World news | The Guardian

UK's chief medical officer said to have attacked Treasury scheme launched by Rishi Sunak that subsidised meals out in August 2020Keith shows a WhatsApp message from Simon Case, the cabinet secretary. It is date 20 December 2021 and in it Case says:PM is mad if he doesn't think his WhatsApps will become public via Covid inquiry - but he was clearly not in the mood for that discussion tonight! We'll have that battle in the new year. Continue reading...

Force makes first use of new powers under Public Order Act to curtail slow march protest outside parliamentPolice have arrested more than 60 climate activists taking part in a slow march outside parliament in the first use of draconian new anti-protest powers.The Metropolitan police used section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023, which bans any act which interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure in England and Wales", to order an immediate end to a Just Stop Oil protest on Monday morning. Continue reading...

For years Palestinians have had to rely on slower networks than those in Israel, affecting the flow of informationAs Israel launched its heaviest bombardment of the war so far over the weekend, a communications blackout in Gaza meant Palestinians could not communicate via phone or internet with each other, aid groups or the rest of the world.Paltel Group, a Palestinian company that is a major internet provider in the region, said in a post on X on Sunday that landline, mobile and internet services were gradually being restored in the Gaza Strip as its technical teams worked to address the damage to the internal network infrastructure under challenging conditions". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Black officers complain of collection for men who lied about the stop and search of black athletesBlack Metropolitan police officers have complained of being put under pressure by white colleagues to donate to a fund that has raised 130,000 for two officers sacked for lying over the stop and search of a black British athlete and her Olympian partner.Andy George, the president of the National Black Police Association, said he had received multiple accounts from black officers who felt pressed to give money to Jonathan Clapham and Sam Franks, who were sacked for gross misconduct last week. Continue reading...

Draft legislation to remove time limit will go before parliament after long battle by the late campaigner Harry Shindler

Climate Analytics says onshore emissions of proposed fracking understated by up to 84% in a rosy picture that simply doesn't reflect reality'

From teaching healthy eating habits to letting children go wild', here are trick-or-treat tactics to keep in mind

Chinese buyer snaps up St John's Wood house that often featured in singer's Instagram postsA London mansion that Rihanna was renting for 18,000 a week has been sold to an undisclosed Chinese buyer for 27.5m.The sale of the eight bedroom 588 sq metre (6,332 sq ft) St John's Wood house, which became famous for its role in the background of the singer's social media posts, was agreed on Monday for 27.5m - almost 5m less than it was originally listed for in 2020. Continue reading...

Michael O'Flaherty, director of agency for fundamental rights, says dramatic moments in our societies trigger antisemitic responses'Lovers and defenders of democracy, it's high time to stand up," tweeted the EU's coordinator on combating antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein.She was responding to the incident in Dagestan, describing the mob as hatred unleashed by globally downplaying the barbaric acts of Hamas of 7 Oct and allowing antisemitism and anti-Zionism to fester around the globe."The authorities in European countries have a responsibility to make sure that everyone is safe and protected from violence and discrimination.It's also important for the authorities to protect people's right to peaceful protest and expression and ensure that governments' security responses to violence don't harm rights. Continue reading...

More than 80 fires are burning across Queensland, with extreme fire conditions forecast for Darling Downs region

Dominic Cummings will testify, plus senior aides and civil servants known to the public because of illicit partiesAfter four months of hearings, the official Covid inquiry reaches a week of hugely significant and potentially damning testimony, evidence that could shine a deeply unforgiving light on the inner workings of Boris Johnson's government.Among the witnesses are Dominic Cummings, Johnson's former chief adviser, and Lee Cain, his ex-communications chief, plus a string of other senior aides and top civil servants of the time - several of whom first became known to the public because of illicit Covid parties. Continue reading...

Some bottles of Tempo milk sold at supermarkets and independent grocery chains in NSW and Victoria have been pulled from shelves

The airline's defence to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission legal action denies it charged customers a fee for no service'

The Sierra Madre, deliberately marooned by the Philippines in 1999, is crumbling but repair is being made impossible by an effective blockade by BeijingIt is perhaps the most unlikely kind of military base. For more than two decades, a second world war-era ship, BRP Sierra Madre, has stood deliberately grounded in the remote, shallow waters of the fiercely contested South China Sea, carrying the Philippine flag and guarding against Chinese expansion.But its future is increasingly precarious, and the ship has become a growing flashpoint in one of the world's most disputed waters. Continue reading...

Cause of death unknown as Justin Trudeau and Adele and others speak fondly of actor best known as Chandler Bing in FriendsHollywood stars have hailed the comedic genius" of Friends star Matthew Perry after the actor's death at 54.The American-Canadian star, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the sitcom Friends, was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on Saturday. Continue reading...

National security expert and newspaper join families' calls for trade of about 5,000 prisoners for hostages taken by Hamas

Moscow says more than 100 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in Yuzhno-Donetsk; Russian losses in Avdiivka may be its worst of 2023, says UK

Exclusive: Doctors increasingly having to interpret questionable' private tests and conduct follow-upsSoaring use of private healthcare for tests and treatments is piling pressure on overstretched GP surgeries, with family doctors warning that standard NHS care is being squeezed as a result.Record numbers of people are paying for private healthcare, with some having procedures such as cataract surgery and hip replacements, amid mounting frustration at NHS hospital waiting lists. Others are opting for private health checks, genetic testing or cosmetic surgery such as liposuction. Continue reading...

Fire at Kostenko mine is latest in series of deadly incidents, and has prompted nationalisation of global company's local affiliateKazakhstan held nationwide mourning on Sunday after 45 people died in a fire at an ArcelorMittal mine, the worst accident in the central Asian country's post-Soviet history.The tragedy, which struck at the Kostenko coalmine in the Karaganda region on Saturday, came after a series of deadly incidents at ArcelorMittal mines and has prompted the nationalisation of the company's local affiliate. Continue reading...

Guiness World Records to look into claims after scepticism over whether the Portuguese mastiff really lived to be 31The death of Bobi the Portuguese mastiff at 31 was history-making - no dog before had ever reached such a grand old age.But awe soon turned into scepticism, as vets wondered whether it was biologically possible for a dog to live for the equivalent of 200 human years. Continue reading...

Tom Pursglove, minister in DWP, photographed with Bone two days after suspension over bullying and sexual misconductA minister has been photographed campaigning with the former Conservative MP Peter Bone, who was suspended from parliament last week after an investigation found that he had engaged in bullying and sexual misconduct.Tom Pursglove, a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions, was photographed by the Sunday Mirror canvassing in Northamptonshire with Bone two days after his sanction was ratified by MPs. Continue reading...

New report argues navy lacks the resources to adequately protect Australia's vast maritime interests'

Keir Starmer has listened' to rebels and will continue engaging', says Peter Kyle, amid mounting pressure from senior party figuresMembers of Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet will not be punished if they break party ranks by demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, because Labour is a diverse party", Peter Kyle has suggested.The shadow science, innovation and technology minister also rejected claims that Labour was taking Muslim votes for granted, and said the party was not basing its policy on the conflict around what might win votes. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Human rights groups voice alarm as letter to headteachers reveals plan for more visible patrolsMetropolitan police officers have been instructed to increase intelligence-gathering activities at London schools in response to the Israel-Hamas war, ramping up concerns among human rights groups about the surveillance of children.Officers were briefed to increase their visible patrols" at schools and engage with school staff in order to obtain information about community tensions", according to a letter sent to headteachers. Continue reading...

Banking sources say a deal for the beauty products chain is expected to be signed next monthThe private equity investor Aurelius Group is in talks to buy the beauty products chain The Body Shop, which has been put up for sale by its Brazilian owner Natura & Co, a source familiar with the talks has told Reuters.If completed, the deal is expected to value The Body Shop at a lower price than the 400m-500m suggested in some media reports, the source said. Continue reading...

Scottish first minister expresses relief after communications were cut off during Israeli bombardment

The romantic writer took his own life aged just 17 after a row with Horace WalpoleIn his 17 years of life, the rock star" writer Thomas Chatterton lit a path for all the Romantic poets yet to come. His obsession with the mysteries of the past helped fuel a neo-Gothic boom in English creativity; William Wordsworth sealed the dead teenager's reputation by referring to him as the marvellous boy"; and in modern times postcards of Henry Wallis's dramatic painting of Chatterton's lonely deathbed have been pinned above many a bookish student's desk.Now mega-rare" letters that spell out the poet's sad story in his own hand are to be sold at auction for the first time. The correspondence to go under the hammer this November is evidence of a clash between Chatterton and a notable literary figure that scholars still suspect led to his suicide. These are the missing piece of the jigsaw," said Bonham's head of books and manuscripts, Matthew Haley. The whereabouts of these letters has been unknown, although we understood the sequence of events. In 20 years in the business I have never seen Chatterton letters offered for sale, despite the huge interest in him. He is a rock star, really." Continue reading...

UK citizen arrived in country with wife and three teenage children days before the Hamas assault on IsraelA British doctor trapped in Gaza with his young family after going there to visit his parents has called for UK parties to unite behind an immediate ceasefire, saying the way UK and world leaders were permitting the killing of Palestinian civilians, including children, would go down in history as a stain on humanity".The doctor, who did not want to be named for fear of being targeted by the Israelis, arrived in Gaza with his wife and three teenage children three days before Hamas launched its murderous assault on 7 October, in which it killed about 1,300 Israelis and took more than 200 hostages. Continue reading...

Call by family of Steve Pampalian comes as Greens accuse police of curating the narrative around other people fatally Tasered or shot

Amigo the donkey hoisted to safety after falling waist-deep into muddy drain hole covered by leavesDonkeys have a reputation for being stubborn. But in the case of poor Amigo", a donkey who has been rescued by firefighters from a field in Shropshire, it wasn't stubbornness that kept him stationary - it was mud.A spokesperson from Shropshire fire and rescue said a team of 10 or 11 firefighters" attended a call to rescue the hapless animal, who got stuck in waist-deep mud after falling into a hidden storm drain covered in leaves. Continue reading...

Communications blackout cuts off stream of Snapchat updates from residents about life in the conflict

Adam Bandt accuses Labor and Coalition of aiming to rig' electoral funding system to make it harder for Greens or independents to compete fairly

MoD intelligence update says up to eight brigades have been committed to heavy but inconclusive' fighting

Former SNP leadership candidate welcomed into party by founder Alex Salmond at conference in GlasgowThe Alba party has its first ever MSP in the form of one-time SNP leadership candidate Ash Regan, who has defected from the party because it has lost its focus on independence".Regan's decision to join Alba - which was set up by former SNP leader and ex-Scottish first minister Alex Salmond - was announced as the party's conference took place in Glasgow. Continue reading...

United Nations resolution passes with 120 votes in favour of truce. This blog is now closed. Our live coverage continues hereA member of the Hamas delegation visiting Moscow has said that it needs time to locate all of the hostages who have been taken to Gaza by various Palestinian factions, Reuters is reporting, citing Russia's Kommersant newspaper.Kommersant also reported a member of the Hamas delegation saying that it could not release the hostages until a ceasefire was agreed and that Israeli bombing of Gaza has killed 50 of the hostages seized during raids by Palestinian militants. Continue reading...

Snakes Bagel and Mango are used to a much warmer climate than found in Coogee and owner is scared for their safety'

IDF announces escalation of air and ground operations as UN warns besieged territory faces massive health hazard'

Singer calls allegations deeply hurtful' after documentary questions shifting narrative' surrounding her Cree rootsFolk singer and social justice advocate Buffy Sainte-Marie has denied allegations that she misled the public about her Indigenous ancestry, after a Canadian documentary questioned the shifting narrative" surrounding her Cree roots.On Friday, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's investigative wing, the Fifth Estate, published an investigation into the singer's ancestry, alleging her life story is part of a broader narrative full of inconsistencies and inaccuracies". Continue reading...

Inquest finds death of Duangphet Phromthep, 17, could not have been foreseen or preventedThe captain of the Thai football team who were trapped in a cave for several days in 2018 took his own life while at school in the UK, a coroner has ruled.Duangphet Phromthep died at Kettering general hospital on 14 February, two days after being found unconscious at Brooke House College in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. Continue reading...

Resolution tabled by by Jordan calls for restraint from Israel but does not say Hamas was behind 7 October attackThe US envoy to the UN has accused Arab states of empowering Hamas and turning a blind eye to evil by tabling a draft resolution at the general assembly calling for restraint from Israel but failing to name Hamas as the perpetrators of the massacres of 7 October.Linda Thomas Greenfield, who faced successive attacks by member states for failing to condemn Israel's use of violence in Gaza, insisted the US mourned every loss of civilian life but also hit back by claiming the draft motion tabled by Jordan gave cover to Hamas. Continue reading...

Investigation for bank finds however that there were serious failings' in handling of Coutts move and treatment of ex-Ukip leader

Global day of action on 24 November unveiled at summit of trade unionists and political leadersAmazon workers have revealed plans to hold strikes and protests at the online retailer on Black Friday in more than 30 countries around the world including the UK.The global day of action to be held on 24 November was unveiled in Manchester at the first Make Amazon Pay summit of trade unionists and political leaders. It came the day after the online retailer revealed its profits had tripled to $143.1bn (about 118bn). Continue reading...

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says ceasefire will help prevent devastating loss of life'Labour has sought to draw a line under a row over the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and allegations of plagiarism, as a frontbencher insisted her credibility had not been damaged.The shadow environment secretary, Steve Reed, defended Reeves as a fantastic economist", after it emerged that her new book, The Women Who Made Modern Economics, includes material from Wikipedia, the Guardian and remarks made by the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Hilary Benn, without attribution, PA Media reports.Rachel was an economist working at the Bank of England. She will be an outstanding chancellor of the exchequer if Labour wins the next general election.I used to be a publisher for 18 years before I was a politician. And there were many, many cases where books would [be] written and the occasional citation was missing, and you correct it in the next edition. Continue reading...

Former prime minister will be latest Conservative politician to take up role at news channelBoris Johnson has announced he is joining broadcaster GB News.The former prime minister is the latest Conservative politician to take up a presenting role on the news channel. Continue reading...

The bloc's leaders are hosting a series of meetings in BrusselsWhile European leaders were meeting yesterday with a strong focus on presenting a united front to the world on foreign policy, Hungary's foreign minister was hanging out with his Russian and Belarusian counterparts.Luxembourg's Xavier Bettel, a big personality in European summits, says goodbye at his last European Council. Continue reading...

Joshua Hunt, 32, dressed head to foot in black and wore a mask with eyes and a mouth painted onA man has been found guilty of deliberately terrifying motorists on a dark country lane by dressing head to foot in black and donning a mask with eyes and a mouth painted on - but insisted he is not the notorious Somerset gimp".Joshua Hunt, 32, confirmed in court he was the masked man who had frightened passing drivers in north Somerset on two nights in May but giving evidence at Bristol magistrates he said: The outfit I wear is not anything to do with the gimp." In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, call or text Mental Health America at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978 Continue reading...

Ombudsman says Catholic church's response to cases insufficient' and calls for creation of a reparations fundMore than 200,000 minors are estimated to have been sexually abused in Spain by the Roman Catholic clergy since 1940, according to an independent commission.The report did not give a specific figure but it said that in a poll of more than 8,000 adults, 0.6% said they had been sexual abused by members of the clergy when they were children. This figure equates to about 200,000 of Spain's adult population of about 39 million. Continue reading...

NHS worker Natalie Shotter, 37, was later found dead in west London park after night out with friendsA police officer has been arrested and is under investigation over claims that he shared CCTV footage of the alleged rape of a woman who later died, the Guardian has learned.The case relates to Natalie Shotter, 37, who died on 17 July 2021 in Southall Park, west London, after a night out with friends. Continue reading...

Versace, Rabanne and H&M are among brands creating shimmering looks for their collectionsFashion is awash with a fabric that calls to mind armour and dancing; from mesh bras at Mango to miniskirts at Urban Outfitters, chainmail is everywhere.Earlier this week the fashion label Rabanne and the high street chain H&M released the full lookbook for their upcoming collaboration, which had full chainmail vests and dresses. While in Milan last month, Claudia Schiffer made her return to the Versace catwalk after a six-year hiatus wearing a chequerboard chainmail dress. In menswear, too, delicate chainmail has been gracing catwalks and torsos. Continue reading...

Israel and Joe Biden have shown scepticism about accuracy of rising death toll but others point to historical reliability of data