World news | The Guardian

House speaker worked behind the scenes to strip provision after it was added as an amendment earlier this yearA massive defense policy bill, revealed by US lawmakers on Sunday, does not include a provision that would have provided broad healthcare coverage for in vitro fertilization (IVF) for active-duty members of the military, despite Donald Trump's pledge to strengthen access to the procedure.Both the House and Senate previously approved the provision, which was added to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as an amendment earlier this year. But Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House and a diehard anti-abortion Republican, worked behind the scenes to strip the provision from the new version of the NDAA, MS NOW reported last week. Continue reading...

Paramount's bid for the entire company counters $82.7bn Netflix deal for WBD's studio and streaming operationDavid Ellison's Paramount Skydance is not giving up in its aggressive campaign to acquire Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), launching a hostile bid for the entertainment company despite the announcement on Friday that Netflix had agreed to buy its studio and streaming operation.Netflix's bid for WBD's storied Hollywood movie studio, as well as its premier HBO cable network, valued the company at $82.7bn. But it did not agree to acquire WBD's traditional television assets, including the news network CNN and the Discovery channel. Continue reading...

US national security strategy takes aim at EU and other bodies over issues including migration, free speech and falling birthratesBadenoch is now taking questions.Q: [From Sky News] You said you did not want to leave any stones unturned. That is what Sajid Javid said when he ordered an inquiry into this in 2018. The found that most perpetrators were white. Are you saying that was a whitewash?-Investigate the prevalence and nature of organised grooming networks, with a focus on extra-familial abuse.-Consider whether offenders display shared religious, ethnic, national, family, or clan characteristics. Continue reading...

Cyril Ramaphosa says theories, promoted by Donald Trump, conveniently align with wider notions of white supremacy'White supremacist ideology and false claims that South Africa's Afrikaner minority is being racially persecuted pose a threat to the country's sovereignty and national security, the country's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has warned.Since taking office for his second US presidential term in January, Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that South Africa's government is seizing land and encouraging violence against white farmers. Continue reading...

Receiver of wrecks says finds of perishables do not have to be flagged, but council asks for space for clean-up operationIt isn't quite Whisky Galore! - the classic British film in which residents of a Scottish island attempt to pilfer 50,000 cases of spirit from a shipwreck.Rather than the prospect of finding a warming dram or two, people on the south coast of England have been coming across bunches of bananas after containers fell off the back of a ship and washed up on beaches in West Sussex. Continue reading...

Artist, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, pleads guilty at Old Bailey over hit-and-run death of Yubin Tamang, 20The rapper Ghetts has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a student in a hit-and-run while driving dangerously.The award-winning artist, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, appeared at the Old Bailey in London by video link from Pentonville prison and admitted causing the death of 20-year-old Nepali student Yubin Tamang on 18 October. Continue reading...

Bank under budget pressures as it responds to former Fed chair's report into failure to forecast surging inflation

Pamela Smith, first Black woman to lead the department, quits amid battle with Trump over control of police

Juan Orlando Hernandez thanked the Lord for being a free man' and then Trump for changing my life'Former Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez recently thanked God and Donald Trump - in that order - for being pardoned by the latter of a drug trafficking conviction won by federal US prosecutors less than two years earlier.Speaking in a video posted to social media and referring to the US president, Hernandez eventually said Trump changed my life, and I'll never forget that". But first he praised God, saying in Spanish, You saw the injustice and suffering, and in your infinite mercy you helped us. Continue reading...

Forecasters say flooding and travel disruption possible amid warnings for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western EnglandStorm Bram will lead to strong winds and heavy rain in the UK later on Monday and throughout Tuesday, forecasters have warned.Named by Met Eireann, Ireland's equivalent of the Met Office, Storm Bram will move north and to the west of the UK on Monday, bringing heavy rain and winds to parts of the country. Continue reading...

Benefit claimants having applications denied for being deemed too risky by housing associations, says CrisisThe poorest people in England are being denied access to social housing owing to their low income, in a catch-22" situation that is pushing more people into homelessness, research has found.A new report from Crisis said that an ever depleting supply of social homes meant that housing associations were using strict criteria to choose new tenants, and people on low incomes and in receipt of benefits were having applications denied due to being deemed too risky. Continue reading...

Ex-footballer was convicted last month over posts targeting pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, and broadcaster Jeremy VineFormer footballer Joey Barton has been sentenced to six months in custody, suspended for 18 months, over a series of offensive social media posts between January and March 2024.Barton, 43, was found guilty last month at Liverpool crown court of six counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety for posts he made targeting football pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, and broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Continue reading...

Markets expect final rate cut amid pressure from Trump as Jay Powell urges central bank to proceed with cautionA divided Federal Reserve meets this week to decide whether to cut interest rates, the US central bank's last meeting at the end of a tumultuous year.The US central bank faces a number of unique challenges as it weighs its latest interest-rate decision. Continue reading...

Former Radio 1 DJ pleads not guilty to a total of 15 charges at Southwark crown courtTim Westwood has pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape, nine counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault.The former DJ stood in the glass dock with his hands clasped in front of him as he was arraigned on all 15 counts, at Southwark crown court. Continue reading...

Inspector releases scathing report on hospital facilities and support services for elderly inmates

While country's return to global stage has filled many Syrians with pride, domestically old grievances threaten efforts to rebuild the state

President promises to get involved personally in controversial takeover called unprecedented' by ex-regulator boss

Concerns over recording of meetings at coordination centre excluding Palestinians that was set up to provide support for Trump's Gaza planIsraeli operatives are conducting widespread surveillance of US forces and allies stationed at a new US base in the country's south, according to sources briefed on disputes about open and covert recordings of meetings and discussions.The scale of intelligence gathering at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) prompted the US commander of the base, Lt Gen Patrick Frank, to summon an Israeli counterpart for a meeting to tell him that recording has to stop here". Continue reading...

Home Office has reportedly ordered threat assessment amid long-running row into Duke of Sussex's safetyPrince Harry's security arrangements while in the UK are being reviewed by the government, according to reports.Harry wrote to the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, shortly after her appointment and submitted a formal request for a risk assessment to the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which is overseen by the Home Office, a source close to the prince said in October. Continue reading...

Chalmers flags pressure on national finances as Reserve Bank contemplates possibility of interest rate rises next year

Exclusive: Labor's minister for communications and sport has stood by her use of family travel expenses as within the rules

More councils expected to fall into bankruptcy in near future as they face nervous wait over government fundingLocal authorities in England and Wales have warned their finances are at breaking point" with more councils expected to fall into bankruptcy in future, as they face a nervous wait to discover their government funding this month.Council leaders expect changes to annual funding arrangements will result in steep cuts for many local authorities, preventing many from balancing their books and providing basic services to citizens. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed

Sunday's patriots only' Legislative Council elections took place in the shadow of the Tai Po fire that killed at least 159 peopleHong Kong saw a near-record low turnout in Sunday's patriots only" Legislative Council elections, with fewer than 32% of voters turning out, as the number of registered voters fell for the fourth consecutive year.At 31.9%, Sunday's turnout is marginally higher than 2021's record low of 30.2%. But fewer people overall voted this year: 1.3 million compared to 1.4 million in 2021. Hong Kong's population is about 7.5 million. Continue reading...

Officials say the Birch nightclub had contravened multiple safety regulations and that the basement had no fire safety exitFour members of the same family on their first holiday to Goa were among the 25 killed in a deadly fire at a nightclub in the popular Indian tourist state on Saturday night.The massive blaze broke out at just before midnight at Birch by Romeo Lane, a buzzing bar, restaurant and nightclub in north Goa's Aporna district. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ministers face pushback over potential changes to asylum seekers' rights before Council of Europe meetingHuman rights groups have warned UK ministers against weakening protections against torture or other mistreatment for asylum seekers before a crucial European summit this week on how to respond to migration.David Lammy, the justice secretary, is expected to help lead arguments at the Council of Europe meeting on Wednesday on how the European convention on human rights (ECHR) could be reinterpreted to limit the scope of rights under article 3, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment". Continue reading...

From digging trenches and building walls, to learning survival skills, Poland is increasingly aware of risks posed by its eastern neighboursCezary Pruszko still remembers the civil defence training of his Communist-era schooldays - map reading, survival skills, and a sense that the danger of war was real and ever present.My generation grew up with those threats. You didn't have to explain why this mattered," said the 60-year-old Pruszko, as he refreshed those skills at an army base outside Warsaw on a recent frosty Saturday morning. With dozens of other Polish civilians, he toured a bomb shelter, fitted gas masks and practised striking sparks from a flint to start a fire. Continue reading...

Painting of Enlightenment figure, whose constitution for the island inspired revolutionaries in US, is up for auctionThirty years ago, a painting by the British artist Sir William Beechey was sold as portrait of a man".The anonymous buyer, however, knew precisely who the unnamed man in the picture was: Pascal Paoli, the 18th-century Corsican independence leader and icon of the Enlightenment. Continue reading...

China's ambassador summoned over alleged weekend incident that saw Chinese J-15 fighter aircraft twice train their radar on Japanese F-15sThe diplomatic dispute between Japan and China appeared to deepen over the weekend after Chinese military planes were accused of locking their radar on to Japanese fighter jets near the Okinawa islands.Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, vowed to respond calmly and resolutely" to the alleged incident, saying her country would take all possible measures to strengthen maritime and airspace surveillance and closely monitor Chinese military activities. The country's foreign ministry also summoned China's ambassador on Sunday. China's government has roundly rejected Japan's accusations, instead lodging its own counterprotests. Continue reading...

The singer posted a photo of the pair smiling cheek to cheek and a video of them eating sushi together while in JapanKaty Perry and Justin Trudeau have launched their relationship on Instagram, after the singer posted a photo of the pair smiling cheek to cheek and a video of them eating sushi together while in Japan.Perry's post appeared to confirm the pair are in a relationship, after months of speculation about a possible romance between her and the former Canadian prime minister. Continue reading...

UN committee raised concerns over government policies including scrapping the Mori Health Authority and funding cuts for Indigenous servicesA United Nations committee has warned New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Mori rights and entrenching disparities for the Indigenous population, in its most critical review of the country's record on racial discrimination.Last month, the UN's committee for the convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination (CERD) examined New Zealand's record as part of its eight year review cycle for signatories to the convention. Continue reading...

Two of the men will face retrial while third has been acquitted after successfully arguing trial judge erred in directions to jury

Home Office drive to stop small boats crossing Channel is handing more power to people smugglers, report findsThe UK's policy to stop asylum seekers from crossing the Channel in small boats has led to an increase in violence, deaths and smuggler control, but has not deterred arrivals, according to a report by human rights organisations.The 176-page report from Humans for Rights Network, includes contributions from 17 refugee and human rights organisations operating in northern France and six in the UK. Continue reading...

Benny Zable worries Victoria police powers will target mask wearers, while Tarneen Onus Browne warns it will supercharge the harassment' of Indigenous people

Exclusive: Justice secretary to announce measures aimed at countering illicit finance as well as bribery in public servicesThe UK will no longer be a haven for dirty money and dictators' laundered assets, David Lammy is to promise as he announces a new anti-corruption strategy also aimed at tackling bribery and other misconduct across government and public services.Setting out the plan in a speech in London on Monday, Lammy, the justice secretary and deputy prime minister, will announce a series of initiatives including extra funding for an elite anti-corruption police unit. Continue reading...

Gunmen abducted 315 pupils and staff last month from St Mary's school in Niger state as part of spate of kidnappingsNigerian authorities have secured the release of 100 kidnapped schoolchildren taken by gunmen from a Catholic school last month, a UN source and local media said on Sunday, though the fate of another 165 students and staff thought to remain in captivity remained unclear.In November 315 students and staff were kidnapped from St Mary's co-educational boarding school in north-central Niger state, as the country buckled under a wave of mass abductions reminiscent of the infamous 2014 Boko Haram abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok. Continue reading...

Member of national parks firefighting team killed by tree at Bulahdelah in deeply distressing turn of events'

Disaster payments announced after 16 homes destroyed in Koolewong and four at Bulahdelah in NSW. Nineteen homes were lost in Tasmania

Police think incident at airport car park involved theft of a suitcase and people known to each other'A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after people were allegedly attacked with a form of pepper spray" at a multistorey car park at Heathrow airport Terminal 3, police have said.The Metropolitan police said armed officers were called to the terminal's car park at about 8.11am to a report of people being assaulted. Continue reading...

