World news | The Guardian

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...

Graphic footage showed police shooting Russell at least five times in a house in Sydney’s west in November 2021

Partner pleads guilty to three charges of sexual assault, two charges of rape, will be sentenced as serious sexual offender

Sydney Water says filtration systems under extreme pressure amid floods, as all Melbourne beaches declared unsuitable for swimming

Traditional TV shunned in favour of digital media and last-minute promotional campaignsMore than two-thirds of the UK’s biggest advertisers intend to cut back spending on traditional TV next year, as the recession fuels a shift to digital media and last-minute bursts of promotion.A survey of 59 UK advertisers has found that 67% will make the deepest budget cuts to ads on broadcast TV, according to the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) and the media investment analysts Ebiquity. Continue reading...

Hebe de Bonafini co-founded Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in 1977 after her two sons were arrested and then disappearedHebe de Bonafini, who became a human rights campaigner when her two sons were arrested and then disappeared under Argentina’s military dictatorship has died, her family and authorities have reported. She was 93.The death on Sunday was confirmed by her only surviving child, Alejandra, who expressed thanks for expressions of support her mother had received while hospitalised in the city of La Plata. Local officials said she had suffered from unspecified chronic illnesses. Continue reading...

Strikes launched in retaliation for Istanbul bombing target ‘terrorist bases’, but civilian deaths reported by Kurdish officialsTurkey launched deadly airstrikes over northern regions of Syria and Iraq, the Turkish defence ministry said on Sunday, targeting Kurdish groups that Ankara holds responsible for last week’s bomb attack in Istanbul.Warplanes attacked bases belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), and the Syrian People’s Protection Units, or YPG, the ministry said in a statement, which was accompanied by images of F-16 jets taking off and footage of a strike from an aerial drone. Continue reading...

Explosions cause damage at Ukrainian power plant, as Kyiv says it will investigate videos allegedly of surrendering Russians being shot

Attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are ‘playing with fire’, UN warns as Ukraine adviser urges against talks with Kremlin Continue reading...

Michael Fawcett resigned after revelations he offered to help Saudi donor obtain knighthood and British citizenshipA former aide to the King received a £60,000 payoff when he stepped down from the Prince’s Foundation amid a cash-for-honours scandal, it has emerged.Michael Fawcett received the money after revelations that he offered to help a Saudi donor obtain a knighthood and British citizenship. Continue reading...

One in 26 journeys disrupted with government accused of ‘abject failure’ to tackle worst offenders such as Avanti West CoastRail cancellations have reached their highest level on record with more than 314,000 trains fully or partly cancelled across Great Britain in a year, a Guardian analysis reveals.Figures from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) show that the proportion of cancelled services has more than doubled since 2015, rising to one in 26 of all train journeys being disrupted in the year to 15 October, the latest date for which figures are available. Continue reading...

French president says Moscow is pursuing ‘predatory project’ to spread influence in African countriesEmmanuel Macron has accused Russia of feeding disinformation to further its “predatory project” in Africa, where France has had military setbacks.In an interview with TV5 Monde on the sidelines of a conference of Francophone nations in Tunisia, he said there was a “predatory project” pushing disinformation into African countries, which was “a political project financed by Russia, sometimes others”. Continue reading...

Comedian tweets video of stunt after his deadline for former footballer to pull out of ambassador role passesThe comedian Joe Lycett appears to have thrown £10,000 into an industrial shredder in protest at David Beckham’s continued support for the World Cup in Qatar.Lycett had set the former England footballer a deadline of midday on Sunday to withdraw from his role at the tournament. If Beckham pulled out as a Qatar World Cup ambassador before the start of the event, Lycett was offering to donate £10,000 of his own money to gay charities. If Beckham did not, the plan was to shred it, along with what Lycett called the former England captain’s “status as gay icon”. Continue reading...

Andy Weatherhead has been suspended after photos emerged of him at 2013 event that he says he attended ‘in spirit of curiosity’A Conservative councillor who was photographed wearing a blackshirt and surrounded by fascist imagery at far-right events is under investigation by the party chair, Nadhim Zahawi.Andy Weatherhead, who represents Hythe West on Kent county council, attended rallies organised by the openly fascist New British Union (NBU), wore a blackshirt and was surrounded by symbols associated with Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, prior to joining the Conservative party. Continue reading...

A Dry White Season director takes lifetime achievement award, alongside Michael J Fox, Witness director Peter Weir, and songwriter Diane WarrenSidelined for decades by a film industry that refused to fund films starring Black actors, director Euzhan Palcy made a triumphant return to Hollywood on Saturday, accepting an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement at the Academy’s Governors awards.Palcy, the first Black woman to direct a film for a major Hollywood studio, was introduced by Viola Davis and praised by Ava DuVernay. She addressed a film industry that had finally accepted that, as she put it: “Black and female is bankable.” Continue reading...

Ministers warned not to put political spin on plans to commemorate UK’s experience of pandemicThe government must not politicise plans to memorialise the Covid-19 pandemic, the chair of the UK commemoration commission has said, as she urged more people to submit ideas on how to remember the nation’s experience.Nicky Morgan, a former Conservative cabinet minister, said ministers would be “unwise” to put any political spin on plans when they decide on what form memorials will take. Continue reading...

As reports suggest some in government want closer ties with Brussels, we look as what these might meanBrexit is slowly but surely creeping back on to the agenda as the blame game intensifies over Britain’s poor growth and looming recession.Discussion of the effects of the UK leaving the EU were quickly drowned out in the weeks after 31 January 2020 as the Covid pandemic took hold. Since then, much of MPs’ economic focus has been on the fallout from lockdowns, global supply chain issues and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Yellow wind warning issued for parts of south-west England and south Wales, as cold snap raises risk of fogThe UK will face heavy winds, plunging temperatures, icy roads and rain on Monday, forecasters say.An unseasonably warm autumn has so far helped buffer people from escalating energy costs, but sub-zero temperatures forecast for Monday could leave many confronting the scale of price rises for the first time. Continue reading...

In the final sitting period of the year, the Albanese government will seek to progress several key election commitments