Actors to make merry mischief' in Samuel Beckett's play at Theatre Royal Haymarket in SeptemberBen Whishaw is to star in a new London production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, the play that inspired him to quit his art foundation course as a teenager and study acting instead. Whishaw will play Vladimir opposite Lucian Msamati as Estragon in the tragicomedy, directed by James Macdonald. It opens at Theatre Royal Haymarket in September.When I was 18, I was doing an art foundation course in Bedford and went one night with a friend to London to see a play that was part of a season of plays by Samuel Beckett at the Barbican theatre," said Whishaw. The play was Waiting for Godot. The next day I dropped out of my art course, having decided I wanted to study acting instead." Continue reading...
Payout from TCI, where Rishi Sunak was once employed, amounts to more than 1m for every working dayThe billionaire British hedge fund manager Sir Chris Hohn paid himself $346m (276m) this year - more than 1m for every working day.However, the payout from his TCI hedge fund, where Rishi Sunak worked between 2006 and 2009, is half the 574m Hohn collected a year earlier. Continue reading...
The former Liberal staffer is suing Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson in the federal court of Australia for defamation. Follow the latest news and updates from the trial today
by Daniel Hurst Foreign affairs and defence correspon on (#6GZ03)
Australian foreign minister also endorses US defence secretary's comments on Israel-Hamas war that you can only win in urban warfare by protecting civilians'
Matteo Lepore compares project to save 12th century Garisenda tower from collapse to 10-year effort to preserve the tower of PisaWork to prevent the collapse of a leaning medieval tower in the heart of the northern Italian city of Bologna will cost 20m ($21.5m) and take 10 years at least, its mayor has said.Last weekend, the city unveiled a 4.3m (3.7m) project to shore up the Garisenda tower - one of the city's two towers that look out over central Bologna, providing inspiration over the centuries to painters and poets and a lookout spot during conflicts. Continue reading...
Safe drinking water is becoming ever harder to come by, with disastrous consequences for those who can't afford itIn a house in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, some of the women in a building housing 60 people decided to cut their hair short to save on water when washing.Others in southern Gaza say they're stretching out the time between showers, or flushes of the toilet. Everyone knows exactly how much water they have, and how much they can store. Above all they know that water, especially water that is both safe to drink and doesn't taste bad, has become precious. Continue reading...
Analysts believe better ties with Greece are key to repairing Turkey's strained relationship with EuropeTurkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, will be arriving in Athens on Thursday for the first time in six years, determined to move on with a win-win approach" from the disputes and tensions left by his previous trip to the city.The last time the Turkish leader visited the Greek capital - exactly six years ago to the day - what had been billed a historic tour descended into a verbal theatre of war as Erdoan, dispensing with diplomatic niceties, went on the offensive. Continue reading...
Mia Mottley tells London audience that King Charles's comments about slavery's impact were welcomeKing Charles's comment that the time has come" to acknowledge the enduring impact of slavery has been welcomed by the prime minister of Barbados as she spoke in London on Tuesday about the need for reparations.Mia Mottley said Barbados was owed $4.9tn (3.9tn) by slave-owning nations, noting that conversations over how this debt should be repaid would be difficult and will take time". Continue reading...
Presenter approvingly quotes piece saying she wouldn't touch rightwing broadcaster with a barge pole'Carol Vorderman has disclosed she turned down an approach by the rightwing broadcaster GB News.The presenter, a fierce critic of the government, left her weekly show on BBC Radio Wales last month, saying she would not be silenced" by the corporation's new social media guidelines. Continue reading...
Ukraine's military intelligence spokesperson tells national TV that former politician is done'A former Ukrainian MP regarded by Kyiv as a traitor has been reportedly shot dead in a park in suburban Moscow by Ukraine's SBU security service.Illia Kyva was a pro-Russian member of Ukraine's parliament before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but fled to Russia a month before the start of the war and frequently criticised Ukrainian authorities online and on Russian state TV talkshows. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6GYJ3)
Families who had travelled to see former PM say inquiry appearance showed him to be careless and chaotic'From the moment he slipped in at dawn, before most of the bereaved who planned to confront him had arrived, to his departure in a hail of boos, Boris Johnson's first appearance at the Covid-19 public inquiry proved by turns frustrating and enraging for many.Families who squeezed into a packed hearing room in west London to see him finally testify about the key decisions that preceded their loved ones' deaths observed what they described as a casual, careless and chaotic" former leader. Continue reading...
Tensions surrounding Israel-Hamas war has provoked rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia in EuropeThe European Commission has promised a 30bn (26bn) fund to increase security at mosques and synagogues across the continent as it condemned a recent rise in levels of antisemitism and Islamophobia as un-European".Saying that tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war had provoked hostility reminiscent of the darkest days of Europe's history", the commission called on social media companies to do more to remove hateful content. Continue reading...
by Shaun Walker, Lisa O'Carroll and Lili Bayer on (#6GYGJ)
Hungary's PM, the union's most pro-Russian leader, wants the issue off the agenda of a summit next weekEuropean leaders are scrambling to rescue a plan to begin European Union accession negotiations for Ukraine, as Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban vows to block the decision at a summit of EU leaders next week.The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is due to host Orban for dinner in Paris on Thursday, while the European Council president, Charles Michel, was in Budapest last week looking for a way out of the impasse. Continue reading...
Four soldiers accused of kidnapping and torturing American from his home in Ukrainian village in 2022The US has charged four Russian soldiers with war crimes after they allegedly abducted and tortured an American citizen last year who was living in southern Ukraine, according to court documents unsealed on Wednesday.The US justice department said the accused Russians kidnapped the American in April 2022 from his home in the village of Mylove, in Kherson province, where he lived with his Ukrainian wife. Continue reading...
Draft resolution to European parliament committee is first formal attempt to place reparations for slavery on EU agendaThe European Union should urgently address and reverse the lasting impacts of European colonialism, and support a reparations programme to rectify continuing injustices, according to a draft resolution to be presented to the European parliament's development committee on Thursday.Noting that the EU has made no concerted efforts to recognise, address and rectify the lasting impacts of European colonialism on social and international inequities", the draft resolution calls for the creation of a permanent EU forum on restorative justice. Continue reading...
Research says funding cuts and poor organisation stop Canadians from accessing healthcare - and 20% have no doctor at allFunding cuts, fewer generalists and inefficient organisation are preventing more and more Canadians from accessing public primary healthcare, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) which compares Canadian healthcare unfavourably with public systems in nine Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.About 20% of Canadians have no family doctor at all, and many more have irregular access to clinicians - a reality likely to worsen if not properly addressed now, said Dr Tara Kiran, a family physician in Toronto and one of the authors of the study. Continue reading...
Ministers reject families' call for legally enforceable duty of candour' but signs charter to commit to transparency after public tragediesMinisters have rejected the Hillsborough law" reforms that are central to a campaign by families of the 97 people killed in the 1989 disaster to prevent future police cover-ups.Instead, in its long-delayed response to the 2017 report commissioned by the government from James Jones, the former bishop of Liverpool, the government has signed a Hillsborough charter", that states a commitment by departments to openness and transparency after public tragedies. Continue reading...
Italy was the only G7 country to have joined the program, which focuses on trade and infrastructureItaly has informed China that it is pulling out of the Belt and Road Initiative, Reuters reported.Italy is the only G7 country to have joined the programme, which focuses on trade and infrastructure.Asked about the policy topics, citizens want the European Parliament to prioritise the fight against poverty and social exclusion (36%) and public health (34%) as the main topics, followed by action against climate change and support to the economy and creation of new jobs (both 29%).Most Europeans (53%) wish the European Parliament to play a more important role, a majority view in 21 Member States.The majority (57%) also expressed interest in the upcoming elections to the EP and 68% say they would be likely to vote if European elections were held in a week's time - nine points higher than 5 years earlier. Continue reading...
Report concludes government failed to fix basic mistakes and civil servants asleep at the switch'More than 200,000 pensioners were left out of pocket by a total of 1.3bn last year and many will never be repaid because of lax record keeping, according to parliament's spending watchdog.Computer errors at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) meant 165,000 also missed out on 1.2bn in the previous year, the public accounts committee (PAC) found. Continue reading...
Former Liberal staffer Nicky Hamer tells Bruce Lehrmann's defamation trial she resigned from Linda Reynolds' office over alleged behaviourFormer Liberal media adviser Nicky Hamer has told the federal court she was so angry about Bruce Lehrmann grabbing Brittany Higgins' phone in an attempt to stop her leaving the pub one night she resigned from senator Linda Reynolds' office hours later.Hamer said in early March 2019, three weeks before the night Higgins claims Lehrmann raped her, Lehrmann said he thought Higgins was good looking" and asked Hamer to invite her to the pub for a drink. Continue reading...
