World news | The Guardian

Resolution calling for cessation of attacks on shipping vessels by Yemen's Houthis adopted despite abstentions from Russia and China

Signatories of joint letter by US representative demanding end to war include politicians from Austria to TurkeySome 384 parliamentarians around the world have signed a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, urging their governments to seek accountability for grave violations of human rights".As Israel continues its assault in Gaza, the effort is being led by Ilhan Omar, a member of the Squad" of progressive Democrats in the US Congress, and Sevim Dadelen, a member of the German Bundestag for die Linke (Left party). Continue reading...

UAW hopes to extend Big Three' victories to company's plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which has resisted prior effortsFresh off its victories over the US's three biggest domestic automakers, the United Auto Workers (UAW) is going all out to unionize Volkswagen's flagship plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.The UAW led a successful strike for significant increases in pay and benefits for workers at Detroit's Big Three" auto manufacturers - Ford, General Motors and Stellantis - last year. Continue reading...

Shadow chancellor to highlight increased mortgage costs as party targets Tory seats coveted by Lib DemsLabour is to kick off campaigning in a string of upcoming byelections by highlighting increased mortgage costs in so-called blue wall constituencies, in a tactical shift in which the party will openly target Conservative-held seats coveted by the Liberal Democrats.Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, is to visit Kingswood, the constituency vacated by Chris Skidmore, the Conservative who quit as an MP last week in protest at the government's planned new rounds of oil and gas licences. Continue reading...

British singer says I am proud of my physicality' after advert is banned by Advertising Standards AuthorityFKA twigs has defended a Calvin Klein advertisement she featured in that was banned earlier this week by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).The singer appeared in the poster ad dressed in a shirt held across her semi-nude body. Following two complaints from the public, the ASA said the ad framed her as a stereotypical sexual object" and the image's composition placed viewers' focus on the model's body rather than on the clothing being advertised". Calvin Klein had defended the pose in the advert as natural and neutral", and said the ad campaign contained a progressive and enlightened message".i do not see the stereotypical sexual object' that they have labelled me. i see a beautiful strong woman of colour whose incredible body has overcome more pain than you can imagine.in light of reviewing other campaigns past and current of this nature, i can't help but feel there are some double standards here. so to be clear... Continue reading...

Justice secretary says if firm behind Horizon IT software is found culpable, ministers would seek proper recompense'

Industry data shows almost 190,000 installed last year as well as record number of heat pump installationsThe number of households and businesses installing rooftop solar panels has reached its highest level in 12 years, while heat pump installations climbed to record highs in 2023, according to the industry's official standards body.The figures showed almost 190,000 rooftop solar installations were carried out last year, the highest level since the government slashed its subsidy scheme in late 2011. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: With the 2024 election likely to hinge on just thousands of votes in swing states, the president needs every vote he can get Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. No Republican presidential candidate has received more than 13% of the votes of Black Americans since the civil rights era. In the race against probable nominee Donald Trump, Black voters are again likely to be Democrat president Joe Biden's most reliable constituency. But in recent months, that support has started to erode.This week, Joe Biden has tried to do something about it, with a visit to the Black church in South Carolina where a white supremacist killed nine people in 2015. He linked Trump's 2020 election denialism to the Confederate rebellion over slavery that prompted the civil war, and told his audience: Once again, there are some in this country trying to turn a loss into a lie."Post Office Horizon scandal | Hundreds of post office operators are to have their convictions quashed by parliament in an unprecedented move designed to draw a line under one of the gravest miscarriages of justice in British history. Scotland's first minister Humza Yousaf said that everyone convicted in Scotland as part of the scandal would likewise be cleared.Israel-Gaza war | A legal hearing into the war in Gaza opens in The Hague on Thursday as the international court of justice (ICJ) hears arguments alleging that Israel is committing genocide. Read Julian Borger's analysis.UK economy | The Bank of England may be forced to bring forward the date of its first interest rate cut after three leading forecasters issued a surprise update suggesting the inflation rate will halve to 2% by April. The forecasters attributed their predictions to a slump in energy prices and the cost of oil on international wholesale markets.HS2 | The estimated cost of the HS2 line from London to Birmingham has ballooned to as much as 66bn due to inflation, the scheme's executive chair has told MPs. That is up to 10bn more than the existing estimate, which is quoted in 2019 prices.Land rights | The right to wild camp on Dartmoor could be under threat again after the supreme court granted permission for a wealthy landowner to pursue a ban in court. Hedge funder Alexander Darwall prompted a large protest movement after he banned wild camping on his land. Continue reading...

