Police say blaze tore through crowded bar where people were seeing in the new year

Met Office issues amber and yellow weather warnings as Arctic air blows in from ScandinaviaLarge parts of the UK will be blanketed with snow and ice as chilly Arctic air blows in a bitterly cold start to 2026.Snowfall is forecast for all four countries on Friday or Saturday, with blizzard conditions and thundersnow" expected in the Scottish Highlands. Continue reading...

Tragicomedy will be performed outdoors in Northern Irish countryside as part of new festival celebrating Irish playwrightBeneath a stark steel tree in a bleak upland bog, a literary masterpiece is set to assume a different linguistic mantle.Samuel Beckett's enigmatic tragicomedy Waiting for Godot will make its world premiere in Ulster Scots, a moment described as a coming of age" for the minority language, and the antithesis of the trend for celebrity Godots. Continue reading...

Concerning' disparities in access to continuous glucose monitors despite black and south Asian people being more likely to live with conditionPeople from ethnic minority backgrounds in England are less likely to have access to the latest diabetes technology, despite being more likely to live with the condition, according to analysis.Devices such as a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help people check their blood glucose levels in order to better manage the disease. Continue reading...

Ador terminated the Australian-born singer's contract on Monday and is now suing her, a family member and the band's former producerThe K-pop record label Ador is suing a former member of megaband NewJeans for millions in damages, it has announced, a day after removing her from the group following a year-long dispute that saw the band allege mistreatment and attempt to leave their contract.The compensation suit against Danielle Marsh, a 20-year-old Australian-born singer, comes months after a Seoul district court ruled that NewJeans' five members must honour their contracts with Ador, whose parent company Hybe is also behind the K-pop sensation BTS. The band's contract runs until 2029. Continue reading...

Blaze on city's eastern fringe contained but not controlled on Thursday with firefighters warning of risk to lives and homes

BBC reveals latest cast, which also features cybersecurity expert, sweet shop assistant and personal trainerA retired police detective, a crime writer and a psychologist are among the next cohort of contestants to enter The Traitors' castle, as the BBC revealed details of the latest series of its smash-hit sleuthing show.A sweet shop assistant, a cybersecurity expert and a personal trainer are also among those to be divided into plotting traitors" and the faithfuls" tasked with unmasking them. Continue reading...

Demonstrations against deteriorating living conditions have widened to include criticism of how Iran is governedAlborz, a textile merchant in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, decided he could no longer sit on the sidelines. He closed his shop and took to the streets, joining merchants across Iran who shuttered their stores and students who took over their campuses to protest against declining economic conditions.The sudden loss of purchasing power pushed Alborz and tens of thousands of other Iranians into the streets, where protests are now entering their fourth day. Students have paralysed university campuses, traders have shut down their stores and demonstrators have blocked off streets in defiance of police. Protests have spread from the capital, Tehran, to cities across Iran. Continue reading...

Government should have appointed an envoy to carry out checks on activist in citizenship row, says Emily ThornberryThe government could have avoided embarrassing failures" in the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah by having a special envoy deal with complex cases involving Britons detained abroad, Emily Thornberry has said.The chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee criticised serious shortcomings" in information sharing, which she said could have been resolved by having a dedicated official carry out background checks. Continue reading...

Begum's lawyers argue she was child trafficking victim when she travelled to live under IS in Syria in 2015The European court of human rights has questioned the UK government over its 2019 decision to remove Shamima Begum's British citizenship.Lawyers in Europe have asked how Begum's treatment complies with the UK's responsibilities to victims of trafficking. Continue reading...

Border guards say they found ship with anchor lowered into sea after detection of fault in Helsinki-Tallinn telecoms linkFinnish authorities have boarded and seized a cargo vessel sailing from Russia on suspicion of sabotaging two underwater telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea, where a series of similar incidents have occurred in recent years.The vessel, the Fitburg, was on its way from St Petersburg to Haifa in Israel. Finnish coastguard officers boarded the ship at 11am, about six hours after disruption to the cables was first reported. Fourteen crew members, including several Russians, were taken into custody. Continue reading...

Bomb disposal specialists attend scene to assess items and several properties evacuated, says Lancashire constabularyA 16-year-old boy has been arrested after explosive material was found at an address in Blackpool.Lancashire constabulary said a number of properties had been evacuated as a precaution after officers found a quantity of items of concern" at about 11.30am on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Near-freezing temperatures likely but clear, dry skies will be perfect for viewing fireworks, says Met OfficeSnowfall is expected across much of the UK in a chilly start to the new year, forecasters have said, as revellers were advised to wrap up with near-freezing temperatures expected on New Year's Eve.Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations are expected to go ahead after last year's cancellation due to high winds, despite yellow warnings for snow across northern Scotland. Continue reading...

US president's assertions climate change is a hoax' and London has police no-go areas left unchallenged, say criticsBritain's media regulator Ofcom is under pressure to investigate a GB News interview with Donald Trump after complaints that it contained misleading and inaccurate claims that the network failed to challenge.The rightwing channel claimed a world exclusive sit-down interview" with the US president in November, in which Trump asserted that human-induced climate change was a hoax" and that London had no-go areas for police and that the capital had sharia law". Continue reading...

Can inflation be tamed without further interest rate hikes? And will the hot streak for gold and silver continue in 2026?

Officials warned of major economic, environmental and social disruption to Australia due to its dependence on coal

Alexander Downer told senior colleagues the H5N1 strain of bird flu could mutate into a pandemic with potentially devastating consequences' for Australia and the world

Hospitals brace for new year surge in sick patients as temperatures plummet and with 95% of beds fullThe NHS is under extraordinary pressure" and braced for a new year surge in sick patients as amber cold health alerts were issued for the whole of England.While the number of patients in hospital with flu is levelling off, according to data published on Wednesday, health leaders said the NHS was not out of danger yet" with temperatures expected to plummet. Continue reading...

Rail services between Sheffield and Doncaster affected on New Year's Eve after incident at ConisbroughTrain passengers in South Yorkshire are facing disruption on New Year's Eve after the theft of signalling cables, Network Rail has said.The rail body said services between Sheffield and Doncaster would be affected all day after the theft in Conisbrough. Continue reading...

As a judge puts a security hold on Rob and Michele Reiner's cases and Joe Rogan criticises Donald Trump's comments about Reiner's death, collaborators continue to pay tributeMore than two weeks after the deaths of the film director Rob Reiner and his photographer wife, Michele, friends and colleagues continue to pay tribute to the couple.Writing on Instagram, Cary Elwes, who starred in Reiner's 1987 classic The Princess Bride, said he only now felt able to post publicly about his loss. Continue reading...

Country's six-month stint at helm begins with defence, migration and Ukraine still at top of agendaCyprus says it will bring a new approach to the table" when it assumes the EU presidency on Thursday, as defence, migration and Ukraine continue to top the agenda at a time of acute geopolitical uncertainty.As one of the bloc's smaller member states, Cyprus will tackle its six-month stint at the EU's helm with discipline and dedication but also a different mindset", the Cypriot foreign minister, Constantinos Kombos, said. Continue reading...

SES officer praised by police after entering crocodile-filled waters to retrieve body of man from submerged car

PM Sanae Takaichi joins petition asking for better facilities for women to match improved representationNearly 60 female lawmakers in Japan, including the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, have submitted a petition calling for more toilets in the parliament building for women to match their improved representation.Japanese politics remains hugely male-dominated, although the number of women in the parliament rose at the last election - and Takaichi became the first female prime minister in October. This is reflected by there being only one lavatory containing two cubicles for the lower house's 73 women to use near the Diet's main plenary session hall in central Tokyo. Continue reading...

NSW premier Chris Minns encourages Sydneysiders to puff out your chest', stating police on high alert' as more than 1 million people expected to celebrate in the city

Report of a drone attack on a port facility signals new phase in US military campaign against Nicolas Maduro

Government sources say social media posts by British-Egyptian activist do not meet legal bar for such sanctionThe Home Office will not strip the British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah of his citizenship because his abhorrent" past social media posts do not meet the legal bar for such a sanction, government sources have said.Abd el-Fattah, who landed in London from Egypt on Boxing Day, has been at the centre of a political storm over social media posts he published more than a decade ago, including tweets in which he called for Zionists to be killed. Continue reading...

Assertion comes after the Kremlin accused Ukraine of attacking Vladimir Putin's palace in Novgorod

Exclusive: In letter declining proposed award, Tressa Burke, CEO of Glasgow Disability Alliance, accused government of fuelling hatred'The head of one of Scotland's foremost disability rights charities says she turned down an MBE in the recent new year honours because the UK government was fuelling hatred, blame and scapegoating of people with disabilities".Tressa Burke, chief executive officer of the Glasgow Disability Alliance, had been recommended by the prime minister for the honour for her services to people with disabilities. Over two decades, Burke has grown the organisation from seed into a nationally recognised voice for disabled people in Scotland's largest city, and supported more than 5,000 members through the pandemic. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sales via intermediary companies appear to continue despite Michelin's attempts to cut off tradeRussia has continued to use intermediary companies, including one apparently based in the UK, to import aviation tyres made by the French firm Michelin despite attempts to stop the trade, customs records suggest.Despite sanctions on the sale of civilian and aviation tyres to Russia, which is critically dependent on foreign suppliers, an analysis of records indicates that a significant number are continuing to get through. Continue reading...

CEO of Britain's biggest household energy supplier says technology arm could float in the medium term

Coral Adventurer, separately being investigated for allegedly leaving behind passenger who died on Lizard Island, ordered not to leave PNG waters

Zia's archrivalry with Sheikh Hasina defined the country's politics for a generationKhaleda Zia, the first female prime minister of Bangladesh whose long rivalry with Sheikh Hasina defined the country's politics for a generation, has died aged 80.Zia was one of the most significant and divisive political figures in the country since Bangladesh independence 50 years ago. Her death was announced on Tuesday morning by the Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP). Continue reading...

MP Anneliese Dodds made a dame and former head of Labour Together thinktank Jonathan Ashworth a CBETwo of Keir Starmer's closest allies have been named in the new year honours list.The former international development minister Anneliese Dodds, who resigned in February this year, has been named a dame and Jonathan Ashworth, who led the Labour Together thinktank until July, a CBE. Continue reading...

Syal becomes a dame, Last of the Summer Wine writer Roy Clarke gets knighthood and Paul Elliott awarded MBEThe creator of some of British television's most beloved sitcoms, a Match of the Day presenter and a Chuckle Brother are among the figures from the arts and media to be recognised in the new year honours list.Roy Clarke, who created some of the most popular BBC shows of the previous century, has been honoured with a knighthood. He has had a huge impact on British television, creating shows including Last of the Summer Wine, Keeping Up Appearances and Open All Hours. Continue reading...

Simon Roberts, credited with helping to turn around grocer, made CBE along with former BAE Systems boss Ian KingThe boss of Sainsbury's who helped turn around the grocer's fortunes is among leading figures from the business world to be recognised in the new year honours list.Simon Roberts, who has been chief executive of the UK's second largest supermarket since 2020, has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the retail industry. Continue reading...

Much attention was paid to the problem of misogyny, but focus was also placed on issues such as paternity leave and mental healthThe prime minister said it was a really hard watch", while a British police force said it should be a wake-up call for parents". The Netflix drama Adolescence - which tells the story of a 13-year-old boy arrested for killing a female classmate - was hailed from the school gates to the Houses of Parliament for shedding a spotlight on the toxic influence of the manosphere.But the national conversation did not end with the final episode of the much-discussed drama. A series of high-profile campaigns, conversations, policy shifts and research have resulted in a sense that 2025 has been the year of the boy. Continue reading...

Taipei condemns exercise that Chinese army calls a stern warning' against separatist and external forcesChina has launched live-fire military drills around Taiwan, simulating a blockade of major ports, attacking maritime targets, and fending off international interference", in what it calls a warning to separatist" forces in Taiwan.The People's Liberation Army (PLA) - the military wing of the ruling Communist party in China - sent its navy, air force, rocket force and coastguard to surround Taiwan on Monday morning for a surprise exercise called Justice Mission 2025", which began less than an hour after it was announced. Continue reading...

A sober observer assessing the US president's claim may react the same way as Zelenskyy - with shock and disbelief

Children's father tried to break into bedroom from outside to rescue them but was beaten back by flamesA woman and two children aged seven and four were killed in a fire in the early hours of Boxing Day after their father, a serving police officer, desperately tried to save them.The officer smashed his way out of the stone cottage in the Cotswolds and tried to break into his children's bedroom from the outside to rescue them but was beaten back by the flames. Continue reading...

In documentary I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, the actor and his family revealed that doctors told them to prepare yourselves for the worst'Chevy Chase suffered near fatal" heart failure which led to him being placed in an induced coma during the pandemic in 2021, according to a new film about the American actor and comedian.As documented in I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, the star of films such as Caddyshack and the National Lampoon movies, who hosted the Oscars twice, spent a total of five weeks in hospital. Continue reading...

Yellow warning for parts of Scotland and amber cold health alert in place for north-east and north-west EnglandHeavy snow showers are on the way across parts of the UK as a weather warning has been issued by the Met Office.A yellow warning for snow and ice has been issued for parts of Scotland from 6am on New Year's Day until midnight on 2 January. Continue reading...

Bears are becoming a growing problem in some of Japan's urban areas as they are forced to venture further in search of foodIt came as no surprise, least of all to the residents of Osaki, that bear" was selected as Japan's kanji character of the year earlier this month.The north-eastern town of 128,000 people is best known for its Naruko Onsen hot springs, autumn foliage and kokeshi - cylindrical dolls carved from a single piece of wood. But this year it has made the headlines as a bear hotspot, as the country reels from a year of record ursine encounters and deaths, with warnings that winter will not bring immediate respite. Continue reading...

Isobel Wallace, from Doncaster, described as happiest, smiliest, most adventurous little girl'A two-year-old girl who died after falling into a garden pond on Christmas Day was the happiest, smiliest, most adventurous little girl", her family has said.Isobel Wallace was discovered during festive celebrations at her parents' new home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Continue reading...

Ageing populations and falling birthrates have left ever fewer workers to support growing number of retireesIt has played a starring role in one of the worst periods of political turmoil in France since the 1960s. In Germany, it threatens the future of the coalition government. In Spain, thousands have taken to the streets to demand change.The right to a decent state pension has been a central plank of the European social contract for decades, but people are living longer, birthrates are falling, and the continent's pension systems are, increasingly, unsustainable. Continue reading...

YouGov survey finds many say payments are too low and oppose reforms such as raising retirement age or cutsMost Europeans believe their country's state pension system will soon become unaffordable - but they also think the current scheme is not generous enough, and do not support options for overhauling it such as raising the retirement age.As populations age and fertility rates decline, Europe's pay as you go" state pension systems, cornerstones of the welfare state that have always relied on people in work paying the retirees' pensions, are coming under increasingly heavy pressure. Continue reading...

Spring-like weather experienced by many Americans to end, while heavy snow in Japan brings deadly conditionsA week of extremes in the US as Arctic air plunges southwards across many states, sweeping away record-breaking warmth from last weekend. With low pressure in the west drawing up warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico, much of the south and midwest basked in spring-like weather this weekend with temperatures widely an extraordinary 15-20C above normal for late December.This week, however, most people will ditch their summer clothes for hats and scarves as a ridge pressure builds across the west, allowing for a polar air mass to dive southward, bringing freezing temperatures and the risk of snow. Continue reading...

US president said thorny' questions over territory have yet to be resolved and expressed sympathy with Russia not wanting a ceasefireDonald Trump has said a deal to end the war in Ukraine is closer than ever" but has admitted that thorny" questions over the future of the eastern Donbas region have yet to be resolved, after a two-hour meeting on Sunday with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.Trump said a draft agreement to end the war was nearly 95% done". I really think we are closer than ever with both sides," he said, adding that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, also wants to see it happen". Continue reading...

Hinata Goto reportedly fell as he was trying to get off the 30-metre-long walkwayA five-year-old boy has died after becoming trapped in a moving travelator at a ski resort in northern Japan, local media have said.The victim, Hinata Goto, died on Sunday after his right arm became trapped in the walkway's winding mechanism during a family skiing trip to Otaru, a city on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido. Continue reading...