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Islamic State is primed to be thorn in the side of incoming Trump administration
The terrorist group has been looking to be active this holiday season, with online chatter about attacks increasingAmid a presidential campaign with foreign policy discussions more focused on the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, the Islamic State stayed under the radar while calling on supporters and operatives to attack Americans on election day.The FBI thwarted a serious plot in Oklahoma City only weeks before the vote, prompting a similar public reaction to news involving the terror group that has become customary of late: is the Islamic State a renewed threat? Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 12:00:44
As Band Aid marks 40th anniversary critics take aim at Africa stereotypes
Latest version of Do They Know It’s Christmas fundraiser reignites debate about ‘problematic’ lyrics and imagery Forty years ago this week, a group of pop stars gathered at a west London studio to record a single that would raise millions, inspire further starry projects, and ultimately change charity fundraising in the UK.Do They Know It’s Christmas, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure’s festive charity behemoth, would go on to raise almost £150m for famine relief and development in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa. To mark the anniversary, on Monday a new version of the single – its fifth – will be released under the name Band Aid 40. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 09:00:38
Hungary invites Netanyahu to visit as world leaders split over ICC arrest warrant
Viktor Orbán says he will not enforce ICC decision that requires court members to detain Israeli PM if he enters their countryMiddle East crisis – live updatesUK politics live – latest updatesHungary’s illiberal prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has said he will invite his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to visit in defiance of an international criminal court arrest warrant, as world leaders split over the ICC’s momentous decision.The world’s highest criminal court issued warrants on Thursday for Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas commander Ibrahim al-Masri, commonly known as Mohammed Deif, who is believed to be dead, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 13:54:28
US moves to list giraffes under Endangered Species Act for first time
Climate crisis, habitat loss and poaching have reduced its numbers – but will Trump put the kibosh on protections?They are the tallest animal to roam the Earth and have become an icon of children’s books, toys and awed wildlife documentaries. But giraffes are in decline, which has prompted the US government to list them as endangered for the first time.Giraffes will be listed under the US Endangered Species Act, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed in a move that will cover five subspecies of the animal. The agency hopes the listing will crack down on the poaching of giraffes, as the US is a leading destination of rugs, pillowcases, boots, furniture and even Bible covers made from giraffe body parts. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-21 18:38:45
Malian singer Rokia Traoré to be extradited from Italy to Belgium
Italy’s highest court rejects musician’s appeal after she was arrested in Rome in June over child custody disputeMalian musician Rokia Traoré, who was arrested in Rome last June over an international child custody dispute, will be handed over to Belgium in the coming days after Italy’s highest court rejected her appeal, her lawyer said on Wednesday.Traoré, 50, a former goodwill ambassador for the United Nations’ refugee agency UNHCR, was arrested on 20 June at Rome’s Fiumicino airport under a European arrest warrant. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-21 16:29:12
British mining executives held in Mali freed after $160m deal to settle tax dispute
Resolute Mining chief executive Terence Holohan and two employees had been held since 9 NovemberBusiness live – latest updatesThree British mining executives who had been detained by the government of Mali have been released and are “safe and well”, days after agreeing to pay $160m to settle a tax dispute.Resolute Mining, an Australian company, said on Thursday its chief executive, Terence Holohan, and two other employees, who had been held in the country since 9 November, have been freed. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-21 12:35:28
Nicaragua: Ortega and wife to assume absolute power after changes approved
Loyalist lawmakers give green light to constitutional amendment as authoritarian president, 79, tightens gripNicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega and his wife are set to assume absolute power after loyalist lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment elevating her to the position of “co-president” and boosting the pair’s joint control over the state.Under sanctions for human rights abuses, Ortega himself had proposed the change, which also increases the president’s control over the media and extends the presidential term from five to six years. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 21:51:32
4,000-year-old canals used for fishing by Maya predecessors discovered in Belize
