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Vladimir Putin vows to make Russia self-sufficient power in face of west and warns of problems' with neighbouring FinlandRussian president Vladimir Putin vowed to make Russia a sovereign, self-sufficient" power in the face of the west. In a campaign speech he accused the west of unsuccessfully trying to sow internal troubles" in Russia.Putin also warned of problems" with neighbouring Finland after it joined Nato earlier this year. Russia plans to reorganise military divisions to station more troops in its north-west region, by the EU and Nato border.But Putin dismissed US president Joe Biden's claims that Russia could attack a Nato country as nonsense". It came after Biden said Putin would not stop at Ukraine if it secures victory, as he pleaded with Republican lawmakers to authorise further aid to Kyiv.Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to Washington DC last week has yet to bear fruit as Biden called lack of Congressional support for aid a Christmas gift" to Russia. Biden has requested $61.4bn (48.4bn) in further aid to Ukraine but Republicans in Republicans in Congress have rejected the proposals.Russia is not interested in extending the Black Sea grain deal, the agriculture minister said. The deal led to 33m tonnes of grain leave Ukraine's ports before it collapsed in July.Ukraine claims Russia has suffered almost 350,000 troops dying or being injured. The figure is higher than the 315,000 estimated by US intelligence, according to reports, but even that represents a significant toll for Moscow.Ukraine continued its use of memetic warfare' as the defence ministry posted a video of two Russian tanks being destroyed, with guitar music and the caption WELCOME TO UKRAINE." Scholars have tracked the use of memes to try and grab control of the war narrative.An intelligence report from the UK Ministry of Defence said Russia is likely to deploy electoral fraud and voter intimidation" when elections take place in occupied Ukrainian territories. Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will vote in March's presidential elections but they are expected to not be free or fair".It comes as Vladimir Putin was confirmed to be running for president again as an independent candidate in Russia after two decades in power. Russian news agencies reported the news on Saturday, with the victory of Putin, 71, a formality.Russia continued to batter Ukrainian targets with mortars overnight, with Dnipro in the centre, Sumy in the north and Zaporizhzhia in the south-east hit with artillery.Russian rocket forces have loaded a new Yars intercontinental ballistic missile into a silo at the Kozelsk base south-west of Moscow. The missiles are capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads.More than a year after the Russians retreated from Izium, the Ukrainian city is wracked by suspicion and distrust about collaborators. Read Shaun Walker's Observer dispatch from a city still in ruins here.Lorry blockades are continuing at the Polish-Ukrainian border. Polish drivers say Ukraine is undercutting them as about 2,150 Ukrainian lorries remain stuck in Poland unable to return. Continue reading...

Russia has no interest in fighting with Nato country, Vladimir Putin says, but says he will send military units near border with Finland. This live blog is closed

Many in Israel see Hezbollah as a greater threat than Hamas and consider a new war in Lebanon to be inevitable

Prime minister - often criticised over fondness for air travel - asked Grant Shapps to actRishi Sunak personally intervened to stop the scrapping of a contract providing VIP helicopter transport for himself and senior ministers, it has emerged.Earlier this year, Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, ended a 40m contract for two private helicopters used by politicians and senior defence staff, which are crewed by RAF personnel and based at the Northolt airbase in west London. The contract was due to come to a close at the end of September. Continue reading...

For the price, and 13,795 a year towards the venue's upkeep, the owners will be able to attend events for the next 843 yearsIf you're looking for a last-minute Christmas present and have about 3m to spare, a private 12-seat box at the Royal Albert Hall is available, entitling its owners to attend concerts and events at the world-famous London venue for the next 843 years.The marketing of Grand Tier box 14 comes amid controversy over the RAH's plans to sell dozens of extra seats to investors. Some seat holders" have been disposing of unwanted seats for events at highly inflated prices through third-party ticket sites such as Viagogo. Continue reading...

Peak motoring body demands end to governments' data secrecy as road death toll reaches 1,253

Karen Payne says the debt notices had triggered a significant increase in complaints, and may require the government implementing a legislative fix

New legislation will help ensure sustainability of public interest journalism, Labor says

Official says party favours sending refugees to third countries such as Rwanda for application processingGermany's opposition conservatives are seeking to win back voters with a sweeping change to the country's immigration and asylum policy, including plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.Jens Spahn, a leading member of the Christian Democrats (CDU), said at the weekend that his party was in favour of the transportation of future refugees to third countries for processing of asylum applications such Ghana and Rwanda in Africa, or to non-EU European countries such as Moldova and Georgia. Continue reading...

