World news | The Guardian

LGBTQ+ activists call on fans to boycott games or use social media to highlight human rights abusesPeter Tatchell has warned Qatar that the world’s eyes will be on the country during the World Cup, as protesters gathered outside its embassy in London to highlight the dangers faced by LGBTQ+ people, women and migrant workers.Tatchell said t was “outrageous” that figures including David Beckham were promoting Qatar and the tournament, in effect asking fans to ignore human rights abuses and the country’s record on LGBTQ+ issues. Continue reading...

Seriously injured victim airlifted to hospital after escaped animal went on rampage in Carmarthenshire villageAn elderly man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after being attacked and trampled by an “dangerously out-of-control” cow, police said.Dyfed-Powys police received reports that the cow had escaped from Whitland Mart in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Continue reading...

Charity warns of ‘significant risk’ that those on old prepayment meters will be unable to redeem vouchers offering £400 discountThe poorest and most vulnerable people in the UK risk missing out on the energy bill support and cost of living payments they are entitled to, because of a lack of clarity over what is available from the government and how to get it, charities have warned.Under the energy bills support scheme announced by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor, all households are eligible for a £400 energy bill discount, paid across six instalments starting last month. Continue reading...

Singer thanks fans for ‘coming back to me’ and says she has never been so nervous as she launches residencyThe nerves were all part of the show when Adele launched her long-awaited Vegas residency on Friday night. After the notorious rescheduling of her dates at just one day’s notice in January, it was never going to be possible to ignore the high stakes – even in a town built on colossal bets.“I’m so nervous and I’m so scared and I’m so happy,” she said. “It might be a bit wobbly at times because my nerves are out of control … It’s a bloody massive week for me this week. It’s the Walking Dead finale on Sunday!” In an Instagram post on Thursday night, she wrote that she had “never been more nervous before a show”. Continue reading...

Prime minister promises Ukrainian president sustained UK support as Russian strikes target power grid

At least 27 people died when their dinghy capsized in November 2021, but the UK investigation has yet to talk to their relativesA UK investigation into the drowning of at least 27 people trying to cross the Channel in a small boat has yet to contact most of the victims’ families 12 months after the tragedy, the Observer can reveal.The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has not yet been in touch with the majority of the families despite legal sources claiming it has all their contact details, prompting accusations that the inquiry’s progress is “dehumanising” the dead. Continue reading...

Cuban American, who started recording career at 90 after decades of performing for family and friends, says ‘it’s never too late’Don’t ever tell Angela Álvarez it’s too late for dreams to come true – the 95-year-old just brought home a Latin Grammy for best new artist, becoming the award show’s eldest winner ever.The Cuban American musician’s crowning moment came after decades of writing songs but performing them only for friends and family – until, at the age of 90, she went to the Avalon, the historic Hollywood nightclub, and gave her first concert. Continue reading...

Experts attack claim that 90,000 pupils would be forced into state schools by tax change that Labour says could fund thousands of extra teachersEducation experts have slammed Jeremy Hunt’s use of data from the leading private school lobby group to justify his decision not to raise £1.7bn by adding VAT to school fees.Delivering his autumn statement on Thursday, the chancellor took a swipe at Labour’s policy of boosting funding for struggling state schools by ending tax breaks for private schools, saying he would be “practical” instead of being “ideological”. Referring to “certain estimates” that this would result in up to 90,000 private school pupils switching to state schools, he failed to mention that this statistic came from a 2018 report by the Independent Schools Council lobby group. Continue reading...

Woman seen in river in Aberdeenshire on Friday after heavy rain and winds hit Scotland and north-east EnglandA search has resumed for a woman who was reported swept into the River Don in Aberdeenshire after heavy rain and winds hit eastern Scotland and north-east England.Police Scotland and HM Coastguard resumed their search on Saturday morning near Monymusk after reports of someone getting into difficulty in the river on Friday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: lessons from the death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale ignored, say experts, as environmental health inspectors told to focus on lifestyleThousands of renters could be blamed for toxic black mould and other potentially deadly hazards under a government overhaul of the housing enforcement system.Leaked documents seen by the Observer suggest councils inspecting rented properties will be formally instructed to examine residents’ behaviour when deciding whether to take action against landlords over dangerous conditions. Continue reading...

Glendinning, working on refinery and held over alleged debt, was reunited with family on SaturdayA man who was held in an Iraqi jail over an unpaid debt had an emotional reunion with his family when he returned to Scotland.Brian Glendinning, 43, arrived at Edinburgh airport on Saturday after being held in a prison in Iraq. Continue reading...

Ministers will only appear on shows like BBC Radio 4’s Today and ITV’s GMB three times a week under PM’s plansRishi Sunak will reportedly usher in a new approach by reducing the number of appearances by government ministers on TV and radio breakfast news.Under the new approach, first reported by the Daily Mirror, ministers will be offered to broadcasters just three mornings a week, only appearing when there is an “announcement” or new government policy to cover. Continue reading...

Experts say the approval of new infrastructure in geologically vulnerable areas is endangering the lives of residentsJomary Ortega lives in Ciales, a town located in Puerto Rico’s central mountain range. To get to work and take her daughter to school, she takes PR-146, a highway built on land susceptible to landslides, resulting in a treacherous commute for locals.But after Hurricane Fiona made landfall on the island in September, Ortega says that much of the highway slid away, or was subsumed by tumbling rocks and mud. “I feared that the road would slide more and I would be a victim – and who would take care of my children?” Ortega said. Continue reading...

Mark Rowley reveals one in 10 officers are not fully deployed due to worries over their performance or health issuesThe chief of Britain’s largest police force has called for greater powers to sack racist, sexist and failing officers, as he revealed that one in 10 cannot do their jobs properly due to problems with health and performance.Sir Mark Rowley, who started as Metropolitan police commissioner in September, said bureaucracy was making it difficult to dismiss officers who were falling short of expectations and called on the government to change regulations to make the process easier. Continue reading...

Legal experts say bill, which threatens key workers’ rights, is reckless and badly designedThe government will face attempts to delay the deletion of up to 4,000 EU laws from UK statute books and stop the scrapping of key workers’ rights, with opposition parties set to table dozens of amendments next week.The Scottish National party is planning to table about 50 amendments to the retained EU law (revocation and reform) bill, which has been described as “reckless” by legal experts who say it is badly designed and gives unprecedented powers to ministers to personally decide which laws stay and which go. Continue reading...

Raab allegedly allowed only a handful of senior staff to engage with him near the final stages of the operationDominic Raab’s refusal to speak to some Foreign Office staff he considered “time-wasters” led to “blockages” during the Afghanistan evacuation, with staff at two departments he ran forced to take sick leave because of his alleged behaviour, sources have told the Guardian.New claims emerged about the deputy prime minister’s conduct compounding the chaotic exit of British forces during the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021, which officials warned had been “costly” and caused “long-lasting” damage. Continue reading...

Australian PM says he used meetings on sidelines of summits this week to talk about commercial openings in green energy

Matthew Guy announces Renee Heath will not sit in party room following newspaper investigation into City Builders Church

Men held after improvised explosive device damaged police vehicle in Strabane, County Tyrone, on ThursdayPolice in Northern Ireland have arrested three men after the apparent attempted murder of two officers in a bomb attack on Thursday night.A suspected improvised explosive device damaged a police vehicle in the town of Strabane in County Tyrone about 11pm. The two officers escaped unharmed. Continue reading...

Kyiv could face ‘complete shutdown’ of power amid crippled Ukrainian grid; hundreds of Ukrainians disappeared in Kherson, say war crime researchers

New Zealand government statement says PM also asked president of China to help address North Korea tensions and Ukraine crisisJacinda Ardern has spoken with Xi Jinping about cooperation between New Zealand and China, while also raising areas of tension and warning that international norms that had benefited the two countries were “being tested”.The New Zealand prime minister and the Chinese president met for about 50 minutes – running over the scheduled half hour – on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Bangkok. It was their first in-person meeting since 2019. Continue reading...

Flooding shuts schools and disrupts travel, with severe weather warnings in place and ‘highest risk to riverside communities’Police Scotland have “stood down” searches for a woman who was swept into the River Don near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire on Friday as heavy rain continued to batter much of eastern Scotland.The force said in a statement late on Friday evening: “Around 3.05pm on Friday, November 18, police were called to the River Don near to Monymusk following a report of concern for a woman in the water. Continue reading...

Loose Women presenter got the fewest votes on Friday night and follows Olivia Attwood, who left for medical reasons, out of the showCharlene White has become the first contestant to be eliminated from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! after a public vote.The Loose Women presenter accrued the fewest votes on Friday night after 14 days in camp. Continue reading...

Private school sanctions a number of boys after investigation into misogynistic language and racial slursEton College has apologised and “sanctioned” a number of pupils after allegations that a group of girls visiting from a nearby state school were subjected to misogynistic language, racial slurs and jeering.The boys’ private school near Windsor, Berkshire, told the BBC that an investigation took place into the incident which occurred during a speech by Nigel Farage last week. Continue reading...

Six federal highways blocked on Friday as far-right president has still not conceded defeat in last month’s runoff electionProtesters in Brazil have blocked roads again and lorry drivers threatened to strike in what could be a new wave of support for the outgoing president, Jair Bolsonaro.Six federal highways were blocked on Friday morning although two were cleared by early afternoon, the federal highway police said in its first bulletin on road closures since 9 November when the first wave of post-election protests dissipated. Continue reading...

