World news | The Guardian

Claim comes after former festival board member Tony Berg accused Louise Adler and Randa Abdel-Fattah of hypocrisy' in their accusations of repressing freedom of speech

This blog is now closed

Opposition leader says government took a month to deliver this bad bill' as Labor criticises Liberal hypocrisy' on proposed hate laws

Prime minister wants cabinet ministers to move on from policies that have tanked with votersBefore the 2015 UK election, the Australian political expert Lynton Crosby devised a strategy for the Tories that became known as scraping the barnacles off the boat" - shedding unpopular policies that hindered the party's electoral appeal.Instead, the party focused on core issues it believed would help win over floating voters: the economy, welfare, the strength of David Cameron (and weakness of Ed Miliband) and immigration. Everything else was deprioritised and the Conservatives stuck to their messages rigidly. It worked. Continue reading...

Apology comes as former Adelaide festival board member accuses Louise Adler of hypocrisy after she resigned citing free speech concerns

Shabana Mahmood has lost confidence in Craig Guildford over his force's exaggerated and untrue' intelligence assessments

Talks fail to solve fundamental disagreement' over Arctic island controlled by CopenhagenDonald Trump reiterated on Wednesday that the US needs Greenland and that Denmark cannot be relied upon to protect the island, even as he said that something will work out" with respect to the future governance of the Danish overseas territory.The remarks, which came after a high-stakes meeting between US, Danish and Greenlandic officials, indicates that there are still fundamental differences between how Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk see the political future of the island. Continue reading...

Four more who had paused their strikes choose not to continue after government opts against giving contract to Elbit Systems UKThree Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners have announced the end of their hunger strike after the government decided not to award a 2bn contract to the Israeli arms company subsidiary Elbit Systems UK - with another four who had paused their protest choosing not to continue.Fears had been growing for the welfare of those taking part. On Wednesday, Heba Muraisi, 31, would have been on day 73 of refusing food, the same number of days as reached by the Irish republican hunger striker Kieran Doherty, who survived the longest of 10 men who died in a 1981 action. The earliest death among the Irish republicans was after 46 days, raising fears about the risk to life of the prisoners in jail awaiting trial for offences relating to protests claimed by Palestine Action. Continue reading...

Lars Lokke Rasmussen acknowledges new security situation' in the Arctic but says US control is not the answer after brief meeting in WashingtonThis liveblog is now closed

Exclusive: Artist reminisces about his life in film using interviews recorded in last four years of his lifeFifteen years ago, Sir Ian McKellen was among the leading arts figures who criticised the Tate for not showing its collection of paintings by LS Lowry in its London galleries and questioned whether the matchstick men painter" had been sidelined as too northern and provincial.Now, 50 years after Lowry's death, McKellen is to star in a BBC documentary that will reveal a trove of previously unheard audio tapes recorded with Lowry in the 1970s during his final four years of life. Continue reading...

Failure to foresee fall of shah in 1979 was collective disaster for western diplomacy, but academic experts see little indication of mass defections nowWhen asked to predict whether fissures were appearing at the top of the multilayered Iranian state that may imply Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's days in power were finally ending, western diplomats adopt a haunted demeanour, perhaps recalling of one of western diplomacy's greatest collective disasters.Before the fall of the shah in January 1979, insouciant diplomats based in Tehran were sending cables to their capitals offering total reassurance that Mohammad Reza Pavlahi's hold on power was utterly secure. In September 1978, the US Defence Intelligence Agency, for instance, reported that the shah is expected to remain actively in power over the next 10 years". A state department report suggested the Shah would not have to stand down until 1985 at the earliest". Continue reading...

Human Rights Watch says attorney general has power to facilitate immediate bail, one of activists' key demandsHuman Rights Watch has written to the attorney general saying ministers' claims that they cannot intervene in the hunger strike by Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners is not fully true".One of the demands by those refusing food is for immediate bail and the NGO says Richard Hermer, the government's most senior law officer, could facilitate this by instructing prosecutors not to oppose their bail applications, although the government denied this. Continue reading...

Serious Fraud Office mounts seven raids on sites linked to Home Reit which raised 850m to tackle homelessness

Sam Levinson's hit HBO drama series returns in April with Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi returningThe first trailer for the third season of Euphoria promises more sex, drugs and violence, teasing a troubled life after high school for the show's characters.Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer and Jacob Elordi are among those returning for episodes four years in the making. The new season will take place five years after the characters were last seen. Continue reading...

Robin Kelly and other House Democrats move against homeland security secretary over ICE killing of Renee GoodThe Democratic representative Robin Kelly on Wednesday formally introduced articles of impeachment against Donald Trump's homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, following the fatal shooting of a US citizen by an immigration agent in Minneapolis last week.Secretary Noem has brought her reign of terror to the Chicagoland area, LA, New Orleans, Charlotte, Durham and communities east, north, to south to east to west" Kelly said in a press conference on Wednesday. She needs to be held accountable for her actions". Continue reading...

Sarah Porter was running 108-mile Montane Winter Spine Challenger South race when security team had to disable tracking deviceA woman was pulled out of Britain's most gruelling ultramarathon after receiving death threats over her fundraising for Afghan women and girls.Sarah Porter was nearly a third of the way through the 108-mile Montane Winter Spine Challenger South endurance race when organisers made the difficult decision" to withdraw her due to threats to her life in relation to the charity she runs helping women and girls in war zones. Continue reading...

Shabana Mahmood's statement on Craig Guildford comes after inquiry finds intelligence on Israeli fans exaggerated or simply untrue'

French interior ministry issues territorial bans' after reports of anti-migrant activities by members of Raise the Colours movementFrance's interior ministry has announced ban on 10 British anti-migrant activists who travelled to the country.Officials said they took action after reports that members of the Raise the Colours movement had conducted anti-migrant activities in France. Continue reading...

NGOs estimate that there are still close to 1,000 political prisoners in Venezuela despite claims by new leadersThe United States has welcomed the release of US citizens by Venezuela, which has been freeing political prisoners in a process that NGOs describe as slow and opaque.Many in the country also warn that, despite efforts by the regime to appear more open after the seizure and rendition of Nicolas Maduro, repression continues, with residents still having their mobile phones searched by armed militias on the streets and afraid to engage in any form of public protest. Continue reading...

Country joins EU neighbours in demographic crunch of ageing population and falling birthrateFor the first time since the end of the second world war, France has recorded more deaths than births, suggesting that the country's long-held demographic advantage over other EU countries is slipping away.Across the country in 2025, there were 651,000 deaths and 645,000 births, according to newly released figures from the national statistics institute Insee. Continue reading...

PM will hold to account' campaigners who said Damien Egan's presence would inflame teachers'

Jonathan Gerlach remains in custody after officials say they found skulls, bones and other remains in his car and homeThe Pennsylvania man suspected of stealing more than 100 pieces of human remains from a historic cemetery has allegedly admitted to selling some of them online - while the graveyard solicits donations to upgrade its security.Jonathan Gerlach's purported admission, along with the most complete account yet of how he caught the attention of law enforcement, are contained in search warrants obtained by authorities investigating a case one government official called a horror movie come to life". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Claire Waxman says justice system risks collapse and no other viable way to drastically reduce courts backlogA potential government U-turn on changes to jury trials risks breaking a justice system on the brink of collapse, the new victims' commissioner for England and Wales has warned.The justice secretary, David Lammy, must face down MPs and the legal profession over proposals to reduce the number of jury trials or we will not have victims coming into the system", said Claire Waxman. Continue reading...

Craig Guildford says he gave incorrect evidence to MPs and mistake arose from use of Microsoft Copilot'

Right to work can be proved using digital ID card, e-visa or e-passport, in change to policy government insists is not a U-turn

It comes after opposition leader Sussan Ley has spent weeks calling for better legislative protections to tackle antisemitism

Aim is to speed up acquisition of WBD studio and streaming businesses and hold off rival Paramount bidNetflix is reportedly preparing to switch to an all-cash offer to seal its takeover of the studios and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), as it tries to speed up the deal and fend off a rival hostile bid from Paramount Skydance.The changes to Netflix's $83bn (62bn) offer, first reported by Bloomberg, are designed to accelerate the acquisition, which is expected to take months to conclude, and make it more palatable for WBD shareholders. Continue reading...

