World news | The Guardian

In their closing arguments to the jury, the prosecution says there were ‘strong political forces’ at play when Higgins initially decided not to report to police

Shadow immigration minister also raises concerns about Labor ‘allowing New Zealand criminals to stay’ in wide-ranging speech before press club

In Kyoto, local shop owners are ready to welcome back tourists but there is a way to go before a return to pre-Covid daysAfter more than two years of near-total isolation, Japan has reopened its borders to overseas visitors – but the road back to the pre-Covid tourism boom could be long and bumpy.Last week, the country lifted some of the strictest pandemic border controls in the world when it removed a 50,000 daily cap on arrivals, reinstated waivers for short-term visas and dropped a rule requiring tourists to visit as part of group tours. Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology says its ‘insights, wisdom and data’ are more important than ever as it asks media to use its full name

The court appearance relates to a string of arrests and erratic behavior by the actorEzra Miller has pleaded not guilty to stealing bottles of liquor from a neighbor’s home, after one of a string of arrests and reports of erratic behavior by the Flash actor that stretch from Hawaii to Vermont.Miller, 30, appeared on Monday with their lawyer remotely from Burlington, Vermont, for the arraignment in Bennington on accusations of felony burglary and petit larceny, a misdemeanor. They accepted the conditions that they not have any contact with the homeowner or go to the residence. Continue reading...

Residential building in Yeysk, near the Ukraine border, hit by Su-34 fighter-bomber, says defence ministryA Russian military jet has crashed into a residential building shortly after taking off near the border with Ukraine, sparking a major fire that has reportedly left at least six people dead and six missing.Video and photographs uploaded to social media on Monday showed a residential building engulfed in flames in Yeysk, a port and resort town in Russia located just south of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol across the Sea of Azov. Continue reading...

Scheduled session brought forward in view of dire conditions – rampant gang violence, a cholera outbreak and escalating famineThe US and Mexico have proposed the deployment of a multinational force in Haiti to help break the stranglehold of gangs over the distribution of fuel, water and other basic goods.Presenting a resolution at a special session of the UN security council on Monday, the US envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield called for “a limited carefully-scoped non-UN mission led by a partner country with the deep, necessary experience”. Continue reading...

New chancellor tells Commons there will be tax rises and spending cuts, as PM dodges urgent questionJeremy Hunt has shredded Liz Truss’s economic plans in one of the most astonishing U-turns in modern political history, including slashing the energy price freeze which the prime minister had repeatedly championed.The new chancellor dismantled almost all of the platform that Truss’s leadership victory had been built on, including the majority of her tax cuts, and hinted a new windfall tax was in his sights – a move the PM had previously said she would not countenance. Continue reading...

Judges described the Sri Lankan author’s second novel as a ‘rollercoaster journey through life and death’ and praised its audacity and ambitionThe Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka has won the Booker prize for fiction. The judges praised the “ambition of its scope, and the hilarious audacity of its narrative techniques”.Karunatilaka’s second novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida comes more than a decade after his debut, Chinaman, which was published in 2011. The Booker-winning novel tells the story of the photographer of its title, who in 1990 wakes up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office. With no idea who killed him, Maali has seven moons to contact the people he loves most and lead them to a hidden cache of photos of civil war atrocities that will rock Sri Lanka. Continue reading...

Savills says move is ‘best feasible outcome’, but some experts say risk remains of ‘significant’ house price fallsJeremy Hunt’s move to rip up most of last month’s mini-budget should help strengthen a housing market that was beginning to wobble and could relieve some of the downward pressure on prices, analysts have suggested.However, other experts warned the new chancellor’s intervention might not be enough to stave off the risk of “significant” house price falls, and that even if new mortgages did become temporarily cheaper, the sizeable interest rate rise expected in November meant many borrowers would still face hikes in home loan payments. Continue reading...

It’s unclear why the PM would stay in office now; Hunt has become the face of change and Mordaunt made smart moves in her place

Movies may go straight to streaming service Disney+ unless government changes distribution regulationsDisney is to release Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in French cinemas next month but has warned that future blockbusters may go straight to its streaming service, Disney+, unless France relaxes film distribution rules.There had been speculation that the Hollywood studio might bypass cinemas with one of the most eagerly anticipated releases since before the coronavirus pandemic to put pressure on the French government to reform its highly restrictive rules. Continue reading...

