1+ min ago (656+ words) U.S. and Ukrainian officials to continue talks on modified version of 28-point plan before Kushner and Witkoff meet Putin on Tuesday Two of Donald Trump's allies will meet with top Ukrainian officials in Florida on Sunday as the Trump administration pursues a peace agreement under accusations of allowing Russia to dictate the terms of the war's end. A delegation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's advisers and top officials was set to meet with lead U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Miami. The meeting will precede a trip to meet with Russian leaders, including Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday. On the agenda is the 28-point peace plan proposed by the U.S. this month, which has drawn apparent skepticism from both Ukraine and its European allies, given reports that it drew heavily from a Russian-authored plan submitted to the…...

1+ min ago (544+ words) Goals in each half from Maxim De Cuyper and Stefanos Tzimas earned Brighton a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. The Seagulls secured their third win in four to climb to fifth in the Premier League table and the result also served as sweet revenge for the 7-0 thrashing they suffered at this ground back in February. Brighton dominated the proceedings before Forest worked their way back into it, but Fabian Hurzeler's team broke the deadlock with their 13th shot of the half as De Cuyper grabbed his second goal of the season. Matz Sels produced a stunning double save to keep Forest in contention during the second period while Bart Verbruggen denied Igor Jesus down the other end, yet Brighton sealed the points late in the piece through substitute Tzimas' first goal of the league campaign. Defeat for…...

7+ min ago (509+ words) Boubacar Kamara's stunning goal was enough to earn Aston Villa their seventh win in eight Premier League games and bragging rights over local rivals Wolves. The Frenchman expertly fired home in the second half to secure a 1-0 victory which moved Villa up to third in the table ahead of Chelsea's clash with Arsenal later on Sunday. It was a goal worthy of the three points as Villa continued to show they are again going to be competing at the top end of the table. That looked questionable after a dreadful summer transfer window led to a lacklustre start to the campaign, where they failed to win any of their opening five games and scored just once. But the following eight games have shown Villa are again going in the right direction under Unai Emery. For Wolves, the Championship trap door…...

7+ min ago (411+ words) They could not, sadly, support a single mom," actor said A Star Wars actor appearing in spin-off TV series Ahsoka will not return in new episodes due to a salary dispute. Claudia Black, who played Nightsister Klothow in the first season, has "had to bow out" of the show"s second run as she was not going to be paid enough. She revealed the news in a candid interview, revealing that, as a single mother, she required a salary that would have enabled her to keep things afloat back home in Los Angeles while she filmed in London. She said that bosses at Disney "could not, sadly, support a single mom". "Well, I"m going to be transparent," she told Bleeding Cool. "They picked up season two, picked me up with it, and then Disney, which is structuring things differently…...

9+ min ago (445+ words) The record-breaking amount of shopping comes as many Americans face economic uncertainty Black Friday retail sales soared this week with billions of dollars spent despite a jittery economy, prompting President Donald Trump to celebrate the "Trump Bump." Savvy shoppers in the U.S. spent a record $11.8 billion online on the year's biggest shopping day, jumping up 9.1 percent from 2024, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks e-commerce sales. U.S. shoppers also spent more in the days leading up to Black Friday, with a record-setting $6.4 billion on Thanksgiving, up from $6.1 billion in 2024. Top areas that saw an uptick in sales include video games and consoles, electronics and toys, including Labubu Dolls, LEGO sets, and Fisher-Price Little People, according to Adobe. The holiday shopping season comes this year amid economic uncertainty for Americans, many of whom have tightened their budgets amid soaring prices and high unemployment rates....

10+ min ago (519+ words) Noem says the Biden admin failed to vet Afghans living in U.S. as 200,000 see legal status thrown into question by Trump DHS Secretary Kristi Noem blamed the Biden administration on Sunday as the nation reacted to the horrific shooting of two National Guard troops deployed to the streets of Washington D.C. one week ago. The shooting last weekend rocked the nation's capital as one remains in the hospital in critical condition after the attack; the other, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died after being hospitalized. Police identified 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who worked with the CIA in Afghanistan against the Taliban and other forces, as the suspect. Lakanwal was taken into custody after the attack. During an appearance this Sunday on ABC's This Week, Noem echoed her boss's criticism of the Biden administration's vetting procedures for Afghans who aided U.S. forces and feared…...

11+ min ago (395+ words) You can save big on a pack of four AirTags Follow live: All the best Black Friday 2025 deals If you're forever losing your things, Apple's handiest gadget: the humble AirTag, is a must-have. Slim enough to slide into your wallet's change compartment and equally simple to clip onto your keys, these handy trackers connect to your iPhone to help you track down your possessions. And, as The Independent's senior tech critic, they're something I'm constantly recommending. Black Friday is a great opportunity to save on tech. I've scouted out the best deals on the AirTag " so you needn't pay their usual "30 fee. For Black Friday 2025, these include big savings on new single and multi-packs of AirTags, plus some refurbished deals if buying fresh-out-the-box isn't of the utmost importance to you. Scroll on to scour my selection, including a notable "45 discount…...

14+ min ago (391+ words) Travis Turner disappeared after police visited his home regarding alleged child porn charges A missing football coach in Virginia who is wanted on multiple child pornography charges was last seen walking into a wooded area with a gun, his family's attorney said in a recent statement. Travis Turner, 46, the head coach of Union High School in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, has been missing since November 20. He reportedly left his home in Appalachia, a town of less than 2,000 people, to walk into a "heavily wooded and mountainous area," attorney Adrian Collins said in a statement obtained by WCYB. "The last known contact the family had with Travis occurred on or about Thursday, Nov. 20, after he left his residence to walk in the woods with a firearm," the statement said. It added that no warrants had been issued at the time of…...

18+ min ago (460+ words) Germs and bacteria have been found to live on clothes for days or weeks, experts say The holidays are here, and chances are you're either gifting or receiving at least one article of clothing. And while you might be beyond excited to sport your new sweater or slip into your cozy matching sweatsuit, it might be wise to wash it first. The debate over whether or not to wash clothes before wearing them has raged among shoppers for years. But experts seem to agree, for the most part, on washing beforehand. Frances Kozen, senior lecturer in fiber science at Cornell University told Real Simple she typically washes before wearing "to remove processing chemicals, excess dye, and dirt from all of the handling during production." "Textiles and garments have passed through many hands, often in multiple countries," Kozen added. That could…...

29+ min ago (603+ words) It couldn't be more obvious what was happening,' one fan says " but others aren't so sure Stranger Things fans are decoding a cryptic scene hinting at Will Byers' feelings for Mike Wheeler in the final season. The first volume of the Netflix show's final season arrived on Thursday (27 November), and one scene appeared to hint at Will's feelings for his best friend. Throughout the show, it's been hinted that Will (Noah Schnapp) might be gay, with a contingent of fans theorising he will have a romance with Mike (Finn Wolfhard), which has been labelled "Byler. But one scene in the fourth episode of season five has appeared to rip those hopes to shreds, Demogorgon-style. Well, for some fans, anyway. While Will's sexuality is all but confirmed, thanks to a few helpful chats with Robin (Maya Hawke), one scene shows Robin…...