The striker’s winner resuscitated Australia’s World Cup campaign – and his gesture to son Jaxson symbolised his personal sacrificeMitchell Duke knew he was going to score against Tunisia. He’d told his family as much before the game, and also let his coach know he would soon join the small group of Socceroos to score at a World Cup. Just to be sure, he did some prep work with his son, Jaxson, teaching him how to make a letter J with his fingers.When the striker fulfilled his prophecy on Saturday, netting the winner to resuscitate Australia’s campaign, he turned to where his family sat in the Al Janoub Stadium stands and made the J sign they had practised. He didn’t know it at the time but Jaxson, who was wearing his dad’s No 15 jersey, made the same signal right back. Continue reading...
Met police investigating whether two killings, believed to have happened at about same time, are linkedTwo 16-year-old boys have died after being stabbed a mile apart from each other on the same afternoon, police said.The teenagers were attacked in Sewell Road, Abbey Wood, and Titmuss Avenue in Thamesmead, south-east London. Continue reading...
Liam Smith’s family said he was ‘the most devoted dad, much-loved son, brother, grandson and uncle’Grieving relatives have paid tribute to a man who was found on a street with a “potentially hazardous” substance on his body.Liam Smith’s body was discovered on a residential street at about 7pm on Thursday in Shevington, a suburb of Wigan, Greater Manchester. Continue reading...
by Chaminda Jayanetti and Mark Townsend on (#667VZ)
Analysis by the Observer raises questions over whether policing is fit for purpose and will put more pressure on the home secretary• Read more: ‘In Gloucester, young boys are carrying weapons’Half the English police forces inspected since last year are failing to meet required standards at investigating crime, according to analysis by the Observer that raises questions over whether policing is fit for purpose.The findings will pile renewed pressure on the home secretary, Suella Braverman, who has told police leaders she “expects” them to cut crimes including murder by 20%, without detailing how, as part of her “back to basics approach”. Continue reading...
by Jedidajah Otte (now) and Adam Fulton (earlier) on (#667GB)
Ukraine’s president calls on local government officials to do more as power cuts leave population vulnerable to the elementsMy colleague Charlotte Higgins has written a feature on how Ukrainian artists have been weaponising their work to mount a cultural resistance, in defiance of Putin’s plan to eradicate Ukraine’s sense of identity and history.The head of Ukraine’s presidential administration said on Saturday that Russia would answer for a Soviet-era famine that left millions of Ukrainians dead during the winter of 1932-33. Continue reading...
Yusuf Ahmed died after a tonsil infection spread to his lungs and caused multiple organ failureA hospital trust in South Yorkshire has opened an investigation after the family of a five-year-old said he died after being turned away by doctors because there were no available beds.Yusuf Ahmed died on Monday after a tonsil infection had spread to his lungs and caused multiple organ failure. The boy had been taken to Rotherham general hospital by his uncle Zaheer Ahmed on 14 November with complaints of a sore throat. He had been prescribed antibiotics the previous day by his GP, but his condition had not improved. Continue reading...
Long-time presenter will share her thoughts on the Queen’s funeral in BBC festive schedule highlightThe turntables will be turned on Kirsty Young this Christmas Day, the BBC has revealed, when the former Desert Island Discs presenter is to be asked to choose eight of her favourite pieces of music as a castaway on the famous show.Young, who has marooned almost 500 other guests on the fictional island in her time, revealed this weekend that she found it strange to be at the other end of the famous Radio 4 format: “It was a slightly discombobulating and thoroughly enjoyable experience,” she said, adding: “Although making anyone narrow down their favourite discs to just eight is frankly unreasonable. It’ll never catch on.” Continue reading...
Exclusive: Linda Francois, whose son Jaden Francois-Esprit was bullied in Wembley, says culture must changeThe mother of a firefighter whose death triggered a review into the culture at the London fire brigade, has welcomed the findings of a damning report.However, Linda Francois, whose son Jaden Francois-Esprit killed himself in August 2020, said that much remained to be done and making real changes in the workplace for people like her son was what really mattered.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or by email at jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...
by Paul Lashmar and Jonathan Smith in Barbados on (#667T3)
Richard Drax reported to have visited Caribbean island for meeting on next steps, including plans for former sugar plantationThe government of Barbados is considering plans to make a wealthy Conservative MP the first individual to pay reparations for his ancestor’s pivotal role in slavery.The Observer understands that Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, recently travelled to the Caribbean island for a private meeting with the country’s prime minister, Mia Mottley. A report is now before Mottley’s cabinet laying out the next steps, which include legal action in the event that no agreement is reached with Drax. Continue reading...
Island near Naples was engulfed by heavy rain, causing a landslide that flooded homes and swept away carsA woman has died and 10 people are missing after a severe storm triggered a landslide on the Italian island of Ischia.The island, in the Gulf of Naples, was engulfed by heavy rain overnight, with the landslide hitting the hamlet of Casamicciola Terme early on Saturday morning, flooding homes and sweeping away several cars. Continue reading...
Sulav Khadka was interrogated and held in custody despite providing proof of his place and financesAn international student who flew to the UK to take up a university scholarship was detained at the border and held in custody for 12 days after being unable to answer detailed questions about his course.Sulav Khadka said he felt as though he had been “treated like a criminal” by Border Force officers who accused him of being a fake student after he landed at Manchester airport in October. The 23-year-old, from Nepal, had a valid visa, proof of his university place and paperwork showing he had paid his first year’s fees in full. But, on arrival in the UK, he was interrogated about intricate details of his course, including being asked to list the titles of the six modules he would be studying. Continue reading...
Aboubacarr Drammeh says his wife Fatoumatta Hydara and two young children were set for a new lifeA man whose wife and two young daughters died in a fire in Nottingham had plans to relocate to America.Aboubacarr Drammeh, who turned 40 on Wednesday, paid tribute to his wife of eight years, Fatoumatta Hydara, and their daughters, Fatimah and Naeemah Drammeh, in a statement. Continue reading...
Home Office says follow-up PCR test was positive and they are offering vaccinations to people at the Kent facilityA man’s death at the Manston asylum centre may have been caused by a diphtheria infection, the Home Office has said.Initial tests at a hospital near the centre in Kent, which has struggled with overcrowding and outbreaks of disease, came back negative – but a follow-up PCR test was positive. Continue reading...
Fans believe the Samurai Blue are part of wave of teams changing the face of football after defeat of GermanyAfter Japan’s stunning victory over Germany in their opening match of the Qatar World Cup, fans of the Samurai Blue are daring to dream their team could reach the quarter-finals for the first time.Their remarkable comeback last week has electrified Japan, where hardcore and casual fans alike stayed up until midnight to watch their victory over the four-time world champions. Continue reading...
Naples prefect says deaths yet to be confirmed and no bodies had been recovered after severe storm in Gulf of NaplesA number of people were feared dead with several missing, including a newborn child, after a severe storm triggered a landslide on the Italian island of Ischia.The island, in the Gulf of Naples, was engulfed by heavy rain overnight, with the landslide hitting the hamlet of Casamicciola Terme early on Saturday morning, flooding homes and sweeping away several cars. Continue reading...
RMT boss, Mick Lynch, hailed ‘historic result’ after cleaner members of the union vote in favour of actionCleaners will become the latest set of rail staff to strike over pay, after more than 1,000 who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) voted in support of taking industrial action.The RMT is asking for pay to rise to £15 an hour with improved pensions, company sick pay and holiday entitlement from private contractors including Churchill, Atalian Servest and Mitie. Continue reading...
Former DUP leader said it was ‘entirely responsible’ to support farmers who could lose out under post-Brexit subsidy rulesThe former leader of the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) has defended an attempt to water down the Northern Ireland protocol bill to make it more beneficial for farmers.Edwin Poots, who led the party for a month in 2021, wrote to the UK government in July last year saying the proposed bill would mean farmers in Northern Ireland would be subject to the same subsidy rules as the rest of the UK. Continue reading...
South Korea’s prosecutor says 78-year-old is accused of improperly touching a woman’s body in 2017The Squid Game actor O Yeong-su has been charged with sexual misconduct, South Korea’s prosecutor said.The 78-year-old in January became the first South Korean to win a Golden Globe award for best supporting actor in a series for his performance as a seemingly vulnerable old man in the mega-hit Netflix dystopian thriller. Continue reading...
China issue sidelined in local votes that will shed light on the major parties’ fortunes ahead of the 2024 presidential electionVoters headed to the polls across Taiwan on Saturday in a closely watched local election that will determine the strength of the major political parties ahead of the 2024 presidential election.Taiwanese citizens are picking their mayors, city council members and other local leaders in all 13 counties and the six major cities. There’s also a referendum to lower the voting age from 20 to 18. Continue reading...
Chamonix pledges to slow lifts during less busy times, and Val Thorens will reduce heating levels in buildings and limit use of snow cannonsSki resort managers in the French Alps are scrambling to find ways to conserve energy as part of a national effort to reduce consumption, with about half the resorts also bracing for power bills to be three to six times higher than in prior years.In Chamonix, close to Switzerland, if there is no crowd, the lift will go 10% slower. And if the resort gets an alert that power supplies cannot meet demand, Chamonix will slow the lifts by 30%. Continue reading...
Ban linked to World Cup hosts’ human rights record taken as message ‘Qatari business not welcome in London’, source tells FTQatar is reviewing its investments in London after the city’s transport authority banned the country’s adverts on buses, taxis and underground trains, it was reported.The move by Transport for London (TfL) is understood to be linked to concerns about the World Cup hosts’ human rights record, stance on homosexuality and treatment of migrant workers. Continue reading...
Susie Green is stepping down amid intense public scrutiny of charity in recent monthsThe chief executive of Mermaids, Susie Green, has left the transgender children’s charity after six years in her post, the organisation announced on Friday.In a statement posted on the charity’s website, the chair of trustees, Belinda Bell, wrote: “The trustees are very grateful to Susie for everything she has done over the last six years to support trans, non-binary and gender-diverse young people and their families, and to build Mermaids into the organisation it is today. We wish her all the best for the future.” Continue reading...
