World news | The Guardian

Son of Bill Owen, who played his on-screen father Compo, his other TV credits include The Bill and Upstairs DownstairsThe Last of the Summer Wine actor Tom Owen has died aged 73.Owen played the nomadic Tom Simmonite in the popular and long-running BBC sitcom for 10 years from 2000. His appearance on the show continued a family tradition after his father, Bill Owen, portrayed his on-screen father, Compo Simmonite. Continue reading...

Sister says they need ‘proof of life’ amid concern for activist’s wellbeing and worries UK government not doing enoughThe family of jailed British-Egyptian hunger-striker Alaa Abd el-Fattah have voiced fears that Egyptian officials may be torturing him behind closed doors through force-feeding.On the sidelines of the Cop27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, reportedly told French president, Emmanuel Macron, that he was “committed” to ensuring the democracy activist’s health “is preserved,” and that “the next few weeks and months will bring results”. Continue reading...

Bureaucracy blamed for draft papers summoning Russian sailor who was aboard lost missile cruiserA recruitment office in St Petersburg has issued a draft notice to a missing Russian sailor who was aboard the flagship Moskva missile cruiser, which sank in the Black Sea in April.According to a report by the local news website Fontanka, the parents of the sailor, named Mikhail, who was a cook on the Moskva cruiser, received his call-up notice last month. The papers ordered their son to report to the drafting station or face possible prosecution. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Australian data security experts described the July 2020 move as ‘dubious’ and ‘outrageous’

Doubt cast on official version of events after deadly crush at border fence in which at least 23 diedThe Spanish government is facing growing calls to explain how at least 23 people died during a mass storming of the border fence between Morocco and Spain’s north African enclave of Melilla almost five months ago.MPs who visited the border on a fact-finding trip have appeared to corroborate reports – first aired in a BBC Africa Eye investigation broadcast last week – that dead bodies were dragged out of a Spanish-controlled area by Moroccan police. Continue reading...

Discounters Aldi and Lidl benefit as figures reveal annual cost of grocery shop has soared by £682British shoppers are making a big switch to budget ranges and discount chains as supermarket inflation reached a record high of nearly 15% last month, driving up the average annual bill by £682 a year.Just over a quarter of all households say they are struggling financially, double the proportion a year ago, as the cost of groceries soared 14.7% in October compared with a year ago. That is the highest level since Kantar, which produces the data, began tracking price changes in 2008. Continue reading...

Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winning satire is up for four awards, while Penélope Cruz and Paul Mescal feature in acting categoriesTriangle of Sadness, the Palme d’Or winning satire of the super rich, is among the leaders of the European film award (EFA) nominations, it has been announced.Directed by Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness is up for four gongs, including best European film, best European actor for Zlatko Burić, and best European director for Östlund. Two other films have received four nominations: Close, Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s study of a relationship between two teenage boys, and Holy Spider, a drama about an Iranian serial killer from Border director Ali Abbasi. Continue reading...

Discovery follows admission that previous list of 2,400 pieces of EU legislation was ‘not comprehensive’

Alex Belfield could have been given longer prison term but legal technicality makes it too late to changeThe judge who sentenced Jeremy Vine’s stalker to five and a half years in prison made a mistake and could have given Alex Belfield a higher sentence, one of the UK government’s most senior legal advisers has said.Yet a legal technicality means the court of appeal will not consider whether Belfield’s sentence should be increased, the Guardian has learned. Belfield is appealing for a lower jail term, prompting calls for a reform in the law to give victims more time to appeal under the “unduly lenient scheme” (ULS). Continue reading...

Reclassifying modern slavery as immigration issue and rhetoric of ‘abusing the system’ are among concerns levelled at governmentThe UK has been accused of “rolling back” moves to tackle modern slavery before a UN review of its human rights record on Thursday.Anti-Slavery International said that at the time of the last universal periodic review (UPR) in 2017, the UK had recently passed the Modern Slavery Act and was seen by some as an exemplar, but five years later, with the next review imminent, it has regressed. Continue reading...

Housebuilder says cancellation rate has risen sharply because of interest rates and economic uncertaintySales and prices of new-build houses have fallen and cancellation rates have risen in recent weeks at Persimmon, in further evidence the property market is entering a downturn.The company, one of Britain’s biggest housebuilders, said demand had waned and uncertainty had risen in the past six weeks, as rising mortgage costs and a looming recession weighed on people’s minds. Continue reading...

Key ally of Rishi Sunak says alleged comments by Cabinet Office minister would be ‘utterly unacceptable’Gavin Williamson is under renewed pressure over his behaviour towards colleagues, as a key ally of the prime minister said no one was “unsackable” and it was “utterly unacceptable” if the Cabinet Office minister had told a former senior civil servant to “jump out of the window” and “slit your throat”.The Guardian reported on Monday that Williamson, who was brought back to the cabinet by Rishi Sunak last month, allegedly told a senior civil servant to “slit your throat” in what they claimed was a bullying campaign while he was defence secretary. Continue reading...

Ramon Abbas, described by FBI as one of world’s most prolific money launderers, sentenced to 11 yearsA social media influencer who called himself Ray Hushpuppi and flaunted a lavish lifestyle fuelled by his efforts to launder millions of stolen dollars has been sentenced in Los Angeles to more than 11 years in federal prison.Ramon Abbas, 40, also was ordered by a federal judge to pay $1.7m in restitution to two fraud victims, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice. Continue reading...

‘War-driven price shocks’ signal possible need for government intervention to address energy costs, Treasury secretary says

Regulator alleges ‘5,200 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water was illegally pumped from the river over four years

The actors will bring a revival of Sam Steiner’s 2015 play Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons to London, Manchester and Brighton, directed by Josie RourkeJenna Coleman and Aidan Turner are to star together in a play that imagines a world where people are restricted to a daily limit of 140 words each.Sam Steiner’s 2015 drama Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons will be revived by Josie Rourke at the Harold Pinter theatre in London in January before playing at Manchester Opera House and Theatre Royal Brighton.Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is at the Harold Pinter theatre, London, from 18 January to 18 March. It then runs at Manchester Opera House (21-25 March) and Theatre Royal Brighton (28 March-1 April). Continue reading...

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson pushes for public indexes that could track the price of fertilisers on the domestic market

Boy, two, has died at Westmead hospital following dog attack at a motel at Cowra in the NSW central westA two-year-old boy has died after being attacked by dogs in the NSW central west.The boy was mauled on the face and neck by the dogs at a motel in the town of Cowra on Tuesday morning, NSW police said in a statement. Continue reading...

Latest figures suggest the 10 park authorities will have to make cuts of £16m between them over the next three yearsEngland’s national parks are facing a funding crisis that is forcing them to make plans to close visitors centres, make park rangers redundant, stop maintaining paths and introduce other cuts, in an effort to balance their budgets, according to the latest figures.Funding has fallen by 40% in real terms over the last decade, and grants are expected to flatline until 2025 despite rising wage bills and costs. Government funding for national parks has been frozen since last year. Data compiled by National Parks England suggests the country’s 10 park authorities will have to make cuts of £16m over the next three years. Continue reading...

Bradford-born singer who relied on free school lunches urges PM to extend provision to all families on universal creditZayn Malik has called on Rishi Sunak to “give all children living in poverty” free school meals during the cost of living crisis.The former One Direction singer, 29, who relied on free school lunches as a child growing up in Bradford, recently became an ambassador for the Food Foundation and is backing its Feed the Future campaign. Continue reading...

Poll shows levels of trust in the police markedly lower among black people than white peopleMore than half of black people stopped and searched by the police say they were left with feelings of humiliation or embarrassment, according to a survey.It also shows levels of trust in the police are markedly lower among black people (46%) than white people (64%), with barely a third (35%) of black Caribbean people saying they had confidence. Continue reading...

Exclusive: MHRA grants innovation passport to drug that could prevent women from developing conditionA new pill that could prevent pre-eclampsia has become the first pregnancy drug to be fast-tracked for development by the UK’s drug regulator.Scientists at MirZyme Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company, believe they have developed a drug that when given to women from 20 weeks of pregnancy could stop them developing the condition. Continue reading...

Former Department of Human Services official Scott Britton tells royal commission his team looked at whether they could use data to streamline compliance

Australian census data shows 102,000 people left New South Wales and 10,000 abandoned Victoria

Payments will be $150,000 for Sydney taxi plates and between $40,000 and $195,000 for regional plate holders

Hospital remains open but some non-urgent procedures delayed as health officials seek alternative heating methods

In fiery Senate hearing, Alex Antic describes Play School segment featuring drag queen as ‘adult content’ in claim rejected by broadcaster

Siobhan Baillie spoke of ‘nastiness we face’ as Gloucestershire police look into allegation of harassmentA box of faeces left outside a Conservative MP’s constituency office has reportedly sparked a police investigation.Siobhan Baillie condemned the “nastiness” of the act on Monday after the item was found by her workplace in Stroud, Gloucestershire and warned such abuse was putting people off becoming MPs. Continue reading...

England gains 10, Northern Ireland remains unchanged at 18 and Wales loses eightRevised proposals have been published for Scottish constituencies in the House of Commons as part of a plan to reduce the number of seats for the country.Scotland will have 57 constituencies under the latest review by the Boundary Commission, two fewer than at present. Continue reading...

Two surveys show extent of cost of living crisis as businesses enter what should be most profitable periodBritain’s retailers are bracing themselves for a tough Christmas trading period as hard-pressed consumers react to a worsening cost of living crisis by cutting back on spending.With the most profitable period of the year for shops and online outlets approaching, two surveys out on Tuesday underlined the extent of the squeeze on household budgets caused by the UK’s double-digit inflation rate. Continue reading...

Consumer group’s research shows acute lack of access to healthy, affordable food in some areasThe big supermarkets need to step up support for low-income customers marooned in England’s “food deserts” to enable them to readily access healthy groceries during the cost of living crisis, according to the consumer group Which?.The scarcity of affordable, healthy food is so acute in some of the poorest parts of Birmingham, Liverpool, Bradford, Durham and the Welsh valleys that the vast majority of neighbourhoods in these areas should get targeted help, Which? says. Continue reading...

Name was clear favourite for space in Perth City Hall, opening in 2024, after collecting 60% of votesA new museum in Perth will be called “Perth Museum” after a public consultation in which most people voted for the very functional name.The name saw off competition from other less literal suggestions for the site at Perth City Hall, including the Sparkling Museum of Perth and the Victoria Drummond Museum. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Australian white supremacist pleaded guilty in March 2020 to murdering 51 people in mosque attackThe Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 has appealed against his convictions and sentence of life in prison without parole.Brenton Tarrant pleaded guilty in March 2020 to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and a terrorism charge. His change of plea averted the need for a trial that officials feared he would use to spread his extremist views. Continue reading...

‘Data will publish within 24 hours’ post to darknet blog says, after Australian health insurer refused to pay ransom

Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the ruling party, criticised by opposition for ‘nonsense’ commentsOutrage built up in Poland on Monday after the governing party’s leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, claimed excessive drinking by young women was to blame for the EU country’s low birthrate.Opposition politicians, female celebrities and others denounced the 73-year-old as out of touch and patriarchal, dismissing his comments as nonsense. Continue reading...

Exclusive: MoD official says minister subjected them to campaign of bullying when he was defence secretaryA senior civil servant claims Gavin Williamson told them to “slit your throat” in what they felt was a sustained campaign of bullying while he was defence secretary.The Ministry of Defence official told the Guardian Williamson made the extraordinary remarks in front of other civil servants in a meeting, and on a separate occasion told them to “jump out of the window”. Continue reading...

The prime minister’s comments come after a news report that Beijing had funded a ‘clandestine network’ of candidates in 2019Justin Trudeau has warned that China is “play[ing] aggressive games” to undermine democratic institutions amid reports Beijing actively interfered in Canada’s federal elections.His comments on Monday came after a news report that Beijing had funded a “clandestine network” of candidates in Canada’s 2019 election and just days after the federal police force said it was actively investigating a secret network of illegal Chinese “police stations” in Toronto. Continue reading...

More than a dozen MPs question use of hotels as Robert Jenrick says ‘some larger sites’ may be neededConservative MPs have expressed frustration at the government’s failure to ease pressure on the UK’s asylum system, as a Home Office minister pledged to stop placing people in hotels.Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, said he wanted to house asylum seekers who had arrived in the UK on small boats in “some larger sites to provide decent but basic accommodation”, without naming specific sites. Continue reading...

Claim made in final arguments of action brought by Mermaids seeking removal of charitable status from LGB AllianceThe creation of LGB Alliance has promoted constructive debate on “difficult and problematic issues” of sex and gender, the Charity Commission told a court on Monday, during final arguments over whether the gay rights group should have been given charitable status.Iain Steele, counsel for the commission, said there was a public benefit inherent in having charities with different world views, encouraging debate in this “evolving” area of diversity and equality. Continue reading...

Footballer says having sex with multiple women in a night was ‘normal’ but that he would stop if someone said noThe Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has told jurors in his rape trial that it was “normal” for him to have sex with multiple women on a night out, and to sleep with the same women as his friends without using contraception.Giving evidence at Chester crown court on Monday, the player said it was “honestly, so easy” for him to meet women to have sex with. Continue reading...

Ricard released a statement confessing to sexually abusing the child during his early days in the Catholic ChurchOne of France’s highest-ranking prelates of the Catholic Church has admitted abusing a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago and announced his withdrawal from his religious duties.Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard’s statement on Monday after a report issued last year revealed a large number of child sex abuse cases within the French Catholic Church. Continue reading...

UK prime minister vows to ‘get a grip’ on small boat crossings but deflects questions on concrete actionRishi Sunak has renewed a promise to stop people being smuggled across the Channel, despite coming away from his first face-to-face talks with Emmanuel Macron without any firm commitments.The prime minister vowed to “get a grip of this situation” and promised details about the progress of cross-Channel talks “in the coming weeks”, with No 10 hoping to make a major announcement before Christmas. Continue reading...

Survivor tells of being abandoned to attack near Makiivka, as anger grows in Russia over death toll from war

Facial recognition expert claims 87-year-old man in Australia is British peer who disappearedThe late Daily Mirror journalist, Garth Gibbs, who died in 2011, used to claim his “most spectacular success” in journalism was not finding Lord Lucan.“I have successfully not found him in more exotic spots than anybody else,” he recounted. “I spent three glorious weeks not finding him in Cape Town, magical days and nights not finding him in the Black Mountains of Wales, and wonderful and successful short breaks not finding him in Macau either, or in Hong Kong or even in Green Turtle Cay in the Bahamas where you can find anyone.” Continue reading...

Major reversal for the Canadian province’s conservative government follows days of immense political pressureOntario has announced it will fully repeal controversial legislation that undermined workers’ right to strike, in a major reversal for the province’s conservative government following days of immense political pressure – and the looming threat of a general strike.Nearly 55,000 Canadian Union of Public Employees walked out on Friday after the conservative government of the Ontario premier, Doug Ford, introduced legislation that would unilaterally impose a contract on education workers, and levy hefty fines for striking. But on Monday morning, union leaders announced they would end their protest “in a gesture of good faith” following the conservative government’s abrupt turnaround. Continue reading...

Prosecutors investigate case of girl said to have been hidden by mother and grandparents in AttendornAn eight-year-old girl has been freed after allegedly being locked away by her mother and grandparents in western Germany since she was less than a year old, leaving her so physically underdeveloped as to be barely able to climb a flight of stairs.The girl, named only as “Maria” in German media, is understood to have spent most of the last seven and a half years in a locked room at her grandparents’ house in Attendorn, a town of about 25,000 residents east of Cologne. Continue reading...

Lawyers for Jasmine Hill say tube was squashed by Gloucestershire hospital trolley but pathologist unable to ascertain cause of deathA teenager died after a breathing tube was possibly squashed by a wheel of her hospital trolley during emergency surgery, an inquest has heard.Jasmine Hill, 19, had a cardiac arrest shortly after undergoing a procedure on her neck at Gloucestershire royal hospital in Gloucester. Continue reading...

Watchdog tells MPs plans to allow ministers to amend regulations would dent UK’s reputation

Proposal by company owned by Guy Hands’ Terra Firma had been contingent on MoD dropping plan to wrest back ownershipA property company owned by Guy Hands’s private equity firm Terra Firma has withdrawn a £105m offer to repair the “appalling” military homes that it owns and is leasing back to the Ministry of Defence.The proposal by Annington Homes, which owns about 38,000 service properties, had been contingent on the MoD dropping its attempt to forcibly buy-back the estate sold to the firm in 1996. Continue reading...

Exclusive: party seeks amendment to financial services and markets bill and says ministers are failing on ‘new types of fraud’Labour will press the government for the first “national fraud strategy” in a decade as figures show fraud and financial scams affecting consumers and businesses hit a record £1.3bn of lost cash last year.The party will seek to force a vote on the financial services and markets bill with an amendment calling for a new fraud strategy, as households and businesses are losing more than ever. Continue reading...