World news | The Guardian

Gambling Commission may launch inquiry after finding potentially incriminating evidence hidden in documents, sources sayThe Gambling Commission has demanded a UK bookmaker hand over a trove of financial documents after the company accidentally disclosed information suggesting it may be running an illegal offshore betting operation.The Guardian understands that the company, which sponsors sporting events and boasts connections to high-profile figures in sport and politics, is the subject of early inquiries that could lead to a full-blown investigation. Continue reading...

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President David Adeang was spotted by ABC cameras as Nauru received its fourth member from the NZYQ cohort

In today's newsletter: The nation's public service broadcaster is at a critical juncture as it deals with governance misfires and a political agenda against itGood morning. In 2004, when Greg Dyke quit the BBC in the wake of the Hutton inquiry, a much younger me was at the beginning of my media career, working at BBC Online. I remember staff felt the relatively popular director general had been the victim of the government lashing out after the death of David Kelly, and a failure to produce convincing evidence of the fabled weapons of mass destruction that supposedly supported Tony Blair's decision to invade Iraq.Many BBC staff will no doubt have been feeling a similar grievance after the abrupt resignations of director general Tim Davie and head of BBC News Deborah Turness on Sunday. They departed after a week of concerted attacks on the organisation orchestrated by the rightwing press and figures closely associated with the Conservative party - particularly Boris Johnson's administration.UK politics | Rachel Reeves is planning to remove the two-child benefit cap in full in the November budget, in a move that could cost more than 3bn but lift 350,000 children out of poverty.Environment | Governments failing to shift to a low-carbon economy will be blamed for famine and conflict abroad, the UN's climate chief warned at the start of Cop30 climate talks in Brazil.France | The former French president Nicholas Sarkozy has been released from prison, after a judge ruled he could serve the rest of his sentence at home, pending an appeal. Earlier he had told a Paris appeal court that his three weeks in jail had been a nightmare".Protest | Ministers banned Palestine Action despite being told by their advisers it could inadvertently enhance" the group's profile, an official government document written three months before the proscription of the group shows.Books | Hungarian-British author David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker prize for his novel Flesh. Continue reading...

Medicines watchdog says criminals are designing packaging and branding to look like legitimate productOrganised crime gangs have begun manufacturing their own branded weight-loss drugs, designed to look like legitimate medicines, in what authorities warn is a significant threat.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the trend had only just emerged, leading them to conduct the largest single seizure of trafficked weight-loss drugs ever recorded by any global law enforcement agency. Continue reading...

Ex-Liberal senator attempts to recoup legal costs awarded after defamation win against her former political staffer

Briefing paper warned proscription could also heighten Muslim-Jewish tensions and be seen as favouring IsraelMinisters banned Palestine Action despite being told by their advisers it could inadvertently enhance" the group's profile, an official government document shows.The briefing paper was written three months before the proscription of the group, which was set up to take direct action to halt UK arms supplies to Israel. Continue reading...

Advocates say presidency could be transformative moment' for Ireland after Gaelic's cultural breakthroughsThe Irish language has scored cultural breakthroughs with the film The Quiet Girl and the controversial rap trio Kneecap and is now about to acquire a new talisman: Catherine Connolly.When the independent leftwing politician is inaugurated as Ireland's president on Tuesday, she will carry hopes of a transformational Gaelic revival. Continue reading...

Sports personalities including Martina Navratilova and the swimmer Sharron Davies sign letter condemning Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani's death sentenceMore than 20 Olympic medallists, coaches and other international athletes, including the tennis player Martina Navratilova and the swimmer Sharron Davies, have signed a letter calling for a halt to the execution of a boxing champion and coach, who is on death row in Iran.Amid growing international outrage over Iran's escalating use of capital punishment as a tool of oppression, the strongly worded letter condemns the Iranian regime's decision to uphold the death sentence of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani. Continue reading...

Former PM calls incident a coup' but recalls both he and Whitlam were concerned about potential for standoff between military and police

New prime minister says an attack on Taiwan could trigger the deployment of her country's self-defence forces if the conflict poses threat to JapanJapan and China are embroiled in a row about Tokyo's potential military involvement in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.Beijing reacted angrily this month after Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said an attack on Taiwan could trigger the deployment of her country's self-defence forces if the conflict posed an existential threat to Japan. Continue reading...

