World

ELON Musk’s Starship rocket exploded just minutes into its seventh test flight in a dramatic mid-air failure – but the Tesla tycoon appears to remain upbeat about his space endeavours. Incredible footage shows glowing debris raining down across the sky after the 400ft behemoth failed after launching from Boca Chica, southern Texas, on Thursday. Putting a positive…

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok by Sunday or face an effective ban of the popular social video app in the U.S. ByteDance has so far refused to sell TikTok, meaning many U.S. users could lose access to the app this weekend. The app may still…

The exhaustive efforts of Democratic lawmakers to get President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid were detailed in a new bombshell report from The New York Times. Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater reported on the conversations Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and others had with Biden and his team in the days leading up to the president…

As the smoke clears from devastating Los Angeles wildfires, efforts to clean up the affected areas are being complicated by burnt-out electric and hybrid vehicles and home-battery storage systems. Lithium batteries from Tesla Inc., along with those from other carmakers, have added to the mix of toxic materials requiring specialized removal in the wake of the fires.…

Spotify Global Head of Editorial Sulinna Ong has quickly emerged as one of the most influential execs in the streaming space, deftly combining intellectual rigor and an emphasis on the human connection that technology can facilitate. Most of Ong’s career—and indeed, much of her life—has been about the quest to effectively marry music and tech. We asked her to elaborate…

DIDDY has been named 47 times in a secretly recorded police interview accusing him of offering “millions” for the murders of Tupac Shakur and record boss Suge Knight. The rap mogul – real name Sean Combs – was apparently livid that Tupac had badmouthed him and wanted revenge, according to a transcript of a “surreptitiously recorded” interview…

The incorporation of meat into the diet was a milestone for the human evolutionary lineage, a potential catalyst for advances such as increased brain size. But scientists have struggled to determine when meat consumption began and who did it. New research provides the first direct evidence that Australopithecus, an important early human ancestor that displayed a mix…

Two months away from what she says is her 120th birthday, Deolira Gliceria Pedro da Silva, a great-grandmother from the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is rushing to be recognized as the world’s oldest living person by the Guinness World Records. The institution currently features another Brazilian, Inah Canabarro Lucas, a nun from the southern…

Blanca Figueroa and Severiano Martinez have known from the start of their eight-year marriage that she was at risk of deportation because she entered the United States illegally. Now – with President-elect Donald Trump expected to issue a flurry of executive orders aimed at speeding the deportation process on the day he takes office on Jan. 20…

The Gaza Strip ceasefire should begin on Sunday as planned, despite the need for negotiators to tie up a “loose end” at the last minute, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. With longstanding divisions apparent among ministers, Israel delayed cabinet meetings to ratify the ceasefire with Hamas, and media reports said voting could occur…

The Australian airline Qantas delayed several recent flights due to last-minute notice of falling debris from SpaceX rocket launches. SpaceX uses the southern Indian Ocean as its reentry point, thanks to its remoteness, but flights between Sydney and Johannesburg pass through the region, and the airline has asked for more precise warnings. As space becomes more widely…

Netanyahu’s office: Ceasefire deal reached with Hamas Israel agreed to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, with the security Cabinet due to meet on Friday to approve it, several Israeli media outlets reported early on Friday. “The [full Cabinet] will later convene to approve the deal,” a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said without…

After weeks of negotiations in Doha, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hamas militant group was announced on Thursday, a deal brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The agreement halts the current active conflict between the parties, which has been ongoing since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in…

Every week, Rajesh PN Rao, a computer scientist, gets emails from people claiming they’ve cracked an ancient script that has stumped scholars for generations. These self-proclaimed codebreakers – ranging from engineers and IT workers to retirees and tax officers – are mostly from India or of Indian origin living abroad. All of them are convinced they’ve deciphered…

An Australian influencer has been charged with poisoning her baby girl to elicit donations and boost online followers. The Queensland woman claimed she was chronicling her child’s battle with a terminal illness on social media, but detectives allege she was drugging the one-year-old and then filming her in “immense distress and pain”. Doctors had raised the alarm…

“It Ends With Us” actor and director Justin Baldoni has sued his co-star Blake Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and extortion on Thursday in the latest move in a bitter legal battle surrounding the dark romantic drama. The suit filed in federal court in New York by Baldoni and production company Wayfarer…

President Joe Biden won’t enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday, a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump. Congress last year, in a law signed by Biden, required that TikTok’s China-based parent company…

President Joe Biden used his farewell address to the nation Wednesday to deliver stark warnings about an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans’ rights and the future of democracy. Speaking from the Oval Office as he prepares to hand over power Monday to President-elect Donald…

He predicted the Senate will begin start voting on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, to confirm Trump’s picks. A long haul for some of Trump’s picks To be sure, Trump’s more controversial choices of Patel, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., have yet to come before senators for public questioning. Once they do, they face a long…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war. Netanyahu said he would convene his security Cabinet later Friday, and then the government to approve the…

Pope Francis fell Thursday and hurt his right arm, the Vatican said, just weeks after another apparent fall resulted in a bad bruise on his chin. Francis didn’t break his arm, but a sling was put on as a precaution, the Vatican spokesman said in a statement On Dec. 7, the pope whacked his chin on his…

David Lynch, the writer-director whose films and TV series including Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks portrayed a seemingly bucolic America, only to reveal it as teeming with the mysterious and macabre, has died. He was 78. Lynch’s death was announced on his Facebook page: “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the…

Prince Harry will be given “limited police protection” when he comes to the UK next week after losing his legal battle for taxpayer funded security. Harry is due to travel to London from his US home to attend his forthcoming High Court trial against News Group Newspapers. He is set to be granted protection from the Metropolitan…

We are all vulnerable to the rapid spread of phone scams – including, it seems, world leaders. Thailand’s prime minister has revealed she got a call from an AI system, demanding money in the voice of another famous head of government. Paetongtarn Shinawatra did not reveal who the computer was mimicking, but said she received a message…

Ken Howery is a quiet, unassuming tech investor who prioritizes discretion. And yet, he has ended up in the middle of two of the noisiest story lines of the incoming Trump administration. One is the expanding ambition of Elon Musk, Mr. Howery’s close friend and fellow party-scene fixture since the two helped run PayPal 25 years ago.…

Sweden started building a final storage facility for spent nuclear fuel on Wednesday, only the second such site in the world, where highly radioactive waste will be stored for 100,000 years. How to store deadly radioactive waste until it is safe is a question that has dogged the nuclear industry since commercial reactors began operating in the…

Red Flag warnings advising of extreme wildfire danger expired across the Los Angeles area late on Wednesday, but forecasters warned that dry and windy conditions will persist on Thursday, and that the threat of blazes remained. The National Weather Service added that the respite for fire-ravaged Los Angeles will be short, with high chances for renewed Red…

TikTok plans to shut U.S. operations of its social media app used by 170 million Americans on Sunday, when a federal ban is set to take effect, barring a last-minute reprieve, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The Washington Post reported President-elect Donald Trump, whose term begins a day after a ban would start, is…

Hamas and Israel reached a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza that mediators said would take effect on Sunday and include a release of hostages held there during 15 months of bloodshed that devastated the Palestinian enclave and inflamed the Middle East. The complex phased accord outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli…

 President Joe Biden capped a half-century political career on Wednesday with a final Oval Office speech as he hopes to seal a legacy overshadowed by Democrats’ failure to stop Donald Trump from returning to the White House. Biden opened his speech with a familiar message – asking Americans to join together – but quickly warned about a…

Michelle Obama is skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration because she’s “no phony,” we’re told. While her husband appears to be playing nice with the president-elect, Michelle won’t do the same. Former President Barack Obama and Trump appeared chummy at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, but Michelle was nowhere in sight because she was reportedly on an “extended holiday…

Israel and Hamas have agreed a deal which could halt the war in Gaza and see the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the US and mediators Qatar have said. It would be the most dramatic breakthrough in 15 months of war, which began when the armed Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023. What…

