World news | The Guardian

Stores in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT affected as industrial action by up to 1,500 employees stretches into second week

Jan Davidsz de Heem's four paintings of sumptuous food and luxury objects were produced as seriesA quartet of influential still lifes from the Dutch artist Jan Davidsz de Heem will go on display together for the first time since the 17th century at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.The four paintings were produced as part of a series by De Heem, who is considered to be a master of pronkstilleven - a style of ornate still life painting - during the Dutch golden age, depicting displays of sumptuous food and luxurious objects. Continue reading...

Insurgents had recaptured territory around Syria's second city with civilians including children killed in fightingIslamist insurgents have entered Syria's second city of Aleppo in a shock assault, eight years after forces loyal to Damascus seized control of the city.Fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began a major offensive earlier this week from their base in the Idlib countryside, a slim strip of land in Syria's north-west. It took only three days for the fighting to reach Aleppo, with insurgents capturing territory around the city's outskirts for the first time in four years as Syrian government forces pummelled rebel-held areas. Continue reading...

Recently elected PM Navin Ramgoolam tells parliament contents of negotiations unknown' to new governmentThe Mauritian prime minister has asked for an independent review of the Chagos Islands deal with the UK, according to parliamentary records.According to the Mauritian parliament Hansard record, the new prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, said during a session on Friday: I wish to inform the house that I have asked for an independent review of the confidential draft agreement agreed so far." Continue reading...

Abrupt' announcement will affect many women who have been planning their conception journeys to begin in early 2025, provider says

About 200 passengers, mostly women, were on vessel that sunk in Niger RiverAt least 27 people have died and more than 100 are missing after a boat capsized in northern Nigeria, authorities have said.About 200 passengers were on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to neighbouring state of Niger when it capsized on the Niger River, the Niger state emergency management agency spokesperson, Ibrahim Audu, told the Associated Press. Continue reading...

Litigants say AI company used their articles to train its popular ChatGPT software without authorizationCanada's major news organizations have sued tech firm OpenAI for potentially billions of dollars, alleging the company is strip-mining journalism" and unjustly enriching itself by using news articles to train its popular ChatGPT software.The suit, filed on Friday in Ontario's superior court of justice, calls for punitive damages, a share of profits made by OpenAI from using the news organizations' articles, and an injunction barring the San Francisco-based company from using any of the news articles in the future. Continue reading...

Police officer inadvertently disclosed identities and contact details in email update to alleged victimsThe Metropolitan police revealed the names of alleged victims of the Westminster honeytrap" scandal in an accidentally sent email, it has emerged.A police officer emailed some alleged victims updating them on the case, which is due to be heard in court, but inadvertently revealed their names and contact details to each other. Continue reading...

Terminally ill adults with less than six months to live will be given right to die under proposed legislation

All-star version of Do They Know It's Christmas?, spliced together from previous versions, falls short of the No 1 success of those earlier hitsThe 40th anniversary version of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? has failed to enter this week's Top 40, reaching No 45.The new version of the song was made up of performances spliced together from three previous versions, in an arrangement by producer Trevor Horn. But despite featuring the unusual A-list juxtaposition of George Michael, Sinead O'Connor, Chris Martin, One Direction and more, the new version has not yet matched the success of its predecessors, which each went straight to No 1 in 1984, 2004 and 2014. Continue reading...

Social workers declined to provide short-term foster care for Mazeedat Adeoye whose mother had overstayed visaA two-year-old girl who drowned in a bin containing 9cm of water in a back garden in east London was a victim of gross failures" largely by social workers, a coroner has concluded at an inquest.At the time of her death, Mazeedat Adeoye was being cared for in Dagenham by an acquaintance of her mother, Balikis Adeoye, who had to stay in hospital with Mazeedat's baby brother when he required urgent heart surgery. Continue reading...

Court has ordered recount of vote won by far-right candidate and will decide whether it needs to be rerunRomania's constitutional court has deferred a decision on whether to annul the first-round vote in the country's presidential election until Monday, a day after parliamentary elections in which far-right parties are forecast to post major gains.The court, which had already ordered a recount, considered for two hours on Friday a request to annul the 24 November vote, which was won by Clin Georgescu, a far-right, Moscow-friendly independent who had previously been polling at barely 5%. Continue reading...

Paul Anderson faces allegations he made offensive and discriminatory comments in addition to earlier misconduct claimsA former chief constable is under investigation over claims he made offensive and discriminatory remarks, including one allegedly at an event to combat violence against women and girls, the Guardian has learned.Paul Anderson retired in June from his post as chief constable of Humberside police. His departure was announced just 10 months after taking the role and he was placed under investigation by the police watchdog. Continue reading...

Holly Cairns announces birth of daughter on day of Ireland's general election

Child safety experts say similar move in Britain would penalise young people for the failings of tech companies

First step to bill becoming law in England and Wales is over, with much greater scrutiny to take place next year UK politics live - latest updatesFriday's vote by British MPs in favour of legalising assisted dying is the first step towards landmark legislation that would mean terminally ill adults wishing to end their lives can legally be helped to do so in England and Wales for the first time.The vote passed by 330 votes to 275, a clear but not overwhelming margin, reflecting the often passionately held positions on each side of the debate. Continue reading...

Designers must commit to ditching skins of animals such as crocodiles and snakes from 2025London fashion week has become the first of the four main fashion weeks to ban exotic animal skins from shows from 2025 - the biggest industry event to do so.All designers staging fashion shows at the event will have to commit to ditching skins of animals such as crocodiles, alligators and snakes from their collections. Continue reading...

Talks held in Geneva as Iran looks to avoid potential snapback of UN sanctions over nuclear programmeIran and the so-called E3 grouping of the UK, France and Germany have agreed to continue holding talks in the near future in an attempt to find a way out of an impasse over Tehran's nuclear programme, in what may be the last chance of a breakthrough before Donald Trump takes up the US presidency again.Trump, who pursued a policy of maximum economic pressure" against Iran during his first term, returns to the White House on 20 January. Continue reading...

Interior ministry says 43 arrested as thousands take to streets over fears government is steering country towards RussiaPolice have clashed with protesters in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, after the country's ruling party said the government would suspend talks on EU accession until 2028.The interior ministry on Friday reported the arrest of 43 protesters, with three police officers injured, two of whom were taken to hospital. Continue reading...

Investigation into incident found tactic to be lawful and necessary to prevent harm to the public and property'A Surrey police officer who rammed into a calf in the summer will return to frontline duties after the conclusion of an internal investigation, the force have said.The investigation into the incident found the tactic to be both lawful and necessary to prevent harm to the public and property". Continue reading...

More than 20 years after child was born, inquiry hears, woman found out truth about Bob Lambert in newspaperA woman has been absolutely ruined" after discovering by chance that the father of her son was an undercover police officer, more than two decades after their child was born, a public inquiry has heard.The woman, known as Jacqui, described how the undercover officer, Bob Lambert, fathered their son and then vanished two years after his birth, claiming to be on the run from the police. Continue reading...

Presenter denies allegations of harassment, including claim he made lesbian jokes constantly' and discussed spankingGregg Wallace has been accused of highly inappropriate" behaviour including making lesbian jokes constantly", regularly discussing spanking and threesomes, and making sexually explicit comments while filming programmes, multiple sources have said.Further details of the allegations facing the MasterChef host have emerged since the announcement on Thursday that he was stepping away from his role after the BBC received complaints about alleged misconduct.A man who worked on Big Weekends and other travel shows between 2019 and 2022 said Wallace talked about threesomes with sex workers and said he loves spanking" multiple times a day.A woman who worked on MasterChef in 2019 said Wallace talked about his sex life and had asked if her boyfriend had a nice bottom.A woman on the BBC Good Food Show in 2010 said Wallace stared at her chest.A woman on Eat Well for Less in 2019 said Wallace told her he wasn't wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.A man who worked on MasterChef in 2005-06 said Wallace regularly made sexually explicit comments on set. He said Wallace once said a dish tasted like his aunt's vagina, and on another occasion had asked a female runner if she put her finger up her boyfriend's bottom. Continue reading...

French president tours medieval cathedral in Paris to view restoration after devastating 2019 fireThe restoration of Paris's Notre Dame after its partial destruction by fire five years ago will give the world a shock of hope", Emmanuel Macron has said as he marked the medieval cathedral's imminent reopening with a televised walking tour.Alongside his wife, Brigitte, and the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, the French president was shown around the rebuilt medieval cathedral on Friday morning by Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of France's national monuments. Continue reading...

Dong Yuyu was detained in 2022 after meeting Japanese diplomats named agents of espionage organisation'A veteran Chinese state media journalist has been sentenced by a Beijing court to seven years in prison on espionage charges, his family has said.Dong Yuyu, a senior columnist at the Communist party newspaper Guangming Daily, was detained in February 2022 along with a Japanese diplomat at a Beijing restaurant. Continue reading...

Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein all on about 20% in opinion polls after short, sharp campaign

Critics say the bill is too flawed and question whether the NHS is ready for impact of such a change in the law

Armengol to replace Robin Bulloch in 2025 but owner Sabadell faces $13bn hostile takeover bid by BBVATSB has appointed the former executive Marc Armengol as its new chief executive as the bank faces uncertainty over its future, with its parent company facing a hostile $13bn (10.2bn) takeover bid.Armengol, a former strategy director at TSB who has served on the board since 2022, originally joined the UK bank's Spanish owner Sabadell in 2002. He will take over as CEO at the start of 2025. Continue reading...

Appeal launched to identify woman who was found by member of the public in River Mersey in MarchPolice have released a facial reconstruction of a woman who was found in a river in Manchester eight months ago but whose identity remains a mystery.The body of the woman, wearing a neon-green Primark crop-top and New Look jeans, was found by a member of the public in the River Mersey at Chorlton Water Park on 21 March. Continue reading...

Ronald Greentree and his company Auen Grain cleared 1,262 hectares of land home to 30 threatened species, NSW government saysThe former graincorp chair and prominent wheat farmer Ronald Greentree has been handed a record fine of more than $1m for illegal land-clearing in the north-west of New South Wales.

But the Sydney hospitality giant, which operates more than 90 bars, restaurants and hotels, didn't admit any liability in relation to the claims

Rescuers in Sumatra search for people trapped in cars after landslide triggered by torrential rainfallLast week, torrential rainfall across Indonesia's largest island, Sumatra, triggered flash floods and landslides, causing widespread destruction. Twenty people died earlier this week in four areas in North Sumatra province amid flash floods and landslides. On Thursday morning, another devastating landslide claimed seven more lives. This landslide struck the main access route between Medan, the provincial capital, and surrounding regions, burying vehicles - including a tourist bus - in mud, rocks and trees. More than 10 people were injured and rushed to the nearest hospital in Medan. Rescue efforts are continuing, with several vehicles still trapped in the debris. North Sumatra's traffic director estimated it may take up to two days to evacuate those affected.Flash floods and landslides are a frequent occurrence in Indonesia owing to seasonal rainfall from October to March, caused by the Asia-Australia monsoon circulation system. This phenomenon causes wind to blow from Asia to Australia, bringing increased water vapour and consequential rainfall to Indonesia. Teleconnections such as El Nino-Southern Oscillation can also influence rainfall patterns, with the likely upcoming La Nina phase expected to bring further extreme weather by the end of the year, intensifying the risk of flooding and landslides as sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean drop below average and easterly trade winds strengthen, pushing additional moisture into the region. Continue reading...

NSW police officer who fatally shot 95-year-old with Taser extends thoughts and prayers' to Nowland family after manslaughter verdict

Former Liverpool manager's rented home fends off 27-bedroom manor house as website's most-viewed propertyA home fit for football royalty and a grade-I listed abbey are among this year's most-viewed properties on the listing website Rightmove.Jurgen Klopp left his job as manager of Liverpool in May, and in October the six-bedroom home he was renting from the Merseyside club was put on the market at an asking price of 4.25m. Continue reading...

Ban comes after two Australian teenagers, two Danish citizens, an American and a Briton became ill, and later died, after drinking in Vang Vieng

Authorities warn it's too late to leave some areas after bushfire in the Shire of Dandaragan cuts evacuation routes

Trees of hope' will be planted across the UK, including at a prison and a children's hospital, in National Trust schemeSaplings from the felled Sycamore Gap tree are to be planted across the UK, including next to one of London's most famous roads, at a rural category C prison and at a motor neurone disease centre opening in the name of the late rugby league star Rob Burrow.The National Trust on Friday announced the recipients of 49 saplings it has called trees of hope". Continue reading...

Vote expected on Friday afternoon, as those running campaigns for and against say it is too close to callMPs are hours away from deciding whether to legalise assisted dying for those with less than six months to live, in a knife-edge historic vote.The private member's bill, brought by the Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, will be debated from 9.30am on Friday in the House of Commons with a vote expected at about 2.30pm. Continue reading...

Recent attack on trucks carrying flour has deprived starving civilians of food as territory teeters on edge of famineAid officials and witnesses have described the chaotic and violent moments when a huge convoy carrying enough flour to bake bread for two-thirds of the population of Gaza for a week was looted this month.The officials made clear the attack was undertaken by groups of criminals, not civilians who were now being deprived of food in a territory close to famine. Continue reading...

One independent MP calls bill - which passed on Thursday - a 1970 solution for a 2024 problem'Social media company Meta has accused the Australian government of rushing to introduce an under-16 social media ban without properly considering the evidence and voices of young people.But Australian politicians who supported the world-first legislation argue it is necessary to ensure another generation of teenagers do not experience as much damaging content" in years to come. Continue reading...

Interim report into the October disaster blames human error, saying HMNZS Manawanui's autopilot was not disengaged when it should have been'A series of human errors caused a New Zealand navy ship to plough into a reef off the coast of Samoa, where it caught fire and sank, according to the preliminary findings of a military court of inquiry into the disaster.The ship's crew did not realise the autopilot was engaged, believed something else had gone wrong with the ship, and did not check that the HMNZS Manawanui was under manual control as it maintained course towards land, a summary of the inquiry's first report published on Friday said. The full report has not been made public. Continue reading...

PM trumpets social media ban for under-16s, housing package and Future Made in Australia bill, saying government is getting things done'

Transport secretary was mugged in 2013 and incorrectly included work phone on list given to police of stolen itemsThe transport secretary has a conviction for fraud by misrepresentation after wrongly reporting her work mobile phone stolen in 2013, it has emerged.Louise Haigh was convicted by Camberwell Green magistrates and given a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to an offence in connection with misleading the police. Continue reading...

PM says previous government deliberately liberalised' post-Brexit immigration as he announces deal with IraqKeir Starmer has accused the Conservatives of running an open borders experiment" after new figures showed that net migration to the UK hit a record high of nearly 1 million in a period covering Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak's administrations.The prime minister announced a deal with Iraq to tackle people-smugglers and a white paper to overhaul the visa system, before demanding an explanation" from Kemi Badenoch for her party's decision to deliberately liberalise immigration" after the Brexit vote. Continue reading...

Opposition groups in north-west have launched biggest push in years against government forcesJihadist fighters have cut the Damascus to Aleppo highway during an offensive that a monitor says killed about 200, including civilians hit by Russian air force strikes.On Wednesday, the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions launched a surprise attack on government-held areas of northern Aleppo province, triggering the fiercest fighting in years, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Continue reading...

Jim Colwell, who is acting in the role after suspension of predecessor, is also being investigated in another matterThe acting chief constable of Devon and Cornwall has been suspended from his 180,000-a-year job over claims he misused his work phone, 18 months after his predecessor was also suspended.Jim Colwell has been placed under investigation for gross misconduct by the police watchdog, triggering fears that the force in south-west England may go into freefall", according to one senior policing source. Continue reading...

Court told Bulgarian nationals surveilled targets including a journalist linked to Russian dissident Alexei NavalnyA sophisticated" UK-based spy ring passed secrets to Russia for nearly three years and gathered information on targets across Europe, a court has heard.Three Bulgarian nationals - Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39 - allegedly carried out surveillance on individuals and places of interest to Russia. Continue reading...

Lawyer for Syrians who sued Doha Bank alleges kidnap threats and tracking devices used to thwart his clients' caseAgents working for Qatar threatened witnesses and issued bribes to thwart an alleged terror funding case brought in London and to avoid derailing the Gulf state's hosting of the 2022 Fifa World Cup, a court has heard.Eight Syrian refugees were attempting to sue Doha Bank claiming that it knowingly facilitated the transfer of funds to al-Nusra Front, a jihadist group that controlled part of northern Syria, which forced them to flee for their lives overseas. Continue reading...

Teaching assistants and other workers regularly experience physical and verbal abuse, Unison saysTeaching assistants, librarians and catering workers are on the frontline of England's school behaviour crisis, facing daily abuse for low pay and long hours, according to a union representing school support staff.A survey of more than 7,000 Unison members working in schools found that one in three said they were verbally abused every day, while many said they had recently witnessed violence including kicking, pushing and throwing objects. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester police ask for help identifying child's mother who may require medical assistance'A baby whose body was found last week on the edge of a snow-covered field in Salford was a newborn girl, police have said.Greater Manchester police (GMP) said the girl had now been named Ava and they renewed an appeal for the child's mother, family or anyone with information to come forward. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereHere is a chart from the ONS report illustrating the latest figures.Here is the PA Media story on the figures.Net migration to the UK hit a higher than previously thought record of 906,000 in the year to June 2023, revised official estimates show.The measure for the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving the country then dropped by 20% in the latest period, the 12 months to June 2024, and now stands at 728,000. Continue reading...