Top World News

Nov 30, 2025 - World

President Emmanuel Macron will on Monday host his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks in Paris, the French presidency announced, as Washington seeks to push a plan aimed at ending the war between Kyiv and Moscow.

Nov 30, 2025 - World

Axing of Maki Otsuki performance in Shanghai the latest in a spate of cancelled cultural events involving Asia’s two biggest economiesJapanese “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...

Nov 30, 2025 - World

From Vietnam to the Balkans, Donald Trump’s family has launched a global dealmaking blitz since his re-electionA 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...

Nov 30, 2025 - World

Tensions grow after research in England finds there may not be enough water for planned carbon capture and hydrogen projectsRevealed: Europe’s water reserves drying up due to climate breakdownTensions 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...

Nov 30, 2025 - World

Two new books analyse what makes the ‘perfect pub’ and both come to a sobering conclusion: Irish pubs are in troubleLike 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...