World news | The Guardian

UN agency says fall in vaccination rates has paved way for ‘huge outbreak’ in Pacific island nationA measles epidemic in Samoa has killed 39 people, with the World Health Organization (WHO) blaming an anti-vaccine messaging campaign for leaving the Pacific island nation vulnerable to the spread of the virus.The UN health agency warned that a steep decline in vaccination rates in Samoa had paved the way for a “huge outbreak”, with almost 3,000 in a country of just 200,000 people. Continue reading...

Thousands of people, including survivors of torture and trafficking, likely to be entitled to compensationThe Home Office “falsely imprisoned” many asylum seekers who are now entitled to damages for their loss of liberty at the hands of the government, five supreme court judges have ruled.Thousands of asylum seekers are likely to be affected, many survivors of torture, trafficking and other forms of persecution. Their compensation could run into millions of pounds. Continue reading...

27 November 1961: The museum curator attempts to salvage parts of the city’s old shops and houses before bulldozers get to themThe curator of York Castle museum, Mr R. Patterson, has yet to be beaten in his races against bulldozers when the slums of York are being demolished. Sometimes, perhaps, the bulldozer is there at about the same time – but not before he has snatched the frontage of a shop or other material to be used in the reconstruction at the museum of a Victorian-Edwardian street.Related: From the archive: York citizens' theatre saved by public effort Continue reading...

Marc Veyrat sues institution for inspector’s notes on why his restaurant lost its third starIt began with the alleged snubbing of a cheese soufflé and turned into one of the most vicious battles in French restaurant criticism.The row between the celebrity French chef Marc Veyrat and the Michelin guide will go before a French court on Wednesday as the chef tries to force inspectors to hand over their confidential judging notes to explain why his restaurant in the French Alps was stripped of its coveted third star. Continue reading...

The 19-year-old allegedly lit fires on the south coast, left the area and then returned to fight themA teen volunteer with the Rural Fire Service in New South Wales has been charged after allegedly lighting seven fires in the Bega Valley area.The volunteer firefighter, 19, allegedly lit a fire on Tuesday afternoon next to the Bega river, left the area and returned to fight the fire for the RFS. Continue reading...

Winnie Byanyima says known cases of sexual harassment were ‘tip of the iceberg’ as she pledges to restore trust in organisationThe new head of scandal-hit UNAids has vowed to transform the agency’s culture to safeguard staff not only from sexual harassment – which she called “the tip of the iceberg” – but any abuse of power by those at the top.Winnie Byanyima said she would draw on lessons learned following allegations of sexual misconduct at Oxfam, of which she was international executive director until earlier this year, to address problems at the UN agency. Continue reading...

Guide will not rate Tokyo’s Sukiyabashi Jiro as it is no longer open to the general publicThe world’s best sushi restaurant has been stripped of its three Michelin stars.But the decision, announced in Tokyo on Tuesday, has nothing to do with the quality of its tuna belly or the consistency of its vinegared rice. It’s because it is no longer open to the general public. Continue reading...

Gifs depicting the much-loved character from the Mandalorian vanished, but were later reinstatedMeme and image-hosting site Giphy has apologised to Disney after pulling – and then reinstating – all gifs of The Mandalorian character nicknamed Baby Yoda from the internet this week.The character from the new Disney+ flagship streaming series and Star Wars spin-off has been evoking the increasingly fervent love of the internet since the show’s US premiere on 12 November. Continue reading...

Thirty-six-year-old arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic peopleA 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people in a lorry trailer found in Grays, Essex.The man, from Purfleet in the same county, was arrested on Monday morning at a property in Dalston, east London, Essex police said. He was also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. He remains in custody for questioning. Continue reading...

Showcase reverses decision after it and Vue faced claims of overreaction to clashTwo leading cinema chains have faced a backlash over their decision to withdraw a film about warring gangs after a mass brawl involving teenagers armed with machetes in Birmingham.West Midlands police is investigating what sparked the fight involving up to 100 young people but said it was “not jumping to any conclusions” or formally connecting it to the film, Blue Story. Continue reading...

The broadcaster cut out laughter during leaders’ debate on Question Time in later news bulletin clipThe BBC has claimed it made a “mistake” in editing a clip where it cut out an audience laughing at Boris Johnson, insisting the decision was made due to time constraints rather than political bias.In the Question Time leaders’ debate special, broadcast on BBC One on Friday night, an audience member asked the prime minister: “How important is it for someone in your position of power to always tell the truth?” Continue reading...

A day after Johnson launched the Tory manifesto, the Lib Dems have questioned whether he can be trusted. Keep up with the latest

Met police launched hate crime investigation after symbol found in Edmonton baseA suspected far-right sympathiser is feared at large in the Metropolitan police, having got away with scrawling a swastika in a secure area of a police station, the Guardian has learned.The hate crime was not made public by Britain’s largest force at the time and the culprit has not been caught. Continue reading...

Aged-care package ‘falls well short’ of what is required, Labor says; Morrison responds to Chinese spy plot allegations; and Jacqui Lambie ‘not supporting a repeal’ of medevac, Rex Patrick says. All the day’s events, live6.00am GMTI am shocked, SHOCKED* at this newsMy Health Record failed to manage cybersecurity and privacy risks, audit finds https://t.co/TBcFWMrJVM5.56am GMTThe latest family law inquiry is underway - but a Greens motion has just passed the Senate calling on it to be halted until the government can guarantee women who give evidence will have protections.That is because Pauline Hanson, the deputy chair, has already made her views known - asserting many women were “liars” in the court, in order to get custody. Continue reading...

Monday: Leaked Communist party documents reveal vast prison network detaining a million of China’s Muslim minorities. Plus: Full Story on Angus TaylorGood morning, this is Richard Parkin bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 25 November. Continue reading...

Documents confirm largest mass incarceration of an ethnic-religious minority since second world war

Excerpts from a 2017 ‘telegram’ from Zhu Hailun, the top security official for Xinjiang

Johnson says Tories will introduce 20,000 more police officers alongside tougher sentencing. Keep up with all the latest news

More voters than ever before think they may change their minds before polling dayWe are halfway through the election campaign and the Conservatives lead Labour by roughly 10-12 points. The lessons learned from the 2017 fiasco have been applied, and a more disciplined and focused campaign has produced a lead at half-time which is … exactly the same as the lead Theresa May held at the same point last time. Yet half-time in this race feels very different to the 2017 midpoint. What has changed?Trajectories matter. In 2017, May’s was already firmly downward – a lead that peaked at over 20 points soon after the election was called had already been cut in half by this point. A botched manifesto launch, arguments over the “dementia tax” social care proposals and May’s poor performances on the campaign trail had combined to produce a sense of crisis. Conservative polling this time has followed a gentle upward trajectory, like a well-executed jumbo jet takeoff. The campaign has featured the usual smattering of gaffes, wobbles and awkward encounters with angry voters, but nothing serious enough to blow things off course (yet). Continue reading...

Priti Patel’s resistance to bringing back the British orphans is not only wrong but it could create a security threat in the futureWhat is Priti Patel so afraid of? Is it British children orphaned during the conflict with Islamic State who want to return home? Or is she scared that fellow rightwing Tories may accuse her of being “soft” on terrorism? The home secretary says the stranded children, about 60 in total, pose “security concerns”. As the Observer reported last week, Patel and her predecessor, Sajid Javid, helped block a rescue plan that could have ended their ordeal.Thanks to the intervention of a Birmingham judge and a welcome show of compassion by the Foreign Office, the barrier to returnees erected by Patel was partially breached last week. A handful of orphans, apparently all from the same family, were allowed back into the country anonymously after a British diplomat travelled to meet the Kurdish officials holding them. Their parents, who took them to Syria in 2015 and later died, reportedly had links to Isis. Continue reading...

Relatives and councils offer sanctuary to get children home before winter closes inHomes for all the 60 British children still stranded in north-east Syria have been found in the UK as councils and relatives of the minors step forward to offer sanctuary, sources have revealed.So far, three British orphans have arrived home and are understood to have been made temporary wards of court, but will not be placed into care after UK relatives contacted the Foreign Office and said that they wanted to house them. Continue reading...

The three men are former members of a Hutu rebel group that is an offshoot of groups largely responsible for 1994 genocideThe Australian government has reportedly accepted a third Rwandan man who had been charged with murder as part of a refugee swap deal with the United States.In May it was revealed Australia had accepted two men as refugees for resettlement in November 2018, Leonidas Bimenyimana and Gregoire Nyaminani, and they were living in Australia. Continue reading...

Labour leader would negotiate new deal with EU, which would be put to a public vote alongside remain

Duke intends to keep working on mentoring scheme despite saying he would step back from public lifePrince Andrew is preparing to leave his private office in Buckingham palace as he seeks a way to maintain control of an entrepreneurial scheme he set up, despite having agreed to step back from public life.The palace confirmed on Friday that the Duke of York intended to continue working on the Pitch@Palace scheme, even as Barclays became the latest among a growing number of organisations to sever ties with him over his links to the convicted child sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Continue reading...

Hearing told inquiry may be delayed beyond April due to ‘diabolical’ failure to provide key evidence

Medics warn of humanitarian crisis as protesters trapped inside campus for sixth dayHong Kong’s university siege stretched into a sixth day on Friday, as medics warned of a humanitarian crisis and the city prepared for weekend elections that will be a key barometer of public support for protesters.The new police chief, who was sworn in on Tuesday after the Polytechnic University had already been sealed off, is apparently trying to avoid more violent confrontation. Continue reading...

Violent clashes broke out in Bogotá's storied Bolívar Square on Thursday with police using thick clouds of teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters amassed there. People fleeing the scene were visibly affected by clouds of noxious gas. Earlier in the day, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the country to demand the government maintain the minimum wage for young people and the universal right to a pension, even though the authorities have repeatedly denied they are considering those changes

Sana Muhammad died after 2018 attack by Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo but unborn son survivedA 51-year-old man has been found guilty of shooting his heavily pregnant ex-wife dead with a crossbow.Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo killed 35-year-old Sana Muhammad at her home on the morning of 12 November 2018. Continue reading...

Shane Rattenbury points to commonwealth’s ‘growing disregard for open justice’The Australian Capital Territory’s justice minister, Shane Rattenbury, has slammed the federal government for the “disturbing” and “extraordinary” secrecy it imposed on the prosecution and imprisonment of a mystery inmate facing unknown charges.Rattenbury said the secrecy was such that even he, as justice minister, had no knowledge of the case until recently. Continue reading...

Almost 90% do not meet recommended target of an hour of moderate exercise a day, a study has foundAustralian youth are among the most inactive in the world, the first global ranking of the physical activity of 11-17 year olds has found, with neighbouring New Zealand faring only slightly better.Researchers from the University of Western Australia and the Imperial College in London analysed data from 298 school surveys on physical activity levels from 146 countries, representing 1.6 million students. Australia was one of the worst performers, ranking in at 140. New Zealand came in at 138 in the ranking, which was published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal on Friday. Continue reading...

Sedentary lifestyles focused on screens are jeopardising health, says World Health OrganizationMore than 80% of adolescents worldwide are not active enough, putting their health at risk by sitting focused on a screen rather than running about, say World Health Organization (WHO) researchers.The proportion of insufficiently active girls in 27 countries rose to more than 90% in 2016, the latest year for which figures are available. There was a significant gender gap, with girls lagging behind boys in physical activity, in all but four countries – Afghanistan, Samoa, Tonga and Zambia. Continue reading...

Last British governor of region urges Foreign Office to object to Chinese remarksChris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, has warned that China’s threat to overrule the Hong Kong judiciary represents a dramatic threat to the autonomy of the region and may damage its chances of remaining a thriving financial centre.Patten called on the British government to speak out as soon as possible to express its concern at the Chinese remarks, which followed the overturning by Hong Kong courts of a ban on protesters wearing face masks, a move that infuriated Beijing. Continue reading...

When member of the public questioned value of the monarchy on ITV leaders’ debate, Buckingham Palace had to actAfter years successfully shrugging off questions about his judgement, his business relationships and, more seriously, his association with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew was finally undone not by a newspaper headline or a law enforcement agency, but by a woman called Sue from Leeds.It was Sue – surname as yet unknown – who submitted a question to ITV’s leaders’ debate on Monday, asking: “Is the monarchy fit for purpose?” Julie Etchingham, chairing the debate between Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson, put the question to the two party leaders, asking for their answers “in as few words as possible, perhaps even a yes or no”. Continue reading...

Special repatriation prompts calls for ministers to allow all British children to return

Party had suspected extremists of altering the word ‘fascism’, but now blames ‘human error’Germany’s Social Democratic party has backed down after becoming locked in a blame game with a florist and a printer over who was responsible for misspelling “fascism” on a war memorial wreath so that it resembled the word “fuckup”.The error was only spotted once the wreath had been laid on Memorial Sunday, 17 November, when Germany traditionally commemorates the victims of war and fascism. Continue reading...

A former White House official has criticised politicians for advancing discredited conspiracy theories about Ukraine during impeachment hearings.'I refuse to be part of an effort to legitimise an alternate narrative that the Ukrainian government is a US adversary, and that Ukraine – not Russia – attacked us in 2016,' said Fiona Hill in her opening statement.Republicans have used the hearings to push the idea that Donald Trump was rightly suspicious of Ukraine because of allegations it attempted to meddle in the 2016 election – a widely debunked claim pushed by some of Trump's closest advisers including his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Unions flag overcrowding concerns on tube after man falls off platformTransport for London (TfL) has ruled out installing barriers on the edges of underground platforms after calls for action following a serious accident at Oxford Circus.A man suffered serious leg injuries and is in a critical condition in hospital after falling into the path of a Victoria line train from the edge of a crowded platform during Wednesday evening rush hour. Continue reading...

Hunt with hounds was under way when Elisa Pilarski took her own dog for walk in forestFrench police investigating the death of a pregnant woman mauled to death by dogs while walking in the woods have carried out DNA tests on 67 dogs to try identify those that attacked her.Elisa Pilarski, 29, was found dead on Saturday in Retz forest, about 55 miles north-east of Paris, after taking one of her own dogs for a walk. A hunt with hounds was under way in the forest at the time. Continue reading...

Kazakhstan’s A Dark-Dark Man, Hindi-language drama Bhonsle and the Philippines’s Verdict among other winnersSouth Korean black comedy Parasite has continued its juggernaut trajectory by winning best feature film at the Asia Pacific Screen awards on Thursday.The Bong Joon-ho directed film has won accolades on the Korean film circuit and film festivals around the world, including the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and has its sights set on the Oscars. Continue reading...

Russian who filmed prisoner being tortured to death worked for firm with links to KremlinA Russian-speaking man who filmed the torture and killing of a prisoner in Syria has been identified as a member of Wagner, a Russian private military company with ties to the Kremlin that has aggressively expanded into the Middle East and Africa in recent years.The video, which appears to have been taken in 2017, showed several men in military-style clothing beating a prisoner with a sledgehammer, then beheading him, amputating his arms with a sapper’s trowel and setting his body on fire using gasoline or another accelerant. Continue reading...

Leaked document says fishing surge in international waters poses long-term risksIceland has been accused of threatening the long-term sustainability of vital mackerel stocks after unilaterally increasing its catches in the international waters of the north-east Atlantic.In a damning leaked document agreed at a meeting in London in October, the EU, Norway and the Faroe Islands lambasted Reykjavik’s decision to significantly raise its quota without consultation. Russia and Greenland were also criticised. Continue reading...

Murdoch was responding to a question at AGM about time given to ‘climate deniers’ by News Corp outlets in AustraliaNews Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch has said “there are no climate change deniers around I can assure you” after he was asked at the corporation’s AGM why his company gives them “so much airtime” in Australia.Murdoch was speaking in New York on Wednesday when he received a question from a proxy for Australian activist shareholder Stephen Mayne. Continue reading...

Agency alleges Westpac failed to monitor 12 customers who made transactions consistent with child exploitation typologiesWestpac’s failure to obey anti-money laundering and counter-terror finance laws allowed a customer to make payments to a person in the Philippines who was later arrested for child sex trafficking and livestreaming child sex shows, the financial intelligence agency alleges.The allegation is just one of more than 23 million breaches of the law – involving more than $11bn in transactions – the bank is accused of in a federal court lawsuit filed by Austrac on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Exeter murder trial hears that Alexander Lewis-Ranwell had a history of mental illnessA man with a history of mental illness killed an 80-year-old with a hammer then, hours later, 84-year-old twins with a spade in the deluded belief they were members of a paedophile ring, a jury has heard.Alexander Lewis-Ranwell, 28, from Croyde, north Devon, who had paranoid schizophrenia, denies murdering twins Dick and Roger Carter and Anthony Payne at their homes in Exeter. Continue reading...

Benny Gantz must strike deal by midnight, but suggests no progress made in negotiationsThe Israeli opposition leader, Benny Gantz, has until midnight to form a government that could end Benjamin Netanyahu’s historic tenure or risk pushing the country further towards an unprecedented third round of elections.Paralysed for months by inconclusive ballot results, the political stalemate has played out during a fraught time for Israel as an increasingly open conflict heats up with Iran, its arch-enemy and a regional powerhouse. Continue reading...

Mohamed Ali, whose videos revealed corruption, is to coordinate efforts to force out President SisiMohamed Ali, the whistleblower who sparked rare street protests in Egypt two months ago with his revelations about corruption in his country, has launched a plan to coordinate a new opposition movement dedicated to saving the Egyptian economy and democracy.Ali announced in London on Wednesday that he was acting to bring together liberals, the Muslim Brotherhood and the April 6 movement in a move that he hopes will end with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi forced to stand down. Continue reading...

Charity takes action after holes are discovered in two batches of Life Guard condomsThe charity Marie Stopes International is recalling more than a million condoms in Uganda, after officials raised concerns that they were prone to breaking.The charity began the recall of packets of Life Guard condoms after the National Drug Authority found they contained holes and did not meet quality standards. More than half of the affected products have since been recovered. Continue reading...

Pope Francis arrives in Bangkok to boost morale of Catholic minority and speak about human trafficking Continue reading...

Australia’s attorney general says reform is necessary to create level playing field between social media platforms and traditional mediaAttorney general Christian Porter has called for digital platforms, including social media giants, to be treated like other publishers to create a fair media playing field.Although the comments on Wednesday were made in the context of defamation law reform, the sweeping statement has broad implications for social media companies’ future legal liability and the Coalition’s response to the digital platforms review. Continue reading...

The actor who played Queen Daenerys says she’s been pressured to shoot naked since the show, but is ‘a lot more savvy’ nowEmilia Clarke has revealed she felt uncomfortable acting in some of her nude scenes in Game Of Thrones.The British actress played queen Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s sprawling epic, which became notorious for its explicit portrayal of sex and violence. Continue reading...