World news | The Guardian

Campaign raises 5m in just a few weeks as community, local businesses and celebrities rally roundA Liverpool baby hospice has been saved after the city helped raise vital funds for a new home.Zoe's Place, a charity that cares for children with life-limiting conditions from birth to the age of five, was founded in Liverpool in 1995 by Prof Jack Scarisbrick. The name was chosen because Zoe means gift of life" in Greek. The charity needed to raise 5m in a matter of weeks to find a new building to call home, while an extra 1.4m was needed to help the hospice stay open in the meantime. Continue reading...

David Miliband, Peter Mandelson and Cathy Ashton thought to be on shortlist for diplomatic roleA decision on a new US ambassador is likely to be taken within days, with David Miliband, Peter Mandelson and Cathy Ashton all on the shortlist, the Guardian understands.Whitehall sources said Downing Street is determined to press ahead with the appointment of a new US ambassador now that Donald Trump has been confirmed as the next US president. Continue reading...

Antonia the ferret becomes first cloned animal of an endangered species to successfully produce offspring in USA cloned black-footed ferret has given birth, becoming the first-ever cloned animal of an endangered species in the US to successfully produce offspring in what officials recently hailed as a major milestone".In an announcement at the beginning of November, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said that a cloned black-footed ferret named Antonia had given birth to three kits in June after mating with a three-year-old male black-footed ferret at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia. Continue reading...

Head of the Norwegian Refugee Council calls for peace process to begin as new figures reveal civilians have borne the brunt of the warNearly 70% of the people killed in the war in Gaza are women and children, according to a UN analysis of verified deaths that highlights the heavy civilian toll of the conflict.In a new report, the most detailed analysis of its kind yet, the UN human rights office said it had verified 8,119 of those killed during the first six months of the war in Gaza. Of the fatalities, 3,588 were children and 2,036 were women. The youngest victim was a one-day-old boy and the oldest was a 97-year-old woman. Continue reading...

Trump campaign said US officials warned him in September about suspected Iranian assassination plotThe US justice department is bringing criminal charges over an Iranian plot to kill President-elect Donald Trump that was thwarted by the FBI, the government said.The federal government has unsealed criminal charges in what the justice department said was a murder-for-hire plan to take out Trump before this week's presidential election, which he won decisively over his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Continue reading...

Budapest meeting finds consensus on need to raise growth and productivity as America first' protectionism loomsEU leaders meeting in Budapest have signed a declaration aimed at boosting the bloc's ailing competitiveness - a task given added urgency by the threat of America first" protectionist trade policies promised by the US president-elect, Donald Trump.The bloc has too many barriers to innovation and must drastically reduce red tape, especially for startups; ramp up investment; make access to capital easier; and raise productivity, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Friday. Continue reading...

Creator of the wedge cut dies after being diagnosed with terminal cancerThe hairdresser Trevor Sorbie, who was celebrated for pioneering the wedge haircut and inventing scrunch drying, has died aged 75, his company has announced.The stylist, who frequently appeared on TV and had his own line of hair products, revealed in October he had weeks to live after his bowel cancer spread to his liver. Continue reading...

Reform leader says negative media coverage means it is no surprise Trump is unpopular in UKKeir Starmer has hosted veterans and charities at Downing Street with defence secretary John Healey in the lead-up to Remembrance Day, PA Media reports. PA says:The informal reception was held after Starmer pledged 3.5m in support for veterans facing homelessness.Peter Kent, 99, the oldest veteran at the event, said he was pleased by the increase in funding and described Starmer as a good guy".State visits take a while to organise. So in the next year, I've got to tell you, I think that would be a bit of a tall order. But [Trump] was genuine in his respect and his affection for the royal family. Continue reading...

The star is out in front with multiple genre recognition for Cowboy Carter while Kendrick Lamar, Charli xcx, Post Malone and Billie Eilish followBeyonce is out in front with the nominations for the 67th Grammy awards in what promises to be another female-heavy year.The star has scored 11 nods for her country album Cowboy Carter with recognition in the country, pop and Americana categories. It's the biggest number of nominations she has received in a single year. Continue reading...

Some ex-girlfriends of accused men tell court of burden of not knowing if they had been sedated and molested in pastGiving evidence in Avignon's criminal court, a softly spoken woman in her 30s pondered the question if the medication she took as part of managing her multiple sclerosis might have allowed her ex-partner, Cedric G, to sexually abuse her without her knowledge. She described their relationship as lies, from start to finish".Cedric G, 50, a software technician who used to run a record shop in Avignon, looked on from behind the glass-screened dock in the court. He is one of 51 men on trial over the rape of Gisele Pelicot, whose then husband, Dominique Pelicot, crushed sleeping tablets and anti-anxiety medication into her food and invited dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious over a nine-year period from 2011 to 2020 in the village of Mazan in Provence. Continue reading...

City officials say supporters were attacked, abused and pelted with fireworksReuters reports that the Israeli military said on Friday that all Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel have been banned from going to the Netherlands until further notice.Human rights organisations say they are gravely concerned that a young Iranian woman arrested for stripping down to her underwear could be subjected to torture after she was transferred to a psychiatric hospital by the authorities. Continue reading...

Retailers report strong sales of jodhpurs, riding boots and paddock-ready blazers - but is it class passing'?It's a sport traditionally associated with mud and manure, but now the equestrian world is finding itself in fashion's spotlight.Jodhpurs and riding boots are galloping up the style charts, even if some fans of the trend have never set foot inside a yard. Blame Rupert Campbell-Black and his Rutshire set, but the Rivals effect is in full swing. Continue reading...

CMA sets out potential measures, including price cap on retailers, to combat high prices and lack of choiceThe government could offer its own low-cost baby formula under a brand such as the NHS to combat the high prices and lack of choice in the market, the UK competition watchdog has suggested.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said another backstop" measure could be for the government to regulate and set a price or profit-margin cap on retailers as a way to bring prices down for parents more quickly. Continue reading...

Martin Hibbert and daughter Eve successfully sued ex-TV producer Richard Hall who claimed bombing was hoaxTwo Manchester Arena bombing survivors have been awarded 45,000 in damages after suing a former TV producer who claimed the attack was staged.Martin Hibbert and his daughter Eve sued Richard Hall for harassment over his claims in several videos and a book that the attack was a state-orchestrated hoax, with the pair involved as crisis actors". Continue reading...

Shares in UK retailers fall as investors digest Rachel Reeves's changes to NICs and tax thresholds

Billie Eilish also expressed dismay at the re-election of Trump, calling him someone who hates women so, so deeply'Madonna has expressed outrage at the re-election of Donald Trump, describing him as a convicted felon, rapist, bigot".Writing on Instagram, she said: Trying to get my head around why a convicted felon, rapist, bigot was chosen to lead our country because he's good for the economy?" She also posted a picture of a cake with the words Fuck Trump" etched in frosting along with the caption: Stuffed my face with this cake last night!" Continue reading...

Presence at Cenotaph and Festival of Remembrance mark her first consecutive days of engagements since start of yearThe Princess of Wales will attend two remembrance events this weekend, Buckingham Palace has said, as she gradually returns to public duties after her treatment for cancer.Catherine will join the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph and the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall alongside King Charles and the Prince of Wales to honour the nation's war dead. Continue reading...

Firm issues second profit warning in a month after review into understated' build costs in south divisionShares in the FTSE 100 housebuilder Vistry have plunged after it issued a second profit warning in as many months and said cost overruns on building projects were worse than previously thought.Vistry was the top faller on the blue chip index of stocks on Friday morning. The builder's shares were down 18%, wiping about 500m off the value of the company. Continue reading...

At times it felt like the three parties thought they were governing three completely different countriesGermany's coalition government, which collapsed in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night after almost three years in power, was always an odd throuple.A pact between three parties with three quite different histories and different priorities, it was made up of two outfits that have traditionally located themselves on the left of the political spectrum - the Social Democratic party (SPD) and the Greens - and one, the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), that had until then been a loyal junior partner to the conservatives. Continue reading...

Susan McGowan took two doses of tirzepatide, under Mounjaro brand, before she died in North LanarkshireA weight-loss drug recently approved for use on the NHS contributed to the death of a 58-year-old nurse from North Lanarkshire, according to a report.Susan McGowan took two low-dose injections of tirzepatide, under the Mounjaro brand, over the space of a fortnight before she died on 4 September, the BBC reported. Continue reading...

Soldiers holding chunk of enemy territory in Kursk have been learning Korean phrases and are unconcerned by threat from reinforcementsVitalii Ovcharenko, a Ukrainian soldier, has been learning a new language: Korean. I've picked up a few phrases. They are: Hands up, drop your weapon and come to us slowly,'" he said. Also: Throw off your body armour and helmet.'"Ovcharenko has been mugging up with the help of a three-page printed guide. It lists words in Ukrainian, their Korean equivalent, and a helpful transliteration. Continue reading...

