General news

• Man, 23, stabbed to death in New Year's Eve attack

  31-12-2025 21:54 via bbc.com
  The Metropolitan Police says he was pronounced dead at the scene and no arrests have been made.
  
  Read more

• FTSE 100 has best year since 2009 - outperforming US and European rivals - Sky News

  31-12-2025 18:40 via news.google.com
  FTSE 100 has best year since 2009 - outperforming US and European rivals  Sky NewsHow the FTSE 100 ‘dinosaur’ roared back to life | Nils Pratley  The GuardianFTSE 100 shrugs off tariffs and war to enjoy best year since 2009  thetimes.comFlying Footsie clocks up best year since 2009 as it ends nearly 22% up - with Fresnillo the big winner  This is MoneyIn 2026, I think the FTSE 100 could pass 12,000  Fool UK
  
  Read more

• The Guardian view on hard times for Britain’s charities: struggling to do more with less | Editorial

  31-12-2025 18:30 via theguardian.com
  Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today, the challenges facing the voluntary sector as it attempts to cope with an ongoing funding crisisSpeaking in a parliamentary debate on the voluntary sector, not long after Labour’s huge election victory, the party’s former MP Jeff Rooker evoked the many ways charities hold Britain’s social fabric together. Every week in his local area, he told fellow peers, a group named Hands Toge
  
  Read more

• Sara Banerji obituary

  31-12-2025 17:56 via theguardian.com
  Novelist whose stories set in Britain and India combined realistic domestic detail with myth and magicOver the course of three decades, Sara Banerji, who has died aged 93, wrote 10 novels combining realistic domestic detail with myth and magic, and sudden violence with a quirky humour. In the first, Cobweb Walking (1986), the child Morgan is able to walk on cobwebs: Sara’s storytelling made the surreal real, bringing a fresh voice to fiction by interweaving fantasy with the absurdities of
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• The perfect night out: how to ditch the telly – and have next-level fun

  31-12-2025 17:00 via theguardian.com
  Happiness research has found we get more joy from active, challenging experiences than from passive consumption. So go somewhere new, grab the karaoke mic and leap out of your comfort zone• Sign up here to get the whole series straight to your inbox‘It’s nice to have a night out that doesn’t revolve around drinking,” says the person next to me as we put the finishing touches to our lino prints of pomegranates, wintry trees, the anime character Totoro (mine) and a mar
  
  Read more

• Watch: Stunning celestial events that lit up the skies in 2025

  31-12-2025 16:33 via bbc.com
  From meteor showers to supermoons, here are some of the sights that wowed stargazers this year.
  
  Read more

• 7 stunning discoveries from 2025 you should know - Interesting Engineering

  31-12-2025 16:17 via news.google.com
  7 stunning discoveries from 2025 you should know  Interesting EngineeringThe happiest scientific breakthroughs of 2025  thetimes.com2025: The science stories that stopped us in our tracks  BBCGold is escaping from Earth’s core and other wild things we learned about the planet in 2025  CNNEight Fascinating Scientific Discoveries From 2025 That Could Lead to New Inventions  Smithsonian Magazine
  
  Read more

• The best cross trainers for a low-impact workout at home, tested

  31-12-2025 16:00 via theguardian.com
  New year fitness goals? An elliptical will put you through your paces without the joint strain – our reviewer worked up a sweat testing the best• The best treadmillsA quick admission: I absolutely love an elliptical or cross trainer. They don’t always get the plaudits they deserve, but these low-impact cardio machines not only put less strain on your joints than a treadmill but also help you get an impressive, full-body workout. Whether you hop on one to warm up before an intens
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• €1m Picasso portrait up for grabs for €100 in charity raffle

  31-12-2025 16:00 via theguardian.com
  Artwork by one of the most influential artists of 20th century raffled to fund Alzheimer’s researchHis work is consistently ranked among the world’s most expensive art, with paintings fetching more than a $100m at auction. But you no longer need to be a multimillionaire to own a Picasso – for €100, anyone in the world has the chance to walk away with a painting by one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.The French charity Alzheimer’s Research Foundati
  
