SHOPPERS are flocking to Poundland to a buy a £1 sweet product that’s perfect for Christmas – with fans saying they “really need” them. The sweet treat, which is the ideal accompaniment to have with a hot chocolate this Christmas, has also been gaining traction on social media. 1 The Candy Cane Spoons are available for £1 in Poundland storesCredit: Facebook The Candy Cane Spoons come in packs of six and are peppermint-flavoured. One Facebook user posted a picture of the sweets in the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group, noting that the treat would be perfect “for hot chocolate stations”. Since then, the post has wracked up 136 likes and 80 comments. Many commenters rushed to share their excitement, with one writing: “I really need these.” Another seemed to recruit a friend to try the unusual snack, saying: “If you get some of these keep me some please.” Meanwhile,...

Tuesday marked 1,000 days of the Ukraine war – a conflict that for months had seemingly no end in sight. Russia has been advancing, but its progress has been grindingly slow, with Ukraine’s resistance struggling with a lack of weapons and aid. Both sides have had problems with morale and recruitment. Over the past week, things have changed. Russia has drafted in North Korean troops, while Ukraine has hit Russia with long-range missiles provided by the US. Dan Sabbagh is in Ukraine and explains how hits to the energy grid could make the difference on the ground, and how important the use of North Korean troops could be given the lack of willing Russian conscripts. Looming over it all, Dan tells Michael Safi, is the impending Trump presidency and the expectation that making “a deal” would be his priority. Is the recent increase in violence a sign that both sides...

THERE’S currently no cure for dementia and while there’s no guaranteed way to prevent it, certain things can reduce your risk. A new study has found common cardiovascular drugs can lower risk of developing dementia – but certain medications are linked to cognitive decline. 3 Certain cardiovascular drugs could reduce or increase your risk of developing dementiaCredit: Getty 3 Aspirin may increase the risk of microbleeds in the brain, which are associated with cognitive declineCredit: Getty Cardiovascular disease is a major risk factor for dementia, and the two are linked in a number of ways. People with heart and blood circulation problems, like high blood pressure or heart disease, are more likely to develop vascular dementia.  This is because these conditions can increase the risk of a stroke or bleed in the brain’s blood vessels. Heart disease can also increase the amount of beta-amyloid, a protein that builds up and...

Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv and Andrew Roth in Washington report on the use of Storm Shadow missiles Ukraine has fired UK-made Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time since the beginning of the conflict, the Guardian understands according to multiple sources. The decision to approve the strikes was made in response to the deployment of more than 10,000 North Korean troops on Russia’s border with Ukraine in what UK and US officials have warned was a major escalation of the nearly three-year-old conflict. The Guardian earlier this week reported that the UK would soon approve Storm Shadow missiles for use inside Russia after the US president, Joe Biden, agreed to do the same for the similar American Atacms weapon. It was not immediately clear what Ukraine used the Storm Shadow missiles to target. Unconfirmed images distributed via the Telegram messaging app appeared to show fragments of the missile...

BRITISH troops were warned “If you sweat, you die” as NATO soldiers braved extreme cold in Finnish fighting simulations. Artillery squaddies revealed how they coped living in outdoor tents in -8c conditions during the alliance’s biggest-ever artillery drill in Lapland, North Finland. 10 British and NATO allies took part in live fire exercises using the new Archer heavy artillery gun, Finnish K9 system and French Caesar howitzer, pictured, in -8c conditionsCredit: Doug Seeburg 10 Specialist troops practised staying outdoors for three days while tucked behind enemy lines in intense no-man’s land drillsCredit: Doug Seeburg 10 French soldiers with the Caesar howitzerCredit: Doug Seeburg 10 Comms Sergeant Ian Bloomfield said his colleagues were ‘the only ones’ allowed to stay out overnight in the Finnish winterCredit: Doug Seeburg It came as specialist troops practised staying outdoors for three days while tucked behind enemy lines in intense no-man’s land drills. Comms Sergeant Ian...

Businesses are bracing for the economic impact of a second Trump presidency, which, if his campaign promises are to be believed, will mean tariffs across nearly all imports to the US, especially those from China. But amid the gloom over the spectre of a renewed global trade war, some manufacturers may be looking to those who already have a playbook on dealing with aggressive US levies, such as China’s solar companies. China all but owns the global solar market. Its share in every stage of the solar panel manufacturing chain exceeds 80%, according to the International Energy Agency. Last year it exported a record high of 227 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels – more than the entire installed solar capacity of the United States. But virtually none of those panels were destined for the US. Less than 1% of the 54 GW of solar panels the US imported last year...

A GETAWAY driver who helped chase down and murder two teen pals in a horrific case of mistaken identity has been jailed. Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, had popped out to buy pizza when they were unwittingly embroiled in a “postcode rivalry” in the Bristol suburb of Knowle. 8 The victims were chased down and stabbed to deathCredit: SWNS 8 Max Dixon was knifed in the abdomen while trying to fleeCredit: PA 8 He and pal Mason Rist was chased down by the gangCredit: PA 8 Anthony Snook has been jailed for lifeCredit: SWNS Their killers had wrongly identified them as the culprits of an earlier attack – leading them to “tool up” with an arsenal of “fearsome weapons”. Antony Snook, 45, led a bloodthirsty hunt for the attackers in his flashy Audi through the dark streets of Bristol. Chilling CCTV then showed the gang chasing down Max and Mason as they...

Bank of England governor faces questions from MPs Over in Westminster, top officials from the Bank of England are appearing before the Treasury Committee. Governor Andrew Bailey is in the hot seat, flanked by the new boy on the Monetary Policy Committee, Alan Taylor, plus deputy governor Clare Lombardelli, and Catherine Mann. Mann is the most hawkish member of the monetary policy committee – the only one to oppose this month’s cut in UK interest rates, to 4.75%. The committee point out that this is their first session with the Bank since the July general election (s well as last month’s budget). They say: MPs are likely to ask witnesses about the current economic picture and how it affects the Bank’s interest rate decisions, particularly in relation to the measures announced in the Chancellor’s 2024 Autumn Budget. MPs may also choose to probe the Bank’s plans for unwinding its QE...

MAYA Jama looked absolutely stunning as she enjoyed her Miami holiday with friends. The Love Island presenter, 30, wore a bikini top and denim shorts while out in the sunny weather. 5 Maya Jama is enjoying a sun-soaked trip to MiamiCredit: BackGrid 5 She has snuck in a last minute trip ahead of Love Island All Stars filmingCredit: BackGrid 5 Maya could be seen holding her shoes in the sunny weatherCredit: BackGrid This trip is popular presenter Maya’s latest sun-soaked getaway – and she can be seen enjoying Miami with longtime friend Craig Mitch. The star snuck in a last minute break to celebrate a pal’s birthday. Filming for Love Island All Stars will be beginning in South Africa in January. Maya has become a sought-after talent following successes in recent years. She made her debut as presenter of Love Island in 2023 – succeeding Laura Whitmore. Maya is soon...

Schools in England should be banned from giving pupils cakes or biscuits as part of their lunch because they contain so much sugar, food campaigners say. They want ministers to overhaul the rules that guide schools on the nutritional content of the meals they serve to outlaw such sugary snacks. The call has come from Action on Sugar, a group of nutritionists and other health experts at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), who campaign on the health dangers of too much sugar. At the moment schools are allowed under the school food standards to give pupils desserts, cakes and biscuits as part of the lunch they receive on the premises. They include sweet treats that are either bought in or made from scratch, such as cakes, buns, pastries and scones. Action on Sugar made its plea after an analysis it undertook of the sugar content of dozens of cakes,...