CATEGORIES

Assad allies rally after surprise fall of Aleppo

Syrian and Russian airstrikes have pummelled areas of northern Syria after Islamist insurgents seized control of Aleppo as Iran's top diplomat arrived in Damascus in a show of support for Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Plan to finally 'transform' end-of-life care for 100,000

Doctors, charities and MPs back blueprint to overhaul palliative care

Frozen pensions War Veteran says she lost out on £50,000

Anne Puckridge is travelling 4,400 miles on a mission to persuade the government to right a 'cruel' pensions policy, as Rupert Jones reports

Money hacks How to buy preloved items to give as Christmas gifts

Buying preloved often requires more thought and preparation than buying new, so make time to find the perfect gift.

The Filter Best robot vacuums to keep your home clean and dust free

Stuart Andrews trialled the most powerful robot vacuums - some of which even mop your floors - and these are the ones he rates

Checkatrade How do rogue traders get past its checks?

The site says its tradespeople are 'guaranteed', but some customers say they have lost thousands after using it. Anna Tims reports

End of road Vauxhall workers in shock over plant closure

\"I don't have anything good to say about this place right now,\" someone shouts, as workers flood out of the front gates of the Vauxhall van plant on Luton's Kimpton Road.

Hybrid car sales could be permitted until 2035 to ease all-electric transition

Car manufacturers may be allowed to sell Toyota Prius-style hybrid models in the UK until 2035, as the government looks at ways to loosen electric vehicle sales rules.

Royal Mail falling further behind with delivery targets

Royal Mail has failed to deliver about a quarter of first-class post on time in recent months as its delivery performance continues to decline amid an investigation for missing its targets.

'Dirty money' Why people of all ages are investing in crypto

Miles, a 37-year-old NHS doctor from London, has been trying for years to persuade friends to buy cryptocurrencies.

Work Minister's plan to transform the job market

\"This is why I love jobcentres: because they're intensely hopeful places.\" The employment minister, Alison McGovern, has spent half an hour perched on a desk in an office block in Hoxton, east London, hearing from a group of job coaches.

Shoppers bag Black Friday gifts online but in-store sales lag

UK shoppers visited websites in droves to snap up Black Friday bargains, raising hopes the US-inspired promotional day would finally kick-start a festive spending spree.

Half of homeowners face higher mortgage payments within three years, says Bank

The mortgage payments of half of UK homeowners will rise over the next three years, leaving 4.4m households facing extra financial pressure, the Bank of England has said.

Air of despair New Zealand city plagued by wastewater site stench

New Zealand city plagued by wastewater site stench

Bolivia's former anti-drugs chief to be extradited on drug charges

Bolivia's highest court has approved the extradition of the country's former top anti-narcotics official to the US to face charges of trafficking narcotics.

Trump's cabinet A team of talents or a hodgepodge held together by fealty?

A team of talents or a hodgepodge held together by fealty?

Mass die-off of elephants in Botswana 'was climate induced'

More than 350 elephants that died in mysterious circumstances probably drank toxic water, according to a new paper that warns of an \"alarming trend\" in climate-induced poisoning.

More than a dessert How sweet potato pie became a tool of US Black resistance

The American pastry chef David Benton grew up in a pumpkin pie family; they always bought the dessert for Thanksgiving dinner.

Talks over Iran nuclear impasse continue as Trump return looms

Iran and the so-called E3 grouping of the UK, France and Germany have agreed to continue holding talks in the near future in an attempt to find a way out of an impasse over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Ireland's Social Democrats leader has baby on polling day

The leader of Ireland's Social Democrats party announced the birth of a baby daughter on the day of the country's general election yesterday.

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.