Firefighters warn they may have to abandon homes, and even whole towns, as bushfire crisis threatens to overwhelm resources in New South Wales, Victoria and South AustraliaAustralian authorities have made a final plea for people to flee bushfire-affected areas in three states before the onset of extreme conditions so dangerous that firefighters may be unable to defend entire towns.On Friday, authorities in New South Wales urged people still in a 14,000 square kilometre area of the state’s south coast, and in other high risk areas in the Snowy Valley, to leave overnight. Continue reading...

YouGov poll shows Starmer in lead to head party over nearest rival Rebecca Long-BaileySir Keir Starmer, the favourite to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, has called for the party to become a “trusted force for good” as up to nine rival candidates consider whether to stand next week.The shadow Brexit secretary is seen as the candidate to beat following a YouGov poll showing he has a commanding lead over nearest rival and Corbyn ally Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary. Continue reading...

Campaigners lead national day of action amid months of delays and cancellationsFrustrated commuters gathered outside Bolton train station on Thursday evening as part of a national day of action to protest against increased rail fares.The demonstration was organised by campaign group Northern Resist in partnership with the Association of British Commuters and Bring Back British Rail. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen

Carmaker has compensated VW owners in US and Australia over emissions-rigging scandal and faces class action in UKVolkswagen is in discussions over an out-of-court settlement with more than 400,000 German owners of vehicles that were affected by the carmaker’s “Dieselgate” emissions-rigging scandal.Germany’s VZBV – an umbrella group of consumer rights organisations – said it had entered talks about a “pragmatic solution in the interests of customers” but stressed that talks were at a very early stage and would remain confidential. Continue reading...

Ruling on whether indicted PM can return to role delayed until after March electionThe supreme court in Israel has declined to weigh in on whether Benjamin Netanyahu can return to his post as prime minister now that he has been indicted, postponing any ruling on his political future until after March elections.A three-judge panel said while the question of whether an indicted member of parliament could form a government was important, it would be premature to rule on the issue before the vote. Continue reading...

Move follows tycoon’s dramatic flight to Beirut to escape corruption chargesJapanese authorities have issued an Interpol wanted notice for Carlos Ghosn, as the former Nissan and Renault chairman released a statement denying his wife or family were involved in his dramatic flight from corruption charges in Japan.The international policing organisation’s “red notice” alerts forces around the world that a person is wanted, in this case by Japanese police. Continue reading...

Prime minister seen picking up woman’s hand and shaking it before quickly leaving when she says ‘we need help’ and onlookers shout abuseScott Morrison was forced to abandon a meet-and-greet in a bushfire-ravaged NSW town after being confronted by angry local residents.The prime minister on Thursday visited the Bega Valley township of Cobargo, which was engulfed by flames on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

Sebastian Kurz, who leads the People’s party, can now return to power with small majorityAustria’s main centre-right party and the Greens have agreed on a coalition deal that will return ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz to power.Both Kurz and Werner Kogler from the Greens, who led the negotiations between the two parties, told reporters in Vienna they had hammered out a government programme that would be presented to the public in detail on Thursday afternoon. Continue reading...

Collection of 1,131 letters may shed light on poet’s relationship with Emily HaleA collection of more than 1,000 letters from the Nobel laureate TS Eliot to his confidante and muse Emily Hale is unveiled this week, after having been kept in sealed boxes at a US university library for 60 years.The cache promises to offer an intimate insight into the poet’s life and work, and on the extent of his relationship with Hale, a source of speculation for decades. Continue reading...

The whole town crowded on to the beach on the NSW south coast ‘trying to keep out of the smoke and ash’The beach at Malua Bay is shadowed at both ends by headlands. As bushfire spread to the precipice of the cliffs on Tuesday, more than 1,000 people stood on the beach, hemmed in by a ring of fire and the Pacific Ocean.“Everyone was on the beach, just covered in ash and smoke,” Al Baxter, the former Wallaby, told Guardian Australia. Continue reading...

