Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins threatens to pull funds unless states turn over recipient data to US governmentThe Trump administration has threatened to suspend Snap food assistance to several Democratic-led states unless they turn over recipient data to the federal government.Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday that the USDA could begin blocking funds as early as next week if Democratic-led states continue to reject federal requests for Snap recipient data - information that includes immigration status and social security numbers. Continue reading...
Kremlin aide says Ukraine crisis is no closer to resolution after Witkoff talks, as Russian president accuses European powers of sabotaging peaceRussia and the US did not make progress toward a peace deal for Ukraine during their talks, a senior aide to Vladimir Putin has said, hours after the Russian president issued threats that Russia was ready for war with Europe.In remarks to Russian media, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that after a five-hour meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the two sides were neither further nor closer to resolving the crisis in Ukraine. There is a lot of work to be done." Continue reading...
Exclusive: New laws will also curb questioning and aim to stop complainants being discredited over previous reportsRape victims will no longer be depicted as serial liars in courtrooms in England and Wales as part of the biggest shake-up in a generation", the Guardian can reveal.New measures will stop the profound injustice" of victims being questioned, sometimes without warning, about past rapes that they have reported to the police, said David Lammy, the justice secretary. Continue reading...
Officers joked about tip that Luigi Mangione was at a Pennsylvania McDonald's, where they arrested him in the killing of Brian ThompsonPolice involved with Luigi Mangione's arrest were so skeptical that the tip on his whereabouts was true that they joked about a reward sandwich in text messages, Manhattan state court proceedings revealed on Tuesday.He said, if you get the New York City shooter, I'll buy you a hoagie from a local restaurant,'" testified Joseph Detwiler, an Altoona, Pennsylvania police officer, of texts exchanged with a supervisor. I said, Consider it done.'" Continue reading...
Donation of $6.25bn for children's investment accounts prompts wave of questions - but details remain scarceA tech billionaire and his wife said on Tuesday they would pour $6.25bn into individual investment accounts for 25 million children under 10, prompting a wave of new questions about how these so-called Trump accounts" will work.The creation of these accounts was included as part of Donald Trump's massive tax and spending bill, which he signed into law in July. Every child born between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2028, can receive a Trump account that includes a $1,000 initial deposit from the administration. The money will then be invested. Continue reading...
by Dani Anguiano (now); Shrai Popat, Lucy Campbell an on (#71W6Z)
Defense secretary says he moved on to my next meeting' as sensitive military operation was under way; top Democrat calls Hegseth spineless' and a national embarrassment'
Dead included children, aged eight, nine and 14, and a 21-year-old man who were shot at a banquet hallDetails are beginning to emerge about the victims of the shooting at a toddler's birthday party in Stockton, California, that left four people dead and at least 11 injured over the weekend.The dead included children, aged eight, nine and 14, and a 21-year-old man who were shot at a banquet hall in the Central valley city where they had gathered with at least 100 other people to celebrate a two-year-old's birthday. Continue reading...
Petition says Colombia citizen Alejandro Carranza Medina was illegally killed in US airstrike on 15 SeptemberA family in Colombia filed a petition on Tuesday with the Washington DC-based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, alleging that Colombia citizen Alejandro Carranza Medina was illegally killed in a US airstrike on 15 September.The petition marks the first formal complaint over the airstrikes by the Trump administration against suspected drug boats, attacks that the White House says are justified under a novel interpretation of law. Continue reading...
Billionaires aim to provide incentive for families to claim new investment accounts for children created as part of Trump legislationBillionaires Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25bn Tuesday to provide 25 million American children under 10 an incentive to claim the new investment accounts for children created as part of Donald Trump's tax and spending legislation.The historic gift has little precedent, with few single charitable commitments in the past 25 years exceeding $1bn, much less multiple billions. Announced on GivingTuesday, the Dells believe it's the largest single private commitment made to US children. Continue reading...
Fourteen workers who signed a petition that warned cuts put the US at risk were initially suspended in AugustThe Trump administration is reversing the reinstatement of workers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) who were placed on administrative leave after writing an open letter of dissent.Fema in August suspended 14 workers who signed a petition warning that cuts to the agency were putting the nation at risk of repeating the mistakes made during the botched response to 2005's Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Continue reading...
by Lucy Campbell (now); Fran Lawther, Jakub Krupa, Yo on (#71W4B)
Putin's comments appeared aimed at driving a wedge between Washington and European capitalsIn parallel to Witkoff's meeting in Moscow, we will also follow Volodymyr Zelenskyy's first visit to Ireland.He has arrived in Dublin last night, and has a busy schedule today, paying a brief visit to the country's new president Catherine Connolly, before meeting with key government figures including the taisoeach, Micheal Martin, and addressing both chambers of the Irish parliament in the afternoon. Continue reading...
Paul Thomas Anderson's comedy thriller named best film by Gotham awards and New York Film Critics CirclePaul Thomas Anderson's acclaimed comedy thriller One Battle After Another has emerged as an early best picture frontrunner as the awards season kicks off.The Thomas Pynchon adaptation, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as an ex-revolutionary searching for his daughter, was named best feature at Monday's Gotham awards. I didn't expect this, actually," Anderson said on stage. I started to think I didn't know what was going on." Continue reading...
Approval of legislation to ban Pfas would be major win for advocates pushing for safer gear alternatives across USA new bill proposed in the New York city council would ban the use of toxic Pfas forever chemicals" in protective gear worn by the city's 11,000 firefighters.The New York fire department is the nation's largest firefighting force, and approval of the legislation would mark a major win for advocates who are pushing for safer turnout gear" alternatives across the US. Massachusetts and Connecticut last year became the first states to ban the use of Pfas in turnout gear, and Illinois enacted a ban this year. Continue reading...
Pop star calls out White House's inhumane agenda' after post that soundtracks immigration raids to her song JunoSabrina Carpenter has spoken out against Donald Trump's White House for using her song Juno to soundtrack videos of immigration raids.In response to a video posted on the official White House X account, which depicts Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officials arresting several people in what appears to be Chicago, the singer wrote: this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda." Continue reading...
Two-day meeting under new, RFK Jr-appointed chair could see radical overhaul of US childhood immunizations policyA reversal of a decades-long program of childhood immunizations, including a recommendation to scrap hepatitis B shots for newborn babies, could come as early as this week in a vote by an advisory committee of allies convened by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.Speaking to the Washington Post, Kirk Milhoan, the new chair of the federal advisory panel on immunization practices, said members would vote whether to push for the axing of the hepatitis B requirement during its two-day meeting ending Friday. Continue reading...
Relations between French company Dassault and the German unit of Airbus are reportedly very strained'The leaders of France and Germany have a strong willingness" to build a new fighter jet together despite bitter internal rivalries, according to the chief executive of engine manufacturer Safran.A row over who should lead between French aerospace company Dassault and the German unit of Airbus has threatened to break apart the countries' efforts to make a next-generation fighter jet. Continue reading...
With the row deepening over budget leaks, who is most likely to replace Richard Hughes in the increasingly thankless role of chair?Had Richard Hughes not resigned as boss of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on Monday amid the indignation over the accidental publication of Rachel Reeves's budget, the Treasury might now be under pressure over the tsunami of leaks that preceded it.The OBR's David Miles told MPs on Tuesday the leaks had been so widespread and misleadingthat the watchdog feared its reputation was at stake. Continue reading...
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner will lay an amendment on Wednesday to speed up the workers rights' bill, after considerable anger" that unelected Lords forced the watering down of day-one rights, Jessica Elgot and Pippa Crerar report.Twelve more prisoners have been mistakenly freed in the past month and two are still at large, David Lammy has said.I'm not going to give details of those cases, because these are operational decisions made by the police, and you'll understand if they're about to arrest somebody they don't want me to blow the cover. Continue reading...
Chief executive tells staff it is critical time' for chatbot as it faces intense competition from Google's new Gemini 3Sam Altman has declared a code red" at OpenAI to improve ChatGPT as the chatbot faces intense competition from rivals.The chief executive of the San Francisco-based startup told staff in an internal memo: We are at a critical time for ChatGPT," according to a report by tech news site the Information. Continue reading...
Whistleblower says senior managers did not forbid intimate relationships and advised him to use condomsSenior managers running a covert unit permitted undercover police officers to deceive women into sexual relations, the spycops public inquiry has heard.Peter Francis, a former undercover officer who has become a whistleblower, said the sexual relations were a routine feature of the covert operations for years. He said they were an ordinary part of the undercover role ... it was regarded by officers and management alike as part of the work". Continue reading...