Tears, dismayed cries and shocked faces: that was the reaction among the supporters of South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol outside his home on hearing that he had been arrested. It was a moment that had been in the making for weeks – ever since the last attempt to arrest Yoon on 3 January had failed…

Sweden’s political parties have agreed that dual citizens who commit crimes that threaten national security should lose their citizenship. A cross-party committee recommended that the change could be applied to anyone who had used bribes or false information to obtain their citizenship; and also if they committed crimes that were a threat to the state or came…

“Please come to my city!” A familiar cry from music lovers all over the world hoping their favourite artists come to their hometown. Fans in India, though, have often seen that plea fall on deaf ears. Artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams and Arctic Monkeys appear on the country’s weekly Spotify album chart, where Ed Sheeran’s ÷…

Gabriel Hoces repeats a word seven times when he discusses what it’s like to work in Denmark – “trust”. “No one is trying to micromanage you, or look over your shoulder,” says Mr Hoces, who works for a tech firm in Copenhagen. “Bosses aren’t coming in to check if you put in eight or nine hours a…

Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta chief executive who has tried to keep a distance from politics, appears to be warming to President-elect Donald J. Trump. Mr. Zuckerberg is among several Big Tech executives who are expected to be front and center at Mr. Trump’s inauguration next week. He will be one of four hosts of a black-tie reception…

Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state has said he anticipates the US “will have to deal with” China invading Taiwan before the end of this decade. Marco Rubio made the comment as he appeared in front of a bipartisan Senate committee ahead of a vote on whether he is suitable for the role. He told the…

Forget this week’s minor decrease in the UK inflation number. The most important European data release was the confirmation from Germany that, during 2024, its economy contracted for the second consecutive year. Europe’s largest economy shrank by 0.2% during 2024 – on top of a 0.3% contraction in 2023. Now it must be stressed that this was…

James Vince is to step down as Hampshire captain and move to Dubai following several attacks on his family home. The 33-year-old all-rounder, who was part of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup on home soil, has captained Hampshire for the last decade. But his club said he had “endured a challenging year”…

Former anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has been named in a third inquiry being launched by authorities in Bangladesh investigating money laundering and power misuse. At a media briefing in Dhaka held hours after Ms Siddiq resigned as a minister, investigators confirmed they were working on another probe involving the Labour MP. It is the third Bangladesh inquiry…

Winter’s most potent Arctic blast yet is about to unleash dangerously low temperatures that will be the coldest to hit the United States in a year. The cold will arrive this weekend and looks to be longer-lasting and more expansive than last January’s outbreak of Arctic air that, among other dangers, created one of the coldest-ever NFL…

TYRANT Vladimir Putin has been accused of plotting terror attacks against international airlines in a global wave of sabotage. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that Russia carried out what he described as “air terror” against airlines in Poland and other countries. During a news conference in Warsaw alongside Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, Tusk said: “I will…

Fake one-way plane tickets have been posted in the mailboxes of migrant families ahead of Germany’s critical elections in February. Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) – the far-right populist party unequivocally endorsed by the richest man in the world and soon Donald Trump’s advisor, Elon Musk – is behind the stunt. ‘Only re-migration can still save Germany. In…

Outgoing US President Joe Biden’s administration on Wednesday announced a ban on Red Dye No 3, a controversial food and drug coloring long known to cause cancer in animals. Decades after scientific evidence first raised alarm, Red 3, as it is also called, is currently used in nearly 3,000 food products in the United States, according to…

At just 32, Kyle Gordy has earned the title of the world’s most prolific sperm donor and is on track to father 100 children by 2025. Already a biological dad to 87 kids worldwide, Kyle was informed at the start of 2025 that his family is set to expand. In the coming months, the donor, whose oldest…

In a statement on social media, Kate offered her heartfelt thanks to those who helped her and her husband Prince William, describing her time as a patient as being “exceptional”. Princess of Wales visits cancer hospitalThe Princess of Wales has said “it is a relief to now be in remission” from cancer and she is “looking forward…

Ms Siddiq’s aunt is the former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled into exile after being deposed last year and is now facing a corruption investigation. Tulip Siddiq resigns as ministerTulip Siddiq has resigned as a Treasury minister after controversy over links to her aunt’s ousted political movement in Bangladesh. In a letter to Sir Keir…

The short video platform faces being shut down across the US on Sunday but there are several potential scenarios that could prevent that, and possibly even keep it in Chinese ownership.   TikTok has described a report it could sell its threatened US business to Elon Musk as “pure fiction”. The short video platform’s Chinese owners ByteDance…

Kanye West reunited with his three youngest children in Japan after ex-wife Kim Kardashian fled her Los Angeles home amid the devastating wildfires. On Tuesday, the “Heartless” rapper was photographed at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo’s Ginza district alongside his 9-year-old son, Saint, 6-year-old daughter, Chicago, and 5-year-old son, Psalm. The foursome perused the aisles for…

NATO countries will deploy frigates, patrol aircraft and naval drones in the Baltic Sea to help protect critical infrastructure and reserve the right to take action against ships suspected of posing a security threat, alliance members said on Tuesday. The military and political alliance is taking the action, dubbed “Baltic Sentry”, following a string of incidents in…

In his letter to investors last year, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett urged readers to come “inhale the air, drink the water” and attend the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, his hometown. The letter, a document pored over by shareholders, analysts and press every year for insights into the legendary investor’s thinking, playfully sought to link…

Iran never plotted to kill Republican U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an NBC News interview on Tuesday, denying past claims from Trump and the U.S. government. In November, the U.S. Justice Department charged an Iranian man in connection with an alleged plot ordered by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps to assassinate the…

The U.S. government posted an $87 billion budget deficit in December, reduced partly by a shift of benefit payments into November but capping a record $711 billion deficit for the first three months of the 2025 fiscal year, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday. The Treasury, releasing its final budget report before President-elect Donald Trump takes…

Donald Trump’s first days in office will be symbolically important and his actions will likely be a mixed bag of domestic and international policies. He will want to show voters that he means business while demonstrating America’s power abroad. Putting presidential executive orders to use To get things rolling quickly, Trump will depend on presidential executive orders,…

A man was carried out of Pete Hegseth’s Senate confirmation hearing after cutting off Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, screaming, “You are a misogynist!” The former Fox News anchor and Army National Guard combat veteran testified in front of the Senate in an explosive hearing that rehashed some of the foul allegations of sexual assault…

South Korean authorities arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over insurrection allegations, with the embattled leader saying he agreed to comply with what he called an illegal probe to avoid “bloodshed”. His arrest, the first ever for an incumbent South Korean president, is the latest head-spinning development for one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies even…

New fighter jets set to replace the RAF’s Typhoons have been seen for the first time. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is collaborating with Italy and Japan to create a new generation of military planes: the Tempest jet fighter programme. The Tempest is set to enter service in 2035, to fill the gap left by Typhoons when…

From techno temples to hedonistic hideouts, anything-goes revelry has been core to Berlin’s soul for the past century. But rising rents and rapid gentrification may soon kill the party. Paris has fashion, Copenhagen has design, Berlin has clubs. From multi-day raves in former Cold War bunkers to hedonistic hideouts where anything goes and phones are banned, the…

A lady thought she was helping Brad Pitt out but she was actually falling victim to a shocking romance scam. The 53-year-old victim, who gave her name as Anne, forked out 830,000 euros ($851,355) to help with what she believed was cancer treatment for the Hollywood legend. A scammer managed to do so by convincing Anne they…

Easing winds delivered a brief but much-needed reprieve to firefighters Tuesday as they battled two massive blazes burning in the Los Angeles area, and the National Weather Service pushed back its unusually dire warning of critical fire weather until early the following day. Forecasters said the winds were below danger levels in the evening, but they were…

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday, according to an official involved with planning the event. They will have a prominent spot at the ceremony, seated together on the platform with other notable guests, including Trump’s Cabinet nominees and elected officials. Musk said on X that he was “honored” to…

Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses, but former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will be there. Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will…

Sony has unveiled a new gaming system that could allow PlayStation players to sniff their way through games like The Last of Us. Unveiled at CES 2025, the Future Immersive Entertainment Concept (FIEC) features a huge, room-size setup designed to push the boundaries of immersive gaming. A trailer for the concept shows a giant cube built from…

President Joe Biden notified Congress of his intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced, as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island. Senior U.S. administration officials, who previewed the announcement on the condition of anonymity, said ”many…

Despite the groundbreaking and heroic actions of women in the last 12 months, there’s one archetype sitting firmly on the horizon for 2025: the Alpha Male. Last year saw Angela Rayner land the job of Deputy Prime Minister, and Kemi Badenoch became the first black woman to lead a major UK political party. In the entertainment world,…

ANDREW Tate has been freed from house arrest after five months, his legal team claims. The toxic influencer, 38, was locked up at his Romanian home as he faces allegations of rape and he and his brother face trafficking charges. Andrew is not completely free yet and must remain in Romania on probation, must check in periodically…

The chart-topping K-pop band NewJeans may be prevented from signing advertising deals and other contracts, after their record label filed an injunction against them. The five-piece are currently engaged in a fierce dispute with Ador, the entertainment company that formed their band in 2022. Last November, the group claimed their contracts were invalid, due to what they…

Despite being vilified, threatened and humiliated in public, veteran Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom is determined to uphold the rights of homosexual people in her country. A human rights NGO that she runs, Redhac, was recently suspended by the government and she is due to appear before investigators to answer accusations of money laundering and funding terror groups…

TikTok denied a report that China is looking at potentially facilitating a sale of the app to tech billionaire Elon Musk to keep TikTok operational in America amid a looming U.S. government ban. On Monday, Bloomberg reported that “Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok” if an…

The Queen was left in the dark for almost a decade over the full scale of the treachery of one of her most senior courtiers, according to newly-released files. In 1964, Sir Anthony Blunt, the surveyor of the Queen’s pictures and distinguished art historian, finally confessed he had been a Soviet agent since the 1930s. When he…

Disney is being sued over Moana and Moana 2, with an animator claiming the films copied plot points from one of their screenplays. Animator Buck Woodall filed a lawsuit in California federal court on Friday that claims Disney stole elements of a screenplay he wrote for an animated film project called Bucky in the early 2000s. Mr…

Dangerously high winds are set to return to Los Angeles, threatening efforts to extinguish wildfires that have destroyed neighborhoods and claimed at least 24 lives. “We are not in the clear as of yet,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowle said. “We must not let our guard down,” she added. Dry Santa Ana winds of up to…

Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Monday delivered his final foreign policy address at the State Department in Washington, one week before handing power to his Republican successor, Donald Trump. Biden’s speech addressed everything from his work to forge stronger American alliances to his administration’s policies towards Ukraine and China. “Compared to four years ago, America is…

A German court has banned a supermarket from selling a product as “Dubai chocolate,” ruling that the trendy confectionary may only be labeled as such if it actually comes from the Emirate. The court in the western city of Cologne ruled that the discount supermarket Aldi could no longer sell its “Alyan Dubai Handmade Chocolate” since the…

For the boss of a military alliance dedicated to mutual security, NATO chief Mark Rutte seemed unperturbed by one member’s recent threats to annex allied territory. On his first official visit to the European Parliament on Monday, Rutte was quizzed by lawmakers on everything from ammunition standards to suspected Russian sabotage at sea. But it was the…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has postponed the announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations for a second time because of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, organizers said on Monday. The nominations for the film industry’s highest honors will now be announced on Jan. 23. They originally had been set for this Friday and…

Crew on board an oil tanker accused of sabotaging undersea power and communications cables in the Baltic Sea were poised to cut other cables and pipelines when Finnish authorities boarded the vessel last month, the head of the Finnish investigation said. Baltic Sea nations are on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and…

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on promises of aggressive import tariffs, strict immigration curbs, deregulation and smaller government, but the economy he inherits next week may be screaming for something different. Namely, don’t break anything. With output expanding above trend, the labor market near maximum employment and adding jobs, and the embers of inflation still smoldering, Trump…

A wave of hospitalizations from human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is allegedly sweeping across China, with images of packed-out hospitals sparking fears of a second global pandemic. Users on the Chinese social media app Weibo have reported surges in cases of respiratory illness over the last month, with the YouTube channel Decoding China suggesting that the apparent outbreak is…

A CAPTURED North Korean soldier has responded he wants to stay in Ukraine when asked if he wishes to go back home after 300 of his comrades were killed in battle. Footage released by President Zelensky shows two of Kim’s men who were captured in the Kursk region, being interrogated. The two soldiers are asked a series…

HUNDREDS of inmates have joined the fight against the devastating wildfires in southern California in a controversial scheme to put prisoners to work for long hours and little pay. Incarcerated firefighters are working around the clock to extinguish the dangerous flames for just $5.80 a day as the horrific blazes have killed 24 people and left thousands…

The last time an American president deployed the U.S. military domestically under the Insurrection Act — during the deadly Los Angeles riots in 1992 — Douglas Ollivant was there. Ollivant, then a young Army first lieutenant, says things went fairly smoothly because it was somebody else — the cops — doing the head-cracking to restore order, not…

Trump confidant Elon Musk wants NASA to drop its ambitious plans to return to the moon and instead head straight to Mars. Congress is ready to put up a fight. Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who control NASA’s purse strings, want Americans to return to the lunar surface in 2027 — and they’re not willing to abandon that…

AMERICANS are flocking to a Chinese-owned app called RedNote as an alternative to TikTok in the face of the impending shutdown of the beloved platform. TikTok could be banned in the US this week unless its company sells it within the week or the Supreme Court intervenes. As fears over the approaching ban grow, American users have…

At this point, it’s pretty clear what Donald Trump wants from Mark Zuckerberg. But what does Zuckerberg, who has now gone to Mar-a-Lago twice since the November election, want from the President-elect? That’s the question I’ve been asking sources in and around Meta over the last several days. They all described Meta’s relationship with the outgoing Biden…

Hundreds of Londoners headed down to the Underground on Sunday afternoon, stripped down to their underwear and travelled around a bit, trying to look as though nothing unusual was going on. This was the Official No Trousers Tube Ride, an annual event with no point other than injecting a little levity into the bleak midwinter. No deep…

The Austrian foreign ministry says a female citizen has been taken by unknown assailants in the military-ran West African country, Niger. It confirmed the incident to AFP and said they were aware of the “possible kidnapping of an Austrian woman” in Agadez which is 900 km (559 miles) from the capital Niamey. The woman was reportedly forced…

Andy Murray has said he thinks his coaching could help Novak Djokovic cement his claim as “the best athlete of all time”. Murray, 37, who joined his former great rival’s coaching team last November, months after retiring from playing, admitted the change of dynamic was “strange” at first. The two-time Wimbledon champion will get his first taste…

The Duchess of Sussex has delayed the release of her new Netflix series due to the devastation caused by the wildfires in LA, the streaming platform has announced. Meghan’s eight-part series, With Love, will premiere on 4 March instead of 15 January. “I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as…

  On Sunday, Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai urged Muslim leaders not to “legitimize” Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers. Yousafzai made the comments at a summit on girls’ education in Muslim countries in Islamabad, Pakistan, organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Muslim World League. Yousafzai: Reject Taliban ‘gender apartheid’ Yousafzai said the Taliban had implemented…

If you live in Los Angeles, you are probably already intimately familiar with Watch Duty, the free app that shows active fires, mandatory evacuation zones, air quality indexes, wind direction, and a wealth of other information that everyone, from firefighters to regular people, have come to rely on during this week’s historic and devastating wildfires. Watch Duty…