Open valve in heating system affects 300 to 400 items just weeks after a brazen jewel theft raised security concernsA water leak in late November damaged several hundred works in the Louvre's Egyptian department, the Paris museum said on Sunday, weeks after a brazen jewel theft raised concerns over its infrastructure.Between 300 and 400 works" were affected by the leak discovered on 26 November, the museum's deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, said, describing them as Egyptology journals" and scientific documentation" used by researchers. Continue reading...

Appointment marks a rapid political transformation for a former Tory donor and potential candidate for MPThe formerly Conservative-supporting boss of the supermarket Iceland is to be made a Labour peer when the party appoints another 25 representatives to parliament's upper house later this month.Keir Starmer will appoint Richard Walker to the House of Lords, the Guardian understands, the culmination of an unusual and rapid political transformation for someone named as a prospective Tory MP candidate a little over three years ago. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Watchdog finds 14% of cases not put on hospital waiting lists, with many reporting worsening health and rising anxietyOne in seven people in England who need hospital care are not receiving it because their GP referral is lost, rejected or delayed, the NHS's patient watchdog has found.Three-quarters (75%) of those trapped in this referrals black hole" suffer harm to their physical or mental health as a result of not being added to the waiting list for tests or treatment. Continue reading...

Former Beatle argues use of terms for meat-free products encourages attitudes essential to our health'Paul McCartney has joined calls for the EU to reject efforts to ban the use of terms such as sausage" and burger" for vegetarian foods.The former Beatle has joined eight British MPs who have written to the European Commission arguing that a ban approved in October by the European parliament would address a nonexistent problem while slowing progress on climate goals. Continue reading...

Moscow welcomes White House document critical of the EU as talks to end the Ukraine war enter a key phaseThe Kremlin has heaped praise on Donald Trump's latest national security strategy, calling it an encouraging change of policy that largely aligns with Russian thinking.The remarks follow the publication of a White House document on Friday that criticises the EU and says Europe is at risk of civilisational erasure", while making clear the US is keen to establish better relations with Russia. Continue reading...

Ankara's foreign minister suggests international partners should start by separating Israeli troops from HamasThe international stabilisation force (ISF) in Gaza should make its priority the separation of Israeli troops and Hamas rather than the disarmament of the Palestinian group, the Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, has said.He also suggested that Indonesia and Azerbaijan, two countries that have offered to contribute troops, would prefer that Turkey was a member of the planned UN-backed force, something Israel is seeking to veto. Continue reading...

At least eight MEPs elected for Ukip or Brexit party now known to have been focus of efforts by jailed Nathan GillThree more British MEPs from Nigel Farage's bloc are alleged to have followed the script" given to a colleague who was being bribed by an alleged Russian asset, according to prosecutors, as a police investigation into the affair continues.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has named Jonathan Bullock, Julia Reid and Steven Woolfe, saying they followed the script provided to Nathan Gill by Oleg Voloshyn when giving interviews to 112 Ukraine, a pro-Russian TV channel in March 2019. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Groups including British Cycling call for active travel strategy to be put on equal footing with road and railMore than 50 groups connected to transport and public health have urged the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, to set specific targets for levels of walking and cycling in England, warning that plans as they stand are too vague.A letter from groups including British Cycling, Cycling UK, the National Trust and the British Medical Association says the government's proposals for active travel must move from good intentions to a clear, long-term, fully deliverable national plan comparable to other strategic transport programmes". Continue reading...

Three men fled Opelousas jail after removing concrete blocks from wall in state's second inmate escape of yearAuthorities on Sunday were hunting for the last of three inmates who escaped from a Louisiana jail after removing concrete blocks from a deteriorating wall.We would prefer that he surrender himself peaceably," St Landry parish sheriff Bobby J Guidroz said in a statement, but we will not rest until he is captured." Continue reading...

Neil Couling said failings by individual claimants at the heart' of crisis, despite a report finding DWP shortcomings unacceptable'One of the most senior civil servants in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has placed the blame for the carer's allowance benefits crisis on victims, many of whom have been left with life-changing debts.In an internal blogpost written for Whitehall colleagues, Neil Couling, the director general of DWP services, said individual failings by carers were at the heart" of the issue that has been likened to the Post Office Horizon scandal. Continue reading...