The Guardian

Rate rises by 19% compared with 2020, prompting fresh concerns about NHS maternity careThe risk of women in England suffering severe bleeding after giving birth has risen to its highest level for five years, prompting fresh concern about NHS maternity care.The rate at which mothers in England experience postpartum haemorrhage has increased from 27 per 1,000 births in 2020 to 32 per 1,000 this year – a rise of 19%. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/13/risk-to-women-of-severe-bleeding-after-giving-birth-at-five-year-high-in-england Author : Denis Campbell Health policy editor Publish date : 2025-12-13 11:31:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Exclusive: A trio of candidates have been interviewed by the PM, but he could still decide to directly appoint someone elseKeir Starmer is poised to choose a new ambassador to Washington from a shortlist of three as relations with the US are tested over Ukraine and Donald Trump’s attacks on European leaders.The prime minister held interviews with three finalists for the role this week, the Guardian has learned, with Downing Street preparing to make an appointment before the end of the year. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/13/starmer-to-pick-new-us-ambassador-as-relations-with-trump-tested Author : Eleni Courea Political correspondent Publish date : 2025-12-13 09:00:00 Copyright

As Paramount, with close ties to the Trump administration, entered the bidding, experts predict any merger will ‘raise red flags’ among regulatorsOver the first 10 months of his second presidency, Donald Trump has not hidden his desire to control the US media industry – from encouraging TV networks to fire journalists, comedians and critics he dislikes to pushing regulators to revoke broadcast licences. Now he seems determined to set the terms for one of the biggest media deals in history.It’s a deal that could have repercussions not just in the US, but across the world, with not just the future

The seizure of the Skipper on Wednesday marked the first US capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed in 2019Venezuelan oil exports have reportedly fallen sharply since the US seized a tanker this week and imposed fresh sanctions on shipping companies and vessels doing business with Caracas, according to shipping data, documents and maritime sources.The US seizure of the Skipper tanker off Venezuela’s coast on Wednesday was the first US capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed in 2019 and marked a sharp escalation in rising tensions between the Trump administration and the government of Nicolás

After deadly clashes between the two countries, the US president announces renewal of peace deal made in JulyThailand-Cambodia fighting explainedDonald Trump has said Thai and Cambodian leaders agreed to renew a truce after days of deadly clashes that threatened to undo a ceasefire the US helped broker.However hours later Cambodia said that Thailand was continuing to bomb its territory, throwing the president’s claims into question. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/12/thailand-and-cambodia-agree-to-restart-ceasefire-brokered-by-us-says-trump Author : Associated Press in Washington Publish date : 2025-12-13 01:36:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Notable figures in batch of images include Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Woody Allen and Bill GatesThe latest tranche of Epstein evidence – in picturesHouse Democrats have published a new tranche of what they called “disturbing” photographs from the estate of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, featuring among others Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the British former royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.The 19 photographs in the initial drop – some of which have been seen before – plus another 70 released later Friday afternoon represent a small number of the almost 100,000 images released to the House oversight committee, which is looking into the

Latest batch includes photos of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Richard Branson as top Democrat says ‘all we want is full transparency’House Democrats release Epstein photos with Trump, Bannon, Clinton and othersIn pictures: latest Epstein photos releasedThe admiral in charge of US military forces in Latin America will retire two years early, AP reports, amid rising tensions with Venezuela that include Wednesday’s seizure of an oil tanker and more than 20 deadly strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats.Three US officials and two people familiar with the matter told Reuters that Admiral Alvin Holsey was pushed out by defense secretary Pete Hegseth.

Exclusive: PM’s outspoken attack on stoppages planned for 17-22 December risks inflaming tensions with medicsKeir Starmer: Resident doctors, a fair deal is on the table. Please do not strike at this moment of crisis for the NHSKeir Starmer has said it is “frankly beyond belief” that resident doctors would strike during the NHS’s worst moment since the pandemic, in remarks that risk inflaming tensions with medics.Writing for the Guardian, the prime minister made an outspoken attack on the strikes planned for 17-22 December for placing “the NHS and patients who need it in grave danger”. Continue reading... Source link :

Bart De Wever will also discuss migration, security and economy ahead of coalition of the willing meeting and EU summit next weekRussia’s central bank said it was suing the Belgium-based Euroclear financial group, which holds Moscow’s frozen international reserves, as the EU moves closer to using the funds to support Ukraine, AFP reported.The bank said it was filing “a lawsuit against Euroclear in the Moscow Arbitration Court” due to what it called “the illegal actions” of the institution. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/dec/12/von-der-leyen-trump-ukraine-belgium-russian-assets-starmer-latest-news-updates Author : Jakub Krupa (now) and Hayden Vernon (earlier) Publish date : 2025-12-12 15:31:00 Copyright for

Lawyers say people ‘don’t feel safe to leave their home’ as officials target recent arrivals and those awaiting hearingsImmigration agents appear to be increasingly arresting and detaining Afghan asylum seekers, especially men, who have arrived in the US recently and are awaiting court hearings to decide their cases.Amir – an asylum seeker who came to the US via Mexico in 2024 – was driving home from his English class in Bloomington, Indiana just after noon on Monday, when he was pulled over by an unmarked police vehicle. Minutes later, the asylum seeker from Afghanistan was cuffed and driven to a

Health secretary says aggressive strain of virus is putting NHS under worst strain since CovidI have beefed up the post at 9.08am to include the direct quote from Wes Streeting about not being able to guarantee patient safety in the NHS if the strike by resident doctors in England goes ahead. You may need to refresh the page to get the update to appear.In his LBC phone-in, when asked about his New Statesman interview (see 9.43am), Wes Streeting, the health secretary, also insisted that his comments about the government’s “technocratic approach” were not a criticism of Keir Starmer. He said:No,

Committee asked to consider if parliamentary rules broken when submission from judge Penelope Wass was used against her by ODDP The powerful New South Wales privileges committee has been asked to examine whether the state’s prosecutors’ office breached parliamentary rules by using a judge’s submission to an inquiry to have her removed from trials.Citing a potentially “chilling effect” for future witnesses, an upper house inquiry asked for an investigation into the conduct of Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). This came after a submission critical of the ODPP – made under parliamentary privilege by district court judge Penelope

Former police officer admits to taking explicit images of children as young as four in his careFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA former police officer who was secretly working in childcare has admitted taking explicit photos and videos of children younger than 10 when they were in his care.David William James created the child abuse material while working at six out-of-school hours (OOSH) care services in Sydney’s north and city centres between April 2021 and May 2024. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/12/sydney-childcare-worker-david-william-james-pleads-guilty-to-using-children-to-produce-child-abuse-material-ntwnfb Author : Australian Associated

Sussan Ley offers bipartisan truce to work on reform after a week of damaging headlines about MPs’ largesseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government wants the independent expenses watchdog to provide advice on overhauling travel perks for MPs, opening the door to changes after a backlash over politicians’ entitlements.The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, is prepared to work with Anthony Albanese to reform the system, offering a truce after a week of damaging headlines about MPs’ largesse. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/12/politicians-travel-perks-expenses-overhaul-advice Author : Dan Jervis-Bardy,

Taken star lends his voice to a film that questions the legitimacy of vaccines and includes interview with RFK JrLiam Neeson has lent his voice to a new documentary that questions the legitimacy of vaccines and praises Donald Trump’s health and human services secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.The film, called Plague of Corruption, is narrated by the Taken actor and based on a bestselling book co-authored by Judy Mikovits, a disgraced former scientist who gained notoriety during the Covid pandemic. She claimed Covid was caused by a bad strain of the flu vaccine and urged people not to get vaccinated.

Change comes after more than 220 writers, scholars and researchers signed an open letter expressing alarm about the proposal. Follow updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOfficials investigating after Victoria police memorial vandalised overnightVictoria police are investigating the vandalism of the Victoria Police Memorial in Melbourne this morning.If you don’t need to be on the roads during heavy rainfall, we ask the community to delay their travel until the storm passes.If you do come across flash flooding, the best thing to do is turn around and find another way – it’s not worth putting your life

Plans are response to surge in demand for AI capability and come after government signalled it would curb subsidiesDrax has revealed plans to convert part of its power plant in North Yorkshire into a datacentre as soon as 2027 in response to the increase in demand for AI capability.The FTSE 250 company behind Britain’s biggest power plant told investors on Thursday that it had applied for planning permission to build a 100-megawatt datacentre at its site near Selby. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/11/drax-plans-to-convert-part-of-its-north-yorkshire-power-plant-into-datacentre Author : Jillian Ambrose Publish date : 2025-12-11 19:22:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the