Social media images show what is now a museum commemorating the Islamic Republic founder ablaze as protests continueProtesters in Iran have set on fire the ancestral home of the Islamic republic’s founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as two months of anti-regime demonstrations show no let up.The house in the city of Khomein in the western Markazi province was shown ablaze late on Thursday with crowds of jubilant protesters marching past, according to images posted on social media, verified by AFP. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can read more of our coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereThe Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency has reported that a school was struck by Ukrainian fire in the occupied region of Donetsk, one of the areas of Ukraine that the Russian Federation claims to have annexed.It quotes the Russian-imposed mayor of Donetsk Aleksey Kulemin saying that 10 shells were fired at the central districts of the city, two of which landed in close proximity to the school. The report states that:According to local residents, there were about five hits. Due to the fact that the shelling took place during the curfew, there were no casualties. The windows were broken, the walls in the school building were cut with shrapnel. Continue reading...

Focus group in greater Manchester perceived Tory leaders as self-serving after autumn statementRishi Sunak is “out of touch with reality” and “absolutely not” on the side of the working class, voters in the “red wall” seat of Leigh told the Guardian after the first autumn statement of his premiership.The prime minister and the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, spent the days leading up to Thursday claiming those with the broadest shoulders would pay their fair share. Jeremy Hunt repeated the mantra “Britain is a compassionate country”, and pledged to protect the most vulnerable in society amid the worst fall in living standards on record. Continue reading...

EU agrees to loss and damage fund to help poor countries and activists interrupting proceedings lose their passesThe biggest news of the day broke on Friday morning, with the announcement that the EU would agree to a loss and damage fund to help poor countries with climate disasters.The climate summit will run until Saturday, according to Agence France-Presse. This is not really a surprise to anyone.Youth activists staged a Friday climate strike to mark the last formal day of negotiations. Meanwhile during the talks, Nakeeyat Dramani, a 10-year-old Ghanaian climate activist, asked delegates to “have a heart”.Elsewhere the activists who interrupted the US president, Joe Biden, lost their summit passes, as did the Ukrainian protester who spoke out at a Russian press conference.A surprisingly large number of gas deals were struck at the summit, with more than a dozen set up.And Desmog crunched the numbers and found that representatives from big agriculture more than doubled at Cop27. Continue reading...

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing boss Gareth Swarbrick under growing pressure to quit after death of two-year-old due to mouldThe future of the landlord of the mould-infested Rochdale flat that killed Awaab Ishak appears in severe doubt after the two-year-old’s parents were compelled to issue a statement demanding “accountability” after Gareth Swarbrick refused to quit.Swarbrick, the chief executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), a social landlord, said late on Thursday “I will not be resigning”, despite a call in parliament for him to stand down and the launch of an investigation into potential “systemic failures” at the organisation. Continue reading...

Oliver Lewin wanted ‘widespread coordinated attacks’ on infrastructure, prosecution saysA terror suspect plotted to “topple the government” by attacking major communications infrastructure, a court has heard.Oliver Lewin is accused of carrying out reconnaissance of potential targets, purchasing equipment and tools, digging hideouts and seeking to recruit others. Continue reading...

Business rates revaluation likely to hit hospitals and colleges, while big banks and department stores such as Harrods benefitHospitals, colleges and fire stations are likely to face 15%-20% rises in property tax next year while big banks, including the Bank of England, and department stores such as Harrods will see their bills fall.The government on Thursday released details of a revaluation of properties across England and Wales for the calculation of business rates, with many public buildings expected to be among the losers and those in big offices, the largest retail properties and historic hotels among the winners. Continue reading...

Family accuses force of ‘appalling’ failure to protect Raneem Oudeh and Khaola Saleem, killed by Oudeh’s abusive former partnerPolice failings “materially contributed” to the deaths of a 22-year-old woman and her mother who were murdered by the daughter’s abusive former partner, an inquest has found.Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, 49, were stabbed to death by Oudeh’s estranged husband, Janbaz Tarin, in August 2018, after he had subjected her to stalking, domestic violence and coercive control for more than a year. Continue reading...

Campaigners hope agreement will change military norms, though it was not endorsed by countries including Russia, Israel and ChinaEighty countries led by the US, UK and France have signed a declaration in Dublin pledging to refrain from urban bombing, the first time countries have agreed to curb the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.The international agreement is a product of more than three years of negotiation – predating the war in Ukraine – but was not endorsed by several major military powers, including Russia, China, Israel and India. Continue reading...

PM returns from G20 summit to face difficult economic circumstances that will soon become challenging political onesOn the tropical island of Bali, Rishi Sunak has been enjoying a honeymoon as a global statesman at the G20. He struck up a bromance with Canada’s Justin Trudeau and managed a crucial first bilateral talk with US president, Joe Biden. The only major hiccup was a missed encounter with China’s president, Xi Jinping, as he attempted to reset relations after a period of extended frost.But back home, the climate of domestic politics is decidedly chillier, with little sign Sunak is enjoying much of the bounce in the polls new prime ministers used to expect. Continue reading...

Stoppages will affect passport and border checks, driving tests and farm payments throughout ChristmasCivil servants in three Whitehall departments will take “sustained” strike action for a month from mid-December, as the first step in an “escalating” campaign, the Public and Commercial Services union has announced.Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, said the initial action in the Home Office, Department for Transport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, would involve “low thousands” of the 100,000 members who backed strike action in a recent ballot. Continue reading...

Moscow says it wants US to return convicted arms trafficker in swap that would include basketball star jailed on drug chargesRussia has said that it hopes to complete a prisoner swap with the United States to return convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout in an exchange that would likely include US basketball star Brittney Griner.Amid the deadliest war in Europe since 1945, Russia and the United States are exploring a deal that could see imprisoned Americans including Griner return to the United States in exchange for Bout. Continue reading...

David Hunter is no longer facing murder trial and hopes to be reunited with family in UK by ChristmasA British man detained in Cyprus for almost a year after being accused of murdering his terminally ill wife, has agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter in an effort to be reunited with his family in Britain by Christmas.David Hunter, who has been held in the country’s overcrowded prison, will enter the plea on 5 December after his legal team announced the murder charge was “no longer on the table”. Continue reading...

Labour leader says he is not tribal, has broken the ‘never kiss a Tory rule’ and has many Conservative friends

Jordan McSweeney had been recalled to prison when he killed 35-year-old in Ilford, east LondonA man has pleaded guilty to pulling Zara Aleena off the street as she walked home after an evening out, and then kicking and stamping her to death.At the Old Bailey on Friday Jordan McSweeney, 29, admitted he murdered Aleena on 26 June 2022, in Ilford, east London. Continue reading...

Footage shows mother of Kian Pirfalak telling mourners officials are ‘lying’ about cause of son’s deathProtesters at the funeral of a young boy whose family say was killed by Iranian security forces have chanted anti-regime slogans and ridiculed the official account of his death.Hundreds of mourners flocked to the city of Izeh in south-western Iran for the funeral of Kian Pirfalak, according to footage posted online. Continue reading...

China is responsible for more cumulative emissions than any country other than the USLate on Thursday night in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the Cop27 UN climate talks seemed stuck in an irretrievable logjam. Rich and poor countries had reached deadlock, a “breakdown between north and south”, according to the UN secretary general, António Guterres.By Friday morning, the talks had been upended and the battleground dramatically redrawn, in a way it has not been in 30 years of these annual talks. At stake is the question of whether some of the world’s leading economies – countries such as China, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf petrostates, Russia and countries with high per capita income such as South Korea and Singapore – should start contributing for the first time to help the poorest and most vulnerable with the impacts of climate disaster. Continue reading...

Elbow frontman criticises council after 30-year-old venue says noise complaints may force it to closeManchester risks losing a “vital organ of culture” if its famous Night & Day cafe is forced to close because of noise complaints, the Elbow singer Guy Garvey has said.The 30-year-old venue is facing a crucial court hearing this month after it was issued with a noise abatement notice by Manchester city council. Continue reading...

Swedish prosecutor says ‘complex’ investigation and analysis continue to see if suspects can be identifiedTraces of explosives have been found at the sites of September’s multiple leaks from the Nord Stream gas pipelines, confirming that the breaches were the result of sabotage, Sweden’s prosecution authority has said.“Analysis that has now been carried out shows traces of explosives on several of the objects that were recovered” from the scene in the Baltic Sea, Mats Ljungqvist, the prosecutor leading the investigation, said on Friday. Continue reading...

Chancellor defends keeping tax status as he warns of ‘challenging times’ and suggests Brexit has affected economy

Fixing system could have raised substantial revenue, improved growth and helped to improve fairness

Scott Phillip White long denied murdering the American mathematician and said his pre-trial plea was untrue

Change in stance puts spotlight on US and China, which have both objected to fund

Sean Murray inflicted ‘appalling’ acts of domestic violence before Jean Louise Herholdt stabbed him

Court filing says Saudi crown prince’s promotion to the role of prime minister meant that he was ‘the sitting head of government and, accordingly, immune’The Biden administration has told a US court that Mohammed bin Salman should be granted sovereign immunity in a civil case involving the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, effectively ending a last ditch attempt to hold the Saudi crown prince legally accountable for the 2018 killing.In a filing released on late on Thursday night, the Biden administration said the crown prince’s recent promotion to the role of prime minister meant that he was “the sitting head of government and, accordingly, immune” from the lawsuit. Continue reading...