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Home secretary tells BBC that government is ‘strengthening enforcement arrangements around the rules’Polly Toynbee has written today about this week’s farming protests, asking how will we ever make tax fairer amid such grumbling?Incidentally, we are anticipating that Keir Starmer, between 11am and noon, will be facing interviews on six different BBC regional radio stations. These media rounds have historically turned out a lot trickier...

Nato and Ukraine to hold talks in Brussels on Tuesday after Russia fired experimental hypersonic intermediate-range missileSee all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageRussia’s use of an experimental hypersonic missile to hit Ukraine was a “terrible escalation” in the war, German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said on Friday.The deployment of the new weapon showed “how dangerous this war is”, Scholz said in a speech, according to Agence...

Government urged to dismiss recommendations, including unchanged poker machine operating hours Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales government has been urged to dismiss recommendations from senior members of an independent panel on gambling reform before they are even finalised. These include what has been described as a “ridiculous” call for poker machine operating hours to remain...

Viktor Orban, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said he rejects warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in GazaHere are the latest images from Gaza:Countries are responding to the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants issued on Thursday for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war...

Swedish maker of battery cells for electric vehicles says it has enough cash to support operations for only a weekBusiness live – latest updatesNorthvolt, the Swedish maker of battery cells for electric vehicles, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US, dealing a blow to Europe’s hopes that its most developed battery player would reduce western carmakers’ reliance on Chinese rivals.Northvolt said...

As well as Simone White, two Danes, an American and two Australians have died after incident in town popular with backpackersA British lawyer is among six people to have died in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was “supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Laos, and we are in contact...

It come as Vang Vieng’s tourism police says manager and owner of Nana backpacker hostel taken in for questioningA second Australian teenager, Holly Bowles, has died after suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, it has been confirmed.The 19-year-old’s death comes just one day after her friend, Bianca Jones, also died in a Thai hospital. The pair had been travelling through Laos together and fell ill...

Ex-Ukip councillor Colette Fairbanks loses claim that she was bullied in charity job because of political stanceSupporting Brexit is not a belief that is protected from workplace discrimination, an employment tribunal has ruled, as a former Ukip councillor lost her claim that she was bullied and harassed by her charity employer because she supported the UK’s departure from the EU.Colette Fairbanks was sacked from...

Low-pressure system brings deaths and power outages to region, while an Arctic blast sweeps swaths of EuropeLarge parts of the US have been battered by severe weather this week, as low pressure developed over the north-west coast. The weather system intensified into a phenomenon known as a bomb cyclone, which rapidly intensified to an estimated central pressure of 942 hectopascals (hPa) – close to...

Commission chair reopens submissions and says report will be finished and tabled in parliamentFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe head of Queensland’s Indigenous truth-telling and healing commission has vowed to complete the inquiry, defying the government’s plan to eliminate it.The chairperson, Josh Creamer, restarted the historic inquiry on Friday, 23 days...

Petrostate’s rebuke comes as Saudi Arabia and allies try to derail transition promise made at climate talks last yearCop29 climate summit – live updatesThe world must stand behind a historic resolution made last year to “transition away from fossil fuels”, the United Arab Emirates has said, in a powerful intervention into a damaging row over climate action.The petrostate’s stance will be seen as as...

Increase in energy price cap by Ofgem follows 10% rise for current quarter, heaping more pressure on households• Business live – latest updates• What is the energy price cap and can I cut my bill?An average annual energy bill in England, Scotland and Wales will rise by 1.2% to £1,738 from January, heaping further pressure on household finances.The energy regulator Ofgem said its quarterly...

This blog is now closedHeatwave conditions are building over parts of Victoria and New South Wales today.According to the Bureau of Meteorology, much of Victoria will experience heatwave conditions, with maximum temperatures in the mid to high 30s. Continue reading...

Residents of Sutton in Hull remember the former MP and deputy prime minister who became ‘a proper Hully’In the village of Sutton, which John Prescott called home, everybody has their own anecdote about the Labour heavyweight.For some, it was simply that they had seen him walking his dog, or out and about in his slippers, but others had more colourful stories to tell. Continue...

The current escalations will set a new status quo for life under Trump – what does the US president have planned?Like Chekhov’s gun coming off the wall in Act V, it was probably only a matter of time before Vladimir Putin launched an experimental, nuclear-capable ballistic missile into Ukraine. It is hardly a coincidence that his decision comes as the war approaches a likely...

Australian designer says she is devastated and heartbroken by US singer’s successful appeal, adding ‘trademark isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastInternational popstar Katy Perry has had a court win in her long-running trademark battle with an Australian fashion designer over her Katie Perry trademark loungewear.Sydney...

