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No extra curbs for New Year’s Eve, with prime minister to put emphasis on personal responsibility

Porsche stopped on M25 so badly damaged its bumper was ‘literally bouncing out of the boot’A police officer said he was “honestly shocked” to see a motorist had driven for more than 30 miles along the M25 in a car so badly damaged its rear end was hanging off.PC Serge Hadfield, from Surrey police, stopped the car near Cobham on Sunday after a member of the public called the police. Continue reading...

Hunt Saboteurs Association accuses Avon Vale hunters of resorting to violence during Wiltshire eventClashes have reportedly broken out between hunters and protesters during a tense Boxing Day meet in Wiltshire.Video footage shared on social media appeared to show punches being thrown from both sides as mounted riders moved through Lacock village, near Chippenham, for the annual Avon Vale Boxing Day hunt. Continue reading...

Announcement that there will be no new restrictions in England before new year puts it at odds with rest of UK

Man, 19, held after sudden death reported at home in Livingston, ScotlandA teenager has been arrested after two people were found dead in a house in West Lothian on Boxing Day.Police Scotland said a sudden death was reported at a home at Raeburn Rigg in Livingston late on Sunday. Officers found a man and a woman dead inside the property. Continue reading...

Tehran is keen to verify US sanctions have genuinely been liftedAn eighth round of talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal has begun in Vienna, with Iran saying participants have been largely working from an acceptable common draft text and that its team was willing to stay as long as it takes to reach an agreement.The Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said he wanted the focus of the coming round of talks to be on how Tehran could verify US sanctions had genuinely been lifted. The landmark 2015 deal, from which Donald Trump withdrew the US, had lifted sanctions on Iran in return for controls on its civilian nuclear programme. Continue reading...

Student unions should keep their memory alive, writes Peter van den DungenThe ruthless campaign by the Chinese government to extinguish all memories of the massacre at Tiananmen Square has now resulted in the removal of the sculpture from the campus of the University of Hong Kong (Outcry as memorial to Tiananmen Square victims removed from Hong Kong University, 23 December). Since many of the countless victims were students, it is appropriate for universities elsewhere to ensure that their bravery and martyrdom is not eradicated from history.University student unions in the UK, not least at those institutions with many Chinese students, should keep their memory alive by renaming their building or part of it. This is what several did following the murder by the authorities of the black South African anti-apartheid student activist Steve Biko. The Steve Biko Bar at Bradford University closed in 2005 but the student union building at Manchester University (which has the largest student union in the UK) is still named after him. No doubt the chancellor of Oxford University, Chris Patten – who was the last British governor of Hong Kong – will be sympathetic. There is also plenty of space for the erection of a memorial near the Chinese embassy in central London.

The beloved anti-apartheid hero will lie in state for two days in Cape Town before a funeral on 1 JanuaryThousands of South Africans will pause to remember the anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died on Sunday aged 90, every day this week as bells are rung at churches across the country for 10 minutes at noon.Tributes to Tutu, described as the “moral compass” of his country, have poured in from around the world since his death in a Cape Town care home, as a series of events commemorating his life and achievements begin. Continue reading...

Some farmers see a vicious pest that should be shot on sight, others a native species that plays a vital role in Australia’s ecosystem.In one of our best episodes from the Guardian Australia Reads podcast in 2021, Adam Morton looks at the conflicting views of what to do about the dingoYou can read the original article here: ‘Dingoes were here first’: the landowners who say letting ‘wild dogs’ live pays dividends.You can find every episode of Guardian Australia Reads here, or subscribe by searching for Guardian Australia Reads wherever you get your podcasts Continue reading...

Masoumeh Torkpour, held since fleeing Iran in 2011, given accommodation in Melbourne hotel after being freed but told she must find new home

After easing of restrictions in mid-October, positive result rate hovered at 0.5% or below

‘Something’s gone horribly wrong with our son’, father reportedly says, as video appears to show figure talking about assassinationThe father of a man arrested in the grounds of Windsor Castle allegedly in possession of a crossbow has reportedly said “something’s gone horribly wrong with our son”.The Metropolitan police are investigating a video, which has been linked to the 19-year-old suspect, who was arrested on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon and was subsequently sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Continue reading...

Analysis: the Tories are arguing against further restrictions – but what do scientists think works best to prevent the spread of Covid?

Years of fighting mean children as old as 10 have never been to school. Khaled Ziad’s images document a generation whose entire future is at risk

Indoor and outdoor gatherings restricted in size with leisure facilities closing in several states

Spanish officials hail ‘historic’ deal to limit arrivals to maximum of three vessels a day at Mallorca portOfficials in the Balearic Islands will seek to limit cruise ships to a maximum of three vessels a day at its largest port, in a deal described as the first of its kind in Spain.The regional government said in a statement that arrivals at Palma in Mallorca would be limited when possible to three cruise ships a day, one of the vessels allowed to be a mega-cruise liner carrying more than 5,000 people, starting in 2022. Continue reading...

Body of woman believed to be in her 20s was found at property in Newham on Boxing DayA man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a woman in east London.Metropolitan police officers were called to Earlham Grove in Newham just before midday on Boxing Day following concerns over the welfare of a resident. Continue reading...

Exclusive: British cheesemaker says Brexit and subsequent trade deals have cost his firm £270,000A British cheesemaker who predicted Brexit would cost him hundreds of thousands of pounds in exports has called the UK’s departure from the EU single market a disaster, after losing his entire wholesale and retail business in the bloc over the past year. Simon Spurrell, the co-founder of the Cheshire Cheese Company, said personal advice from a government minister to pursue non-EU markets to compensate for his losses had proved to be “an expensive joke”.“It turns out our greatest competitor on the planet is the UK government because every time they do a fantastic deal, they kick us out of that market – starting with the Brexit deal,” he said. Continue reading...

Who released a triple citrous concoction at 50 East Ida B, Wells Drive? Who, following a repast of peas, fell asleep in a wicker hamper? Who followed Giggs and preceded Cavendish? Only 177 more to go, in the famously fiendish quizEditor’s note: the King William’s College quiz has appeared in the Guardian since 1951. These days, the quiz is no longer sat formally; instead it is sent to the schoolchildren and their families to tackle over the Christmas holiday. In other words, you are allowed to Google! However, the questions are constructed to make that a less than straightforward strategy. Good luck!General knowledge paper, 2021-22, No 117, sat by the pupils of King William’s College, Isle of Man Continue reading...

Law would have prevented companies outside the EEA from holding a controlling stake in Polish media companiesThe Polish president has vetoed a media ownership law that critics said was aimed at silencing the US-owned news channel TVN24.“I am vetoing it,” Andrzej Duda said in a televised statement, after the EU and the US heavily criticised the law. Continue reading...

Mudassar Kadir said ‘zero progress’ made since he and his family arrived at Dubai refugee centreAn Afghan former BBC journalist who managed to flee the Taliban has been stranded in a refugee camp for months because of delays to a resettlement scheme promised by the UK government.Mudassar Kadir* is the only one of 14 former BBC employees to have escaped Afghanistan since the Taliban took over in August. The other 13 remain in hiding in fear of their lives. Continue reading...

The British actor, whose messages to Depp regarding the latter’s wife Amber Heard were publicised during a trial in 2020, has commented on the processThe actor Paul Bettany has spoken for the first time about having the text messages exchanged between himself and Johnny Depp concerning Amber Heard read out at Depp’s libel trial.Bettany, who is currently promoting A Very British Scandal, told the Independent it was “a really difficult subject to talk about” and said he was concerned doing so would “just pour fuel on the fire”. Continue reading...

My tank was empty. No matter how much I willed myself to carry on as normal, my body and mind resisted. It was time to stop runningWhen my older brother died, the first thing I thought about was work. I had just moved to New York from London, so my family had to break the news over the phone, grappling with my grief while still sucker-punched by their own. But if you had asked me at that moment, I would have told you there was no grief.Instead, I immediately began thinking about which editors I was going to have to let down. What work might fall by the wayside for ever? I quickly calculated the upsides of my “time off”. At least I would have more time to spend on that long article that was due. Then I thought about going for a run. Or shouting at somebody. Mostly, I thought about getting off the phone. It was all an inconvenience. Had my family – always so keen to remind me of where I had come from and who I was never going to get to be – just passed on this news to ruin my day? Continue reading...

Boris Johnson likely to face pushback if he decides latest hospital data shows need to tighten restrictionsCabinet ministers remain sceptical of further Covid curbs as Boris Johnson prepares to receive his post-Christmas briefing on the state of the latest wave before making a call on additional restrictions in England.The prime minister delayed any new cabinet summit on restrictions until after his regular data briefing with England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty – expected to be knighted in the new year honours – and the chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance. Continue reading...

The Canadian film-maker died suddenly at the weekend according to his representativeJean-Marc Vallée, the Canadian director best known for his work on Matthew McConaughey drama Dallas Buyers Club, has died aged 58.Vallée’s representative, Bumble Ward, said he died suddenly over the weekend in his cabin outside Quebec City. His two sons survive him.Jean-Marc stood for creativity, authenticity and trying things differently. He was a true artist and a generous, loving guy. Everyone who worked with him couldn’t help but see the talent and vision he possessed. He was a friend, creative partner and an older brother to me. The maestro will sorely be missed but it comforts knowing his beautiful style and impactful work he shared with the world will live on. Continue reading...

Yury Dmitriyev’s term increased to 15 years on charges supporters say are punishment for exposing Soviet-era crimesA Russian court has increased a jail sentence for the Gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev to a total of 15 years on charges his supporters say are punishment for his work exposing Stalin-era crimes.Supporters say Dmitriyev, 65, is being targeted because of his efforts to expose the horrors of the Soviet era under Joseph Stalin. Continue reading...

Courageous and absorbing film follows three young men in the resistance movement in the Democratic Republic of the CongoChronicling what was supposed to be the final chapter of Joseph Kabila’s presidency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this is a stark and gripping portrait of a country in the throes of a major political crisis. At the centre of these monumental events are Christian, Jean-Marie and Ben, three young Congolese men who are passionately fighting for democracy, yet in their differing ideologies also embody the fractures that exist inside the resistance movement against Kabila’s unconstitutional clutch on power.Jean-Marie, who like Ben was once jailed and tortured by the police, has faith in UDPS, the opposition party led by Étienne Tshisekedi, and trusts them to call for a fair and legal election once Kabila’s term comes to an end. In contrast, Christian considers the UDPS’ peaceful approach to be ineffective compared with direct protests, which sometimes end in deadly clashes with the armed forces. Much of the film captures the raw energy of these demonstrations: choking tear gas; shaky, frenzied cinematography; the threatening sound of bullets. The frantic breathing of the cameraman is audible as he too runs away from the police. Continue reading...

Can you remember what a Wellerman was? Who Bean Dad was? Or are you just too cheugy for this meme-packed quiz?

Laali and Meenakshi’s unborn daughters are among the country’s 46 million ‘missing’ women and girls over the past 50 yearsLaali was alone at home when she realised her legs were drenched in blood. The bleeding did not stop for eight hours. As she fell unconscious, the 25-year-old thought she would die alongside the foetus she was losing.She had been three months pregnant when she was taken for prenatal sex determination. “When I learned it was a girl, I started feeling as though I was suffocating,” she says. Continue reading...

At my lowest point, I sought self-annihilation. I was saved at the last moment by two of the few people I had not pushed awayIt was a Saturday night in early October 1986. My 30th birthday party, or what passed for it. Just a handful of junkies and my few remaining friends sitting on the floor of a grey, bare room in a flat in south London. I had thought it would be fun, as, for once, there was no shortage of heroin. Instead, I felt wretched.I was in total despair, as a rare moment of self-awareness had kicked in. It wasn’t just that I had trashed my entire 20s, achieving almost nothing of any note; it was also that I could see no prospect of any future. My self-destruction was complete. I had hit rock bottom. It was a terrifying moment, so there was only one thing for it. Take more and more drugs until I fell unconscious. Happy birthday to me. Continue reading...

Omicron threat stokes fears coast to coast but leading public health expert says ‘We know how to keep schools open and safe’

NSW tourism minister expects lower turnout as leading epidemiologist says best place to watch festivities is from home

Christian Aid says the 13% rise in the cost of damage reflects the effects of climate change, with Hurricane Ida the most expensiveThe 10 most expensive weather disasters this year caused more than $170bn in damage, $20bn more than in 2020, a British aid group has found.Christian Aid said the upward trend reflects the effects of manmade climate change and added that the 10 disasters in question also killed at least 1,075 people and displaced 1.3 million. Continue reading...

Amid growing intolerance to India’s Christian minority, several Christmas events were targeted by Hindu right wing groupsFestive celebrations were disrupted, Jesus statues were smashed and effigies of Santa Claus were burned in a spate of attacks on India’s Christian community over Christmas.Amid growing intolerance and violence against India’s Christian minority, who make up about 2% of India’s population, several Christmas events were targeted by Hindu right wing groups, who alleged Christians were using festivities to force Hindus to convert. Continue reading...

NSW reports 6,324 cases and three deaths, Victoria 1,999 cases and three deaths, 784 in Queensland, 189 in ACT and 35 in Tasmania

A strict lockdown in the city of 13 million entered its fifth day as the country continues to pursue a ‘zero-Covid’ strategy

Russian president’s attention-seeking diplomatic demands speak to long-held grievancesIt is more than 13 years since Nato’s Bucharest summit, the meeting that agreed that the western alliance wanted the former Soviet states of Ukraine and Georgia to become members. But in many respects the legacy of that April 2008 meeting – the last attended by Vladimir Putin – hangs over the Ukraine crisis today.George W Bush arrived in an expansionist, post-cold war mindset pushing for Ukraine and Georgia to be given a roadmap to Nato membership. Granting them a so-called membership action plan would allow the two countries to follow a string of former eastern bloc states that had been allowed to join since 1999. Continue reading...

Chair of National Māori Authority says country should adopt John Howard’s playbook or risk sparking local gangland wars between deported criminals

Two members of international humanitarian group unaccounted for after killings in Kayah stateTwo people working for Save the Children have gone missing after a massacre in eastern Myanmar that left more than 30 people dead, the international aid group has said.Photos of the aftermath of the Christmas Eve killings in Mo So village, just outside Hpruso township in Kayah state, spread on social media in the country, fuelling outrage against the military that took power in February after ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Continue reading...

Actor welcomes scruffy white pet with tribute to politician Johnny Depp described as ‘inbred with a tomato’Six years after Barnaby Joyce threatened to euthanise dogs belonging to Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, Heard appears to have had the last laugh, naming her new four-legged friend after Australia’s deputy prime minister.On Monday the actor posted a photograph on Twitter showing herself holding up a large scruffy white dog with the caption: “Meet the newest member of the Heard family, Barnaby Joyce!” Continue reading...

Footage appears to show masked figure saying they wanted to ‘assassinate the Queen’Police are investigating a video linked to a man who was arrested at Windsor Castle while in possession of a crossbow.

NSW records 6,234 cases and Victoria 1,999 amid reported delays in PCR testing; US reporting 184,802 new cases per day; Vaccination teams could go door-to-door in UK to reach those yet to have jabs

Shoddy investigation into serial killer also result of underfunding, says producer of BBC drama about murdersThree victims of the serial killer Stephen Port might still be alive today were it not for a shoddy police investigation that was the result of “ineptitude, poor systems and underfunding”, the producer of a new drama about the crimes has said.Jeff Pope is senior producer of Four Lives, a dramatisation for BBC One of the murders of four young gay men: Anthony Walgate, 23; Gabriel Kovari, 22; Daniel Whitworth, 21; and Jack Taylor, 21. Continue reading...

Fires threaten homes in Warrigal Estate and Augusta-Margaret River shire amid scorching weather

Experts explain techniques to navigate pandemic news so you can avoid being swamped while keeping up to date

Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa, paid tribute to the late archbishop Desmond Tutu in a televised address to the nation on Sunday. Calling him a leader with 'compassion, dignity, humility and grace', Ramaphosa highlighted Tutu's activist approach to peace and alleviating poverty.Tutu was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the late 1990s and in recent years was hospitalised on several occasions because of infections associated with his treatment. He died peacefully in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to his relatives.

Government accused of thwarting poorer countries’ bid to manufacture their own vaccines

Police chief writes to ex-footballer’s family praising their strength and dignity in the years since his deathPolice have formally apologised to the family of the former footballer Dalian Atkinson after an officer who kicked and fired an electric stun gun at him was convicted over his death, the Guardian has learned.In June PC Benjamin Monk, of the West Mercia force, became the first officer in more than three decades to be convicted of manslaughter during the course of his duties. Continue reading...