CATEGORIES

Manatees not native to Florida, say scientists, but came for the warmth

Manatees, long considered among Florida's most beloved and enchanting inhabitants, are not US natives at all, and only came to the Sunshine State for warm temperatures and clear blue waters like any other visitor, researchers have found.

Ágnes Keleti, world's oldest Olympic gold champion, dies aged 103

The world's oldest Olympic gold-medallist, the Hungarian gymnast Ágnes Keleti, who escaped the Holocaust with false identity papers and the Soviet Union's brutal clampdown on her home country by emigrating to Israel, has died aged 103.

Finnish arena shut by Russia sanctions to reopen in spring

Helsinki's main sports and entertainment arena is expected to reopen in the spring after a Russian sanctions drama left it out of action.

Italy Presses Iran to Free Reporter Held in Notorious Tehran Prison

Italy's foreign ministry has summoned the Iranian ambassador and called for the immediate release of an Italian journalist being held in solitary confinement in Tehran.

Families of victims killed by the Sicilian mafia fear return of newly freed bosses

Families of victims killed by the Sicilian mafia have expressed fears that more than 20 senior mobsters released over the past three months may return to the neighbourhoods they once controlled.

Officials Urge Crackdown After Fireworks Kill Five in Germany

German officials yesterday called for a clampdown on illegally imported and homemade \"firework bombs\" after pyrotechnics claimed at least five lives on New Year's Eve.

Impeached leader vows to 'fight until end'

South Korea's impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has rallied his supporters in a letter, saying he will \"fight until the end\" as he faces an attempt by authorities to arrest him over his short-lived declaration of martial law, a lawyer said.

South Korean police raid Jeju Air and plane crash airport

Police in South Korea have raided Muan international airport, the scene of Sunday's plane crash in which 179 people died, as well as the office of the airline that operated the flight, media reports said.

'Safe zone' among areas targeted in Israeli attack killing 43 across the Gaza Strip

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 43 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip yesterday, including 11 people in the sprawling al-Mawasi tent encampment designated as a humanitarian safe zone for civilians.

Clean-up 40 years after Bhopal disaster is 'greenwashing', say campaigners

Forty years after one of world's deadliest industrial disasters struck the Indian city of Bhopal, a clean-up operation has finally begun to remove hundreds of tonnes of toxic waste from the site.

Italian 'colour genius' and fashion matriarch Missoni dies aged 93

Rosita Missoni, the esteemed Italian fashion designer who co-founded the eponymous knitwear brand, has died aged 93.

Twenty councillors quit Labour and say Starmer has abandoned party's values

Twenty councillors at a local authority in Nottinghamshire have quit Labour, saying the party has \"abandoned traditional Labour values\" under Keir Starmer's leadership.

House prices rise for fourth month running in December - Nationwide

House prices rose for a fourth consecutive month in December, ending the year on a \"strong footing\", Nationwide said, with the cost of an average home hitting £269,426.

We'd Be Very Stuck' Only Braille Typewriter Repairer in UK Plans Retirement

Ian Thorpe runs his fingers over the braille note attached to the latest repair job to arrive on his doorstep in Sheffield. Reading from the tactile note, he says: \"The paper won't wind in and the keys are jammed. Good luck.\"

Merry Lidl Christmas as German discounter records £1bn in sales

Lidl made more than £1bn in sales in the four weeks before Christmas for the first time in the three decades it has been operating in the UK, as cash-strapped shoppers cut costs.

Tax on holiday homes to fund extra police in West Country

Funds raised by increasing council tax bills for second-home owners in Cornwall and Devon are to be used to boost police patrols across the two counties.

Brompton's profits down by more than 99% amid turmoil in the bicycle industry

The boss of Brompton Bicycle has predicted that 2025 will be another year of turmoil for the bike industry after profits at the British folding bicycle maker plunged by more than 99% amid a wave of discounting by rivals.

More than 1,500 drug-addicted babies born in Scotland since 2017

Opposition parties have called for a significant increase in addiction funding in Scotland after it emerged that more than 1,500 drug-addicted babies have been born in recent years.

UK electricity cleanest ever with 58% from low-carbon sources

Wind is projected to become the biggest source of power this year

Like-minded? Dogs and owners take part in brainwave study

Standing patiently on a small fluffy rug, Calisto the flat-coated retriever is being fitted with hi-tech headwear. But this is not a new craze in canine fashion; she is about to have her brainwaves recorded.

Calls to make citizen testing of waterways part of official data

Citizen science testing of river water quality will expand this year in an attempt to make the data part of official monitoring of waterways, says the head of an independent environmental research group.

Two Arrested After Man Dies in New Year Crash

Two men have been arrested after a pedestrian died following a crash on New Year's Day.

A wet way to start 2025 All hands to the pumps in flood-hit Manchester

Some people say the way your year starts is how the year is going to be, so I'm expecting some adventures, I'll be like Indiana Jones,\" said Alina Abroutkouki yesterday.

Flooding Bridgewater canal section collapses 'as if a bomb hit it'

Engineers are assessing the scale of damage to a 250-year-old canal after flood waters dramatically collapsed a section of its elevated embankment in Cheshire.

Warnings as heavy snow, ice and freezing cold set to hit Britain this weekend

Public health bosses are expecting a rise in deaths from cold weather amid severe weather warnings for snow and ice over the next five days.

Meghan Unveils New Netflix Lifestyle Show

The Duchess of Sussex has provided a first look at her new lifestyle series to be shown on Netflix.

NHS in Scotland spent £4m in past five years on pest control

The Scottish government has been urged to improve the NHS estate after it emerged that more than £4m has been spent on pest control in the past five years.

Jocelyne Wildenstein, socialite who took plastic surgery to the limit, dies aged 84

Jocelyne Wildenstein, the Swiss socialite dubbed \"Catwoman\" because of her extensive plastic surgery, has died aged 84.

'It feels like a wayward town' - Calls to save historic buildings at risk in Glasgow city centre

Glasgow city centre seems to be dying,\" said Anne Gibb, perched on a stone bollard on Sauchiehall Street, watching the Christmas shoppers hustle by. Ahead of her, the human stream parted around yet another segment of the precinct that had been fenced off as contractors dug up paving.

Stormzy given nine-month driving ban after using phone at wheel

Stormzy has been banned from driving for nine months after an undercover police officer caught him using a mobile phone while behind the wheel of his car in west London.