New research revealed canals used for about 1,000 years to channel and catch freshwater fish on the Yucatán peninsulaLong before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatán peninsula.Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The findings were published on Friday in the journal Science Advances. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 21:29:53
Smugglers convicted after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand were part of operation bringing increasing numbers of Indians into USA jury has convicted two men of human smuggling charges after an Indian family froze to death attempting to cross the Canada-US border.After a brief deliberation on Friday, a jury in Fergus Falls, Minnesota delivered the verdict in the case against Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national who used the alias “Dirty Harry”, and Steve Shand, 50, an American from Florida. Prosecutors say the pair were part of a broader criminal enterprise that helped migrants cross from Canada into the United States. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 19:45:16
Removing Toronto bike lanes will make traffic worse, official document shows
In preparation for plan, Ontario has indemnified itself from liability if cyclists are killed on streets that once had bike lanesRemoving bike lanes from busy city streets will increase traffic congestion, according to a Canadian government document leaked amid a furious row over urban infrastructure.The findings, which come as the province of Ontario goes to war over cycling infrastructure in Toronto, undercut claims that the dedicated routes contribute to urban gridlock. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 17:21:53
Haiti summons French ambassador after Macron called its leaders ‘morons’
Government protests ‘unfriendly and inappropriate’ comments by French president caught on cameraHaiti’s government has summoned the French ambassador to the country to protest about “unfriendly and inappropriate” comments from Emmanuel Macron, who was caught on camera calling the country’s leaders “morons”.The French president had on Wednesday described the decision of the Caribbean country’s transitional presidential council to oust the prime minister earlier this month amid an escalation in gang warfare as “completely dumb”. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 16:47:57
Canada denies it has evidence linking Modi to killing of Sikh separatists
Trudeau adviser shuts down foreign ministry’s allegations that Indian government was behind intimidation plotCanada, which expelled six Indian diplomats over allegations they were involved in a plot against Sikh separatists, has denied it has evidence Narendra Modi was linked to violence on Canadian soil.The Canadian foreign ministry last month alleged Amit Shah, considered the number two in Modi’s government, was behind a campaign of intimidation in Canada. Ottawa says it has evidence linking Indian government agents to the 2023 murder of the Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 14:57:13
Laos government ‘profoundly saddened’ by deaths of tourists in Vang Vieng
Six foreign visitors died earlier this month after suspected methanol poisoning during night out in backpacker hotspotWhat went wrong in Laos?The Lao government has said it is “profoundly saddened” by the deaths of foreign tourists in Vang Vieng and has promised justice, as tributes were paid to victims of a suspected mass methanol poisoning which has claimed six lives.Two Danish citizens, two Australians, an American, and a Briton died after becoming ill following a night out in the small riverside town, a popular destination for backpackers. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 15:59:45
Huge election year worldwide sees weakening commitment to act on climate crisis
Among sweeping rightwing electoral victories across the globe, the ‘big loser of the elections has been climate’An unprecedented year of elections around the world has underscored a sobering trend – in many countries the commitment to act on the climate crisis has either stalled or is eroding, even as disasters and record temperatures continue to mount.So far 2024, called the “biggest election year in human history” by the United Nations with around half the world’s population heading to the polls, there have been major wins for Donald Trump, the US president-elect who calls the climate crisis “a big hoax”; the climate-skeptic right in European Union elections; and Vladimir Putin, who won another term and has endured sanctions to maintain Russia’s robust oil and gas exports. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 11:00:40
Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s deputy vows to have him assassinated if she is killed
Vice-president Sara Duterte tells press conference she has given an assassin the instructions, prompting referral from Marcos’s office over ‘active threat’The Philippines’ vice-president, Sara Duterte, said on Saturday she would have someone assassinate the president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, if she herself were killed, leading Marcos’s office to vow “immediate proper action”.In a dramatic sign of a widening rift between the country’s two most powerful political families, Duterte told a press conference that she had spoken to an assassin and instructed him to kill Marcos, his wife and the speaker of the Philippine house of representatives if she were to be killed. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 06:59:11
