Axing of Maki Otsuki performance in Shanghai the latest in a spate of cancelled cultural events involving Asia’s two biggest economies Japanese “One Piece” singer Maki Otsuki was forced to halt her performance on stage in Shanghai, her management said, one of the latest events hit by a diplomatic spat between Tokyo and Beijing. Otsuki, known for the theme song of the popular anime, had been slated to perform for two days from Friday at the Bandai Namco Festival 2025 in the Chinese city. Continue reading...

Our sex expert unwraps her favourite risque Christmas gifts – from cheeky stocking thrillers to mini massagers and toys • The best self-care gifts for Christmas Giving a sexy present requires careful consideration. If you proffer a heavy-duty vibrator, piece of bondage gear or other bit of “serious” kit, the recipient may feel obliged to use it with you straight away so as not to look ungrateful – even if they’re secretly a tad intimidated, or aren’t ready to get freaky before the leftover turkey’s been turned into stir-fry. I advise bundling risque gifts with softer playthings such as a bath bomb (try Lush’s Sex Bomb), or a massage candle (I love Neom’s treatment candle). Continue reading...

From Vietnam to the Balkans, Donald Trump’s family has launched a global dealmaking blitz since his re-election A crusading prosecutor in the Balkans comes under pressure to drop a big case. Vietnamese villagers learn they are to be evicted. A convicted crypto kingpin in the Gulf receives a pardon. All have one thing in common: they appear to be connected to the Trump family’s campaign to amass riches around the world. Since Donald Trump’s re-election a year ago, warnings that his use of presidential power to advance personal interests is corroding American democracy have grown ever louder. What is less understood – and perhaps even more dangerous – is the damage this is doing everywhere else. Continue reading...

It is good that you are getting expert counselling, but seeking support from other solo mums might be helpful too I am a very lucky person who has a huge amount to be happy and grateful for. But although I have many excellent friendships, I have had very few romantic relationships. I am now 36 and after 10 years of giving dating a real “go”, I have decided to become a single mum by choice. This has been a very positive decision for me and I am excited about the journey. During a pre-screening psychological counselling session, the psychologist spoke about the grief many women in my shoes experience as a result of not having the family they’d hoped for. Although I was aware of this and have worked extensively on self-acceptance with my own therapist, I now feel deep sadness and regret at being unable to have formed a relationship with someone who wanted to have children with me. In my friends and colleagues groups, this sets me apart from most women my age. I am envious of the companionship and support my peers receive from their partners. Continue reading...

Tensions grow after research in England finds there may not be enough water for planned carbon capture and hydrogen projects Revealed: Europe’s water reserves drying up due to climate breakdown Tensions are growing between the government, the water sector and its regulators over the management of England’s water supplies, as the Environment Agency warns of a potential widespread drought next year. Research commissioned by a water retailer has found water scarcity could hamper the UK’s ability to reach its net zero targets, and that industrial growth could push some areas of the country into water shortages. Continue reading...

Labour knows it needs to win over the ‘sea wall’ cohort of coastal voters in the next election. But as anger over inequality grows, time is running out It is a lovely sunny autumn day in Ramsgate on Britain’s Kent coast, and quintessential seaside chippy Peter’s Fish Factory is doing a roaring lunchtime trade. Across the road, at the entrance to the town’s pier, local MP and chair of the newly reformed coastal parliamentary Labour party (PLP), Polly Billington, is having her photo taken. In between shots she shows us the community art project that adorns the fence along the entrance to the pier. It is made up of pictures, drawn primarily by local children and young people, of the 65 little ships that set sail earlier this year from Ramsgate to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation. Continue reading...

San Joaquin County sheriff’s office says children were among the victims in possible ‘targeted’ attack on a banquet hall in Stockton Four people have died after 14 people were shot at a family gathering in northern California on Saturday night, police said. Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County sheriff’s office, said children and adults were among the victims of the shooting at Stockton. Continue reading...

Two new books analyse what makes the ‘perfect pub’ and both come to a sobering conclusion: Irish pubs are in trouble Like triple-distilled whiskey, Irish pubs appear to have timeless appeal. They are staple setting in films, books and plays, draw tourists to Ireland, replicate themselves around the world and induce social media quests for the perfect snug and the perfect pint. Scholars have now bestowed academic imprimatur on this cultural treasure status by examining – and celebrating – pubs through the lens of history, sociology, architecture, psychology, design, art and literature. Continue reading...

Big deal-breakers are all very well, but the seemingly small things often tell in the end. How do they feel about sell-by dates? Will they walk out of a bad film? Not asking will come back to haunt you A friend of mine once declined a date with a kind, funny, clever man because she hated his shoes. When she relayed this to our group of twentysomethings, it didn’t warrant comment or discussion, because it was such a rational decision, which we all would have made. I mean, come on – you can’t go out with someone with bad trainers, can you? Fortunately for the continuation of the human race, today’s daters appear to be a little less fastidious. A recent report on relationships by the dating app Plenty of Fish not only failed to mention footwear, but showed that people are keen to skip the small-talk phase, so weighty conversation topics such as life goals and dealbreakers are now brought up straight away. Continue reading...

Australian campaigners demand Albanese government cancel planned fossil fuel projects and tax existing operations at 78% Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Activists have blocked another two coal ships from entering the Port of Newcastle on the fourth day of the Rising Tide protests, bringing the total number of ships turned around by campaigners this weekend to three. Thousands of people have gathered at Rising Tide’s annual climate protest at the world’s largest coal port. It began on Thursday and will continue until Tuesday. Continue reading...

Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding accountability Anger over a deadly blaze at a Hong Kong high-rise apartment complex simmered on Sunday as Beijing warned against attempts to use the disaster to disrupt the city, while people across the financial hub continued to mourn for the more than 128 victims. Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding government accountability, an independent probe into possible corruption, proper resettlement for residents, and a review of construction oversight, two sources familiar with the matter said. Continue reading...

Woman, 36, and her husband, 44, arrested at Barangaroo and charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage A married couple from Kazakhstan has allegedly won more than $1m from Sydney’s Crown casino using a tiny camera hidden in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and “deep-seated earpieces” that allowed them to communicate. New South Wales police said on Sunday the couple was charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage after being arrested in the Barangaroo casino. Continue reading...

Kyiv tries to pile pressure on Russia with attack on empty vessels on way to load up with oil for foreign markets Ukrainian naval drones hit two tankers operating under sanctions in the Black Sea as they headed to a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets, an official said on Saturday, as Kyiv tries to pile pressure on Russia’s vast oil industry. The two oil tankers, identified as the Kairos and Virat, were empty and sailing to Novorossiysk, a major Russian Black Sea oil terminal, the official at the security service of Ukraine told Reuters. Continue reading...

A country built on agriculture is seeing the sector change as the number of farms shrinks and it becomes harder for young people to buy land On a farm south of Auckland, Cam Clayton breeds sheep and cattle – working alongside the dogs he’s trained since they were puppies. There, he looks out on knobbly hills and tree-filled gullies in Waikato, close to where he grew up. “I have the best office, with the best views,” says Clayton. Continue reading...

The new National Gallery of Victoria exhibition honours the wide-ranging photographic practices of more than 80 female artists working between 1900 and 1975. Women Photographers 1900–1975: A Legacy of Light is open now until May 2026 Continue reading...

A Tottenham Hotspur manager’s lot is so rarely a happy one. In record time, Thomas Frank has gone through the gamut of his predecessors, from hope to disappointment to what now looks like hopelessness. Demolition by Arsenal had already put him on a sticky wicket. A decent midweek showing in Paris, amid another defeat, had barely increased his credit rating. Defeat to Fulham, a team with an away record as miserable as Spurs’ home form, only intensified the pressure. Frank being appointed by the departed stewardship of Daniel Levy is to be noted; fresh ownership regimes tend to be trigger happy with the managers they inherit. Should such a decision be made, and it still seems a premature outcome considering Frank made slow starts at his previous clubs, Marco Silva, linked previously on a couple of occasions, would be a live contender. By six minutes in, Silva was cavorting on the sidelines with his Fulham staff. His team were 2-0 up, and the home fans were baying for blood. By the final whistle, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium emptying, the mood was even lower, Frank’s outlook even bleaker. Continue reading...

The QI presenter’s visit to the French south coast sees her boggling with delight at tales of writers’ past visits, and marvelling at the homes of authors. At points it feels like a literary tour by stealth ‘Look at that!!” exclaims a jubilant Sandi Toksvig at the very start of her jolly new travelogue, Great Riviera Rail Trip. “Marseille!” The city of Marseille is, undeniably, there behind her, it being the starting point for a four-episode trip east along the French south coast that will take in picturesque fishing villages, posh resorts and quirky nooks. Shows where we watch celebrities go on holiday come in many different stripes, but all boil down to us pressing our noses up against the screen and wishing we were there while the famous bod has a lovely time. The most honest course of action for the famous person is to lean into it and enthuse. Toksvig does this, constantly wriggling and giggling with pleasure as she tells us how incredible, magnificent, wonderful and beautiful the Riviera is. It looks as if she is right. Continue reading...