Strict biosecurity measures introduced from midday after largest outbreak yet in UKAn avian flu “prevention zone” has been declared across Great Britain in the face of rising case numbers as the country battles its largest ever outbreak of the disease.At midday on Monday, it became a legal requirement for all bird keepers in Great Britain to follow strict measures to protect flocks from bird flu, including keeping free-range birds in fenced areas and stringent biosecurity for staff on farms. Continue reading...

At least two people dead on Greek island after torrential rain. Elsewhere, cold snap grips swathe of USAt least two people have been killed and more injured after torrential rain hit the popular holiday destination of Crete on Saturday morning. Heavy, thundery rain turned streets into rivers. The worst effects were felt in the Heraklion part of the island where there was huge damage. Cars were washed into the sea while beaches were covered in all sorts of debris, with the resort of Agia Pelagia on the north coast particularly affected.An area of low pressure moving south-eastwards from Italy brought torrential downpours and thunderstorms to the island, which continued through the afternoon and evening in places before easing. Northern and eastern parts of the island received the highest rainfall totals, with 130mm recorded in 30 minutes and about 300mm seen within three hours. Continue reading...

RTBU says Opal machines will be turned off from 3pm to 7pm every weekday as industrial dispute continues

Angela Rayner to set out plans to ensure tips are paid in full, along with collective workplace grievance rightsHospitality and leisure sector workers are missing out on about £200m in tips every year according to Labour figures, with the party pledging to “stamp out” unfair deductions for good.Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, will set out plans this week to ensure employers allocate all tips, gratuities and service charge payments to workers in full, without any deductions apart from statutory taxes, by the end of the following month. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Largely female and low-paid UK school staff report being kicked and punched by pupilsTeaching and classroom assistants (TAs) working in mainstream schools in the UK have described being kicked, punched and spat at by pupils in a new study that explores for the first time aggression targeted at support staff, who are predominantly female and low-paid.They told researchers they had been hit in the face, bitten, had objects thrown at them and received death threats, with incidents reported in primary and secondary schools. Their injuries included cuts, a black eye, a dislocated thumb, a broken finger and torn ligaments, according to the University of Roehampton study. Continue reading...

Exclusive: MTC, which ran Rainsbrook youth jail, now providing security at Manston asylum seekers’ facilityA private prison firm that was criticised over dangerous conditions at a youth jail is now providing security at an asylum seekers’ centre where Border Force staff have warned that overcrowding and assaults are creating a pressure cooker situation.Management & Training Corporation (MTC) was repeatedly criticised by the regulator Ofsted over conditions at the Rainsbrook secure training centre, near Rugby, where children at young as 15 were locked up for more than 23 hours a day with “no justifiable rationale” during the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading...

Navy veteran and lawyer joins Derryn Hinch’s party but expert warns against calls for harsher bail laws

During her evidence in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann, senator agrees it would have been ‘political suicide’ to have covered it up

Casey report uncovers internal failings that let racist, corrupt and misogynist officers remain in their jobsMetropolitan police officers suspected of serious criminal offences including sexual assault and domestic abuse have been allowed to escape justice, a damning review has found, with the force’s leader admitting that hundreds of racist, women-hating and corrupt officers have been left in the ranks.Massive failings in how Britain’s biggest force roots out wrongdoing were exposed in a report by Louise Casey, which found “systemic” racism in the Met, and misogyny. Continue reading...

Government urged to develop cross-Whitehall strategy to warn world of potential crimes against humanityThe UK can take a lead in trying to forecast and avert mass atrocity crimes, MPs suggest in a report published on Monday.Calling on the government to develop a cross-Whitehall mass atrocity strategy, the international development select committee says Britain could deploy its diplomatic network to warn the world if conflicts are threatening to spill into greater crimes against humanity. Continue reading...

Defence secretary, 52, appears to have had change of heart after not putting himself up as candidate last summerHe was a surprise absentee from the leadership race in July, but the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, is now being touted as a replacement for Liz Truss.The 52-year-old, a staunch remainer who is a favourite among many Tory members, ruled himself out of this summer’s contest on personal grounds. Continue reading...

Body believed to be that of a man in his 40s who had gone missing from a north London address alongside a woman in her 30sThree arrests have been made after the discovery of a man’s body in woodland in Essex, as police investigate whether two people were taken against their will.The body is believed to be that of a man in his 40s, who had gone missing from an address in north London alongside a woman in her 30s who has since been found physically unharmed. Continue reading...

