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Tony Hall urges government to bolster BBC's independence as MPs and union seek Robbie Gibb's removal from boardTim Davie's predecessor as BBC director general is leading calls to end political appointments to the broadcaster's board amid concerns over the influence of Robbie Gibb.Tony Hall said political involvement needed to be removed from appointing the members of the board and its chair. Continue reading...

Previous claims against BBC Breakfast presenter have been escalated to full investigation, according to the SunThe BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty is reportedly being formally investigated over allegations of bullying.It follows previous claims of bullying against the 50-year-old broadcaster on the programme, which have now been escalated to a full investigation, according to the Sun. Continue reading...

Switch in budget plan causes cost of UK government borrowing to rise by the most in a single day since early July

Ukrainian president calls for more air defence from Europe and US after six killed and dozens injured in strikes across capitalVolodymyr Zelenskyy has described Russia's latest attack against Ukraine as deliberate, calculated and wicked", after six people were killed and dozens injured in a wave of night-time strikes across the capital Kyiv.Shortly after midnight air raid sirens sounded and residents made their way to shelters or lay between two walls in their apartments. Soon afterwards the whine of Shahed drones could be heard in the sky, with heavy machine gun fire from Ukrainian air defences. Continue reading...

Cause of crash near University of Technology not yet known. This live blog is closedWe have just had an update on the death toll from the overnight attack on Kyiv, via AFP, with authorities now reporting six people dead.in Brussels Continue reading...

Passengers were held on runway for 12 hours after landing in Johannesburg without travel documents, confusing airport authoritiesSouth Africa will investigate the mysterious" arrival of scores of Palestinians who were kept on a charter plane at Johannesburg for 12 hours by border police because they did not have travel papers, the president has said.A group of 153 Palestinians arrived at Johannesburg airport on a chartered Global Airways flight from Kenya on Thursday without departure stamps, return tickets or details of accommodation, according to the border authorities. Continue reading...

Pete Skandalakis appointed himself to take over 2020 election interference case from district attorney Fani WillisThe only remaining criminal case against Donald Trump has been revived after the head of Georgia's prosecutor's council appointed himself to replace Fani Willis, the Fulton county district attorney, who was removed from the election interference case in September.Pete Skandalakis, a Republican and the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia, the state body that provides legal training and is often charged to mitigate prosecutorial conflicts, wrote in a statement on Friday that he would be taking over for Willis. Continue reading...

Fallout continues over budget income tax U-turn, with Treasury saying expected fiscal gap has dropped to 20bnThis is from Helen Miller, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies thinktank, on the market reaction to the chancellor's reported budget U-turn.Investors will have 2 broad concerns about news that Chancellor won't increase income tax rates1. Does it signal less willingness to do politically difficult thingsBritain's long-term borrowing costs were sent soaring as reports suggested the latest U-turn would leave Rachel Reeves scrambling to fill a gaping black hole in the nation's finances just two weeks before the 26 November budget.Yields on 30-year UK government bonds, also known as gilts, jumped as much as 14 basis points in early trading, and the yield on 10-year gilts also shot up 12 basis points - rising the most since July. Continue reading...

Blackburn MP criticises struggle for power' amid tensions between Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah SultanaThe leftwing Your Party spearheaded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana has had a major split after another independent MP involved, Adnan Hussain, quit because of persistent infighting and a struggle for power" in the organisation.The departure of the Blackburn MP, who is secretary of the limited company behind Your Party, is yet another blow after renewed disagreements between Sultana and Corbyn, this time over the handover of membership levies. Continue reading...

Media group's future is again in limbo - and it faces questions over the asking price as well as regulatory hurdles

Artwork that hung for centuries at St John's Almshouse in Sherborne will be sold to raise funds for social housingThe blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no sorrow with it," so says the Bible, Proverbs 10:22.On Friday, a church almshouse was counting its blessings after discovering that a triptych painting that has hung in the chapel for centuries is a 15th-century Flemish masterpiece worth 3.5m. Continue reading...

Ipsos survey reveals fake news, lack of accountability, extremism and corruption seen as biggest threatsSatisfaction with democracy is below 50% in eight out of nine western countries surveyed in a poll, and majorities in all but one fear for its future, with fake news, lack of political accountability, extremism and corruption seen as the biggest threats.An Ipsos survey of almost 10,000 people in Croatia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US found satisfaction with democracy low in all except Sweden, with deep concerns about the future state of electoral politics. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Charlie Maynard, public interest representative in case, accuses utility of retaliation' for failed bid for costs in supreme court appealThames Water argued that an MP should be forced to pay its hefty legal costs after he represented the interests of the British public in court, a move he described as retaliation" for pushing for government control of the crisis-hit utility, the Guardian can reveal.The UK's highest court this week rejected Thames Water's arguments that the Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard should pay legal fees as high as 1,400 per hour. Continue reading...

US private equity group pulls out of sale amid threat of regulator intervention and newsroom criticism

Councils say 59 authorities could go bankrupt by March 2028 without urgent structural reformSpecial educational needs services in England face total collapse", with councils on course to have run up debts of 18bn by the end of the decade as a result of increasing numbers of children requiring extra teaching support in schools.Without urgent structural reform of the system, the cost of accelerating demand for special educational needs and disability (Send) support could push about 59 upper-tier authorities into effective bankruptcy by March 2028, councils have warned. Continue reading...

Authoritarian leader calls for US to make peace amid military buildup and strikes against alleged drug smugglers

About 600,000 people seeking compensation a decade on from disaster that killed 19 and devastated villagesA London judge has ruled that the global mining company BHP Group is liable in Brazil's worst environmental disaster, when a dam collapse 10 years ago unleashed tons of toxic waste into a major river, killing 19 people and devastating villages downstream.Mrs Justice O'Farrell said at the high court that Australia-based BHP was responsible despite not owning the dam at the time. Continue reading...

Egyptian authorities prevented Alaa Abd el-Fattah from attending human rights awards in LondonAlaa Abd el-Fattah, the British-Egyptian writer and human rights campaigner who was freed from jail in September, was stopped from flying to the UK by Egyptian passport control, his family has said.Abd el-Fattah was pardoned after more than 10 years in jail but his status, including his right to travel back and forth between Britain and Egypt, was left unclear and subject to discussion between the family and authorities. Continue reading...

Culture secretary says she shares concerns that such appointments have damaged trust, amid calls for Robbie Gibb to go

Brisbane expected to get 80mm of rain, while damaging winds, large hail and possible flash flooding on the cards for Queensland

Home secretary to set out plans to deter migrants from coming to the UK and make deportations easierThe home secretary is due to announce sweeping changes next week aimed at making the UK less attractive for illegal immigrants and modelled on the Danish system.Shabana Mahmood is expected to set out plans to deter migrants from coming to the UK and make it easier to deport those who do in a statement to MPs on Monday. Continue reading...

Met Office upgrades warnings to amber with persistent and heavy' rain, strong winds and thunderstorms forecast for FridayStorm Claudia is expected to bring torrential rain to parts of England and Wales as the Met Office upgraded its warnings.Amber warnings for persistent and heavy" rain come into force from noon on Friday until the end of the day and cover parts of Wales, the Midlands, the south-west, the south-east and east of England. Continue reading...

Ex-politicians and candidates warn the decision will likely cause a loss of votes from younger people

Investigation by Guardian and Carbon Brief finds just a fifth of funds to fight global heating went to poorest 44 countriesChina and wealthy petrostates including Saudi Arabia and UAE are among countries receiving large sums of climate finance, according to an analysis.The Guardian and Carbon Brief analysed previously unreported submissions to the UN, along with data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), that show how billions of dollars of public money is being committed to the fight against global heating. Continue reading...

Radio host uses chart songs that didn't quite make top spot to highlight issue of Windermere pollutionIf you Sit Down and wonder why Britain's streams, rivers and lakes are so filthy, you're probably Holding Out for a Hero to halt this Scandalous discharge of sewage.Step forward the Lake District Radio DJ Lee Durrant, who will go Radio Ga Ga with a 24-hour live broadcasting marathon on Friday, playing songs that peaked at No 2 in the charts to highlight the ongoing stench of not quite Golden Brown number twos" floating downstream. Continue reading...

Thirteenth action since March 2023 will put further pressure on stretched budgets, say NHS groupsThousands of resident doctors have begun strike action across England in a dispute over pay.The five-day action, which began at 7am on Friday, is the 13th walkout by doctors since March 2023 and health leaders have warned that the NHS may have to cut frontline staff and offer fewer appointments and operations if the strikes continue. Continue reading...

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The man that former Spanish football president claimed was his uncle threw three in the direction of the 48-year-oldThe disgraced former Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales had eggs flung at him, allegedly by his uncle, during the presentation of his new book on Thursday in Madrid.Rubiales, convicted of sexual assault for a forced kiss on player Jenni Hermoso, appeared to be struck on the back by an egg as the man Rubiales claimed was his uncle threw three in the direction of the 48-year-old. Continue reading...

Former ACCC chair condemns proposed exemption allowing minister to approve projects that don't comply with law

Denmark has slashed asylum numbers by granting only short-term status and by targeting ghettoes', which critics say has damaged the country's valuesOf all the measures introduced to deter people from seeking asylum in Denmark over the last decade, it is the impermanence of refugees' status that is often cited as the most effective.Before 2015, refugees in Denmark were initially allowed to stay for between five and seven years, after which their residence permits would automatically become permanent. But 10 years ago, when more than a million people arrived in Europe fleeing conflict and repression, largely from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Eritrea, the Danish government dramatically changed the rules. Continue reading...

From Taradell to Galicia, cooperatives are supplying cheap, clean electricity to homes and helping tackle fuel povertyIt began in the small Catalan town of Taradell as a plan to provide local people with allotments where they could grow their own food.Four activists came together with the aim of promoting good environmental practices in local agriculture and business, as well as supplying renewable energy. The project, however, was about much more than growing vegetables. Continue reading...

Testing and remediation to take place in 16 schools after a consumer safety recall was issued for coloured sand used in sensory play and arts and crafts

Climate advocates fear the project, proposed by Japanese oil and gas giant Inpex, would turn the area into the world's largest carbon dumping ground'

Takaichi caused a stir last week after she summoned aides to her office for a 3am meeting to prepare for a budget committee hearingJapan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has said she gets by on just two to four hours sleep a night - prompting concern over her commitment to a better work-life balance among the country's fatigued employees.Pointing to the bags beneath her eyes, Takaichi told MPs that she survives on minimal sleep - a habit she shares with her political hero Margaret Thatcher - after being asked how she would tackle Japan's notoriously long working hours. Continue reading...

Case has attracted attention from Chinese Australian community and on social media due to her lavish wealth and speculation about her background

Labour had laid the ground to break a manifesto pledge on taxes for working people but has now made a U-turnRachel Reeves is set to abandon a plan to raise income tax in her budget with the chancellor reportedly ripping up" the main measures in the wake of turmoil in the party.A source told the Guardian that plans to break the manifesto pledge on income tax had been ditched by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the chancellor. Continue reading...

Death of 28-year-old childhood educator in Forbes, NSW, intensified a national campaign against domestic and gendered violence

Row continues between camps of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, whose company holds hundreds of thousands of pounds of party fundsThe leftwing Your Party, set up by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, is embroiled in another public row over donations to the party.A statement from Corbyn along with Shockat Adam MP, Adnan Hussain MP, Ayoub Khan MP and Iqbal Mohamed MP states that hundreds of thousands of pounds were donated to the party by supporters in good faith, but have since remained beyond its reach", which they describe as being extremely frustrating and disheartening". Continue reading...

We strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim', reads statement expressing sincere regrets' over Panorama episodeThe BBC has apologised to Donald Trump over the editing of a Panorama documentary that led to the resignation of its director general, Tim Davie, and the BBC News chief, Deborah Turness.However, the corporation has rejected his demands for compensation, after lawyers for Trump threatened to sue for $1bn (760m) in damages unless the BBC issued a retraction, apologised and settled with him. Continue reading...

Revelation comes despite US justice department downplaying possibility that other men involved in Epstein's abuseWhile Donald Trump's justice department has downplayed the possibility that other men were involved in Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of teen girls, an email released on 12 November as part of the House oversight committee's Epstein investigation shows an exchange between the late financier and an associate where they discuss girls" and travel.Epstein sent an email asking what is your schedule?" on 23 July 2010 to an associate. The latter responded the next morning saying: the other girl name is [redacted]." The Guardian is withholding the associate's name, as attempts to identify and contact him were unsuccessful. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Move could cause huge disruption and present ministers with major new headache

Diana Santillana Galeano's detention sparked outrage after agents dragged her from a daycareA Chicago daycare worker whose arrest by federal agents last week sparked widespread outrage has been released from custody.On Thursday, Diana Santillana Galeano's attorney said she was released from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Clay county, Indiana, on Wednesday night. Her release followed a federal judge's ruling earlier in the day that her arrest was unlawful" as she had not had a preliminary bond hearing. Continue reading...

Lawsuit against US government alleges life-threatening' medical neglect and says residents frequently go hungrySeven people detained at California's largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center have sued the US government, alleging they have been denied essential medications, frequently go hungry, and are housed in a decrepit" facility.The federal class-action complaint filed against ICE on Wednesday challenges the inhumane conditions" at the California City detention center, which opened in late August inside a shuttered state prison. The suit alleges life-threatening" medical neglect, with the plaintiffs saying they have been denied cancer treatment, basic disability accommodations and regular insulin for diabetes. Continue reading...

Republican Kevin Stitt commutes Tremane Wood's death sentence to life in prison for 2002 murder of Ronnie Wipf

Bells ring out across French capital marking 10th anniversary of country's deadliest peacetime attack

Closeup of studded stilettos in trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 causes fashion debate on social mediaPosting the first trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 on Instagram on her birthday this week, the film's star Anne Hathaway captioned the video with it's everybody's birthday", prompting copious comments featuring emojis of flames, hearts and - of course - the red shoe now associated with the film's poster.But with the trailer circulating on social media, it's the shoes that have become the focus of fashion debate - and not in a good way. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed, you can read more on this story herePA Media has more on what the monthly performance figures from NHS England show. PA says:The data shows 180,329 people in England had been waiting more than a year to start routine hospital treatment at the end of September, down from 190,549 at the end of August.Some 2.4% of people on the list for hospital treatment had been waiting more than 52 weeks in September, down from 2.6% the previous month.The NHS waiting list is 230,000 lower than July last year, even as the health service approaches its limit' with A&E and ambulances facing record demand ahead of winter.The overall waiting list for September was 7.39m (an estimated 6.24m patients) down 15,845 compared to the previous month and 230,000 fewer than July 2024.Thanks to the investment and modernisation this government has made, waiting lists are falling and patients are being treated sooner ...The past year is the first time in 15 years that waiting lists have fallen. There's a long way to go, but the NHS is now on the road to recovery. Continue reading...

Proposal includes 72,000 social homes to tackle housing crisis, but critics call it old wine in a new bottle'The Irish government has announced a long-awaited plan to tackle the country's severe housing shortage by building 300,000 new homes within five years.It plans to boost supply by increasing construction capacity and the amount of zoned and serviced land, and to increase support for vulnerable groups, according to proposals published on Thursday. Continue reading...

Judges in Luxembourg said EU law clearly prohibited the term non-alcoholic gin', after a case was brought against the makers of Virgin Gin AlkoholfreiThe makers of spirits may be raising a toast to the European judges of Luxembourg, after the EU's court ruled that non-alcoholic drinks cannot be called gin.Only spirit drinks based on ethyl alcohol flavoured by juniper berries with a minimum alcoholic strength of 37.5% by volume can be known as gin, the court said in a judgement issued on Thursday. Continue reading...

Unfair labor practice strike on red cup day' in over 40 cities comes amid stagnant negotiations with coffee chainMore than a thousand Starbucks workers have commenced a strike in more than 40 cities across the US on Thursday amid stagnant negotiations with the world's largest coffee chain over a first union contract.On the company's annual red cup day", hailing the start of the lucrative holiday season, Starbucks Workers United is launching an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike, with rallies planned in locations including New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Columbus, Ohio; and Anaheim, California. Continue reading...