Top stories - Google News

• £100 contactless card limit to be lifted from March - BBC19 December 2025, 12:04 am
  £100 contactless card limit to be lifted from March  BBCView Full coverage on Google News
  
• Bondi paddle-out: surfers, paddleboarders and swimmers pay tribute to victims of mass shooting - The Guardian18 December 2025, 10:30 pm
  Bondi paddle-out: surfers, paddleboarders and swimmers pay tribute to victims of mass shooting  The GuardianAustralia news live: thousands join paddle-out in honour of Bondi victims; Coalition calls for new powers to strip citizenship  The GuardianBondi Beach shooting: 'Maybe she's an angel now' says aunt of 10-year-old victim  BBC'All Jewish hearts are broken' says UK Chief Rabbi on Bondi terror attack visit  Sky NewsHero cop hailed, youngest Bondi shooting victim laid to rest  CNN
  
• Rory McIlroy named Sports Personality of the Year to end golf’s drought - The Guardian18 December 2025, 10:25 pm
  Rory McIlroy named Sports Personality of the Year to end golf’s drought  The GuardianRory McIlroy wins Sports Personality of the Year 2025 award  BBCAll the Sports Personality 2025 winners  BBCRory McIlroy WINS SPOTY: Golf superstar dedicates victory to wife Erica and daughter Poppy after capping incredible 2025 to claim prestigious award after ending snub of ceremony  Daily MailRory McIlroy crowned Sports Personality of the Year after record-breaking year  Daily Star
  
• Meg O’Neill: ‘hard-nosed’ outsider who will head BP’s pivot away from green energy - The Guardian18 December 2025, 10:11 pm
  Meg O’Neill: ‘hard-nosed’ outsider who will head BP’s pivot away from green energy  The GuardianBP opts for culture shock with new CEO appointment, but the timing is odd  The GuardianBP (Announcement): CEO resignation and succession  Hargreaves LansdownMeg O’Neill, the former Exxon executive tasked with turning around BP  Financial TimesBP names new boss as current CEO leaves after less than two years  BBC
  
• Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and family among seven dead in North Carolina plane crash - Sky News18 December 2025, 10:07 pm
  Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and family among seven dead in North Carolina plane crash  Sky NewsEx-Nascar driver and his family among seven killed in US plane crash  BBC'Multiple people killed' after business jet linked to former NASCAR driver crashes in North Carolina  Sky NewsNASCAR driver Greg Biffle, family believed dead in Statesville plane crash  WSOC TVMultiple dead after plane crash at Iredell County airport: What we know  WBTV
  
• Greater Manchester Police sackings over homeworking 'key jamming' - BBC18 December 2025, 8:54 pm
  Greater Manchester Police sackings over homeworking 'key jamming'  BBCPolice skivers lose their jobs after probe into GMP staff working from home  Manchester Evening NewsSex worker-linked police and staff sacked and suspended  BBCInvestigation launched into police's contact with sex workers and 'key jamming'  The Bolton NewsBREAKING: Three people have been sacked and another 10 are being investigated  facebook.com
  
• LLMs’ impact on science: Booming publications, stagnating quality - Ars Technica18 December 2025, 8:54 pm
  LLMs’ impact on science: Booming publications, stagnating quality  Ars TechnicaResearchers who use generative AI to write papers are publishing more  C&ENLLM Use Reshapes Science: Boosts Output, Cuts Quality  Mirage NewsMore A than I: Testing for Large Language Model Plagiarism in Political Science -  Political Science NowLLM use in scholarly writing poses a provenance problem  Nature
  
• Trump to be added to name of Washington’s Kennedy Center - Financial Times18 December 2025, 8:38 pm
  Trump to be added to name of Washington’s Kennedy Center  Financial TimesKennedy Center to be renamed Trump-Kennedy Center, White House says  BBCKennedy Center board votes to add Trump’s name to DC arts institution  The GuardianTrump-handpicked board votes to rename Kennedy arts building as Trump-Kennedy Center  Sky NewsDid the Trump-Kennedy Center board violate federal law by renaming facility?  The Independent
  
• LG forced a Copilot web app onto its TVs but will let you delete it - The Verge18 December 2025, 8:31 pm
  LG forced a Copilot web app onto its TVs but will let you delete it  The VergeLG TV users baffled by unremovable Microsoft Copilot installation — surprise forced update shows app pinned to the home screen  Tom's HardwareLG Quietly Installs Microsoft Copilot on Its Smart TVs—And You Can't Delete It  PCMag UKLG Will Let TV Owners Delete Microsoft Copilot After Customer Outcry  Bloomberg.comThis is bad — LG smart TVs just got an AI 'upgrade' that's impossible to remove  inkl
  
• New Epstein photos from House Democrats show high-profile figures, island plans and passports - BBC18 December 2025, 8:15 pm
  New Epstein photos from House Democrats show high-profile figures, island plans and passports  BBCLive updates: New Epstein photos from House Democrats show high-profile figures, island plans and passports  BBCDemocrats release new Epstein photos ahead of DoJ transparency deadline  The GuardianBill Gates and Sergey Brin among newly released Epstein photos  Financial TimesEpstein files: New photos reveal woman with Lolita quotes scrawled on body  The Telegraph
  
• Minister says government not mistreating Palestine Action activists on hunger strike - The Guardian18 December 2025, 7:46 pm
  Minister says government not mistreating Palestine Action activists on hunger strike  The GuardianPalestine Action: Two protesters awaiting trial end hunger strike  BBCMP Zarah Sultana protests in support of hunger striker Qesser Zuhrah  BBCEight Palestine Action prisoners on hunger strike ‘at imminent risk of death’ | ITV News  ITVXPalestine Action hunger strikers in UK are dying - doctor  RTE.ie
  
• Trump family deal with fusion energy firm adds to complicated UK-US ties - Financial Times18 December 2025, 7:31 pm
  Trump family deal with fusion energy firm adds to complicated UK-US ties  Financial TimesTrump Media to merge with fusion energy firm in bn deal  BBCTrump Media announces bn merger plan with fusion power company  The GuardianTruth Social Parent to Merge With Nuclear Fusion Firm in Billion Deal  The New York TimesNot a ‘game changer’: What to know about Trump’s nuclear fusion deal  Politico
  
• Naughty Dog Studio Orders Employee Overtime for ‘Intergalactic’ - Bloomberg.com18 December 2025, 7:20 pm
  Naughty Dog Studio Orders Employee Overtime for ‘Intergalactic’  Bloomberg.comReport claims Naughty Dog recently ordered employees take on "mandatory" overtime  GamesIndustry.bizNaughty Dog Devs Are Reportedly Working Mandatory Overtime for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet  IGNPlayStation’s Next Big Game Is Already In Trouble  Screen RantReport: Last of Us creator's new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, due out mid-2027  TweakTown
  
• Mysterious space object 3i/ATLAS to reach its closest point to Earth - Sky News18 December 2025, 7:07 pm
  Mysterious space object 3i/ATLAS to reach its closest point to Earth  Sky NewsWatch interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS make its closest approach to Earth in free livestream tonight  SpaceXMM-Newton sees comet 3I/ATLAS in X-ray light  European Space Agency‘Alien’ Comet 3I/ATLAS Is Getting Brighter And Greener, Scientists Say  ForbesComet 3I/ATLAS Is Experiencing A Non-Gravitational Acceleration – What Does That Mean?  IFLScience
  
• Nigel Farage avoids police investigation into election spending - BBC18 December 2025, 6:55 pm
  Nigel Farage avoids police investigation into election spending  BBCFarage avoids police investigation over alleged electoral law breach  The GuardianReform faces second investigation over Farage expenses  The TelegraphNigel Farage avoids police probe into election spending  The IndependentFarage avoids police probe into election spending  Financial Times