World news | The Guardian

There are now more guns in the community per capita than in the aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre, with at least 2,000 new firearms lawfully entering the community every weekFor almost three decades, Australia's gun laws have been recognised as among the most stringent - and effective - in the world.After the horror of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people in Tasmania, Australia's then conservative government stared down the gun lobby to introduce restrictions that led to a dramatic decrease in the number of guns. Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister claims the Australian government let the disease' of antisemitism spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today'

Move marks big shift for Ukraine, which has fought to join Nato as safeguard against Russian attacksVolodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to drop Ukraine's aspirations to join the Nato military alliance, as he held five hours of talks with US envoys in Berlin on Sunday to end the war with Russia.Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said a lot of progress was made" as he and the US president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met Zelenskyy in the latest push to end Europe's bloodiest conflict since the second world war - though full details were not divulged. Continue reading...

Australia recorded 1,654 anti-Jewish incidents in year to September - three times higher than any annual total before Gaza war

Former senator's comments echo recent call from Erika Kirk that everyone has responsibility' to tone down hatredPoliticians should calm down" and stop approaching one another in attack mode" amid the US's climate of political violence, former US senator Joe Manchin said on Sunday.The West Virginia independent who generally caucused with Senate Democrats echoed similar comments made at a town hall Saturday by Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot to death in September. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. Our live coverage continues hereThe prime minister, Anthony Albanese, just released a statement. He said:The scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing. Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives. My thoughts are with every person affected.

End of subsidies after failed legislation will have serious and damaging impact on entire sector, policy experts sayWith subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance set to expire, Americans who rely on them will probably switch to plans with lower monthly premiums and high deductibles or decide not to purchase any coverage, which will have a serious and damaging impact on the entire sector, according to healthcare policy experts.The average amount ACA plan enrollees pay annually for premiums is estimated to more than double, from an average of $888 this year to $1,904 in 2026, according to a KFF analysis. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Analysis of NHS data shows rise in patients stranded' in beds as flu crisis hits and resident doctors' strikes loomHospitals in England face dangerous overcrowding this winter because even more patients than last year are stranded" in a bed, according to an analysis of NHS figures.The findings come as the health service struggles to cope with the early onset of its usual winter crisis driven by a crippling flu-nami" and the NHS in England is bracing itself for a five-day strike by resident doctors starting on Wednesday.The percentage of bed days used by patients whose discharge was delayed rose from 10.1% in 2024 to 11% this year, an increase of 9% or 19,000 bed days.That rise was driven by an 8% year-on-year rise in the number of discharges, equivalent to about 3,800 patients a month.The number of the NHS's overall stock of about 100,000 general and acute beds occupied last winter by delayed discharge patients hit a peak of 14%, but it is likely to be even higher this winter. Continue reading...

Details of financing structure to be reviewed by culture secretary and regulators before deal can proceedThe owner of the Daily Mail has secured funding for a 500m takeover of the Telegraph, in a crucial development that paves the way for the group to announce the terms of its acquisition on Monday.Lord Rothermere's Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) has agreed to pay the sum in two instalments, according to weekend reports. An initial payment of 400m will be funded by an increase in the group's debt with its longstanding lender NatWest and existing company cash. Continue reading...

Group asks Keir Starmer for help to persuade Ghanaian government to pay backlog of tuition fees and living allowancesStudents from Ghana at UK universities say they are in danger of being deported after being stranded by their own government without promised scholarships or tuition fee payments.The group representing more than 100 doctoral students has petitioned Downing Street and Keir Starmer asking for help to persuade the Ghanaian government to pay the backlog of tuition fees and living allowances running into millions of pounds. Continue reading...

Campaigners call for quarterly data to be published in line with other departments instead of FoI routeHuman rights and refugee campaigners are calling on the Home Office to be transparent about the numbers of asylum seekers who die in its care by publishing quarterly data as other government departments do.The only way to obtain data about asylum seeker deaths is via freedom of information (FoI) requests to the Home Office, which officials do not always comply with. However, the NHS produces regular figures about deaths in hospitals and the Ministry of Justice does so with deaths in custody. Continue reading...

Mass attacks have been rare in the wake of stringent gun controls brought in after the Port Arthur massacre of 1996Associated Press contributed reporting. Continue reading...

Police say one alleged shooter among dead, with second arrested and in a critical condition, after attack on Jewish festival in Sydney

Investment Association, influential group of shareholders, urges pay committees to avoid benchmarking'The UK's largest listed companies have been warned against using boilerplate" arguments to justify big executive pay increases by an influential group of shareholders.The Investment Association (IA) - whose members manage 10tn of assets - has told pay committees to avoid benchmarking": where companies argue higher pay is needed in order to match rivals and avoid bosses jumping ship for larger salaries and bonuses elsewhere. Continue reading...

Police increase patrols around synagogues and other venues as tens of thousands celebrate Hanukah

Hundreds of sausage dogs gather for annual festive parade that organiser started to help her puppy socialiseThe pitter-patter of tiny paws has brought joy - and more than a little chaos - to Hyde Park in London as hundreds of dachshunds and their owners gathered for the annual sausage dog Christmas walk.Now in its eighth year, the event was started by organiser Ana as a way to help her dachshund, Winston, socialise as a puppy. Meeting at noon by the Physical Energy statue in the centre of the park, the dogs - well, the owners really - competed in a best-dressed competition before enjoying an hour of play and socialising before the parade. Ana said previous years' events had ended up attracting as many as a thousand people and dogs. Continue reading...

Exclusive: MP dismisses as idle speculation' reports he could resign as part of coup' against Keir StarmerThe former health minister Andrew Gwynne has dismissed as idle speculation" reports he could resign his seat as part of an Andy Burnham coup" against Keir Starmer.Allies of Burnham were reported on Sunday to have identified a shortlist of seats to allow the Greater Manchester mayor to return to Westminster in the new year. Continue reading...

Home secretary says UK has managed the challenges of multiculturalism very well'

Senior DP members previously allege being told to disband or face severe consequences including possible arrestHong Kong's last major opposition party has disbanded after a vote by its members, the culmination of Chinese pressure on the city's remaining liberal voices in a years-long security crackdown.The Democratic party (DP) has been Hong Kong's main opposition since its founding three years before the financial hub's return to Chinese rule in 1997. The party used to sweep city-wide legislative elections and push China on democratic reforms and upholding freedoms. Continue reading...

Shabana Mahmood responds to claims that up to 50% of police officers on sexual violence and rape squads are traineesThe prime minister has commented on deeply distressing news" from Australia, where there have been multiple deaths after a shooting.Sir Keir Starmer posted on X: Deeply distressing news from Australia. The United Kingdom sends our thoughts and condolences to everyone affected by the appalling attack in Bondi beach. I'm being kept updated on the developing situation." Continue reading...

Kourtney Stevenson was allegedly caught on camera spraying meal with chemical that later sickened customersA driver for the popular food delivery platform DoorDash has been arrested after allegations that she showered an order with pepper spray in plain view of a doorbell camera, sickening a customer and his wife, according to authorities in Indiana.Kourtney Stevenson faces counts of felony battery and consumer product tampering, the Vanderburgh county sheriff's office said in a statement on Friday, addressing a case that is bound to be of significant interest to DoorDash's 42 million or so users. Continue reading...

Trump-inspired former congressman expected to succeed Gabriel Boric but compulsory voting could create volatilityChileans will head to the polls on Sunday for a presidential runoff in which the favourite is a Donald Trump-inspired candidate who has pledged to build a wall along the country's borders to keep migrants out.Jose Antonio Kast, 59, an ultra-conservative former congressman who has built his campaign on a promise to expel tens of thousands of undocumented migrants, faces Jeannette Jara, 51, a former labour minister under the current centre-left president, Gabriel Boric, 39. Continue reading...

