World news | The Guardian

Official advisers urge government to address situation that could mean homes and businesses going without on coldest days

Putin also repeated his demand for the international community to recognise Russian gains in Ukraine, a strict red line for KyivMeanwhile, we are getting some new lines from Russia on what would and wouldn't be acceptable to Moscow in a potential peace deal on Ukraine.Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Ukrainian membership of Nato would be unacceptable, as she blamed the alliance for trying to draw Ukraine into its structure and pose a threat against Russia, Reuters reported. Continue reading...

Most of money earmarked to fix systemic' problems expected to pay for officials needed to reassess overpaymentsMinisters have set aside 75m to fix systemic failures that caused hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers to be hit with huge bills after unwittingly breaching complex and confusing benefit rules.A damning independent review, published on Tuesday, found that outdated technology, unclear guidance and a failure of leadership by ministers and senior welfare officials had led to punitive sanctions on vulnerable families. Continue reading...

Some think that leader John Lee's focus on blaming bamboo scaffolding deflects from the actual causeThe inferno that engulfed Wang Fuk Court residential compound in Hong Kong is still burning, but questions are already being asked about what the deadliest fire in more than 70 years means for Beijing's grip on power in the city.The death toll from the blaze, which tore apart seven of the eight high-rise apartment buildings in Wang Fuk Court, a residential compound home to 4,800 people, is still rising. Hundreds of people are still missing. Continue reading...

S&P Global Ratings warns Lord Rothermere's RCHL could face credit downgrade as it seeks funding for 500m dealThe Daily Mail's parent company has been warned it could face a credit downgrade if it loads up with debt to fund its 500m takeover of the Telegraph titles.The US credit ratings agency S&P Global Ratings said Rothermere Continuation Holdings Ltd (RCHL) - the Jersey-based parent company of Lord Rothermere's assets including the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Metro and the i Paper - had been put on credit watch" as it seeks to put a funding package in place to table a formal deal in the coming weeks. Continue reading...

Equality Trust study shows how House of Lords appointments, big donations and media ownership affect political decisions

Union says insulting' below-inflation pay rises have left some employees struggling to afford rent and foodStaff at Tate sites in the UK are staging a seven-day strike over pay and conditions at the arts institution, with some saying they have had to resort to using food banks.The strike is scheduled to run until 2 December and coincides with the opening of Tate Britain's Turner and Constable exhibition. Continue reading...

Man arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism after arriving on inbound flightA 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism in relation to the Heaton Park synagogue attack last month after arriving on an inbound flight at Manchester airport on Thursday, Greater Manchester police said.More details soon ...

Raul Rocha Cantu is under investigation for drug, gun and fuel trafficking while Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip is accused of fraudThis year's edition of Miss Universe, with its onstage injuries, dramatic walkouts and allegations of vote rigging, was already one for the ages.But it turns out the drama had barely begun: just days after Fatima Bosch was crowned Miss Universe in Thailand, the co-owners of the organisation are both facing arrest warrants. Continue reading...

This is the day when politicians and amateur commentators talk more doggybollox than on any other day of the yearIs this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Neither actually. It's a bizarre hybrid, an altered hallucinogenic universe. Where up is down and down is up. Everything always slightly out of reach.A world otherwise known as the day after the budget'. A day when politicians and amateur commentators are guaranteed to talk more doggybollox than on any other day of the year. A day when everyone gets their 15 minutes of shame. Continue reading...

Christopher Hopkins also named the Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year for work published in Al Jazeera, The Age, and the Guardian

Oleksandra Matviichuk warns any amnesty could encourage authoritarian leaders to attack their neighboursAny peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine that includes an amnesty for war crimes could encourage other authoritarian leaders to attack their neighbours, Ukraine's only Nobel peace prize winner has warned.Oleksandra Matviichuk said the leaked 28-point US-Russia plan did not account for the human dimension" and she supported President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's efforts to rewrite it in dialogue with White House. Continue reading...

Incentive scheme for CEO of fashion group, which also includes Boohoo, comes as sales slump 23%

Once-in-a-generation transformation' of Grade-I building will bring teaching spaces under same roof as galleryThe Courtauld has unveiled an 82m campus redevelopment it is calling a once-in-a-generation transformation" of its Grade-I listed building, Somerset House, in London.The Stirling prize-winning architects Witherford Watson Mann will take charge of the four-year project at the teaching and research centre and public gallery, which follows their 2021 revamp of the Courtauld Gallery space. The Courtauld Institute of Art is an independent college of the University of London, focusing on the teaching and research of art history. Continue reading...

Figure of 204,000 in 12 months to June 2025 is lowest since 2021, statistics body says

Rahmeh Aladwan barred from practising for 15 months pending inquiry amid claims she celebrated terrorist acts'An NHS doctor accused of antisemitism has been suspended for 15 months pending an investigation, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) in the UK has ruled.The General Medical Council (GMC) is investigating Dr Rahmeh Aladwan over posts and comments made across various social media platforms after several complaints, including from the Jewish Medical Association UK and the Campaign Against Antisemitism. Continue reading...

Deal to rewrite the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act marks end to five-year struggle to fix broken system

Flutter says move in budget will affect underlying earnings by about $320m in 2025-26 and $540m in 2026-27.

This blog is now closed

US group Dekleptocracy identifies chemicals used for military vehicles' lubricants and tyres as potential vulnerabilitiesA US group has identified several obscure but potentially key sanctions it says could seriously disrupt Russia's war effort in Ukraine after last month's targeting of the Kremlin's biggest oil firms.Previous rounds of sanctions have been applied to Russian energy companies, banks, military suppliers and the shadow fleet" of ships carrying Russian oil. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: As pressure mounts to tackle the backlog of almost 80,000 cases, the government is considering sweeping reforms that senior lawyers warn may reshape justice in England and WalesGood morning. Yesterday, Rachel Reeves finally delivered her long-trailed budget aimed at plugging a 20bn financial hole in government finances. The single biggest tax raising measure was a three-year freeze on income tax and national insurance thresholds, slightly longer than expected, to draw more people into a higher tax band. Head here for a full breakdown, here to figure out how you will be impacted, and make sure you read our expert panel's take on if Reeves's measures all add up.But amid the budget buzz, today's newsletter is about another massive issue facing our cash-strapped government. It's been a cornerstone of British democracy since the 13th century and is even included in the Magna Carta, and yet, this government could soon come close to scrapping the right to trial by jury.Budget | Rachel Reeves targeted Britain's wealthiest households with a 26bn tax-raising budget to fund scrapping the two-child benefit policy and cutting energy bills.UK politics | Keir Starmer has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to his school contemporaries who claim the Reform leader racially abused them while at Dulwich College.Hong Kong | The death toll from a huge fire that engulfed several residential tower blocks in Hong Kong has risen to 44, with 45 in critical condition and hundreds reported missing.Ukraine | The European Commission president has warned against the unilateral carving up of a sovereign European nation" as Europe scrambles to assert influence over the US's attempt to end the war in Ukraine.UK news | On what was due to be the first day of a four-week trial, Paul Doyle unexpectedly changed his plea to guilty, after being charged with injuring 29 people at a Liverpool FC celebration parade in May. Continue reading...

Backbencher says he is strongly considering' move to One Nation but has not confirmed next steps

Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar and the Welsh first minister, Eluned Morgan, both face humiliating defeat in next year's elections, according to pollingLabour leaders in Edinburgh and Cardiff sought credit for the most progressive measures in Rachel Reeves' budget on Wednesday, pinning their hopes for next year's critical elections on a package that increases funding for Scotland and Wales by nearly 2bn.That funding boost and the abolition of the two-child limit for universal credit recipients were seen as a relief in both capitals. Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said: I demanded a Labour budget rooted in Labour values and that is what the chancellor has delivered. This budget means child poverty down, energy bills down, wages up and austerity rejected." Continue reading...

Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, both 15, are supported by a digital rights group led by NSW Libertarian MP John Ruddick

Swimmers aged in their 20s bitten by shark at Kylies beach in Crowdy Bay early on Thursday morning, with woman dying at the scene

The rankings were changed after the UN used new criteria to give a more accurate picture of the rapid urbanisation driving the growth of megacitiesJakarta has overtaken Tokyo as the world's most populous city, according to a UN study that uses new criteria to give a more accurate picture of the rapid urbanisation driving the growth of megacities.The Indonesian capital is home to 42 million people, according to an estimate by the population division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 report published this month. Continue reading...

Queensland supreme court orders Pennings, a campaigner against the Carmichael coalmine, not to seek to acquire Adani's confidential information

A Dracula-inspired bathroom in Sydney and an outside-inside home in Melbourne claim interior design and architecture prizes

Regulator announces 20% cap on share of new lending banks can do on mortgages worth more than six times borrower's income

James was murdered in October 2023 at St Andrew's cathedral school in Sydney by her former boyfriend Paul Thijssen in context of gendered violence'

Tezepelumab treatment may mean asthmatics for whom inhalers are ineffective can reduce or stop taking steroidsA monthly injection could allow people with severe asthma to stop taking daily steroid tablets, a clinical trial has found.More than 260 million people are thought to have asthma worldwide. While most can control their asthma with inhalers to treat immediate symptoms and preventive ones to reduce inflammation, those with the most severe asthma often take daily doses of oral corticosteroids as well. Continue reading...

Three arrests made after huge blaze broke out at Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po district on Wednesday

Reform UK leader has again denied allegations about his behaviour as a schoolboy but what are the facts?Nigel Farage has again denied allegations of racism as a schoolboy and repeated his claim that some had been concocted because people disliked his politics.During a press conference, he snapped at one reporter who asked about the issue, saying: I think we've gone quite a long way towards answering all this, don't you?" Continue reading...

Sainsbury's chief executive says industry concerns have been heard', although others outside retail industry are left frustrated by changesRetailers have breathed a sigh of relief after changes to their business rates bills in the budget were not as bad as feared, after the industry had warned for months that more punitive measures could lead to shop closures and jobs losses.The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, on Wednesday revealed plans to permanently reduce business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties - although the discounts are not as generous as those that have been in place since the pandemic. About 750,000 properties in those sectors will see their bills set below the current standard level, with deeper discounts for smaller operators, according to the government. Continue reading...

100% party girl' and key part of 1980s London club scene designed for Rihanna, Bjork, Kylie Minogue and Debbie HarryPam Hogg, the fashion designer who brought together fashion and music on the catwalk in the 1980s, has died aged 66, her family have said.Hogg, whose bold, futuristic designs were worn by stars including Rihanna, Kate Moss and Blondie's Debbie Harry, died surrounded by the loving care of cherished friends and family", her family posted on Instagram. Continue reading...

Prime minister says Reform leader's explanations about alleged comments are unconvincing to say the least'Keir Starmer has called on Nigel Farage to apologise to his school contemporaries who claim the Reform leader racially abused them while at Dulwich College.The Guardian reported last week the testimony of Peter Ettedgui, who said a 13-year-old Farage would sidle up to me and growl: Hitler was right' or gas them', sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers". Continue reading...

Chancellor says she will not get into semantics' when questioned on issue after her statement

Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, who had mental health problems, absconded from a ward and killed herself shortly afterwardsA girl who killed herself when she absconded from 24-hour clinical supervision was failed by a system that was meant to protect her, her parents have said, after the NHS trust involved was fined over the avoidable death.Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, who suffered with severe mental health problems, died on 20 March 2022, minutes after leaving the Bluefin acute children's ward in Worthing hospital, part of University hospitals Sussex NHS trust (UHSussex). Continue reading...

Many of the 30 people taking part in the protest are scheduled to be forcibly returned to France on ThursdayThirty asylum seekers currently in detention in the UK have gone on hunger strike in protest against their imminent removal to France under the Home Office's controversial one in, one out" scheme.The Guardian understands that the group began their hunger strike on Monday and many are due to be forcibly removed to France on Thursday. Continue reading...

John Harris, Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey give their reactions to the chancellor's autumn budget. Has Rachel Reeves done enough to silence her critics? Continue reading...

Commission president says undermining of sovereign European nation would open the doors for more wars'

The chancellor almost doubled remote gaming duty in Wednesday's budget, taking it to 40% from April next year

US president says he is prepared to do things the easy way ... or the hard way' amid military buildup in Caribbean

Bruna Ferreira, who has a child with the White House press secretary's brother, is now in custody at an ICE facility

Witkoff also offered tactical guidance on how Putin should raise subject with Trump, audio recording suggests. Plus, the female pilots on Ukraine's frontlineGood morning.Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told a senior Kremlin official last month that achieving peace in Ukraine would require Russia gaining control of Donetsk and potentially a separate territorial exchange, according to a recording of their conversation.What did Witkoff say? Now, me to you, I know what it's going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere," Witkoff told Ushakov during the five-minute conversation, according to a transcript of the recording obtained by Bloomberg. But I'm saying instead of talking like that, let's talk more hopefully because I think we're going to get to a deal here."This is a developing story. Follow the liveblog here.What has changed? It marks a sharp departure from Donald Trump's narrative to the public every time he has discussed the 21 strikes that have killed more than 80 people, which he has portrayed as an effort to stop overdose deaths.What have the White House said? A White House official responded that Trump had not been making a legal argument. Still, the president's remarks remain the only public reason for why the US is firing missiles - when the legal justification is in fact very different. Continue reading...

It has been weeks since the ground opened up under Malcolm McKenzie's prized Mini, leading him into a bureaucratic nightmare'The first Malcolm McKenzie knew of his problem was when a neighbour banged on his door and told him his beloved Mini had fallen into a hole.I went out expecting a small pothole under a wheel or something. But when I went out to take a look, I realised, oh, that really is a proper hole," he said. Continue reading...

Human rights monitors say it is not safe to return, citing reports of serious crimes in the run-up to elections'Myanmar's junta applauded the Trump administration on Wednesday for halting a scheme that protected its citizens from deportation from the US back to their war-racked homeland.About 4,000 Myanmar citizens are living in the US with temporary protected status (TPS), which shields foreign nationals from deportation to disaster zones and allows them the right to work. Continue reading...

PM once advocated for all criminal cases to be heard before juries even those at magistrates court level, it has emergedKeir Starmer, whose government has drawn up plans to scrap nearly all jury trials, previously said that all criminal cases including those at magistrates courts should be heard before juries, the Guardian can disclose.In a magazine article, the prime minister wrote that the right to trial by jury is an important factor in the delicate balance between the power of the state and the freedom of the individual". He called for jury trials to be extended to thousands of cases before magistrates courts despite the inevitable increase in costs". Continue reading...

Gulf nation is accused of placing monitoring software on computers of two dissidents living in LondonBahrain is to tell the UK's supreme court that it enjoys sovereign immunity from claims it placed surveillance software on the computers of two dissidents when they were living in London.The Gulf country has lost the sovereign immunity claim both in the high court and court of appeal, and a decision to take the case further to the supreme court shows how important it is to the country's reputation. Continue reading...

Despite recent efforts and White House optimism, recent negotiations have failed to secure a breakthrough on key issuesDonald Trump said he would send special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss developing proposals to end the Ukraine war, but despite White House optimism there was little sign of progress on core sticking points.The US president said negotiations had left only a few remaining points of disagreement" but there was no breakthrough on the issues of territorial control and security guarantees and he dampened expectations of immediate peace summits. Continue reading...