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Millions of households are exposed to materials in upholstered furniture that can release dangerous fumes when they burnThe UK is still using extremely outdated furniture fire safety rules, putting people at risk from toxic materials, an MP has warned.Bob Blackman, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on fire safety, said the government has failed to update rules that date back to 1988, leaving millions of households exposed to materials that exacerbate the release of dangerous fumes when they burn. Continue reading......

Southern Water says incident led to 'very low levels' at reservoir and set up bottled water station for residentsSome households in East Sussex have had no water on Christmas Day after supplier Southern Water experienced a problem while trying to restore service following a burst water main.Southern Water blamed “very low levels” at Fairlight reservoir, adding that the facility had “now reached its final reserves”. Continue reading......

When the president targeted me and my TV show, millions said no. So don't give up on us – and always remember, we're not all like himI have no idea if you know who I am, but I was asked to deliver this year's alternative Christmas message (which I've heard is a big deal) so I hope you do, but if not I host what you call a chatshow (we call it a talkshow) in what you call the colonies, I think? I honestly have no idea what's going on over there.I do know what's going on over here though, and I can tell you that, from a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year. Tyranny is booming over here. Continue reading......

High streets and online sellers set to benefit as cash-strapped consumers eke out post-Christmas bargainsUK shoppers are expected to spend £3.8bn this Boxing Day, 2% more than last year, with online sellers experiencing most of that growth but high streets also enjoying a boost from a renewed appetite for post-Christmas bargains.Boxing Day remains one of the busiest shopping days of the year, but in recent years the dash for the high street has eased as more people opt to search for bargains from the sofa. Continue reading......

Research suggests fewer than one in 60 public sector workers share leave with partners when they have a babyWhy shared parental leave is a monumental dud of a policyExperts have criticised a “lost decade” of progress on parental rights after Guardian research suggested that fewer than one in 60 public sector workers are sharing leave with their partners when they have a baby.Ten years after the introduction of shared parental leave in the UK, the policy's architects said it had failed to deliver on its promise of “culture change” and called for bold measures necessary to allow more men – including middle- and lower-earners – to spend time with their babies. Continue reading......

Ten years on, it's only used by a small percentage of parents – and many fathers haven't even heard of the policy'Lost decade' of progress after UK introduced shared parental leave, say expertsJo Swinson was eight months pregnant when she announced plans for shared parental leave to revolutionise the lives of parents at home and at work. The moment her “baby in government” came into force in 2015 was emotional, she told the Guardian.Little wonder, then, that she stops short of calling the policy a failure. It is difficult to be brutally honest about your offspring. And shared parental leave was, as she says, a first step. Thousands of families have been able to share leave as a result of the measures she helped usher in, and their lives have been changed for the better. Continue reading......

Fears for transparency and governance after closure of public log meant to curb 'abuses and excess' in boardroomsUK-listed companies will be able to bury controversies over executive pay for the first time in eight years, a thinktank has warned, after the Labour government shut down a public tracker meant to curb “abuses and excess in the boardroom”.The public register was launched under the Tory prime minister Theresa May in 2017 to name and shame companies hit by shareholder revolts at their annual general meetings (AGMs). That included rebellions over issues such as excessive bonuses or salary increases for top earning bosses. Continue reading......

Exhibition of design flops should suit British sense of humour, says its founder, but also shows failure is a part of learningBritain has been mismanaging inventions and ideas with impeccable style for centuries. Next spring, we will finally get a museum to celebrate the results: the Museum of Failure is coming to the UK.Its founder, Dr Samuel West, is anticipating a warm welcome: Britain, he said, was the museum's spiritual home. “I've travelled all over the world with the museum but I've always wanted to bring it back home because of our black humour and our support of the underdog,” he said. “The Brits totally get it.” Continue reading......

Low-cost tech and joined-up funding have reduced illegal logging, mining and poaching in the Darién Gap – it's a success story that could stop deforestation worldwideThere are no roads through the Darién Gap. This vast impenetrable forest spans the width of the land bridge between South and Central America, but there is almost no way through it: hundreds have lost their lives trying to cross it on foot.Its size and hostility have shielded it from development for millennia, protecting hundreds of species – from harpy eagles and giant anteaters to jaguars and red-crested tamarins – in one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. But it has also made it incredibly difficult to protect. Looking after 575,000 hectares (1,420,856 acres) of beach, mangrove and rainforest with just 20 rangers often felt impossible, says Segundo Sugasti, the director of Darién national park. Like tropical forests all over the world, it has been steadily shrinking, with at least 15% lost to logging, mining and cattle ranch...

High inflation and a cost of living crisis mean that the familiar favourite has become a rare Detty December treat for many in the countryIn Lagos, the holiday season is well under way. For weeks, the roads have been jammed with traffic, concerts headlined by Afrobeats superstars are drawing crowds, and choice spots are filled with residents, returnees and tourists looking to indulge in the month-long enjoyment of Detty December.But the spotlight is on the contents of kitchen pots as much as it is on those shuffling to the trendy Oblee dance steps in clubs and street parties. Continue reading......

AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler says union ready to stand up for struggling Americans: 'Which side are you on?'Donald Trump has staged a year of “unrelenting attacks on working people,” according to the head of the largest federation of the labor unions in the US. Now they're preparing to fight back.Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said it was gearing up to challenge the US president's “Billionaire First” agenda in 2026 – and drive candidates in key elections to stand up for “struggling” Americans. Continue reading......

Exclusive: Planners behind postwar new towns hit out at government over lack of ambition and commitment to social housingSenior planners involved in building the country's postwar new towns have raised concerns about the government's new towns programme, criticising a lack of ambition and insufficient commitment to social housing.Lee Shostak, former director of planning at Milton Keynes Development Corporation (MKDC) in the 1970s and later chair of the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), said the current plan for the new towns may not help people who need homes the most. Continue reading......

Smallest number of new chargers since 2022 as carmakers persuade government to weaken EV sales targetsThe UK's rollout of electric car chargers slackened markedly in 2025 amid investor concerns over a slower-than-expected switch to cleaner battery vehicles.There were 87,200 chargers installed in the UK at the end of November, an increase of 13,500 compared with the end of 2024, according to data from Zapmap, which tracks charger installations. Continue reading......

The British-made lamps have surged in popularity as younger audiences seek to recapture magic of the 1960sDepending on your age, you may remember them from Doctor Who and The Prisoner in the 1960s, or from TFI Friday and the Big Breakfast in the 90s. Or if you're young enough, you might not remember them at all. But now it seems lava lamps are back.Rising sales would suggest a third wave of the lava lamp phenomenon is on the horizon, thanks to the ongoing trend towards mid-century interiors and gen Z's fascination with the late 90s and early 2000s. Continue reading......

Concerns thefts could accelerate over Christmas shutdown, with tools and equipment increasingly targetedThefts of tools and equipment from building sites are increasingly being carried out by organised criminal groups, according to security bosses, amid warnings that the crimewave could accelerate during the Christmas construction shutdown.Copper cables, tools and even telehandlers and diggers costing tens of thousands of pounds have been stolen in recent months, according to the security firm Kingdom Systems. Continue reading......

Figures from FoI request show increase in ministerial use of social media personalities to present campaignsMore than half a million pounds has been spent since 2024 on using social media influencers to promote UK government campaigns on subjects ranging from the environment to welfare.The spending has included hiring 215 influencers since 2024, of which there were 126 in 2025 – an increase on the 89 hired in 2024 – and is seen as an attempt to use platforms such as TikTok to reach younger people. Continue reading......

Gaming was once compared to drugs, gambling and alcohol in South Korea. Now its gaming academies offer a chance to earn a six-figure salary – if you make the grade Son Si-woo remembers the moment his mother turned off his computer. He was midway through an interview to become a professional gamer.“She said when I played computer games, my personality got worse, that I was addicted to games,” the 27-year-old recalls. Continue reading......

More than a year after the storm ripped apart families and farms, growers are bullish about strength of their industryChristmas tree farmers in western North Carolina are still rebuilding from last year's devastating Hurricane Helene, but growers are optimistic about business and the overall strength of their industry in the region.“There's still a lot of recovery that needs to happen, but we're in much better shape than we were this time last year … sales are good,” Kevin Gray, owner of Hickory Creek Farm Christmas Trees in Greensboro, said earlier this month, while the buying season was in full swing. Continue reading......

From Copenhagen's cycle lanes and Vienna's shared parks to Barcelona and London's unfulfilled potential, better living is close at handThe angry rumble of a speeding SUV. The metallic smog of backlogged traffic. The aching heat of sun-dried neighbourhoods baking in an oven of concrete and asphalt.For most people, the mundane threats that plague our environments are likely to annoy more than they spark dread. But for scientists who know just how dangerous our surroundings can be, the burden of knowledge weighs heavy each day. Across Europe, environmental risks cause 18% of deaths from cardiovascular disease and 10% of deaths from cancer. Traffic crashes in the EU kill five times more people than murders. Continue reading......

Exclusive: Reform leader promotes Direct Bullion – but experts say commodity is not for everyday investorsNigel Farage has been criticised over his £400,000-a-year second job promoting the idea that people should buy physical gold and put it into their pension pots.Farage is paid more than four times his MPs' salary for the four-hour-a-month job at Direct Bullion, where he has featured in Facebook and YouTube videos. Continue reading......