Janet's wishlist that ran in Leeds Mercury and letter from a girl in Hampshire in 1898 unearthed in newspaper archivesThe toys on the Christmas wishlist may have evolved in more than 140 years but children, it seems, do not change. That, at least, is the suggestion of a newly uncovered letter to Father Christmas dating from 1883, believed to be one of the earliest known such messages in the UK.The letter, addressed to DeAR SAnTA CLAus", was written by a six-year-old girl called Janet and preserves her idiosyncratic spelling and capitalisation. PLeAs BRIng a Doll to Me with a cRADEL, AND a TRuMPtet to JiMMie, AND SoMe OTHer THing to MA AND PA," wrote Janet, demonstrating both a touching concern for her family members and a canny nose for publicity. Continue reading...
Apple among big tech companies reportedly refusing to install Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on their devicesA political outcry has erupted in India after the government mandated large technology companies to install a state-owned app on smartphones that has led to surveillance fears among opposition MPs and activists.Manufacturers including Apple, Samsung and Xiomi now have 90 days to comply with the order to preload the government's Sanchar Saathi, or Communication Partner, on every phone in India. Continue reading...
No sign of an end to rancour among 14 parties elected to the Belgian capital's 89-seat parliament after 542 daysIt is a city that prides itself on the art of political compromise. But recently that quality has been sorely lacking in Brussels, which has gone a record-breaking 542 days without a government.The Brussels Capital Region, which governs the Belgian capital of 1.25m people, has has not had a government since elections in June 2024. Continue reading...
Ashley Jenkinson, who died in the crash on 2 January 2023, was seen inhaling a white powder at a New Year's Eve partyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA helicopter pilot involved in one of Australia's worst air disasters had a mental breakdown" and used cocaine the day before making tourist joy flights, a coroner has heard.Ashley Jenkinson, 40, was among four people who died when his Sea World chopper collided midair with another outside the Gold Coast theme park on 2 January 2023. Continue reading...
Hancock says facility is modern necessity' but opponents argue the noise would disrupt local businessesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGina Rinehart's company has claimed helicopter pads are a necessity of modern business as it fights to install one at its new headquarters in West Perth.The City of Perth on Tuesday recommended councillors block the request from Hancock Iron Ore to install a helipad as it redevelops its offices. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#71W8X)
Official report says forces in England and Wales yet to implement policies for investigationA quarter of police forces in England and Wales are yet to implement basic policies for investigating sexual offences", an official report has found, with women still being failed despite promises of change after the murder of Sarah Everard four years ago.The report by Dame Elish Angiolini follows an inquiry set up after Everard was murdered by a serving police officer, Wayne Couzens, in March 2021. She was abducted off a London street while walking home. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#71W8Y)
Watchdog says trend of care homes being registered in cheap areas, not where need is greatest, is national scandal'The number of registered children's homes in England has risen to a record high, but providers are increasingly prioritising profit over care needs, Ofsted has warned.The watchdog said new children's homes were proliferating in areas of the country where housing was cheapest, suggesting the rise was driven mostly by profit and this was bending the system out of shape". Continue reading...
Elderly people unable to reach water stations set up by South East Water after treatment site closedThousands of homes have been without water for four days in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, after South East Water accidentally added the wrong chemicals to the tap water supply.Schools across the area have been shut for two days, and residents have been filling buckets with rainwater to flush toilets. Cats, dogs and guinea pigs have been given Evian to drink as the people of Tunbridge Wells wait for their water to be switched back on. Currently, 18,000 homes are without water. Continue reading...
Tom Dolphin, who applied to be Labour candidate in 2024, says political career not relevant as he defends strikesThe head of the doctors' union has denied he is pursuing further strike action to progress his own political career after the Labour party overlooked him as a prospective candidate for parliament.The British Medical Association has announced that resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - in England will stage another five-day strike from 7am on 17 December until 7am on 22 December. Continue reading...
Justice secretary suggests he will stick to Levesen's recommended three-year sentence threshold, after cabinet feedback'David Lammy is expected to back down from removing jury trials for all but the most serious charges of murder, manslaughter and rape, but trial by jury will still be radically reduced for more minor offences.The justice secretary said there had been cabinet feedback" on the plans and suggested on Tuesday he was minded to follow the recommendation in a report by the retired senior judge Sir Brian Leveson that either-way" offences likely to result in a sentence of three years or less should be dealt with by the magistrates courts or a new judge-only division. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent on (#71W5H)
Independent inquiry into fire and media questions to leader would not happen in mainland China, but crackdown on dissent has begunAs Hong Kong mourns the victims of its worst fire in decades, the response to the disaster reveals the ways in which the semi-autonomous city retains differences from mainland China - and how some of those differences are being eroded.Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, announced on Tuesday the creation of an independent committee" to investigate the blaze, which killed 151 people at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Hong Kong's New Territories. Continue reading...
by Aanya Wipulasena in Colombo and Hannah Ellis-Peter on (#71VZ3)
Many uncertain about the future after losing everything in the country's deadliest natural disaster for yearsWhen the rains began, Layani Rasika Niroshani was not worried. The 36-year-old mother of two was used to the heavy monsoon showers that drench Sri Lanka's hilly central region of Badulla every year. But as it kept pounding down without stopping, the family started to feel jittery.Some relocated to a relative's house, but her brother and his wife decided to stay behind to collect the valuables. As they were inside, a landslide hit the family home. Continue reading...
Discounts started earlier than usual as competition for customers hit fever pitch', says British Retail ConsortiumCompetition between retailers seeking to entice customers with early Black Friday deals led to a slowdown in shop price rises during November, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).The trade association for retailers said prices in shops rose by 0.6% last month compared with November 2024. This was down from a 1% rise in October and below the three-month average of 1%. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#71W3B)
Exclusive: Letter says L&Q appears to have systematically failed in its duty to provide adequate standard of livingUN experts have said that one of England's biggest social landlords appears to have systematically failed to ensure the habitability of its rental properties.In a letter to the UK government, they cite the case of a disabled tenant, Sanjay Ramburn, 55, who they say lived with his family of five in an L&Q group property in Forest Gate, east London, for several years with no electricity. They experienced four ceiling collapses, as well as severe damp and mould that affected their health. Continue reading...
New Zealand police allege 32-year-old ingested the 18-karat gold egg - a James Bond Octopussy locket - and say the object has not yet been recovered'A New Zealand man has been charged with theft after allegedly swallowing a Faberge James Bond Octopussy egg pendant worth more than $33,500 (US$19,200).Police were called to a central Auckland jewellery store, Partridge Jewellers, on Friday afternoon after staff reported a man had allegedly picked up the pendant and swallowed it, said Grae Anderson, the city's central area commander. Continue reading...
Sanae Takaichi's not-so-catchy remarks about everyone working like a horse did not go down well in a country notorious for its demanding work cultureIt is not, perhaps, a word many people in Japan will want to hear as they prepare for the bonenkai office party season and some well-earned time off over the new year.But the promise made by Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, that she would work, work, work, work, and work" on behalf of her country has clearly struck a chord. Continue reading...
by Warren Murray with Guardian writers and agencies on (#71W12)
Zelenskyy says redrafted peace plan looks better' but Kaja Kallas fears Moscow meeting will wrongfully put pressure on Kyiv rather than Kremlin. What we know on day 1,378An intensified diplomatic push to end the nearly four-year war has continued, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy visiting Paris on Monday - a day after the Ukrainian president's team held talks with US officials - and Vladimir Putin due to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday.Zelenskyy, speaking in Paris, said the Kremlin's claims of battlefield advances were exaggerated. He said Ukraine's priorities remained security guarantees, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as he insisted that Russia must not get rewards for its aggression on Ukraine. He said he hoped to have talks with the US president, Donald Trump, to discuss next steps once Steve Witkoff is back from his talks in Russia.Ukraine's president said that after revisions the peace plan circulating between Ukraine, Russia and Washigton looks better" and the work will continue. The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, warned however that talks between the Putin and Witkoff will again pile pressure on Ukraine to make concessions, write Jennifer Rankin and Pjotr Sauer. Kallas said: In order to have peace, we shouldn't lose focus that it's actually Russia who has started this war and Russia that is continuing this war and Russia that is really targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure every single day to cause as much damage as possible."The White House said it was very optimistic" of a deal being reached to end the war. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters: Just yesterday [the White House team] had very good talks with the Ukrainians in Florida and now of course special envoy Witkoff is on his way to Russia." Witkoff has in the past returned to Washington conveying variations of Vladimir Putin's maximalist demands for Ukraine's total capitulation. His role has come under scrutiny following a report that he coached Putin's foreign affairs adviser on how to pitch to Trump.The Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said the Florida talks achieved significant progress" but that some issues remained unresolved. Zelenskyy, while trying carefully not to anger Trump, has refused US-backed calls for Ukraine to give up hard-fought territory that Russia has not been able to seize.Four people were killed and 40 wounded in a Russian missile attack on the eastern-central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Monday, Ukrainian officials said. Vladyslav Haivanenko, the acting governor of the surrounding Dnipropetrovsk region, said 11 of those injured were in a serious condition. Ukraine's emergency services said car service stations, other businesses, an office building and 49 cars were all damaged in the attack. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian