General news

• 'Nonsense!' Dame Esther Rantzen hits back at assisted dying critic

  06-01-2025 07:00 via express.co.uk
  
  Dame Esther responded after a columnist tried to use her own cancer experience as an argument against assisted dying.
  
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• Southern California wildfire: Palisades blaze doubles in size to nearly 3,000 acres – live updates

  08-01-2025 05:11 via theguardian.com
  More than 13,000 structures under threat while nearly 15,000 customers without electricityWildfire spreads near Los Angeles – full reportMinutes after the J Paul Getty Trust issued a statement on the Palisades fire and efforts to protect the Getty Villa from wildfires, an unidentified official on LAFD radio said that the Getty Villa Museum was “catching on fire”, the Los Angeles Times reports. At this time, it’s not clear whether any structures have caught fire, but offic
  
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• Fast-moving wildfire destroys homes as strong winds hit southern California

  08-01-2025 04:35 via theguardian.com
  
  Fire quickly consumed hundreds of acres in the Pacific Palisades, an affluent community north of Santa MonicaFollow live: Wildfire billowed by ‘life threatening’ windstorm sweeps southern CaliforniaA fast-moving wildfire erupted in Los Angeles county on Tuesday, quickly consuming nearly 3,000 acres and destroying homes in an affluent community along the Pacific Ocean.Whipped by unusually strong winds, the fire prompted frenzied evacuations through winding roads in the Pacific Palisad
  
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• Ukraine war briefing: Trump sympathises with Russian stance against Ukraine joining Nato

  08-01-2025 04:05 via theguardian.com
  
  President-elect says he understands Moscow’s feelings about having ‘somebody right on their doorstep’; Biden to announce weapons package. What we know on day 1,049See all our Ukraine coverageDonald Trump has said he sympathises with the Russian position that Ukraine should not be part of Nato, and lamented that he will not be able to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin before his inauguration. Though Nato members and the Biden administration have expressed support for its eve
  
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• Will Labour take on the power of private schools in the UK? – podcast

  08-01-2025 04:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Professor of sociology Sam Friedman charts the enduring influence of private schools in the making of the British elite and asks whether the Labour government is looking finally to curtail itThe current Labour cabinet has been described as the most state-educated in British history: it’s not just Keir Starmer who went to a grammar school, all four holders of the great offices of state were state-educated.It is, as LSE professor of sociology Sam Friedman explains, a marked departure from go
  
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• Former Cambodian opposition politician shot dead in Bangkok – reports

  08-01-2025 02:02 via theguardian.com
  
  A gunman on a motorcycle opened fire on the dual Cambodian-French national as he arrived in Thai capital from Cambodia’s Siem ReapA former Cambodian opposition MP and French citizen was shot dead by a gunman on a motorcycle in Bangkok on Tuesday, according to Thai media.“Lim Kimya... died at the scene. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Bureau have launched a manhunt for the assassin,” the Bangkok Post reported, adding that the deceased was a dual Cambodian-French national.
  
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• The maps that show how China’s military is squeezing Taiwan

  08-01-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  China has increased its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace over the last year, part of strategic harassment that is taking a toll on the island’s resourcesChina’s military launched a record number of warplane incursions around Taiwan in 2024 as it builds its ability to launch full-scale invasion, something a former chief of Taiwan’s armed forces said Beijing could be capable of within a decade.Analysts said China’s relentless harassment had taken a toll on Taiwan&rsq
  
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• Schools in England face ‘death by a thousand cuts’, headteachers say

  08-01-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Rising costs likely to outstrip funding in coming year, despite recent injections of additional moneySchools in England are facing “death by a thousand cuts”, headteachers have said, after a leading economics thinktank said rising costs are likely to outstrip funding in the coming year, despite recent injections of additional money.Without more ambitious government investment in education, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said there could be yet more cuts in Engla
  
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• Rolls-Royce to invest £300m in expansion of Goodwood factory

  08-01-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Luxury carmaker driven to meet demand for bespoke upgrades, after recording third-highest annual sales in 2024Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has said it will invest £300m in expanding its Goodwood factory in West Sussex to meet the growing demand for bespoke upgrades, after the luxury carmaker recorded its third-highest annual sales in 2024.The investment will extend the luxury carmaker’s manufacturing facility as it gradually moves away from V12 petrol engines to battery electric vehicles,
  
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• Labour says cap on school uniform items could save families £50 a child

  08-01-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Government plans to limit branded student kit to three articles, plus a tie, from September 2026 in England Plans to cap the number of branded uniform items schools in England can require to three, plus a tie, could save families more than £50 a child, with additional annual savings of £450 from free breakfast clubs in all primaries, the government has said.The cost-saving measures are laid out in the government’s children’s wellbeing and schools bill which is due to be d
  
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• ‘Flat packing them’: soldier says SAS described killing Afghans in casual way

  08-01-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Inquiry hears elite forces had a ‘kill all males on target whether they posed a threat or not’ policy in AfghanistanAfghans who were killed by members of the SAS in Afghanistan were described dismissively as having been “flat packed” according to revealing testimony given by a former member of the elite force’s sister unit to a public inquiry.The soldier, known only as N1799, said he had been party to a conversation with a member of the SAS in 2011 who had served in
  
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• Fewer than one in 14 male humpback whales in New Caledonia are fathers

  08-01-2025 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Reproduction is ‘very rare’ for a humpback male, study of South Pacific whales findsAs few as 7% of male humpback whales in New Caledonia in the south-west Pacific may have fathered offspring, a study has found.The paternity analysis found that 93% of males had no evidence of genetic offspring throughout the 25-year study period and no male had sired more than two offspring. It was unclear why some males were more successful than others, the authors said. Continue reading...
  
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• Wildfire in Pacific Palisades, California – in pictures

  08-01-2025 00:58 via theguardian.com
  
  Homes evacuated in Los Angeles neighbourhood as blaze spreads amid intense Santa Ana winds in Southern California Continue reading...
  
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• NHS trusts declare critical incidents due to ‘exceptionally high demands’ in A&E

  08-01-2025 00:31 via theguardian.com
  
  Hospitals in Birmingham, Cornwall and Liverpool among those affected, with one patient forced to wait 50 hours to be admittedA number of NHS trusts have declared critical incidents due to “exceptionally high demands” in emergency departments, with a patient at one hospital forced to wait 50 hours to be admitted to a ward.
  Hospitals in Birmingham, Cornwall, Hampshire, Liverpool, Northamptonshire and Plymouth have declared critical incidents.
  East Sussex hospitals trust announced it is
  
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• Appeals court hears case that could dilute Black voters’ power in Louisiana

  08-01-2025 00:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Fifth circuit, seen as primed for the Maga era, hears arguments challenging state’s newly created mapsA federal appeals court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that could further erode voting rights protecting minority voters or solidify that Louisiana’s legislative maps diluted Black voters’ power.The fifth circuit court of appeals, which hears cases brought for appeal from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, will weigh in on Nairne v Landry, a case in which a federal judge in L
  
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• Trump refuses to rule out using military to take Panama Canal and Greenland

  07-01-2025 23:56 via theguardian.com
  
  Remarks likely to set off alarm bells around the world as Trump prepares to return to the White House this monthDonald Trump is refusing to rule out using American military force to retake control of the Panama Canal and seize Greenland, citing economic security as a driving factor.Speaking at a Tuesday press conference at Mar-a-Lago, the incoming US president explicitly declined to give assurances against using military or economic coercion when pressed about his plans regarding Panama and Gree
  
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• Woman who left 35 puppies in filthy caravan gets suspended sentence

  07-01-2025 23:40 via theguardian.com
  
  One dachshund later died after Micaela Anderson-Letts left the animals without food or water in EastbourneA woman who left 35 puppies and a dog in a dilapidated caravan covered in faeces and without food or water in Sussex has been given a suspended sentence over numerous animal welfare offences.One dachshund puppy died days after being rescued from the mobile home in Eastbourne and other canines were treated by vets for malnourishment. Continue reading...
  
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• Postecoglou backs misfiring Son and says even Salah would struggle at Spurs

  07-01-2025 23:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Manager highlights context of Son’s poor form Tottenham have interest in PSG forward Kolo MuaniAnge Postecoglou has backed Son Heung-min to rediscover his best form and suggested even Mohamed Salah would struggle in the current Tottenham team.Son, who has seen Spurs trigger their one-year option on his contract to tie him down until the summer of 2026, goes into Wednesday night’s ­Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to ­Liverpool with an unforgiving ­spotlight on his
  
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• Newcastle on verge of Carabao Cup final after famous win at Arsenal

  07-01-2025 23:02 via theguardian.com
  
  The irony will surely not be lost on Mikel Arteta. On a night when his side were hoping to put one foot in the Carabao Cup final, it was Alexander Isak– a striker that the Arsenal manager has long coveted – who did the damage as Newcastle secured a famous victory.It was no less than Eddie Howe’s side deserved as they bid to reach the final once again after the heartache of losing to Manchester United at Wembley in 2023. Goals either side of half-time from Isak – his 10th
  
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• US imposes sanctions on senior Hungarian government minister

  07-01-2025 22:46 via theguardian.com
  
  US treasury accuses Antal Rogán, a close aide of leader Viktor Orbán, as key to ‘system of corruption’The United States has imposed sanctions on a senior member of the Hungarian government for alleged corruption, in a move which Budapest said it would challenge as soon as Donald Trump takes office.The US treasury accused Antal Rogán, a close aide of the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, of using his role to secure financial benefits for himself and his politic
  
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• The normalizers are exuding calm – but Trump 2.0 is anything but normal

  07-01-2025 22:45 via theguardian.com
  
  Trump’s repeated threats to US allies mark a new and alarming departure, indicating he’ll top his first term by going more extremeHollywood actors at Sunday’s Golden Globe awards did not make their usual jokes or protests. Silicon Valley titans are falling over each other to donate to his inauguration fund. In Washington, some Democrats who boycotted his first inauguration have signalled their intention to attend this time.There is no doubt the resistance to Donald Trump feels
  
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• Arsenal had to choose between Caldentey and Miedema, says Eidevall

  07-01-2025 22:20 via theguardian.com
  
  Former manager says budget restrictions led to decision‘The reality is we couldn’t afford both’Jonas Eidevall has admitted budget restrictions forced Arsenal to choose between signing the World Cup winner Mariona Caldentey and extending Vivianne Miedema’s contract.Eidevall also said his decision to let Miedema leave led to such a breakdown in his relationship with the fans that the “cloud” over the club could be swept away only through his resignation. The Swe
  
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• Annual ‘winners’ for most egregious US healthcare profiteering announced

  07-01-2025 22:17 via theguardian.com
  
  Selling body parts without consent and billing desperate parents $97,599 for air transport among worst examplesThe 2024 “winners” of the annual Shkreli awards, given each year to perpetrators of the most egregious examples of profiteering and dysfunction within the healthcare industry, have been released from the Lown Institute, an independent healthcare thinktank.The recipients are chosen by a panel made up of health policy experts, clinicians, journalists and advocates. The awards
  
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• Jenrick shape-shifts on air with reality-bending Today interview

  07-01-2025 21:43 via theguardian.com
  
  Shadow justice secretary makes case for second child sexual abuse inquiry, despite ignoring the last one You can tell that Elon Musk must have overstepped the mark when even Kemi Badenoch has taken a break from tweeting her support for the ketamine-riddled world’s richest man. The Tory leader’s reality is largely shaped by what she reads on social media, so unless she’s taken time out to help the Muskster find a drug counsellor, she’s decided that she’d be better of
  
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• A new era of lies: Mark Zuckerberg has just ushered in an extinction-level event for truth on social media | Chris Stokel-Walker

  07-01-2025 21:38 via theguardian.com
  
  The Meta boss’s decision to end Facebook and Instagram’s factchecking program has set the stage for a fact-free four years onlineSocial media has always acted as something of a funhouse mirror to society as a whole. The algorithms and amplifications of an always-online existence have helped accentuate the worst parts of our lives, while tucking in and hiding the best. It’s part of why we’re so polarised today, with two tribes shouting past one another on social media into
  
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• ‘A snowball’s chance in hell’: Trudeau rejects Trump threat to annex Canada

  07-01-2025 21:33 via theguardian.com
  
  President-elect threatened to use ‘economic force’ to make northern neighbor part of USJustin Trudeau has rejected threats from Donald Trump that the US could use “economic force” to annex its closest ally, saying: “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.“Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner,” Canada’s
  
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• Watchdog criticises ex-bosses of king’s charity over donor dealings

  07-01-2025 21:27 via theguardian.com
  
  Scottish Charity Regulator finds monarch’s former personal aide, Michael Fawcett, put foundation at ‘significant risk’Former bosses of King Charles’s charity, including the monarch’s former personal aide, Michael Fawcett, have been criticised by a charity watchdog over their handling of a series of controversial dealings with wealthy donors.The Scottish Charity Regulator said the trustee board overseeing the Prince’s Foundation (now the King’s Foundation
  
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• A tree is just for Christmas, not for dinner, Belgian food agency warns

  07-01-2025 20:42 via theguardian.com
  
  Message came after northern city of Ghent posted tips for recycling the conifer as a dishAt a time when most people have probably polished off their holiday leftovers, Belgium’s food agency has issued a surprising seasonal health warning: don’t eat your Christmas tree.The message on Tuesday came after the city of Ghent, an environmentalist stronghold in the country’s northern Flanders region, raised eyebrows by posting tips for recycling the conifers on the dinner table. Contin
  
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• Rise in UK borrowing costs could push Reeves to new public spending cuts

  07-01-2025 20:31 via theguardian.com
  
  Analysts say costs hitting highest level since 1998 risk wiping out almost all of chancellor’s £10bn bufferRachel Reeves could be forced to make fresh cuts to public spending at her March “spring forecast” as a rise in government borrowing costs risks the chancellor breaking her own fiscal rules.With the government under pressure on the economy, City analysts warned that Britain’s long-term borrowing costs hitting the highest level since 1998 risked wiping out almos
  
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• Ditching of Facebook factcheckers a ‘major step back’ for public discourse, critics say

  07-01-2025 20:26 via theguardian.com
  
  Mark Zuckerberg’s decision regarding Meta platforms condemned as ‘a full bending of the knee’ to Donald TrumpMark Zuckerberg’s decision to ditch factcheckers on Facebook and “prioritise free speech” weeks before Donald Trump returns to power was condemned on Tuesday as a “major step back” for public discourse.The Meta founder announced multiple changes to his platforms including Facebook and Instagram in an attempt to “dramatically reduce the
  
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