Agency claims most tenants ‘are agreeable’ to the rent increases, which Tenants Queensland calls ‘opportunistic price-gouging’

Family members and protesters demand answers over blaze that state media reports left 61 injuredFamily members and protesters gathered outside the notorious Evin prison in Tehran on Sunday after a fire engulfed some of the building the night before, leading to the deaths of a minimum four prisoners and injuring a further 61.The official death toll was released by Iranian state news agencies, which said the four died from smoke inhalation. Ten of the injured were hospitalised. Continue reading...

President puts China’s expansionist foreign policy and control at home at heart of his plans in address to Communist party summitChina’s president, Xi Jinping, walked into the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday to open the Communist party summit and lay out his vision for the next five years. He is expected to be formally returned to power this week, and over 104 minutes his speech gave a foretaste of what is in store for the next half decade.There were no bombshells. His address paid tribute to the party’s achievements under his rule in the last decade and pledged more of the same. Aggression abroad and control at home remain the heart of those plans. Continue reading...

Independent media and human rights groups report arrests and physical assault as authorities try to suppress news of protestsAs nationwide protests enter their fourth week in Iran, the government is increasing its crackdown on activists and journalists. On 22 September Niloofar Hamedi, an Iranian journalist, was arrested after posting a picture she took of the parents of Mahsa Amini hugging each other in a Tehran hospital on the day of their daughter’s death.Amini, 22, died in police custody on 16 September after she was arrested for not wearing her hijab properly, which sparked the protests that then spread across the country. Continue reading...

Body of a woman, who was in car with a man who also died, discovered off resort of Agia Pelagia on Greek islandRescue workers have recovered the body of a woman who is the second person to die in flash floods caused by severe storms that swept across the Greek island of Crete.With the aid of drones, the fire service’s special disaster unit found the 49-year-old on Sunday in the Mediterranean off Agia Pelagia, a seaside resort north-west of Crete’s capital, Heraklion. The victim, a mother of two, had been swept into the sea as she tried to get out of a car washed away by the floods. Continue reading...

Justin Welby ‘deeply sceptical about trickle-down theory’ and can see no moral case for budgets that disproportionately affect poorThe archbishop of Canterbury has delivered a critique of tax cuts for the wealthy saying he is “deeply sceptical” of trickle-down economics and could see “no moral case” for a government setting budgets that disproportionately affect the poor.In an interview with the Guardian while on his tour of Australia, Justin Welby said that although he did not wish to be party political he could not see why the rich should be given more money, as they were more likely to simply save rather than spend the extra pounds. Continue reading...

Treasurer Jim Chalmers warns global economy on ‘increasingly perilous path’ with lower growth expected amid key trading partners

Popular disposable brand will still be able to sell products in Britain, despite being accused of flouting advertising regulationsChina has banned the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes as part of a wide-ranging crackdown on the industry. The new rules mean vapes that have flavourings other than tobacco – such as those that taste fruity or sweet – cannot be sold on the domestic market.But they can still be manufactured in China to be shipped around the world, including to the UK, where Chinese-made brands such as Elfbar, known for its range of flavoured disposable vapes, are popular. Continue reading...

Conservative newspapers struggle to reposition themselves after praising Kwasi Kwarteng’s tax-cutting plans that triggered financial chaos“This was the best budget I have ever heard a chancellor deliver, by a massive margin,” wrote Allister Heath on the front page of the Daily Telegraph the day after Kwasi Kwarteng had outlined his plans for Britain’s fiscal future on 23 September.“The tax cuts were so huge and bold, the language so extraordinary, that at times I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: Louise Casey’s long-awaited review will say the force has allowed ‘abhorrent’ officers to stay in its ranksThe Metropolitan police must take a “zero-tolerance” approach to misogyny and racism and enable offending officers to be sacked more easily, a report into culture and standards at Britain’s biggest police force will say on Monday.The long-awaited report by Louise Casey into how Scotland Yard deals with officers accused of sexual misconduct and domestic abuse has uncovered systemic failings that have allowed too many “abhorrent” individuals to remain on the frontline. Continue reading...

Scathing posters ridicule Conservatives for damaging Britain’s reputation, lifting mortgages and crashing the economyThe UK’s Labour party is looking to capitalise on the government crisis with a series of new adverts as it gears up for the next general election.The scathing posters, seen by the PA news agency, attack the Conservatives for damaging Britain’s standing on the world stage, hiking mortgages and crashing the economy. Continue reading...