Teammates tie ribbons as community mourns Melbourne teens after suspected methanol poisoning
Players heard news of Holly Bowles’ death as they gathered to remember her friend Bianca Jones, Beaumaris Football Club saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTributes have continued to flow for two Melbourne teenagers who died while holidaying in southeast Asia, after the death toll from a suspected methanol poisoning in Laos rose to six.Holly Bowles, 19, died on Friday in a Bangkok hospital, one day after her best friend, Bianca Jones, also 19, died in another Thai hospital. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 05:06:30
Seoul says Russia sent air-defence missiles to North Korea in return for troops
Kremlin dispatched weapons as payment for 10,000 troops deployed to support war in Ukraine, says South Korean officialRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesRussia has sent air defence missiles and other military technology to North Korea in return for the deployment of troops from the North to support the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, intelligence officials in South Korea have said.The shipments were the latest expression of a deepening alliance that allies and enemies fear could fuel the escalation of the war in Ukraine, geopolitical tensions in Asia, and potentially even global nuclear arms proliferation. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 17:20:35
China reels from spate of suspected ‘revenge against society’ attacks
Stabbings and car rammings raise fears that China’s strained social safety net is leading to growing violenceChina is grappling with a spate of violent rampages that have left dozens of people dead, sparking a conversation about whether “revenge against society” attacks are becoming more common.On 19 November, a 39-year-old man drove a car into a group of people near a school in Changde, a city in central China, injuring several students. Days earlier, another car-ramming attack in the southern city of Zhuhai had killed 35 people outside a sports centre, China’s deadliest mass killing in a decade. That same week, a former student in another city stabbed to death eight people and injured 17 others at a vocational college. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-22 13:03:01
‘He was wedged like an hourglass’: rescuers describe 20-hour ordeal ending with amputation of rafter’s leg
Lithuanian tourist pack rafting on Franklin River still fighting for life in Tasmanian hospitalGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 69-year-old Lithuanian man has been praised for his “extraordinary resilience” after emergency service workers were forced to amputate his leg during a 20-hour rescue operation in remote south-west Tasmania.The man, who remained in a critical condition in Royal Hobart hospital on Sunday evening, had been travelling with a group of 11 tourists on a multi-day rafting trip on the remote Franklin River. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 08:22:11
Police arrest 170 at NSW Rising Tide protest as activists temporarily block coal ships
Large group of kayakers paddled into shipping channel at Newcastle’s coal portGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlmost 200 people have been arrested after pausing activity at the world’s biggest coal port as part of a climate protest.Protesters formed a “blockade” in the Port of Newcastle on Sunday in the third day of unrest, calling on the federal government to rule out new coal and gas mines and for a 78% tax on coal and gas exports.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 07:42:48
Victorian Labor considering push to retake Prahran after surprise resignation of former Greens MP
Sam Hibbins announced resignation from parliament three weeks after confessing to consensual relationship with staff memberGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian Labor may field a candidate in the upcoming byelection for the inner Melbourne seat of Prahran, after the resignation of former Greens MP Sam Hibbins following his admission of an affair with a staffer.Hibbins on Saturday announced he would resign as the member for Prahran just three weeks after he quit the Greens due to a “consensual relationship” with a staff member on his team, which was a breach of the party’s rules.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 06:16:43
Labor dumps misinformation bill after Senate unites against it
Communications minister Michelle Rowland will also not unveil any gambling ad ban legislation in the last sitting week of the yearFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Albanese government has dumped its controversial mis- and disinformation bill, conceding there is “no pathway” to getting the proposal passed through the Senate.The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, insisted misinformation and disinformation remained a grave concern for democracy, national security and online safety, but said the government would not proceed with the proposal. It is the second time Labor has pulled the bill, after an initial version also failed to gain support and raised concerns about freedom of speech online.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 02:10:22
Parents of teenagers who died in suspected Laos methanol poisoning hope deaths ‘not in vain’
