Avoiding animal products - and alcohol - at the start of the year makes lasting changes more likely, say researchersMeat-eaters who abstain to take part in Veganuary are more likely to think that meat is disgusting after giving it up for the month, researchers have found.Studies by psychologists at the University of Exeter also found that some people identify less as meat-eaters after trying to avoid animal products during January. Continue reading...
Judge dismisses challenge that argued development failed to provide housing and could damage London landmarksThe building of a controversial 25-storey office block nicknamed the Slab on London's South Bank is to go ahead after the high court upheld a decision by the former communities secretary Michael Gove to approve the development.Mr Justice Mould dismissed a legal challenge by the Save Our South Bank group, which has been fighting the development since planning permission was first submitted in 2021. Continue reading...
Rare autographed cache found by researcher at National Trust's Waddesdon ManorBaron Edmond de Rothschild was one of Europe's richest and best connected men. But his lifelong hobby - hunting the autographs of the famous - was more akin to that of an idolising youngster.Nine decades after his death, more than 220 letters he collected over 60 years have just been discovered at Waddesdon Manor, the former Rothschild home, now owned by the National Trust. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Hamish Mackay (earlier) on (#6T2ZP)
Child among five dead while 40 people remain in critical conditionBild, German public-service broadcaster ARD and other media are reporting that four people were killed and 41 were seriously injured in the attack.In addition, 86 people were treated with significant injuries in hospital, while 78 people suffered light injuries. Continue reading...
Musk's role in government shutdown drama could be a preview of role he plays for incoming president next yearDonald Trump's relationship with Elon Musk is showing no signs of fraying, even after at times he appeared to eclipse the president-elect's influence as he bullied House Republicans into paring down their bipartisan spending deal to avert a government shutdown with just hours to spare.The move by Musk to detonate the political equivalent of a nuclear bomb - by demanding that Republicans sink the deal or face a primary challenge - was viewed as a test run of the kind of role Musk might play to pressure Congress once Trump takes office, people familiar with the matter said. Continue reading...
Investigation by Senate Democrats found that Thomas accepted gifts and travel worth more than $4.75m since 1991A nearly two-year investigation by Democratic senators of supreme court ethics details more luxury travel by Justice Clarence Thomas and urges Congress to establish a way to enforce a new code of conduct.Any movement on the issue appears unlikely as Republicans prepare to take control of the Senate in January, underscoring the hurdles in imposing restrictions on a separate branch of government even as public confidence in the court has fallen to record lows. Continue reading...
AGI in South Carolina investigated by government after leaked files revealed traumatic injuries and animal deathsThe US Department of Agriculture is investigating allegations from an animal rights organisation concerning Alpha Genesis Incorporated (AGI), the animal experimentation facility and breeder, from which 43 monkeys escaped last month.AGI is accused of abuse and neglect", and of violations of the Animal Welfare Act, as leaked documents show that between 2021 and 2023, multiple primates held at AGI centres endured preventable traumatic injuries and deaths. Continue reading...
Woman jailed for M25 protest not allowed to continue home detention because electronic tags are too bigA 77-year-old environmental activist will spend Christmas in prison despite having been released on an electronic tag, because the authorities cannot find an electronic device small enough to fit her wrists.Gaie Delap, a retired teacher and a Quaker from Bristol, was jailed in August, along with four co-defendants, for her part in a campaign of disruptive Just Stop Oil protests on the M25 in November 2022. Continue reading...
The royal has bowed to pressure over residents' right to buy freeholds on parts of his hereditary landPrince William has agreed to end the last feudal restrictions on land ownership in parts of his hereditary Duchy of Cornwall estate after decades of complaints from residents.The Prince of Wales will allow tenants in two of the most environmentally sensitive areas of his 55,000-hectare (135,000 acres) estate the right to buy the freehold to their homes for the first time. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read more coverage of the Middle East hereAn article on the Israeli news site Walla, owned by the Jerusalem Post, revealed Israel has used civilian contractors to demolish buildings and build military infrastructure in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.The story, written by a journalist embedded with the IDF, describes how the Israeli military operate in the Shaboura neighbourhood on the outskirts of the Rafah refugee camp. Continue reading...
Previously unseen artefacts show invading forces included communities of men, women, children, craftworkers and merchantsDozens of sites linked to the Viking great army as it ravaged Anglo-Saxon England more than 1,000 years ago have been discovered. Leading experts from York University have traced the archaeological footprint of the Scandinavian invaders, identifying previously unknown sites and routes.The study, conducted by Dawn M Hadley, professor of medieval archaeology, and fellow archaeology professor Julian D Richards, found that the significance of many of the ingots, gaming pieces and other artefacts unearthed by metal detectorists over the years had been overlooked until now. They also discovered about 50 new sites that they believe were visited by the Viking great army. Continue reading...
TV presenter and Green party politician resign from animal-welfare charity over response to undercover abattoir videosThe BBC presenter Chris Packham and the former Green party leader Caroline Lucas have resigned from the RSPCA animal-welfare charity, accusing the organisation of legitimising cruelty".It comes after an undercover investigation from Animal Rising, which campaigns for a plant-based food system, used hidden cameras to reveal animal cruelty at RSPCA-approved abattoirs. Continue reading...
Mark-ups criticised by patients' charity for punishing those with ill health, but NHS defends fees amid financial pressuresA quarter of NHS trusts in England Hospital raised car parking fees during the cost of living crisis, data has revealed.Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show parking charges rose for at least 37 trusts - 25% of England's total - between April 2022 and March 2024. Requests were filed to the 147 NHS trusts in England by PA Media, but 25 did not reply, meaning the number that raised parking fees could be higher. Continue reading...
Rain and strong winds may cause delays in north and west of UK on Saturday, spreading to southern regions on SundayWeather warnings have come into force across much of the UK as millions of people set off for their Christmas getaway.Wet and windy weather this weekend could cause roads and public transport to be disrupted by strong gusts. The AA predicted that 22 million drivers would hit the road on Saturday. Continue reading...
Instagram release of tea towel featuring what the UK designer finds common' has become an annual ritualWhat is common" these days - and is it even OK to say it?Some might say it's a controversial term, but for Nicky Haslam, the 85-year-old English designer, socialite and self-appointed arbiter of taste, defining what is common is not something to shy away from - on the contrary, it has become an annual ritual. Continue reading...
The regional command at Ann would be the second regional military command to fall to ethnic rebels in five months, and a huge blow to the militaryA rebel army in Myanmar said it had captured a major military headquarters in the country's west, marking the fall of the junta's second regional command as it faces mounting setbacks against a nationwide armed resistance movement.The Arakan Army (AA) said the western military command in Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh, fell on Friday after two weeks of intense fighting, according to a statement posted on Telegram late on Friday. Continue reading...
Ministry says historically pending matter' is being resolved as late king's relatives acknowledge government - but choice of surname ruffles feathersMembers of Greece's former royal family have applied for Greek citizenship and formally acknowledged the country's republican system of government, in a landmark move 50 years after the monarchy was abolished, officials have confirmed.The late king Constantine II and his family members were stripped of Greek citizenship in 1994 in a dispute with the government over formerly royal property and claims that he refused to renounce any right to the Greek throne for his descendants. Continue reading...
Villagers say Israel's forces have sown fear and horror' as they continue to expand into Syria's territoryThe Israeli military said its forces shot a protester during a demonstration against the army's activities in a village in southern Syria on Friday, injuring him in the leg.Since Islamist-led rebels toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad on 8 December Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military facilities in what it says is a bid to prevent them from falling into hostile hands. Continue reading...
Hugely popular show to get Disney feature film treatment but creator Joe Brumm will stop writing TV seriesBluey fan sites can be quite odd places. In normal times, adult enthusiasts of the wildly successful children's cartoon post pictures of prime merchandise - like Bluey-themed silky bra and short sets or plush dog-shaped armchairs - and start conversations about which cheery canine character they most resemble.But these are not normal times. This week Disney announced it would release the first full-length feature film based on the show, which features the eponymous anthropomorphic puppy and her family of Australian heelers, sparking widespread jubilation. The excited chatter was soon tempered with concern as the show's creator, Joe Brumm, revealed in a blogpost that while he would write and direct the film, he would be stepping away from writing the TV series. Continue reading...
Court finds Central American country violated rights of a pregnant woman who was denied an abortion in 2013The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) has ruled that El Salvador violated the human rights of a Salvadoran woman who was denied an abortion despite her high-risk pregnancy in 2013.The court has ordered the Central American country to adopt all necessary regulatory measures" so that doctors are authorised to terminate pregnancies that pose a risk to the woman's life and health". Continue reading...
Paty, 47, was killed outside his school days after showing his class cartoons of the prophet MuhammadEight people have been convicted in a French anti-terrorism court of involvement in the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty outside his school four years ago.Paty, 47, was killed outside his school near Paris on 16 October 2020, days after showing his class cartoons of the prophet Muhammad during a debate on free expression. The assailant, an 18-year-old Russian of Chechen origin, was shot to death by police. Continue reading...
by Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo and Sam Jones in Madrid on (#6T2QH)
Charges of kidnapping and dereliction of duty were brought against Matteo Salvini after he blocked a rescue boat in 2019Judges in Sicily have acquitted Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini of charges of kidnapping and dereliction of duty after he refused to let a Spanish migrant rescue ship dock in an Italian port in 2019, keeping the people onboard at sea for days.The case dates back to a time when Salvini, head of the far-right political party Lega, served as the interior minister during the first government of the then prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, from 2018-19. Continue reading...
Canada's PM races to infuse fresh blood into cabinet while New Democratic party announces withdrawal of supportJustin Trudeau has carried out a major reshuffle of his cabinet, changing a third of his senior team - even as a series of blows seemed to guarantee the end of his term as prime minister and a spring election for Canada.The move on Friday came at the end of a disastrous week which saw the shock resignation of his deputy, calls for his resignation from within his own party and public mockery from Donald Trump. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Jason Matthews alleges Connor Jones used unnecessary force on him and pushed him to the groundThe Metropolitan police has apologised to a black man who was detained by an officer who has faced three misconduct proceedings for excessive force within the past two years.Jason Matthews, 54, a well-known community leader, was attending Hackney carnival in 2019 when he was detained, and stopped and searched by PC Connor Jones. Continue reading...
PC Sevda Gonen hit the boy in the back of a police van as he was being transported to hospital in LondonA police officer who slapped a 16-year-old boy with mental health difficulties multiple times in the face" as he was being transported to a hospital in London has been found guilty of assault.Judge Briony Clarke found Metropolitan police PC Sevda Gonen of assault for striking the boy multiple times in the face with an open palm" after she allowed her frustrations to get the better of her" on 13 November 2023, according to the prosecution. Continue reading...
In face-to-face meeting, Ahmed al-Sharaa gave assurances IS would not be allowed to operate in Syria, US official saysThe US has lifted a $10m bounty on Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the strongest force to emerge in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, after the first face-to-face meeting between American diplomats and the HTS leadership.Barbara Leaf, the state department's senior diplomat for the Middle East, said Sharaa had given assurances in the meeting in Damascus that Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups would not be allowed to operate in Syrian territory. Continue reading...
Chancellor pledges renewed focus on growth after Bank of England warning that Britain is on brink of stagnationRachel Reeves insists she won't gaslight" working people over her plans to turn round the economy as she launched a scathing attack on Reform's offer to voters, saying Nigel Farage hasn't got a clue".With many people still struggling with the cost of living, the chancellor defended her approach, which has so far focused on economic stability, arguing that it was impossible to turn round years of poor performance under the Tories in just six months. Continue reading...
Fiona Wood solves final conundrum to clinch victory and encourages other women to give it a go'A forensic accountant has become the first female Countdown champion in 26 years.Fiona Wood prevailed in the series final on Friday after correctly identifying the conundrum word as lassitude", meaning a state of physical or mental weariness. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6T2EZ)
Barry Manners says when British Airways crew discovered his partner had Aids they were both forced out of hotel where other hostages were being heldA man who was among British Airways passengers and crew taken hostage in Kuwait and used as human shields during Saddam Hussein's invasion, who are suing the airline, said his ordeal was made worse by its staff's homophobia.On Friday, more than 100 claimants served legal papers on BA and the government, who they say both knew the invasion had taken place hours before flight BA149 landed in Kuwait in 1990. Continue reading...
by Nadeem Badshah (now); Andrew Sparrow (earlier) on (#6T297)
Downing Street confirms appointment, with Keir Starmer praising his unrivalled experience'Peter Mandelson once described Donald Trump as little short of a white nationalist and racist", the Telegraph reports. In her story, Amy Gibbons says Mandelson made the comments in an interview with the Italian journalist Alain Elkann in July 2019.The Trump presidency clearly upset Mandelson greatly because Elkann opened the interview by asking the former cabinet minister how he was, and Mandelson replied:I wake up today and discover that not only am I seeing my country, which I love, being forced out of its own European neighbourhood, but is crossing the Atlantic to make common cause with an American president who is little short of a white nationalist and racist.So, you can imagine, I am not very happy. This disturbs me greatly, because it's completely different from all my upbringing, whether my family or in politics, what I believe in, and the identity I see for my own country.What Donald Trump represents and believes is anathema to mainstream British opinion, and the idea that as a result of Brexit we have to kowtow to an American president who holds those views will outrage people in Britain.Even those who have a sneaking admiration for Donald Trump, because of the strength of his personality, nonetheless regard him as reckless and a danger to the world.It's very promising to see councils implementing new policies to protect their residents from some of the impacts of consumerism, advertising, greenwashing and injustice. But that's not enough. National planning laws need to change - they haven't kept pace and it is clear that local authorities and communities need more power to object to harmful ads.We need updated planning regulations that properly control billboards, with local councils able to refuse on a range of grounds such as climate, nature, public health, light pollution, and the impact on local businesses. Continue reading...
Children's Society says accepting donation from Justin Welby would be inconsistent with its principles and valuesA children's charity has rejected a Christmas donation from the archbishop of Canterbury, who resigned over the Church of England's failures in dealing with a serial child abuser.In an embarrassing snub, the Children's Society said accepting a donation from Justin Welby would not be consistent with the principles and values that underpin our work". Continue reading...
Abdul Hamid Dabaiba says country must not be a platform for settling international scores after fall of Assad in SyriaRussia's move to reinforce its military base in eastern Libya after the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria is facing resistance from the country's UN-backed government.The prime minister of the Tripoli-based government, Abdul Hamid Dabaiba, said he rejected any attempt to turn Libya into a centre for major-power conflicts, stressing that the country would not be a platform for settling international scores. Continue reading...
by Rachel Savage Southern Africa correspondent and ag on (#6T2J2)
French president makes remark when confronted by residents still without water after huge storm last weekEmmanuel Macron swore during a furious exchange with residents of the cyclone-hit islands of Mayotte on Thursday night, telling a jeering crowd in the French territory: If it wasn't for France, you'd be 10,000 times deeper in shit."Cyclone Chido swept through Mayotte, which lies between Madagascar and Mozambique, on 14 December, destroying vital infrastructure and flattening many of the tin-roofed shacks that make up its large slums. Almost a week after its worst storm in 90 years, France's poorest territory still has shortages of water. Continue reading...
Arturs Putrasevics, 39, also charged with possession of a bladed article in a public place after death of Astra SirapinaA man has been charged with murder after the death of a woman who was found with serious injuries at a house in Coventry.Astra Sirapina, 62, was pronounced dead at the scene by police who were called to an address on Burnaby Road at about 1pm on Tuesday 10 December after reports of concern for the woman's wellbeing. Continue reading...
