World news | The Guardian

This blog is now closed. Our live coverage of the Israel-Hamas war continues hereOn Friday afternoon, the Hezbollah secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, is to make a highly anticipated speech. The head of the influential Iran-backed Shia militant group will break weeks of silence with a broadcast from Beirut, which comes in the wake of a rise in violence on Israel's northern border.Hezbollah said on Thursday it had simultaneously attacked 19 positions in Israel on Thursday evening. The clashes have so far been mostly contained to the frontier, and Hezbollah has used only a fraction of the firepower that Nasrallah has been threatening with Israel for years. Continue reading...

Polluted water supplies and salty groundwater are making people ill, with UN warning of threat of child deaths from dehydration

School leaders say parents should do their own homework to build an accurate picture of which is best for their child

Residents of Wooroloo told they could return to normal activity following earlier lockdown but urged to remain vigilant'

Mourners were gathered at the Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles to pay tribute to the actorActor Matthew Perry, who died on Saturday at age 54, was buried on Friday at a Los Angeles cemetery in a service attended by relatives and castmates from the hit 1990s television sitcom Friends, show business media reported, citing photographs.Mourners gathered at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, less than a mile from the Warner Bros studio where the show was filmed. It is also the final resting place of numerous Hollywood A-listers including Michael Jackson, Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor. Continue reading...

US to provide $425m of additional military aid to Ukraine; Russia-appointed governor says nine dead in Ukraine missile attack in KhersonThe US will provide $425m worth of additional arms and equipment to Ukraine for its ongoing fight against Russia's invasion, the Biden administration announced on Friday. The package uses the last of the funds in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), a more than $18bn fund that allowed the Biden administration to buy weapons from industry, rather than pull from US weapons stocks.A Ukrainian missile attack on Friday on an employment centre in a Russian-occupied town in the southern region of Kherson killed nine people and injured nine, the region's Russia-appointed governor was quoted as saying.A handful of Ukrainian troops who have reached the occupied side of the Dnipro River are clinging to a foothold in Russian-controlled territory in the south of the country despite a fierce bombardment. The marines have secured a beachhead that could allow Ukraine to reclaim more of the Kherson region that lies between Ukrainian territory and Crimea, seized by Russia in 2014.Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is considering the pros and cons" of holding presidential elections next spring, his foreign minister said. We are not closing this page. The president of Ukraine is considering and weighing the different pros and cons," Dmytro Kuleba told a briefing, adding that holding elections during the war with Russia would entail unprecedented" challenges.Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine for weeks on Friday, hitting critical infrastructure in the west and south of Ukraine and destroying private houses and commercial buildings in Kharkiv.Russia intends to stick to a nuclear test ban moratorium despite withdrawing its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban treaty, the foreign ministry said.A Russian court sentenced Pyotr Verzilov, an activist linked to the Pussy Riot group, to eight and a half years in prison for breaching Russia's strict censorship laws. The 36-year-old was sentenced in absentia" as he has not lived in Russia since 2020, reported MediaZona, an opposition news site that he founded.The Kremlin has dismissed a new package of US sanctions, saying Russia had learned to overcome" such economic hurdles since the Ukraine conflict began. Washington yesterday sanctioned several Russian energy and finance companies it said were supporting Russia's offensive against Ukraine.The chief of Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has said the timing of a sale or spin-off of its extensive operations in Russia is largely out of his control. Russia made up 45% of RBI's profit in the first nine months of the year, though it reported a 30% decline in the volume of its loans in Russia in the third quarter from a year earlier.The Russian Orthodox church called for an apology from Alla Pugacheva, the country's most renowned pop singer who returned home this week, over her criticism of Russia's war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Dominic Cummings and Michael Gove were key figures in group that controlled the Conservatives, says ex-culture secretaryNadine Dorries has claimed in her new book that the Conservatives have been controlled for 20 years by a cabal known as the movement", which orchestrated the end of Boris Johnson's tenure as prime minister.The former culture secretary has alleged the group consists of levelling up secretary Michael Gove, Johnson's former chief of staff Dominic Cummings and an adviser called Dougie Smith. Continue reading...

Transport secretary had given police power to stop protest at mainline station on public order groundsFive people have been arrested during a pro-Palestinian sit-in at King's Cross station in London after the demonstration was banned.The transport secretary, Mark Harper, said he had given an order to allow police to stop the demonstration on Friday evening under section 14a of the Public Order Act 1986. It was later announced that protesters would also be prevented from gathering outside the Israeli embassy in London over the weekend. Continue reading...