State government says concrete issues mean wall can't be repaired as planned so new dam will be built to provide irrigation water for agricultureThe Queensland government is facing criticism over the decision to spend billions of dollars replacing an unsafe 20-year-old dam before completing a business case for the scheme.The 3,000-megalitre Paradise Dam was built near Bundaberg in 2005 to serve the surrounding agricultural industry, but it was found to be at risk of collapse in 2019 due to engineering mistakes, including the use of a new concrete construction method. Continue reading...

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Party writes to regulator after Nigel Farage and Tory MPs singled out Davey in coverage of Post Office Horizon scandalThe Liberal Democrats have called for Ofcom to investigate GB News over alleged impartiality breaches after the channel featured Nigel Farage and Conservative MPs criticising Ed Davey and other opposition politicians about their role in the Post Office IT scandal.The party has written to the head of the broadcast regulator, Melanie Dawes, to argue GB News's coverage failed to highlight the role of Conservative politicians in the long-running saga. Continue reading...

Alexander Stuart Pinnock, 34, died in Nowra after he confronted police while allegedly armed with a Glock pistolThe man shot dead by police outside a New South Wales medical clinic after he allegedly attempted to take hostages while armed with a gun has been identified as Alexander Stuart Pinnock.The 34-year-old died after being shot at by multiple officers on Wednesday, NSW police have said. Continue reading...

The government has announced it will introduce legislation to exonerate the many hundreds of postal workers affected by the Post Office Horizon software scandal. So is the only way to turn the government's head to an issue to make a TV drama about it? The Guardian's John Harris speaks to former postal worker Chris Head about the impact it had on him, and columnist Gaby Hinsliff about what this tells us about our creaking institutions. Plus, columnist Rafael Behr joins John to look at the year aheadArchive: ITV Continue reading...

Some media and Coalition politicians have voiced outrage over the decision, which the retailer says is due to lack of customer demand

Dfat vows to convey concerns' over inflammatory remarks from Israeli officials but does not commit to backing South Africa's case in the international court of justice

International Court of Justice will hear complaint brought by South Africa, which is asking for urgent provisional measures'A legal hearing into the war in Gaza opens in The Hague on Thursday as the international court of justice (ICJ) hears arguments alleging that Israel is committing genocide in the territory.South Africa, which has brought the case, is asking the UN court to act urgently to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people under the genocide convention, which continues to be violated with impunity". Continue reading...

Highly anticipated sequel to 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later will be the first in a new trilogy, multiple sources told the Hollywood ReporterAfter years of speculation, a new sequel for zombie horror hit 28 Days Later is reportedly in the works - two decades since the 2002 original.Titled 28 Years Later, the film marks the third instalment in the franchise after 28 Days Later and the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later. The new film will mark the reunion of director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, who directed and wrote the first film, then served as executive producers on the second. Continue reading...

Case numbers were higher in the fortnight ending 6 January than during the 2023 winter peak, NSW Health data shows

Donald Day Jr made serious threats to kill others after allegedly encouraging deadly Queensland shootings, prosecutors sayAn American conspiracy theorist arrested in connection to religiously motivated shootings by an Australian family in Queensland later used the killings to bolster his alleged threats against public figures, United States prosecutors have said.Donald Day Jr, 58, was arrested in December 2023 by the FBI in Arizona on two counts of interstate threats" following the December 2022 fatal shootings in Wieambilla, Queensland. Continue reading...

777 Partners, which launched Australian budget carrier in early 2023, had leased four planes for Flair Airlines in Canada, UK court documents show

Andrzej Duda's remarks escalate battle for rule of law with new government and come as politicians convicted of abuse of power begin hunger strikePoland's president has said he will not rest until two politicians from the opposition nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party - both on hunger strike - are freed from prison, in a further dramatic escalation in the new government's battle to restore the rule of law.I will not rest in the fight for a fair and just Polish state," the president, Andrzej Duda, who is closely aligned with PiS, declared on Wednesday. I won't be scared. I will act legally, in accordance with the constitution and the law - as before." Continue reading...

Research by Sutton Trust finds disadvantaged students less likely to get into top performing schools in England than their peersSome comprehensive schools are more socially selective" than grammar schools, according to new research which has called on the government to review the admissions code in England to improve access for poorer pupils.While grammars are inherently selective, as admission is based on passing an 11-plus examination, comprehensive secondary schools admit local children, regardless of academic ability or social background, based on a school's admissions policy. Continue reading...

Rates for lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach cancers worse than in most comparable nationsThe UK has some of the worst cancer survival rates in the developed world, according to new research.Analysis of international data by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce found that five-year survival rates for lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach cancers in the UK are worse than in most comparable countries. On average, just 16% of UK patients live for five years with these cancers. Continue reading...

US and UK warships shoot down barrage of rockets, drones and cruise missiles fired at ships by Yemeni group

Al-Shabaab fighters attack after aircraft carrying medical professionals and soldiers lands in their territoryAl-Shabaab fighters in Somalia have attacked a United Nations helicopter that made an emergency landing in rebel-held territory, killing one passenger and abducting five others.The minister of internal security of Galmudug state in central Somalia, Mohamed Abdi Aden Gaboobe, said the helicopter made the landing in Xindheere village on Wednesday after engine failure. Continue reading...

Labour leader hits out at perceived criticism as he attacks Tory record on child health

Labour leader was director of public prosecutions when three cases brought by CPS resulted in convictionsKeir Starmer has denied he was aware of Crown Prosecution Service prosecutions against post office operators caught up in the Horizon IT scandal when he headed the agency.The Labour leader's comments came as calls grew for the former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to hand back 3m in bonuses earned during her period in charge. Continue reading...

Alicia Kearns' remarks come as up to 10 Tories prepare to join Labour in voting against bill affecting public bodiesA senior Conservative MP launched a scathing attack on a controversial bill banning local councils from boycotting Israel, as eight Tories voted against the proposed legislation.Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chair of the foreign affairs select committee, told the Guardian that the bill undermined free speech, went against international law and risked leaving the UK isolated on the global stage. Continue reading...

Pete Buttigieg says no timeline for return of aircraft as Alaska Airlines announces cancellation of 110-150 flights each dayThe US transportation secretary announced on Wednesday afternoon that no grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 would return to service until it is safe", after Alaska Airlines announced the cancellation of all flights on its 737 Max 9 planes at the direction of the Federal Aviation Administration.Pete Buttigieg said he was not putting a timeline" on when the FAA will allow the planes to resume flights. Continue reading...

Barrage apparently targeting western warships suggest Hamas's Yemeni allies are keen to test west's warnings

Impact of six-day stoppage means NHS has had to rearrange more than 1.3m appointments over past 13 monthsMore than 110,000 patients had their NHS care cancelled because of the junior doctors' strike that ended on Tuesday, figures show.The impact of the six-day stoppage means the health service in England has now had to rearrange more than 1.3m appointments as a result of industrial action by doctors, nurses and other staff over the last 13 months. Continue reading...

Daniel Noboa designates nearly two dozen gangs as terrorist groups after wave of violence across countryEcuador's president, Daniel Noboa, said on Wednesday that his country was at war" with drug gangs who are holding more than 130 prison staff hostage and who briefly captured a TV station live on air, in a wave of violence that has left city streets deserted.At least 10 people have been killed, including police officers, in the attacks. Continue reading...

Gabriel Attal attempts to set tone as Macron government tries to counter rise of Marine Le Pen's far-rightThe new French prime minister, Gabriel Attal, has sent a strong message on law and order on his first full day in office, visiting a police station and promising to deliver security to responsible working French people", who he said wanted calm.There is no security without our police," said Attal on Wednesday outside a police station in Ermont in the Val-d'Oise, setting the tone for his attempts to counter the rise of Marine Le Pen's far-right. Continue reading...

Customers can collect their parcels and try on items in one trip during trial at La Poste branchesIt is an increasingly common irritant of modern life. You order an item of clothing online; you wait with anticipation for it to arrive, and five minutes after it has arrived you're packaging it up because it doesn't fit.For shoppers in France, however, the national post office may have the answer - or at least a way of making the process less logistically challenging. It is experimenting with in-store changing rooms to cater to people who want to quickly return purchases they do not want. Continue reading...

Kevin Hollinrake, responding to urgent question about Post Office scandal, says evidence was not available at time of prosecutionsRishi Sunak is facing a revolt by Tory MPs later today when the Commons votes to give the economic activity of public bodies (overseas activities) bill a third reading. The vote will take place early in the evening, after MPs have debated the finance bill. Aubrey Allegretti from the Times says around a dozen Conservatives will refuse to vote for the bill.Rishi Sunak faces his first rebellion of the new year later today.

Alan Bates, who inspired ITV drama, welcomes blanket acquittal proposalThe man who inspired the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office has described the government's plan to grant a blanket acquittal for thousands of post office operators convicted in the Horizon IT scandal was a positive step forward" but said there is more to be done.Alan Bates, who ran a post office in the seaside town of Llandudno, north Wales, told the BBC Radio 4's World at One programme that more work was needed to ensure those impacted by the scandal receive adequate compensation. Continue reading...

Zelenskiy said that Putin would not stop at Ukraine but would attack other neighbours unless allies joined forces to stop himThe UK's Ministry of Defence has published its latest defence intelligence update.It states that Russia has accidentally discharged two aerial munitions on two separate occasions in the past week" and that Russian forces continued propensity for munition accidents" are likely exacerbated by inadequate training" and crew fatigue". Continue reading...

Japanese company's Horizon IT system caused accounting errors that were blamed on subpostmastersPressure is mounting on the government to review more than 2bn in new contracts awarded to Fujitsu since a court ruling in 2019 found its Horizon IT system caused accounting errors that were blamed on more than 900 subpostmasters who were then wrongly prosecuted by the Post Office.The Japanese company, which continues to hold the prestigious status of being a key strategic supplier" making more than 100m annually from government work despite the scandal, has won 101 new contracts worth 2.04bn since the landmark legal ruling. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereAdam Bodnar, Poland's justice minister, has outlined the legalities around the Mariusz Kamiski case on social media.Polish president Andrzej Duda said today that he would not rest until the politicians Mariusz Kamiski and Maciej Wsik are freed from prison.I will not rest in the fight for a fair and just Polish state. I will not rest until Mariusz Kamiski and his colleagues are free. I won't be scared. I will act legally, in accordance with the Constitution and the law - as before. Continue reading...

Philip Jacobs was originally named only in the credits of Attenborough and the Giant Sea MonsterThe BBC has finally name-checked the man who found the prehistoric star of David Attenborough's latest documentary after a barrage of complaints that he had been airbrushed" from the programme.There was outrage that Philip Jacobs, who discovered the 150m-year-old fossilised pliosaur during a beach walk in Dorset, was only fleetingly mentioned in the credits of Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster rather than in the main body of the much-lauded show. Continue reading...

Ex-president and Republican frontrunner claims he is victim of political persecution in remarks after court hearing in WashingtonThere will be bedlam" in the US if criminal cases deny Donald Trump a White House return, said the former president who incited the deadly January 6 attack on Congress but who is the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination this year.I think they feel this is the way they're going to try and win, and that's not the way it goes," Trump told reporters, referring to Joe Biden and Democrats, after a court hearing in Washington DC on Tuesday. Continue reading...

One former operator says he missed seeing dying father, as others describe horrors of prison and the stigma they suffered

Supermarket reports 8.6% rise in grocery sales, although consumers rein in spending on electrical goods

Rapper says I vow to be more mindful going forward' after image of shaven-headed, tattooed people was used on artwork for single Gas Me Up (Diligent)The Mercury prize-winning British rapper Skepta has apologised after artwork for his single Gas Me Up (Diligent) was criticised on social media for having unintentional but palpable allusions to the Holocaust.The artwork features a group of people in matching overcoats with shaved heads, and the words gas me up" tattooed on the head of one of them, perceived as reminiscent of the head-shaving, tattooing and gas chambers used in Nazi death camps. Gas me up" is slang for hyping someone up or praising them. Continue reading...

Pennon, which owns South West Water, Bristol Water and Bournemouth Water, has bought SES Water in a 380m dealThe owner of South West Water, one of the UK utility firms fined for illegal sewage dumping last year, has bought Sutton and East Surrey (SES) Water in a deal worth 380m.Pennon, which also owns Bristol Water and Bournemouth Water, has confirmed the acquisition of the supplier, which has 745,000 customers across parts of Kent, Sussex, Surrey and south London. Continue reading...

Winchester court told licensing regime endangers lives' after man admitted causing death by careless drivingThe family of a couple killed when their car was hit by an 80-year-old motorist who failed to see them have called for elderly drivers to face retests.Michael Hamburger, a businessman from Alton, Hampshire, pulled out directly in front of Roger and Christine Barton although he had an unobstructed" 500-metre view of oncoming traffic. Continue reading...

Postal services minister says ministers not ruling out emergency legislation to quash all the convictions

Ecuador's president has declared a state of internal armed conflict". How did the country find itself in the grip of armed gangs? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. At about 2pm local time yesterday, a live news broadcast on an Ecuadorian TV channel was interrupted by a group of masked men carrying guns, grenades, and dynamite. The intruders pointed guns at employees and made them lie on the floor. Don't shoot, please don't shoot!" one person shouted. One of the attackers said the attack was the result of messing with the mafias". The TC Television broadcast continued for at least 15 minutes. Then the signal was cut off.Some 13 gunmen were later arrested, and the hostages taken to safety. The astonishing scenes in the city of Guayaquil were part of a series of audacious coordinated attacks by members of Ecuadorian gangs that have killed at least 10 people. They follow the escape from prison of the country's most feared gang leader, Adolfo Macias, and new president Daniel Noboa's subsequent declaration of a state of emergency. And while the situation is evolving rapidly, it appears to represent a declaration of war on the country's fragile democratic institutions.Post Office Horizon scandal | The former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells is to hand back her CBE over the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of staff, with over 100 more potential victims having come forward in recent weeks. Vennells said on Tuesday she was truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families".Israel-Gaza war | The British government has accepted that Israel as an occupying power had a legal duty to provide basic supplies to the people of Gaza. David Cameron, the foreign secretary, told MPs that Israel should remove barriers on the delivery of humanitarian aid that were risking real, widespread hunger".Climate crisis | 2023 has smashed the record for the world's hottest year by a huge margin. The planet was 1.48C hotter in 2023 compared with the period before the mass burning of fossil fuels ignited the climate crisis, scientists have said.Child protection | Boys are watching violent porn on their smartphones then going on to attack girls, police have said, as new data showed children are now the biggest perpetrators of sexual abuse against other children. Overall, the data shows a quadrupling of sexual offences against children.US news | A group of men belonging to a Hasidic Jewish community in New York were arrested on Monday amid a dispute over an illegal tunnel secretly dug into the side of a historic synagogue, which has since been closed. Action by law enforcement after the tunnel came to light led to a brawl with those who had created the passageway. Continue reading...

Girls as young as 16 arrested in shops, classes and markets in Kabul by the Taliban, who labelled them infidels' for wearing bad hijab'Girls as young as 16 have been arrested across the Afghan capital, Kabul, in the past week for violating the Taliban's hijab rules.The girls - who were detained in shopping centres, classes and street markets - were accused of spreading and encouraging others to wear a bad hijab" and wearing makeup. Continue reading...