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Junior coalition partner loses all but one of 12 seats, while gangland figure Gerry Hutch loses election bidThe Green party in Ireland has been virtually wiped out in the general election, and its leader admitted it was entering a period of rebuild" after the electorate removed any prospect of the party re-entering government.The Greens lost all but one of their 12 seats, with its leader, Roderic O'Gorman, scraping through on the 13th count. Continue reading...

Forces only took three days to take the city from Bashar al-Assad's regime, but the Middle East's newest conflict looks set to last

Agency says armed gangs looted several trucks carrying food supplies and urges Israel to ensure safe flows of aid

Actor says he's selling memorabilia to help cover expensive' treatment costs for recent colorectal cancer diagnosisThe Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek announced he is selling memorabilia to help cover the expensive" treatment costs for his recent colorectal cancer diagnosis.Van Der Beek, also known for the film Varsity Blues, made the announcement on Instagram last week, nearly three weeks after revealing his illness in an interview with People. Continue reading...

A slew of accusations have emerged of inappropriate remarks and behaviour dating back as far as 19 yearsGregg Wallace has been accused of making sexualised jokes and other inappropriate remarks towards a range of women dating back nearly two decades.The 60-year-old MasterChef presenter announced last week that he was stepping back from the BBC show amid an investigation into his conduct. Wallace's lawyers have said it is entirely false to suggest he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. Continue reading...

New management at struggling firm, which rejected 3.3bn bid from Aviva, making excellent progress', says CEOThe Direct Line chief executive, Adam Winslow, has appealed to shareholders to give his team more time to turn around the struggling insurer, faced with an unsolicited 3.3bn offer from Aviva, while its bigger rival is trying hard to drum up support from investors for the takeover.The two companies - the UK's biggest insurer, Aviva, and the Churchill owner, Direct Line, known for motor cover and its red phone on wheels mascot - are facing off in a takeover tussle that has sent the Direct Line share price soaring, amid speculation that Aviva could raise its offer or launch a hostile bid, or face a counterbid. Continue reading...

Improving oversight and addressing slippery slope concerns are among the priorities of the bill's criticsThe House of Commons' backing of the assisted dying bill for England and Wales was a historic moment but just the first step in a long process.One thing that was clear is that many MPs hope to see significant amendments to the bill that they voted on. That includes some MPs who voted in favour of Kim Leadbeater's bill but only because they anticipate that lingering concerns they have will be dealt with before it becomes law. Continue reading...

UK miniature wargames maker's shares have risen by 43% since the start of 2024The UK's blue-chip share index could be about to be invaded by Space Marines, Weirdboyz and Chaos Knights.Games Workshop, the UK maker of miniature wargames, is on track to be promoted to the FTSE 100 when the next quarterly reshuffle is calculated later this week, taking its place among the 100 most valuable companies listed in London. Continue reading...

Shop sites will include London, Edinburgh and Leeds, with young people driving preloved trendThe secondhand clothing pop-up Charity Super.Mkt is set to head to Edinburgh, Leeds, Sheffield and the heart of London's Canary Wharf financial district as it opens a dozen more stores next year catering to a rise in interest in shopping for preloved items.The initiative, which has brought together 55 local and national charities in the UK, including Age UK, Oxfam, Barnardo's, Traid and RSPCA, in about 16 stores since it launched in a former Topshop in London's Brent Cross shopping centre in January 2023, said it has booked 3m of sales. Sites have included a takeover of the former Fenwick store on London's Bond Street. Continue reading...

There were also more houses for sale in the country's two biggest cities than there had been at this time of year since 2018

Tyler Kerry, 20, from Basildon in Essex, was discovered on Friday morning at bottom of lift shaft in Antaya hotelA young British man has died from injuries in a lift shaft while on a family holiday in Turkey.Tyler Kerry, a 20-year-old labourer from Basildon, Essex, was discovered on Friday morning at the bottom of a lift shaft in a hotel where he was staying in Antalya. Continue reading...

Widespread sub-zero conditions in rural areas forecast from Monday, with high ground in Scotland as low as -12CAn Arctic blast will send temperatures as low as -12C in parts of the UK this week after an unseasonably mild weekend.The hillier parts of Scotland are braced for the coldest weather, although forecasters expect widespread sub-zero conditions in rural areas on Monday and Tuesday. Continue reading...

Move by lawmakers hailed as huge step forward', ending legal discrimination against sex workersBelgian sex workers have gained the right to sick days, maternity pay and pension rights under the first law of its kind in the world.Lawmakers voted in May to give sex workers the same employment protections as any other employee, in an attempt to clamp down on abuse and exploitation. Continue reading...