British foreign secretary says many politicians have said pretty ripe things' about US president-elect

Measure alongside bill to facilitate removal of non-citizens criticised as heavy-handed proposals that interfere with fundamental rights'

Noonan Real Estate Agency in Sydney forced to apologise after it disclosed renter's full name, occupation and financial circumstances to global audience

Protesters and political prisoners are being drugged, tortured and beaten in state-run institutions, say rights groupsHuman rights organisations say they are gravely concerned that a young Iranian woman arrested for stripping down to her underwear could be subjected to torture after she was transferred to a psychiatric hospital by the authorities.Amnesty International said it had found evidence that the Iranian regime used electric shocks, torture, beatings and chemical substances on protesters and political prisoners taken to state-run psychiatric institutions after being called mentally unstable. It said the situation facing the young woman was alarming". Continue reading...

Petition demands council hold binding referendum on issue after local people say they have been priced outHousing activists in Lisbon are to hand over a petition, signed by more than 6,600 residents, calling on city officials to agree to hold a binding referendum on banning tourist lets in residential blocks.The effort, months in the making, is aimed at prompting decisive action in a city where the cost of housing has drastically outpaced local salaries. Short-term rentals take most of the housing space in Lisbon's historic centre," said Raquel Antunes, a member the group Movement for a Housing Referendum. We need to put the brakes on this." Continue reading...

Alexis Jay says she is still pressing ministers to introduce mandatory reporting of allegations in England and WalesA once-in-a-lifetime" chance to protect children is at risk of being squandered by the UK government, a leading expert has warned.Prof Alexis Jay, the former chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) said she was still pressing Labour ministers for a commitment to introduce her recommendations made at the conclusion of the seven-year inquiry in 2022. Continue reading...

A passenger onboard QF520 to Brisbane says it was a real struggle to get airborne and it was clear to everyone ... that something was badly wrong'

Twenty-five-year-old the first Victorian convicted of intentionally performing the gesture in public

Jordan James Fineanganofo admitted stabbing Steven Tougher 55 times outside a McDonald's in Campbelltown in April 2023

Wealthy Democratic outsider unseats incumbent mayor London Breed in expensive raceAfter years of negative headlines and post-pandemic economic struggle, San Francisco has picked a wealthy Democratic outsider with no government experience to serve as the city's new mayor.Daniel Lurie, 47, is one of the heirs to the Levi Strauss jeans company fortune, and previously spent 15 years as the executive of a San Francisco non-profit he founded. He defeated several Democratic challengers, including the current mayor, London Breed, in an election that was expected to break local campaign spending records. Continue reading...

Independent David Pocock calls for disclosure reform while Liberal James Paterson says many politicians don't update the log fast enough

The historical series, Time in the Northwest, chronicles the life of Xi Zhongxun from peasant roots to Communist revolutionary in ChinaXi Jinping's father is the subject of a rousing new historical drama that premiered on Chinese state television on Tuesday.Funded by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist party (CCP), Time in the Northwest chronicles the life of Xi Zhongxun, the father of the Chinese president, who was himself a CCP elder and key figure in the party under Chairman Mao Zedong. Continue reading...

Prosecutors say they charged someone who was close to the singer, a hotel employee and a suspected drug dealerThree people have been charged in connection with Liam Payne's death in Argentina for supplying narcotics and the abandonment of a person followed by death.Toxicology tests found that when he died, Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine, a prescription drug and antidepressants in his body prosecutors said in a statement on Thursday. Continue reading...

Leon Panetta says he also expects US president-elect to favor letting Russia retain control of areas of UkraineDonald Trump will as president give Benjamin Netanyahu a blank check" in the Middle East, possibly opening the way for all-out war between Israel and Iran, the former CIA director and US defense secretary Leon Panetta predicted.With regards to the Middle East, I think he's basically going to give Netanyahu a blank check," Panetta said of Trump, who won the presidential election this week and will take office again in January. Continue reading...

President implored Americans to bring down' political temperature and hit note of optimism after bitter election

Judges suspend Dylan Willis's jail term on account of his ADHD and low IQ but uphold sentences of three other menA teenager jailed for smashing a restaurant window during rioting in Middlesbrough is to be freed after appeal judges ruled that a court had not considered his complex developmental and mental health background.Dylan Willis, 18, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder after repeatedly smashing the window with a brick, had his 14-month sentence suspended by court of appeal judges on Thursday. Continue reading...

Report says it is unlikely' Justin Welby knew nothing of concerns about Smyth, who abused schoolboys at Christian holiday campsThe Church of England covered up the actions of its worst and most brutal serial abuser, who subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks, an independent review has concluded.John Smyth, a powerful and charismatic barrister, sadistically abused private schoolboys who attended evangelical Christian holiday camps in the late 1970s and early 80s. When the abuse was discovered, Smyth was allowed to move abroad with the full knowledge of church officials, where he continued to act with impunity. Continue reading...

Mildura's Powerhouse Place won for sustainable architecture and urban design, while Sydney renovation for Atlassian offices wins top award

Experienced envoy is considered best person to help guide Labour government during potentially fraught period

State has passed measures and pored over Project 2025 to establish guardrails to shield residents from a hostile White House

Event has brought new drama each week, and stars such as Robbie Coltrane, to city's West End since it began in 2004I couldn't imagine it not being here," says Diane Carroll, who has worked at the ticket desk for A Play, a Pie and a Pint at the Oran Mor in Glasgow since it opened its doors in 2004. As she assists those who are queueing for the show it becomes clear what they have come early for: a cart of fresh, steaming pies makes its way down to the venue with them.A Play, a Pie and a Pint, a lunchtime theatre event in the historic building in the city's West End, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Continue reading...

Taipei says it is paying close attention to reported request by Elon Musk's firmTaiwan's government says it is paying close attention to reports that Elon Musk's SpaceX asked Taiwanese suppliers to move manufacturing to other countries because of geopolitical" concerns.Reuters reported on Wednesday that SpaceX's request to suppliers in Taiwan's multibillion-dollar industry appeared to have prompted some to shift locations to Vietnam, Thailand and other places. In response, Taiwan's economic affairs minister, JW Kuo, said the industry was strong and should be able to cope", but that the government was monitoring the situation. Continue reading...

Many in Ramallah argue things cannot get any worse but some say US result could add unpredictability to despair

Attack on Ukrainian capital lasts eight hours with five districts hit and high-rise building set on fireRussia has carried out a massive drone attack on Kyiv, hours after Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election. The Kremlin also called on the west to stop backing the Ukrainian government in order to save its people.The moped-like whine of Iranian shahed drones could be heard at 6am local time on Wednesday above the Ukrainian capital. There was machine gunfire and explosions in the centre of Kyiv as air defence tried to shoot the missiles down. The attack lasted eight hours. Continue reading...

German opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, opposes timetable laid out by chancellor in news conferenceGermany's centre-right opposition leader has called for an immediate vote of confidence to be held in parliament, after Olaf Scholz's ruling coalition collapsed.Friedrich Merz, the chair of the former chancellor Angela Merkel's party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), stands to profit most from the bombshell developments in Berlin, one day after Donald Trump's election as US president upended the global political landscape. Continue reading...

Share surge increases Elon Musk's fortune by $26bn in a day as Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin and Bill Gates also benefitThe wealth of the 10 richest people in the world - a list dominated by US tech billionaires - increased by a record amount after Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election, according to a widely cited index.The Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated that the world's 10 wealthiest people gained nearly $64bn (about 49.5bn) on Wednesday, the largest daily increase since the index began in 2012. Continue reading...

Met inquiry looking into historical accusations against former Radio 1 hip-hop DJProsecutors are considering bringing charges against the former Radio 1 hip-hop DJ Tim Westwood, after detectives investigating allegations of non-recent sexual abuse submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).The criminal inquiries began after a joint investigation by the Guardian and BBC News in 2022 heard from women who accused the DJ of sexual misconduct and misusing his position in the music industry to take advantage of them. Continue reading...

Unexpected move throws Europe's largest economy into political disarray and is likely to lead to snap elections in MarchThe German government has collapsed after the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, unexpectedly sacked his finance minister, plunging Europe's largest economy into political disarray.Christian Lindner was thrown out of the three-way coalition during a meeting of high-level government members on Wednesday evening, after months of bitter infighting that has contributed to the administration's growing unpopularity. Continue reading...

Robert F Kennedy Jr, vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist, says Trump promised him control of health policyDonald Trump will be propelled to the White House for a second term amid concerns about inflation kicked off by the pandemic, with a leading vaccine skeptic - Robert F Kennedy Jr - at his side, and proposals from conservative supporters to fundamentally restructure public health agencies central to pandemic-era ire.Covid-19 was never seen as the central issue of the 2024 presidential campaign season, but in the first post-pandemic presidential election, it reverberated as the anti-vaccine movement ascended to its greatest political heights ever. Continue reading...