Republican senator introduces bill to abolish US Department of Education

British mother of Egyptian political prisoner to press Lammy to take action

Laila Soueif is to meet the foreign secretary, who in opposition called for the release of Alaa Abd el-FattahThe British-born mother of an Egyptian political prisoner who has been on hunger strike for 58 days is preparing to meet the foreign secretary, David Lammy, to urge him to secure her son’s release.Laila Soueif’s son Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British and Egyptian dual citizen who wrote eloquently about the Arab spring and its aftermath, was jailed for five years for “spreading false news”. He was due to be released in September, but has not been freed. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 06:00:51

Namibia goes to polls amid anger at high unemployment rate

Swapo party could lose its majority for the first time since independence in 1990, if youth voter turnout is highNamibians are going to the polls with the longtime ruling party’s parliamentary majority under threat if dissatisfied young people turn out in big numbers amid a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment globally.The Swapo party could also be forced to contest a second round in the presidential election for the first time since the sparsely populated southern African country became independent from South Africa in 1990. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 03:00:48

Catholic priest accused of sexual assault fathered children of victims, court hears

Revelation emerges at hearing for Anthony Odiong, 55, charged with several counts and held in Texas on $5.5m bailA Roman Catholic priest with links to Texas and Louisiana who is facing criminal charges for allegedly abusing his position of authority within the church to pursue sex with vulnerable women fathered at least two children with them, authorities have alleged.The stunning information about Anthony Odiong surfaced at a bail hearing on Tuesday in Waco, Texas, where prosecutors have charged him with several counts of sexually assaulting women to whom he ministered. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 02:57:28

Four bodies recovered from Red Sea day after tourist boat capsizes

Five more rescued and seven still missing from the Sea Story, which was carrying 30 tourists and 14 crewEgyptian naval forces recovered four bodies and rescued five more people from the Red Sea a day after a large tourist boat sank in rough waters, officials have said. Seven people are still missing.The Red Sea governor, Amr Hanafi, said the yacht, called Sea Story, had been struck by high waves on Monday and sank in less than 7 minutes. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-26 15:03:58

Thirty-five million Africans driven from homes by war and climate disasters – report

Data shows a threefold increase in internal displacement across the African continent since 2009, with flooding and drought posing a growing threatWars and climate disasters have driven a threefold increase in the number of internally displaced people in Africa over the past 15 years, according to new data.There are now 35 million people internally displaced on the continent, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), compared with 11.6 million in 2009, when African governments signed a landmark deal legally binding them to tackle the causes of displacement. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-26 12:47:47

Two Britons among 16 missing after tourist boat capsizes in Red Sea

Sea Story was on diving trip with 31 tourists and 14 crew when it sent distress signalTwo Britons are reported to be among 16 people missing after a tourist boat on a diving trip capsized in the Red Sea.The Sea Story was carrying 30 tourists from several countries and 14 crew when it sent a distress signal at 5.30am local time (0330 GMT), according to Egypt’s Red Sea governorate. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-25 19:05:42

Canada leaders agree to unite against Trump tariff threat amid reports of retaliatory measures

Deputy PM says ‘we need to be smart, strong and united’ after meeting on threat by US president-elect of a blanket 25% tax on imports from Canada Canada’s federal government and the premiers of the 10 provinces have agreed to work together against a threat by US president-elect Donald Trump to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports, with one official saying the country was already examining possible retaliatory measures.“We agreed that we need to be smart, strong and united in meeting this challenge,” deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Wednesday after a virtual meeting with the premiers called by the prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 01:41:27

Colombia-led operation seizes world record 225 tonnes of cocaine, and uncovers new Australia trafficking route

Operation Orion, a cooperative operation between 62 countries, finds some of the record haul on a new drug route being used by a ‘narco submarine’Colombian authorities working with dozens of other countries have seized 225 tonnes of cocaine in the space of six weeks, a global record for any single anti-narcotics operation, finding some of that haul on a “narco submarine” travelling on a new drug trafficking route to Australia.In the six-week Operation Orion, law enforcement agencies and other organisations from 62 countries halted six semi-submersible vessels stuffed with cocaine and confiscated 1,400 tonnes of drugs in total, including more than 1,000 tonnes of marijuana. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 23:30:52

Bombshell police report details alleged Bolsonaro plot to stage rightwing coup

Former president accused of leading role in apparent scheme to overturn 2022 election defeat by rival LulaBrazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has moved a step closer to jail after a federal police investigation laid bare what it called a murderous authoritarian plot to explode the country’s democratic system with a military coup that the far-right populist allegedly helped mastermind.Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied involvement in an attempt to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election, which he narrowly lost to his leftwing rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 19:57:40

Elusive deer spotted wearing high-vis jacket in Canada: ‘Who is responsible?’

‘Double takes’ as British Columbia mountain community tries to figure out how local animal came to don neon jacketIn a town of fewer than 1,000 people, it can be hard to keep a secret. And yet no one in McBride, a mountain community in British Columbia, can figure out how a local deer came to be wearing a zipped-up high-visibility jacket – or why the day-glo-clad cervid has been so hard to track down.The mystery began on Sunday, when Andrea Arnold was driving along the snowy outskirts of McBride on Sunday and witnessed a sight so baffling she slowed her vehicle to a crawl. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 11:00:06

Bolsonaro allies nearly launched military coup in 2022, police report says

Senior Brazil military figures backed plot to seize power after Bolsonaro’s election defeat, federal documents allegeBrazil came within a whisker of a far-right military coup and the assassination of a supreme court judge just days before President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took power in January 2023, a federal police report has claimed.The report about the alleged plot to help the rightwing populist Jair Bolsonaro cling to power was made public on Tuesday, and paints a chilling portrait of how close one of the world’s largest democracies came to being plunged back into authoritarian rule. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-26 21:48:44

Mexico president vows to retaliate with own tariffs against Trump’s tax threat

Claudia Sheinbaum rebukes Trump and says his plan would do nothing to stem flow of migrants or drugs bound for USMexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has rebuked Donald Trump’s threat to impose steep tariffs on Mexico, arguing the plan would do nothing to halt the flow of migrants or drugs bound for the US border, and vowing that Mexico would hit back with tariffs of its own.“One tariff would be followed by another in response, and so on until we put at risk common businesses,” Sheinbaum said, warning that tariffs would cause inflation and job losses in both countries. “What sense is there?” Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-26 18:20:17

Four killed and flights cancelled as heavy snowfall blankets Seoul

South Korea’s capital has been hit by some of the heaviest snowfall in a century, with dangerous conditions wreaking havoc on transportSouth Korea grappled with heavy snowfall for a second day on Thursday, with dozens of flights cancelled, ferry operations suspended and at least four people reported dead in a bitter winter, though conditions showed signs of easing.Thursday’s snowfall was the third-heaviest in capital Seoul since records began in 1907, the Yonhap news agency said, citing city data. The previous day broke all snowfall records for November. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 04:50:19

China releases three US citizens held for years in prisoner swap

Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung freed after Biden administration forges rare agreement with BeijingThree American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released in a prisoner swap, the White House has said, announcing a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration.The three are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung, all of whom had been designated by the US government as wrongfully detained. Swidan had been facing a death sentence on drug charges while Li and Leung were imprisoned on espionage charges. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 16:34:18

Seoul slows down under blanket of heaviest November snow in 100 years

First day of snowfall this season is heaviest on record, says weather bureauSouth Korea’s capital has been blanketed by what the weather agency said was the heaviest November snowfall since records began over a century ago. It was the first snowfall of this year’s winter.The Korea Meteorological Administration said 16.5cm (6.5 inches) of snow fell by 7am on Wednesday, compared with Seoul’s previous record of 12.4cm on 28 November 1972. It was the heaviest snowfall since records began in 1907, the KMA said. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 07:02:24

China’s CO2 emissions have peaked or will in 2025, say 44% of experts in survey

Research reflects rising optimism about country’s green transition as it takes leading position on climate actionNearly half of experts surveyed by a climate thinktank believe China’s carbon dioxide emissions have already peaked, or will do so in 2025, reflecting increasing optimism about the country’s green transition at a time when it is being called on to take a leading position on global climate action.According to a report published on Tuesday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a research organisation, 44% of climate experts from academia and industry believe that China’s CO2 emissions will peak, at the latest, in 2025. In last year’s survey, only 21% of experts gave the same response. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 00:01:44

Eight Laos hostel staff held over suspected methanol poisoning deaths

Manager and seven staff at Nana backpackers hostel detained after death of six touristsPolice in Laos have detained the manager of a backpacker hostel in Vang Vieng as well as seven of its staff after the deaths of six tourists in a suspected mass methanol poisoning.Two Danish citizens, an American, a Briton and two Australians died after becoming ill after a night out in the small riverside town. A third Australian, a dual national, also fell ill, and is understood to be in a stable condition. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-26 18:50:43

Third Australian fell ill after suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos

Exclusive: Dual national understood to be in stable condition after tragedy which has claimed six livesFull Story podcast: The suspected methanol poisonings in LaosGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA third Australian also fell ill after a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos that has claimed six lives, Guardian Australia has confirmed.Melburnians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, died in hospital in Thailand after the tragedy, which also claimed the lives of people from Denmark, the UK and the US.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-26 07:41:51

Australia’s Macquarie offers to buy UK-listed waste management firm Renewi for £700m

Firms reach preliminary agreement on financial terms of deal that values Renewi at 870p a shareBusiness live – latest updatesThe asset manager Macquarie has launched a £700m offer to buy the waste management company Renewi in the latest takeover of a London-listed firm.The two companies have reached a preliminary agreement on the financial terms of a deal that values Renewi at 870p a share, a 57% premium to its closing price of 554p on Wednesday night. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:38:58

Senate moving through 31 bills in frantic end to year as Labor strikes deal with Greens

Albanese government reliant on Coalition to pass three controversial migration bills and the under 16 social media banFollow our Australia politics live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Senate was swiftly moving its way through 31 government bills late on Thursday night after the Greens agreed to support a vote on 27 bills in return for $500m for social housing energy upgrades and commitments against fossil fuel investment.While the Albanese government relied on the Greens and crossbench to pass its Future Made in Australia agenda and a range of treasury and attorney general’s portfolio bills, it planned to work with the Coalition to pass three controversial migration bills and the under-16s social media ban.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 10:41:08

PM ‘fully expects’ parliament to return in February as Senate sits into the night – as it happened

This blog is now closedSenate likely to pass 31 bills in frantic end to year after Labor strikes deal with GreensGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNuclear costings coming ‘in coming weeks and months ahead of election’: TaylorThe shadow treasurer was also asked when the Coalition would release the costings of its nuclear plan.We will not be announcing it on your program this morning, as much as you might like me to. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 09:51:05

Face-down restraint led to NSW Indigenous man’s death, inquest finds

Michael Peachey died following a ‘harrowing’ engagement with police in 2021, in Gunnedah in central NSWFollow our Australia politics live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice officers who left a young Indigenous man in a face-down restraint should have been aware of the risks the position presented, an inquest has found.Michael Peachey died after a “harrowing” engagement with police, in Gunnedah in central NSW on 21 May 2021, during which he was shot with a Taser, pepper sprayed and restrained.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 08:24:37

‘Still have their baby teeth’: Queensland children as young as 10 to face life sentences for murder under new laws

Human rights commissioner says David Crisafulli’s LNP government risking state’s international reputation with tough new youth crime lawsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland’s human rights commissioner says the state’s new hardline youth crime laws – which could result in life sentences for children “who still have their baby teeth” – are evidence of a “society that has lost its way”.The legislation will require the third override of the state Human Rights Act in two years. All three permitted the state to imprison more children in the youth justice system.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 07:35:24

‘Absolutely undeniable’ Zachary Rolfe is racist, Kumanjayi Walker inquest told

NT police lawyer Ian Freckelton KC tells inquest into death of 19-year-old it is ‘important to call it as it is’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA lawyer for the Northern Territory police has told an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker that it is “absolutely undeniable” that Zachary Rolfe is a racist.The inquest into the death of Walker is holding its final hearings, almost two years after it was due to be completed.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 07:10:06

Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin threatens to target Kyiv ‘decision-making centres’ with new missile after US and UK-made weapons used in Russia

