The Guardian - November 23, 2024

In this issue

November 23, 2024

Gordon Brown: assisted dying is not the answer

Former PM says death of his baby daughter, Jennifer, convinced him of the value of good end-of-life care

3 mins

Cop29 offer to poorer countries dismissed as 'shameful failure'

Developing countries were being urged by civil society groups to reject \"a bad deal\" at the UN climate talks last night, after rich nations refused to increase an \"insulting\" offer of finance to tackle the climate crisis.

2 mins

Judge postpones sentencing in hush-money trial as Trump seeks to dismiss case

Sentencing in Donald Trump's hush-money case has been postponed indefinitely while lawyers on both sides argue over its future given his recent election victory.

3 mins

Ho ho... how much? Are these UK's most expensive mince pies?

Orford, a picturesque pocket of the Suffolk coast, has a storied and rather bizarre history. It is home to an impeccably preserved medieval castle built by Henry II to see off dissenting barons, and for much of the 20th century the rugged seafront was sealed off and used as a top-secret military testing site, prompting rumours about death rays and UFO sightings.

3 mins

Start the presses: TikTok owner says it will publish print books

The company that owns TikTok - the video-based social media platform will begin publishing print books in February.

2 mins

Milan now boasts most expensive shopping Street

If the names Fendi, Dior, and Valentino were rubbed from the shopfronts, Milan's Via Monte Napoleone could pass for a slightly fancier than average street in the northern Italian style capital, with the typical jostle of vans and Vespas alongside Porsches, tourists, and Milanese locals.

2 mins

Netanyahu invited to visit Hungary as world leaders split over ICC warrants

Hungary's illiberal prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has said he will invite his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to visit in defiance of an international criminal court arrest warrant, as world leaders split over the ICC's momentous decision.

2 mins

Gatwick terminal reopens after bomb scare evacuation

Gatwick airport's south terminal reopened for passengers yesterday afternoon after a security alert that caused disruption for thousands.

2 mins

Crisis in special education holding children back, says ombudsman

England's special educational system is failing, causing thousands of children to have their development put back by months or even years, according to a damning report by the local government ombudsman.

2 mins

'Parents' worst fear' The risks of drinking on backpacker party trail

Vang Vieng is an unlikely party hub. Surrounded by striking limestone mountains and caves in central Laos, it morphed from a small farming town to a hedonistic party hub in the early 2000s. Twentysomething backpackers are lured to the town by tubing on the Nam Song River, an activity in which travelers float downstream on inflatables between bars set among spectacular scenery. The experience has cemented Vang Vieng's spot on south-east Asia's famed backpacker trail.

4 mins

Family mourns 'kind and loving' daughter who died in 'poison drink' incident in Laos

Tributes have been paid to the \"beautiful, kind and loving\" British tourist Simone White, one of six people to die in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos.

3 mins

Anti-racism book events called off amid threats from far right

Hanif Kureishi, Billy Bragg and freedom of speech groups have voiced alarm after a number of venues cancelled events to promote a book by an anti-racism campaigner amid threats and fears that the recent riots have emboldened the far right.

1 min

Judges order a halt to case against MI5 over Manchester Arena blast

The families of the Manchester Arena bomb victims have said they are \"extremely disappointed\" after judges ruled they could not continue their legal action against MI5.

1 min

UK man admits arson attack on Ukraine-linked London business

A British man has pleaded guilty to an arson attack on a Ukraine-linked business and accepting pay from a foreign intelligence agency.

1 min

Don't think twice Ecstatic reactions to Bob Dylan biopic mean Chalamet may break Oscars record

Complete Unknown, James Mangold's biopic of Bob Dylan, finished filming five months ago.

3 mins

Martial artist assaulted woman at Dublin hotel, civil court finds

A jury at Ireland's high court has found that the Irish martial arts fighter Conor McGregor assaulted a woman who had accused him of raping her at a hotel in Dublin in December 2018.

1 min

Average energy bill to rise to £1,738 from January as squeeze continues

The average annual energy bill in England, Scotland and Wales will increase to £1,738 from January, heaping further pressure on household finances, as the price cap rises by 1.2%.

2 mins

'Shameful' Snowiest place feels chill of Labour's fuel payment cuts

\"It's a bit fresh, isn't it?\" says Ken Cook, a retired headteacher, as an icy wind blasts into the valley from up the hill.

3 mins

A long road Jeremy Clarkson: motoring writer, TV presenter, firebrand farmer - then politician?

Steve Berry, a presenter on the BBC's Top Gear TV show for six years, can remember the moment he first rubbed up against Jeremy Clarkson's ego and ambition.

6 mins

Chancellor resists U-turn as Treasury studies moves to soften farm tax

Rachel Reeves is holding firm against a U-turn on inheritance tax for farmers, despite the Treasury analysing ways of softening the impact.

3 mins

AI could herald 'a golden age' Scientists air fears and hopes

Scientists air fears and hopes

3 mins

Ryanair and Vueling fined by Spain over bag and seat policies

Spain has fined five budget airlines, including Ryanair, a total of €179m (£150m) for charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations, prompting the Irish carrier to say banning the practices would \"destroy\" the ability to offer cheap tickets.

1 min

'Always in our hearts': tributes to woman found dead in boot of car

The family of Harshita Brella, who was found dead in the boot of a car in east London, have said they \"will never forget you till our last breath\" in a tribute to the 24-year-old.

1 min

Thousands of blocks of flats still unsafe, Labour peer tells Lords

Far too many high and medium-rise buildings remain unsafe in the wake of the Grenfell disaster, with dangerous cladding on at least 2,400 blocks, a housing minister has warned.

2 mins

Will fans buy into 'Glicked' trend to bring back buzz of Barbenheimer?

The great Barbenheimer clash of 2023 - when Barbie came out on the same day as Oppenheimer - will be remembered for capturing the public imagination and bringing audiences back to cinemas in droves after years of Covid-induced apathy.

2 mins

Dirty drinking Dua Lipa mixing it with taste for brine

If Donald Trump's penchant for Diet Coke has ruined the drink for you, perhaps the answer is to follow Dua Lipa's lead and get to grips with a salty, dirty cocktail.

2 mins

Damaging Africa's identity' Is it time Band Aid changed its tune?

Is it time Band Aid changed its tune?

3 mins

Pro-Brexit views not protected by equality law, tribunal rules

Supporting Brexit is not a belief that is protected from workplace discrimination, an employment tribunal has ruled, as a former Ukip councillor lost her claim that she had been bullied and harassed by her charity employer because she supported the UK's departure from the EU.

1 min

TV review It's gentle and sedate - but full of laughs

Only Child BBC One and iPlayer

2 mins

Reform UK MP was detained for 'kicking' his then girlfriend

The Reform UK MP James McMurdock was apparently detained in a young offenders institution for repeatedly kicking his then girlfriend, it has emerged, despite previously claiming she was hurt after he pushed her.

1 min

Leading barrister made aspiring lawyer have sex with him, tribunal told

A former chair of the Criminal Bar Association (GBA) made a woman who was an aspiring lawyer have sex with him against her wishes, a disciplinary tribunal has heard.

2 mins

Normal people? A cabinet of horrors and a case of no consequences for old men

Trump's cabinet choices have been compared to a \"battalion of bozos\" (Jimmy Kimmel), \"beyond insane\" (Rep Jim McGovern), \"feral lunatics\" (the American Prospect) and \"the bar in Star Wars\" (everyone).

4 mins

Stage review A courtside view of friendship and fandom

A courtside view of friendship and fandom

2 mins

Revealed: foreign firms taking billions of litres of water from British aquifers

Foreign multinational companies are extracting billions of litres of water from British aquifers to sell as bottled water, the Guardian can reveal.

3 mins

Why they are top of the crops The rise of the leguminati and a life full of beans

Their goal is to transform the diets of people across the world, to start a revolution in food production and consumption.

3 mins

Plan to return singing cicadas to New Forest for first time since 1990s

When British conservationists flew to Slovenia this summer, they hoped to catch enough singing cicadas to reintroduce the species to the UK.

1 min

Kremlin Salvo fired as warning to the west before Trump 2.0

Like Chekhov's gun coming off the wall in Act IV, it was probably only a matter of time before Vladimir Putin launched an experimental, nuclear-capable ballistic missile into Ukraine.

3 mins

Russia 'has sent military aid to Pyongyang' in deal for Kursk reinforcements

Russia has sent air defence missiles and other military technology to North Korea in return for the deployment of its troops to support the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, intelligence officials in South Korea said yesterday.

3 mins

Ukraine Will this week's missile crisis change the course of the war?

In Kyiv, as autumn turns fast to winter, Ukrainians in the government describe a vacuum before the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House on 20 January.

3 mins

Katy Perry wins appeal against Sydney designer Katie Perry

The pop star Katy Perry has won an appeal in her long legal battle with a Sydney fashion designer over her Katie Perry trademark loungewear.

1 min

Wisconsin kayaker faked his own death to leave wife

A Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning this summer so he could leave his wife and three children is living in eastern Europe and has been communicating with US authorities, a sheriff has said.

1 min

Wire cutters How the world's vital undersea cables are being targeted

The lead-clad telegraphic cable seemed to weigh tons, according to US navy lieutenant Cameron Winslow, and the weather wasn't helping their attempts to lift it up from the seabed and sever it.

2 mins

It's Gisèle who will be remembered' Supporters rally outside Pelicot trial

Supporters rally outside Pelicot trial

4 mins

View from the heartland Trump Voters celebrate new appointments

In the American heartland, they're excited.

5 mins

Actor Denzel Washington reveals past drinking problem

Denzel Washington has opened up about a long period of alcohol reliance that began in the late 1990s.

1 min

The air is killing us' Calls for long-term action as Delhi is choked by smog

Calls for long-term action as Delhi is choked by smog

3 mins

Scholz to lead SPD into snap election as rival withdraws

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, will be nominated as the candidate to lead his Social Democratic party (SPD) into the February general election after his more popular defence minister, Boris Pistorius, pulled out of the race.

1 min

Merkel expresses 'huge concern' over Musk's role in US government

Angela Merkel, who in her new memoir raises fears for the western democratic order with Donald Trump as US president, has also expressed deep concerns about the outsized role to be played in his administration by Elon Musk.

2 mins

Haiti summons French diplomat after Macron's 'morons' insult

Haiti's government has summoned the French ambassador to protest about \"unfriendly and inappropriate\" comments by Emmanuel Macron, who was caught on camera calling the country's leaders \"morons\".

1 min

Armed gang steal jewels from French national treasure

Robbers who targeted a French museum have snatched jewels worth millions of euros from a work by the famed Parisian goldsmith Joseph Chaumet that has been classed as a national treasure.

1 min

Feeling the strain Rising bills and Trump policies to add to pressure on households

Labour swept to power in the wake of a punishing cost of living crisis that hit households hard, with the price of food and energy rocketing, alongside the impact on mortgage rates of Liz Truss's disastrous mini-budget.

4 mins

Budget blamed for end to 12 months of expansion as optimism slumps

Labour's first budget in 14 years has been given the \"thumbs down\" by private sector businesses, with Rachel Reeves's measures blamed for the end to a 12-month run of expansion and a fall in retail sales.

2 mins

Bitcoin rises after US SEC chair says he will step down

Cryptocurrencies rose sharply immediately after one of the industry's biggest critics, Gary Gensler, said he would stand down as the head of the US financial regulator when president-elect Donald Trump was inaugurated in January.

1 min

Irish tycoon bids to buy out Yorkshire Post owner

National World, the owner of the Scotsman and Yorkshire Post - and underbidder in the auction for the Telegraph - has received a buyout proposal from largest shareholder.

1 min

Electric dream sours Carmakers fight strict EV rules as fines loom

When Ford announced this week that it was cutting 800 jobs in the UK, the US carmaker had stern words for the government.

2 mins

Northvolt boss resigns after EV battery firm files for bankruptcy

The chief executive of Northvolt has resigned after the Swedish battery startup filed for bankruptcy protection in the US.

2 mins

Spain floods force firms to look south for oranges

Some British retailers and wholesalers have been forced to switch to sourcing oranges from South Africa and South America earlier than usual after last month's floods in eastern Spain left farmers struggling to harvest and ship their crops.

2 mins

Packaged accounts Are the perks worth the money?

For a monthly fee, banks offer everyday banking with all kinds of enticing extras. Laura Whateley examines how the 'freebies' stack up

6 mins

Scam refund claims

Some victims of bank transfer scams will not get a penny back despite beefed-up rules designed to better protect consumers from fraudsters because several big banks have introduced an excess on refund claims.

1 min

Money hacks How to save on winter sports holidays

When it comes to skiing and snowboarding, going to Europe will always be cheaper than flying to somewhere such as the US or Canada - but costs vary massively on the continent.

4 mins

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