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Far-right president says not opportune' for Argentina - which had been set to become a member on 1 January - to be part of allianceArgentina has formally announced that it will not join the Brics bloc of developing economies, the latest in a dramatic shift in foreign and economic policy by Argentina's new far-right populist president, Javier Milei.In a letter addressed to the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - all members of the alliance - Milei said the moment was not opportune" for Argentina to join as a full member. The letter was dated a week ago, 22 December, but released by the Argentinian government on Friday, the last working day of 2023. Continue reading...

Bury North MP James Daly makes remark while outlining what New Conservatives group stands forA Conservative MP has claimed most children who struggle in his constituency are the products of crap parents".James Daly, the MP for Bury North, was outlining what the New Conservatives group of MPs stood for when he presented his perspective on how important a family unit is in giving children stability". Continue reading...

At least 30 civilians killed in Ukraine as Moscow mounts one of its biggest attacks since start of war

While a handful of politicians have openly discussed the stresses of their job, the scale of the problem appears far greaterIt was a year after they were made a minister when the MP had the second breakdown of their political career, and realised they simply had no idea what to do next: I was so terrified. I didn't know who to talk to. There didn't seem to be anybody I could trust.A family member told me to take time off. But as a minister if you were to say you needed time off sick, the whips would go, Yeah, fine. We'll get someone else to do your job.' It's often easier to keep your head down and pretend." Continue reading...

Artist says Tony Allen's surly stewards ended up as the most talked about part of his 2015 bemusement park'Banksy has paid tribute to a late comedian who trained 100 teenagers to be the most surly and incompetent employees in the history of hospitality" for his 2015 Dismaland exhibition.In a rare step, the reclusive graffiti artist has written a piece recalling his time with the comedian Tony Allen, which was read on BBC Radio 4's obituary programme, Last Word, on Friday. Continue reading...

Broadcaster expected to use Freedom of Information Act to stop full disclosure, tribunal toldThe BBC is expected to redact some of the almost 3,000 emails it must release about its handling of the Martin Bashir scandal, a tribunal has heard.A judge told the broadcaster to hand over the material earlier this month, two-and-a-half years after the journalist Andrew Webb used freedom of information (FoI) laws to ask to see it. Continue reading...

New Year's Eve revellers told to prepare for near-freezing conditions as parts of UK recover from Storm GerritGusts of up to 75mph (120km/h) are expected to batter the coasts of southern England and Wales this weekend as other parts of the UK continue to recover from the ravages of Storm Gerrit.The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for high winds in the south-east, south-west, East Anglia and Wales from 11am on Saturday until 3am on Sunday, New Year's Eve. Continue reading...

Governor among many Republicans to decry decision while Democrats and experts praise correct interpretation of clause

Poland's defence chief says unidentified object entered airspace on Friday then disappeared from radar

UK government plans to double number of offenders on devices aimed at reducing alcohol-driven crimeThe number of offenders being fitted with sobriety tags" that can tell probation officers if they have been drinking and potentially land them back in jail has increased by more than 47% this Christmas, government figures show.There were about 2,800 people in England and Wales wearing the tags this year compared with 1,900 last year after the government said it would increase use of the devices aimed at reducing alcohol-fuelled crime. Continue reading...

The 22-year-old says his probation conditions meant he was under surveillance and could not workOne of the youngest people to be jailed under Hong Kong's national security law has fled to the UK, where he claimed asylum in the early hours of Thursday morning.Tony Chung, 22, was released from prison in June but was required to meet regularly with Hong Kong's national security police and abide by certain conditions, which included not leaving the territory without authorisation before June 2024. Continue reading...

Health Security Agency confirms 30 cases across England and Scotland in patients aged seven to 81A person has died in Scotland after falling ill with E coli, in what appears to be the first fatality linked to an outbreak that has affected at least 30 people.The UK Health Security Agency said the death has been associated with this outbreak" and added later that it occurred in Scotland, but was unable to provide more information about the case. Continue reading...

Michelin-starred Aurelien Largeau, who ran restaurant at Hotel du Palais in Biarritz, says reports of incident are false and defamatory'A Michelin-starred chef has left his job at a French luxury hotel after an alleged hazing ritual in which a member of kitchen staff was reportedly tied up naked and humiliated.The public prosecutor has opened an investigation for sexual assault and violence into the incident earlier this month. Continue reading...

Appointment comes two months after Li Shangfu was ousted from the role amid corruption allegationsChina has announced the appointment of a new defence minister, two months after the previous office holder Li Shangfu was stripped from his position without explanation.The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress - China's de facto legislature - announced on Friday that Dong Jun, 62, would be the new defence minister. Dong was most recently the chief of China's navy. Continue reading...

