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UK's fourth-largest supermarket's sales rose 3% with 5.5m bottles of fizz and 500,000 turkeys sold

US president says an operation in Colombia sounds good' and elections in Venezuela will happen at the right time'Keir Starmer also told the BBC that he thinks we are living in a more volatile" world than we have been for many, many years" and said global affairs have much more of a direct impact" on the UK than they have in a long time, citing the effects of military conflicts and the climate crisis.Asked if Donald Trump is worsening global turmoil, Starmer dodges the question and speaks about the so-called special relationship between the UK and the US.The relationship between the US and the UK is one of the closest relationships in the world. It is vitally important for our defence, for our security, for our intelligence.It is my responsibility to make sure that relationship works as the prime minister of this country, working with the president of the United States. Not only have I stepped up to that responsibility, I have made it my business and I do get on with President Trump. Continue reading...

Study into intimate partner violence finds strangulation and head impacts increase risk of long-term memory loss and cognitive disabilities

The 73-year-old Oscar-nominated actor was issued with an eviction notice in DecemberMickey Rourke has turned to fundraising to pay the US$59,100 (44,000, A$89,000) he allegedly owes in rent, after being sued by his landlord and facing eviction from his Los Angeles home.The 73-year-old actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for his performance in the 2008 drama The Wrestler, has approved a GoFundMe page launched by Liya-Joelle Jones, a friend and member of Rourke's management team. At time of writing, the fundraiser had raised US$33,000 of its US$100,000 goal. Continue reading...

Watchdog will also monitor online ban for high fat and sugar products as part of wider effort to tackle childhood obesityA ban on junk food advertising on TV before 9pm and a total ban online has come into force as the government attempts to tackle the childhood obesity crisis.Under the rules, which will be enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) 13 categories of products can no longer be advertised on TV before the watershed or at any time online. The banned products are high in fat, sugar and salt. Continue reading...

Businesses being hit by rising cost of interest rates, energy costs and wages, says Resolution FoundationThe UK is poised for a rise in unemployment in 2026 fuelled by the collapse of zombie" companies that have struggled to adapt to a rise in business costs, according to a report.At the start of what could be a pivotal year for the economy, the Resolution Foundation said businesses were grappling with a triple whammy" of multiyear increases in interest rates, energy prices and the minimum wage that could finish off" some underperforming companies. Continue reading...

Marvel, Lost and Hobbit actor says almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity' after she fainted and fell face-first into a boulderEvangeline Lilly has revealed she has brain damage, months after she suffered a concussion when she fainted and fell face-first into a boulder.The 46-year-old Canadian actor, known for her roles in Lost, The Hobbit films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shared the bad news" video on her Instagram, one of many updates she has shared since she suffered the traumatic brain injury (TBI) in May, when she fainted on a beach and hit her head on a rock. Continue reading...

People who are sent to Manston processing centre will be eligible for searches for electronic devices from MondayHome Office plans to immediately begin seizing asylum seekers' mobile phones and sim cards without the need for an arrest have been condemned by a solicitor and anti-torture campaigners.People who arrive by small boat and are sent to Manston processing centre in Kent will from Monday be eligible for searches for electronic devices, a minister has said, with technology on site to download data. Continue reading...

Mette Frederiksen responds to president amid febrile atmosphere after US actions in Venezuela

Cricket veteran in good spirits and hopeful of moving out of intensive care as recovery continuesDamien Martyn is awake and talking, one week after being placed into an induced coma in a Gold Coast hospital with meningitis. The 54-year-old has been able to talk with friends and family, including ex-teammate Adam Gilchrist, and is said to be overwhelmed with the support offered.It's been an unbelievable turn of events in the last 48 hours," Gilchrist said in a statement. Continue reading...

King Charles leads tributes to Holocaust education campaigner, who he met in 2022, saying he and Camilla admired her deeply'King Charles has paid tribute to Anne Frank's stepsister, Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.The king, who danced with Schloss while visiting a Jewish community centre in north London in 2022, said he and Queen Camilla had admired her deeply" and he was privileged and proud" to have known her. Continue reading...

Mark Ratcliffe, 67, had been trying to save Sarah Keeling, 45, and her daughter Grace, 15, who remains missing, police sayA man who died trying to save two people from the sea in East Yorkshire on Friday was attempting to rescue a mother and her teenage daughter, Humberside police have said.The body of Sarah Keeling, 45, was recovered from Withernsea on Friday, while Grace Keeling, 15, remains missing after being washed away. Continue reading...

UK waiting to determine if US breached international law by capturing Nicolas Maduro, PM's chief secretary says

Protest over climate crisis and AI has cut power to tens of thousands of homes which may take days to fully restoreGerman leftwing militants protesting over the climate crisis and AI have claimed responsibility for an arson attack that cut power to tens of thousands of households in Berlin.The fire that broke out on a bridge across the Teltow canal in the south-west of the capital early on Saturday could deprive up to 35,000 homes and 1,900 businesses of electricity - and in many cases heat - until 8 January, the grid company Stromnetz Berlin said. Continue reading...

Considered one of world's finest trade union buildings and famous for its pitmen's parliament', Redhills was built on a grand scaleOutside the impressively grand, Edwardian baroque building in Durham are two wooden benches, each dedicated to men who died too young.They were, the inscription reads, both sacked and victimised" during the 1984-85 miners' strike. Yet they're in grounds that look as if they might have been owned by rich, exploitative mine owners. Continue reading...

Reduction follows Bank of England's base cut in December, with further cuts expected this yearHSBC has become the first major lender to cut mortgage rates this year, a move that could spark a price war over the coming months.The banking group, which is one of the UK's largest mortgage lenders, has cut rates across a range of residential and landlord buy-to-let mortgage products. The new rates come into effect on Monday. Continue reading...

Donald Trump's capture of Nicolas Maduro follows months of military campaign and years of strained relationship

Lucy Morville, from Burnley, thought most students would be from the north and felt culture shock' surrounded by southernersLike many students from the north, Lucy Morville says she felt culture shock" at being surrounded by southerners when she arrived at university. But she said the shock was even greater because it wasn't what she expected when she enrolled at the University of York.I hadn't travelled much down south before university, and I was like, Oh my gosh, they're all from London and Cambridge.' It was such a shock to me," she said. Continue reading...

Misinformation from the Trump administration is cited as fuelling Canadians' concerns over childhood vaccinationsCanadian officials and public health experts are warning that US health and science institutions can no longer be depended upon for accurate information, particularly when it comes to vaccinations, amid fears that misinformation from the Trump administration could further erode Canadians' confidence in healthcare.I can't imagine a world in which this misinformation doesn't creep into Canadians' consciousness and leads to doubt," said Dawn Bowdish, an immunologist and professor at McMaster University in Ontario. Continue reading...

Narinder Kapur proposes Amin's rule' named after Amin Abdullah who killed himself after losing his jobNHS England is being urged to introduce an independent second opinion whenever it decides to dismiss a healthcare professional, in memory of a nurse who set himself on fire after being unfairly dismissed from his job.Dr Narinder Kapur, an NHS whistleblower, is proposing Amin's rule", named after Amin Abdullah, who killed himself in 2016, to plug a gap he says exists when it comes to staff wellbeing. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Patriotic Alternative's Mark Collett addressed forum along with ideologue described as Putin's brain'The head of a leading British far-right group spoke at a summit of European extreme nationalist groups convened in Russia by an influential oligarch linked to Vladimir Putin, it can be revealed.The revelation has led to renewed concern among MPs over the Kremlin's links to extremist groups and its attempts to disrupt democracy and sow societal divisions in the UK. Continue reading...

The community spirit of the close-knit Swiss resort where at least 40 people died in a fire is strong even as inhabitants say they feel crushed by the tragedyMourners have continued to bring flowers and light candles to a makeshift memorial in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana to commemorate those who lost their lives when a blaze ripped through a packed bar popular with young people celebrating the new year, killing at least 40.We came to light a candle," said Sisi Boisard, a regular visitor to Crans-Montana from France for the last 20 years. We have five children and can't begin to imagine what these families are going through. This is a tragedy that has cut profoundly, but not just here - it's being felt across the world." Continue reading...