Yuggera, Warangoo and Wiradjuri doctor Kristopher Rallah-Baker says it's important others see they won't be brought down if they complain about racism'

Chinese state media have previously viewed Australia's actions as blindly following the US. Does a resumption of dialogue signal a change?

Katharine Birbalsingh tells retailer its Christmas ad featuring celebrities' seasonal peeves will stifle children's happinessA prominent headteacher has said she feels deep disappointment and outrage" over Marks & Spencer's Christmas advert showing celebrities destroying their least favourite parts of the festive season.Katharine Birbalsingh, an education reform campaigner who has been labelled Britain's strictest headteacher, called for the advert to be taken down as she claims it puts two fingers up" to traditional Christmas values. Continue reading...

Some players in Arab team allegedly felt uncomfortable playing during Israel-Hamas warA university is investigating allegations that a football match between its Jewish and Arab societies was postponed after some players in the Arab team felt uncomfortable playing during the conflict between Israel and Hamas.Leeds University's student union said it was communicating with the societies involved and that the investigation would follow its complaints procedure. Continue reading...

Exclusive: NSW poisons information centre received more than 120 calls related to the diabetes drug in a year, 83% of them about medication errors

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereRussian shelling in Kherson has interrupted water and electricity supply in parts of the city, Suspilne reports. It cites the head of the city administration, saying: Repair crews are working, electricity is planned to be restored during the day."Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine for weeks early on Friday, hitting critical infrastructure in the west and south of Ukraine and destroying private houses and commercial buildings in Kharkiv. Continue reading...

More than 1,000 incidents recorded in UK since 7 October Hamas attacks, including targeting of schools

About 3,200 people reportedly sent to war-torn strip through Kerem Shalom crossing in deeply concerning' moveThousands of Palestinian workers from Gaza who were stranded in Israel when war broke out last month have been deported back to the war-torn strip after being expelled by the Israeli government.A Guardian reporter in Rafah, on the southern edge of the strip, saw a steady stream of men of all ages with no phones, money, or identity cards enter the territory on Friday morning via the Kerem Shalom crossing for commercial goods, having walked about 2km from the Israeli side of the border. Mada Masr, an independent Egyptian news outlet, said that about 3,200 people had been sent back through the checkpoint, which is controlled by Israel and Egypt. Continue reading...

Hassan Nasrallah praises Hamas's 7 October attack and says Hezbollah's operations increasing day by day

Politician told Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei to go back to Bahrain' during row last yearA Conservative MP has been found guilty of racially abusing an activist by telling him to go back to Bahrain" during a confrontation in central London.Bob Stewart, the MP for Beckenham in south-east London, also told Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei you're taking money off my country, go away" during an argument outside the Foreign Office's Lancaster House in Westminster. Continue reading...

Wilkinson family reportedly took 77m in dividends in decade before retailer's closure, including 9m since 2019

Exclusive: Relatives reveal landlord Clarion continued to demand rent four months after Mark Pearce's deathThe family of a vulnerable man who killed himself after the UK's largest social housing landlord, Clarion, failed to address neighbour noise have accused it of gross failings" and said his death has left them heartbroken.The sister and brother-in-law of Mark Pearce, 56, who took his life after his noise complaints were dismissed as whining" by the 1bn-a-year housing firm, accused Clarion of treating him as a number ... just someone who the rent was being paid for". Continue reading...

Murderer Jordan McSweeney succeeds in reducing minimum from 38 years to 33 yearsThe man convicted of the brutal sexually motivated murder" of the law graduate Zara Aleena has had his minimum term in prison cut after a successful appeal attempt.Jordan McSweeney, 29, pleaded guilty last year to the murder and sexual assault of Aleena in Ilford, east London, in the early hours as she was walking home. Continue reading...

Beachhead established on occupied side of river could allow Kyiv forces to reclaim more of Kherson region

The Channel Islands bore the brunt of a record-breaking storm, while a crash in the US involved 168 vehiclesIn the past couple of days, Storm Ciaran created quite a ruckus across southern parts of England, but caused more significant disruption to the Channel Islands.As Ciaran arrived on Wednesday night, the Channel Islands received the brunt of the storm with wind gusts just in excess of 100mph observed at Jersey airport. There were reports that a suspected tornado developed across Jersey during the early hours of the night, accompanied by hailstones the size of golf balls. Serious amounts of damage were inflicted on properties, with windows being blown in, roofs torn off of houses and debris damaging cars. Continue reading...

Investigation under way after at 32 people reported to have died in fire in Langarud, north of TehranLocal media in Iran says 32 people have died in a fire at a drug rehabilitation centre in the north of the country, up from an earlier count of 27.The death toll from the blaze at the centre in Langarud, a city in the northern Gilan province, was reported by the local ISNA news agency, quoting the province's deputy governor, Mohammad Jalai. Continue reading...

There will come a point where no job is needed', says Elon Musk, who predicts AI will be able to do everything'The most advanced technology companies will allow governments to vet their artificial intelligence tools for the first time, Rishi Sunak has announced, as Elon Musk warned the technology could eventually replace all human jobs.Companies including Meta, Google DeepMind and OpenAI have agreed to allow regulators to test their latest AI products before releasing them to the public, in a move that officials say will slow the race to develop systems that can compete with humans. Continue reading...

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Shouts of shame on you' after shareholder Chris Maxworthy's microphone cut off

Sigrid Kaag is latest high-profile female politician to quit, citing years of hate, intimidation and threats'Nearly two years after Sigrid Kaag was catapulted into the highest ranks of Dutch politics, police keep a constant watch over her home. Cameras sweep across the back of the property while every piece of mail sent to her is screened before she can open it.Most people would still have the tendency to say, Oh well, this is part and parcel of politics,'" said Kaag, the first deputy prime minister of the Netherlands. I don't accept that." Continue reading...

Centre-right party loses two seats in final tally and will need to rely on traditional partner Act as well as NZ First to form coalitionAfter weeks of political limbo, the final results of New Zealand's election have been released showing the centre-right National party will need the support of the libertarian Act party and populist party New Zealand First to form a coalition government.The governing Labour party was ejected from office after six years in the October election, with preliminary results handing a slim majority to National and its traditional coalition partner Act.Reuters contributed to this report

Pitchfork reports that hundreds of fans are sharing tents on a meticulously planned schedule to ensure they get the best spot when doors open next weekAfter a whirlwind excursion around the US that has generated billions of dollars in income and broken records for crowd size and seismic activity, Taylor Swift is taking her Eras tour to South America - and fans have reportedly been lining up for five months.In Buenos Aires, a cadre of Swifties has been sleeping in tents outside River Plate Stadium, where Swift is set to open her Latin American leg with three shows from 9-11 November. Continue reading...

US says move will undermine confidence in international arms control, amid concerns Moscow's nuclear threats are designed to deter Ukraine's alliesVladimir Putin has signed into law Russia withdrawing its ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, a step condemned by the US and the organisation that promotes adherence to the landmark arms control pact.The move, though expected, is evidence of the deep chill between the United States and Russia over the war in Ukraine, whose ties are at their lowest level since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis and what Moscow casts as Washington's attempts to stymie the emergence of a new multipolar world order. Continue reading...

Most of the Australians have been held in the Roj detention camp in north-east Syria for four years

Patients and relatives must be able to request second opinion from critical care team at any time of day or night, government toldPatients and their relatives will be able to request a second opinion from senior medics around the clock when the Martha's rule" system starts in hospitals in England.The government's patient safety commissioner, asked by the health secretary, Steve Barclay, to advise on how to implement the change, has said access to a medic's opinion must operate 24/7. Continue reading...

Although Tories claim curbing net inflow of migrants is critical issue for voters, poll shows attitudes have evolved significantlyA majority of the British public now hold positive views about the impact of immigration on the UK, despite intense political rhetoric surrounding the issue, according to an academic survey.The European Social Survey, which has sampled attitudes every two years since 2001, said British views on immigration and its economic and cultural impact had undergone a complete about-turn" over the past two decades, becoming significantly more favourable after 2016. Continue reading...

Opposition says there's no excuse' for further delays on the government reviving the ACCC flight monitoring regime

PM addressed the media from his AI summit at Bletchley ParkO'Connor asks Stevens if people tried to force him out of his job during Covid.Stevens says that is not what people were saying to him at the time. Continue reading...

