World news | The Guardian

Professor urges ministers to use awareness triggered by Russell Brand conviction to examine use of rape myths in trialsThe debate triggered by high-profile cases must pull back the curtain" on the treatment of people making allegations of sexual offences in the criminal justice system in England and Wales, the government's independent adviser on rape has told the Guardian.Prof Katrin Hohl, who has advised the government in an overhaul of how rape is treated by police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the government should use the public awareness triggered by Russell Brand's conviction for rape to examine the use of rape myths and jury direction in trials. Continue reading...

Oklahoma man, 73, executed for killing ex's estranged husband, as US nears 40 executions for second straight yearA Texas man convicted of fatally stabbing and beheading his three young children in a squalid, windowless apartment in 2003 was recently executed.John Allen Rubio, 46, was pronounced dead at 6.47 pm on Thursday after a lethal injection at the state prison in Huntsville, Texas. His killings of his baby girl and two toddlers so rocked the city of Brownsville on the US border with Mexico that the apartment building was later demolished - and the land turned into a park and community garden. Continue reading...

HMS Vengeance's seven-month patrol prompts fears over slow pace of maintenance of ageing fleet and strain on crewA Trident nuclear submarine has concluded a record seven-month deployment, returning to the Faslane naval base in Scotland where its crew was greeted by the defence secretary, Wes Streeting.HMS Vengeance began its patrol on 12 April and spent 217 days submerged before returning on Sunday, having left the country when Keir Starmer was in Downing Street and Manchester United were third in the Premier League. Continue reading...

Mississippi Democrat points to commitments Trump made: lower prices, halt endless wars and release Epstein filesAfter recently becoming the first Mississippi Democrat elected to the US Senate in more than four decades, Scott Colom pledged to try to ensure Donald Trump follows through on the commitments" he made while successfully running for a second presidency in 2024.Colom, while being interviewed by CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday, alluded to various campaign promises made by Trump - including lowering consumer prices, halting the seemingly endless wars waged under other presidential administrations, and fully releasing files related to the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein, the late accused sex trafficker whose social circle encompassed the US and global elite. Continue reading...

Progressive US senator calling for more inclusion within Democratic caucus cites openness to change among peersDemocratic US senator Chris Van Hollen on Sunday escalated his bid to lead his party's incoming Senate majority rather than Chuck Schumer, asserting that he has a path to victory amid a dedicated campaign that includes a series of television appearances.Van Hollen, a Maryland progressive, appeared on Sunday on CNN, ABC and Fox News as he continues to make his case for why his peers in the Senate should reject Schumer, who has led the Democratic caucus for nearly a decade. Continue reading...

Total of 75 have already signed letter to Burnham opposing plans as discontent also grows over Europe and welfare changesAs many as 100 Labour MPs could sign a letter opposing the giant Rosebank oilfield, as discontent among backbenchers looks likely to surge this week, with rebellions also brewing over Europe and welfare changes.A total of 75 MPs have already signed the private letter, which is expected to be delivered in the next fortnight to Andy Burnham as part of a campaign in which Labour MPs from the party's 2024 intake are playing a significant role. Continue reading...

Authorities say Russian intelligence service ordered attack Estonian PM links to Tallinn's support for UkraineEstonia will close all its border crossings with Russia from 1 December after a suspected sabotage attack on a drone maker in the Baltic state over the weekend, which authorities said was ordered by Russia's GRU military intelligence service.On Saturday morning, eight people were detained during an attempted attack on Threod Systems, a defence company that manufactures long-range attack and reconnaissance drones. No injuries or damage were reported after the company's security team responded to the incident. Continue reading...

Estimated 350,000 people rally against plan to scrap licence fees and fund broadcasters from state budgetHundreds of thousands of Czechs have rallied in Prague to protest against a perceived government attempt to stifle media freedom.The gathering on Sunday to save the mandatory licence fees that fund Czechia's public broadcasters drew more than 350,000 people, making it one of the biggest in the country's history, organisers said. Continue reading...