31 December 1982: The old rifts remain as political leaders pass conflicting judgments on Britain’s first decade as a member of the Common MarketMrs Thatcher yesterday described the European Economic Community as “a real force for stability, freedom, and democracy in an uncertain world,” while Mr Foot – equally predictably – vowed that an incoming Labour Government would pursue a policy of withdrawal.Mr Roy Jenkins, a former Commission of the European Commission and now leader of the Social Democratic Alliance, said that it would be a disaster to leave, while Mr David Steel, the Liberal leader, recalled that for almost 30 years it was the lone voice of his party which “unswervingly advocated the cause of European sanity.” Continue reading...

Police cannot shoot people ‘because they are panicked or angry’, says Veby Mega IndahIn late September, the journalist Veby Mega Indah stood on a footbridge in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district documenting another day of clashes between anti-government protesters and riot police. The demonstrators, crouched under umbrellas, inched forward toward police firing and retreating down a set of stairs toward the street.A journalist of 13 years, trained to work in hostile environments, she stood to the side, out of the way of the standoff and in a group of other reporters. She knew to wear goggles, helmet and a high-vis jacket clearly labelled PRESS. Continue reading...

Archives show British PM was warned France may have made secret deal with Bosnian SerbsDays before the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995, John Major was warned France had possibly brokered a secret deal with the Bosnian Serbs to halt airstrikes in return for the release of western military hostages.This claim, detailed in a secret Foreign Office note to the prime minister, is among documents available to read at the National Archives in Kew fromTuesday that expose the depth of Anglo-French distrust during the Balkans conflict. Continue reading...

No ‘beast from the east’ or World Cup heatwave but a record high brought talk of climate emergencyThe final day of the year is a good time to look back at the year’s weather and forward to what might happen next. Weather in the UK in 2019 did not match the two major events of the previous year – the “beast from the east” of February and March 2018 and that summer’s World Cup heatwave.We did, however, see the UK’s record high when, on 25 July, the temperature at Cambridge Botanic Garden reached 38.7C (101.7F), narrowly beating the previous high of 38.5C set in Kent in August 2003. Continue reading...

Foreign Office says case of 19-year-old who said she was gang-raped is ‘deeply distressing’The UK government is to raise concerns with the authorities in Cyprus over the fairness of a trial in which a British teenager was found guilty of lying about being gang-raped.A judge ruled on Monday that the 19-year-old wilfully indulged in public mischief in claiming she was raped by a group of Israeli males aged between 15 and 22 while she was on holiday in Ayia Napa in July. Continue reading...

The US military carried out airstrikes on Sunday against the Iranian-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia in response to the killing of an American civilian contractor in a rocket attack on a US military base in Iraq. An Iraqi militia leader warned of a strong response after airstrikes in Iraq and Syria killed at least 25 people overnight. This footage shows the aftermath of a strike on Kata'ib Hezbollah's headquarters in the Iraqi town of Qaim Continue reading...

Official issues stark warning to protesters planning to target shopping and business districtsHong Kong will end 2019 with multiple protests planned for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day aimed at disrupting festivities and shopping in the Asian financial hub, which has seen a rise in clashes between police and protesters since Christmas.Events dubbed “Suck the Eve” and “Shop with You” are set for New Year’s Eve on Tuesday in areas including the party district of Lan Kwai Fong, the picturesque Victoria Harbour, and popular shopping malls, according to notices on social media. Continue reading...

Met Office issues severe weather warning covering southern England and WalesPassengers flying to and from some of the UK’s busiest airports are being told to expect delays caused by thick fog.The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning covering southern parts of England and Wales from 5pm until 11.59pm on Monday. Visibility will be reduced to less than 100 metres in the worst-affected areas, according to the alert. Continue reading...

