World news | The Guardian

Judge Robert Miles says former chief Michael Thomson and four others knowingly participated in fraudInvestment firm London Capital & Finance (LCF), whose failure in 2019 triggered one of Britain's biggest retail investment scandals, operated as a Ponzi scheme, a London judge ruled on Thursday.The high court said former chief executive Michael Thomson and four others had knowingly participated in the fraud, misled investors and misappropriated assets in a ruling welcomed by LCF's joint administrators, which brought the case. Continue reading...

Colleagues speak up in Paulina Brandberg's support after leaked emails reveal efforts to spare her from the fruitA Swedish government minister's fear of bananas has become a national talking point after emails revealed that such is the strength of her aversion that aides try to clear rooms of the fruit before she enters.Paulina Brandberg, the minister for gender equality and work life, has previously spoken out about her issue with bananas, describing it as the world's weirdest phobia". Continue reading...

Condition of roads near singer's Harlow home makes it difficult to drive the prestige vehiclesRod Stewart has said he is considering selling his five sports cars because there are so many potholes on the roads near his home.The singer's love of sports cars has endured for more than half a century - and he now owns five. But now Stewart says he may sell them because the potholes have worsened near his home in Harlow, Essex. Continue reading...

Chris Hemming, 46, charged with murdering Cheryl McKenna, 44, discovered by police on MondayA man has been charged with murder after a woman was found fatally stabbed at a house in Redditch, Worcestershire.Cheryl McKenna, 44, was discovered by police officers at a property in Other Road, near Redditch town centre, at about 9.30am on Monday. Continue reading...

Temperatures in Guangzhou fail to drop below level that meteorological service uses to mark change in seasonOne of China's biggest cities is still officially in summer, despite it being mid-November, as temperatures have failed to drop below the threshold considered necessary to mark the change in season.This week, Guangzhou, a hot and humid city of nearly 19 million people in southern China's Guangdong province, broke a three-decade heat record, according to the local meteorological service. As of Wednesday the city had experienced 235 summer days, beating 1994's 234-day season. Continue reading...

Company close to technical default on some of its debt, underlining UK industry's precarious state

Country closes 137-year legal loophole, becoming one of 12 in Latin America and the Caribbean to entirely ban marriage for minorsColombian lawmakers have approved a bill to eradicate child marriage in the South American country after 17 years of campaigning by advocacy groups and eight failed attempts to push legislation through the house and senate.After five hours of heated, drawn-out debate on Wednesday evening, lawmakers approved the proposed legislation, dubbed They are Girls, Not Wives, which prohibits the marriage of anyone under the age of 18. Continue reading...

Washington Post art critic says Edouard Manet launched into painful' incident with fellow painter Berthe MorisotAlmost 140 years before a term was belatedly coined for the practice of men patronisingly setting women right on how certain things ought to be seen or done, it seems that a certain French painter had already become adept at the art of what must inevitably be called Manetsplaining.Details of this late 19th-century case of mansplaining are laid out in a new book by the Pulitzer prize-winning Washington Post art critic Sebastian Smee, which explores how impressionism emerged as a response to the siege of Paris and the attendant civil and political tumult of the time. Continue reading...

Family violence unit officers missed opportunities to protect Noeline Dalzell before James Fairhall murdered her, Victoria's coroner says

Profits beat forecasts, but a 17% fall in share price since executives were detained by Beijing may be hard to shakeIn the world of two weeks ago, AstraZeneca's share price would have probably enjoyed a strong day on the release of Tuesday's third-quarter numbers. The profit figure beat forecasts and the UK pharmaceutical company raised its guidance for growth in full-year revenues and earnings from mid-teens" to high teens".Meanwhile, Pascal Soriot, the chief executive, unveiled a $3.5bn (2.7bn) investment programme in the US and talked bullishly about prospects in AstraZeneca's biggest market. It all sounded like another confident step in the march to take global revenues from $46bn in 2023 to $80bn by 2030. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Previously unpublished official data shows Raac found at 235 DfE sitesHundreds of schools in England are still at risk of collapse from crumbling concrete, according to previously unpublished figures.Official data, which the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found had been wrongly withheld by the Conservative government, confirmed the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) at 235 Department for Education (DfE) sites. Continue reading...

Victim of serial abuser John Smyth joins calls for archbishop of Canterbury to quit as 10,000 people sign petitionThe archbishop of Canterbury has been urged to stand in solidarity with abuse victims by resigning after a report into a cover-up in the Church of England.A petition started by three members of the General Synod - the church's parliament - calling for Justin Welby to quit has reached more than 10,000 signatures.In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...

Directions hearing into fatal stabbing of six people at Sydney shopping centre in April to examine Joel Cauchi's history with police and delayed Westfield alarm

Australian navy discovered USS Edsall late last year near Christmas Island, 80 years after its 1942 sinking by JapanThe wreck of the long-lost US warship USS Edsall, sent to the bottom of the sea during the second world war by the Japanese, has been discovered, US and Australian officials announced on Monday.The warship was sunk on 1 March 1942, three months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The Edsall was traveling across the Indian Ocean south of Java when it was sunk by Japanese dive bombers. Continue reading...

Entrepreneur Alix Didier Fils-Aime replaces Garry Conille as country wracked by worsening gang violenceHaiti's transitional presidential council has appointed the entrepreneur and former senate candidate Alix Didier Fils-Aime as the country's new prime minister, according to the official gazette there.The businessman replaces Garry Conille, who was named prime minister in May. The shake-up is the latest blow to political stability in the country, which has endured soaring levels of gang violence. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Environmental group says it is concerned' to hear progress on cleaning up air pollution from diesel-burning may have hit a wall

Agency apologises after an ad said a house in Farley in NSW was close to two excellent' schools even though there are none in the town

Singer describes recent meeting where Simon said he was offended by an old interview, and pair reconciledArt Garfunkel has described a recent tearful reunion with Paul Simon, in which the pair moved past old enmities.Speaking to the Times, Garfunkel said:I actually had lunch with Paul a couple of weeks back. First time we'd been together in many years. I looked at Paul and said, What happened? Why haven't we seen each other?" Paul mentioned an old interview where I said some stuff. I cried when he told me how much I had hurt him. Looking back, I guess I wanted to shake up the nice guy image of Simon & Garfunkel. Y'know what? I was a fool!We've made plans to meet again. Will Paul bring his guitar? Who knows. For me, it was about wanting to make amends before it's too late. It felt like we were back in a wonderful place. As I think about it now, tears are rolling down my cheeks. I can still feel his hug. Continue reading...

In documents filed to an LA court, Charlotte MacInnes alleges that she told Wilson no misconduct happened, calling it absurd'A young Australian actor at the centre of a multimillion-dollar defamation case in the US alleges in documents filed to the Los Angeles superior court that Rebel Wilson made up lies about her and bullied and harassed her on the set of The Deb.Charlotte MacInnes, who stars in the comedy which premiered at the Toronto international film festival in September, alleged in the documents that Wilson repeated claims that one of the film's three producers, Amanda Ghost, sexually harassed and abused MacInnes, even after she told Wilson no such behaviour had occurred. Continue reading...

Figures for England show one in eight of all unplanned hospital admissions in 2023-24 were for respiratory system diseasesSerious breathing problems lead to more emergency admissions to hospital in England than any other medical condition, NHS data reveals.More people with asthma, bronchitis or emphysema have to go into hospital for treatment because they are struggling to breathe than those with heart disease, joint problems or cancer. Continue reading...

Changes such as new party in government and gap between presidencies may make unusual second invitation more likelyDonald Trump could be offered a second state visit to the UK, it has emerged, because of the change of both the government and the monarch since he was last invited.However, government sources have denied claims from Nigel Farage that an invitation has already been extended by the House of Commons speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, for the US president-elect to address both Houses of Parliament. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Animal advocates condemn culling method used in response to bird flu outbreak

Four suspects still held on suspicion of violent acts and 50 people fined after attacks on football fansAmsterdam police expect to make more arrests after what authorities called hateful antisemitic violence" against Israeli football fans, prosecutors said on Saturday.Four suspects remained detained on Saturday on suspicion of violent acts, including two minors, and 40 people had been fined for public disturbance and 10 for offences including vandalism, prosecutors said. Continue reading...

Wars in Gaza and Lebanon set to intensify after Israeli PM's position is reinforced by Trump's victory and ousting of defence ministerBenjamin Netanyahu is set to stay in power in Israel until elections due in 2026 and possibly longer, analysts and officials now believe, after a tumultuous week in which the 75-year-old veteran politician successfully fired his defence minister and was boosted by the results of the US election.Netanyahu's newly reinforced position could lead to further intensification of Israel's campaign in Lebanon, and prolong the conflict in Gaza, critics fear - although the incoming US president Donald Trump has said he wants to swiftly end both wars. Continue reading...

Colourful contest celebrates pop icon and brings cheer after events for Timothee Chalamet and Paul Mescal go viralIt looked a lot like the other lookalike contests that have captured the imagination in the last few days, but the London event was not quite the same as it was in New York and Dublin.For a start, Harry Styles did not gatecrash his own lookalike contest in Soho Square in the West End, as Timothee Chalamet had two weeks earlier in New York. Continue reading...

Call for industry reform as latest results support belief that products are being bulked out with cheaper sugar syrupThe honey industry faces new demands to overhaul its supply chain after more than 90% of sampled products bought from large British retailers failed pioneering authenticity tests.The UK branch of the Honey Authenticity Network sent 30 samples last month from Britain for a novel commercial test based on the DNA profiles of genuine honey. Five were from UK beekeepers and 25 from big retailers, including supermarkets. Continue reading...

Two buses crash on Rochdale Road with people taken to hospitals across region although none seriously hurtA crash between two doubledecker buses in Manchester has left 17 people needing hospital treatment.The buses collided on Rochdale Road at 8.34am on Saturday. Continue reading...

Lord West says Republican victory is chance to show Britain is willing to prioritise military by allocating 3% of GDPKeir Starmer is being urged to consider an emergency cash injection into defence and to accelerate Britain's planned review of its military capabilities before Donald Trump's return to the White House.Senior defence figures are now assessing how Trump's victory will shape a strategic defence review (SDR) that was already under way in Whitehall, whose findings are due to be reported in the spring. The SDR comes alongside a crucial review of public spending. Continue reading...

Former Tory defence minister says leadership of Sunak era is lacking and bureaucracy is holding up equipmentMomentum on Ukraine has dropped back" since Labour took office, according to the ex-Tory defence minister and former army officer Sir Ben Wallace.Responding to recent comments by Kyiv officials that Ukraine's relationship with the UK has got worse" since Keir Starmer was elected prime minister, Wallace said that was because the leadership that Britain showed right from the start has started to drop back into the pack". Continue reading...

Gangs use online promotion to follow movements of footballers, striking while they are away from homeThe best year of my life in football now doesn't feel like something I can celebrate," said Manchester City's Jack Grealish after burglars raided his Cheshire house while his family was home.The invasion of the England football player's home was one in a recent string of burglaries targeting the homes of high-profile sports stars when they are on the field or overseas. Continue reading...

The 15-year-old's body was found in bushland in Wilton early Saturday morning

Charity relaunches advice page recommending volunteering and getting involved in local civic causes during traumatic world eventsAfter Donald Trump's US presidential election victory this week, a briefing handily re-appeared in the most popular topics" section of the Mental Health Foundation website: Tips to look after your mental health during traumatic world events."The briefing has been well-read before, at times of war, conflict, violence and social tension - and people were turning to it for advice once again as Trump's win ushered in a phase of deep despondency and political uncertainty for many people. Continue reading...

Lib Dem leader says government should work with Trump but be prepared for him to act on security and trade threatsEd Davey has urged Keir Starmer to Trump-proof" the UK by urgently seeking closer European cooperation over military aid for Ukraine and economic ties, after the US president-elect's threats about security and trade wars.The Liberal Democrat leader, whose party is the third biggest in the House of Commons, argued that while the UK government should seek to work with a Donald Trump administration, it should also be as prepared as possible if he were to abandon Ukraine or impose sweeping tariffs. Continue reading...

Prolific actor with more than 200 film and TV credits, including Final Destination, The Rock, The Crow and Platoon, died at home after a long illnessTony Todd, the actor who played the titular killer in classic horror film Candyman, as well as appearing in Final Destination, The Rock and Platoon, has died aged 69.Todd died on Wednesday at home in Los Angeles after a long illness, his wife, Fatima, confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter on Friday. Continue reading...

Three injured as victim named as Antonio Vinicius Lopes Gritzbach, who had been threatened by top crime syndicateA Brazilian businessman has been killed and three people injured in an apparent gangland assassination at Sao Paulo's international airport in Guarulhos.The victims were caught in a hail of bullets when a gunman with a rifle opened fire from inside a black car parked outside the airport's terminal 2, which is mainly used for domestic flights. Continue reading...

Retired officer says he feared he was about to die when he shot innocent man he mistook for terrorist in 2005The Metropolitan police officer who shot dead an innocent man in 2005 after mistaking him for a terrorist says he was justified to open fire as he feared he would die.Jean Charles de Menezes was held down and shot repeatedly in the head by firearms officers on an underground train at Stockwell station on 22 July 2005. Continue reading...

The actors will join Matt Damon and Tom Holland in the Oppenheimer director's mysterious next movieAnne Hathaway and Zendaya are set to star in Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated next movie.According to Deadline, the two actors will join the previously announced cast of Matt Damon and Tom Holland. Details of the project have been kept under wraps but sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that it will not be set in the present day. Continue reading...

House of Commons and the speaker decline to comment on claim made by Reform UK leader at rally in WalesDonald Trump has been invited to address the UK parliament next year, Nigel Farage has claimed, saying Britain must roll out the red carpet" for the US president-elect.The Reform UK leader said Lindsay Hoyle was an improvement on the previous Commons speaker, John Bercow, because he had already invited Trump to parliament next year. Farage told his Reform party's Welsh rally: I do think having Sir Lindsay Hoyle there as the speaker compared to that ghastly little pipsqueak Bercow that went before is an improvement. Continue reading...

UK has had average of just three hours of sun over past week, but skies should start to clear from SundayAn anticyclonic gloom" has been blamed for cloudy weather across parts of England, with one village receiving absolutely no sunshine since October.Odiham, in Hampshire, has reportedly recorded zero minutes of sunshine since October, but forecasters are predicting that the fog, drizzle and low cloud should start clearing from Sunday. Continue reading...

Robert Smith says getting first chart-topper since 1992's Wish is enormously uplifting' and genuinely heartwarming'The Cure have scored their first UK No 1 album in 32 years, with Songs of a Lost World.The band's frontman Robert Smith said: It is enormously uplifting, genuinely heartwarming to experience such a wonderful reaction to the release of the new Cure album. To everyone who has bought it, listened to it, loved it, believed in us over the years - thank you!" Continue reading...

Jonathan Powell led talks on Chagos Islands in September and played key role in Good Friday agreementJonathan Powell, the former chief of staff to Tony Blair, has been appointed as Keir Starmer's national security adviser in a further sign that leading figures from the New Labour era are returning to the government.The veteran former diplomat, who played a significant role in the Northern Ireland peace deal struck in 1998 and served Blair for a decade, will be responsible for advising on the UK's approach to the war in Ukraine and the international implications of Donald Trump's presidency. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Official in Zelenskyy administration expresses frustration with Starmer over lack of missilesUkraine's relationship with the UK has got worse" since the Labour government took power in July, officials in Kyiv have told the Guardian, voicing frustration over Britain's failure to supply additional long-range missiles.The UK prime minister is yet to visit Ukraine four months after taking office and a frustrated Kyiv has said that a trip would be worthless unless Keir Starmer committed to replenishing stocks of the sought after long-range Storm Shadow system. Continue reading...

Ivory Coast drinks festival aims to champion and change perceptions of alcohol made in the regionAt an event in Abidjan in late October, Alexandre Quest Bede noticed someone staring at him. Then the stranger walked up to him with a T-shirt and asked for an autograph.He pointed at me excitedly and said: You're Monsieur Gnamakou, I know you from Instagram!'" recalls Bede at the poolside bar of Bissa, a boutique hotel in the upmarket Deux Plateaux neighbourhood on the eve of Abidjan cocktail week. Continue reading...

Employment tribunal rules 15,000 drivers for private hire-hailing app are not self-employed contractorsThousands of Bolt drivers have won their legal claim to be classed as employees and could be in line for compensation of more than 200m.An employment tribunal ruled that 15,000 Bolt drivers were not self-employed contractors who ran their own businesses. Continue reading...

Group expects strong financial performance to continue' as it announces 350m share buyback schemeStrong demand for transatlantic travel has boosted the profits of British Airways owner, International Airlines Group, (IAG), with the UK national carrier outperforming rivals despite widespread European flight delays.Operating profits for the peak summer season were up about 15% on last year to 2bn (1.7 bn) , with BA achieving a 20% margin, even with labour costs 14% higher than in 2023. Continue reading...

Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua also reeling after fifth major hurricane of season causes landslides and floodingHurricane Rafael became the 17th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season this week, reaching the minimum expectation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Back in May, Noaa warned of an above-average level of activity, predicting 17-25 named storms, in comparison with the average of 14.Of these 17-25 storms, Noaa predicted that eight to 13 would become hurricanes, four to seven of which would be classified as major", meaning category 3 or higher. Both of these predictions are also above average, and these thresholds have already been reached, with Rafael being the 11th hurricane and fifth major hurricane of the season. Continue reading...

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Resident in the suburb of Como says water was literally spraying all around' after pipeline to Woronora Dam burst

Health and children's groups urge UK ministers to impose levies on products containing too much salt or sugarDozens of health and children's groups have urged ministers to tackle obesity by imposing taxes on foods containing too much salt or sugar.New levies based on the sugar tax on soft drinks would make it easier for consumers to eat more healthily by forcing food manufacturers to reformulate their products, they claim.74% think food firms are not honest about the health impact of their products.61% worry about the amount of sugar and saturated fat in what they eat.Only 13% believe producers will make their food more nutritious without government intervention.72% worry about high levels of processing used in food production. Continue reading...