by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security correspondent on (#64P33)
Woman, said to have been trafficked into Syria, is first adult allowed to return since end of ground war with ISA British woman and her child have been repatriated from a Syrian camp, the first time an adult has been allowed to come back to the UK from detention since the end of the ground war against Islamic State.The Foreign Office said that British policy to those held in Syria remained unchanged, and that it considered requests for help on “a case by case basis”, but campaigners said it was a significant first step. Continue reading...
More than 150,000 fleeing poverty have reached Panama so far this year in pursuit of American dreamThe humanitarian crisis in Darién Gap has reached new heights as medical NGOs are overwhelmed by the record numbers of people risking their lives to cross the lawless strip of jungle in Latin America en route to the US.An exodus of Venezuelans fleeing socioeconomic collapse has led to more people embarking on the perilous journey across the only land bridge connecting South and North America so far this year than in the entirety of 2021, Panamanian authorities say. Continue reading...
Union announces 19 days of industrial action in long-running dispute in run-up to ChristmasPostal workers have launched a 24-hour strike in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions, with industrial action planned for the coming weeks.The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said its 115,000 members across the UK were taking action on Thursday, describing it as the largest strike in a year. The move comes amid industrial unrest across several industries, including rail. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Diplomatic row breaks out over UK’s alleged delay in helping combat murders and drugs tradingA diplomatic row has broken out over the UK’s alleged delay in helping an overseas territory combat a spate of murders and untrammelled drugs trading.The de-facto head of state for the Turks and Caicos Islands is said to have questioned whether the UK was failing in its obligation to keep residents safe. Continue reading...
Musicians criticise ban that includes ‘urban slang’ to do with making money or acquiring wealthJamaica’s broadcasting regulator has banned music and TV broadcasts deemed to glorify or promote criminal activity, violence, drug use, scamming and weapons.The government has said the ban is meant to cut back on material that “could give the wrong impression that criminality is an accepted feature of Jamaican culture and society”. Continue reading...
Entry rules to island lifted to allow unfettered access, while mainland China remains one of the few places keeping borders closedTaiwan lifted all its Covid-19 entry restrictions on Thursday, allowing tourists unfettered access the self-ruled island after more than 2.5 years of border controls.Hong Kong and Taiwan, together with mainland China, required most visitors to complete a mandatory quarantine period throughout the pandemic, even as most countries reopened their borders to tourists. Continue reading...
RICS report says rise in repossessions will add to supply while soaring interest rates price buyers out of marketHomeowners will struggle to make mortgage repayments and repossessions will rise next year as soaring interest rates and falling prices mark the end of the UK’s 13-year housing market boom, according to a sobering report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).The number of inquiries from potential homebuyers fell for a fifth month in a row in September, while sales fell to the lowest level since May 2020 when the housing market all but ground to a halt during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, it said. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#64NJN)
Chanel Cresswell and Natalia Tena also star in Channel 4 dramatisation Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom DramaMichael Sheen has been cast as Coleen Rooney’s barrister in an upcoming two-part drama depicting the “Wagatha Christie” trial that gripped the nation last summer.Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, will broadcast on Channel 4 later this year star the Bafta-winning actor Chanel Cresswell (This is England, Trollied) as Rooney and Natalia Tena (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones) as Rebekah Vardy, it has been announced. Continue reading...
Relatives of Dorset teenager call for ‘Gaia Principle’ so officers must check if rape suspects are facing other allegationsThe man accused of raping the Dorset teenager Gaia Pope the year before she disappeared in 2017 was under investigation before she went to police and should have been more closely monitored, the teenager’s family said on Wednesday.Following a long-running inquest into the teenager’s death, which found that multiple agencies including the police and health trusts missed chances to help her when it concluded in July, her family vowed to keep fighting for structural change in the services they say failed their loved one. Continue reading...
New national security strategy warns of Russia as more immediate threat and China as long-term competitorWithin a decade, the US will need to deter two major nuclear weapons powers for the first time, the Biden administrationhas warned, pointing to the Russian arsenal that is increasingly being brandished by Moscow and an expanding Chinese stockpile.The president’s new national security strategy (NSS) depicts China as the most capable long-term competitor, but Russia as the more immediate, disruptive threat, pointing to its nuclear posturing over Ukraine. It warns that threat could grow as Russian forces continue to suffer defeats on the battlefield. Continue reading...
Jeni Larmour died hours after arriving at university having been given tranquilliser drug by anotherA university student from Northern Ireland who was found dead on her first night at university after taking a lethal combination of ketamine and alcohol was told “This is how we do it in England”, a coroner’s court heard.Jeni Larmour, 18, from Newtownhamilton, died hours after arriving at Newcastle University in October 2020, having taken ketamine given to her “by another”, in a case of misadventure, a coroner ruled. Continue reading...
Mr Justice Poole says lack of therapeutic homes for children is ‘scandalous’ as he sanctions unregulated accommodationA 13-year-old girl at risk of suicide and in the care of Manchester city council has languished in hospital for more than three months due to a lack of suitable placements anywhere in the country.In a family court hearing which a high court judge unusually directed should be held in public, Mr Justice Poole on Wednesday sanctioned the use of an unregulated, unlawful placement for the teenager. He accepted that since the council had spent many weeks exhaustively searching for a suitable home only to be met with repeated refusals, an unlawful placement was now “the only hope” for the child to be discharged from hospital. The cost of her new placement will be £9,650 a week, the court heard.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Continue reading...
by Léonie Chao-Fong, Martin Belam and Helen Sullivan on (#64MG3)
Any use of nuclear weapons by Moscow would have ‘unprecedented consequences’ for Russia, Nato official warns. This live blog is now closedSerhai Haidai, Ukraine’s governor of Luhansk, has posted an update on Telegram on Ukraine’s military progress in the occupied Luhansk region. He writes:The armed forces of Ukraine are moving forward little by little. The Russians are shelling our positions mainly with rocket and barrel artillery. The occupiers are building a multi-layer defence line in Luhansk region, the entire first section of the front line is mined by them. Our military has already encountered the first wave of partially mobilised Russians.The Federal Security Service, together with the Investigative Committee, established that the organiser of the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge was the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, its head Kyrylo Budanov, employees and agents.Currently, five citizens of Russia, three citizens of Ukraine and Armenia, who participated in the preparation of the crime, have been detained within the framework of the criminal case.This is Martin Belam taking over the live blog in London. You can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com Continue reading...
Lawyers negotiating for David Hunter, who admits smothering wife to death and faces life in prisonA deal is being thrashed out to spare a British pensioner, accused of the premeditated murder in Cyprus of his terminally ill wife, from spending the rest of his life behind bars.David Hunter, a former Northumberland miner, faces the prospect of being handed a 25-year sentence if found guilty. Continue reading...
Anti-corruption watchdog ‘muzzled’ says Labour, asking ex-PM to prove Colorado speech was legitimateBoris Johnson is facing questions over whether he followed rules on paid employment after leaving No 10 after receiving $150,000 (£135,000) for a speech to a group of US insurance brokers.The former prime minister gave a speech to the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers in Colorado Springs this week, only just over a month after leaving Downing Street. Continue reading...
PM leaves chamber to opposition cries of ‘more’ but barely a squeak from her own benchesNo words were needed. Their faces said it all. Penny Mordaunt looked like someone who had just been told her house was about to be repossessed. You reap what you sow. James Cleverly kept his eyes closed for the most part. Wishing he was anywhere but here and hoping he would wake up somewhere else when he opened them. Thérèse Coffey just remained in her usual stupor. She has yet to work out just what she has done to become deputy prime minister. Her and me both.That was just the cabinet. If anything, the Tory backbenchers – those who had made the effort to turn up – were in an even more pitiful state. Most appeared to be suffering from acute post-traumatic stress disorder. Clutching their heads. Staring vacantly ahead. Talking to themselves. Continue reading...
by Martin Chulov Middle East correspondent on (#64NA4)
Reactions in Washington to slashing oil supply have not concerned Mohammed bin Salman; nor have the optics of indirectly boosting Putin’s warMohammed bin Salman had seen it coming. The groundswell of anger in Washington was clear and building since he helped lead an Opec+ decision to cut the world’s oil supply last week.But for the first time in the modern era of ties between the US and Saudi Arabia, there was no rush to placate hard feelings, or gloss over a rift. This was the birth of a new realpolitik, where nascent Saudi nationalism paid no heed to a historical ally and instead aligned itself to what Riyadh literally sees as a new world order. Continue reading...
Lavinia Mennuni, a candidate for a ministerial position in Giorgia Meloni’s new government, ‘praised’ fascist naval commanderAn Instagram post celebrating a fascist naval commander has been deleted from the account of a Brothers of Italy senator who could be given a ministerial post in Giorgia Meloni’s government.Lavinia Mennuni, an anti-abortion campaigner who has also spoken out against gay people being parents, was elected senator in the recent general election won by a coalition led by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist origins. Continue reading...
Charley-Ann Patterson’s mother accuses school of failing to deal with inappropriate messages among pupilsThe mother of a bullied 12-year-old girl has said her daughter struggled to get mental health support on the NHS in the months before she killed herself, and accused her school of failing to deal with inappropriate messages circulating among pupils.The mother of Charley-Ann Patterson, Jamie, told a hearing that despite being seen by three medical professionals, Charley-Ann had been unable to get mental health support in the months before her death. Continue reading...
Eleanor Williams, 21, accepts she lied about one incident but her other allegations are true, her lawyer saysA young woman accused of lying and fabricating claims about being raped, “pimped out” and trafficked is telling the truth about almost everything, her barrister has said.Eleanor Williams, 21, from Walney in Barrow-in-Furness, denies seven counts of perverting the course of justice. She is accused of making false allegations against four men and falsifying evidence, including injuring herself with a hammer, in order to frame them for rapes and crimes they did not commit. Continue reading...
Russian president claims Europeans are stocking up on firewood as leak found in oil pipeline in PolandVladimir Putin has blamed the west for disruptions to the energy market and spiralling heating costs, claiming that desperate Europeans had begun to stock up on firewood ahead of the cold winter months.The Russian president has sought to deflect blame for the oil and gas crisis sparked by his invasion of Ukraine, and tried to pressure European governments to drop sanctions against Moscow. Continue reading...
Child rights committee says Helsinki must do more to repatriate those detained as relatives of suspected Islamic State fightersA UN watchdog has accused Finland of violating the rights of Finnish children stuck in Syrian prison camps holding suspected jihadists and their families.Adding to mounting criticism directed at western countries, the UN child rights committee said Finland had a responsibility to make serious efforts to bring the children home. Continue reading...
All four nations would have interest in referendum so Westminster has authority, UK government lawyer tells supreme courtJudges sitting in the UK’s highest court have been told Westminster is the ultimate authority on Scotland’s future because the issue of Scottish independence is of “critical importance” to the future of the UK.Sir James Eadie KC, a senior lawyer acting for the UK government, said the union between Scotland and England was “the constitutional foundation of the modern British state”, and mattered to everyone in the UK. Continue reading...
Hospitals ordered to protect stocks as they fall to critical level amid shortage of staff to take donationsThe NHS has declared its first ever amber alert over blood supplies after they fell to a critically low level, prompting warnings that hospitals in England may be forced to cancel operations to protect their stocks.An NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) official confirmed that overall blood stocks in NHS England were at three days’ worth and levels of O-type had dropped to less than two days’. The normal standard is to hold at least six days’ worth of blood in stock at all times. Continue reading...
Rucksack also found near site of 2019 disappearance, but formal identification expected to take some timeDetectives investigating the disappearance of Leah Croucher three and a half years ago have launched a murder investigation after discovering human remains at an address in Milton Keynes.Thames Valley police made the discovery along with other items, including a rucksack, at a property in Loxbeare Drive, Furzton, on Monday after receiving a tipoff from a member of the public. Continue reading...
Daniel George Robert Brydges, 33, from Portsmouth, admits twice climbing fences to enter palace last DecemberA man with a “fixation” on accessing royal grounds has been told he faces a possible custodial sentence after admitting to twice trespassing at Buckingham Palace – including an occasion when he was already on bail over a previous attempt.Daniel George Robert Brydges admitted trying to gain entry to the palace on 18 and 22 December last year, and a further charge of criminal damage on the first occasion. The Queen was at Windsor Castle on both occasions. Continue reading...
Irish research shows infants were slightly less likely to speak, point or wave at 12 months but were more likely to crawlBabies born during the first lockdown met fewer developmental milestones aged one compared with those born before the pandemic – although they may have been faster to crawl, data suggests.About 600,000 babies were born in Britain, and a further 60,000 in Ireland, during 2020 – when Covid restrictions and mask wearing put a stop to many social activities, including toddler rhyme-times, antenatal group outings and cuddles with grandparents. Since then, parents and psychologists have pondered the impact of such enforced isolation on babies’ social development. Continue reading...
Rhinoceros-size Minnesota native wins big in California and will compete once more before being retired to studGrowers from across the country descended on the California coast carrying with them some of the world’s most gargantuan pumpkins.The giant pumpkin weigh-off, held annually ahead of Half Moon Bay’s pumpkin festival just south of San Francisco, is considered by competitors to be a Super Bowl of sorts in the unique sport, and the behemoths entered this year – some weighing as much as an average rhinoceros – did not disappoint. Continue reading...
Culture minister says UK institution ‘should learn from what has happened’ as Smithsonian returns 29 Benin artefactsThe culture minister of Nigeria has urged the British Museum to follow the example of the Smithsonian Institution, which on Tuesday returned ownership of 29 Benin bronzes to Nigeria at a celebratory event in Washington.Lai Mohammed praised the move by the US National Museum of African Art, which follows a recent restitution agreement with Germany that included the handover of two Benin bronzes. Last year, Mohammed’s ministry formally requested the return of Benin artefacts from the British Museum in London. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#64M35)
Ex-Brexit minister’s comments suggest the European court of justice remains divisive among ToriesDavid Frost has said Liz Truss must not surrender to the EU by giving the European court of justice a role in trade disputes in Northern Ireland.On Tuesday, the former Brexit minister told the House of Lords European relations committee: “The court of justice cannot have a jurisdictional or arbitrational role in the future arrangement. I can’t see how they will be stable while that remained the case. I think better if that was acknowledged sooner rather than later.” Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#64M2H)
Advertising promoting government policies in run-up to local elections in May described as party propaganda by LabourA major advertising drive promoting the government’s levelling up agenda broke advertising rules, a watchdog has concluded after complaints were made about the billboard and local newspaper campaign.The campaign preceded local elections this year and involved a significant number of placements on local newspaper websites, including the Grimsby Telegraph, the Derby Telegraph, the Birmingham Mail and the Leicester Mercury. Continue reading...
Mourners attend cremation ceremonies after policeman kills 36 people, 24 of them childrenHundreds of mourners and victims’ families have gathered to watch flames burn from rows of makeshift furnaces at cremation ceremonies for the young children and others who died in last week’s mass killings in Thailand’s rural northeast.Families bid their final goodbyes at a Buddhist temple a short distance from the Young Children’s Development Centre in the town of Uthai Sawan, where a former policeman, who was fired from his job earlier this year for using drugs, barged in and shot and stabbed children and their caregivers. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#64KMA)
Barristers ended strike after 57% accepted 15% rise but many juniors say they cannot afford to stay in professionJunior criminal barristers have expressed despair at the vote to end their indefinite strike, calling it a “death warrant” for the profession which resulted from senior colleagues accepting the government’s offer.Barristers returned to work on Tuesday after 57% voted to accept a 15% increase in legal aid fees, which will also apply to the backlog of about 60,000 cases in the crown courts, despite originally demanding 25%. Continue reading...
Sandwich shop chain to increase pay by 5% for most cafe workers, with higher rates for baristasPret a Manger is investing £10m in raising pay, announcing its third rise in 13 months to a minimum of £10.30 an hour, as hospitality and retail businesses compete to attract workers during the busy run-up to Christmas.The sandwich shop chain, which has more than 400 outlets in the UK, said it was increasing pay by 5% or 50p an hour for most cafe workers from 1 December. Pay for skilled baristas, who are particularly in short supply, will rise from a minimum of £10.30 to £10.85 – an extra 5p. Continue reading...
Death toll from Monday’s strikes rises to 19 as Russian continues to attack Ukrainian cities with missiles; GCHQ boss says ‘No signs Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapon’The death toll from Monday’s Russian missile attacks on a swathe of Ukrainian cities has risen to 19 people, with over 100 wounded, according to figures from the Ukrainian state emergency services.Strikes continued on Tuesday. An attack on the Lviv region in western Ukraine on Tuesday left parts of the city without electricity. Governor Maksym Kozytskyi has said “At this moment, it is known about three explosions at two energy facilities in the Lviv region”. Mayor of the city, Andriy Sadovyi, appealed to residents to keep water supplies on hand ahead of expected service interruptions.The Ladyzhyn thermal power plant (LTPP) in the Vinnytsia region was struck on Tuesday morning. Regional head Serhiy Borzov said: “An attack was launched on the LTPP. Two Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.”There has been a lengthy air raid warning in place all morning in Kyiv, with governor Oleksiy Kuleba claiming that at least one rocket had been shot down.Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of Dnipro, has claimed that air defence systems had shot down four missiles over the region. Vitaliy Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv, has said that “there are still missiles in the air” and that Ukraine’s air defences continue to work.The head of GCHQ has said the UK spy agency has not seen any indicators that Russia is preparing to use a tactical nuclear weapon in or around Ukraine despite recent bellicose statements from Vladimir Putin. Jeremy Fleming, speaking on Tuesday morning, said it was one of GCHQ’s tasks to monitor whether the Kremlin was taking any of the preliminary steps needed before a tactical weapon was being made ready.Fleming is expected to say in a rare public speech delivered later on Tuesday that Putin is making strategic errors due to unconstrained power. “Far from the inevitable Russian military victory that their propaganda machine spouted, it’s clear that Ukraine’s courageous action on the battlefield and in cyberspace is turning the tide,” Fleming will say. “With little effective internal challenge, Putin’s decision-making has proved flawed” Continue reading...
Chef says there is a need ‘now more than ever’ to lower income and benefits threshold parents must meetThe chef and food rights campaigner Jamie Oliver has said there is a need “now more than ever” for the number of children eligible for free school meals to be expanded.Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Oliver said the benefits and income threshold that parents must meet for their children to be eligible for free school meals should be lowered. Continue reading...
Lowest-paying of big supermarkets says trial of temporary premiums ‘not delivering desired results’Asda is slashing 1,500 grocery delivery drivers’ hourly pay by more than 12% despite the cost of living crisis.The UK’s third largest supermarket chain is ending a £1.50-an-hour premium introduced in the summer to help attract and retain drivers delivering groceries to homes from some London stores, including Charlton, Wembley and Colindale, as well as outlets in Bristol and the south coast. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian