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Former House speaker, 85, expects woman to assume Oval Office this generation but concedes she may not live to see itNancy Pelosi, the outgoing congresswoman and former House speaker, has conceded that she may not see a woman be elected US president in her lifetime.The California Democrat said as much in a USA Today interview published on Sunday with her retirement looming after four decades in Congress - and invoked a turn of phrase referring to a metaphorical barrier impeding advancement in a profession that often confronts women and racial minorities. Continue reading...

City watchdog the FCA announces plans to help first-time buyers and self-employed get on the property ladder

Family of Ahmed al-Ahmed say he doesn't discriminate' and would have done anything to save lives during the attack

Singer, 85, says disease has gone at the moment' and hopes to join forces with King Charles to raise awarenessCliff Richard has revealed he has been treated for prostate cancer for the past year. The 85-year-old singer said his cancer had gone at the moment" and backed calls for a national screening test for men.In an interview with Good Morning Britain, he said: I don't know whether it's going to come back. We can't tell those sort of things but we need to - absolutely. I'm convinced: get there, get tested, get checked." Continue reading...

At least 16 people including one of the alleged gunmen died at the shooting in Sydney on Sunday, aged between 10 and 87

Released under investigation' leads to uncertainty and distress for both victim and accused, say campaignersHundreds of suspected rapists in England and Wales are spending years released under investigation, under a system that the government has been urged to scrap as it doesn't serve anyone's interests apart from the police".Introduced under the Policing & Crime Act 2017, released under investigation (RUI) allows police an alternative to bail, without the set timeframes or conditions attached to police bail. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: On Sunday evening local time, two gunmen opened fire on a gathering at Sydney's famous beach - here's what we know so farGood morning. As you receive this email it is Monday evening in Sydney, where the Jewish community, the city and the country are grappling with grief after the deadliest terrorist attack in Australia in modern times.On Sunday evening, at least 15 people, including one child, were killed after two men, said by police to be a father and son armed with guns, opened fire on a Hanukah celebration at Bondi beach in Sydney. Dozens more were injured in what police have declared a targeted antisemitic terrorist attack. The older of the two men was shot by police and is dead.UK news | British police forces are stepping up security in Jewish communities after the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi beach in Australia.Jimmy Lai | The Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon is facing life in prison after being found guilty of national security and sedition offences, in one of the most closely watched rulings since the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997.Immigration | Human rights and refugee campaigners are calling on the Home Office to be transparent about the numbers of asylum seekers who die in its care by publishing quarterly data as other government departments do.Security | Assassination plots, sabotage, cyber-attacks and the manipulation of information by Russia and other hostile states mean that the frontline is everywhere", the new head of MI6 will warn on Monday.US news | A JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curacao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a US air force refuelling tanker on Friday, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path. Continue reading...

Resolution Foundation report comes in week when data is expected to show October unemployment riseYoung people are bearing the brunt of Britain's jobs downturn, according to a report, before official figures this week that are expected to show the UK unemployment rate rising to 5.1%.The Resolution Foundation thinktank said a jobs deficit" was pushing a growing number of graduates and non-graduates into unemployment as employers reduced hiring. Continue reading...

RHS predicts big shift in gardening habits as green-fingered Britons adapt to climate breakdownBouquets of cut flowers will be swapped for tabletop vegetable plants next year, the Royal Horticultural Society has said, as the UK charity announces its top plant trend predictions for 2026.Mini-planters of aubergines, chillies, peppers and tomatoes will be displayed in homes instead of flowers, as breeders develop dwarf varieties that are decorative and capable of supplementing the weekly shop, the RHS says. Continue reading...

Naveed Akram previously known to security agencies, prime minister says. His gun-owning father, Sajid, was shot dead by police at the scene

Emergency help should be available, but some being forced to travel 100 miles or go private, says Healthwatch EnglandPeople needing emergency dental care in England are being denied help from the NHS despite guidance saying that it should be available, in some cases resorting to risky self-treatment such as pulling out their own teeth, the patient watchdog has found.Patients who experience a sudden dental crisis such as a broken tooth, abscess or severe tooth pain are meant to be able to get help from their dentist or by calling NHS 111. Continue reading...