Bianca Jones’s father urged Laos government to investigate deaths to the ‘fullest’ and ensure it could not happen againFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHolly Bowles and Bianca Jones’s devastated families have pleaded with Laos authorities to get to the bottom of a mass methanol poisoning tragedy.The Australians, both 19, are among six foreign tourists who have died from a suspected methanol poisoning event in Laos.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 02:05:25
Parents of surviving Bali Nine inmates ‘quietly hopeful’ as minister confirms talks under way to return them to Australia
Five remaining members would continue to serve sentences upon returning under proposal, trade minister Don Farrell saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe parents of the surviving Bali Nine members are “quietly hopeful” their children will be repatriated to Australia in a deal with the Indonesian government, according to a pastor who has been in close contact with them for 20 years.The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, raised their repatriation during a meeting with the Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Peru last week. Senior Australian ministers have confirmed negotiations between the two nations are ongoing.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 01:34:37
Russia-Ukraine war: Taiwan’s former president urges US to prioritise aiding Ukraine over Taiwan for now – as it happened
Tsai Ing-wen says Kyiv needs weapons more urgently than Taipei and says Ukrainian victory will be ‘effective deterrent to future aggression’Taiwan’s former president urges US to prioritise aiding Ukraine over Taiwan for now, says report. Former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen has suggested that the US should prioritise helping Ukraine over Taiwan – in the immediate future – as Kyiv needs weapons more urgently than Taipei. Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, the former Taiwanese leader was quoted by Politico as saying: “They should do whatever they can to help the Ukrainians … We [Taiwan] still have time.”Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits. Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Moscow’s war on Ukraine. According to Russian state news agency Interfax, the new legislation allows those signing up for a one-year contract to write off bad debts of up to 10 million rubles ($96,000; £77,000).An air alert has been sounded ‘almost daily’ across Ukraine this week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says as he pleads for more air defences. Zelenskyy has posted to Telegram saying that his country needs more air defences to protect itself against relentless Russian attacks. He said that Russia used more than 800 guided aerial bombs, about 460 attack drones, and more than 20 missiles over the past week.Russia prepared to launch cyber-attacks on UK, minister to warn. Russia is prepared to launch a series of cyber-attacks on Britain and other Nato members as it seeks to weaken support for Ukraine, a senior UK cabinet minister will warn in a speech on Monday. Moscow will “not think twice” about exploiting defence gaps to target UK businesses, and allies must “not underestimate” the threat it poses, Pat McFadden, a senior UK minister whose portfolio includes national security, will say. In a speech to the Nato cyber defence conference at Lancaster House, the minister is expected to say: “Military hard-power is one thing. But cyberwar can be destabilising and debilitating. With a cyber-attack, Russia can turn the lights off for millions of people. It can shut down the power grids. This is the hidden war Russia is waging with Ukraine.”No ‘red lines’ when it comes to support for Ukraine, France’s foreign minister says. The French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, has told the BBC in an interview that western allies should not put any limits on support for Ukraine against Russia, and “not set and express red lines”. Barrot’s comments are significant, coming a few days after US and UK long-range missiles were used in that way for the first time. Barrot said that Ukraine could fire French long-range missiles into Russia “in the logics of self-defence”, but would not confirm if French weapons had already been used.Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 13:11:45
‘It’s been a lot of detective work’: Madame de Pompadour’s £1m wall lights discovered in Yorkshire hotel
Four gilt-bronze sconces that lit up home of Louis XV’s mistress are set to go on sale at Sotheby’s in DecemberFor almost 140 years, four massive gilt-bronze wall lights have hung in the 18th-century drawing room at Swinton Castle in Yorkshire, now an opulent luxury hotel.Guests will almost certainly have noticed the one metre-high rococo appliques with their entwined branches decorated with leaves, berries and cherubim, and passed them off as impressive reproductions of more valuable original works. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 07:00:10
Russia ‘aggressive’ and ‘reckless’ in cyber realm and threat to Nato, UK minister to warn
