Aemo report says investment needed in country’s main electricity grid over the next decade. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Is McLaren costing Oscar Piastri the F1 title, department asked at Senate estimates It’s a strong start to Senate estimates this morning, with Nationals senator Matt Canavan asking the department of infrastructure secretary, Jim Betts , about the F1 results from Qatar overnight. It’s been a bit of a frustrating night for…

The prime minister is keen to change the conversation after the Tories called his chancellor’s ethics into question The political fates of Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are intertwined. Allies say that if one goes, the other is likely to follow. This is why, in the wake of the budget, the Conservatives have attempted to focus their response on the chancellor’s personal ethics , accusing Reeves of lying about the rationale behind her record-breaking tax rises. Continue reading...

Exclusive: PM hits back at critics as he insists Rachel Reeves right to impose £26bn worth of tax rises at budget • Keir Starmer: Labour is getting on with the job of economic renewal Labour’s economic plan will take years to deliver in full, Keir Starmer has said as he tries to regain the narrative after a turbulent response to last week’s budget . In an article for the Guardian, the prime minister hit back at his political opponents, insisting the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, was right to impose…

Detectives claim to have uncovered Sydney-based network involving online distribution of child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic or satanic themes Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast NSW police say they have uncovered an “international satanic child sex abuse material ring” and charged four Australians for their alleged involvement. Detectives from the sex crimes squad said that as part of Strike Force Cons…

Algerian foreign minister says African countries and peoples continue to pay a heavy price for colonialism African leaders are pushing to have colonial-era crimes recognised, criminalised and addressed through reparations. At a conference in the Algerian capital, Algiers, diplomats and leaders convened to advance an African Union resolution passed at a meeting earlier this year calling for justice and reparations for victims of colonialism. Continue reading...

Journalist and editor also led British Board of Film Classification and served as senior lay member of the Church of England Andreas Whittam Smith, the co-founder of the Independent newspaper and a former president of the British Board of Film Classification, has died aged 88. Whittam Smith was also the first editor of the Independent and served as first church estates commissioner, the senior lay member of the Church of England, from 2002 to 2017. Continue reading...

Liverpool gathering lays bare bitter divisions within new party founded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana The new leftwing party founded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana will be called Your Party after a vote by members, but its weekend conference laid bare bitter divisions. Just over 37% of members voted for the name Your Party, provisionally adopted when it was launched earlier this year, to become permanent. The votes for others on the shortlist were 25.23% to be called For The Many, 25.23…

Officials in Indonesia say more than 442 people have died, while Sri Lanka suffers worst natural disaster since 2004 tsunami Authorities in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand are racing to clear debris and find hundreds of missing people after more than 900 died in devastating floods and landslides across the south of Asia. In the latest example of the impact of the climate crisis on storm patterns and extreme weather, heavy monsoon rains, exacerbated by a tropical storm, have overwhelmed parts o…

Former Labour leader announces official name at conference in Liverpool after vote by members Kemi Badenoch has reiterated her calls for the chancellor to resign on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, after accusing Rachel Reeves of breaking promises not to raise taxes. In this year’s budget, Reeves froze tax thresholds for three years longer than previously planned, meaning that as wages rise more people will have to start paying income tax. The chancellor called an emergency pres…

Pontiff tells politicians and religious heads they must persevere with peace efforts despite facing ‘highly complex, conflictual’ situation Pope Leo has urged political leaders in Lebanon to make peace their highest priority in a forceful appeal as he is visiting the country, which remains a target of Israeli airstrikes, on the second leg of his first overseas trip as Catholic leader. Leo, the first US pope, arrived in Beirut on Sunday from a four-day visit to Turkey where he said that humanity’…

Plane skidded off runway and 45 cars were piled up as 53 million were under winter weather alerts over Thanksgiving A Thanksgiving weekend storm system brought over a foot of snow and strong winds across the US midwest and thunderstorms across the south, as 53 million people from South Dakota to New York were under winter weather alerts . Over the weekend, ahead of one of the busiest travel days of the year on Sunday, a 45-car pile-up occurred on interstate 78 in Indiana and a Delta Air Lines pl…

Ludwig Minelli, whose work had lasting influence on Swiss law, dies just days before his 93rd birthday The head of the Swiss right-to-die organisation Dignitas has ended his life through an assisted death, the group has said. Ludwig Minelli, who founded the group in 1998, died on Saturday, days before his 93rd birthday, Dignitas said. It added: “Right up to the end of his life, he continued to search for further ways to help people to exercise their right to freedom of choice and self-determinat…

Pressure grows on Pedro Sánchez amid series of claims involving his family, party and administration Tens of thousands of people have attended an anti-government demonstration in Madrid to demand a snap general election as the country’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, tries to weather a series of corruption allegations involving his family, his party and his administration. Sunday’s protest, called by Spain’s conservative People’s party (PP) under the slogan, “This is it: mafia or democ…

Exclusive : Government to end exemptions to mandated closing times for pubs and clubs, including those that allow 24/7 gambling Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast More than 670 poker machine venues across New South Wales will lose their “outdated exemptions” to operate after 4am as the state government responds to pressure to address “a public health catastrophe”. The decision, announced by the state’s gaming minist…

Exclusive : Separate research shows number of young children having suicidal thoughts has risen at ‘alarming’ rate Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Young Australians aged 16 to 25 are attempting to kill themselves, self-harming and experiencing suicidal thoughts in greater numbers and at earlier ages than previous generations, a landmark study has found. It comes as Kids Helpline data provided exclusively to Guard…

Documents reveal comments by Det Insp Mark Thompson were attempt to flush out killer’s supporters Police made potentially critical mistakes in Hannah Clarke murders, new evidence reveals Read more from Guardian Australia’s two-year investigation here Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Senior Queensland police officers gave a presentation that explained controversial comments made by a detective in the wake of the Hannah Clarke murders were part of a police “media strategy” th…

Use of 8m pounds of antibiotics and antifungals a year leads to superbugs and damages human health, lawsuit claims A new legal petition filed by a dozen public health and farm worker groups demands the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stop allowing farms to spray antibiotics on food crops in the US because they are probably causing superbugs to flourish and sickening farm workers. The agricultural industry sprays about 8m pounds of antibiotic and antifungal pesticides on US food crops annua…

Rescue teams find more bodies in burnt-out buildings of Wang Fuk Court complex after Wednesday’s fire The death toll in Hong Kong’s apartment complex fire has risen to 146 after investigators discovered more bodies in the burnt-out buildings. A steady stream of people placed bouquets of flowers at an ever-growing makeshift memorial at the scene of the disaster, among the worst in the city’s history. The Hong Kong police’s disaster victim identification unit has been going through the buildings o…

Hundreds of people still missing after heavy rain and mudslides in country’s deadliest natural disaster for years Entire areas of Sri Lanka’s capital are flooded after a powerful cyclone triggered heavy rains and mudslides across the island, with authorities reporting nearly 200 dead and dozens more missing. Officials said the extent of the damage in the country’s worst-affected central region was slowly becoming clear on Sunday as relief workers cleared roads blocked by fallen trees and mudslid…

Exclusive: French artist planning to cover bridge over Seine in tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude The enigmatic French artist JR will undertake what he says is his biggest ever challenge next year when he “wraps” Pont Neuf, the oldest standing bridge across the Seine River in Paris, in a tribute to a monumental art project by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. For three weeks next June, the 232-metre (761ft) long bridge will be wrapped in fabric, 40 years after the married artists known for their lar…

Axing of Maki Otsuki performance in Shanghai the latest in spate of cancelled cultural events involving Asia’s two biggest economies Japanese “One Piece” singer Maki Otsuki was forced to halt her performance on stage in Shanghai, her management said, one of the latest events hit by a diplomatic spat between Tokyo and Beijing. Otsuki, known for the theme song of the popular anime, had been slated to perform for two days from Friday at the Bandai Namco Festival 2025 in the Chinese city. Continue r…

Two new books analyse what makes the ‘perfect pub’ and both come to a sobering conclusion: Irish pubs are in trouble Like triple-distilled whiskey, Irish pubs appear to have timeless appeal. They are staple setting in films, books and plays, draw tourists to Ireland, replicate themselves around the world and induce social media quests for the perfect snug and the perfect pint. Scholars have now bestowed academic imprimatur on this cultural treasure status by examining – and celebrating – pubs th…

Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding accountability Anger over a deadly blaze at a Hong Kong high-rise apartment complex simmered on Sunday as Beijing warned against attempts to use the disaster to disrupt the city, while people across the financial hub continued to mourn for the more than 128 victims . Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding government accountability, an indepe…

Two Palestinian children reportedly killed on Saturday as Israel continues its strikes after latest ceasefire The Palestinian death toll has surpassed 70,000 since the Israel-Gaza war began, Gaza’s health ministry said on Saturday, while a hospital reported Israeli fire killed two Palestinian children in the territory’s south. The toll has continued to rise after the latest ceasefire took effect on 10 October. Israel still carries out strikes in response to what it has called violations of the t…

Defense secretary called reports about his role in strike as ‘fake news’ intended to discredit US military The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has declared recent reporting that he may have illegally ordered all people to be killed in a military strike in the Caribbean as “fake news” on Friday evening, adding that the series of strikes of people on boats had been “lawful under both US and international law”. Hegseth lambasted reports about his role in the strike as “fabricated, inflammatory …

Another 191 missing after heavy rains from Cyclone Ditwah while almost 78,000 evacuated to temporary shelters amid rescue operations Torrential rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have killed 153 people across Sri Lanka so far, with another 191 still missing, the country’s Disaster Management Centre (DCM) said on Saturday. The DMC director general, Sampath Kotuwegoda, said relief operations were under way with 78,000 people moved to nearly 800 state-run welfare centres after their homes…

Committee highlights allegations including dog attacks and sexual violence, raising concern about impunity for war crimes Israel has “a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture”, according to a UN report covering the past two years, which also raised concerns about the impunity of Israeli security forces for war crimes. The UN committee on torture expressed “deep concern over allegations of repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, waterboarding, use of prolonged str…

Account of visit to Gaza by French professor describes Israeli military attacks on security personnel protecting convoys A historian who spent more than a month in Gaza at the turn of the year says he saw “utterly convincing” evidence that Israel supported looters who attacked aid convoys during the conflict. Jean-Pierre Filiu, a professor of Middle East studies at France’s prestigious Sciences Po university, entered Gaza in December where he was hosted by an international humanitarian organisat…

Dawn Butler leads calls for humanitarian visas and fee waivers for vulnerable relatives of UK nationals affected by storm British MPs have joined campaigners calling for more aid and humanitarian visas for Jamaicans to enter the UK after Hurricane Melissa demolished parts of the country, plunging hundreds of thousands of people into a humanitarian crisis. The UK has pledged £7.5m emergency funds to Jamaica and other islands affected by the hurricane, but many argue that the country has a moral o…

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla quits as MP after being accused of recruiting 17 men who are trapped in war-torn Ukraine A daughter of the former South African president Jacob Zuma has resigned as an MP, after being accused of tricking 17 South African men into fighting for Russia in Ukraine by telling them they were travelling to Russia to train as bodyguards for the Zumas’ uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, 43, the most visible and active in politics of her siblings, volunteered to re…

Temperatures dip to -8.5C in Poland and 250mm of rain falls in 24-hour period across Sri Lanka Temperatures plummeted this week across the eastern half of Europe, with the Alps dipping as low as -20C and to -8.5°C in the Polish town of Zakopane in the Tatras Mountains. Heavy snow also affected other parts of Poland with 15-20cm (about 6-8in) of snow falling in much of the central swathe of the country and more than 40cm in the south towards the mountains. Continue reading...

Alarming shift since 2010 means planet’s three main rainforest regions now contribute to climate breakdown Africa’s forests have turned from a carbon sink into a carbon source, according to research that underscores the need for urgent action to save the world’s great natural climate stabilisers. The alarming shift, which has happened since 2010, means all of the planet’s three main rainforest regions – the South American Amazon , south-east Asia and Africa – have gone from being allies in the f…

Officers say they are closing borders and suspending poll as president and main rival both claim victory Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau have announced they are taking “total control” of the west African country, three days after elections that both the two main presidential contenders claim to have won. Military officers said they were suspending Guinea-Bissau’s electoral process and closing its borders, in a statement read out at the army’s headquarters in the capital Bissau and broadcast on state T…

The president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, said all 24 of the girls kidnapped last week had been rescued All 24 schoolgirls held by assailants after a mass abduction last week from a school in north-western Nigeria have been rescued, the country’s president announced on Tuesday. A total of 25 girls were abducted on 17 November from the Government Girls Comprehensive secondary school in Kebbi state’s Maga town, but one of them was able to escape the same day, the school’s principal said. The remainin…

The strikes come a day after a suicide attack on a security compound in Pakistan’s Peshawar city Pakistan strikes on neighbouring Afghanistan have killed 10 people – among them nine children – a Taliban government spokesperson has said, a day after a suicide attack on a security compound in Pakistan’s Peshawar city. “The Pakistani invading forces bombed the house of a local civilian resident ... As a result, nine children (five boys and four girls) and one woman were martyred” in Khost province,…