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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

Jewish family say crew did not seek consent to film inside their home days after it was wrecked by Hamas in southern IsraelThe BBC has said it has reached a settlement with a Jewish family who survived Hamas's 7 October attacks in southern Israel after a news crew filmed inside their destroyed home.The reporting team, which included senior correspondent Jeremy Bowen, entered the Horenstein family's home in the days after the attacks in 2023. Continue reading...

British boxer was injured in collision that killed his personal trainer Latif Ayodele and strength coach Sina GhamiNigerian police have charged Anthony Joshua's driver with causing death by dangerous driving after a fatal crash that killed two people.Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was also charged with driving without a valid driving licence and driving without due care and attention, causing bodily harm and damage to property". He is due to appear in court on 20 January. Continue reading...

The fate of the woman who left the UK at 15 in search of Islamic State raises wider questions about citizenshipWhile many aspects of UK political polling have shifted drastically since 2019, the public's view on Shamima Begum has remained largely fixed: a big majority do not want the now 26-year-old woman back in the UK.In 2019, Sajid Javid, then home secretary, stripped the Londoner of her UK citizenship on the grounds that she was a security threat, having travelled as a schoolgirl with two friends to territory controlled by Islamic State (IS) in Syria. At the time, 76% of people backed the move. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Inaccurate information presented in summaries, Guardian investigation findsPeople are being put at risk of harm by false and misleading health information in Google's artificial intelligence summaries, a Guardian investigation has found.The company has said its AI Overviews, which use generative AI to provide snapshots of essential information about a topic or question, are helpful" and reliable". Continue reading...

While the cause of the disaster is still under investigation, videos and photos suggest the blaze spread quickly

Medical director says NHS far from complacent' as cold snap bites, with average of 2,676 flu patients a day on wardsThe number of people in hospital with flu in England has fallen for the second week in a row, NHS figures show, as England's top doctor said the health service was far from complacent" as a cold snap takes hold.An average of 2,676 flu patients were in hospital each day during the week ending 28 December, down 13% from 3,061 the previous week. Continue reading...

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice in place, with latest warnings reaching into MondayBitterly cold weather is expected to grip the UK over the weekend with as much as 10cm of snow already in some areas.A number of yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place, with the latest warnings reaching into Monday, while amber snow warnings for northern Scotland are in place until midday on Saturday. Continue reading...

They're cosy, civilised and different without disturbing things too much. Let's do this!At last. I have been waiting a year for this moment. I must apologise to you all. Twelve months ago, in this very organ, nay in this very diary, I noted that we were now in the hazy, lazy, crazy days between Boxing Day and New Year and thus wished you all a happy Christmas perineum". It should have been, of course, Merryneum". It has been bothering me ever since. I can only put it down to post-turkey malaise. If it helps, it is only while Googling around this subject to write this entry that I have realised that the nickname taint" - for the fleshly rather than festive part under discussion - refers to the fact that 't ain't the front, t ain't the back." I think perhaps I knew this at some level but hadn't consciously made the connection. Anyway. I offer the knowledge to you here in some kind of twisted act of contrition. Continue reading...

Hundreds hospitalised in Indore after public toilet built above water pipeline appears to have let sewage into supplySewage-contaminated drinking water is being blamed for killing at least 10 people, including a baby boy, and sending more than 270 others to hospital in Indore, ranked India's cleanest city" for the last eight years.Residents of a congested, lower-income neighbourhood in Indore, Madhya Pradesh's commercial capital, had been warning authorities for months about foul-smelling tap water. Their complaints went unheeded, despite the city's much-lauded ranking for waste segregation and other cleanliness measures. Continue reading...

Elsewhere, area of low pressure off Iberian peninsula brings heavy rainfall to southern Portugal and SpainAfter a recent heatwave affected large parts of Australia before Christmas, Cyclone Hayley made landfall along the north-west coast on Tuesday night. Hayley formed on 28 December in the southern Indian Ocean and steadily intensified on a path south towards the north coast of Western Australia.The system became a category 2 storm at its peak on Wednesday, with sustained winds of 105mph. After some weakening, Hayley crossed the Dampier peninsula near the town of Lombadina, still bringing intense winds and heavy rainfall. Hayley prompted a series of weather warnings from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, noting the potential for flash flooding and damage to property. Continue reading...

Multinational boosts online chatter after social media users showcase product's widespread use in life hacksAs a product discovered more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline may not seem like an obvious target for social media algorithms.Yet the brand's emergence as a TikTok talking point has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in traditional media. Continue reading...

BPG hopes to find buyer for Grade II-listed structure by summer after slump in profits and rising costsBrighton's historic Palace Pier has been put up for sale after a decline in tourist numbers, a drop in profits and increase in costs in recent years.The leisure group that owns the 126-year-old structure, which has appeared in famous films including Brighton Rock and Quadrophenia, said it hoped to find a new owner by the summer. Continue reading...

Average property price drops by 0.4% in December to 271,068 after forecasts of 0.1% month-on-month rise

Blue-chip share index, created in 1984, has risen by more than 20% over past 12 months

The 29-year-old was also charged with attempted murder after fire in Clyde North

Anti-racism groups warn some people are avoiding public transport or limiting their use of it for fear of abuseRacial and religious hate crime on public transport is on the rise according to new data obtained by the Guardian, as community groups report how people are restricting their daily journeys because they fear abuse or assault.Police forces across the country have recorded an increase in hate crimes over the past year, with a significant rise in racially motivated offences in Scotland as well as religious hate crimes targeting Muslims in England and Wales. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Critics say removing battery installation requirement will reduce amount homebuyers save on energy billsMinisters are poised to allow homes in England to be built without carbon-cutting technology in what experts have said is a climbdown after pressure from housebuilders.The future homes standard (FHS), due to be published in January, will regulate how all homes are built and is expected to enforce tough new regulations such as mandating solar panels on nearly all houses and high standards of insulation and heat pumps in most cases. Continue reading...

RMT estimates six cleaning, security and catering suppliers made 150m profits last yearRailway leaders should think afresh" about outsourcing contracts and try to run services better, the rail minister has said, as union research indicated six major private suppliers made 150m in profits last year.Rail unions are campaigning to end the widespread outsourcing of jobs such as cleaning, security and catering, arguing that staff employed by third-party companies have worse conditions and that profits could be reinvested in the railway. Continue reading...

Blaze that swept through crowded New Year's Eve bar in Crans-Montana also injured 115 people

Authorities warn that speeding was the biggest killer in 2025, a contributing factor in 134 deathsNew South Wales has recorded the deadliest year on its roads in eight years, with indications that there was no progress in curbing road fatalities nationwide in 2025.In 2025, 355 people died on roads in NSW, 28 more than in 2024, the state government announced on Friday. It is the highest annual death toll on the state's roads since 2017, when there were 392 deaths. Continue reading...