Andy Burnham unveils next step in transport system, allowing contactless travel with fares capped across trains, buses and tramsThe first passenger trains in the Bee Network will join by the end of 2026, after Greater Manchester disclosed the next steps in its ambitious transport system.Unveiling a yellow-branded Northern train, the regional mayor, Andy Burnham, said two lines from central Manchester – to Glossop and Stalybridge – would join the network in a year, allowing contactless travel with fares capped across trains, buses and trams. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/dec/11/first-trains-to-join-manchesters-bee-network-by-end-of-2026 Author : Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent Publish date : 2025-12-11

Republican senator Rand Paul said it was ‘not the job of the American government to go looking for monsters around the world’Chris Van Hollen, the Democratic senator from Maryland, was among the lawmakers speaking out against the Trump administration and its actions around Venezuela, taking to the senate floor on Wednesday to call on Congress to block Donald Trump from “using taxpayer dollars to launch a regime change war”.“Last time I checked, the constitution of the United States gives Congress – this body – the power to decide questions of war or peace,” he said. Continue reading... Source link :

Liam Byrne says language of the US national security strategy was ‘deeply regrettable’ and highlighted the need for strong UK-EU economic security linksSeema Malhotra, a Foreign Office minister, is responding to the urgent question about President Trump’s national security strategy (even though it was addressed to the Cabinet Office – see 10.12am.)The Trump document was published at the end of last week. Peter Beaumont has an analysis of it here. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/dec/11/uk-politics-latest-news-updates-labour-conservatives-house-of-lords Author : Andrew Sparrow Publish date : 2025-12-11 11:53:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Weaker-than-forecast quarterly data for Larry Ellison’s tech company shows slowdown in revenue growth but big rise in spending Oracle’s disappointing results have knocked more than $70bn off the value of software and data company co-founded by Trump ally Larry Ellison, adding to fears of a bubble in AI-related stocks.Shares in the company fell by 11.5% overnight after it reported a lower-than-expected 14% rise in revenues to $16bn (£12bn) in the latest quarter while revealing it was boosting its AI spending by about $15bn. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/11/disappointing-oracle-results-knock-70bn-off-value-amid-ai-bubble-fears Author : Kalyeena Makortoff Publish date : 2025-12-11 09:19:00 Copyright for

British government also rejects president’s claims on sovereignty over Falkland Islands as he suggests wanting to make Argentina a ‘world military power’The British government has denied it is engaged in negotiations to lift a ban on selling arms to Argentina that has been in place since the Falklands war.Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, told the Daily Telegraph his government had begun speaking to the UK about the restrictions. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/11/uk-denies-mileis-claim-of-talks-over-falklands-era-ban-on-argentina-arms-sales Author : Guardian staff and agencies Publish date : 2025-12-11 06:26:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Labor and Coalition cut deal which unions argue will deny income support to people who can’t workFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWorkers suffering psychological injuries in New South Wales will have their compensation entitlements slashed under a controversial deal between Labor and the Coalition.The major parties announced on Thursday that they would pass legislation early in 2026 that would freeze premiums for 18 months, saving businesses and charities from a projected 36% increase over the next three years. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/11/nsw-workers-compensation-psychological-injury-claims Author : Anne

The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) carries $8bn more than the funding Trump requested in MayThe US House has approved a sweeping defence bill that bolsters Europe’s security, in what appears to be sharp rebuke to Donald Trump’s mounting threats to downgrade Washington’s ties to traditional allies and Nato.The bipartisan vote came just days after the publication of a White House national security strategy that said Europe faced “civilisational erasure” and made explicit Washington’s support for Europe’s nationalist far-right parties – rattling EU leaders and opening up a seismic shift in transatlantic relations. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/11/us-house-passes-bill-to-bolster-europes-defence-in-apparent-rebuke-to-trumps-foreign-policy-strategy

More than £10bn was committed to building new schools between 2014-15 and 2023-24, compared with £6.8bn for rebuilding existing schoolsConservative governments spent £325m creating 67 free schools that subsequently failed or disappeared, many through lack of demand, according to data revealed by a freedom of information request.The figures from the Department for Education (DfE) show that the government committed more than £10bn to building new schools between 2014-15 and 2023-24, compared with £6.8bn for rebuilding existing schools, which critics say left England with a backlog of crumbling and decaying buildings. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/dec/10/conservative-governments-free-schools-failed Author : Richard Adams