Australian safety investigation finds serious accidents involving two planes in September 2023 were only avoided by luck'

Radio host denies 25 charges of indecent assault and two of sexual touching against nine alleged victims

The broadcaster's director general and head of news resigned on Sunday night. But were they unforgivable mistakes made or were they victims of an internal coup? Michael Savage reportsIt was only a week ago that the Telegraph ran its first story about anti-Trump bias at the BBC and for many readers it may not have struck them as anything more than the usual rightwing criticisms of the national broadcaster. But the complaints about the editing of a Donald Trump clip in a Panorama programme about the January 6 riots and other criticisms made in a leaked 19-page dossier began gathering steam. BBC bosses stayed silent until suddenly, on Sunday, the director general and the head of news both resigned.How did it all come about? Michael Savage reports on who put the dossier together and outlines the criticisms - of BBC Arabia, and coverage of gender - in it. He explains why BBC watchers are saying that Conservative figures inside the corporation are to blame for the row and are calling it a coup. Helen Pidd asks why the BBC has not done more to defend itself and who will take on these difficult roles now. And finally, how damaging is it to public trust? Continue reading...

Products that fail fire safety checks, are counterfeit and breach laws protecting children targeted in raids in LondonA rainbow of vapes and Apple-branded products light up the window of a south London shop as a small army of police prepare to march through the door.Officers have been watching the shop for months and have already carried out tests in independent labs on products bought there. Most have come back with a high risk rate for possible electrocution and fires. Continue reading...

Industry body says shoppers are waiting for discount day, as Barclays reports falling consumer confidenceRetailers suffered the slowest sales growth since May last month as shoppers were cautious in the run-up to expected budget tax rises and held out for Black Friday discounts.Sales rose 1.6% in October, a step down from 2.3% the month before, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) trade body and the advisory group KPMG. Continue reading...

Black and Asian staff left feeling deliberately intimidated', according to chief executive of one NHS trustNHS staff who care for patients in their own homes fear some areas have become no-go zones" for them because of the presence of St George's flags, health leaders have said.Black and Asian staff have been left feeling deliberately intimidated" as a result of the flags that were put up in many parts of England during the summer, according to the chief executive of one NHS trust in England, who asked to remain anonymous. Continue reading...

Dame Rachel de Souza says hundreds of children are being locked up unnecessarily due to failing servicesCustody is being used as a waiting room" for hundreds of children who are being unnecessarily locked up while awaiting trial or sentencing due to failing services, the children's commissioner for England has warned.Dame Rachel de Souza said many children were being placed in custody not because they posed the greatest risk, but because the systems designed to support them were failing. She called for the closure of all young offender institutions (YOIs) in England. Continue reading...

Local authorities to be given powers to suspend rule-breaking officials and to withhold allowancesMayors and councillors in England face suspensions of up to six months for serious misconduct and repeated rule breaches as the government seeks to overhaul standards in local government.Under plans unveiled on Tuesday, local authorities will be handed powers to suspend rule-breaking councillors and mayors, including those found guilty of bullying and assault, and to withhold their allowances. Continue reading...

The judges had never read anything quite like it', says panel chair Roddy Doyle, announcing the Hungarian-British author's novel as the winner of the 50,000 award

Clash the latest in months of political infighting between the camps of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah SultanaThe feud between Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana over the future of the leftwing Your Party has taken another twist with the two camps arguing publicly over hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations.Sultana offered to transfer 600,000 from a company the party's founders set up earlier this year, only to be rebuffed by allies of Corbyn who accused her of playing political games" with supporters' money. Continue reading...

Former MP and leader of the House of Commons tells court situation took its toll on me'The former Conservative MP and leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, was forced to increase security at her home and office after she was targeted by a stalker, a jury has heard.Mordaunt sobbed in court as she described how the alleged attentions of Edward Brandt, 60, which included bombarding her with emails and calls and jumping a security barrier at her office, left her feeling vulnerable and drained. Continue reading...

Person was detected as one of the 94 people who had been removed from Britain under UK-France treatyA second person who was removed to France under the government's one in, one out" deal has returned to the UK, the Home Office has confirmed.The unnamed man arrived back in the UK after joining nearly 400 people who crossed the Channel in small boats on Sunday. Continue reading...

City heavyweight has cheered the markets by taking helm at Guinness owner, but there may be forces he cannot overcome

Chancellor understood to be preparing to fully reverse the measure, which could lift 350,000 children out of povertyRachel Reeves is planning to remove the two-child benefit cap in full at this month's budget, in a move that could cost more than 3bn but lift 350,000 children out of poverty.The chancellor is understood to be preparing to reverse the Conservative measure entirely, having originally looked at ways to taper it either for very large families or richer ones. Continue reading...

