World news | The Guardian

Israeli forces pushing towards southern city of Khan Younis and engaged in battles for key urban areas in the north

Reuters news agency says children are en route to Ukraine via Moscow, under deal brokered by Qatar

Guidance says any transgender woman with history of violence against females who is assessed as risk will not go to a women's prisonTransgender inmates with a history of violence against women will not be housed in female prisons in Scotland except in exceptional circumstances".The long-awaited Scottish Prison Service policy review was prompted by the public outcry after a newly convicted transgender woman, Isla Bryson - who committed two rapes while living as a man, Adam Graham - was initially sent to the women-only prison Cornton Vale in January for assessment. Continue reading...

Live music at grassroots level is no longer economically viable' says co-owner of the cherished gig venueOne of the UK's best-known grassroots music venues, where acts including Oasis, Radiohead, the Smiths and Ed Sheeran cut their teeth, is to close after 45 years, while the 26-year-old music festival Nozstock is also coming to an end - both due to pressures from the cost of living crisis.Moles, in Bath, has permanently closed its doors with immediate effect, and with all future events cancelled. Its co-owners said it had been a horrendous" decision that they were forced to make. Massively increased costs of stock, utilities and rent compounded by our customers also feeling the impact of the crisis has made it impossible to continue," said venue co-owner Tom Maddicott. Continue reading...

Nearly one in 10 patients are waiting longer than a year to be admitted, according to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Half of Shakespeare's plays would have been lost without it - and it is now among the most valuable in the world

NSW suspends vaccination requirements for shelters and boarding kennels until 31 January, but cats and kittens with uncertain history considered too high risk to accept

Major productions to be targeted after talks over wage rise break down between performers' union and peak producers body

The public service commission has created a new team to investigate serious misconduct allegations

Hundreds of staff could be out of work when the state's contract with ISS comes to an end, prompting calls for reform

Israel says it has raided Hamas military HQ, as UN humanitarian chief says an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold'

Pressure grows on US electric car company to grant collective bargaining rights to employeesDenmark's largest trade union has joined strike action by Swedish Tesla workers, piling pressure on the US electric car company to agree to collective bargaining rights for its employees.Members of the Swedish trade union IF Metall have been on strike for six weeks - attracting support across industries, including from postal workers, painters, electricians and dock workers who have all launched secondary action. Continue reading...

Band hope festival will be a prototype for an industry they says is not doing enough to reduce its environmental impactMassive Attack are planning a one-day festival that will be powered by 100% renewable energy and act as a prototype for the music industry, which they believe is woefully behind where it should be on issues of sustainability.Founding member Robert Del Naja said promoters already have the technology available to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of the sector. Continue reading...

Educational research group says rise is more to do with other countries' performances dropping

Scores of civilians die in one of country's deadliest military bombing accidentsA Nigerian army drone strike accidently killed at least 85 civilians in a village in north-west Kaduna State, emergency officials said, in one of the country's deadliest military bombing accidents.President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday ordered an investigation after the army acknowledged one of its drones accidently struck Tudun Biri village on Sunday as residents were celebrating a Muslim festival. Continue reading...

Rescuers find more bodies, after second eruption halted search for missing climbers on MondayRescuers searching the hazardous slopes of Indonesia's Mount Marapi volcano found more bodies among the climbers caught by a surprise eruption two days ago, raising the number of confirmed and presumed dead to 23.More than 50 climbers were rescued after the initial eruption on Sunday, and 11 others were initially confirmed dead. Another eruption on Monday spewed a new burst of hot ash as high as 800 metres (2,620ft) into the air and temporarily halted search operations. Continue reading...

Analogue advice given by PM alongside measures to better prepare UK for future pandemics, disasters and cyber-attacksPeople should stock up on battery-powered radios and torches, as well as candles and first aid kits in order to prepare for power cuts or digital communications going down, the deputy prime minister reportedly said.According to the Times, Oliver Dowden described the supplies as analogue capabilities that it makes sense to retain" in a digital age during a visit to Porton Down, the UK's military laboratory. Continue reading...

Representatives from three consultancy firms tell inquiry they were unable to inspect venues or speak to key stakeholders

In today's newsletter: Keir Starmer has praised the former prime minister, while Rachel Reeves promises to follow the chancellor's public spending plans. What does that tell us about what the next government will look like? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Is Keir Starmer a Thatcherite? That's the question Labour would like you to be asking yourself this week. Or maybe not you, precisely. By inserting a line of praise for the former prime minister in a Sunday Telegraph column - she sought to drag Britain out of its stupor by setting loose our natural entrepreneurialism", he said - Starmer is once again declaring where he intends to focus his party's energies ahead of the next election. A set of voters who supported the Conservatives in 2019 are still, it seems, making their minds up about Labour. If Starmer can convince that fabled demographic of his rectitude, the argument goes, he'll enter Downing Street with a majority.Quite how many undecided punters view the Thatcher years as a halcyon age is another matter. In any case, Starmer doubled down on that approach yesterday, in a speech at an event run by economics thinktank the Resolution Foundation. Anyone who expects an incoming Labour government to quickly turn on the spending taps is going to be disappointed," he said. And he warned that relying on spending to create growth is a habit the Labour party has had for a long time".Cybersecurity | The UK's most hazardous nuclear site, Sellafield, has been hacked into by cyber groups closely linked to Russia and China, the Guardian can reveal. The astonishing disclosure and its potential effects have been consistently covered up by senior staff at the vast nuclear waste and decommissioning site, the investigation has found.Immigration | James Cleverly has announced a package of measures designed to cut the number of migrant workers and their dependants entering the UK, making it far harder for employers to bring in overseas staff, including in the NHS and social care sector. The home secretary presented a five-point plan which he says will help reduce net migration by 300,000 a year.Cop28 | The president of Cop28 has been forced into a fierce defence of his views on climate science, after the Guardian revealed his comment that there was no science out there ... that says that the phase-out of fossil fuel is what's going to achieve 1.5C". Sultan Al Jaber said: I respect the science in everything I do."Contaminated blood scandal | Rishi Sunak suffered his first parliamentary defeat as MPs voted to establish a compensatory body for victims of the infected blood scandal. MPs voted 246 to 242 in favour of an amendment to the victims and prisoners bill that will require the government to set up a body to administer compensation within three months of the bill becoming law.Coronavirus | Boris Johnson asked spies to plan a raid" on a Dutch vaccine plant to obtain impounded" doses of AstraZenica's vaccine during the pandemic, it has been claimed. Ahead of the former prime minister's appearance at the Covid-19 inquiry, the Daily Mail reported that Johnson asked for military options" because he was enraged" at possible export restrictions within the EU. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed.A WARNING FOR READERS: this blog contains graphic details of allegations of sexual assault

Police cancelled request for paramedics when Jeffrey Winmar came to, but he collapsed again and later died from suspected cardiac arrest, coroner hears

Fahad Shah, whose case was a symbol of harassment of region's media, says he has different outlook after months behind barsDuring his more than 600 days behind bars, Fahad Shah, a Kashmiri journalist, had begun to lose hope that he would ever see freedom again. It was in February last year that Shah, 34, the editor of the Kashmir Walla, one of the last remaining independent news websites in the region, was arrested on charges of glorifying terrorism" and publishing anti-national content".What followed was a crushing 21 months for Shah as his high-profile case became a symbol of the growing harassment faced by Kashmiri journalists. He was granted bail in one case, only to be swiftly re-arrested and hit with new, more draconian charges. Continue reading...

Commission may be prepared to to give Budapest 10bn after leader threatens to derail EU plans to open accession talks with UkraineThe European Commission has been urged not to appease" Viktor Orban by unfreezing billions of euros for Budapest, as the Hungarian prime minister threatens to derail EU plans to open accession talks with Ukraine and grant Kyiv fresh aid.The Hungarian government's moves in recent years to undermine independent institutions, as well as concerns about corruption and alleged misuse of European funds, have led Brussels to withhold over 27bn (23bn) earmarked for Hungary. Continue reading...

