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Overall retail sales volumes fall by 0.3% in December amid weak ‘golden quarter’ of tradingBusiness live – latest updatesRetailers in Great Britain experienced a surprise fall in sales last month, as supermarkets and food stores had their worst Christmas since 2013, according to official figures.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said sales volumes fell 0.3% month on month in December, as the crucial retailing...

Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were jailed for life last month, with minimum terms of 40 years and 33 years respectivelyThe father and stepmother of Sara Sharif are seeking to appeal against the sentences they received for the 10-year-old’s murder.Sara suffered a “daily living hell” as she was tortured to death over many months by Urfan Sharif, who was described in court as a...

House in Dover Heights doused with red paint in what NSW premier labels a ‘targeted’ and ‘disgusting and dangerous act of violence’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA prominent Jewish leader has said “there is an evil at work in this country” after his former home in Sydney was vandalised.The incident is...

This blog is now closedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlleged attack in Dover Heights ‘disgusting and dangerous’, NSW premier saysThe NSW premier Chris Minns has labelled the alleged attack at Dover Heights overnight as a “disgusting and dangerous act of violence”. In a statement issued this morning, he said:This is a disgusting and dangerous act of violence that is...

Former vice-president makes surprise visit to Taipei and predicts that if China annexes its neighbour other Asia-Pacific countries will build nuclear arsenalsMike Pence called on Donald Trump’s incoming administration to maintain support for Taiwan against the threat of Chinese annexation during a surprise visit to the capital, Taipei, on Friday.On the eve of Trump’s inauguration for his second term as president, his estranged former...

Cheonggyecheon stream in the South Korean capital has become an attraction – and helps with flood management, fighting air pollution and cooling the cityOn a crisp December morning, office workers and tourists stroll along a tree-lined stream in central Seoul, pausing on stepping stones that cross its flowing waters. It’s difficult to imagine that just over 20 years ago, this was a vast elevated...

Police believe 27-year-old Katie Tangey’s death was a case of mistaken identity as friends rally to raise funds for her familyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA popular performer, killed by fire in what police say is a case of mistaken identity, has been remembered as “an icon” as friends rally to...

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says security cabinet will convene on Friday amid concerns the delay could push back the start of the ceasefireIsrael-Gaza war: live updatesIsrael’s security cabinet will meet on Friday after negotiators reached a deal for the release of hostages as part of a Gaza ceasefire with Hamas, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said.In Gaza itself, Israeli warplanes kept up intense strikes,...

If Herbert Kickl becomes chancellor, Vienna will join list of disruptive member states, putting EU policies in perilWhen Austria’s Freedom party (FPÖ) entered government 25 years ago, shock waves reverberated around Europe. Punitive measures were imposed, diplomatic visits cancelled and Belgium even suggested the EU could do without the Alpine country.That was when the far-right party was only a junior coalition partner. This time,...

After 15 months of war, a ceasefire deal in Gaza has been reached. In his farewell address to the nation, Joe Biden tried to convince the US public that it was just one of many successes he’d had in the White House. But is that how his time in office will be remembered? Jonathan Freedland speaks to the author Franklin Foer about Biden’s legacyArchive:...

Scientists say frog’s journey shows difficulty of spotting insects or fungi spread by global plant tradeA tiny tree frog hitchhiking in a bunch of roses to Sheffield from Colombia has inspired a study into invasive species reaching the UK’s shores.Dr Silviu Petrovan, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s zoology department and a senior author of a paper published today in the journal BioScience,...

Exclusive: Majority polled by YouGov viewed billionaire negatively – except among Reform UK and AfD votersMost people in the UK and Germany consider Elon Musk’s efforts to influence their national politics unacceptable and believe the US tech magnate does not know much about either country or the issues they face, a poll has shown.The survey, by YouGov, follows a spate of hostile statements by...

Olivier Grondeau was arrested in 2022 and has accused Iran of using him for ‘political blackmail’ against FranceThe mother of a French traveller detained in Iran for two years has said authorities “know he is innocent” but continue to hold him in the country’s notorious Evin prison.Olivier Grondeau, 33, was arrested from his hotel room in Shiraz, in the south of Iran, on 12...

Lawyers say impeached president will not attend questioning, with investigators expected to seek warrant to extend his detentionSouth Korea’s arrested president, Yoon Suk Yeol, will not attend a new round of questioning by investigators on Friday, his lawyer said, as authorities face an imminent deadline to obtain a warrant to extend his detention or release the embattled leader.In order to hold Yoon in custody...

Neighbours told to stay inside as police seek information on stabbing deaths of two men from same familyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo men died in a brawl at a birthday party on that spilled on to the streets in Melbourne’s outer south-eastern suburbs, police say.Detectives said the two men, aged...

National Weather Service says ‘wind siege has finally ended’ and forecasts higher humidity but warns high winds could return next weekAs the battle against the deadly fires in Los Angeles county enters its 10th day, officials are warning evacuees against returning to their homes due to the presence of toxic, hazardous waste and exposed power and gas lines.During a Thursday press conference, Yonah Halpern,...

Indictment comes seven months after FBI raided her home, with formal announcement scheduled to happen on FridaySheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, California has been indicted by a federal grand jury, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.The indictment comes seven months after an FBI raid on Thao’s home and two months after she was recalled by voters in Oakland. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. You can read more of our coverage of the California wildfires here Easing of extreme winds expected to strengthen efforts to put out blazesAs officials answered reporters’ questions, the Los Angeles county fire chief Anthony Marrone, said that it is still unsafe for people to return to their homes, even for those who want to view the conditions of...

Experts say climate crisis was likely responsible for a quarter of the dryness that fueled the fires’ rapid spreadAs Los Angeles’s deadly wildfires continue to burn, a group of survivors is taking aim at the industry most responsible for fueling climate disasters: fossil fuels.Residents impacted by the blazes lamented during a Thursday conference call losing their homes and communities and called for litigation and...

Measures come a week after Washington also sanctioned Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s rival, Mohamed Hamdan DagaloThe United States has imposed sanctions on Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accusing him of choosing war over negotiations to bring an end to the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.The US treasury department said in a statement that under...

Israeli prime minister’s demand before expected cabinet meeting threatens to derail peace negotiationsMiddle East crisis – live updatesBenjamin Netanyahu has said his cabinet will not meet to vote on the ceasefire deal intended to pause the war in Gaza until “Hamas accepts all elements of the agreement”, in a move that threatens to derail months of work to end the brutal 15-month conflict.The unexpected...

PM visits Kyiv to agree partnership and says Putin shows no signs of wanting to stop ‘unrelenting aggression’Keir Starmer has announced a “historic” 100-year partnership with Ukraine, saying the UK would support the country “beyond this terrible war” and into a future where it is “free and thriving again”.Speaking during his first trip to Kyiv as prime minister, Starmer said the unprecedented agreement reflected...

Anne, 53, was scammed out of hundreds of thousands after believing she was in a long-term relationship with the actorA spokesperson for Brad Pitt has addressed the viral story about a French woman who believed she was in a long-term relationship with the actor and was scammed out of €830,000 ($855,000, £700,000) by someone posing as him.“It’s awful that scammers take advantage of the...

Relatives of some of 98 still believed held by Hamas describe being in limbo but remain ‘cautiously optimistic’Middle East crisis – live updatesFamilies of hostages being held in Gaza have said delays to the ceasefire and hostage deal have left them in limbo and agony.Relatives of some of the 98 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas reacted with “guarded optimism” to the...