World news | The Guardian

Police said 86cm stainless steel blade - mounted on a wooden plaque and sold in the hundreds - contravened Japan's firearms and sword control lawFull-size replica swords sold as souvenirs at a popular Harry Potter exhibition in Tokyo have fallen foul of Japan's strict weapons control law and been recalled.The 86cm stainless steel blade, which comes mounted on a wooden plaque, is described on the Warner Bros website that promotes the event as an authentic recreation of Godric Gryffindor's sword". Continue reading...

The supermarket giant filed an urgent application with the Fair Work Commission to end industrial action blocking distribution centres

Advocates argue it's time for youth wages to rise but business groups claim paying more will just push some companies into insolvency

Exclusive: Tom Hayhoe, ex-Tory cabinet adviser, will examine an estimated 7.6bn of Covid-related fraudRachel Reeves is to appoint a health service and regulatory veteran, Tom Hayhoe, a former Conservative cabinet adviser, as her Covid corruption commissioner with the remit of clawing back billions in fraudulent contracts.The chancellor is understood to believe the Treasury can recoup 2.6bn from waste, fraud and flawed contracts signed during the pandemic. Continue reading...

Parties expected to hold talks as election results show incumbents closing in on majority needed to governThe two main centre-right parties in Ireland are expected to start talks on returning to government as the general election put the incumbents within touching distance of forming the 34th Dail.With all Teachta Dala (TD) seats filled by 10pm on Monday evening, Fianna Fail - led by Micheal Martin - and Fine Gael - led by the taoiseach, Simon Harris - won 86 seats, just two shy of the 88 needed for a majority. Continue reading...

White Helmets say at least 18 people killed in strikes on five healthcare facilities including maternity hospitalA wave of airstrikes has pummelled hospitals and neighbourhoods in the rebel-held region of Idlib in northern Syria as Islamist insurgents continued to battle forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad after the militants' lightning assault on Aleppo.White Helmets civil defence forces based in Idlib, from where the insurgents had launched their attack, said Russian airstrikes had struck five healthcare facilities including a maternity hospital. At least 18 people were killed and 35 injured, they said, adding that they feared numbers could rise. Continue reading...

Bombing comes an hour after Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed a strong' response to Hezbollah's actionIsrael has carried out a series of airstrikes in the Nabatieh district, south Lebanon, in response to Hezbollah rocket fire near a watchtower, the first time the group has attacked Israel since a ceasefire came into effect last week.An Israeli military spokesperson said that the army was attacking targets in Lebanon but would give further details later". An hour earlier, the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised there would be a strong response to Hezbollah's attack. Continue reading...

Home Secretary says 700m scheme did not result in a single deportation or stop any boats crossing the ChannelA failed Conservative plan to send people seeking asylum to Rwanda spent 50m on flights that never took off, new figures disclose.The Home Office has also revealed that the scheme - which ran under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak's administrations - spent 715m over two years on the plan - 15m more than previously claimed. Continue reading...

Wormald will take over from Simon Case on 16 December as the most senior official in the countryKeir Starmer has appointed Chris Wormald, a career civil servant who heads the health department, to become the new cabinet secretary, prompting criticism from Covid bereaved families over his record during the pandemic.In what will be seen by some as a surprise choice, Wormald, who has spent eight years as permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care, will take over from Simon Case on 16 December as the most senior official in the country, an official announcement said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: fears that UK residents could be stranded abroad due to system glitches prompts rethinkMinisters are to postpone a full shift to eVisas next month after concerns that UK residents could be stranded abroad because of glitches in the system, the Guardian has learned.It follows complaints from applicants who have failed to gain access to the new digital immigration system so they can demonstrate they have a right to return to their homes in the UK. Continue reading...

Witnesses say people scrambled to escape after teargas used during pitch invasion at match in NzerekoreAt least 56 people have died and dozens of others were injured in a crowd crush at a football stadium in southern Guinea, authorities in the west African state said.The Stade du 3 Avril in Nzerekore, the country's second largest city, was hosting the final of a football tournament in honour of the leader of the country's junta, Mamady Doumbouya, on Sunday afternoon. Local reports said thousands of spectators were present at the stadium and children were among the victims but did not give a definitive figure in either case. Continue reading...

