Queen Margrethe II: Danish monarch's 52-year reign in pictures

83-year-old Margrethe II is Europe's longest-serving living monarch, having taken the throne in 1972.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/5PSZcgr

Two children under 10 die in Perth’s Swan River on New Year’s Eve

Boy and girl pulled from the water by members of the public on Sunday afteroon, but could not be revived

Two young children have died after they were found floating in Perth’s Swan River on New Year’s Eve.

The boy and girl, both under 10, were spotted at Burswood near Perth Stadium about 5.25pm on Sunday.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZeDs9MP

Spanish football fan held in Tehran released, Iran says

Santiago Sánchez was detained during a trek in 2022 to the men's football World Cup in Qatar.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/RzhWI89

Howard government worked with Canada to oppose UN declaration on Indigenous rights

Cabinet papers from 2003 show the government pursued talks without consulting peak Indigenous body – which it then abolished

The Howard government fought strongly against recognising the right of Indigenous peoples to “self-determination” and worked secretly with Canada to try to change a draft UN declaration, newly released cabinet papers show.

The cabinet papers from 2003, released by the National Archives on Monday, show that some Australian government departments held concerns about potential impacts of the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples, but Australia’s talks with Canada on amendments were being pursued with “no Indigenous consultation about the process or its product” as such input would be “premature”.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/hN1qOB4

New Year’s Eve 2023: heat and hail forecast in Australia’s weather mix as crowds gather early for fireworks

Displays expected in cities across country to ring in 2024 while predicted wild weather on east coast could disrupt revelry

Heat and hail have been forecast across parts of the country as hundreds queue outside the Sydney Opera House to secure front-row seats for the New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Lines in Circular Quay began to form at 8am on Sunday as people sought to stake their claim to a view. More than a million people are expected to gather across the harbour shoreline before fireworks this evening.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/vTGCKl2

New Year’s Eve fireworks in Australia: ‘your cracker night could end in hospital’, authorities warn

Illegal use of fireworks can lead to thousands of dollars in fines and even jail. Here are the rules around the country

Hefty fines and even jail time are on the cards for those who set off illegal fireworks this New Year’s Eve.

People right across the country used to partake in the annual “cracker night” festival, setting off fireworks in their back yards, but most states and territories began banning this practice in the 1980s.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/XINeRCq

Paula Abdul sues Nigel Lythgoe over alleged sexual assault

The American singer alleges multiple instances of assault while the pair worked together.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/Pmy3Cbp

‘How can such a tiny woman drive a big truck?’ Japan’s labour shortage forces it to rethink gender stereotypes

Freight and logistics sector is turning to women to fill gap as demand for drivers grows alongside cap on overtime

When Mayumi Watanabe tells people what she does for a living, most struggle to hide their surprise, and not just because of her diminutive stature. As a truck driver with 23 years behind the wheel, she is one of a small but growing number of women coming to the rescue of an industry that is the beating heart of Japan’s economy.

“I can see they’re thinking, ‘How can such a tiny woman drive a big truck?’ ” Watanabe, who is 152cm (5ft) tall, told the Observer as she prepared for the busy run-up to the end of the year. “But I’ve always loved cars, so it felt natural to want to be a truck driver.”

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/B6pA38K

Russian influencer Ivleeva fined for hosting 'almost naked' party

TV presenter and influencer Nastya Ivleeva organised a Moscow party that has sparked a moral backlash.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/RKTsnjY

German and Dutch authorities fear repeat of NYE firework violence

Hundreds of people have been seen buying fireworks in Germany and the Netherlands ahead of celebrations.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/mcf1RkX

Tony Chung: Student activist flees Hong Kong to seek asylum in UK

Tony Chung told the BBC he felt he had no control over his life, with police scrutinising his every move.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/LvSIyDh

‘Kagame’s agents are looking for me’: dissidents in UK say Rwanda is not safe

President’s ex-bodyguard among those living in Britain who were told by police or security services they were at risk of assassination

Rwandan dissidents living in the UK who have received police warnings about assassination attempts from the African country’s agents have spoken of their shock and dismay at Rishi Sunak’s insistence that it is a safe country.

