World news | The Guardian

PM says legislation will confirm' Rwanda is safe country for asylum seekers - and says he is prepared to defy ECHR if necessary

Head of the World Health Organization calls decision to send troops into hospital totally unacceptable'

Foreign Office refuses to reveal former PM's recent roles or whether he has worked for other governmentsDavid Cameron is facing calls to disclose the businesses he was working for before being appointed as foreign secretary, after the Foreign Office refused to reveal which jobs and clients he was giving up to take on the role.The former prime minister has had a series of jobs since he left No 10 in 2016, including lobbying the government on behalf of a controversial, now-collapsed, financial firm, Greensill, which led to a scandal over his influence. Continue reading...

Fall in rotten teeth extractions in children aged 18 and under prompts calls for soft drinks levy to be extended to other productsFewer children in England have been having rotten teeth pulled out since the sugar tax on soft drinks began, prompting calls for the levy to be extended to sweets, biscuits and cereals.The number of children aged 18 and under going into hospital to have teeth extracted has fallen by 12% since the sugar tax came into force in April 2018. Continue reading...

If court decides against government on Wednesday, dozens of Tory MPs are likely to demand exit from European convention on human rights

Former environment secretary says government work stresses left her hospitalised for a month nearly five years agoTherese Coffey said she nearly died" due to the stress of being a government minister.Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, the former environment secretary said she was admitted to hospital after working [herself] into the ground". Continue reading...

Another 200,000 people flee northern Gaza as fighting rages around territory's biggest health facility

The longtime chief of Positif film magazine started working there in 1968, and was a passionate advocate of cinema until his deathMichel Ciment, the celebrated French film critic and longtime editor of Positif magazine, has died aged 85. The magazine reported the news on social media, describing him as Positif's master architect" after a 60-year career.Born in Paris in 1938, Ciment fell in love with cinema as a student, and joined Positif in 1968, becoming editorial director in 1973; he said he admired Positif over Cahiers du Cinema because the magazine was left wing" and influenced by surrealism. Ciment published a string of books about prominent film directors, including Kazan by Kazan (1973), Conversations with Losey (1979) and Stanley Kubrick (1980). Continue reading...

Investigation now indicates a total of five complaints directly to BBC, broadcaster saysTwo further complainants have come forward to the BBC since it launched a review into the behaviour of Russell Brand, the corporation has said.The nature of the allegations made by two further complainants are not specified in an update on the BBC review into Russell Brand's conduct. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Repeated delays to scrapping of section 21 evictions leave thousands of private renters at riskMore than 35,000 households will have been thrown out of their homes by bailiffs using no-fault" evictions by the time the practice is banned in England, after years of government delays.Since Theresa May was prime minister, successive governments have pledged to end the right of landlords to reclaim possession of their property without rent arrears or bad behaviour by tenants. Continue reading...

Greens and David Pocock accused the government of doing the bidding of fossil fuel companies to allow new and expanded polluting projects

Elizabeth Debicki has spoken about filming car chase through Paris that led to Diana's death for final season of royal dramaThe actor who played Diana in The Crown said the moments leading up to her death must have been completely unbearable" after the cast reenacted the car chase through Paris that led to her death for the final season of the divisive royal drama.The sixth season of The Crown deals with the weeks preceding Diana's death, as well as the fallout, after a car crash in Paris in August 1997. The first instalment of the season is released on 16 November. Continue reading...

Transparency group says donating companies should be banned from government contracts but constitutional expert disagrees

Exclusive: Voluntary organisations struggling as grants for local government and NHS contracts fail to cover costsCharities in England are on the brink of insolvency after subsidising heavily underfunded local authority and NHS contracts to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds donated to them by the public, voluntary sector leaders have warned.Donations, will legacies and charity shop profits are being used to prop up thousands of state-funded services in danger of closure, including care homes, homeless shelters, addiction projects and physical rehabilitation support schemes.The vast majority were subsidising the cost of providing public services. Nearly half had not received an uplift in the value of the contract in the past two years, despite increasing demand and rising wage and energy costs.Contracts were often only viable by freezing or cutting staff pay and conditions. One charity made a senior member of staff redundant, then took them back on as a volunteer to do their old job to keep vital services afloat.A social care charity started a public fundraising campaign, and sold a building it owned, to raise the cash to maintain a service the council would only part fund. [We are] not sure we can carry on unless something changes," it said. Continue reading...

Based on the prize-winning book by Fernanda Melchor, film depicts brutality stemming from war on drugs' that began in 2006A group of children find a body in the river: the village witch, her throat slit, writhing with snakes.The opening scene of Hurricane Season, a new Netflix movie based on Mexican novelist Fernanda Melchor's book, plunges the viewer straight into a tropical, lawless, superstitious version of rural Veracruz, Melchor's home state. Continue reading...

Prison guard cleared of murder and manslaughter after shooting escaping inmate Dwayne Johnstone who was shackled at the time

Owners sell to offset losses from tax changes and rate hikes, meaning fewer homes to rent and thus higher rentsThe great property sell-off by landlords has continued across Great Britain this year, in particular in Scotland, where the buy-to-let bubble appears to have burst.As the property website Rightmove reported that new seller asking prices dropped by 1.7% or 6,088 last month to an average of 362,143, Hamptons revealed that landlords were on target to have bought the fewest number of homes since 2010 - once the period of the first Covid lockdown is discounted from the data. Continue reading...

Recently elected leader Stefanos Kasselakis accused of Trumpian practices' and rightwing populism'A leftwing faction of Greece's main opposition party has announced that it is breaking away, accusing Syriza's recently elected leader of abandoning its core ideology for a sort of rightwing populism."Umbrella, a faction led by Euclid Tsakalotos, a former finance minister during Syriza's government of 2015-19, announced its departure with a blistering statement that accused Stefanos Kasselakis of Trumpian practices (and) right-leaning populism". Continue reading...

People of Grindavik, where eruption could happen within hours, permitted five minutes to collect pets and essentialsSome of the more than 3,000 residents evacuated from an Icelandic fishing town have been allowed to return briefly to their homes to collect pets and essential belongings, as experts warned that a volcano could erupt within days or even hours.One resident from each household in one district of Grindavik was permitted to enter their home for five minutes on Sunday in what Iceland's civil defence force called a planned and controlled operation under the orders of the police". Continue reading...

Prime minister's beleaguered home secretary, Suella Braverman, also attends ceremony led by King CharlesRishi Sunak was joined by all living previous prime ministers and his beleaguered home secretary, Suella Braverman, for this year's Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London.King Charles led thousands of veterans, senior politicians and members of the public in a service commemorating British military service people who died in the world wars and later conflicts. Continue reading...

Isabella Walsh has contacted embassies and consulates to repatriate 10 objects that her father wanted to be returnedAn Irish woman has been inspired by the Guardian to return her late father's collection of 19th-century African and Aboriginal objects to their countries of origin.Isabella Walsh, 39, from Limerick, has contacted embassies and consulates in Dublin and London to repatriate 10 objects, including spears, harpoon heads and a shield, after she read about other cases in the newspaper. Continue reading...

Tens of thousands of people rally against government offer of clemency to those who made illegal push for independence in 2017Tens of thousands of people have gathered across Spain to protest against the acting government's plans to secure another term in office by offering an amnesty to those who took part in the illegal and failed push for Catalan independence six years ago.The proposed amnesty law, which would apply to hundreds of people who participated in the unilateral effort to secede from Spain, has already led to a series of violent protests outside the Madrid headquarters of the governing Spanish Socialist Workers' party (PSOE). Continue reading...

Travel site Trivago says UK destinations are dominating Britons' hotel bookings in the latter half of 2024Blackpool is more popular than Benidorm for British holidaymakers booking trips away next year as soaring air fares lead people to opt for stayactions, according to accommodation search website Trivago.The group's chief executive, Johannes Thomas, said UK hotel bookings in the third and fourth quarters of 2024 are dominated by domestic destinations. Continue reading...

Macron will not attend event but criticises rise of unbridled antisemitism', as Marine Le Pen says she will participateTens of thousands of people, including many senior politicians, are expected to march in Paris against antisemitism amid a dramatic surge in anti-Jewish incidents across France and bitter political rows over whether - and how - to take part.I will be marching for the values of the Republic and against antisemitism," wrote Elisabeth Borne, the French prime minister whose Jewish father was deported during the second world war, on X, formerly Twitter. This combat is vital for our national cohesion." Continue reading...

Government begins apparent defence of home secretary after claims her rhetoric led to far-right counterprotestGrant Shapps has accused Labour of trying to play politics" over far-right protests in London, blamed in part on Suella Braverman's rhetoric, as ministers began an apparent defence of the beleaguered home secretary.Following the violent scenes around the Cenotaph on Saturday, where far-right groups fought officers in what was billed a counterprotest to a much larger pro-Palestine demonstration, Labour said Braverman had intentionally inflamed tensions and undermined the police. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester police say Perseverance Ncube died in hospital after being attacked at her homeA man has been charged with murder after a loving and devoted" mother was stabbed in front of her two children.Perseverance Ncube, 35, known to her friends as Percy, was fatally stabbed at her home in Salford, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of Friday morning. Continue reading...

Jon Lansman, a key figure behind the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, says he has come to feel alienated by pro-Palestinian campaign

Attack comes as US secretary of state laments Palestinian death toll and Netanyahu says Israel does not seek to govern territory

Susan and John Cooper from Burnley fell ill after hotel room next door was treated for bed bug infestationA British couple who fell ill in their hotel room at a resort in Egypt died from carbon monoxide poisoning after the room next door was sprayed with pesticide to kill bed bugs, a coroner has ruled.John Cooper, 69, and his wife, Susan, 63, from Burnley, Lancashire, had been enjoying a brilliant" holiday while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, the inquest into their deaths heard. Continue reading...

Associated Press, Reuters, New York Times and CNN say suggestions are untrue, outrageous and reckless

Distressing cases of families being split up prompt criticism officials are not doing enough to keep them together

Socialist party wins separatist support with offer that has provoked furious opposition, protests and questions from Brussels

Advisory Committee on Business Appointments tells MP Lanistar role must not make use of contacts within governmentThe former cabinet minister Gavin Williamson has taken a job at a firm launching a payment card built for the influencer lifestyle", which was previously hit with a consumer warning by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and currently only offers its product in Brazil.Williamson has gained permission to join the advisory board of Lanistar, whose website says it wants to roll out its virtual payment card and crypto services to the UK and EU. Continue reading...

Israeli PM said to have turned down proposal in early talks and to have continued to take tough line

Despite concession from PM, Suella Braverman criticises police for being harder on rightwing groups than pro-Palestinian mobs'

The final report from an inquiry into the deaths of Folbigg's children found there was as an identifiable cause' for three of the deaths

Rishi Sunak signalled changes in the king's speech that create a policy divide with LabourThe government has confirmed its plans to grant new North Sea oil and gas licences every year at the opening of parliament, deepening a political fault line between the Conservatives and Labour, and angering environmental campaigners who argue it undermines efforts to reach net zero. Here, we examine the move. Continue reading...

Human rights body calls on Met not to bow to political pressure' over planned protest on Armistice Day

Tyres of Sindisiwe Chikunga's car punctured by spikes on highway south of Johannesburg, say policeA South African government minister has been robbed and her bodyguards have had their guns stolen, say police, in what authorities in the country described as an unprecedented incident".The attack took place on Monday as the transport minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga, was travelling on a highway south of Johannesburg, police said. Continue reading...

Speech outlines tough approach to criminal justice and green agenda but little legislation on public services

EU wants to discuss implications of deal after Italy announces new migration policySwedish ministers sent a letter today to EU institutions calling for strengthening security cooperation and implementing an effective migration returns policy.Gunnar Strommer, Sweden's minister for justice, together with minister for migration Maria Malmer Stenergard, said it is of utmost importance for the over-arching future security of the EU zone that the EU reaches an agreement on the EU pact on migration and asylum.".This entails both making more effective work within our own countries and in relation to our cooperation with third countries. More can be done realistically within the legal framework we have today. More discussions on cooperation on returns are necessary. Continue reading...

Bomb in birthday present kills Ukrainian major who advised commander-in-chief; Russian attack damages Odesa museum; Ukraine grain exports fall

Prime minister rules out general ceasefire as Israel marks a month since Hamas attack

Garment workers in Bangladesh making clothes for UK brands say plans to increase their pay to 76 a month is not enough to surviveGarment workers making clothes in Bangladesh for UK high-street brands say they are facing starvation and are having to steal and scavenge food from fields and bins to feed their children, as protests continue over a new minimum wage for the garment workforce of 4 million people.Over the past week, tens of thousands of workers have taken to the streets in increasingly violent protests that, according to unions and news reports, have left one young garment worker, Rasel Hawlader, dead. Continue reading...

Customer dissatisfaction with service thought to be reason for expanding remit to Evri and DPDRoyal Mail is to lose its 360-year-old monopoly on delivering parcels from Post Office branches, after concerns about poor quality of service persuaded the postal service to sign deals with rivals Evri and DPD in the run-up to Christmas.The two couriers would be added to the options available at the counter from later this month, the Post Office said, with customers given a choice for the first time. Continue reading...

Some countdown-to-Christmas offerings from stores and brands now cost hundreds, and even thousands, of poundsIt started with small chocolates and quickly graduated to Lego, socks and gin miniatures but the once-humble Advent calendar has lurched upmarket with this year's windows filled with skin-plumping creams, fine bone china trinkets, jewellery and rare whiskies.When calendars were first popularised in the mid-1950s they cost two shillings (about 2.50 in today's money). These days, the luxury takes of department stores and brands cost hundreds of pounds and instead of a picture of the nativity the big reveal is a luxury scented candle, gold necklace or much-hyped beauty serum. Continue reading...

Aspirational website and Instagram feed joins firms laying off workers as market slowdown hitsIts website specialising in architecturally striking properties has long provided inspiration for well-heeled househunters, and escapism for many more who could never afford to live the dream it is peddling.The Modern House is a go-to site for people who want to browse, or just gawp at, beautiful homes - from spacious apartments in former factories to futuristic Grand Designs-style new-builds. But now, the realities of the UK's property market slowdown appear to have caught up with the company. Continue reading...

Arriving in Adelaide the father of two has thanked everyone who felt their pain' and praised compassionate' Dfat staff

Higher interest rates and move away from cash isas means hundreds of thousands more people may be hitHigher interest rates look set to land hundreds of thousands more people with an unwelcome tax bill for their savings, a financial advice firm warned this week.A couple of years ago it was typically only the wealthiest with very big nest eggs who had to pay tax on their savings interest - but now someone with an emergency savings pot of about 8,000 could find themselves falling foul of this little-known tax trap. Continue reading...

Westminster's famous bell will be heard live from next week after years of only occasional appearancesIt is one of the most recognisable sounds in the UK, and one that hasn't been heard on BBC Radio 4 since New Year's Eve last year, but from next week the famous bongs of Big Ben will be heard once again on the station.The most famous bell in the UK will be heard live once again on Monday 6 November, just before the 6pm news bulletin and again before midnight. Listeners will be able to hear the chimes again before Radio 4's Westminster Hour political discussion programme at 10pm on Sundays. Continue reading...