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‘No concrete progress’ towards avoiding action affecting English schools at education secretary’s meeting with unionsThe threat of strike action still hangs over schools in England after talks between teaching unions and the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, ended with “no concrete progress”, though the door remains open for further discussions.Union leaders described the meeting as constructive, but with no extra money for teachers on the table, strikes could be just weeks away. Ballots for strike action among hundreds of thousands of union members are due to close this week. Continue reading...

Nurses’ and ambulance strikes to go ahead after latest round of talks failed to make substantial progress. This live blog is now closedRishi Sunak also insisted in his pooled TV interview that the government was focused on “the people’s priorities”. Referring to the promises he announced last week, heWhat the government is getting on with is delivering on the people’s priorities. I set out five priorities, five promises I wanted to make to the country – that’s to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, reduce waiting lists, and stop the boats. That’s squarely what everyone in government is focused on. Continue reading...

In US interview to promote book, Duke of Sussex also points finger at Camilla but says she is not an ‘evil stepmother’Prince Harry has described how he “can’t ever get out” of the royal family, but he does not believe it will ever be possible for him and the Duchess of Sussex to return to the UK as working royals.In his latest TV interview to promote his autobiography Spare, the Duke of Sussex continued to point the finger at Camilla, the Queen Consort over allegations he had been “sacrificed on her personal PR altar”. Continue reading...

PM aims to further restrict right to demonstrate by giving police powers to tackle fuel protesters’ latest tacticRishi Sunak is drawing up powers for the police to stop “go-slow” protests in a further crackdown on people’s right to demonstrate.The prime minister said the proposals would be set out in the coming weeks to prevent “a small minority” from disrupting the lives of the “hard-working majority”. Continue reading...

One of the world’s top eateries with three Michelin stars says it wants to reinvent itself as a food laboratoryThe Copenhagen restaurant Noma, one of the world’s top eateries, with three Michelin stars, has said it will close at the end of 2024 to reinvent itself as a food laboratory.“To continue being Noma, we must change … Winter 2024 will be the last season of Noma as we know it,” the restaurant, wrote in a post on Instagram. Continue reading...

Two deaths on Monday come amid a deadly summer in the water across Australia

Court rejects NSO claim it could not be sued because it was acting as agent for unidentified foreign governmentsThe US supreme court has let Meta Platforms Inc’s WhatsApp pursue a lawsuit accusing Israel’s NSO Group of exploiting a bug in its WhatsApp messaging app to install spy software allowing the surveillance of 1,400 people, including journalists, human rights activists and dissidents.The justices turned away NSO’s appeal over a lower court’s decision that the lawsuit could move forward. NSO has argued that it is immune to being sued because it was acting as an agent for unidentified foreign governments when it installed the Pegasus spyware. Continue reading...

Hoda Muthana, currently detained by Kurdish forces, says she is prepared to serve prison time and advocate against extremismA woman who ran away from home in Alabama at the age of 20, joined the Islamic State group and had a child with one of its fighters says she still hopes to return to the United States, serve prison time if necessary, and advocate against extremism.Speaking from the Roj detention camp in Syria, where she is detained by US-allied Kurdish forces, Hoda Muthana said she was brainwashed by online traffickers into joining the group in 2014 and regrets everything except her young son. Continue reading...

First minister says Scotland’s hospitals are ‘almost completely full’ as she announces measures to ease pressure

Organisers say they are seeking 30% monthly cut and that more than 150 people have signed upHundreds of students in halls of residence at the University of Manchester are withholding their rent payments this month over the cost of living crisis.The students are seeking to pressure their university into offering a 30% cut on monthly rent payments, including a rebate for fees already paid, which they claim have become unaffordable. Continue reading...

Pre-action letter says talks between UK and Mauritius ‘being held without consulting Chagossian people’A legal attempt has been launched to halt negotiations between the UK and Mauritius over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, Britain’s last African colony, claiming Chagossian people’s views are being ignored.Bernadette Dugasse, who was born on Diego Garcia, an island within what is known today as the British Indian Ocean Territory, is seeking judicial review of the government’s approach to the talks. Continue reading...

Fitzroy River Bridge among those apparently collapsed after record flooding in state’s north destroys roads and isolates communities

Experts say Labor’s stamp duty exemptions and Coalition’s land tax policy will likely benefit sellers most

Westwood’s family say they are ‘deeply disappointed’ WikiLeaks founder was not given temporary release from prisonJulian Assange has been denied permission to leave prison to attend the funeral of Dame Vivienne Westwood, according to her family.Westwood’s family said they were “deeply disappointed that we were unable to fulfil Vivienne’s wishes but are unsurprised by the decision, which is unjust and in keeping with the inhumane treatment [Assange] has received from the UK authorities up to this point”. Continue reading...

Russell Group says more hard-up students in England will drop out if loans fail to keep up with rising costs

Alarm raised after two men found guilty of running over police officer are moved to solitary confinementProtesters gathered outside a prison near the Iranian capital on Sunday night in an attempt to prevent the rumoured imminent execution of two young detainees found guilty of running over a police officer in a car during protests in November.Footage posted on social media showed the mother of one of the men, 22-year-old Mohammad Ghobadlou, pleading for her son outside Rajaei-Shahr prison in Karaj, a satellite city west of Tehran. She said it had been established that her son had not been at the scene when the police officer died. Continue reading...

Japanese investor SoftBank thought to favour New York for computer chip designer’s IPORishi Sunak has reportedly restarted efforts to persuade the Japanese investor SoftBank to list the computer chip designer Arm in London.SoftBank has been considering listing Arm, which has its headquarters in Cambridge, for months, with New York thought to be the lead candidate. Continue reading...

Egyptian authority says vessel was towed away for repairs after briefly disrupting traffic in vital waterway

Discount supermarket’s sales rise by a quarter year on year in four weeks to 25 DecemberLidl gained 1.3 million British shoppers in the Christmas period compared with a year earlier as the supermarket benefited from people cutting back on spending.The German-owned chain said the Friday before Christmas was its busiest ever day as sales rose by a quarter compared with the previous year as shoppers switched from other supermarkets in greater numbers. Continue reading...

Image believed to be of Constance Marten, who went missing last week with her baby and Mark GordonA couple and their newborn baby who went missing last week are thought to have been seen after travelling inland from an Essex port, police have said.Constance Marten and Mark Gordon abandoned their vehicle when it broke down on the M61, near Bolton, on Thursday evening. Continue reading...

Former party chairman referred SG Recruitment to ‘VIP lane’ after introduction by peer who owned shares in parent companyA Conservative peer advising the government during the coronavirus pandemic helped a company secure PPE contracts worth £50m after a fellow Tory peer introduced him to the firm, documents obtained by the Guardian show.Andrew Feldman, a former Conservative party chair, referred the company, SG Recruitment, to the “VIP lane” that gave priority to politically connected firms, after the introduction by Lord Chadlington, a Tory peer for 26 years. Continue reading...

Director, whose new film is a love letter to cinema, says many of his past hits would have been for streamingThe “great era” of going to the cinema is dying, Sir Sam Mendes has said, adding that he thinks his most famous films would go to streaming services if made now.The British director, known for his James Bond movies and critically acclaimed hits such as American Beauty and 1917, said: “The 20th century, the great era of movies, the great entertainment form – which was going out to the movies – that is dying. Continue reading...

Properties worth up to $800,000 will incur no tax and a concession rate will apply to those up to $1m if opposition wins election, Chris Minns says

Riad Malki says permit rescinded, after hardline government announced series of punitive measures against PalestiniansThe Palestinian foreign minister says Israel has revoked his travel permit, after the hardline Israeli government announced a series of punitive steps against the Palestinians days ago.Riad Malki said in a statement that he was returning from the Brazilian president’s inauguration when he was informed that Israel had rescinded his travel permit, which allows top Palestinian officials to travel easily in and out of the occupied West Bank, unlike ordinary Palestinians. Continue reading...

Cross-party committee has also accused Sport England of not knowing the destination of millions of pounds in grantsIt was supposed to “inspire a generation” and leave a legacy of a healthier, more active population. Yet the promises that the 2012 London Olympics would boost sporting participation have not been kept, according to a new parliamentary report.A lasting legacy of participation was a key part of the government’s pitch for the £8.8bn Olympic and Paralympic Games, including pledges to increase the number of adults participating in sporting activities. However, the cross-party public accounts committee said the promised benefits had failed to occur, with the proportion of adults participating in sport at least once a week actually falling in the first three years after the Games. Continue reading...

Volker Türk says investigation launched by government into deaths in mainly Fulani and Muslim area should be rapid and openThe head of the United Nations human rights office has called for a prompt, transparent investigation into the deaths of at least 28 people whose bodies were found in north-west Burkina Faso last month.Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said it was encouraging that authorities had announced an investigation into the incident in Nouna town, a predominately ethnic Fulani and Muslim community. Continue reading...