Russian airbase said to be among targets and Ukrainian civilian killed by drone debris in Odesa

Victims were from Nigeria, the Gambia and other African countries and included women and children, UN agency saysDozens of people are missing and presumed dead after their boat sank off Libya's coast, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said, in the latest migration tragedy off north Africa.The 61 people are believed to have died because of high waves, which swamped their vessel after it left from Zuwara, on Libya's north-west coast, the IOM's Libya office said in a statement on Saturday. Continue reading...

The home secretary has said a British citizen will need a minimum income of 38,700 a year to bring a family member to the UK

Exclusive: Thousands of families with one British partner and one from abroad will be hit by 38,700 salary requirement

Academic says participants feel compelled to put on ever more outlandish displays to impress peersIt may seem like harmless Christmas fun but an academic who studies paranormal investigations has compared the elf on the shelf" phenomenon with the ever more ambitious shows that victims" of poltergeists feel compelled to stage.Dr Alice Vernon, of Aberystwyth University's department of English and creative writing, said many parents felt under pressure to think up new poses and scenarios for their elves to win kudos on social media. Continue reading...

President Javier Milei and his allies are preparing new security guidelines in anticipation of protests against currency devaluationHuman rights activists in Argentina have expressed consternation over new security guidelines to crack down on an anticipated wave of protests after the incoming government of libertarian president Javier Milei devalued the country's currency by more than 50%.Protesting individuals and organizations will be identified with video, digital or manual means" - and then billed for the cost of sending security forces to police their demonstrations, said Milei's security minister, Patricia Bullrich, as she announced the new protocol on Thursday.

Children and women to lose out if voters approve new document that critics say reads more like a Republican party manifesto'Activists and analysts in Chile have warned that swathes of the country's population stand to lose out should a new draft constitution drawn up by conservative lawmakers be approved in a nationwide referendum on Sunday.Chileans head to the polls caught between exhaustion and resentment in a compulsory vote to decide whether the 1980 constitution written during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, and since reformed, should be replaced. Continue reading...

Norfolk-based crime writer JM Dalgliesh topped the Amazon and Kindle bestsellers before being signed by a traditional publisherIn 2018, JM Dalgliesh was a stay-at-home father when he sent his first crime novel to six literary agents, only to receive polite rejection letters - or no response at all. Refusing to give up, he found inspiration in a friend's suggestion that he try self-publishing. The advice could not have been better.That novel, Divided House - the story of a detective's path to redemption - was to become the first of 22 self-published crime thrillers, comprising three series of police procedural novels that have sold more than 2m copies in total. Continue reading...

Personal details from voluntary programme sent secretly without consent with government departments and border agencies, document showsDetails of thousands of individuals referred to the government's controversial anti-radicalisation Prevent programme are being shared far more widely than was previously known, with data secretly sent to airports, ports and immigration services, as well as officials at the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).Critics believe the widespread sharing of data could be unlawful, with sensitive personal details of those referred to Prevent being moved between databases without the knowledge or consent of the individuals concerned. Continue reading...

Health bosses condemn irresponsible' targeting of people desperate for NHS helpWellness firms are exploiting a national shortage of ADHD medication to push so-called smart supplements" as an alternative to prescribed drugs.As patients struggle to get hold of medication - or face years-long waits for NHS assessments - companies are peddling unproved products as a natural" treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Continue reading...

Change of heart on ceasefire shows collective action is working', Sydney protest speaker says

This blog is now closed.

One scheme participant tells how he was quoted $800 for a wheelchair fix a panel beater did for free

The 78-year-old was driven away in his own BMW alongside his Colombian partner, according to a police reportA British businessman and the former UK honorary consul in Guayaquil, Colin Armstrong, has been kidnapped by hooded men at his home in Ecuador's Los Rios province, according to police reports.Armstrong, 78, was snatched in the early hours of Saturday alongside a Colombian woman identified as his partner Katherine Paola Santos from his home in the town of Baba, according to a police report seen by the Guardian. He was driven away in his own black BMW, which was later found dumped, the report said. Continue reading...

Territory's global reputation on the line as media mogul and democracy activist finally tried over alleged national security crimesHong Kong's global reputation will be tested this week when the long-delayed trial of the pro-democracy activist and former media mogul Jimmy Lai gets under way.Lai, who turned 76 in jail this month, is charged with colluding with foreign forces under the national security law, as well as sedition. If convicted, which experts say is highly likely, the British national faces spending the rest of his life in prison. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. Read our full report on the latest developments here.Israel has said it is opening a military police investigation into the killing of two Palestinians in the West Bank after an Israeli human rights group posted videos that appeared to show Israeli troops killing the men - one who was incapacitated and the second unarmed - during a military raid in a West Bank refugee camp.The B'Tselem human rights group accused the army of carrying out a pair of illegal executions". Continue reading...

UK foreign minister David Cameron and German counterpart Annalena Baerbock say goal must be peace lasting generations'The foreign secretary, David Cameron, has called for a sustainable" ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, as he warned that too many civilians have been killed" by Israel in spite of its right to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas.In a significant shift in tone by the UK government, Cameron, in a joint article with the German foreign affairs minister Annalena Baerbock, wrote: Our goal cannot simply be an end to fighting today. It must be peace lasting for days, years, generations. We therefore support a ceasefire, but only if it is sustainable. Continue reading...

Home Office plans wording update' but campaigners call for new offence to help address low conviction rateThe Home Office has announced plans to modernise" spiking laws in a move it claims will help bring perpetrators to justice. But experts said the changes will not make any difference without simultaneous investment in police training and other measures to improve the handling of cases on the ground.Under plans unveiled this weekend, the government will amend the criminal justice bill to make clear that spiking is illegal. It is also drawing up new guidance to provide an unequivocal" definition of the crime. Continue reading...

The ex-Coronation Street actor grew and grew over the series, while her partner went one better than his runner-up placing last yearIt was a night of high-quality hoofing, high scores and high camp but ultimately, the Strictly Come Dancing final went the way that bookmakers predicted. Odds-on favourite Ellie Leach and her professional partner, Vito Coppola, were crowned champions. As they lifted the glitter ball trophy and sparkly confetti fell, it made a fitting climax to another feelgood series.Former Coronation Street actor Leach, 22, had blossomed before viewers' eyes. Initially an unfancied contender, she visibly grew in confidence to become a pocket rocket performer. Continue reading...

Burgess was recruited in November 1973 to help form AC/DC, and fired in February 1974, accused of being drunk on stageThe Australian drummer Colin Burgess, an original member of the hard-rock band AC/DC in the early 1970s, has died, the band confirmed on its social media accounts. He was 77.Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess," says an unsigned post on the band's official Facebook page late Friday. He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin." Continue reading...

Sunak's approval increases slightly after surviving potential rebellion over Rwanda billLabour's lead over the Conservatives is now at 13 points, the lowest since before the party conferences, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.Both Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak's approval ratings have stayed steady since they both saw a big hit to their ratings last week. Starmer's net approval is now -9, while Sunak's net approval is now -29, a 3-point increase from a week ago. Continue reading...

Premier League match halted and Luton Town captain was taken away on a stretcher, described as alert and responsive'Luton's Premier League match at Bournemouth on Saturday was abandoned after their captain, Tom Lockyer, collapsed on the pitch after a cardiac arrest.The match was stopped in the 59th minute as medics tended to Lockyer, who collapsed off the ball. Continue reading...

Beyond desperate and terrified' relatives among hundreds inside compound amid bombing by Israeli forces

Bridie West got more than 135,000 likes on TikTok after creating edible version of location used in Cameron Diaz Christmas romcomAn Essex cake baker has gone viral after making a cake version of the iconic cottage from the Christmas film The Holiday.The clip of Bridie West, 30, meticulously piping buttercream over a cake shaped as Rosehill Cottage has garnered more than 1.2m views on TikTok and 46,700 on Instagram. Though the clip depicts mere seconds of Continue reading...

The party has made it clear that Keir Starmer had no intention of reviving the second stage of the Leveson inquiryThe Labour party has backed away from plans to impose new controls on the press in a move likely to spark fierce controversy inside the party after Prince Harry's landmark victory in his phone-hacking case against the Daily Mirror.Party sources made clear on Saturday that Keir Starmer was not intending to revive a second stage of the Leveson inquiry into press standards - abandoned by the Tories in 2018 - nor would Labour oppose current Conservative plans to weaken the press regulation regime in the media bill now going through parliament. Continue reading...

Prime minister makes controversial remarks at Rome conference organised by Giorgia Meloni's partyRishi Sunak has been accused of adopting the toxic" rhetoric of his former home secretary Suella Braverman, after he warned that migration would overwhelm" European countries without firm action.In remarks that will further inflame the Tory row over migration that has been raging for weeks, the prime minister said that enemies" were deliberately driving people to our shores to try to destabilise our society". Continue reading...

Former ACT minister Emma Davidson voices unease after states and territories given just one month to review landmark report into scheme

A public hearing of the parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma in Wagga Wagga this week heard calls to overhaul pregnancy and maternal healthcare services

New report shows wealthiest schools received over $200m in tax-deductible philanthropic donations for lavish' projects that did not affect government support

Two other workers were injured when a 30m section of wall around the Old City of Kairouan gave way while being restoredA section of the ancient walls around the Old City of Kairouan collapsed on Saturday, killing three masons carrying out repairs on the Unesco world heritage site, Tunisian authorities said.In addition two workers were injured when a 30-metre (100ft) section of the 6-metre-high walls near the Gate of the Floggers crashed to the ground, the Civil Protection department said. Continue reading...

Residents of Jenin say Israeli army seems intent only on revenge as they pick through wreckage of their homesFluffy pink slippers on her feet and scarves thrown over her hair and pyjamas, Amal Abu Ghazi, 39, leaned against a wall as she watched her family clear out the rubble from their ruined house in the Jenin refugee camp, in the north of the occupied West Bank.Her husband used a stick to smash the remaining shards of glass out of the window frames of their two-storey home and her brothers-in-law hauled out the remains of sofas and tables; somehow, a laptop had managed to survive intact. Israeli soldiers had burst in two nights ago, Abu Ghazi said, arresting her sons, 20 and 18, and ordering the rest of the family to wait outside before troops used explosives to demolish the building. Continue reading...

Food and Drug Administration is investigating facility in Ecuador and working with authorities to inspect cinnamon supplierThe Food and Drug Administration on Friday said it thinks elevated levels of lead in cinnamon applesauce that has poisoned dozens of American children could be linked to deliberate additives in the cinnamon, and is inspecting a food facility in Ecuador.There have been more than 60 reports of children reporting adverse effects" after eating applesauce and apple puree pouches from the brands WanaBana, Schnucks and Weis. The products have been recalled. Continue reading...

Teenager whose disappearance, aged 11, sparked an international police hunt is due to fly home after being found in FranceMore than 2,200 days after being abducted while on holiday in Spain, Alex Batty was expected to return home on Saturday night to rebuild a life in Greater Manchester that has been on hold since 2017.Batty vanished on a trip to Andalucia six years ago with his mother and grandfather, sparking an international hunt by police for his whereabouts. Continue reading...

Crane installs weathervane symbolising resurrection, resilience and hope following devastating 2019 fireThe installation by a crane of a new golden rooster on Notre Dame, reimagined as a dramatic phoenix with licking, flamed feathers, goes beyond being just a weathervane atop the cathedral spire.It symbolises resilience amid destruction after the devastating April 2019 fire - as restoration officials also revealed an anti-fire misting system is being kitted out under the cathedral's roof. Continue reading...

Region had been a place of refuge for those escaping conflict in Khartoum between the army and the Rapid Support ForcesThousands of people are fleeing their homes in Wad Madani, Sudan's second city, where the majority of the capital city Khartoum's displaced people took refuge at the beginning of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces last April.The fighting reached Wad Madani, the capital city of el-Gezira state, home to Africa's biggest agricultural scheme, in central Sudan on Friday. People have been seen on buses, while some are walking towards the south. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereRussia is increasing its efforts to capture Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, transporting battalion reserves to the area, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army has said.Kupiansk was liberated from Russian occupation in September 2022 by the Ukrainian counteroffensive, and has been a target since then, as it serves as an important logistics centre for the Russian invasion's progression to the south and west. It was captured by Russia in February 2022. Continue reading...

Teenager believed to have been abducted by mother in 2017 was found in France earlier this weekAlex Batty, the British teenager who has been missing for six years, will return to the UK on Saturday afternoon.The 17-year-old is expected to be reunited with his grandmother, Susan Caruana, his legal guardian, who has not seen her grandson since he disappeared in 2017. Continue reading...

Home Office says 292 people made crossing on Friday, when one person drowned and another was left in critical conditionAlmost 300 people crossed the Channel from France to England in small boats on the same day a person died when a vessel sank off the French coast.The Home Office said 292 people made the crossing in seven boats on Friday. Continue reading...

Two others injured and man believed to be driver arrested after incident in Ilkeston at about 2am on SaturdayA man has died after a group of people were struck by a van in Derbyshire.Emergency services were called to Market Place in Ilkeston just before 2.10am, Derbyshire police said. Continue reading...

Renewed debate over issue follows Observer's publication of impassioned plea for legalisation by actor Diana Rigg recorded before her deathCampaigners for an assisted dying law are hoping to make 2024 a turning point in the public debate about the measure in the UK, amid a flurry of attempts to change the law across the British Isles.Efforts to create new rights for terminally ill people to seek assistance in ending their lives are due to take place in the Isle of Man and Jersey in the new year, with a bill also being debated in Scotland. Continue reading...

200% suspension rates at zero tolerance' trusts in England could affect highly vulnerable children, experts warnThe suspension rate at some of England's strictest academy schools is 30 times the national average, with experts warning that this is affecting some of the country's most vulnerable children.An Observer analysis of the latest Department for Education (DfE) annual data on suspensions has found that dozens of multi-academy trusts had suspension rates that far exceeded the national average in a number of their schools in 2021-22. Two of the country's biggest trusts, Astrea and Outward Grange Academies Trust (OGAT), had schools with a suspension rate of about 200% of their pupil numbers - although some pupils were counted several times because they were suspended repeatedly - compared with a national average of 6.9%. Continue reading...