Redundancies at wealth management company will not affect its 4,800 financial advisers around the UK

But survey finds strong support for under-16s social media ban, despite concerns on how to enforce it

Telcos will be required to either block scam texts or warn recipients they come from unregistered senders in Labor crackdown

France, Germany and Austria are especially hard hit, as British factory owners cut jobs and investment

Centre-left PSD looks to have held off far-right challenge, with 70% of Romanians voting for mainstream partiesRomania's ruling Social Democrat party (PSD) was on course to win the most votes in Sunday's parliamentary elections, holding off a strong far-right surge that could yet deliver the country's presidency to a Moscow-friendly ultranationalist.Amid uncertainty as to whether the constitutional court would on Monday order the first round of the presidential ballot to be rerun, officials said that with 99.5% of votes counted, the centre-left PSD was credited with 22.6% of the vote. Continue reading...

Police detained Zurab Japaridze as he was leaving rally outside parliament against suspension of EU accession talksGeorgian police have arrested a prominent opposition leader after using water cannon and teargas to scatter anti-government protesters who rallied outside parliament for a fourth consecutive night.The protests were sparked by the government's announcement last week that it was suspending talks on joining the EU. Critics saw that as confirmation of a Russian-influenced shift away from pro-western policies, something the ruling party denies. Continue reading...

Aemo says it does not want to directly control people's rooftop solar' but it may be necessary to reduce or cut off power gleaned from the sun

Documents taken during break-in at Nelson Alexander agency in Northcote in October, police allege, and investigation under way

A National Trust viewing platform at Corfe Castle offers visitors a glimpse into the king's royal quarters in DorsetA luxurious suite of rooms with a view", built for the son of William the Conquerer but partly destroyed in the English Civil War, has become accessible to visitors for the first time in almost 400 years, thanks to a new viewing platform at one of England's most dramatically situated castles.The King's Tower was built in 1107 for William's son Henry I at Corfe castle, which sits on top of a steep hill on the Purbeck peninsula near Wareham in Dorset. Constructed from gleaming white limestone inside the imposing fortification, the 23-metre tower was Henry's personal penthouse, built to the highest standards of luxury and including an appearance door" from which he could be seen by his subjects far below. Continue reading...

Employees take action over plans to axe at least three plants in first domestic closures in company's 87-year historyWorkers at Volkswagen factories in Germany will strike from Monday over the carmaker's plans to lay off thousands of people, cut pay and close plants for the first time in its home country.Announcing that warning strikes", which usually last a few hours, will begin at all VW plants, Thorsten Groger, the union IG Metall's lead negotiator with VW, said: If need be, it will be the toughest collective bargaining battle Volkswagen has ever seen." Continue reading...

The 77-year-old, who is blind in one eye and has poor vision in the other, spoke of his health issues at a gala performance of The Devil Wears PradaElton John has revealed at a gala performance of his new musical The Devil Wears Prada, for which he wrote the lyrics, that he is physically unable to see the show, due to ongoing problems with his eyesight.Speaking on stage the 77-year-old singer told the audience: As some of you may know I have had issues and now I have lost my sight. I haven't been able to see the performance but I have enjoyed it." Continue reading...

ICJ to hear submissions from more than 100 groups in Pacific-led campaign to provide an advisory opinion on states' obligations for climate harmThe International Court of Justice (ICJ) is due to begin hearings in a landmark climate change case on Monday, examining what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact.After years of lobbying by island nations, the UN General Assembly asked the ICJ last year for an opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change." Continue reading...

Albanese government also commits to new statutory body to oversee a system overhaul in defence department aimed at preventing suicide

Drugs with estimated street value of $760m seized off Queensland's K'gari island after AFP operation

Expectations negative for first time in 2024 as business confidence plummets since Rachel Reeves's budgetGrowth expectations among UK companies have taken a decisive turn for the worse", in a fresh blow to Rachel Reeves amid warnings that business confidence has plummeted since the budget.For the first time this year, expectations for growth have turned negative, according to the Confederation of British Industry's latest growth indicator, which shows that a majority of companies expect activity to decline in the three months to February. Continue reading...

Number of registered nurses at record high in UK but workforce is increasingly inexperienced'Top nurses have said that planned government reforms for the health service stand no chance" if issues with recruitment and retention in the profession are not addressed.They made the warning as new figures show the number of nurses and midwives registered in the UK has grown to a record high. Continue reading...

