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National register would have allowed police to better assess risk posed by alleged Bondi shooters before attack, expert says

Senior officials face criticism after review found systemic failings plunged hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers into debtSenior officials who oversaw a flawed benefits system that plunged hundreds of thousands of carers into debt are under mounting pressure over their misleading" response to the scandal.Prof Liz Sayce, the chair of a scathing review into the government's treatment of unpaid carers, last week called for an overhaul of management and culture at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Continue reading...

Attack brings total number of Palestinians killed by Israel to 401 since October ceasefire took effectThe Israeli military killed six Palestinians, including a baby, who were in a school that sheltered displaced people in Gaza City on Friday, hospital officials have said. The attack brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israel to 401 since the October ceasefire took effect.Israeli troops fired over the ceasefire line which they have withdrawn to, killing the Palestinians and wounding a number more, the Palestinian civil defence said in a statement. It added that it was only able to recover the bodies after coordinating with the UN, to ensure they did not also come under Israeli fire. Continue reading...

Lawyers argue cumulative disruption' regulations were quashed in May and should therefore not be usedThe Metropolitan police have been using powers they no longer have to crack down on pro-Palestine protests, according to legal experts.Based on evidence obtained by the Guardian and Liberty Investigates, legal experts said officers had imposed restrictions on at least two protests based on their cumulative disruption" since their power to do so was quashed by the court of appeal in May. Continue reading...

Port says it is working to resolve issues but urges passengers not to arrive more than two hours before departureThe Christmas travel plans of tens of thousands of ferry passengers at the Port of Dover have been delayed by IT problems with French border control.Millions of motorists hit the roads this weekend in the Christmas getaway, with travel experts warning people to plan ahead to avoid Grinch-worthy" delays. Continue reading...

Gone are shots of puddings and sweets as advertisers try to market other foods to stay within rules coming into force on 5 JanuaryThe festive season is traditionally a time of national culinary overindulgence but eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that this year's crop of big-budget Christmas TV ads have been decidedly lean and sugar-free.From Tesco and Waitrose to Marks & Spencer and Asda, the UK's biggest exponents of extravagant festive food marketing have put their Christmas ads on a diet to comply with new regulations banning junk food products from appearing in TV ads before 9pm. Continue reading...

The Strangers, a horror tale written during the playwright's college days, appeared in the Strand magazine this weekAs one of the 20th century's most successful playwrights, Tennessee Williams penned popular works at the very pinnacle of US theater, including A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.Years before his almost unparalleled Broadway triumphs, however, the aspiring writer then known simply as Tom wrote a series of short radio plays as he struggled to find a breakthrough. One is The Strangers, a supernatural tale offering glimpses into the accomplished wordsmith that Williams would become, and published for the first time this week in the literary magazine Strand. Continue reading...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reclines across five people in one photo watched by Ghislaine Maxwell at Sandringham

Attacks come after two US soldiers and interpreter killed as Trump says US inflicting very serious retaliation'The US military launched airstrikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday in retaliation for an attack on US personnel, two US officials have said.The attacks came after Donald Trump vowed to hit back after an attack last weekend in Syria by a suspected Islamic State member. Continue reading...

The justice department is using a variety of tactics to try to obfuscate the US president's connection to the sex offender

Family who said they paid cash were left embarrassed after being accused of not paying 20.01Drivers have accused a leading petrol station security company of issuing false" fuel theft debts, which left one family unable to fill up their car at more than 1,000 filling stations for more than a year.Amjad Khan and his family were barred from multiple petrol stations around Blackburn for 19 months after he was accused of driving out of an Esso petrol station in Manchester without paying for 20.01 of fuel. Continue reading...

Who Is Your Neighbour? lets people talk in constructive, thoughtful ways to offer an antidote to division and despair Donate to the charity appeal hereIt was a filthy day in Rotherham as Storm Bram swept through the town earlier this month. Roads had turned into rivers and sodden St George's flags flapped from lamp-posts at half mast.Inside the community centre, the heating was turned up, the bacon butties were on order and the tea was brewing. It was time for some Difficult Conversations. Some of them, it turned out, about those soggy flags. Continue reading...

Funding to tackle misinformation and cyber-attacks, and boost democracy, cut from 40m to 24mKeir Starmer's raid on overseas aid has led to a 40% cut in funds for countering Russian aggression and misinformation in a region of Europe described by the prime minister as vital to the UK's national security.British funding committed to bolstering the western Balkans, where Russia has been accused of sowing division and creating destabilisation, has been cut from 40m last year to 24m for 2025-26. Continue reading...

Cyclist and road safety groups argue proposed alternative route away from traffic-free Le Pietonnier is unsafeOn an unseasonably mild winter's day, people are gathering at Le Pietonnier, the pedestrian zone in the heart of Brussels. Tourists buy mulled wine and churros at the Christmas market outside the Bourse, the old stock exchange, now repurposed as a beer museum. A few people drink coffee on cafe terraces. Up and down the length of the 650-metre-long space, people come and go, bikes and scooters weaving in and out of the crowds.Next year, this scene will look somewhat different: bikes and scooters will be banned from this 18,000-sq-metre pedestrian zone for most of the day. People on two wheels will be allowed to ride only between 4am and 11am. At all other times, they must dismount and push their vehicle up the street, or face a fine. Continue reading...

Experts forecast spending will be more than 12% up on same period in 2024 after lucklustre figures so farRetailers are hoping for a last-minute dash for the shops this weekend after a lacklustre run-up to Christmas, with UK households forecast to spend 3.4bn, up more than 12% on the same weekend in 2024.Almost 50m shopping trips will be made by last-minute Father Christmases over the weekend, according to research by analysts GlobalData for Vouchercodes.co.uk, the vast majority of which will be to retail destinations including high streets and shopping malls. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ministers also expected to announce trail-hunting ban in sweeping changes to animal welfare lawShooting hares in England will be banned for most of the year as part of sweeping changes to animal welfare law.At the moment, it is legal to shoot the animals during their breeding season, with pregnant hares left to bleed out, and leverets - their young - often orphaned as a result. Continue reading...

Two-trailer carrying 15 tonnes of lithium ion batteries caught alight near Yass on Saturday morning, closing traffic in both directions

Anthony Albanese said he would support whatever action the NSW government takes'

After speculation actor was actually underground MC, pair join on remix to EsDeeKid's 4 RawsIt's been arguably the most popular musical meme of the year: is masked Liverpudlian rapper EsDeeKid actually Hollywood actor Timothee Chalamet in disguise? Now the speculation has been put to bed, with Chalamet jumping on an unexpected remix of EsDeeKid's track 4 Raws.Chalamet posted a clip of a video for the track to his social media, rapping alongside EsDeeKid in a series of scenes, from a cramped kitchen to a housing estate. Continue reading...

Lawyers for victims say they have been repeatedly denied justice' while deputy attorney general says more files will be released

Exclusive: Blair-era minister echoes concerns about young people being priced out of jobs, in intervention likely to dismay Labour MPsThe future of the youth minimum wage will come under review as part of a major inquiry into rising inactivity among Britain's young people by the former health secretary Alan Milburn.The social mobility expert said that unless the government tackled some uncomfortable truths" about the labour market there was a risk of creating a lost generation" of young people. Continue reading...

Anthony Gilheaney, 31, targeted people with his Mercedes, killing Aiden Chapman, 25, and seriously injuring four othersA man who turned his car into a weapon as he launched a series of hate-filled homophobic and racist attacks on Christmas Day last year in central London has been convicted of murder.Anthony Gilheaney, 31, was drunk when he mounted the pavement with his Mercedes and repeatedly targeted people to run over. Continue reading...

Exclusive song for online retailer prevents a hat trick of Christmas No 1s for Wham!, as Kylie becomes first woman to secure UK No 1 singles in four different decadesKylie Minogue has scored her first UK Christmas No 1, and eighth No 1 single overall, with the song Xmas.She beat competition from Wham!'s mega-streaming Last Christmas, which has been Christmas No 1 for the past two years: it was last week's chart-topper but drops to No 2. Also in the race was Lullaby from the charity campaign Together for Palestine, which reached No 5. Continue reading...

Monitor says almost one in eight people face food shortages as flooding and cold exacerbate humanitarian emergencyThe famine in Gaza has ended as a result of increased humanitarian aid deliveries into the territory, the UN said on Friday, though it warned that levels of hunger and the humanitarian situation remained critical.Almost one in eight people in Gaza still faced food shortages, the UN said, adding that persistent hunger had been made worse by winter flooding and the colder weather. Most people in Gaza live in tents or other substandard accommodation as Israel destroyed much of the housing and civilian infrastructure during its two-year war. Continue reading...

Campaigners decry plan to reduce requirement for improved standards from 100% down to 40% of new homesGovernment plans to make huge cuts to targets for accessible new-build homes in England have been labelled a monumental reversal" by campaigners, who say disabled people have been left feeling betrayed and excluded".In its proposals for changes to the country's planning system, the government said a minimum of 40% of new-build homes would be built to improved accessibility standards - M4(2) - which include step-free access and wider doorways and corridors. Continue reading...

Ukrainian leader welcomes move as Donald Tusk says it could be better' after Russian frozen assets left out of deal

Reportedly critical drone strike is first in Mediterranean since full-scale invasion began as maritime conflict grows

Mixed picture for the big day with some capitals tipped for a hot, dry celebration while others will be cool or rainy

Under changes revealed by regulator, banks and card providers encouraged to set their own maximumsThe 100 limit on contactless card payments will be scrapped next year and consumers could get the ability to spend as much as they want without inputting their pin under changes announced by the UK financial regulator.Currently contactless payments by cards are limited, while payments using mobile phones are not, but the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that from 19 March banks and card providers could set their own maximums. Continue reading...

Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, 30, was arrested in 2020 for taking part in nationwide democracy protests, and has been tortured in prisonA boxing champion in prison in Iran is thought to be at imminent risk of execution after his request for a retrial was rejected by the country's supreme court.Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, 30, from Mashhad in north-east Iran was arrested in 2020 for taking part in nationwide democracy protests in 2019 and accused of supporting an opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK). He has spent five years in prison, where he has been tortured and put in solitary confinement. Continue reading...

Home affairs minister would not say whether specific phrases such as globalise the intifada' would be banned under proposed laws

Chris Minns says state can't risk another mass demonstration on that scale in NSW [because] the implications can be seen, in my view, on Sunday'

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Exclusive: Labour says Nigel Farage's party should swiftly condemn Chris Parry after further comments emergeA Reform UK mayoral candidate who said David Lammy should go home to the Caribbean" has suggested that at least eight other politicians from minority ethnic backgrounds do not have a primary loyalty towards the UK.Nigel Farage's party has so far refused to condemn Chris Parry, a retired naval rear admiral who has been picked to contest the now-postponed Hampshire and the Solent mayoral election for the party, over his comment about Lammy, the deputy prime minister. Continue reading...

Drone footage shows huge circle of swimmers and surfers in the ocean in latest outpouring of grief

Productivity Commission recommends waiting three years to establish review into technology after furious response from creative industries

House of Lords report says tools such as raising pension age and increasing immigration will not be adequateYoung people will suffer most from the government's failure to take seriously the unsustainable pressure on public finances and living standards created by the UK's ageing population, according to the findings of a House of Lords inquiry.The report, Preparing for an Ageing Society, by the economic affairs committee, also found successive governments' inaction on adult social care remains a scandal". Continue reading...

Heavily armed officers in camouflage gear intercepted two cars with photographs from the scene showing suspects cable-tied on roadside

Opposition parties say Labour is scared of voters' but government says merging authorities have voiced concernsLocal elections could be delayed again as merging councils lack the capacity for reorganisation, the government has announced, triggering claims from opposition parties that Labour is scared of the voters".Sixty-three council areas could opt to postpone elections until 2027 after some were already delayed until May 2026 as two-tier authorities are being combined into single unitary councils. Continue reading...

Current ambassador to UN to replace Peter Mandelson, who was forced to quit over Epstein linkKeir Starmer has appointed the career diplomat Christian Turner as the UK's ambassador to Washington, replacing Peter Mandelson who was forced to quit over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.Turner, the who was appointed ambassador to the UN in May, had previously been political director at the Foreign Office and had brokered a close relationship with the new Labour administration before taking up his UN role in New York. Continue reading...

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, spoke candidly about Trump's inner circle and the piece made even bigger waves with its unsparing photos

PPE Medpro owes government 148m for supplying unusable personal protective equipment during Covid-19 pandemicThe company linked to the former Conservative peer Michelle Mone, which owes the government almost 150m for supplying unusable personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been put into liquidation.The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) applied for PPE Medpro to be wound up at a high court hearing on Thursday, arguing that the company was hopelessly insolvent" and should not continue in administration. Continue reading...

Report on Kamala Harris's loss to Trump would be a distraction' as party is putting our learnings into motion'The Democratic National Committee won't release a review of its election loss in 2024, saying it would be a distraction" from helping the party win going forward.The party has been working on a so-called autopsy of 2024 since Kamala Harris lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president says case for transfer of assets to fund war effort is morally clear and just'Germany's chancellor Friedrich Merz confirms his support for the EU's reparations loan, saying he sees no better option."He diplomatically acknowledges Belgium's concerns, and says he hopes we can address them together" to send a signal of strength and resolve ... towards Russia." Continue reading...

Tory leader says Labour should focus on migrants from cultures that don't respect women' rather than tackling misogyny in schools

Lula acknowledges his decision to uphold 27-year sentence could be overridden by conservative lawmakersBrazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has promised to veto a bill passed by congress to reduce the prison term of Jair Bolsonaro, the former president who was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for masterminding an attempted coup to overturn the 2022 elections.Lawmakers passed the bill late on Wednesday after it was approved last week by the lower house. On Thursday, Brazil's leftist president - who, investigations showed, was the target of an assassination plan as part of the coup plot - acknowledged his veto could be overridden by the largely conservative congress. Continue reading...

The US-Ireland Alliance will give the actor the Oscar Wilde award at the event's 20th anniversary in Los Angeles in MarchAfter a varied career in which he has played a psychopath, a romcom heart-throb, an intergalactic warlord and a plucky newspaper editor among others, Domhnall Gleeson has won his first Hollywood award.The US-Ireland Alliance announced that Gleeson will receive the Oscar Wilde award at the event's 20th anniversary in Los Angeles in March in the run-up to the Oscars. It honours a body of work rather than a particular performance. Continue reading...

Fourth cut this year is good news for homebuyers and those due to remortgage, but returns on easy-access savings accounts could drop

Timing seen as reset moment after potential loss of hundreds of council seats in England and defeat in Wales and Scotland UK politics live - latest updatesKeir Starmer is planning for a new king's speech after the crunch May elections as a reset moment for the government amid speculation over the prime minister's future.Senior sources in parliament said planning was under way to end the parliamentary session the week after local elections in England and parliamentary elections in Wales and Scotland in May, making it a significantly longer session than normal, and nearly two years since Labour first set out its legislative agenda. Continue reading...

A country known for welcoming newcomers has reversed policy as immigration becomes increasingly a partisan issue