HK$1m rewards target people accused of national security crimes who fled after pro-democracy protestsHong Kong police have announced bounties of HK$1m (about 105,000) for information leading to the arrest of six democracy advocates based overseas and accused of national security crimes.Authorities also said they would cancel the passports of seven others for whom bounties had already been issued, including the former lawmakers Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, local media said. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#6T4J4)
Exhibition in Bristol, the city of her birth, celebrates Paule Vezelay whose ascent was stymied by sexism and warBritain's first" abstract artist, whose legacy has mostly been obscured because of a combination of sexism and the second world war, is to have her first major exhibition in more than 40 years.Paule Vezelay, born in Bristol in 1892, moved to Paris where she moved in the same circles as Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Sophie Taeuber-Arp, and created one of the first British abstract works in 1928, a few years before Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore began their experimentations. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: With rumours of the political party courting a game-changing investment, people are asking not only what they might do with the money, but what the tech titan might get in returnGood morning. I don't know how long Elon Musk spent mulling over his rumoured suggestion that he might give $100m to Reform, but since it amounts to about 0.02% of his total wealth, I imagine it will have taken about as much time as most people spend mulling over a Christmas book token for their favourite nephew. But if $100m is chicken feed for the world's richest man, it is enough money to be transformative for Nigel Farage and his cohorts - and for UK politics more generally.In the weeks since the story first broke, a growing chorus has urged Labour to update the rules on political donations to limit the influence of international money on British political parties. Meanwhile, Reform have unsurprisingly forgotten about their general view of foreigners who don't understand British culture, and suggested that this might just be the start.Water industry | Thames Water intentionally diverted millions of pounds pledged for environmental clean-ups towards other costs including bonuses and dividends, the Guardian can reveal. The embattled water company is trying to secure 3bn in emergency funding and at least 3.25bn more in equity investment to prevent its collapse.US politics | A House ethics committee report on Matt Gaetz, the former Florida Republican congressman, found substantial evidence" that he paid for sex with a minor. Gaetz, briefly Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, broke rules prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress", the report said.Gaza | Palestinian medics said Israeli airstrikes on Gaza killed at least 20 people overnight, including a strike on an encampment in an Israel-declared humanitarian zone that killed eight people, including two children.US news | Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson, pleaded not guilty to murder and terror charges in a state case that will run parallel to his federal prosecution.Education | Children with special education needs and disabilities (Send) have been victims of a vicious downward spiral" of declining support over the past decade, Anne Longfield, the former children's commissioner for England, has said, as she urged the government to take action. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6T4HX)
Former members also say complaints were mishandled and are seeking apology from Methodist churchThe Methodist church in Birmingham has been accused of silencing and cutting off" members of an LGBTQ+ congregation after the arrest of a member on suspicion of sexual assault.A man was arrested in November after a number of former members of the congregation at Inclusive Gathering Birmingham (IGB) alleged they were subjected to inappropriate touching, groping and harassment during church services and social gatherings. Continue reading...
Defence minister Israel Katz threatens Houthi rebels in Yemen, saying the military will decapitate their leadership - just as we did with Haniyeh'Israel's defence minister has confirmed that the IDF assassinated former Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this year, and warned that the military would also decapitate" the leadership of Yemen's Houthi rebels.We will strike hard at the Houthis ... and decapitate their leadership - just as we did with Haniyeh, [Yahya] Sinwar, and [Hassan] Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon, we will do so in Hodeida and Sanaa," Israel Katz said on Monday. Continue reading...
Centrist Francois Bayrou had promised a national interest government' across the middle political ground but ended up leaning to the conservative rightThe French prime minister has announced his new government - the country's fourth since the beginning of the year - in the hope his administration can see off another vote of no confidence from a bitterly divided parliament.There is a mix of old and new in Francois Bayrou's government, which includes several familiar faces: the former interior minister Gerald Darmanin has been appointed justice minister; the former prime minister Elisabeth Borne, a technocrat, returns to government as education secretary, while another former prime minister, Manuel Valls - who served under the socialist president Francois Hollande, has been appointed overseas minister. Continue reading...
UK-born wife of ousted Syrian leader is a divisive figure around world and, like her husband, is under sanctionsThe Kremlin has denied Turkish media reports suggesting that Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of the ousted Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, is seeking a divorce and hoping to return to London.Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month, the transponder of his aircraft switched off as he left to avoid detection, after a lightning rebel advance brought an end to his family's 50-year rule. Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now); Kirsty McEwen (earlier) on (#6T3VS)
Palestinian medics say strikes included one which hit a tent camp in al-MawasiLebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, has begun a tour of military positions in the country's south, almost a month after a ceasefire deal that ended Israel's assault on the country.The truce came into effect on 27 November and prohibits Israel from conducting offensive military operations in Lebanon, while requiring Lebanon to prevent armed groups including Hezbollah from launching attacks on Israel. It gives Israeli troops 60 days to withdraw from south Lebanon. Continue reading...
Commons leader Lucy Powell disappointed' by state of economy and shares people's impatience for changeA cabinet minister has said she can understand people's frustration" with the Labour government since it came into power as the party ended the year slumped in the polls with MPs jittery after a turbulent first few months.Lucy Powell, the Commons leader, said she shared public impatience for change and was disappointed" over the state of the economy but the party's inheritance meant it was a bit like turning around a huge oil tanker". Continue reading...
Customers face severe consequences' as banks and building societies close accounts typically set up to help vulnerable peoplePeople with disabilities are facing potential hardship because banks are scrapping trust accounts that allow money to be managed safely on their behalf.Victims awarded personal injury settlements and those with learning difficulties are among those facing severe consequences" as accounts are closed or frozen by high street banks and building societies, according to campaigners. Continue reading...
About 50 centres for women in crisis in England and Wales face deficit of 5.1m after funding ends in MarchA 5m funding gap for women's centres will lead to more women being imprisoned and derail government reform plans, experts warn.Women's centres work with thousands in crisis, playing a central role in keeping vulnerable women out of prison. But two significant streams of government funding will end in March 2025, even though ministers have announced plans to reduce the number of women being locked up. Continue reading...
Physical residence permits proving right to live and work in Britain will cease to be valid at end of DecemberAbout 1 million people who need to obtain eVisas to prove their right to live and work in the UK or return after travelling abroad have not yet done so even though the deadline to register is just over a week away.The eVisa programme set up by the previous government is a digital system to prove the right to reside in the UK for British residents who are not citizens or holders of British passports. No other country is known to be entirely ceasing to issue both physical entry visas and residence permits. Continue reading...
Survivors claim to have been disengaged' by Labour government after token gesture' meetingsFurious victims of the infected blood scandal have said that just 10 out of 4,000 people have received compensation under a new scheme, despite pledges from the Conservatives and Labour to sort out payments this year.Campaigners say they have been disengaged" by the Labour government and that, by this month, just 17 people out of the thousands eligible had been invited to register for compensation. Continue reading...
When she was six, Sara complained that her mother hit her, but that her father and stepmother, who were convicted of her murder, didn'tSara Sharif told a social worker she felt safe living with her father and stepmother because they don't hit me", four years before she died from their brutal campaign of torture.The schoolgirl's haunting words are buried in hundreds of pages of private family court papers that were disclosed after an application by media organisations, including the Guardian. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6T2HY)
On Mad Friday', many festive revellers are choosing low- or no-alcohol drinks on pub crawl touring Hull's city centreIt has become known as Mad Friday": the Friday before Christmas when all hell breaks loose on the streets of the UK as festive revellers spill out of packed bars and, in some cases, into A&E.Emergency services were warning the public to stay safe on what is, for many, the last working day before a Christmas break - also known as Frantic Friday" or Black Eye Friday", and one of the busiest nights of the year for the NHS and police. Continue reading...
Chair hails resounding vote of confidence' as investors reject seats on the board for Sports Direct founder and associateBoohoo shareholders have blocked Mike Ashley and an associate from joining its board in a blow to the Sports Direct founder's effort to control the struggling online fashion retailer.Investors representing almost two-thirds of Bohoo's stock - 64% - voted against appointing Ashley and Mike Lennon at a special meeting on Friday morning called by Ashley's Frasers Group. Continue reading...
The Booksellers Association spoke to staff who also highlighted James by Percival Everett, and everything from Chris Hoy's autobiography to a book about fishing by a dogThis year's Booker prize winner will be the Christmas No 1 bestseller, predict UK booksellers.The Booksellers Association (BA) asked bookshop staff which book they think could reach the festive top spot, and Orbital by Samantha Harvey was the most popular response. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent on (#6T2CM)
Chinese president calls for city to focus on cultivating new industries' as he attends inauguration of new leaderChina's president, Xi Jinping, has urged the gambling hub of Macau to diversify away from casinos, as he addressed the Chinese territory at the inauguration of its new leader.Xi was in Macau to mark the 25th anniversary of its return from Portuguese to Chinese rule on 20 December 1999. In the quarter-century since then, Macau has been run as a special administrative region of China, a semi-autonomous territory with a similar legal status to Hong Kong, but it has traditionally been much more pliant to Beijing's rule than the former British territory. More than half of its 700,000 population immigrated from China in recent decades. Continue reading...
Human rights groups say endorsements by members of the House of Lords hosting events and acting as election observers risk legitimising regimeIn years gone by, the two members of the House of Lords had been political enemies, running the headquarters of rival parties during hotly contested general election battles. In October, however, they stood side by side to pay their respects to the former president of Azerbaijan.A wreath laid at Heydar Aliyev's grave in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, bore three names: Iain McNicol, Labour's former general secretary, Darren Mott, the former chief executive of the Conservatives, and Tahir Gozel, a prominent local businessman who had paid for the peers' visit. Continue reading...
Brian Whitelock, 57, tortured and killed Wendy Buckney, 71, who had given him odd jobs to help his rehabilitationA double killer freed from prison after being deemed low risk by the Parole Board has been sentenced to a whole-life term for murdering a neighbour who gave him odd jobs to help his rehabilitation.Brian Whitelock, 57, who had been released after serving 18 years for the double killing, tortured and murdered Wendy Buckney, 71, at her home in the village of Clydach, near Swansea, in south Wales. Continue reading...
Deo Kato says journey from Cape Town gave him hope in humanity, despite facing racism from police and passersby on a daily basisA Ugandan athlete who arrives in London this weekend after running 7,730 miles (12,440km) from South Africa to raise awareness about racism has revealed he suffered repeated abuse on reaching Europe.Deo Kato set off from Cape Town in July 2023, running steadily north on a 516-day odyssey that has seen him jailed for weeks, laid low with serious illness and having to pass through war zones. Continue reading...
Palace source reportedly says there is optimism about treatment as king maintains busy public scheduleKing Charles's cancer treatment will reportedly continue in 2025, almost a year after it was announced he had been diagnosed with the disease.A Buckingham Palace source told Sky News the king's treatment has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year". Continue reading...
Husband of Gisele Pelicot suspected of raping and murdering a Paris estate agent and attempting to rape anotherDominique Pelicot, who has been jailed for 20 years for drugging his then wife, Gisele Pelicot, and inviting men to rape her, faces a further investigation for the rape and murder of an estate agent in Paris in 1991, and an attempted rape in 1999, amid questions over whether he could have been a serial offender for decades.Investigators in Nanterre outside Paris have reopened two cold cases and placed Pelicot under formal investigation, as police consider potential links to other cases involving young estate agents. Pelicot could face another trial at a later date. Continue reading...
Cancer Research UK concerned over dwindling participation in breast and cervical cancer screeningA health charity has sounded the alarm over a dip in the proportion of people taking up the offer for cancer screening as figures show how effective the tests are at catching cancers early.Breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening programmes have jointly spotted nearly 90,000 cancers between 2019 and 2023, according to analysis by Cancer Research UK (CRUK). Continue reading...
Pio Tikoduadua tells the Guardian the Pacific is not a space for missile testing' after China's launch earlier this year raised concern in the regionFiji's defence minister has stressed the need for stability in the Pacific and welcomed moves to strengthen security ties with the US, while adding to criticism over China's recent missile test for posing a threat to peace in the region.Fiji, a country of about 1 million people strategically located in the Pacific, maintains ties and receives support from Washington and Beijing amid a wider struggle for influence by the two powers in the region. Continue reading...
Dr Dewi Evans says allegations made by former nurse's barrister are unsubstantiated' and inaccurate'A doctor has said claims he has changed his mind over the cause of death for three of Lucy Letby's victims are unsubstantiated" and inaccurate".Retired consultant paediatrician Dr Dewi Evans responded to the assertions of Letby's barrister, Mark McDonald, who said the prosecution's lead medical witness had altered his views on how the infants had died at the Countess of Chester hospital's neonatal unit. Continue reading...
Turkey tried to stall the HTS rebels' offensive but has now become Syria's gateway to the outside world'Less than a week after the deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, Turkish officials raised their flag over the embassy in Damascus. While many of the shutters on the palatial villa remained closed, the red and white crescent flew over the embassy rooftop for the first time in 12 years.It was a moment preceded days before by the arrival in the Syrian capital of Turkey's spy chief, Ibrahim Kalin. In this immediate aftermath of the end of the Assad regime, Kalin rode in a black sedan driven by the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa, who wore civilian dress as he chauffeured Kalin through the crowded streets. The spy chief prayed beneath the hallowed archways of the Umayyad mosque, before emerging to stunned crowds gathered to see the first foreign dignitary to visit the new Syrian leadership. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6SZVS)
Retired nurse John Hanson made no plea over death of 84-year-old Margaret Hanson in GalashielsAn 84-year-old man appeared in court last week in connection with the death of his wife at their home in Galashiels.
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6SZR7)
Mother of girl who died in 2021 reveals figures on Today programme that are welcomed by national medical directorPatients have been moved to intensive care or received potentially life-saving treatment such as oxygen as a direct result of hospitals adopting Martha's rule, NHS data shows.Doctors and nurses have changed how they care for dozens of very sick patients since its introduction in many parts of the NHS in England during the course of 2024. Continue reading...
Scholz had called the vote to deliberately lose it following the collapse of his coalition governmentOlaf Scholz has lost a historic vote of confidence in the German parliament, paving the way for early national elections following the collapse of his government.The German chancellor had called the vote in order to deliberately lose it, urging the Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, to declare its lack of confidence in him so that the first formal step could be made towards triggering new elections. Continue reading...
Chrystia Freeland, who is also minister of finance, says country faces grave challenge' from Trump policyCanada's deputy prime minister and minister of finance has resigned amid growing tensions with the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, over the looming threat posed by Donald Trump's America First" economic nationalism.Chrystia Freeland stood down on Monday, just hours before she was due to release the country's first economic plan ahead of the change of administration in Washington. Continue reading...
RAC says to avoid major routes in England between 1pm and 7pm on Friday and Saturday as long queues expectedDrivers are being urged not to travel on major routes for six hours on Friday and Saturday, with record levels of Christmas holiday traffic expected to cause long queues on Britain's roads.The RAC and the transport analytics company Inrix predicted a total of 29.3m festive journeys would be made between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, the most since the RAC began recording the data in 2013. Continue reading...
Coastguard reports rescue of 39 survivors from boat that set out from Libya, but hopes fade for other passengersA mammoth rescue operation was launched in Greece on Saturday to locate dozens of migrants reported missing after their boat capsized en route from Libya to Crete.Nearly 12 hours after combat Aegean Hawk naval helicopters were first dispatched to the site of the shipwreck, 12.5 nautical miles south-west of the tiny isle of Gavdos, at least 39 survivors had been found, according to the Greek coastguard. Continue reading...
Sam Burns, 40, went missing in Cairngorms after going skiing aloneA body has been found in the search for a skier missing overnight in the Cairngorms.Sam Burns, 40, was last in contact with friends at about 11.30am on Friday. He has since failed to return to his van, which was parked in the Cairngorm mountain car park. Continue reading...
Doug Ford's threat to use the province's liquor control board would entail ordering it to halt buying American productsThe leader of Canada's most populous province is looking at fresh ways to ward off US tariffs, including wielding the power of Ontario's liquor control board - the largest purchaser of alcohol in the world.Earlier this week, Ontario's premier, Doug Ford, said he could halt electricity exports to multiple American states in retaliation for tariffs promised by Donald Trump. Continue reading...
If company fails to meet deadline, it could lead to Amazon's first large-scale unfair labor practice strike in the USAmazon workers in New York have set a deadline for Sunday 15 December demanding the company agree to begin bargaining a first union contract with the union or else workers at the warehouse, along with other Amazon workers around the US, will begin an unfair labor practice strike.Amazon workers at the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, New York, made history in March 2022 when they became the first warehouse at the retail giant to win a union election in the US. Continue reading...
Injured woman recalls ride crashing to the ground, which led to two women being taken to hospital on ThursdayTwo men have been arrested after a Christmas fairground ride dropped to the ground" causing injuries in Birmingham city centre.Two women were taken to hospital after the City Star Flyer ride failed and crashed" in Centenary Square on Thursday evening, while another 11 patients were assessed by paramedics and discharged at the scene. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian