Top World News
Why a play about a fatal punch has gripped younger audiences and will tour schools
James Graham’s play Punch touches on gang culture, restorative justice and masculinity in crisis, and for the playwright the true story was a privilege to tellWhen thousands of schoolchildren came to see James Graham’s play Punch in the West End, the playwright, actors and producers were struck by one thing. Despite fears about social media eroding attention spans, the pupils were engrossed for two and a half hours and many stayed for Q&A sessions afterwards.“They were the most remarkable atmospheres we’ve ever experienced,” Graham said. “Julie [Hesmondhalgh, one of the actors] said it was one of the highlights of her performing career. You always hear that theatre doesn’t fit the TikTok generation, but we could tell these young people were completely connected to the themes of what it’s like to grow up as a teenager, to struggle, survive and evolve.” Continue reading...
Swedish navy encountering Russian submarines ‘almost weekly’ – and more could be on the way
Moscow ‘continuously reinforcing’ its presence in the region, says Swedish chief of operations Capt Marko PetkovicThe Swedish navy encounters Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea on an “almost weekly” basis, its chief of operations has said, and is preparing for a further increase in the event of ceasefire or armistice in the Ukraine war.Capt Marko Petkovic said Moscow was “continuously reinforcing” its presence in the region, and sightings of its vessels were a regular part of life for the Swedish navy. Its “very common”, he said, adding that the number of sightings had increased in recent years. Continue reading...
How to pick the perfect real Christmas tree for the best price in the UK
Millions of real trees are sold each year, and costs vary widely – we ask experts how to find good dealsFor many Britons, putting up their tree is the ritual that marks the official start of Christmas, with the second week of December a popular time to deck the halls.While surveys suggest that about two-thirds of the population will opt for an artificial tree, millions of real ones will be sold this month. As usual, the competition is fierce on the high street, with some supermarkets selling the most popular tree – the Nordmann fir – for under £15. Continue reading...
HMRC warns Christmas side-hustle sellers over tax on festive earnings
Crafters, artisans and others told to declare income if above £1,000 trading allowance in tax yearThis is a busy time of year for the thousands of people who earn a bit of extra income from a festive side hustle such as running a stall at a Christmas market or selling items online.The UK’s army of crafters, artisans and designers are being urged to check if they need to tell HM Revenue and Customs about their earnings. Continue reading...
Environment Agency faces landfill tax bill worth millions to clear illegal waste
Exclusive: ‘extremely unhelpful’ policy seen as deterrent to clearing thousands of dump sites across EnglandMillions of pounds in landfill tax owed to the government has to be paid by the Environment Agency (EA) if it clears any of the thousands of illegal waste dumps across the country.Of the £15m that taxpayers are paying for the clearance of the only site the agency has committed to clearing up – a vast illegal dump at Hoad’s Wood in Kent – £4m is landfill tax. Continue reading...
‘Bloodshed was supposed to stop’: no sign of normal life as Gaza’s killing and misery grind on
The term ceasefire ‘risks creating a dangerous illusion life is returning to normal’ for Palestinians squeezed into the remaining 42% of their land behind Israel’s ‘yellow line’ When Jumaa and Fadi Abu Assi went to look for firewood their parents thought they would be safe. They were just young boys, aged nine and 10 and, after all, a ceasefire had been declared in Gaza.Their mother, Hala Abu Assi, was making tea in the family’s tent in Khan Younis when she heard an explosion, a missile fired by an Israeli drone. She ran to the scene – but it was too late. Continue reading...
US Lawmakers Press Google, Apple To Remove Apps Tracking Immigration Agents
The House Committee on Homeland Security has asked Google and Apple to detail what steps they are taking to remove mobile applications that allow users to track federal immigration officers.
Suspected smuggling boat struck twice by military was reportedly moving drugs to South American country, not US –as it happened
This live blog is now closed.Trump news at a glance: list of countries under US travel ban set to growLauren Gambino and Melody SchreiberAfter a delay and an unusually contentious meeting, a federal vaccine advisory panel is expected to vote today whether to change the longstanding recommendation that all newborns be immunized against hepatitis B. Continue reading...
San Diego agrees to pay $30m to family of boy, 16, shot dead by police
Settlement one of US’s largest and comes after officer killed Konoa Wilson, who was running from teen shooting at himThe city of San Diego has agreed to pay a $30m settlement to the family of Konoa Wilson, the 16-year-old boy fatally shot in the back by a police officer while running away after narrowly missing another shooting by an unknown third party at a train station.The payout is the result of the wrongful death lawsuit Wilson’s family filed against the city in June, claiming the officer who shot the teen acted with “racial violence”. Wilson is half Black, family attorneys said. Continue reading...
CDC advisory panel votes to limit hepatitis B vaccines for newborns
Move from CDC advisers mirrors Trump team’s regressive approach to longstanding vaccine guidanceWho’s allowed to get the hepatitis B vaccine in the US now?Vaccine advisers for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted on Friday morning to limit hepatitis B vaccines in a major move signaling the Trump administration’s regressive approach to vaccines that have been given safely and effectively for decades.The panel of advisers, hand-picked by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, decided to remove the well-established and far-reaching recommendation that all newborns in the US receive a hepatitis B vaccine. Continue reading...
Ukrainian women embrace combat roles as technology reshapes the battlefield
More women in Ukraine are joining the military in combat roles thanks to advances in technology
US Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Trump Birthright Citizenship Order Case
The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to take up the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's order on birthright citizenship declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.
