World news | The Guardian

New prime minister receives applause and boos in national assembly as he urges political forces to work togetherIn his first address to the French parliament, the new prime minister, Michel Barnier, has said colossal" debt is a financial sword of Damocles" hanging over the country, requiring cuts in public spending and tax increases.In an hour-long inaugural address, Barnier was alternately heckled and applauded as he outlined his minority government's political programme in the national assembly, which remains deeply divided. The lower house is split between three political blocs, none of which emerged with a majority after June's snap general election. Continue reading...

The 90-year-old Four Seasons singer makes statement after fan concern following viral videos of recent performancesFrankie Valli is speaking out in defense of his health, after videos of the 90-year-old singer appearing frail and disoriented on stage went viral on social media platforms such as TikTok.The videos sparked concern among fans that the Four Seasons frontman was being forced to perform against his will, with some accusing his team of elder abuse. Continue reading...

Businesses in England and Wales say they are paying for historic errors' by water suppliers

Suppliers say gen Z and millennials are driving trend for 1970s-style fixtures as well as other bright coloursWild sage, lemon, peach, sorbet, mint, and avocado: not the makings of a bizarre fruit salad, but some of the forgotten shades of Britain's bathrooms that were popular in the mid-20th century.The colourful suites disappeared from homes as whites and minimalist, neutral designs took over in the 1990s. But avocado-coloured bathrooms are back, and it is gen Z and millennials driving the trend. Continue reading...

Unite claims some employers' systems will short-change workers, and rules are not yet enforced in Northern IrelandUnions fear some restaurants and other businesses may slip through the net of new legislation over the fair distribution of tips and service charges that comes into force in Great Britain on Tuesday.The government said the long-planned changes would mean workers would be in line for about 200m that may otherwise have been retained by employers. Continue reading...

US state department said it was told Israeli forces were targeting infrastructure near the borderIsraeli forces appeared to have launched what sources called limited ground operations" targeting Hezbollah inside southern Lebanon, US and other officials said late on Monday.This is what they have informed us that they are currently conducting, which are limited operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border," a state department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, told journalists. Continue reading...

Health secretary is examining case for a comprehensive plan for England to tackle UK's second-biggest killerWes Streeting may revive the use of a dedicated cancer strategy to tackle the UK's second biggest killer after experts warned the Conservatives' scrapping of it was a disaster" for patients.The health secretary is considering publishing a new comprehensive plan for England, amid record numbers of people being diagnosed with the disease and NHS cancer services struggling to meet demand. Continue reading...

Tory leadership contender received donations totalling 75,000 from firm that was loaned money via a tax havenRobert Jenrick is facing further questions about donations totalling 75,000 to his Conservative leadership campaign from a firm that was loaned money via a tax haven, after a businessman revealed himself to be the ultimate source of the funding.Jenrick, the former immigration minister, has been criticised over the transparency of his funding after it emerged that the campaign donation came from a company that had been loaned money from another firm based in the British Virgin Islands. Continue reading...

Tehran is struggling to find a way to respond to the attacks on its proxy in Lebanon that won't ignite all-out war

After the Gallagher brothers teased the news on billboards warning be careful what you wish for', international fans will get their bite at the year's most fevered reunionOasis have announced that their reunion tour will take them to the US, Canada and Mexico in August and September 2025.The band previously teased the news on billboards in New York, Toronto, Chicago and other cities. Be careful what you wish for," the advertisements said. Continue reading...

Cabinet secretary, who has served four prime ministers, says he will go at the end of the year

The sunshine state is heading to the polls on 26 October. Can Labor cling to government or will there be an LNP landslide?

Alliance for Gambling Reform labels gifts an undemocratic opportunity for lobbying' but MPs defend hospitality as within rules and properly disclosed

Jamie Pearson, 27, had waited nearly 24 hours to see an NHS mental health worker after taking an overdose in AugustA 27-year-old man who killed himself in a hospital toilet after waiting nearly 24 hours to see a mental health professional was badly failed by the NHS, his mother has said.Jamie Pearson was admitted to Blackpool Victoria hospital's A&E department after taking an overdose of high-strength painkillers on 17 August. Continue reading...

