Cop30 live: rumours of deal as delegates prepare for final plenary

After a series of all-night meetings, the Brazilian presidency appears optimistic it has persuaded parties to agree to a deal

We have some texts, but we do not have the big one yet (the global mutirão decision).

So far, we have the final versions on the mitigation work programme, the global stocktake, gender, loss and damage, and the global environment facility.

Newcastle United v Manchester City: Premier League – live

⚽️ Premier League updates from the 5.30pm GMT kick-off
⚽️ Live scoreboard | Latest tables | And do send Scott a mail

Newcastle have won just one (!) of their last 35 (!!!jesuswept!!!) league meetings with Manchester City, losing 28 of them, while their manager Eddie Howe’s personal league record against the club is P18 D2 L16. There’s really no other way to frame this, is there? Godspeed, Magpie Nation.

Not wishing to further harsh what remains of Newcastle’s pre-match buzz, but City have scored in every one of their last 33 league matches against them. That’s not good, which is an eagle-eyed observation snapped into even sharper focus by the fact that only three sides in English top-flight history have bettered such a run against the same opponent, and two of those have been against … well, look …

Chelsea v Newcastle United: 37 games between 1933 and 1969

Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United: 35 games between 1922 and 1961

Everton v Blackburn Rovers: 34 games between 1925 and 1962

Liverpool v Nottingham Forest, Fulham v Sunderland, and more: Premier League – live

⚽️ Follow live updates from Saturday’s major football action
⚽️ Live scoreboard | Latest tables | And do send Tim an email

So Chelsea go second, for now. They have 23 points from 12 games, which is three fewer than Arsenal and one more than Man City (both from 11). City play at 5.30 today at Newcastle and Arsenal have the North London derby, at their place, in tomorrow’s teatime game.

For Burnley, it’s the third defeat in a row after a decent start to the season. They will sink into the bottom three this afternoon if West Ham can get a point at Bournemouth or Forest pinch a win at Anfield – which is what they did last season.

Scotland’s World Cup qualifying win reactions equivalent to small earthquake

Celebrations to McLean’s jaw-dropping goal picked up by seismic activity monitors at Glasgow Geothermal Observatory

When Scotland qualified for the men’s football World Cup for the first time in 28 years, supporters were propelled into wild celebration – and even made the earth move in the process.

According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), when Kenny McLean scored from the halfway line to seal a breathtaking 4-2 win over Denmark, which are ranked 18 places higher in the world than Scotland, the reaction at Hampden Park was equivalent to a very small earthquake.

Wales v New Zealand: Autumn Nations Series rugby union – live

Rugby union updates from the 3.10pm GMT kick-off
Follow us on Bluesky | Get The Breakdown | Mail Daniel

Alrighty, here we go! Nothing to lose for Wales. Just go out there and give it to the All Blacks! A proper chance to make a name.

Hollie Davidson becomes the first female referee to take charge of an All Blacks game.

Trump on Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation: She 'went BAD'

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Friday said she would resign in early January, after saying President Donald Trump unfairly criticized her.

How to watch 2025 NWSL championship game

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman says the rival matchup "is going to be a nail-biter," and says the fans in the sold-out stadium are in for an exciting night.

Coast Guard announces largest cocaine seizure in agency history

The Coast Guard said it conducted its largest cocaine seizure in history worth an estimated $362 million. Take an inside look as officials offload the nearly 50,000 pounds of drugs.

Thanksgiving travel rush in full swing

An estimated 82 million Americans are expected to travel over the next week, according to AAA, and 18 million people are expected to fly, the TSA projects. Here's how to navigate the Thanksgiving rush.

Brazilian police arrest Bolsonaro amid suspicions he was about to flee

Bolsonaro was under house arrest for masterminding coup to stop 2022 election winner, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, taking office

Brazil’s former far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been arrested at his villa in the capital, Brasília​, amid suspicions he was poised to abscond to a foreign embassy to avoid going to prison for masterminding a military coup.

In a brief statement, federal police confirmed officers had executed a preventive arrest warrant at the request of the supreme court. The 70-year-old politician was taken to a federal police base, 7 miles from the presidential palace he occupied from 2019 until 2022, when he lost the election and tried to launch a military coup.

Trump to end temporary protected status for Somali immigrants in Minnesota

Move could affect hundreds of Somalis who fled civil war in their home country

Donald Trump said on Friday night that he’s “immediately” terminating temporary legal protections for Somali migrants living in Minnesota, further targeting a program seeking to limit deportations that his administration has already repeatedly sought to weaken.

Minnesota has the nation’s largest Somali community. Many fled the long civil war in the east African country and were drawn to the state’s welcoming social programs.

‘The ad libs had us shaking behind the camera’: Corbyn and McKellen cameos raise panto’s profile

Star turns are boosting ticket sales this season, including Islington show featuring MP’s Wizard of Oz and Olivier winner’s Toto

We’re a third of the way through the fabulously camp production of Wicked Witches, a mashup of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, at the Pleasance theatre in Islington, north London. Dor (formerly known as Dorothy) and Tin 2.0 need guidance on how to take down the Wicked Witch and save the borough of Oz-lington from a great blizzard.

But wait! Who’s that Facetiming? It’s only Jeremy Corbyn, the wise Wizard of Oz-lington! The 200-person audience cheers and applauds the Islington North MP, who looks as if he’s beaming in from the allotment.

Twenty people allege he has a racist past. He denies it. Who’s telling the truth about Farage’s schooldays?

Reform UK’s leader refuses to answer questions about his abusive behaviour, claiming there’s ‘no evidence’. We talk to victims and witnesses

Nigel Farage has denied – albeit through a spokesperson – that he ever said anything racist or antisemitic when he was a teenager.

