World news | The Guardian

Apparent vacating of Home Office site follows series of concerns including over outbreak of diphtheria

Watchdog finds ‘severe weaknesses’ at Good Energy, Outfox, So Energy, TruEnergy and UtilitaEnergy companies are failing vulnerable customers, Britain’s energy watchdog said, calling for urgent improvement ahead of a cold winter.Ofgem told all 17 energy suppliers in its third review into the sector to improve their support for customers, in particular vulnerable ones. It found “severe weaknesses” in five suppliers – Good Energy, Outfox, So Energy, TruEnergy and Utilita. Continue reading...

A number of MPs say they will not claim for festive gatherings, with foreign secretary calling guidance ‘stupid’

The painter known for his vivacious Australiana prints accepted the award with a 10-minute speech that elicited laughter and some uncomfortable silences

Crossbench senator David Pocock says the two extra sitting days approved by the Senate to pass legislation is ‘a start’ but more time is neededThe Albanese government has fast-tracked a final vote on the territory rights bill in a bid to shore up its chances of passing industrial relations law changes this year.The Senate has approved a plan for two extra sitting days this Friday and next and a final conscience vote on the bill to restore territories’ ability to legalise voluntary assisted dying on Thursday 1 December – a key demand of crossbench senator David Pocock. Continue reading...

Number of visitors to £120m Unboxed project, under investigation by spending watchdog, well below 66 million aspirationA national festival celebrating British creativity that cost taxpayers £120m has attracted audiences of 18 million since it opened in the spring, but with only 2.8 million attending live events, according to its organisers.The headline figure includes the television audience of a special edition of the BBC programme Countryfile broadcast last month, which included a 15-minute segment of content created by Unboxed. Countryfile has an average weekly audience of 6 million. Continue reading...

NT police service ‘needs to be able to deal with badness in itself’, coronial inquiry into police shooting death of Kumanjayi Walker told

Exclusive: grassroots group launches fundraiser with membership down a third from Corbyn yearsMomentum’s future is at risk from serious financial challenges, the group will warn its supporters this week, amid an exodus of leftwing members from Labour.The grassroots group, which emerged from Jeremy Corbyn’s 2015 leadership campaign, has launched a fundraiser with a plea to supporters, titled “Keep Up Momentum”. In a video posted on social media alongside the campaign, the group says: “We can’t let everything we’ve built disappear.” Continue reading...

The 78-year-old was left bloodied after police sought to take him into custody at the Queen Victoria Building

Fire broke out in district in Anyang city, in central China, at company specialising in industrial goodsThirty-eight people have died after a fire at a company dealing in chemicals and other industrial goods in central China, local authorities said.The fire broke out in Anyang city, in the central Henan Province about 4.30pm on Monday and it took firefighters about three-and-a-half hours to bring the blaze at the premises of Kaixinda Trading Co under control, the local Wenfang district government said. Continue reading...

In China’s capital, cases have hit a record high, testing a recent government commitment to ease its zero-Covid policyBeijing shut parks and museums on Tuesday, and more Chinese cities resumed mass testing for Covid-19, as China fights a fresh nationwide spike in cases that has deepened concerns about its economy.China reported 28,127 new local cases nationally for Monday, nearing its daily infection peak in April, with cases in the southern city of Guangzhou and the southwestern municipality of Chongqing accounting for about half of the total. In the capital, Beijing, cases have hit a fresh record high, prompting calls for more residents to stay put. Continue reading...

Barry Charles says a car careered towards a group of men one night in Rushcutters Bay in the 1990s, sending them fleeing

Asked if police had conducted a risk assessment, constable tells court he did not need to know Gomeroi man’s ‘life story’

Investigation won in 2021, but Walkley foundation reviewed it after Nine News withdrew allegations and apologised to former Liberal National MP

Shallow quake hits near Malango in the Solomon Islands, triggering a warning for the country’s coastline, Papua New Guinea and VanuatuA tsunami warning has been issued after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck just off the coast of Solomon Islands on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey said.The US tsunami warning system said waves between 30cm and one metre could hit Solomon Islands, with waves of up to 30cm possible for Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. Continue reading...

Warmer and drier conditions forecast for early weeks of summer after wet and gusty spring

Comedian was injured while working underneath a car but is expected to make a full recoveryJay Leno has been released from hospital and is “looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his family” after being treated for serious burns sustained in a recent petrol fire accident.The former host of The Tonight Show was said to be thankful for the care he had received following the incident and “very appreciative of all the well wishes”. Continue reading...

Guardian Australia brings together all the figures on Covid-19 cases, as well as stats, charts and state-by-state data from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, WA, Tasmania, the ACT and NT. Here you can also find the numbers on the vaccine rollout and fourth dose booster vaccination rates.

Labour leader to tell CBI conference that UK’s low-pay economy and reliance on immigration must endKeir Starmer will say that UK businesses must wean themselves off “cheap labour” and that a low-pay model for growth is no longer working for the British people.The Labour leader is expected to say to the Confederation of British Industry conference that his party will be “pragmatic” about the shortage of workers and not ignore the need for skilled migrants – but stressed that any changes “will come with new conditions for business”. Continue reading...

Only 17% of 370 top-rated schools kept their ranking after many years of exemption from oversight by education watchdog OfstedHundreds of schools in England have been downgraded by Ofsted after being reinspected for the first time in years.According to the watchdog, only 17% of 370 “outstanding” schools kept their grade when they had a full reinspection in 2021-22. Continue reading...

Housing secretary says landlords have been ‘defensive’ over dangerous conditions, after death of Awaab IshakMichael Gove has accused social landlords of complacency and putting bureaucracy above tenants, as he stepped up his demands for higher standards after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from long-term exposure to mould.The housing secretary told MPs too many landlords had shown “defensive behaviour” when receiving complaints about squalor, but also admitted the extent of dangerous conditions was so great that more funding may be needed fix the problem – potentially setting up a clash with the chancellor.He and the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, have commissioned a review of council tax, which he described as the “second most unpopular tax in the country”. He promised more detail in the new year.The government’s target to end rough sleeping is in doubt, with Gove describing it as “a big worry”.Families hosting refugees from Ukraine will hear within weeks whether they will get continuing payments.Disabled people in high-rise buildings should have personal evacuation plans, as recommended by the Grenfell Tower public inquiry, despite the Home Office rejecting the call. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Darebin council in Melbourne accused of ‘blatant political interference’ for removing signs in state seat of Northcote

While Mediterranean countries basked in unseasonal warmth, parts of northern Europe were in the grip of premature coldThere were strong temperature contrasts across Europe over the past few days, with parts of the Mediterranean basking in unusual warmth while a blast of cold air from Siberia brought freezing conditions to northern parts of mainland Europe.Greece and southern Italy saw temperatures peaking at 25C or 26C on Friday, around 7 degrees above the November average. Meanwhile, Poland, the Czech Republic and parts of Germany were up to 10 degrees colder than average over the weekend, with the temperatures remaining widely below zero through the day and dropping below -10C in places overnight. The warmth experienced by the Mediterranean transferred north-eastwards later in the weekend, across the Black Sea into southern and eastern Ukraine and south-west Russia. Temperatures across these regions have reached the low 20s Celsius in places, while northern and western parts of Ukraine are under the influence of the colder airmass, which had meant that they saw temperatures widely remaining below freezing. Continue reading...

Proposal follows outrage after pregnant US tourist was denied abortion despite partial miscarriage and threat to her healthMalta’s government has published a draft law that would ease the country’s strict abortion laws by allowing the termination of pregnancies if the mother’s life or health are at serious risk.The proposed change in the law follows an outcry over the treatment of a pregnant American tourist in June, a case that sparked headlines worldwide. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak’s visit to CBI conference found old allies keen to mend fences, but impeded by hard politics of immigrationAmid the steady grey Birmingham drizzle, Britain’s leading business lobby group tried to walk a careful path on immigration.Members of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), present in greater numbers than in recent years at its annual conference, have been clamouring for more flexibility on hiring foreign workers, as a tight labour market wreaks havoc on their businesses and drives up wages. Continue reading...

Footballer denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young womenJurors in the rape trial of Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy have been told to question the credibility of their accusers.Lisa Wilding KC, in her closing defence speech on behalf of Mendy’s friend and co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, highlighted the evidence of one complainant, a 19-year-old woman, who told jurors from the witness box that both men had raped her. Continue reading...

RMT poised to announce industrial action while track, signal and bridge repairs scheduled for festive seasonRail passengers can expect more disruption next month with one union poised to announce more strike dates on Tuesday and Network Rail revealing it will carry out 300 engineering projects around Christmas.The RMT said train operating companies and Network Rail had failed to come up with promised written offers at the end of a fortnight of talks after the union suspended strikes scheduled for the beginning of November. Continue reading...

Elizabeth May, who led party between 2006 and 2019, to replace Annamie Paul, who quit following 2021 electoral routWhen Canada’s Green party wanted fresh leadership, it turned to a Princeton educated lawyer and adviser at the international criminal court who became the first Black and Jewish woman to ever lead a federal party in Canada.But after less than a year of legal feuds, infighting and an electoral rout Annamie Paul stepped down, calling her time as leader “the worst period of my life”. Continue reading...

Pundit opts to wear OneLove armband in apparent gesture of solidarity with LGBTQ+ people in QatarThe BBC pundit Alex Scott wore a rainbow armband as she presented coverage of England’s first match of the Qatar World Cup, in an apparent gesture of solidarity with LGBTQ+ people in a country where same-sex relationships are illegal.Her decision to wear the OneLove armband – which officially represents a stand against all forms of discrimination – came hours after the England and Wales teams decided not to wear the same armbands after being informed that players could receive yellow cards for breaching Fifa rules on clothing. Continue reading...

Standards commissioner finds David Warburton violated code of conduct twice but accepted his agreement to rectify the breaches

Russian forces launched almost 400 strikes on Sunday, Zelenskiy says; UN nuclear watchdog to assess Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

Signs of uprising were everywhere outside the stadium hosting England v IranHundreds of Iranian fans arrived at Doha’s Khalifah stadium on Monday with a secret: they wanted their national team to lose.“In my heart, I don’t want them to win,” said Mokhtar, 59, wincing visibly at the admission. The propaganda value of defeating Iran’s former colonial master, England, would simply be too irresistible for the country’s embattled rulers, he said. Continue reading...

Men on death row for murder of secular writer snatched by bikers who sprayed police with chemicalTwo Islamist militants who were on death row in Bangladesh for the killing of a US blogger critical of fundamentalist Islam have made a dramatic escape on motorbikes while being escorted to a court hearing in the capital, Dhaka.The two men were among those convicted of the murder of Avijit Roy, an American-Bangladeshi writer and blogger who was hacked to death with machetes in the streets of Dhaka in 2015. Continue reading...

Manchester United footballer also charged with assault and coercive and controlling behaviourThe Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood is set to face trial in November 2023 on charges including attempted rape and coercive behaviour.Greenwood, 21, appeared before a judge at Manchester Minshull Street crown court on Monday. The footballer is accused of attempted rape on 22 October 2021, and of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in December 2021. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Pass would give access to MPs and peers and was sponsored by wife, who is a life peerMark Fullbrook, the corporate lobbyist and former chief of staff to Liz Truss, holds a parliamentary pass giving him access to ministers, MPs and peers, the Guardian can disclose.The pass is sponsored by his wife, Lorraine Fullbrook, a Conservative MP from 2010 to 2015, who was made a life peer by Boris Johnson in July 2020, a year after Mark Fullbrook ran Johnson’s leadership election campaign. Continue reading...

Robert Jenrick says he’s ‘fine’ with England team protesting against inequality before matches in Qatar

Closures rise by 60% in past year, including 453 in most recent quarter, says advisory firm MazarsUK restaurants are going bust at a faster rate than during the Covid crisis owing to a “toxic mix” of surging energy costs, staff shortages and falling bookings.Closures in the sector rose by 60%, with 1,567 insolvencies over 2021-22, up from 984 during 2020-21, according to a study by the advisory firm Mazars. The figure includes 453 over the past three months, up from 395 in the previous quarter. Continue reading...

As many celebrate the holidays – which usually includes alcohol – Chris Swonger has launched We Don’t Serve TeensChris Swonger had already signed up to lead a publicity campaign warning about underage drinking across the US on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving when a deadly crash in his home town earlier this month drove home the timeliness.A teen motorist suspected of driving while intoxicated despite being under the legal drinking age crashed into another car and killed a high-school basketball player named Braylon Meade on 11 November in Arlington, Virginia. Meade’s community grieves for a life cut short while the other teen at the center of the case faces an involuntary manslaughter charge. Continue reading...

Opposition leader launches ‘real solutions plan’ to Liberal party faithful after days of controversy

Entertainment company restores executive who led it for 15 years, ousting replacement after 33 monthsDisney has reappointed Bob Iger as its chief executive in a surprise decision as the entertainment company ousted his hand-picked replacement, Bob Chapek, after less than three years in the job.Iger retired from leading Disney in 2020, after delaying his exit several times to guide the company through the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. He had spent 15 years as chief executive, to be replaced by Chapek, who formerly ran its theme parks division. Iger had stayed on as executive chairman until the end of 2021. Continue reading...

Madeleine King seeks briefings from Asic and industry department about allegations some companies lied about export quality

Here are the crucial dos and don’ts for not giving the game away in the office over the next four weeksFrom Monday, the World Cup in Qatar begins in earnest, and millions of Britons will be faced with the same problem: how to watch the football at work discreetly.One poll found that nearly half of the country’s workforce would not be allowed to watch games during business hours, but a fifth of those surveyed said they would find a way nevertheless. Continue reading...

Election for Narracan declared ‘failed’ after Shaun Gilchrist died on weekend with National party now facing questions over his preselection

Floods caused by warming temperatures and a lack of preventive care are driving the spread of the disease in a country racked with political and economic upheavalMore than 1,400 people in Sudan have been diagnosed with dengue fever this year in the worst outbreak in the country for more than a decade.Half of the country’s 18 states have registered cases and nine deaths recorded, including one child, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) who suspect the true number to be far higher. Continue reading...

The festival will celebrate 40th anniversary in 2023 with London shows featuring the actor talking to Rob Delaney, plus host of standup actsJust for Laughs, the comedy festival that began in Canada in 1983, will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year with its first London outing, held at the O2 and including a series of shows in partnership with Comic Relief.Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds is one of the headline draws at the festival, which runs from 2 to 5 March and takes place in the arena and other venues at the O2 complex. In an event entitled Maximum Effort (named after his production company), Reynolds will look back on a career that has taken him from sitcom and romcom star to Marvel superhero and Wrexham AFC co-owner. He will be in conversation with his Deadpool 2 co-star, standup Rob Delaney. Continue reading...

Federal government releases options paper with toughest proposal agreeing BNPL should be regulated like credit cards

Covid, Australian politics and online culture are dominant influences on this year’s shortlist

Researchers found black and minority ethnic people more at risk of homelessness and racist treatment from landlordsOne in three black people who have experienced homelessness have also faced racial discrimination from a landlord, six times more than the general population of those who had struggled for shelter, a study reveals.Academics at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh found black-led households reporting discrimination also face a risk of homelessness nearly 50% greater than that of a white-led household, even controlling for their socio-economic characteristics. Housing campaigners said the findings “should shame our country” and showed racial inequality was “hard-wired into our housing system”. Continue reading...

Authorities said high winds blew material from the experiment onto students at Manly West public school

Coast guard cut towing cable the Phillipines navy was using, say military officials, as Kamala Harris makes visit to ManilaChina’s coast guard forcibly seized the suspected debris of a Chinese rocket that the Philippine navy was towing to its island in the South China Sea, Philippines military officials have said, in the latest confrontation in the disputed sea.The Chinese vessel twice blocked the Philippine naval boat before seizing the floating debris it was towing on Sunday off Philippine-occupied Thitu island, Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said on Monday. He said no one was injured in the incident. Continue reading...