Labour accuses government of holding back data on use of official alcohol stock between March 2020 and 2022Ministers have been asked to explain why a report on the UK government's consumption of wine during the Covid pandemic has been delayed four times over the last year.Labour said the Foreign Office, which holds the government's wine collection, should publish the data on its stocks for 2020 to 2022 immediately, as the delay was causing suspicion about how much had been used. Continue reading...

Thoughts and prayers' for family of Christian Marriott who was killed while giving first aid to a womanA man who died when a car was driven into a crowd as he tried to help a stranger was much loved and will be remembered for helping others, his church has said.Police have described Christian Marriott, 46, as a Good Samaritan" who died after stepping in to help a stranger in their time of need". Continue reading...

Albina Yevko, 14, fled Ukraine for Dawlish and died after falling from barrier maintained by Network RailThe family and friends of a Ukrainian teenager who fled the war in her home country only to die after falling from a sea wall on the south-west coast of England have criticised rail chiefs for failing to fit the barrier with protective measures.Albina Yevko, 14, died in hospital after being airlifted from the beach in Dawlish, Devon, where she was found unconscious and with multiple injuries. Continue reading...

Turkey also affected by fog, with 10 killed and 57 injured in serious road crash involving three busesDuring the Christmas period, parts of South America experienced intense showers and thunderstorms, resulting in substantial rainfall in various regions. On Monday, more than 100mm of rain fell in the Catamarca province in Argentina, which led to flash floods. A sudden surge in river water levels then caused the collapse of a pedestrian bridge, which was the only link between the towns of Rincon and Poman. While many other roads in the region were damaged and houses were flooded, no casualties were reported.The unique topography of Catamarca aided the formation of a near-stationary convective shower over Poman, unleashing several hours of torrential rain and causing catastrophic flooding. Continue reading...

The Great Western Highway is closed in both directions and is expected to remain a crime scene for some timeTwo people are dead and more than a dozen have been injured in a multi-vehicle crash west of the Blue Mountains in NSW.Emergency services were called to the scene of the five-car crash on the Great Western Highway at Wallerawang, 15km north of Lithgow, just before 1pm. Continue reading...

Property market weak, says Nationwide, which expects prices to remain flat or drop slightly in 2024

Some also noted rise in Islamophobia, as Muslim and Jewish charities condemn hateThe number of antisemitic hate crimes recorded by many of the UK's largest police forces jumped sharply in the weeks after the outbreak of the Gaza-Israel conflict, figures reveal.Islamophobic offences also rose for some forces, although the overall picture was more mixed across the country. Continue reading...

Bank of England forecast to make as many as four interest rate cuts in 2024, which will slash returnsIf Christmas hasn't cleaned you out financially, now could be the last chance to grab one of the UK's highest-paying fixed-rate savings accounts.With the money markets convinced that interest rates are heading on a downward trajectory, the smart savings cash is heading for a fixed-rate bond - while rates above 5% are still available. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Doctors, psychologists and campaigners say the diabetes drugs are not appropriate for everyoneThere may be huge pressure to lose weight in the new year after a season of overindulgence, but experts have warned against purchasing slimming jabs to shed the festive pounds.The diabetes drugs have shot to fame after it was found they can help people lose weight by mimicking hormones that make you feel full after eating. But while they have been hailed as an important tool in tackling obesity, their popularity - fuelled by celebrity endorsements - has also led to concerns. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: Homelessness as a lifestyle choice, extreme sex ed and Rishi Seven Bins' Sunak - we round up the best of 2023's culture war chaos Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. If the season of confected fights over phantom Christmas-haters isn't the right time of year to reflect on the impact of the culture wars, I don't know when is. In 2023, as the Conservative party ran out of ideas, voters and halfway plausible candidates to replace the latest prime minister, they naturally intensified their interest in the next best thing: picking weird symbolic fights about nothing anyone really cares about that might garner a bit of coverage in the Daily Mail.You have probably lost track of these, what with everything else. Today's newsletter therefore brings you a seasonal review of 2023's most risible political pantomimes, and at the end, you can gratefully say that it's behind you. Here are the headlines. Continue reading...

Report set out radical measures' to reduce numbers arriving, including setting up holding camps on Scottish island of MullSending asylum seekers to holding camps on the Scottish island of Mull and removing them to safe havens" in third-party countries such as Turkey, South Africa and Kenya, was among the nuclear options" considered by Tony Blair's government, documents reveal.Twenty years before the Conservative government's Rwanda plan, big bang" solutions were discussed after Blair expressed frustration that ever tougher controls" in northern France had failed, and demanded we must search out even more radical measures" to tackle the growing number of asylum claims, which had reached 8,800 in October 2002. Continue reading...

