World news | The Guardian

Move comes as a result of reinsurers exiting the region in the face of heavy financial lossesShip insurers are cancelling war-risk coverage across Russia, Ukraine and Belarus from January, leaving cargo and freight companies liable for major losses linked to the ongoing conflict.At least 12 of the 13 Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs - which cover 90% of the world’s ocean-going ships, including those from the UK and the US - said they would no longer be able to provide coverage to clients because reinsurers were exiting the region as a result of financial losses. Continue reading...

Recaptured city comes under renewed shelling as Russia also reinforces eastern town targeted by Ukraine forces

Other similar routes have sprung up as the travel industry responds to rising fuel costs and climate damageIt hasn’t been an easy time to be a rail enthusiast, but the resurgence of the sleeper train on the continent is offering British travellers a tantalising prospect for 2023.A new pan-European service starting in May is opening up the possibility of jumping on a Eurostar at Kings Cross St Pancras on a Friday afternoon and waking up in Berlin the following morning, breakfast included. Continue reading...

Hard-line coalition vows to legalise dozens of illegally built outposts and annex the occupied territoryBenjamin Netanyahu’s incoming hard-line government put West Bank settlement expansion at the top of its list of priorities on Wednesday, vowing to legalise dozens of illegally built outposts and annex the occupied territory as part of its coalition deal with its ultranational allies.The coalition agreements, released a day before the government is to be sworn into office, also included language endorsing discrimination against LGBTQ+ people on religious grounds, as well as generous stipends for ultra-Orthodox men who prefer to study instead of work. Continue reading...

Public Health Scotland says it is aware of seven deaths of people with strep A between 3 October and 25 DecemberTwo children under 10 in Scotland have died with strep A infections since 3 October, Public Health Scotland has said.The organisation said it was aware of seven deaths among invasive group A streptococcal infections (iGAS) cases between 3 October and 25 December. Continue reading...

Security council’s rare display of unity adds pressure after most aid groups in Afghanistan suspend servicesFaint hopes exist that the Taliban may relax its ban on all women working for the non-governmental aid agencies in Afghanistan after the UN security council condemned the ban in a rare show of unanimity.Almost all the large NGO aid agencies operating in Afghanistan have suspended almost all their work while talks continue to persuade the Taliban to rescind or clarify their decision. Tens of thousands of aid workers – many of them the chief breadwinners for the household – have been told to stay at home during the suspension, as the UN seeks to persuade the Taliban of the consequences for ordinary people in Afghanistan. Continue reading...

Japan, India and Taiwan introduce measures to prevent influx of cases as experts say lack of data makes it difficult to assess riskVirologists are watching nervously to see how China’s abrupt decision to drop some of its toughest Covid-19 restrictions, including scrapping quarantine rules for travellers, may affect variants and their global spread as some countries increase precautionary measures.China’s decision on Monday to drop quarantine for overseas visitors from 8 January has prompted concerns about the potential for new variants to spread beyond China’s borders. Japan and India are among the countries that have introduced measures to prevent an influx of cases.This article was amended on 28 December 2022. Airfinity estimates there are more than 5,000 deaths a day in China, rather than new cases as an earlier version said Continue reading...

Deaths and divorces of major collectors fuel record £14.3bn in sales at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and PhillipsThe world’s biggest auction houses are celebrating record-breaking revenues this year after the deaths or divorces of art-collecting billionaires led to a series of blockbuster sales.In total, the three big auction houses – Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips – sold £14.3bn worth of art and other collectibles in 2022. Continue reading...

Labour mayor for North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll, adds it will not reverse 12 years of austerity under ToriesA £1.4bn devolution deal for north-east England could be “transformational” for the region but would not reverse 12 years of austerity, the frontrunner to be the region’s first mayor has said.Jamie Driscoll, the Labour mayor for the North of Tyne region, said he did “cartwheels down the street” when the levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, confirmed the new combined authority would receive £48m a year plus powers over transport and skills. Continue reading...

Advocates welcome ‘significant’ number of releases but raise questions over ‘bizarre’ process

US government says it will look into why the company’s recovery from winter storm chaos lags behind other carriersSouthwest Airlines scrubbed thousands of flights again on Tuesday in the aftermath of the massive winter storm that wrecked Christmas travel plans across the US, and the federal government said it would investigate why the company lagged so far behind other carriers.A day after most US airlines had recovered from the storm, Southwest called off about 2,600 more flights on the east coast by late afternoon. Those flights accounted for more than 80% of the 3,000 trips that got canceled nationwide on Tuesday, according to tracking service FlightAware. Continue reading...

Declassified documents suggest Johnson believed in 1996 that Britain could crush the IRABoris Johnson urged a “hard egg” approach to the Northern Ireland peace process in 1996 in the belief Britain could crush the IRA, according to declassified documents.The then deputy editor of the Daily Telegraph favoured a security-led policy over political talks that led two years later to the Good Friday agreement. Continue reading...

Collaborator Rory Bremner pays tribute to Bird, calling him ‘one of our greatest satirists’The actor and comedian John Bird has died aged 86, his representatives have said.Bird became known for sketches performed alongside John Fortune and Rory Bremner in Channel 4’s satirical show Bremner, Bird and Fortune. The show ran for 16 series, as well as one-off specials, between 1999 and 2008. Continue reading...

Many people trapped in vehicles after pile-up on Zhengxin Huanghe Bridge in ZhengzhouOne person has been killed after more than 200 vehicles were involved in a pile-up on a bridge in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou in heavy fog, according to rescuers and the CCTV state broadcaster.Cars and trucks could been seen crumpled and piled on top of each other on the Zhengxin Huanghe Bridge in pictures and videos posted on social media. One car was jack-knifed in the middle of a pile in a picture taken from CCTV footage. Continue reading...

Poor pay and working conditions are main reasons for wanting to find other work, says BMAFour in 10 junior doctors are actively planning to quit the NHS as soon as they can find another job, according to a survey by the British Medical Association.The survey, released as part of the BMA chair of council Prof Philip Banfield’s new year message, found poor pay and working conditions were among the main reasons for junior doctors wanting to leave. Continue reading...

Post-Christmas passengers affected, while driving examiners at 71 test centres begin five-day strike

Cheryl Scanlon says youth crime is ‘complex’ while police minister says number of young people denied bail is proof of tough stance

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‘We’re going to succeed with the referendum,’ Noel Pearson tells crowd ahead of 2023 vote

Man and two women assist police with inquiries after woman found in front yard of Werribee South home

Scottish police watchdog investigating incident in which man died on Boxing DayA 62-year-old man has died after being hit by a police car in Scotland on Boxing Day.Investigators are appealing for witnesses after the accident in Livingston, West Lothian. The victim was taken by ambulance to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh but was pronounced dead a short time later. Continue reading...

Victim taken to hospital early on Tuesday after shooting near party in north London suburbA 24-year-old woman was in a serious condition in hospital on Tuesday after being shot near a party in Tottenham, north London.Police officers attended the scene at the junction of West Green Road and Grove Park Road at 6.28am on Tuesday following reports that someone had been shot. Continue reading...

Party insiders say manifesto was made up of fresh Starmer ideas and Corbyn-era commitmentsLabour drew up plans to govern in case of a snap election while Boris Johnson was struggling to thwart a mutiny by his own MPs over summer, party insiders have revealed.The “oven-ready” policies were a mixture of fresh commitments from Keir Starmer and ideas from the era of his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn. Sources said it was hoped it would appeal to the broadest base of voters possible and make Labour “the political wing of the British people”. Continue reading...

Sean Dilley sustained cuts and injured elbow in incident during his night shift in central LondonA blind BBC reporter fought off and detained a mugger who snatched his mobile phone in London in the early hours of Tuesday morning.Sean Dilley sustained several cuts and injured his elbow during the incident, which happened just before 6am, while he was on a break during a night shift. Continue reading...

Mohammad Moradi posted video online saying he would kill himself to highlight Iran’s crackdown on protestsFrench authorities are investigating as suicide the drowning of an Iranian man in the south-eastern city of Lyon who had said on social media he was going to kill himself to draw attention to the protest crackdown in Iran.Mohammad Moradi, 38, was found in the River Rhône that flows through the centre of Lyon late on Monday, a police source told AFP. Continue reading...

Exclusive: only £18m has been retrieved by Department of Health, out of suspect Covid contracts potentially worth £630mMinisters have been accused of making a “pitiful attempt” to recoup taxpayers’ money wasted on fraudulent Covid contracts, after it emerged that only a fraction of the estimated total had been recovered so far.About £18m has been retrieved by the Department of Health and Social Care through checks on personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts identified as “high risk” and through “contract management”, the Guardian can reveal. Continue reading...

