The Guardian - January 09, 2025

In this issue

January 09, 2025

Meta's new rules set up clash with UK and EU

Sweeping changes to the policing of Meta's platforms have set the tech giant on a collision course with legislators in the UK and the EU, experts and political figures have said.

3 mins

Mass evacuations in Los Angeles as deadly wildfires wreak havoc

Fast-moving wildfires have torn through several neighbourhoods of Los Angeles, killing at least two people and incinerating more than 1,000 buildings in what was described as an \"unprecedented\" blaze in the city.

3 mins

Chancellor moves again to reassure markets as bond sell-off intensifies

Rachel Reeves took the rare step of issuing a public statement for the second successive day yesterday, insisting she had an \"iron grip\" on the public finances, as the sell-off in bond markets intensified.

2 mins

Post-cold war era is over, says Lammy as he vows to revamp Foreign Office

The post-cold war era is \"well and truly over,\" and keeping the British people safe means standing up to Russia, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, has said.

2 mins

You're twisting my melon: Bez, Ryder and Gallagher join forces

As he eyes his return with Oasis later in the year, Noel Gallagher has joined forces with two other icons of Manchester music: the Happy Mondays' Shaun Ryder and Bez, in their super-group Mantra of the Cosmos.

2 mins

Indignation and ridicule in Mexico over 'exploitative' award-winning film Emilia Pérez

A musical about a Mexican cartel boss who fakes their death, transitions and is reborn as a heroine searching for the forcibly disappeared is sweeping international film awards, but has prompted amusement and outrage in Mexico.

2 mins

Holding back 'By the time we left, it was near the end'

In the past few months, Jon Oei's parents, who live in the Pacific Palisades Highlands neighbourhood, have received multiple wildfire evacuation orders, the most recent in the early hours of New Year's Eve.

2 mins

Letby conviction a 'clear miscarriage of justice', MPs told

Fundamental flaws in the criminal trial system led to the former nurse Lucy Letby being convicted of murder in a \"clear miscarriage of justice\", David Davis has said in parliament.

2 mins

Met handling of alleged abuse by Fayed referred to police watchdog

The police watchdog will examine new complaints from alleged victims of Mohamed Al Fayed about the way the Metropolitan police handled allegations against him.

1 min

Government may lift BSE-era ban on animal remains in feed

Ministers may lift a ban introduced during the BSE crisis on the use of animal remains in feed for farmed chickens and pigs, over fears that foreign producers are undercutting British farmers.

2 mins

Black men are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer

Black men in England are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer than their white counterparts but less likely to receive life-saving treatment, analysis by the National Prostate Cancer Audit has found.

1 min

Air kissing a colleague is not sexual harassment, judge says

Giving a colleague an \"air kiss\" does not amount to sexual harassment, an employment judge has ruled.

1 min

Teenager stabbed to death on bus in London named

A 14-year-old boy who was stabbed to death on a London bus has been named by his mother as Kelyan Bokassa.

2 mins

Protesters at Unilever Have All Charges Dropped

Criminal charges have been dropped against dozens of people who staged a protest against plastic pollution outside the headquarters of Unilever.

1 min

A daily glass of milk may cut the risk of bowel cancer by 17%

Having a large glass of milk every day may cut the risk of bowel cancer by nearly a fifth, according to the largest study conducted into diet and the disease.

2 mins

Edinburgh to introduce 'tourist tax' on overnight stays

Hotels, short-term lets and campsites in Edinburgh will start charging a visitor levy on all overnight stays in the summer of 2026 booked from May, in a phased introduction to the scheme.

1 min

Snow, ice and stranded people: amber alert issued as parts of UK face coldest weather in years

A new amber warning for snow has been issued in the south-west of England as temperatures are expected to plummet as low as -20C in parts of the UK in the coming nights.

2 mins

Three-year wait for social care plan 'inappropriate', says expert

Downing Street's plans to spend three years preparing a blueprint to overhaul social care are \"inappropriate\" given the urgency of the crisis facing frail, ill and disabled people, a leading care expert has told MPs.

1 min

Body found in Italy believed to be that of missing hiker Sam Harris

A body found in the search for two missing British walkers in the Dolomites is believed to be that of Sam Harris, Italy's alpine rescue service said yesterday.

1 min

"This really matters' A Facebook factchecker explains their work

The Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced on Tuesday that his company, Meta, would be scrapping factcheckers in the US, accusing them of making biased decisions and saying he wanted to enable greater free speech.

3 mins

'Dangerous times' Nobel prize winner warns of 'a world without facts'

The Nobel peace prize winner Maria Ressa said yesterday that Meta's decision to end factchecking on its platforms and to remove restrictions on certain topics meant \"extremely dangerous times\" ahead for journalism, democracy and social media users.

2 mins

Policy Badenoch rules out announcements until 2027

Kemi Badenoch has told her shadow cabinet not to expect any big Conservative policy announcements for the next two years.

1 min

PM stays safe as KemiKaze battles on but with nothing much to add

Last weekend the Daily Mail ran a front-page story about the imminent demise of Keir Starmer.

2 mins

Tories accused of 'bandwagon jumping' during angry exchanges over child rape

Cabinet ministers have ramped up attacks on Conservative \"bandwagon jumping\" over child rape gangs during furious exchanges in the Commons in which the government easily saw off a Tory attempt to force a new inquiry on the issue.

2 mins

Wales falling behind Europe in culture and sport spending, report finds

It is known as the land of song and as one of the world's most passionate sporting nations. But a major report has concluded that Wales is languishing behind almost all other European countries in spending on recreational, sporting and cultural services.

2 mins

Met 'banned' pro-Palestine marches from starting outside the BBC HQ

Scotland Yard has been accused of effectively banning major pro-Palestine marches outside the BBC's headquarters in London.

1 min

NHS trust to cancel operations amid 'extreme winter pressure'

An NHS trust is preparing to cancel operations, urgently discharge 140 patients and restrict admissions to help it cope with \"extreme winter pressures\".

2 mins

UK Athletics charged over death of UAE Paralympian

UK Athletics has been charged with corporate manslaughter over the death of a Paralympian who was hit on the head by a metal pole during the London World Para Athletics Championships in 2017.

1 min

Family Demands Answers Over Man Shot Dead by Police on Christmas Eve

The family of a man who was shot dead by police on Christmas Eve are seeking answers about his death, saying he was \"unjustifiably taken away from all of us\".

2 mins

RSPB withdraws sale of flat bird feeders over fatal finch disease

The RSPB has withdrawn flat bird feeders from sale on its website amid warnings they could be spreading deadly diseases to finches.

1 min

OpenAI co-founder accused of abuse by sister

The sister of the OpenAI chief executive, Sam Altman, has filed a lawsuit alleging that he regularly sexually abused her for several years, starting when they were children.

1 min

France and Germany warn Trump against 'moving borders by force'

Germany and France have warned Donald Trump against any attempt to \"move borders by force\" after the US president-elect said he was prepared to use economic tariffs or military might to seize control of Danish-administered Greenland.

3 mins

Greenland: Why the US has its sights set on vast Arctic island

Hours after his son Donald Trump Jr touched down in the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, on Tuesday onboard a Trump-branded plane, the US president-elect, Donald Trump, held a press conference where he refused to rule out using military force to make Greenland part of the US, and threatened to impose \"very high\" tariffs on Denmark, of which Greenland is an autonomous territory, if it gets in his way.

2 mins

Elon Musk EU urged to act over political interference by X owner

The EU executive has been too slow to enforce a law intended to ensure good behaviour by social media companies, MEPs have said, amid concern about the aggressive forays by Elon Musk into European politics.

2 mins

Hush Money: US Supreme Court Asked to Halt Sentencing

Donald Trump has asked the US supreme court to pause criminal proceedings in his New York hush-money case, according to a filing released yesterday.

1 min

'A gift': baby born on small boat making its way to Canary Islands

A baby boy was born on 6 January on a small, crowded boat carrying 60 people on the deadly Atlantic migration route from Africa to the Canary Islands.

1 min

Detained Italian journalist flies home after three weeks in Tehran prison

Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist who was held in solitary confinement in Iran for almost three weeks, returned home yesterday after being freed from Tehran's Evin prison.

1 min

Six big US banks quit net-zero group ahead of Trump presidency

The six biggest banks in the US have quit the global banking industry's net zero target-setting group, with the imminent inauguration of Donald Trump expected to bring political moves against climate action.

2 mins

Western 'failures' Distrust built up over 14 years may hamper reform

The UN special envoy for Syria will urge the security council to back a transition to a pluralist democratic Syria, but faces resistance within the country.

3 mins

Inclusive Interim Government in Syria Will Aid in Lifting of Sanctions, Says UN Envoy

A credible process leading to a new transitional government involving all strands of Syrian society is the best way for the country's caretaker administration to secure a smooth lifting of sanctions, the UN special envoy Geir Pedersen told the UN security council yesterday.

2 mins

Death of founding father of France's far right stirs up family feud over his legacy

The death of Jean-Marie Le Pen looks likely to reignite rivalries in his family over who is the rightful heir to the far-right political dynasty, as a French minister condemned as \"shameful\" the crowds of people who took to the streets to celebrate the politician's demise.

2 mins

Bitter cold threatens Tibet quake survivors as death toll hits 126

Rescuers in China's Tibet region were continuing to search for survivors in freezing conditions yesterday after a devastating 6.8-magnitude quake struck the remote area and killed at least 126 people.

1 min

Ryanair sues passenger over behaviour it says disrupted flight

Ryanair is suing a passenger it claims disrupted a flight between Dublin and Lanzarote, seeking €15,000 (£12,500) in damages to cover expenses incurred when the plane was diverted to Portugal.

1 min

UK insurers may be given green light to make riskier investments

The Bank of England plans to slash the \"reporting burden\" on UK banks and allow insurers to make riskier investments without initial approval, as it comes under government pressure to ease regulations introduced after the financial crisis.

1 min

Two power stations earn £12m for three hours of electricity

Two gas power station owners were to be paid more than £12m to supply just three hours of electricity yesterday evening after freezing weather led to some of the highest market prices since the energy crisis began.

2 mins

Permanent job vacancies shrink at the fastest pace for four years

Vacancies for permanent jobs in the UK declined at their fastest pace for four years last month, according to a survey that adds to the gloomy economic mood.

1 min

Shein's refusal to utter the word 'Xinjiang' may placate Beijing, but it won't wash on the LSE

It is \"not unusual\" for UK-listed companies to carry legal risks around the world, Nikhil Rathi, the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, told the FT last month.

2 mins

Public finances Triple-locked Reeves in a bond market bind

Rachel Reeves has a bond market headache.

3 mins

Retailers warn of higher prices and call for tax burden to ease

Retailers have urged ministers to ease their tax burden, saying the prices of food and other items will rise sharply this year as companies grapple with higher employment costs.

1 min

In deep waters Cricket's problem with flooding and climate change is getting worse

The water started flowing into the New Road practice area at about 4pm on Monday afternoon, and just kept on rolling.

4 mins

'I would say that I'm still a kid sometimes. I can be a little pain'

Teenager Mirra Andreeva talks tears, learning on the job and annoying her coach, Conchita Martinez

4 mins

Archie Vaughan follows his father into England captaincy with U19s

Archie Vaughan is following in the footsteps of his father, Michael, after being named as England Under-19 captain.

1 min

Feyi-Waboso dilemma over surgery for sake of Lions goal

England's Manny Feyi-Waboso is still in two minds about whether to undergo a shoulder operation that could affect his chances of British & Irish Lions selection later this year.

2 mins

South Africa must push back against Afghan women's ban, says Hain

The veteran anti-apartheid campaigner Peter Hain has called on Cricket South Africa to challenge the ban on women's and girls' cricket in Afghanistan.

2 mins

Trial will give fans chance to drink alcohol during games

The Women's Championship clubs Birmingham, Bristol City, Newcastle and Southampton will take part in a trial permitting fans to drink alcohol in the stands while watching games.

1 min

Young at heart: Father and son story can add to rich history of Cup

Ashley Young hopes to line up against his son Tyler when Everton face Peterborough in today's FA Cup showdown

4 mins

Potter must work magic to rebuild hapless Hammers

Lopetegui's exit leaves behind team without identity or resilience, though he is not solely to blame for shambles

4 mins

Bergvall rides luck to give Spurs a lift and leave Liverpool fuming

Tottenham feared it was going to be a story about a fresh take on VAR pain.

3 mins

Police hand 'full file' to CPS over footballer accused of rape

The Metropolitan police has handed a \"full file\" of evidence on a Premier League footballer accused of rape to the Crown Prosecution Service.

1 min

Wada faces crisis after US withholds its funding

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is facing a crisis after the US government defaulted on a $3.6m contribution to the global sport watchdog's annual budget.

3 mins

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