The president, Paul Kagame’s former bodyguard and a key political opponent are among at least eight people who have been told by special branch or the security services that there are “imminent threats” to their lives from the government in Kigali.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/R6iDOH0

Venezuela mounts military exercises as UK sends warship to support Guyana

Nicolás Maduro orders ‘defensive’ manoeuvres as British Navy deploys vessel in territorial dispute

Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro has ordered more than 5,600 military personnel to participate in “defensive” exercises, after the UK deployed a warship to waters off the coast of Guyana in a show of support for the former British colony.

Maduro said he was launching an action “of a defensive nature in response to the provocation and threat of the UK against peace and the sovereignty of our country”.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3tW42Em

Russia reopens embassy in Burkina Faso

The move is the latest sign that the former French colony is pivoting towards Russia.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/LHGkPpX

What’s next for Taylor Swift in 2024?

She had a record-shattering and money-making 2023. Will the pop-cultural juggernaut dominate again next year?

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/PqyatXE

Greece would offer major treasures to UK for Parthenon marbles, minister says

Culture minister Lina Mendoni pledges to ‘fill the void’ at the British Museum should the ancient sculptures be returned

Greece is prepared to part with some of its greatest treasures to “fill the void” at the British Museum if the Parthenon marbles were reunited in Athens, the country’s culture minister has said.

Speaking to the Guardian at the end of a momentous year for the campaign to retrieve the fifth-century BC masterpieces, Lina Mendoni vowed the institution’s revered Greek galleries would never go empty.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/ZNThuIp

DR Congo elections: Fayulu's supporters clash with police in Kinshasa

Police have cracked down on an opposition protest to demand that the presidential poll be annulled.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/j1vdlM3

Bill Granger, renowned Australian cook, dies aged 54

Founder of bills cafe in Sydney and globally successful restaurateur and food writer dies peacefully in London, his family says

The Australian cook and restaurateur Bill Granger has died in London aged 54.

The family of the food writer confirmed on Instagram he had died peacefully in hospital on Christmas Day.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/cwZ3ayt

Four more die in Australia’s Christmas storms, with three still missing in Queensland

Three deaths confirmed in south-east Queensland, including a nine-year-old girl, and woman’s body found in flooded Victorian campground

The death toll from Australia’s Christmas storms has risen to six, with three more people missing.

Three deaths were confirmed in south-east Queensland late on Boxing Day, including a nine-year-old girl whose body was found after she was feared lost in stormwater drains in Brisbane.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/c921pzE

Search resumes for Alaska woman swept under river ice

A weekend search found no trace of the woman, who entered the Eagle River near Anchorage in Alaska.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3TYyVAG

Israel-Gaza war will continue for months, IDF chief warns

There are no shortcuts in the fight against Hamas, the army chief insists as Israel pounds Gaza.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/IVT9dkf

Woman killed, more than 100,000 homes without power after wild Christmas storms in Queensland and NSW

Boxing Day weather also predicted to be volatile, with more storms predicted, after hundreds called SES for help on Christmas Day

• Sydney to Hobart race: sailors warned of thunderstorms and ‘gusty and erratic’ winds

A woman has died and more than 100,000 homes been left without power as a result of severe thunderstorms in south-east Queensland on Christmas night, with warnings of more bad weather to come on Boxing Day in New South Wales and Queensland.

Queensland Ambulance Service on Tuesday confirmed a woman had died in Helensvale on the Gold Coast, after being hit by a fallen tree on Monday night.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/bHtruNS

Alexei Navalny: Russian opposition leader found, says team

Mr Navalny's team had no contact with him for weeks and he failed to appear at several court hearings.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/G6AcPod

Serbian police detain 38 people protesting over ‘unfair’ election

Opposition group Serbia Against Violence staged protests over elections deemed irregular by international rights watchdogs

Serbian police have detained at least 38 people who took part in a protest over an election earlier this month that international monitors said was unfair.

Opposition group Serbia Against Violence has been staging protests since the 17 December elections, saying there was election fraud, particularly in the capital, Belgrade. The governing populists were declared winners of the parliamentary and local councils’ elections.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/CAv8dQB

Zelenskiy hails downing of Russian jets in upbeat Christmas message

Ukraine celebrates holiday on 25 December rather than 7 January for first time, in move to distance itself from Russia

Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the shooting down of two Russian fighter jets on Christmas Eve and said “this Christmas sets the right mood for the entire year ahead”.

In a Christmas message marking the first time Ukraine has officially observed the holiday on 25 December rather than 7 January, Zelenskiy also said referred to Ukraine’s claim to have destroyed a further three Russian fighter planes on Friday.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/J74g8pY

Serbian police fire teargas as thousand protest over ‘unfair’ elections

Serbian opposition hold rally after populist ruling party wins most votes in snap poll deemed unfair by observers

Police fired teargas as thousands gathered in Belgrade to demand the annulment of parliamentary and local elections a week ago that international observers said were unfair.

The populist ruling Serbian Progressive party (SNS) won 46.72% of the votes in snap parliamentary elections last weekend, according to state election commission preliminary results.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3tfl8cq

Serbia protests: Anti-government demonstrators try to storm Belgrade City Hall

The opposition demands a re-run of last week's elections which its say were marred by fraud.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/BD27ak5

Russians shell Kherson as Ukraine marks Christmas on 25 December for first time

Birth of Christ was formerly celebrated on 7 January, but has moved in symbolic shift away from Russia

Russian shelling in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region has killed four people, including an 87-year-old man and his 81-year-old wife who died after a strike on their apartment building.

The barrage on Sunday injured nine other people, including a 15-year-old, sparked fires in homes and at a private medical facility, and set a local gas pipeline alight, the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, said.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/tKdJlhR

Ukraine celebrates first Christmas on 25 December

The move to Western calendar is seen as a further shift away from Moscow's influence.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/aZE90vT

Domestic violence worst at Christmas and New Year in Australia, with more than 60 women killed in violent attacks this year

Statistics reveal over 2,000 intimate partner homicides from 1989 to 2021, with three in four victims female

More than 60 women have been violently killed this year, many by intimate partners, and experts warn that the holidays are a particularly dangerous time.

Counting Dead Women Australia – which is run by Destroy the Joint researchers – tracks “every known death due to violence against women” and says the number this week reached 62.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/sdw1iPl

‘She lifted our spirits’: Czechs remember victims of mass shooting as nation holds day of mourning

This Christmas most people’s thoughts are with the victims of the Prague gunman

Just one day before the Czech Republic was due to begin its Christmas celebrations, it held a national day of mourning for the victims of the worst mass shooting in its history.

Flags flew at half mast and a minute’s silence was held at noon for the 14 people killed by a lone shooter on 21 December in the arts faculty at Prague’s Charles University. Images of students hiding from the killer on narrow ledges high above the street horrified the peaceful central European country, where mass violence is extremely rare.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/yZixRNK

Rare video shows killer whale teaching its baby to hunt

An adult orca is seen singling out and subduing a dolphin so that its calf orca can practice its hunting techniques.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/Ejv0Yrx

Mixed-race people become Brazil’s biggest population group

Grouping that includes descendants of Indigenous Brazilians as well as of Africans now outnumbers white population

Mixed-race Brazilians are now the largest population group in the South American country, the latest census has revealed, as the number of people identifying as African-descended in Brazil continues to grow.

New data from the 2022 census released on Friday shows that 92.1 million Brazilians identify as mixed-race, equivalent to 45.3% of the population. This is up from 43.1% in 2010, when the last census was carried out.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/IZDF7KJ

Charlie Sheen attacked by woman at his Malibu home - police

Police have arrested Electra Schrock for assault with a deadly weapon and residential burglary.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/gqB8wJQ

Rainwater tank testing near NSW’s Cadia gold mine finds unsafe levels of mercury

Further testing should be done to reduce the risk of local tank water being contaminated by mercury, expert says

• Sign up for the Rural Network email newsletter
• Join the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the community

An independent study of rainwater tanks near the Cadia goldmine in central west New South Wales has detected unsafe levels of mercury in some residents’ drinking water, nine months after widespread water testing conducted by NSW Health found no unsafe results.

The results come from an independent testing program conducted by Dr Ian Wright through the Cadia Community Sustainability Network (CCSN), which took water samples from kitchen taps and the top and bottom of rainwater tanks at 42 properties near the mine, between August and November 2023.

Sign up to receive Guardian Australia’s fortnightly Rural Network email newsletter

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/t7APnfO

Prague: Dramatic video from city shows people seen leaping from building ledge

A gunman entered Charles University killing 15 people in one of the country's worst fatal shootings.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/fpPMrI4

Macron defends tougher immigration reform as 'shield'

The law - backed by France's far right - makes it more difficult for migrants to bring over family members.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/8EYrpm0

Poland’s new government sacks state TV, radio and news bosses

Move follows regular accusations of biased reporting and transmission of propaganda when PiS was in power

The new Polish government has gutted the top management of public television, making good on a campaign promise to reform a broadcaster that functioned as a mouthpiece of its rightwing populist predecessor, but also prompting criticism of their methods from some quarters.

The government led by prime minister, Donald Tusk, was sworn into office last Wednesday. It has promised to launch an ambitious programme to reverse the damage done to rule of law in the country during eight years of government by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/hJzGuXE

Israel Gaza: What Gaza's death toll says about the war

Women and children are majority of those killed in the war, according to Hamas-run health ministry.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/9Irsikt

‘It surprised the scientists’: Grindavík residents in limbo after powerful eruption

Grindavík residents had been preparing to spend Christmas back at home after being evacuated

Until just after 10pm on Monday, when the earth opened up and spat out an otherworldly 4km-long wall of lava, Sígrún Ísdal had been planning to spend Christmas at home in Grindavík with her family. Like many residents of the fishing town on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, who were all evacuated on 10 November, she had been preparing to move back after more than a month spent in the limbo of temporary accommodation.

Ísdal, who works at Grindavík sports centre, had even been in the town briefly on Monday evening to pick up a few possessions, as residents have recently been allowed to do. “There was just good weather and I didn’t see anything,” she said.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/ONJDyfo

Ukraine military seeks extra 500,000 soldiers - President Zelensky

Ukraine's leader admits mobilisation is a sensitive and costly issue as the war with Russia nears two-year mark.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/vCDl64p

Australia news live: more rain expected in far north Queensland; major bushfire in north-west NSW

Destruction of roads will push up costs for produce such as mangos and bananas. Follow the latest updates live

• Entire town of Wujal Wujal to be evacuated
• Cyclone Jasper: how did it cause so much rain?
• Queensland tourism takes estimated $60m hit
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Cooktown runs low on supplies as it waits for Wujal Wujal residents to be airlifted in

A community escaping flood waters in far north Queensland is set to be evacuated to a town that is low on water and has only three days of food left, AAP reports.

We are ourselves low on food and supplies. We’ve still got enough tucker for another three days. We’ve also got water restrictions at the moment because our water treatment plant was flooded.

We are running around trying to get food, blankets, that sort of stuff. We will see what the state government can organise – it will be a tough ask.

Wujal Wujal have copped it very badly. Some of those poor people have been on the roof of their houses for two or three nights with no power, no communication, no food probably.

That’s a lot of trips going backwards and forwards. But the access road down there has been washed away.

The only way to come is by air. The river is running too strong to think about barges or boats.

We have engaged through the disaster management network with all the councils and we are actively planning to be able to re-supply food, water and medical supplies into all of the isolated communities.

To those folks who are still waiting for that assistance, help is definitely on its way.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/aK5dmOL

Apple halts some Watch sales in the US

The move comes after the US found it violated patent rights of a smaller firm.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/PzJts2Q

Woman kidnapped by Hamas says she was 'shown off like a trophy'

Yarden Roman-Gat was abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri and brought to Gaza during Hamas's 7 October attack.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/hX5iqy1

North Queensland floods: nine people trapped on hospital rooftop in Wujal Wujal, Cairns airport closed

Attempts to rescue those trapped on hospital roof being thwarted by continuous rain that is stopping helicopters attending

• Cairns floods: live coverage as far north Qld weather causes intense rain
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Nine people, including a child, are trapped on the roof of a health clinic in the remote north Queensland community of Wujal Wujal, which has been cut off by rising floodwaters caused by ex- Tropical Cyclone Jasper.

Some areas of far north Queensland have exceeded 120-year-old flood records, with reports of hundreds of people seeking assistance from authorities.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/PWaXqY7

Queensland floods live updates: defence force on standby, PM says, as evacuations and rescues continue amid intense rain

Intense rain and flooding from ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper continues as rescue crew are deployed to Cairns. Follow the latest updates live

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Cairns mayor Terry James said at the last count, there were 79 people, five dogs and two cats in a nearby evacuation centre.

Douglas Shire mayor Michael Kerr said he hasn’t seen “anything like this before” when it comes to the extreme weather.

I mean, the 2019 one was a massive village all at once… for it to just stall, stop and sit directly above us and drop the amount of rain that it has is very unusual.

It’s something I don’t think we were prepared for and the fact that the amount of rain that came from and the system we weren’t even anticipating that would be the case.

It’s widespread, there is absolutely water everywhere… I don’t think there’s a road that hasn’t been covered or damaged.

This is something that we haven’t seen for decades.

And because we’re so isolated, we just can’t get people from Cairns up here either.

Then the recovery side of this, once this water does disappear, it’s gonna be massive. There’s infrastructure damage galore, so this is going to be a long-term repair job for us.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/SI48Vuv

Israel Gaza: Hostages shot by IDF put out 'SOS' sign written with leftover food

The three hostages were mistakenly killed in Gaza on Friday by Israeli troops.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/IEOMsSv

Vatican court convicts cardinal Angelo Becciu of embezzlement

Highest-ranking church official ever to stand trial before Vatican criminal court sentenced to five years and six months in jail

A Vatican court on Saturday sentenced a once powerful Italian cardinal to five years and six months in jail for financial crimes at the end of a historic trial.

Angelo Becciu, 75, a former adviser to Pope Francis who was once considered a papal contender himself, is the most senior clergyman in the Catholic church to face a Vatican criminal court.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/lesVQSH

Melania Trump makes rare speech at citizenship ceremony

The former first lady, originally from Slovenia, described the path to US citizenship as 'arduous'.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/xoCSlXf

Orbán must not hold EU hostage over Ukraine, Macron says

French president accuses Hungarian PM of being dishonest to the public about his reasons for vetoing aid

Viktor Orbán must not be allowed to take the EU “hostage”, Emmanuel Macron has said, after the Hungarian prime minister blocked a €50bn EU aid package for Ukraine in the early hours of Friday.

As leaders of the European Union start working on the details of plan B to raise the money through cash and loans, the French president said Orbán was being dishonest to the public about his reasons for vetoing the financial package and would ultimately come around.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/fCK20dN

Parthenon marbles should return to Athens, says Lord Frost

Architect of Brexit calls for closer Anglo-Greek cultural ties, with marbles held elsewhere in Europe also sent back

Britain should be part of a pan-European effort to bring the Parthenon marbles back to Greece, according to an architect of Brexit, who said the UK should make a grand gesture to create closer diplomatic and cultural relations between the two countries.

Lord Frost, a chief Brexit negotiator, called for a deal between Britain and Greece that would put the long-running dispute to bed, with the sculptures returned to Greece for the first time since the early 1800s when they were taken by Lord Elgin. At present they are in the British Museum’s collection.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/KUOEZQt

Finland reopens Russia border but shuts it again amid asylum row

Helsinki accuses Moscow of orchestrated ‘hybrid operation’ that Kremlin denies after 36 people cross from east

Finland has reopened its border with Russia only to shut it again within hours, in the latest stage of a row over asylum seekers in which Helsinki accused Moscow of staging a “hybrid operation” on the EU’s most easterly edge.

After a two-week period of total closure of the border, two of the eight crossings on the 830-mile land frontier were reopened briefly.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/xZH5ahI

‘They are so convincing’: Vera Gazzard lost her life savings to HyperVerse

Australians who were convinced to put money into the Hyper group investment schemes say no one has been held to account for their losses

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails,free app or daily news podcast

Geelong woman Vera Gazzard had plans for her $50,000 in savings. Elective surgery was on the list, as was help for her daughter who was expecting a second child.

But when an acquaintance recommended an investment opportunity called HyperVerse offering daily returns of 0.5% she jumped at the opportunity.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/z5Teu18

US House to vote on formalising Biden impeachment inquiry

The Republican-led House is moving forward with a vote to formalise an inquiry into the US president.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/WKfP1hX

Moment elephant smashes van window in search of food in Sri Lanka

Video shows the mammal charging towards the vehicle in Yala National Park before breaking a window with its tusk.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/wERmjQu

COP28: Three takeaways from the deal on fossil fuels

Climate reporter Esme Stallard breaks down the COP28 climate summit agreement - in less than a minute.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/GbwL2CD

Claudine Gay: Harvard president won't lose job over Congress row

Claudine Gay faced anger after failing to say if students calling for the genocide of Jews would be disciplined.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/v1TS6ZW

Tropical cyclone Jasper live update: Qld weather warnings in place as category 2 storm on track to hit north of Cairns today – latest

BoM tracker map shows forecast path of category 2 cyclone will hit north of Cairns and Port Douglas on the Queensland coast at about 1pm with heavy rain, 140km/h winds and storm surge predicted. Follow the latest Australia news and weather updates today

• Residents and visitors stockpile board games and beer before Jasper crosses Queensland coast
• Jasper to become more severe, prompting weather warnings for 500mm rain, heavy winds
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Many thanks to Martin for kicking things off this morning. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be with you on the live blog today.

See something that needs attention? You can get in touch via X/Twitter @emilywindwrites or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/v1pL9GB

Albanese calls for Gaza ceasefire in joint statement with NZ and Canada PMs

The statement says the leaders are ‘alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza’

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has signed a statement alongside his New Zealand and Canadian counterparts calling for a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an end to the “continuous suffering” of its citizens.

“We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza,” the statement released on Wednesday said, as the Israeli bombardment of Hamas militants in the enclave continues.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/AeELNlG

Far-right Polish MP uses fire extinguisher to put out Hanukah candles

Rabbi says antisemitic attack, hours after new PM vowed to reform Poland, had galvanised support for Jewish community

A far-right Polish MP has extinguished candles on a menorah lit for Hanukah in Poland’s parliament, disrupting proceedings before a planned vote of confidence in the new government.

Grzegorz Braun, a fringe far-right MP, was shown on television spraying the menorah with a fire extinguisher. Smoke and haze filled the area. The parliament took a break in proceedings to deal with the incident and Braun was suspended for the rest of the day.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/Kv9RWN4

Donald Tusk set to take power in Poland after PM loses confidence vote

Parliament formally backs the former European Council leader, ending eight years of Law and Justice party rule

Poland’s prime minister has lost a vote of confidence in parliament, clearing the path for a three-way pro-European alliance of opposition parties headed by the former European Council leader Donald Tusk to take power later this week.

The vote on Monday brought to an end eight years of rule by the nationalist Law & Justice (PiS) party, accused of illegally eroding the rule of law, turning state media into propaganda outlets, rolling back minority rights and fomenting feuds with the EU.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/0PvbysT

Google: Barbie and Shakira among most searched in 2023

Barbie and Oppenheimer were the most-searched for films in 2023, and took £30m in their opening weekend.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/gejKBqw

Village in Ireland hit by ‘possible tornado’ as high winds damage cars and homes

Trees flattened and roof ripped off in Leitrim village as Storm Fergus brings yellow warnings for wind

Homes and cars in an Irish village have been seriously damaged after a possible tornado hit the area.

Emergency services were called to Leitrim village on Sunday afternoon after high winds flattened trees, ripped a roof off a building and left debris scattered on a street.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/FPExwz7

Spanish La Liga match abandoned after fan dies in stands

Granada's La Liga match with Athletic Bilbao is abandoned after a supporter dies in the stands at Nuevo Los Carmenes stadium.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/jlhLxkA

‘I’m not Daniel Andrews’: Jacinta Allan on power, sexism and the path to treaty

As her predecessor continues to make headlines, the Victorian premier says she’s charting her own course

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Jacinta Allan had her whole week planned out.

It was late September, the end of the school holidays, and she had travelled to Melbourne from her home in Bendigo for work. Her husband and two children had planned to meet her in town to go to the Royal Melbourne Show.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/nKqwG6r

DR Congo President Tshisekedi compares Rwanda counterpart Kagame to Hitler

Félix Tshisekedi accuses his counterpart in neighbouring Rwanda of wanting to expand.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/MFaJOB8

Images show major damage to Gaza's oldest mosque

Hamas accuses Israel of causing the damage to the medieval Omari mosque, Israel has not yet commented.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/GjU6oVK

Marine and Jean-Marie Le Pen to stand trial over alleged misuse of EU funds

French far-right party denies irregularities in employment of parliamentary assistants

French far-right politician Marine Le Pen will stand trial alongside 27 others over alleged misuse of EU funds, the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Friday, charges that Le Pen’s party said it contested.

Twenty-eight defendants will be brought to court, including Le Pen and her father, Jean-Marie, the office said, confirming French media reports.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/aN6tOcK

Shane MacGowan: Tribute to 'trailblazer' at Tipperary funeral

The late Pogues singer is hailed as a poet as family, fans and famous friends mourn him in Tipperary.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/o4Ldktp

Israel war cabinet minister's son killed in Gaza fighting

Gadi Eisenkot's son Gal, 25, died after a tunnel shaft exploded in northern Gaza, Israeli media say.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/53gf80O

Two arrested in France over alleged bedbug pest control scam

Pair accused of charging elderly householders between €300 and €2,100 for services they did not need

French police have arrested two men on suspicion of fraud after they allegedly sold bedbug pest control services for large sums to elderly people who did not need them.

The two men, operating in eastern France, phoned their victims, usually women over 90, telling them there had been a bedbug infestation in their neighbourhood, authorities said.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/6xLdgkw

Gaza's food queues get longer and the hungry jump fences

As Gaza's food queues get longer, the UN says it cannot run a dependable humanitarian operation anymore.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/bV0eBjX

French restaurant boss charged over woman’s botulism death

Greek woman, 32, was one of 16 diners who fell ill after eating at the restaurant in central Bordeaux

A French restaurant boss has been charged over the death of a woman after an outbreak of botulism at the establishment, linked to improperly preserved sardines.

A 32-year-old Greek woman died in September after eating at the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar in central Bordeaux. She was one of 16 mostly foreign diners who fell ill in the space of a week while the southwestern city was hosting Rugby World Cup matches.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/gSY1a4X

BBC reporter in Gaza: People here are traumatised and exhausted

People say life in Khan Younis is "indescribable" as Israel's bombardment of the south intensifies.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/EHAiWzT

Pro-Russia Ukrainian MP Illia Kyva shot dead in Moscow suburb

Ukraine’s military intelligence spokesperson tells national TV that former politician ‘is done’

A former Ukrainian MP regarded by Kyiv as a traitor has been reportedly shot dead in a park in suburban Moscow by Ukraine’s SBU security service.

Illia Kyva was a pro-Russian member of Ukraine’s parliament before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but fled to Russia a month before the start of the war and frequently criticised Ukrainian authorities online and on Russian state TV talkshows.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/YIpuKF2

News live: national cabinet to talk health funding as surgery wait times soar; public vote names Australian lunar rover

State and territory leaders gather with NDIS topping the agenda. Follow the day’s news live

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Telstra is paying the price after being caught overcharging customers for the third time since 2020, Australian Associated Press reports.

The telco giant will refund $21m to consumers charged for inactive internet services across an 11-year period, at an average of about $2,600 a customer.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/g0lkyYu

Russia rejects offer to release jailed reporter Evan Gershkovich, US says

The Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested in Russia on espionage charges, which he has denied.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/RZV1qe5

Flights grounded and trains cancelled in Germany as freezing weather hits Europe – s it happened

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our European news coverage here

Here are more photos from Germany today.

Train service disruptions are ongoing in areas of Germany.

Even after the resumption of operations on the affected routes, it is likely that only a very limited train service will be possible due to the major weather-related restrictions.

We therefore expect a very high capacity utilisation of the trains and continue to recommend postponing journeys to and from Munich.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/NektxWa

Australia news live: Reserve Bank to deliver year’s last interest rates decision as economists tip no change

Poll finds 28 of 30 economists expect central bank to keep cash rate steady at 4.35%. Follow the day’s news live

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

The consequences of cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games will linger over the Brisbane Olympics, a top sporting body warns.

Australian Associated Press reports that Athletics Australia will today front a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the failed 2026 Commonwealth Games bid months after former premier Dan Andrews announced the state would no longer host the major sporting event.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/iaQc9Ff

Ex-US ambassador Manuel Rocha charged over spying for Cuba

Manuel Rocha, a former US ambassador to Bolivia, was allegedly a secret agent for more than 40 years.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/g9nIQik

Boris Johnson considered ‘raid’ on vaccine plant in the Netherlands

Covid inquiry expected to be told former PM was open to ‘military options’ to obtain ‘impounded’ jabs from factory in Leiden

Boris Johnson’s appearance before the Covid-19 inquiry is not until Wednesday but it is already making headlines in the Netherlands amid a mixture of amusement and alarm at claims he asked for British spies to plan a “raid” on a Dutch vaccine plant.

The operation – according to sources who briefed Johnson’s employer, the Daily Mail – would have taken place against the backdrop of a tit-for-tat row in March 2021 between the then prime minister and the EU, which was moving towards restricting exports of vaccines across the Channel.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/IOvWdyX

Beyoncé: Meet the designer who made her sparkle on tour

Hundreds of hours go into Gaurav Gupta's designs for Beyoncé, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/0tJ1C3Y

South Africa: The region where political violence is on the rise ahead of elections

The BBC's Fergal Keane returns ahead of elections next year - 30 years since apartheid ended.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/37nmka2

Australia news live: Gold Coast abandons 2026 Commonwealth Games bid; cabinet to consider migrant re-detention bill

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate says $700m plan for ‘streamlined’ Games failed to win state or federal backing. Follow the day’s news live

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

The assistant minister for climate change and energy, Jenny McAllister, was also making the rounds this morning amid the Cop28 summit.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, she spoke of the pledge that Australia has signed alongside more than 100 nations, to triple renewables by 2030 and double energy efficiency.

We, of course, are working towards transforming our national electricity system to incorporate 82% renewables by 2030. This is a really ambitious transformation, but one that we believe will lay the foundations for a cleaner and more affordable energy system for Australians.

If you think about what it means to take our energy system from 33% renewables to 82%, that does mean that our fossil fuel use within our own energy system at home is changing very dramatically over the course of a decade.

We know that globally, we need to see similar changes and similar investments in the new technologies to drive low emissions power, not just here in Australia, but actually, right across the world.

… or any electorate around the country where it is proven to be technologically feasible, has a social licence and it is going to get prices down.

We have to be humble enough at these conferences at Cop to say what are other countries doing? What peer countries are doing is they are saying we are looking at nuclear energy as part of the balanced mix.

We must in Australia be driven not by ideology, but by economics and engineering and learn from those countries and that includes consideration for zero emissions nuclear energy, and people may be arguing all they like, but we will be very open and transparent as we always have been.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/NnEsAxO

Israeli forces reported to be pushing into southern Gaza

The head of Israel's military says the IDF is fighting "strongly and thoroughly" in south Gaza.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/1vajmTI

Watch moment powerful quake strikes Philippines

Videos show the violent tremors from two earthquakes in the Philippines.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/pcfSvsw

Vacant property taxes, levies and caps on the table as NSW Labor reviews Airbnbs and short-term rentals

Exclusive: Minns government to place every aspect of housing ‘under the microscope’ as it confronts rental crisis

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Vacant property taxes, levies and annual caps will be considered when the New South Wales government reviews regulation of short-term rentals including Airbnbs over the next six months.

The housing minister, Rose Jackson, who will lead the review, hoped to find ways to move some holiday rentals and unoccupied properties on to the longer-term rental market as the Minns government confronts the state’s chronic housing crisis.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/eEokdTF

Israel-Gaza war: Residents of Khan Younis say Israeli strikes heaviest since start of war

Civilians in parts of north and south Gaza have been told to evacuate as Israel's renewed bombardment continues.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/JcLOQ9y

Ethiopia pilgrims return to Aksum for festival in Ark of Covenant city

Aksum's authorities say half a million people are there for the first time since the Tigray war ended.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/Fp7Bqnu