Hope appeal supports causes battling backdrop of extremist violence, anti-migrant rhetoric and racism

Nobel prize for Laszlo Krasznahorkai provides a rare glimpse of unity in a nation divided on party linesGyula, a tranquil and picturesque town in the east of Hungary, is best known for its sausages. It has no direct rail connection to Budapest, but it does have a library and a castle. Soon, it will also have an official copy of a Nobel medal.Congratulations to Laszlo Krasznahorkai, the first Nobel winner from Gyula," proclaim billboards in the town, paying tribute to the 71-year-old writer who won this year's Nobel prize in literature for his compelling and visionary oeuvre.". Continue reading...

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Nemiroff says products still reaching UK chains such as Sainsbury's and Tesco despite production difficultiesBusinesses in Ukraine are not sitting and waiting for the war to end" and are working to expand despite bombs hitting shipments out of the country, according to a leading vodka exporter to the UK.Yuriy Sorochynskyi, the chief executive of Ukraine's largest spirits export brand, Nemiroff vodka, has said its products have continued to flow to big chains including Tesco and Sainsbury's as it copes with the harsh realities of almost four years of war. Continue reading...

South Korea's military reports projectile launch, which follows Kim Jong-un calling for doubling of output of tactical guided weaponsNorth Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea on Sunday, its neighbours said, just hours before South Korea's president was due to leave for China for talks expected to cover North Korea's nuclear program.South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said in a statement that it detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea's capital region about 7.50am. It said the missiles flew about 900km (560 miles) and that South Korea and US authorities were analysing details of the launches. Continue reading...

Cricketers and fans pay tribute to victims and first responders ahead of play at the SCG

Audacious US military operation plucks leader Nicolas Maduro from power and removed him from the country

Tennis figure Lleyton Hewitt, Olympic gold medallists Jessica Fox and Ian Thorpe, and ex-Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke among open letter's signatories

Guided bombs used to target tunnels at site near to city of Palmyra in raid intended to eliminate dangerous terrorists'British and French aircraft have carried out a joint strike on an underground facility in Syria that had been occupied by Islamic State, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.Guided bombs were used to target access tunnels to the site, in the mountainous region near the ancient city of Palmyra in the centre of the country, on Saturday evening. Continue reading...

Emergency team were unable to save man trapped in the Curragh mine following the collapse on Friday

Not clear whether more people will get the flu this season, but more than 3,100 people have died in last year in USThe United States has seen the number of influenza cases climb significantly in December, coming after the most severe flu season since 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.It's not yet clear whether there will be an increase in the total number of people who get the flu this season - or whether more people just got it at once in December - but more than 3,100 people died from the virus in the US in the year ending August 2025, according to the latest data from the CDC. Continue reading...

Manufacturing workers union wants capital gains tax discount to be reduced and then phased out and an effective end to negative gearing

Wilding has been drawing the same street for seven years, taking in cafes, pubs, homes, churches, markets, shops and a branch of the legendary A1 Lebanese bakery More summer essentialsOnce a week you can find Helen Wilding and friends sitting on the side of the road, pens in hand. This time she's perched on a tiny folding stool between a couple of pot plants, focusing intently on a plant nursery. It appears to be shut.Wilding has been sketching this same street in inner Melbourne for seven years. Stretching for a couple of kilometres through Fitzroy, one of Melbourne's oldest suburbs, Brunswick Street has everything - cafes, pubs, homes, churches, markets, shops and a branch of the legendary A1 Lebanese bakery. Continue reading...

Ben Lennard talks about how his pornography use began to interfere with his life - and gradually get out of control

Exclusive: Survey finds growing number neglecting responsibilities' or damaging relationships' as a result

UK prime minister describes situation as fast-moving and is waiting for more details to emerge US strikes on Venezuela - live updatesSir Keir Starmer has said the UK was not involved in the US operation in Venezuela, in which the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife were captured by special forces and the capital, Caracas, hit with airstrikes.Speaking for the first time since Donald Trump launched his extraordinary attack, the prime minister said he had not spoken to the US president, and that the UK was keen to establish the facts" of what had happened. Continue reading...

Suspected offences include homicide by negligence, causing bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligenceThe two managers of a bar where a blaze on New Year's Day killed at least 40 people have been placed under criminal investigation, Swiss prosecutors have said.French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti owned and managed the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, which was crammed with young new year's revellers when a blaze began at about 1.30am local time (12.30am GMT) on Thursday, killing about 40 people and injuring more than 100. Continue reading...

Duffy, believed to be UK's longest-living former MP, survived a plane crash in Scotland during second world warThe former Labour MP and defence minister Sir Patrick Duffy has died aged 105 after a short illness, a family friend has said.He died on 2 January and is believed to have been the UK's longest-living former MP. Continue reading...

US president lauds brilliant operation' on social media as attorney general says couple will face criminal charges

Housing crisis reaches UK's oldest generations as high private rents and lack of social housing hits pensionersThe housing crisis has reached the country's oldest generations, charities have warned, with a growing number of people over the age of 60 seeking help for homelessness.Housing charities said they had seen cases of people over-60 developing health problems from being forced to sleep in their car for months, having to sleep on camp beds in emergency shelters and seeking homelessness support even while suffering illnesses such as cancer. Continue reading...

UK pastry chain has plans for two new factories and 800 more branches, despite sales falling in 2025 and analysts questioning brand's directionAn enormous carpet of pastry snakes its way around the factory. Four huge metal urns of meat filling are waiting to be added. Workers in hairnets and overalls buzz about, checking a production line that holds 4.5 tonnes of pastry at any one time.This is food production on an industrial scale, designed to satisfy the UK's seemingly insatiable appetite for sausage rolls, vegan bites and other baked treats. Continue reading...

Ailing economy sparks biggest uprising in years, with protesters saying it's time to hit regime when it's at its weakestMehnaz was too young to protest when Mahsa Amini died in police custody three years ago after she was arrested for allegedly wearing the hijab improperly. Her mother did not let her join the throngs of crowds chanting woman, life, freedom" in Tehran and across the country - so she could only watch at home as they were beaten back by batons and bullets.Since then, the 19-year-old computer science student in Tehran has waited for the chance to join fellow Iranians in protest. On Sunday, the moment finally came. Continue reading...

As Labour seeks abolition of hereditary peers, Tory-dominated House of Lords has inflicted near-record number of defeats on No 10Dining in the House of Lords canteen just after Labour came to power, one Labour adviser found themselves sitting opposite two Tory peers.In particular, the pair were fuming about the forthcoming abolition of hereditary peers. Both agreed, the adviser said, that there should be a deliberate strategy to undermine the government on all its legislation, to slow down debate, and to push the new Lords leader, Angela Smith, to ask No 10 for concessions. Continue reading...

State opposition leader says inquiry established with no notice, no public hearings and an impossibly short deadline'

Quieter destinations, such as Malta's sister island, Gozo, and long-haul locations are expected to be popularUK travel companies are bracing for one of their busiest periods for bookings as winter-wearied consumers plan sunny breaks, with package holiday bookings forecast to be up 5% this January.The Civil Aviation Authority, the regulator that administers the Atol travel financial protection scheme, has forecast that 200,000 more holidaymakers will book trips this month compared with the 4.3 million who did so in the same period last year. Continue reading...

Thousands have blown down in storms and tents from China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia found to be not waterproofThousands of tents supplied by China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to shelter displaced Palestinians in Gaza offer only limited protection against rain and wind, an assessment compiled by shelter specialists in the devastated territory has revealed.The assessment will undermine claims that Palestinians in Gaza are being supplied with adequate shelter. Fierce storms in recent weeks blew down or damaged thousands of tents, affecting at least 235,000 people, according to UN estimates. Continue reading...

Police investigation continues after fatal shooting in Fitzroy in early hours of Saturday morning

Two workers have been recovered safely from Curragh coalmine as search continues for missing man