Country-wide air raid warning issued; heavy fighting near Kreminna according to head of Luhansk regional military

14-year-old boy died during celebrations of France’s win over Morocco in World Cup semi-finalsA suspect has been charged over the hit-and-run death of a teenage boy during celebrations of France’s win over Morocco in the World Cup semi-finals, French prosecutors said on Tuesday.The 14-year-old boy, Aymen, was killed on 15 December in the Paillade district of the southern city of Montpellier. Continue reading...

Lindsay Hoyle tells of divisiveness of EU vote and ‘bizarre’ revolving door of ministers in 2022People’s respect for democracy has struggled in the aftermath of Brexit and throughout a year of political turmoil in which the UK was governed by three prime ministers, Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker of the House of Commons, has said.The Labour MP who keeps order in the Commons said Westminster had “never seen anything like it before” with the “disaster” of three prime ministers within three months. Continue reading...

Even oldest resident, aged 100, strips off in venture aimed at revitalising village in MurciaFor decades they’ve grappled with a steady exodus as residents set their sights on jobs and opportunities beyond the southern Spanish hamlet. But the dwindling population of Peña Zafra de Abajo may have found a singular strategy to fight back – in essence stripping down to save their town.“When I suggested the idea of a nude calendar, people said, ‘Are you crazy?’” said Lucía Nicolás, who leads the hamlet’s residents’ association. “But I saw it as a way to put ourselves on the map and show off our hamlet of 16 residents.” Continue reading...

China to lift quarantine requirement for inbound travellers and resume issuing visas for overseas travel from 8 JanuaryChinese people have rushed to book overseas travel as authorities scrapped the last big plank of the country’s zero-Covid policy despite reports of hospitals being overwhelmed nationwide.Late on Monday health authorities announced they would no longer require inbound travellers to go into quarantine, then on Tuesday the immigration authority said it would resume issuing visas for mainland residents to travel overseas from 8 January. Continue reading...

Luhansk city could be step towards launching offensives on Russian-held Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk• Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesUkrainian forces appear to have edged closer to recapturing the key-Russian controlled city of Kreminna in Luhansk province as heavy fighting continued in the east and south of the country.The regional governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, said fighters in part of the city controlled by Russian command were forced to retreat to Rubizhne, a town a few miles to the south-east, as a result of Ukrainian military pressure. Continue reading...

John Wilsher admits there were hurdles to overcome, but hopes his story will inspire others to get back into education“Time goes quickly,” according to septuagenarian John Wilsher, who failed his 11-plus but now at 74 has graduated from university with merit and is encouraging others to seize the chance to follow their passions.However, his return to higher education was not without its setbacks. It was not easy, Wilsher told PA Media news agency, concerned about taking exams for the first time in 35 years and aware his memory was not as sharp as it once was. Continue reading...

Council leader asks people to ‘do the right thing’ as Merseyside force investigates attack of Christmas EvePeople have been told they will be complicit in the “horrendous and abhorrent” killing of Elle Edwards if they fail to share what they know about the deadly shooting on Christmas Eve.Edwards, 26, was celebrating with friends at a pub in Wallasey village, Merseyside, when a gunman opened fire just before midnight on Saturday. Continue reading...

Aslam Farouh, believed to have carried out bus stop attacks last month, acted on ‘salafi-jihadi ideology’, officials sayIsraeli authorities say they have arrested a suspect in Jerusalem over twin bombings that killed two people last month and that he identifies with Islamic State.Aslam Farouh, 26, an Arab man with an Israeli residency card, lived between Ramallah and Kafr Akab, a neighbourhood of Jerusalem, the Shin Bet domestic security agency and Israel police said in a joint statement. Continue reading...

Tory ex-chancellor George Osborne also suggests free meals for ‘larger group of the population is the right way forward’Jamie Oliver has renewed pressure on the government to expand free school meals, with George Osborne suggesting widening the programme could be the right way forward and Tony Blair saying the money could be found if politicians wanted to do it.The television chef highlighted the issue as he was guest-editing BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday as part of his long-term campaign on free school meals. Continue reading...

The Russian-run camps were advertised as restorative breaks; parents say some children have been kept there for monthsKherson city was liberated by Ukrainian forces in November. But for some, the horrors of the Russian occupation are still not over. Nadia* sent her 14-year-old son to a Russian-run summer camp in Crimea – occupied by Moscow since 2014 – in October. He was meant to return after two weeks. It has now been more than two months.In late November, he forwarded her a series of chilling voice messages from his camp leader telling him he would not be allowed back to Kherson because of his pro-Ukraine views. Continue reading...

LGBTQ+ rights groups praise ex-Spice Girl for pulling out of New Year’s Eve appearance on state broadcasterThe former Spice Girl Melanie C says she has cancelled a performance in Poland on New Year’s Eve after being made aware of issues “that do not align with the communities I support”.She did not elaborate but was praised by allies of the LGBTQ+ community. Continue reading...

Queensland police say the boys, both 17, were charged with murder, attempted murder and break and enter after the alleged Boxing Day home invasion

From a Bond-themed party on a superyacht hotel to a £7,585 Gleneagles stay, money seems to be no objectFrom a James Bond-themed ball on a superyacht, to a champagne and jazz party up London’s Shard skyscraper and even dinner and magic on a 1920s train ride – the wealthy are planning some outlandish New Year’s Eve celebrations.Despite the cost of living crisis forcing many households to cut back this festive season, money – it seems – is no object for the wealthy wanting to wave goodbye to 2022 in style. Continue reading...

Contact lost for weeks with vessel that left camps in Bangladesh and was crossing Andaman Sea bound for MalaysiaAbout 180 Rohingya refugees are feared to have died after their boat went missing in the Andaman Sea, making 2022 one of the deadliest years for the refugees trying to flee the camps in Bangladesh.In a statement on Sunday, the United Nations said it was concerned that a boat carrying the refugees, which had left the camps in the Bangladeshi city of Cox’s Bazar on 2 December bound for Malaysia, had sunk with no survivors, which would make it one of the worst disasters for Rohingya sea crossings this year. Continue reading...

Controversial image of male Leiden University board members smoking cigars had long been topic of discussionA spur-of-the-moment decision by academic staff to take down a 1970s painting depicting male Leiden University board members smoking cigars has sparked a debate in the Netherlands over cancel culture.The artwork on the wall of a university meeting room had been a topic of discussion for years, with some students claiming that it both endorsed patriarchy and the act of smoking. Continue reading...

Belgrade has put the army on a heightened state of alert due to tensions with neighbouring Kosovo multiple times in recent yearsSerbian armed forces were on “the highest level” of alert, defence Minister Milos Vucevic said, highlighting the Balkan country’s increasingly strained relations with neighbouring Kosovo over recent shootings and blockades.Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade has refused to recognise it and encouraged Kosovo’s 120,000 ethnic Serbs to defy Pristina’s authority – especially in the north where ethnic Serbs make up the majority. Continue reading...

Adelaide stayed at 27.4C overnight while Victoria is forecast to dip no lower than 26C, the state’s hottest night in four years

Cause of blaze unknown, but an incorrectly recycled battery or vape has not been ruled out

Report warns homes keep getting less affordable, and Australia has one of the highest rates of people spending more than 40% of their income on housing

Campaign, originally blocked by Liz Truss, suggests actions such as turning down boiler flowHouseholds will be urged to take only 30 seconds out of their day to reduce their energy use as a UK government TV advertising campaign designed to cut bills finally launches.The advert, part of an £18m campaign originally blocked by Liz Truss, will air during festive schedules from 8.30am on Tuesday on terrestrial and satellite channels, including ITV, Channel 4 and Sky. Continue reading...

Three Victorians and a South Australian woman die, while two young girls rescued in near-drowning at St Kilda beach in Melbourne

Doctors, Coronation Street and EastEnders among credits of actor whose career included working with RSC and the National TheatreStephen Greif, who appeared in Blake’s 7 and The Crown, has died aged 78, his representatives said.The actor had an extensive career on stage and screen and appeared in other series including Doctors, Coronation Street, Tales of the Unexpected and EastEnders. Continue reading...

Man, 30, arrested on suspicion of murder and woman, 19, held on suspicion of conspiracy to murderTwo people have been arrested in connection with the “cold-blooded shooting” of Elle Edwards in Wallasey Village, Merseyside police said.A 30-year-old man from Tranmere has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Continue reading...