World news | The Guardian

Scheme in Derry aims to sow confidence by getting people with learning and physical disabilities into wrestlingThe music thumped, the lights blazed and from the ring the announcer did a countdown. Who is ready to rumble?" he roared. The bellows and cheers indicated that the crowd at St Columb's Hall in Derry on Saturday night was more than ready for the Foyle Rumble, and so began a wrestling extravaganza of heroes and villains in leotards, masks and kneepads.The blend of athleticism and scripted storytelling would have been familiar to fans of WrestleMania, but this Northern Irish version came with a twist: many of the performers have learning or physical disabilities, and the characters they play in the ring do not quite stay in the ring. Continue reading...

Lesson for teenagers included how cattle's methane emissions contribute to climate crisis, but it was then scrappedA beef industry-funded effort to teach teenagers about cattle's climate impact was quietly scrapped following backlash from some ranchers, who disputed the premise that cows contribute to global heating.The episode is the latest example of the livestock industry's decades-long battle to determine what US children learn about cows and the climate. Continue reading...

Much-loved passenger ship has traversed Atlantic swells between islands and Cornish mainland for almost 50 yearsTears were shed, sea shanties sung and tales of stormy voyages exchanged as one of the UK's most characterful ships set sail for the final time.Scillonian III, also known as the vomit comet" because in stormy weather it tended to rock a little too much for the comfort of those susceptible to sea sickness, has chugged between the British mainland and the Isles of Scilly, for just shy of half a century. Continue reading...

Jakub Kulik critically injured and Artur Moraski also wounded after actions that prevented further casualties'Two Polish police officers who were injured as they pursued and detained the gunman in Krakow on Saturday have been hailed as heroes.One of them is Jakub Kulik, a former paratrooper and volunteer firefighter, who was left critically injured after a close-range exchange of fire with the suspect, a 24-year-old Polish national who killed six and injured 17 in an attack believed to have been inspired by far-right ideologies. Continue reading...

Knesset has been deadlocked since the election last month when Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition lost its majorityIsrael's president has chosen Gadi Eisenkot, the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest rival, to try to form a new government, after a deadlocked election that left neither man with a clear path to power.Isaac Herzog's office said he had informed Eisenkot, the leader of the Yashar party, on Saturday night of his intention to task him with forming a government". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Head of IFPI says allowing AI companies access to online content would be a huge mistake' and damage Australia's reputation

Five of seven facilities in England and Wales never reached operational stage as Tories vacillated over plans to check goodsThe UK wasted at least 100m in taxpayers' money to set up zombie Brexit border inspection posts that were never used, it has been revealed.The overall cost of Brexit was put at an estimated 4.7bn by the National Audit Office last year but this included years-long transformation of the software used for customs declarations and other systems built to cope with the UK leaving the single market. Continue reading...

High-stakes talks involving 190 countries begin on Monday as world grapples with El Nino supercharged by fossil fuelsThe Cop31 summit must produce progress, a tangible outcome ... that people can see is real", its host has said as scores of world leaders and representatives of close to 190 countries gather in Turkey for the UN climate talks.The high-stakes meeting begins on Monday, as countries around the world grapple with the strongest El Nino weather system on record, supercharged by fossil fuels, which is set to take hundreds of thousands of lives and cause damage costing trillions of dollars. Continue reading...

Culture secretary says there is still a problem in the industry and public life after Russell Brand convictionThe culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has said there is still a problem with exploitation and abuse in the media industry and a failure to properly deal with allegations after Russell Brand's conviction for rape and sexual assault.She said women who came forward were too often not protected by institutions across public life, including in politics, and that huge power imbalances meant speaking up came at a very heavy cost. Continue reading...

Andy Burnham takes part at Cenotaph in London for first time alongside eight ex-premiers and 12 second world war veteransSecond world war veterans outnumbered former prime ministers for what could be the last time at the national service of remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London.The number of veterans from that conflict attending the service has dwindled to about a dozen, the oldest of whom was Jeffrey Brereton who served in the RAF. He volunteered for the air force in 1940, at the age of 19, and served as a mechanic on Hurricane aircraft during the Battle of Britain. Continue reading...

Midterms success gives party potent leverage over Trump - expect tough campaigns of investigating and lawmakingCosts, chaos, corruption": after almost two years spent relentlessly criticizing Donald Trump for failing to address those three, broad political concerns, Democrats won a monumental return to power in Tuesday's midterm elections that will give them potent new leverage over the president.Now the question becomes: what will they do with it? Continue reading...

See My World, an event highlighting the pan-African thought via film, poetry and dance, builds on momentum sparked by local activists and creativesAfrican philosophies including exploring how lessons from the past can shape the present and near future have inspired a film festival coming to Manchester.See My World, a day dedicated to independent creators from across the African diaspora in the north of England, will take place at the Contact theatre on 21 November. Continue reading...

Officials say suspect holds far-right views and three people found dead at his home were his parents and sisterPolish prosecutors have opened a terrorism investigation after a 24-year-old man opened fire in a busy market square in Krakow, killing six people including a Briton and injuring 17, in an attack that authorities said was probably inspired by far-right ideologies.Police confirmed on Sunday that three people found dead at the gunman's home after the attack on Saturday afternoon were his father, 53, mother, 52, and sister, 21. Continue reading...

What are the relationships and dominant interests in play, as the summit kicks off after a bitter row over its hosting?Hosting Cop was a key pledge from Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese in 2021, while in opposition, before his successful election campaign. But arcane rules meant the country had to wait its turn to bid and was then embroiled in an angry row with Turkey over the hosting. The final compromise put Australia in charge of the negotiations which will take place in the Turkish city of Antalya. The bitter taste left by the row lingers and Australia has seemed to some a rather half-hearted host. The country's media has been much quieter on Cop than previous host countries, and although Albanese will speak at the opening of the leaders' segment, he is unlikely to stay long. Continue reading...

Luc Corlouer made deal' with Prix Goncourt winner Philippe Jaenada over his research into model Louise Cansot, murdered in Paris in 1949For almost eight decades the artists' model Louise Cansot, the subject of the novel winning France's most prestigious literary prize this year, was one of Paris's forgotten murder victims.After her body was found near the Seine in September 1949, city police wrote off the young woman, immortalised as the girl of 100 portraits", as loose, libertine and - worse - an unmarried mother. They closed their investigation after just four months having made little effort to find her killer. Continue reading...

Delegates from more than 190 countries are gathering in Turkey for climate talks, but the US will be absentAs the planet faces unprecedented human-caused global heating, heads of government are meeting for the next fortnight for the latest round of climate talks. We ask why it matters and what is likely to be achieved. Continue reading...

Margaret Parkes and her husband, in their 80s, want Allan Grimson to reveal location of their son Simon's remainsThe mother of a teenage Royal Navy sailor who vanished 40 years ago has called for a serial killer" suspected of murdering him to finally reveal where her son's body is hidden.Speaking as Simon Parkes' suspected murderer, the former navy petty officer Allan Grimson, was sentenced for sexual offences against four boys and men, Margaret Parkes, 80, said time was running out for her and her 84-year-old husband, David, to find out what happened to their son. Continue reading...

Three more people found dead at home of suspect, who minister says held ultra-nationalistic' viewsSix people were killed and 16 wounded after a gunman opened fire in a busy market square in Krakow, authorities said, in what Poland's defence minister called an act of terror" on the people of the city.The suspect, a 25-year-old Polish citizen, opened fire with an automatic weapon in the city's main square at about 3pm on Saturday before being apprehended by police. Continue reading...

President has opposing views on many issues, and once called Leo's predecessor the representative of the Evil One'Trees are being planted in the garden. The brightly coloured buildings are getting another coat of paint. The choir rehearses. Hundreds of other residents, several of them using wheelchairs, practise their positions outside the sanctuary. Excitement is in the air, because on Monday 9 November, the Cottolengo Don Orione - a Catholic-run home for disabled people - will be the first stop on Pope Leo XIV's first full day of his trip to Argentina.But the pope's visit to Claypole, about 26km from Buenos Aires, does not come at an especially happy time for the home, which counts about 400 residents with disabilities. Argentina's president, Javier Milei, has made wide-ranging cuts to disability funding. Continue reading...

