CATEGORIES

Protests erupt as Georgia puts EU accession on hold

Protesters have clashed with police in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, after the ruling Georgian Dream party said the government would suspend talks on EU accession until 2028.

'I will never take a free shot again' Backpackers fearful after deaths in Laos

The music is still playing and the alcohol is still flowing at the bars along one of the party streets in Vang Vieng. Inside a popular venue, a voice over the speaker announces a special offer on beers, as disco lights flicker on the floor.

Spain approves 'paid climate leave' to keep workers safe in emergencies

The Spanish government has approved \"paid climate leave\" of up to four days to allow workers to avoid travelling during weather emergencies, a month after floods killed at least 224 people.

Greece opens subway built under layers of history and antiquities

It has caused untold commotion, decades of disruption, and among historians and archaeologists controversy and despair.

Romanian court defers decision on annulling presidential vote

Romania's constitutional court has deferred a decision on whether to annul the first-round vote in the country's presidential race until Monday, a day after parliamentary elections in which far-right parties are forecast to make significant gains.

Syrian rebels enter Aleppo three days into shock offensive

Islamist insurgents have entered Syria's second city of Aleppo in a shock assault eight years after forces loyal to Damascus seized control of the city.

“There is no state help’ Shop owners in Lebanon start to clear and rebuild

For two months, the only sounds in Nabatieh were the buzzing of an Israeli drone overhead and the dull thump of distant airstrikes.

Israeli forces will remain in Gaza for years, says food minister

The Israeli military will remain in Gaza for many years fighting against fresh Hamas recruits in the territory, and could be responsible for delivery of humanitarian aid there, a senior Israeli minister has said.

All at sea Is it ever possible to take an environmentally friendly cruise?

Toxic, filthy and cheap, the sludge-like substance known as heavy fuel oil has powered the shipping industry since the 1960s.

Taking the hotel with you' Climate pays price as younger cruisers drive boom in sea holidays

This summer was the first time 31-year-old Daisie Morrison had been on a cruise when she set sail on a two-week holiday with two friends, also in their early 30s.

'I'm embarrassed driving it': Tesla owners turn on Musk

Embarrassed Tesla owners have started to publicly display their dismay at Elon Musk as he has moved ever closer to the US president-elect, Donald Trump, and various far-right conspiracy theories.

Stage review A punchy revival of rags-to-riches morality tale

A punchy revival of rags-to-riches morality tale

Early nights? A mere 30 years too late, the World is being remade to suit me

Today I begin three days of being locked in a tiny soundproofed windowless room, alone except for a book.

Lookalike contests How many Zendayas, Chalamets and Whites does it take to cheer a city up?

When Miles Mitchell's friends saw flyers scattered across New York City last month advertising a Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition, they urged the 21-year-old college senior from Staten Island to enter.

TV review 'It's Wolf Hall in a fever dream and polyester. But it's real'

This show is King Lear if Lear was on sugar-daddy dating sites and had a loudly professed interest in \"natural breasts\".

Boozy Christmas parties being replaced by crazy golf and scavenger hunts

From telling your boss what you really think of them, to an ill-advised hook-up with a colleague, the traditional British office Christmas party usually supplies enough drama to provide ammunition for workplace gossip well into January.

Wicked or wonderful? Cynthia Erivo backs cinema singalongs

The Wicked star Cynthia Erivo has joined the debate over whether it is acceptable to sing along to the blockbusting musical in cinemas - and she is fine with it.

Most wanted Ex-activist says FBI offered deal to catch fugitive found in UK

A former animal rights activist who was on the run from the FBI for more than seven years claims that he was offered a deal to inform on one of the organisation's most wanted fugitives, who was arrested this week in Wales.

Sumptuous Dutch golden age still lifes are reunited in Cambridge

A quartet of influential still-life paintings by the Dutch artist Jan Davidsz de Heem will go on display together for the first time since the 17th century at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Alder Hey children's hospital 'attacked by ransomware gang'

A ransomware gang claims to have stolen data from the Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool, allegedly including patient records.

Girl, 2, who drowned in bin was failed by council, coroner finds

A two-year-old girl who drowned in a bin containing 9cm of water in a garden in east London was a victim of \"gross failures\" largely by social workers, a coroner has concluded.

Obsession with stars is block to making films, says Eyre

The veteran director Sir Richard Eyre has said it is \"very hard\" to get small-budget, independent dramas made any more because studio bosses are so obsessed with \"bankable\" celebrity names.

Space mission to create artificial solar eclipses prepares for lift-off

Final preparations are under way for a landmark space mission that will use satellites flying in close formation to create artificial solar eclipses high above the Earth.

Wallace accused of behaving 'highly inappropriately' while filming

Gregg Wallace has been accused of \"highly inappropriate\" behaviour including making \"lesbian jokes constantly\", regularly discussing spanking and threesomes, and making sexually explicit comments while filming programmes, several sources have said.

Canine powers of detection harnessed to save UK forests

Sniffer dogs are usually found looking for contraband at airports and railway stations, but the government is now dispatching trained hounds to find forest-harming pests.

Crowning glory Experts sink their teeth into solving England's NHS dentistry crisis

Amid renewed concern over the millions of people in England who cannot get NHS dental care, and a warning that the current \"dental recovery plan\" will not work, ministers are drawing up their own proposals to tackle what is widely agreed to be a crisis.

'Retrograde' UK experts warn against Australia-style ban

Leading child-safety experts have warned the UK government against enacting an Australian-style social media ban for children under 16, which they called a \"retrograde step\" that would \"do more harm than good\".

Age, controls and consent What are the social media rules around the world?

The law approved by parliament on Thursday forces tech firms from Instagram and Facebook's owner Meta to TikTok to stop minors logging in or face fines of up to AU$50m (£25m).

Teenagers are feeling Vulnerable' Fears over use of online beauty filters

Just one click on the \"glossy babe\" filter and the teenager's face was subtly elongated, her nose made neater and a dusting of freckles sprinkled across her cheeks.

Police officer who rammed cow cleared of unlawful action

A Surrey police officer who rammed into a calf in the summer will return to frontline duties after the conclusion of an internal investigation, the force have said.