World news | The Guardian

Runways all open at Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool but passengers still face delays with road and rail users also hit by the weatherThe Met office has issued a new yellow warning for heavy rain in southern England, adding to the rainfall warning issued across Wales. The introduction of rain to heavy snowfall could lead to flooding.Football journalist Paul Joyce reports that Liverpool City Council's Ground Safety Advisory Group will meet at midday to decide if the game between Liverpool and Manchester United will go ahead. The group met earlier at 9am. Continue reading...

Global heating has made conditions more favourable for growing grapes - and finding the right variety is keyHeard the one about Irish wine? Like its English counterpart, it is no longer a joke, with more than a dozen vineyards now producing bottles to emulate those of the terroirs of France, Spain and Italy.At about 60 (50) a bottle and produced in small quantities, it is far from a commercial activity, but efforts over the last 10 years have produced what one retailer described as an arguably very fine" rose. Continue reading...

Unrwa senior officer describes 60,000 people sheltering in school buildings sharing 12 bathrooms, but says without aid things will get worseSocial order in Gaza is likely to collapse further if Israel goes ahead with its threat this month to end all cooperation with the UN refugee agency for Palestinians, Louise Wateridge, its senior emergency officer, has warned.Wateridge, who has just returned from Gaza, described the territory as increasingly fractured and said the two Knesset bills due to come into force at the end of the month blocking cooperation with the agency would make it impossible for Unrwa to operate or to distribute aid in a war zone. Continue reading...

Germany's ambassador to UK suggests Starmer will have to agree concessions in order to secure economic benefitsKeir Starmer's effort to reset Britain's relations with its European allies is contingent upon a UK-EU youth mobility scheme, a top diplomat has indicated.Miguel Berger, Germany's ambassador to the UK, said stability across Europe could be undermined if the allies could not secure a number of clear measures" that demonstrate the concrete advantages" of their relationship - one being the youth mobility scheme. Continue reading...

PM frames federal poll as choice between building Australia's future' under Labor or taking Australia backwards' under Coalition

Bank faces criticism over adverts saying people testing its services could fabricate' conditions for 45 a visitBarclays is facing criticism over adverts for paid mystery shoppers" which suggested that people could pretend to be blind or deaf to test the services at the British bank's high street branches.The bank hired market research firm Ipsos to carry out testing at branches. The Barclays-branded instructions said candidates for the roles would ideally be blind or deaf, but also suggested candidates could fabricate" conditions if necessary, for 45 a visit, according to the Mail on Sunday (MoS). Continue reading...

US president-elect praises Italian prime minister at Florida resort for really taking Europe by storm'Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, made a flying visit to Donald Trump's Florida golf club on Saturday, during which the US president-elect praised the far-right leader for really taking Europe by storm".The pair were photographed in the grand ballroom of Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. Continue reading...

Footage purports to show Ukrainian armoured columns advancing towards village of Bolshoe SoldatskoeUkrainian armed forces have begun a surprise offensive in Russia's Kursk region, according to Ukrainian officials and Russian military bloggers.Video showed Ukrainian armoured columns advancing across snowy fields towards the village of Bolshoe Soldatskoe, north-east of the Ukrainian-held Russian town of Sudzha. The scale of the Sunday morning operation was not immediately clear. Continue reading...

As superbugs spread across the globe, death rates from antimicrobial resistance are set to double, says England's former chief medical officerDame Sally Davies has a straightforward message about the coming year. We face a growing antibiotic emergency that could have devastating impacts on men, women and children across the globe, she says.Davies, a former chief medical officer for England, has become a leading advocate for global action to fight the scourge of superbugs. Continue reading...

Months before fatal attack, city found a Ford F-150 could enter Bourbon Street at 70mphMonths before the deadly New Orleans vehicle attack on New Year's Day, the city modeled scenarios for how an attacker could enter Bourbon Street at various intersections in a crew-cab Ford F-150 similar to the one used to kill 14 people and injure dozens more.Engineers found such a pickup could enter the crowded tourist strip at speeds ranging from 12-70mph - yet city officials are installing new street barriers that can only withstand 10mph impacts, according to an April city-contracted engineering analysis and city bid documents reviewed by Reuters. Continue reading...

Record numbers of teens now abstain, a trend starting during the Covid pandemic and continuing to the presentDrug and alcohol use among teenagers has continued to decline, according to a new study, continuing a downward trend observed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.Record numbers of teens are abstaining from drugs, alcohol and tobacco, according to a survey from Monitoring the Future, an ongoing project at the University of Michigan Survey Research Center. The survey, conducted annually since 1975, released its latest findings based on responses from about 24,000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12 across the US. Continue reading...

Appointing new archbishop of Canterbury likely to take months after Welby's resignation over abuse scandalJustin Welby will relinquish his role as archbishop of Canterbury at midnight on Monday, formally starting the firing gun in the search for a new de facto leader of the Church of England and the global Anglican church.The process is expected to take months, with the name of the new archbishop unlikely to be announced until the autumn. Continue reading...

TUC criticise retailers for endangering workers' rights by using apps such as YoungOnes and TemperLush, Uniqlo and Gymshark have stopped using freelance retail workers hired through apps such as YoungOnes and Temper, after unions criticised the gig economy companies.The TUC wrote to the retailers urging them to stop using freelance retail workers amid concerns they were missing out on significant employment rights. Continue reading...

Around-the-clock work will be commonplace to tackle an M&A surge fuelled by tax changes, activist investors ... and the Trump factorWhether they're on skis or a sunlounger, there is no beach, mountain or fireside that can spare lawyers from the urgent calls of zealous, dealmaking executives and private equity bosses. After a breathless 2024, the City's army of corporate lawyers are set for another year of masking their poolside backgrounds on video calls, braced for an even busier 2025.Sadly, we were incredibly busy in July and August. We were both on holiday and working up to 14 hours a day," says Patrick Sarch, partner at law firm White & Case and head of its public mergers and acquisitions (M&A) division. He and Sonica Tolani, another partner at the same firm, specialise in advising activist investors. Continue reading...

Doctors will be given 20 each time they consult with a specialist to see if there is an alternative to hospital visitsGPs will be offered financial incentives to discuss with specialists whether patients can be treated outside hospital, under radical plans to cut NHS waiting lists.Doctors will be given 20 each time they consult a specialist either by phone or email under the so-called advice and guidance (A&G) scheme, to see if there is an alternative to hospital visits and treatment. Continue reading...

Experts say measures announced so far are not enough to turn the tideLabour must reverse years of political failure on extremism to stop it fuelling more disorder, violence and terrorism in Britain, leading figures have said.Neil Basu, the former head of counter-terrorism policing, and Dame Sara Khan, previously the government's counter-extremism tsar, warned that proposals unveiled last month would not be enough to address a toxic pool of hatred, conspiracy theories and dangerous rhetoric" from high-profile figures including Elon Musk. Continue reading...

Laura Cullen was among 5,000 people at a 2017 Sydney protest when she was knocked down and injured as NSW police tried to arrest a man

Government plans for publicly funded operator CalMac have been mired in controversy, with replacement vessels delayed and costs spirallingAlmost 100m has been spent over the past decade on repairs for eight of the largest publicly owned ferries in Scotland.The figure has been described as eye-watering" by Sue Webber, transport spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives, who obtained details of the repair bill from ferry operator CalMac. Continue reading...

Front dragging warm air from the Pilbara brings particularly hot' weather to SA, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania

More than 95 firefighters and 26 trucks deployed to Nunawading, with dozens of nearby residents evacuated

Microlight wreckage found after witness saw plane go down near Nambucca Heads on the mid-north coast

Closed roads, multi-vehicle collisions and train interruptions reported as Met Office yellow and amber warnings remain in placeHomes were left without power, roads were closed, cars stranded, and flights and train services disrupted on Saturday as heavy snow and freezing rain hit much of the UK.The National Grid said on Saturday night that power was cut to properties across the Midlands, south-west England and South Wales, including Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, and that work was under way to get services restored. Continue reading...

Police report road collisions and warn motorists only to travel if necessary while power cuts affect parts of England and WalesNational Highways warned a spell of disruptive snow" would spread across southern and central parts of the road network on Saturday night.The PA news agency reports that drivers in high-altitude areas, especially the Cotswolds and Peak District, were warned to take particular care. Gwent police issued a warning for black ice on Friday. Continue reading...

Chancellor Karl Nehammer to step down after failure to form government without far-right Freedom partyTalks between the two biggest centrist parties in Austria on forming a coalition government without the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) have collapsed, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Saturday, adding that he would step down in the coming days.The announcement came a day after a third party, the small, liberal Neos, threw the process into disarray by saying it was quitting the talks, blaming the other parties for failing to take the bold and decisive action it said it had called for. Continue reading...

The PM's milestones' include 92% of patients waiting no more than 18 weeks - but not one of the 124 trusts is hitting the markEvery acute hospital trust in England is failing to hit Keir Starmer's key target to treat 92% of patients within 18 weeks, analysis of NHS figures reveals.The new data exposes the scale of the challenge facing the prime minister this year as he tries to reform the NHS. The most recent waiting list data reveals that in some hospital trusts, more than half of patients are waiting longer than 18 weeks. Out of 124 acute trusts across the country, none are hitting the target, according to analysis of the figures by the Observer. Continue reading...

Family of now 19-year-old conscript Liri Albag appeals to PM to take decisions as if it were your own children there'The armed wing of Hamas has released a video it says is of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza since its October 2023 attack.Liri Albag, described by local media as a soldier, was 18 when she was captured by Palestinian militants at the Nahal Oz base on the Gaza border along with six other women conscripts, five of whom remain in captivity. Continue reading...

Unions concerned about potential rise in violence, drug abuse and the threat of riots at low-security facilities in England and WalesThe government is considering relaxing the restrictions on inmates who can be sent to open prisons, despite warnings that the move could increase violence, drug abuse and the potential for riots.Under an unannounced policy first introduced by the Conservatives and expanded by Labour, officials have already been accelerating moves from closed to open prisons in order to ease overcrowding. Continue reading...

Treasury has estimated how much industries including telecommunications, social media and banks will likely need to fork out

Callout ends in tragedy after an as yet unnamed person fell on Thursday and their body was recovered by a rescue teamA man has died after falling 70 metres from a mountain ridge.Keswick Mountain Rescue said its first callout of the year ended in tragedy after the man fell from Sharp Edge on Blencathra in the Lake District on Thursday. Continue reading...

Crowds gather outside South Korean presidential residence where suspended leader is protected by security officersThousands of rival South Korean protesters have rallied in the capital a day after a failed attempt to arrest the country's suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol, for imposing a short-lived martial law decree that led to his impeachment.The country has been plunged into political chaos since last month, with Yoon defiantly holed up in the presidential residence surrounded by hundreds of loyal security officers who have so far resisted efforts by prosecutors to arrest him. Continue reading...

Itooka, who died at a care home in Ashiya, enjoyed bananas and had been a keen mountain climberA Japanese woman who was the world's oldest living person has died at the age of 116.Tomiko Itooka, who was awarded the Guinness World Record status last year, died on 29 December at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo prefecture in central Japan. Continue reading...

Police say 18-year-old released pending further inquiries over death of Elizabeth Kennedy, 70, on New Year's EveAn 18-year-old man has been arrested after a woman died during an alleged hit-and-run incident in Renfrewshire on New Year's Eve.Elizabeth Kennedy, 70, was pronounced dead at the scene after being struck by a car on Barrhead Road in Paisley at 7pm on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Election manifesto promise to set up specialist tribunals to deal with huge backlog of cases has been put on holdThe government has backed away from plans to set up dozens of specialist rape courts to deal with a huge backlog of cases, amid warnings there are not enough lawyers to make the proposals work.Labour pledged during the election campaign to use vacant rooms and buildings on crown court sites to fast-track rape cases and reduce the numbers awaiting trial. Continue reading...

Cause of fire in city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province is under investigationAt least eight people have died and 15 are injured after a fire broke out at a food market in northern China, according to state media.The fire at the Liguang market in the city of Zhangjiakou broke out at midday on Saturday and had been mostly extinguished two hours later, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a government official in Qiaoxi district where the market is located. Continue reading...

Home Office is issuing digital visas without completing necessary checks, Freedom of Information quest revealsThe government is pressing ahead with a digital visa scheme to prove the residency rights of millions of people from outside the EU without having completed the necessary checks, campaigners are warning.The Home Office said in response to a freedom of information request from the Observer that it had not yet completed an equality impact assessment into the rollout of eVisas, despite launching the changeover last April. Continue reading...

First commercial flights since overthrow of Assad regime to begin from Tuesday, aviation chief saysSyria's main airport in Damascus is to resume international flights after commercial trips were halted following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.We announce we will start receiving international flights to and from Damascus International airport from [Tuesday]," the state news agency Sana reported, quoting Ashhad al-Salibi, the head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport. Continue reading...

Fashionistas are forking out a fortune as the humble anti-perspirant goes high endOnce humble, bought for a quid and used with little pleasure, deodorant has done an about-face. Where it used to be a simple case of misting armpits with Lynx or spritzing with Sure, in recent times the world of deodorant has evolved to offer products that cost as much as fancy face serums and smell as good as fine scents.. Encapsulating deodorant's shift from lowly to elevated is To My Ships, a brand launched last year in London. Apparently inspired by The Iliad, and yours for 35, it is inspired by a desire for cleaner armpits, and an intention to quell olfactory overload". If all that sounds highfalutin, this cultured personal care offer" speaks for itself with a delicious scent and an ability to rival pong.We created a deodorant from the world of fine fragrance, elevating a dark and smelly function with a combination of the care applied to skincare formulation and a unique seductive green citrus scent," says founder Daniel Bense, formerly at luxury cosmetics brand Aesop, as well as Sunspel, a company that takes the humble white T-shirt and turns it into an aspirational wardrobe hero. Continue reading...

Councils have received extra support to get homeless people off the streets amid cold weather warnings across the countryRough sleepers across the UK have been offered emergency shelter amid freezing temperatures.Councils have used the severe weather emergency protocol (Swep) to provide a bed for the night for rough sleepers as much of the country experiences a cold snap. Continue reading...

Islamic State has urged followers to attack the US, and the attorney general has called the group a top security concernThe Islamic State (IS) threat on the US homeland has caused renewed concern as more details emerge about the man allegedly behind what the FBI is calling an act of terrorism" in New Orleans on New Year's Day that killed 14 and injured scores more.US citizen and army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, was killed in the attack after driving into partygoers on Bourbon Street and engaging police in a gunfight. Found inside his rental truck was the infamous black flag of IS; it was later revealed he had pledged allegiance to the group in a series of videos posted to Facebook mere hours beforehand. Continue reading...

Brando, Ava Gardner, Anita Ekberg and other A-listers are featured in a memoir about the glamour of the 1950s film industryMarlon Brando was the original angry young man, winning an Oscar for On the Waterfront, Elia Kazan's movie about union corruption. But anger got the better of him at the 1954 Italian premiere of the film, when he refused to watch it after discovering that his voice had been dubbed, a new book reveals.Why didn't somebody tell me I was going to see a dubbed version?" he spluttered in fury in the darkened cinema. His embarrassed agent, who had expected the original English-language version, recalled him staggering up from his seat as if from a heart attack", frantically whispering: Get me out of here!" Continue reading...

It was not clear whether Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held virtually incommunicado since 2021 coup, would be among those releasedMyanmar's military government will release about 6,000 prisoners and has reduced other inmates' sentences as part of a mass amnesty on Saturday marking the 77th anniversary of independence from Britain.There was no sign that the prisoner release would include Aung San Suu Kyi, 79, who has been held virtually incommunicado by the military since it seized power from her elected government in 2021. She is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted of a series of politically tinged prosecutions brought by the military. Continue reading...

Airline staff were celebrating New Year's Eve in Nadi when the alleged incident occurred

Small FPV drones, which travel at 37mph, have become ubiquitous, evolving from a novelty to a weapon of choice'Denys, a soldier with Ukraine's Khyzhak brigade, describes a new kind of war. Standing in a barracks workshop with piles of basic Ukrainian First Person View (FPV) drones behind him, he says simply: There are fewer gunfights because there are more drone fights."Frontlines that were once a gunshot apart are now a killing zone several miles deep, as Russian and Ukrainian drone squads, hidden about one- to three miles behind the frontline, target each other's forces with simple aerial attacks. Back in 2022, we were still running around with machine guns from the tree lines," Denys says, almost with nostalgia. Continue reading...

Born Alfred Jesse Smith, his smash title has repeatedly been used in film and television showsThe soul singer Brenton Wood has died at the age of 83, TMZ and Variety reported. Wood's manager, Manny Gallegos, confirmed the news.Wood, born Alfred Jesse Smith, is best known for his 1967 hit The Oogum Boogum Song, which has repeatedly been used across film, television and in commercial campaigns. He died at his home in Moreno Valley, 63 miles east of Los Angeles, Gallegos told the publications. Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology says Melbourne's hot weather will peak at 38C on Saturday while Penrith will reach 39C on Sunday and 40C on Monday

Crime scene set up in Springbrook national park after a person discovered what police believe could be a set of human bones

Gabriel Boric is first Latin American leader to reach planet's southernmost point, according to his officeChile's president Gabriel Boric has made a historic trip to the south pole to reaffirm his country's claim to sovereignty" over its part of Antarctica, his office said.Boric is the first Latin American leader to reach the Earth's southernmost point, according to his office. Continue reading...

Speaking at party conference, its leader calls reports of tech mogul's potential $100m donation somewhat overexaggerated'Nigel Farage has hailed Elon Musk as a hero" and said he was very pleased he's backing our party", but he called reports that the tech mogul was preparing to donate $100m (80m) to Reform UK somewhat overexaggerated".Speaking at Reform's East Midlands conference on Friday night, the party leader said Musk's efficiency plan for Donald Trump's government was the blueprint we need" as he called for a complete change of culture in Britain". Continue reading...

Harsh day' of bombardments with several children among dead, says Gaza's civil defence agencyGaza's civil defence agency said about 30 people were killed in Israeli bombardments on Friday, as Hamas said indirect negotiations for a truce in the war were set to resume in Qatar.The Israeli military said three rockets targeted its territory from the Gaza Strip, the latest in a flurry of launches by militants in the devastated Palestinian territory. Continue reading...

Surprise move by Neos raises doubts about viability of forming centrist government excluding far rightThe smallest of three parties in talks to form Austria's next government has unexpectedly quit the negotiations, throwing into disarray an effort to form a centrist ruling coalition without the far-right Freedom party (FPO).The surprise move by the liberal Neos party raised serious doubts about the future of the coalition talks and buoyed the Eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO. The FPO has railed against those negotiations since it was shut out despite winning the last parliamentary election in September with 29% of the vote. Continue reading...