People of Silverdale report rattling and shaking as 2.5 magnitude earthquake strikes in probable aftershockA village in Lancashire has been hit by a radiator rattling" earthquake for the second time in little over two weeks.Residents of Silverdale, a small coastal village located five miles south of the Cumbria border, reported the now strangely familiar feeling of rattling and shaking in their homes at 5.03am as a 2.5-magnitude earthquake hit the area with its epicentre 1.6 miles (2.6km) off the coast. Continue reading...

Extraordinary' high court ruling covers Jacob Corlett's attempt to seize back control of parcel delivery firm

Chris Bryant confirms October cyber-attack as the Sun names Storm 1849, a Chinese hacker group, as being responsibleThe BBC's editing guidelines do not need to be altered in the wake of controversy surrounding the edit of a Donald Trump speech, a review has found.The US president is seeking up to $10bn (7.5bn) in damages in response to the BBC's editing of a speech he made before the 2021 attack on the Capitol.I was asked to look at the editorial guidelines on use of editing. I do not believe any changes are required, but we will ensure these lessons are reinforced.More actions had been taken than acknowledged in Michael Prescott's document and since this was made public we have also dealt with some remaining issues. Continue reading...

Michelle Mills and Geraint Berry sentenced to 19 years each for conspiring to murder Christopher MillsA woman who plotted with her secret lover to murder her husband so they could start a new life together has been jailed for 19 years.Michelle Mills, 46, and Geraint Berry, 47, planned to kill Christopher Mills so they could continue their affair, and Berry recruited Steven Thomas, also 47, to help carry out their attack on 20 September last year. Continue reading...

Sociologist who surveyed effect of 2024 UK ban says denial of gender-affirming care has left trans and non-binary children in abject misery and severe distress'A sociologist who surveyed more than 100 young transgender people and their parents following a puberty blocker ban in the UK has warned similar bans in Australia and New Zealand will lead to youth suicides.Dr Natacha Kennedy from Goldsmiths, University of London, analysed the impact of the UK ban that was first implemented in March 2024, and extended indefinitely last December. Continue reading...

Hourly night-time welfare checks left detainees so sleep deprived that it risked their right to a fair trial, supreme court judge found

Inquiry into recent Avanti West Coast train derailment in Cumbria finds sensors may not work if landslips happen quicklyAccident investigators have issued an urgent safety warning that the railway's landslide monitoring equipment may not work when the earth moves suddenly, after discovering sensors did not transmit when a landslip derailed an intercity train.The front wheels of an Avanti West Coast train from Glasgow to London came off the tracks on 3 November when it hit debris washed on to the track by heavy rain near Shap, Cumbria, while travelling at 83 mph. Fortunately, the train stayed upright and only four passengers were injured. Continue reading...

After criticism for his response to the atrocity, the prime minister shows support for Jewish community in this time of grief'Anthony Albanese has attended a service at the Great Synagogue in Sydney to honour the memory of those lost" in the Bondi terror attack.After conceding that his government could have done more to curb the rise of antisemitism in Australia before the attack on a Hanukah celebration, the prime minister attended the service on Friday evening - the first Shabbat since the attack. Continue reading...

Medical professionals and some in conservative circles feel argument of Lee Jae Myung may be a bit thinSouth Korean president Lee Jae Myung has instructed his government to consider extending public health insurance to cover hair-loss treatments, arguing that baldness has become a matter of survival" rather than a cosmetic concern for young people.The proposal, which has since faced a backlash from medical professionals and conservative figures, was announced during a policy briefing on Tuesday and would expand coverage beyond the limited medical treatments currently available for certain types of hair loss. Continue reading...

Manar al-Houbi's family had been denied entry despite a scholarship covering their living costs, but other students remain strandedThe UK government has finally evacuated Manar al-Houbi, the Gaza student who won a fully funded scholarship to pursue her PhD at the University of Glasgow, along with her family from the war-ravaged territory this week.In October, the Guardian highlighted Houbi's desperate battle to get her family evacuated after they were denied entry to the UK, despite her scholarship and visa permitting her to bring them. Continue reading...

Two-year deal will cover most of Ukraine's needs, but will be secured against EU borrowing rather than Russian assetsEU leaders have pledged a 90bn loan for Ukraine to meet urgent financial needs, but failed to agree on the preferred option for many of securing that loan against Russia's frozen assets in the bloc.After talks ended in the early hours of Friday, the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, told reporters: We committed and we delivered." He said EU leaders had approved a decision to make a 90bn loan to Ukraine for the next two years backed by the EU budget, which Kyiv would repay only once Russia pays reparations. Continue reading...

