just now (554+ words) Catastrophic floodings has displaced more than four million people while death toll is set to climb The death toll from devastating floods across several Asian countries has surpassed 750, with storms and cyclones battering Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka with their heaviest rainfall in decades. Millions across Southeast Asia have been affected as the exceptionally rare Cyclone Senyar swept through Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, while the powerful Cyclone Ditwah pounded Sri Lanka and India. Over four million people have been impacted by the floods, with nearly three million in southern Thailand and 1.1 million in western Indonesia, according to official statistics. In Indonesia, the death toll from floods and landslides climbed to 417 on Saturday, up from 174 earlier in the week, the head of the country's disaster mitigation agency said. At least 279 people remain missing, even as around 80,000 have been evacuated, and…...

2+ min ago (114+ words) Luke Reevey | Sunday 30 November 2025 11:38 GMT Strictly Come Dancing stars have revealed what they really think to the show's new instant dance challenge. Saturday night's show (29 November), saw bosses introduce the "Instant Dance' challenge. After couples opened an envelope to reveal the style they'd be performing - which was guaranteed to be one they'd learnt earlier in the series - they had mere seconds to pick outfits and head to the dressing rooms. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, couples Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe; Lewis Cope and Katya Jones; and Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon revealed their thoughts on the challenge and how they prepared....

6+ min ago (977+ words) Rachel Reeves has responded to Kemi Badenoch's "misogyny and mansplaining" attack following her Budget announcement. During her Budget response in the Commons on Wednesday, Mrs Badenoch called Ms Reeves "spineless, shameless and completely aimless", adding: "Let me explain to the Chancellor, woman to woman: people out there aren't complaining because she's female, they're complaining because she is utterly incompetent." Asked about the Tory leader's comments, Ms Reeves said on Sunday (30 November): "If she wants to resort to personal attacks that's fine, that's her choice, but I want to focus on the issues of cutting the cost of living, cutting NHS waiting lists and cutting the debt and borrowing." Rachel Reeves responds to Kemi Badenoch's "misogyny and mansplaining' Budget attack Rachel Reeves has responded to Kemi Badenoch's "misogyny and mansplaining" attack following her Budget announcement....

12+ min ago (499+ words) Universal Studios has filed patents for new technology aimed at improving safety, two months after a man died on a ride at its newly opened theme park in Florida. Patent filings published earlier this week, viewed by The Independent, include designs for seats equipped with sensors and robotic safety inspectors, among other things. The technology is designed to detect problems before and during ride operation, and comes following the death of 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala at the Epic Universe park in Orlando on September 17. One of Universal's patents, titled Seat Assembly Sensors and Controls, shows seats embedded with sensors that monitor a rider's body position and automatically adjust the restraints during operation. Sensors placed in the seat and harnesses are configured "to detect passenger characteristics including one or more forces or pressures of the passenger against the seat," according to…...

12+ min ago (1378+ words) From New York City to New Orleans, next year's standout openings entice with dazzling design, amazing amenities and seriously fine food There's nothing like that new-hotel smell. But stepping inside the properties that make our coveted list of the most exciting U.S. hotel launches of 2026 will be worth it for far more than the aroma. Next year's standout openings entice with dazzling design, amazing amenities and seriously fine food. There's a new hotel in New Orleans with a 31st-floor "Cloud Bar; a Nashville property that showcases the life and times of Dolly Parton; a brand-new build in Charleston with a harbor-view infinity pool, and a glamping resort in California with stargazing panels above the beds. In New York City, another lofty newcomer is squeezing into the skyline and serving up jaw-dropping views, while historic Savannah is about to get a shake-up…...

17+ min ago (160+ words) Donald Trump has urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a full pardon in his ongoing corruption trial. Netanyahu, accused of bribery and fraud, denies all charges. Trump claims the case is politically driven and says a pardon would help Israel focus on unity and security. Netanyahu officially asks for pardon - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted an official pardon request to President Isaac Herzog. - President Herzog's office confirmed the receipt of this "extraordinary request" and stated it would be considered responsibly and sincerely. - Netanyahu faces a long-running corruption trial, having been indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, all of which he denies. - The charges include allegations of accepting expensive gifts and exchanging regulatory favours with media owners for positive press coverage. - Donald Trump previously wrote a letter to President…...

21+ min ago (419+ words) Pope Leo XIV has spoken out once again on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Pope Leo XIV has unequivocally endorsed a two-state solution as the "only solution" to guarantee justice for both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, making his stance clear during his inaugural airborne news conference. The pontiff's comments came as he travelled from Istanbul to Beirut, marking his first formal engagement with the media during his maiden voyage. Addressing questions from Turkish journalists, the American Pope confirmed discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. He noted Turkey's "important role to play" in both, acknowledging Ankara's previous efforts to facilitate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. "Unfortunately we still haven't seen a solution. But today there are new, concrete proposals for peace," he stated, expressing the Holy See's hope that Mr Erdogan would continue dialogue…...

22+ min ago (473+ words) Alexander Isak finally got off the mark in the Premier League as Liverpool battled to a 2-0 win at West Ham. The Sweden striker had just one Carabao Cup goal to show for his protracted "125million summer switch from Newcastle. But his well-taken strike in the second half, and Cody Gakpo's stoppage-time goal, fired stuttering champions Liverpool " on a run of nine defeats in 12 matches in all competitions " to a much-needed victory. They were helped by West Ham who, as they so often do, rolled out the claret and blue carpet to a team in need, and by Lucas Paqueta's silly red card. The Brazilian was booked for dissent by referee Darren England, went back for a second moan and was duly sent off. Under-pressure Reds boss Arne Slot had taken drastic action in a bid to halt their alarming slide by…...

27+ min ago (888+ words) Simon Gammon, founder of Knight Frank Finance, says tax hike on landlords" rental incomes will be the "last straw" for many, forcing them to sell up Rachel Reeves" new landlord tax will cause the rental market to "dry up" and push record-high rents even higher, a leading figure in the property market has warned. In a stark warning to the chancellor, Simon Gammon, the founder and managing director of mortgage brokers Knight Frank Finance, said her Budget decision to hike tax on landlords" rental incomes by 2 per cent will be the "last straw" for many, forcing them to sell up. He said: "The nonsense is that the more properties that come to the market, the less they will be available for rental, and therefore the rents will continue to go up. Which doesn"t help anybody." It comes after it…...

28+ min ago (415+ words) Members vote in favour of 'collective leadership' option, with a "lay" chair " who cannot be an MP Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana cannot run to lead the new left-wing party they founded after members voted that a "collective" headed by a non-MP should make major decisions about its future. A second option, for a traditional single leader, which would have seen Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana battle it out to head Your Party, was also rejected by members. On Saturday, a defiant Zarah Sultana refused to be "pushed out" of Your Party after she boycotted the first day of its conference, accusing people within the organisation of creating a "toxic culture" and citing a "witch hunt". In an extraordinary row at the party"s inaugural gathering, Ms Sultana said she would not enter the main conference centre in Liverpool on…...