Rosa Park’s story is about courage. But, lest one forget, it is also a story about breaking the law It was 70 years ago when four African Americans were sitting in the fifth row of a bus in Montgomery. As one white man had to stand towards the front, the driver asked the four to get up and move towards the back of the bus. Three did; one did not – the rest is history. Or so many American kids might think when they first read the story of Rosa Parks in school. It is a story of courage, but, lest one forget, it is also a story about breaking the law. And the question for us today is what civil disobedience means in an era when the federal government is signaling its readiness severely to punish even perfectly legal dissent. Continue reading...

First-minute red card for challenge costs Saints dearly Gloucester off mark with victory against Harlequins Northampton’s unbeaten start to the season came to a shuddering halt as they were blown away 46-12 by impressive Bristol at Ashton Gate. Saints lost Edoardo Todaro to a first-minute red card and it was downhill all the way after that as Bristol ran in six tries. Scrum-half Kieran Marmion scored two and Tom Jordan, Kalaveti Ravouvou, Aidan Boshoff and Luka Ivanishvili also crossed, with Sam Worsley kicking five conversions and two penalties. JJ van der Mescht and Tom Litchfield scored Northampton’s tries, one of which Fin Smith converted. Continue reading...

Norris slips up in final lap to give rival advantage Max Verstappen third on grid; Hamilton 18th Oscar Piastri claimed pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix, a vital result in the tense world championship fight with his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, who was in second, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished third. The Australian took top spot with his final lap after Norris had laid down a strong marker in a tightly fought contest at the Lusail International Circuit. Lewis Hamilton’s trying weekend in a poorly performing Ferrari continued as he went out in Q1 in 18th place, having managed only 17th in the sprint race. Continue reading...

England Women 8-0 China Mead 12 14, Hemp 16, Stanway 23 38pen 52, Toone 71, Russo 78 Deja vu? Heavy England wins have been few and far between in recent years, a 7-0 defeat of a heavily depleted and underfunded Jamaica in their final warm-up game before the Euros was the biggest since a 10-0 defeat of Luxembourg in 2022. Against China at a moon-topped Wembley, the margin was eight, a Georgia Stanway hat-trick and Beth Mead double was added to by goals from Lauren Hemp, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo to complete the rout. Continue reading...

Delight will have been tinged with bewilderment for Eddie Howe as Newcastle finally found the route to victory on the road in the Premier League this season. Newcastle were superb as they routed Everton, scoring more goals in one devastating evening than in their previous seven away games combined. He may rightly question why it has taken so long for this punishing form to materialise. Newcastle had taken the lead in their three previous away fixtures and lost them all. There would be no lapses on this occasion. A ruthless display, aided and abetted by some dreadful Everton defending, ensured a first Premier League away win since the trip to Leicester on 7 April was effectively secure by half-time. Continue reading...

When mountaineer Allie Pepper met Mikel Sherpa at Manaslu base camp in Nepal, their romance began with stolen kisses and whispered conversations Find more stories from the moment I knew series I discovered a passion for mountaineering in 2000 on a technical climbing course in New Zealand. For two decades I dedicated my life to the mountains, climbing some of the world’s highest peaks including Everest. In early 2022 my marriage ended and I threw myself completely into my dream of climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks without supplemental oxygen. By September I reached Manaslu base camp in Nepal. I was focused on the mountain ahead, not on love. Continue reading...

Destruction wrought by pig-borne disease is thining the canopy of bunya pine forests and the problem is getting worse, experts say Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast High up in an ancient conifer rainforest, at what was once the largest Indigenous gathering place in eastern Australia, there is sunlight where there shouldn’t be. Among the eponymous pine trees of the Bunya Mountains, in south-east Queensland, a deadly disease has taken root. Walking through the forest, Adrian Bauwens, a Wakka Wakka man, says pockets of sunlight have replaced what is “usually quite a dense canopy where’s it’s quite heavily shaded”. Continue reading...

For everything from pop music to poetry, overwhelming infatuation offers inspiration and storylines. But when might this tip over into something a little less healthy? For months after her relationship ended, Anna* couldn’t stop thinking about him. Each morning she’d wake with a jolt of grief; an intense, almost physical feeling that morphed into thoughts of him that consumed nearly every waking hour. Continue reading...