Authorities investigating apparent homicide' after 78-year-old director of Stand By Me and The Princess Bride was discovered dead at LA home with wife

Shooting at world-famous beach in which 15 people, plus one alleged gunman, were killed reverberated around the world, with many headlines noting the actions of a hero bystander

Two Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor gags make top 10 of public vote, along with jokes about Oasis and Nigel FarageIt's safe to say it's been a very bad year for the former Prince Andrew. Already stripped of his title and privileges, he is rounding off the year by becoming the punchline of the year's most popular Christmas cracker joke.The annual competition is commissioned by the comedy channel U&Gold (formerly Comedy Gold) and decided by the British public. It usually produces a topical winner that sends up one of the biggest stories of the year. Continue reading...

People able to buy homes previously beyond budget, aided by rising wages and looser affordability testsFirst-time buyers are taking out larger mortgages than ever before as rising wages and looser affordability tests allow them to buy properties that were previously beyond their budget.The average first-time buyer borrowed 210,800 in the year to September, a record high, according to analysis by Savills, the property agent. Continue reading...

Blaise Metreweli expected to say UK faces new age of uncertainty' in speech identifying Kremlin as key threatAssassination plots, sabotage, cyber-attacks and the manipulation of information by Russia and other hostile states mean that the frontline is everywhere", the new head of MI6 will warn on Monday.Blaise Metreweli, giving her first speech in the job, is expected to say the UK faces a new age of uncertainty" where the rules of conflict are being rewritten, particularly in light of wider Kremlin aggression after the invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

The son of a Nazi party member and an admirer of Pinochet, Kast built his campaign on a promise to expel tens of thousands of undocumented migrantsThe ultra-conservative former congressman Jose Antonio Kast has been elected as Chile's next president.With more than 99% of polling stations counted, Kast took 58.17% of the vote, against 41.83% for the leftist Jeannette Jara, a former labour minister under the current president, Gabriel Boric. Continue reading...

There are now more guns in the community per capita than in the aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre, with at least 2,000 new firearms lawfully entering the community every weekFor almost three decades, Australia's gun laws have been recognised as among the most stringent - and effective - in the world.After the horror of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people in Tasmania, Australia's then conservative government stared down the gun lobby to introduce restrictions that led to a dramatic decrease in the number of guns. Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister claims the Australian government let the disease' of antisemitism spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today'

Move marks big shift for Ukraine, which has fought to join Nato as safeguard against Russian attacksVolodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to drop Ukraine's aspirations to join the Nato military alliance, as he held five hours of talks with US envoys in Berlin on Sunday to end the war with Russia.Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said a lot of progress was made" as he and the US president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met Zelenskyy in the latest push to end Europe's bloodiest conflict since the second world war - though full details were not divulged. Continue reading...

Australia recorded 1,654 anti-Jewish incidents in year to September - three times higher than any annual total before Gaza war

Former senator's comments echo recent call from Erika Kirk that everyone has responsibility' to tone down hatredPoliticians should calm down" and stop approaching one another in attack mode" amid the US's climate of political violence, former US senator Joe Manchin said on Sunday.The West Virginia independent who generally caucused with Senate Democrats echoed similar comments made at a town hall Saturday by Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot to death in September. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. Our live coverage continues hereThe prime minister, Anthony Albanese, just released a statement. He said:The scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing. Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives. My thoughts are with every person affected.

End of subsidies after failed legislation will have serious and damaging impact on entire sector, policy experts sayWith subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance set to expire, Americans who rely on them will probably switch to plans with lower monthly premiums and high deductibles or decide not to purchase any coverage, which will have a serious and damaging impact on the entire sector, according to healthcare policy experts.The average amount ACA plan enrollees pay annually for premiums is estimated to more than double, from an average of $888 this year to $1,904 in 2026, according to a KFF analysis. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Analysis of NHS data shows rise in patients stranded' in beds as flu crisis hits and resident doctors' strikes loomHospitals in England face dangerous overcrowding this winter because even more patients than last year are stranded" in a bed, according to an analysis of NHS figures.The findings come as the health service struggles to cope with the early onset of its usual winter crisis driven by a crippling flu-nami" and the NHS in England is bracing itself for a five-day strike by resident doctors starting on Wednesday.The percentage of bed days used by patients whose discharge was delayed rose from 10.1% in 2024 to 11% this year, an increase of 9% or 19,000 bed days.That rise was driven by an 8% year-on-year rise in the number of discharges, equivalent to about 3,800 patients a month.The number of the NHS's overall stock of about 100,000 general and acute beds occupied last winter by delayed discharge patients hit a peak of 14%, but it is likely to be even higher this winter. Continue reading...

Details of financing structure to be reviewed by culture secretary and regulators before deal can proceedThe owner of the Daily Mail has secured funding for a 500m takeover of the Telegraph, in a crucial development that paves the way for the group to announce the terms of its acquisition on Monday.Lord Rothermere's Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) has agreed to pay the sum in two instalments, according to weekend reports. An initial payment of 400m will be funded by an increase in the group's debt with its longstanding lender NatWest and existing company cash. Continue reading...

Group asks Keir Starmer for help to persuade Ghanaian government to pay backlog of tuition fees and living allowancesStudents from Ghana at UK universities say they are in danger of being deported after being stranded by their own government without promised scholarships or tuition fee payments.The group representing more than 100 doctoral students has petitioned Downing Street and Keir Starmer asking for help to persuade the Ghanaian government to pay the backlog of tuition fees and living allowances running into millions of pounds. Continue reading...

Campaigners call for quarterly data to be published in line with other departments instead of FoI routeHuman rights and refugee campaigners are calling on the Home Office to be transparent about the numbers of asylum seekers who die in its care by publishing quarterly data as other government departments do.The only way to obtain data about asylum seeker deaths is via freedom of information (FoI) requests to the Home Office, which officials do not always comply with. However, the NHS produces regular figures about deaths in hospitals and the Ministry of Justice does so with deaths in custody. Continue reading...

Mass attacks have been rare in the wake of stringent gun controls brought in after the Port Arthur massacre of 1996Associated Press contributed reporting. Continue reading...

Police say one alleged shooter among dead, with second arrested and in a critical condition, after attack on Jewish festival in Sydney

Investment Association, influential group of shareholders, urges pay committees to avoid benchmarking'The UK's largest listed companies have been warned against using boilerplate" arguments to justify big executive pay increases by an influential group of shareholders.The Investment Association (IA) - whose members manage 10tn of assets - has told pay committees to avoid benchmarking": where companies argue higher pay is needed in order to match rivals and avoid bosses jumping ship for larger salaries and bonuses elsewhere. Continue reading...

Police increase patrols around synagogues and other venues as tens of thousands celebrate Hanukah

Hundreds of sausage dogs gather for annual festive parade that organiser started to help her puppy socialiseThe pitter-patter of tiny paws has brought joy - and more than a little chaos - to Hyde Park in London as hundreds of dachshunds and their owners gathered for the annual sausage dog Christmas walk.Now in its eighth year, the event was started by organiser Ana as a way to help her dachshund, Winston, socialise as a puppy. Meeting at noon by the Physical Energy statue in the centre of the park, the dogs - well, the owners really - competed in a best-dressed competition before enjoying an hour of play and socialising before the parade. Ana said previous years' events had ended up attracting as many as a thousand people and dogs. Continue reading...

Exclusive: MP dismisses as idle speculation' reports he could resign as part of coup' against Keir StarmerThe former health minister Andrew Gwynne has dismissed as idle speculation" reports he could resign his seat as part of an Andy Burnham coup" against Keir Starmer.Allies of Burnham were reported on Sunday to have identified a shortlist of seats to allow the Greater Manchester mayor to return to Westminster in the new year. Continue reading...

Home secretary says UK has managed the challenges of multiculturalism very well'

Senior DP members previously allege being told to disband or face severe consequences including possible arrestHong Kong's last major opposition party has disbanded after a vote by its members, the culmination of Chinese pressure on the city's remaining liberal voices in a years-long security crackdown.The Democratic party (DP) has been Hong Kong's main opposition since its founding three years before the financial hub's return to Chinese rule in 1997. The party used to sweep city-wide legislative elections and push China on democratic reforms and upholding freedoms. Continue reading...

Shabana Mahmood responds to claims that up to 50% of police officers on sexual violence and rape squads are traineesThe prime minister has commented on deeply distressing news" from Australia, where there have been multiple deaths after a shooting.Sir Keir Starmer posted on X: Deeply distressing news from Australia. The United Kingdom sends our thoughts and condolences to everyone affected by the appalling attack in Bondi beach. I'm being kept updated on the developing situation." Continue reading...

Kourtney Stevenson was allegedly caught on camera spraying meal with chemical that later sickened customersA driver for the popular food delivery platform DoorDash has been arrested after allegations that she showered an order with pepper spray in plain view of a doorbell camera, sickening a customer and his wife, according to authorities in Indiana.Kourtney Stevenson faces counts of felony battery and consumer product tampering, the Vanderburgh county sheriff's office said in a statement on Friday, addressing a case that is bound to be of significant interest to DoorDash's 42 million or so users. Continue reading...

Trump-inspired former congressman expected to succeed Gabriel Boric but compulsory voting could create volatilityChileans will head to the polls on Sunday for a presidential runoff in which the favourite is a Donald Trump-inspired candidate who has pledged to build a wall along the country's borders to keep migrants out.Jose Antonio Kast, 59, an ultra-conservative former congressman who has built his campaign on a promise to expel tens of thousands of undocumented migrants, faces Jeannette Jara, 51, a former labour minister under the current centre-left president, Gabriel Boric, 39. Continue reading...

The HCDA, which sought to expose police corruption and violence, was secretly monitored for a decadeUndercover officers secretly monitored a community organisation that sought to expose wrongdoing and corruption in the Metropolitan police, the spycops public inquiry has heard.Previously secret reports show that the Hackney Community Defence Association (HCDA) in east London and its key organiser were monitored by police spies for a decade. Continue reading...

Liz Sayce, who led inquiry into department's failures, distressed' at carers being blamed for running up huge overpaymentsThe Department of Work and Pensions needs a management and cultural overhaul if it is to restore public trust after the benefits scandal which left hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers in debt, a key government adviser has warned.Prof Liz Sayce led a scathing review of the carer's allowance scandal, which found the DWP system and leadership failures were responsible for carers unknowingly running up huge debts, some of which resulted in serious mental illness and, possibly, criminal convictions for fraud. Continue reading...

Over-the-top praise for an item should ring alarm bells, with fake feedback generated by AI, bots and humans on a mass scaleYou're doing a spot of online Christmas shopping and see an air fryer that is competitively priced. You don't recognise the brand, but the reviews are fantastic - five-star raves that say things such as this product changed my life" and this is the greatest air fryer ever".You buy it, but when it arrives it is clearly cheap and poor quality, and possibly dangerous, too. Continue reading...

Training and qualifications body, acquired by private Greek firm in October, to become leaner organisation'The training and qualifications body City & Guilds is shrinking its UK workforce as part of a 22m cost-cutting drive after it was acquired by a private Greek business in October.Founded in 1878 by the City of London and a group of 16 livery companies, the original institute developed a national system of technical education, offering qualifications and apprenticeships in fields ranging from manufacturing and mechanical engineering to hairdressing and horticulture. Continue reading...

Her delivery might be stilted - but Truss' new YouTube show has grand ambitions: a Trump revolution' in Britain with the help of an influential US conservative ecosystemLiz Truss, Britain's shortest-serving prime minister, began the first edition of her YouTube show with a vow to unmask the evil-doers" attempting to bring down Britain, the US and Europe. She would, she explained, reveal how an international network of leftists work to subvert democracy and the will of the people".Despite her bleak monologue, Truss pointed to hope from across the Atlantic. We're going to look at the Trump revolution and see how this can be achieved in Britain," she said. We'll be talking to the leading lights of the Maga movement." Continue reading...

Baronesses Nadine and Ariane de Rothschild at odds over future of Swiss chateau's priceless contentsAfter three generations of genteel discretion bordering on secrecy, the international banking family the Rothschilds has been riven by rival claims to a multibillion-euro fortune including a vast collection of art masterpieces.The battle now playing out in the courts and media has pitched the 93-year-old senior baroness, Nadine de Rothschild - widow of Edmond de Rothschild, the late scion of the French-Swiss branch of the family - against her daughter-in-law, Ariane de Rothschild, the current baroness. Continue reading...

Attorney general's move to pay back part of $22,000 travel cost makes her the first minister to reimburse taxpayers in growing expenses scandal

Device belonging to missing hiker Celine Cremer found in an area that had been extensively searched previously'

Specialist teams will deal with offences such as rape and stalking as part of VAWG strategy, home secretary saysAll police forces in England and Wales will have dedicated rape and sexual offences teams by 2029, the government has said.The plans are being unveiled as the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, prepares to outline a delayed strategy on violence against women and girls (VAWG) next week. Continue reading...

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres says unjustifiable' attack on base in city of Kadugli could be war crime'A drone strike has hit a United Nations peacekeeping logistics base in war-torn Sudan, killing six peacekeepers, the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has said.Eight other peacekeepers were wounded in the strike on Saturday in the city of Kadugli in the central region of Kordofan. All the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa). Continue reading...

Relatives of Virginia Giuffre say they are surprised Scotland Yard made decision just before release of Epstein filesThe family of Virginia Giuffre have expressed their deep disappointment" that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not face a criminal investigation in the UK over allegations against him.It was alleged that Mountbatten-Windsor had sex in London with a teenager who was trafficked, and then put pressure on his police protection officer to dig up dirt on her. Continue reading...