Strikes cast further doubt on peace talks between Tehran and Washington with increasing risk of escalationIran has launched drone attacks against a US military base in Bahrain, casting further doubt on peace talks between Tehran and Washington and raising the spectre of escalation.Blasts sounded over the Gulf nation on Sunday in the second Iranian drone attack in three days in retaliation for US strikes in Iran. Continue reading...

Prime minister promises root-and-branch rethink' of support for young people as Milburn report advises sweeping changes to some benefits

Thames Water says detainees at proposed accommodation should expect to experience insect swarms and strong smellsA Home Office plan to build asylum seeker detention facilities next to a sewage pump is facing objections after water company officials warned that detainees should expect to experience insect swarms and strong smells.Proposed secure accommodation blocks at Campsfield House immigration removal centre in Oxfordshire will be 20 metres from a sewage pumping station, according to a written submission from Thames Water. Continue reading...

Iran has targeted airbase in Bahrain in latest resumption of strikes since septemberThe state-run Bahrain news agency is also carrying the statements of each country in the region responding to Iran's actions targeting their Gulf neighbour this morning.Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have all strongly condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Bahrain.The Kingdom affirms that the Iranian attacks constitute a violation of international law and the principles of good neighborliness. The Kingdom stresses the importance of an immediate halt to the blatant Iranian attacks on the countries of the region, and of taking serious steps towards achieving security and stability for the countries of the region and their peoples.The continuation of these attacks represents a dangerous escalation that will complicate efforts to contain the tension and undermine political and diplomatic endeavors aimed at achieving security and stability in the region.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom of Bahrain's strongest condemnation of the continued Iranian aggression against its territory, including the attack launched today, Sunday, November 15, 2026, by drones that were intercepted and destroyed by air defense systems in the Kingdom's airspace.This comes two days after a similar attack at dawn on Friday, November 13, 2026, by two drones that were also intercepted. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard explicitly claimed responsibility for these attacks. The Ministry praised the efficiency, vigilance, and capability of the Bahrain Defense Force in confronting today's attack and its complete readiness to deter any aggression.

Four arrested after BMW collides with Volkswagen on Gelderd Road, with police appealing for witnessesTwo people aged 22 and 23 have died after their car was hit by a BMW being pursued by police.West Yorkshire police said four people had been arrested after the crash in Leeds on Sunday and appealed for witnesses to come forward. Continue reading...

Defence briefing released under freedom of information laws shows ADF beholden to US directives when in training

Exclusive: South Wales police figures show BAME people accounted for 24% of selected scans in 2025, despite being 7% of populationEthnic minority people are four times more likely than their white counterparts to be chosen for some police facial scans, according to official data, sparking warnings of racial bias.Internal figures released by South Wales police revealed that 24% of people selected by police for facial recognition checks were from ethnic minorities, despite this group making up only 7% of the area's total population. Continue reading...

Chain restocks stores in operation named after singer of I Will Survive, as US owners release some of withheld fundsPoundland's under-fire US owners have released funds to help the stricken discount chain restock shelves temporarily, keeping hopes of a rescue deal alive in the run-up to crunch talks with the government.In an emergency resupply effort codenamed Operation Gloria" by senior Poundland staff, about 16m grocery items were dispatched to 600 shops in the UK and Ireland over the weekend. Continue reading...

UKHSA warns of health impact on those vulnerable to cold and urges people to check in with neighboursCold weather warnings have been issued for parts of the UK, and alerts for the risk to health services are due to begin on Sunday evening.The Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for ice for central and eastern Scotland from 6pm on Sunday evening until 10am on Monday. People should be vigilant as they travelled, due to the risk from slipping on footpaths in icy conditions, it added. Continue reading...

Courts have issued stinging rebukes to president's blatant' financial ploys as pro-democracy groups defend government of laws, not of men' pillarDonald Trump's legal and political ploys to increase his wealth and boost Republican electoral prospects have fueled lawsuits by non-partisan groups, prompting federal judges to issue stinging rejections to some of the president's schemes.Several lawsuits were filed in 2026 against Trump's schemes to benefit his bottom line by reducing potential tax liabilities, boosting his Truth Social platform financially by offering big investors early access to his posts, and helping Republicans by using federal funds to pay for highly partisan ads touting Trump's record in the run-up to the midterm elections, in which Republicans suffered a heavy defeat. Continue reading...

From Aldi candles to Quince's cashmere jumpers, cut-price versions of high-end sellers have gone mainstream. But is it fair?For fans of the festive season nothing is more Christmassy than lighting a super-sized botanical candle with its trim of orange slices and berries.But as the notes of cinnamon and clove fill the room will you be burning money spent on the White Company's 95 winter indulgence" candle that customers describe as the scent of Christmas". Or have you followed TikTok's advice and bought the Aldi dupe" for 25. Continue reading...

Experts warn that sweeping changes elevate health secretary RFK Jr's anti-vaccine agenda and personal profitThe Trump administration is finalizing a rule to reimburse doctors who diagnose, treat and counsel patients with side effects from vaccines in what experts believe is an attempt to undermine trust in vaccines and to create an evidence base on their purported risks.Robert F Kennedy Jr, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), also announced the creation of a vaccine injury" research center at the National Institutes of Health and has sought to reshape the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) - actions that point to Kennedy's longtime activism against vaccination as well as the profits he and his network have made from vaccine lawsuits. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Shepard Fairey says image will hold PM accountable over promise to get people off the streetsThe Hope" portrait of Barack Obama by the US street artist Shepard Fairey came to symbolise a historic 2008 presidential campaign, became one of the most ubiquitous and reproduced political portraits of modern times, and ended up in the Smithsonian.Fairey's latest work, of the UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, may not elicit the same response but will, he hopes, deliver a hard-hitting message: one of a promise made. Continue reading...

MP says party is being squeezed by arrival of more plausible' Labour leader in Andy BurnhamReform UK has been losing support to Labour after a very difficult year," Danny Kruger has admitted, just over 12 months after his defection to Nigel Farage's party.The MP, who has been tasked with preparing Reform for government, denied that he regretted jumping from the Conservatives as recent polls indicated a revival under Kemi Badenoch. Continue reading...

Book sells out and tour tickets in demand after comedian reveals she contributed to Walliams investigationWhen the comedian Lucy Beaumont revealed she had intervened to support a junior TV worker concerned about David Walliams' behaviour, she feared it would brand her as a troublemaker and ensure she would never work in television again.The immediate response to her actions, however, has been more heartening. Her book Drinking Custard: The Diary of a Confused Mum sold out online soon after she talked about her fears for her career. There was also a flurry of online posts from fans buying tickets to her current tour, with many posting messages of praise and support.Support for anyone affected by sexual abuse issues is available in the UK from Rape Crisis on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. Other international helplines are available for people affected by sexual abuse and childhood abuse, and people in crisis. Continue reading...

Liberty Steel Dalzell plant in Motherwell with order for 34,000 tonnes of metal plate to build three warships has struggled to pay billsThe Royal Navy is facing questions over whether three new warships will be built with British steel as its Scottish supplier faces deepening financial difficulties.Liberty Steel Dalzell, a plate mill in Motherwell, has struggled to pay its bills and workers in recent weeks, according to several people with knowledge of operations. Continue reading...

Mia Latter says she was in an abusive relationship with the convicted rapist when he was 30 and she was 16A woman who alleges she was raped by Russell Brand when she was 16 has waived her right to anonymity to campaign for a staggered age of consent.Mia Latter says she was in an abusive three-month relationship with Brand when he was 30 and she was 16. Continue reading...

Survey respondents describe current or former partners controlling bank accounts and taking out credit online without full consentAlmost one in five young women and girls in the UK have experienced digital financial products being used as a tool of abuse by a current or former partner, a report has found.Abusers are exploiting banking apps, online payments and digital credit to control young women, causing financial harm and preventing them from leaving relationships, according to research from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse.In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org Continue reading...

We think dialogue is a good thing,' Australian PM says after German chancellor urges the US to work with Europe for peace in UkraineAustralia has endorsed this week's historic summit between Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in China, even as European leaders warn that the US president must not make major concessions over the war in Ukraine.The three-way summit is planned to take place in Shenzhen, where the leaders will gather for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has warned the talks must not lead to a redistribution of influence among world powers or the abandonment of his country, more than four years into the war sparked by Putin's full-scale invasion. Continue reading...

Exclusive: British sportswear firm is seeking to obtain rights to The Conditioning Club, which is also the name of a Gloucestershire gymGymshark, the 1bn British sportswear firm started in a family garage, is locked in a trademark battle that threatens the future of a small fitness business.Ben Francis, the university dropout who started sewing his own gym clothes in his parents' garage and is now estimated to be worth 800m, is trying to add The Conditioning Club to his Gymshark stable of trademarks. Continue reading...

International court of justice has never before found a state guilty of genocide, and ruling will have implications for case against IsraelThe world's top court will deliver a judgment this week on whether Myanmar committed genocide against its Rohingya minority, in a landmark case that will set a critical 21st-century benchmark for the gravest of all international crimes.The closely watched judgment could become one of the most significant moments in international law since the end of the second world war. Continue reading...

Tussle for influence as trade, tech and regional security to take centre stage in China, Philippines and Cambodia meetingsThe global political centre of gravity will be firmly in Asia this week as world leaders fly in for back-to-back high-level summits against the backdrop of the tussle for influence between the superpowers China and the US.Beijing will have the home advantage when it welcomes Donald Trump to its southern technology hub of Shenzhen for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders' meeting. It starts two weeks after the US leader lost midterm elections. Continue reading...

Prime minister says he and Chris Bowen were having light-hearted banter' when they were caught discussing where they keep their phones

Party's NSW leader Mike Newman says contenders are people from the real world' and not career politicians'

Volatile weather predicted after storms on Saturday, with a man in his 20s struck by lightning while swimming on NSW Central Coast

With Myer's profitability battered and share price languishing near all-time lows, DJs' slide into administration raises an uncomfortable question

Although booster exploded, company caught upper stage for first time in campaign to make megarocket reusableSpaceX's megarocket Starship returned to its Texas launch tower on Saturday, a milestone in the company's efforts to make the craft suitable for human spaceflight.The 171ft (52-meter) bullet-shaped upper stage descended into the clutch of the tower's mechanical arms, ending a 22hr mission where the craft orbited Earth 14 times. Continue reading...

Filipino entry, pop and rap song Sobra-Sobra, takes 19-year-old to victory at grand final in BangkokCarmelle Collado has won the first Eurovision song contest Asia, taking the Philippines' entry, Sobra-Sobra, to victory in Bangkok on Saturday night, at the first regional edition of the contest to be staged outside Europe.Eleven countries competed at the One Bangkok Forum in central Bangkok, and the show ran for two and a half hours including advertising. Continue reading...

Parliamentarians across factional lines share concerns about policy that legal expert says paints the imprisonment of children as therapeutic'

Appeal for information comes after Brenda Raymond, 80, was set on fire outside her flat on MondayThe family of an elderly woman who was set on fire outside a block of flats in Watford have said they are desperate for answers".Brenda Raymond, 80, was found set alight outside her flat on Caractacus Cottage View on Monday. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she is in critical condition. Continue reading...

Thousands of flights still canceled as officials blamed ageing air control system for nationwide groundingThe Trump administration says Friday's four-hour nationwide Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground stop that delayed or canceled thousands of flight stemmed from routine maintenance.At a news briefing on Saturday, the US transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, said that the issues began when a contractor was performing routine maintenance" at a remote FAA facility to switch telecommunications lines" from copper wire to fiber optic cable. Continue reading...

Exclusive: 2,850 more patients a month would need to be treated within 62 days to meet March 2027 goal, as experts warn of failure of leadershipNearly 10,000 more cancer patients in England will not be treated on time because the government will fail to meet its targets, amid a failure of leadership, focus and resource, experts have warned.The NHS set an interim target to treat 80% of cancer patients within 62 days of urgent referral or consultant upgrade by March 2027. But with little more than 100 days to go, the proportion of patients starting treatment on time in September was 70.7%, down from 71.9% in August, NHS figures show. Continue reading...

UKHSA warns of threat to vulnerable people from frosty conditions expected to last until ThursdayMore cold health alerts have been issued for parts of the UK on Sunday night and next week.The alerts were issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the north-west, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber, and will be in place from 9pm on Sunday until 9am on Thursday. Continue reading...

Raising borrowing costs too far risks laying waste to whatever growth there is in the economyA head of steam is building up behind the Bank of England raising interest rates again. With the latest forecasts by the central bank showing inflation rising to 5% next spring, another increase in the cost of borrowing seems inevitable, and may come as soon as next month.A growing number of analysts predict the Bank's policymakers will don Scrooge masks when they meet on 17 December to deliver a message of austerity and sacrifice. Continue reading...

PM accuses Tories of burning all our bridges' and says deal he is pursuing with EU will get food prices down'Andy Burnham has said the UK has lost more than we gained" since leaving the EU, the prime minister's latest in a string of comments criticising Brexit.Outlining his desire to form closer ties with Brussels, Burnham accused the Conservative party of having burned all our bridges" with the bloc after Brexit and said a new deal he hopes to secure with the EU next week will get food prices down" and put more money in the pockets of British exporters. Continue reading...

We have further to go,' says Huw Pill after increase to 4% this month as Bank seeks to tackle rising inflationThe Bank of England will probably need to raise interest rates next month and again in early 2027 to combat rising inflation, its chief economist has said.Signalling a sharp rise in mortgage payments for an estimated 2.3 million homeowners who will have to refinance their loans next year, Huw Pill said that while the decision to nudge interest rates from 3.75% to 4% earlier this month was a significant step" towards getting monetary policy into a better place, we have further to go". Continue reading...

Undercover ITV report also shows inadequate welfare checks at ex-military base run by firm of asylum camp billionaire Graham KingAsylum seekers accommodated at a controversial military base in East Sussex have been subjected to inadequate welfare checks, and torture survivors may have been placed there unlawfully, an undercover documentary for ITV has revealed.Mass accommodation sites are central to the government's plan to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers. For the documentary, Inside The Asylum Camp, ITV's undercover reporter got a job as a welfare officer at Crowborough and covertly filmed inside the former military training camp. The documentary claims that poor screening and welfare checks are having serious consequences for some of the asylum seekers. Continue reading...

Questions remain about reason for leak, safety of drinking water and where salt can be sourced for roads during winterWhen water last month began gushing through a crack in the ceiling of a Morton Salt mine in Ohio, the company had only one option: shut the mine down for good.For locals in and around Fairport Harbor, it means the loss of 77 jobs; but for the wider region, which depends on its salt reserves to keep roads ice- and snow-free every winter, it could mean travel chaos. Continue reading...

People around the world have contended with unprecedented weather events and their fatal effects caused by the climate catastropheAfter the world's hottest summer since records began in 1850, the death toll from extreme weather in 2026 is already in the high tens of thousands. That is a conservative estimate and is certain to rise much higher.As Cop31 continues and scientists warn that climate breakdown may be accelerating, the Guardian looks back at a year of droughts, fires and floods as a reminder that, unless the world takes urgent action to cut emissions, this disastrous year will be one of the best of the rest of our lives. Continue reading...

Experts warn of risks of platforms hosting bets tied to US public health - including vaccine mandates and drug trialsThe sign was pasted on a construction fence next to an elementary school in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Vaccines," it proclaimed in bold capital letters against a blue star-spangled background - appearing, at first glance, to be like any other public health message on the importance of getting vaccinated.But at the bottom of the sign, in smaller letters, it read: Will any state end vaccine markets?" It was accompanied by the logo for Polymarket, an online prediction market where users can log in to wager on the outcomes of nearly any event - including, now, public health. Continue reading...

Prime ministerial hopeful calls Arab minority an integral part of the Israeli story' as he seeks to form governmentIsraeli prime ministerial hopeful Gadi Eisenkot condemned a racist and aggressive campaign of delegitimisation" against the country's Arab citizens, after the caretaker prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Arab parties of electoral fraud without evidence.Netanyahu has repeatedly targeted Arab parties and Palestinian citizens of Israel after his party received a disappointing electoral showing, accusing them of manipulating the election and being linked to Hamas. Israeli electoral authorities have rejected these claims as not being backed by evidence. Continue reading...