World news | The Guardian

An estimated £3.8bn will be spent on 26 December, down almost 4% on last yearRetailers are preparing for a quieter Boxing Day this year despite freedom from pandemic restrictions as the cost of living crisis weighs on shoppers’ budgets.Spending is expected to hit almost £3.8bn on 26 December, according to research by GlobalData for Vouchercodes. Continue reading...

Beijing says drills also involving navy ships are a ‘firm response’ after US defence spending bill prioritised support for Taiwan

Consumers are ‘freedom spending’ after an intense year, but on essentials rather than big-ticket items

Up to 10 people had been feared buried after incident between Zuers and Lech am Arlberg on SundayTen people initially feared buried under snow after an avalanche swept across ski trails in western Austria have been found, according to authorities.Just before 1am on Monday, police confirmed all the missing had been accounted for, the Austria Press Agency reported. Continue reading...

Lifting age eligibility rules would help attract a wider range of skilled workers and professionals, Tourism and Transport Forum boss says

One of the protesters, Drew Pavlou, says they want to ‘make trouble’ for Tennis Australia over its links to China

Ukraine’s president says Ukrainians are creating their own ‘miracle’ in Christmas address as Russian president accuses Kyiv and western allies of ‘refusing to negotiate’

UK Foreign Office is seeking further information about detainees, who include several dual nationalsSeven people with links to Britain have been arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards over anti-government protests that have snowballed across the country in recent months, according to reports.The people arrested, some of whom are dual nationals, were detained while trying to leave Iran, according to Reuters, citing a statement published by state media. Continue reading...

The man, 69, was held on Friday after killing three people at a Kurdish cultural centre and nearby cafeThe French man detained over the killing of three Kurdish people in Paris last week has told investigators he had a “pathological” hatred of foreigners, the city’s prosecutor said on Sunday.The 69-year-old man was arrested on Friday after shooting dead two men and a woman in a Kurdish cultural centre and nearby Kurdish cafe in the 10th district of Paris, which the French president, Emmanuel Macron, described as a “vile” attack on the Kurds of France. Continue reading...

Family describe Rachael Louise Moore, who died on Christmas Eve, as ‘cherished’ daughter, sister, granddaughter and partnerA 22-year-old woman who died after being hit by a police car on Christmas Eve in Liverpool has been described by her family as a “cherished” daughter, sister, granddaughter, partner and “friend to many”.Merseyside police are appealing for witnesses after being called to reports of a collision involving a marked police car on Saturday at about 8.10pm on Sheil Road in the Kensington area of the city. Rachael Louise Moore died at the scene. Continue reading...

Lockdown was ‘catalyst for change’, with men now spending more quality time with their children

Driver and one passenger rescued as search continues for at least one missing person in GaliciaAt least five people have died after a bus fell off a bridge into a surging river in north-western Spain late on Christmas Eve.Emergency teams are searching for at least one missing person, while two survivors – the driver of the bus and a female passenger – were rescued from the Lérez River in Galicia and taken to hospitals, authorities said on Sunday. Police said the driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs. Continue reading...

Monarch reflects on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in first Christmas Day broadcastI am standing here in this exquisite Chapel of St George at Windsor Castle, so close to where my beloved mother, the late Queen, is laid to rest with my dear father.I am reminded of the deeply touching letters, cards and messages which so many of you have sent my wife and myself and I cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown our whole family. Continue reading...

Monarch pays tribute to the volunteers and charity workers helping those in financial difficultyKing Charles has highlighted the cost of living crisis and the “great anxiety and hardship” of many struggling to “pay their bills and keep their families fed and warm” in his first Christmas broadcast.In the message, with the nation in the grip of economic woes and against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the king dedicated a major part of his broadcast to those helping to ease the plight of others. Continue reading...

Half the Hareth family obtained visas, but three sons faced years of danger and uncertainty, until they were recognised as refugeesA refugee family have celebrated their first festive season safely together in two and a half years after the Home Office abandoned threats to deport three of them because they arrived in the UK on a small boat.The Hareth family – mother, Ferdowz, and father, Hussein, both 55, Hamzah, 27, Hassan, 25, Hazem, 24, and Azzam, 14, fled war in Yemen, but had very different journeys to the UK and contrasting experiences of dealing with the Home Office even though their circumstances were identical. Continue reading...

Royal Gibraltar police ask British counterparts to investigate alleged data breach in interests of ‘transparency’UK police have been called in to lead an investigation into a data breach in a public inquiry concerning alleged corruption at the top of Gibraltar’s government.The development is the latest twist in the inquiry, which is to hear explosive allegations by the British overseas territory’s former police chief, Ian McGrail. Continue reading...

Investigation takes aim at everything from Cosa Nostra whiskey to El Padrino restaurant in Spain and Nasi Goreng Mafia eaterie in IndonesiaItaly’s biggest farmers’ association is waging a battle against the “scandalous” use of mafia terms to sell a variety of food and drink products around the world, from Cosa Nostra whiskey to Chilli Mafia tomato sauce.Coldiretti undertook an extensive investigation and also discovered that almost 300 restaurants beyond Italy have mafia-themed names, including El Padrino in Spain, Don Corleone in Finland, Burger Mafia in Germany, Falafel Mafia in the US and Nasi Goreng Mafia in Indonesia. Continue reading...

Pontiff says world suffering from ‘famine of peace’ as Justin Welby praises example of late monarchThe archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Francis have used their Christmas addresses to call for an end to the war in Ukraine.During his sermon, Justin Welby also spoke of those suffering “immense anxiety and hardship” during the cost of living crisis and made reference to the “desperate struggles of hospital wards”. Continue reading...

SNP’s Kirsten Oswald says PM should scrap policies, including the controversial ‘rape clause’, to lift 500,000 out of povertyRishi Sunak has been urged to drop “unspeakably cruel” policies in order to lift half a million people out of poverty.The Scottish National party MP Kirsten Oswald has urged the prime minister to U-turn on his decision to back the two-child limit and benefit cap policies set by his predecessors. Continue reading...

The man was charged with the shooting of Omar Zahed, 39, and Tarek Zahed, 41, at a gym in Auburn, Sydney in May. Omar Zahed died at the scene

PM spends Christmas morning at Ashfield Uniting Church in Sydney’s inner west along with NSW Labor leader Chris Minns

Ten dead and more than 50 injured in Russian strikes on Kherson; ‘We will endure this winter,’ Volodymyr Zelenskiy says in Christmas eve message

Paramedics treated the two-year-old boy but he died at the scene. A man was taken for mandatory testing and is assisting with the police investigationA child has died after being hit by a 4WD at a Sydney property on Christmas Eve.Emergency services were called to Dural in Sydney’s north-west about 6pm on Saturday where they found a two-year-old boy who was critically injured. Continue reading...

Saman Yasin had denied charges of attempting to kill security forcesIran’s supreme court has accepted an appeal by rapper Saman Yasin against his death sentence even as it confirmed the same sentence against another protester.Yasin, a well-known and acclaimed Kurdish artist and rapper, has been a vocal critic of the Iranian regime amid the current unrest. He wrote messages of support for protesters on his social media channels and has written several protest songs. Continue reading...

Documents obtained by the Guardian reveal government has no real idea about agricultural chemicals’ impact on environment

More than 100 countries stress ‘the urgency and importance’ of filling appeal judge positions as US continues years-long disruption started by TrumpAustralia has teamed up with China and more than 100 countries to protest longstanding blockages at the World Trade Organization as the United States vetoes appeal judge appointments.Australia and China remain at odds over specific trade disputes between them – such as Beijing’s tariffs on Australian wine and barley – but are united in concern about the years-long disruption to a key appeal body. Continue reading...

Female employees of NGOs told to stop coming to work in latest move to curtail women’s freedoms in AfghanistanAfghanistan’s Taliban-run administration has ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to stop female employees from coming to work, according to a letter from the economy ministry.The letter, the contents of which were confirmed by economy ministry spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib, said female employees of NGOs were not allowed to work until further notice. Continue reading...

Paper’s apology followed piece in which columnist said he ‘hated’ MeghanA spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has said an apology by the Sun over a column in which Jeremy Clarkson said he “hated” Meghan is “nothing more than a PR stunt”.The column has become the Independent Press Standards Organisation’s (Ipso) most complained about article, with more than 20,000 contacting it over the piece, according to Ipso. Continue reading...

Vehicle belonging to motor neurone disease fundraiser was targeted on Friday evening in West YorkshireThe former rugby league star Rob Burrow’s wheelchair accessible van was vandalised while his family were out for a Christmas meal, his father has said.Geoff Burrow said his son, who played for Leeds Rhinos between 2001 and 2017, had been out in Castleford, West Yorkshire, on Friday when the vehicle was targeted. Continue reading...

Dance group announces death of singer, saying he was ‘a lovely human being with time for everyone’Maxi Jazz, the lead singer of the dance group Faithless, has died aged 65.In a Facebook post on Saturday, the group wrote: “We are heartbroken to say Maxi Jazz died last night. He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. Continue reading...

Exclusive: those covering for staff have no power to stop suspected criminals if they have valid travel documentsSoldiers and sailors covering for striking Border Force staff at passport control do not have the power to detain people they suspect of criminal activity, leaked documents show.Emails reveal that people suspected of crimes such as carrying a false passport, drug smuggling, people trafficking and victims of modern slavery cannot be stopped by members of the armed forces if they hold valid travel documents. Continue reading...

Hundreds rally after three people allegedly shot by man awaiting trial for refugee camp attackProtesters have clashed with police as they call for justice over the killing of three people in a Kurdish neighbourhood in Paris.Several hundred representatives of France’s Kurdish community gathered at Republic Square on Saturday to demand answers over the killings, which they say have left the community afraid. Continue reading...

PM filmed asking man if he would like to ‘get in to’ financial services during visit to London shelterRishi Sunak has been criticised over an awkward exchange with a homeless person while volunteering at a soup kitchen in front of television cameras.The prime minister visited a shelter on Friday, where after a brief exchange he asked the man whether he worked in business. The man replied that he was homeless. Sunak then discussed his background in the finance industry and asked if it would be something the man would “like to get in to”. Continue reading...

Phoebie Turley pays tribute to Gaby Hutchinson, saying they ‘would have done anything for anyone’The partner of one of the people who died after the O2 Brixton Academy crush has demanded justice for the victims of the disaster, insisting someone needs to be “accountable” for what happened.Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died after fans tried to get into a show by the Nigerian artist Asake at the south London venue on 15 December. Continue reading...

Spectator political editor and Times columnist is friend of prime minister’sRishi Sunak has hired a close friend and journalist as a senior political aide as he prepares to focus on immigration, the NHS and education to arrest his party’s slump in support.The prime minister has hired James Forsyth, the political editor of the Spectator, as his political secretary. Continue reading...

Met Office warning for snow and ice in place for most of Scottish Highlands and some lowland areasThe Scottish Highlands could be in for a white Christmas, forecasters have said.A Met Office yellow warning is in place for most of the mountainous region and some lowland areas from 9pm on Christmas Day to 6pm on Boxing Day. Continue reading...

Wholesale growers expect to increase tree costs between 5% and 15% as research suggests artificial trees gaining popularityFor millions across the country, a Christmas tree is an essential part of the holiday season.And every year comes the debate – an artificial tree or a real one? Continue reading...

