CATEGORIES

Britain joins trans-Pacific bloc in largest trade deal since Brexit

Britain officially became the 12th member of a trans-Pacific trade pact yesterday as it seeks to deepen ties in the region and build its global trade links after leaving the European Union.

Canal+ listing is major boost for UK markets, says Reeves

Canal+, the international pay-TV company and owner of the studio behind the Paddington film franchise, is to make its multibillion-pound stock market debut in London today, providing a much-needed shot in the arm for the capital's stock exchange.

Voters broadly accept £40bn tax rises in budget, survey shows

Voters broadly accept that Rachel Reeves's £40bn in tax rises in the autumn budget were necessary to improve public services, despite the majority expecting to be worse off as a result, according to research.

Brazil's leader leaves hospital days after emergency brain operation

Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was discharged from hospital yesterday after emergency surgery on Tuesday to drain a haematoma in his brain.

Spain begins giving back 5,000 artworks seized under Franco

Spain's culture ministry has begun to fulfil its promise to return more than 5,000 works of art that were taken by the Franco regime after restoring a painting seized by the dictatorship 84 years ago to its rightful owners.

Looking for the next big thing Global appeal of colossal fruit, vegetable or animal landmarks

Perched atop a traffic island in Banjarmasin, Indonesia, is a proboscis monkey. Leaping from a roundabout in Mahdia, Tunisia, is a swordfish. Sprouting from an intersection in Kundasang, Malaysia, is a cabbage.

Fears of ecological disaster after two Russian oil tankers sink in Black Sea

Two Russian tankers carrying more than 4,000 tonnes of oil products have sunk in the Black Sea amid stormy conditions, threatening an ecological disaster.

Don't sabotage polio vaccine, McConnell says

The US Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, has condemned attempts to undermine the polio vaccine after reports that a lawyer affiliated with Robert F Kennedy Jr - Donald Trump's health secretary pick - petitioned for the Food and Drug Administration to revoke approval of the jab.

Pelosi has hip surgery after fall in Luxembourg

The former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi had a hip replacement on Saturday at a US military hospital in Germany after falling while at an event in Luxembourg with other members of Congress.

No known foreign links to US drone sightings says official

Alejandro Mayorkas, the US homeland security secretary, said yesterday federal authorities \"know of no foreign involvement\" in the apparent mass drone sightings across the north-east, as social and political anxieties surged over the weekend amid a lack of official information.

Serbians 'using new tools to illegally spy on activists'

Police and intelligence services in Serbia are using advanced mobile forensics products and previously unknown spyware to illegally surveil journalists and activists, according to a report by Amnesty International.

South Korea leader reportedly refused to obey summons in martial law case

South Korea's conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has reportedly failed to obey a summons from prosecutors investigating him as he faces impeachment after a botched declaration of martial law.

Last members of Bali Nine free and back in Australia after 19 years in prison

The five remaining members of the Bali Nine jailed for life over a drug smuggling plot have returned to Australia under a deal negotiated with the Indonesian government.

Solicitors refusing to deal with burglary cases because of legal aid funding gap

Lawyers are refusing to represent people charged with certain crimes amid a crisis over solicitors' pay, with one burglary suspect turned away by 12 legal firms, the president of the Law Society has said.

'Something horrible': Somerset pit reveals bronze age cannibalism

A collection of human bones discovered 50 years ago in a Somerset pit are evidence of the bloodiest known massacre in British prehistory - and of bronze age cannibalism, archaeologists say.

How to fix our courts Five ways to clear the backlog and end the criminal justice crisis

Few would argue that the criminal justice system is not in crisis, with huge backlogs in the courts.

Police seek driver after hit-and-run kills boy, 2, and injures four adults

A two-year-old boy has died and two adults have been left in a critical condition after a hit-and-run involving a stolen Porsche in the West Midlands.

Tributes paid after Mango founder Andic falls to death

Tributes have been paid to Isak Andic, the billionaire founder of the Spanish high-street fashion chain Mango, after his death in a hiking accident in Catalonia on Saturday.

RAC warns drivers to avoid peak times this weekend

Drivers are being urged not to travel on major routes at peak times this Friday and Saturday, with record levels of holiday traffic expected to cause long queues in Britain roads.

British Sikhs asked about Views On India at UK airports, says MP

British Sikhs are being stopped at airports and questioned about their attitudes towards India, a Labour MP has said, raising concerns about Delhi's influence over British security checks.

Prince Andrew Why the royal is at the heart of another 'scandal'

The royal family's Christmas Day walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene church in Norfolk is a longstanding tradition. But it has become a barometer of internal pressures - so all eyes will be on whether the Duke of York is among those walking alongside the king and queen this Christmas after the alleged Chinese spy controversy.

'Civilised' debate on equal rights impossible today, says Sturgeon

The \"civilised\" debate that led to the legalisation of equal marriage in Scotland would not be possible 10 years on because of a trend towards polarisation and inability to find common ground, Nicola Sturgeon says.

Mother of jailed dissident takes hunger strike to Foreign Office

A woman on hunger strike to secure the release of her son, the British-Egyptian dissident Alaa Abd el-Fattah, is to protest outside the Foreign Office each day to remind diplomats of his plight.

Music review Beatlemania is back as McCartney gives his everything

I'm just going to take a little moment to enjoy it for myself,\" says Paul McCartney, standing aside to take in an atmosphere like that of an arena-sized Last Night of the Proms, with Beatlemania.

Guardian appeal Our readers give £500,000 for war victims

Generous Guardian and Observer readers gave £57,000 over the phones during our annual telethon for charities supporting the victims of war and conflict, with the overall total hitting more than £500,000.

More than 1m vapes thrown away every day in the UK, research finds

Thirteen vapes are thrown away every second in the UK - more than a million a day - causing an \"environmental nightmare\", according to research.

'Creepy' undercover Met police officer had sex with teen in 1990s, inquiry hears

A \"creepy\" undercover police officer in his 30s formed a sexual relationship with a teenage activist without disclosing his true identity to her, a public inquiry has been told.

French police search for motive after five shot dead in Dunkirk

French police are still trying to establish the motive for five murders that were committed in the space of less than two hours near the port city of Dunkirk on Saturday afternoon.

Small boats Cooper says UK 'making progress' on backlog

Small boat crossings would be \"thousands higher\" under the Conservatives, the home secretary said yesterday, though they remain 20% higher than this time last year.

Comeback kid-US hit comedy Malcolm in the Middle returns after 18 years

It's been nearly 25 years since audiences first heard the now-familiar shout \"Malcolm!\" from the actors Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek, but they are coming back with a new series of Malcolm in the Middle.