CATEGORIES

GMB union is riddled with misogyny, ex-activist says

GMB must release former female staff members from confidentiality clauses that prevent them speaking publicly about their treatment, a former regional president of the trade union has said.

Two people killed as Storm Darragh brings chaos to many parts of the country

A cleanup operation is underway as communities survey the damage brought by Storm Darragh, which killed two people over the weekend.

Hezbollah's war with Israel left Tehran's allies fatally exposed

It was no coincidence that the Syrian group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began its push for the city of Aleppo on the same day that Israel and Hezbollah agreed a ceasefire to end the fighting in Lebanon.

Distant dream: exiles plan return as fall of Assad paves the way home

Nasma and Haleem Kawas met during the first protests against Bashar al-Assad's rule in their hometown of Aleppo. In the early days of the 2011 Arab Spring, the pair locked eyes at a demonstration calling for the president's overthrow. Now, after 13 years of broken dreams and exile, the couple are planning their return.

Downing St PM hails end of 'barbaric' Syrian regime

Keir Starmer welcomed the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's \"barbaric regime\" in Syria yesterday.

Family business How Assad went from doctor to brutal dictator

In the face of it at least, the Bashar al-Assad of 2002 was a starkly different figure from the brutal autocrat he would become, ruling over a fragile state founded on torture, imprisonment and industrial murder.

Russia and Iran are suddenly impotent as Turkey takes role of most influential external power

As Celebratory gunfire was heard across much of Syria, the diplomatic big guns of Iran and Russia, in Doha to attend a major dialogue forum, fell silent, rendered powerless and irrelevant by events in Damascus.

'They Vanished' Regime's forces melted away as rebels drew near

When the rebels finally reached Bashar al-Assad's sprawling palace in Damascus, the gates were open. There was no traffic on the floodlit highways leading into the vast estate, and apparently no defenders were waiting among the carefully tended trees. In the empty guardhouses, coats were still hung on the backs of doors.

Arab states will start dialogue with all forces in Syria to prevent reignition of war, says Qatar

Qatar has said Arab states will seek to avert the threat of a reignited Syrian civil war by starting an open dialogue with all the forces on the ground as the Turkish foreign minister said the formation of a new inclusive government in Damascus would allow millions of refugees to return home.

Prisoners freed Joy and grief as families reunite with 'disappeared'

As Syrian rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat al-Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured city after city on the road to Damascus, forcing Bashar al-Assad to flee the country, they also opened the doors of the regime's notorious prisons, into which upwards of 100,000 people disappeared during nearly 14 years of civil war.

Rebels seize Damascus as Assad flees to Moscow

Celebrations across Syria after decades of brutal rule come to end | Militias take capital just 11 days since start of offensive against regime

'Will this ever end?' Abuse survivors on how the long wait for justice prolonged their anguish

It took more than 40 years before Alison Ruby felt able to tell police about the man who had peeled off her school tights and stolen her childhood. She told detectives that, from the age of 12, an antiques dealer named Richard Craig had regularly enticed her into his home during the school day to rape her in his bed.

Insurance Make sure you have cover in case presents are pilfered

Burglaries soar during the festive season, with new smartphones, jewellery, bikes and other gifts offering rich pickings for thieves.

Christmas How to pick the greenest tree at the best price

Our comprehensive guide to finding the perfect tree, whether real, potted, rental or artificial. Amy Sedghi measures up the options

Czech Sphinx Business dealings of tycoon close to takeover of Royal Mail

On a cool June day in 2016, as Britain reeled from the Brexit vote, a private jet soared into the skies from RAF Northolt, charting a course for Moscow.

Supermarket Christmas veg price war 'comes at a cost' for British growers

Ten years ago, marketing executives at Britain's biggest supermarket had a brainwave: might slashing the price of basic vegetables tempt people to do their Christmas shop with them?

Direct Line accepts improved takeover Offer from rival Aviva

The insurance company Direct Line has accepted an improved offer from its rival Aviva in a deal valuing the business at £3.6bn.

Property prices hit another record high, says Britain's biggest lender

The average price of a house in the UK has hit a record high after a fifth successive month of increases in the value of properties, Britain's biggest mortgage lender has said.

Thames Water receives £5bn buyout offer from Covalis

Embattled Thames Water has received a £5bn bid from Covalis Capital that would result in France's Suez Group being brought in to manage a restructure of the UK's largest water company.

A 'Brexit problem': fears over safety of tap water after closure of test labs

The safety of tap water in the UK could be at risk because water companies are unable to use products to clean it, industry insiders have said, as all the laboratories that test and certify these chemicals have shut down.

Golden age Why saving older animals is vital to species' survival

It's not just humans who get wiser as they age - animals do too, according to a growing body of research.

Pom-poms for all Austria's first male and non-binary cheerleaders subvert gender stereotypes

Dressed in short shorts and tight T-shirts, they bounded onto the gymnasium floor. After the female roller derby teams had pushed, pounded and smashed into each other, the men and their pom-poms were now on the same court in Vienna, ready to offer up the exact opposite: a hip-shaking, acrobatic-laced half-time show.

'They get blinded' How underwater noise pollution is posing a threat to Norway's whales

From the moment that the biologist Dr Heike Vester presses play, sounds of static from the fjord fill the room. First comes the constant, steady rumbling of a boat engine. Then, every eight seconds, like a foreboding bass drum, comes the explosion of seismic airguns - extremely loud blasts used in oil and gas exploration that can travel vast distances underwater. And finally, dancing above it all - and at times drowned out by it - are the soaring vocalisations of whales.

Search for suspect of New York shooting 'on right track', mayor says

New York's mayor said the hunt for the man believed to have shot a top health insurance executive was \"on the right track\" as the investigation continued into a third day yesterday.

Trump set to have richest cabinet in US history again, worth £270bn

Enough billionaires and multi-millionaires have been assembled by Donald Trump to fill key roles in his administration to form a football team.

Risk on both sides Could Trump help end the Ukraine war?

Nobody knows when the talks will happen, or in what city. It is unclear who might be sitting at the table, or what format the discussion will take. But at some point in the coming months, the incoming US administration will probably attempt to negotiate an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Three climbers missing on New Zealand's highest peak believed dead

Three climbers - two from the US and one from Canada - missing for five days on Aoraki, New Zealand's highest mountain, are believed to have died in a fall.

K-pop and autocrats Jolt to democracy lays bare the two sides of South Korea

In the global battle for soft-power supremacy, a winner has emerged in recent years: South Korea. Spearheaded by the boyband phenomenon BTS, the Korean Wave has turned a country few knew much about into a cultural behemoth.

Syrian rebels close in on Homs as advance on Damascus gathers pace

Syrian insurgents yesterday entered towns north of Homs, the country's third largest city, sweeping along a road that eventually leads to the capital, Damascus, in a lightning-fast advance that has shaken the Middle East.

We could see significant gains for insurgents this weekend, but don't expect a clear outcome

Analysts have described Bashar al-Assad's military as hollowed out by poor morale, defections and corruption