Airport will introduce CT scanners in all lanes by April, removing need to take items out of luggagePassengers will be able to leave laptops and liquids in their hand luggage when passing through security at London City airport from next year.The hub is trialling one security lane equipped with advanced baggage scanners and plans to introduce the machines in all of its lanes by April. Continue reading...
Germany’s former chancellor defends her actions amid barrage of accusations since Russia’s invasion of UkraineAngela Merkel has insisted that her position as a lame duck in the last months of her time in office made it more or less impossible for her to influence the behaviour of Vladimir Putin.The former German chancellor appeared both defensive and quietly defiant about her inability to change the course of the Russian president’s decision-making in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine in February. Continue reading...
by Léonie Chao-Fong (now); Harry Taylor and Helen Su on (#666MR)
This live blog has now closed, you can read more about the situation in Ukraine hereNato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has been speaking at a press conference this morning, ahead of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Romania next week.Stoltenberg said it would continue its support for Ukraine and increase “non-lethal” aid, Reuters reports. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell, Andrew Gregory and Jamie Grierson on (#66773)
Royal College of Nursing finalising areas to be affected, leaving patients in England and Wales unable to receive some treatmentsCancer care will be disrupted, leaving patients unable to receive some treatments, when the first of a planned series of nurses’ strikes starts next month.The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is close to finalising which areas of cancer services will be affected and which will be protected when nurses take strike action on 15 and 20 December, the first in the union’s 106-year history. Continue reading...
Police reassure public that people not in direct contact with unidentified body are not at riskMurder squad detectives are investigating the discovery of a “potentially hazardous” substance on a body dumped on a street in Wigan.Officers were called to Kilburn Drive in Shevington, a quiet, residential village, on Thursday evening after reports of a dead body at the scene. This was confirmed shortly after emergency services arrived. Continue reading...
Government is seeking to recoup money from Michelle Mone-linked firm after gowns rejected as unusableThe company awarded large government personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts after an introduction by the Conservative peer Michelle Mone has declined to say how it would repay millions of pounds of public money for unused equipment if ordered to do so following a dispute with the government.The Guardian reported this week that leaked documents indicated that Mone and her children secretly received £29m originating from the profits on these contracts after her support helped the company, PPE Medpro, secure a place in the “VIP lane” that the government used during the Covid pandemic to prioritise firms with political connections. Continue reading...
Davison, who was thought of as a rising star after winning Bishop Auckland, and veteran Gary Streeter both say they will step downDehenna Davison, a young Conservative MP who was considered a rising star, has announced she will not stand at the next election, as the party gears up to select its parliamentary candidates.The MP for Bishop Auckland, already a junior minister at 29, had been thought of as a bright prospect in the party since her election in 2019. The veteran Tory MP Sir Gary Streeter has also announced he will not stand, with recent opinion polls predicting the Conservatives could lose more than 200 seats. Continue reading...
Union opens independent inquiry, saying it acted to avoid possible breach of Proceeds of Crime ActOne of the UK’s biggest trade unions, Unite, has cut ties with a key supplier and opened an independent inquiry over concerns about financial irregularities.An assistant general secretary of the union told employees it was suspending ties with the company “primarily due to the risk of committing an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002”. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6675K)
Increasing numbers of providers, such as Leonard Cheshire, are ‘handing back’ contracts not viable at current funding levelsFor several years now, as austerity sucked billions out of social care, the highly specialised UK social care system for adults with complex physical disability, learning disability and autism has been quietly held together by the benevolence of charities.Charities and not-for-profit firms have poured millions of pounds of reserves into propping up the supposedly taxpayer-funded services they provide under contract to councils and the NHS. That subsidy seemed sustainable when inflation was low and subbing underfunded public services did not put the charity’s own survival at risk. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6675M)
Exclusive: Leonard Cheshire says it can no longer afford to subsidise care services inadequately funded by councilsSeverely disabled care home residents are being evicted in a series of disputes between one of the UK’s best-known care charities and a number of local authorities that the charity has accused of refusing to meet the soaring costs of care.In the latest sign of the UK’s deepening social care crisis, Leonard Cheshire said it had taken the drastic step of evicting vulnerable residents with complex disabilities because council funders had refused to meet fee increases that reflected the rising costs of wages, energy and food. Continue reading...
This live blog has now closed, you can read more on this story hereDowning Street has confirmed that the inquiry into bullying allegations about Dominic Raab, the justice secretary and deputy prime minister, is being expanded to cover claims relating to his period as Brexit secretary, my colleague Pippa Crerar reports.The inquiry was originally set up to consider two complaints, relating to his time as justice secretary and foreign secretary. But at the Downing Street lobby briefing a No 10 spokesperson said:I can confirm that the prime minister has now asked the investigator to add a further formal complaint relating to conduct at the Department for Exiting the European Union and to establish the facts in line with the existing terms of reference. Continue reading...
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