World news | The Guardian

The prime minister is toughening his stance on a range of issues but that won’t be enough for some unruly Tory MPsRishi Sunak entered office with a tough hand, and how he plays it will determine whether his party can, at best, cling on at the next election, or at the very least avoid being routed.His task has been made all the harder because, with the prospect of electoral defeat ahead, his own MPs have decided that there are more important things in life than party discipline. Continue reading...

PM’s first major foreign policy speech warns of the creeping authoritarianism of Xi Jinping’s regimeRishi Sunak has signalled the end of the “golden era” of relations between Britain and China, using his first major foreign policy speech to warn of the creeping authoritarianism of Xi Jinping’s regime.As police in China launched a show of force in an attempt to contain the highest levels of civil disobedience seen in decades, the prime minister threw his support behind protesters by condemning Beijing’s “crackdown”, as well as the assault of a BBC journalist. Continue reading...

Facilities similar to those used during Covid pandemic will house people showing signs of contagious diseaseAsylum seekers showing diphtheria symptoms will be held in “secure isolation hotels” similar to those used during the Covid pandemic, a minister has said.Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, said anyone displaying signs of the highly contagious disease would not be allowed to leave Manston processing centre in Kent except to be moved to a designated isolation centre. Continue reading...

Second man taken to hospital with stab wound after incident in central LondonA murder investigation has been launched after a man was fatally stabbed near Regent’s Park in London.The Metropolitan police said officers were called to reports of a stabbing in Lilestone Street, Westminster at 3.23pm on Monday, where they found two injured men. Continue reading...

Ukraine officials say Russia is continuing to shell cities with no strategic aim other than to cause casualties as it prepares for new mass strikes. This live blog is closed

Officers were investigating possible firearms offences when incident took place in Wick St Lawrence, say policeA man is in a critical condition after being shot by police in Somerset.The incident happened when officers went to a house on Wick Road in Wick St Lawrence as part of an investigation into possible firearms offences. Continue reading...

Musician says he had vertigo when he used autopen on books advertised as hand-signedBob Dylan has issued a rare public statement to apologise for his “error in judgment”, amid controversy over his use of a machine to autograph special copies of his new book that had been advertised as “hand-signed”.The book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, features the legendary singer-songwriter’s commentary on tracks by other artists and was released in early November, with a limited run of 900 “hand-signed” editions sold for $599 each. All copies came with a letter of authenticity from the publisher Simon & Schuster. Continue reading...

Up to 50% discounts as cost of living crisis hits shopping budgets and mild weather leaves winter styles unsoldUK retailers have launched a barrage of discounts to try to clear stock after a month of falling sales as soaring inflation and bills hit households’ budgets and a warm autumn reduced demand for coats and boots.On Monday, New Look was offering a 50% discount off all products, Asos up to 80% off almost all lines and Boohoo 30% off everything, with many other fashion retailers – including Marks & Spencer, River Island and Matalan – offering between 20% and 30% cuts. Continue reading...

Arrests made in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Dubai, including one ‘extremely big fish’A “super-cartel” that controlled one-third of the cocaine trade in Europe has been taken down in six countries, police have said.The EU police agency, Europol, announced that 49 suspects were arrested during the investigation, after raids in Europe and the United Arab Emirates targeting the cartel’s “command and control centre” and logistics network. Continue reading...

Union will urge workers to accept award, which will benefit 85% of UK staff, to end protracted disputeBT has awarded tens of thousands of staff hit hardest by the cost of living crisis a £1,500 pay rise, bringing to an end a protracted and bitter dispute and the first national strike action in 35 years.The telecoms company, which earlier this month said it would table a new pay deal to the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) after freeing up cash thanks to a government energy subsidy for businesses, is to give all staff earning £50,000 or less a year the permanent rise. Continue reading...

Operator had indicated it could ask consumers to start using demand flexibility service on TuesdayThe UK electricity network operator has cancelled plans to activate its emergency winter plan on Tuesday after steps were taken to allay concerns over power supplies.National Grid indicated on Monday morning it could issue the requirement for consumers to start using its new demand flexibility service, which rewards businesses and households that shift their power usage away from times of peak demand. Continue reading...

Concern that PM wants to keep same remit as for Christopher Geidt, with no enhanced powersSeveral candidates have turned down the role of Rishi Sunak’s ethics adviser, to which the prime minister had pledged to appoint someone when he entered No 10, the Guardian understands.Sunak is not offering candidates any enhanced powers – which means advisers would not be able to launch their own investigations, it is understood. Continue reading...

Head of World Cup organising committee says he sees rainbow armband as protest against Islamic valuesThe head of Qatar’s World Cup organising committee has accused teams who wanted to wear the OneLove armband at the World Cup of sending a “very divisive message” to the Islamic and Arab world.Hassan al-Thawadi’s comments came as the UK sports minister Stuart Andrew said he would wear the rainbow-coloured armband at the England v Wales match on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Barriers erected on street where demonstrations have been held against rigid policies against coronavirusChinese police have launched a show of force across the country in an effort to head off further protests against the government’s rigid zero-Covid policies.Since Friday, a wave of protests has spread across multiple cities, prompted by the death of 10 people in a building fire in Urumqi in Xinjiang. Much of the region had been under lockdown for more than three months, and people blamed the lockdown for the deaths. Continue reading...

Diplomat in Moscow says US has ‘put a significant proposal on the table’ in effort to free basketball star jailed on drugs convictionThe US is waiting for a “serious response” from Russia to a series of proposals regarding the release of the basketball star Brittney Griner, a senior US diplomat said.Elizabeth Rood, the US chargée d’affaires in Moscow, told Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency that talks about freeing Griner – who was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs – were ongoing. But Rood said Russia was yet to seriously engage. Continue reading...

Making the final was triumph for the former health secretary who was predicted to be first out of the jungle

Exclusive: family accuse IOPC of failing to properly investigate Met officers who Tasered Oladeji OmishoreThe family of Oladeji Omishore, who drowned in June shortly after he was Tasered by police, are taking the police watchdog to the high court in a test case, accusing them of failing to properly investigate the officers involved.Omishore, 41, who lived close to London’s Chelsea Bridge, had stepped out of his home on 4 June this year when the incident happened. He was experiencing a mental health crisis, which his family say police should have tried to de-escalate. Two officers discharged their Tasers multiple times, Omishore fled and jumped into the Thames and he subsequently drowned. Continue reading...

Refugee groups says proposal would breach UN convention and put vulnerable people at risk

Officials warned last year more than 90% of municipalities were at risk from landslides, floods and erosionThere have been calls to limit and crack down on both legal and illegal construction in Italy after the head of the country’s civil protection office said more than 90% of Italian municipalities were at risk from landslides and other natural disasters.Fabrizio Curcio made the comments in an interview with La Stampa after travelling to the southern Italian island of Ischia, where eight people including a 22-day-old baby are so far confirmed to have been killed in a landslide on Saturday. Continue reading...

Introduction of new timetable could lead to crisis, says Northern Powerhouse PartnershipBusiness leaders have warned that rail services across the north of England could “collapse into utter chaos” unless the government pushes urgently for a resolution to months of disruption.Rail services are already recording historic levels of cancellations, and the imminent introduction of a new timetable could lead to a “crisis”, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), which represents industry in the north of England, has warned in a letter to the UK transport secretary, Mark Harper. Continue reading...

Journalist Ed Lawrence was beaten after being arrested at a protest against China’s strict Covid restrictions, broadcaster saysChinese police assaulted and detained a BBC journalist covering a protest in Shanghai on Sunday, releasing him after several hours, the broadcaster has said.“The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai,” a spokesperson for the British public service broadcaster said. Continue reading...

Financial advisers to pay about £45,000 a worker to 1,000 staff who received unsuitable adviceMore than 1,000 former members of the British Steel pension scheme who received unsuitable advice from financial advisers accused of “enriching” themselves will receive an average payout of £45,000 in compensation.The City watchdog on Monday launched plans for a scheme that seeks to compensate those who had not yet received redress after being given poor pension transfer advice when British Steel fell into financial hardship. Continue reading...

First outlets to publish WikiLeaks material, including the Guardian, come together to oppose prosecutionThe US government must drop its prosecution of the WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange because it is undermining press freedom, according to the media organisations that first helped him publish leaked diplomatic cables.Twelve years ago today, the Guardian, the New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and El País collaborated to release excerpts from 250,000 documents obtained by Assange in the “Cablegate” leak. The material, leaked to WikiLeaks by the then American soldier Chelsea Manning, exposed the inner workings of US diplomacy around the world. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Old English name, Eadburg, repeatedly scored into manuscript had remained hidden for more than 12 centuriesFor nearly 1,300 years, no one knew it was there. The name of a highly educated English woman, secretly scratched on to the pages of a rare medieval manuscript in the eighth century, but impossible to read – until now.Academics have discovered the Old English female name Eadburg was repeatedly scored into the surface of the religious text, using a method that kept it hidden from the naked eye for more than 12 centuries. Continue reading...

Firm says trial is ‘major step’ towards proving hydrogen could be zero-carbon aviation fuel of the futureRolls-Royce has said it has run an aircraft engine on hydrogen in what is thought to be a world first for the aviation industry, which is considering using the fuel to decarbonise air travel.The FTSE 100 engineering company said the ground test was a “major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future”, in a joint project with the airline easyJet. Continue reading...

Exclusive: It is expected Labor will adopt a suite of reforms to address an anticipated 56% increase in electricity prices

Art activism has increased in and outside the country since death of 22-year-old Mahsa AminiDozens of Iranian artists have called for an international boycott of cultural institutions run by or affiliated with the Islamic Republic in protest against the regime’s worsening human rights abuses.The call by artists, writers, film-makers and academics living in Iran and among its diaspora comes amid growing anti-government art activism by Iranians inside and outside the country after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Continue reading...

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Licensed venues can stay open if broadcasting vital group game against Denmark which kicks off 2am Thursday

Siberian cold front forecast to push into China, Mongolia and then UK by WednesdayA large area of high pressure covering the whole of eastern Europe is bringing severely low temperatures across Siberia. In a part of the world where temperatures are often below freezing at this time of year, the mercury has been 20C to 25C below average in areas over the weekend, with central and eastern Russia experiencing temperatures widely of -25C to -45C.Over the next couple of days, westerly winds will result in temperatures rising above average in northern Russia but temperatures will remain 10C to 20C below normal in southern Russia. The orientation of the high-pressure system will allow northerly winds to send the cold air southwards across central and eastern Asia over the next few days. Temperatures will fall widely below average here too, with northern and eastern parts of China and Mongolia particularly affected. Temperatures here will fall 10C to 20C below normal by midweek as the same area of high pressure builds in and traps the cold air with temperatures struggling to rise above freezing by day. Continue reading...

Ryan Smith confirms he would reinstate controversial MP Renee Heath to the party room while John Pesutto urges the party to connect ‘more widely’

Police treating both incidents, in which two 16-year-olds died in Thamesmead and Abbey Wood, as linkedA teenager has been arrested over the fatal stabbings of two 16-year-old boys a mile apart in south-east London, police said.Kearne Solanke was found with stab wounds in Thamesmead, and Charlie Bartolo was discovered in Abbey Wood, on Saturday afternoon. Continue reading...

16th-century work Epifania is one of only two existing cartoons by the Italian masterOne of only two surviving Michelangelo cartoons is undergoing delicate and highly technical conservation work at the British Museum in an attempt to stabilise the fragile work for the coming decades.Epifania, created by the Italian master artist around 1550, has degraded and been subject to repeated repairs over its almost 500-year history. Now it is laid out in the museum’s state-of-the-art conservation studios as specialists consider how best to preserve the complex structure and black chalk lines. Continue reading...

State-run media outlets largely ignore nationwide protests, but continue to push the importance of Covid restrictionsChinese media have largely ignored widespread protests across the country, with prominent state newspaper front pages instead choosing to focus on Taiwan’s local elections, a Chinese-built solar plant in Qatar and the rising number of Chinese women choosing to get tanned in beauty salons.Protests flared across Chinese cities over the weekend, with calls for political freedoms and an end to Covid lockdowns. Continue reading...

Bridget Archer says she is considering her position regarding the censure, reiterates her dismay at the previous prime minister’s actions

‘Every year there was a suicide,’ James Geercke says on first day of royal commission hearings in Wagga Wagga

The Liberals are yet to reach a position on the referendum, which is expected by the end of 2023

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.

Those from deprived backgrounds are particularly at risk of dying from cancer of the lungs, liver, bladder and oesophagusPoorer women in Britain have some of the highest death rates from cancer in Europe, an in-depth new World Health Organization study has found.They are much more likely to die from the disease compared with better-off women in the UK and women in poverty in many other European countries. Continue reading...

Spain-based Acciona Energia will double capacity of project 200km south-west of Brisbane

Chris Wilson, 34, killed in February while hanging below a helicopter to harvest eggs from crocodile nests for television show Outback Wrangler

Actor’s gesture draws gasps and cheers at charity auction, held after a performance of Jackman’s hit musical The Music ManNicole Kidman has surprised both Broadway audiences and Hugh Jackman by bidding US$100,000 (A$150,000, £83,000) for a hat signed by Jackman after a performance of her former co-star’s musical The Music Man.During an auction for the charity Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids after the performance on Saturday, Kidman made her presence known by shouting her bid of $100,000 for the hat, which led to gasps and cheers in the crowd, then a standing ovation. Continue reading...

Det Insp Glen Browne said concerns the alleged fraudster had taken her own life were not given as much weight early in the investigation

Nick Coyle said it was positive that prime minister Anthony Albanese and foreign minister Penny Wong had raised her case with their Chinese counterparts

Exclusive: Report finds struggling families are having on average 10% of monthly income deducted to cover debtLow-income families in Scotland are having on average 10% of their monthly income deducted by the Department for Work and Pensions to cover debts such as universal credit advances or school meals payments, according to research.The report for Aberlour Children’s Charity, seen by the Guardian, found that families in receipt of universal credit (UC) are having their monthly income reduced on average by £80 to cover spiralling debt. Continue reading...

Property website data shows housing market is slowing, with 44% less demand for homes and sellers accepting 3% below asking pricePeople selling their homes have typically had to settle for below the asking price in recent weeks, according to Zoopla, which is predicting house prices will fall by about 5% next year.The average price achieved in recent weeks has been 3% below a seller’s asking price, when for much of 2021 and the first half of this year it matched the asking price, the property website said. Zoopla said it expects discounts to increase further in 2023. Continue reading...

Hikes set to hit warehouses and online retailers hardest in 2023 as UK government addresses ‘brick v clicks’ tax gapAmazon’s UK tax bill jump could jump by £29m next year as a result of changes to business rates that are scheduled to hit warehouses and online retailers the hardest.The online retailer is likely to be among firms facing big tax rises following the chancellor’s autumn statement, according to analysis from the real estate adviser Altus Group. Continue reading...

Call for semiconductor industry plan to be published urgently to help keep Britain in global supply chainThe UK is missing out on a wave of investment and falling behind other countries in the fast-growing semiconductor industry because of a lack of support from the government, MPs have warned.The government should urgently publish a long-delayed semiconductor strategy, and also look to create partnerships with allies to try to ensure the UK remains part of the semiconductor supply chain, according to a report published on Monday by MPs on parliament’s business committee. Continue reading...

Beijing students shout ‘freedom will prevail’, as Urumqi fire prompts levels of disobedience unprecedented in Xi eraPeople opposed to China’s stringent Covid restrictions have protested in cities across the country in the biggest wave of civil disobedience on the mainland since Xi Jinping assumed power a decade ago.Protests triggered by a deadly apartment fire in the far west of the country last week took place on Sunday in cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Wuhan and Guangzhou, according to footage shared on social media, in defiance of a series of heavy-handed arrests of demonstrators on Saturday night. Continue reading...

Former England footballer won public vote, with actor Owen Warner in second place and ex-health secretary coming thirdJill Scott has been crowned queen of the jungle after winning I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! on Sunday night.The former England footballer, 35, who was the bookies’ favourite to triumph, accrued the most votes from the public, with actor Owen Warner finishing second after both spent 23 days in camp. Continue reading...