Thompson refutes ‘any and all allegations that have been made’ against him after government announced actionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTownsville’s controversial mayor has been suspended from the role for a year on full pay, but has vowed to return to the job after clearing his name.Queensland’s local government minister, Ann...

Healthscope to rip up contracts with Bupa and Australian Health Services Alliance in fight over extra feeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHealthscope, Australia’s second-largest private hospital operator, will terminate its contracts with two private health insurers, leaving members facing potentially hundreds of dollars more in out-of-pocket costs.The change will affect 38...

Historic England to recognise home where Hollywood legend said he spent ‘happiest days’ of his childhoodThe humble West Country beginnings of one of Hollywood’s most glittering stars is being commemorated with the unveiling of a Historic England national blue plaque at his beloved childhood home.Archie Leach may have transformed into that epitome of well-heeled sophistication, Cary Grant, but he never forgot the old apple...

Case shows gap in protections for deceased tenants’ families, with authorities’ property access policies varyingThe brother of a 29-year-old man found dead in temporary council accommodation says he has been left bereft after his sibling’s belongings were disposed of by council contractors.Simon Byrne had made an appointment with Brighton and Hove officials to collect the possessions of his brother Chris, who had died from...

Sector will have extra £2.8bn cost burden from April due to tax and wage rises announced in budget, says Nuffield TrustLarge parts of England’s adult social care market face collapse as a result of tax and wage rises announced in the budget, with devastating consequences for vulnerable and older people who rely on care services, a leading thinktank has warned.The Nuffield Trust said that...

Everyone in US politics has an opinion on why the Democrats lost the election, and finger-pointing within the party is rife. As the debate rages, Jonathan Freedland will be speaking to various experts about what the party got wrong – and how it can bounce back.This week, he meets James Carville, the veteran political strategist who helped get Bill Clinton elected twiceArchive: Pennebaker Associates,...

Ex-Florida attorney general is longtime Trump ally and was one of his lawyers during first impeachment trialDonald Trump announced that he would nominate for attorney general Pam Bondi, the former Florida state attorney general, hours after the former representative Matt Gaetz withdrew in the face of opposition from Senate Republicans who had balked over a series of sexual misconduct allegations.The move to name Bondi...

Police say man, believed to be under influence of drugs, walked into ER restroom in Upland and did not come outA patient believed to be under the influence of drugs caused chaos at a California hospital when he climbed into the ceiling of an emergency room, got stuck and had to be freed by firefighters.The Latin Times reported that the unnamed man was a...

Carey Dale Grayson was killed on Thursday for 1994 murder by technique that previously caused visible signs of distressAlabama carried out its third execution this year using the controversial new method of nitrogen gas, a technique that in previous state killings caused visible signs of distress.Carey Dale Grayson was put to death on Thursday evening for the 1994 murder of a hitchhiker. The prisoner...

Joe Biden describes as ‘outrageous’ the warrants for Israeli PM and former defence minister, which put them at risk of detention if they go to some other countriesExplained: Why did ICC issue Netanyahu arrest warrant and what are the implications?The international criminal court has issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas...

The fall of the Florida congressman who was accused of sexual misconduct proves there is one rule for Trump and another for everyone elseWhen he ran for US president in 2016, Donald Trump boasted that he would “surround myself only with the best and most serious people”, adding: “We want top-of-the-line professionals.”Second time around, Trump appears to have quality control issues. On Thursday Matt...

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...

Gaetz’s withdrawal comes amid intense scrutiny of allegations of sexual misconduct against cabinet nomineeHow Gaetz nomination unravelled in eight daysMatt Gaetz, the former Florida congressman, withdrew from consideration to serve as Donald Trump’s attorney general on Thursday, amid intense scrutiny of allegations of sexual misconduct, ending the brief nomination of one of Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks.After meeting with senators on Capitol Hill on...

Police accuse 37 people of crimes including conspiracy and trying to tear down one of world’s largest democraciesThe former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and some of his closest allies are among dozens of people formally accused by federal police of being part of a criminal conspiracy designed to obliterate Brazil’s democratic system through a rightwing coup d’état.Federal police confirmed on Thursday that investigators had...

This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest reporting on the ICC arrest warrant here:See all our Middle East coverageIsrael’s position has always held that the rulings of the international criminal court do not apply to it, as it is not a member.Foreign minister Gideon Saar on Thursday said that it had “issued absurd orders with no authority” against Benjamin Netanyahu...

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...

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...

The ICC warrants are a legal earthquake and could weigh heavier on the Israeli PM and his former minister over time• Middle East crisis – live updatesThe arrest warrants issued by the international criminal court (ICC) represent an earthquake on the world’s legal landscape: the first time a western ally from a modern democracy has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity...

Leaders from across spectrum are outspoken in rejection of court’s ‘antisemitic’ and ‘outrageous’ decisionIsraeli leaders from across the political spectrum united to condemn the decision by a three-judge panel of the international criminal court to issue arrest warrants for the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the former defence minister Yoav Gallant.Netanyahu’s office described the warrants as “an antisemitic decision … equivalent to the modern...

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...

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...

For the first time in over 30 years Médicins Sans Frontières halts activity leaving 2 million people in Port-au-Prince without vital healthcareMédecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has said its aid workers are “heartbroken” after the medical NGO was forced to suspend all of its healthcare services in Port-au-Prince for the first time in three decades, leaving Haitians in the violence-ravaged capital without a critical lifeline.The...

Case marks first time a trans person has successfully challenged use of such conversion practices in countryA transgender woman in China has won a record amount of compensation from a hospital that subjected her to several sessions of electroshock conversion practices without her consent.Changli county people’s court in Qinhuangdao, a city in Hebei, approved a 60,000 yuan (£6,552) award to Ling’er, a 28-year-old performance...

Debt interest payments push public finances deeper into the red in fresh blow to Rachel ReevesBusiness live – latest updatesUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK government borrowed more than expected in October as debt interest payments pushed the public finances deeper into the red, piling pressure on Rachel Reeves as she attempts to grow the economy.Borrowing rose to £17.4bn last month, the second...

A New Zealand citizen is also ill, while a US citizen has died following a suspected mass poisoning event in the town of Vang ViengGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMelbourne teen Bianca Jones has died from methanol poisoning in a Thai hospital, a week after the Melbourne teen and her best friend fell ill while travelling in neighbouring Laos.Anthony...

Ofwat uses new powers to ensure customer funds are not used for bonuses at Thames, Yorkshire, and Dŵr Cymru Welsh WaterShareholders at Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water will be forced to pick up the tab for executive bonuses after the water regulator determined that the sector had awarded “undeserved” extra payments worth £6.8m.Ofwat said on Thursday that it had used...

The former trade union activist and key figure in the New Labour project died at a care home surrounded by his familyBritish prime minister Keir Starmer says he is “deeply saddened” to hear that Prescott has died, and called him a “true giant of Labour”.In a statement on X, he said, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of John Prescott. John...

Lenders could get up to a year to respond to growing flood of complaints after shock court ruling last month The City regulator plans to intervene in the growing car loan mis-selling scandal in a move that could give lenders up to a year to respond to a growing flood of customer complaints after a shock court ruling.The Financial Conduct Authority has been under...

Ukraine’s air force said the launch took place from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation, an area to the south-east of VologogradHungary announced overnight it is to install an air defence system in the north-eastern part of the country as the threat of an escalation of the Ukraine-Russia war is “greater than ever”, its defence minister said.Reuters quotes Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky from a video...

Outcry after draft text contains only an ‘X’ instead of setting $1tn funding goal to support developing countriesCop29 climate summit – live updatesHopes of a breakthrough at the deadlocked UN climate talks have been dashed after a new draft of a possible deal was condemned by rich and poor countries.Faith in the ability of the Azerbaijan presidency to produce a deal ebbed on Thursday...

Former trade union activist who had Alzheimer's died peacefully at care home, says familyJohn Prescott: a life in picturesUK politics live – latest updatesJohn Prescott, the former British deputy prime minister and stalwart of the New Labour movement, has died aged 86.Tony Blair and Gordon Brown led tributes on Thursday to Prescott, who had Alzheimer’s, after his family announced he had died peacefully at...

Four-day exclusion zone an improper use of Marine Safety Act, judge rules, despite ‘skilful’ submission from transport minister Jo HaylenGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales supreme court has set aside a Minns government decision to cut off access to Newcastle harbour to try to prevent a four-day climate protest.The court found the notice was invalid after...

International Distribution Services’ says it will take £134m hit from budget but shows improved underlying financial performance The company that owns Royal Mail has blamed a £134m hit from Labour’s first budget in 14 years for preventing a return to profit, as its underlying financial performance improved.International Distribution Services’ half-year results illustrate the difficulties it is facing during one of the most turbulent periods...

This blog is now closedSydney train strike: chaotic shutdown averted after 11th-hour crisis talks with unionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNew South Wales MPs condemned for ‘part-time’ parliamentary yearScores of NSW MPs will earn the equivalent of more than $10,000 per sitting week in 2025 after a bid to increase the year’s 16-week calendar was rejected, AAP reports.To do...