World news | The Guardian

New Stormont elections are meant to be called soon – but they wouldn’t resolve the protocol standoffThe UK has given a six-month deadline for resolution of talks over the Northern Ireland protocol row, indicating Liz Truss is far more relaxed about the absence of a devolved government in Stormont than previously indicated.An April date for resolution of the Brexit row emerged after a meeting between the US president Joe Biden and the prime minister Liz Truss and coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday agreement. Continue reading...

Paul Zwillenberg steps aside for chairman, who is great-grandson of paper’s founder, Harold HarmsworthLord Rothermere is to take over as chief executive of the family newspaper business, which includes the Mail, i and Metro as well as New Scientist magazine, after ending the company’s 90-year run on public markets by taking its slimmed-down portfolio private.The 54-year-old, who chairs the 126-year old Daily Mail & General Trust business, will take over from Paul Zwillenberg, who has led the company for the past six years. Continue reading...

Demographic shift shown in census was expected but will still deliver psychological blow to unionistsCatholics outnumber Protestants in Northern Ireland for the first time, a demographic milestone for a state that was designed a century ago to have a permanent Protestant majority.Results from the 2021 census released on Thursday showed that 45.7% of inhabitants are Catholic or from a Catholic background compared with 43.48% from Protestant or other Christian backgrounds. The 2011 census figures were 45% Catholic and 48% Protestant. Neither bloc is a majority. Continue reading...

Judge upholds conviction of Khieu Samphan, 91, in what is likely to be UN-backed court’s last judgmentCambodia’s UN-backed tribunal for the Khmer Rouge has upheld a genocide conviction against the regime’s last surviving leader, more than 40 years after Pol Pot’s brutal communist regime fell.The tribunal, known as the extraordinary chambers in the courts of Cambodia (ECCC), rejected an appeal by Khieu Samphan, 91, in what was expected to be the final judgment by the court. Khieu Samphan, who was a former head of state, was found guilty of crimes against humanity, and grave breaches of the Geneva conventions, and of the genocide of ethnic minority Vietnamese in 2018. Continue reading...

Levy to compensate taxi licence holders for disruption of the industry by Uber forms part of $645m in payments as industry faces complete deregulation

Malaysian defence contractor fled before sentencing in US over bribery scheme that lasted more than a decade and involved dozens of US navy officersA Malaysian defence contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” who orchestrated one of the largest bribery scandals in US military history has been arrested in Venezuela after fleeing before his sentencing, authorities say.The international manhunt for Leonard Glenn Francis ended with his arrest by Venezuelan authorities on Tuesday morning at the Caracas airport as he was about to board an airplane for another country, the US Marshals Service said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Foreign minister condemns Russia’s heightened military response in Ukraine as opposition calls for further sanctions

Fifth of region’s population prevented from taking part in opportunities and communities around them, research findsMore than 3 million people in the north of England are at risk of social exclusion as a result of poor transport services, research has found.A fifth of people living in northern England are prevented from participating in the opportunities and communities around them because of poor mobility and connectivity, according to the report by the devolved government agency Transport for the North (TfN). Continue reading...

Celebrity livestreamer Li Jiaqi returns to screen after nearly four months of silence following a broadcast showcasing a tank-shaped dessertChina’s leading shopping livestreamer, Li Jiaqi, has returned to online commerce platforms almost four months after his feed was suddenly cut, which viewers suspected was linked to the errant appearance of a tank-shaped cake.Li, also known as the Lipstick King for his ability to move huge amounts of product on his sales channels, briefly appeared on Alibaba Group’s Taobao marketplace on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...

Approximately 40 flights due to land in or depart Sydney were cancelled on Thursday morning, leading to cancellations in Melbourne

Private Media says in court documents that ‘no one’ would read the words of the Crikey article literally

UK PM says Russian president’s ‘sabre-rattling’ will not work, as she calls for democratic renewal in UN addressLiz Truss has dismissed as “sabre-rattling” Vladimir Putin’s warning that Russia will use “all the means at our disposal” to protect itself, warning in her UN speech: “This will not work.”The Russian president’s threats in a televised address to the nation appeared to suggest the conflict in Ukraine could spiral into a nuclear crisis, prompting a furious response from world leaders, led by the US president, Joe Biden. Continue reading...

Indigenous AFL great Eddie Betts says ‘every football club should come out and do an external review’

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Australian singer’s family says ‘things are moving in the right direction’ and thanks Victorian medical professionals

More than 500 detained in both Moscow and St Petersburg, says monitoring group, after Putin orders call-up of military reservists

Police launch murder investigation after teenager dies in hospital after assault in FartownPolice have launched a murder investigation after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed outside a school in Huddersfield.Officers received a third-party report at 2.54pm on Wednesday that a teenager had been seriously injured in an assault in Woodhouse Hill, Fartown. Continue reading...

The Pharmaceutical Journal found users being offered prescription drugs as diet pillsTikTok has removed postings promoting migraine and epilepsy drugs to under-18s as weight loss aids after criticism that hosting them was a danger to young people’s health.The social media platform, which is popular among teenagers, acted after an investigation by the Pharmaceutical Journal found that users were being offered prescription drugs as diet pills.6% of 10- to 15-year-olds say they are unhappy with life as a whole, up from 4% a decade ago.Many more (12%) say they are not happy at school, a 3% rise on 10 years ago, with older children more likely to hold that view.85% of parents and carers are concerned about how the cost of living crisis will affect their families in the next year. Continue reading...

Health experts encourage doctors to talk about nutrition and socio-economic circumstancesChildren’s doctors plan to help poor families cope with the cost of living crisis and its feared impact on health, amid concern that cold homes this winter will lead to serious ill health.In an unusual move, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) is issuing the UK’s paediatricians with detailed advice on how they can help households in poverty. Continue reading...

Prof Dan Howard says he’s ‘puzzled’ it took the government nearly three years to agree to such modest changes in policing

New health secretary’s demand to improve patient access to GP care in England is immediately criticised by family doctorsNo patient should have to wait more than two weeks to see a GP, the new health secretary will demand , in a move that has already been criticised by family doctors.Thérèse Coffey will on Thursday set out a new “expectation” that everyone seeking an appointment with a GP should get one within 14 days while outlining a major plan to tackle the NHS’s growing crisis. Continue reading...

PM maintains pledge to bring in measures limiting industrial action but denies planning to rip up EU rules on workers’ rightsLiz Truss has told striking workers to “get back to work” as she doubled down on her pledge to bring in measures to limit industrial action within weeks of coming to power.The prime minister suggested that a planned wave of strikes by workers ranging from train drivers to barristers, risked holding the country back during the toughest economic climate in a generation. Continue reading...

After a private meeting with new Met commissioner, Kaba’s mother said she wants ‘justice for her son'The family of Chris Kaba have reiterated their call for “justice” after being shown the bodycam footage of his shooting during a meeting with the new commissioner of the Metropolitan police.Kaba, an unarmed black man, was killed on 5 September after a police pursuit of his car which ended in Streatham Hill, south London. His Audi was hemmed in by two police vehicles in Kirkstall Gardens, a narrow residential street, and one round was fired from a police weapon. Continue reading...

US president’s potential visit next Easter to mark 25th anniversary of Good Friday agreement is ‘absolutely vital’ momentThe UK has a six-month deadline to resolve the Northern Ireland protocol row, with plans afoot for a state visit next year for Joe Biden to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement.Senior government sources said the date next April represented an “absolutely vital” moment to get the Northern Ireland executive up and running again, with unionist parties blocking the power-sharing institutions as part of a protest against post-Brexit trading rules. Continue reading...

Helena Kennedy KC interviews TSSA officials after Manuel Cortes accused of unwanted touchingAn independent inquiry has been launched into allegations of sexual harassment and bullying at a transport union after specific claims of misconduct against its general secretary.Helena Kennedy KC interviewed current and former union officials this month after she was asked by the TUC to launch an investigation into the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA). Continue reading...

Prime minister says Putin’s calls for mobilisation ‘are a sure sign his barbaric invasion is failing’Here is some opposition party reaction to the energy support package for business announced by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the business secretary, this morning.Labour says the help has come too late. This is from Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow business secretary.It is farcical that the Tories have been unable to tell businesses at the sharp end of the energy crisis what they plan to do to help them until now. Labour has been calling for support since the start of the year.Businesses have been crying out for detail on these plans and, even now, there are still questions about how much this will cost and who will pay for it.This temporary sticking plaster comes too late for the many small businesses that already closed their doors for the last time because they couldn’t afford soaring bills.The Conservatives have sat on their hands for months while treasured pubs, cafes and high street shops went to the wall.No wonder Jacob Rees-Mogg clearly wished to avoid parliamentary scrutiny on this critical energy crisis support for businesses – there is an energy efficiency-shaped hole at the heart of this plan that needs to be exposed.The cheapest and cleanest energy for businesses is the energy they don’t use – so why is Rees-Mogg’s plan utterly devoid of essential energy efficiency measures to help businesses reduce their dependence on costly fossil fuels, slashing bills and carbon emissions at the same time? Continue reading...

Ministers considering deregulation of planning system in some ‘investment zones’The provision of affordable housing as part of wider construction projects could be ditched under plans being considered by ministers to deregulate the planning system in about a dozen “investment zones”.Sources said the controversial move was being contemplated ahead of a mini-budget by the chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, on Friday outlining the government’s growth strategy and promised tax cuts. Continue reading...

Conservative People’s Party leader takes poll hit after undisclosed meetings and accusations about husbandOne of the leading contenders to become Denmark’s next prime minister has stumbled in the polls after revelations of undisclosed meetings and accusations that his husband had made up family links to a former president of the Dominican Republic.Søren Pape Poulsen, the leader of Denmark’s Conservative People’s Party, announced last week that his marriage was over after it emerged that his husband, Josue Medina Vásquez Poulsen, had no biological relationship to a former president of the Dominican Republic whom he had claimed as an uncle. Continue reading...

Shadow health secretary says medics are suffering ‘moral injury’ because they cannot deliver best careWes Streeting has criticised a “gaping hole” in the Conservatives’ forthcoming NHS plan, which he said would do little to address the shortage of doctors, nurses and care workers that is fuelling backlogs and workforce discontent.The shadow health secretary said that doctors and nurses considering industrial action in the coming months were not just concerned about pay, but about the “moral injury” they were suffering because they could not deliver the best care for patients due to staffing and the weight of the demand. Continue reading...

‘How are you supposed to help kids if you literally don’t know where they live?’ asks opposition

Labor is likely to secure a rare third parliamentary term, but departing MPs warn it will lose support for parachuting in non-local candidates

Workers at one factory claim company broke promise of a two-hour breakStaff at 2 Sisters, the food producer that supplies the UK’s biggest supermarkets, have accused the company of breaking its promise of an extended break to watch the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, instead rewarding them with a “disgusting” sausage meat bap.The company, which is based in West Bromwich, said last week that staff would be given two hours to watch the proceedings, after it faced criticism for refusing them extra pay or a day off in lieu for working during the funeral, which had been declared a bank holiday. Continue reading...

PC Jonathon Cobban and ex-officer Joel Borders convicted over WhatsApp messages shared with Sarah Everard’s killerA serving police officer and an ex-colleague have been warned there is a real possibility they will go to jail after being found guilty of sending grossly offensive misogynistic and racist messages in a WhatsApp group that included Sarah Everard’s killer.PC Jonathon Cobban, 35, a Metropolitan police officer, and Joel Borders, 45, had joked about beating and sexually assaulting women, raping a colleague and using Taser weapons on children, their trial had been told. Continue reading...

Russian president threatens west with nuclear retaliation, saying ‘we will use all the means at our disposal’

Investment vehicle of tech disruptor Xavier Niel cites chance to spur ‘streamlining’ of UK telecoms groupThe French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel has acquired a 2.5% stake in Vodafone, citing opportunities to accelerate a “streamlining” of the London-listed group’s business.Niel, who founded the telecoms company Iliad, has taken the stake through his investment vehicle Atlas Investissement, which said it was “supportive of Vodafone’s publicly stated intention to pursue consolidation opportunities”. Continue reading...

Eight people are on trial for helping the gunman, who drove a truck into the crowd killing 86Survivors of the 2016 Bastille day attack in Nice have described how the seafront was turned into a “war zone” when a gunman drove a heavy truck at high speed into the crowd gathered to watch fireworks in the French Riviera city.“It was war, people were crushed, I saw a woman being run down with a baby in her arms,” said Abdallah Kebaïer, a retired maintenance worker, who was catapulted into the air by the truck and suffered seven broken ribs, head trauma and injuries to his liver and pancreas. Continue reading...

Russian leader’s speech marks biggest escalation of Ukraine war since it began, and raises fears around the world of unprecedented nuclear disaster

Majority of cases are from escorts accompanying refugees from immigration centres for deportationDozens of security staff who detain and deport people for the Home Office are taking legal action over race, sex, disability discrimination and unfair dismissal, the Guardian has learned.The detention and deportation officers work for Mitie Care & Custody, part of the company Mitie, which is one of the government’s 40 strategic suppliers and has been awarded 400 contracts since 2015 valued at £2.55bn, according to the procurement analysts Tussell. Continue reading...

Police reportedly use teargas to disperse crowds as protests spread following death of Mahsa AminiIran has sent police to the streets in a scramble to end protests that have spread to at least 15 cities, as rights groups and local media reported up to six people had been killed in crackdowns.There were reports of internet blackouts in parts of the country in an apparent attempt to quell growing anger. The telecommunications minister, Issa Zarepour, was quoted by the official Irna news agency as saying there had been some “temporary restrictions in some places and at some hours”. Continue reading...

Ian Russell said everyone touched by his daughter’s story should know there is always ‘help and hope’The father of Molly Russell has called for action to “prevent such a young life being wasted again” as the inquest into her death nearly five years ago opened.Molly, 14, from Harrow, north-west London, killed herself on November 2017 and had viewed online content linked to anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide before ending her life.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email 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 www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...

Police had been searching for Mousa Sarsour after attack on Shulamit Ovadia, 84, near her home in HolonA Palestinian suspect accused of beating an 84-year-old Jewish Israeli woman to death near Tel Aviv has been found dead, ending a massive police manhunt.The woman, named by Israeli media as Shulamit Ovadia, was attacked on a street near her home in the city of Holon on Tuesday afternoon.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email 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...

Special unit searches properties registered to Russian citizen at three addresses in Bavaria, says prosecutorGerman police have raided several properties understood to belong to the Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, including his villa on Tegernsee lake in the southern state of Bavaria, on suspicion of money laundering and violations of EU sanctions.A special unit consisting of over 250 police officers on Wednesday morning searched properties registered to a Russian citizen at three addresses in the municipality of Rottach-Egern in Upper Bavaria, the Munich state prosecutor said in a statement. Continue reading...

Move by Amazon-owned site apparently prompted by revelations popular streamer scammed fellow usersTwitch, the Amazon-owned streaming site, will ban users from posting videos of themselves playing slots, roulette or dice games on unlicensed gambling sites, the company has said.The ban, which is effective as of 18 October, comes in the wake of a wide-ranging scandal among top-tier streamers after British streamer ItsSliker admitted to scamming other hosts out of thousands of dollars to fuel what he described as a gambling addiction. Continue reading...

Muhammad Khan, 28, appears in Westminster magistrates court over public order chargesA man who appeared to grab the flag draped over the Queen’s coffin planned to trespass at royal residences including Buckingham Palace because he did not believe she was dead, a court has heard.Muhammad Khan, 28, allegedly left the queue in Westminster Hall on Friday night while the monarch was lying in state as the live feed briefly cut away. Continue reading...

Brazil’s far-right president claims that leftwing rival Lula will repress clergy like Ortega but so far with little apparent successMore than 4,000km and an ideological abyss separate the capitals of Nicaragua and Brazil, where an acrimonious race for the presidency is under way.But the Central American country has found itself at the centre of Brazil’s election debate as its far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro seeks to weaponise Daniel Ortega’s authoritarian crackdown on the Catholic church to attack his leftist challenger, the former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Continue reading...

Complaints filed by charity named after ex-president reopen the debate over legal action against public interest journalismFour media outlets in the UK and the US are facing libel claims after publishing investigative reports into allegations about the assets of a fund named after the former Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev.The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), openDemocracy and the Telegraph received several “pre-action” letters between May and August claiming their reporting was inaccurate and caused financial losses to a UK-registered company. Continue reading...

Angela Rayner asks when PM knew about chief of staff being questioned as witness in FBI investigation into alleged bribery

Tens of thousands of people are planning to enter EU country together, after alleged racist attacks and rising tensionsThousands of Syrian refugees are assembling in Turkey in a convoy, which organisers have dubbed the Caravan of Light, in an audacious and desperate attempt to enter the EU en masse.Since early September, Syrians have been drawing up plans for the journey via a Telegram channel, which now has more than 85,000 members. Continue reading...

Tributes flow for ‘unforgettable presenter’ of ABC TV children’s show who was affectionately known as ‘Naughty John’