~theguardian-world | Bookmarks (3292)

Lisa Nandy defends Yvette Cooper’s decision to order urgent review following pressure driven by Elon MuskLisa Nandy has said government ministers are considering a “whole range of alternatives” to the BBC licence fee, criticising it as “regressive” but also saying it raises “insufficient money to support the BBC.”Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Nandy appeared to rule out raising money for the BBC from general taxation....

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says that security cabinet will meet on Friday following earlier delays in talks to release hostages in return for ceasefireAnalysis: Islamist groups will emerge from Gaza war weakenedDuring his final press conference earlier on Thursday, US secretary of state Antony Blinken was heckled by two journalists who criticised him for his support for the war in Gaza.That includes providing Israel with...

Negative stereotypes linked to some accents raise serious concerns of bias in justice system, warn researchersResearchers have said a study that found people who speak with accents perceived as working class are more likely to be suspected of committing a crime raises “serious concerns” about bias in the UK criminal justice system.People with accents from Liverpool, Newcastle, Bradford and London risked being stereotyped, according...

Region hit by strong winds, flash flooding and giant hailstones, causing one death and widespread power cutsSevere thunderstorms have been wreaking havoc across eastern Australia this week, unleashing heavy rain, strong winds, flash flooding and giant hailstones.In some regions there were wind gusts of more than 100mph (160km/h) and strong winds caused operational disruptions at Sydney airport as well as extensive damage nearby, including...

Ukrainian police said officers were conducting 200 searches nationwide amid probe into illegal exit of military-aged men from the countryGerman foreign minister Annalena Baerbock indirectly criticised chancellor Olaf Scholz for his reluctance to approve a further 3 billion euros ($3.09bn) in additional military aid for Ukraine.“To be honest, it hurts me a lot,” she said without mentioning the chancellor’s name in an interview with...

Trump’s second term will be marked by a rare level of influence in Congress and the highest courtDonald Trump will come in to power with a “trifecta” of governmental control after his Republican party won the House of Representatives, the Senate and the presidency in the 2024 US election.Control of both chambers of Congress is not uncommon for US presidents. Trump achieved a trifecta...

Charities and experts call for national conversation to move away from sensationalism after Musk criticismKeir Starmer must move the conversation on child sexual exploitation away from sensationalism to support for victims who have had help and protection reduced in recent years, charities, campaigners and experts have said.A joint statement, whose signatories include government services contractors such as the Salvation Army and the Snowdrop Project,...

More than 1,000 trees have fallen in Sydney as wild weather causes problems around cityFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAt least two people have been hit after a huge fig tree fell in Sydney’s centre amid strong winds.The large tree in Hyde Park crashed to the ground across a footpath and...

Latest setback, after talks with Treasury, blamed on lack of clarity about implementation in USBusiness live – latest updatesThe Bank of England has delayed the introduction of tougher global banking capital rules by a further year to prevent another 2008-style crash, blaming the second delay on a lack of clarity about its implementation in the US.The Bank’s regulator, which made the decision after consultation...

Overall retail sales volumes fall by 0.3% in December amid weak ‘golden quarter’ of tradingBusiness live – latest updatesRetailers in Great Britain experienced a surprise fall in sales last month, as supermarkets and food stores had their worst Christmas since 2013, according to official figures.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said sales volumes fell 0.3% month on month in December, as the crucial retailing...

Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were jailed for life last month, with minimum terms of 40 years and 33 years respectivelyThe father and stepmother of Sara Sharif are seeking to appeal against the sentences they received for the 10-year-old’s murder.Sara suffered a “daily living hell” as she was tortured to death over many months by Urfan Sharif, who was described in court as a...

House in Dover Heights doused with red paint in what NSW premier labels a ‘targeted’ and ‘disgusting and dangerous act of violence’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA prominent Jewish leader has said “there is an evil at work in this country” after his former home in Sydney was vandalised.The incident is...

This blog is now closedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlleged attack in Dover Heights ‘disgusting and dangerous’, NSW premier saysThe NSW premier Chris Minns has labelled the alleged attack at Dover Heights overnight as a “disgusting and dangerous act of violence”. In a statement issued this morning, he said:This is a disgusting and dangerous act of violence that is...

Former vice-president makes surprise visit to Taipei and predicts that if China annexes its neighbour other Asia-Pacific countries will build nuclear arsenalsMike Pence called on Donald Trump’s incoming administration to maintain support for Taiwan against the threat of Chinese annexation during a surprise visit to the capital, Taipei, on Friday.On the eve of Trump’s inauguration for his second term as president, his estranged former...

Cheonggyecheon stream in the South Korean capital has become an attraction – and helps with flood management, fighting air pollution and cooling the cityOn a crisp December morning, office workers and tourists stroll along a tree-lined stream in central Seoul, pausing on stepping stones that cross its flowing waters. It’s difficult to imagine that just over 20 years ago, this was a vast elevated...

Police believe 27-year-old Katie Tangey’s death was a case of mistaken identity as friends rally to raise funds for her familyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA popular performer, killed by fire in what police say is a case of mistaken identity, has been remembered as “an icon” as friends rally to...

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says security cabinet will convene on Friday amid concerns the delay could push back the start of the ceasefireIsrael-Gaza war: live updatesIsrael’s security cabinet will meet on Friday after negotiators reached a deal for the release of hostages as part of a Gaza ceasefire with Hamas, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said.In Gaza itself, Israeli warplanes kept up intense strikes,...

After 15 months of war, a ceasefire deal in Gaza has been reached. In his farewell address to the nation, Joe Biden tried to convince the US public that it was just one of many successes he’d had in the White House. But is that how his time in office will be remembered? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the author Franklin Foer about Biden’s legacyArchive:...

If Herbert Kickl becomes chancellor, Vienna will join list of disruptive member states, putting EU policies in perilWhen Austria’s Freedom party (FPÖ) entered government 25 years ago, shock waves reverberated around Europe. Punitive measures were imposed, diplomatic visits cancelled and Belgium even suggested the EU could do without the Alpine country.That was when the far-right party was only a junior coalition partner. This time,...

Scientists say frog’s journey shows difficulty of spotting insects or fungi spread by global plant tradeA tiny tree frog hitchhiking in a bunch of roses to Sheffield from Colombia has inspired a study into invasive species reaching the UK’s shores.Dr Silviu Petrovan, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s zoology department and a senior author of a paper published today in the journal BioScience,...

Exclusive: Majority polled by YouGov viewed billionaire negatively – except among Reform UK and AfD votersMost people in the UK and Germany consider Elon Musk’s efforts to influence their national politics unacceptable and believe the US tech magnate does not know much about either country or the issues they face, a poll has shown.The survey, by YouGov, follows a spate of hostile statements by...

Olivier Grondeau was arrested in 2022 and has accused Iran of using him for ‘political blackmail’ against FranceThe mother of a French traveller detained in Iran for two years has said authorities “know he is innocent” but continue to hold him in the country’s notorious Evin prison.Olivier Grondeau, 33, was arrested from his hotel room in Shiraz, in the south of Iran, on 12...

Lawyers say impeached president will not attend questioning, with investigators expected to seek warrant to extend his detentionSouth Korea’s arrested president, Yoon Suk Yeol, will not attend a new round of questioning by investigators on Friday, his lawyer said, as authorities face an imminent deadline to obtain a warrant to extend his detention or release the embattled leader.In order to hold Yoon in custody...

Neighbours told to stay inside as police seek information on stabbing deaths of two men from same familyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo men died in a brawl at a birthday party on that spilled on to the streets in Melbourne’s outer south-eastern suburbs, police say.Detectives said the two men, aged...