by Hayden Vernon (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#6S8W1)
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Middle East coverage hereAnother airstrike hit the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut around midday local time, according to AFP, after the area was hit earlier this morning.Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported a raid by enemy aircraft" in the neighbourhood of Chiyah. Continue reading...
Paul Biddiss, who trained Paul Mescal and Day of the Jackal star Eddie Redmayne, says streetwise women are more aware of surveillance and harder to followHe has trained would-be assassins and marshalled invading hordes, Napoleonic forces and Roman regiments, but movie military adviser Paul Biddiss found himself in the midst of his biggest Hollywood skirmish last month when the actor Saoirse Ronan made a powerful intervention about women's personal safety.Ronan, a guest on Graham Norton's BBC chatshow sofa, sparked a nationwide debate about women's security fears when she interrupted fellow actors as they discussed techniques that Biddiss had taught the casts of both Gladiator II and the new drama series The Day of the Jackal. Continue reading...
US and EU have called for investigation into alleged irregularities in pro-Russia ruling party's election victoryThe head of Georgia's election commission was splashed with paint as the body confirmed the ruling party's victory in the parliamentary elections.David Kirtadze, a member of the former president Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM), splashed black paint on the central election commission chair, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, on Saturday, resulting in an eye injury, a video broadcast on local TV channels showed. Hundreds of opposition supporters staged a rally outside the commission's headquarters during the session. Continue reading...
Prime minister hails path of change' in Wales and Westminster at Welsh Labour conference in LlandudnoKeir Starmer said he would defend the budget all day long" at the Welsh Labour conference, amid protests by farmers outside the venue.In his first address to the Welsh Labour conference since taking power, the prime minister went on to hail a path of change" with Labour governments in Wales and Westminster. Continue reading...
Equine charity says Vida has recovered physically and emotionally' while under their care in the countrysideA white military horse that galloped through central London drenched in blood after bolting with other horses from routine exercises has returned home after more than six months of recovery, a charity has said.Vida was one of five horses that bolted near Buckingham Palace on 24 April after becoming spooked by noise from a nearby construction site and ran for several miles through the city during morning rush hour. Continue reading...
Yantar intelligence ship was seen operating drones in an area containing subsea energy and internet infrastructureA Russian spy ship has been escorted out of the Irish Sea after it entered Irish-controlled waters and patrolled an area containing critical energy and internet submarine pipelines and cables.It was spotted on Thursday east of Dublin and south-west of the Isle of Man but Norwegian, US, French and British navy and air defence services initially observed it accompanying a Russian warship, the Admiral Golovko, through the English channel last weekend. Continue reading...
William Wragg gave phone numbers to an account on Grindr after sharing intimate images of himselfThe former Tory MP William Wragg has told of the enormous guilt" he felt after realising he had been catfished into sending explicit photos on the gay dating app Grindr.Police launched an investigation in April after at least 12 men with links to Westminster received unsolicited messages from an account posing as aliases Charlie" and Abi". Continue reading...
Prime minister Dick Schoof said party leaders decided to work together after five-hour crisis meetingThe Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof's rightwing government averted a crisis on Friday when a junior minister resigned over alleged racist comments by cabinet colleagues, but the coalition government will remain in place.The deputy finance minister, Nora Achahbar, handed in her resignation late on Friday as the Netherlands grapples with the political fallout of last week's attacks on Israeli football fans. Continue reading...
The 600kg animal was in the deep end and it took Leicestershire firefighters three hours to get her out safelyA pregnant cow has had to be rescued by firefighters after she got stuck in a small swimming pool.The 590kg (93-stone) cow was found in the deep end of the pool in two to three feet of water at a house in Ketton, Rutland. Continue reading...
Licence suspended for 28 days after Morenikeji Adewole, 47, was charged with rape on WednesdayOne of London's most prominent nightclubs has been forced to close after a member of security staff was charged with rape, the Metropolitan police said.Westminster council's licensing committee ruled on Friday that Heaven's alcohol licence should be suspended for up to 28 days after a woman was allegedly raped in the vicinity of the venue in the early hours of 1 November. Continue reading...
There are no suggestions of extraterrestrial origin, but that won't settle any debates over the existence of alien lifeThe Pentagon's latest report on UFOs has revealed hundreds of new sightings of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena but no indications suggesting an extraterrestrial origin.The review includes hundreds of cases of misidentified balloons, birds and satellites as well as some that defy easy explanation, such as a near-miss between a commercial airliner and a mysterious object off the coast of New York. Continue reading...
by Pjotr Sauer and Kate Connolly in Berlin on (#6S8EW)
Ukrainian president says talk between German and Russian leaders on war will reduce Putin's isolationVolodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that a telephone conversation between Olaf Scholz and Vladimir Putin will open a Pandora's box", after the German chancellor and the Russian leader discussed the war in Ukraine in a rare call on Friday.Scholz urged his Russian counterpart to withdraw troops from Ukraine and negotiate with Kyiv to achieve a just and lasting peace, in the first call between a major western leader and Putin since December 2022. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6S8EX)
Raab paid 16,876 for loss of office' after report found he had acted in intimidating' manner towards civil servantsDominic Raab received a near-17,000 ministerial payout on resigning as justice secretary in 2023 after an official report found he had acted in an intimidating" manner towards civil servants, newly published accounts have shown.Raab, who opted to not contest his Esher and Walton seat in Surrey in the general election, was paid 16,876 as compensation for loss of office", the 2023-24 annual report for the Ministry of Justice showed. Continue reading...
Versatile poet and music producer co-founded King Crimson, produced Roxy Music's debut album and had a long partnership with Greg LakePeter Sinfield, a co-founder of prog rockers King Crimson who went on to a successful pop songwriting career for artists such as Celine Dion, has died aged 80.King Crimson announced the news, describing him as the band's original roadie, lyricist, lights operator and live sound engineer". No cause of death was given. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6S8CY)
CQC official says managers showed a lack of transparency' during inspection nine months after Lucy Letby's first murderHospital managers showed a lack of transparency" by failing to tell a healthcare watchdog about a spike in baby deaths during an inspection that took place nine months after Lucy Letby's first murder, an inquiry has been told.A senior manager at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said executives at the Countess of Chester hospital had a professional obligation" to alert inspectors to concerns about the rise in neonatal mortality during its review in February 2016. Continue reading...
Video showed Charly A, one of 51 men accused of raping Gisele Pelicot, discussing plan with Dominique PelicotA young vineyard worker accused of raping Gisele Pelicot on six occasions over four years when she had been drugged by her husband also proposed drugging and raping his own mother, a court has heard.Charly A, 30, is one of 51 men on trial over the rape of Gisele Pelicot, whose then husband, Dominique Pelicot, crushed sleeping tablets and anti-anxiety medication into her food and invited dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious over a nine-year period from 2011 to 2020 in the village of Mazan in Provence. Dominique Pelicot has admitted the charges, telling the court: I am a rapist." Continue reading...
Hillsborough, handball and an inexplicable love for Mario Balotelli. How some of our readers will remember the outgoing Match of the Day hostI will be forever grateful for Lineker's concise but considered remarks on Match of the Day on April 30th 2016, following the exoneration of Liverpool fans that week by the second set of Hillsborough inquests. He said: Well, whatever happens on Sunday, nothing comes close to the victory achieved by the Hillsborough families this week. We'll leave you with the words of the BBC's Peter Jones from the day of the tragedy. After 27 years, the truth is out."
Some cafes and visitor centres to close with job losses while reserves in Suffolk and Hertfordshire among those in perilThe future of several RSPB nature reserves is in doubt as the charity makes cuts, citing cost of living pressures.The bird charity told its workers at an all-staff meeting on Thursday that cafes and visitor centres across some of its sites would be closing, and staff would be made redundant. It also said it was in the process of transferring ownership of some of its sites to other companies. Continue reading...
Bars are downsizing the cocktail, redesigning it as a cheaper, snappier or starter' drinkWhen it comes to cocktails, a new word has been added to the traditional order: as well as shaken" or stirred", drinkers are increasingly asking that their martini be small".Rather than the customary martini serving, which starts from 150ml upwards, British bars are serving mini versions, starting from as little as 30ml, as drinkers aim to keep a clearer head and spend less. Continue reading...
Comedian and former late-night host will lead the Academy awards ceremony for the first timeConan O'Brien has been announced as the host of next year's Oscars.The former late-night host and comedian will host for the first time after Jimmy Kimmel turned it down. The current late-night host had hosted four times, taking on the 2017 and 2018 ceremonies and then the most recent two. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6S84X)
Exclusive: Person who complained tells Guardian that columnist's Jew haters' post was inflammatoryDaily Telegraph readers have woken up this week to successive front-page headlines alleging a grave threat to free speech, triggered by a star columnist's Kafkaesque" encounter with police.The rightwing broadsheet described how Essex police had told Allison Pearson on her doorstep last weekend that she was under investigation for allegedly stirring up racial hatred in a tweet last year. Continue reading...
Presenter says it makes sense for someone else to take the helm' at show as BBC looks to make changesGary Lineker has said it is the right time" for him to leave Match of the Day after presenting the BBC football programme for more than two decades.Speaking on his podcast, The Rest is Football, the 63-year-old said his time on the show had been an absolute joy and privilege" but it was time for someone else to take the helm" as the BBC looks to make changes to the show. Continue reading...
Judge Robert Miles says former chief Michael Thomson and four others knowingly participated in fraudInvestment firm London Capital & Finance (LCF), whose failure in 2019 triggered one of Britain's biggest retail investment scandals, operated as a Ponzi scheme, a London judge ruled on Thursday.The high court said former chief executive Michael Thomson and four others had knowingly participated in the fraud, misled investors and misappropriated assets in a ruling welcomed by LCF's joint administrators, which brought the case. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#6S7H8)
Colleagues speak up in Paulina Brandberg's support after leaked emails reveal efforts to spare her from the fruitA Swedish government minister's fear of bananas has become a national talking point after emails revealed that such is the strength of her aversion that aides try to clear rooms of the fruit before she enters.Paulina Brandberg, the minister for gender equality and work life, has previously spoken out about her issue with bananas, describing it as the world's weirdest phobia". Continue reading...
Condition of roads near singer's Harlow home makes it difficult to drive the prestige vehiclesRod Stewart has said he is considering selling his five sports cars because there are so many potholes on the roads near his home.The singer's love of sports cars has endured for more than half a century - and he now owns five. But now Stewart says he may sell them because the potholes have worsened near his home in Harlow, Essex. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6S7E3)
Chris Hemming, 46, charged with murdering Cheryl McKenna, 44, discovered by police on MondayA man has been charged with murder after a woman was found fatally stabbed at a house in Redditch, Worcestershire.Cheryl McKenna, 44, was discovered by police officers at a property in Other Road, near Redditch town centre, at about 9.30am on Monday. Continue reading...
Temperatures in Guangzhou fail to drop below level that meteorological service uses to mark change in seasonOne of China's biggest cities is still officially in summer, despite it being mid-November, as temperatures have failed to drop below the threshold considered necessary to mark the change in season.This week, Guangzhou, a hot and humid city of nearly 19 million people in southern China's Guangdong province, broke a three-decade heat record, according to the local meteorological service. As of Wednesday the city had experienced 235 summer days, beating 1994's 234-day season. Continue reading...
Country closes 137-year legal loophole, becoming one of 12 in Latin America and the Caribbean to entirely ban marriage for minorsColombian lawmakers have approved a bill to eradicate child marriage in the South American country after 17 years of campaigning by advocacy groups and eight failed attempts to push legislation through the house and senate.After five hours of heated, drawn-out debate on Wednesday evening, lawmakers approved the proposed legislation, dubbed They are Girls, Not Wives, which prohibits the marriage of anyone under the age of 18. Continue reading...
Washington Post art critic says Edouard Manet launched into painful' incident with fellow painter Berthe MorisotAlmost 140 years before a term was belatedly coined for the practice of men patronisingly setting women right on how certain things ought to be seen or done, it seems that a certain French painter had already become adept at the art of what must inevitably be called Manetsplaining.Details of this late 19th-century case of mansplaining are laid out in a new book by the Pulitzer prize-winning Washington Post art critic Sebastian Smee, which explores how impressionism emerged as a response to the siege of Paris and the attendant civil and political tumult of the time. Continue reading...
Profits beat forecasts, but a 17% fall in share price since executives were detained by Beijing may be hard to shakeIn the world of two weeks ago, AstraZeneca's share price would have probably enjoyed a strong day on the release of Tuesday's third-quarter numbers. The profit figure beat forecasts and the UK pharmaceutical company raised its guidance for growth in full-year revenues and earnings from mid-teens" to high teens".Meanwhile, Pascal Soriot, the chief executive, unveiled a $3.5bn (2.7bn) investment programme in the US and talked bullishly about prospects in AstraZeneca's biggest market. It all sounded like another confident step in the march to take global revenues from $46bn in 2023 to $80bn by 2030. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Previously unpublished official data shows Raac found at 235 DfE sitesHundreds of schools in England are still at risk of collapse from crumbling concrete, according to previously unpublished figures.Official data, which the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found had been wrongly withheld by the Conservative government, confirmed the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) at 235 Department for Education (DfE) sites. Continue reading...
Victim of serial abuser John Smyth joins calls for archbishop of Canterbury to quit as 10,000 people sign petitionThe archbishop of Canterbury has been urged to stand in solidarity with abuse victims by resigning after a report into a cover-up in the Church of England.A petition started by three members of the General Synod - the church's parliament - calling for Justin Welby to quit has reached more than 10,000 signatures.In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...
Directions hearing into fatal stabbing of six people at Sydney shopping centre in April to examine Joel Cauchi's history with police and delayed Westfield alarm
Australian navy discovered USS Edsall late last year near Christmas Island, 80 years after its 1942 sinking by JapanThe wreck of the long-lost US warship USS Edsall, sent to the bottom of the sea during the second world war by the Japanese, has been discovered, US and Australian officials announced on Monday.The warship was sunk on 1 March 1942, three months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The Edsall was traveling across the Indian Ocean south of Java when it was sunk by Japanese dive bombers. Continue reading...
Entrepreneur Alix Didier Fils-Aime replaces Garry Conille as country wracked by worsening gang violenceHaiti's transitional presidential council has appointed the entrepreneur and former senate candidate Alix Didier Fils-Aime as the country's new prime minister, according to the official gazette there.The businessman replaces Garry Conille, who was named prime minister in May. The shake-up is the latest blow to political stability in the country, which has endured soaring levels of gang violence. Continue reading...
Singer describes recent meeting where Simon said he was offended by an old interview, and pair reconciledArt Garfunkel has described a recent tearful reunion with Paul Simon, in which the pair moved past old enmities.Speaking to the Times, Garfunkel said:I actually had lunch with Paul a couple of weeks back. First time we'd been together in many years. I looked at Paul and said, What happened? Why haven't we seen each other?" Paul mentioned an old interview where I said some stuff. I cried when he told me how much I had hurt him. Looking back, I guess I wanted to shake up the nice guy image of Simon & Garfunkel. Y'know what? I was a fool!We've made plans to meet again. Will Paul bring his guitar? Who knows. For me, it was about wanting to make amends before it's too late. It felt like we were back in a wonderful place. As I think about it now, tears are rolling down my cheeks. I can still feel his hug. Continue reading...
In documents filed to an LA court, Charlotte MacInnes alleges that she told Wilson no misconduct happened, calling it absurd'A young Australian actor at the centre of a multimillion-dollar defamation case in the US alleges in documents filed to the Los Angeles superior court that Rebel Wilson made up lies about her and bullied and harassed her on the set of The Deb.Charlotte MacInnes, who stars in the comedy which premiered at the Toronto international film festival in September, alleged in the documents that Wilson repeated claims that one of the film's three producers, Amanda Ghost, sexually harassed and abused MacInnes, even after she told Wilson no such behaviour had occurred. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6S48H)
Figures for England show one in eight of all unplanned hospital admissions in 2023-24 were for respiratory system diseasesSerious breathing problems lead to more emergency admissions to hospital in England than any other medical condition, NHS data reveals.More people with asthma, bronchitis or emphysema have to go into hospital for treatment because they are struggling to breathe than those with heart disease, joint problems or cancer. Continue reading...
Changes such as new party in government and gap between presidencies may make unusual second invitation more likelyDonald Trump could be offered a second state visit to the UK, it has emerged, because of the change of both the government and the monarch since he was last invited.However, government sources have denied claims from Nigel Farage that an invitation has already been extended by the House of Commons speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, for the US president-elect to address both Houses of Parliament. Continue reading...
Four suspects still held on suspicion of violent acts and 50 people fined after attacks on football fansAmsterdam police expect to make more arrests after what authorities called hateful antisemitic violence" against Israeli football fans, prosecutors said on Saturday.Four suspects remained detained on Saturday on suspicion of violent acts, including two minors, and 40 people had been fined for public disturbance and 10 for offences including vandalism, prosecutors said. Continue reading...
Wars in Gaza and Lebanon set to intensify after Israeli PM's position is reinforced by Trump's victory and ousting of defence ministerBenjamin Netanyahu is set to stay in power in Israel until elections due in 2026 and possibly longer, analysts and officials now believe, after a tumultuous week in which the 75-year-old veteran politician successfully fired his defence minister and was boosted by the results of the US election.Netanyahu's newly reinforced position could lead to further intensification of Israel's campaign in Lebanon, and prolong the conflict in Gaza, critics fear - although the incoming US president Donald Trump has said he wants to swiftly end both wars. Continue reading...
Colourful contest celebrates pop icon and brings cheer after events for Timothee Chalamet and Paul Mescal go viralIt looked a lot like the other lookalike contests that have captured the imagination in the last few days, but the London event was not quite the same as it was in New York and Dublin.For a start, Harry Styles did not gatecrash his own lookalike contest in Soho Square in the West End, as Timothee Chalamet had two weeks earlier in New York. Continue reading...
Call for industry reform as latest results support belief that products are being bulked out with cheaper sugar syrupThe honey industry faces new demands to overhaul its supply chain after more than 90% of sampled products bought from large British retailers failed pioneering authenticity tests.The UK branch of the Honey Authenticity Network sent 30 samples last month from Britain for a novel commercial test based on the DNA profiles of genuine honey. Five were from UK beekeepers and 25 from big retailers, including supermarkets. Continue reading...
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