THE GUARDIAN

Briefing paper warned proscription could also heighten Muslim-Jewish tensions and be seen as favouring IsraelMinisters banned Palestine Action despite being told by their advisers it could “inadvertently enhance” the group’s profile, an official government document shows.The briefing paper was written three months before the proscription of the group, which was set up to take direct action to halt UK arms supplies to Israel. Continue reading...

I knew he was running away from something. It wasn’t until many years later that I discovered the truthCraig was a runaway when I first met him. Missing from a local children’s home, he spent his days hanging out in Nottingham city centre. He had just turned 13 and he was tall for his age, easily recognisable with his blond hair, but he seemed invisible to the authorities.No one was looking for him or the other dozen children who congregated on the market square. Most of them had absconded […]

Last year, romance fraud rose 52% for over-55s in the UK. Victims often feel they’ve made a terrible mistake and are at fault – but really, they’ve been expertly groomed by criminalsIn total, over two and a half years, Elizabeth gave £100,000 to “Sam”, the “man” she met online, who she thought she loved and loved her back. She emptied her savings account, pawned her late mother’s jewellery and took out bank loans. She became so overdrawn that she could barely afford food and […]

Sports personalities including Martina Navratilova and the swimmer Sharron Davies sign letter condemning Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani’s death sentenceMore than 20 Olympic medallists, coaches and other international athletes, including the tennis player Martina Navratilova and the swimmer Sharron Davies, have signed a letter calling for a halt to the execution of a boxing champion and coach, who is on death row in Iran.Amid growing international outrage over Iran’s escalating use of capital […]

Advocates say presidency could be ‘transformative moment’ for Ireland after Gaelic’s cultural breakthroughsThe Irish language has scored cultural breakthroughs with the film The Quiet Girl and the controversial rap trio Kneecap and is now about to acquire a new talisman: Catherine Connolly.When the independent leftwing politician is inaugurated as Ireland’s president on Tuesday, she will carry hopes of a transformational Gaelic revival. Continue reading...

Russell Crowe has a malevolent charm as the Nazi on trial in a compelling new film. His co-stars and director explain how they understood this monster – and the persistence of evil todayAmong the Nazis who were prosecuted during the Nuremberg trials in 1945 and 1946 was Hitler’s second-in-command, Hermann Göring. Less widely known, though, is the involvement of the US psychiatrist Douglas Kelley, who spent more than 80 hours interviewing and assessing Göring and 21 other Nazi officials […]

England to play just one intra-squad match before start of seriesTourists need more red-ball practice, says former all-rounderIan Botham has launched a fresh broadside at the decision by England to arrange just a single intra-squad match before the start of the Ashes, saying the tourists need more red ball practice in Australia and time to get used to local crowds.The last group of England’s players only arrived in Perth on Sunday, less than two weeks before the start of the first Test on 21 […]

New prime minister says an attack on Taiwan could trigger the deployment of her country’s self-defence forces if the conflict poses threat to JapanJapan and China are embroiled in a row about Tokyo’s potential military involvement in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.Beijing reacted angrily this month after Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said an attack on Taiwan could trigger the deployment of her country’s self-defence forces if the conflict posed an existential threat […]

The failure by state governments to do anything about pollution means it has often been met with apathy. But at a rare protest anger and frustration were rifeAs a familiar smoky evening haze gathered over Delhi, the crowd began to assemble in their hundreds. Mothers and children, students, retirees and environmentalists were all united by a basic but desperate demand: the right to breathe safely in India’s capital.“Delhi is not a liveable city any more, it’s a death trap,” said Radhika […]

Writer and author had testified, and won, at trial that the president had sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990sDonald Trump asked the US supreme court on Monday to throw out a jury’s finding in a civil lawsuit that he sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll at a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s and later defamed her.Trump’s lawyers argued in a lengthy filing with the high court that allegations leading to the $5m verdict were “propped up” by a “series of indefensible […]

Canada has lost its measles elimination status as vaccination rates have slipped below the 95% coverage rate needed to stop outbreaksCanada is no longer measles-free because of ongoing outbreaks, international health experts said on Monday, as childhood vaccination rates fall and the highly contagious virus spreads across North and South America.The loss of the country’s measles elimination status comes more than a year after the highly contagious virus started spreading. Continue reading...