The Guardian has spoken to 20 of his contemporaries while at Dulwich College in south London who say otherwise – more than half of them on the record.

Championship: Coventry storm back to beat Baggies, Saints thrash Charlton 5-1

• Leaders come back from 2-0 down to claim victory

• Southampton’s five-star first half stuns the Addicks

Leaders Coventry came from two goals behind to beat 10-man West Brom 3-2 in a thriller at the CBS Arena. Two goals from Aune Heggebø put the visitors ahead, but Josh Eccles halved the deficit before the break. After Jayson Molumby had been sent off four minutes into the second half, Ellis Simms and Victor Torp were on target to make it nine wins in 10 for Coventry.

Molumby had fouled Ephron Mason-Clark in the first half that led to a clash and both players were booked. Molumby then pulled back Torp to prevent a counterattack and was shown a second yellow card on 49 minutes.

This story will be updated

4 people wounded in shooting at North Carolina Christmas tree lighting

Four people were shot at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Concord, North Carolina, officials said.

Neto and Fernández ensure Chelsea avoid accidental slip with victory at Burnley

In a week when a domestic accident threatened Chelsea’s charge, they had no such problems at Burnley. Without the injured Cole Palmer, who fractured a toe after colliding with a door at home, they avoided a slip here, escaping without even a fissure.

There was the occasional early threat of a bloody nose, but even not at full speed, Chelsea were able to halt Burnley’s industry. Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández were the match-winners on a day Chelsea did not make the most of dominating, but they have moved to three points off top spot with four wins in a row without conceding. A timely boost going into a big week with Barcelona and Arsenal to play.

Devin Haney: ‘They said I couldn’t take a punch. But I got up and I’m still here’

A year and a half after his unstoppable rise was hijacked, the 26-year-old boxing star aims to become a three-weight champion against big-punching Brian Norman Jr

Rain falls in thin, needling lines over Hell’s Kitchen as Devin Haney walks into the Victory Boxing Gym. Somewhere along Ninth Avenue an ambulance threads through the congestion, its siren drawn out into a long, mournful ribbon that slips past the gym’s walls. He nods to a few familiar faces, peels off a Supreme Vanson leather jacket and begins to unwrap himself from the city. His father, Bill, arrives a step behind him, not so much entering the room as taking possession of it.

“The youngest undisputed champion!” Bill cries out, half to the gym, half to himself. “He’s done it on three continents! Twenty-six years old and still writing history! Let the sparks fly!”

More than 300 children were abducted in an attack on a Catholic school in Nigeria

A total of 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were abducted by gunmen during an attack on St. Mary's School, a Catholic institution in north-central Nigeria's Niger state, the Christian Association of Nigeria said.

Meet the AI workers who tell their friends and family to stay away from AI

When the people making AI seem trustworthy are the ones who trust it the least, it shows that incentives for speed are overtaking safety, experts say

Krista Pawloski remembers the single defining moment that shaped her opinion on the ethics of artificial intelligence. As an AI worker on Amazon Mechanical Turk – a marketplace that allows companies to hire workers to perform tasks like entering data or matching an AI prompt with its output – Pawloski spends her time moderating and assessing the quality of AI-generated text, images and videos, as well as some factchecking.

Roughly two years ago, while working from home at her dining room table, she took up a job designating tweets as racist or not. When she was presented with a tweet that read “Listen to that mooncricket sing”, she almost clicked on the “no” button before deciding to check the meaning of the word “mooncricket”, which, to her surprise, was a racial slur against Black Americans.

Why is Ghislaine Maxwell getting the Club Fed treatment? | Arwa Mahdawi

Her privileges in America’s two-tiered legal system reportedly range from from unlimited toilet paper to puppy playtime

I don’t know what, if anything, keeps Ghislaine Maxwell up at night. But it’s certainly not the prospect of running out of toilet paper in the minimum-security prison where she’s residing. Maxwell is serving a 20-year-sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation. Rather than doing hard time, however, it seems Maxwell is having a relatively easy go of it. While most inmates get an allocation of two rolls of toilet paper per week, for example, CNN reports that Maxwell gets an unlimited supply.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

South Africa declares gender-based violence a national disaster amid G20 protests

Women’s groups welcomed the announcement on the eve of the international leaders’ summit in Johannesburg

Hundreds of women gathered in cities across South Africa on Friday to protest against gender-based violence in the country before the G20 summit in Johannesburg this weekend.

Demonstrators turned out in 15 locations – including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban – wearing black as a sign of “mourning and resistance”.

Brazil's Bolsonaro arrested for allegedly plotting escape ahead of prison term

Brazil's Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Jair Bolsonaro, with a judge claiming the former president was intent on escaping as he was set to begin his prison sentence for leading a coup attempt.

Less politics, more makeup: the unraveling of Teen Vogue under Trump 2.0

The folding of the progressive youth-focused magazine into Vogue comes at turbulent time for journalism and the crumbling of feminist media

In late 2016, just a few weeks after Donald Trump won his first presidential election, Teen Vogue published a story that set the internet ablaze: “Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America.”

The story garnered more than 1.3m hits, making it the magazine’s most-read story of the year. Elaine Welteroth, then the editor-in-chief, told NPR that the day it published, Teen Vogue sold “in that month, more copies of the magazine than we had that entire year”. It was a transformative moment for the publication: proof that a magazine long associated with Disney child stars and headlines like “Prom Fever!” could shine light on the political dimensions of young people’s lives.

Bad season of bird flu in UK hits supply of Christmas turkeys

Availability of chickens and ducks also expected to be tight, with 5% of the seasonal flock culled so far

UK poultry producers are battling a “bad season” of bird flu, with cases much worse than at this point last year, putting a squeeze on supplies of Christmas birds including turkeys, chickens and ducks.

Two industry insiders said they expected supplies of all poultry to be tight ahead of the festive season, especially for organic and free-range birds, which are seen as the most vulnerable to infection.

Chomsky had deeper ties with Epstein than previously known, documents reveal

The philosopher and the sex trafficker were in contact long after Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor, documents reveal

The prominent linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky called it a “most valuable experience” to have maintained “regular contact” with Jeffrey Epstein, who by then had long been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor, according to emails released earlier in November by US lawmakers.

Such comments from Chomsky, or attributed to him, suggest his association with Epstein – who officials concluded killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges – went deeper than the occasional political and academic discussions the former had previously claimed to have with the latter.

Trump claims California's $20 fast-food minimum wage hurts businesses. The truth is a lot more complicated

The restaurant industry predicted disaster after California instituted a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers, but data shows that hasn't happened.

Opinion: Jamal Khashoggi's words live forever

Jamal Khashoggi came from a prominent Saudi family but fled his country in June, 2017, after he'd become increasingly critical of his government. The Saudi journalist was murdered in 2018.

‘I prepared for the role by playing in my room’: the making of Toy Story as it turns 30

The groundbreaking, smash-hit adventure was a make-or-break moment for both Pixar and computer animation

When the Pixar studio was casting for Toy Story, children were invited to bring one toy to the audition. Seven-year-old John Morris showed up with 20: a case of his beloved X-Men action figures. He got the part.

Playing Andy, a young boy whose toys include cowboy Woody and spaceman Buzz Lightyear, his was the first voice ever heard in a feature-length Pixar animation. Toy Story was released 30 years ago on Saturday, but to Morris the memory of its premiere is as fresh as ever.

EU and US to restart trade talks as sticking points on July tariff deal remain

US officials to hold high-level talks in Brussels amid unhappiness in Washington at slow action on July deal

The EU and US are set to restart trade negotiations next week after a two-month pause to try to settle unresolved sticking points in their controversial tariff deal struck in July.

The US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, and trade representative Jamieson Greer will hold high-level meetings in Brussels on Monday with ministers, EU commissioners and industry bosses.

‘I still get humiliated’: the perils of appearing on a celebrity gameshow

Agents claim it can increase their clients’ profile and show off their human side. Is that your final answer?

For Monty Panesar, it was answering that Germany played their home football matches in Athens. For David Lammy, it was saying Henry VIII’s heir was Henry VII. And for actor Amanda Henderson it was responding with the name Sharon to a question about Greta Thunberg.

Panesar’s disastrous appearance on Celebrity Mastermind six years ago was used to taunt him this week by Australia’s cricket captain Steve Smith.

‘The French people want to save us’: help pours in for glassmaker Duralex

The brand, which evokes nostalgia and pride, hit its €5m fundraising target within hours and orders have soared

Drop a Duralex glass and it will most likely bounce, not break. The French company itself has tumbled several times in the past two decades and always bounced back, but never quite as spectacularly as when, earlier this month, it asked the public for money.

An appeal for €5m (£4.4m) of emergency funding to secure the immediate future of the glassworks took just five hours and 40 minutes to reach its target. Within 48 hours, the total amount pledged had topped €19m.

British ex-soldier charged with 2012 murder of Kenyan woman denies meeting her

Robert James Purkiss faces extradition for alleged septic tank killing of Agnes Wanjiru near army training base

A former British soldier accused of murdering a Kenyan woman whose body was found in a septic tank in 2012 has spoken publicly about the allegations, saying: “I do not believe I ever met her.”

Robert James Purkiss, 38, faces extradition to Kenya, where he is wanted for the alleged “brutal” murder of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru in Nanyuki, a town near a British army training camp.

Daily Mail owner strikes £500m deal to buy Telegraph titles

Acquisition likely to trigger in-depth investigation by regulator after agreement between DMGT and Redbird IMI

The owner of the Daily Mail has struck a £500m deal to buy the Telegraph titles, in a move that will create a right-leaning publishing powerhouse.

Lord Rothermere’s Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT) has entered a period of exclusivity with RedBird IMI, which has been seeking a buyer since being forced to put the papers up for sale last spring, to complete the terms of the transaction.

Sam Lau on home interior tips for domestic bliss – cartoon

Continue reading...

Trump’s Ukraine peace plan is a gift to Putin | Kenneth Roth

The plan would leave Ukraine’s democracy in jeopardy and its sovereignty compromised

For a moment, Donald Trump seemed to have seen the light on Ukraine. After promising “severe consequences” in August if Vladimir Putin continued to obstruct ceasefire talks – but then doing nothing as Putin did just that – Trump finally on 22 October imposed significant sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, seriously compromising Putin’s ability to finance his invasion. But now, with his 28-point peace plan for Ukraine, drafted by US and Russian officials without Ukrainian or European participation, Trump has reverted to his pro-Putin norm.

Trump’s plan would reward Putin for invading Ukraine while leaving Ukraine’s democracy in jeopardy. The plan’s ringing proclamation that “Ukraine’s sovereignty will be confirmed” rings hollow when so much of the plan compromises that sovereignty. A Kremlin dream, the plan would be a Ukrainian nightmare.

Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch (1993-2022), is a visiting professor at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs. His book, Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments, is published by Knopf and Allen Lane.

Republicans will be left holding the bill for Trump’s policies in the midterms | Sidney Blumenthal

The abject obedience of GOP members for the president has not augured well in the 4 November elections

The elections of 4 November were the end of a grandiose illusion. After his 2024 victory Donald Trump claimed he had an “unprecedented and powerful mandate”, that his “mandate” was “massive”, and that his “Maga movement” was irresistible, the wave of the future. It lasted 10 months, in which he had betrayed his chief promise to lower inflation, turned the public against him on every issue and Republicans at last faced a battering by voters.

Trump’s image of omnipotence has rested upon a pyramid of dread. His ability to maintain the servility of the Republican Congress, whose members are intimidated by the danger that if they defy him he would support primary opponents to run against them, has been the political foundation for all the other forms of fear he incites throughout American institutions. Trump could not have leveraged himself as “dictator on day one” without congressional abdication. The Republicans immediately fell into lockstep. But within two weeks of the 4 November elections, only one Republican in the House voted against the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files which Trump had called a “hoax” before he felt compelled to bend in the cyclone to sign the bill – and yet still suppresses the files.

Sidney Blumenthal, former senior adviser to the president Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, has published three books of a projected five-volume political life of Abraham Lincoln: A Self-Made Man, Wrestling With His Angel and All the Powers of Earth. He is a Guardian US columnist

‘The flowing red saree on the bank of the Ganges was incredibly striking’: Divyanshu Verma’s best phone picture

The Indian photographer captured a quiet moment at the popular Maha Kumbh Mela religious festival in Prayagraj

Divyanshu Verma regards the north Indian city of Prayagraj as deeply special: not only is it home, it is also where he began his journey into street photography. This image was taken in the Sangam area during the huge Hindu purification festival Maha Kumbh Mela – maha meaning great because this was the 12th in a row of the ritual that takes place once every 12 years.

“It’s a massive spiritual gathering and the energy is entirely unique,” Verma says. “The place was incredibly crowded with people who had travelled from far and wide, all drawn by faith, but there was a strange sense of calm within the chaos. I wandered through the crowds with my phone, observing rituals and soaking up the powerful atmosphere.”

Meet the peace activist who persuaded France's Macron to recognize a Palestinian state

Israeli-French peace activist Ofer Bronchtein helped shape President Emmanuel Macron's plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations this year. Here's how he did it.

US tells Nato if Zelenskyy does not sign peace deal Ukraine will face worse in future

US army secretary briefs ambassadors at ‘nightmare meeting’ in Kyiv on Friday after talks with Ukrainian leader

US officials have told Nato allies they expect to push president Volodymyr Zelenskyy into agreeing to a peace deal in the coming days, under the threat that if Kyiv does not sign, it will face a much worse deal in future.

The US army secretary, Dan Driscoll, briefed ambassadors from Nato nations at a meeting in Kyiv late on Friday, after talks with Zelenskyy and taking a phone call from the White House. “No deal is perfect, but it must be done sooner rather than later,” he told them, according to one person who was present.

Zak Crawley’s awkward prod sends England down another terminal spiral | Simon Burnton

Team refuse on a point of principle to rein themselves in but latest batting collapse lays bare glaring weaknesses

It is the UK that is living through a cold snap, but in balmy Perth they were playing in a snow globe. The scenery was static, solid, but everything else was constantly getting shaken up, bits flying in unpredictable directions. The crowd roared, commentators gibbered, the glitter never settled.

Unlike the first day England were not batting at the start, though they were not long delayed. At which point a pattern quickly emerged, one that almost perfectly repeated that established on the previous day, while also being completely different. The bowler who was useless was good, the marginal, unconvincing snickometer-based review that was not out was now given. Some things were precisely the same (Australia’s tactics against England’s tail, how the tail reacted to Australia’s tactics) and, at the same time, completely the opposite (the outcome).

Travis Head powers Australia to humbling Ashes Test win over England inside two days

• 1st Test, D2: Australia, 132 & 205-2, bt England, 172 & 164

• Opener’s devastating 123 seals eight-wicket victory

The news from Perth is that the catalogue of great English calamities in Australia has a brand new entry. For the first time in 104 years an Ashes Test match has been wrapped up inside two days and by the end of this eight-wicket mauling England’s players looked utterly broken.

Ben Stokes will doubtless push back at that notion, such is his refusal to ever throw in the towel. But as Travis Head slashed and carved his way to a breathtaking 69-ball century, vaporising a target of 205 in 28.2 overs, the psychological blow landed by the hosts felt greater than a 1-0 lead.

Brandi Carlile: ‘I’m in a sweet spot – my kids are little, my wife is hot and my body doesn’t hurt’

The singer on being a school bully, having a panic attack on stage, and ‘fearless bitch’ Elton John

Born in Washington state, Brandi Carlile, 44, released her self-titled debut album in 2005. She went on to win 11 Grammy awards and is part of the country supergroup the Highwomen. She has collaborated with Joni Mitchell and this year released the album Who Believes in Angels? with Elton John. Their song Never Too Late was Oscar nominated. She has published a memoir, and established the charitable Looking Out Foundation. Her eighth studio album, Returning to Myself, was released last month. Carlile lives in Washington state with her wife and two daughters.

When were you happiest?
I’m the happiest right now. I can see that I’m in a kind of sweet spot: my parents are alive, my kids are little, my wife is hot and my body doesn’t hurt.

Greek secondary school teachers to be trained in using AI in classroom

Some teachers and pupils voice concerns about pilot programme after government’s agreement with OpenAI

Secondary school teachers in Greece are set to go through an intensive course in using artificial intelligence tools as the country assumes a frontline role in incorporating AI into its education system.

This week, staff in 20 schools will be trained in a specialised version of ChatGPT, custom-made for academic institutions, under a new agreement between the centre-right government and OpenAI.

How Marjorie Taylor Greene went from a top Trump ally to choosing to resign

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of President Trump's most outspoken supporters. But she is planning to leave office following a growing rift with the president.

‘The public has been lied to’: secretly made documentary insists that aliens exist

The Age of Disclosure is a new film featuring high-ranking government officials who claim proof of extraterrestrial life has been covered up

Director Dan Farah grew up with aliens. As a child of the 80s and 90s, pop culture was awash with extra-terrestrial sightings. “How can you be a kid watching movies like ET and Close Encounters, TV shows like The X Files, and not end up curious about whether or not we’re alone in the universe?” he said in an interview with the Guardian. “And whether or not the US government does, in fact, hold secrets from the public.”

Farah’s exposure to otherworldly beings in fiction kickstarted an interest that’s now morphed into a professional quest, and the subject of his documentary debut The Age of Disclosure. Here, Farah makes the case that the United States has been hiding, for decades, a fount of information related to UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena) – the acronym rebrand of the stigma-ridden UFO.

Tense calm in far north as Israel prepares to ‘finish the job’ against Hezbollah

On the border with Lebanon, communities have started to return and rebuild – even though some are in no hurry to return

Noam Erlich looks out over what was his beer garden. Beyond the disordered chairs and tables and the sign instructing neighbours and friends to “pay whatever you like”, the ridge falls away to fields, then a fence, then hills littered with the skeletal ruins of shattered Lebanese villages.

The 44-year-old brewer is standing in front of the house his grandfather built when the Manara kibbutz was founded in the 1940s in the very far north of Israel. The building was hit repeatedly by missiles fired by Hezbollah during the conflict, which ended a year ago, and will now almost certainly be demolished, along with most of the neighbouring houses.

New Caledonia activist says France is impeding travel home after prison release

Exclusive: Kanak leader Christian Tein, who was freed from prison in June, says France is ‘deliberately dragging out’ re-issue of his passport

A pro-independence leader from the French overseas territory of New Caledonia has accused the French government of “deliberately dragging out” his passport application, preventing him from flying home after his release from prison.

Christian Tein, an Indigenous Kanak leader, was arrested in New Caledonia in June 2024 over allegations that he had instigated the deadly pro-independence protests that had taken place on the island a month earlier.

‘I knew I was doing something I shouldn’t’: Karl Ove Knausgård on the fallout from My Struggle and the dark side of ambition

The Norwegian author on his autofictional epic, moving to London, and the psychopath at the heart of his new novel

Fifteen years ago, discussing the success of his six-volume autofictional work My Struggle on Norwegian radio, Karl Ove Knausgård said he felt as if he had “actually sold my soul to the devil”. My Struggle had become a runaway success in Norway – a success that would subsequently be repeated across the world – but the project provoked anger in some quarters for its portrayal of friends and family members. This was a work of art that came at a price. Hence, for its creator, its Faustian aspect.

That experience lies at the root of Knausgård’s latest novel, The School of Night, the fourth volume in his Morning Star sequence, in which his typical character studies and fine-grained attention to the minutiae of daily life are married to a compelling supernatural plot involving a mysterious star appearing in the sky and the dead returning to life. Volumes one and three, The Morning Star and The Third Realm, cycled between the same group of interconnected characters, while the second book, The Wolves of Eternity, moved back to the 1980s and told the story of a young Norwegian man and his discovery of a Russian half-sister. Only towards the end of its 800 pages did the novel intersect with the events of The Morning Star. The School of Night, perhaps frustratingly for some, again moves backwards instead of forwards, this time to 1985 London, and follows the art school career of a young Norwegian, Kristian Hadeland, who is pursuing his dream of fame as a photographer. Kristian, events reveal, is someone who will sacrifice anything, and anyone, to succeed. Charting Kristian’s rise and fall is an addictive and eerie reading experience.

11/21: CBS Evening News

Trump and Mamdani find common ground after trading barbs for months; Retired cop offers free mobile laundry service for homeless people

Ronaldo dines with Donald for glamour portion of grotesque Saudi-funded spectacle | Barney Ronay

A pension-pot World Cup looms and with Trump in the White House and a crown prince at his back, it is now a safe space

It was hard to choose one favourite photo from football’s double-header at the White House this week. In part this is because the pictures from Donald Trump’s state dinner with Mohammed bin Salman and his in-house hype men Cristiano Ronaldo and Gianni Infantino were everywhere, recycled feverishly across the internet, dusted with their own drool-stained commentary by the wider Ronaldo-verse.

Mainly there were just so many jaw-droppers. Perhaps you liked the one of Trump and Ronaldo strolling the halls of power, Ronaldo dressed all in black and laughing uproariously, like a really happy ninja. Or the one of Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez standing either side of a weirdly beaming Trump at his desk, holding up some kind of large heraldic key as though they’ve just been presented with their own wind-up wooden sex-grandad.

‘Who’s screenshotting our messages?’: how a WhatsApp saga spiralled into two parents’ wrongful arrest

When Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine posted complaints about their local primary school, they never expected six uniformed police officers to turn up at their door

Before it catapulted a small school community in London’s commuter belt into the centre of a global news story, the year-four class WhatsApp group at Cowley Hill school in Borehamwood was unremarkable – a place of snide comments, reminders about non-uniform day and flustered messages about being late for the school run.

“It was mum gossip, you know?” said one member, Sarah. “A bit juicy, but it wasn’t anything nasty.”

Can a wildlife paradise on a Colombian island survive the arrival of a military base?

It took 40 years to turn Gorgona into a biodiversity haven and model marine protected area. Now a new coastguard station has sparked fears of militarisation and ecological ruin

For more than 15 years, Luis Fernando Sánchez Caicedo had dedicated himself to human rights in Colombia, supporting young people and advocacting for Afro-descendant and campesino – small farmer – communities in the Pacific region. A prominent local leader and adviser to the area’s administration in Nariño, he was also a longtime collaborator with the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz), working to promote dialogue in a country torn apart by decades of war.

That all ended in September when the boat carrying him and the mayor of Mosquera, Karen Lizeth Pineda, was fired on, reportedly by the Colombian navy. Sánchez was killed and the mayor’s bodyguard was seriously injured in the attack.

Which country is the fourth most successful in Olympic swimming? The Saturday quiz

From pop stars in space to non-primates with fingerprints, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz

1 Whose last words in 1963 were “Nobody’s gonna shoot at me”?
2 What symbol originated as a ligature of the letters e and t?
3 What is the largest artificial prehistoric mound in Europe?
4 Which marsupial is the only non-primate with fingerprints?
5 Which pop star went into space in April?
6 The old Hotel Moskva appears on bottles of what spirit?
7 In what decade was divorce legalised in Ireland?
8 Which landlocked country is the fourth most successful in Olympic swimming?
What links:
9 Harry Bailey; Joss Merlyn; Abbey Potterson; Mistress Quickly; the Thénardiers?
10 Spanish, 1701-14; Austrian, 1740-48; Roy family, 2018-23?
11 Main belt; trojans; near-Earth?
12 Dominica; Guatemala; Kiribati; Papua New Guinea; Uganda?
13 45th state; largest city in Nebraska; Au; queen of the Roman gods; Excalibur?
14 SET India; Cocomelon; T-Series; MrBeast?
15 Basket V; hand and net VII; base IX; foot XI?

Who created the legend of Dracula and how do bees make honey? The kids’ quiz

Five multiple-choice questions – set by children – to test your knowledge, and a chance to submit your own junior brainteasers for future quizzes

• ​Submit a question

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children’s questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book, as well as her new title, Everything Under the Sun: All Around the World.

‘So unchanged it is almost otherworldly’: the oasis town of Skoura, Morocco

For the explorer and author, the desert outpost, irrigated by water from the Atlas mountains, is the perfect place to decompress

The first thing I notice when I walk into the oasis is the temperature drop. Then, I hear the birdsong and the rustling of the palm trees. The harsh sun dims and there’s water and the smell of damp earth. It’s easy to understand why desert travellers yearned to reach these havens and why they have become synonymous with peace. I’m an explorer who’s walked through many oases with loaded camels, crossing Morocco and the Sahara on foot, but Skoura, a four-hour drive from Marrakech, is a place I visit to decompress.

You may be imagining some kind of cartoon mirage oasis – a sole date palm shimmering above the endless sands. In fact, Skoura has a population of around 3,000 people living in a small town on the edge of the palms with 10 sq miles (25 sq km) of agricultural land. Many visitors to Morocco start in Fez or Marrakech and stop off in Aït Benhaddou, then go down to the Sahara towns of Zagora or Merzouga. Skoura, less than an hour from Ouarzazate, is an ideal stop-off point for a couple of days, or you could combine it with a Marrakech city break. The bus from Marrakech (CTM or Supratours) takes six hours, or you can hire a car (or car with driver) from Marrakech or Fez.

Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world

A year-long investigation reveals how mothers lost children after being radicalised by uplifting podcast tales of births without midwives or doctors

As Esau Lopez was asphyxiated for the first 17 minutes of his life on Earth, the atmosphere in the room remained serene, even ecstatic. Acoustic music crooned from a speaker in a modest two-bedroom apartment in a suburb of Pennsylvania. “You are a queen,” murmured one of three friends in the room.

Only Esau’s mother, Gabrielle Lopez, felt something was wrong. She was pushing hard, but her son would not be born. “Can you help [him] out?” she asked, as Esau crowned. “Baby is coming,” the friend replied. Four minutes later, Lopez asked again, “Can you grab [him]?” Another friend murmured, “Baby is safe.” Six minutes passed. Again, Lopez asked, “Can you grab [him]?”

Trump says he's terminating legal protections for Somali migrants in Minnesota

President Donald Trump said Friday night that he's "immediately" terminating temporary legal protections for Somali migrants living in Minnesota. The state has the nation's largest Somali community.

Figure AI sued by whistleblower who warned that startup's robots could 'fracture a human skull'

A former engineer for Figure AI filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming he was unlawfully terminated after warning executives about product safety.

Six great reads: the world’s scariest CEO, gen Z in the workplace, and a lost great console

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the past seven days

Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for gochujang and tofu ragu with gnocchi and pickled cucumber | The new vegan

A comforting and filling mix of Korean and Italian flavours and textures that’s ideal for weeknight dinner

• Share your questions for Meera Sodha, Tim Dowling and Stuart Heritage for a special Guardian Live event on Wednesday 26 November.

I am a ragu-fancier and a kheema fanatic. Unlike with most foods, however, it doesn’t do to rationalise this love for ragu, because it is a mash of things chopped up so small that they all lose their texture. This might sound a bit woo-woo, but the joy of ragu comes from feeling your way through it, from the chopping and standing with your thoughts, to stirring a bubbling pot and the smell creeping under the door. A ragu isn’t just a ragu, it’s a coming-together of good things: thoughts, feelings, ingredients, time and effort.

Join Meera Sodha at a special event celebrating the best of Guardian culture on Wednesday 26 November, hosted by Nish Kumar and alongside writers Stuart Heritage and Tim Dowling, with Georgina Lawton hosting You Be The Judge live. Live in London or via livestream, book tickets here.

A make-or-break budget: inside the Treasury before Labour’s crucial day

From the outside, the run-up to Rachel Reeves’s announcement has looked chaotic, and many see the future of the chancellor and PM in the balance

Every budget could be described, to a greater or lesser extent, as a high-stakes moment. Things can easily go badly wrong, as Gordon Brown discovered when he abolished the 10p tax rate in 2007, or George Osborne when his 2012 ‘omnishambles’ budget fell apart over pasties, and especially Kwasi Kwarteng, whose disastrous mini-budget of 2022 sent the Conservatives spiralling towards electoral defeat.

Rachel Reeves appears to have come perilously close to the turmoil of previous budgets, and that’s before she has even delivered it.

Cheque mate – trying to prove who you are to your own bank: the Edith Pritchett cartoon

Continue reading...

Tim Dowling: my wife has always wanted to kick me out of book club. Now’s her chance

We have differing views on my contribution to our book club: I see myself as its beating heart; my wife says I’m an interloper

For the first time in the history of book club, I can’t make it to book club. The scheduling conflict arises late in the day, which is galling because I’ve already read the book, and I can’t very well unread it.

“You won’t be missed,” my wife says.

From The Death of Bunny Munro to Wicked: For Good: the week in rave reviews

Matt Smith is the ultimate bad dad in a Nick Cave novel adaptation, and the Oz prequel musical reaches the end of the road. Here’s the pick of the week’s culture, taken from the Guardian’s best-rated reviews

Lando Norris grabs F1 Las Vegas GP pole in wet as Oscar Piastri slips to fifth

• Title race leader first in qualifying ahead of Verstappen

• Hamilton woes continue with last-place finish for Ferrari

Lando Norris claimed pole position at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in treacherous, wet conditions on the street circuit in Nevada to move one step closer to taking his first Formula One world championship.

The British driver’s march to the title looks increasingly likely with pole at what has been a bogey circuit for McLaren.

Norris beat the Red Bull of Max Verstappen into second and, with his closest title rival and teammate Oscar Piastri in fifth, he can further extend his advantage at the top of the standings on Sunday. Indeed, he had been so cool in advance that he took in spot of shut-eye before it began and then weathered the hazardous conditions with insouciance.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will resign after fallout with Trump

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene supported a bill compelling the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the DOJ, putting her on the bad side of President Trump.

‘They decided to kill us with cold’: Ukrainians struggle against Russian assault on power network

Chernihiv residents say they are without power for 14 hours a day as they gather in ‘invincibility points’ to charge up and warm up

Valentyna Ivanivna showed off her new head torch. It was a present from her grandson, she said. Most evenings she wears it while doing household chores: cooking dinner, washing up and stacking plates. “It’s impossible to plan anything without power. You can’t even invite people round for a cup of tea because the kettle won’t work. It’s stressful and exhausting for everyone,” she explained.

Ivanivna lives in Chernihiv, an ancient Ukrainian city known for its early medieval cathedrals. The border with Belarus and Russia is a short drive away, across a landscape of pine forests, villages with geese and the occasional wandering moose. In 2022, Russian troops invaded and occupied most of the oblast. They bombed and laid siege to Chernihiv, pulling out after six weeks and rolling north.

Control of HIV, TB and malaria at risk after global health fund donations fall

World leaders pledge just over $11bn, short of the $18bn experts say is needed to stay on track to tackle challenges

Control of the deadly infectious diseases HIV, tuberculosis and malaria “hangs in the balance” after a shortfall in donations to a leading global health fund, advocates have warned.

Only $11.3bn of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria’s $18bn (£14bn) targeted budget for 2026 to 2028 has been confirmed so far.

Celebrity crib sheet: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are back on the red carpet – here are seven things you need to know

As Wicked: For Good premieres in the UK, find out just how close its costars are, why so many of the cast are vegan and the truth about Grande’s move away from pop

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never seen the musical, have no interest in the film or are left cold by red carpets: Wicked season is here again, and you will be made to pay attention. After last year’s chaotic press tour for the first instalment, giving rise to some of 2025’s biggest and most bizarre pop culture moments, all eyes are now on the rollout of the sequel Wicked: For Good and the theatre-kid capers of its stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Here’s what you need to know.

1. They are still ‘holding space’ for one another …
Last year’s Wicked press tour was an infamous love-in for Grande and Erivo. Such was the intensity of their connection and mutual affection, both were frequently moved to tears in interviews. The enduring image was of Erivo stroking Grande’s index finger in response to a journalist’s unintelligible remark about people “holding space” with the song Defying Gravity. Grande poked fun at her and Erivo’s histrionics, declaring them “insufferable” and “the most annoying” – but their bond still appears unbreakable. At the New York premiere of Wicked: For Good on Monday, Erivo declined to give interviews to preserve her voice. Grande was reported to also be skipping press “in solidarity”, but couldn’t help plugging her costar’s forthcoming projects “as Erivo looked on smiling”, as CNN described the scene. Asked what they were feeling, ahead of the film’s final instalment, Grande spoke for them both: “overwhelming gratitude”. Late on Thursday, she tested positive for Covid.

Trump says he is ending deportation protections for Somalis in Minnesota

President Trump on Friday said he is ending deportation protections for Somali immigrants in Minnesota.

Democratic senator clashes with Ric Grenell over Kennedy Center operations

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Kennedy Center president Ric Grenell are clashing over the Kennedy Center's spending and operations.

Washington resident dies from rare strain of bird flu, health officials say

The man, an older adult with underlying health conditions, was being treated for a type of bird flu called H5N5.

11/17: CBS Evening News

Behind Trump's reversal on releasing Epstein files; Judge accuses DOJ of "disturbing pattern" of missteps in Comey case.

Stepbrother eyed in teen's cruise ship death may be called to testify, attorney says

A 16-year-old who is being eyed for possible involvement in the death of his stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship may be called to testify in person about the incident, an attorney said.

Supreme Court blocks order that found Texas congressional map is likely racially biased

The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that found Texas' 2026 congressional redistricting plan pushed by President Trump likely discriminates on the basis of race.

After break with Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene will resign

Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an "America First" conservative who has clashed with President Trump and her party, said Friday she would resign from Congress Jan. 5, 2026.

Retired officer turns from fighting crime to doing free laundry for the homeless

Using his own money and donations, Wade Milyard does dozens of loads of laundry a week for people in need.

Trump-Mamdani meeting marked by surprising moments of praise

President Trump and NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani have hurled attacks at each other for months — but on Friday, they seemed to hit it off.

Supreme Court halts ruling that tossed out Texas' House maps — for now

Texas asked the Supreme Court on Friday to halt a court order that threw out the state's redrawn House maps in time for next month's candidate filing deadline — arguing the new maps were driven by politics, not race.

Trump praises Mamdani after White House meeting: "I want him to do a great job"

President Trump and incoming New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said they looked forward to working together in a remarkable scene at the White House.

Kids who got trapped in elevator reunite with firefighters who rescued them

What should have been a quick trip down to the lobby of an Atlanta apartment building turned into an hourslong ordeal for two cousins, ages 13 and 11. Skyler Henry reports they had a chance to thank the first responders who came to their rescue.

Survivor of Chilean blizzard that killed Briton says staff told trekkers they could proceed

Tom Player speaks out about incident in which Victoria Bond died along with two Mexicans and two Germans

A survivor of the blizzard that killed a British woman and four others in Chilean Patagonia has said that tourists were concerned about adverse weather conditions ahead of the trek, but were told by staff it was “normal” and they could proceed.

Tom Player, a London-based composer, told the Guardian that during the brutal blizzard about 30 volunteers worked together in an attempt to try to rescue hikers.

Florida teen may have been strangled on cruise ship, source says

Anna Kepner, the 18-year-old found dead on a Carnival cruise ship, was possibly strangled during an altercation, and the suspect may have been using alcohol, according to a law enforcement source. Cristian Benavides has the latest.

Officer found not guilty in shooting of pregnant mom

In a silent courtroom, an Ohio jury found police officer Connor Grubb not guilty in the shooting death of 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young. Meg Oliver has the story.

North Dakota's high court restores state abortion ban

The state's Supreme Court couldn't muster the required majority to uphold a judge's ruling that struck down the state's ban last year.

What to expect for Thanksgiving travel as flyers flock to airports

It may not be their intention, but millions of people left their homes, headed for a spot in the record books, for most Americans traveling for Thanksgiving. Kris Van Cleave reports the big holiday getaway is underway.

Mind-altering ‘brain weapons’ no longer only science fiction, say researchers

UK academics say latest chemicals are ‘wake-up call’ and urge global action to stop weaponisation of neuroscience

Sophisticated and deadly “brain weapons” that can attack or alter human consciousness, perception, memory or behaviour are no longer the stuff of science fiction, two British academics argue.

Michael Crowley and Malcolm Dando, of Bradford University, are about to publish a book that they believe should be a wake-up call to the world.

Trump and Mamdani form an unlikely alliance at White House meeting

‘We agreed a lot more than I would have thought,’ the US president said of his first face-to-face meeting with the New York mayor-elect

• US politics live – latest updates

Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor-elect, walked out of their meeting on Friday afternoon with an unlikely alliance, agreeing to work together on housing, food prices and cost-of-living concerns that have defined both their political appeals to working-class voters.

“We agreed a lot more than I would have thought,” Trump said in the Oval Office, sometimes jumping in to shield Mamdani from aggressive questioning from the press.

Coast Guard scrambles to clarify its guidance on nooses, swastikas, hate symbols

A Coast Guard personnel directive updated language identifying symbols of racial or religious hatred, setting off a political firestorm this week.

Comey seeks to dismiss charges over alleged "fundamental errors" before grand jury

Comey's lawyers said in a filing that errors in the grand jury process "reflect the reckless and ill-conceived nature of this prosecution."

Watch full video of the Trump-Mamdani meeting

In a surprising shift of tone, the two were positive and often complimentary, with President Trump saying NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani "can do some things that I think are gonna be really great."

Trump praises NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani after White House meeting, shrugs off being called 'fascist'

The meeting with Trump was requested by Mamdani, whose victory over ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in NYC's mayoral race put him at the center of U.S. politics.

Driver says eagle dropped cat through car's windshield on highway

Bald eagles are predatory birds that can stand up to 3 feet tall and have a wingspan stretching more than 8 feet.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (Nov. 23): The Food Issue

Jane Pauley hosts our annual "Eat, Drink & Be Merry" holiday broadcast exploring all things epicurean! Check out our menu...

These fans have sung their way to the National Women's Soccer League finals

The Washington Spirit takes on Gotham FC on Saturday in San Jose, Calif.

New female crash test dummy could be used in federal safety testing

The new dummy, known as THOR-05F, contains female-specific proportions, according​ to the Transportation Department.

Oil prices and energy stocks fall on Trump’s new Ukraine peace plan

Oil prices and energy stocks fell sharply on Friday morning as the U.S. pushed for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal.

Air traffic controllers, technicians with perfect attendance in shutdown to get $10,000 bonuses, FAA says

Close to 800 air traffic controllers and technicians with perfect attendance will get $10,000 bonuses, the FAA said.

One Fed official may have saved market from another rout. Why John Williams' remarks matter so much

With his position comes membership in the Fed's leadership troika, a group that also includes Chair Jerome Powell and Vice Chair Philip Jefferson.

The female crash test dummy has been a long time coming — but she isn't here yet

After years of limbo, the U.S. government has given the green light to a crash test dummy based on the female body. But will it be used right away? Not so fast.