World news | The Guardian

Alasdair Buchan, who directed his version aged 11 in 1997, will play mysterious stranger in long-running whodunnitAs the curtain falls on every performance of The Mousetrap, the world's longest-running play, applauding audience members are famously urged not to go on to reveal the secret solution to the murder mystery.This autumn, however, a fresh element of intrigue has been added to the plot of Agatha Christie's enduring hit, which first opened in 1952 at Nottingham's Theatre Royal. Continue reading...

Ending tax exemption for private education has not led to influx at selective secondaries predicted by criticsClaims that England's grammars will be swamped" in September by pupils priced out of private schools by VAT on fees are unfounded, data frommore than half of selective state schools suggests.The number of children registered to sit the 11-plus entrance tests for grammar schools next September hasfallen slightly compared withlastyear. Continue reading...

World Health Organization declared outbreak in central and east Africa a global emergency two months agoAuthorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have begun vaccination against mpox, nearly two months after the disease outbreak that spread to several countries was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization.Some of the 265,000 doses donated to the DRC by the EU and the US were administered in the eastern city of Goma in North Kivu province, where hospitals and health workers have been overstretched, struggling to contain the new and possibly more infectious strain of mpox. Continue reading...

Women and men march in village where Pelicot's husband is accused of drugging her and inviting men to assault herA silent march took place in support of Gisele Pelicot and other female victims of sexual violence on Saturday in Mazan, the village where Pelicot's husband is accused of drugging her and inviting more than 80 men to assault her at their home.Hundreds of women and men turned out in solidarity with the woman at the centre of a case that has shocked the world. Members of the Pelicot family did not attend but said they appreciated the public support. Continue reading...

Healthcare workers have been displaced and paramedics killed in the south of the country

Unions have welcomed plans to grant sick and maternity pay and protection against unfair dismissal from first day in a jobWorkers' representatives have welcomed UK government plans to give greater rights to millions, amid reports ministers are about to bring forward a bill to grant sick pay, maternity pay and protection against unfair dismissal from an employee's first day in the job.Ministers have set themselves an ambitious timetable to introduce a law to deliver a once-in-a-generation" overhaul of employment rights within 100 days of taking office, and it is reported a bill will be brought forward next week to start that process. Continue reading...

Military also ordering civilians in two Gaza camps to evacuate, while operations in Lebanon continue to ramp up

Young child reportedly found on overcrowded boat trying to cross Channel, hours after G7 countries agree plan to combat smuggling gangsA child was reported to be among several people who died attempting to cross the Channel overnight, according to French officials.The French interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, suggested the child had been trampled to death" on a boat. Continue reading...

Items belonging to missing 34-year-old, last seen in Malton on Monday, have been found close to River DerwentThe family of a woman who went missing five days ago have appealed to volunteers not to put themselves at risk as the search for her continues.Victoria Taylor, 34, was last seen at 9am on Monday at her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, police said. A CCTV still of her at a garage in the town later that morning has been released. Continue reading...

The party has plans to prevent cars from hogging the city's walkways, but expect a backlash from motoristsIsmail Mohammad pushes a buggy down the centre of a narrow road in east Bristol. His two sons stay close as vehicles could come from either direction at any moment. There are cars [parked] on the pavement. We have to go on the road," says Mohammad as he hurries to the boys' primary school in Easton. It's dangerous because cars sometimes come fast through here."This is the daily gauntlet run by parents of young children and by disabled people in many parts of the inner city, where tightly packed Victorian streets struggle to accommodate lines of parked cars, camper vans and ever-expanding SUVs. Continue reading...

Party figures say frontrunner will be brought down by the right if he tries to move to more moderate groundRobert Jenrick will be toppled by the Tory party's right wing should he attempt to pivot to the centre ground if installed as leader, senior Conservatives have warned.Jenrick, who remains the frontrunner for the job after the party's conference in Birmingham, has won support from the right with a series of uncompromising stances. He has said he would welcome Nigel Farage into the party, leave the European convention on human rights and vote for Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Collision of two trains in west London killed 31 people and was one of worst rail disasters in recent UK historyFamilies bereaved by the Ladbroke Grove rail disaster have laid flowers to remember those killed, and to recognise those who came to their aid, 25 years after the crash that killed 31 people.The disaster, one of the most catastrophic rail incidents in recent UK history, also left more than 220 injured. A rush-hour train collided almost head-on with a high-speed train about 2 miles from Paddington station in west London, shortly after 8am on 5 October 1999. Continue reading...

Private Eye host says police asked if anyone might have a grudge' against him after window shattered on London cabThe Private Eye editor, Ian Hislop, has laughed off an incident in which the window of a taxi he was travelling in was shattered by what was initially believed to be a gunshot.Hislop, 64, offered a lighthearted response to the incident on Friday's edition of Have I Got News For You on the BBC. Continue reading...

American musician and actor will not play his UK and Ireland dates as he recovers from scheduled surgeryDonald Glover has cancelled the remaining dates on his Childish Gambino tour after scheduling surgery for an ailment".The American actor, rapper and singer was due to head to the UK in November and early December to perform in Manchester, Glasgow, London and Birmingham, as well as Dublin in Ireland. Glover had already postponed the remainder of his North American tour to focus on his physical health". Continue reading...

Health leaders tell government to follow Scotland and Wales on cost of cheap booze after Darzi report on death tollMinisters are facing pressure to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol after Lord Darzi's investigation into the NHS highlighted the alarming" death toll in England caused by cheap drink.Public health leaders are this weekend calling for urgent action to increase the price of cheap alcohol in supermarkets and off-licences. A two-litre bottle of cider can be bought in England for under 2, which equates to 22p per unit of alcohol. Continue reading...

Adam Skindzier, 44, from Netherton area of Merseyside, last seen with six-month-old Nathan on Friday afternoonPolice are searching for a 44-year-old man who has gone missing with his six-month-old son.Adam Skindzier, who is from the Netherton in Merseyside, was last seen with his son, Nathan, at about 4pm on Friday, police said. Skindzier, who is Polish, is believed to be driving a black Mercedes. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary and PM call on nationals and their dependants to evacuate on Sunday's flight, the last one scheduled for now

Questions raised over potential eligibility, while body representing palliative care staff opposes law changeProposals to give terminally ill people in England and Wales the right to choose to end their life will be considered by MPs this month. While the public debate about moral arguments, doctors are considering the practical reality of assisted dying, as a historic change to the law appears an increasingly likely prospect.As public opinion on the issue has shifted in the past decade, so too has the medical perspective. In 2021 the British Medical Association voted in favour of changing its position on assisted dying from opposition to a change in the law to neutrality. Many doctors are swayed by the argument that patients should have freedom over their own bodies, including how they die when they are terminally ill. Others have ethical and pragmatic concerns or worry about how assisted dying could affect access to palliative care at a time when health inequalities are already rife. Continue reading...

NHS checks are expected to reach about 18,000 students with disabilities and additional needsYoung people with disabilities and additional needs in residential schools and colleges will soon be offered free NHS hearing, dental and eyesight checks.NHS sensory checks that were piloted by the government in 2022 and 2023 will be rolled out to educational facilities across England from next year. Continue reading...

Since their appearance together at the Venice film festival, there has been much speculation about the pairAs the A-list stars assembled at the Venice film festival this autumn, there were few there more famous than Angelina Jolie, who generated Oscar buzz for her performance in Pablo Larrain's biopic of Maria Callas.But one of the most intriguing subplots didn't take place on the big screen - in the audience at the film's premiere, as a guest of Jolie, was Akala - the rapper, author and activist. Continue reading...

Jedidajah Otte accuses London NHS trust of dishonesty' over three-month-old Aviva's death and infected baby feedA grieving mother has told an inquest how secretive, evasive and patronising" behaviour by NHS staff was traumatic" and led to her spending years seeking the truth about her daughter's death.Jedidajah Otte told how she encountered a stubborn refusal" by doctors and nurses at St Thomas' hospital in London to tell her what was happening with three-month-old Aviva's health. Continue reading...

Explosions and smoke reported in capital early on Saturday while Hezbollah says clashes continue with Israeli troops in Lebanon border area

Former British prime minister also criticises the Bank of England and bureaucrats in speech at rightwing conference in Brisbane

Bureau of Meteorology says temperatures should reach high 20s in NSW and Queensland over the weekend, while Victoria can expect showers

Two charter flights are expected to fly out of Beirut on Saturday as list of people seeking to leave grows

Maugein owner blames competition from China and Covid pandemic for firm's demise, but former French president says there is hopeIts distinctive sound has provided the soundtrack for some of France's most recognisable cultural classics, from Parisian dance halls to the film Amelie and the songs of Edith Piaf. It has even been played by a former president.But it seems the traditional French-made accordeon a bretelles (strap accordion) has been squeezed out of existence after Maugein, the country's last manufacturer, was forced into liquidation after 105 years of making the instrument, known as the poor person's piano". Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. Our latest live blog is here. See all our Middle East crisis coverageThe Israeli military launched a series of strikes on southern Beirut on Thursday night, in one of the most intense bombardments on the city since the campaign began last week.A source close to Hezbollah told the AFP news agency that Israel had conducted 11 consecutive strikes on the group's stronghold in the Lebanese capital. Continue reading...

Police say the man was reported missing last year and alleged his body was cut up with power tools to hide the remains

Bank-owned ATM numbers are down almost 60%, with many spots now taken by privately-owned machines charging about $3 per withdrawal

Met Office warns of unsettled weather as tail end of extreme category 4 storm sweeps towards northwest EuropeBritons may have to brace for a blast of wind and rain next week as the tail end of Hurricane Kirk passes by.The Met Office warned of unsettled weather over the weekend, before potentially disruptive conditions from midweek brought about by the remnant of the extreme storm as it sweeps towards north-west Europe. Continue reading...

In rare public address, supreme leader defends missile attack on Israel and makes appeal for Muslim unityIran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed that Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza will re-emerge strongly with new leaders, as an Israeli airstrike cut Lebanon's main route to Syria.In a rare public sermon in front of tens of thousands in Tehran on Friday, Khamenei defended the legal and legitimate" ballistic missile attack on Israel this week that Iran has said was in retaliation for the deaths of the Hezbollah secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, and the Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh. Continue reading...

Beth Rigby's withdrawal after not being allowed to record conversation follows BBC cancellation over notes gaffeSky News has pulled out of an interview with Boris Johnson after its political editor was told she could not make an audio recording or transcript of the talk.The former prime minister had promised to reveal what really happened during my time as [London] mayor, foreign secretary and PM" during the conversation next week as he promotes his memoir Unleashed. Johnson's interview with the BBC was dropped earlier this week after the presenter Laura Kuenssberg mistakenly sent him her briefing notes. Continue reading...

Mexico argues negligence from makers such as Colt and Glock has led to gun trafficking to drug cartels and criminalsThe US supreme court said on Friday it will decide whether to block a $10bn lawsuit Mexico filed against US gun manufacturers and distributors that argues that their negligent and illegal commercial practices have unleashed bloodshed in the country.The lawsuit, filed in Boston in August, names Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Beretta, Colt and Glock, as well as Boston-area wholesaler Interstate Arms. Continue reading...

Campbell accepts her accountability', says spokesperson after watchdog's scathing report about Fashion for ReliefNaomi Campbell has admitted she failed in her duties as a trustee at the Fashion for Relief charity she founded - but has insisted she never engaged in financial misconduct or used the charity for personal gain during its chaotic nine-year existence.Campbell was last week banned from running a charity for five years after a scathing report found she and her two fellow trustees were culpable for multiple incidents of serious misconduct and financial mismanagement. Continue reading...

PM says deal has secured future of US-UK military base as Conservative leadership hopefuls play blame gameKeir Starmer has defended giving up UK control of the Chagos Islands, as the decision has descended into a political blame game among Conservative leadership candidates.The prime minister said the agreement with Mauritius over the islands would secure the long-term future of a joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, which he deemed as the single most important thing". Continue reading...

Helen Holland was killed in collision with motorcycle that was part of escort for Duchess of EdinburghA police officer has been charged over the death of an 81-year-old woman who was killed in a collision with a motorcycle that was part of an escort for the Duchess of Edinburgh.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Friday it had charged Christopher Harrison, 67, with causing death by careless driving following a review of the evidence provided by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Continue reading...

Palestinian security services say attack on Tulkarm refugee camp is deadliest in the territory for 24 years

Ben Key confirms several personnel have been sacked, demoted or disciplined as a result of investigationsThe head of the Royal Navy has issued an unreserved apology for intolerable" misogyny in the Submarine Service, after a series of investigations across the navy exposed sexual harassment, bullying and assault of women within its ranks.First Sea Lord Adm Sir Ben Key said he was truly sorry" to the women who had suffered misogyny, bullying and other unacceptable behaviours" while serving their country. We must be better than this and do better than we have," he said.Senior figures forced juniors to tell them shagging dits', or personal sexual stories.Sniffing", the practice of following the few women around, was rife", with women seen as legitimate targets".At least" one report of rape.Those in command forced juniors to show them sports photos", compromising pictures of their partners, before allowing them to leave the room.Women's underwear going missing. Continue reading...

Thousands have been raised for site to commemorate victims of Satanic panic in 15th to 17th centuriesThree feminist campaigners in the Netherlands want to reclaim the insult witch" and recognise the innocent victims of Dutch witch-hunts from the 15th to the 17th centuries with a national monument.Susan Smit, Bregje Hofstede and Manja Bedner, the chair and board members of the National Witches Monument foundation, have raised 35,000 (29,000) for an official site of memory for about 70,000 people who died during a Satanic panic that swept Europe and the Americas. Continue reading...

Tim Martin criticises schooner suggestion and urges UK government not to restrict pub licensing hoursThe boss of Wetherspoon's has urged the UK government not to heed calls to restrict pub licensing hours or swap pint glasses for smaller schooners, arguing that pubs have changed radically in recent decades".Amid reports, denied by the health department, of moves to cut alcohol consumption, Tim Martin, the pub chain's chief executive, said the industry had moved away from a focus purely on beer, and Pepsi, tea and coffee were now the most popular drinks in his establishments. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Guardian Australia found Coalition politicians cited the 24-hour figure in interviews on at least 12 occasions in August

McBride has appealed his jail sentence of five years and eight months claiming he blew the whistle on the unequal application of the law' by the ADF

PM is seeking input on the impacts of phone bans in schools and ideas to maintain the social connection of kids

Survey by Independent Schools Council finds UK pupil numbers down 1.7% compared with 2023Private schools say the impending addition of VAT to school fees is a big factor in the drop in pupil numbers this year, ahead of the cost of living and the falling national birthrate.The Independent Schools Council (ISC) said a survey of 1,185 member schools in the UK found their rolls fell by 1.7% when the school year started last month, compared with 2023. Continue reading...

PM says deal ensures continuation of UK-US military base on the islands and has been welcomed with warm words' by USJonathan Powell, who was leading negotiations for the new government with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands, offered a robust defence of the government's agreement in media appearances this morning.Saying it had been a long process, involving 13 rounds of negotiations, he pointed out that 11 of them had been under the previous Conservative government, and singled out Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly for praise, saying I think he deserves credit for starting those negotiations and leading them enthusiastically for quite a long time."The Americans have been intimately involved in the negotiations. Every single sentence and paragraph has been through an interagency process, all of the process, all of the agencies in Washington, we've agreed to all of it and secured all of their red lines in that negotiation.I will be voting for the assisted dying Bill. Obviously it will be a free vote for Members of Parliament. These are very complex and difficult issues and there are very respectable views on both sides.For my part, I know there are people who are in the late stages of terminal illnesses, and I think the current situation is rather cruel actually. Continue reading...

Independent MP Shockat Adam says his election exposed the chasm' between politicians and constituentsWhen Shockat Adam, the newly elected independent MP for Leicester South, addressed his supporters at the July election count, he brought his speech to an end with a dedication - not to the constituents of the East Midlands city he now represents, but to people more than 2,000 miles away.This is for the people of Gaza", he said, holding a Palestinian keffiyeh aloft. Continue reading...

Network Rail promises to turn round station after criticism from passengers and watchdogs

Trial forms part of government plans to expedite referrals for patients with cancer symptomsWomen who are concerned about lumps in their breasts will be able to book an appointment to see a specialist via the NHS app, without seeing a GP first, in a pilot scheme aimed at speeding up cancer diagnoses.Wes Streeting, the health secretary, announced the move in a speech to hundreds of family doctors at the Royal College of General Practitioners' (RCGP) annual conference in Liverpool on Friday. Continue reading...

Decision opposed by five countries including Germany, where car firms say it could be fatal' blow for industry

Reports suggest strikes were targeting Hashem Safieddine, seen as most likely candidate to replace Hassan Nasrallah