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Opposition leader Matthew Guy concedes the Coalition has ‘a lot of work to do’ after losing six of past seven elections

The re-elected government is on track to govern in its own right. This blog is now closed

Naples prefect says deaths yet to be confirmed and no bodies had been recovered after severe storm in Gulf of NaplesA number of people were feared dead with several missing, including a newborn child, after a severe storm triggered a landslide on the Italian island of Ischia.The island, in the Gulf of Naples, was engulfed by heavy rain overnight, with the landslide hitting the hamlet of Casamicciola Terme early on Saturday morning, flooding homes and sweeping away several cars. Continue reading...

RMT boss, Mick Lynch, hailed ‘historic result’ after cleaner members of the union vote in favour of actionCleaners will become the latest set of rail staff to strike over pay, after more than 1,000 who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) voted in support of taking industrial action.The RMT is asking for pay to rise to £15 an hour with improved pensions, company sick pay and holiday entitlement from private contractors including Churchill, Atalian Servest and Mitie. Continue reading...

Former DUP leader said it was ‘entirely responsible’ to support farmers who could lose out under post-Brexit subsidy rulesThe former leader of the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) has defended an attempt to water down the Northern Ireland protocol bill to make it more beneficial for farmers.Edwin Poots, who led the party for a month in 2021, wrote to the UK government in July last year saying the proposed bill would mean farmers in Northern Ireland would be subject to the same subsidy rules as the rest of the UK. Continue reading...

South Korea’s prosecutor says 78-year-old is accused of improperly touching a woman’s body in 2017The Squid Game actor O Yeong-su has been charged with sexual misconduct, South Korea’s prosecutor said.The 78-year-old in January became the first South Korean to win a Golden Globe award for best supporting actor in a series for his performance as a seemingly vulnerable old man in the mega-hit Netflix dystopian thriller. Continue reading...

China issue sidelined in local votes that will shed light on the major parties’ fortunes ahead of the 2024 presidential electionVoters headed to the polls across Taiwan on Saturday in a closely watched local election that will determine the strength of the major political parties ahead of the 2024 presidential election.Taiwanese citizens are picking their mayors, city council members and other local leaders in all 13 counties and the six major cities. There’s also a referendum to lower the voting age from 20 to 18. Continue reading...

More than 6m Ukrainian households still without power; EU to boost efforts to restore electricity and heating; Hungarian president to meet Zelenskiy

Chamonix pledges to slow lifts during less busy times, and Val Thorens will reduce heating levels in buildings and limit use of snow cannonsSki resort managers in the French Alps are scrambling to find ways to conserve energy as part of a national effort to reduce consumption, with about half the resorts also bracing for power bills to be three to six times higher than in prior years.In Chamonix, close to Switzerland, if there is no crowd, the lift will go 10% slower. And if the resort gets an alert that power supplies cannot meet demand, Chamonix will slow the lifts by 30%. Continue reading...

‘We’re now seeing that the system is not able to cope with climate change,’ insurance analyst says

Ban linked to World Cup hosts’ human rights record taken as message ‘Qatari business not welcome in London’, source tells FTQatar is reviewing its investments in London after the city’s transport authority banned the country’s adverts on buses, taxis and underground trains, it was reported.The move by Transport for London (TfL) is understood to be linked to concerns about the World Cup hosts’ human rights record, stance on homosexuality and treatment of migrant workers. Continue reading...

Legislation had to be changed to permit public nudity on the beach

Susie Green is stepping down amid intense public scrutiny of charity in recent monthsThe chief executive of Mermaids, Susie Green, has left the transgender children’s charity after six years in her post, the organisation announced on Friday.In a statement posted on the charity’s website, the chair of trustees, Belinda Bell, wrote: “The trustees are very grateful to Susie for everything she has done over the last six years to support trans, non-binary and gender-diverse young people and their families, and to build Mermaids into the organisation it is today. We wish her all the best for the future.” Continue reading...

Airport will introduce CT scanners in all lanes by April, removing need to take items out of luggagePassengers will be able to leave laptops and liquids in their hand luggage when passing through security at London City airport from next year.The hub is trialling one security lane equipped with advanced baggage scanners and plans to introduce the machines in all of its lanes by April. Continue reading...

Germany’s former chancellor defends her actions amid barrage of accusations since Russia’s invasion of UkraineAngela Merkel has insisted that her position as a lame duck in the last months of her time in office made it more or less impossible for her to influence the behaviour of Vladimir Putin.The former German chancellor appeared both defensive and quietly defiant about her inability to change the course of the Russian president’s decision-making in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine in February. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can read more about the situation in Ukraine hereNato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has been speaking at a press conference this morning, ahead of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Romania next week.Stoltenberg said it would continue its support for Ukraine and increase “non-lethal” aid, Reuters reports. Continue reading...

Royal College of Nursing finalising areas to be affected, leaving patients in England and Wales unable to receive some treatmentsCancer care will be disrupted, leaving patients unable to receive some treatments, when the first of a planned series of nurses’ strikes starts next month.The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is close to finalising which areas of cancer services will be affected and which will be protected when nurses take strike action on 15 and 20 December, the first in the union’s 106-year history. Continue reading...

Police reassure public that people not in direct contact with unidentified body are not at riskMurder squad detectives are investigating the discovery of a “potentially hazardous” substance on a body dumped on a street in Wigan.Officers were called to Kilburn Drive in Shevington, a quiet, residential village, on Thursday evening after reports of a dead body at the scene. This was confirmed shortly after emergency services arrived. Continue reading...

Government is seeking to recoup money from Michelle Mone-linked firm after gowns rejected as unusableThe company awarded large government personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts after an introduction by the Conservative peer Michelle Mone has declined to say how it would repay millions of pounds of public money for unused equipment if ordered to do so following a dispute with the government.The Guardian reported this week that leaked documents indicated that Mone and her children secretly received £29m originating from the profits on these contracts after her support helped the company, PPE Medpro, secure a place in the “VIP lane” that the government used during the Covid pandemic to prioritise firms with political connections. Continue reading...

Davison, who was thought of as a rising star after winning Bishop Auckland, and veteran Gary Streeter both say they will step downDehenna Davison, a young Conservative MP who was considered a rising star, has announced she will not stand at the next election, as the party gears up to select its parliamentary candidates.The MP for Bishop Auckland, already a junior minister at 29, had been thought of as a bright prospect in the party since her election in 2019. The veteran Tory MP Sir Gary Streeter has also announced he will not stand, with recent opinion polls predicting the Conservatives could lose more than 200 seats. Continue reading...

Union opens independent inquiry, saying it acted to avoid possible breach of Proceeds of Crime ActOne of the UK’s biggest trade unions, Unite, has cut ties with a key supplier and opened an independent inquiry over concerns about financial irregularities.An assistant general secretary of the union told employees it was suspending ties with the company “primarily due to the risk of committing an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002”. Continue reading...

Increasing numbers of providers, such as Leonard Cheshire, are ‘handing back’ contracts not viable at current funding levelsFor several years now, as austerity sucked billions out of social care, the highly specialised UK social care system for adults with complex physical disability, learning disability and autism has been quietly held together by the benevolence of charities.Charities and not-for-profit firms have poured millions of pounds of reserves into propping up the supposedly taxpayer-funded services they provide under contract to councils and the NHS. That subsidy seemed sustainable when inflation was low and subbing underfunded public services did not put the charity’s own survival at risk. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Leonard Cheshire says it can no longer afford to subsidise care services inadequately funded by councilsSeverely disabled care home residents are being evicted in a series of disputes between one of the UK’s best-known care charities and a number of local authorities that the charity has accused of refusing to meet the soaring costs of care.In the latest sign of the UK’s deepening social care crisis, Leonard Cheshire said it had taken the drastic step of evicting vulnerable residents with complex disabilities because council funders had refused to meet fee increases that reflected the rising costs of wages, energy and food. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can read more on this story hereDowning Street has confirmed that the inquiry into bullying allegations about Dominic Raab, the justice secretary and deputy prime minister, is being expanded to cover claims relating to his period as Brexit secretary, my colleague Pippa Crerar reports.The inquiry was originally set up to consider two complaints, relating to his time as justice secretary and foreign secretary. But at the Downing Street lobby briefing a No 10 spokesperson said:I can confirm that the prime minister has now asked the investigator to add a further formal complaint relating to conduct at the Department for Exiting the European Union and to establish the facts in line with the existing terms of reference. Continue reading...

Reports suggest comedian is to step down, though BGT spokesperson says no decision made after apology for ‘disrespectful comments’David Walliams is expected to step down as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent after a Guardian report that revealed he had made disrespectful comments about contestants on the show.A spokesperson for Britain’s Got Talent said next year’s judging lineup was yet to be finalised and that no decision has been taken on whether Walliams would be involved. A report in the Sun, however, stated that he would be leaving the programme after 10 years. Continue reading...

With a deadline to declare their intentions nearing and facing likely election defeat, as many as 50 may opt not to stand

Education secretary says she looks forward to ‘de-escalation’ as unions in England ballot over industrial actionThe education secretary has made a veiled plea for teachers in England to “de-escalate” and avoid industrial action, arguing that progress can be made on pay and other concerns without the threat of “harmful” strikes.All four major teaching unions in England are balloting their members on possible strike action over pay, with the National Education Union and NASUWT saying that the pay rise given in September – about 5% on average – is inadequate given rampant inflation and the cost of living crisis. Continue reading...

Declaration comes amid Adidas investigation and fashion brands dropping the rapper over antisemitic commentsThe disgraced rapper and designer formerly known as Kanye West has said he plans to run for president in 2024, amid a series of antisemitic tirades and new far-right associations.The declaration of his candidacy, which referenced several political figures and aides associated with US white supremacist and anti-democracy movements, would make him the second person to enter the race after Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Russian president sits down with handpicked group of women to calm public anger over mobilisation

Chair of Migration Advisory Committee warns that some institutions would struggle to survive financiallyUniversities could go bankrupt if the government limits the number of foreign students in a bid to bring down net migration, an adviser on immigration policy has warned.Rishi Sunak’s potential plan to clamp down on international students taking “low-quality” degrees could “send many universities over the edge”, particularly in poorer regions, the chair of the government’s Migration Advisory Committee said. Continue reading...

Belfast court convicts David Jonathan Holden over 1988 killing of Aidan McAnespieA former soldier who shot dead a civilian as he walked through a British army checkpoint in Northern Ireland during the Troubles has been convicted of manslaughter.Belfast crown court on Friday found David Jonathan Holden, 53, guilty of gross negligence when he shot Aidan McAnespie on 21 February 1988, making the former Grenadier Guardsman the first army veteran to be convicted of a historical offence in Northern Ireland since the 1998 Good Friday agreement. Continue reading...

Saima Suleman criticises review, which others have labelled a potential ‘whitewash arranged by white people’

In valleys town of Treorchy, there is disappointment at defeat by Iran but hope that England can be beatenThey consider themselves pretty hardy in the south Wales valleys town of Treorchy, but there were tears in the eyes of grown men and women as their country’s first World Cup finals adventure for 64 years was dealt the heaviest of blows.Graham Jones, 76, struggled to find the words to describe his mood after watching the game against Iran in the Lion pub. “Absolutely deflated … devastated,” was his best attempt. Continue reading...

Rolling blackouts continue and 60% of Kyiv without electricity two days after Russian strikes on infrastructure

Though neither Israel nor Palestine are playing in the tournament, the latter has featured prominently in QatarOne video shows an Egyptian football fan smiling serenely as an Israeli broadcaster introduces him live on air. Then he leans into the microphone with a message: “Viva Palestine.”Another clip from the streets of Doha this week shows a group of Lebanese men walking away from a live interview with a reporter they have just learned is Israeli. One shouts over his shoulder: “There is no Israel. It’s Palestine.” Continue reading...

Damaging optics of ‘family’ photo at CSTO summit highlights fragility of Russia’s influence in wake of war in Ukraine

Sources say the Liberal strategy of focusing the campaign around the premier is working, with Labor unsure of how to respond

Mother of two urged to free up crisis accommodation for others amid a huge blowout in social housing wait times

Bundestag hopes move will serve as ‘warning’ to Moscow as Ukraine faces potential hunger crisis

Rarely seen work painted during artist’s Dutch exile from Nazi Germany has an estimate of €20m-€30mA moody self-portrait of the 20th-century expressionist Max Beckmann painted during his Dutch exile from the Nazis is predicted to break the record for a price secured at auction in Germany when it goes under the hammer in Berlin next week.Art lovers have been flocking first to New York and then to Berlin to see the painting in preview showings, which have offered a rare opportunity to view a masterpiece that has always been in private hands. Continue reading...

New complaint against deputy prime minister received by Cabinet Office on Tuesday, says No 10

Heidi Crowter argued that the law was discriminatory and stigmatised disabled peopleA woman with Down’s syndrome has lost a court of appeal challenge over the UK’s abortion laws.Heidi Crowter, who brought the case alongside Máire Lea-Wilson, whose son Aidan also has Down’s syndrome, had argued that allowing pregnancy terminations up to birth if the foetus has the condition is discriminatory and stigmatises disabled people. Continue reading...

Beijing court finds Chinese-born singer raped three women in November and December 2020A Beijing court has sentenced the Chinese-born Canadian pop star Kris Wu to 13 years in jail after finding him guilty of crimes including rape, just over a year after his arrest in China, where he was born and built a lucrative career.The court in Chaoyang district said investigations showed that from November to December 2020, Wu, also known as Wu Yifan, raped three women. Continue reading...

Ideas for growth shelved as PM grasps managing economic crisis, NHS and small boat crossings are his survival route

Towns say they are not driven by nostalgia as they opt for horsepowered bin collections and school runsThe clip-clop of hooves marked the start of the morning rubbish collection in the Brittany town of Hennebont, as Dispar, a Breton draft horse, pulled a small cart towards the waste bins on a central street.“This job is so much nicer with an animal,” said Julien, 38, who usually worked emptying bins on to a motorised rubbish-truck in another town but was training in horse-drawn techniques. “People see you differently, they say hello instead of beeping. This is the future, it saves on pollution, petrol and noise. And it makes people smile. Normally, I’d be constantly breathing in exhaust fumes behind my lorry, so this feels much healthier.” Continue reading...

Appointment of Itamar Ben-Gvir raises fears of further escalation in Israeli-Palestinian tensionsThe extremist Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has a long record of anti-Arab rhetoric and stunts, will become the country’s next minister of national security, according to the first of what are expected to be several coalition deals struck by the former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.Likud announced an agreement with Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party on Friday. Negotiations with three other potential far-right and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners are continuing. If successful, Netanyahu would return to the prime minister’s office and preside over the most rightwing and religious government in Israel’s history. Continue reading...

Whodunnit running in the West End since 1952, interrupted only by Covid, will open in New York in 2023The world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap, is to finally make its Broadway debut. The announcement was made on Friday to mark the 70th anniversary of the London production of Agatha Christie’s whodunnit.The only surviving piece of the original set from 1952, a mantelpiece clock, will be loaned from London for the run in New York when it opens in 2023. The play will be co-produced by The Mousetrap’s UK producer, Adam Spiegel, and US producer Kevin McCollum, whose credits include Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights and the Broadway outings of the British am-dram spoof The Play That Goes Wrong and the musical Six. Continue reading...

International community urged to intervene as hundreds of thousands forced into refugee camps as homes and crops destroyed and aid workers attackedStarvation is being used as a weapon of war by South Sudan government forces against their own citizens, an investigation has found.Deliberate starvation tactics used by government forces and allied militia, and by opposition forces, are driving civilians out of their homes, exacerbating Africa’s largest refugee crisis, according to the report published on Thursday. Continue reading...

Arrest follows $1m reward offered for the location and arrest of 38-year-old Rajwinder Singh in relation to alleged murder of Queensland woman