Leonardo Leo, rightwing billionaire who helped install conservative justices, outlines second term ambitionsLeonard Leo, who financed and directed the rightwing takeover of the US supreme court, admitted he wants to crush liberal dominance" across American society.I want to crush liberal dominance," the dark money impresario told NPR, in an interview published three weeks after Donald Trump's stunning election win. Continue reading...
The UK-based Hungarian Roma documentary photographer Bela Varadi spent months photographing the life of blood plasma donors after he realised several old friends saw payment for plasma donation as a way of getting byIn the rust belt of north-eastern Hungary, a new economy is thriving - one built on human blood. Private companies have found a way to profit from the desperation of the region's most marginalised population, the Gypsies. For many, the act of donating blood plasma has become a lifeline, a grim means of survival in a landscape of chronic unemployment and deprivation.Miskolc, Hungary. One man prepares for plasma donation, while the other shows his bandaged arm Continue reading...
Officers say girl was in vehicle in Ladbroke Grove with parents and younger sibling when gunman opened fireAn eight-year-old girl injured in a double shooting in west London was in a car with her parents and two-year-old sibling when a gunman opened fire, police have revealed.Her 34-year-old father was left with potentially life-changing injuries and the girl was having surgery on Monday but was in a stable condition, the Metropolitan police said. The pair were hurt in Southern Row, Ladbroke Grove, west London, just after 5.30pm on Sunday. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspon on (#6SFQB)
Amount of physical attacks, threats or sexual violence described as invisible epidemic' as reporting remains lowEvery third woman across the EU has experienced physical violence, including threats, or sexual violence, a survey has revealed, in what one official described as an invisible epidemic".The findings released on Monday are based on responses from women aged 18 to 74 from across the EU's 27 member states. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6SFMP)
Vehicle drove water into businesses in Tenbury Wells, which local people say smashed windows and opened doorsPolice are investigating after a tractor drove through a flooded high street in Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire, triggering a wave of water that hit local businesses, smashing windows and knocking doors open.West Mercia police said they were aware of videos on social media showing the tractor driving through the flood water and that they were investigating. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#6SFJR)
Campaigners say psychometric tests are discriminatory amid protests over case of Keira Alexandra KronvoldDenmark is under pressure to stop subjecting Greenlandic people to parenting competency" tests that campaigners say discriminate against them, amid uproar over the case of a mother whose baby was removed two hours after she gave birth.The psychometric tests are widely used in Denmark as part of child protection investigations into new parents, and have long been criticised by human rights bodies as culturally unsuitable for Greenlandic people and other minorities. Continue reading...
by Malak A Tantesh in Gaza and Julian Borger on (#6SFFJ)
Project involves showing work in Gaza but also sending works across Israeli siege lines for exhibiting worldwidePalestinian artists in Gaza plan to stage a biennale" exhibition as an act of defiance against Israel's military onslaught and to focus attention on the plight of the territory's 2.3 million people under more than 13 months of bombardment.About 50 artists from Gaza will exhibit their work within the besieged coastal strip, and are looking for art galleries to host exhibitions overseas. But in order to hold their work to the eyes of the rest of the world, the artists are facing a unique challenge: how to get their art across Israeli siege lines. Continue reading...
Peri Pamir given suspended sentence after posting article about UK woman killed fighting with Kurdish forces in SyriaA Turkish woman who shared a Guardian article on social media about a British woman killed fighting with Kurdish forces in Syria has described how she was twice convicted of sharing terrorist propaganda" in an Istanbul court.I am basically just an ordinary citizen, there is no reason why I should attract any special attention. This is the disturbing part," said Peri Pamir, a 71-year-old retired researcher. Continue reading...
Visitors will be able to explore Palazzo Guiccioli in Ravenna, where Byron romanced its aristocrat owner's wifeA museum dedicated to the flamboyant British poet and satirist Lord Byron is due to open in the northern Italian city of Ravenna, housed in the same building where he pursued an intense affair with the wife of an aristocrat and completed some of his most famous works.Byron unabashedly moved in 1819 into Palazzo Guiccioli, owned by the husband of Countess Teresa Guiccioli, whom he met at a party in Venice. Continue reading...
Quarter of teens who see violence online are being served clips via algorithms, survey in England and Wales findsHundreds of thousands of teenagers are afraid to go out because of the violence they see on their social media feeds, a major study of children in England and Wales has found.One in four teenagers who see real-life violence, including fist fights, stabbings and gang clashes, online are being served the clips automatically by algorithmic recommendation features, according to the study done by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) and shared with the Guardian. Only a small minority actively searched for the violent content. Continue reading...
Former history teacher says the horizon is brightening' as all political rivals pledged to work together to move the country forwardCentre-left opposition candidate Yamandu Orsi secured victory in Uruguay's presidential election, official results showed on Sunday, with 97% of votes tallied, ousting the conservative governing coalition and making the South American nation the latest to rebuke the incumbent party in a year of landmark elections.Yamandu Orsi, the pre-election favourite by a few points, secured 49.77% of the vote to conservative Alvaro Delgado's 45.94%, official results showed. Continue reading...
Mass stabbings and car rammings have prompted soul-searching about the state of societyBeijing is ramping up scrutiny of common" disputes such as those involving marriages and property, the justice ministry said, as the public reels from a recent string of deadly attacks.China has witnessed a spate of violent incidents in recent months - from mass stabbings to car rammings - a rare development for a country with a proud reputation for public security. Continue reading...
Some patients across UK turning to A&Es five or more times a year due to unresolved medical issues, charity saysOne in seven A&E patients are repeat visitors with unmet medical needs who feel they have nowhere else to go, according to research that found most are over 70 with multiple conditions or under 50 with mental ill health.Less than 2% of the population account for almost 14% of all A&E attendances, the British Red Cross study suggests. Across the UK, patients are turning to emergency departments five or more times a year due to unresolved medical issues", the charity said. Continue reading...
by Harry Taylor, Jamie Grierson and Hannah Al-Othman on (#6SEXM)
Major incident declared in Wales and England and Scotland hit by power cuts due to rain, floods and windSeveral people have been killed as Storm Bert battered the UK and a major incident has been declared in south Wales.At least five deaths have been reported in England and Wales since the storm hit. Strong winds have been accompanied by flooding caused by heavy rain and thawing snow. Continue reading...
Man in video identifies himself as James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, and says he joined the International LegionA British national has reportedly been captured by Russia's forces in the Kursk region while fighting for Ukraine.In a video posted on pro-war Russian Telegram channels on Sunday, a man wearing combat fatigues identifies himself as 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson from the UK. Continue reading...
Ministers also ban government advertising from critical newspaper that is widely respected internationallyIsrael's government is set to punish the country's leading left-leaning newspaper, Haaretz, by ordering a boycott of the publication by government officials or anyone working for a government-funded body and halting all government advertising in its pages or website.In a statement on Sunday, the office of Shlomo Karhi, the communications minister, said that his proposal against Haaretz had been unanimously approved by other ministers. Continue reading...
Comments part of debate over whether Beijing backs Kim Jong-un's decision to send troops to fight in UkraineChina is increasingly uncomfortable about North Korea's engagement with Russia and finds the growing cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow unnerving, Kurt Campbell, the US deputy secretary of state has said.He was leaning into a growing debate among the US's security partners in Asia on whether China supports the decision of North Korea's Kim Jong-un to send 10,000 troops to fight for Russia against Ukraine. It is said the North Korean troops are now inside Russia. Continue reading...
by Jason Burke in Jerusalem and William Christou in B on (#6SF6F)
Senior Israeli minister says the war is far from over and Israel will stay for years' in the territoryThe Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of new areas of northern Gaza, setting off a fresh wave of civilian displacements on Sunday as intense airstrikes continued across much of the territory.In Jerusalem, a senior minister said the war in Gaza was far from over and that Israel would stay for years" in the territory. Continue reading...
UAE says it has arrested three people over the killing of Zvi Kogan, who worked for an Orthodox Jewish groupIsrael has said that an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates was killed in what it described as a heinous antisemitic terror incident".Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement about the death of Zvi Kogan, who worked in the UAE for an Orthodox Jewish group called Chabad and had not been seen since Thursday. Continue reading...
by Severin Carrell, Rachel Keenan, Steven Morris and on (#6SF6G)
Councils, politicians and campaigners hope a tourist tax' would raise money to fund services in areas affected by high visitor numbersMillions of tourists to the UK could soon be asked to pay a local visitor levy as cash-strapped councils try to raise money to fund services.Nearly half of Scotland's local councils are considering a mandatory levy on overnight stays, known as a tourist tax, to help cope with a surge in visitors that has overwhelmed places such as Skye, the Callanish stones on Lewis and Orkney's neolithic sites. Continue reading...
A musician, the original Wheel of Fortune host and later a rightwing podcaster, Woolery died at home in TexasChuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of Wheel of Fortune, Love Connection and Scrabble who later became a rightwing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about Covid-19, has died. He was 83.Mark Young, Woolery's podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early on Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Chuck was a dear friend and brother and a tremendous man of faith, life will not be the same without him," Young wrote. Continue reading...
Third-century Roman plate and bust of Emperor Hadrian alleged to have links to man convicted of illegal dealingThe auction house Bonhams is facing calls to withdraw a Roman antiquity from its forthcoming London auction amid claims that it was looted from Turkey.A third-century Roman silver plate, decorated with a depiction of a river god, is lot 62 of the 5 December auction and is estimated to sell for between 20,000 and 30,000. Continue reading...
Sunday's election could lead to a battle between far-right's George Simion and Marcel Ciolacu of Social DemocratsRomanians are casting ballots on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election that could pit a far-right nationalist against the incumbent leftist prime minister in the runoff.Thirteen candidates are vying for the presidency in the EU and Nato member country and the vote is expected to go to a second round on 8 December. Polls opened at 7am local time (05.00 GMT) and will close at 9pm. Romanians abroad have been able to vote since Friday. Continue reading...
Recruitment group says more applicants are turning down offers that do not include hybrid workingRecruiters have received a surge in job applications from disgruntled workers at companies that are removing employees' flexibility over where they work after a flurry of return-to-office mandates were issued by large companies.Two-thirds of recruiters have seen an increase in applicants looking for new jobs who are working at companies that are mandating five days a week in the office, according to a survey. Continue reading...
Welsh town fights raging River Taff with sandbags and buckets as central street has second big flood in four yearsThe River Taff raged through the centre of Pontypridd on Sunday, overflowing its banks and overwhelming homes and businesses.Sion Street, which runs parallel to the river in the centre of the Valleys town, was flooded, with the murky water breaching several terrace properties. Residents desperately tried to empty their front yards of water with plastic buckets, while others frantically stacked sandbags on their doorsteps. Continue reading...
Meeting comes amid fears Middle East tensions will lead Iran to redouble its efforts to acquire a nuclear weaponIran's deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, will meet his European counterparts in Geneva on Friday after the collapse of a deal last week under which Iran would have limited its uranium enrichment to 60% purity, just below the threshold to make nuclear weapons.The offer was regarded by Iran as a first step to rebuilding confidence between it and the west over what it insists is its civilian nuclear programme. There are growing fears that wider tensions in the Middle East could result in Tehran redoubling efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon and trying to declare it necessary for its national self-defence. Continue reading...
Canadian pension fund said to be in talks with minority shareholders as it seeks to cash in on post-Covid revivalBirmingham, Bristol and London City airports have reportedly been put up for sale by their Canadian pension fund owner as it looks to cash in on a resurgence in air travel after the pandemic.The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) is said to be in talks over a potential sale of its stakes in the UK airports to minority shareholders. The portfolio, which also includes Copenhagen and Brussels airports, is estimated to be worth more than 10bn. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6SF1B)
Two-day bash in London was part of lifestyle brand' push to snare younger customersThousands of bank customers braved the wind and rain of Storm Bert on Saturday night, forming queues that snaked through the streets surrounding London's Tottenham Court Road station.But this was no bank run. In fact, there was not a bank branch in sight. Continue reading...
Centres had been open for over a month but received just 24 asylum seekers, whose detention was deemed unlawfulDozens of Italian police officers and social workers deployed by Italy's far-right government in migrant centres in Albania have returned home, after it emerged that the facilities, praised as a model to reduce refugee arrivals, have been empty for weeks.Just over a month after the much-publicised opening of the multimillion-euro detention centres for asylum seekers in Albania, which were supposed to receive up to 3,000 men a month, more than 50 police officers were moved back to Italy two weeks ago while dozens of social workers have left over the weekend, with their presence in Albania considered needless". Continue reading...
Tsai Ing-wen says Kyiv needs weapons more urgently than Taipei and says Ukrainian victory will be effective deterrent to future aggression'Taiwan's former president urges US to prioritise aiding Ukraine over Taiwan for now, says report. Former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen has suggested that the US should prioritise helping Ukraine over Taiwan - in the immediate future - as Kyiv needs weapons more urgently than Taipei. Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, the former Taiwanese leader was quoted by Politico as saying: They should do whatever they can to help the Ukrainians ... We [Taiwan] still have time."Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits. Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Moscow's war on Ukraine. According to Russian state news agency Interfax, the new legislation allows those signing up for a one-year contract to write off bad debts of up to 10 million rubles ($96,000; 77,000).An air alert has been sounded almost daily' across Ukraine this week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says as he pleads for more air defences. Zelenskyy has posted to Telegram saying that his country needs more air defences to protect itself against relentless Russian attacks. He said that Russia used more than 800 guided aerial bombs, about 460 attack drones, and more than 20 missiles over the past week.Russia prepared to launch cyber-attacks on UK, minister to warn. Russia is prepared to launch a series of cyber-attacks on Britain and other Nato members as it seeks to weaken support for Ukraine, a senior UK cabinet minister will warn in a speech on Monday. Moscow will not think twice" about exploiting defence gaps to target UK businesses, and allies must not underestimate" the threat it poses, Pat McFadden, a senior UK minister whose portfolio includes national security, will say. In a speech to the Nato cyber defence conference at Lancaster House, the minister is expected to say: Military hard-power is one thing. But cyberwar can be destabilising and debilitating. With a cyber-attack, Russia can turn the lights off for millions of people. It can shut down the power grids. This is the hidden war Russia is waging with Ukraine."No red lines' when it comes to support for Ukraine, France's foreign minister says. The French foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, has told the BBC in an interview that western allies should not put any limits on support for Ukraine against Russia, and not set and express red lines". Barrot's comments are significant, coming a few days after US and UK long-range missiles were used in that way for the first time. Barrot said that Ukraine could fire French long-range missiles into Russia in the logics of self-defence", but would not confirm if French weapons had already been used.Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Moscow's war on Ukraine. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Families of people detained overseas fear diplomats are pushing back against foreign secretary's plansFamilies of prominent British prisoners detained abroad have urged the foreign secretary to deliver on pledges to help secure their release amid signs of growing resistance from diplomats.David Lammy, the foreign secretary, vowed in opposition to appoint a special envoy to help secure the freedom of those detained for years without a fair trial. Giving British citizens a legal right to consular access when they run into trouble overseas was also a Labour manifesto pledge. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6SEZM)
Charlie Falconer says Labour colleague and justice secretary has religious reasons' for opposing assisted dyingCabinet ministers should not impose their religious beliefs on others in their objections to assisted dying, a leading proponent of changing the law has said.In response to an intervention from Shabana Mahmood, Charlie Falconer, a Labour peer and ally of Keir Starmer, said the justice secretary had religious and spiritual reasons" for being opposed to assisted dying. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6SEYJ)
Work and pensions secretary says she will transform opportunities as Starmer bemoans bulging benefits bill'Young people who refuse to take up jobs or training will lose their benefits in the government's crackdown on worklessness, Liz Kendall has said.The work and pensions secretary said on Sunday: If people repeatedly refuse to take up the training or work responsibilities, there will be sanctions on their benefits." Continue reading...
Survey reveals appetite for rethinking relationship between the boardroom and low or middle earnersChief executives should have their pay capped to maintain a fair balance between workers and bosses, according to a survey that found a majority of respondents in favour of restricting top salaries.A poll by the High Pay Centre thinktank of more than 2,000 people found that 55% agreed that chief executive pay should be set as a multiple of workers' low or average earnings so that pay differences between the high and low or middle earners don't grow too wide". Only 15% objected. Continue reading...
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