TV presenter's death on Greek island in June probably due to heatstroke or a pathological cause, coroner findsA coroner has recorded an open conclusion regarding the unascertainable" death of the TV presenter Michael Mosley, who died on a Greek island after he went for a walk.Crispin Butler, the senior coroner for Buckinghamshire, said Mosley's death was most likely attributable either to heatstroke (accidental) or non-identified pathological cause". Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England corespondent on (#6T2F0)
Allegations include false imprisonment, negligence, excessive use of force, and safeguarding failuresRepresentatives for Gypsy and Traveller children who were allegedly forced on to trains and prevented from visiting Manchester's Christmas markets have instructed human rights lawyers to bring a complaint against Greater Manchester police (GMP).The Traveller Movement, a national charity, has instructed Ryan Bradshaw, a human rights partner at Leigh Day, to bring a complaint against the force on several grounds, with allegations including false imprisonment, negligence, excessive use of force, and safeguarding failures. Continue reading...
Kyiv says that 2,200 Russian soldiers have died in the last 24 hoursThe Russian Defence Ministry said that its forces had taken control of two more settlements in Ukraine's Donetsk region, Uspenivka and Novopustynka, Reuters reported, citing Russian state news agency RIA.Russia has been moving toward the strategic city of Pokrovsk, with its forces getting to within 3km (1.9 miles) of it last week. Uspenivka is about 20km of Pokrovsk and Novopustynka is about 16km away from the city. Continue reading...
Labour veteran Peter Mandelson is the first political appointment as ambassador to Washington in 50 yearsFor some months, Lord Mandelson had been going round London suggesting he had no desire to be appointed to the role of Washington ambassador, saying he would rather not become a hotel manager so late in his career.His feigned lack of interest in shepherding a succession of middle-rank ministers through the British embassy, a 96-year-old recently restored Lutyens building, is typical of the smoke and mirrors that has surrounded his potential appointment. Continue reading...
Boy was restrained face down by staff and others placed a towel around the door of his room to stop him leavingA former student who was repeatedly restrained face down and once imprisoned for nearly five hours at a special school has been awarded 18,900 in damages.The father of the student, who is now 25 and cannot be named for legal reasons, launched a claim against Mulberry Bush school in Standlake, Oxfordshire, on behalf of his son, who was a pupil there until 2009. Continue reading...
Total value of parcels stolen estimated at 376m, with Black Friday and run-up to Christmas the worst periodsPolice forces across the UK are warning shoppers about a rise in porch piracy", an emerging criminal trend involving doorstep parcel thefts that is costing businesses and consumers millions of pounds.In one east London borough, police have put up posters in the lobbies of flats, while in other areas forces are using social media to provide tips on how to make life more difficult for thieves. Continue reading...
After joining pro-Palestinian sit-in, Andrew Ross and Sonya Posmentier were declared personae non gratae'Two professors declared personae non gratae", or PNG, by New York University have accused the university of escalating suppression of pro-Palestinian speech under pressure from donors, politicians and pro-Israel groups.NYU has barred the two tenured faculty members, Andrew Ross and Sonya Posmentier, from entering some buildings after they joined a sit-in at the library and other protests over two days last week to demand the university make public its investments in companies tied to Israel and close its campus in Tel Aviv. On the second day, they were arrested and charged with trespass and disorderly conduct, relatively minor offences that do not result in a criminal record. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6T27D)
Chair of committee of MPs, Helen Hayes, says current Send deep crisis' is neither sustainable nor acceptableParents frustrated by the multiple failings of England's special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system have been warned it is not realistic to expect reform to happen quickly, as MPs announced another inquiry into the crisis.MPs on the cross-party education committee in Westminster say the latest inquiry will seek to find practical solutions rather than just point out problems. The report from the previous one, which went on for 18 months, was published in 2019. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian