The Guardian

Sales volume rise of 0.4% in December confounds forecasts as new survey shows sharp rebound in consumer confidence Davos: Global economic outlook in focus, as gold approaches $5,000 – live updates UK retail sales were stronger than expected last month, as the nation’s shops received a surprise boost during the crucial Christmas trading period. Sales volumes across Great Britain rose by 0.4% in De…

With talks of a confrontation over Greenland receding, attention turns back to ending the four-year war between Ukraine and Russia With a (temporary?) pause on the Greenland crisis, the attention shifts back to Ukraine after Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s talks with Donald Trump in Davos, and the US delegation’s late talks with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin last night , which was described by Russian aide…

Care minister Stephen Kinnock criticises US president over claim Nato troops stayed away from frontline in Afghanistan Good morning. Donald Trump enjoys causing offence but the problem with having a reputation for being outrageous and provocative is that, as people get used to your outrages, you have to go further and further to continue to get a response. We are seeing the outcome of that this m…

UK MPs and veterans condemn US president’s comments and highlight his avoidance of military service in Vietnam Donald Trump has provoked outrage among British MPs and veterans after claiming Nato troops stayed away from the frontline in Afghanistan. The US president made his comments in an interview with Fox News in which he reiterated his suggestion that Nato would not support the US if asked. C…

Kaja Kallas’s comments came at emergency EU meeting called after weeks of escalating threats from Donald Trump over Greenland Transatlantic relations have “taken a big blow over the last week” the EU’s foreign policy chief said, as leaders from the bloc gathered for an emergency summit after weeks of escalating threats from Donald Trump over Greenland that were suddenly rescinded with a vague dea…

Colleagues encourage former soldier to run as Sussan Ley declares she will remain opposition leader after Coalition split Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Andrew Hastie is emerging as a candidate to challenge Sussan Ley for the Liberal party’s leadership, as MPs privately push for the party’s first female leader to step aside. As a defiant Ley declared she would surviv…

Millions of graduates are trapped by ballooning debts, as their repayments are dwarfed by the interest added Helen Lambert borrowed £57,000 to go to university and began repaying her student loan in 2021 after starting work as an NHS nurse. Since then she has repaid more than £5,000, typically having about £145 a month taken from her pay packet. But everything she hands over is dwarfed by the £40…

By turning conflict into entertainment US games company is ignoring its living legacy, says victims rights’ group It pits the IRA against the British army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary, it lets players plant bombs and make political deals and it promises to wrap up the conflict within six hours. Welcome to the Troubles – the provisional board game version. The brainchild of a US games company…

Families accuse health board of ‘deceit and cowardice’ after years-long battle to prove contaminated water was linked All Molly Cuddihy wanted was recognition of what she had gone through. That was what she told the Scottish hospitals inquiry in 2021, where she described the “frightening” fits and rigors she had suffered after contracting a bacterial infection at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth univers…

Conservationists hail the ‘desperately needed’ measures and urge greater protection after up to 11% of endangered Tapanuli orangutans wiped out The floods and landslides that tore through Indonesia’s fragile Batang Toru ecosystem in November 2024 – killing up to 11% of the world’s Tapanuli orangutan population – prompted widespread scrutiny of the extractive companies operating in the area at the…

Coalition’s Tony Abbott-style political playbook, policy backflips and lack of message discipline helped Labor secure landslide election win Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Peter Dutton repelled voters with a Tony Abbott-style political playbook ahead of last year’s federal election, presenting poorly designed and…

Friday’s meeting in Abu Dhabi comes after talks between Russian president Vladimir Putin, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner Ukraine, Russia and the US are set to hold three-way talks in Abu Dhabi on Friday, marking the first time that the three countries have sat down together since Russia invaded in 2022. The meeting was confirmed in the early hours of Friday morning after talks at the Kr…

Majority US-owned venture includes Larry Ellison’s Oracle, private-equity group Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi’s MGX TikTok announced on Thursday that it had closed a deal to establish a new US entity, allowing it to sidestep a ban and ending a long legal battle. The deal finalized by ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, sets up a majority American-owned venture, with investors including Larry Ellison’s…

While leaders of many liberal democracies declined to sign on, Mark Carney had, before Davos, accepted in principle Donald Trump withdrew on Thursday an invitation for Canada to join his “board of peace” initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts. “Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, t…

High to extreme fire danger expected across several states as inland parts of SA, Victoria, NSW and Queensland may have more than five days above 40C Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast All-time temperature records could tumble in Victoria and New South Wales over coming days, as a dome of intense heat pushed into sou…