Pressure is growing on member states to back a 90bn loan for Kyiv ahead of a Brussels summitEuropean leaders are being urged to decide whether to use Russia's frozen assets to fund Ukraine's defence at a time of unprecedented pressure from the US.At a critical summit in Brussels on Thursday, EU leaders will be asked to make good on a promise to find urgently needed cash for Ukraine, with Kyiv under pressure to cede territory as Russia ekes out advances on the battlefield. Continue reading...
US alt-rock band announce they are finally parting ways, following fisticuffs, accusations and lawsuitsUS alt-rock band Jane's Addiction has announced they are parting ways after a tumultuous 15 months of fisticuffs, accusations and lawsuits.The veteran Californian group, who have a history of drama, dust-ups and bust-ups, prematurely terminated the US leg of their reunion tour in September last year after an onstage altercation in Boston between frontman Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro led to blows and, ultimately, a $10m lawsuit. Continue reading...
by Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent on (#72869)
From 1 January, contraceptives will be subject to a 13% VAT rate - part of a carrot-and-stick approach by the government to increase birthsChina is set to impose a value-added tax (VAT) on condoms and other contraceptives for the first time in three decades, as the country tries to boost its birthrate and modernise its tax laws.From 1 January, condoms and contraceptives will be subject to a 13% VAT rate - a tax from which the goods have been exempt since China introduced nationwide VAT in 1993. Continue reading...
Cuts, which affect projects focused on issues including early identification of autism, made without prior notice to AAPThe US department of health and human services (HHS) has terminated several multi-million-dollar grants to the American Academy of Pediatrics following the association's criticisms of health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's policies.The funding cuts, which affect projects focused on issues including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and early identification of autism, were first reported by the Washington Post and made without prior notice to the AAP. Continue reading...
Actor rememberers late director of When Harry Met Sally and hopes something positive will come from impossible tragedy'Meg Ryan has posted a tribute to the late Rob Reiner, who directed her in hit romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally.Reiner was found dead with his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, at their Los Angeles home at the weekend. Continue reading...
Exclusive global rights to the year's biggest night in film will move to the video platform for a four year periodThe Oscars will be moving from broadcast to online as part of a multi-year new deal with YouTube.From 2019, the video platform will have exclusive global rights to Hollywood's biggest night, including the ceremony but also red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content and Governors Ball access. The deal will run until 2033. Continue reading...
Allowing entry on the basis of self-identification of gender rather than biological sex is unlawful, high court toldRules permitting trans women to share female changing facilities and swim in a women-only pond are discriminatory and unlawful, the high court has heard.The City of London Corporation is breaching equality legislation by allowing trans people to use the single-sex ponds on Hampstead Heath, according to a claim brought by the rights group Sex Matters. It is seeking permission to challenge the admission regulations. Continue reading...
Labour chair urges Electoral Commission to investigate claims Reform leader spent too much in Clacton campaignNigel Farage is facing a possible second investigation into allegations he overspent on his Clacton election battle by 9,000 after the official watchdog said it was assessing the claims.The Electoral Commission was asked by Labour to look into Reform UK's election expenses after a whistleblower told the Daily Telegraph that the party failed to declare spending on leaflets, banners, utility bills and refurbishment of a bar in its Clacton campaign office. Continue reading...
More than 300 women file complaint after video shows French first lady calling feminist protesters sales connes'Brigitte Macron is facing a legal complaint from several organisations, including women's rights groups, after she was filmed saying feminist protesters at a theatre show in Paris were stupid bitches".More than 300 women - specifically 343, a historically symbolic number in French feminism- this week filed the complaint against the French first lady for public insult. Continue reading...
The $40m film - directed by Brett Ratner, who has been accused of sexual misconduct - follows Melania Trump in the days before the 2025 inaugurationAmazon has released the first trailer for next year's documentary on Melania Trump.The film will follow the first lady in the 20 days before the 2025 inauguration and has unprecedented access" with promises of exclusive footage capturing critical meetings, private conversations, and never-before-seen environments". Continue reading...
Directors blame challenging market conditions' as losses widen from 25m in 2024 to 33mSales at Stella McCartney's fashion label sank by more than a quarter last year tipping it further into the red and adding to fears it could run out of money by 2028.Pre-tax losses at the British brand led by the daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney widened to 33.6m in 2024 from 25m the year before, while sales fell 27% to 16m, according to accounts filed at Companies House. Continue reading...
by Anna Bawden Health and social affairs corresponden on (#727PF)
Few bookable slots left as NHS urges people to get vaccinated amid surge in cases because of new strainSoaring demand has caused a major shortage of flu jab appointments across England, the Guardian can reveal.NHS leaders have issued urgent pleas to the public for them to get their flu jabs and help the health service cope with a crippling flu-nami", which last week led to hospitals in England treating record numbers of seriously ill patients with flu. Continue reading...
by Manman Dejeto in Davao City and Carmela Fonbuena on (#727PG)
Philippine police dismiss speculation Naveed and Sajid Akram may have carried out training during four-week stay in Davao CityThe Bondi terror attacks suspects spent their entire four-week visit to the Philippines in Davao City, rarely leaving their hotel expect for an hour or so at a time, and never talking to any other guests or receiving visitors, according to Philippine police and hotel staff.The initial police investigation casts more light on the four-week trip by the alleged gunmen, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram, amid speculation that they went to the Philippines to receive military training from Islamist groups believed to operate in the country. Continue reading...
Dispute with clerical staff over below-inflation pay rise comes as NHS resident doctors start BMA-backed strikeThe British Medical Association is facing a strike over pay by its own clerical staff, prompting calls of hypocrisy as NHS resident doctors in England launch five days of strike action with the union's backing.Talks between the BMA and the GMB union failed to come to a resolution on Tuesday, raising the prospect of a strike by clerical and administrative staff at the health union in the new year, sources said. Continue reading...
An unnamed source told the New York Times the Reiners' daughter, Romy, had discovered only her father's body, and disputed reports the couple argued with their son, Nick, at a party the previous eveningNew details have emerged about the deaths of film director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, whose bodies were discovered at their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, on Sunday.A report in the New York Times, quoting a person close to the family" who remained anonymous, says that a massage therapist arriving for an appointment first raised the alarm after not being able to gain access for an appointment on Sunday. The therapist contacted their daughter Romy Reiner, who lives nearby, who entered the house and found Rob Reiner's body. The Times said that Romy fled the house in anguish" without realising that her mother's body was also inside, and that her roommate, who had accompanied her, called 911. Emergency responders then discovered Michele Singer Reiner's body. Continue reading...
NHS leaders warn more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than the previous two'Resident doctors in England have begun five days of strike action after rejecting the government's latest offer to resolve the long-running dispute over pay and jobs.The British Medical Association (BMA), and the health secretary, Wes Streeting, met on Tuesday in a final attempt to reach an agreement, but failed to do so. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#727EX)
The 2025 appeal is helping charities that bring divided communities together and promote toleranceThe Guardian's Hope appeal has raised more than 350,000 for inspirational grassroots charities that bring divided communities together, promote tolerance and positive change, and tackle racism and hatred.The figure, raised in less than two weeks, includes more than 30,000 donated during the annual telethon last Saturday, when more than 40 journalists including John Crace, Polly Toynbee and Simon Hattenstone were on hand to take readers' calls. Continue reading...
by Daniel Boffey, Henry Dyer and Mark Blacklock on (#727EY)
Open letter to Reform UK leader expresses dismay and anger' at his response to racism and antisemitism allegationsNigel Farage has been told to apologise for his alleged teenage racism by 26 school contemporaries who have written an open letter telling of their dismay and anger" at his response in recent weeks.In a united challenge to the Reform UK leader, the alleged victims and witnesses condemn him for what they describe as his refusal to acknowledge his behaviour at Dulwich college. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The BBC is bracing for a high-stakes legal fight after the US president sues over an edited Panorama clip, and questions mount about the broadcaster's future funding and political vulnerabilityGood morning. On Tuesday, the UK woke to the news Donald Trump had filed his threatened $10bn lawsuit against the BBC, alleging that the corporation intentionally, maliciously and deceptively" defamed him. Later that day, the government launched a review of how the beleaguered corporation will be funded into the 2030s - they will ask the public for their views on options, including a subscription service or adverts, amid a drop in licence holders.While there remains a lack of consensus over the latter issue - in itself enough to worry BBC executives over its future - few would argue that licence fee payers should be funding a multimillion pound compensation claim to the increasingly litigious US president.Australia | The alleged Bondi attacker who survived a shootout with police has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, after waking from his coma on Tuesday.European Union | An agreement to rejoin Erasmus - the EU's student exchange programme - is expected to be announced on Wednesday as part of the UK government's drive towards closer relations with Brussels.Venezuela | Donald Trump has ordered a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro.UK news | A former Royal Marine is starting a 21-year jail term for mowing down dozens of Liverpool football fans in a truly shocking" act that defies ordinary understanding".US news | Nick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, the acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner and the photographer Michele Singer Reiner, authorities announced on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Members of Franz Ferdinand, Del Amitri and more call for pause to schedule shake-up aimed at foregrounding mainstream, easy-listening tracks'Musicians including Eddi Reader, Nadine Shah, Hamish Hawk and members of Franz Ferninand, Del Amitri, Idlewild and more have voiced disapproval at planned changes to BBC Radio Scotland's late-night programming, claiming the changes will harm career-igniting" opportunities for Scottish artists.The BBC has announced it will replace four shows that currently air between 10pm and midnight from Monday to Thursday, and will either remove or reallocate their presenters. These shows will be replaced by Up Late, which the BBC says will feature a curated blend of well-known classics from the 1970s to the present day. The music will highlight a strong Scottish influence, showcasing both Scotland's most established musicians and its rising talent". Continue reading...
Britain has had more than 1,600 recorded hours of sunshine this year after record-breaking springThe UK has already had its sunniest year on record, the Met Office has confirmed, after the country battled droughts and sweltered in heatwaves.Though the country is currently swathed in December gloom, the rest of the year brought vast amounts of sunshine. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#727EG)
Government efforts to recruit examiners fail again with average test slot wait now at 22 weeks, report saysPlans to cut the wait for a driving test to seven weeks by the end of the year will not be achieved until November 2027, an audit report has found.Only a net 83 more driving test examiners have been hired despite 19 recruitment campaigns since 2021, with the average wait for a practical test now at 22 weeks across Great Britain, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Continue reading...
Nick Reiner, 32, charged after Rob Reiner and wife Michele Singer Reiner found dead at Los Angeles home on SundayNick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, the acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner and the photographer Michele Singer Reiner, authorities announced on Tuesday.The 32-year-old, who is being held without bail, has been in custody since Sunday evening, hours after his sister reportedly discovered the couple's bodies in their Los Angeles home. Police said on Sunday the couple had suffered fatal stab wounds. Continue reading...
Giuffre's family calls the success of her posthumous memoir, Nobody's Girl, bittersweet' after her death in AprilA posthumous memoir by one of Jeffrey Epstein's best-known accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, has sold 1m copies worldwide in just the two months after its release.Publisher Alfred A Knopf announced on Tuesday that more than half the sales for Nobody's Girl came out of North America; in the US, the book is now in its 10th printing after an initial run of 70,000 copies. Giuffre's book, co-written by author-journalist Amy Wallace, was published in early October. Continue reading...
by Severin Carrell and Jillian Ambrose on (#727A8)
Funding for billionaire Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos site in central belt of Scotland will help safeguard 500 jobsJim Ratcliffe's chemicals company Ineos has been granted 120m of government funding to help save the UK's last ethylene plant at Grangemouth, in a deal expected to protect more than 500 jobs.The investment in the Scottish plant was necessary to preserve a vital part of the country's chemicals infrastructure, the UK government said. The ethylene produced there was essential for medical-grade plastics production, water treatment and in aerospace and car-building, it added. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Shabana Mahmood plans to use full power of the state' to curb rise in targeted attacks using websitesConvicted sex offenders will be forced to notify police with the details of any dating app and social media accounts or face up to five years in jail, under plans announced by Shabana Mahmood.In a move intended to help curb the explosion in targeted attacks using websites, the home secretary said the full power of the state" would be used to bear down on online abusers. Continue reading...
Mother told court she relives the moment over and over' when she thought her daughter was being killed in front of herA man who furiously and repeatedly" stabbed an 11-year-old Australian girl in a random knife attack in London's Leicester Square has been detained indefinitely.The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police she thought she was going to die after she was targeted by Ioan Pintaru in the city's West End on the morning of August 12 last year while on holiday with her mother. Continue reading...
Corporation will argue it did not have rights to air film in US and it did not cause serious reputational harmThe BBC is preparing to argue Donald Trump's $10bn court case against it should be dismissed, arguing it has no case to answer over the US president's claims he was defamed by an episode of Panorama.The development comes after Trump filed a 33-page complaint to a Florida court on Monday, accusing the broadcaster of a false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory and malicious depiction" of the president in the documentary. Continue reading...
Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources sayAn agreement to rejoin Erasmus - the EU's student exchange programme - is expected to be announced on Wednesday as part of the UK government's drive towards closer relations with Brussels.Final details of the announcement have now been agreed by the two sides, with a plan to allow UK students to participate in the EU-wide scheme without paying any additional fees from January 2027, sources said. Continue reading...
Richard Davies, 49, and Faye Stevenson-Davies, 43, defied odds of more than 24 trillion-to-one after first winning the jackpot prize in 2018A couple from mid Wales have become 1m national lottery winners for the second time, defying odds of more than 24 trillion to one to claim the jackpot again.Richard Davies, 49, and Faye Stevenson-Davies, 43, first landed a seven-figure prize in June 2018 through the EuroMillions millionaire maker. Continue reading...
Annual UCLA study finds declines in cultural diversity behind and in front of the camera since last yearPopular scripted series on streaming services showed a marked decrease in cultural diversity both behind and in front of the camera last year as Hollywood inclusion programs waned, a new study from the University of California at Los Angeles concluded.The latest edition of the school's Hollywood Diversity report, published Tuesday, found that of the top 250 most-viewed current and library scripted series in 2024, more than 91.7% were created by a white person, with white men accounting for 79% of all show creators - both increases from last year. Diversity also slipped for performers, with white actors cast in 80% of all roles. Continue reading...
Development abandoned after Serbian minister indicted over $500m project, in setback for Trump family empireSerbia's authoritarian ruler has threatened reprisals after protesters and a prosecutor thwarted plans for a Trump Tower in Belgrade.In a rare setback for the Trump family's global moneymaking campaign, the $500m development was abandoned after Monday's indictment of a Serbian minister on suspicion of abusing his office to support the project. Continue reading...
Review, which will focus on effectiveness of political finance laws, follows conviction of former Reform politician for accepting bribesAn independent review into the impact of foreign financial influence and interference in domestic politics from Russia and other hostile states has been announced after one of Reform UK's former senior politicians, Nathan Gill, was jailed for accepting bribes from a pro-Kremlin agent.Amid growing concern inside the security services and parliament over the scale of the foreign threat to British democracy, the government-commissioned inquiry will focus on the effectiveness of the UK's political finance laws. Continue reading...
Legislation clears upper house after Tories and cross-benchers drop opposition to lifting compensation capLisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has published a green paper on BBC charter renewal. It includes a consultation on options for the future.On funding, the document says the government has an open mind" on how the licence fee system may be reformed to stop fewer households paying every year. It suggests there might be a new type of licence fee for people who say they don't watch BBC TV, but who do use the BBC's website, or BBC Sounds.In addition to BBC saving and efficiency programmes, we also want to explore wider reforms that could help address the funding challenges the BBC faces. We have not ruled out keeping the current licence fee in place with its current structure. However, given the sustainability challenges it is facing, we are also reviewing the scope of services for which the licence fee is required and considering differential rates for specific types of users, to make it more sustainable for the long-term, along with increasing commercial revenue to ease the burden on the public. This would aim to reverse the trend of fewer households paying every year and declining overall income, which risks the BBC declining if it is not addressed. Any reform of the licence fee must be proportionate and reflect the cost-of-living burden on the public.As the licence fee is a tried and tested public funding model, we are not considering replacing it with alternative forms of public funding, such as a new tax on households, funding through general taxation, or introducing a levy on the revenues of streaming services to fund the BBC ...My aims for the charter review are clear. The BBC must remain fiercely independent, accountable and be able to command public trust. It must reflect the whole of the UK, remain an engine for economic growth and be funded in a way that is sustainable and fair for audiences. Continue reading...
Commission proposes cutting obligation for 100% zero emission vehicles beyond 2035 to 90% after pressure from industry and some EU statesThe EU has confirmed it wants to water down its 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol or diesel cars, yielding to heavy pressure from the car industry and leaders from several EU member states including Germany and Italy.Wopke Hoekstra, a European climate commissioner, described the proposals as a win-win" situation for consumers and industry, keeping Europe on the electrification course with a series of carrot and stick measures. Continue reading...
by Tiago Rogero South America correspondent on (#72714)
Writers cited Machado's support for Trump's pressure campaign against Venezuela's Nicolas MaduroAt least three writers have withdrawn from next month's Hay festival in Cartagena, Colombia, in protest at an invitation extended to the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado.The main reason cited by them is Machado's support for Donald Trump's four-month pressure campaign against Venezuela's dictator Nicolas Maduro and her comments in favour of a potential US military intervention in the Caribbean country. Continue reading...
Attraction part-funded with 500m of public investment will be constructed on site of a former brickworksThe UK's first Universal Studios theme park has been granted planning permission by the government to begin construction.The attraction, which is being part-funded with 500m of public investment in rail and road infrastructure, will be built on the site of a former brickworks near Bedford. Continue reading...
Boy was arrested on Monday evening after officers were called to property in Weston-super-MareA teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare, police have said.Officers were called by paramedics to a property in the North Somerset town just after 6pm on Monday, Avon and Somerset police said. Continue reading...
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