Firey killed and three others taken to hospital after two vehicles roll over in extreme winds. This blog has now closed

Government list includes some of most notorious cases from the Northern Ireland TroublesSome of the dozens of victims killed by the IRA for supposedly “informing” during Northern Ireland’s Troubles were not working for the police or security services, according to official documents released in Belfast.A sample list of alleged informers shot dead by the Provisional IRA between 1978 and the 1994 ceasefire has emerged from government files released to the Northern Ireland public records office on Monday. Continue reading...

Russian leader phones US counterpart to express gratitude for informationRussia said it had thwarted terror attacks reportedly planned in St Petersburg as the result of a tip from Washington, as President Vladimir Putin personally thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump.Russian news agencies cited the Federal Security Service (FSB) as saying that as a result of the information, two Russians had been detained on 27 December on suspicion of plotting attacks during new year festivities in St Petersburg. Continue reading...

Incident occurred close to north London market on Sunday morning, says MetDetectives are searching for a driver whom they said intentionally struck and injured two police officers with a car.The Metropolitan police said the incident occurred close to Camden market in north London on Sunday morning. Continue reading...

Tonnes of snow have been brought by truck to the centre of Moscow in an attempt to boost holiday spirit in what has so far been an almost snow-free December. The snow started appearing at the capital's Zaryadye Park and central Tverskaya Street on Friday. Alexei Nemeryuk, the head of Moscow’s trade and services department, told the Govorit Moskva radio station that the snow had been brought in from the city's ice rinks and will be used to create snowboarding slopes as part of the Journey to Christmas festival. According to meteorologists, the unseasonable warmth has been brought by an atmospheric front from the Atlantic Ocean. Rain – not snow – is forecast for the New Year holiday, Russia's main festive celebration.

Glossier, the cult beauty brand, is transforming the way women use makeup. Emily Weiss, founder and ‘disruptor’, shares her vision for the cosmetics industry that’s made her start-up worth $1.2bn in five yearsHalfway down an expensive shopping street in Covent Garden, a few weeks before Christmas, two women stand outside a large glassy facade, wielding clipboards with intent. Their presence suggests the opening of an exclusive club, perhaps, or the private view for a buzzy new art exhibition. There is a small, discreet “Glossier” on each door. In two days’ time, this London pop-up for the cosmetics and skincare brand will open to customers, who will begin to form queues that snake down the street. Social media will be filled with glowing Glossier hashtags and posts demanding that the brand “take my money”, alongside artfully filtered pictures of its floral rooms, each decorated in bespoke, multicoloured, William Morris-inspired wallpaper. This is retail as theatre, and Glossier is a hot ticket.For now, only invited influencers and editors flit through its floral chambers, nibbling on macarons, sipping Champagne and snapping pics. The back room, in particular, is a hit. It has no products in it, just a recreation of the rooftop of a London house, almost life-sized, millennial pink, Rachel Whiteread by way of The Virgin Suicides. Guests pose in the Glossier-branded mirror that fills the wall opposite, the chimney stacks looming over their shoulders. Other mirrors bear the three feel-good words that sum up the ethos of the company that many say has shown the beauty industry a new way to operate. They are a gentle squeeze of the shoulder, an affirming pep talk, a stranger’s compliment on the bus: “You Look Good.” Continue reading...

Hibernation disrupted at city’s zoo and gardens bloom early as temperatures hit record highMoscow has been so warm this December that the government has resorted to sending trucks filled with artificial snow to decorate a new year display in the city centre.Videos of the delivery for a snowboarding hill went viral on social media as observers noted the irony of bringing snow to a city that spends millions each year on its removal. Continue reading...

Appeal for information after box stolen as parents prepared to scatter son’s remains

Health professionals back King’s Fund thinktank after ‘perverse’ rise in feeThe government should stop charging overseas doctors and nurses hefty fees to use the NHS in order to help tackle the service’s deepening staffing crisis, Britain’s leading health thinktank has urged.The King’s Fund warns that the charges – which are about to go up from £400 to £625 a year for foreign workers and their dependants – are a “perverse” deterrent to the very staff the government admits it needs to attract to plug holes in the NHS workforce. The rise means a health professional from abroad with a partner and two children will have to pay £2,500 a year. Continue reading...

Dozens of people were killed, including many students, when a truck bomb exploded at a busy checkpoint in Somalia's capital on Saturday. Responsibility for the attack, one of the deadliest in the city's recent history, has not been claimed. Al-Shabaab often carries out such attacks, but the al-Qaida-linked group was pushed out of Mogadishu several years ago

As the president completes his first year in power, his opponents are finding their voice and fighting backJair Bolsonaro’s presidency was still a week away when Edu Krieger penned his first critique – a ballad lamenting the rise of Brazil’s incoming leader and lampooning him over the corruption allegations that continue to haunt his family.“It’s important for us to counterattack with our art,” said the 45-year-old singer-songwriter who has since become a specialist in musical parodies of the populist provocateur. Continue reading...

Novelist Samantha Harvey had always been a good sleeper until a house move and anxiety about post referendum politics left her anxious ... she recalls her panic at being awake for 60 hours at a time - and her hunt for a cureInto bed and lie down. Head goes on pillow. Out of bed; superstitiously plucking the strewn clothes from the floor to fold them into rough bundles and put them away – one of countless little routines undertaken to forfend a sleepless night. One of countless little routines forcibly dismissed as superstition, in the superstition that superstitious acts will only shorten the odds of sleep – but unignorable in the end. Needs must. The attaining of sleep long ago left the realm of natural act and entered that of black magic. Back into bed and read, a collection of William Trevor short stories. There’s sleepiness soon, like something calling from around the corner. There’s a sharp, stinging pain at the crown of my head; the scalp is being stitched with embroidery needles. The lamp is shut off and the room is more or less dark. An odd creak issues from who knows where.The heart starts up its thrup-thrup-thrup, a tripping percussion in a chest that now fills with breath. Breathe, breathe. I close my eyes and try to keep hold of that sleepiness, whose call is still there behind the heart’s syncopation. The heart a tough lump of meat, flooded with fear. Fifty minutes pass; it’s almost one. Usually if sleep is going to come it would have come by now; and if it hasn’t come by now, the probability is no sleep at all. Continue reading...

Nostalgia for the good times has been a coping mechanism for the world’s third largest economyOn 29 December 1989, Japan’s Nikkei stock market index hit a high of 38,916, a milestone that proved to be the last hurrah of the country’s asset-inflated bubble economy – a period of ostentatious consumption and overconfidence in the infallibility of Japan, Inc.What followed was a spectacular fall from the heights of the mid- to late 1980s. The stock market plummeted, losing more than $2tn (£1.5tn) in value by December 1990. In the years that followed, the Japanese surveyed an alien landscape of “restructuring” – code for cost-cutting – deflation and stagnation. When the bubble party ended, its hosts appeared to have no idea how to clean up the mess left by absurdly high share and property prices. Continue reading...

Former Tory vice-chairman Bob Neill and Labour’s Diana Johnson also receive honours

Walkout to demand improved wages and benefits at Lufthansa subsidiary to begin SundayA German cabin crew union has called a three-day strike at Lufthansa subsidiary Germanwings, plunging passengers into turmoil over the busy end-of-year holiday as it ramps up a bitter row over pay and conditions.The UFO union said on Friday that Germanwings employees would strike from 11pm GMT on Sunday until 11pm GMT on Wednesday as talks with bosses remained deadlocked. The strike period covers New Year’s Eve and the 1 January public holiday. Continue reading...

Met officers liaise with Swedish counterparts over killing of Flamur Beqiri on 24 DecemberDetectives are investigating whether a man was murdered in front of his family on Christmas Eve in a revenge attack over Swedish crime links.Flamur Beqiri was shot outside his home in Battersea, south-west London, at about 9pm on 24 December as he returned with his wife and young child. Continue reading...

Avangard capable of carrying 2-megaton nuclear weapon at 27 times the speed of sound

This week we are returning to some of our favourite episodes from 2019. When companies run into trouble they can leave ships’ crews drifting at sea with no visas, wages or supplies. In May, Karen McVeigh and Andy Bowerman told the story of one vessel adrift off the coast of the United Arab EmiratesToday we return to one of our favourite episodes of the year. Continue reading...

Police and activists clash for third day in row with leader saying holiday ‘ruined’Hong Kong protesters and police clashed for a third day in a row over the Christmas holiday with demonstrators vowing to return on New Year’s Day.Police fired pepper spray and blue dye at protesters, chanting anti-government and anti-police slogans, marching in shopping malls. Clashes broke out in other malls with police arresting more than 300 people. Continue reading...

Police linking murders of eastern European men, whose bodies were found within 24 hoursDetectives investigating the deaths of two eastern European men have charged a second man with murder.Scotland Yard said Besnik Berisha, 42, of Friern Barnet, north London, was arrested on Monday and later charged with the murder of a 30-year-old man, whose body was discovered in the boot of a car in a remote country lane near Scratchwood Park, in Barnet, north London, on 19 December. Continue reading...

Do you know your Zara from your Viktor and Rolf? Test yourself with our stylish quizWhat did singer HER wear on the red carpet at the VMA’s in August?A live snakeA falafelA spider broochA micro bagHaving halted production in 2004, culture magazine the Face relaunched this year with four cover stars. Who were they?Tom Holland, Taylor Swift, KJ Apa, Hayley KiyokoHarry Styles, Tyler the Creator, Rosalía, Dua LipaBillie Eilish, Pete Davidson, BTS, Bad BunnyMeghan Thee Stallion, Princess Diana, Kourtney Kardashian, Sam SmithAt Milan fashion week, which look did J-Lo recreate on the runway to much fanfare?Her Versace dress from 2000Her uniform from Maid in ManhattanThe single cover of her Pitbull duet, 2014’s World Cup anthem We Are One (Ola Ola)The velour tracksuit from the I’m Real (ft Ja Rule) videoAccording to Hot 4 the Spot, the Instagram account set up in tribute to the Zara polka-dot dress of the summer, people did all of these while wearing it – apart from which one?Hang out with Sam SmithGet marriedTake part in Bake OffSkydiveKatie Holmes helped popularise which portmanteau term?Shacket (shirt jacket)Jeanos (jeans chinos)Sexigan (sexy cardigan)Thotumn (thot and autumn – what happened, possibly, after Hot Girl Summer)Who was on the cover of GQ’s New Masculinity issue?Billy PorterEzra MillerTimothée ChalametPharrell WilliamsWhich of these was not a throwback reference at this year’s fashion shows?Lindsay Lohan’s RumoursThe MatrixMr BlobbyThe flared jeanWho was GQ's worst-dressed man of the year?Jacob Rees-MoggDominic CummingsCristiano RonaldoDonald TrumpWhat did former Victoria's Secret model Kate Upton call the lingerie flogger’s show?A boozefestA snoozefestA boobfestA bluesfestWhich of these was not a slogan from the Viktor and Rolf spring/summer couture collection?I’m not shy, I just don’t like youSorry I’m late, I didn’t want to comeF* this I’m going to ParisYou’re the Regina GeorgeSocial media video site TikTok popularised a number of new demographic subgroups, but which one isn’t real?VSCO girlsE-girlSoft girlFlip-phone girlWhich hairstyle made a surprise comeback this year?The mulletThe micro man bunThe rat’s tailThe perm9 and above.Hot or not? Hot! You know your Zara from your Tommy X Zendaya.12 and above.YOU are the new black. Well done, babes.0 and above.Le désastre. Je suis désolé mais tu ne sais rien au sujet des vêtements.5 and above.You can’t sit with us. You know what happened to Victoria’s Secret, but then a friend said ‘sexigan’ and you stopped responding to their WhatsApps. Continue reading...

Campaigners say police and courts failing to hold hunts accountableFoxhunting is continuing with impunity across the UK, with police and courts failing to hold those organising and taking part in them accountable, a former senior police officer has said, as the hunting season gears up towards its Boxing Day ceremonial climax.In November, anti-hunting campaigners collected 126 witness reports of foxhunting with hounds, including six confirmed and two suspected killings of foxes. Martin Sims, a former head of the national wildlife crime unit, who is now director of investigations at the League Against Cruel Sports, said that figure was just “the tip of the iceberg”. Continue reading...

I had a steak – with chips, no sprouts – and a nice bottle of rioja. I went for a walk. There were no arguments about what to watch on TV. Best Christmas everI haven’t always hated Christmas; I think I enjoyed it as a kid. Not so much since. It is a little about the food (if turkey and sprouts are such good news, why don’t we eat them on any other day, eh?). It has a little more to do with rampant consumerism. Gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, wrath … funny how a festival that is supposed to be about the birth of Christ has come to encompass so many Christian sins. But this isn’t about him; it’s about me, my own family and my own insecurities.I think things turned sour in my 30s, when my siblings selfishly started having families of their own. Suddenly there were new people and generations involved; it became more complicated logistically, as what had been a simple family gathering exploded. This lot went here, that lot there … oh, God, what about Sam? Where’s he going to go? Whose turn is it? I wasn’t involved in these conversations, but I’m sure they happened. They did in my mind, anyway. I had become the grumpy grandad no one wanted, before even being a dad. Continue reading...

Willis penned hits for Earth, Wind & Fire, and wrote score for musical The Color PurpleAllee Willis, the US songwriter behind the Friends theme tune as well as hits such as September by Earth, Wind & Fire, has died aged 72.She had suffered a sudden heart attack and Willis’s partner, Prudence Fenton was described as being “in total shock” over the news. Continue reading...

Test your mettle against our writers’ questions on film, music, politics, theatre and more• Try your hand at the Observer’s literary picture quiz

Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s e-card to friends and colleagues stars baby ArchieThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex have opted to break with tradition and chosen a more eco-friendly way of sending festive wishes, releasing an e-card with their son Archie at centre stage.The card reads: “Merry Christmas and a happy new year”, and at the bottom ends: “From our family to yours”. Continue reading...

Early frost and fog to give way to sunshine in most places, say forecasters, with rain and wind to follow on Boxing Day

Police clashed violently with pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong after they stormed Harbour City mall in Tsim Sha Tsui on Christmas Eve.Batons and pepper spray were used against thousands of demonstrators inside the shopping centre and on the streets as people inside the malls threw umbrellas and other objects at police.

Young couple and their boy, and nine-year-old girl and her grandmother, among deadA landslide in Brazil’s northeastern city of Recife on Tuesday caused two houses to collapse, killing seven people, according to local firefighters.A young couple and their two-month-old boy, as well as a nine-year-old girl and her grandmother, were among the dead, according to Brazilian media outlet G1. Continue reading...

In video announcing the news, 25-year-old is seen walking across a desert-like landscapeJustin Bieber has announced his first new album in five years – and teased a new song called Yummy.The 25-year-old pop star unveiled the news to his 123 million Instagram followers on Christmas Eve. He shared the hashtag #Bieber2020, which could indicate the name of the album, his fifth, although the star did not confirm this. Continue reading...

Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, says damaging rhetoric has harmed society as a wholeThe Church of England’s first black female bishop has said the debate around Brexit damaged society and contributed to the death of the MP Jo Cox.Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the former chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, said the arguments around Brexit had had a harmful effect both on parliamentarians and on society as a whole. Continue reading...