Bishop of Newcastle says fellow bishops have stayed silent because they want to be new archbishop of CanterburyA Church of England bishop has accused fellow bishops of careerism" over their failure to condemn a church cover-up of abuse, claiming they have stayed silent because they want to be the new archbishop of Canterbury.After the publication of the Makin review last month into the church's failure to stop serial abuser John Smyth, the bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, called for Justin Welby to quit over the scandal days before his resignation as archbishop. Continue reading...

She stepped down as Estonia's prime minister to take up foreign policy role replacing tough talker Josep BorrellIt was no surprise that Kaja Kallas went to Ukraine on her first day as the EU's chief diplomat.Kallas, who stepped down as Estonia's prime minister to take up the role, was accompanied in Kyiv on Sunday by the new European Council president, Antonio Costa, and European enlargement commissioner, Marta Kos, marking the leadership changeover at the EU institutions on 1 December. Continue reading...

Analysis charts rise of sneaky' fees for gig-goers, as singer Kate Nash says she makes more from selling pictures of her bottom than from touringTicket fees for live shows have risen substantially in the past decade, according to Observer analysis that found fans are paying mark-ups as high as 41% over face value.Most of this money does not go to artists, who have complained that they face a cost-of-touring crisis". Last week, the singer Kate Nash held a protest outside the offices of entertainment giant Live Nation, after saying she is making more from selling pictures of her bottom on OnlyFans than from touring. Continue reading...

Witnesses allege Bob Lambert was involved in fire at store in London in 1987, a claim he has repeatedly deniedFour witnesses have testified at a public inquiry that an undercover police officer carried out an arson attack on a well-known high street department store while pretending to be an ardent animal rights campaigner.Their testimony directly contradicts consistent denials by the undercover officer Bob Lambert, who says he did not set fire to a London branch of Debenhams, causing damage totalling 340,000. Continue reading...

Simone White, 28, was one of six tourists to die in a suspected methanol poisoning at Vang Vieng hostelThe mother of a British lawyer who died after being served a drink that was allegedly spiked with methanol has said if it can happen to her daughter it can happen to anyone.Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent, was one of six tourists killed in the popular backpacking town of Vang Vieng after an alleged mass poisoning. She was taken in for surgery just as her mother, Sue, 61, arrived at the hospital. It later became clear that Simone's brain function was gone, and she died on Thursday 21 November. Continue reading...

Pat McFadden defends government handling of transport secretary's departure, saying it did not drag on for weeks'Decisions over Louise Haigh's future were dealt with very quickly"and marked a big contrast" to how issues were handled under Conservative governments, a cabinet minister has said.Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, refused to accept suggestions that the transport secretary's resignation and the controversy over freebies made the Labour government look chaotic" because it was not something that dragged on for weeks". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Miniature thought to be Elizabeth, Lady Leighton, one of Queen Elizabeth I's ladies-in-waitingA previously unknown 1580s portrait by Queen Elizabeth I's official painter has been discovered after languishing for hundreds of years in a private collection.Art experts hailed the wonderful" discovery of a miniature by Nicholas Hilliard, Continue reading...

Kaja Kallas's visit comes on her first day in office with the new head of the European council, Antonio Costa, also making the trip to UkraineThis blog is closing now. Thanks for following along. You can read all our Ukraine coverage here.The Russian defence ministry has said its forces have gained control over two settlements - Illinka and Petrivka - in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. We have not yet independently verified this claim. Continue reading...

Peter Wanless of the NSPCC calls for more preventive action on child poverty, a ban on morally repugnant' smacking and favours guardrails online rather than bansThe boss of the UK's leading children's charity has attacked the Conservatives for their failure to improve outcomes for children, saying that, while they were in power, pretty much every indicator" went in the wrong direction.In a frank interview days before he steps down, NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said ministers had good intentions", citing a review of children's social care and online safety reforms - but that in the end, you've got to be judged by the actions". Continue reading...

Award-winning actor, who turns 90 next week, says everyone should have a parrot' like her African grey SweetieShe has been hailed as a national treasure, the queen of stage and screen with a damehood to match. But Dame Judi Dench has revealed that her pet parrot has a rather less polite name for her: Slut".The Academy Award-winning actor, who turns 90 next week, said everyone should have a bird like her rescue African grey parrot, Sweetie, despite their indecorous language. Continue reading...

Success in presidential poll of far-right populist Clin Georgescu has triggered nightly protests across countryVoting is under way in parliamentary elections in Romania, with voters still unsure whether the shock result of last week's presidential first-round ballot will stand amid continuing allegations of electoral fraud and foreign interference.Far-right parties are forecast to make significant gains in Sunday's parliamentary vote, with polls showing the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) slightly ahead of the Social Democratic party (PSD), part of the ruling coalition. Continue reading...

Once listed as illegible', the words of inmates held in bleak fortress are revealed by latest technologyThe writing was on the wall for many of the prisoners incarcerated in the Tower of London over the centuries. Now, it can finally be deciphered.Hundreds of graffiti texts scratched into the historic stone walls by prisoners as they awaited their fate have come to light for the first time. Examples that were either overlooked or illegible are emerging through cutting-edge technology. Continue reading...

Melbourne south regional distribution centre to reopen to improve availability of food and essential grocery items such as nappies, toilet paper and drinks'

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Lai Ching-te's US stopover on trip to Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau - three diplomatic allies of the self-governed island - prompts Beijing's protestsThe Taiwanese president, Lai Ching-te, has begun a two-day US stopover in Hawaii as part of a Pacific tour after declaring his democratically governed island a key force for promoting global peace and stability.The trip has sparked fury from China, which views Taiwan as its own territory and opposes any foreign interactions or visits by the island's leaders. China's foreign ministry said on Sunday it had lodged serious protests" with the US. Continue reading...

Fragile, rarely seen artefact sent by the King of France was briefly available for public view on St Andrew's DayAn important letter in support of Scottish hero William Wallace has been put on display on St Andrew's Day.More than 250 people turned up on Saturday to see the fragile document, which was only on display for five hours to protect it from too much daylight. Continue reading...

Sightings over three airbases in East Anglia could relate to foreign powers' concerns about possible nuclear weaponsA British former UFO hunter has said he does not rule out" recent drone incursions over RAF bases in England being connected to Russia and China and nuclear weapons.Unidentified drones were spotted in November over three airbases in the east of England that are used by the US air force (USAF). Continue reading...

Police say vehicle was missing at the scene and that other men were present when fatal incident occurredA teenager has died and another is in a critical condition" after a motorbike crash in Merseyside, police have said.A 17-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in Woodchurch, Wirral. An 18-year-old boy was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition. Continue reading...

Harry Seager's unique sweet treat provoked interest from thousands of members of the Dull Men's ClubA man who became an internet sensation after sharing his Mars bar without the ripple was handed 2 in compensation.Harry Seager's picture of his smooth Mars confectionery bar inspired interest from thousands of members of the Dull Men's Club Facebook page. Continue reading...

Forecasters predict 16C on Sunday, with rain and winds, and as cold as -7C from night-time on Monday in ScotlandTemperatures are expected to plunge on Monday after the UK enjoys a mild weekend, the Met Office has said.Highs of 16C are expected on Sunday before temperatures drop to as cold as -7C on Monday night, spokesperson Becky Mitchell said. Continue reading...

But Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald vows to fight for left alliance for government as Greens face wipeoutIreland has bucked the European trend of elections going against incumbent governments, with two of the parties in its ruling coalition in pole position to lead the next parliament.An exit poll showed an appetite for change, with 60% backing opposition parties. But the prospect of an alternative left-leaning government still looks unlikely to materialise. Continue reading...

Salome Zourabichvili says she will not stand down as parliament is invalid, after PM halts EU accession talksThe Georgian president, Salome Zourabichvili, has called the country's government illegitimate and said she would not leave office when her term ends next month, defying the prime minister as he accused pro-EU opposition forces of plotting revolution.The South Caucasus country was thrown into crisis on Thursday when the prime minister of the Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, said it was halting EU accession talks for the next four years over what it called blackmail" of Georgia by the bloc, abruptly reversing a long-standing national goal. Continue reading...

Pristina labels incident terrorist act' by neighbouring country, activating armed forces to prevent more attacksKosovo's interior minister, Xhelal Svecla, said on Saturday that police had arrested eight people after an explosion hit a canal that sends water to its two main power plants, an incident Pristina labelled a terrorist act" by neighbouring Serbia.Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vui, denied what he said were baseless accusations" about Belgrade's involvement in the incident, which occurred about 7pm (6pm GMT) on Friday. Continue reading...

Under-resourced army has job of ensuring Hezbollah's compliance with truce while defending national territoryMohammed Bzeeh spent the first hours of the ceasefire cleaning. After the Hezbollah-Israel agreement brought 13 months of fighting to a close last Wednesday, Bzeeh and his family arrived at their village of Zibqin in southern Lebanon to find their home ruined by an Israeliairstrike.Bzeeh immediately set to work, the wiry 18-year-old hefting piles of concrete and metal scrap off his driveway using a rusty shovel. His family watched as he worked, overlooking the street that they had left two months earlier, now lined by the burnt-out husks of their neighbours' homes. Continue reading...

Woman who complained about MasterChef presenter says lack of action shows there is no satisfactory means of reporting sexual harassment and bullying within the TV industry'A letter containing multiple allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Gregg Wallace was sent to the BBC in 2022, but did not prompt further investigation at the time, the Observer can reveal.The letter described a pattern of behaviour" by the MasterChef presenter which clearly fails to meet the sexual harassment and bullying standards that prohibit Unwelcome sexual advances and sexual innuendo'". Continue reading...

Family and friends gathered for speeches and musical performances from the Proclaimers and Dougie MacLeanThe former prime minister Gordon Brown and the Scottish first minister, John Swinney, were among those who gathered at a memorial service for Alex Salmond after his sudden death in October at the age of 69.Tributes were paid to Salmond during the service on Saturday in Edinburgh; held to celebrate his love of Scotland and his commitment to the cause of independence. Continue reading...

Actor known for playing Ron Weasley in Harry Potter franchise has tax affairs disputed in court for second timeThe Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint has been ordered to pay 1.8m in taxes after a legal dispute with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).Grint, best known for playing Ron Weasley in the film franchise, was told to pay the figure in 2019 when HMRC questioned one of his tax returns. Continue reading...

Cash from dictatorships and shell companies is entering the political system via legal loopholesLoopholes in the law are allowing dark money" to infiltrate UK politics, with almost 1 in every 10 donated to parties and politicians coming from unknown or dubious sources, analysis reveals.Cash from companies that have never turned a profit, from unincorporated associations that do not have to declare their funders, and banned donations from overseas donors via intermediaries are all entering the system, according to research by Transparency International (TI). Continue reading...

Cycle chaos on streets has made the south-west London area a scrapyard', threatening pedestrians' safety, say householdersAnyone popping into Harrods for alobster roll at lunch or to pick up anew Jimmy Choo handbag in advance of the Christmas rush may have to watch their step on nearby pavements in case they walk into a haphazardly parked e-bike.The streets surrounding the historic department store have become the unlikely latest front in the problem of e-bikes being dumped on thoroughfares, blocking pedestrians and causing disruption to disabled people, who are trying to navigate the already densely populated paths. Residents in Kensington complain that there are so many e-bikes being parked in some of the streets that they have difficulty leaving their multi-million-pound homes. The area, they say, has turned into a scrapyard" as tourists and commuters dump the rental bikes on the pavement when the designated collection bays are full. Continue reading...

Cristina Pittalis urges mystery woman to come forward to help find son Michael, last seen in JulyThe anguished mother of a British man who vanished in Sardinia this summer has urged a woman from Jersey, who he was with in the days before he disappeared, to come forward and assist with the police investigation.Michael Frison, 25, from Chard in Somerset, went missing in mysterious circumstances from a farm in Luras, a remote, barren area in the north-east of the Italian island on 13 July, the day he was due to return home from a holiday visiting his grandparents. Continue reading...

Warnings that genuine products are bulked out with cheaper sugar syrup prompt international congress to withdraw prizesThe World Beekeeping Awards will not award a prize for honey next year after warnings of widespread fraud in the global supply chain.Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations, says it will showcase honey from around the world at its congress in Denmark, but for the first time make no awards for the product. Continue reading...

Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein heads preferred as Dail leaders over Harris - although return of current government most probable outcomeVoters in Ireland have expressed dissatisfaction with the taoiseach, Simon Harris, despite a return of the current government being the most probable outcome of the election, according to an exit poll.Of those 5,000 voters surveyed after they placed their vote, 35% named Fianna Fail's leader, Micheal Martin, as their preferred new leader of the 34th Dail. Continue reading...

Six-year-old spanador called Ivor taught to identify tree fungal-like organism killing trees and shrubs around UKSniffer dogs are usually found looking for contraband at airports and train stations, but the UK government is now dispatching trained hounds to find forest-harming pests.A dog has been used for the first time in the UK to successfully identify tree disease. Researchers from Forest Research used a trained spanador - a cocker spaniel labrador cross - to find the tree pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. Continue reading...

British director whose career is being celebrated at the BFI says creative industry increasingly wants safe betsThe veteran British director Richard Eyre has said it is very hard" to get small-budget independent dramas made any more because studio bosses are obsessed with bankable" celebrity names.Eyre, who has worked across film, theatre, TV and opera, winning five Olivier awards and a Bafta, also spoke of the importance of making drama that embraces social realism - especially in an era when the industry is increasingly reliant on superhero films and franchises to attract audiences.Richard Eyre: Weapons of Understanding is at BFI Southbank from 1-29 December, including Sir Richard Eyre in Conversation on 8 December.

Residents of Nabatieh say they do not expect the government to help and have set to work clearing the rubbleFor two months, the only sounds in Nabatieh were the buzzing of an Israeli drone overhead and the dull thump of distant airstrikes. The day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, the drone was gone and southern Lebanon's second largest city was filled with the sound of hammering and the clang of excavator buckets lifting rubble from blocked streets.We started repairs this morning, why would we wait? We have to stand on our own two feet," said Wafiq Jaber, the owner of al-Sharq sweet shop in Nabatieh, on Thursday. He had watched six weeks earlier on his wifi-enabled cameras as Israeli bombs fell on one building after another until suddenly the footage cut and he knew his shop had been hit. Continue reading...