Investigation centres on pair's movements outside the GV hotel, where they stayed throughout their time in the countryOne of the alleged Bondi beach shooters visited a firearms shop during his visit to the Philippines, local police have revealed as they investigate what the pair did in the weeks before the mass shooting.Sajid Akram and his son Naveed stayed in a hotel in Davao City for four weeks before returning to Australia on 28 November, only two weeks before they allegedly killed 15 people and wounded dozens of others at a Hanukah celebration in Sydney on Sunday. Continue reading...

Shoppers held back on Black Friday spending in November and budget uncertainty hit consumer confidence

Bestselling author says focus on masterpieces' puts children off as he promotes prison literacy schemeToo much of the literature taught in UK schools is putting children off reading and thrillers should become part of the curriculum, one of the world's biggest selling authors has argued.Lee Child, the British writer of Jack Reacher novels, which have sold more than 100m copies worldwide, said: I can totally understand why, if you're an English teacher and you've read all your life and you love this stuff and you've been to university, then you want to introduce the big, major masterpieces. But that's too much for kids." Continue reading...

Rabbi Yehoram Ulman told mourners that because of their courage there would be a seperate place in heaven' reserved for the coupleBoris and Sofia Gurman, a local couple who were killed in the Bondi terrorist attack after trying to stop one of the gunmen, have been remembered as hardworking, loving and brave at their funeral service in Sydney's east.Dozens of people, including politicians and senior members of the Jewish community, gathered at the Chevra Kadisha in Woollahra on Friday morning to farewell Boris, 69, and Sofia, 61, who died in each other's arms on Sunday. Continue reading...

Decision comes despite independent review finding that treatment decisions must be informed by each individual's presentation and circumstances'

Britt, whose marriage to Davis in 1960 provoked threats due to racism and anti-miscegenation laws in the US, has died of natural causes in Los AngelesMay Britt, the Swedish actor whose marriage to Sammy Davis Jr in 1960 was the subject of controversy due to US attitudes towards interracial marriage, has died at 91.Her son Mark Davis confirmed the news to the Hollywood Reporter, saying his mother died on 11 December of natural causes at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana medical center in Los Angeles. Continue reading...

Prime minister announces first firearm buyback since Port Arthur massacre, and designates Sunday a national day of reflection in honour of Hanukah shooting victims

Essex force says report is outside time limit for prosecution, while Electoral Commission says it has not found any undeclared spendingNigel Farage has avoided investigation over claims his general election campaign breached electoral law last year - in part because too much time has passed since the alleged offences.The Reform UK leader was told on Thursday that Essex police could not open an investigation because it was now time-barred, more than a year having passed since any alleged offence. The Electoral Commission, which had been asked to open a separate inquiry into other elements, said it had not identified any undeclared spending that should have been reported. Continue reading...

Commons leader denies allegation and says government not trying to break bodies' after doctor said prisoners were dyingThe government is not trying to break the bodies" of Palestine Action protesters on hunger strike, a minister has said, after a doctor said eight of the activists were dying.The prisoners on hunger strike are facing charges related to alleged break-ins or criminal damage on behalf of Palestine Action before the group was banned under terrorism legislation in July, charges which they deny and have called to be dropped. Continue reading...

Napier barracks in Folkestone faced multiple problems, from far-right protests to damning high court ruling over safeguarding issuesThe UK's first and most longstanding military barracks used to accommodate asylum seekers is closing its doors on Thursday after almost six years.The closure of the controversial Napier barracks in Folkestone comes at a time when the government has pledged to expand its use of this form of accommodation as an alternative to expensive hotels, which anti-migrant and far-right protesters have criticised for being luxurious", but which asylum seekers and those who work with them say are often rundown and unsuitable. Continue reading...

Intelligence service says attacks were work of groups connected to Russian state in clear evidence' of hybrid warThe Danish government has accused Russia of being behind two destructive and disruptive" cyber-attacks in what it describes as very clear evidence" of a hybrid war.The Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) announced on Thursday that Moscow was behind a cyber-attack on a Danish water utility in 2024and a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Danish websites in the lead up to the municipal and regional council elections in November. Continue reading...

Impossible to judge safety or effectiveness as adult clinics not systematically recording outcomes, Dr David Levy findsDoctors treating vulnerable patients with gender dysphoria have no way of assessing whether the NHS treatment provided has worked because outcomes are not systematically recorded, a damning official inquiry into the clinics has found.Waiting times for a first appointment at NHS adult gender dysphoria clinics (GDCs) in England are projected to reach 15 years unless there are improvements, the review found. The number of people seeking treatment is rising significantly and on average patients are already waiting five years and seven months for a first assessment. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Book to detail life from child poverty and teenage pregnancy to unions and Labour deputy leadership before fall from grace

Tory leader dismisses the government's newly published strategy as a complete distraction'Richard Adams is the Guardian's education editor.The British public supports the government's decision to rejoin the Erasmus youth education and work experience programme, according to snap polling released by YouGov. Continue reading...

NHS England on high alert as admissions reach all-time high for this time of yearPeople should stay home over the Christmas period if they have symptoms of flu or Covid, experts have warned amid fears flu cases could see a second surge in the New Year.Flu levels appear to be plateauing, but it is too soon to say whether they have peaked, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). As a result, experts are urging people to wash their hands regularly, make sure indoor spaces are well ventilated, get a free vaccination if eligible, and stay home where possible if symptoms develop. Continue reading...

Summit divided on idea of loan secured against Russian assets, as Belgium seeks guarantees if scheme goes wrong

ECJ ruling brings hope to area of city targeted over high percentage of residents with non-western' backgroundsResidents of a Copenhagen neighbourhood that became an international symbol of a law in Denmark known as the ghetto law" have said they are confident they can overturn the legislation in the Danish courts after the top EU court ruled that it may be unlawful.The controversial law, dating from 2018, allows the state to demolish apartment blocks in areas labelled parallel societies" by the government, where at least half of residents have a non-western" background. Formerly, the government referred to these neighbourhoods as ghettoes". Continue reading...

Move-on period extended from 28 days to 56 days if person recently granted refugee status is at risk of sleeping roughThe UK high court has halted evictions of thousands of new refugees who were at risk of spending Christmas on the streets.Concern had been mounting among lawyers and human rights campaigners that within days of celebrating being granted refugee status the group could find themselves rough sleeping. Continue reading...

Package includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, and has drawn an angry response from China

Giridharan Sivaraman warns of a surge of racially motivated violence in wake of Bondi shooting, saying it's going to get worse before it gets better'

Critics of proposed changes in response to Bondi beach terror attack say they could be used to pursue agendas that divide communities'

Exclusive: Queensland corruption body investigation into Troy Thompson found no direct evidence' to support claims he was diagnosed with the condition

Former top medic described as Dr Death' by prosecutors poisoned 30 people ranging in age from four to 89A French anaesthetist described by prosecutors as Dr Death" has been found guilty of intentionally poisoning 30 patients and killing 12 over almost a decade as a top medic.Frederic Pechier, 53, once seen by colleagues as a star anaesthetist", was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday after state prosecutors said he was one of the biggest criminals in the history of the French legal system". Continue reading...

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For now many fakes are easy to spot. But audiences could find it increasingly difficult to tell fact from fiction as tech improves

In today's newsletter: The government's clash with resident doctors has hardened into one of the most bitter public-sector disputes since austerity beganGood morning. The moment of crisis" for the NHS that led Keir Starmer to warn resident doctors not to strike this week is already upon us as a winter flu epidemic sweeps the country, having started weeks earlier than usual.Yet, despite the warnings, Tuesday's last ditch talks between the government and the British Medical Association, representing 55,000 of 70,000 resident doctors in England, failed to reach agreement over pay and jobs.UK news | Police in London and Manchester have pledged a further crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on anyone chanting the words globalise the intifada" or holding a placard with the phrase on it.Trade policy | Ministers and senior MPs have warned that the UK's agreements with Donald Trump are built on sand" after the Guardian established that the deal to avoid drug tariffs has no underlying text beyond limited headline terms.Ukraine | The UK has given its final warning to Roman Abramovich to release 2.5bn from his sale of Chelsea FC to give to Ukraine, telling the billionaire to release the funds or face court action.US news | Nick Reiner, who has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, made his first appearance in court on Wednesday.Sextortion | The parents of a 16-year-old who took his own life after he fell victim to a sextortion gang on Instagram are suing Meta for the alleged wrongful death of their son, in the first UK case of its kind. Continue reading...

