German chancellor has signalled he will block budget with no aid deal, complaining that burden is carried mostly by only a few member states'Friedrich Merz has signalled he will block the EU's seven-year budget unless there is a deal on financial aid for Ukraine, triggering accusations of typical blackmail" from some other European leaders and setting the stage for stormy talks later this month.The German chancellor's intervention has angered leaders in central Europe who are net beneficiaries of EU funds but do not want to take part in an upcoming funding round to support Ukraine's war effort. Continue reading...
Conservative leader launches Welfare That Works policy document outlining benefit reductions of 36bnBadenoch and Whately are now taking questions.Q: [From Rob Powell from Sky News] We are running a report on the Netherlands, where youth unemployment is much lower than in the UK, but the amount they spend on getting people into work is much higher. Do you want to spend more on job training and support? Continue reading...
by Shrai Popat (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#79N8C)
Trump's defense secretary calls impeachment effort from congressman Thomas Massie a personal manifesto driven by ego' as he faces scrutiny for prolonged Iran war
The suspect, tracked down from surveillance video, claims to have had a medical emergencyAn apparently sports-mad parent from a Michigan high school has stunned authorities and triggered a police investigation after allegedly entering a rival school and defecating in a corridor.The bizarre case unfolded at the Grosse Pointe South school with the parent a fan of fierce local rival Bedford high school. The two schools were engaged in a district championship football game on Friday, the Detroit TV news outlet WXYZ reported. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#79NHM)
Premature death risk also varies according to employment and qualifications, shows analysis laying bare the scale of inequalities'People living in the most deprived areas of England are more than twice as likely to die prematurely than their more affluent counterparts, according to analysis.The research, conducted by the Health Foundation, took demographic data from the 2021 census to look at differences in premature mortality rates - defined as any adult who died before their 75th birthday - alongside further data on deaths from March 2021 to December 2023. Continue reading...
Claude chatbot developer had been reported to be aiming for $2tn IPO on Wall Street before investors cooled on AIAnthropic is seeking a valuation of up to $1.4tn (1.05tn) in its imminent stock market flotation, short of the $2tn that had been expected before investors started to question the durability of the AI boom.The developer of the Claude chatbot was widely reported to be targeting a $2tn initial public offering on Wall Street but its sights have been set lower, according to a US regulatory filing on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Juan Vargas, a congressman, says he's working to reunite the third-grader with loved onesRelatives of an eight-year-old Haitian boy who was taken into custody by federal immigration authorities in California are unable to locate the child, according to a Democratic lawmaker who described the case as despicable".Video obtained by NBC News shows the boy being led away by three armed officials after he was summoned to what his family said was a routine immigration appointment in San Diego on 4 November. Continue reading...
by Presented by Nosheen Iqbal with Maeve McClenaghan; on (#79NE5)
Multiple women allege David Walliams abused his power and position as a celebrity to prey on them for sexual purposes when they were young women, an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News has found. He denies the allegations. Maeve McClenaghan reportsDavid Walliams, the comedian and former Britain's Got Talent judge, is alleged to have groomed fans he met when they were as young as 15. Walliams denies any wrongdoing.In this episode, investigations correspondent Maeve McClenaghan tells Nosheen Iqbal about the investigation by the Guardian and ITV News.You can watch this podcast on YouTube.The ITV News documentary David Walliams: Power and Silence is available to watch on YouTube and ITVX. Continue reading...
Earlier doses for children, a focus on unvaccinated adults, a risk strategy based on geography - here's how a functioning ACIP would address the measles outbreakThe US has announced three deaths associated with measles last week, among them a seven-month-old baby in New York and a postpartum woman in Pennsylvania, underscoring the need for a more aggressive vaccination approach - but US recommendations haven't changed.Dismantling the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made it harder for the US to respond to the measles outbreak, with vaccine recommendations staying the same during a historic rise in cases and deaths, four former advisers say. Continue reading...
Host Turkey celebrates new oilfields as UN climate summit prepares to host world leaders from more than 90 countriesWe've just heard from Patricia Espinosa, the former UN climate boss (succeeded by Simon Stiell) and now we are hearing from former US secretary of state and climate ambassador, John Kerry.Kerry has congratulated Brazil for keeping the fossil fuel transition issue alive, and the room has erupted in cheers. Continue reading...
Sea Lion project in the North Falkland basin threatens to deepen sovereignty disputeArgentina has told an international tribunal that Britain's approval of oil drilling off the Falkland Islands has dramatically deepened a sovereignty dispute that led to war four decades ago.At the start of an historic legal clash at the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Itlos), an Argentine legal team argued that the oil project must be suspended. Continue reading...
California saw the most expensive opposition campaign in its history as funding of political campaigns broke records in the US midtermsIn the hours after polls closed on election day, tech industry players began praising Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, on social media.Huge thanks to Sergey Brin here," wrote Garry Tan, the CEO of Y Combinator. Venture capitalist Ilya Sukhar posted: God bless Sergey Brin." And David Marcus, a crypto entrepreneur, simply wrote: Hero." Continue reading...
If data from device is recovered, it could give crucial details about what pilots said as they lost control of aircraftInvestigators said Monday they have recovered the cockpit voice recorder from a business jet that plummeted from the sky amid severe weather in Florida eight days earlier, killing all nine people on board.The recorder was found at the site where the Bahamas-bound Learjet slammed into the ground in Palm Beach county, Florida, and erupted in a fireball 1 November, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement posted to social media. Continue reading...
Computer records reveal College Republican Patriot Coalition's web domain in account registered to Fuentes-managed companyA college Republican coalition claiming 31 affiliated student groups in 14 states that attacked the Trump administration from the right routed its email through the same Microsoft 365 account as a company controlled by white nationalist Nick Fuentes.Until Monday morning, Microsoft's public sign-in records put the College Republican Patriot Coalition (CRPC)'s web domain in an account registered to NJF LLC, a Fuentes-managed company that also runs his personal website and online store. Continue reading...
GLP-1 products such as Ozempic and Mounjaro spread but many in poorer countries struggle to get basic diabetes treatmentThe gold rush into GLP-1 weight-loss drugs risks diverting pharmaceutical firms' attention away from diabetes treatments such as insulin, the head of the Access to Medicine Foundation has warned.GLP-1 blockbuster medications such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro have revolutionised obesity and diabetes treatment but there has been a greater focus by companies on weight loss, according to a report from the Netherlands-based non-profit group. Continue reading...
Speaking in the White House, the president said the US remained locked and loaded' but escalation was not needed. Plus how Grand Theft Auto became a cultural colossusGood morning. Oil prices have dropped after Donald Trump unilaterally declared that the US war on Iran was effectively over". During a White House press conference, Trump said Israel and Gulf allies in the region were well protected from Iran and that an escalation was not needed.He said, however, that the US remained locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason", adding: We're seeing momentum toward the end of this conflict. I think it's going to be ending fairly soon." Brent crude has dropped below $90, its lowest level since August.What is the latest development with Pete Hegseth? A Republican lawmaker has moved to force a vote to impeach the US defense secretary. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of illegally waging war without congressional authorization and abusing his powers.What has happened at a US airbase in England? The US military has reportedly evacuated aircraft from a second airbase in Britain after a threat from Iran. Two US refuelling tankers that were using the RAF Mildenhall military base diverted to Germany on Monday morning, while several other tankers at the base were moved to Germany and other locations later in the day. Continue reading...
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Aakash Hassan in Delhi on (#79N7S)
Former prime minister faces death penalty upon return after being sentenced in absentia over deaths in 2024 uprisingSheikh Hasina is confident" she will return to Bangladesh in December, according to exiled members of her party, after the disgraced former prime minister of Bangladesh applied for a new passport this week.Hasina has been living in self-imposed exile since August 2024 when she was toppled from power by a mass uprising against her authoritarian rule. She crossed the border to India, where she has since been allowed to live freely in Delhi. Continue reading...
Evacuation comes weeks after US withdrew bombers from RAF Fairford over suspected Iran-linked security incidentThe US military has reportedly evacuated aircraft from a second airbase in Britain after a threat from Iran.Two US refuelling tankers that were using the RAF Mildenhall military base diverted to Germany on Monday morning, while several other tankers at the base were moved to Germany and other locations later in the day, according to the Wall Street Journal. Continue reading...
Arrest made by anti-corruption body set up to investigate alleged graft during former PM's 16-year ruleHungarian authorities have detained the brother of Viktor Orban as part of a people-smuggling investigation, the prime minister, Peter Magyar, has said.The Hungarian anti-graft body, the national asset protection and recovery office (NVVH), said in a statement it and police had detained four people and searched homes in Budapest and Pest county. Continue reading...
From the assassinations of her husband and mother-in-law to press stonewalling under Modi, Belonging offers an insider's account of India's political evolutionFew love stories have been as closely entwined with a nation's history as that of Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi. The former's much-awaited political memoir, Belonging, offers a strikingly candid account of her journey from a small town in Italy to the highest echelons of power in India - all for love, she says.The veteran Congress party leader has been fiercely protective of her personal world. In Belonging, she opens up for the first time about the extraordinary twists and turns of a life that has largely unfolded in full public view. (The Guardian's Hannah Ellis-Petersen has a rare in-person interview with Gandhi, and you can read an excerpt from the book here.) Continue reading...
by Emma Graham-Harrison Chief Middle East corresponde on (#79N5J)
Opposition politicians get first chance to take control of levers of power, even as they struggle to form governmentIsrael's new Knesset will be sworn in on Tuesday, giving opposition politicians their first chance to take control of some levers of power, even as they struggle to form a new government to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu.High on the agenda will be replacing the speaker, who wields immense influence by controlling the legislature's agenda. The role is currently held by Amir Ohana, a close ally of Netanyahu. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent on (#79N5M)
Exclusive: Iran war has fuelled energy price rise and clouded outlook, driving up unemployment, says Clare LombardelliYoung people in Britain are bearing the brunt of a low-gear economy" as employers hold back from hiring amid the fallout from the war in the Middle East, a deputy governor of the Bank of England has warned.Clare Lombardelli, the Bank's deputy governor for monetary policy, said the unfolding conflict, which has triggered a surge in energy prices and clouded the outlook for the economy, was contributing to an increase in youth unemployment. Continue reading...
Jens Eskelund says Europe may need to allow its companies to become part of Chinese firms' supply chainsEurope's manufacturers could give up on attempting to compete with their Chinese counterparts by the end of the decade if current trends continue amid fears over mass job losses, the head of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China has warned.In a case of if you can't beat them, join them", Jens Eskelund said European companies operating in China were now thinking Made in China for China" could be replaced by a philosophy of Made in China for the world". Continue reading...
Former police officer tells jury he joked about being white girl crazy' with friends as lawyer questions him about start of relationship with TV presenter
Westpac survey results signal growing sense of helplessness' while Jim Chalmers faces growing pressure to rein in spendingConfidence among mortgaged households has crashed to its lowest level in more than three decades amid a growing sense of helplessness" about the economy, even as a dramatic shift in financial markets suggests there is now a strong chance of a Reserve Bank rate cut by this time next year.The latest Westpac survey showed its consumer sentiment index sinking again in November to reach a four-year low, amid deepening pessimism about the near-term prospects for the economy. Continue reading...
Boy says he was first exposed to extremist material on TikTok, turned to Telegram and YouTube for bomb-making instructions, and used ChatGPT to devise his plans
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#79N11)
Almost two-thirds of school leaders polled say new regime is much more intense than previous frameworkMore than half of headteachers in England who were polled after their schools were inspected under Ofsted's new regime are considering cutting short their careers as a result of the experience.In response to the question Has the inspection affected how long you intend to stay in your role?", 52% of those who responded said they were thinking of leaving their job sooner than planned. Continue reading...
Lawsuit also alleges agents followed Carlos Jimenez to a hospital and interfered' in his care, with bullet fragments still lodged near lungA US citizen who was shot by an immigration officer in southern California has filed a $25m lawsuit against the federal government, alleging he was wrongfully shot and arrested, then subjected to a malicious prosecution".Carlos Jimenez, a father of three from Ontario, a city east of Los Angeles, was on his way to work at a food pantry on 30 October 2025 when he drove by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents carrying out an operation. It was around 7am, and Jimenez approached officers calmly and slowly" to inform them that children in the neighborhood would soon be arriving at an adjacent bus stop, according to his complaint filed in federal court on Friday. Continue reading...
Utah judge sets timeline for trial of Tyler Robinson, accused of fatally shooting the far-right activist in September 2025Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old man accused of killing the far-right pundit and activist Charlie Kirk, will stand trial for murder in early July 2028, a Utah district judge ruled on Monday.Judge Tony Graf said the trial will remain in Provo, Utah, and jury selection would begin on 21 June 2028. Attorneys for Robinson had asked to start the trial in January 2029 while Erika Kirk, Charlie's widow, had pushed for an October 2027 date. Continue reading...
Former builder got his big break after restoring the home of a producer who was working on a precursor to the showTommy Walsh, the building and DIY expert who appeared on television shows including Ground Force, has died aged 69 after a long illness.Walsh started his career as a professional builder before rising to fame alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock on the popular BBC garden makeover show from 1997 to 2005. Continue reading...
Particles from fireworks and bonfires likely to have contributed to levels well above WHO's daily guidelineAir pollution soared to very high" levels across urban parts of England on Monday as still, foggy weather kept emissions trapped after a weekend of fireworks and bonfires.Government monitoring showed 11 sites, mainly in London and Greater Manchester, reached the highest band on its 10-point index for particulate matter in the 24 hours to 10am. A further 27 sites recorded high" levels across the capital, the north-west, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the east of England. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Almost two-thirds of visits lead to no arrests and nearly three-quarters are conducted without a warrantShabana Mahmood's ICE-style raid agency has been accused of engaging in fishing expeditions" after figures disclosed that almost two-thirds of enforcement visits result in no arrests and nearly three-quarters are conducted without a warrant.The home secretary has hailed the expanded use of immigration enforcement teams, and claimed they will help to secure the UK's borders by removing a key incentive for irregular migration.There were 23,538 immigration enforcement engagements such as workplace raids, home raids and spot checks in 2025 - or 60 a day. Of these, 15,578, or 66.1%, resulted in no arrests.Only 25.81% of visits where a premises was accessed used a warrant. Critics say this suggests the Home Office is launching fishing expeditions" based on weak intelligence.Nearly nine out of ten (89%) of leads alleging immigration crime" in 2025 came from the public or from Crimestoppers, a charity that collects anonymous tip-offs. Around 2% came from the police. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#79MRR)
Glenn Gibbins sentenced to 150-hours of unpaid work by South Tyneside magistrates over 2024 Facebook postA Reform party councillor who claimed racist comments about Nigerians were no more than a bit of fun" has been handed a community order for posting grossly offensive material.Glenn Gibbins, who was voted on to Sunderland council in May, wrote on Facebook in March 2024: Carnt believe the amount of nigerians in town... should melt them all down and fill in the pot holes!!" Continue reading...
French foreign minister vows European sanctions against Tehran over unprecedented' hacks last monthFrance has said Iran was responsible for a massive cyber-attack on supermarket freezers and chiller cabinets that was described by its foreign minister as being an act of unprecedented scale and unprecedented aggression".Jean-Noel Barrot said Europe-wide sanctions" would be imposed against those responsible, adding that the attacks - which took control of digital thermostats to push temperatures up to above 50C - constituted a major violation of the nation's interests". Continue reading...
Dunagan was six when he voiced the young deer in the classic cartoon, with an assistant director instructing him to pretend his own mother had diedDonnie Dunagan, who voiced Bambi in the Walt Disney classic, as well as playing the son of Frankenstein opposite Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff, has died aged 92.Dunagan was six when he was chosen to provide the voice of the young deer in the animation's most heartbreaking chapter. He recalled the experience in the recording booth as easy and relaxed, with rudimentary technology and notes from an assistant director instructing him to pretend his own mother had died when voicing Bambi's reaction to his mother being killed by a hunter. Continue reading...
Five-times Olympic champion says he is neither leftwing nor rightwing, but would seek to bring people together'The French judo star and five-times Olympic gold medallist Teddy Riner has announced plans to run in next year's presidential election, describing himself as someone neither leftwing nor rightwing but who would seek to bring people together".With more than five months before the April-May ballot to replace Emmanuel Macron, the race has been shaping up to be a showdown between political extremes. Polls point to a hollowing out of the political centre, suggesting that the anti-immigrant National Rally leader Marine Le Pen could be the frontrunner, with the radical-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon trailing behind. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#79MP5)
Exclusive: Cross-party call for ethnicity options to be broadened beyond English' being only within White' categoryBritons should be able to define themselves as both Black and English, according to senior MPs who are calling to broaden the range of ethnicity options in the census.The cross-party push is a riposte to Reform UK politicians who have claimed that people from minority ethnic backgrounds cannot have English ethnic identity. Continue reading...
The prime minister said he wants police forces to have dedicated rape and serious sexual offence teams by the end of 2027Downing Street has insisted that the government remains committed to the principle of the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate - while not denying today's Guardian report saying interim targets to achieve it are set to be watered down. (See 9.26am.)Asked about the story at the daily lobby briefing, the PM's spokesperson said:The government is fully behind the zero emission vehicle mandate, and no decisions have been taken yet.We're sticking to our commitment, phasing out new cars that run only on petrol or diesel by 2030, every new car and van will be zero emission by 2035, and our legally binding net zero targets. None of that is changing. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian