Much like in his mother's terrible year, the monarchy's vulnerabilities were exposed by a series of jolting eventsThe king will not look back on his annus horribilis with undiluted pleasure", as his late mother with masterly understatement so memorably observed of her own.His cancer diagnosis and that of the Princess of Wales was a shocking jolt, while the poor judgment of the Duke of York has cast a shadow over the Sandringham royal Christmas. The Duke of Sussex's relentless legal actions against newspapers has made headlines and he takes to the witness box again in the New Year. Continue reading...
Loss of authority in Syria after fall of Bashar al-Assad adds to domestic and international crises facing Iranian leadersThe Iranian government is attempting to salvage some influence with Syria's new leaders, as Tehran reels from its sudden loss of authority in Damascus after the collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, is already facing multiple domestic and international crises, including power cuts due to a lack of oil supplies, continued tensions over its nuclear programme and a row about a new law that will make wearing the hijab compulsory for women. But it is the sudden loss of influence in Syria after the fall of Assad to rebel groups that is exercising Iranian officials most. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: For years, Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife and recruited men to rape her. It could be a turning point in social and legal attitudes to sexual assaultGood morning.Dominique Pelicot, described as one of France's worst sex offenders, has been sentenced alongside 50 other men who he recruited to rape his wife, Gisele Pelicot. Dominique, who was given the maximum sentence possible of 20 years in prison, had been drugging and raping his wife for a decade before he was caught. The scale of the horror and depravity of this case has shocked the world, and reignited conversations around consent and sexual violence.Middle East | Israel has launched widespread airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, killing at least nine people in the port city of Hodeidah, and threatened more attacks against the group, which has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel over the past year.Water | Water bills in England and Wales will rise by 36% over the next five years, as suppliers were accused of forcing struggling households to pay for years of underinvestment to fix leaky pipes and cut pollution.Diplomacy | Peter Mandelson is set to become Britain's next ambassador to the US, the first time a politician has been appointed to the role for almost half a century.Climate crisis | Potential new North Sea oil and gas fields with early stage licences from the UK would emit as much carbon dioxide as British households produce in three decades. The finding has led to calls to the government to reject demands from fossil fuel producers for the final permits needed to allow their operations to go ahead.Russia | Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine had made Russia much stronger" and denied that the fall of his key ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow's standing, as he held a marathon year-end press conference and television call-in seeking to project confidence at home and abroad. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Tycoon rejects settlement offer from Gambling Commission linked to failed bid to run UK lotteryThe media tycoon Richard Desmond is set for a courtroom showdown with the Gambling Commission that could cost good causes tens of millions of pounds, the Guardian has learned, after he rejected a settlement offer linked to his failed bid to run the National Lottery.Desmond launched a high court challenge in 2022 after the commission awarded the 10-year National Lottery licence to the Czech operator Allwyn, rejecting bids from his Northern & Shell business, as well as the incumbent Camelot. Continue reading...
Leanne Ekland, whose son Max Dixon was stabbed to death in January, says killers have taken my heart'The mother of a boy stabbed to death alongside his best friend in a case of mistaken identity in Bristol has said the teenage killers have taken my heart". She called for extra education in schools about knives and for families to do more to keep tabs on their children.Leanne Ekland, the mother of Max Dixon, 16, who was murdered in Bristol in January, described how she thought her son was tucked up in bed when the stabbing happened and dashed to his side as he lay fatally wounded on the street. Continue reading...
The delegation will speak directly with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leaders and seek clues on missing Americans including journalist Austin Tice, the state department saysA senior delegation of US diplomats has arrived in Syria to speak directly to the new Islamist-led rulers, hoping to encourage a moderate, inclusive path and to seek information on missing Americans.It is the first formal US diplomatic mission to Damascus since the early days of the brutal civil war that broke out in 2011 and culminated in a surprise lightning offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad this month. Continue reading...
W Clappison Ltd claims its supply agreement was ended at planting time without reasonable noticeThe grocery industry watchdog is to make a rare intervention in a Yorkshire sprout grower's 3.7m legal case against Aldi over the discount chain's decision to terminate a long-term supply deal.In papers filed at the high court, W Clappison Ltd, which produced sprouts for Aldi's UK arm for 13 years, said its supply agreement was ended in February last year at planting time without reasonable notice so it was unable to find new clients immediately. It said it was forced to cease sprout production and sell off its machinery. Continue reading...
MEPs warn of systemic inequities in EU executive after Michaela Moua left in lower position' than white peersA group of left-leaning MEPs have warned of systemic inequities" after it emerged that the EU executive's lead official in combating racism, who is a black European woman, was excluded from a reshuffle that left her in a lower position" than her white peers.The European Commission announced earlier this month that its coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, and her counterpart on battling anti-Muslim hatred, would be moved to its secretariat-general, the department at the apex of the EU executive that reports directly to president Ursula von der Leyen. Continue reading...
by Bethan McKernan in Aleppo. Photographs by David Lo on (#6T262)
A decade on from the Guardian's last visit, it is clear war has ripped the city apart - but there are signs of positive changeBashar al-Assad's face has been ripped away from posters at the abandoned checkpoint that separates Sheikh Maqsoud, a neighbourhood in the north of Aleppo, from the rest of the city. No cars dare use the wide boulevard any more because the road is still watched by Kurdish snipers allied to the regime. The units retreated into the warren of bombed and burnt-out buildings when Islamist rebel groups launched an unprecedented attack on the city at the end of November, triggering a chain reaction that led to the swift collapse of the Assad dynasty.Civilians hurry past, some with small children in pushchairs, others rolling cooking gas canisters down the road, all trying not to attract undue attention. A man had been shot and killed here the night before, picked off from the upper floor of a windowless apartment block. Aleppo fell to an umbrella of Sunni Arab factions led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) three weeks ago, but the Kurdish units stationed in sheikh Maqsoud had for years refused to lay down their weapons, afraid of what would happen if they surrendered. Now, they appear to be waiting for something to shift in Syria's new and fragile status quo. Continue reading...
by Presented by Joan E Greve, with Hugo Lowell, produ on (#6T263)
As Donald Trump's nominees woo Senate Republicans to secure their confirmation, Joan E Greve and Hugo Lowell look at who could be in charge of the major government departments and what they'll have to do to keep the president happy for the next four yearsArchive: CNN, Face the Nation, MSNBC, BBC, CBS News, ABC, Fox 11 Los Angeles, Fox News Continue reading...
Report argues for more powers, but teachers say this could strain already fraught relationships with parentsMinisters should give teachers the power to fine parents if they do not engage with the school to tackle an epidemic" of bad behaviour, according to the thinktank led by Tony Blair.Educators should have the same legal powers they have over non-attendance to compel parents to turn up to meetings with the school and agree an action plan for their child, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) says in a new report. Continue reading...
Prosecutors look into sex-for-votes scandal after killing of Congress lawyer leads to investigation of her former bossProsecutors in Peru are investigating a sex-for-votes scandal in the country's Congress after uncovering an alleged prostitution ring inside the widely-loathed chamber.The investigation began after hired killers fired more than 40 rounds into a taxi carrying Andrea Vidal, a 27-year-old lawyer who worked in Congress, earlier this month in Lima. She died of her injuries in an intensive care ward on Tuesday. The taxi driver was also killed in the attack. Continue reading...
Company's annual report shows costs of 132m up to March 2024 in inquiry that ended this weekPost Office executives have spent more than 130m of taxpayers' money defending the company at the long-running inquiry into the wrongful prosecution of more than 900 workers, figures show.The company's annual report reveals that the company's legal and running costs from the start of the inquiry in September 2020 until 31 March 2024 total 132m, more than half of which - 82m - was spent in the last financial year alone. Continue reading...
by Agence France-Presse in Panama City on (#6T1ZZ)
Officials also say 180 children have been abandoned crossing treacherous jungle from ColombiaFifty-five US-bound migrants have died and 180 children have been abandoned this year while crossing the treacherous Darien jungle from Colombia, according to Panama's president, Jose Raul Mulino.Despite dangers including fast-flowing rivers, wild animals and criminal gangs, the Darien is a key corridor for Venezuelan and other migrants traveling overland from South America through Central America and Mexico to the United States. Continue reading...
Police arrest eight people after incident at Basorun Islamic high school in the city of IbadanAt least 35 children have died and six others were seriously injured in a crowd crush at a school fair in Nigeria's third largest city, Ibadan.Police said eight people had been arrested for their various involvements" in the incident. Among those detained was the main sponsor of the event on Wednesday at the Basorun Islamic highschool, which was organised by the Wings Foundation and Agidigbo FM radio. Continue reading...
Southern Water customers' taps ran dry or lost pressure after a fault at one of its supply worksIt feels awful," said Samantha Hargreaves as she trundled her bottle-laden trolley past queues of cars waiting for drinking water in an Asda car park. It was the second year in a row that her water supply had been cut off shortly before Christmas, and she was loading up her car with extra bottles to give to less mobile neighbours.There's quite a few of us who are struggling," said Hargreaves, a 31-year-old community healthcare assistant. Continue reading...
Four aged between 15 and 18 sentenced over deaths of Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, in 33-second attackFour teenagers have been jailed for life for murdering two boys in a case of mistaken identity in Bristol.Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, were attacked with machetes in the Knowle West area of the city on the evening of 27 January. Continue reading...
by Maya Yang (now); Tom Ambrose and Kirsty McEwen (ea on (#6T1EX)
This live blog is now closed. For the latest on the Middle East, read our full coverage here.At least 45,129 Palestinians have been killed and 107,338 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Thursday.Iraq started on Thursday to send Syrian soldiers back to their homeland, state media reported. Continue reading...
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereIn her response to the statement from Karin Smyth, Caroline Johnson, the shadow health minister, suggested the extra money for hospices would not fully compensate the extra costs the sector is facing because of the national insurance increase and the rise in the living wage. She said:On October 30 the chancellor decided to break her election promise by increasing employers' national insurance contributions and reducing the threshold at which employer contributions are payable.It was later confirmed that hospices would not be exempted from this increase in costs. Now the government has announced new funding for the sector, which they had the audacity to call the biggest investment in a generation.The biggest investment in a generation for hospices has been announced by the government today, ensuring that hospices can continue to deliver the highest quality end of life care possible for their patients, families, and loved ones.The 100m funding will help hospices this year and next to provide the best end of life care to patients and their families in a supportive and dignified physical environment. Continue reading...
Sean Baker's and Brady Corbet's films received seven nominations each from the London Critics' Circle, while feminist body horror The Substance and Ralph Fiennes' papal drama Conclave have sixThe Palme d'Or winner Anora and epic architect drama The Brutalist have come out on top in the nominations count for the London Critics' Circle film awards, with seven apiece.The two films are expected to feature strongly throughout the awards race during the next few months, and have largely matched each other here. Anora and The Brutalist are both nominated for film of the year and director of the year (for Sean Baker and Brady Corbet respectively), and their lead performers are also nominated: Mikey Madison for actress of the year for Anora and Adrien Brody for The Brutalist. Madison, who plays a sex worker who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch, is also nominated for breakthrough performer. Continue reading...
Concerns rise over whether executions can be done fairly and accurately' as condemned prisoners make credible claims of innocenceA spate of high-profile death penalty cases in 2024 have prompted an unprecedented outburst of public anger and frustration, as several condemned prisoners with credible claims of innocence have fought their pending executions in the court of public opinion.Profound qualms about the reliability of death sentences have been raised over a number of disturbing cases this year. They include that of Marcellus Khaliifah" Williams, killed by Missouri through lethal injection in September despite critical doubts around the strength of his conviction and a massive public protest culminating in a petition signed by 1.5 million people. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6T1S8)
Exclusive: Dan Jarvis has written to the Sikh Federation after allegations of people being stopped at UK airportsThe UK will not tolerate attempts by foreign countries to harass or intimidate British citizens, the security minister has warned, after a number of Sikhs complained they were being targeted either by or on behalf of the Indian government.Dan Jarvis has written to the Sikh Federation after reports of harassment involving British Sikhs, including people being stopped at UK airports and asked about their views on the Indian state. Continue reading...
Ex-soldier Kyle Clifford faces further charge as he pleads not guilty to killing Carol Hunt and adult daughters Louise and HannahA former soldier accused of murdering a woman and her two adult daughters at their family home has been further charged with raping one of the women killed.Kyle Clifford, 26, is accused of fatally stabbing Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of the BBC 5 Live commentator John Hunt, and shooting dead Louise Hunt, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on 9 July. Continue reading...
Russian leader largely upbeat in year-end phone-in, calling Zelenskyy illegitimate' and suggesting US missile duel'Vladimir Putin has said the war in Ukraine has made Russia much stronger" and denied that the fall of his key ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria has hurt Moscow's standing, as he held a marathon year-end press conference and television call-in seeking to project confidence at home and abroad.Casting the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as illegitimate", Putin said he was ready to meet Donald Trump and discuss peace proposals to end his full-scale invasion, but he repeated his hardline stance that Moscow would keep control of Crimea together with the four Ukrainian regions he laid claim to in 2022. Continue reading...
Leaders from France and around the world welcome guilty verdicts as feminists urge there is a long way to goPoliticians from France and beyond have hailed Gisele Pelicot's courage and called the trial of the men who abused her historic while feminist groups have stressed there is still a long way to go and demanded fundamental changes to France's sexual abuse laws.Thank you for your courage, Gisele Pelicot," the president of France's national assembly, Yael Braun-Pivet, posted after the announcement that all 51 accused, including Pelicot's former husband Dominique, had been found guilty. Continue reading...
Steven Donziger and 34 congressmembers urge action on case that saw debilitating counterattacks from ChevronSteven Donziger, the embattled human rights attorney, has urged Joe Biden to offer him a pardon for his role in defending Indigenous tribes in Ecuador against the oil industry, where his efforts ended with him being sued by Chevron and spending time in jail and hundreds of days under house arrest.In an interview with the Guardian from his Manhattan apartment, Donziger said a pardon would send a clear signal to corporations that they can never again criminally prosecute and jail good people who hold them accountable for abuses". Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now) and Hamish Mackay (earlier) on (#6T1DZ)
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage herePoland summoned the charge d'affaires of Belarus (a diplomat of a lower rank acting in place of an ambassador), Alexei Ponkratiev, on Thursday to protest against what it called aggressive actions" of the Belarusian KGB spy service towards Polish diplomats accredited in Belarus and other countries.The Polish foreign ministry did not specify what actions it was accusing the Belarus agency of having taken, but said the continuation of such provocations would be met with a symmetrical response from the Polish side". Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6T1J9)
Mark Wild says fundamental reset' needed, as Department for Transport admits it has no final cost estimateEnormous budget overruns on the HS2 high-speed railway have been blamed by its new chief executive on a rush to start", as the Department for Transport admitted it did not know how much it would cost.Mark Wild, the chief executive of HS2 Ltd, told MPs a fundamental reset" was needed but a new plan would take until mid-2026 to devise. We have to acknowledge that HS2 in its core mission to control costs has failed," he said. We must break the cycle." Continue reading...
Relatives say Al-Bara' ibn Malik brigade killed young men in Khartoum North during advance from OmdurmanRelatives and rights groups have accused fighters from an Islamist paramilitary force aligned with the Sudanese army of executing dozens of young men on suspicion of cooperating with the Rapid Support Forces in the Khartoum area.The alleged killings occurred in September after fighters crossed a bridge over the Nile River into the city of Khartoum North from neighbouring Omdurman after weeks of trying. Continue reading...
Campaigners say case of Sophie Harvey and her partner exposes harmful and unnecessary criminalisation of womenThe prosecution of a young couple who were handed community orders at Gloucester crown court more than six years after the stillbirth of a baby has led to renewed calls for abortion law reform in England.Sophie Harvey and Elliot Benham, both now 25, were originally arrested on suspicion of murder after they disposed of a stillborn foetus. Continue reading...
About 1,200 had been disappeared by government during country's dirty war', including members of Abdallan Guzman's familyAbdallan was the sixth to be taken.First they came for his older brother Amafer, nabbed in broad daylight on the streets of the Mexican city of Morelia. Then they came for his other brother, Armando, grabbed on the outskirts of the capital. That same day, soldiers burst into the family home, beating his younger brothers Solon and Venustiano, as well as his father Jesus - eventually they too would be taken. Finally in October, security forces took Abdallan Guzman himself, subjecting him to the cruelest forms of torture before tossing him in prison. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#6T1GB)
Boys who were 12 when they killed Shawn Seesahai with a machete have minimum term raised to at least 10 yearsTwo boys, believed to be Britain's youngest knife murderers after killing a 19-year-old man with a machete when they were 12, have had their sentences increased to a 10-year-minimum prison term at the court of appeal.The boys, now aged 13, were initially given life sentences with minimum terms of eight and a half years for the murder of Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton in 2023. Continue reading...
Average bill will rise by 157 over five years to 597 after regulator agrees to increases in amount firms can charge Thames Water to pay 18m penalty after breaking dividend rulesHousehold water bills in England and Wales will rise by an average of 31 a year for the next five years from April, as suppliers pay to fix leaky pipes and cut pollution.The industry regulator Ofwat said on Thursday it would allow companies to raise average bills will rise by 157 over five years to 597 by 2030 to help pay for investment. That represents a 36% increase before inflation, which will be added on top. Continue reading...
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