Calls for Rachel Reeves to increase taxes in budget as estimate outstrips duties collected from online casinosBritish gambling companies spent an astronomic" 2bn on advertising and marketing last year, according to a new estimate that has intensified calls for the chancellor to increase taxes on the sector.Bookmakers, online casinos and slot machine companies spent the sum through a mixture of print and digital promotions, as well as affiliate programmes, where third parties are paid to steer gamblers towards particular operators in return for a fee. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#71NT7)
Exclusive: Member of homeland security group says anti-terrorism Prevent scheme risks being overwhelmed by Palestine advocatesThe anti-terrorism Prevent programme risks being overwhelmed because of the government's ban on Palestine Action and could lead to people being wrongly criminalised, a member of the Home Office's homeland security group has warned.The official said there was already confusion among counter-terrorism police, officials and in schools and hospitals as a result of the proscription of the direct action group, which makes being a member of - or showing support for - it a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act. Continue reading...
Environment ministry says most of the deaths were in the mountainous central province of Dak LakThe death toll from major flooding in Vietnam has risen to 90, with 12 more people missing, the environment ministry said on Sunday after days of heavy rain and landslides.Relentless rain has lashed south-central Vietnam since late October and popular holiday destinations have been hit by several rounds of flooding. Continue reading...
Christian group revises up number of students and teachers missing after one of country's largest mass abductionGunmen have kidnapped more than 300 students and teachers in one of the largest mass kidnappings in Nigeria, a Christian group said on Saturday, as security fears mounted in Africa's most populous nation.The early Friday raid on St Mary's co-educational school in Niger state in western Nigeria came after gunmen on Monday stormed a secondary school in neighbouring Kebbi state, abducting 25 girls. Continue reading...
Research shows members would back Andy Burnham, Ed Miliband, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting over PMAndy Burnham, Ed Miliband, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting would all win a head-to-head leadership contest against Keir Starmer, according to a poll of Labour members.Research conducted by Survation for LabourList found that Burnham and Rayner would defeat the prime minister by considerable margins, while Streeting and Miliband would have a slight advantage but within the margin of error. Continue reading...
Chancellor will confirm the measure, intended to help commuters on expensive routes, in her budget speechRail fares in England will not be increased in 2026, the government has announced, surprising passengers with the first fare freeze in 30 years.The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will confirm a freeze on fares in this week's budget, a move designed to limit inflation, ease the cost of living and support economic growth. Continue reading...
Brazilian ex-president says he used soldering iron on device and is now in custody over fears he was going to abscondBrazil's former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has claimed he tried to damage his electronic ankle monitor out of curiosity" after he was arrested at his villa owing to suspicions he was poised to abscond.In a video released by the supreme court, Bolsonaro - who was recently sentenced to 27 years in prison for masterminding a military coup - can be heard admitting to a security official that he had used a soldering iron to tamper with the black tag. Continue reading...
Prime minister says in principle anyone with knowledge of child sexual offence cases should disclose what they knowKeir Starmer has increased the pressure on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to cooperate with a congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, saying those who are caught up in child sexual offence cases should disclose any information they have.Asked whether Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles last month, should respond to the US House oversight committee, the prime minister said those with relevant information" should share it. The former prince had a long friendship with Epstein and is alleged to have sexually assaulted one of his victims, Virginia Giuffre - allegations he denies. Continue reading...
Many fear competition and diversity will be diminished as Daily Mail owner wins race to buy newspaperAs the dust settles from the battle for the ownership of the Daily Telegraph, one man has been left standing: Lord Rothermere, whose family have been a mainstay of British newspapers for more than a century.This is a very British stitch-up," said Lionel Barber, the former editor of the Financial Times. Lord Rothermere has played a very astute poker hand, he's shown patience and he's the big winner." Continue reading...
Files show then PM was walking dog, riding motorbike and hosting guests as pandemic planning stalled in lost month'Boris Johnson took four days off from official government business during a key period in the UK's Covid preparation when the NHS was bracing to be overwhelmed" by the virus.Official disclosure for the period in February 2020 - described by the Covid inquiry as a lost month" in the country's crisis response - reveal Johnson enjoyed an extended break during the half-term holidays at Chevening, a governmental estate in Kent, where he spent time walking his dog and taking motorcycle rides. Continue reading...
Celebrations to McLean's jaw-dropping goal picked up by seismic activity monitors at Glasgow Geothermal ObservatoryWhen Scotland qualified for the men's football World Cup for the first time in 28 years, supporters were propelled into wild celebration - and even made the earth move in the process.According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), when Kenny McLean scored from the halfway line to seal a breathtaking 4-2 win over Denmark, which are ranked 18 places higher in the world than Scotland, the reaction at Hampden Park was equivalent to a very small earthquake. Continue reading...
Police detain teenager after responding to reports of disorder in Moredon on Friday eveningA 13-year-old schoolgirl has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman died inside a house in Swindon.Police detained the teenager after responding to reports of a disorder in Baydon Close, Moredon, at about 7pm on Friday. They arrived to find a woman in her 50s not breathing, with no other reported injuries. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Amy Sedghi (earlier) on (#71NBJ)
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereLeaders from Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia are expected to huddle on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Saturday to discuss the way ahead on Ukraine", an EU official said.A European diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse (AFP):We are working on making the US plan something more able to be applied, based on previous dialogue. Continue reading...
Women's groups welcomed the announcement on the eve of the international leaders' summit in JohannesburgHundreds of women gathered in cities across South Africa on Friday to protest against gender-based violence in the country before the G20 summit in Johannesburg this weekend.Demonstrators turned out in 15 locations - including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban - wearing black as a sign of mourning and resistance". Continue reading...
Louise Haigh criticises delivery company over treatment of workers who spoke out against pay cutsThe Labour government must back delivery workers who were sacked for speaking out about DPD's plans to cut of thousands of pounds from their pay, a former cabinet minister has said.Louise Haigh has heavily criticised the delivery firm over its treatment of the workers - one of whom said the row had cost them their livelihoods just in time for Christmas. Continue reading...
Robert James Purkiss faces extradition for alleged septic tank killing of Agnes Wanjiru near army training baseA former British soldier accused of murdering a Kenyan woman whose body was found in a septic tank in 2012 has spoken publicly about the allegations, saying: I do not believe I ever met her."Robert James Purkiss, 38, faces extradition to Kenya, where he is wanted for the alleged brutal" murder of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru in Nanyuki, a town near a British army training camp. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Kanak leader Christian Tein, who was freed from prison in June, says France is deliberately dragging out' re-issue of his passportA pro-independence leader from the French overseas territory of New Caledonia has accused the French government of deliberately dragging out" his passport application, preventing him from flying home after his release from prison.Christian Tein, an Indigenous Kanak leader, was arrested in New Caledonia in June 2024 over allegations that he had instigated the deadly pro-independence protests that had taken place on the island a month earlier. Continue reading...
Billions will be spent on credit over the discount weekend but experts say the payment option is not risk-free'Black Friday bargain-hunters should be wary of the flood of buy now, pay later" offers at the checkout, money experts have warned, amid record numbers of people seeking help with shopping debts.Billions of pounds will be spent online and in shops over the coming weeks, with more than one in three Britons said to be planning to use this form of credit to help stagger their Black Friday spending. Continue reading...
When Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine posted complaints about their local primary school, they never expected six uniformed police officers to turn up at their doorBefore it catapulted a small school community in London's commuter belt into the centre of a global news story, the year-four class WhatsApp group at Cowley Hill school in Borehamwood was unremarkable - a place of snide comments, reminders about non-uniform day and flustered messages about being late for the school run.It was mum gossip, you know?" said one member, Sarah. A bit juicy, but it wasn't anything nasty." Continue reading...
by Nadeem Badshah and Alexandra Topping on (#71N6A)
Tom Player speaks out about incident in which Victoria Bond died along with two Mexicans and two GermansA survivor of the blizzard that killed a British woman and four others in Chilean Patagonia has said that tourists were concerned about adverse weather conditions ahead of the trek, but were told by staff it was normal" and they could proceed.Tom Player, a London-based composer, told the Guardian that during the brutal blizzard about 30 volunteers worked together in an attempt to try to rescue hikers. Continue reading...
Shumeet Banerji was away during crucial discussions that led to resignation of director general and BBC News chiefA member of the BBC's board has resigned after saying he was cut out of the discussions that led to the shock resignation of its director general, Tim Davie.Shumeet Banerji, a tech industry executive, was out of the country on the crucial days before the departure of Davie and the head of BBC News, Deborah Turness. Continue reading...
From Scott Morrison's on-water matters' to the Albanese government's MOU with Nauru, successive governments' attitude to legitimate scrutiny has been one of hostility
by Lucy Campbell (now); Tom Ambrose and Jakub Krupa ( on (#71MKK)
US president says Thursday is an appropriate time' in radio interview as Ukrainian leader weighs up US proposalGerman Bild tabloid is also reporting that Merz is expected to hold a phone call not only with Zelenskyy, but also with the US president, Donald Trump.Mind you: there's been no official confirmation yet. Continue reading...
by Daniel Boffey, Kiran Stacey in Johannesburg and Ma on (#71MKP)
PM says Reform UK leader also has questions to answer' about alleged racist comments and chants when at schoolNigel Farage has been accused of being spineless" by the prime minister and a coward" by Dulwich college contemporaries over his response to allegations of racism.Keir Starmer said the Reform UK leader had questions to answer" about alleged comments and chants as a teenager that include songs about the Holocaust, and accusations of bullying towards minority ethnic schoolboys. Continue reading...
Supermarket still losing market share despite effort under Allan Leighton to win over customers with price cutsAsda is selling off 24 stores and a distribution centre - and leasing them back - to raise 568m in what has been called a sign of weakness" as sales continue to fall.The Leeds-based supermarket group, which is expected to release its quarterly results next week, has continued to lose market share to rivals as sales have gone backwards, despite an effort to win over shoppers with price cuts and improved stores. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh defence and security editor on (#71K7T)
Beijing still trying to recruit British sources in parliament through LinkedIn regardless of provocationAn unexpected connection on LinkedIn. An offer of work from a headhunter, most likely a young woman, based in China. The chance to earn perhaps 20,000 part-time writing a handful of geopolitical reports for a Chinese company peppered with non-public" or insider" insights. Payment in cryptocurrency or cash preferred.It may seem obvious, on this telling, that something about this approach would be amiss. Nevertheless, China's powerful Ministry of State Security (MSS) still considers it worthwhile to deploy recruitment consultants to try it - leading MI5 to warn repeatedly about their activity online. Continue reading...
Defence secretary reveals details of recent incursions as he warns UK is facing new era of threat' from hostile countriesA Russian spy ship has entered British waters and shone lasers at military pilots, the defence secretary has said, as he warned the UK was facing a new era of threat" from hostile countries.John Healey said on Wednesday that the Yantar surveillance ship had crossed in and out of the UK's exclusive economic zone multiple times in recent weeks, not for the first time this year. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#71JY3)
Officers accused of using violence and threats to make Peter Sullivan confess to 1987 murder of 21-year-old Diane SindallA man wrongly jailed for 38 years has spoken of being beaten by police and bullied into making a false murder confession.Peter Sullivan, 68, the subject of one of the longest miscarriages of justice in British history, said he had lost everything and wanted an apology from Merseyside police. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#71JV5)
PM Mette Frederiksen's centre-left party loses control of Copenhagen for first time in more than 100 yearsMette Frederiksen has admitted that a fall in support for the Social Democrats was greater than we had expected" after her party suffered sweeping defeats across Denmark and lost control of Copenhagen for the first time in more than 100 years.While the Social Democrats remain the largest municipal party in Denmark, the prime minister's centre-left party lost more than 5 percentage points across the country in Tuesday night's municipal and regional elections, dropping from 28.4% in 2021 to 23.2%. Support for the far right Danish People's party, meanwhile, rose slightly from 4.09% to 5.9%. Continue reading...
Public should be told nature of threat posed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, says defence committee chairThe UK lacks a plan to defend itself from a military attack, MPs have warned as the government promised to boost readiness with new arms factories.The challenges facing the government and defence industry were laid bare in a stark report from the Commons defence committee about the UK's ability to fight a war and meet its Nato obligations in light of Russia's war in Ukraine. Continue reading...
Masked robbers forced their way into a car, seized valuables and forced victim to transfer bitcoinMasked robbers stole a 450,000 watch and 1.1m in cryptocurrency after forcing their way into a car in Oxford.Two men and three women were driving from the city to London on the afternoon of 4 November when the raiders struck, Thames Valley police said. Continue reading...
Vladimir Putin authorises the guarding of fuel sites by reservists, internet blackouts and tighter sentencing for acts of sabotageRussia has passed sweeping laws to bolster its defences at home against Ukrainian drone strikes and sabotage operations, reflecting the Kremlin's expectation of a protracted war with Ukraine.Almost four years into Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine - a full-scale invasion he expected to last only weeks - Moscow is being targeted almost daily by Ukrainian drones striking energy facilities, while Ukrainian operatives have assassinated a number of high-profile Russian military figures deep inside the country. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Despite the risks, many young people now see choking during intimacy as acceptable or even expected, which experts put down to the proliferation of increasingly violent online pornographyGood morning. Yesterday, I was shocked to read that nearly half of sexually active under-18s have either been strangled or strangled someone during sex.Choking", as it is known, has become normalised in young people's sexual habits. A study by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, part of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians, published on Tuesday, found that 43% of under-18s had experienced the practice, despite much evidence of the dangers it can cause.Politics | Nigel Farage is facing fresh claims of racism and antisemitism while he was at school, with a Bafta-winning director among those making accusations against him. The Reform UK leader denies the allegations.Technology | A key piece of the internet's usually hidden infrastructure suffered a global outage on Tuesday. Cloudflare, whose services include defending millions of websites against malicious attacks, experienced an unidentified problem that meant internet users could not access some websites.Health | The NHS has failed to cut waiting times as promised in its recovery plan despite billions of pounds in investment, the public accounts committee has warned.Home Office | Shabana Mahmood is facing demands for compassion and clarity after it emerged that only a few hundred" asylum seekers would initially be permitted to come to the UK under three new schemes for refugees.Espionage | MI5 has issued an espionage alert to MPs and peers warning that two people linked to the Chinese intelligence service are actively seeking to recruit parliamentarians through LinkedIn. Continue reading...
UN committee to consider claim by prominent Mori leader Tureiti Moxon that alleges government policies have harmed Indigenous peopleThe United Nations has agreed to hear an urgent complaint against New Zealand's coalition government alleging it is responsible for significant and persistent discrimination against Mori.Prominent Mori leader, Lady Tureiti Moxon, has filed the complaint to the UN's committee for the convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination (CERD). Continue reading...
Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, which was looted by the Nazis and nearly destroyed in a fire during the second world war, sells at Sotheby's auctionA painting by Gustav Klimt has sold for a record-breaking $236.4m (179.7m, A$364m) with fees, making it the second most expensive artwork ever sold at auction and the most expensive work of modern art sold at auction.The six-foot-tall painting, titled Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, was painted by the Austrian painter between 1914 and 1916 and shows Lederer, a young heiress and daughter of Klimt's patrons, draped in a Chinese robe. Continue reading...
Nearly two-thirds of prevention of future deaths' reports by coroners are not acted upon, say researchers at King's College LondonThe advice given by coroners in England and Wales to help prevent maternal deaths is not being acted upon, research suggests.Academics at King's College London looked at prevention of future deaths (PFD) reports issued by coroners in cases of pregnant women and new mothers who died between 2013 and 2023. They found these reports were not being systematically used nationally". Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#71JN2)
Public accounts committee finds Labour's progress appears to have stalled' despite billions of pounds in investmentThe NHS has failed to cut waiting times as promised in its recovery plan despite billions of pounds in investment, the public accounts committee (PAC) has warned.The influential parliamentary committee's verdict raises serious doubts over whether Labour can fulfil its key pledge to voters to fix the NHS" by ensuring that patients can once again get hospital care within 18 weeks by 2029.Key NHS targets to improve access to both planned care and diagnostic tests by last spring were missed".NHS England had spent 3.24bn setting up community diagnostic centres and surgical hubs but had not achieved the aim of reducing delays.In July, 192,000 people had been waiting at least a year for care, despite a pledge to eradicate that practice altogether by March 2025.22% of patients were having to wait more than six weeks for a diagnostic test, even though that was due to be cut to 5% by March. Continue reading...
Keir Starmer accused of failing to adequately strategise while in opposition, leading to uncoordinated policymakingKeir Starmer is failing to make major improvements to public services partly because he did not plan properly while in opposition, according to a report from the Institute for Government (IfG).The prime minister went into government without a clear idea about how to achieve his targets, the IfG found, resulting in haphazard attempts to reform various sectors, from the health service to the courts. Continue reading...
Four people also rescued alive at popular Torres del Paine reserve in Patagonia amid heavy snowfall and strong windsA British woman and four other foreign tourists have been killed in a blizzard at a nature reserve in southern Chile.Nine people went missing on Monday in the Torres del Paine reserve in Patagonia, a popular tourist destination, amid heavy snowfall and winds reaching up to 120mph. Continue reading...
US president also claims Mohammed bin Salman knew nothing' about murder of journalistDonald Trump has shrugged off the Saudi regime's 2018 murder of the Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, saying the journalist was extremely controversial" and unpopular, dismissing the killing by observing things happen".The US president made the remarks at the White House on Tuesday while welcoming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time since Khashoggi's murder and dismemberment in Istanbul by Saudi state operatives. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian