from this year's Budget
Rachel Reeves is delivering her second Budget since Labour’s return to power – here’s what you need to know. [Continue Reading]
Man Utd prepared to let three players leave on loan including former Arsenal starlet
A number of players could be leaving in January. [Continue Reading]
Amazon issues urgent warning to all 300,000,000 customers not to fall for these five attacks
T'is the season to be jolly – but also to be scammed, with criminals cashing in on the fact we're all online shopping. [Continue Reading]
EastEnders shock as Lauren makes horrifying discovery after child is injured in early BBC iPlayer release
Lauren's devastating realisation [Continue Reading]
Wicked’s love scene between Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey was cut for being ‘too passionate’
'It was romantic and beautiful, but a little too passionate.' [Continue Reading]
'Violence against women is a men's problem', says Cairns
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has said violence against women is a "men's problem", adding that the problem will not be fully addressed until more men join the fight against it. [Continue Reading]
Thirteen dead as blaze engulfs Hong Kong residential complex
A fire in a Hong Kong residential complex killed 13 people and injured 15 others. The blaze rapidly spread through bamboo scaffolding, leading to the evacuation of 700 residents. [Continue Reading]
Ex-Countdown champion detained in hospital after attacking rival player with knife
John Cowen, who has schizophrenia, to remain in hospital for ‘indefinite duration’ after attack on player at tournamentA former Countdown champion has been detained in a hospital for treatment after attacking a rival player with a knife during a tournament.Preston crown court heard that John Cowen, 31, ran across a room in Blackpool to attack a fellow player, Thomas Carey, before being restrained by attenders. The space had been hosting a Focal Countdown Group event, where former Countdown champions and contestants faced fans in spelling and number challenges. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
How does freezing tax thresholds affect your own tax bill?
Rachel Reeves is freezing tax thresholds in an attempt to plug the hole in the public accounts. Find out how it affects your tax billBudget 2025 – live updatesThe chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has announced that income tax thresholds will be frozen until the 2030-31 tax year.Freezing tax thresholds results in “fiscal drag” – a phenomenon where people are dragged into higher tax bands when they get pay rises. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Departing Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘the canary in the coal mine’ for Republicans, says former House speaker – US politics live
Kevin McCarthy says exit of the Trump loyalist turned critic is a sign of broader trouble for RepublicansDonald Trump has no public events scheduled today. On Tuesday he left Washington to spend the Thanksgiving break at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.On Air Force One yesterday, he spoke with reporters briefly about a number of issues, including reports that the president would reveal a new healthcare proposal soon. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Budget 2025 live: Rachel Reeves scraps two-child benefit cap and confirms council tax changes as OBR apologises for leaking details
Office for Budget Responsibility blames ‘technical error’ after forecasts were published ahead of budgetAt a glance: the key points from the budgetPaul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, has rejected the concerns raised by the Resolution Foundation (see 9.54am) about the rise in the minimum wage rates. Asked about the thinktank’s comments, Nowak told Times Radio:I don’t accept those concerns ...First of all, that recommendation is based on the Low Pay Commission, which brings together employers, unions, independent experts, they’re tasked with making a recommendation on the minimum wage, which balances getting money into people’s pockets and the impact on unemployment.... [Continue Reading]
Two London councils enact emergency plans after being hit by cyber-attack
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster city council investigate whether data has been compromisedAt least two London councils have been hit by a cyber-attack and have invoked emergency plans as they investigate whether any data has been compromised.The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City council, which share some IT infrastructure, said a number of systems had been affected across both authorities, including phone lines. The councils, which provide services for 360,000 residents, shut down several computerised systems as a precaution to limit further possible damage. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Putin trying to negotiate an end to Ukraine war as he cannot win it on battlefield, says EU’s Kallas – Europe live
EU’s foreign policy chief says ‘there’s one aggressor and one victim’ in conflict amid US push to end the warIn case you missed it, US president Donald Trump defended his peace envoy Steve Witkoff overnight after Bloomberg reported that he allegedly advised Putin’s aide Ushakov on how to speak with Trump and conduct the talks.Trump did not appear too bothered by it, though. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
‘I didn’t even know this type of attack existed’: more than 200 women allege drugging by senior French civil servant
In a case echoing the Pelicot trial, dozens of women allege they were given hot drinks mixed with a diuretic to make them urinate. Three of them speak out hereWhen Sylvie Delezenne, a marketing expert from Lille, was job-hunting in 2015, she was delighted to be contacted on LinkedIn by a human resources manager at the French culture ministry, inviting her to Paris for an interview.“It was my dream to work at the culture ministry,” she said. Continue reading... [Continue Reading]
Europe reimagines rearmament at sea, learning from Russia’s war on Ukraine
Zelenskyy’s co-production agreements across the continent are kindling the fires of the naval defence industry. [Continue Reading]
India-China in new spat over Arunachal Pradesh: What’s it all about?
Tensions are reignited after Arunachal-born Prema Wangjom Thongdok is detained at a Chinese airport. [Continue Reading]
Thief caught on camera stealing 8ft tall Christmas decoration
The masked cyclist is shown taking the nutcracker soldier from outside a bar in the capital. [Continue Reading]
Twenty-four Nigerian schoolgirls released over a week after abduction
Nigerian officials dispute reports that some 250 children remain missing after another mass school kidnap. [Continue Reading]
What we know about the Hong Kong apartment fires
At least 13 people have been killed in the huge blaze, but what caused it is still unclear. [Continue Reading]