President boasts that Russia produces ten times more missiles than all Nato countries combined and threatens attack with new Oreshnik missile Reuters has a quick snap that there are power cuts in Ukraine’s southern region of Mykolaiv as a result of Russia’s missile attack. It cited regional governor Vitaliy Kim.Zhitomir and Chernihiv region have ended their air alarms in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:46:37

‘Massive attack’ on Ukraine’s power network under way, says minister

Emergency power cuts being brought in across the country amid missile alerts and freezing temperaturesRussia-Ukraine war – live updatesUkraine’s power infrastructure was “under massive enemy attack” on Thursday, the country’s energy minister said, after a nationwide air raid alert was declared due to incoming missiles.“Once again, the energy sector is under massive enemy attack. Attacks on energy facilities are taking place across Ukraine,” German Galushchenko said in a Facebook post. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 06:26:47

Iran says it could end ban on possessing nuclear weapons if sanctions reimposed

Comments made after nuclear inspectorate board passed motion censuring Iran for building uranium stockpileThe nuclear debate inside Iran is likely to shift towards the possession of its own weapons if the west goes ahead with a threat to reimpose all UN sanctions, the country’s foreign minister has said.Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in an interview that Iran already had the capability and knowledge to create nuclear weapons, but said they did not form part of its security strategy. He also said Tehran was prepared to keep supplying arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 05:00:35

Swedish PM says Baltic sea now ‘high risk’ after suspected cable sabotage

Regional leaders meet after undersea telecoms cables severed, while Chinese ship remains at anchor nearbyThe Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has said the Baltic sea is now a “high risk” zone as he met Nordic and Baltic leaders days after a suspected sabotage attack on undersea cables.The Swedish prime minister declined to speculate on who may have been responsible for the severing of two fibre optic telecoms cables in the Baltic last week. A Chinese ship – the Yi Peng 3 – that sailed over the cables about the time they were severed has remained anchored in the Kattegat strait between Sweden and Denmark since 19 November. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 22:14:27

Russia’s sabotage of western targets ‘could trigger Nato defence clause’

German intelligence chief warns continued hybrid warfare by Moscow increases risk of alliance invoking Article 5Russia’s acts of sabotage against western targets may eventually prompt Nato to consider invoking the alliance’s Article 5 mutual defence clause, the head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service has warned.Speaking at an event of the German Council of Foreign Relations (DGAP) think tank in Berlin on Wednesday, BND chief Bruno Kahl said he expected Moscow to further step up its hybrid warfare. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 22:05:40

France says Netanyahu is immune from ICC warrant as Israel is not member of court

Claim comes after Paris signalled it would fulfil obligations as signatory to Rome statute after arrest warrant issuedThe French government has claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu has immunity from arrest warrants issued by the international criminal court for war crimes on the grounds that Israel is not an ICC member.The claim came soon after Netanyahu’s cabinet agreed to a French-backed ceasefire in Lebanon and is in contrast to Paris’s attitude towards last year’s ICC war crimes warrant issued against Vladimir Putin, another leader of a non-member country. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 19:32:34

Middle East crisis live: Israeli tanks fire on southern Lebanon as officials says ceasefire with Hezbollah violated

Israeli military says ceasefire was breached after what it called suspects arrived in southMy colleagues, Bethan McKernan in Jerusalem, and Oliver Holmes have produced this explainer on what the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire are. You can read more at the link below:Here is a video report on families returning to homes in Lebanon and northern Israel after the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire took effect: Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:46:00

Hezbollah keeping ‘hands on trigger’ amid fragile ceasefire with Israel

Lebanese given conflicting information about whether they can return home, as Israeli army strikes cars and areas along boundaryMiddle East crisis – live updatesHezbollah has vowed to continue resisting Israel and is monitoring its army’s withdrawal from south Lebanon “with their hands on the trigger”, said the militia in its first comments since a ceasefire went into effect on Wednesday.The Iran-allied Shia group did not directly mention the truce, but said its fighters “remain fully equipped to deal with the aspirations and assaults of the Israeli enemy”. Hezbollah also remained committed to the Palestinian cause, said the statement from its operations centre late on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:41:19

Thursday briefing: The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire brings respite – but for how long, and what comes next?

In today’s newsletter: Behind the celebratory scenes on the streets of Beirut lies a battered, divided country teetering on the brink of becoming a failed state • Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. At 4am local time on Wednesday, a ceasefire began between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. By that time, some displaced residents of Lebanon’s devastated south were already on their way back, many of them wondering as they travelled whether the homes they had fled were still there.The pause in hostilities has been broadly welcomed in Lebanon, Israel and beyond, both for those who have been exiled on either side of the border and as a step towards regional stability. There are even some optimistic claims that it might help bring about a ceasefire in Gaza. But as the Lebanon ceasefire begins, a formidable task remains: the reconstruction of a shattered region of a country that is perilously close to being a failed state.Assisted dying | The former president of the supreme court, who ruled on the most high-profile assisted dying cases, has declared his support for the law change. David Neuberger’s intervention came as MPs backing the bill say they believe they have the numbers for Friday’s historic vote to pass.UK news | Police believe Mohamed Al Fayed may have raped and abused more than 111 women over nearly four decades, with his youngest victim said to have been 13 years old. The Metropolitan police said that five unnamed individuals were being investigated for facilitating the offences.Ukraine | Ukraine’s power infrastructure was “under massive enemy attack” on Thursday, the country’s energy minister said, after a nationwide air raid alert was declared due to incoming missiles.Weather | The third named storm of the autumn, Conall, has brought more disruption to the UK, with trains cancelled in parts of southern England on Wednesday and the Met Office warning of delays on roads and potential power cuts.Trade | Canada’s federal government and the premiers of the 10 provinces have agreed to work together against a threat by US president-elect Donald Trump to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports. Possible retaliatory measures are under consideration after Trump said one of his first executive orders would be a 25% tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 06:58:04

Thousands return to southern Lebanon amid uneasy ceasefire

Displaced people make their way home despite volatile situation and warnings from Israeli militaryMiddle East crisis – live updatesThousands of people displaced from war-torn southern Lebanon have begun returning home after a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah took effect on Wednesday, amid fears on both sides of the border about whether the truce would hold.Israel heavily bombed the capital, Beirut, and the south of the country throughout Tuesday, killing 42 people, until the truce began at 4am local time, while Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel, triggering air raid sirens. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 22:06:04

UN chief says Lebanon ceasefire ‘first ray of hope amid darkness’ in conflict – as it happened

This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest full report here:Full report: Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire comes into forceDown to the final half-hour before the ceasefire comes into effect and AFP is reporting strikes on south Beirut after the Israel army’s evacuation warning.“Urgent warning to residents of the Beirut area,” army spokesperson Avichay Adraee had earlier said in a post on X, telling people in the Bachoura area in the city centre to leave, as well as “all residents in the southern suburb area”, specifically in Ghobeiry. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 19:52:24

Biden administration claims win with Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire – but will it hold?

Peace is shaky at best, as Israel will still strike targets in Lebanon and a power transition looms in the USThe Biden administration has claimed the long-awaited ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel as a diplomatic triumph achieved under tremendous pressure during a lame-duck period with a hostile Donald Trump administration waiting in the wings.Speaking from a lectern in the Rose Garden of the White House, Joe Biden called the result “historic” and said that it “reminds us that peace is possible”. It would return civilians to their homes, he said, and had “determined this conflict will not be just another cycle of violence”. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 19:39:45

Pakistan army and police accused of firing on Imran Khan supporters

Multiple protesters said to have been killed and hundreds injured in Islamabad amid calls for Khan’s release from jailPakistan’s army and police have been accused of firing on civilians, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries to hundreds of protesters who had stormed Islamabad on Tuesday to demand the release of the former prime minister Imran Khan from prison.As tens of thousands of Khan’s supporters stormed the capital on Tuesday in defiance of government orders, the army and paramilitary forces were deployed in huge numbers and issued with shoot-to-kill orders to try to stop the crowds reaching the heart of Islamabad’s sensitive Red Zone, which houses the parliament, supreme court and prime minister’s residence. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 15:19:05

ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Myanmar junta chief

Min Aung Hlaing accused of crimes against humanity over deportation and persecution of Rohingya minorityThe chief prosecutor of the international criminal court (ICC) is seeking an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, for crimes against humanity over the deadly crackdowns against the country’s Rohingya minority that drove hundreds of thousands to flee to Bangladesh.Karim Khan said that “after an extensive, independent and impartial investigation” his office had concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe that the Myanmar junta chief “bears criminal responsibility for the crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya committed in Myanmar and in part in Bangladesh”. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 10:40:24

Pakistani security forces raid supporters of Imran Khan after unrest in Islamabad

More than 50,000 people had earlier forced their way into capital to demand former prime minister’s releasePakistani security forces have launched a sweeping midnight raid on supporters of the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan who had earlier forced their way through security barriers and entered Islamabad.Thousands of protesters had gathered in the centre of the capital after a convoy, led by Khan’s wife, broke through several lines of security all the way to the edge of the city’s highly fortified red zone. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-26 20:55:31

Pakistani capital under lockdown to block rally by Imran Khan supporters

Government shuts down internet, blocks highways and brings in troops to stop protest by former PM’s supportersPakistan’s capital was put under lockdown as the government shut down the internet, blocked highways and brought in thousands of police and paramilitaries in an attempt to prevent supporters of the former prime minister Imran Khan protesting in Islamabad.Khan, who has been in jail for more than a year facing hundreds of charges, had issued a “final call” for his supporters to descend on Islamabad to demand his release and protest against recent changes to the judiciary and constitution. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-25 09:42:43

Hundreds flee deadly sectarian violence in north-west Pakistan

About 300 families relocate after fresh violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims kills 32 peopleAbout 300 families have fled sectarian violence in north-west Pakistan as fresh clashes killed 32 people.Sporadic fighting between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan has killed about 150 over the past months. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-23 14:50:30

Tributes paid to ‘kind and loving’ British tourist who died in Laos

Simone White was one of six people to die in suspected methanol poisoning incident in Vang ViengTributes have been paid to the “beautiful, kind and loving” British tourist Simone White, one of six people to die in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos.The six died after allegedly being served drinks laced with methanol in Vang Vieng, a town popular with backpackers. These include the Australian teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, an American man and two Danish women aged 19 and 20. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-22 17:00:07

Number of cases in asylum backlog down 22%, says Home Office, but still higher than before 2022 – UK politics live

Number of applications waiting to be processed at 97,000, lower than peak at end of June 2023Here is a chart from the ONS report illustrating the latest figures.Here is the PA Media story on the figures.Net migration to the UK hit a higher than previously thought record of 906,000 in the year to June 2023, revised official estimates show.The measure for the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving the country then dropped by 20% in the latest period, the 12 months to June 2024, and now stands at 728,000. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:56:48

Gregg Wallace steps away from MasterChef after allegations of misconduct

BBC received ‘complaints from individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct’, says production companyTV presenter Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef after the BBC received complaints from individuals about historical allegations of misconduct.Wallace, 60, is “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”, a statement from the show’s production company, Banijay UK, to the PA news agency said. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:55:56

Shares in Direct Line surge after insurer rejects £3.3bn bid from Aviva

Insurer says 250p per share offer was ‘highly opportunistic’ and undervalues the companyDirect Line shares soared by more than 40% on Thursday after the insurer rebuffed a £3.3bn offer from Aviva, prompting speculation that the company could attract a higher offer.Aviva’s approach, which was revealed on Wednesday night, is the third rejected by Direct Line this year, with the company having snubbed two previous bids by the Belgian insurer Ageas that culminated in a £3.2bn offer in March. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:44:25

Daniel Khalife: a fantasist or a player in the world of spies?

The young man who escaped Wandsworth prison offered a mixed picture of ineptitude and threat, according to policeAt the heart of the Daniel Khalife trial has been the question: is he an amateurish fantasist who convinced himself he was playing a game of chess with spies, or a consequential character in the global world of espionage?The answer, the police have said, is a bit of both. They believed Khalife to be inept in many regards. Khalife’s own barrister, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, said he was “hapless” and “sometimes bordering on the slapstick” – more Scooby-Doo than 007. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:15:55

Net migration to UK hit record high of 906,000 in year to June 2023, revised figures show

ONS says net migration is now beginning to fall but remains high by ‘historic standards’Net migration to the UK hit a record high in 2023 of 906,000 in a period covering Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak’s premierships, revised estimates show.The measure for the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving the country then dropped by 20% in the latest period, the 12 months to June 2024, and now stands at 728,000. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:13:19

Former soldier Daniel Khalife found guilty of spying for Iran

Khalife convicted of three counts relating to espionage, having admitted to prison escape while on remandDaniel Khalife: fantasist or player in world of spies?A former soldier whose prison escape sparked a huge manhunt in 2023 has been convicted of spying for Iran but cleared of carrying out a bomb hoax.Daniel Khalife was found guilty of two counts relating to his espionage on Thursday. The 23-year-old had admitted partway through his trial to the escape from HMP Wandsworth, in south-west London. Khalife had strapped himself to the underside of a food delivery van while being held on remand on the spying charges. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:07:24

First Thing: Canada leaders agree to unite against Trump tariff threat

Deputy PM says ‘we need to be smart, strong and united’. Plus: plastic lobbyists in rear-guard action• Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Canada’s federal government and the premiers of the 10 provinces have agreed to work together against a threat by the US president-elect, Donald Trump, to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports, with one official saying the country was already examining possible retaliatory measures.What are tariffs? A tariff is a tax on imports, or foreign goods brought into a country, and paid for by the importing companies. The way that tariffs work, in Trump’s mind, is that high tariffs will incentivize American companies to move their manufacturing from abroad to the US.What did political commentators have to say? Jeet Heer, a writer for the leftwing Nation magazine, said: “Is it too much to ask for a little humility and self-reflection from the people whose strategies failed badly?” Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:39:11

Massachusetts farmers turn cranberry bogs back to wetlands in $6m initiative

Restoration projects awarded grants to convert defunct bogs to bring environmental benefits and restore wildlifeAs millions of cranberries were being harvested for Thursday’s US Thanksgiving holiday, Massachusetts farmers were working to convert defunct cranberry bogs to back to wild wetlands, amid climate crisis woes.Several restoration projects were awarded $6m in grants to carry out such initiatives, state officials announced this week. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 11:00:25

UK hospitality group Loungers to be bought by US firm for £338m

London-listed company strikes deal with Fortress Investment Group, although shareholder approval neededThe cafe bar business Loungers has agreed to be bought by a US investment group in a deal that values it at about £338m.Fortress Investment Group said it had made an offer for the UK hospitality group through a newly formed investment vehicle. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 09:34:05

Democrats win California House seat from Republican incumbent – as it happened

This live coverage is ending now, thanks for following along. You can read the latest on Democrats winning a California house seat here: Democrat Derek Tran ousts Republican rival in key California House seatLeavitt wrote that the threats transpired Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and included bomb threats and swatting, which refers to false reports of a crime to prompt police raids on a person’s home.Law enforcement “acted quickly,” wrote Leavitt, adding that “President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.” Leavitt did not say who specifically was targeted. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 00:50:02

Democrat Derek Tran ousts Republican rival in key California House seat

Son of Vietnamese refugees beats Michelle Steel in seat drawn to give Asian Americans stronger voice in capitalDemocrat Derek Tran ousted Republican Michelle Steel in a southern California House district Wednesday that was specifically drawn to give Asian Americans a stronger voice on Capitol Hill.Steel said in a statement: “Like all journeys, this one is ending for a new one to begin.” When she captured the seat in 2020, Steel joined Washington state Democrat Marilyn Strickland and California Republican Young Kim as the first Korean American women elected to Congress. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-28 00:03:01

Republican senator introduces bill to abolish US Department of Education

Mike Rounds submitted bill that needs supermajority to pass, unlikely even in GOP-controlled Senate next yearA bill that would accomplish Donald Trump’s goal of abolishing the federal Department of Education has been introduced into the US Senate.The Republican senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota introduced the bill, called the Returning Education to Our States Act, on Thursday. If passed, the bill would see $200bn in funding and the work of the education department redistributed to other federal agencies and states. Continue reading...

Published: 2024-11-27 22:27:53

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