Dominant demographic among viewers don't feel like they are represented on screen', say Amy Roberts and Loren McLaughlinThe creators of a new working-class Downton Abbey" drama say the lack of such programming is being compounded by the decline of soaps and posh older guys" who have had the monopoly on storytelling.Made by the producers of All Creatures Great and Small, the rags-to-riches" period drama The Hardacres is the brainchild of Call the Midwife and Our Girl writers Amy Roberts and Loren McLaughlin, who said they chose to make the series because, more working-class people watch telly than any other demographic, but they don't feel like they are represented on the screen". Continue reading...

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' 2024 report shows rising out-of-pocket costs hit vulnerable with chronic, complex and mental illnesses hardest

Shadow communities secretary calls for more personal responsibility' and to let businesses make more decisions

Pat McFadden says unfair' system has meant ministers and shadow ministers face less scrutiny than backbench MPs

Rosie Duffield says government focused on greed and power' and the lads are in charge', day after leaving partyThe former Labour MP Rosie Duffield has said Keir Starmer has a problem with women" and that the government is more interested in greed and power" than making changes to the country.In a broadside at Starmer's leadership, Duffield told the BBC she was Labour in my heart and soul" but said the scandal over senior party figures' acceptance of donations and gifts including clothes was indefensible given the party was keeping the two-child benefit cap and had cut the winter fuel allowance for all but the poorest pensioners. Continue reading...

France says Israel must stop strikes, as governments voice alarm over escalation and killing of Nasrallah

As store confirms non-disclosure agreements will be waived, investigation continues into full extent of the late owner's abuseLawyers acting for women attacked by Mohamed Al Fayed say Harrods must reveal how many people were silenced by non-disclosure agreements after its new owners pledged not to enforce any signed during his ownership.Fayed covered up his sexual abuse by intimidating victims into signing NDAs in exchange for money, as well as taking libel action against media outlets that tried to expose him. Continue reading...

Two weather warnings for wind and rain, with river levels already high and ground saturated in some placesEngland and Wales are braced for heavy rain and strong winds just days after homes and businesses were flooded.Two fresh weather warnings come into force on Sunday for wind and rain which will hit areas already saturated by downpours earlier in the week. Continue reading...

Prime minister hopes to use talks with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen this week to prepare for a reset in the springKeir Starmer will use a meeting with the European Commission president this week to pave the way for a springtime overhaul of Britain's Brexit deal, amid warnings that closer ties will be essential in his government's desperate search for growth.The prime minister will meet Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Wednesday. However, it comes with home secretary Yvette Cooper still vehemently opposed to an agreement that would allow young people to move more freely between Europe and the UK - a measure that EU diplomats regard as key to unlocking more serious talks in the spring. Continue reading...

Australia's lack of transparency and funding leave it on the outer as researchers worldwide explore alternatives for training, study and testing

Israel's airstrike on Hezbollah's leadership in Lebanon has far-reaching implications for Tehran and WashingtonWhen Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, told reporters in New York on Friday that the coming days will determine the future path of the Middle East, he could not have been more prescient, even if at the time he was hoping that Hezbollah and Israel could be persuaded to step back from the brink.Now, with the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah confirmed killed, the region, after 11 months, has finally stepped over the brink and into a place it has truly never been before. Continue reading...

Conservative grandees at the conference in Birmingham fear that none of the candidates can unite the party's factionsSenior Tories are already predicting that whoever wins the Conservative leadership race is unlikely to survive until the next election, amid criticisms of a B-list" contest that risks taking the party farther to the right.Some veteran figures have decided to give this weekend's conference in Birmingham a miss, fearing the party has learned little from the complete loss of discipline that characterised its final years in government. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereRussia has filed pre-trial claims" against Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland over the Nord Stream pipeline explosions, accusing the West of trying to sweep the matter under the carpet", Reuters is reporting.The multi-billion dollar pipeline that carried natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea was ruptured by a series of blasts in September 2022, seven months after Russia invaded Ukraine. Continue reading...

Police hunting for suspects in attacks that took place in same neighbourhood in Eastern Cape provinceSeventeen people, including 15 women, have been killed in two mass shootings that took place close to each other in a rural town in South Africa, police said.A search was under way for the suspects, the national police spokesperson, Brig Athlenda Mathe, said in a statement on Saturday. One other person was in critical condition in the hospital, she added. Continue reading...

Days after floods hit, further heavy rain likely to cause travel delays and flooding from late Sunday afternoonWeather warnings have been issued as strong winds and heavy rain approach the UK, days after some areas were hit by flooding.The Met Office issued a yellow rain warning - meaning further heavy rain is likely to cause some travel delays and flooding - covering much of southern England and south Wales between 4pm on Sunday and 9am on Monday. Continue reading...

Foreign Office advises people to take next available flight as it tries to secure seats amid escalating violence

Self-styled image architect' helped turn Zendaya into a household name - and catapulted himself into the spotlightHe is the man behind some of the most memorable moments in fashion - but you have probably never heard of him.Law Roach is the 46-year-old stylist who put Celine Dion in a pink frothy millefeuille-esque coat on the cover of Vogue France, dressed the actor Hunter Schafer in little more than a feather at a 2023 Oscars party, and convinced the model Bella Hadid to wear solely vintage on the Cannes red carpet. Continue reading...

Prime minister says music was great joy' of his youth and he wants to reverse degrading of creative arts'His father - as we know - was a toolmaker, and he has spoken often of the pebble-dashed semi where he grew up. But when Keir Starmer addressed the Labour party conference this week it was a less familiar aspect of his childhood that he chose to highlight.One of the things that had given him great joy" as a child, as well as the football, obviously", was playing the flute, he told delegates in Liverpool. I don't think you were expecting that, were you?" Continue reading...

Six confirmed dead and 91 hurt but other reports claim hundreds killed as sources close to Hezbollah say Hassan Nasrallah is alive

Ex-president hails very good relationship' as Ukrainian leader says pair share common view' that Putin cannot winDonald Trump has met Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York in a high-stakes meeting at which the Ukrainian leader hoped to repair ties with the former US president.The two men met at Trump Tower on Friday amid a growing feud between Zelenskyy and Republicans that Ukraine fears could sabotage further US military aid if Trump wins in November. Continue reading...

Former This Morning presenter says he was so, so close' to taking his own life after scandal that saw him quit ITVPhillip Schofield has said he will be forever sorry" in his first television appearance in more than a year since his shock downfall.Schofield, now 62, quit ITV and admitted to having lied about an unwise, but not illegal" affair with a younger male colleague at This Morning last May. His agent parted ways with him and he has stayed out of the spotlight since. Continue reading...

Transport disrupted and more than 60 flood warnings still in place, with more downpours to comeThe Met Office has issued a weather warning for strong winds on Sunday as parts of the country recovered from heavy rain and flooding. Flooding disrupted rail services in England and Wales on Friday morning and led to the closure of the M5 motorway in both directions in Gloucestershire.The Environment Agency told drivers their cars could be swept away in as little as 30cm (12in) of water as more than 60 flood warnings were issued in England after heavy rain overnight, with further downpours to come. Continue reading...

Defence secretary to meet family of woman allegedly killed by soldier, as ITV airs documentary alleging fresh abusesThe army is to launch an inquiry into the behaviour of British troops posted to a military base in Kenya, after multiple allegations of serious abuses committed by soldiers, including rape and murder.The inquiry is to examine the conduct of military personnel posted to the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). It is where the soldier alleged to have murdered a Kenyan woman, Agnes Wanjiru, was posted at the time of her death in 2012. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Move signals change of policy that was causing health groups to withdraw from conferences and disquiet within media brand

South Korean skincare brands expected to follow country's music, film and TV exports in becoming blockbustersWe've had South Korean pop, film, fashion and food, and now the latest trend is K-beauty, with sales of Korean skincare brands taking off in the UK as consumers are seduced by products that promise to conjure a radiant complexion.Britons are cutting back in other areas, but they are still chasing what the beauty industry describes as the glass skin" look, with retailers reporting a rise in spending on high-end skincare. Continue reading...

Neither prosecution nor defence asked for material evidence to be examined in case of US journalist, judge saysThe Russian judge who convicted the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has said the trial was short because it did not examine any material evidence" and the verdict did not take long because he could type quickly".The case itself was small. I don't remember how many folders there were - three or five," said Andrei Mineyev, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. Continue reading...

Trump booster's company promotion offers pillows for $14.88, which some see as a reference to a white supremacist sloganThe MyPillow company and its founder, Mike Lindell, a far-right influencer and acolyte of Donald Trump, are continuing to run a promotion despite criticism that it utilizes numerical symbols associated with neo-Nazism.The company has been touting a promotion for a pillow with a sale price of $14.88 and it was still on offer on Friday morning. Continue reading...

Mohamed al-Menfi defends dismissal of previous governor and says deal will bring back international accountabilityA deal backed by leaders on both sides of Libya's political divide to appoint a new central bank governor has the potential to resolve all the political issues" in the country, Libya's head of state has said.Mohamed al-Menfi, the president of Libya's Presidential Council who is largely aligned with the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, was accused of acting unilaterally and propelling the country into fresh turmoil when in August he dismissed the previous long-serving bank governor, Sadiq al-Kabir, who then fled into exile. Continue reading...

Amanda Burton tells inquiry Nick Read seemed overly interested in remuneration given Horizon scandalThe chair of the Post Office's remuneration committee has said she was surprised at how frequently the firm's boss, Nick Read, asked about his pay and bonuses, given the pressure the organisation was under due to the ongoing fallout of the Horizon IT scandal.Amanda Burton, who joined the board of the Post Office as a non-executive director last April, was asked at the public inquiry into the scandal about testimony into Read's so-called obsession" with his pay. Continue reading...

Survey findings are despite black men being twice as likely to develop the disease than overall populationNearly two-thirds (62%) of black people in the UK believe racial discrimination has prevented them or a loved one from accessing a prostate cancer test, a survey has found, despite black men having twice the risk of developing the disease than the overall adult male population.A PSA test measures the level of the protein prostate-specific antigen in the blood, and may be able to detect prostate cancer in its early stages. Continue reading...

Tension between the Israeli PM and the UN has never been so high, but his behaviour over the Lebanon ceasefire has given him a bigger problem

Australian group calls on Rightmove board to engage now' after fourth offer for UK online property portalRupert Murdoch's REA Group has made a fourth attempt to buy Rightmove, increasing its offer to 6.2bn as it steps up its pursuit of the UK's largest online property portal.The Australian property group, which is controlled by News Corp, raised its cash and shares offer from the 6.1bn offered earlier this week and called on Rightmove's board to engage now" after it repeatedly refused to meet the suitor. Continue reading...

Twin statements by Israeli PM appear to wrongfoot US officials ahead of his speech at UN general assembly

Britain's youngest knife murderers, aged 12 when they attacked Shawn Seesahai last year, given life sentencesThe youngest knife murderers in the UK, who were 12 years old when they attacked an utterly defenceless" man with a machete in a park, have been sentenced to life with minimum terms of eight years and six months.Shawn Seesahai, 19, was killed by the two boys during a confrontation over a park bench in Wolverhampton on 13 November last year. Continue reading...

Chancellor says Treasury will be pragmatic, not ideological' amid claims the policy would not raise predicted 2.6bn

Search prompted weeks of speculation and multiple conspiracy theories on social mediaThe partner of Nicola Bulley has described the online obsession with her disappearance as a monster" that got out of control.Paul Ansell said his family initially welcomed the huge public interest after the mother of two vanished while walking her dog in Lancashire in January last year. However, Bulley's disappearance quickly grabbed the attention of would-be sleuths on social media who began posting misleading theories about what had happened. Continue reading...