The Guardian

Volunteers that emerged during the pro-democracy protests regroup to help those affected by the blaze Hong Kong’s grassroots community groups have sprung into action to help coordinate and deliver aid to the survivors of the Wang Fuk Court fire, a catastrophic blaze that is confirmed to have killed at least 128 people, with hundreds still missing. Restaurants, churches and gyms in the Tai Po area…

Prime minister says proposal violates international law and would destabilise financial markets Europe live – latest updates Belgium has hit back against an EU plan to use Russia’s frozen assets to aid Ukraine, describing the scheme as “fundamentally wrong” and throwing into doubt how Europe will fund Kyiv. In a sharply worded letter, Belgium’s prime minister, Bart De Wever, said the proposal vio…

Airline says 55,000 people signed up to Prime, making €4.4m, but passengers benefited by more than €6m Business live – latest updates Ryanair is shutting its frequent flyers members’ club after only eight months because customers exploited its benefits too much. The budget airline said on Friday it was closing the scheme, which offered benefits including flight discounts, free reserved seating on…

One other member of the guards, Andrew Wolfe, is still ‘fighting for his life’, according to the president One of two US national guard soldiers shot in a targeted attack near the White House this week has died, while the second is fighting for his life, Donald Trump has announced. As part of his Thanksgiving call to US troops late on Thursday, the US president said he had been informed that Sara…

Coastguard says 76-year-old passenger was reported missing from Tui-operated vessel on Thursday morning A British cruise company has said it is working with authorities after a passenger on one of its ships was seen entering the water in the seas around the Canary Islands. Marella Cruises, which is operated by Tui UK, said the guest went overboard as the vessel was heading towards La Gomera, the …

French government-owned company to receive funding for Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C Business live – latest updates UK energy bill payers will hand over £2bn a year in subsidies to EDF, the French company building two nuclear power stations, according to government figures. EDF, owned by the French government, will be entitled to £1bn in annual payments as soon as Hinkley Point C , in Somerset, …

Far-right minister defends killing of two men in Jenin, saying ‘terrorists must die’ Video of an Israeli military raid in Jenin shows soldiers summarily executing two Palestinians they had detained seconds earlier. The shooting on Thursday evening, which was also witnessed by journalists close to the scene, is under justice ministry review, but has already been defended by Israel ’s far-right min…

Leo welcomed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as he begins six-day itinerary that will also include visit to Lebanon A new world war is being fought “piecemeal” and is endangering the future of humanity, Pope Leo has warned, as he arrived in Turkey for his first foreign trip since becoming head of the Catholic church. Speaking in Ankara, where he was welcomed on Thursday by the Turkish president, Recep Ta…

The one-act play Oh, Mary! – ‘the stupidest, funniest thing possible’ – to open after blockbuster run in New York What if, in the final weeks before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the first lady could not care less about the American civil war and was instead hell-bent on becoming a cabaret star? That is the question posed by Oh, Mary!, the smash-hit show that reimagines Mary Todd Lincoln as a …

While some call budget ‘tactical victory’, few MPs believe it is enough for Labour to beat Reform UK politics live – latest updates Labour MPs have said they believe Keir Starmer’s leadership is safe until at least the May elections, after a budget that avoided any major damaging measures but which few MPs believe will revive the party’s fortunes. More than a dozen previously loyal MPs told the G…

Group, which also owns restaurant brands including Toby Carvery, feels impact of increase in employer NICs The All Bar One owner, Mitchells & Butlers, has warned that it is facing about £130m in extra costs over the next year because of a soaring wage bill and rising food prices. The group, which also owns brands including Toby Carvery, Harvester and Miller & Carter, said that the cost increases …

Robert Sullivan’s self-imposed removal comes after accusations he provided financial support in exchange for arrangement which included sex A longtime Roman Catholic priest in Alabama has voluntarily left the clergy after a woman alleged to his superiors that he provided her financial support in exchange for “private companionship” including sex beginning when she was 17. Robert Sullivan’s self-i…

Alarming shift since 2010 means planet’s three main rainforest regions now contribute to climate breakdown Africa’s forests have turned from a carbon sink into a carbon source, according to research that underscores the need for urgent action to save the world’s great natural climate stabilisers. The alarming shift, which has happened since 2010, means all of the planet’s three main rainforest re…

Exclusive: It follows calls from US senator Elizabeth Warren to investigate bank executives including ex-Barclays boss Jes Staley US regulators say they are taking allegations that top banks may have facilitated Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activity “very seriously”, as they faced calls to investigate executives including the former Barclays boss Jes Staley. In correspondence seen by the Guardian, …

New Democratic party victory is crushing defeat for Unity Labour which has held power since 2001 The New Democratic party (NDP) in the Caribbean country of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is celebrating a historic landslide victory taking 14 of 15 seats , according to preliminary results. The decisive vote was a crushing defeat for the Unity Labour party (ULP), which has been in power since 2…