General news

• Talks with US over digital services continue, says PM

  09-05-2025 18:14 via bbc.com
  
  The government continues to push for a wider US trade pact after cutting car and steel tariffs.
  
  Read more

• Maduro jailed in New York after audacious raid and capture – live

  04-01-2026 08:09 via theguardian.com
  Nicolás Maduro is expected to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Monday, according to officialsFull report: Trump says US will ‘run’ VenezuelaExplained: Is there legal justification for the US attack on Venezuela?China urges US to immediately release MaduroChina has called on the US to immediately release Maduro and his wife, saying the situation should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Swim, run, ride and row for charity: 10 challenges for 2026 in the UK, Europe and beyond

  04-01-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Climbing, skiing and paddleboarding also feature in our round-up of this year’scharity challengesSwimQuest’s annual Isles of Scilly challenge is a 15km island-hopping swim, broken into five sessions with walks in between. The longest swim is the 6km leg from St Agnes to Bryher; the shortest is 600 metres from Bryher to Tresco; and the island walks in between are no longer than 45 minutes. Swimmers can opt to complete the challenge in one tough day, or space it out over two – th
  
  Read more

• Shrek, sherbet and sausage dogs: Ally Pally fancy dress parade – in pictures

  04-01-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  As this year’s World Darts Championship comes to a close, we take a look back at the sartorial choices made by those at Alexandra Palace Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Digital wallet fraud: how your bank card can be stolen without it leaving your wallet

  04-01-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Fraudsters use phishing to steal card details, which fund a spending spree using Apple Pay or Google PayYou get a call from your bank and the informed voice asks to you to confirm the personal details they have on file, which you do. You are then asked whether you bought something at an electrical retailer recently for £120 and spent £235 in Birmingham, but neither transaction rings true.The caller tells you they have blocked the payments but they must now secure your account, and sa
  
  Read more

• Joe Root and Harry Brook shine for England before storm halts Ashes charge against Australia

  04-01-2026 07:31 via theguardian.com
  Fifth Test, day one: England 211-3 in 45 overs before bad light stops playUndefeated duo put together tourists’ best partnership of series The yin-and-yang of Harry Brook and Joe Root has headlined England’s best batting day of the Ashes, with the pair taking them to 211-3 before a storm hit the SCG on day one of the fifth Test.Their side down 3-1 in the series and the Ashes decided, Brook and Root’s unbeaten 154-run counter-attacking stand helped rescue England from 57 for 3 o
  
  Read more

• TV tonight: a whopping 81 players battle it out in Rob Brydon’s new gameshow

  04-01-2026 07:15 via theguardian.com
  Contestants take over each other’s squares in The Floor. Plus, the con artist who pretended to be a a faith healer in Hampstead. Here’s what to watch this evening8pm, ITV1Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Emma Raducanu ruled out of United Cup opener in false start to new season

  04-01-2026 07:12 via theguardian.com
  British No 1 withdraws from clash with Naomi Osaka due to injuryKatie Swan replaces former US Open champion to play for Team GBEmma Raducanu remains hopeful that she will be able to compete this week at the United Cup after her 2026 season began with a concerning false start when she was forced to withdraw from her opening match in Perth.Raducanu pulled out of her highly anticipated clash with Naomi Osaka just an hour before play began but a significantly weakened Great Britain team admirably ba
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• The hill I will die on: Films and TV shows are better if you read the spoilers first | Jason Okundaye

  04-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Please note, this piece absolutely includes spoilers for Cruel Intentions, a film made 26 years ago. Do read onI love spoiling the plot for myself. It’s something I do fairly regularly. Before watching a film, I tend to open Wikipedia and read the entire plot synopsis. If every episode of a series has been uploaded to a streamer, I often open the last episode, watch the final five minutes, close it and then start from the beginning. I did as such when the final season of Top Boy dropped in
  
  Read more

• Sex object, animal rights activist, racist: the paradox that was Brigitte Bardot

  04-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  A fantasy figure for men and women, a victim of press intrusion, a defender of animals … the French actor was also a mouthpiece for racial hatred whose views grew uglier over timeBrigitte Bardot inspired many fantasies, from the wanton, panting reveries of assorted French auteurs in the 1950s and 60s, to the perky-nippled bust created in 1969 as a model for Marianne, the embodiment of the French Republic itself.With her death on 28 December, another more contemporary Bardot illusion was s
  