Government papers released to National Archives show animosity between broadcaster and No 10 in early 2000sThe former No 10 spin doctor Alastair Campbell suggested setting lawyers on the BBC, while Tony Blair was warned to expect a magisterial rebuke" from senior figures at the broadcaster, as the row over its coverage of the war in Iraq intensified in the early 2000s, government papers show.The Cabinet Office files, placed in the National Archives on Friday, illustrate the extent of the animosity between Blair's No 10 and the BBC. Continue reading...

The Politics Weekly America team are taking a break. So this week, we're looking back at one of our favourite episodes of the year.From August: Jonathan Freedland sits down with Rev Al Sharpton to discuss why he believes Martin Luther King Jr's I have a dream' speech has been abused by some on the right, why he is still fighting for police reform, and how James Brown was so influential on his lifeArchive: City News, ABC News, MSNBC, NBC News Continue reading...

Exclusive: Nicole Jacobs says policy flies in the face of ministers' claims to take domestic violence seriouslyAbusive men in England and Wales will walk free from court under a new sentencing policy that flies in the face of ministers' claims to take domestic violence seriously, an independent government watchdog has said.Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, said ministers had not done enough to protect women from a decision to lift the pressures on overcrowded prisons by scrapping short prison sentences. Continue reading...

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Surging consumption comes despite very sleepy period' for electricity use, energy expert says

Bulk carrier hit by Russian mine in Black Sea; Zelenskiy thanks US for latest weapons package amid uncertainty over future aid Continue reading...

Then PM was advised to encourage' British Museum to agree long-term loan in return for Greek supportTony Blair considered a long-term loan" of the Parthenon marbles to Greece in the hope of support for a London 2012 Olympic Games bid, newly released documents reveal.Twenty years before Rishi Sunak cancelled a meeting with the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, over the ownership question of the sculptures, Greece was lobbying Blair, the then prime minister, for a long-term loan, bypassing the issue of ownership. Continue reading...

Antonia Hay has had multiple surgeries following infection her father believes came from food stall in BuckinghamshireA 17-year-old student has been in intensive care for two weeks after she caught a strain of E coli.Antonia Hay, who has had to undergo multiple surgeries, is believed to have caught the bacterial infection from food at a Christmas market in November. Continue reading...

Artyom Kamardin, 33, got seven years after attending anti-Ukraine war protest and Yegor Shtovba, 23, was given five and a halfA Moscow court on Thursday sentenced two men to years in prison for taking part in the recital of verses against the Ukraine campaign during an anti-mobilisation protest last year.Artyom Kamardin, 33, received a seven-year sentence for reciting a poem, and Yegor Shtovba, 23, was sentenced to five and a half years for attending the protest. The two were seen behind a glass partition in a heavily guarded courtroom. Continue reading...

James Bond star in hot water for stepping out of bounds at hot springs area in US national park - and must appear in courtPierce Brosnan, whose fictitious movie character James Bond has been in hot water plenty of times, is now facing heat in real life, charged with stepping out of bounds in a thermal area during a recent visit to Yellowstone national park.Brosnan walked in an off-limits area at Mammoth Terraces, in the northern part of Yellowstone near the Wyoming-Montana border, on 1 November, according to two federal citations issued this week. Continue reading...

South Yorkshire police say 46-year-old father-of-two died after coming to aid of a stranger during disturbanceA father-of-two who died after a car was driven into a crowd of people during a disturbance in Sheffield was a Good Samaritan" who was trying to help a stranger, police said.South Yorkshire police named the 46-year-old man who died in the incident in College Close, in the Burngreave area of the city, as Christian Marriott. Continue reading...

Time marker' legislation means Indigenous peoples can only lay claim to lands they occupied in 1988, invalidating scores of claimsA controversial law curtailing Indigenous rights in Brazil has come into force, marking a victory for the powerful agribusiness caucus in congress.The new legislation upholds the so-called time marker" theory (marco temporal), which establishes that Indigenous peoples can only lay claim to land they physically occupied as of October 1988, when the current constitution was promulgated. Continue reading...

Exclusive: lack of resources to treat people whose ill health is often worsened by poverty is taking a heavy toll on medics' wellbeingTwo in three UK doctors are suffering moral distress" caused by the enfeebled state of the NHS and the damage the cost of living crisis is inflicting on patients' health, research has found.Large numbers are ending up psychologically damaged by feeling they cannot give patients the best possible care because of problems they cannot overcome, such as long waits for treatment or lack of drugs or the fact that poverty or bad housing is making them ill.72% of doctors said being unhappy at work had affected their mental health;85% had ended up with fatigue, 77% with worry and 61% feeling sadness;61% felt angry or resentful because of their moral distress. Continue reading...

Nicolas Maduro orders defensive' manoeuvres as British Navy deploys vessel in territorial disputeVenezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has ordered more than 5,600 military personnel to participate in defensive" exercises, after the UK deployed a warship to waters off the coast of Guyana in a show of support for the former British colony.Maduro said he was launching an action of a defensive nature in response to the provocation and threat of the UK against peace and the sovereignty of our country". Continue reading...

4x4 got into deep water in River Esk in North York Moors as severe floods and high winds hit parts of the UKThree men have died after their 4x4 became submerged in the River Esk in the North York Moors amid ferocious weather and severe flooding across parts of the UK on Thursday.Emergency services, including air support, were called shortly before noon to reports of the men becoming trapped in deep water. Police said the vehicle was recovered at about 3pm. Continue reading...

Czech police say student who killed 14 people left letter in which he appeared to confess to murders days before mass shootingThe gunman who killed 14 people at a university in Prague appears to have also confessed to killing a two-month-old baby and her father days before the mass shooting, police in the Czech Republic have said.Last week the 24-year-old student, named by local media as David Kozak, opened fire inside Charles University in the heart of historic Prague, killing 14 people and injuring more than 20. Continue reading...

About 39kg of the drug was found by a fisherman on Tuesday, before a similar amount was discovered in Newcastle

Party says American-style sweetshops - some under investigation for tax evasion - are ripping off publicA Labour government will launch a crackdown on dodgy" candy stores if it wins the next election, as part of plans to revitalise Britain's high streets.There are more than 20 of the US-themed sweet stores on Oxford Street, London, alone. Many of them appeared during lockdown as high-street stalwarts closed down and landlords faced the prospect of long-term empty shops. Continue reading...

Worries mount for desperate civilians as Israel expands its operations in the southern half of territory

In a nod to his green campaigning, the living tree can be replanted after broadcast and has sustainable decorationsKing Charles's Christmas message this year is to be delivered from a Buckingham Palace room decorated with a replantable Christmas tree.An image of the monarch released by the palace shows him standing in front of the living tree, which is kept in a pot and can be used again next year. Continue reading...

The airport hopes for a bumper 2024 - but are its new owners happy about the fading prospects for a third runway?Are the good times coming back for Heathrow? The next 12 months may define a fresh era: new ownership, a new chief executive and a line apparently drawn under the Covid-induced slump. Now, the London airport believes, 2024 will bring record passenger numbers.Aviation does have a track record in proving the forecasters wrong. Exactly 10 years ago, Heathrow's bosses and shareholders would surely have looked forward to a visit from the ghost of Christmas yet to come. The government-appointed Airports Commission's interim report had just landed, declaring that London needed a new runway and - save a delay for political expediency - all but coming out for Heathrow. Continue reading...

Political leaders also thank emergency services workers in annual Christmas messagesAnthony Albanese has used his annual Christmas message to pay tribute to flood-affected residents in northern Queensland while expressing gratitude to medical and hospitality workers.The prime minister issued a short video message to the nation on Christmas Eve, wishing Australians well over the holiday period and paying particular tribute to defence force personnel. Continue reading...

Tenants are often thrown out and their possessions stolen in the most brutal of robberies'Landlords are illegally evicting tenants in greater numbers and with almost no fear of repercussions, as figures show that less than 1% of those evictions leads to a conviction.Research by the housing charity Safer Renting found that 8,748 cases involving the practice were logged in 2022, a record high and 12% more than the 7,778 cases recorded the year before. Continue reading...

It doesn't have to be this way': Britain's transport networks again grind to a halt during festive periodThere was a familiar sense of misery for many travellers in the week before Christmas as hundreds of trains were cancelled, motorways were closed and ferry passengers queued for miles waiting to board their ships.But it doesn't have to be this way, transport campaigners say, as politicians and transport bosses have the power to ease some of the problems facing travellers. Continue reading...

Red-Tabara group claims responsibility for assault in Vugizo that killed 12 children, three women and five menAn attack by rebels in western Burundi has killed 20 people, all but one of them civilians, the central African country's government has said.The attack was claimed by the Red-Tabara rebel group, which in its own statement said it had killed 10 members of the security forces. The attack occurred on Friday evening in the town of Vugizo, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the rebels have a base. Continue reading...