Case studies created by Google Bard AI as part of submission to parliamentary inquiry proven to be factually incorrect

Fab Four are reunited on track that pieces together performances by the late John Lennon and George Harrison with fresh recordings by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr

Also dominating are Charlotte Regan's Scrapper and Andrew Haigh's All of Us Strangers, with the winners to be announced in DecemberRye Lane, the London-set romcom starring Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson, has emerged as the frontrunner in the British independent film awards (Bifa), hoovering up 16 nominations, including best British independent film, best director for Raine Allen-Miller, and best joint lead performance.Released in March after a successful premiere at the Sundance film festival, Rye Lane has attracted admiring reviews; the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw said it had amiable, upbeat energy", while Mark Kermode in the Observer wrote that the film would leave a smile on your face, a spring in your step". Named for the street in the south London district of Peckham, Rye Lane also attracted two nominations for Allen-Miller (best director and best debut director) as well as for its screenplay. Continue reading...

Police line road amid strictly controlled public tributes to premier once seen as antidote to authoritarian Xi JinpingHundreds of people have gathered near a state funeral home in China as former premier Li Keqiang was being laid to rest.Plainclothes and uniformed police lined the road leading to the funeral home, blocking traffic and telling people to move along while watching for the presence of unofficial or foreign media. Continue reading...

Patterson, who has denied any wrongdoing, was arrested on Thursday over the family lunch in the rural Australian town of Leongatha

Damning report finds state's blue card screening system creates unnecessary barriers to placing children with their families

PM says he hopes there's a retreat from rhetorical positions' on social issues, adding family violence is not confined to one section of the population'

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Large waves and winds of up to 85mph forecast for England's south coast with rain warnings in place and trains slowed or cancelledStorm Ciaran is forecast to bring a fresh bout of strong winds and heavy rain to the UK - with danger to life" amber weather warnings issued for Thursday.Two amber warnings, the second-highest level of alert, are in place for parts of the south coast of England on Thursday, with further yellow rain warnings, the lowest level, meaning some disruption could be on the way. Continue reading...

President Sisi has been criticised for allowing few refugees through, but housing large numbers would be a big political riskEgypt has been caught in a dilemma for weeks about opening the Rafah crossing into Gaza: wanting to help the most seriously injured Palestinians leave, but adamantly refusing to contemplate a surge of Palestinian refugees into the Sinai peninsula. We are prepared to sacrifice millions of lives to ensure that no one encroaches upon our territory," Egypt's prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, said earlier this week.The negotiations over the release of wounded Palestinians and some foreign nationals, largely overseen by Qatar, have been inextricably linked to the flow of aid from Egypt into Gaza over the same crossing. The US president, Joe Biden, negotiated a passage for aid through Rafah, but levels are low compared to what is needed. On Wednesday the UN humanitarian coordinator, Martin Griffiths, again called for Israel to reopen Kerem Shalom, the crossing it controls at the southern tip of Gaza. Continue reading...

AI-enhanced song released at 2pm GMT today, but Beatles experts are divided over how effectively it could capture the band's spiritGeorge Harrison originally disliked it; fans had long assumed it would never be released. But the final" song by the Beatles, Now and Then, is being released at 2pm GMT, an unexpected last flourish for arguably the UK's greatest band.It's a big moment," says Dr Holly Tessler of the University of Liverpool, who specialises in the Beatles' history and legacy. It's strange to think that a band that broke up more than 50 years ago is telling you that this is our last song ... in a way, Paul and Ringo, who are both in their 80s, are drawing a line. It's a very sweet moment I suspect for almost all Beatles fans; it feels like an ending. So I do think it's significant." Continue reading...

Ombudsman orders UK housing association Clarion to apologise to family in deeply distressing' caseA tenant killed himself after his landlord dismissed his pleas for help with a noisy neighbour as whining" and told him he could not expect silence if he lived in London.Clarion, the UK's largest housing association, had been warned by the vulnerable resident's doctor that the effect of noise from the upstairs flat on the tenant's mental health was such that he had already attempted suicide twice. Continue reading...

Adelaide family who escaped besieged enclave through Rafah as part of multinational deal say crossing border was nerve-wracking' and took several attempts

War moving into new attritional stage that will benefit Russia, says Ukraine commander-in-chief; Russia shells highest number of cities and settlements this year