World news | The Guardian

Keir Starmer says oligarch must commit funds from sale of Chelsea football club or face court action

Directors blame challenging market conditions' as losses widen from 25m in 2024 to 33mSales at Stella McCartney's fashion label sank by more than a quarter last year tipping it further into the red and adding to fears it could run out of money by 2028.Pre-tax losses at the British brand led by the daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney widened to 33.6m in 2024 from 25m the year before, while sales fell 27% to 16m, according to accounts filed at Companies House. Continue reading...

PM condemns perversion of Islam' that police allege may be behind the attack

Few bookable slots left as NHS urges people to get vaccinated amid surge in cases because of new strainSoaring demand has caused a major shortage of flu jab appointments across England, the Guardian can reveal.NHS leaders have issued urgent pleas to the public for them to get their flu jabs and help the health service cope with a crippling flu-nami", which last week led to hospitals in England treating record numbers of seriously ill patients with flu. Continue reading...

Philippine police dismiss speculation Naveed and Sajid Akram may have carried out training during four-week stay in Davao CityThe Bondi terror attacks suspects spent their entire four-week visit to the Philippines in Davao City, rarely leaving their hotel expect for an hour or so at a time, and never talking to any other guests or receiving visitors, according to Philippine police and hotel staff.The initial police investigation casts more light on the four-week trip by the alleged gunmen, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram, amid speculation that they went to the Philippines to receive military training from Islamist groups believed to operate in the country. Continue reading...

Teenager to appear in court over death of girl in Weston-super-Mare on MondayA 15-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare.Aria Thorpe died from a single stab wound at an address in the North Somerset town on Monday, Somerset police said. Emergency services were called to Lime Close shortly before 6.10pm. Continue reading...

Dispute with clerical staff over below-inflation pay rise comes as NHS resident doctors start BMA-backed strikeThe British Medical Association is facing a strike over pay by its own clerical staff, prompting calls of hypocrisy as NHS resident doctors in England launch five days of strike action with the union's backing.Talks between the BMA and the GMB union failed to come to a resolution on Tuesday, raising the prospect of a strike by clerical and administrative staff at the health union in the new year, sources said. Continue reading...

An unnamed source told the New York Times the Reiners' daughter, Romy, had discovered only her father's body, and disputed reports the couple argued with their son, Nick, at a party the previous eveningNew details have emerged about the deaths of film director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, whose bodies were discovered at their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, on Sunday.A report in the New York Times, quoting a person close to the family" who remained anonymous, says that a massage therapist arriving for an appointment first raised the alarm after not being able to gain access for an appointment on Sunday. The therapist contacted their daughter Romy Reiner, who lives nearby, who entered the house and found Rob Reiner's body. The Times said that Romy fled the house in anguish" without realising that her mother's body was also inside, and that her roommate, who had accompanied her, called 911. Emergency responders then discovered Michele Singer Reiner's body. Continue reading...

Ministers hint at further relaxation of zero emission mandate but say will not follow EU over 2035 petrol cars banThe UK is to bring forward its review of electric vehicle sales targets from 2027 to next year, as the government said it would listen to the concerns of the car industry.The news came as ministers said they would not weaken plans to ban the sale of new petrol or diesel cars from 2035, after the EU announced plans to water down the timing of the phaseout of new combustion engine vehicles. Continue reading...

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Josh Frydenberg says three police patrolling the event were ill-equipped' to protect citizens, but NSW premier again defends response

NHS leaders warn more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than the previous two'Resident doctors in England have begun five days of strike action after rejecting the government's latest offer to resolve the long-running dispute over pay and jobs.The British Medical Association (BMA), and the health secretary, Wes Streeting, met on Tuesday in a final attempt to reach an agreement, but failed to do so. Continue reading...

The 2025 appeal is helping charities that bring divided communities together and promote toleranceThe Guardian's Hope appeal has raised more than 350,000 for inspirational grassroots charities that bring divided communities together, promote tolerance and positive change, and tackle racism and hatred.The figure, raised in less than two weeks, includes more than 30,000 donated during the annual telethon last Saturday, when more than 40 journalists including John Crace, Polly Toynbee and Simon Hattenstone were on hand to take readers' calls. Continue reading...

Open letter to Reform UK leader expresses dismay and anger' at his response to racism and antisemitism allegationsNigel Farage has been told to apologise for his alleged teenage racism by 26 school contemporaries who have written an open letter telling of their dismay and anger" at his response in recent weeks.In a united challenge to the Reform UK leader, the alleged victims and witnesses condemn him for what they describe as his refusal to acknowledge his behaviour at Dulwich college. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: The BBC is bracing for a high-stakes legal fight after the US president sues over an edited Panorama clip, and questions mount about the broadcaster's future funding and political vulnerabilityGood morning. On Tuesday, the UK woke to the news Donald Trump had filed his threatened $10bn lawsuit against the BBC, alleging that the corporation intentionally, maliciously and deceptively" defamed him. Later that day, the government launched a review of how the beleaguered corporation will be funded into the 2030s - they will ask the public for their views on options, including a subscription service or adverts, amid a drop in licence holders.While there remains a lack of consensus over the latter issue - in itself enough to worry BBC executives over its future - few would argue that licence fee payers should be funding a multimillion pound compensation claim to the increasingly litigious US president.Australia | The alleged Bondi attacker who survived a shootout with police has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, after waking from his coma on Tuesday.European Union | An agreement to rejoin Erasmus - the EU's student exchange programme - is expected to be announced on Wednesday as part of the UK government's drive towards closer relations with Brussels.Venezuela | Donald Trump has ordered a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro.UK news | A former Royal Marine is starting a 21-year jail term for mowing down dozens of Liverpool football fans in a truly shocking" act that defies ordinary understanding".US news | Nick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, the acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner and the photographer Michele Singer Reiner, authorities announced on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Members of Franz Ferdinand, Del Amitri and more call for pause to schedule shake-up aimed at foregrounding mainstream, easy-listening tracks'Musicians including Eddi Reader, Nadine Shah, Hamish Hawk and members of Franz Ferninand, Del Amitri, Idlewild and more have voiced disapproval at planned changes to BBC Radio Scotland's late-night programming, claiming the changes will harm career-igniting" opportunities for Scottish artists.The BBC has announced it will replace four shows that currently air between 10pm and midnight from Monday to Thursday, and will either remove or reallocate their presenters. These shows will be replaced by Up Late, which the BBC says will feature a curated blend of well-known classics from the 1970s to the present day. The music will highlight a strong Scottish influence, showcasing both Scotland's most established musicians and its rising talent". Continue reading...

Britain has had more than 1,600 recorded hours of sunshine this year after record-breaking springThe UK has already had its sunniest year on record, the Met Office has confirmed, after the country battled droughts and sweltered in heatwaves.Though the country is currently swathed in December gloom, the rest of the year brought vast amounts of sunshine. Continue reading...

Government efforts to recruit examiners fail again with average test slot wait now at 22 weeks, report saysPlans to cut the wait for a driving test to seven weeks by the end of the year will not be achieved until November 2027, an audit report has found.Only a net 83 more driving test examiners have been hired despite 19 recruitment campaigns since 2021, with the average wait for a practical test now at 22 weeks across Great Britain, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Continue reading...

The NSW premier's reforms could allow police to reject a firearms licence if intelligence agencies think a person poses a security risk

Service to farewell father of five at Chabad of Bondi, where he was assistant rabbi, was attended by friends, family, Jewish community and politicians

Nick Reiner, 32, charged after Rob Reiner and wife Michele Singer Reiner found dead at Los Angeles home on SundayNick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, the acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner and the photographer Michele Singer Reiner, authorities announced on Tuesday.The 32-year-old, who is being held without bail, has been in custody since Sunday evening, hours after his sister reportedly discovered the couple's bodies in their Los Angeles home. Police said on Sunday the couple had suffered fatal stab wounds. Continue reading...

Giuffre's family calls the success of her posthumous memoir, Nobody's Girl, bittersweet' after her death in AprilA posthumous memoir by one of Jeffrey Epstein's best-known accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, has sold 1m copies worldwide in just the two months after its release.Publisher Alfred A Knopf announced on Tuesday that more than half the sales for Nobody's Girl came out of North America; in the US, the book is now in its 10th printing after an initial run of 70,000 copies. Giuffre's book, co-written by author-journalist Amy Wallace, was published in early October. Continue reading...

Funding for billionaire Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos site in central belt of Scotland will help safeguard 500 jobsJim Ratcliffe's chemicals company Ineos has been granted 120m of government funding to help save the UK's last ethylene plant at Grangemouth, in a deal expected to protect more than 500 jobs.The investment in the Scottish plant was necessary to preserve a vital part of the country's chemicals infrastructure, the UK government said. The ethylene produced there was essential for medical-grade plastics production, water treatment and in aerospace and car-building, it added. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Shabana Mahmood plans to use full power of the state' to curb rise in targeted attacks using websitesConvicted sex offenders will be forced to notify police with the details of any dating app and social media accounts or face up to five years in jail, under plans announced by Shabana Mahmood.In a move intended to help curb the explosion in targeted attacks using websites, the home secretary said the full power of the state" would be used to bear down on online abusers. Continue reading...

The first funerals for the 15 people killed in Sunday's mass shooting will be held on Wednesday, as investigations continue into the alleged gunmen

Mother told court she relives the moment over and over' when she thought her daughter was being killed in front of herA man who furiously and repeatedly" stabbed an 11-year-old Australian girl in a random knife attack in London's Leicester Square has been detained indefinitely.The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police she thought she was going to die after she was targeted by Ioan Pintaru in the city's West End on the morning of August 12 last year while on holiday with her mother. Continue reading...

Corporation will argue it did not have rights to air film in US and it did not cause serious reputational harmThe BBC is preparing to argue Donald Trump's $10bn court case against it should be dismissed, arguing it has no case to answer over the US president's claims he was defamed by an episode of Panorama.The development comes after Trump filed a 33-page complaint to a Florida court on Monday, accusing the broadcaster of a false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory and malicious depiction" of the president in the documentary. Continue reading...

Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources sayAn agreement to rejoin Erasmus - the EU's student exchange programme - is expected to be announced on Wednesday as part of the UK government's drive towards closer relations with Brussels.Final details of the announcement have now been agreed by the two sides, with a plan to allow UK students to participate in the EU-wide scheme without paying any additional fees from January 2027, sources said. Continue reading...

Richard Davies, 49, and Faye Stevenson-Davies, 43, defied odds of more than 24 trillion-to-one after first winning the jackpot prize in 2018A couple from mid Wales have become 1m national lottery winners for the second time, defying odds of more than 24 trillion to one to claim the jackpot again.Richard Davies, 49, and Faye Stevenson-Davies, 43, first landed a seven-figure prize in June 2018 through the EuroMillions millionaire maker. Continue reading...

Annual UCLA study finds declines in cultural diversity behind and in front of the camera since last yearPopular scripted series on streaming services showed a marked decrease in cultural diversity both behind and in front of the camera last year as Hollywood inclusion programs waned, a new study from the University of California at Los Angeles concluded.The latest edition of the school's Hollywood Diversity report, published Tuesday, found that of the top 250 most-viewed current and library scripted series in 2024, more than 91.7% were created by a white person, with white men accounting for 79% of all show creators - both increases from last year. Diversity also slipped for performers, with white actors cast in 80% of all roles. Continue reading...

Development abandoned after Serbian minister indicted over $500m project, in setback for Trump family empireSerbia's authoritarian ruler has threatened reprisals after protesters and a prosecutor thwarted plans for a Trump Tower in Belgrade.In a rare setback for the Trump family's global moneymaking campaign, the $500m development was abandoned after Monday's indictment of a Serbian minister on suspicion of abusing his office to support the project. Continue reading...

Review, which will focus on effectiveness of political finance laws, follows conviction of former Reform politician for accepting bribesAn independent review into the impact of foreign financial influence and interference in domestic politics from Russia and other hostile states has been announced after one of Reform UK's former senior politicians, Nathan Gill, was jailed for accepting bribes from a pro-Kremlin agent.Amid growing concern inside the security services and parliament over the scale of the foreign threat to British democracy, the government-commissioned inquiry will focus on the effectiveness of the UK's political finance laws. Continue reading...

Legislation clears upper house after Tories and cross-benchers drop opposition to lifting compensation capLisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has published a green paper on BBC charter renewal. It includes a consultation on options for the future.On funding, the document says the government has an open mind" on how the licence fee system may be reformed to stop fewer households paying every year. It suggests there might be a new type of licence fee for people who say they don't watch BBC TV, but who do use the BBC's website, or BBC Sounds.In addition to BBC saving and efficiency programmes, we also want to explore wider reforms that could help address the funding challenges the BBC faces. We have not ruled out keeping the current licence fee in place with its current structure. However, given the sustainability challenges it is facing, we are also reviewing the scope of services for which the licence fee is required and considering differential rates for specific types of users, to make it more sustainable for the long-term, along with increasing commercial revenue to ease the burden on the public. This would aim to reverse the trend of fewer households paying every year and declining overall income, which risks the BBC declining if it is not addressed. Any reform of the licence fee must be proportionate and reflect the cost-of-living burden on the public.As the licence fee is a tried and tested public funding model, we are not considering replacing it with alternative forms of public funding, such as a new tax on households, funding through general taxation, or introducing a levy on the revenues of streaming services to fund the BBC ...My aims for the charter review are clear. The BBC must remain fiercely independent, accountable and be able to command public trust. It must reflect the whole of the UK, remain an engine for economic growth and be funded in a way that is sustainable and fair for audiences. Continue reading...

Commission proposes cutting obligation for 100% zero emission vehicles beyond 2035 to 90% after pressure from industry and some EU statesThe EU has confirmed it wants to water down its 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol or diesel cars, yielding to heavy pressure from the car industry and leaders from several EU member states including Germany and Italy.Wopke Hoekstra, a European climate commissioner, described the proposals as a win-win" situation for consumers and industry, keeping Europe on the electrification course with a series of carrot and stick measures. Continue reading...

Writers cited Machado's support for Trump's pressure campaign against Venezuela's Nicolas MaduroAt least three writers have withdrawn from next month's Hay festival in Cartagena, Colombia, in protest at an invitation extended to the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado.The main reason cited by them is Machado's support for Donald Trump's four-month pressure campaign against Venezuela's dictator Nicolas Maduro and her comments in favour of a potential US military intervention in the Caribbean country. Continue reading...

Attraction part-funded with 500m of public investment will be constructed on site of a former brickworksThe UK's first Universal Studios theme park has been granted planning permission by the government to begin construction.The attraction, which is being part-funded with 500m of public investment in rail and road infrastructure, will be built on the site of a former brickworks near Bedford. Continue reading...

Boy was arrested on Monday evening after officers were called to property in Weston-super-MareA teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare, police have said.Officers were called by paramedics to a property in the North Somerset town just after 6pm on Monday, Avon and Somerset police said. Continue reading...

British Indian Ocean Territory commissioner's appeal against decision last year rejected by judges in LondonAppeal court judges have backed a decision that dozens of asylum seekers were unlawfully detained on one of the world's most remote islands, rejecting an appeal on Tuesday by the commissioner for the territory.Exactly a year ago, on 16 December 2024, a judge ruled that Tamils who arrived on the island of Diego Garcia, a UK and US military base, after a shipwreck while they were trying to reach Canada to seek asylum, were unlawfully detained there for three years in conditions described as hell on Earth". Continue reading...

Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo and Eve Hewson head up the director's latest effortThe first trailer for Steven Spielberg's mysterious UFO movie has now provided more details on what audiences can expect.Disclosure Day, written by Jurassic Park's David Koepp based on a Spielberg story, sees a starry cast deal with the discovery of aliens. Why would he make such a vast universe yet save it only for us?'" Elizabeth Marvel's character says at the end of the teaser. Continue reading...

Justice secretary criticised for refusing to meet lawyers who say their clients' health is rapidly deteriorating'Palestine Action-affiliated hunger strikers are likely to die without David Lammy's intervention, lawyers representing the prisoners have said as they criticised the justice secretary for refusing to meet them.Solicitors wrote to Lammy last Wednesday to request an urgent meeting before their clients' health deteriorates beyond any possible recovery". But a subsequent letter sent on Tuesday said that his reply, received on Monday does not directly address our request". Continue reading...

Equinor accused of extensive and long-term pollution' caused by years of inadequate maintenanceNorway's national oil company, Equinor, is facing a 53m penalty for oil spills and gas leaks at the oil-rich Scandinavian state's only refinery, which officials said were the result of years of inadequate maintenance.Norway's economic crime agency, Okokrim, said it had taken action against Equinor over extensive and long-term pollution" at the refinery in Mongstad, on Norway's North Sea coast. Continue reading...

Police said Paul Doyle, 54, used his vehicle as a weapon' in a moment of rage at a victory parade in the city on 26 MayA former Royal Marine is starting a 21-year jail term for mowing down dozens of Liverpool football fans in a truly shocking" act that defies ordinary understanding".Paul Doyle, 54, bowed his head as he was sentenced at Liverpool crown court where victims and their families watched, some in tears, from the public gallery. Continue reading...

Reform deputy leader says party's role is to challenge' minister after Chris Parry posted on X that Lammy should go home to the Caribbean'

Driver's previous assault convictions listed at sentencing hearing together with victim statementsAs a reminder, on Monday, prosecutors said in the space of two minutes, Doyle's Ford Galaxy - which weighed nearly two tonnes - collided with well over 100 people" and he was prepared to cause those in the crowd, even children, serious harm if necessary to achieve his aim of getting through".Doyle admitted to dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent and three counts of wounding with intent last month. Continue reading...

If not, academics say, people will continue to get sick and die while schools close and hospitals are overwhelmedWith flu cases rising and resident doctors on strike from Wednesday, the NHS is under considerable pressure. But experts say lessons from the Covid pandemic could help ease the situation.A trio of UK-based academics say a three-pronged approach of increasing uptake of flu vaccines, boosting support so people can stay home when unwell, and increasing ventilation and air quality would help to protect people from influenza. Continue reading...

Pump prices stuck' despite cost of oil falling amid prospect of peace in Ukraine, say expertsFuel retailers are under pressure to cut their pump prices after oil prices fell below $60 a barrel for the first time in more than seven months on hopes of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal.The price of a barrel of Brent crude dropped by more than 1% to $59.20 on Tuesday morning, its lowest since early May. Continue reading...

Heavily indebted utility puts back retention payments' for 21 executives until new year amid search for rescue dealThames Water has deferred awarding bosses retention payments totalling 2.5m, avoiding a potentially damaging pre-Christmas row as the heavily indebted utility scrambles to agree a multibillion-pound rescue deal.Sources at the UK's biggest water company confirmed the controversial retention payment package for 21 senior executives, which had been due to go out this month, would remain on hold until the new year. Continue reading...

US says talks with Ukraine in Berlin have resolved 90% of difficult issues - but no sign Putin willing to compromise

Crucial talks begin on corporation's future amid efforts to protect it from government influenceMinisters are examining plans that would increase the BBC's independence from politicians, including ending political appointments to its board, as part of crucial talks over the corporation's future.The government is to consider overhauling the process by which the BBC has to renew its charter every decade, aiming to place it farther away from the influence of governments. Continue reading...

Jonathan Hall KC warns of people being wrongly investigated and of impact on journalists and thinktanksEspionage offences in the UK's new National Security Act are so broadly defined that they will result in cases of real harm" with people wrongly investigated, according to the first review of state threats legislation.Jonathan Hall KC, an independent reviewer appointed by the home secretary, said the 2023 law had to be monitored against misuse and overreach" because it could extend into politics, journalism, protest and other day-to-day activity. Continue reading...