The Guardian

Balkan country will become 21st country to adopt EU currency, with policymakers hoping move will boost economy Bulgaria is preparing to adopt the euro in January amid fresh domestic political turbulence and fears that Russia-aligned disinformation is deepening distrust of the new currency. The Balkan country of 6.5 million people will become the 21st country to join the eurozone on 1 January, as …

Exclusive: Chloë Deakin tells how she wrote to Dulwich college master to argue against Farage’s nomination as prefect It was 1981 and Nigel Farage was turning 17. He was already a figure of some controversy, as would become a lifelong habit, among the younger pupils and staff at Dulwich college in south-east London. “I remember it was either in a particular English lesson or a particular form per…

Coral Adventurer says passengers and crew are safe while team tries to refloat ship and inspects the hull Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An Australian cruise ship being investigated after allegedly leaving behind a passenger who died alone has run aground off the coast of Papua New Guinea with more than 120 people aboard. The Coral Adventurer ran aground early on Sat…

Opposition hopes to tap into frustrations of people living in country where conflict remains a daily reality Central African Republic goes to the polls on Sunday with the president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, seeking a third term. As many as 2.3 million registered voters will cast ballots for what observers are calling a quadruple election: votes for the presidency and parliament as well as local…

NSW premier also announces police will carry long-arm rifles at major New Year’s Eve event in Sydney Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Chris Minns has said his government is “actively” considering whether a Jewish security group should be armed in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, as he confirms police will carry long-arm rifles for the first time at Sydney’s major N…

Libyan PM says Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad died after aircraft lost radio contact above Ankara The Libyan army’s chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, has been killed in a plane crash after leaving Turkey’s capital, Ankara. The prime minister of Libya’s internationally recognised government confirmed on Tuesday evening that Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad had died and that four others were …

Livestock at risk as some areas expected to receive up to 500mm in the coming week, according to the Bureau of Meteorology Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Large parts of north Queensland are set to be battered by days of heavy rain, with some areas expected to receive up to 500mm in the coming week, according to the weather bureau. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued…

Man spotted at beach in Newcastle on Wednesday with tattoos linked to white supremacist ideology Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A man who allegedly displayed Nazi hate symbols by showing off his tattoos at a popular beach in New South Wales has been charged. Ben Parsons was at Bar beach in Newcastle on 24 December with his children, when he noticed a man with tattoos…

As the military pushes ahead with a widely condemned election, Beijing’s priorities are proving decisive Myanmar’s first election since the 2021 coup: everything you need to know Myanmar’s military has managed to regain momentum in its battle against a determined patchwork of opposition groups, retaking some territory, and pushing ahead with a widely condemned election that begins on Sunday. It i…

Police called to Quakers Hill on Sunday morning after reports of disturbance A man has been arrested after a woman and a man – both aged in their 30s – died in an alleged double fatal stabbing in Sydney. Police said emergency services were called to the home in Quakers Hill just before 5am on Sunday, responding to reports of a disturbance. Continue reading...

The 70-metre-long cloth about the Norman invasion has not been seen in England since it was created in 11th century The Bayeux tapestry will be insured for an estimated £800m when it returns to the UK in 2026 for the first time in more than 900 years. The Treasury will insure the 70-metre embroidered cloth, which depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, for damage or loss during i…

GMB union says 30,000 claims settled with six local councils for average of £30,000 and expects 10,000 more in 2026 Equal pay settlements for female workers at local councils have passed the £1bn mark, with thousands more expected next year. Legal claims have been brought against local councils on behalf of people in female-dominated roles, such as cleaners or carers, who for years have been deni…

Deputy defence minister says new air defence systems will be completed in 24 months Poland plans to complete a new set of anti-drone fortifications along its eastern borders within two years, a top defence official has said, after a massive incursion of unmanned Russian aerial combat vehicles into Polish airspace earlier this year. “We expect to have the first capabilities of the system in roughl…

More than 17in of rain fell in Ventura county, with trees knocked down and hundreds of car crashes throughout region Southern Californians are facing an epic clean-up operation after the region’s wettest Christmas holiday in recent history turned areas of the state into a panorama of mud and debris. A year ago, record wildfires scorched the dry neighborhoods of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. But…

Nearly 15,000 flights were canceled or delayed as both states declared weather emergencies after snowstorm A mix of snow and ice bore down on the US north-east early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday weekend airline traffic and prompting officials in New York and New Jersey to issue weather emergency declarations even as the storm ebbed by mid-morning. More than 14,400 domestic US flights on S…