  Read more

• Poon’s at Somerset House, London WC2: ‘The tofu dip alone is worth booking a table for’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

  04-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  The cooking is refreshingly light, delicate and, you might even say, wholesomeIf you find yourself ice-skating at Somerset House in central London over the next week or so (and hurry: you’ve got only until 11 January before it closes), then first please accept my commiserations. Second, please also note that the Chinese restaurant Poon’s, by Amy Poon, scion of the Poon’s restaurant dynasty, recently rooted itself in the New Wing.Ice-skating itself I have nothing against, but we
  
  Read more

• My friend has cancer and talks of ending her life. Should I tell her family? | Annalisa Barbieri

  04-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Your friend fears dependency and wants to regain control. Is there someone you can talk to about your own feelings?I am in my 80s and an old friend has several health issues. She will probably die in the not too distant future due to the inoperable cancer she has been aware of for some years.She has two adult children, with domestic and career problems of their own, but she sees them frequently, and I know them both. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Doomscrolling, people pleasing and low-fat foods? Life’s too short! Nine writers on what they won’t bother with this year

  04-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Rutger Bregman, Josie Long, Michael Rosen, Meera Sodha and others on what they are no longer wasting their time onRutger Bregman, author Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• ‘This is business as usual’: boss of bombed Ukrainian vodka maker seeks to expand exports

  04-01-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  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 Te
  
  Read more

• ‘It has hit us very hard’: grief-stricken Crans-Montana residents on how their world has changed forever

  04-01-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  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 tragedy Mourners have continued to bring flowers and light candles at 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
  
  Read more

• ‘Naked imperialism’: how Trump intervention in Venezuela is a return to form for the US

  04-01-2026 05:00 via theguardian.com
  Most of the Americas have suffered from interference from their powerful northern neighbour – and are usually the worse off for itMaduro detained in New York after audacious raid – live updatesThe US bombardment of Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro, follow a long history of interventions in South and Central America and the Caribbean over the past two centuries. But they also mark an unprecedented moment as the first direct US military attack on a Sout
  
  Read more

• North Korea launches ballistic missiles towards sea hours before South Korean leader’s visit to China

  04-01-2026 04:50 via theguardian.com
  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
  
  Read more

• Ukraine war briefing: Ukraine will fight on if peace talks fail, Zelenskyy vows

  04-01-2026 04:47 via theguardian.com
  Ukraine’s top allies hold security talks in Kyiv; Russia condemns US attack on Venezuela. What we know on day 1,411The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says he hopes for a leaders’ summit in the US by the end of January to discuss proposals on how to end the war with Russia. Security advisers from Ukraine’s top allies met in Kyiv on Saturday for talks on a US-brokered plan to end the war, days after Kyiv announced a deal was “90%” ready. Officials from 15 c
  
  Read more

• Crowd roars in standing ovation for Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed at sold-out Ashes Test in Sydney

  04-01-2026 03:35 via theguardian.com
  Cricketers and fans pay tribute to victims and first responders ahead of play at the SCGTen minutes of terror: how the Bondi mass shooting unfolded in real time – videoGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA sold-out SCG crowd roared as Ahmed al-Ahmed, his arm in sling and his hand on his heart, walked onto the pitch just before play began of the final Test of the Ashes series.The Syrian-born father of two helped disarm one of two gunmen during the Bondi terror attack,
  
  Read more

• Trump says US will ‘run’ Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro captured and taken to New York

  04-01-2026 03:06 via theguardian.com
  
  Audacious US military operation plucks leader Nicolás Maduro from power and removed him from the countryUS attacks Venezuela – live updatesThe US attacked Venezuela and captured its long-serving president Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, with Donald Trump promising to put the country under American control for now, even as Venezuelan officials vowed defiance.As part of a dramatic overnight operation that knocked out electricity in parts of Caracas, US Special Forces captured Madur
  
  Read more

• Seahawks clinch NFC’s No 1 seed as Buccaneers cling to playoff hopes

  04-01-2026 01:35 via theguardian.com
  Seahawks shut down 49ers to secure NFC top seedSeattle ride defense and run game in 13-3 winBuccaneers survive Panthers, await NFC South fateZach Charbonnet scored on a 27-yard run in the first quarter and Seattle shut down the high-powered San Francisco offense in a 13-3 victory over the 49ers on Saturday night that secured the No 1 seed for the Seahawks in the NFC playoffs.Seattle (14-3) won their first division title since 2020 and are now two home wins away from returning to Levi’s Sta
  
  Read more

• Bowie: The Final Act review – the critic who made the star cry is stunned by his own disrespect

  04-01-2026 01:00 via theguardian.com
  Released two days before his death, Bowie’s last album Blackstar was a redemptive masterstroke. But his career was stuffed with failures – and this documentary refuses to gloss over the most painful partsDavid Bowie’s story ended poignantly. On 8 January 2016, he released Blackstar, an album recorded with the knowledge that he would not live to make another. Two days later, on 10 January 2016, just as listeners and reviewers were starting to laud Blackstar as the tenderest ever
  
  Read more

• British and French aircraft attack underground Islamic State weapons store in Syria

  04-01-2026 00:06 via theguardian.com
  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...
  
  Read more

• Missing worker found dead after roof collapse deep underground at Queensland coalmine

  03-01-2026 23:47 via theguardian.com
  Emergency team were unable to save man trapped in the Curragh mine following the collapse on FridayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSearchers have found a missing Queensland coalmine worker dead a day after he became trapped in a roof collapse.The man was inside the Curragh mine in central Queensland when the collapse happened about 3pm on Friday. There were fears he was as deep as 1km underground. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• US oil giants silent on Trump claim they will spend billions on Venezuelan oil industry

  03-01-2026 23:30 via theguardian.com
  US president says oil majors primed to invest in rebuilding infrastructure following Maduro ousterUS attacks Venezuela – live updatesUS oil giants have so far remained silent on Donald Trump’s claim that they are primed to spend “billions and billions of dollars” rebuilding the Venezuelan oil industry following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro​.Chevron, the only US oil company still operating in Venezuela, committed only to following “relevant laws and regu
  
  Read more

• Ruben Amorim clamming up over transfer hopes suggests faultline

  03-01-2026 23:30 via theguardian.com
  Manchester United’s head coach appeared downbeat when questioned over not being able to acquire enough top players to suit his preferred formationRuben Amorim offered a collector’s item on Friday – a point-blank refusal to address a question that concerned an answer he previously gave. In doing so, he hinted at a disquiet concerning the club’s transfer policy.“You said you’re starting to understand that to play 3-4-3, you [need] a lot of top players and that&r
  
  Read more

• Paranoia and Mali get the better of timid, tetchy Tunisia

  03-01-2026 23:28 via theguardian.com
  Mali 1 Tunisia 1 (aet; Mali win 3-2 on penalties)North Africans fail to take the game to 10 menThere is perhaps no nation on earth whose football is as paranoid as that of Tunisia, and with so little reason. They qualified for a third successive World Cup with ease and forced a draw in a friendly against Brazil in November, yet their football is infected with fear. To watch them play is to experience a dystopian world in which imagination has been outlawed. In the end, they went out of the Cup o
  
  Read more

• Luke Littler thrashes Gian van Veen to retain PDC World Darts Championship

  03-01-2026 23:20 via theguardian.com
  Teenager beats Dutchman 7-1 in one-sided finalLittler clicks into gear after losing opening setThe winning moment seemed to drain all the strength from his body. He leaned against the drinks table and let it take all his weight, clasped his face in his hands, cried a little. As if only just feeling the shape and hue of the unspeakable thing he had just done. As if some act of great violence had just left his hands. Perhaps it had.And before the double world champion, before the social media phen
  
  Read more

• Waiting for the Out review – totally magnificent TV about philosophy in prison

  03-01-2026 23:15 via theguardian.com
  Dennis Kelly’s brilliant drama about a teacher in prison is moving, gripping and almost painfully vulnerable – plus the main character decimates everyone at a middle-class dinner party. What more could you want?It’s hard to imagine a better route into true philosophical inquiry than time in prison. Regret, causality, the nature of freedom: these are urgent issues to the incarcerated. Time is both impossibly empty and passing at terrifying speed. You face endless days and nights
  
  Read more

• Maduro’s capture had the world’s ear – but Trump returned to petty gripes

  03-01-2026 23:05 via theguardian.com
  Though he also discussed plans to ‘run’ Venezuela, the US president could not resist upending his moment of gloryUS attacks Venezuela – live updates“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few but what I’d really like to talk about is my disastrous predecessor and some pathetic city mayors,” is what Winston Churchill didn’t say during Britain’s war against Adolf Hitler.On Saturday, Donald Trump fancied himself at his
  
  Read more

Follow @generalnews_UK on Twitter!