Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Saturday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 individuals, bestowing the highest civilian honour in the United States to entertainers, sports stars, politicians, and diplomats. Prominent among the honourees are; Hillary Clinton, the former first lady, senator and US secretary of state, who unsuccessfully ran against Donald Trump for the presidency in 2016, soccer superstar, Lionel Messi, singer and activist, Bono, basketball legend,…

Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman, who was the world’s oldest person according to Guinness World Records, has died, an Ashiya city official said Saturday. She was 116. Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official in charge of elderly policies, said Itooka died on Dec. 29 at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan. Itooka, who loved bananas and a yogurt-flavored Japanese drink called Calpis, was born on May 23, 1908. She…

Up to 30cm of snowfall is predicted, risking significant disruption to travel, power supplies, and rural communities disruption across UK Large swathes of the UK are preparing for significant disruption this weekend as the Met Office issues amber weather warnings for heavy snow and freezing rain. The severe conditions are expected to bring stranded vehicles, power outages, and delays or cancellations to rail and air travel. Forecasters have warned of…

As the holiday season turns our attention to festive meals like turkey and mince pies, the pressing issue of food security takes center stage. In the UK, an alarming 10 million people face food insecurity, meaning they lack consistent access to affordable, nutritious food. Compounding this crisis, the government recently warned that the climate crisis poses a serious threat to the nation’s food security. At the same time, farmers have…

Incoming US President Donald Trump will be sentenced on 10 January in his hush-money case in New York – less than two weeks before he is set to be sworn in as president, a judge has ordered. On Friday, New York Justice Juan Merchan signalled he would not sentence Trump to jail time, probation or a fine, but instead give him an “unconditional discharge”, and wrote in his order that…

UK mortgage approvals dropped unexpectedly in November, signaling caution among households post-Budget. Consumer credit growth hit a 29-month low as borrowing costs and stamp duty changes impacted the housing market. UK mortgage approvals unexpectedly fell in November, interrupting the gradual recovery in housing market activity. Data released by the Bank of England on Friday revealed a decline in net mortgage approvals — approvals net of cancellations — to 65,700 in…

Incumbent Mike Johnson was reelected House Speaker on January 3 after a tense roll call, overcoming opposition from hard-right Republicans. Despite Trump’s support, his narrow majority and past struggles signal ongoing challenges as Congress prepares for key tasks. Republican Mike Johnson won reelection to the House speakership on a first ballot Friday, pushing past GOP hard-right holdouts and buoyed with a nod of support from President-elect Donald Trump. A collection…

A young boy was rescued after surviving five days in a game park full of lions and elephants in Zimbabwe, a lawmaker in the east African country said on Wednesday. Mutsa Murombedzi, a member of Zimbabwe’s parliament, said in a Wednesday post on social media that Tinotenda Pudu had strayed into the Matusadona Game Park and ended up “sleeping on a rocky perch, amidst roaring lions, passing elephants… and just…

A New Jersey lacrosse star described as a “gentle-hearted soul” was the latest New Orleans New Year’s Day massacre victim to be identified Friday — days after he and 13 others were murdered by an ISIS-supporting terrorist. Billy DiMaio, 25, of Holmdel, New Jersey, was in New Orleans to celebrate New Year’s Eve and go to the Sugar Bowl college football game when he was killed in the Bourbon Street…

Elon Musk’s attack on the government’s handling of grooming gangs is “misjudged and certainly misinformed,” Health Secretary, Wes Streeting has said. Tech multi-billionaire, Musk has posted a series of messages on his social media site X, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of failing to prosecute gangs that systematically groomed and raped young girls, and calling for safeguarding minister Jess Phillips to be jailed. Asked about his comments, Streeting said, “This government…

Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch has called for a full national public inquiry into the UK’s “rape gangs scandal.” It comes after Home Office Minister, Jess Phillips rejected Oldham Council’s request for a government-led inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation – saying the council should lead it instead. Her decision, taken in October, was reported by GB News on Wednesday, then picked up by Elon Musk on his social media platform…

Meghan Markle’s namesake Instagram account has attracted one million followers in the first 24 hours since she published her first post. On Jan. 2, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, garnered one million followers on her @meghan Instagram page that she launched on New Year’s Day. A click into the page’s “About this account” tab revealed that the verified account was created in June 2022, though Meghan didn’t post for the…