Russian volunteers kill at least 11 fellow troops in attack at military base; Elon Musk says SpaceX will keep paying for Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine

TV images show bus flipping over between south-western cities of Pasto and PopayánAt least 20 people were killed and at least 14 injured after a bus crashed on a road in Colombia on Saturday, police said.Images on Colombian television showed the bus flipping over in the early morning incident between the south-western cities of Pasto and Popayán, which authorities said may have been caused by a mechanical fault. Continue reading...

Friends remember the Scottish actor, best known for playing Hagrid in Harry Potter, who died on Friday at the age of 72Robbie Coltrane’s death at 72 is a miserable blow for his many fans. And it has fallen harder still on friends who worked with the Scottish actor. Fond references to his grand stature have flowed freely this weekend, whether measured in stones and pounds, or in degrees of sheer charisma.The director and comic actor Peter Richardson, a leading creative force behind the Comic Strip films in which Coltrane first appeared, praised the range of his late friend’s talent: “Everything was big about Robbie. He was so funny, but he could do everything. Continue reading...

Witness say special forces joined firefighters at prison blacklisted by US for human rights abusesA blaze broke out at Iran’s notorious Evin prison, which holds political prisoners, as shots and an alarm could be heard on Saturday.State media quoted a security official, who was not named, who said the situation at the prison in the capital, Tehran, was “calm” after unrest in a section of the jail holding “thugs”. Continue reading...

Chancellor says ‘difficult decisions’ ahead with some departments needing to find savings and some taxes set to rise. This blog is now closed

Researchers say ‘physical activity calorie equivalent’ labelling helps people consume less but eating disorder experts sound caution

UK Ministry of Defence says situation so bad reservists are having to buy their own body armour. This live blog is now closed

The mood in the PM’s Norfolk constituency is sombre as the Tory leader is seen to have no credibility though some fear more turmoilThe historic town of Downham Market in Liz Truss’s South West Norfolk constituency should be a personal bulwark in political crisis and economic turmoil. This weekend, confidence in the prime minister in her own Conservative heartland was ebbing away.While officials in Downing Street contemplate whether Truss is now in her last days of office and MPs plot possible succession, the verdict on her record among the market stalls, coffee bars and busy shopping streets of the market town was harsh. Continue reading...

US president questioned country’s nuclear weapons safety protocols sparking outrage in IslamabadPakistan on Saturday summoned the US ambassador for an explanation after President Joe Biden described the south Asian country as “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” and questioned its nuclear weapons safety protocols.Biden made the apparently off-the-cuff remark late on Thursday while talking about US foreign policy during a private Democratic party fundraiser in California, but the White House later published a transcript of his comments, which provoked outrage in Pakistan. Continue reading...

As newly mobilised men return from the front in coffins, critics complain of aggressive recruiting, low morale and poor training• Russia-Ukraine war latest – live blogAndrei Nikiforov, a lawyer from St Petersburg, was one of the hundreds of thousands of Russians mobilised since last month to hold the frontlines in his country’s faltering war in Ukraine.On 25 September he received his call-up papers. By 7 October, just two weeks later, he was dead. Continue reading...

Constitutional changes likely to enshrine leader as ‘core’ of ruling Communist partyThe highest level meeting of China’s ruling Communist party this week is likely to include constitutional changes to further cement the power of the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, party officials have confirmed.Xi is expected to regain his position as leader of the CCP and its military commission at the week-long conference, setting the stage for retaining the presidency next year, after abolishing term limits in 2018. Continue reading...

Chair of Commons defence committee had whip withdrawn for failing to turn up for a confidence voteA senior Conservative MP has had the whip restored after being suspended from the party for missing a confidence vote in the summer.Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Commons defence select committee, had the whip withdrawn after failing to vote for Boris Johnson’s government in a confidence vote in July. Continue reading...

Dane Partridge, 34, died from injuries sustained during a Russian attack in LuhanskDane Partridge, a 34-year-old man from Idaho who fought as a volunteer soldier in Ukraine, died on Tuesday from injuries sustained during a Russian attack in Luhansk.The Ukrainian government has recruited people with military experience to join the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine. At least four other US citizens have been killed fighting in Ukraine, based on reports from families and the state department. Continue reading...

Victorian authorities warn flooded rivers yet to peak and prepare for one of the largest evacuation operations in the state’s history

Her MPs know that just as Boris Johnson shredded the image of Conservative integrity, she has done it for economic competence