Bill, which passed 60-40 but does not include key health concession demanded by Democrats, now heads to HouseThe Senate on Monday approved a funding package that is expected to bring to a close the longest government shutdown in US history, after a coalition of Democrats broke from their party and voted with Republicans, in a move that has enraged many in their caucus.The vote passed in a 60-40 tally, with seven Democrats and one independent joining all Republicans to approve a compromise deal […]

Star Wars actor said he was ‘not so open to working with Disney’ in interview two days after the company suspended Jimmy KimmelOscar Isaac has said he is “not so open to working with Disney” in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, with the Star Wars actor saying he’d only consider working with Disney again if the company doesn’t “succumb to fascism”.Asked in a GQ interview published Monday whether he’d consider returning to the Star Wars franchise, in which he played […]

Thailand’s military chief suspended the peace agreement with neighbouring Cambodia after a landmine blast injured two Thai soldiers near the borderThailand has suspended the implementation of a peace agreement with neighbouring Cambodia after a landmine blast injured two Thai soldiers near the border, escalating tensions between the neighbours who clashed in July.US president Donald Trump helped broker a peace deal between the two southeast Asian nations, after a five-day border conflict. […]

Products that fail fire safety checks, are counterfeit and breach laws protecting children targeted in raids in LondonA rainbow of vapes and Apple-branded products light up the window of a south London shop as a small army of police prepare to march through the door.Officers have been watching the shop for months and have already carried out tests in independent labs on products bought there. Most have come back with a high risk rate for possible electrocution and fires. Continue reading...

Dame Rachel de Souza says hundreds of children are being locked up unnecessarily due to failing servicesCustody is being used as a “waiting room” for hundreds of children who are being unnecessarily locked up while awaiting trial or sentencing due to failing services, the children’s commissioner for England has warned.Dame Rachel de Souza said many children were being placed in custody not because they posed the greatest risk, but because the systems designed to support them were failing. […]

Industry body says shoppers are waiting for discount day, as Barclays reports falling consumer confidenceRetailers suffered the slowest sales growth since May last month as shoppers were cautious in the run-up to expected budget tax rises and held out for Black Friday discounts.Sales rose 1.6% in October, a step down from 2.3% the month before, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) trade body and the advisory group KPMG. Continue reading...

Black and Asian staff left feeling ‘deliberately intimidated’, according to chief executive of one NHS trustNHS staff who care for patients in their own homes fear some areas have become “no-go zones” for them because of the presence of St George’s flags, health leaders have said.Black and Asian staff have been left feeling “deliberately intimidated” as a result of the flags that were put up in many parts of England during the summer, according to the chief executive of one NHS […]

World’s biggest polluter on track to hit peak emissions target early but miss goal for cutting carbon intensityChina’s carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months, analysis reveals, adding evidence to the hope that the world’s biggest polluter has managed to hit its target of peak CO2 emissions well ahead of schedule.Rapid increases in the deployment of solar and wind power generation – which grew by 46% and 11% respectively in the third quarter of this year – […]

Chart-topping singer-songwriter adds to his previous support of charity that works on behalf of small UK venuesSam Fender has donated his £25,000 winnings from this year’s Mercury prize to a charity supporting the UK’s small music venues.The North Shields singer-songwriter won the prestigious prize in October for his album People Watching, a UK chart-topper that continued his run of poignant, socially conscious songwriting. Continue reading...

Local authorities to be given powers to suspend rule-breaking officials and to withhold allowancesMayors and councillors in England face suspensions of up to six months for serious misconduct and repeated rule breaches as the government seeks to overhaul standards in local government.Under plans unveiled on Tuesday, local authorities will be handed powers to suspend rule-breaking councillors and mayors, including those found guilty of bullying and assault, and to withhold their allowances. […]

An expert describes how communities in some of the world’s driest areas are demanding transparency as secretive governments court billions in foreign investmentThis Q&A originally appeared as part of The Guardian’s TechScape newsletter. Sign up for this weekly newsletter here.The data centers that power the artificial intelligence boom are beyond enormous. Their financials, their physical scale, and the amount of information contained within are so massive that the idea of stopping […]

Ahmed al-Sharaa and Donald Trump hold first White House summit between a US and Syrian leader since 1946The US has announced a partial suspension of sanctions on Syria after a historic meeting in Washington DC between its new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Donald Trump.Monday’s meeting was the first summit between a US and Syrian leader at the White House since 1946. The meeting is part of a remarkable turnaround in US-Syrian relations after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, who had prosecuted a […]

Sami Hamdi’s visa was revoked in what appeared to be retaliation for criticism of Israel while touring the USThe family of British political commentator Sami Hamdi, who was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in late October while on a speaking tour in the US, say he is set to be released and will be able to “return home soon”.“The government has agreed to release Sami,” the family said in a statement on Monday. “He will be able to return home soon […]

The judges ‘had never read anything quite like it’, says panel chair Roddy Doyle, announcing the Hungarian-British author’s novel as the winner of the £50,000 awardJustine Jordan: The risky strategy of Booker winner Flesh pays offHungarian-British author David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker prize for his novel Flesh.Szalay’s sixth work of fiction traces the life of one man, István, from his youth to midlife. The judges “had never read anything quite like it”, said panel chair […]

The protagonist’s inner life is hidden from the reader in this highly original novelDavid Szalay wins 2025 Booker prize for ‘dark’ FleshReflecting on the Booker judging process, chair Roddy Doyle stressed the “singularity” of Flesh, the most unusual novel on the shortlist. In his sixth book, Hungarian-British writer David Szalay takes a classic story arc – one man’s journey through life, from childhood to old age – and presents it in a radically new and challenging way, scooping […]

Jannik Sinner began his title defence with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Félix Auger-Aliassime, who suffered a calf injury at the end of a tight first setSinner to serve, ready … play.Earlier in this group: Alexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton 3 and 6. Continue reading...

Sunday league team with over 1,800 top-flight appearances has contributed to feelgood factor in communityIt all started with a picture and caption on social media: “If Carlsberg did benches.” Then came a tweet, naming nine former Premier League players on the books of Wythenshawe FC’s over-35s side: Stephen Ireland, Emile Heskey, Maynor Figueroa, Joleon Lescott, Papiss Cissé, Oumar Niasse, Nedum Onuoha, George Boyd and Danny Drinkwater.Adding new recruit Jefferson Montero to the list […]

Civil case brought by former England forward Eni AlukoBarton faces potentially massive bill over guilty verdict last week Joey Barton is facing another court case and a potential defamation and harassment bill for hundreds of thousands of pounds after being found guilty last week at Liverpool crown court of six counts of sending grossly offensive social media messages with intent to cause distress or anxiety.The trial in a civil case brought by Eni Aluko against Barton has been scheduled for […]

Clash the latest in months of political infighting between the camps of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah SultanaThe feud between Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana over the future of the leftwing Your Party has taken another twist with the two camps arguing publicly over hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations.Sultana offered to transfer £600,000 from a company the party’s founders set up earlier this year, only to be rebuffed by allies of Corbyn who accused her of playing “political games” […]

Sources say Robbie Gibb amplified criticisms of Trump, Gaza and trans rights coverage, and had ‘a lot of oxygen in the room’‘Make no mistake – this was a coup’: the extraordinary downfall of the BBC’s top bossesA BBC board member with links to the Conservative party “led the charge” in pressuring the corporation’s leadership over claims of systemic bias in coverage of Donald Trump, Gaza and transgender rights, the Guardian has been told.Sources said Robbie Gibb, Theresa […]

With Donald Trump circling and Labour ministers wavering, defending the corporation’s independence is now a test of national willThe chair of the BBC, Samir Shah, struck a defensive tone in his interview to explain the mess the broadcaster has found itself in. The impression was of an organisation under siege rather than one confidently self-correcting. Mr Shah will be busy. He must find a new director general after Tim Davie resigned. Gone too is the CEO of news, Deborah Turness. Both […]

Ministers should encourage teachers who are keen to try new things before the new curriculum’s formal adoptionMuch better to defer a white paper on special needs education in England than to announce plans in haste, only to be forced to withdraw them. This was the calculation behind the government’s decision to put off until next year its plans for reform in a vitally important and sensitive area. Some council leaders were disappointed by the delay, such is their desperation about […]

The whirlwind that started when Deborah Turness came under attack at a board meeting is part of a wider political story, some sayWhen Deborah Turness, the now departed BBC News chief, was first invited to a meeting with the corporation’s board a few weeks ago, there was little to suggest it would be a particularly significant encounter.But instead of a routine meeting, she came under attack over an item added to the agenda. Continue reading...

John Elkann has say after Hamilton’s ‘nightmare’ verdictLando Norris plays down title talk after victory in BrazilLewis Hamilton has been told to “focus on driving and talk less” in a rebuke from the Ferrari president, John Elkann, which was almost certainly a reaction to Hamilton’s outspoken description of his first season with the team as a “nightmare”.Hamilton has endured a difficult debut year with Ferrari, with the team underperforming and the seven‑time champion having a […]