Pat McFadden will tell cyber summit that Russia ‘won’t think twice about targeting British businesses’ and danger to Nato must not be underestimatedRussia is “exceptionally aggressive and reckless in the cyber realm” and “no one should underestimate” the threat to Nato, a senior UK minister will warn in a speech on Monday.Pat McFadden, whose portfolio includes national security, will tell a Nato cybersecurity conference in London that Moscow “won’t think twice about targeting British businesses”, according to excerpts of his address released on Sunday by his ministry. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 03:58:02
Moscow claims advance in Ukraine’s east has ‘accelerated’ – as it happened
This blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage here Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 15:30:41
Masked gang broke into home of Conor McGregor accuser, Dublin court was told
Incident revealed after civil court found MMA fighter had assaulted Nikita Hand in December 2018A gang of masked men broke into the home of a woman who had taken a civil case against the mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor that accused him of raping her, it can now be revealed.The incident was referred to at the start of the court case in Dublin but could not be reported until now as it emerged during legal discussion while the jury were not present. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 13:08:04
Starmer seeks to hire EU negotiator in pursuit of relations reset
Salary of at least £153,000 offered by Cabinet Office for ‘principal adviser’ to prime ministerMinisters are hiring a new EU negotiator as Keir Starmer seeks to reset Britain’s relationship with Europe.The post, worth at least £153,000 a year and advertised by the Cabinet Office, would act as a representative for all of the UK’s dealings with the bloc. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 10:07:28
Hundreds flee north Gaza as IDF orders more evacuations amid intense airstrikes
Fresh wave of civilian displacements triggered overnight on Saturday, while Israeli strike on hospital injures directorThe Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of new areas of northern Gaza, setting off a fresh wave of civilian displacements on Sunday as intense airstrikes continued across much of the territory.The Israel Defense Forces said the orders for the Shujaiya neighbourhood were issued after Palestinian militants fired rockets at Israel on Saturday from a location within the densely populated district. Hamas’s armed wing said it had targeted an army base over the border. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 12:58:22
Rabbi in UAE killed in ‘antisemitic terror incident’, says Israel
Netanyahu’s office says Israel will seek justice for killing of Zvi Kogan, who worked in UAE for Orthodox Jewish groupIsrael has said that an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates was killed in what it described as a “heinous antisemitic terror incident”.Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement about the death of Zvi Kogan, who worked in Dubai for an Orthodox Jewish group called Chabad and had not been seen since Thursday. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 11:24:12
Gunman dead, police injured in shooting near Israeli embassy in Jordan
Police shot a gunman who had fired at a police patrol in the Rabiah neighbourhood of Amman, officials and media reportA gunman was dead and three policemen injured after a shooting near the Israeli embassy in Jordan, a security source and state media said on Sunday.Police shot a gunman who had fired at a police patrol in the Rabiah neighbourhood of Amman, state news agency Petra reported, citing public security, adding investigations were ongoing. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 07:07:00
Hamas says Israeli female hostage killed in north Gaza combat zone
Group’s armed wing says unnamed woman’s death established after long break in contact with her captorsHamas’s armed wing said on Saturday that an Israeli woman taken hostage during the October 2023 attack had been killed in a combat zone in northern Gaza, as the Israeli military said it was investigating.The spokesperson for Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, said contact had been restored with the woman’s captors after a break of several weeks and it was established that the hostage had been killed in an area of north Gaza where the Israeli army has been operating. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 18:46:50
Arrest warrants for Israeli leaders marks pivotal moment in international law | Beth McKernan
Charges against Israeli prime minister and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant mark first time western-affiliated leaders have been targeted for war crimesThe international criminal court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over the war in Gaza has been welcomed by Palestinians as a landmark moment in their decade-long fight to challenge the Israeli occupation through international institutions.Thursday’s announcement from the international criminal court’s pretrial chamber of arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, has sent shockwaves through the international legal system. As the first time that officials from a democratic, western-allied state have been charged with war crimes, it is widely seen as the most significant action taken by the court since it was set up at the turn of the century. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 16:12:05
At least 20 killed and 66 wounded by Israeli bombing of Beirut homes
Missing families feared dead after block of flats and nearby homes destroyed by airstrikes on Lebanese capitalAt least 20 people have been killed and 66 wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes on an apartment block in the densely populated Basta neighbourhood of central Beirut.At least four bombs hit an eight-storey apartment building at about 4am on Saturday, without warning, producing blasts heard around the Lebanese capital. The strike levelled the building and destroyed seven smaller residential buildings in the surroundings, leaving meters-deep craters of rubble where the structures once stood. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 15:11:15
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
More than 40 killed in north-west Pakistan in gun attack on Shia convoy
Violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa follows killing of dozens of people in clashes between Sunnis and minority ShiasAt least 42 people have been killed and 20 wounded after gunmen opened fire on vehicles carrying Shia Muslims in Pakistan’s restive north-west, in one of the region’s deadliest such attacks in recent years, police said.The attack happened in Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where sectarian clashes between majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shias have killed dozens of people in recent months. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-21 21:39:19
Billionaire Gautam Adani charged in US over alleged $250m bribery plot
Indian chair of Adani Group, worth about $85bn, accused of agreeing to pay bribes to obtain solar energy contractsGautam Adani, one of the world’s richest men, has been indicted in New York over an alleged multibillion-dollar scheme to pay $250m in bribes and conceal it from US investors.Prosecutors charged the chair of the Indian conglomerate Adani Group and two other executives of a renewable energy company with securities fraud and conspiring to commit securities and wire fraud. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-21 10:57:04
Family of woman found dead in car in London accuses police of failing to protect her
Exclusive: Sister says Harshita Brella reported abuse but ‘police processes made her feel more scared and alone’The family of a woman found dead in a car boot in east London have accused police of not doing enough to protect her, saying she had filed a complaint alleging domestic abuse by her husband weeks before.The body of Harshita Brella, a 24-year-old Indian citizen who was living in Northamptonshire, was discovered last Thursday in a car in Ilford. Police have named her husband, Pankaj Lamba, as the main suspect for the killing. Officers believe he has fled the country. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-19 19:23:45
Keir Starmer to restart UK-India talks after previous negotiations stalled
Whisky and migration thwarted earlier deal but UK PM hopeful of reaching agreement with Narendra ModiKeir Starmer is to restart the aborted UK-India trade talks in the new year after an agreement stalled amid disagreements over whisky tariffs and migration.No progress has been made on the deal since early this year after the last round of talks concluded. As prime minister, Boris Johnson promised a swift deal, but Rishi Sunak was said to be deeply uneasy with some of the provisions that had been negotiated by his predecessor. Talks were put on hold in March while both countries prepared for general elections. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-18 22:00:19
Retailers prepare for cautious Christmas as a chill settles on consumers
A late Black Friday and a mild October mean seasonal sales have got off to a slow start, and hopes are not highShoppers may be preparing to swoop for Black Friday bargains this week, but retailers are expecting a “cautious Christmas”, with households concerned about high energy and housing costs, as well as the potential impact of the recent budget.Trade has been slow in the run-up to the US-inspired promotional spree, which is a week later than last year, as shoppers held off buying presents in the hope they can snap up a bargain. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 13:00:12
Man critical after stabbing on Westminster Bridge
Four people have been arrested and one man was taken to hospital after a fight broke out in central London, police sayA man is fighting for his life in hospital after a stabbing on Westminster Bridge, the Metropolitan police said.Officers were called at about 10.45am on Sunday after a fight reportedly broke out on the bridge in central London. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 12:48:26
Lammy urged to keep promise of envoy to help free Britons held abroad
Exclusive: Families of people detained overseas fear diplomats are pushing back against foreign secretary’s plansFamilies of prominent British prisoners detained abroad have urged the foreign secretary to deliver on pledges to help secure their release amid signs of growing resistance from diplomats.David Lammy, the foreign secretary, vowed in opposition to appoint a special envoy to help secure the freedom of those detained for years without a fair trial. Giving British citizens a legal right to consular access when they run into trouble overseas was also a Labour manifesto pledge. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 12:29:27
‘Unprecedented’ flooding in parts of Wales after Storm Bert batters Britain
More than 200 flood alerts in place across country and major incident reportedly declared in south WalesHeavy rain and thawing snow are combining to bring flooding across the UK as Storm Bert continues to batter the country.A council in south Wales reportedly declared a major incident as flood waters rose in towns across the region. Sky News said Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough council had declared an emergency. Rising waters have been reported in towns including Pontypridd, Ebbw Vale and Aberdare. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 12:08:28
Shabana Mahmood should not impose her religious beliefs on others, says peer
Charlie Falconer says Labour colleague and justice secretary has ‘religious reasons’ for opposing assisted dyingCabinet ministers should not impose their religious beliefs on others in their objections to assisted dying, a leading proponent of changing the law has said.In response to an intervention from Shabana Mahmood, Charlie Falconer, a Labour peer and ally of Keir Starmer, said the justice secretary had “religious and spiritual reasons” for being opposed to assisted dying. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 11:12:38
Liz Kendall says young people who won’t take up work will lose benefits
Work and pensions secretary says she will transform opportunities as Starmer bemoans ‘bulging benefits bill’Young people who refuse to take up jobs or training will lose their benefits in the government’s crackdown on worklessness, Liz Kendall has said.The work and pensions secretary said on Sunday: “If people repeatedly refuse to take up the training or work responsibilities, there will be sanctions on their benefits.” Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 10:26:00
Trump’s White House is filling with alleged sexual abusers ... led by him
As the far right celebrates a win for their gender, a raft of people accused of misconduct is named for the cabinet Donald Trump was found civilly liable last year for the defamation and sexual abuse of the writer E Jean Carroll - just one of the more than 27 women who have accused him of sexual misconduct. In January 2025, he will again be president of the United States – the first to take office with a court-adjudicated history of sex crimes.And it seems he’s eager to pack the White House with people just like him. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 13:00:13
Trump voters hail controversial cabinet picks as the government they want
Trump voters in the American heartland are excited, even as senior Republicans are less than enthusiastic about some of the president-elect’s choicesIn the American heartland, they’re excited. Finally, say voters who put Donald Trump into the White House for a second time, they are about to get the president they wanted all along.Even as leading Democrats decry Trump’s cabinet nominations as “agents of his contempt, rage and vengeance”, the former and future president’s supporters are interpreting the selections as evidence that he has finally broken free of the Washington establishment. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 11:00:09
Trump depends on the EU and UK to act as peacemakers more than he thinks
The US doesn’t need to spend more on Ukraine. Britain can bring funding to the table – and help Trump reboot alliancesWith Donald Trump the very meaning of words is up for negotiation. What does he really mean when he promises to “build a wall”? When he pledges to end the Russo-Ukrainian war in one day?His supporters say they don’t take him literally but seriously – but who decides what “serious” is? The very ambiguity can be part of Trump’s appeal. There’s something exhilarating in the sense one is in an exclusive negotiation with the president to define reality. It’s as if he’s welcoming you backstage from the reality show of politics to the discrete board room where meaning is made. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-24 05:00:01
Trump picks Brooke Rollins to lead Department of Agriculture
Choice of president of America First Policy Institute completes top cabinet picks for president-electDonald Trump has chosen Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be agriculture secretary.“As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country,” the US president-elect said in a statement. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 21:57:13
Unidentified drones spotted over three UK airbases, US air force confirms
Unmanned aerial systems seen over RAF bases in Suffolk and Norfolk but US air force does not know if they were hostileUnidentified drones were spotted over three airbases in Britain used by the US air force (USAF)“Small unmanned aerial systems” were seen between 20 and 22 November over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 21:09:01
John Bolton rips into Trump’s pick for counter-terrorism chief Sebastian Gorka
Trump’s former national security adviser says Gorka is the ‘worst cabinet appointment in recent American history’Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton has laid into Sebastian Gorka, the president-elect’s pick for counter-terrorism chief, as a “conman” whose selection is not “going to bode well for counter-terrorism efforts when the [national security council’s] senior director is somebody like that”.Trump praised Gorka, an immigrant from Hungary, as a “tireless advocate for the America First Agenda and the MAGA Movement”. Continue reading...
Published: 2024-11-23 20:44:41