Internal messages reveal proposals described as potentially ‘the biggest attack on workers’ rights and freedoms’ for generationsRishi Sunak considered banning thousands of workers from joining a union, according to leaked government emails detailing proposals described as potentially the “biggest attack on workers’ rights and freedoms” for decades.The messages, shared between senior civil servants and seen by the Observer, reveal that the prime minister contemplated banning Border Force (BF) staff from trade union membership under its anti-strike legislation announced last Thursday. Continue reading...

Prime minister hosts rare weekend meeting but Labour says patients deserve more than ‘talking shop’Rishi Sunak is holding emergency talks with NHS and care leaders in an attempt to tackle the winter healthcare crisis in England.The NHS Recovery Forum at No 10 on Saturday will focus on four key issues: social care and delayed discharge, urgent and emergency care, elective care and primary care. Continue reading...

Experts call for a multidisciplinary approach, with climate-related disasters to continue disrupting freight delivery

Michel Montaner visits a different constituent at their home most nights to gain a better feel for people’s concernsIt began with a tweet in October. “I would like to have dinner at your home. I’ll bring dessert.” What followed was an avalanche of invitations, sending Michel Montaner knocking on the door of complete strangers most nights of the week.“I ring their doorbell and say: ‘Hi, I’m the mayor,’” Montaner told the Guardian. “I turn up alone, no police, no advisers.” Continue reading...

Australian Transport Safety Bureau says anticipated date for completing its investigation is between July and September 2024

At least 29 people killed in Culiacán as drug cartel gunmen fight bloody battle to stop transport of El Chapo’s son after arrest

Industrial action on 23 January in England and Wales will coincide with strike by Unison membersMore than 2,600 additional ambulance workers plan to strike in late January over pay, the trade union Unite announced on Friday.Unite’s members will join colleagues belonging to Unison in striking on 23 January, with hospital bosses calling for “serious talks” between the government and unions to avoid “even more pressure on already overstretched NHS services”. Continue reading...

DHSC accused PPE Medpro of presenting false document when tendering for PPE contracts

Spanish bookshops breaking embargo and leak to the Guardian undo secrecy plans but won’t harm Spare publicationIf Prince Harry’s publishers had their way, it seems the world would only learn about the contents of his autobiography when the book goes on sale next Tuesday.Instead, a leak to the Guardian and premature sales by Spanish bookstores have resulted in a flood of media coverage before a copy of Spare has even been sold in the UK or the US. Details of events including the prince losing his virginity behind a pub, him asking his father, King Charles, not to remarry, and his final visit to Queen Elizabeth II have been revealed. Continue reading...

Novelist and screenwriter says he is unable to move arms and legs and has undergone spinal surgeryThe novelist and screenwriter Hanif Kureishi has said he may never be able to walk or use a pen again after a fall on Boxing Day in Rome.The Buddha of Surburbia author has now tweeted about the incident, following reports in the Italian media that he was in intensive care. “I had just seen Mo Salah score against Aston Villa, sipped half a beer, when I began to feel dizzy”, Kureishi wrote. “I leant forward and put my head between my legs; I woke up a few minutes later in a pool of blood, my neck in a grotesquely twisted position, my wife on her knees beside me.” Continue reading...

PM offers no hint he will compromise on pay offers as former cabinet minister says nurses key to dealing with NHS pressures. This live blog is now closedThe journalist interviewing Rishi Sunak this morning did not press Sunak on excess deaths because he needed to ask some questions about Prince Harry’s memoir. But Sunak would not go near the topic.Asked how he felt seeing the royal family “torn apart” by these claims and revelations, Sunak replied:As you would expect, it is not appropriate for me to comment on matters to do with the royal family.I wouldn’t comment on matters to do with the royal family. I would just say I am enormously grateful to our armed forces for the incredible job they do in keeping us all safe. We’re all very fortunate for their service. Continue reading...

As public sector disputes multiply, some think the government is deploying out-of-date weapons in the battle of public opinionWith new public sector strikes arriving on an almost weekly basis, ministers and unions are at loggerheads to an extent not seen for decades. But beyond the disputes themselves is another layer of disagreement: what exactly is the government’s plan?Away from the picket lines there is a fierce parallel battle being waged for public opinion, and to blame the disruption on – depending on your vantage point – bumbling ministers, over-powerful union leaders, or the Labour party. Continue reading...

Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who were 15 and 16 when the film was made, are suing Paramount Studios for child abuseThe son of Franco Zeffirelli has hit out against the two lead actors from the late Italian film director’s 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, who are suing Paramount Studios for child abuse over a nude scene in the film.Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who were 15 and 16, respectively, when the film was made, allege that Zeffirelli made them perform a bedroom scene in the nude after originally saying they would be wearing flesh-coloured body suits. Continue reading...

Workers say they missed out on cash or vouchers again, though supermarket says staff got doubled discount on certain daysTesco shop staff say they missed out on a cash or voucher bonus this Christmas for the second year in a row – with some receiving just a box of Quality Street.The UK’s biggest supermarket chain paid a 10% Christmas bonus in 2020 and in previous years has given out a shopping voucher, but this year the only thing handed out was the plastic tub of confectionery worth £5 that some staff received. Continue reading...

Journalist touring residence with new first lady is shown torn sofas, broken windows and art damaged by the sunJair Bolsonaro’s wrecking of the Amazon made him a global outcast – but his acts of desecration were not limited to the rainforest.A report by the Brazilian broadcaster GloboNews suggests that even the official presidential residence – a 1950s masterpiece by the architect Oscar Niemeyer – was defiled by the far-right politician during his four years in power. Continue reading...

‘Britain’s strictest headteacher’ admitted her outspoken views meant she was ‘doing more harm than good’The headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh has quit as the UK government’s social mobility head after little more than a year, admitting her outspoken views meant she was “doing more harm than good”.Birbalsingh, who came to prominence a decade ago as a critic of the UK’s “broken” schools system, and has since been labelled Britain’s strictest headteacher, said she had realised her presence as chair of the Social Mobility Commission (SMC) undermined its impartiality. Continue reading...

Pop legends join forces for Diane Warren-penned track Gonna Be You for forthcoming comedy 80 for BradyDolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, Belinda Carlisle and Debbie Harry have joined forces on a new single titled Gonna Be You. The track, to be released on 20 January, is by the celebrated songwriter Diane Warren.Gonna Be You, which marks the first collaboration between the five pop legends, was recorded for the forthcoming film 80 for Brady. The comedy follows four women in their 80s – played by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field – who embark on a road trip to see the NFL player Tom Brady play his final Super Bowl. Continue reading...

RMT leader says public support for unions has ‘taken a dent’ but is still high despite travel disruptionMick Lynch has admitted that public support for rail unions has been dented by weeks of strikes, but said the government was still “losing the argument” in the long-running pay dispute.The general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union (RMT) said that moves by Rishi Sunak to tighten anti-strike laws showed the government was hoping to close down opposition to austerity. Continue reading...

Mark Jenkin’s unsettling Enys Men, follow-up to his cult movie Bait, plays to packed-out houses before nationwide launchCinema fans in the Cornish town of Bodmin had three options: the behemoths of Avatar and I Wanna Dance With Somebody – or a mind-bending folk horror shot down the road on 16mm film with a tiny budget that would make most Hollywood directors shudder.By a considerable margin, for this one night at least, the patrons of the Capitol shunned James Cameron and Whitney Houston in favour of the latter, Enys Men, an unsettling, time-slipping movie that tackles big themes – loneliness, grief, fear – belying the modesty of its production. Continue reading...

Thousands gather as centuries-old rough-and-tumble contest is held for first time since pandemicIn the north Lincolnshire villages of Haxey and Westwoodside, 6 January is bigger than Christmas.For the first time since the start of the pandemic, thousands of villagers have gathered in fields nearby to compete in the Haxey Hood, one of the UK’s most curious traditions – a rough-and-tumble game that dates back to the 14th century. Continue reading...

Opera company lost more than half its funding after Arts Council England sought to divert money to underserved regionsThe prestigious opera company Glyndebourne has cancelled its touring programme for 2023 after cuts to its public funding.Glyndebourne has taken its world-class opera productions to audiences around England for more than 50 years. But it lost more than half its public funding in the settlement announced in the autumn as Arts Council England (ACE) sought to fulfil a government instruction to divert money to places underserved by the arts. Continue reading...

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon went missing on M61 after car broke downPolice in Greater Manchester are searching for a couple and their newborn baby who went missing after their car broke down.Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are missing with their baby after their vehicle broke down near junction 4 of the M61, near Farnworth, Bolton, on Thursday evening. Continue reading...

Receding flood waters have revealed homes, cars and livestock caked in thick mud, which locals say will ‘set like concrete’ when it dries

Studies find rising emergency presentations for suicidal ideation and self-harm, as well as growing antidepressant use