Chancellor interviewed on Radio 5 Live and says it's unfair to penalise children in bigger families. This live blog is closed

Fair Isle practitioners say Channel 4's knitting show is littered with errors about their historic craft and demand an apologyThe group chat for Shetland knitters was popping off, says one member, as they settled down to watch the first episode of Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter.But their enthusiasm for the Channel 4 elimination show hosted by the former Olympian and crafts enthusiast Tom Daley quickly unravelled. Continue reading...

Case involves a challenge to a Mississippi law that allows ballots to count if they are received days after election dayThe US supreme court announced on Monday it will hear a high-stakes case about whether states can accept mail-in ballots that arrive after election day, even if they are filled out and mailed before then.The case, Watson v Republican National Committee, involves a challenge to a Mississippi law that allows ballots to count if they are received within five business days of election day. Continue reading...

Decision reflects wider regional doubts about terms of US-drafted plan for territoryPlans for a UN-mandated international stabilisation force charged with disarming Hamas inside Gaza face growing opposition after the United Arab Emirates said it would not participate because it did not yet see a clear legal framework for the force.Israel has already ruled out Turkey joining the force, and King Abdullah of Jordan has said Jordanian troops will not join. Azerbaijan, once mooted as a contributor, did not attend a planning meeting in Turkey last week and said it would not contribute unless a full ceasefire was in place. Continue reading...

Former French president, who is appealing against a conviction for criminal conspiracy, is released from prison in ParisAs we are waiting for the Paris court decision on Sarkozy to come, expected around 13.30 local time (12.30 GMT), let's take a look at other news across Europe.If Sarkozy gets released with an ankle tag, it won't be his first: Reuters notes that last year, France's highest court upheld a separate conviction for corruption and influence peddling, ordering him to wear an electronic tag for a year, a first for a former French head of state. The tag has now been removed. Continue reading...

Several fire engines rushed to the scene after blast reported near the historic Red Fort, fire services saidA car has exploded near the historic Red Fort in India's capital, killing at least eight people, injuring several others and triggering a fire that damaged several vehicles parked nearby, New Delhi police said.Several fire engines rushed to the scene after the blast was reported near one of the gates of the Red Fort metro station, the city's fire services said. The cause of the explosion remained unclear. Continue reading...

Former BBC DJ, 68, will return to court next month to face 15 charges relating to seven womenThe former BBC DJ Tim Westwood has appeared in a central London court after being charged with rape and sexual assault.During a brief hearing at Westminster magistrates court on Monday, the 68-year-old was told he must return to Southwark crown court in December to face 15 charges relating to seven women, including three charges of indecent assault at the BBC studios in the 1990s. The charges include four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and nine counts of indecent assault. Continue reading...

Protest at Mowaa comes amid dispute over ownership of Benin bronzes looted by British colonial forcesProtesters have disrupted a preview event at a major new museum in the Nigerian city of Benin that has become embroiled in a row over the restitution of artefacts looted by British colonial forces.The demonstrators asserted that the opening of the Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) is a violation of Benin City's cultural heritage, which falls under the authority of its traditional ruler, the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II. Continue reading...

As the Liberal party prepares to take a position on the contentious climate target, the risk of resignations doesn't just rest on one outcome

Laws being introduced to state parliament will allow fines up to $165,000 a year in prison, or both for owners of commercial premises

Speaking at a screening of hit play The Fifth Step, the actor reveals he is not comfortable at all on camera'Slow Horses star Jack Lowden has said it was a relief" to return to the stage in the intense role of an alcoholic in the West End hit The Fifth Step.Lowden first starred in David Ireland's two-hander when it premiered at the Edinburgh international festival in 2024 and he reprised his character in London earlier this year, this time opposite Martin Freeman. It's always a relief to be on stage," said Lowden. I don't really feel comfortable at all on camera." He continued: Whenever I get to be on stage, I instantly feel at home. A lot of actors do say that, which can sound like shite sometimes, but I genuinely do mean it. I feel more at home on stage than I do in life and I don't know why that is at all." Continue reading...

Mehmet Oz made claim about audits, but experts say he misidentified routine administrative errorsThe administrator for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Mehmet Oz, recently claimed that an audit revealed more than $1bn of federal taxpayer dollars were being spent on funding Medicaid for illegal immigrants", but experts say the audits were unrelated to immigration, and that rhetoric like this could make immigrant families - regardless of legal status - afraid to seek necessary medical care.Leo Cuello, a research professor at Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families, noted that he has not seen what this audit is", but based on the reporting, it appears that it is related to administrative errors in state claiming for matching funds, which is a relatively common occurrence, and which CMS monitors closely as they should". Continue reading...

Old Laundry theatre in Bowness-on-Windermere will change its name next year and premiere show to mark 10th anniversary of comedian's deathA theatre in the Lake District is to be renamed for the comedian and playwright Victoria Wood and will stage a new musical using her songs to mark the 10th anniversary of her death.The Old Laundry theatre is run by Wood's friends, the married couple Charlotte Scott and Roger Glossop. Wood, who died from cancer aged 62 in 2016, was a trustee of the theatre in Bowness-on-Windermere and performed there many times, also directing a revival of her play Talent there in 2008. Scott and Glossop got to know her when they worked on Talent's premiere at the Sheffield Crucible in 1978. Continue reading...

Head of entertainment Kalpna Patel-Knight says hit show promises to be just as unmissable as the first'The Celebrity Traitors will return for a second series in 2026, the BBC has announced.Kalpna Patel-Knight, the head of entertainment at the BBC, said: Studio Lambert have done an outstanding job as The Celebrity Traitors has well and truly captivated the nation, becoming a bona fide highlight of the year bringing record numbers of people together to enjoy every twist and turn. Continue reading...

Move follows rising Israeli violence against Palestinians and freeze on broader sanctions last month

Greg Piper says one of his staffers told him about the protest and his request to move it away from the building could not be facilitated

Former leader presided over period marked by corruption, nepotism, censorship and claims of rights abusesIndonesia has awarded former authoritarian leader Suharto the title of national hero, in a move that has sparked accusations of historical revisionism in the world's third-largest democracy.The award has deepened fears about attempts to whitewash Suharto's rise and decades-long rule, a period marked by rampant corruption, censorship and accusations of mass human rights violations. Continue reading...

Director general and head of news quit amid accusations of bias over Trump and trans issues at broadcaster

Appointment of Sir Dave Lewis as CEO represents major coup for struggling FTSE 100 firm Business live - latest updatesThe executive credited with steering Tesco out of the worst financial crisis in its history has been handed the top job at the struggling Guinness maker Diageo.On 1 January, Dave Lewis will become chief executive of the FTSE 100 drinks company, whose shares have fallen by a third this year. Continue reading...

Destructive winds and rainfall hit archipelago, while a cold spell in Florida prompts fears of falling iguanasTyphoon Fung-Wong, locally known as Uwan, is the second in a week to affect the Philippines after making landfall on Sunday evening. The weather system prompted warnings for heavy rainfall and life-threatening storm surges across much of the country, with sustained winds of 115mph (185km/h) and gusts of about 140mph recorded on Sunday by the national meteorological agency.By the time Fung-Wong moves past the Philippines early this week, more than 200mm of rainfall is expected to have fallen on Luzon, the country's most populous island. Continue reading...

Albanese says old suffocating conservatism' of Menzies era reached out of its political grave to remove a government chosen by voters

It is time to leave shit behind,' Parton says after weeks of turmoil in the territory's opposition

Ola Ince, who has refreshed Agatha Christie's record-breaking mystery, says we all fancy ourselves as detectives'Audiences left hungry for more suspense after the nail-biting Celebrity Traitors finale should visit the ultimate murder mystery, The Mousetrap, its new director has suggested.Ola Ince has taken charge of Agatha Christie's indomitable whodunnit, the world's longest-running play, which is in its 73rd year in London's West End. The director, acclaimed for her bracing takes on Shakespeare, said Christie's drama about a group of strangers snowed in at a remote guesthouse with a killer at large is juicier" than she had previously imagined. Continue reading...

IDF soldiers tell documentary of opening fire unprovoked and arbitrary designations of who was an enemyIsraeli soldiers have described a free-for-all in Gaza and a breakdown in norms and legal constraints, with civilians killed at the whim of individual officers, according to testimony in a TV documentary.If you want to shoot without restraint, you can," Daniel, the commander of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tank unit, says in Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel's War, due to be broadcast in the UK on ITV on Monday evening. Continue reading...