World news | The Guardian

Ian Russell, whose daughter died viewing harmful content, says Online Safety Act a disaster'The father of a 14-year-old girl who died after viewing harmful content on social media has told Keir Starmer that the UK is going backwards" on online safety.Ian Russell, chair of the Molly Rose Foundation set up in memory of Molly, who took her own life in 2017, said the regulator Ofcom's implementation of the Online Safety Act has been a disaster" in a letter to the prime minister on Saturday. Continue reading...

Steve Witkoff meets Israeli PM in renewed efforts to secure hostage release deal with HamasThe US Middle East envoy chosen by the president-elect, Donald Trump, met the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Saturday amid efforts to secure a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza, an Israeli official said.On Friday, Steve Witkoff met the Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, to discuss the latest developments in the region, especially the efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip", the Qatari foreign ministry said. Continue reading...

Flight cancellations pile up and state officials warn of dangerous roads on Saturday with biting cold and wet snowFlight cancellations piled up and state officials warned of continuing dangerous roads on Saturday in the wake of a winter storm that closed schools and disrupted travel across parts of the southern US.A storm that brought biting cold and wet snow to the south was moving out to sea off the east coast on Saturday, leaving behind a forecast of snow showers in the Appalachian mountains and New England. But temperatures are expected to plunge after sundown on Saturday in the south, raising the risk that melting snow will refreeze, turning roadways treacherous and glazed with ice. Continue reading...

Rescue services treat 100 more people for shock or stress after collision in tunnel leading to central train stationTwo trams collided in Strasbourg in eastern France on Saturday, causing dozens of injuries, though none critical, authorities said. The accident took place during the afternoon in a tunnel leading to the city's central train station.An additional 100 people, though uninjured, were assessed for shock or stress, said Rene Cellier, director of the Bas-Rhin fire and rescue service. Emergency services deployed 130 firefighters, 50 rescue vehicles and established a wide safety perimeter. Continue reading...

Three-year project returns out-of-print classics - including six Miles Franklin winners - to circulation and into ebook format for the first time

Chancellor's mission to Beijing weighted with greater expectationsRachel Reeves hailed a new era of respectful and consistent future relations with China" as pressure grew on the embattled chancellor to deliver on her government's central promise to fire up UK economic growth.After meeting China's vice-premier, He Lifeng, in Beijing, Reeves said Britain's relationship with the world's second largest economy would be frank and open on areas where we disagree", while stressing it would be pragmatic in finding opportunities for safe trade and investment". Continue reading...

Joe Stone says authorities trying everything' to find Aziz Ziriat after body of Sam Harris discovered on WednesdayA close friend of a British hiker who has been missing in the Dolomites since New Year's Day has said there is an acceptance that it won't be good news" as search efforts continued.Sam Harris, 35, and Aziz Ziriat, 36, from London, last sent messages home on 1 January and the pair did not check in to their flight home on 6 January. Friends and relatives have travelled to Italy. Continue reading...

Retail assistants on low pay using YoungOnes platform docked cash or told to wait up to 30 days for earningsRetail assistants have accused a gig economy firm of holding them to ransom" by making them pay a fee if they want to receive their wages within a month.A new payment system brought in by YoungOnes, which supplies freelance" retail assistants to many well-known high street stores, charges gig workers 4.8% of their earnings to be paid in one minute or 2.9% to be paid in three days. If they decline, they typically have to wait 30 days. Previously the workers were paid in three days, without a charge. Continue reading...

Eliza and Henrietta Huszti last seen near Victoria Bridge in city centre in early hours of TuesdayThe search for two sisters, who went missing in Aberdeen on Tuesday morning, has been extended to the coast, police said.Eliza and Henrietta Huszti - who are part of a set of triplets - were last seen in the city on Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Heavy police presence in place as far-right party meets in Saxony to finalise details of campaign platformThousands of people have demonstrated against a convention of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) as political parties launched their campaigns for the country's election next month.A heavy police presence was in place in Riesa - in the eastern state of Saxony, an AfD stronghold - and officers cleared some protesters from the streets. However, the two-day convention started a little more than two hours late as many delegates' trips to the venue were slowed by blockades. Continue reading...

Strategic city fell into control of RSF, which has been accused of genocide by the US, in December 2023Sudan's military and its allies have taken back a strategic city from the rebel Rapid Support Forces, officials said.The recapture of Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira province, took place more than a year after it fell to the RSF. Wad Madani had previously been a haven for displaced families in the early months of the war. Continue reading...

Man in his 20s, first such migrant fatality of 2025, suffered cardiac arrest reportedly as result of being crushedA young Syrian man died while trying to cross the Channel to Britain, the French authorities said.It is the first reported death at sea of a migrant seeking to travel to Britain from France so far this year. Continue reading...

Survivor of acid attack and advocate for people with burn injuries posts update after years battling with eye health'The TV presenter Katie Piper has revealed she is trying out an artificial eye" more than 16 years after an acid attack left her partly blind and with life-changing burns.The Loose Women panellist, 41, who is an advocate for those with burns and disfigurement injuries, shared a video that appeared to show her being fitted with a prosthetic. Continue reading...

Committee says it wants urgent update on support for hospitals declaring critical incidents under winter pressureMPs have written to Wes Streeting, the health secretary, asking for his action plan to help the 14 hospitals declaring critical incidents under winter pressure.The health and social care committee wrote to Streeting on Friday asking him to spell out what specific immediate additional support, including financial support" would be provided to trusts declaring critical incidents. Continue reading...

Western psychedelic renaissance' is partly to blame for dwindling supplies of peyote, which produces mescalineAldous Huxley wrote about the spiritual visions he had while taking the drug mescaline in The Doors of Perception, while Hunter S Thompson wrote of driving at 100mph while under the influence of it in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.But now a growing number of western spiritual seekers dabbling in psychedelics are accused of causing a shortage of the plant that produces mescaline. Continue reading...

Edmundo Gonzalez, widely believed to have won July election, gives address after autocrat sworn in for third termThe man widely believed to be the real victor of last year's presidential election in Venezuela has accused Nicolas Maduro of staging a coup and crowning himself dictator" after the South American autocrat claimed another six years in power.Maduro, a former union leader who has governed since 2013, in increasingly authoritarian fashion, was sworn in for a third term on Friday, despite claims that he stole the election from the actual winner, the retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez. Continue reading...

Alliance of groups from across France call for measures to make crossings safer after 77 deaths recorded in 2024More than 70 organisations from across France willcome together on Saturday to protest in Calais about UK policies to try to stop people crossing the Channel.At least 77 people died trying to cross the Channel in 2024, the highest number since crossings began in 2018. Non-governmental organisations that monitor these deaths believe last year's number is even higher, with 89 deaths at the UK-French border of people attempting to reach the UK. Continue reading...

Derbyshire council says crews blocked from gritting roads on Saturday due to double parking at walking spots near EdaleGritting crews have been stopped in their tracks by about 200 cars" double parked on a road along the Peak District.Derbyshire county council said crews were prevented from gritting the roads on Saturday morning due to parking on both sides of road at Rushup Edge and Man Nick near Edale. Continue reading...

Royal College of Emergency Medicine says it is extremely concerned' by survey on responses to emergencies like train crashes, Grenfell fire or Manchester Arena bombingCrowded accident and emergency wards mean only 15% of department heads are confident they could deal with a major incident such as a terror attack or rail disaster, new research has revealed.In a survey of clinical directors and consultants at 71 emergency departments in England, all said their A&E was crowded, with more than 70% saying patients had to wait in corridors or ambulances at least half the time. Only 11 were confident they were adequately prepared" to respond to a major incident. Continue reading...

Scottish government stresses risk to public is low, as chief veterinary officer says it is first outbreak since 2023A protection zone has been set up after an outbreak of bird flu in Angus, Scotland's chief veterinary officer has said.On Friday night, Sheila Voas said a 10km (6.8 mile) surveillance zone had also been declared around the area as well as the 3km protection zone in Kirriemuir after a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was reported. Continue reading...

Peter Whitford says Archer barriers, which the city had stored away, have record of stopping vehicle rammingsThe deadly New Year's Day truck attack in New Orleans would have had a completely different outcome" if city officials had put out 700lb (317kg) barriers that they bought years earlier and have a track record of preventing intentional vehicle rammings, the blockades' inventor has told the Guardian.But the city did not have a full slate of accessories to help move and deploy" those steel Archer barriers quickly in the way they were designed to be - and how authorities elsewhere have managed to do it, Peter Whitford, the chief executive officer of the Meridian Rapid Defense Group, said in an interview. Continue reading...

Animals were in mixed-species African habitat when extremely rare' confrontation took place on FridayA zebra has died during an extremely rare" incident with a rhino at a zoo in Essex.Colchester zoo said the incident between the rhino and a male zebra occurred at about 2pm on Friday in the mixed-species area. Both animals have near-threatened status, meaning they are likely to become endangered in the wild in the near future. Continue reading...

Altnaharra in Highlands recorded -18.9C on Friday night, the coldest January overnight temperature since 2010Friday was the coldest January night in the UK in 15 years after temperatures plummeted to -18.9C in a hamlet in northern Scotland, the Met Office said.Altnaharra, in the Highlands, recorded the temperature on Saturday morning, the Met Office said. Continue reading...

UK chancellor becomes first holder of her office to make an official visit to China in a decadeRachel Reeves has said the UK must engage confidently with China", as she arrived in Beijing amid market turbulence at home.The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had demanded the chancellor call off her China trip after the value of the pound plummeted to its lowest level in a year. But ministers argue that improved relations with the world's second-largest economy will help boost growth, and that under the Conservatives the UK lagged behind the US and EU when it came to high-level engagement with Beijing. Continue reading...

Actors Samuel West and Paapa Essiedu join calls for urgent action to protect and expand access to artsWorld-leading drama schools in England are facing a financial crisis that threatens to turn back the clock, shutting down opportunities for talented young people from diverse and less privileged backgrounds, according to leading figures in the arts.The warning came after one of the most celebrated drama schools in the country, Bristol Old Vic theatre school (BOVTS), which opened in 1946 with the support of Laurence Olivier, revealed it is closing all undergraduate courses from September. Postgraduate courses will continue. Continue reading...

Half of 1960s duo Sam & Dave is also remembered for the hit Hold On, I'm Comin'Sam Moore - the surviving half and higher voice of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave that was known for such definitive hits of the era as Soul Man and Hold On, I'm Comin' - has died aged 89.Publicist Jeremy Westby said Moore died on Friday morning in Coral Gables, Florida, due to complications while recovering from surgery. No additional details were immediately available. Continue reading...

Train managers on west coast mainline to take action from 12 January to 25 May in dispute over rest-day workingPassengers on Great Britain's west coast mainline have been warned of disruption to Avanti services on every Sunday from this weekend to the end of May.Train managers represented by the the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) have said they will strike on every Sunday from 12 January to 25 May 2025, in a dispute over their pay for working on rest days. Continue reading...

Police called after reports of a group of people fighting in Wyndham Vale on Friday

Police investigating graffiti on Newtown synagogue a day after similar attack in Allawah

BoM says expected storms in Brisbane and severe thunderstorms and heavy rain in Sydney due to lingering north-easterly winds

Almost a fifth of adults aged 24-34 are living with parents, particularly in areas of high-cost housingThe hotel of mum and dad" is the busiest it has been for two decades as an increasing number of young adults in the UK choose - or are forced by low wages and rising rents - to live with their parents, research has found.The prohibitive cost of renting, let alone buying, a home explains why more twenty- and thirtysomethings are co-residing" with family at an age when their parents would have been living independently, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said. Continue reading...

Altnaharra, in Sutherland, the most northern region of the Highlands, had reached the low by 9pm on FridayThe UK has recorded its chilliest January night in 15 years, as forecasters predicted it could get even colder over the weekend with temperatures falling as low as -20C in some locations.Altnaharra, in Sutherland, the most northerly region of the Highlands, reached the low of -17.3C by 9pm on Friday. It is the coldest January overnight temperature since 2010, when it dropped below -15C several times at locations across the UK, including -22.3C on 8 January in Altnaharra. Continue reading...

Trump International hotel, currently a Waldorf Astoria, was a venue for influence peddling, opponents sayDonald Trump's property company is in negotiations to re-purchase his Washington hotel, which opponents say was a venue for illicit influence peddling during his first presidency.The Trump International hotel, housed in the city's old post office building a short walk from the White House, was sold in 2022 and is now the Waldorf Astoria. Continue reading...

Administrator rejects Donald Trump's claims that China controls canal or suggestion US could take it back

Exclusive: Departures will add to scrutiny of party leader after Elon Musk said he was not up to the job'A group of 10 councillors representing Reform UK have given notice of their intention to resign en masse in protest at Nigel Farage's leadership.The resignations will add to pressure on the Reform leader after Elon Musk said he was not up to the job". They are timed to overshadow the party's south-east conference this weekend. Continue reading...

DoJ report acknowledges attack was so systematic and coordinated that it transcended mere mob violence'On Friday, the Department of Justice (DoJ) released its report on the Tulsa race massacre after announcing the review last September.The report came more than 100 years after a June 1921 report by the justice department's Bureau of Investigation, a precursor to the FBI, blamed the massacre on Black men and alleged that perpetrators did not violate any federal laws. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Seats on Sydney-Melbourne train service regularly sold out over holiday period, as one-way flights to Tullamarine average almost $500

Weapons such as sharpened objects and rocks taken from children aged 15-18 at YOI WetherbyAlmost 900 weapons were seized in one year from children detained in a young offender institution in the north of England, a prisons watchdog has found.In its annual report published on Friday into HM young offender institution Wetherby in West Yorkshire, the institution's independent monitoring board found that children were in possession of a range of improvised weapons. The children told IMB they carried the weapons because they felt unsafe behind bars. Continue reading...

US announces $65m bounty for arrest of president, who has led country since 2013 and failed to prove he won recent voteVenezuela's authoritarian president, Nicolas Maduro, has been accused of a shameless and fraudulent power-grab after swearing himself in for a third term, despite domestic outrage and a chorus of international condemnation at his alleged theft of last year's election.This is a great victory for Venezuelan democracy," the 62-year-old autocrat boasted during a sparsely attended oath-taking ceremony in Caracas that was boycotted by the leaders of democratic nations. Continue reading...

Azov, a volunteer brigade, plans to form international battalion to boost numbers as Ukraine heads into fourth year of war

Exclusive: Health secretary says irresponsible public discourse' could vilify communities and lead to terrorismThe use of inflammatory language over grooming gangs risks vilifying entire communities and could lead to atrocities such as the mosque massacre in New Zealand that killed more than 50 people, the health secretary has warned.Wes Streeting said he had no difficulty or qualms" calling out the sickening" crimes of sexual abuse gangs, criticising well meaning, but ultimately fundamentally misguided and warped views of political correctness" for letting down thousands of children. Continue reading...

Martin Elling pleads guilty to destroying records on advice provided to Purdue Pharma on how to turbocharge' salesA former partner at McKinsey & Co pleaded guilty on Friday to obstructing justice by destroying records related to advice he and the consulting firm provided to Purdue Pharma on how to turbocharge" sales of its potent opioid prescription painkiller, OxyContin.Martin Elling, 60, entered his plea in federal court in Abingdon, Virginia, a month after the US Department of Justice announced that his former employer had agreed to pay $650m to resolve related charges over its work for Purdue, the Connecticut-based pharmaceutical company. Continue reading...

David Crompton, 44, was reportedly given IOU' for prescription medication before fatal incidentA man with epilepsy died in a fall after his pharmacy reportedly left him an IOU" for his prescribed medication when it ran out of an anti-epileptic drug.David Crompton, a 44-year-old man in Leeds, died on 13 December after a fall downstairs resulted in a loss of oxygen to his brain and a cardiac arrest. Continue reading...

Thomas Kingston, son-in-law of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, had been prescribed SSRIsA coroner has issued a warning about the effects of antidepressants prescribed by a Buckingham Palace doctor to the son-in-law of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent before his suicide.Thomas Kingston, 45, whose marriage to Lady Gabriella at Windsor Castle in 2019 was attended by the late Queen, killed himself last February after suffering adverse effects of medication he had recently been prescribed", an inquest found last month. Continue reading...

Grammy-winning musician alleged the imprisoned rapper is harassing her through surrogates after he shot her in 2020Megan Thee Stallion has been granted a restraining order from imprisoned rapper Tory Lanez until early 2030.Los Angeles superior court judge Richard Bloom has granted Megan's request for a protective order after the hip-hop star alleged that Lanez is harassing her from prison through surrogates as he serves a 10-year sentence for shooting her in the feet. Continue reading...

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's relatives demand compensation from Italian firm Leonardo six years after his deathThe family of Leicester City's former owner, who was killed in a helicopter crash outside the club's stadium in 2018, have launched a lawsuit against the company which made the aircraft.Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's family are suing the Italian aerospace and defence company Leonardo SpA for 2.15bn - the largest fatal accident claim in English history, according to the family's lawyers. Continue reading...

Morgan McSweeney met EU counterparts before Christmas as Downing Street poised to hire new foreign adviserKeir Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, made a below-the-radar trip to Brussels last month, as No 10 prepares to appoint its own foreign affairs adviser to help bolster the Downing Street policy operation.As the UK's attempts at a reset" with the EU continue behind closed doors, No 10's most senior aide made the trip to meet counterparts in Brussels before Christmas. Continue reading...

New Zealand garden takes first prize in global competition designed to promote water conservationA sun-scorched patch of lawn near Christchurch, in New Zealand, has been crowned the ugliest lawn in the world.Now in its second year, the World's Ugliest Lawn competition rewards lawn owners for not watering their parched yellow grass and patchy flowerbeds. Continue reading...

Move marks shift in views but sexually active gay men will not be admitted to Roman Catholic seminariesGay men will be allowed to train as priests in Roman Catholic seminaries, so long as they observe celibacy, according to new guidelines announced by the Italian Bishops Conference (CIE).The decision marks a shift from the view previously held by Pope Francis that gay men should not be admitted to seminaries owing to the risk of them leading a double life. Continue reading...

Measures targeting Russian energy sector attempt to leverage peace deal for Ukraine in Trump administrationThe Biden administration on Friday imposed its broadest package of sanctions yet targeting Russia's oil and gas revenues in an attempt to give Kyiv and the incoming administration of Donald Trump leverage to reach a deal for peace in Ukraine. The move is meant to cut Russias oil revenues for the war that started in February 2022, and has killed or wounded tens of thousands and reduced cities to rubble.The measures are the most significant sanctions yet against the Russian energy sector, the largest source of revenue for the Kremlin's war machine", a senior Biden official told reporters in a call. Continue reading...