Test yourself on topical news trivia, pop culture and general knowledge every Thursday. How will you fare?Welcome to the final Thursday news quiz of the year - a small festive tradition involving the news, a handful of jokes, and the knowledge that somewhere there are 1,057 pedants limbering up to find something to nitpick. And it is a bumper 20-question edition. Thank you for quizzing throughout the year, for your comments, corrections and good-natured quibbles, and most of all for the kind messages literally hundreds of you sent the quizmaster during the Great Thursday Quiz Hiatus of 2025TM, when he was off sick. It really meant a lot. Allons-y!The Thursday quiz will return in the new year and wishes you a Merry Christmas, a great festive holiday period and all the best for 2026. Sign up for First Edition to get a Thursday quiz-style quiz of the year in your inbox on Christmas Day. Continue reading...

Pro-Palestine activists, some Jewish groups and civil liberty campaigners criticise NSW Labor for eroding our democratic freedoms'

Two police officers should be dismissed and potentially face criminal charges over the incident, Law Enforcement Conduct Commission recommends

O'Neill tapped to lead global oil and gas giant, which has broken from net zero strategy and will ramp up fossil fuels

Total of five arrests made at pro-Palestine demonstration in London - hours after chiefs of two police forces announced change in approachTwo people have been arrested after allegedly shouting slogans calling for intifada" during a protest by pro-Palestinian demonstrators in London, police said.Five people in total were detained outside the Ministry of Justice in Westminster on Wednesday evening, with further arrests for obstruction and public order offences. Continue reading...

Protesters had gathered outside prison to demand 20-year-old, who is on day 46, receive urgent medical attentionA 20-year-old woman taking part in the hunger strike by Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners has been taken to hospital after protesters gathered outside the jail where she was being held to demand she receive urgent medical attention.Qesser Zuhrah, who is being held at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey while awaiting trial, is on day 46 of her hunger strike. Continue reading...

Conciliation service in contact with all the parties involved' as medics in England strike for 14th timeThe conciliation service Acas has offered to help try to break the deadlock in the resident doctors' strike in England.The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service has made clear that it is willing to become involved in an effort to find a resolution to the long-running dispute, as medics remain on strike for the 14th time over pay and jobs. Continue reading...

Teenager appears in court over death of girl in Weston-super-Mare on MondayA 15-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare.Aria Thorpe died from a single stab wound at an address in the North Somerset town on Monday, Somerset police said. Emergency services were called to Lime Close shortly before 6.10pm. Continue reading...

Though minister had said ZEV mandate review would be completed quickly as we can', government confirms it won't be published until 2027The government has played down reports that it is planning to bring forward the publication of a review of electric vehicle sales targets from 2027 to next year amid concerns from the car industry.The government had said in April it would weaken its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate - which was brought in to force carmakers to sell more electric cars every year or face the prospect of steep fines - after lobbying from the car industry, and planned to review the targets. Continue reading...

Population fell by 0.2% in third quarter - and the only other quarterly decline on record was attributed to Covid limitsCanada experienced one of its largest drops in population in the most recent quarter, the result of a crackdown on international students. The drop marks dramatic turnaround for a country that has long pegged its economic growth to immigration.New estimates released on Wednesday by Statistics Canada showed that Canada's population fell by 0.2% in the third quarter to stand at 41.6 million, down from 41.65 million on 1 July. Continue reading...

Russian leader says aims of its special military operation' will be met unconditionally'The last available Erasmus+ country report for the UK based on 2020 data shows that University of Glasgow, University of Bristol, and University of Edinburgh were the three top UK universities sending students abroad, with most people coming into the UK from Spain, France and Germany.Just over 16,000 European students came into the UK as part of from the scheme in 2019/2020, with almost 6,000 trainees on top of that figure. 9,800 UK students and 6,500 trainees went in the other direction, data show. Continue reading...

Mark Jenner strung along activist who wanted to have children with him in an extremely cruel' way to infiltrate leftwing circles, Spycops inquiry toldAn undercover officer has admitted he callously and cruelly" deceived a woman into a five-year relationship while infiltrating leftwing campaigns, the spycops inquiry has heard.Mark Jenner and the leftwing activist, known as Alison, lived as a couple, but he never told her that he was in reality an undercover officer who was spying on anti-racist activists. Continue reading...

Nick Thomas-Symonds says a 30% discount for the UK's participation in EU scheme has been agreedStreeting says he does not want people to stay away from hospitals today if they need emergency medical help.The most important message that I want us all to convey collectively as, as parliament and the NHS, is to the public' I do not want people who need to access health care to think [they'd] better not try.So if it's an accident or an emergency, people should have access. Continue reading...