Sobhraj arrives in Paris on commercial flight after release from Nepalese prison on health groundsCharles Sobhraj, a convicted killer known as “the Serpent” who police believe targeted western backpackers on the hippie trail in the 1970s, has returned to France after nearly two decades behind bars in Nepal, BFM TV reported.Nepal’s supreme court ordered the release of Sobhraj on Wednesday, citing his advanced age and health. Continue reading...

Blaze in Siberian city guts second floor of building housing unregistered home for older peopleTwenty-two people have been killed in a fire at an illegal nursing home in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russia’s emergencies ministry said.The fire broke out early on Saturday morning in the two-storey wooden building in the industrial city more than 2,000 miles east of Moscow. Initial reports say it may have been caused by a faulty heating boiler. Continue reading...

Prime minister facing industrial action records calls thanking public sector workers for ‘sacrifices’Rishi Sunak has chosen to record phone calls with public servants in which he thanks them for their “selflessness” rather than broadcast a Christmas message to the nation.The prime minister made apparently surprise calls to four workers and the crew of a naval ship to express his gratitude for their “sacrifices” after an “extraordinary year”. Continue reading...

North London Collegiate school has faced multiple malpractice allegations over way grades awardedA prestigious private school in London has faced multiple investigations into the way it awarded exam grades in 2021, when all its A-level entries received A* or A, the Guardian has learned.Senior leaders and teachers at the North London Collegiate school (NLCS) have been placed under investigation for alleged malpractice in setting teacher-assessed grades, which replaced formal exams cancelled by the government because of the Covid pandemic. Continue reading...

NHS makes slots available through to 27 December and urgently appeals for people to be vaccinated as hospital admissions riseDozens of sites across England will provide flu and Covid vaccinations on Christmas Day, and hundreds more are to open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and the bank holiday on 27 December.More than 100,000 slots for jabs have been made available, as the NHS urgently appealed for people to come forward to be vaccinated. Continue reading...

Work created more than 500 years ago will go on display in Northern Ireland next year after export banA rare painting of the nativity created more than 500 years ago by Baldassare Peruzzi has been saved by the government as a “Christmas gift for the nation” after an export ban was imposed.The Nativity, the only work by Peruzzi in the UK, will go on display in Northern Ireland next year. It was acquired by National Museums NI after funds were raised to buy the work from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Department for Communities NI and the Esme Mitchell Trust. Continue reading...

Button batteries can cause most damage, NHS says, as number of young people admitted to hospital doublesParents have been warned about the dangers of children swallowing small objects from Christmas presents and crackers.Leading NHS doctors said the number of young people admitted to hospital after ingesting small objects had doubled over the past 10 years to 228, according to the latest data. Continue reading...

The PM, an election winner in 2022, starts his festive address noting Christmas is ‘such a special time of year’

Airline apologises to passengers and promises to get them to Heathrow airport ‘early on Christmas morning’

Qantas has apologised to passengers and thanked them for their patience after a Singapore to London flight was forced to land at Baku airport – This blog is now closed

The figures reported by Qingdao’s municipal health chief were in stark contrast to official statistics from the central governmentHalf a million people a day are being infected with Covid-19 in a single Chinese city, a senior health official has said, in a rare and quickly censored acknowledgment that the country’s wave of infections is not being reflected in official statistics.A news outlet operated by the ruling Communist party in Qingdao reported the municipal health chief as saying that the eastern city was seeing “between 490,000 and 530,000” new Covid cases a day. Continue reading...

West Bank city gears up for festive season after two years of pandemic restrictionsThere’s once again no room at the inn in Bethlehem as the Palestinian city gears up for its first Christmas season after two years of pandemic restrictions.During the week of Christmas this year, 120,000 tourists and pilgrims from all over the world are expected to visit the occupied West Bank town, home to the Byzantine Church of the Nativity, which stands on the spot where it is believed Jesus was born. The predicted numbers for 2022 are almost on a par with 2019, when Bethlehem saw an all-time high of 150,000 visitors in the same time period, and 3 million visitors overall. Continue reading...