Longest-standing drummer of pop-punk band said to have influenced emo movement was found dead in TennesseeBob Bryar, the former drummer of the US pop-punk band My Chemical Romance which was said to have influenced the youth culture movement emo, has died aged 44.Bryar's body was found in his home in Tennessee last week. The entertainment news outlet TMZ, which was the first to report his death, said that according to police no foul play was suspected as his possessions, including musical equipment and weapons, were untouched. Continue reading...

Canadian PM dines with Trump, who vowed tariffs unless country stops migrants and drugs from entering USJustin Trudeau promised Donald Trump that Canada would increase surveillance over the long undefended joint border, a senior Canadian official said on Sunday. The Canadian prime minister flew to Florida on Friday to have dinner with the US president-elect, who has promised to slap tariffs on Canadian imports unless Ottawa prevents undocumented people and drugs from crossing the frontier.Canada sends 75% of all goods and services exports to the United States and tariffs would badly hurt the economy. Continue reading...

The 55-year-old is the program's longest serving male co-host, and hinted in September that he was looking forward to something less intense'

Palliative care commission set up to provide high-quality, holistic support following assisted dying vote

Junior coalition partner loses all but one of 12 seats, while gangland figure Gerry Hutch loses election bidThe Green party in Ireland has been virtually wiped out in the general election, and its leader admitted it was entering a period of rebuild" after the electorate removed any prospect of the party re-entering government.The Greens lost all but one of their 12 seats, with its leader, Roderic O'Gorman, scraping through on the 13th count. Continue reading...

Forces only took three days to take the city from Bashar al-Assad's regime, but the Middle East's newest conflict looks set to last

Agency says armed gangs looted several trucks carrying food supplies and urges Israel to ensure safe flows of aid

Actor says he's selling memorabilia to help cover expensive' treatment costs for recent colorectal cancer diagnosisThe Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek announced he is selling memorabilia to help cover the expensive" treatment costs for his recent colorectal cancer diagnosis.Van Der Beek, also known for the film Varsity Blues, made the announcement on Instagram last week, nearly three weeks after revealing his illness in an interview with People. Continue reading...

A slew of accusations have emerged of inappropriate remarks and behaviour dating back as far as 19 yearsGregg Wallace has been accused of making sexualised jokes and other inappropriate remarks towards a range of women dating back nearly two decades.The 60-year-old MasterChef presenter announced last week that he was stepping back from the BBC show amid an investigation into his conduct. Wallace's lawyers have said it is entirely false to suggest he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. Continue reading...

New management at struggling firm, which rejected 3.3bn bid from Aviva, making excellent progress', says CEOThe Direct Line chief executive, Adam Winslow, has appealed to shareholders to give his team more time to turn around the struggling insurer, faced with an unsolicited 3.3bn offer from Aviva, while its bigger rival is trying hard to drum up support from investors for the takeover.The two companies - the UK's biggest insurer, Aviva, and the Churchill owner, Direct Line, known for motor cover and its red phone on wheels mascot - are facing off in a takeover tussle that has sent the Direct Line share price soaring, amid speculation that Aviva could raise its offer or launch a hostile bid, or face a counterbid. Continue reading...

Improving oversight and addressing slippery slope concerns are among the priorities of the bill's criticsThe House of Commons' backing of the assisted dying bill for England and Wales was a historic moment but just the first step in a long process.One thing that was clear is that many MPs hope to see significant amendments to the bill that they voted on. That includes some MPs who voted in favour of Kim Leadbeater's bill but only because they anticipate that lingering concerns they have will be dealt with before it becomes law. Continue reading...

UK miniature wargames maker's shares have risen by 43% since the start of 2024The UK's blue-chip share index could be about to be invaded by Space Marines, Weirdboyz and Chaos Knights.Games Workshop, the UK maker of miniature wargames, is on track to be promoted to the FTSE 100 when the next quarterly reshuffle is calculated later this week, taking its place among the 100 most valuable companies listed in London. Continue reading...

Shop sites will include London, Edinburgh and Leeds, with young people driving preloved trendThe secondhand clothing pop-up Charity Super.Mkt is set to head to Edinburgh, Leeds, Sheffield and the heart of London's Canary Wharf financial district as it opens a dozen more stores next year catering to a rise in interest in shopping for preloved items.The initiative, which has brought together 55 local and national charities in the UK, including Age UK, Oxfam, Barnardo's, Traid and RSPCA, in about 16 stores since it launched in a former Topshop in London's Brent Cross shopping centre in January 2023, said it has booked 3m of sales. Sites have included a takeover of the former Fenwick store on London's Bond Street. Continue reading...

There were also more houses for sale in the country's two biggest cities than there had been at this time of year since 2018

Tyler Kerry, 20, from Basildon in Essex, was discovered on Friday morning at bottom of lift shaft in Antaya hotelA young British man has died from injuries in a lift shaft while on a family holiday in Turkey.Tyler Kerry, a 20-year-old labourer from Basildon, Essex, was discovered on Friday morning at the bottom of a lift shaft in a hotel where he was staying in Antalya. Continue reading...

Widespread sub-zero conditions in rural areas forecast from Monday, with high ground in Scotland as low as -12CAn Arctic blast will send temperatures as low as -12C in parts of the UK this week after an unseasonably mild weekend.The hillier parts of Scotland are braced for the coldest weather, although forecasters expect widespread sub-zero conditions in rural areas on Monday and Tuesday. Continue reading...

Move by lawmakers hailed as huge step forward', ending legal discrimination against sex workersBelgian sex workers have gained the right to sick days, maternity pay and pension rights under the first law of its kind in the world.Lawmakers voted in May to give sex workers the same employment protections as any other employee, in an attempt to clamp down on abuse and exploitation. Continue reading...

Bishop of Newcastle says fellow bishops have stayed silent because they want to be new archbishop of CanterburyA Church of England bishop has accused fellow bishops of careerism" over their failure to condemn a church cover-up of abuse, claiming they have stayed silent because they want to be the new archbishop of Canterbury.After the publication of the Makin review last month into the church's failure to stop serial abuser John Smyth, the bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, called for Justin Welby to quit over the scandal days before his resignation as archbishop. Continue reading...

She stepped down as Estonia's prime minister to take up foreign policy role replacing tough talker Josep BorrellIt was no surprise that Kaja Kallas went to Ukraine on her first day as the EU's chief diplomat.Kallas, who stepped down as Estonia's prime minister to take up the role, was accompanied in Kyiv on Sunday by the new European Council president, Antonio Costa, and European enlargement commissioner, Marta Kos, marking the leadership changeover at the EU institutions on 1 December. Continue reading...

Analysis charts rise of sneaky' fees for gig-goers, as singer Kate Nash says she makes more from selling pictures of her bottom than from touringTicket fees for live shows have risen substantially in the past decade, according to Observer analysis that found fans are paying mark-ups as high as 41% over face value.Most of this money does not go to artists, who have complained that they face a cost-of-touring crisis". Last week, the singer Kate Nash held a protest outside the offices of entertainment giant Live Nation, after saying she is making more from selling pictures of her bottom on OnlyFans than from touring. Continue reading...

Witnesses allege Bob Lambert was involved in fire at store in London in 1987, a claim he has repeatedly deniedFour witnesses have testified at a public inquiry that an undercover police officer carried out an arson attack on a well-known high street department store while pretending to be an ardent animal rights campaigner.Their testimony directly contradicts consistent denials by the undercover officer Bob Lambert, who says he did not set fire to a London branch of Debenhams, causing damage totalling 340,000. Continue reading...

Simone White, 28, was one of six tourists to die in a suspected methanol poisoning at Vang Vieng hostelThe mother of a British lawyer who died after being served a drink that was allegedly spiked with methanol has said if it can happen to her daughter it can happen to anyone.Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent, was one of six tourists killed in the popular backpacking town of Vang Vieng after an alleged mass poisoning. She was taken in for surgery just as her mother, Sue, 61, arrived at the hospital. It later became clear that Simone's brain function was gone, and she died on Thursday 21 November. Continue reading...

Pat McFadden defends government handling of transport secretary's departure, saying it did not drag on for weeks'Decisions over Louise Haigh's future were dealt with very quickly"and marked a big contrast" to how issues were handled under Conservative governments, a cabinet minister has said.Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, refused to accept suggestions that the transport secretary's resignation and the controversy over freebies made the Labour government look chaotic" because it was not something that dragged on for weeks". Continue reading...