World news | The Guardian

New Labour advertising guru Chris Powell says urgent plan needed to wage and win the daily war for attention'

Investigators say no indication of terrorism or arson after 40 people die and 115 are injured in blaze

British charitable trust that draws on OxyContin-maker fortune says it exempted names to protect reputationsTwo charities that received a combined total of more than 1.1m from the British charitable trust run by the Sackler family were kept out of its latest accounts to protect their reputations from serious prejudice".The trust, which draws on the Sackler fortune that came out of the US opioid crisis, gave 3.8m to arts, eduction and science bodies in 2024, according to its latest accounts, filed on New Year's Eve. Continue reading...

Ukraine has not commented on attack on cafe and hotel that comes despite productive' ongoing peace talksA Ukrainian drone strike killed 24 people and injured at least 50 more as they celebrated the new year in a Russian-occupied village in Ukraine's Kherson region, Russian officials said, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise despite diplomats hailing productive peace talks.Three drones struck a cafe and hotel in the resort town of Khorly on the Black Sea coast, the region's Moscow-installed leader, Vladimir Saldo, said in a statement on Telegram on Thursday. He said one of the drones was carrying an incendiary mixture that sparked a blaze. Continue reading...

Harsher penalties and a reshaping' of the sector predicted when Financial Conduct Authority takes over as regulatorUK law firms are bracing themselves for a money-laundering crackdown as ministers race to improve the City's reputation ahead of a fresh financial crime review.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been designated as the new anti-money laundering watchdog for the legal sector, in a move that experts warn could result in sharper" penalties and ultimately reshape the industry. Continue reading...

Analysts attribute increase to kingdom's war on drugs' as authorities kill 356 people by death penaltySaudi authorities executed 356 people in 2025, setting a new record for the number of inmates put to death in the kingdom in a single year.Analysts have largely attributed the increase in executions to Riyadh's war on drugs", with some of those arrested in previous years only now being executed after legal proceedings and convictions. Continue reading...

While last year's 8.6% increase isn't likely to be repeated, economists expect growth across the country as demand continues to outstrip supply

Polling indicates strong public backing for a much less permissive approach to promotion, including sponsorshipMinisters will come under mounting pressure to introduce curbs on gambling advertising this year, as MPs and campaigners latch on to polling that indicates widespread public support for tougher restrictions.Policies affecting gambling have been the subject of fierce debate over recent years, leading to stricter regulation of the 12.5bn-a-year sector and higher taxes announced in November's budget, despite intensive lobbying by the industry. Continue reading...

Tom Shearman cannot begin to describe anguish' of Boxing Day house blaze in which his wife, Nu, children aged four and seven and dog diedA police officer whose wife and two children died in a fire on Boxing Day morning has paid tribute to three of the greatest humans to ever grace our presence" and asked for everyone to tell those close to them that they are loved.Tom Shearman, a serving Gloucestershire officer, said he was humbled beyond comprehension" by the response of his local community and the general public, who have so far donated more than 300,000 to support him. Continue reading...

Country's largest women's health organisation says case of Marius Borg Hoiby encouraging people to seek helpStaff at Norway's largest women's health organisation have seen a rise in the number of women reporting abuse and sexual assault at the hands of their partners ahead of the rape trial of a member of the royal family, saying they hope the case helps to break taboos".Marius Borg Hoiby, the 28-year-old son of the Norwegian crown princess, is due to stand trial in February on 32 charges including four counts of rape, the domestic abuse of a former partner and the illegal filming of a number of women without their knowledge or consent. Continue reading...

New mayor, 34, was sworn in by state attorney general Letitia James in old beaux-arts city hall subway stationZohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City soon after midnight in a private ceremony in an abandoned beaux-arts subway station - a prelude to daylong celebrations set to include a second, public swearing-in and a block party outside city hall.Mamdani, 34, was sworn into office by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, surrounded by wife, Rama Duwaji, members of his immediate family, including Mira Nair, his mother and a film-maker, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor of African studies at Columbia University. Continue reading...

Up to 400 homes face demolition under a 90m regeneration scheme that promises only 230 replacement propertiesHundreds of families in one of England's poorest neighbourhoods will be evicted under a 90m plan described by critics as a mass dispersion" of vulnerable people.Four hundred homes in Blackpool will be bulldozed this summer and replaced with 230 new properties under levelling up proposals signed off by Rishi Sunak's government. The area has more than 800 people - about 250 of them children - who are in the poorest 10th of the population of England, according to official documents. Continue reading...

Sources say generators and tent poles restricted from humanitarian bodies but commercial shipments allowed inIsrael is running a parallel system of controls for shipments into Gaza, allowing commercial traders to bring goods into the territory that are barred for humanitarian organisations.Basic life-saving supplies including generators and tent poles are on a long Israeli blacklist of dual-use" items. The Israeli government says entry of these items must be severely restricted because they could be exploited by Hamas or other armed groups for military ends. Continue reading...

A woman has also died after being swept into the ocean in Sydney on New Year's Day, while the body of a man was found near Palm beach

Police show the Guardian around hotspots for a rural crime that has links to international gangs - and is on the riseA cold, bright afternoon in the Vale of Pewsey and a couple of brown hares were nibbling away in a field of winter barley. It was a tranquil scene in this tucked-away corner of the English West Country but tyre tracks cutting through the crop were a sign of the violence that takes place when night falls.This is one of the hotspots in Wiltshire for hare coursing, in which criminal gangs set dogs - usually greyhounds or lurchers - on the mammals. Continue reading...

Australia's foreign affairs department seeking to verify reported death of Russell Allan Wilson on 12 December

Levy on beef exceeding quotas to begin immediately as Beijing seeks to protect domestic industry

Exclusive: Pilot scheme launches as one in five start primary school with no protection against deadly diseasesHealth visitors will be sent door-to-door to deliver vaccines to children in England amid alarm that one in five start primary school with no protection against deadly diseases, the Guardian can reveal.The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that at least 95% of children should receive vaccine doses for each illness to achieve herd immunity. However, not a single one of the main childhood vaccines in England hit the target in 2024-25. There were also sharp differences in uptake across the country. Continue reading...

PM to highlight energy bill and interest rate cuts, plus end to two-child benefit cap, and to invite his MPs to ChequersKeir Starmer will attempt to rescue his relationship with disillusioned voters and his own fractious MPs in a new year push to reduce the cost of living.The prime minister will give a speech in the coming days focusing on how his government is bringing down living costs, highlighting recent cuts to energy bills and interest rates and the end of the two-child benefit cap. Continue reading...

Terror attack victims remembered with menorah projected on to Harbour Bridge before dazzling display

Green party leader says he could see potential for political partnership with Labour under Andy BurnhamThe Green party leader, Zack Polanski, has said he would refuse to work with Keir Starmer but could work with Andy Burnham, Starmer's potential rival for the Labour leadership, to keep Reform out of power.Polanski said he would not enter a political partnership with Labour under the current prime minister, but would consider it if the mayor of Greater Manchester took the helm. Continue reading...

Judge said newly unsealed government documents show some evidence' of vindictive prosecution by DoJA newly unsealed order in the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia reveals that high-level justice department officials pushed for his indictment, calling it a top priority", only after he was mistakenly deported and then ordered returned to the U.S.Abrego Garcia, originally from El Salvador, has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Tennessee to charges of human smuggling. He is seeking to have the case dismissed on the grounds that the prosecution is vindictive - a way for the Trump administration to punish him for the embarrassment of his mistaken deportation. Continue reading...

Food Standards Agency issues product alert for still and sparkling 750ml bottles of Waitrose No 1 Deeside mineral waterWaitrose customers are being urged to return and not drink large bottles of Deeside mineral water over fears they could contain shards of glass.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a consumer alert over the still and sparkling 750ml bottles of Waitrose No 1 Deeside mineral water because of the possibility of glass fragments, making them unsafe to drink. Continue reading...

Fifty-two black bears were killed in three-week hunt state officials said was necessary to reduce ursine populationWildlife officials in Florida say the slaughter of dozens of black bears during a controversial three-week hunt this month was a success, despite the opposition of protesters who condemned the heartbreaking, bloody spectacle".The Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) on Tuesday announced that 52 bears were killed between 6 and 28 December, and promised to release a full harvest report" in the coming months that will provide details about where and how the animals died. Continue reading...

Passengers told to expect knock-on impacts after power supply problem and broken down train halted services on TuesdayRail traffic through the Channel tunnel slowly resumed on Wednesday with more cancellations and delays after an electricity failure on Tuesday stranded thousands of passengers and trapped some for a night in a powerless train.Two London-Paris trains were cancelled and most trips were delayed in both directions as Eurostar warned of knock-on impacts" on New Year's Eve. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Greater Manchester police ignored claim Offender J' among men who had abused 12-year-old, paperwork showsA grooming gang suspect who had escaped investigation because of a string of police failings went on to attempt to murder his wife, a Guardian investigation can reveal.The man, named only as Offender J in paperwork seen by the Guardian, is alleged to have taken part in the gang-rape of 12-year-old Samantha Walker-Roberts in Oldham, Greater Manchester, in 2006.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

National inquiry on grooming gangs will look at how police ignored girls while officials feared fuelling the far rightIn 2003, long before the term grooming gang" entered the lexicon, social workers in Oldham noticed a disturbing pattern: girls from local children's homes were repeatedly going missing. Often, they were found in the same locations, being harboured by the same men. Each time the authorities thought they had got a grip on the problem, it reared its head again. By 2006, there were concerns that groups of offenders were targeting children at high schools. One girl, later referred to in court as Child X, fell into their clutches while truanting when she was 12 years old. By 14, she had been abused by 300 men and was addicted to crack cocaine and heroin.Unless you scratch below the surface you do not realise the enormity of the problem," Ruth Baldwin, then the executive director for young people and families at Oldham council, said in December 2006. We are not talking about teenage relationships. These are men in their 20s, 30s, and beyond."Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

Draft bill to be submitted for legal checks as France aims to follow Australia's world-first ban on platforms including Facebook, Snapchat and YouTubeFrance intends to follow Australia and ban social media platforms for children from the start of the 2026 academic year.A draft bill preventing under-15s from using social media will be submitted for legal checks and is expected to be debated in parliament early in the new year. Continue reading...

Document said to be most secure ever' has anti-forgery holographs and depicts beauty spots from all four nationsA new British passport, claimed to be the most secure ever produced and featuring King Charles's coat of arms on the front cover, has come into use.Pages inside depict beauty spots from the four nations of the UK: Scotland's Ben Nevis; England's Lake District; the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and Three Cliffs Bay in Wales. Continue reading...

Artwork by one of the most influential artists of 20th century raffled to fund Alzheimer's researchHis work is consistently ranked among the world's most expensive art, with paintings fetching more than a $100m at auction. But you no longer need to be a multimillionaire to own a Picasso - for 100, anyone in the world has the chance to walk away with a painting by one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.The French charity Alzheimer's Research Foundation announced recently it was raffling Picasso's 1941 portrait, Tete de femme, which is worth more than 1m, to a single winner. Proceeds from the tickets will help fund Alzheimer's research, one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Continue reading...

Reunification is unstoppable', says Chinese president, a day after the conclusion of intense military drillsChina's president, Xi Jinping, has vowed to reunify China and Taiwan in his annual New Year's Eve speech in Beijing.Speaking the day after the conclusion of intense Chinese military drills around Taiwan, Xi said: The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable." Continue reading...

Exclusive: Met figures thought to reflect national picture with Covid, poverty and more people seeking help possible factorsThe number of violent offences involving an adolescent attacking their parents or step-parents has increased by more than 60% in the past decade, according to figures recorded by the UK's biggest police force.Data released by Scotland Yard reveals that there were 1,886 such offences recorded in 2015 but this increased to 3,091 in the first 10 months of 2025 alone. Continue reading...

Data shows 366 pubs have been demolished or converted for other uses this year as cost pressures take toll on sectorOne pub a day disappeared for good in England and Wales during 2025 as sustained cost pressures continued to weigh heavily on the sector.Analysis of government statistics shows that 366 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses over the year to December. Continue reading...

Despite reviews of the district as a raucous tourist trap, improved policing has restored safety and an eclectic vibeWhen Ireland redeveloped a swathe of central Dublin in the 1990s, the idea was to create a version of Paris's Left Bank, a cultural quarter of cobbled lanes, art and urban renewal.Planners and architects transformed the run-down Temple Bar site by the River Liffey into an ambitious experiment that drew throngs of visitors and won awards. Continue reading...

I was reading my book and this boy, man, attacked me, and I did fight back,' queen tells BBC's Today programmeQueen Camilla has spoken for the first time about how she was so angry" when she was physically assaulted on a train as a teenager.Camilla described the incident in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, during which she also praised the courage of the racing commentator John Hunt and his daughter Amy, whose family were murdered at their home. Continue reading...

Lack of prompt access to primary care blamed for rise in hospital cases of minor ailments including blocked nosesMillions of people are turning to A&E departments in England for minor ailments including coughs, blocked noses and hiccups, according to data that health leaders say lays bare a failure to give patients prompt access to primary care.Emergency wards are designed for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies only. But many are becoming swamped with patients whose health concerns should be dealt with elsewhere, including a near tenfold increase in people seeking help for a cough. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Officers described a culture of silence and lack of support during police-on-police complaintsPolice officers fear reporting colleagues for wrongdoing because they do not believe they will be supported for breaking a culture of silence, a new survey has found.Almost half of officers think their complaints against fellow officers are mishandled, the survey seen by the Guardian found. It was carried out by the Police Federation (PFEW), which represents 140,000 rank and file officers across England and Wales. Continue reading...

One man rescued by helicopter after accident in heavy swell near Barrenjoey Headland at Palm beach

Mamady Doumbouya had reneged on promise not to stand and hand west African country back to civilian ruleThe head of Guinea's junta, Mamady Doumbouya, who had pledged not to run for office after seizing power four years ago, has been elected president after the country's electoral commission said he had secured a sweeping majority of the vote.Doumbouya, 41, faced eight rivals for the presidency but the main opposition leaders were barred from running and had urged a boycott of the vote held over the weekend. Continue reading...

Foreign affairs department statement says Australia opposes any actions that increase the risk of accident, miscalculation or escalation'

Investigation established by UDR party to look at neutrality, workings and financing' of state TV and radioThe French public broadcaster is at the centre of a political row as a parliamentary inquiry examines the neutrality, workings and financing" of state TV and radio, while the media are expected to play a significant role ahead of the 2027 presidential election.The rightwing UDR party, an ally of Marine Le Pen's far-right the National Rally (RN), set up the inquiry amid far-right claims that public TV and radio has a bias against them. Le Pen, whose party is expected to reach the final round of the presidential race, has said there is a clear problem with neutrality in the public service broadcasting" and that she would like to privatise it. Continue reading...

Rent rises likely to slow after rapid increases in recent years, lenders and estate agents forecastFirst-time buyers are expected to drive the UK housing market in 2026, with further interest rate cuts likely to improve stretched affordability.The for-sale market should accelerate moderately, with prices rising by 2% to 4%, while rent rises are likely to slow from the rapid increases of recent years, according to lenders and estate agents. Continue reading...

Retailers say appetite for alcoholic drinks that are about half the strength of the traditional versions is soaringChristmas and New Year's Eve celebrations often used to result in a hangover the next day, but with moderation now the order of the day the new drinks industry buzzword is coasting".This involves choosing a white wine, lager or even a cocktail that is about half the strength of the traditional version of the drink - meaning you can have the same number of drinks without feeling the worse for wear. Continue reading...

Fire chief says summer, the UK's hottest on record, was one of the most challenging for wildfires that we've ever faced'Ten English fire services tackled a record number of grassland, woodland and crop fires during what was the UK's hottest spring and summer on record, figures show.In total nearly 27,000 wildfires were dealt with by fire services in England during the prolonged dry weather of 2025, according to analysis by PA Media. Continue reading...

One passenger tells the ABC it was chaos' and she felt her life was in danger, but others shrug off the incident

Community leaders raise alarm over study links and Polynesian ties, with Tonga to face restrictions from January as US says too many overstayThe small Pacific nation of Tonga is one of more than a dozen countries to be hit with visa and entry restrictions on 1 January as the Trump administration tightens its crackdown on immigration.In December, the US said it would further restrict and limit the entry of foreign nationals to protect the country from national security and public safety threats". Continue reading...

Mary-Ann Stephenson says she must build relationship with LGBTQ+ sector amid debate over single-sex spacesThe new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has asked campaigners who raised doubts about her appointment to judge me on what I do".In one of her first media interviews since her appointment at the start of December, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson pledged to uphold the rights of everybody across all protected characteristics", after the UK government overruled the objections of parliament's women and equalities committee about her suitability for the job. Continue reading...

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Engineers still struggling to restore full rail service on Tuesday evening as car passengers face seven-hour delaysA power outage in the Channel tunnel has disrupted thousands of journeys ahead of the new year celebrations, with all passenger and vehicle trains suspended for several hours while engineers raced to repair the fault.As Eurostar foot passenger departures for the continent were first delayed, then cancelled, the halls of St Pancras International station in London filled with stranded travellers awaiting updates. At Folkestone in Kent, tailbacks formed as drivers hoping to catch the shuttle faced seven-hour delays. Continue reading...

RNLI tells people to consider their health, cold water effects and weather conditions after disappearance of two swimmers on Christmas DayPeople planning on welcoming the new year by braving the British weather for a swim in the sea have been warned of the dangers after the disappearance of two swimmers on Christmas Day.The Royal National Lifeboat Institution said the effects of cold-water shock combined with weather conditions pose a risk to anyone entering water that is 15C or below. At this time of year, the average sea temperature around the UK and Ireland is 6C to 10C. Continue reading...