World news | The Guardian

Researchers suggest stricter regulation as one in 10 people in Britain aged 16 or over now use e-cigarettesOne million people in England now vape despite never having been regular smokers, a seven-fold increase in just three years, according to research that has prompted alarm among health experts.Rates of e-cigarette use among adults who had never regularly smoked were stable until 2021, when one in 200 - about 133,000 people - were vapers. However, the proportion has increased sharply to one in 28 in 2024 - 1,006,000 people - a study published in The Lancet Public Health journal suggests. Continue reading...

Top Israeli diplomat at UN warns his country's retaliation for Iranian missile attack will be heavier than Tehran could ever have imagined'Joe Biden has said he would not support an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites, as the US sought to temper Israel's response to Iran's missile attack on Tuesday and contain a rapidly escalating regional conflict.Biden's comments came after the top Israeli diplomat at the UN warned his country's retaliation for an Iranian salvo of nearly 200 ballistic missiles would be heavier than Tehran could ever have imagined". Continue reading...

Hawks argue Tehran's missile assault gives legitimacy to a direct attack on Iran - but would wars and wars and wars' guarantee greater security?Israel is enjoying a moment of military and intelligence triumph. Over two weeks, it has killed an archenemy" in his secret bunker, decimated Hezbollah's leadership, blown up the militant group's communications networks and parts of its arsenal and humbled its sponsor, Iran.As its ground troops marched into Lebanon, Israel fended off a large-scale Iranian ballistic missile attack with backing from the US and other allies. Continue reading...

Mark Chavez, 52, signed a plea agreement in which he admitted to obtaining ketamine from his former clinicOne of two doctors charged in the investigation of the death of Matthew Perry pleaded guilty on Wednesday in a federal court in Los Angeles to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine.Dr Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in August and is now the third person to plead guilty in the aftermath of the Friends star's fatal overdose last year. Continue reading...

First charter flight has left Beirut, says David Lammy, with officials planning sea and air' rescues if situation worsens

Joan E Greve and Leah Wright Rigueur discuss JD Vance and Tim Walz's clash on the debate stage in New York City on Tuesday night. Although Walz gave a solid performance, it was described as underwhelming, while Vance attempted to reset his image and get on the front foot. Will this debate have moved the needle at all? And as the situation in the Middle East escalates, where do Trump and Harris stand on foreign policy?Archive: Continue reading...

At least 70 dead as Israeli strikes against Hamas continue despite attention shifting to Lebanon and Iran

Most of the defensive effort appears to have been undertaken by Israeli air defence systems

Prime minister is covering cost of Taylor Swift tickets and designer clothing rental agreement after donations rowKeir Starmer has paid back more than 6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality, including Taylor Swift tickets and rented clothing for his wife, after a row over his acceptance of freebies.The prime minister handed back some tickets and gifts he had received since he entered No 10 in July as he vowed to overhaul the rules on what ministers are allowed to accept. Continue reading...

Prosecutors say Christian Bruckner, main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, should be kept in preventive detentionGerman prosecutors have called for a sexual offences conviction and 15-year prison sentence for a man who is also under investigation separately over the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann.The 47-year-old German national, who has been identified by local media as Christian Bruckner, is on trial at the Braunschweig state court in northern Germany over offences he is alleged to have committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. Continue reading...

British rock band also agree to sell rights to their name and likeness after years of reported infighting among membersPink Floyd has reportedly reached a deal with Sony to sell their music catalog, as well as their name and likeness, for about $400m.The British rock band agreed to sell the rights to their recorded music catalog, their name and their likeness, but not the rights to their songwriting, according to the Financial Times, who first reported the news of the deal on Tuesday, citing two people familiar with the matter. Continue reading...

Peter Beaumont joins Michael Safi from Jerusalem to discuss the unprecedented attack on Israel by Iran - and what may come next Continue reading...

Star Wars actor will lead Otis & Zelma, which will celebrate the eternal love story' between the singer and his wifeJohn Boyega is set to play Otis Redding in a new film telling the story of the soul singer's decade-long relationship.Otis & Zelma will see the Star Wars and Attack the Block actor play the tragic star with Till breakout Danielle Deadwyler playing his wife, Zelma. Continue reading...

Villa Vie Odyssey set sail on three-and-a-half-year voyage on Monday after repairs but departure delayed againThe luxury cruise liner stranded in Belfast for four months remains anchored off the coast of Northern Ireland after two failed attempts to finally set sail on a round-the-world voyage.The Villa Vie Odyssey was originally due to embark on a perpetual" three-and-a-half-year trip on 30 May but was marooned after requiring repairs, leaving passengers stranded in Belfast over summer. Continue reading...

In separate incident, Swedish police launch investigation after shots fired at Israeli embassy in Stockholm

Police issue statement a day after cab driver told officers he thought a bullet had shattered his vehicle's windowThe Metropolitan police believe a mechanical failure, rather than a gunshot, shattered the window of a taxi carrying the Private Eye editor, Ian Hislop.On Tuesday morning police were called after a black-cab driver told detectives he had come to a standstill in traffic in Soho, central London, just after 10am. He heard what he believed was a bullet hitting and shattering his window. Continue reading...

One exercise in History of Australia, a student workbook and teaching manual, asks pupils to discuss how Aboriginal people were blessed' by the British coming

Premier promises to create energy price guarantee' if his party retains government at state election

Annual growth is at multi-year lows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, suggesting the stretch of rent rises may have peaked, Domain says

Caroline Sharpen says there's no precedent in the world' for a concert hall having to deal with 23,000-seat stadium just 170 metres from its stage

Adam Bandt to announce $54bn policy for at least six clinics in every electorate paid for by Robin Hood' tax reform

Community Security Trust says the number of antisemitic incidents has tripledBritish Jews are adjusting to a new reality" of heightened fear and high levels of antisemitism as the war in the Middle East escalates, campaigners have said.The warning comes as a data shows more than 5,500 antisemitic incidents in the UK in the year between 7 October 2023 and 30 September 2024. Continue reading...

Seventy also reported injured as schools, offices and financial markets shut and people are urged to stay at homeOne person has been killed, two are missing and 70 injured in bad weather from a typhoon approaching Taiwan, which grounded flights and closed all schools, offices and financial markets for Wednesday and Thursday.Typhoon Krathon reached super typhoon status in recent days but movement stalled overnight and its intensity has weakened as it moves slowly towards Taiwan's south-west. Authorities warned the threat of strong winds and storm surges remained for coastal and low-lying communities on the densely-populated west coast, and the mountainous areas remained at high risk of landslides and torrential rain. Continue reading...

Book claiming to tell story of abusive relationship was denounced by their children as fabricatedAmazon confirmed on Tuesday the removal of a memoir from its site that purports to tell the story of an abusive relationship between the late actor and model Kim Porter and her longtime partner, the hip-hop mogul Sean Diddy" Combs.Porter and Combs's children denounced the book - titled Kim's Lost Words: A journey for justice, from the other side ... - as a complete fabrication after it became a bestseller on Amazon in September. Continue reading...

Ex-finance chief says very few senior roles held by women, after he is asked about alleged culture of misogyny'A former Post Office finance chief has said the company's chief executive, Nick Read, prefers to work with teams of younger, deferential males", with very few senior roles held by female colleagues.Alisdair Cameron, who officially left the company in June after a year of sick leave, provided his view on the culture at the Post Office in response to the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal. Continue reading...

Challenger bank apologises after City regulator says lack of checks left system wide open to criminals and those subject to sanctions'

Bill to formalise state net zero target for 2050 left off list of legislative goals ahead of March election

Kody Adams, already facing charges, allegedly told Oklahoma police he had merely been borrowing' vehicleAn Oklahoma man who could not find a ride to a criminal court hearing on accusations that he had stolen a car worsened his legal peril by stealing an ambulance service's truck and driving himself to the courthouse, authorities allege.The bizarre case centers on Kody Adams, who was recently at a gasoline station in the community of Stillwater asking passersby whether they would drive him to Pawnee - about 30 minutes away - so that he could attend a court hearing there, as the Oklahoma highway patrol tells it. Continue reading...

Wausau mayor says he worried box could be tossed in river, as boxes remain fixture of debate over state administrationA Wisconsin mayor removed a ballot drop box from outside city hall and relocated it indoors last week - a performance that underscores the tensions and misinformation that surround election administration and the topic of ballot drop boxes in the state.Doug Diny, who donned a workperson's hat and gloves to move the drop box, claimed he did so because he was worried the box, which had not yet been fully installed and did not have any ballots in it, could have been tossed in the river. The city has since re-installed the dropbox outside the Wausau municipal building. Continue reading...

As Biden fights three fires at once, Trump sees chance to associate his rival for US presidency with chaos100" was spelled out in giant numbers on the White House north lawn on Tuesday. It was a birthday tribute to the former US president Jimmy Carter, who served only one term after being buffeted by external events such as high inflation and a hostage crisis in Iran.The current occupant of the White House, Joe Biden, must know the feeling as he fights three fires at once. Iran has launched at least 180 missiles into Israel, six US states are still reeling from Hurricane Helene, and ports from Maine to Texas shut down as about 45,000 dockworkers went on strike. Continue reading...

Woman alleged the man gave her a drink in a martini glass and her next memory was waking up in the accused's bed

Israeli officials reportedly considering significant retaliation' to Iranian attack within days

Cold and wet spring reduces demand for camping kit and clothing, while shipping rerouting delays deliveries

This blog is now closed

Gareth Thomas admits compensation date for those caught up in Horizon IT scandal difficult to achievePost office operators affected by the Horizon IT scandal will not all receive payouts by the March 2025 deadline called for by the campaigner Sir Alan Bates, the postal minister has admitted.Gareth Thomas said it would be difficult to achieve the deadline but promised that there would be substantial progress" toward clearing the compensation claim backlog by next summer. Continue reading...

Abuse directed at Armstrong came after Media Watch segment critical of the Indigenous presenter

Defence secretary says UK military played part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East'

Barrister-turned-informer began giving evidence to supreme court on Wednesday in trial against Victoria police

NSW police earlier said they hoped woman could assist with inquiries into the display of prohibited symbols at public order incident'

Campaigners argue court action to block Sydney protests oppressive' but PM says event on anniversary of 7 October attacks on Israel would be incredibly provocative'

Iran sends more than 180 ballistic missiles in dramatic escalation of conflictIsrael has vowed to retaliate after Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at targets across Israel in a dramatic intensification of a conflict that appeared to be escalating out of control.Iran made a big mistake tonight - and it will pay for it," Benjamin Netanyahu told a meeting of his security cabinet late on Tuesday. The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies ... They will understand." Continue reading...

The death of a young chartered accountant has highlighted a work culture of overworked employees and bullying bossesFor the average Indian, the working week is now longer than ever - totalling almost 47 hours.According to recent labour data, India now has one of the most overworked labour forces in the world, enduring longer hours than in China, Singapore and even Japan, a country renowned for its relentless work culture. On average, Indians work 13 hours longer every week than an employee in Germany. Continue reading...

PM derides opposition leader for a macho stance' on issues, who in turn labelled Labor leader's stance on Middle East crisis as weak

Racist chants rang out, and homes, businesses and hotels housing asylum seekers were attacked - for a week this summer English towns and cities seemed on the brink of chaos. Josh Halliday reports on what we know so far about the people at the centre of the violenceFrom Aldershot to Southport, riots broke out in English towns and cities this summer. Mosques, homes, shops and cars were attacked. A library was looted. Drivers were stopped and interrogated about their ethnicity, police officers were attacked. In a matter of days, however, many rioters found themselves in court and the violence stopped abruptly.Josh Halliday was in court to hear what many of the rioters, including children, said about why they had caused such havoc. He explains to Helen Pidd how the Guardian's data team tracked the court filings of 500 rioters to glean information that helped build a picture of the people who terrified communities. Continue reading...

New Zealand asks Australia to waive diplomatic immunity for man arrested but released without charge after Wallabies rugby loss

The French Pacific territory has been hit by violent unrest between communities loyal to Paris and pro-independence Indigenous KanaksFrance's new prime minister, Michel Barnier, has announced that a provincial election scheduled for December in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia has been postponed for a year.During his inaugural address to parliament on Tuesday, Barnier also said a controversial bill proposed by President Emmanuel Macron to amend the constitution to change voting lists in the territory would not be forwarded to a joint meeting of parliament for ratification. The territory's Indigenous Kanak people fear changes to the voting registry would favour recent arrivals to the Pacific archipelago. Continue reading...

Three-time Oscar winner to star in his son Ronan's directorial debut, Anemone, which he also co-wroteThree-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis is ending his retirement from acting to star in his son's directorial debut.The 67-year-old British actor quit acting after starring in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2017 film Phantom Thread, and has largely stayed out of public life since. Continue reading...

Researchers say interventions could address key factors, such as smoking, but structural changes' also neededFour key factors have been identified that together account for more than one-third of the inequalities in infant deaths between the most and least deprived areas of England.Researchers say targeted interventions to address these factors - teenage pregnancy, maternal depression, preterm birth and smoking during pregnancy - could go a significant way to reduce inequalities, although higher-level structural changes to address socioeconomic inequality will also be necessary. Continue reading...

Joint review by chief of Ofsted and prisons chief inspector discovers children kept in cells to avoid conflictChildren in youth offender institutions (YOIs) are being denied access to education, with too many being kept in their cells as staff struggle to keep warring youngsters apart, a damning new report has found.It documents a worrying decline in the quality and quantity of education provided to 15 to 18-year-olds in YOIs over the last decade despite a sharp drop in the number of children being held in custody. Continue reading...

Port of London authority to reopen scheme with waiting list, after surge in popularity of exploring riverbank for treasureWhether fuelled by social media or prompted by the Covid lockdowns, the years between 2019 and 2022 saw a huge surge in interest in mudlarking on the foreshore of the River Thames in London.The practice of exploring the riverbank for archaeology is permitted only with a permit from the Port of London authority (PLA), which owns much of the shoreline. But so dramatic was the growth in demand for permits - from 200 applications in 2018-19 to more than 5,000 three years later - that the port suspended the scheme in 2022 to protect the integrity and archaeology of the foreshore". Continue reading...