Elon Musk and Barbie film also feature in list of 10 most popular jokes in contest run by TV channel GoldThe British Museum has barely been out of the headlines in 2023. First, there was the theft of 1,500 items from its collection and then it found itself in the middle of a diplomatic row over the Parthenon marbles.Now the institution's annus horribilis has been topped off by becoming the punchline in the year's most popular Christmas cracker joke.Did you hear about the Christmas cake on display in the British Museum? It was Stollen.Why is Elon Musk's Christmas dinner so awkward? He can't stop talking about his X.Why isn't Barbie having turkey for Christmas dinner this year? Chic-Ken is enough.Why aren't any schools allowed to put on a nativity this year? They couldn't find a stable building.What impact will the 20mph speed limit in Wales have on the charts this year? Chris Rea will be driving home for Easter.What happened to Mark Zuckerberg's novelty jumper when he had a cage fight with Elon Musk? He was left with nothing but Threads.What's the difference between The Polar Express and HS2? One's a fantasy about a train and the other's a film with Tom Hanks.What did Robert Oppenheimer get Barbie for Christmas? Atomic Kenergy.Why are the train drivers on the naughty list this year? Because they've already had three strikes!How does Margot Robbie decorate her Nativity scene? With thee wise Ken. Continue reading...

Lizzie Blandthorn accuses the federal government of not providing enough information, but Bill Shorten is quietly positive' reforms can be agreed

This blog is now closed. See our Full report here: Israel extends ground offensive into southern GazaA volunteer with the Palestinian Red Crescent has been killed in an Israeli strike on the al-Faluja neighbourhood north-east of Gaza City, the organisation has said on X.Osama Tayeh was killed at his home, the Red Crescent said, while employee Muhammad Abu Rukba was injured in the attack. Continue reading...

The animal escaped handlers during a rest stop in Ontario while being transported to a zoo in QuebecA kangaroo that escaped its handlers during transport to a new home has been captured east of Toronto after a weekend in the wild, but not before delivering a punch in the face to one of the police officers who brought her run to an end.The female kangaroo hopped over her handlers late on Thursday during a rest stop at the Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm in Ontario, the park's head keeper Cameron Preyde told CBC. Continue reading...

The new government recently announced it would dial back use of Mori language in government organisations, and scrap Mori Health AuthorityThousands of Mori protesters took to the streets across New Zealand on Tuesday morning, objecting to policies of the new government that Mori say will unravel decades of indigenous progress.Protesters blocked traffic on key roads and lined streets in towns and cities while calling for the coalition to scrap plans to review the Treaty of Waitangi, the country's 180-year-old founding document which was signed between the Crown and Mori leaders. Continue reading...

Tory MPs revolt in vote for amendment to victims and prisoners bill to establish compensatory bodyRishi Sunak has suffered a parliamentary defeat as MPs voted to establish a compensatory body for victims of the infected blood scandal.MPs voted 246 to 242 in favour of an amendment to the victims and prisoners bill that will require the government to set up a body to administer compensation within three months of the bill becoming law. Continue reading...

Sarah Burton, Jonathan Anderson and Valentino Garavani also among winners at one of industry's biggest nightsMore than 3,000 guests including Hollywood stars Anne Hathaway and Gwyneth Paltrow turned out for the 2023 Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Monday to celebrate one of the biggest nights in fashion.While the event serves as the main fundraiser for the British Fashion Council, a non-profit that promotes the British fashion industry internationally, it is also a chance to celebrate the industrythat employs nearly 900,000 people and contributes more than 21bn to the UK economy. Continue reading...

Binyamin Needham was born in England but moved with his family to Israel at the age of eightA 19-year-old British national has been killed while fighting for the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza.Binyamin Needham was one of two soldiers killed during an operation in the north of the territory on Sunday, according to a statement released by the IDF. Continue reading...

Staff at Oasis Academy on the Isle of Sheppey took industrial action demanding a clampdowon on unacceptable behaviourA deal has been struck between school staff and an academy where teachers have been striking over pupils' threats and violence.Staff at Oasis Academy, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, had been on strike for three days demanding a zero-tolerance approach to bad behaviour after months of concerns about safety. Continue reading...

Polish prime minister says we will strongly and unequivocally' demand restoration of permits in de-escalation of border trade blockadeIt is 2pm in Kyiv and here is a summary of today's events so far:Maj Gen Vladimir Zavadsky, the deputy commander of Russia's 14th Army Corps, has been confirmed killed in Ukraine, said the governor of Russia's Voronezh region, Alexander Gusev. He said Zavadsky had died at a combat post in the special operation zone", but further details have not been released.The US is running out of time and money to help Ukraine fight its war with Russia, say the White House. Its budget director, Shalanda Young, issued the warning in a letter to the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, and other congressional leaders on Monday.Ukraine's air force said it shot down 18 Russian drones and one missile. It also added that a cultural centre and a shop were hit in Kherson.Empty cargo trucks have crossed the border between Ukraine and Poland. In the first steps towards a de-escalation of a border blockade that has crippled Ukrainian trade. Estimates of the Ukrainian trade loss so far, exceed 400m ($440m). Processing of empty trucks began at the Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv checkpoint by customs services at 1am (Kyiv time), in accordance with an agreement between Kyiv and Warsaw announced on Monday.Ukraine's forces attacked an oil depot in Russia-controlled Luhansk on Sunday night using combat drones. A fire that broke out after the attack was extinguished and there was no information about casualties.Russia are opening new fronts in the battle for Avdiivka, say Ukrainian officials, who have accused Russian forces of assaulting the industrial town in the eastern Donetsk region from two new directions.The Hungarian carrier Wizz Air has restarted inbound flights to Chisinau, Moldova, in eastern Europe, having suspended flights to the country in March due to tensions linked to Russia's war with Ukraine. Continue reading...

Travellers advised to cancel journeys as heavy snow brings much of country's rail network to a haltDecades of underinvestment in the German railways have been blamed for chaos in parts of the country after heavy snow led to much of the network grinding to a halt.Snowfall of up to half a metre in Bavaria, southern Germany, led to numerous breakdowns and prompted the cancellation of scores of trains, with signalling systems and electronic information boards frequently malfunctioning. Continue reading...

Residents of Vastogirardi, Molise region, had suspected neighbourly vendetta or mafia-style intimidationIn a mystery that would befit the Sicilian sleuth Inspector Montalbano, police in a mountain village in southern Italy have finally identified the culprit behind a series of slashed tyres.The transgressor first struck in July, targeting cars parked close to the fortified historic centre of Vastogirardi, a village in the Molise region that is home to about 600 residents. Continue reading...

Gen Z slang for charm or attractiveness sees off Swiftie', situationship' and prompt' in judges' decisionDo women twirl their hair when they're around you? Do men laugh loudly at your jokes? Have you noticed you're particularly good at chatting people up? Then you've got rizz.If you're unfamiliar with the word then get to know it, because rizz" has been named as the word of the year by Oxford University Press (OUP), the world's second oldest academic press and the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary. Continue reading...

Dan Harrison, who had escaped from a psychiatric ward when he killed Kim Harrison, also read out poetry via video linkA man who killed his father an hour after absconding from a psychiatric ward has read out poetry at an inquest into the death, paying tribute and expressing regret for what he did.In a highly unusual move, Dan Harrison appeared via video link from the unit where he is being treated at the inquest of his father, the renowned chest consultant Kim Harrison. Continue reading...

Yellow warning in place for ice across north of England and snow warnings for parts of Scotland, Wales and Peak DistrictDrivers have been warned they face very treacherous" icy conditions in parts of the UK on Monday after another night of sub-zero temperatures.A yellow weather warning for ice by the Met Office is in place across much of the north of England until noon on Monday, with further warnings for snow covering eastern Scotland, high ground in Wales and the Peak District until the same time. Continue reading...

Human Rights Watch says country's air pollution is dangerously high but there is little public criticismThe United Arab Emirates' vast fossil fuel production is contributing to dangerously high air pollution levels, creating health risks for its people and migrant workers in addition to heating the planet, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.HRW analysis of data from 30 government ground monitoring stations in September 2023 found that average levels of PM2.5 (very small toxic particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and easily enter the bloodstream) were almost three times the daily recommended levels under the World Health Organization's air quality guidelines. Continue reading...

Campaigner claims ministers do not have legal right to alter timeline of carbon budget pledges at willChris Packham has filed a high court legal challenge to the UK government over its decision to weaken key climate policies.The broadcaster and environmental campaigner has applied for a judicial review of the government's decision to ditch the timetable for phasing out petrol and diesel powered cars and vans, gas boilers, off-grid fossil fuel domestic heating and minimum energy ratings for homes. Continue reading...

UK's maths scores predicted to drop after a jump last time, with a less severe decline in EnglishUK scores in tests that compare educational attainment among 15-year-olds around the world are likely to fall when they are published this week, after the disruption that Covid caused to learning.The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will publish the results of its latest programme for international student assessment (Pisa) on Tuesday, a year later than expected due to the pandemic. Continue reading...

Contenders yet to unite around a single figure who could challenge incumbent Felix TshisekediAfrica's fourth most populous country, the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo, goes to the polls in three weeks' time with a civil war raging, two international peacekeeping forces starting to depart and an EU electoral observers' mission quitting after the government refused to let them use their own satellite phones.In a country with a history of stolen elections, the chances of preventing the incumbent president, Felix Tshisekedi, from securing a second five-year term turn on the ability of the diverse opposition to unite around a single credible candidate. Continue reading...

Exclusive: children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland found watching or sharing the most abhorrent' images, Guardian investigation revealsSeveral thousand young people are being caught each year sharing or watching indecent images of children - including child abuse material - a Guardian investigation has revealed.Figures obtained through freedom of information (FoI) requests to police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland show that in some regions the majority of people identified by police as watching or sharing indecent images of children are under 18.

Report by Resolution Foundation and LSE calls for economic strategy rethink after 15 years of relative declineBritish workers are missing out on 10,700 a year after more than a decade of weak economic growth and high inequality, according to a major report warning that UK living standards are falling behind comparable rich nations.In a damning report on the economy, the Resolution Foundation and the London School of Economics' Centre for Economic Performance called for an urgent rethink of economic strategy after 15 years of relative decline. Continue reading...

Sian and Jeffrey Edwards regarded shell as old friend' after being told it had sat in courtyard for more than a centuryA couple who kept a live bomb as a garden ornament have said they were sorry that their old friend" had been detonated by a disposal unit.The missile, which had been outside the home of Sian and Jeffrey Edwards, is thought to date back to the late 19th century. Continue reading...

Efficiencies and savings have been made at the broadcaster after the government froze its fundingThe prime minister has said that cuts at the BBC are welcome" and that it is appropriate for the corporation to make savings when things are difficult.It comes amid reports that ministers are planning further curbs on the licence fee which has been frozen for two years. Continue reading...

Drama of grief and new romance starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal wins seven awards, while Mia McKenna Bruce wins best lead performance for How to Have SexAll of Us Strangers, Andrew Haigh's revolutionary romance starring Andrew Scott as a screenwriter grappling with the death of his parents when he was a child, has taken best picture, best director and best screenplay at the British Independent Film Awards.The film had already taken four prizes at the craft division of the Bifas last month, for editing, cinematography, music supervision and screenplay; it added three more at the ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London on Sunday. As well as the wins for Haigh, Paul Mescal took best supporting actor for his performance as a younger man who begins a relationship with Scott's character. Continue reading...

Company is expected to face further scrutiny over its debt when it publishes its results on TuesdayThe parent company of Thames Water has been warned by its auditors that it could run out of money by April if shareholders do not inject more cash into the debt-laden firm.In accounts signed off in July and published on the Companies House website last week, PricewaterhouseCoopers said there was material uncertainty" about whether the main company behind the water supplier can continue as a going concern. Continue reading...

Social workers scrambling to find places for children after net loss of 1,000 foster families in past yearChild protection experts have called for an urgent nationwide hunt for thousands of new foster carers after a net loss of 1,000 families in the past year and a record number of children being placed far from home.Social workers have described scrambling to find friends and family to take children in urgent need of safety, and reported that children are sometimes placed in hotels. Continue reading...

CEO of University Hospitals Sussex urges staff to have courage to raise concerns, despite whistleblowers previously being sackedThe boss of a hospital trust being investigated by police for alleged negligence over 40 patient deaths has been accused of sending a hypocritical email urging staff to have the courage to raise concerns despite the dismissal of whistleblowing doctors.Last week the Guardian revealed that the University Hospitals Sussex trust is under pressure to suspend surgeons whose cases are being reviewed by Sussex police in an investigation that involves more than 100 patients who either died or were seriously harmed between 2015 and 2021. Continue reading...