Sydney stage adaptation and new book put on hold after Runt and Jasper Jones author arrested

This blog is now closed

Crane was working on a high-speed rail project when it collapsed and hit the passing train, causing it to derail and briefly catch fireAt least 22 people in Thailand have been killed and scores injured after a crane collapsed onto a passenger train, derailing it on Wednesday, officials said.Footage from the scene verified by Agence France-Presse showed the crane's broken structure resting on giant concrete pillars, with smoke rising from the wreckage of the train below. Continue reading...

The 24 actor was taken into custody after officers responded to a call in Hollywood shortly after midnightKiefer Sutherland, who starred in the television series 24 and vampire flick The Lost Boys, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of assaulting a ride-share driver, according to Los Angeles police.The Canadian-British actor was taken into custody after officers responded to a call in Hollywood shortly after midnight. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Refugee status granted despite attempt by former home secretary James Cleverly to block 26-year-old's claimA Palestinian citizen of Israel has been granted asylum in the UK on the basis of a well-founded fear of persecution" despite a former home secretary's attempt to block the claim.Hasan (not his real name) is believed to be the first Palestinian with an Israeli passport to be given refugee status in the UK. But the decision came only after two about-turns by the Home Office and a protracted legal battle. Continue reading...

Hamad arrested on behalf of Australian authorities for alleged drug trafficking

Prominent Palestinian author's removal from Adelaide writers' week lineup led to unprecedented turmoil culminating in cancellation of festival

Anne Aly said the government was open to considering extending the protections to other types of hate'

Al Madina Dawah centre in Bankstown announces move on Wednesday after local council issues cease use' directive on Wisam Haddad

At least four displaced Palestinians killed when strong winds caused walls to collapse onto their tents and a one-year-old boy died of hypothermiaStrong winter winds collapsed walls onto flimsy tents for Palestinians displaced by war in Gaza, killing at least four people, as dangerous living conditions persist after more than two years of devastating Israeli bombardment and aid shortfalls.A ceasefire has been in effect since October, but aid groups say that Palestinians broadly lack the shelter necessary to withstand frequent winter storms. Continue reading...

NYC Token, which hit market on Monday, surged to $580m and then rapidly plummeted as firm denies wrongdoingThe cryptocurrency launched by New York City's former mayor Eric Adams is already in hot water, and now the company behind it is being forced to defend itself from accusations that it scammed people.Investors and cryptocurrency watchers say the asset, dubbed NYC Token, surged to about $580m shortly after it hit the market on Monday and then rapidly plummeted in value. Observers speculated that someone behind the scene may have carried out what's known in the crypto world as a rug pull" - when the creators of the asset quickly sell their investments. Continue reading...

This liveblog is closed. Our new liveblog is here.Non-essential French embassy staff have left Iran, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Agence France-Presse. The personnel left on Sunday and Monday, the sources added, without saying how many people had departed. The protection of our personnel and our citizens is a priority," a French foreign ministry official told AFP.Commenting on the protests, the UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said:This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue. The Iranian people and their demands for fairness, equality and justice must be heard. Continue reading...

Research also shows teenagers in care are four times more likely to try to end their lives than peers with no care historyOne in four teenagers in care have attempted to end their own life, and are four times more likely to do so than their peers with no care experience, according to a landmark study.The research analysed data from the millennium cohort study, which follows the lives of 19,000 people born in the UK between 2000 and 2002, and considered how out of home care, including foster, residential and kinship care, affected the social and mental health outcomes of the participants. Continue reading...

Microsoft's president said firm won't accept tax breaks in towns for its datacenters as backlash against facilities growDonald Trump said he is partnering with tech companies to ensure the large energy-hungry datacenters vital for AI do not drive up electricity bills in the US. On Tuesday, the US president announced that Microsoft was first up".We are the HOTTEST' Country in the World, and Number One in AI. Data Centers are key to that boom, and keeping Americans FREE and SECURE but, the big Technology Companies who build them must pay their own way.'" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Thank you, and congratulations to Microsoft." Continue reading...

Groups say EEOC demand for names and personal details echoes dark history and threatens safety and civil rightsSeveral faculty groups have denounced the Trump administration's efforts to obtain information about Jewish professors, staff and students at the University of Pennsylvania - including personal emails, phone numbers and home addresses - as government abuse with ominous historical overtones".The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is demanding the university turn over names and personal information about Jewish members of the Penn community as part of the administration's stated goal to combat antisemitism on campuses. But some Jewish faculty and staff have condemned the government's demand as a visceral threat to the safety of those who would find themselves identified because compiling and turning over to the government lists of Jews' conjures a terrifying history", according to a press release put out by the groups' lawyers. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Simon Foster is the man responsible for deciding if Craig Guildford should be fired over Maccabi Tel Aviv banThe man who will decide if the West Midlands chief constable, Craig Guildford, deserves to lose his job over the banning of Israeli fans from a football match, has attacked MPs for being biased against him.Simon Foster, the West Midland's police and crime commissioner, criticised MPs on the home affairs committee for allegedly briefing journalists that Guildford should be ousted, despite the fact their inquiry into the controversy is still ongoing. Continue reading...

Six lawyers from US attorney's office in Minnesota quit along with four leaders of DoJ's civil rights divisionA wave of federal prosecutors in Minnesota and Washington DC have resigned in protest over the justice department's decision not to hold a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of an unarmed US citizen by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis.Six lawyers from the US attorney's office in Minnesota quit on Tuesday over the department's reluctance to investigate the shooter of Renee Nicole Good, the New York Times reported. Continue reading...

Prime minister is yet to receive a formal invitation, but the Guardian has been told that Starmer is expected to acceptKeir Starmer has been offered a place on the Gaza peace board" set up by Donald Trump as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.The prime minister was asked to sit on the board by a senior member of the Trump administration. The Guardian has been told that Starmer is expected to accept but has not yet received a formal invitation, while conversations about the exact makeup of the board are continuing. Continue reading...

Toby Ovens of Broughton Transport called Brexit a nightmare, and said he hoped a reset with the EU would mean light at the end of the tunnel'British vets have been forced to chase lorries down the motorway on their way to Dover due to the pure hell" of Brexit paperwork needed by inspectors in Calais, MPs have been told.Toby Ovens of Broughton Transport told the business and trade committee that Brexit has been a costly and logistic nightmare and hopes of a reset with the EU represented light at the end of the tunnel". Continue reading...

In remarks that will be seen as criticism of Starmer allies, health secretary says own side are helping right roll the pitch'Wes Streeting has criticised the centre-left for an excuses culture" that blames the UK's slow pace of change on Whitehall officials and interest groups.As No 10 prepares to make a fresh attempt at civil service reform, the health secretary said politicians were not simply at the mercy of forces outside of our control". Continue reading...

Approval shortly before Keir Starmer's trip to Beijing would come despite widespread concern among Labour MPsA vast new Chinese embassy complex in east London is almost certain to be formally approved next week despite renewed worries among Labour MPs about potential security risks and the effect on Hong Kong and Uighur exiles in the capital.The green light for the super-embassy at Royal Mint Court near Tower Bridge would smooth relations before Keir Starmer's visit to China, which is expected to take place at the end of January, but officials insist there has been no political input in the planning process. Continue reading...

Doctors in Tehran have described overwhelmed medical staff as thousands of demonstrators have been killed by security forcesAn ophthalmologist in Tehran has documented more than 400 eye injuries from gunshots in a single hospital, as overwhelmed medical staff struggle to cope with the toll of an increasingly violent crackdown on nationwide protests by Iranian authorities.Three doctors, in messages forwarded to the Guardian on Monday, described overwhelmed hospitals and emergency wings overflowing with protesters who have been shot. Medical staff said that the gunshot wounds were mostly concentrated on protesters' eyes and head - a tactic that rights groups said authorities used against demonstrators in the country's 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests. Continue reading...