Damion Johnson told police he was overcome with grief' after death of John WainwrightA man who stored a friend's body in a freezer for two years after being overcome with grief" over his death has been jailed.Damion Johnson was sentenced to two years in prison after admitting to preventing the lawful and decent burial of the body of John Wainwright, as well as three counts of fraud. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker, Pippa Crerar and Ben Quinn on (#6GY20)
Briefings of favourable stories to press have contained usual lies and bluster', bereaved families sayBoris Johnson has been accused of trying to rewrite history in advance of his appearance at the Covid inquiry on Wednesday, as unions and relatives of those who died said his team had been briefing favourable stories to newspapers.The TUC and Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, both core participants for this module of the inquiry, said the briefings had been about trying to salvage his legacy and contained the usual lies and bluster". Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6GXSW)
Former prime minister to give evidence as mystery deepens over retrieval of WhatsApp messagesBoris Johnson will face the first of two days of questioning over his handling of the pandemic when he appears before the UK's Covid inquiry on Wednesday.The former prime minister's appearance comes as the mystery of his Covid-era WhatsApp messages took another twist on Tuesday after it was reported that nearly six months of messages could not be retrieved. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: James Cleverly has signed a treaty aimed at fixing its deportation plan, but there are questions whether its safeguards will change the supreme court's mind Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Whoever it was that bequeathed the Conservative government its current dog's dinner of a policy on immigration and asylum, be in no doubt: the people in charge now are going to do things differently! After setting out draconian new limits on legal migration on Monday, home secretary James Cleverly yesterday turned to irregular migration and the small boats crisis.In Kigali, he signed a new treaty with the Rwandan government that is supposed to help overcome the supreme court's recent decision that the existing Rwanda deportation plans are unlawful. Next, the government will proceed with the second part of its plan to fix the Rwanda scheme: legislation that could prevent new court challenges. As he finalises plans that could be published tomorrow, Rishi Sunak must decide whether he wants to infuriate his party's moderate MPs or those rallying around Suella Braverman on the right.Israel-Hamas war | The UN's top aid official has said the Israeli military campaign in southern Gaza has been just as devastating as in the north, creating apocalyptic" conditions and ending any possibility of meaningful humanitarian operations. Meanwhile, the UN heard accounts of sexual violence during the 7 October attacks by Hamas in a meeting where speakers accused women's rights activists and UN officials of not doing enough to address the crimes.Climate | Many of the gravest threats to humanity are drawing closer, as carbon pollution heats the planet to ever more dangerous levels, scientists have warned. Five important natural thresholds already risk being crossed, according to the Global Tipping Points report, and three more may be reached in the 2030s if the world heats 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures.Nuclear leaks | Sellafield, Europe's most hazardous nuclear site, has a worsening leak from a huge silo of radioactive waste that could pose a risk to the public, the Guardian revealed. Concerns over safety at the crumbling building have caused diplomatic tensions with countries including the US, Norway and Ireland.Covid inquiry | The mystery of Boris Johnson's Covid-era WhatsApp messages has taken another twist before the former prime minister begins his evidence to the inquiry today, after it was reported that nearly six months of messages could not be retrieved. A spokesperson for Johnson blamed a technical issue".NHS | Thousands of junior doctors are to stage new strike action in England after failing to reach a deal with the government in talks over pay. They will walk out for 72 hours from 7am on 20 December, and again for six days from 3 January. Continue reading...
Study of 302 cases in England and Wales shows majority of those killed had been hiding in plain sight'A review of 302 domestic homicides recorded in a four-year period has found that the majority of those killed had been hiding in plain sight", having made contact with the police, health services and other public agencies before their death.Nicole Jacobs, the government's independent domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said the findings highlighted an ongoing lack of political will" at national level to learn from what were often avoidable deaths. Continue reading...
Human Rights Watch warns bar on women means unqualified men now teach boys, fewer subjects are taught and beatings are routineThe Taliban is causing irreversible damage" to Afghanistan's education system through the reintroduction of corporal punishment, curriculum changes and the use of unqualified teachers to replace women, most of whom have been barred from schools, Human Rights Watch has warned.After taking power in 2021, the Taliban banned girls from secondary schools. A new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW), published on Wednesday, warns that boys' education has also suffered under the Taliban, although this has gone largely unreported. Continue reading...
Seventeen groups issue statement sounding alarm at migration laws agreed by most EU membersThe EU risks opening the door to increased discrimination and racial profiling in what is being described as a potentially irreversible attack" on the international system offering asylum and refugee protection, human rights organisations have said.Seventeen NGOs have together sounded the alarm before what is expected to be one of the final meetings on the text of a package of controversial new migration laws already agreed by most EU leaders. Continue reading...
by Presented by Michael Safi with Aletha Adu; produce on (#6GXYQ)
After accusations of erratic decision-making during the pandemic, the former prime minister will finally face the inquiry. Aletha Adu reportsFor several weeks the Covid inquiry has been sifting through the testimony of scientists and politicians in an attempt to judge the UK's handling of the pandemic. Many have had their say on the leadership offered by the then prime minister, Boris Johnson.According to Dominic Cummings, Johnson was like a broken shopping trolley, weaving around. To some of the scientists, the prime minister seemed bamboozled by the scientific detail he needed to understand. There have been claims Johnson missed essential meetings and prioritised writing a book when he should have been preparing the country for the health crisis. Continue reading...
Order from president Nicolas Maduro comes after referendum on whether Venezuela should claim sovereignty over the regionVenezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has ordered the country's state-owned companies to immediately" begin to explore and exploit the oil, gas and mines in Guyana's Essequibo region, a territory larger than Greece and rich in oil and minerals that Venezuela claims as its own.The announcement came a day after Maduro declared victory in a weekend referendum on whether to claim sovereignty over the region. Continue reading...