EU says US ‘still our biggest ally’ despite release of policy paper supporting Europe’s far-right – Europe live
The Trump administration released a policy paper on Friday that made explicit Washington’s support for Europe’s nationalist far-right partiesOvernight Russian missile and drone strikes left parts of Ukraine without power on Saturday morning, Ukraine’s energy ministry said on Telegram.The strikes hit energy infrastructure in the Kyiv, Chernihiv, Lviv, Odesa, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions, according to the ministry. Continue reading...
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Survivors of the Deadly Hong Kong Fire Are in Limbo
Hong Kong, with some of the world’s highest housing costs and inequality, must now figure out how to help thousands of residents who lost friends, family and homes.
John Swinney defends immigration as Scotland faces rise of Reform
Exclusive: First minister mounts robust defence of diversity as SNP prepares campaign for Holyrood election in MayScotland needs immigration to bolster the size of its working-age population, the country’s first minister has said, mounting a forceful defence of diversity in the face of rising support for Reform ahead of next May’s Holyrood elections.John Swinney was speaking at the end of a year marked by a significant shift in Scottish public sentiment, with Nigel Farage’s party securing 26% of the vote in its first Holyrood byelection test. Continue reading...
Harbadus attacks Andvaria: cyber war game tests Nato defences against Russia
Power blackouts, public chaos and loss of communication with space were all thrown at troops in seven days Russia and China were barely mentioned, but they were the threats in everyone’s minds in Tallinn this week, where Nato hosted its largest ever cyber war game.The goal of the war game, conducted 130 miles from the Russian border in Estonia, was to test the alliance’s readiness for a rolling enemy assault on civilian and military digital infrastructure. Continue reading...
Fir real: expert tips on picking the perfect 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...
Deadly border fighting breaks out between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Both sides accuse the other of starting the overnight fighting and breaching a fragile ceasefire agreed in October.
IAEA flags damage to Chornobyl nuclear plant’s protective shield in Ukraine
The IAEA has found a drone degraded the shield in February, in a strike Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out.
Heavy rains hamper recovery as death toll from floods in Asia exceeds 1,750
Hundreds more people are still missing as intensive rains pose new dangers in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
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...
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...