The HCDA, which sought to expose police corruption and violence, was secretly monitored for a decadeUndercover officers secretly monitored a community organisation that sought to expose wrongdoing and corruption in the Metropolitan police, the spycops public inquiry has heard.Previously secret reports show that the Hackney Community Defence Association (HCDA) in east London and its key organiser were monitored by police spies for a decade. Continue reading...

Liz Sayce, who led inquiry into department's failures, distressed' at carers being blamed for running up huge overpaymentsThe Department of Work and Pensions needs a management and cultural overhaul if it is to restore public trust after the benefits scandal which left hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers in debt, a key government adviser has warned.Prof Liz Sayce led a scathing review of the carer's allowance scandal, which found the DWP system and leadership failures were responsible for carers unknowingly running up huge debts, some of which resulted in serious mental illness and, possibly, criminal convictions for fraud. Continue reading...

Over-the-top praise for an item should ring alarm bells, with fake feedback generated by AI, bots and humans on a mass scaleYou're doing a spot of online Christmas shopping and see an air fryer that is competitively priced. You don't recognise the brand, but the reviews are fantastic - five-star raves that say things such as this product changed my life" and this is the greatest air fryer ever".You buy it, but when it arrives it is clearly cheap and poor quality, and possibly dangerous, too. Continue reading...

Training and qualifications body, acquired by private Greek firm in October, to become leaner organisation'The training and qualifications body City & Guilds is shrinking its UK workforce as part of a 22m cost-cutting drive after it was acquired by a private Greek business in October.Founded in 1878 by the City of London and a group of 16 livery companies, the original institute developed a national system of technical education, offering qualifications and apprenticeships in fields ranging from manufacturing and mechanical engineering to hairdressing and horticulture. Continue reading...

Her delivery might be stilted - but Truss' new YouTube show has grand ambitions: a Trump revolution' in Britain with the help of an influential US conservative ecosystemLiz Truss, Britain's shortest-serving prime minister, began the first edition of her YouTube show with a vow to unmask the evil-doers" attempting to bring down Britain, the US and Europe. She would, she explained, reveal how an international network of leftists work to subvert democracy and the will of the people".Despite her bleak monologue, Truss pointed to hope from across the Atlantic. We're going to look at the Trump revolution and see how this can be achieved in Britain," she said. We'll be talking to the leading lights of the Maga movement." Continue reading...

Baronesses Nadine and Ariane de Rothschild at odds over future of Swiss chateau's priceless contentsAfter three generations of genteel discretion bordering on secrecy, the international banking family the Rothschilds has been riven by rival claims to a multibillion-euro fortune including a vast collection of art masterpieces.The battle now playing out in the courts and media has pitched the 93-year-old senior baroness, Nadine de Rothschild - widow of Edmond de Rothschild, the late scion of the French-Swiss branch of the family - against her daughter-in-law, Ariane de Rothschild, the current baroness. Continue reading...

Attorney general's move to pay back part of $22,000 travel cost makes her the first minister to reimburse taxpayers in growing expenses scandal

Device belonging to missing hiker Celine Cremer found in an area that had been extensively searched previously'

Specialist teams will deal with offences such as rape and stalking as part of VAWG strategy, home secretary saysAll police forces in England and Wales will have dedicated rape and sexual offences teams by 2029, the government has said.The plans are being unveiled as the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, prepares to outline a delayed strategy on violence against women and girls (VAWG) next week. Continue reading...

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres says unjustifiable' attack on base in city of Kadugli could be war crime'A drone strike has hit a United Nations peacekeeping logistics base in war-torn Sudan, killing six peacekeepers, the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has said.Eight other peacekeepers were wounded in the strike on Saturday in the city of Kadugli in the central region of Kordofan. All the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa). Continue reading...

Relatives of Virginia Giuffre say they are surprised Scotland Yard made decision just before release of Epstein filesThe family of Virginia Giuffre have expressed their deep disappointment" that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not face a criminal investigation in the UK over allegations against him.It was alleged that Mountbatten-Windsor had sex in London with a teenager who was trafficked, and then put pressure on his police protection officer to dig up dirt on her. Continue reading...

Number is stark contrast with estimated 110,000 at far-right activist's unite the kingdom' rally in SeptemberThe far-right activist Tommy Robinson led a carol concert to put the Christ back into Christmas" on Saturday in an event that had a huge drop-off in attendance from his last rally in London.The Metropolitan police said about 1,000 people attended the event at its peak, in stark contrast to the estimated 110,000 who turned up to Robinson's unite the kingdom" rally in September. Continue reading...

Greene, 60, praised for the various villains he played during his career but manager says he also had heart as big as gold'Peter Greene, the actor known for his roles in Pulp Fiction and The Mask, has died at the age of 60.He was found dead at his New York City apartment on Friday, his manager said, and the cause of death has not been disclosed. Continue reading...

If Saed is dead he would be most senior militant to be killed since October ceasefire, in attack on car that reportedly left four deadThe senior Hamas commander Raed Saedhas been killed in a strike on a car in Gaza City, the Israeli military said on Saturday.The attack killed four people and wounded at least 25 others, according to Gaza health authorities. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or medics that Saed was among the dead. Continue reading...

Nobel prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava among those freed after US talks with Alexander LukashenkoThe Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has freed 123 prisoners, including Nobel peace prize winner Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava, after the US lifted sanctions on Belarusian potash, a key export.The announcement came after two days of talks with an envoy of the US president, Donald Trump, the latest diplomatic push since the Trump administration started talks with the autocratic leader. Continue reading...

Thai PM says military will keep fighting and Cambodia suspends border crossings as casualties rise

Ball will be replaced by Emma Willis but will continue to host special programmes for the stationZoe Ball has announced she is leaving her role as presenter of her BBC Radio 2 show.Speaking on the show, the 55-year-old said she would be replaced by the broadcaster Emma Willis. Ball will present her last programme next Saturday and will continue to host special programmes on the station. Continue reading...

Duchess of Sussex says journalistic ethics breached as dad turns to journalist first to break news of leg amputationWhen Thomas Markle received bad news about his health earlier this month, he immediately texted someone close to him to let them know. The 81-year-old had been admitted to hospital after one leg swelled up and turned black. Going to lose the leg today," he wrote.The message was not sent to his son, Thomas, who lives with him in Cebu in the Philippines, nor to his older daughter, Samantha, who is based in Florida. Instead, Markle contacted Caroline Graham, the US editor of the Mail on Sunday, who is based in Los Angeles. It was she who called Markle's two older children to let them know the news. She wrote later that they were flabbergasted". Continue reading...

Ince says he resigned after fallout with executives because some of his views had been considered problematic'The comedian and author Robin Ince has resigned from his role as co-host of the long-running BBC Radio 4 podcast The Infinite Monkey Cage after a fallout with BBC executives over problematic" opinions and what he described as a lack of obedience".Ince, who has co-presented the popular science show alongside Prof Brian Cox for 16 years, posted on social media that his personal views, aired outside the BBC, have been considered problematic for some time" and he felt he had no choice but to resign". Continue reading...

Veja doesn't do surveys or freebies, hates greenwashing and Black Friday, and as demand for trainers wanes, it continues to go its own wayIn the grand hierarchy of Paris fashion, it's tricky for a brand to stand out. Especially one whose coup de maitre is a goes-with-everything white sneaker. Yet 20 years after Veja first began selling sustainable footwear, it has become the ultimate affordable It brand for scooter-wielding mums, sustainably minded millennials and A-list bigwigs who want to wear their values on their ethical leather-clad feet.Veja's co-founder Sebastien Kopp says he doesn't know if people buy his trainers because of how they are made or because of how they look. The company is fastidious about social and fairtrade practices, but because we don't do surveys, we don't do marketing, we simply don't know this information", he says, speaking from Veja's Paris headquarters. Continue reading...

The US has been punishing an entire group' since the arrest of an Afghan in the shooting of two national guard troopsAfghan immigrants and advocates across the United States are pushing back firmly against the Trump administration's most recent crackdown on legal immigration, saying the American government is punishing hundreds of thousands of people for the alleged actions of one man.Since the shooting of two national guard soldiers in Washington DC late last month, with the authorities charging an Afghan man as the suspect, the Trump administration has taken harsh action, especially against Afghans in the US, generating a mix of fear, outrage and defiance in the diaspora. Continue reading...

US president finds himself shouldering same burdens of affordability crisis and the inexorable march of timeHe was supposed to be touting the economy but could not resist taking aim at an old foe. Which is better: Sleepy Joe or Crooked Joe?" Donald Trump teased supporters in Pennsylvania this week, still toying with nicknames for his predecessor Joe Biden. Typically, Crooked Joe wins. I'm surprised because to me he's a sleepy son of a bitch."Exulting in Biden's drowsiness, the US president and his supporters seemed blissfully ignorant of a rich irony: that 79-year-old Trump himself has recently been spotted apparently dozing off at various meetings. Continue reading...

Fossil fuel execs Robert Pender and Michael Sabel deny wrongdoing after report on potential conflict of interestTwo more senior Democrats have called for an investigation into a share-buying spree by two fossil fuel billionaires with close ties to the Trump administration, after a Guardian investigation raised questions about potential wrongdoing.Robert Pender and Michael Sabel, the founders and co-chairs of Venture Global, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company headquartered in Virginia, bought more than a million shares worth almost $12m each in March. The trades took place just days after a meeting with senior White House officials, who then issued a key regulatory permit that helped expand the company's business in Europe. Continue reading...

Burrowing owls, who boarded cruise ship in Miami, to be returned to US next month after long spell in quarantineTwo burrowing owls stowed away on a cruise ship out of Miami, and are now living the high life at a Spanish resort before returning to the US next month.Biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said the mating pair boarded Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas before the vessel's transatlantic crossing to Cartagena in southern Spain in February. The tiny owls, a threatened species in Florida, usually prefer more rural landscapes, and may have been spooked by all the concrete around the Port of Miami, they say. Continue reading...

Rate rises by 19% compared with 2020, prompting fresh concerns about NHS maternity careThe risk of women in England suffering severe bleeding after giving birth has risen to its highest level for five years, prompting fresh concern about NHS maternity care.The rate at which mothers in England experience postpartum haemorrhage has increased from 27 per 1,000 births in 2020 to 32 per 1,000 this year, a rise of 19%. Continue reading...

Officials say raccoon that broke into Virginia liquor store on 29 November had previously hit DMV and karate studioThe raccoon that barged into a Virginia liquor store, smashed bottles of booze and passed out drunk in a bathroom this past Black Friday has at least two other break-ins under his belt, a local government official has revealed.Before burgling the Ashland ABC store on 29 November, the raccoon had separately broken into a karate studio and a department of motor vehicles office, all on the same block of businesses, Hanover county animal protection officer Samantha Martin said on an episode of the local government's official podcast published Thursday. Continue reading...

Drivers also told to take caution after complaints rise about long-stay meet-and-greet servicesTerence Baxter* had booked a meet-and-greet service to park his Volkswagen at Heathrow airport while he and his wife went on holiday. The couple handed over the keys at the drop-off site and were driven to the terminal - and that was the last they saw of their car. On their return they were informed by the company it had been stolen.Their case comes as airports and police forces are warning travellers to be wary of unofficial" operators advertising cheap long-stay parking after a rise in complaints. Continue reading...

Free2Move, Enterprise Car Club and Co Wheels among those eyeing growth, as well as peer-to-peer firm Hiyacar