Grattan Institute finds some doctors charge up to triple the fees of their peers - well beyond what can be justified by business running costs

Event regarded as Oscars of fashion industry replaces John Galliano retrospective with homage to the extra ordinary'A few months after the planned John Galliano Met Gala retrospective was cancelled amid a backlash focused on the designer's past, a more commonplace theme has been announced: extraORDINARY: fashion and the poetics of the everyday." It has left some commentators speculating that celebrities might replace the couture omelette dresses" and four-part red-carpet performances with jeans and a nice top.While the dress code for the next Met Gala, which will be held on 3 May 2027, is yet to be announced, it traditionally derives from the exhibition theme. Continue reading...

Naturalists divided over potential impact of proposals to increase number of wild raptors in England and WalesWhite-tailed eagles reintroduced into England and Wales imperil endangered seabird populations and risk wiping out some colonies, ecologists and conservationists are warning.Puffins, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and kittiwakes are among the birds for which breeding populations could collapse if large numbers of white-tailed eagles are released, according to some academics and conservationists. Continue reading...

Farmers face big drop in production from extreme weather during this year's super El Nino eventBanana producers in Latin America are calling for better pay to help cope with the impact of the climate crisis, as they face big drops in production resulting from extreme weather during this year's super El Nino event.High winds in parts of Colombia, one of the biggest suppliers to the UK market where droughts are predicted in some regions this year, and heavy rainfall in Peru and Ecuador are already affecting production, according to the Fairtrade Foundation ethical trade body. In the Dominican Republic, farmers are expected to face drought conditions, with forecasts of drier and warmer than usual conditions. Continue reading...

David Lammy among those raising concerns after errors found in rejected applications for indefinite leave to remainConcerns have been raised over the sudden rise in number of Turkish nationals facing removal from the UK as a result of mistakes, prompting accusations that the Home Office has failed to learn the lessons of the Windrush scandal.Since the start of the year, there has been a sharp rise in the number of rejected applications for indefinite leave to remain for those on European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) visas, a longstanding route to residency for Turkish nationals seeking to set up a business in the UK. Continue reading...

Mumbai facility is part of Reliance Industries, owner of world's biggest oil refinery and funder of controversial mega-zooThe Prince of Wales's Earthshot prize will host its forthcoming annual awards ceremony at a venue owned by the billionaire Ambani family conglomerate, drawing criticism from conservationists over their fossil fuel businesses and their foundation's controversial mega-zoo.A spokesperson for the Earthshot prize, which awards 1m to five winners every year to invest in conservation work, confirmed to the Guardian and the news outlet Mongabay that this year's ceremony will be held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on 17 November. Continue reading...

A lifestyle podcast or brief TV clip is less taxing than a full press conference - but No 10 insists the PM is not ducking accountabilityIn an interview this week Andy Burnham said he believed the traditional media was less relevant and the world was not like that any more". But some people are now asking: does this change in approach mean less scrutiny?The question was in part prompted by Burnham's decision to travel to the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) without the usual accompanying pack of reporters, instead bringing just one TV crew and a news agency journalist. Continue reading...

Activists fear Bangkok will give in to pressure from Beijing despite reports of torture and human rights abuses against the mostly muslim ethnic minorityThe deportation of two more Uyghurs to China from Thailand would put their lives in grave danger, activists have said, with one of the men saying he would be like a slave" if he was sent back.Last year, Thai authorities forcibly deported 40 Uyghur men to China despite pleas from the men themselves and the UN.

National party will be largest in parliament but ultimate shape of next government won't be settled for some timeNew Zealand could be facing a weeks-long wait to know the shape of its next government, after its nail-biting election failed to hand a decisive victory to either the incumbent rightwing coalition or opposition left bloc.On preliminary results, the centre-right National party, led by the prime minister, Christopher Luxon, managed to secure enough seats to govern alongside its traditional coalition partners, the libertarian Act and populist New Zealand First parties. Continue reading...

Four heritage-listed defence properties to be preserved for community use after backlash from veterans and former PMs

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk heads to the city after four women and two men are killed and more than a dozen people injuredTom Rose, the US ambassador to Poland, wrote on X:We are just learning details of the horrific mass shooting in Krakow, a savage and murderous attack that's shattered the peace of Poland.America stands with Poland at this dark hour as Poland stands with her beloved citizens of Krakow.A terrible tragedy in Krakow's Main Market Square.I share the grief of the families and loved ones of the victims of this unimaginable tragedy. The perpetrator was injured and detained. Continue reading...

Known for sophisticated musical style in band that played significant role in emerging 1970s punk rock movementRichard Lloyd, known for his sophisticated musical style as a founding member and guitarist for the influential punk band Television, has died at the age of 75.His family confirmed that Lloyd died Saturday morning at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His loving wife Sheila and his dog Willie Mays were with him at the end," his family said in a statement to Rolling Stone. Continue reading...

Two weeks of public hearings will begin on Monday morning, right in the middle of the state election campaign

Twelve midwife-led maternity units have closed in England since 2019 with six closing since Labour came to power in 2024NHS officials are shutting growing numbers of birth centres in a shocking" denial of a woman's right to have a midwife rather than a doctor oversee their baby's birth, say campaigners.Twelve birth centres - midwife-led maternity units - have closed in England since 2019. Birth centres play a key role in ensuring that women can choose whether to have their baby at a unit in a hospital run by doctors, at one where midwives are in charge, or at home. Continue reading...

Armed police attended the scene, which led to two nearby schools going into lockdownThree teenagers have been arrested after a 17-year-old was injured in a suspected sword attack near a school in Gloucester.Officers were called to Chalford Road, near St Peter's high school, in Tuffley, shortly after 8.50am on Friday. It was reported that two people, one in possession of a sword, had been seen chasing two 17-year-olds. The suspects then fled the scene on foot. Continue reading...

Charity's AGM decides overwhelmingly to begin tendering process amid criticism of Barclays' fossil fuel investmentsThe National Trust has voted overwhelmingly to seek a new banking partner in a significant victory for members who have long argued that its relationship with Barclays was at odds with its commitment to protecting the natural world.The resolution, passed at the charity's annual general meeting on Saturday with the backing of its board of trustees, instructs the organisation to begin a competitive tendering process for its banking arrangements. Continue reading...

Charges against party members and off-piste remarks highlight problems brought about by rapid expansionSpeaking to reporters after unveiling his new defence spokesperson this week, Nigel Farage's jovial and upbeat mood suddenly switched. Why, he was asked, was a Reform UK councillor who was arrested in January over multiple alleged sexual offences still in his role nearly 10 months later?I have no idea," Farage replied icily. I was told yesterday, and I wasn't very happy." Continue reading...

Gympanzees near Bristol will be the first UK site of its type, catering for children unable to use regular playgroundsIt has been over a decade since Stephanie Wheen set out to create the UK's first play and leisure centre specifically designed for disabled children.Over the past 10 years, she and her team have raised millions of pounds, meticulously researched how to make the centre as inclusive as possible and spent years trialling sessions with disabled children. And soon, the doors to Gympanzees will open for the first time. Continue reading...

This blog is closed, you can read our report on the New Zealand election hereAnother update here with 8% of the vote counted.

Moscow used 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles in attacks on electricity substations and bridge over the DniproVolodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of trying to plunge Kyiv and the entire country into a blackout", after a major attack overnight on energy infrastructure in the capital and a bridge over the Dnipro River.Ukraine's president said Moscow's preparations for peace talks next week involved pummelling a city of millions with ballistic missiles. Continue reading...

Department had claimed that being kidnapped for ransom was not exploitation of trafficking victims in case of Syrian man abducted in LibyaThe court of appeal has rejected claims by the Home Office that being kidnapped for ransom is not exploitation of trafficking victims.The ruling means that many people who have been kidnapped for ransom, whom officials have previously excluded from being victims of exploitation under trafficking rules, will now have to have these claims considered. They may be eligible for the support and recovery package trafficking victims are entitled to. Continue reading...

Sunshine state emerged as the lone flag bearer of the Maga agenda, but even there, the GOP finds itself on the defenseAfter the dust settled on Tuesday night's near-annihilation of the Republican party nationwide, a single red flag fluttered defiantly in Florida, now a last bastion of the Maga movement that has dominated politics in the US for a decade.Voters in the Sunshine state bucked the national trend, just barely, to elect two close allies of Donald Trump into office: congressman Byron Donalds as its first Black governor, and Ashley Moody to the US Senate. Continue reading...

There's not much they can do over the next couple of years to alleviate angry voters' stress over pricesIt was the economy, again. Although Donald Trump largely ignored it, voters' acute concerns over the rising cost of living fuelled a political upheaval for the ages that is likely to deliver the biggest swing toward Democrats since Watergate, granting them the largest House majority in nearly four decades alongside their biggest edge in the Senate since 2008.Still, having come to power promising to restore affordability, the new crop of Democrats are soon to discover that there is not much they can do over the next couple of years to alleviate angry voters' stress over pricey gas and groceries, exorbitant mortgages and unaffordable healthcare.Eduardo Porter is a journalist focused on economics and politics. He writes the newsletter Being There on Substack Continue reading...

Ian Winter KC told Rosamund Urwin of the Sunday Times, whose investigation led to Brand's victims coming forward: I hope you are pleased with yourself'Russell Brand's barrister has reported himself to his professional regulator after being accused of launching a tirade at a journalist shortly after his client had been found guilty of rape.Ian Winter KC confronted" the Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin, whose investigation led to Brand's victims coming forward, telling her: I hope you are pleased with yourself." Continue reading...

Democrats and Republicans blast promotion of xenophobe' who led administration's immigration crackdown in wake of US midterm electionsDemocratic lawmakers decried Stephen Miller as a hatemonger", a xenophobe" and vile" after Donald Trump appointed his most trusted adviser as White House chief of staff.On Friday afternoon, the US president abruptly announced via his Truth Social platform that Miller - the architect of his sweeping immigration crackdown - would replace Susie Wiles, whom he confirmed had been ousted. Continue reading...

Campaign group the3million lodges court papers after EU citizens told pre-settled status was an error'The Home Office is being sued for alleged breach of the Brexit withdrawal agreement after stripping almost 1,500 EU citizens of their full rights to live in the UK.Campaign group the3million lodged papers at the high court on Friday after several cases emerged of EU citizens who were granted pre-settled status to remain in the country after Brexit but were told recently those decisions were an error". Continue reading...

Charities say situation exposes fatal flaw' in Andy Burnham's plan to end rough sleeping in England by ChristmasIn just four days James is facing the prospect of sleeping on the street. He was released from prison in August and given temporary probation accommodation in Somerset, but that is about to expire and he has nowhere to go.It is scary," the 37-year-old said. I am not asking for special treatment. But literally nowhere wants to help - I have contacted MPs, solicitors, probation and the council. I am quite tempted to just get myself recalled to prison because it is November. It is cold." Continue reading...

Many experts think fixed rate on 30-month term will still look good after Bank of England raised base rateA savings account paying market-leading" 5.3% interest was launched this week by Nationwide building society. It's only for Nationwide members - but there are more than 19 million of them.The account was launched just a couple of days before the Bank of England pushed up the main base rate to 4%, a move that will be welcomed by many savers. Continue reading...

Trump still considering new assault on Iran nuclear sites - though threats less credible after Vance remarksQatar, the lead mediator in the US-Iran conflict, is seeking to persuade Tehran to allow UN nuclear weapons inspectors to visit Iran's bombed nuclear sites, including those housing the country's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.Iran would not be required to make any commitment that the stockpile would be removed from the country, with other options on the table, including reducing the uranium content by down-blending it. Continue reading...

Regional leaders criticise Met chief's call for merging of 43 forces into eight or 10, saying it runs counter to devolution drivePlans to slash the number of police forces in England and Wales represent a real threat" to local policing and seriously undermine Andy Burnham's devolution agenda, leading mayors have said.Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner and Britain's top officer, called on Friday for the 43 forces of England and Wales to be cut to eight to 10" super forces. Continue reading...

The Republican party will regroup after their shellacking in the US midterm elections, but it won't look the sameWalking by a tattoo studio and medical spa on the pretty main street of Round Rock, in Texas Hill Country, Tarik Bakir recalled voting for Barack Obama in 2008 and Donald Trump in 2024. But when it came to the 2026 midterm elections, he was firmly back in the Democrats' column.I'm not happy with the Iran war," said Bakir, 41, a financial adviser who served with the US military in Afghanistan. The economy's OK, but not great. This election was a rebuttal to Trump. This time people said they didn't like him, or his policies." Continue reading...