Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in A Hong Kong teenager has been sentenced to eight years in prison for throwing sulphuric acid over a Singaporean tourist in a premeditated attack that left her with second-degree burns

A series of international honours places the Victoria Harbour hotel among the most recognised luxury hotels in Hong Kong. SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 November 2026 – Regent Hong Kong continues a strong year of international recognition, with honours across major travel, hospitality and reader-voted awards in 2026. The latest distinctions add to

A series of international honours places the Victoria Harbour hotel among the most recognised luxury hotels in Hong Kong. SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 November 2026 – Regent Hong Kong continues a strong year of international recognition, with honours across major travel, hospitality and reader-voted awards in 2026. The latest distinctions add to

Foreign social and home care workers, who arrived in the U.K. before May 2025, will be able to normally settle (become permanent residents) in five years, rather than in 15 years, as was first proposed in the British government’s ‘earned settlement’ scheme announced in November 2025. Those earning more than £50,271 per annum, doctors, nurses

A place doesn’t have to be contemporary and cutting-edge to be cool. Case in point: the Georgian Quarter in Liverpool. The 200-year-old locale has two cathedrals (the sci-fi-esque Metropolitan Cathedral and the gigantic Liverpool Anglican Cathedral), streets lined with classic 19th century townhouses, and an art deco Philharmonic Hall. But it also has an exciting creative edge, and is one of Time

The findings from the review are discussed across four core themes, namely (i) building resilience to deal with an uncertain future, (ii) achieving decarbonisation, (iii) digitalisation and technology, and (iv) integrating updated climate science. While these themes are common across the transport sector, their treatment varies considerably across governance levels. National strategies tend to emphasise

It’s almost impossible to believe, but 25 years ago in November, the first Harry Potter film, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, was released. Alongside all the magic and mayhem, there was another icon on the screen: The Hogwarts Express train, portrayed in the film by the GWR 4900 Class No. 5972 Olton Hall steam

The UK and other European nations must draw closer together as the US becomes a less-reliable partner, Keir Starmer has said in his first significant political intervention since leaving No 10. The former prime minister warned European leaders of the threat posed by Russia, among others, and said the shift in relations with Washington during

What does a tiny city in the depths of southeast England have in common with a winery-filled region of Canada, a historic Japanese prefecture and a serene island in Mexico? According to Expedia Group, they’re all among the top 10 trending holiday destinations for 2027.  The quaint Sussex city of Chichester ranked 10th in the group’s ‘Unpack ’27: The Trends in

Hong Kong once thrived as a gateway between a largely closed-off China and the outside world, but its traditional role as an intermediary has diminished as the mainland opens up. The city can continue to play an important international role by fostering candid, two-way dialogue between China and the world, advancing cooperation on governance challenges

Author Andreas Malm has been denied entry to the United Kingdom on the grounds that his “presence in the UK is not considered to be conducive to the public good,” according to The Guardian and Al Jazeera. Malm was traveling to speak at a conference alongside a co-founder of Palestine Action, a direct action group

Background To reduce the risk of Ebola importation into the United States, all people boarding an international flight into or connecting through the United States must attest (sign a statement) that they have not been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the 21 days prior to boarding the flight to the

By JADA BAS, REPORTER Published: 10:15 GMT, 30 October 2026 | Updated: 10:21 GMT, 30 October 2026 A driver has admitted killing a ‘selfless’ mother and her two dogs in a hit-and-run crash while travelling at twice the speed limit. Dantay Roche, 24, from Chigwell in London, was driving his white Seat Leon at 61mph

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Security is ramping up around Mar-a-Lago as President Donald Trump could return to Palm Beach this weekend, with additional military air defense systems now positioned near his estate. Increased security spotted near Mar-a-Lago ahead of possible Trump visit. CBS12’s Paige Meyer reports. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)

Singapore Changi Airport is competing with 20 other aviation hubs, including Hong Kong and Dubai, for the title of world’s leading airport at the 2026 World Travel Awards. Other nominees are Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado in Colombia, Auckland Airport in New Zealand Cancun International Airport in Mexico, Cape Town International Airport in South Africa, Vancouver

The UK doesn’t technically have a national dish, but if we had to choose we’d put our money on a chippy tea. Battered cod (or haddock, depending who you ask) and thick-cut chips are about as British as it gets, and we’re not the only ones who think so. A recent YouGov survey found that

Winning tip: an eerie clifftop castle near Aberdeen Dunnottar Castle, perched on cliffs above the crashing North Sea, is one of Scotland’s eeriest places. The most haunting part is the Whigs Vault, where more than 160 prisoners were confined in dreadful conditions in 1685. Standing in that dark chamber, it’s impossible not to imagine their

Extension of period of stay for holders of APEC Business Travel Card The Immigration Department (ImmD) announced today (October 30) that, with effect from November 1, 2026, the visa-free period of stay in Hong Kong for holders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Business Travel Card (ABTC) who have obtained pre-clearance from the Hong Kong

Time Out has contributing writers stationed all over the country. So last month, to coincide with our guide to the coolest neighbourhoods in the world, we asked them to nominate the British neighbourhood that they think deserves a place on the cool list for 2026. Some were put forward for being on the cutting edge of British

Everyone knows how downright stunning the Cotswolds are. Ellen Degeneres knows, the Kardashians know, the hundreds of thousands of people who watch Rivals know. But that’s the issue. The Cotswolds is too beautiful for its own good, with millions of tourists overwhelming its small villages every year. Now, one particularly popular spot is pushing back.  Bourton-on-the-Water (AKA