  Read more

• Flu cases in Scotland fall by nearly half over the Christmas holidays - BBC

  31-12-2025 15:50 via news.google.com
  Flu cases in Scotland fall by nearly half over the Christmas holidays  BBCFlu admissions start to fall, but NHS ‘not out of woods yet’  thetimes.comNHS issues major 'super flu' update after H3N2 strain surge in England  Daily StarOver 3,000 flu patients in hospital before Christmas as warning issued  The MirrorHealth officials warn hospitals still remain 'extremely busy' with around 95 per cent of beds filled  facebook.com
  
  Read more

• ‘We live with war over our heads’: the Romanian villagers threatened by Russian drones

  31-12-2025 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s Danube ports bring blasts, evacuations and fear of escalation to border communitiesAt the edge of Romania’s Danube delta on the border with Ukraine, in the village of Plauru, cows graze in flat, marshy fields. Houses with blue-painted roofs and window frames line a dirt track, many shuttered or abandoned.Residents can see the cranes and silos of Izmail, a Ukrainian port city separated from Plauru by the 300 metre-width of the Danube River. By day the
  
  Read more

• Tell us: have you trained your AI job replacement?

  31-12-2025 14:03 via theguardian.com
  We’d like to hear from people who are training AI to replace their current rolesAnalysis by the International Monetary Fund says Artificial intelligence will affect about 40% of jobs around the world.We’d like to find out more about the impact of AI on jobs now. With this in mind, we want to hear from people who have been training AI to replace their current roles. What has the experience been like? How do you feel about your future at your company? Do you have concerns? Continue rea
  
  Read more

• ‘A hell of a lot of fun!’ Your favourite podcasts of 2025

  31-12-2025 14:00 via theguardian.com
  True crime, AI, romantasy and strange stories from a small Welsh town are among your picks of the best podcasts of the yearI stumbled across this podcast a few weeks ago and romped through the first season in short order. My Dad died recently, and I often feel sad. Ill-advised has helped me feel lighter. I have laughed out loud at both the questions and Bill’s dryly-delivered answers. I love the banned word portion (such as “pivot” and “like“, when used as fillers i
  
  Read more

• Roblox, James Bond and a billion-dollar video game – here are our most-read gaming stories of 2025

  31-12-2025 13:30 via theguardian.com
  In this week’s newsletter: The year’s most popular stories reveal how play, power and politics collided in the past 12 months – and what you’re psyched for in 2026• Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereWith the best games of the year duly noted (yours and ours), I’d like to highlight some of the work we’ve done covering them. Reviewing the top-performing articles that we published in 2025, I see a portrait of a conflicted y
  
  Read more

• Roblox, James Bond and a billion-dollar multiplayer – here are our most-read gaming stories of 2025

  31-12-2025 13:30 via theguardian.com
  In this week’s newsletter: The year’s most popular stories reveal how play, power and politics collided in the past 12 months – and what you’re psyched for in 2026• Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereWith the best games of the year duly noted (yours and ours), I’d like to highlight some of the work we’ve done covering them. Reviewing the top-performing articles that we published in 2025, I see a portrait of a conflicted y
  
  Read more

• Young people in the UK: can you afford to put money into a pension scheme?

  31-12-2025 13:25 via theguardian.com
  We’d like to hear from people in the UK, under the age of 30, about whether they’re managing to put money into a pension scheme – or cannot afford toWith 150,000 people in the UK now having student loan debts of more than £100,000, tenants spending 36.3% of their income on rent and the cost-of-living crisis still having an impact – young workers are having to make sacrifices from cutting holidays or not paying into a pension scheme.If you’re under 30, we&rsquo
  
  Read more

• The man taking over the Large Hadron Collider – only to switch it off

  31-12-2025 13:00 via theguardian.com
  Next head of Cern backs massive replacement for world’s largest machine to investigate mysteries of the universeMark Thomson, a professor of experimental particle physics at the University of Cambridge, has landed one of the most coveted jobs in global science. But it is hard not to wonder, when looked at from a certain angle, whether he has taken one for the team.On 1 January, Thomson takes over as the director general of Cern, the multi-Nobel prizewinning nuclear physics laboratory on th
  
  Read more

• Wall Street’s crystal ball gazers have surprising predictions for 2026 - The Telegraph

  31-12-2025 11:00 via news.google.com
  Wall Street’s crystal ball gazers have surprising predictions for 2026  The TelegraphWhat to expect from stocks in 2026  CNNHere’s (Almost) Everything Wall Street Expects in 2026  Bloomberg.comInvestors head into 2026 remarkably optimistic  The EconomistAnalyst who nailed 2020 lows drops take on S&P 500  thestreet.com
  
  Read more

• ‘The television event of the decade!’ It’s your top TV of 2025

  31-12-2025 11:00 via theguardian.com
  From the phenomenal Vince Gilligan show Pluribus to horny, life-changing ice-hockey drama Heated Rivalry and much more … here are Guardian readers’ shows of the year(Disney+) It’s embarrassing to say about a product released by the Disney Corporation within the Star Wars brand, but it’s by far the most searing and narratively sound portrayal of the creep of totalitarianism I’ve seen on-screen in years. Airtight character work, pitch-perfect action and the ideal mom
  
  Read more

• Sali Hughes on beauty: I don’t make new year resolutions, but these are my pledges for 2026

  31-12-2025 11:00 via theguardian.com
  Hydrated skin and some trips to the gym – I’ll be embracing better beauty habits next yearI’m not given to making new year resolutions, but by coincidence I have recently made a number of pledges to adopt better beauty habits. I believe that even someone in this job, who already moisturises and UV protects religiously, can still find areas for improvement.Once again, I have pledged to drink more (or indeed some) water. After decades of tea dependency, I never find myself t
  
  Read more

• Hunt family bravery prompted me to share assault story, says Queen

  31-12-2025 11:00 via bbc.com
  Queen Camilla has praised the courage of John and Amy Hunt, whose family were killed last year.
  
  Read more

• The Master of Contradictions by Morten Høi Jensen review – how Thomas Mann wrote The Magic Mountain

  31-12-2025 10:00 via theguardian.com
  A vivid account of the creation of one of literary modernism’s greatest achievementsIn a 1924 letter to André Gide, Thomas Mann said he would soon be sending along a copy of his new novel, The Magic Mountain. “But I assure you that I do not in the least expect you to read it,” he wrote. “It is a highly problematical and ‘German’ work, and of such monstrous dimensions that I know perfectly well it won’t do for the rest of E
  
  Read more

• Queen praises Hunt family for their bravery after triple murders - BBC

  31-12-2025 09:00 via news.google.com
  Queen praises Hunt family for their bravery after triple murders  BBCQueen speaks about groping incident for first time  The TelegraphQueen Camilla speaks for the first time about fighting off sex assault as a teenager in moving broadcast with BBC racing commentator John Hunt  Daily MailQueen Camilla speaks for 1st time about getting groped by perv on train – before she whacked him in privates with shoe  The US Sun
  
  Read more

• ‘It’s cooler than saying I bought this on Asos’: the big car boot sale rebrand

  31-12-2025 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Whether Vinted’s to blame or TikTok’s to thank, people are flocking back to car parks in search of secondhand bargains. How did the car boot get hip again?It’s a crisp Sunday morning in south-west London. Tucked within rows of terrace houses, the playground of a primary school has been transformed into an outdoor treasure trove. Tables are filled with stacks of books and board games; clothes hang from metal racks or are piled into boxes which are strewn over a hopscotch. It&rsq
  
  Read more

• ‘It’s bigger than Hogmanay’: Shetland’s Up Helly Aa Viking fire festival

  31-12-2025 08:00 via theguardian.com
  The raucous celebration of the new year and the islands’ Nordic heritage culminates in the ritual burning of a longship – and much drinkingBeyond a misty veil, dawn breaks above Shetland – sort of. The days feel as if they never quite get going here at this time of year, and it’s important, as the long nights of winter drag on, to have a hobby. Here in Lerwick, the capital of the archipelago, the locals have divined a unique way of passing the time, while honouring the de
  
  Read more

• Eurostar plans to run all services but Channel Tunnel drivers warned of six-hour delays in Calais - BBC

  31-12-2025 07:26 via news.google.com
  Eurostar plans to run all services but Channel Tunnel drivers warned of six-hour delays in Calais  BBC'Eurostar chaos' and Anthony Joshua's 'mum at his bedside'  BBCEurostar restarts in Channel tunnel with full service but risk of disruptions  The GuardianEurostar delays enter second day as passengers stuck onboard overnight  BBCPassenger describes being stranded on Eurostar train overnight - as disruption continues  Sky News
  
  Read more

• Injured tawny owl found by Hulland Ward roadside returned to the wild - BBC

  31-12-2025 07:24 via news.google.com
  Injured tawny owl found by Hulland Ward roadside returned to the wild  BBC
  
  Read more

• 'My hoarding is not a lifestyle choice, it's a mental health issue' - BBC

  31-12-2025 07:14 via news.google.com
  'My hoarding is not a lifestyle choice, it's a mental health issue'  BBC
  
  Read more

• Zack Polanski offering voters fantasy solutions, says head of Fabian Society - The Guardian

  31-12-2025 07:00 via news.google.com
  Zack Polanski offering voters fantasy solutions, says head of Fabian Society  The Guardian
  
  Read more

• UK house prices: first-time buyers ‘will drive 2026 sales’ amid interest rate cuts - The Guardian

  31-12-2025 07:00 via news.google.com
  UK house prices: first-time buyers ‘will drive 2026 sales’ amid interest rate cuts  The GuardianLondon house prices: what will happen to the capital's property market in 2026?  London Evening StandardWill house prices rise or fall in 2026? The seven forecasts that matter for the UK property market  This is Money‘What will happen to house prices next year?’ — it’s a tricky question  Financial TimesHow a year of fear and t
  
  Read more

• Staying in with the old: the best films to watch on New Year’s Eve - The Guardian

  31-12-2025 07:00 via news.google.com
  Staying in with the old: the best films to watch on New Year’s Eve  The Guardian20 Movies to Watch on New Year’s Eve  Rotten Tomatoes25 New Year’s Eve Movies To Watch Before The Ball Drops  British VogueRing in the New Year with these perfectly timed movie and TV moments  Yahoo CreatorsFive Unique New Year Films to Warm Your Heart  Букви
  
  Read more

• Lily Allen’s live return, Charli xcx’s Wuthering Heights and Simon Rattle’s Janáček: music to listen out for in 2026

  31-12-2025 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Raye, Deftones and Yungblud do UK tours, Jill Scott returns for more neo-soul, and the classical world gears up to celebrate Hungarian composer György Kurtág at 100• More from the 2026 culture previewSeventeen years on from the release of her debut single, Florence Welch finds herself in an intriguingly strong position: while most of her early 00s indie peers are forgotten or in reduced circumstances, she is a major influence on pop, from Ethel Cain to the Last Dinner Party to C
  
  Read more

• Is ‘coasting’ the perfect way to enjoy an alcoholic drink this New Year’s Eve?

  31-12-2025 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Retailers say appetite for alcoholic drinks that are about half the strength of the traditional versions is soaringChristmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations often used to result in a hangover the next day, but with moderation now the order of the day the new drinks industry buzzword is “coasting”.This involves choosing a white wine, lager or even a cocktail that is about half the strength of the traditional version of the drink – meaning you can have the same number of dr
  
  Read more

• Curb the cod, park the prawns: top chefs on how to swap out the ‘big five’ seafood

  31-12-2025 07:00 via theguardian.com
  From moules marinière to scallop, bacon and garlic butter rolls, here’s how to cast your culinary net wider and embrace more sustainable speciesFor a nation surrounded by water, Britain’s seafood tastes are remarkably parochial – we mostly eat cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns. But with a huge range of species out there, making the decision to swap the “big five” for more sustainable options could be a good new year resolution to aim for. Here are five sp
  
  Read more

• 2026 preview: The most consequential year in modern American history? - Sky News

  31-12-2025 06:31 via news.google.com
  2026 preview: The most consequential year in modern American history?  Sky NewsFrom Ukraine to Gaza, 2026 is likely to be a turbulent year in geopolitics  The TimesIt’s not just Taiwan... Five flashpoints that could spark World War Three in 2026  The IndependentForecasting the world in 2026: Will Trump win the Nobel peace prize? Will Starmer survive?  The Irish Times‘What will Trump rename next?’ and other questions about 2026  
  
  Read more

• What happened next: Valerie the dachshund taught us how to survive – and thrive

  31-12-2025 06:00 via theguardian.com
  We could learn a lot from the pampered sausage dog who became a canine Bear Grylls. Perhaps all of us are capable of more than we might expectWho among us hasn’t yearned, at least momentarily, to cast off the trappings of our comfortable lives and live wild, unfettered and free? This year someone showed us the way: a charismatic Aussie sausage dog (I believe that’s “snag” in local vernacular). Whether you already carry Valerie the miniature dachshund’s story in your
  
  Read more

• Ten English fire services tackled record number of grass, forest and crop fires in 2025 - The Guardian

  31-12-2025 06:00 via news.google.com
  Ten English fire services tackled record number of grass, forest and crop fires in 2025  The GuardianFirefighters tackled 27,000 wildfires in spring and summer heatwave  The TelegraphData reveals growing rate of wildfires across England over last three years  The IndependentGrass, woodland and crop fires reach record high in County Durham and Darlington  The Northern EchoIncrease in wildfire risk shows the work of firefighters cannot be taken for granted&n
  
  Read more

• Russia's Gerasimov says Putin ordered Ukraine buffer zone expansion in 2026 - Reuters

  31-12-2025 05:59 via news.google.com
  Russia's Gerasimov says Putin ordered Ukraine buffer zone expansion in 2026  ReutersRussia claims to have seized swathes of Ukraine in 2025  Al JazeeraRussia's Gerasimov inspects 'North' force grouping of Russian armed forces, RIA reports  marketscreener.comVladimir Putin orders armies to invade two more European territories in New Year  The MirrorMeeting on developments in the special military operation zone  Прези&
  
  Read more

• Isiah Whitlock Jr, actor in The Wire and Veep, dies aged 71 - The Guardian

  31-12-2025 05:56 via news.google.com
  Isiah Whitlock Jr, actor in The Wire and Veep, dies aged 71  The GuardianIsiah Whitlock Jr. Dies: ‘The Wire’ Actor & Frequent Spike Lee Collaborator Was 71  DeadlineIsiah Whitlock Jr: The Wire and Veep actor dies at 71  BBCIsiah Whitlock Jr., actor who starred in The Wire, dies aged 71  Sky NewsIsiah Whitlock Jr., ‘The Wire’ and ‘Veep’ Actor, Dies at 71  Variety
  
  Read more

• Isiah Whitlock Jr., actor who starred in The Wire, dies aged 71 - Sky News

  31-12-2025 04:37 via news.google.com
  Isiah Whitlock Jr., actor who starred in The Wire, dies aged 71  Sky NewsIsiah Whitlock Jr, actor in The Wire and Veep, dies aged 71  The GuardianIsiah Whitlock Jr. Dies: ‘The Wire’ Actor & Frequent Spike Lee Collaborator Was 71  DeadlineIsiah Whitlock Jr, actor known as The Wire’s Clay Davis, dies aged 71  The IndependentIsiah Whitlock Jr: The Wire and Veep actor dies at 71  BBC
  
  Read more

• Gabriel Magalhães’ opener sparks Arsenal’s second-half rout of Aston Villa - The Guardian

  31-12-2025 03:30 via news.google.com
  Gabriel Magalhães’ opener sparks Arsenal’s second-half rout of Aston Villa  The Guardian'It's all going right for Arsenal' - can they make it count this time?  BBCPremier League LIVE: Commentary, scores, results & updates including Chelsea vs Bournemouth  BBCArsenal have delivered the statement victory they needed  The New York TimesArsenal vs Aston Villa LIVE! Premier League match preview, team news, live blog, goal videos, match re
  
  Read more

• Gold and silver see rollercoaster end to blockbuster year - BBC

  31-12-2025 03:18 via news.google.com
  Gold and silver see rollercoaster end to blockbuster year  BBCView Full coverage on Google News
  
  Read more

• Machu Picchu head-on train crash kills one person and injures dozens - The Guardian

  31-12-2025 03:08 via news.google.com
  Machu Picchu head-on train crash kills one person and injures dozens  The GuardianMachu Picchu train crash leaves one dead and dozens injured  BBCTwo trains carrying tourists to Machu Picchu crash - as one person killed  Sky NewsHead-on train collision near Machu Picchu kills one and injures 40  The TelegraphTrains crash while carrying tourists to Peru’s Machu Picchu, killing 1 person and injuring dozens  CNN
  
  Read more

• Isiah Whitlock: Veep and The Wire actor dies at 71 - BBC

  31-12-2025 03:07 via news.google.com
  Isiah Whitlock: Veep and The Wire actor dies at 71  BBCIsiah Whitlock Jr, actor in The Wire and Veep, dies aged 71  The GuardianIsiah Whitlock Jr. Dies: ‘The Wire’ Actor & Frequent Spike Lee Collaborator Was 71  DeadlineIsiah Whitlock Jr., actor who starred in The Wire, dies aged 71  Sky NewsIsiah Whitlock Jr., ‘The Wire’ and ‘Veep’ Actor, Dies at 71  Variety
  
  Read more

• Ronan Keating on his New Year's Eve show, resolutions, and Boyzone reunion - BBC

  31-12-2025 02:22 via news.google.com
  Ronan Keating on his New Year's Eve show, resolutions, and Boyzone reunion  BBC
  
  Read more

• UK company sends factory with 1,000C furnace into space - BBC

  31-12-2025 01:26 via news.google.com
  UK company sends factory with 1,000C furnace into space  BBC
  
  Read more

• Motherwell 2-0 Celtic: Visitors miss opportunity to move level on points with leaders Hearts - BBC

  31-12-2025 01:22 via news.google.com
  Motherwell 2-0 Celtic: Visitors miss opportunity to move level on points with leaders Hearts  BBCMotherwell 2-0 Celtic: Wilfried Nancy's Hoops outclassed at Fir Park as they miss chance to move level with leaders Hearts  Sky SportsScottish Premiership: Nancy’s Celtic slump to fifth defeat as Said inspires Motherwell  The GuardianCeltic starting XI for SPFL meeting with Motherwell  Celtic FCHow to watch Motherwell v Celtic on TV tonight - channel and
  
  Read more

• Why 2026 is Keir Starmer's make or break year - BBC

  31-12-2025 01:03 via news.google.com
  Why 2026 is Keir Starmer's make or break year  BBCChris Mason: Why 2026 is Keir Starmer's make or break year  BBCConditions may feel rife for a coup within Labour – but a change of leader alone isn’t going to fix things | Polly Toynbee  The GuardianKeir Starmer will be finished in 2026. When will Wes Streeting break ranks?  The TelegraphOne in three Labour voters thinks Starmer should go, shock poll finds  The Independent
  
  Read more

• Female artists (and Oasis) drove UK music sales in 2025 - BBC

  31-12-2025 01:03 via news.google.com
  Female artists (and Oasis) drove UK music sales in 2025  BBCOasis reunion and Taylor Swift vinyls fuel boom year for UK music industry  The GuardianUK recorded music market grows for an 11th consecutive year in 2025  Eastern Daily PressTaylor Swift joined by new British stars in another exceptional year for women in music  Official ChartsDua Lipa and Olivia Dean drive UK music boom despite fragile backdrop  City AM
  
  Read more

• Colchester boy given £1.8m drug has new lease of life - BBC

  31-12-2025 01:03 via news.google.com
  Colchester boy given £1.8m drug has new lease of life  BBC
  
  Read more

Follow @GeneralnewsUK on Twitter!