16+ min ago (311+ words) Gaiety theatre, AyrA rosy-cheeks-and-spotty-socks kind of show full of generous laughs, Fraser Boyle's take on Aladdin also has several original innovations and a subversive streak Who needs a flying carpet when you've got the bus to Maybole? The high point of Fraser Boyle's joyful panto comes when Abanazar (Gavin Jon Wright) leaks the location of his not-so-secret lair and the rest of the cast go in pursuit. On public transport. On film. Outside broadcasting was never so funny. Not that the baddie stands much chance: having stolen the magic lamp and summoned up its four genies (in a show big on community engagement, actors outnumber the special effects), he recklessly squanders his three wishes. Happily, Wright relishes our boos as much as we do. Set in Ancient Old New Cumnock, Tom Cooper's production is a pleasing combination of tradition and…...

28+ min ago (138+ words) Footage provided by Fire and Rescue NSW shows the dramatic moment a fireball exploded at a waste facility in North St Marys in western Sydney, Australia, on Saturday evening. The fireball sent flames up to 150 metres into the sky, according to authorities. Two firefighters were reported to have sustained minor injuries to their hands. It is not yet known what caused the fire Continue reading... Huge fireball erupts at Sydney waste facility " video Footage provided by Fire and Rescue NSW shows the dramatic moment a fireball exploded at a waste facility in North St Marys in western Sydney, Australia, on Saturday evening. The fireball sent flames up to 150 metres into the sky, according to authorities. Two firefighters were reported to have sustained minor injuries to their hands. It is not yet known what caused the fire...

29+ min ago (776+ words) From tool library memberships to repair kits and even refurbished electronics " here are ways to give sustainable gifts this holiday season The 163 best holiday gift ideas for 2025, vetted by the Guardian US staff All prices current at the time of publication. Lionfish are an invasive menace in Caribbean waters. They devour native species, destroy reef ecosystems, and have no natural predators. Fortunately, they're also delicious and fun to hunt. ReefCI, a non-profit based in Belize, trains volunteer divers to hunt them on a tiny private island off the coast in the middle of the critically endangered Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Ikuta advises beginners to start small. "When people imagine kintsugi, they often think that a bowl shattered into many pieces will create the most beautiful, eye-catching gold lines," Ikuta writes. But ambitious multi-piece projects often lead to discouragement. Better to…...

44+ min ago (523+ words) Parts of the US economy are doing just fine but many are struggling to make rent, let alone splurging on gifts Will retailers and merchants have a strong holiday season? That depends. This year, more than most, the 2025 holiday season will actually be two holiday seasons. Don't believe me? Just take a walk in or near Soho, Georgetown, Presidio Heights or Beacon Hill. Restaurants selling $49 chicken parms and $16 baked potatoes " and they're full. Vegas steakhouses are still getting $165 for a porterhouse " and the tables are packed. I searched for a room recently near Dana Point, California, and the Marriott there was sold out " at $750 a night! But for many others? That's a different story. Another analysis from the HR giant Paychex reports that rises in hourly wages " those mostly earned by blue-collar workers " have been tracking below 3% for over a…...

44+ min ago (1170+ words) Women of all ages, especially older ones, are actively choosing to travel alone. What's behind the trend? UK travel companies have reported an increase in bookings for solo travellers, primarily older women, often leaving partners behind to "explore on their own terms. Last month, the tour operator Jules Verne said solo travellers accounted for 46% of bookings for its trips departing next year, up from 40% in 2023. Just under 70% of its current solo bookings are made by women. We spoke to some female solo travellers on the ups and downs of going it alone. Linda, who is retired, makes sure to outline her trip for her loved ones before she departs. Her next trip will be to India. Claudia had hoped to solo backpack around Europe in her teens, but that dream was blocked by her "concerned mother. Fast forward four decades,…...

46+ min ago (760+ words) Good morning. Documents seen by Guardian Australia reveal that controversial comments made by a detective after the murders of Hannah Clarke and her children were part of a media strategy that "went wrong. Plus: we look into claims that notorious serial killer Ivan Milat may have killed many more people, and we launch a new series looking at First Nations communities reclaiming their languages. Plus: Oscar Piastri had to settle for second in Qatar after an unfortunate decision by McLaren " so the battle for the F1 title is still up for grabs. Ivan Milat | As a NSW inquiry into unsolved murders calls for submissions, a retired UK detective believes a man convicted of killing seven backpackers may have killed many more people. "Victim blaming" | Documents reveal that comments made by a detective in the days after the murders of Hannah Clarke…...

48+ min ago (242+ words) " Updates from the 4.30pm GMT KO at Stamford Bridge" Sign up for Football Daily | Top scorers Hello, good day and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Chelsea v Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Big game, this. If Arsenal win, the title race will have the unsatisfactory* whiff of a done deal. Right now they are the best team in England, arguably Europe.Not that Chelsea are far behind: they drilled Barcelona 3-0 on Tuesday " and that was without Cole Palmer, who will return in some capacity today. If all that wasn't saliva-inducing enough, these clubs don't love one another. It's been a while since they put the needle on the record; given the stakes " low in the grand scheme, high for the end of November " today could be the day. Continue reading... Hello, good day and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Chelsea…...

49+ min ago (367+ words) David Gentile had just begun to serve a seven-year sentence for role in $1.6bn scheme that defrauded thousands Donald Trump granted clemency to private equity executive David Gentile, who had just begun a seven-year prison sentence for what prosecutors described as a $1.6bn fraud scheme, reported the New York Times. The founder and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPB Capital, 59 year old Gentile was convicted and sentence in May to seven years in prison for his role in defrauding thousands of individual investors. He reported to prison on 14 November. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, Gentile was released on Wednesday, 26 November. "The sentences imposed today are well deserved and should serve as a warning to would-be fraudsters that seeking to get rich by taking advantage of investors gets you only a one-way ticket to jail," said Joseph Nocella Jr,…...

56+ min ago (288+ words) Ludwig Minelli, whose work had a lasting influence on Swiss law, founded the group in 1998 The head of the Swiss right-to-die organisation Dignitas chose to end his life through an assisted death, the group has said. Ludwig Minelli, who founded the group in 1998, died on Saturday, days before his 93rd birthday, Dignitas said. Dignitas said it would "continue to manage and develop the association in the spirit of its founder as a professional and combative international organisation for self-determination and freedom of choice in life and at the end of life. Minelli, a lawyer by trade, faced many legal challenges and made several successful appeals to the Swiss supreme court and the European court of human rights (ECHR). Dignitas said his work had had a lasting influence on Swiss law, pointing to a 2011 ECHR ruling that recognised the right of a…...

1+ hour, 5+ min ago (231+ words) That he stayed after relegation in 1978 and lifted the FA Cup with the team still in Division Two typified his commitment Some players embody a club but few have ever embodied their side more than Billy Bonds, who died on Sunday at the age of 79. He was not a one-club man but by the time he finally retired, at the age of 41, in 1988, he felt like one, having racked up a record 799 appearances for West Ham. Just as significantly, he had lifted the FA Cup twice as captain. There was applause at the London Stadium on Sunday as a montage was shown on the big screens. It featured a number of spectacular long-range strikes because it's easier to show somebody scoring goals than preventing them, and still harder to somehow sum up leadership. Born in Woolwich in 1946, Bonds joined Charlton…...