World news | The Guardian

Actor turned president has had profound political transformation in the face of Russian aggressionIn 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskiy rode a protest vote to victory in Ukraine, telling his supporters he would jail corrupt politicians and negotiate directly with Vladimir Putin to end Russia’s war in east Ukraine. Nearly three years later, Zelenskiy is staring down the threat of a Russian invasion, while he rallies western powers to his side and calls for aid. “We know what it means to defend one’s own state and land with weapons in hand,” he said during an address last week to the Kyiv Jewish Forum.Under pressure from Putin, Zelenskiy has undergone a profound political transformation. One thing is clear: he is no longer the same dove that he was on the campaign trail. Russia is pushing Ukraine toward Nato, he says, and a membership action plan is now central to his foreign policy. This month, Zelenskiy toured the frontline outside Donetsk. Wearing a flak jacket and helmet, he chatted with service personnel who will be the first line of Ukraine’s defence should tanks from Russia begin to roll. Continue reading...

Boric comes from a cohort that is grimly determined to bury dictator Augusto Pinochet’s bitter legacy once and for allFour months ago, 35-year-old Gabriel Boric confounded the polls to claim victory in a presidential primary he had barely been old enough to compete in. But on 11 March next year, he will now be sworn in as Chile’s youngest ever president – having amassed more votes than any presidential candidate in history.Boric is the driving force behind Chile’s abrupt changing of the guard. He belongs to a radical generation of student leaders who are grimly determined to bury dictator Augusto Pinochet’s bitter legacy once and for all. Continue reading...

The bill, yet to be signed into law, would tighten rules around foreign ownership of mediaPoles have staged nationwide protests including a thousands-strong rally outside the presidential palace to demand the head of state veto a law they say would limit media freedoms in the European Union’s largest eastern member.Unexpectedly rushed through parliament on Friday, the legislation would tighten rules around foreign ownership of media, specifically affecting the ability of news channel TVN24, owned by US media company Discovery Inc, to operate. Continue reading...

Death toll surges past 200 as rescue efforts continue in towns on devastated island of BoholAt least 208 people have been killed in the devastation caused by Typhoon Rai, the most powerful typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.More than 300,000 people were forced to flee their homes by the storm, which barrelled into the country on Thursday with wind speeds of 195km/h (120mph). The typhoon smashed through the southern and central regions of the Philippines, destroying homes and infrastructure and causing flooding that has affected millions. Continue reading...

In another fraught year full of depressing news, animals, celebrities and headline writers kept things wonderfully absurdIn a year that began with the US Capitol attack, continued with the fall of Afghanistan and is ending with the rapid spread of Omicron, the global news cycle has at times felt overwhelming.But while 2021 has been another fraught year, not all the news has been negative. Here are a few of the funniest and weirdest stories and headlines published this year. Continue reading...

Only 30% of registered voters cast their ballots for lawmakers in Sunday’s pollHongkongers have snubbed a legislature poll taking place under new “patriots only” rules imposed by China, with the lowest turnout since residents started electing lawmakers three decades ago, according to official figures released on Monday.Only 30%, or 1,350,680 of the 4,472,863 registered voters, cast their ballots for city lawmakers in Sunday’s election, Hong Kong’s top election official, Barnabas Fung, told reporters. Continue reading...

Head of Catholic Church makes some of his strongest comments yet on violence against womenPope Francis has said that men who commit violence against women engage in something that is “almost satanic”.He made the comment – some of the strongest language he has used to condemn such violence – during a programme broadcast on Sunday night on Italy’s TG5 network in which he conversed with three women and a man, all with difficult backgrounds. Continue reading...

Afghan resettlement scheme still not up and running four months after fall of Kabul, says Refugee CouncilThe UK’s failure to create safe routes for vulnerable Afghans is forcing thousands to make the “gut-wrenching” decision to embark on “perilous, life-threatening journeys” to seek safety in Britain, the Refugee Council has warned.Four months since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August, causing mass displacement of hundreds of thousands, the government’s Afghan citizens resettlement scheme was not yet up and running, the charity said. Continue reading...

Video from Pyongyang shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un looking very dour as he attends the memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of his father's death. As part of the national memorial, North Koreans have been banned from showing any sign of happiness. The restrictions include an explicit ban on laughter and alcohol during the 11-day period of mourning. On the exact anniversary of Kim Jong-il’s death, 17 December, North Koreans were even banned from going grocery shopping

Baritone had been performing with the band in the UK in December before tour postponed due to illnessThe Il Divo singer Carlos Marín has died aged 53, the group has announced.The baritone’s bandmates – David Miller, Sébastien Izambard and Urs Bühler – paid tribute to him on Sunday. In a statement on Twitter, they said: “It is with heavy hearts that we are letting you know that our friend and partner, Carlos Marín, has passed away. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary is assuming responsibility for UK’s relationship with EU, says Downing StreetThe foreign secretary, Liz Truss, is to take over responsibility for the UK’s relationship with the EU after the Brexit minister David Frost’s resignation, Downing Street has said.She will be adding ministerial responsibility to her foreign portfolio with immediate effect. Continue reading...

Exclusive: photograph raises fresh questions for No 10 after denial of a social event at time of Covid restrictions

At first I was full of dread but as I pressed on I noticed things I had never seen in daylight

PC Will Scott-Barrett was charged after an investigation by the force’s online child sexual abuse commandA Metropolitan police officer is due to appear in court on Monday charged with sexual communication with a child.PC Will Scott-Barrett, who is based in the Met’s intelligence command, was charged in November after an investigation by the force’s online child sexual abuse and exploitation command. Continue reading...

The campaign has resurfaced deep divisions and revived bitter memories of the country’s recent pastChilean voters headed to the polls on Sunday to chose between two presidential candidates offering starkly contrasting visions for the future, in the country’s most divisive elections since it returned to democracy in 1990.Leftwing candidate Gabriel Boric, a tattooed former student protest leader, has pledged to empower women and Indigenous people and raise taxes and spending in order to create a fairer Chile. Continue reading...

Minister for the EU Clément Beaune admits to difficult relationship with ex-Brexit minister and calls for resetThe French government has called on Boris Johnson to use David Frost’s resignation as Brexit minister to “rebuild trust” with the EU amid uncertainty over the prime minister’s approach in the new year.Clément Beaune, France’s EU affairs minister, who had a series of run-ins with the prime minister’s pugnacious minister, suggested that Downing Street should use the moment to reset the troubled relationship. Continue reading...

Breakthroughs in computing have changed how high-level chess is played, making draws all too common. But the Norwegian champion’s stunning performance in Dubai wrests the game back from the grip of the supercomputers, Guardian US deputy sport editor Bryan Graham reportsNearly 25 years ago, world chess champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue in a series of matches watched around the world. The Guardian’s US deputy sport editor, Bryan Graham, tells Michael Safi he vividly remembers those games, played in his home town of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It seemed as if chess had been changed forever.Now the game of chess is in the midst of another pivotal transformation. With the rise of online chess and the recent success of the Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit, the game has never been more popular – or accessible. But breakthroughs in computing have made it increasingly bloodless: top players simply study and memorise the ‘perfect’ moves (as determined by computers), reinforcing a style of play that more often than not ends in a draw. Continue reading...

Three centuries after repeal of Witchcraft Act thousands tried as witches could get official apologiesFrom allegations of cursing the king’s ships, to shape-shifting into animals and birds, or dancing with the devil, a satanic panic in early modern Scotland meant that thousands of women were accused of witchcraft in the 16th-18th centuries with many executed.Now, three centuries after the Witchcraft Act was repealed, campaigners are on course to win pardons and official apologies for the estimated 3,837 people – 84% of whom were women – tried as witches, of which two-thirds were executed and burned. Continue reading...

‘Everyone will go shopping in Belgium and Germany,’ retailers warn as four-week closure beginsDutch shopkeepers say they have been “broken” by the Netherlands’ new Christmas lockdown, which has come into effect.“Nowhere in Europe is there such a strict regime as in the Netherlands,” said Jan Meerman, the director of INretail, the Dutch retailers association. Continue reading...

Unsettled weather to give way to cold and bright conditions in run-up to Christmas DayA white Christmas could be possible for some northern parts of the UK while much of the country is likely to see cold and bright weather, according to the Met Office.Unsettled weather in the lead-up to Christmas is forecast to give way to colder, clearer conditions on 25 December, the weather service said. Continue reading...

Cult Los Angeles lyricist reportedly attacked by group of people at Once Upon a Time festival in his home cityDrakeo the Ruler, the critically acclaimed Los Angeles rapper, has died after a reported stabbing at a music festival. His press representative confirmed his death to the Guardian but did not give further details.The 28-year-old, whose real name was Darrell Caldwell, had been scheduled to perform at the Once Upon a Time festival in Los Angeles. A source speaking to the LA Times said Caldwell had been attacked on the festival site by a group of people on Saturday evening. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition, where he later died. Continue reading...

‘The Great Frost’ remains a man on a mission with hopes of a political career beyond the present administrationOn what would prove to be his penultimate day as Boris Johnson’s Brexit minister, during which he spoke with his EU counterpart Maroš Šefčovič for one last time, David Frost was disappointed.He was disappointed with the state of the talks over the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland. He was disappointed with the EU for failing to finalise the UK’s involvement in its €95.5bn Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Continue reading...

Thousands mark anniversary of revolt against Bashir regime with protest over military takeoverTens of thousands of Sudanese protesters have rallied to mark three years since the start of mass demonstrations that led to the ousting of the dictator Omar al-Bashir, as fears mount for the country’s democratic transition.Security forces fired teargas - leaving several wounded, witnesses said – at a huge crowd of protesters near the republican palace in the capital, Khartoum, chanting slogans against the military chief, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who led a coup on 25 October. Continue reading...

Crowds brave sub-zero temperatues after Taliban announces it will resume issuing travel documentsHundreds of people have braved sub-zero temperatures in Afghanistan’s capital to queue outside the passport office, a day after the Taliban government announced it would resume issuing travel documents.Many began their wait the previous night and most stood patiently in single file – some desperate to leave the country for medical treatment, others to escape the Islamists’ renewed rule. Tense Taliban personnel periodically charged crowds that formed at the front of the queue and at a nearby roadblock. Continue reading...

The UK health secretary refused to rule out imposing tougher Covid restrictions in England before Christmas, after warnings that hospitalisations could peak at up to 10,000 a day without further action.Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Javid acknowledged that the data on Omicron remained incomplete - but suggested it might be necessary to make decisions before a full picture is available

Urban and rural regions submerged as rivers burst banks after heavy downpours since FridayMore than 30,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Malaysia as the country battled some of its worst flooding in years.The tropical nation in south-east Asia often experiences stormy monsoon seasons towards the end of the year, with flooding regularly prompting mass evacuations. Continue reading...

Video shared on social media shows anti-lockdown protester criticising MPs who voted for Covid curbsPiers Corbyn has been arrested on suspicion of encouraging people to burn down MPs’ offices.The Metropolitan police said a man in his 70s – whom they did not name – was arrested in Southwark, south London, in the early hours of Sunday. Continue reading...

Resignation of Brexit minister led to fevered online reaction – and blue on blue fire in a Tory chat groupBrexit minister Lord Frost’s late Saturday night resignation prompted frenzied reaction on social media including a lively row on a Conservative party Whatsapp group ending with culture secretary Nadine Dorries being deleted by former chair of Brexit supporting backbenchers in the European Research Group.Some welcomed Frost’s departure, others immediately went to leadership questions. Continue reading...

Participants in a West Bank immersive language project tell of the strong bonds being forged that counter the rise in settler violenceIn the plywood hut in which Palestinian Iman al-Hathalin and her family have lived since their home was bulldozed by the Israeli authorities in 2014, the warmth from a rickety samovar is welcome. Outside the only window, the winter sky is blinding white: it floods the room with an icy light and sends shadows dancing up the flimsy walls.Everyone has been ill lately, it seems, including Hathalin’s two-year-old daughter, who sleeps fitfully on her lap, and Maya Mark, her Arabic-speaking Israeli guest. “It is not exaggerating to say Maya is like my sister,” Hathalin said. “I was so worried when she was sick. We are family.” Continue reading...

He is one of Hollywood’s hardest working and well-liked actors. As the next instalment of his epic Matrix series hits the big screen, Tom Lamont meets the famously thoughtful starKeanu Reeves covers his face with both hands. Long bands of the actor’s straggly, jet-black hair flit from side to side as he shakes his cradled head. Reeves, who is 57, has a new Matrix movie out soon. It will be the first instalment in that famous sci-fi series since the turn of the century, when a visually splendid trilogy – The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions – shook blockbuster cinema to its foundations. I have just been telling him what an unforgettable outing that first Matrix movie was for me, back in 1999, when I saw it in a packed, noisy cinema full of people who couldn’t sit still for excitement. I’ve also just admitted to Reeves that, when The Matrix Resurrections is made available later this month, via various platforms, I’ll probably stream it at home, probably on a laptop.I only intend this as a light prompt to get him talking about Hollywood in 2021, a curious time for showbusiness, with Covid precautions and advances in streaming tech combining to make so many movies available for home viewing at the same time as they appear in cinemas. But perhaps Reeves is someone who feels things more deeply than most, because suddenly he begins to plead with me, through muffling fingers: “Dude? Don’t stream that movie… Don’t you fucking stream that movie.” Continue reading...

This year’s Guardian and Observer campaign supports four charities fighting global climate injustice. Here, we look at the work of East African farmers and Kew scientists

Former foreign secretary calls on Britain to back French proposal over UN Security Council powersBritain must back calls for countries in the United Nations security council to give up their veto on cases of alleged mass atrocities, genocide and war crimes, the former foreign secretary David Miliband has said.Miliband, now the president of the New York-based NGO, International Rescue Committee, said he supported a proposal from France that would suspend the power of the US, China, the UK, France and Russia to block action in these cases. He called on the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, to back the measure. Continue reading...

The women were injured in a northern beaches carpark following the wild storm, along with a young boy

Billionaire owner of Chelsea qualifies under Portugal’s naturalisation scheme for descendants of Sephardic JewsThe billionaire oligarch Roman Abramovich has become an EU citizen, three years after withdrawing his application for a UK visa amid diplomatic tensions between London and Moscow.The surprise development was confirmed on Saturday by his spokesperson, who revealed the Russian-born owner of Chelsea Football Club had secured Portuguese citizenship earlier this year. Continue reading...

After his father’s death, he was propelled to the top of the totalitarian dynasty. How has he been allowed to last so long?How do tyrants survive? History is littered with examples of cruel dictators and despots who dominated their countries for years, oppressing millions of “subjects”, and were never forcibly deposed. Joseph Stalin famously died in his bed at the age of 74. Mao Zedong lasted longer, dying of natural causes in 1976, age 82. Spain’s thuggish dictator, Francisco Franco, seized power in 1939 and was still in office when he died in 1975 at 82.The obvious answer is fear. Other factors – cunning, chutzpah, charisma – play a role, too. But terror is the tool of choice for your typical tyrant. This is a lesson Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s “supreme leader”, learned at his father’s knee. And when Kim Jong-il died, 10 years ago last week, his then 26-year-old son was propelled willy-nilly to the top of the totalitarian dynasty founded in 1948 by his grandfather, Kim Il-sung. Continue reading...

One dead and two seriously injured following storm on Sydney’s northern beaches; 80 Covid cases in South Australia as positive case linked to second Ashes Test; Tennant Creek lockdown ‘likely’ to be extended – this blog is now closed

Last week’s byelection result laid bare the growing anger felt towards the PM – both from outside and within his own partyShortly after Owen Paterson resigned as the Tory MP for North Shropshire in early November, Helen Morgan, who had been trounced when she stood as Liberal Democrat candidate at the last general election, rang her party’s HQ in London with a message that took senior officials by surprise.“She told us that we really had a chance in the byelection, that we had to throw everything at it. Initially there was a lot of scepticism,” said a party official. “Nobody really believed it.” Continue reading...

Four forensic child interviewers from NSW will assist the investigation into the accident at Devonport’s Hillcrest Primary School

Two adults and two children were onboard a ‘joy flight’ Sunday morning when the aircraft crashed into waters off Redcliffe, near Brisbane

Dutch lockdown puts limits on Christmas celebrations, while France and other countries toughen restrictions as Covid cases climb

Enforced takeovers during the crisis will mean a bumper year for the bankers who advise on billion-dollar dealsJust as most of us are feeling the effects of soaring inflation, which the Office for National Statistics said last week had reached a 10-year high of 5.1%, wealthy bankers and traders are looking forward to receiving extraordinarily large new year bonuses.Banks on both sides of the Atlantic are finalising bonus pool deals that could be inflated by as much as 50% compared with last year, reaching their highest levels since 2009 and the mergers and acquisitions boom that followed the financial crisis. Continue reading...

UK reports more than 90,000 new cases of coronavirus; World Health Organization says variant spreads significantly faster than Delta

Carriers banned from transporting British tourists to Germany as it classifies UK as virus variant area of concern

Lord Frost’s frustrated exit is yet another blow for PM struggling for control of his governmentBoris Johnson was dealt another major blow to his leadership on Saturday night as it emerged that the man overseeing Brexit was resigning from the cabinet.With Tory MPs already warning the prime minister that he would have to regain control of the government to survive as leader until the next election, it emerged that Lord Frost is to leave the government after frustrations over Brexit negotiations and broader concerns over the government’s Covid policies and tax increases. Continue reading...

Reports say he informed Boris Johnson last week but has been convinced to stay on until JanuaryBrexit minister Lord Frost has resigned from the cabinet, the Mail on Sunday has reported.Lord Frost, who has led negotiations with the EU, is reported to have handed in his resignation letter to Boris Johnson last week. But the Mail on Sunday reported he had been persuaded to stay on until January. Continue reading...

Millions are still fighting for a democratic government, three years after their protests beganAmany Galal lost her right eye to a tear gas canister fired by security forces as they tried to break up a demonstration in early 2019, making her one of the first casualties of Sudan’s long and faltering revolution.Three months later, the street movement had toppled the military dictator Omar al-Bashir but, three years later, millions of protesters are still fighting for a democratic government. Continue reading...

Senior party figures think cost of living increases next spring, if combined with poor local election results in May, will doom the PMRapidly rising prices and tax increases in the spring, followed by a drubbing for the Tories in May’s local elections, will mark the beginning of the end of Boris Johnson’s premiership, senior Conservative MPs now believe.After Johnson suffered a massive rebellion by his backbenchers over Covid rules in the Commons on Tuesday and a humiliating byelection loss to the Liberal Democrats in the previously safe Conservative seat of North Shropshire two days later, the prime minister is being told he has only three to four months to turn things around or risk being ousted. Continue reading...

We must be realistic about how much soil carbon sequestration can achieve in the fight against the climate crisis

Almas Nizamidin, whose wife has been sentenced to seven years in prison in Xinjiang, says a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics is not enoughWhat Almas Nizamidin knows of his wife’s arrest and disappearance is second-hand: the harried reports relayed by his relatives as it rapidly unfolded.The police came for Buzainafu Abudourexiti at her home in Ürümqi as she was travelling to a doctor’s appointment on 29 March 2017. Her family called, she cancelled her appointment and hurried home. Continue reading...