Night-time temperatures dip close to -20C; minister outlines major problems with desertion and conscription evasion. What we know on day 1,422 Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to declare a state of emergency in Ukraine’s energy sector to tackle disrupted power supplies after heavy Russian attacks. Energy imports would also be increased, the Ukrainian president said. Emergency crews in Ukraine have proceeded with round-the-clock efforts to restore power and heating supplies at a time when night-time temperatures are dipping close to -20C (-4F). Zelenskyy said the state of emergency would allow authorities “more options and flexibility”. He called for the establishment of more centres where residents can stay warm and charge electronic devices, and said nightly curfews could be lifted in areas where the security situation permitted it. The president said Kyiv – whose mayor he regularly clashes with – had done considerably less than other major centres, notably Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, to prepare for the hardships inflicted by the attacks. “Even in recent days, I do not see sufficient intensity,” he said. “This must be urgently corrected. Decisions must be made.” The Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko, countered that heating had been restored to all but about 400 of 6,000 affected apartment buildings and support centres were operating 24 hours a day. “Such statements, first of all, undermine the dedicated work of thousands of people, professionals,” Klitschko wrote. “They may not have weapons in their hands, but through their tireless efforts they are also fighting for their country.” Zelenskyy said a permanent coordination headquarters would be set up in Kyiv with Denys Shmyhal, the newly appointed first deputy prime minister and energy minister, overseeing the work. Zelenskyy urged the military to hold their positions along the 1,200km (775-mile) frontline and diplomats to keep working on securing peace. “From our side, maximum productivity is required,” he said. “We expect the same level of energetic work from the American side. I personally very much expect this.” Ukraine will be able to buy military equipment from non-European suppliers when it is given access to a €90bn (£78bn) EU loan later this year under a proposal outlined by the EU executive, Jennifer Rankin writes from Brussels. “European preference first, but if not possible then purchase abroad,” said the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, who added that Europe should have a return in jobs and research benefits from the “billions and billions that are being invested”. Her proposal represents a softening of the approach pursued by France that favoured a more restrictive “buy European” clause. The commission said an alternative plan based on using Russia’s frozen assets remained on the table. Desertion by 200,000 troops and another two million people evading conscription are among many challenges facing the military, Ukraine’s new defence minister said on Wednesday. Mykhailo Fedorov told parliament that other problems included excessive bureaucracy, a Soviet-style approach to management, and disruptions in the supply of equipment to troops. “We cannot fight a war with new technologies but an old organisational structure,” Fedorov said. The defence ministry was facing a shortfall of 300bn hryvnia ($6.9bn) in funding, Fedorov said. On the upside he said some sectors had emerged from scratch, including private missile producers, which now number about 20, and more than 100 companies manufacturing ground-based robotic systems. The US treasury department has extended until 28 February a licence for companies to talk with Russian energy company Lukoil about buying its foreign assets. The US imposed sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft, Russia’s two biggest energy companies, on 22 October as part of an effort to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Lukoil put its $22bn in global assets up for sale shortly after. It has been hard-hit by the US sanctions, with overseas operations disrupted from Iraq to Finland. Continue reading...
Items worth £59.7m allocated to museums, galleries, libraries and archives as part of Arts Council England scheme Winston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli’s desk, a painting by Vanessa Bell and a rare artwork by Edgar Degas are among the items of cultural importance saved for the nation this year. The items, worth a total of £59.7m, will be allocated to museums, galleries, libraries and archives around the UK as part of Art Council England’s cultural gifts and acceptance in lieu schemes. Continue reading...
Exclusive: US is less feared by its traditional adversaries, while its allies feel ever more distant, results show A year after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, a global survey suggests much of the world believes his nation-first, “Make America Great Again” approach is instead helping to make China great again. The 21-country survey for the influential European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank also found that under Trump, the US is less feared by its traditional adversaries, while its allies – particularly in Europe – feel ever more distant. Continue reading...
Pressure mounting for use of glyphosate, listed by WHO since 2015 as probable carcinogen, to be heavily restricted Children are potentially being exposed to the controversial weedkiller glyphosate at playgrounds across the UK, campaigners have said after testing playgrounds in London and the home counties. The World Health Organization has listed glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen since 2015. However, campaigners say local authorities in the UK are still using thousands of litres of glyphosate-based herbicides in public green spaces. Continue reading...
Survey by education thinktank finds ‘contradictory’ attitudes towards free speech at UK universities One-third of students think Reform UK politicians should be barred from speaking on university campuses, according to a survey of student attitudes towards free speech that organisers described as “contradictory” and confusing. While 69% of students told the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) survey that universities should “never limit free speech”, similar numbers also supported speaking bans on specific political parties. Continue reading...
Royal College of Nursing publishes dossier of evidence including case of elderly patient who choked to death in corridor Corridor care is “a type of torture” that is leading to patients dying and causing NHS staff to have nightmares, the UK’s nurses union has warned. In one case, an elderly patient choked to death in a corridor, unseen by staff, according to a new dossier of evidence highlighting the problem published by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Continue reading...
Albacete 3-2 Real Madrid 17th-placed second tier hosts pull off huge upset For 20 minutes of Álvaro Arbeloa’s debut as manager of Real Madrid, the fog came down and no one could see any football. For the other 70, they couldn’t either. Not from his team, at least. From Albacete Balompié, 17th in the second division, they witnessed something magical. An outrageous goal scored with single second to go was the perfect end to the greatest story they ever told, history made. When the final whistle went, Madrid headed straight down the tunnel, defeated again, while the party began in the Carlos Belmonte. Arbeloa had said he wanted to see Vinícius Júnior dance; instead, it was Albacete’s fans who would, long into the night of their lives. This could not have been any better; at Madrid, things can always get worse, the crisis deepening. Careful what you wish for and all that. “At this club every defeat is a tragedy, so imagine one like this,” Arbeloa said afterwards. Continue reading...
Morocco advanced to the Africa Cup of Nations final on penalties, beating Nigeria 4-2 in the final shootout after their semi-final ended goalless after extra time. Yassine Bounou saved two spot kicks for the tournament hosts, keeping out Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi’s efforts. Nigeria keeper Stanley Nwabali denied Hamza Igamane with the first save of the shootout, but it proved to be in vain. This report will be updated Continue reading...
Chef patron Gareth Ward ‘not embarrassed’ by the score, and says it was due to inspectors’ concerns about the use of raw ingredients The chef behind a Welsh restaurant with two Michelin stars says it has “the highest standards in the world”, despite being given a one-star hygiene rating in a recent inspection. Ynyshir, a restaurant with rooms near Machynlleth on the southern edge of the Eryri national park, has been praised as one of the best in the world. Continue reading...
Esposito scores 78th-minute winner at San Siro Napoli 0-0 Lecce, Cologne 1-3 Bayern Munich Francesco Pio Esposito was the hero for Inter, the substitute’s 78th-minute goal earning a 1-0 home win over lowly Lecce to boost their title hopes. The Serie A leaders laboured against stubborn opposition before Esposito scored from a rebound with 12 minutes remaining. Inter move six points clear of Milan and Napoli with victory in what could be a major turning point in this season’s title race. Continue reading...
Judges uphold redrawing to offset Texas gerrymandering as Newsom attacks lawsuit as ‘weak attempt to silence voters’ A federal appeals panel on Wednesday upheld the California ballot initiative that allows temporary changes to congressional district maps designed to benefit Democrats in upcoming elections. The measure, known as Proposition 50, emerged in response to actions taken in Texas, where Republican leaders sought to adjust congressional districts to increase GOP representation in the US House. As the midterm elections approach, a period when shifts in party control are common, Trump urged Texas officials to redraw their maps to boost Republican seats. Continue reading...
It was the latest display of Arsenal’s power and aggression, their remorselessness. And when it was over, this Carabao Cup semi-final felt firmly within their grip. But for a late goal from the Chelsea substitute, Alejandro Garnacho, his second of an eventful cameo, it would surely have been over. Even so, it was difficult on this evidence to predict anything other than Arsenal progressing into the final; moving closer to a rare piece of silverware under Mikel Arteta – one to pave the way for others this season. Continue reading...
Four more who had paused their strikes choose not to continue after government opts against giving contract to Elbit Systems UK Seven Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners have announced the end of their hunger strike after the government decided not to award a £2bn contract to the Israeli arms company subsidiary Elbit Systems UK. Fears had been growing for the welfare of those taking part in the protest. On Wednesday, Heba Muraisi, 31, would have been on day 73 of refusing food, the same number of days as reached by the Irish republican hunger striker Kieran Doherty, who survived the longest of 10 men who died in a 1981 action. The earliest death among the Irish republicans was after 46 days, raising fears about the risk to life of the prisoners in jail awaiting trial for offences relating to protests claimed by Palestine Action. Continue reading...
Shabana Mahmood has lost confidence in Craig Guildford over his force’s ‘exaggerated and untrue’ intelligence assessments The police chief who used “exaggerated and untrue” intelligence to justify a ban on Israeli football fans is clinging on to his job despite the home secretary demanding he resign. Craig Guildford, who leads West Midlands police, is determined to stay in his post for now, the Guardian has learned, despite a war of words that culminated in Shabana Mahmood declaring she had lost confidence in him. Continue reading...
Protesters face execution as the Iranian regime continues its violent crackdown, defying the US president, Donald Trump, who has threatened ‘very strong action’ if demonstrators are killed. Erfan Soltani, 26, is the first protester to be sentenced to death, but it is unclear whether or not his execution has taken place. Lucy Hough speaks to journalist Deepa Parent about what she is hearing from those inside Iran Continue reading...
Bill would enforce duty of candour on public officials to assist inquiries after disasters Keir Starmer is facing the prospect of Labour MPs rebelling on his flagship Hillsborough law, after talks broke down with families over how the duty of candour would apply to serving intelligence officers. Starmer was introduced at last year’s Labour conference by Margaret Aspinall, whose son James, 18, was one of the 97 people killed in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. She praised him for pushing forward with the bill after months of arguments over its future. Continue reading...
⚽ Updates from the Afcon semi-final; kick-off 8pm GMT ⚽ Read Football Daily | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Billy Nigeria’s national anthem is well observed. Morocco’s is raucous – the stakes are huge. Kick-off is upon us. The fans are out in force in Rabat. They await the teams. Continue reading...
Some day, perhaps, Mohamed Salah will get the better of Sadio Mané in a major game, but not on Wednesday, not in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final. When Senegal beat Egypt in a shootout in the 2021 Afcon final, Mané scored the winning penalty before Salah had the chance to take his. In the shootout in the qualifying playoff for the 2022 World Cup, Salah missed his effort and Mané scored the winning penalty. This time it didn’t get to penalties, but Mané was still the matchwinner, thrashing in the only goal with 12 minutes remaining. Semi-finals, notoriously, are not for the playing but the winning, but this was among the worst of its type. There were fouls, there was grappling, there was time-wasting, there was the feigning of injury, there were countless attempts to influence the referee, there were numerous explosions of faux outrage, there was a lot of sideways passing, and there was very little in terms of imagination or flair or quality. As a spectacle it was awful; as an occasion it held the attention only because the stakes were so high. Continue reading...
No details given of potential members of committee that will be created to run territory as part of phase two The US has announced the start of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, including the creation of a committee of Palestinian technocrats who are supposed to take over the day-to-day running of the territory for a transition period. The announcement was made on social media by Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, but it lacked any detail or names of potential members of the proposed “national committee for the administration of Gaza”. The committee is not expected to begin work until mandated by a “peace board” chaired by Trump, which has yet to be created. Continue reading...
The Milton Keynes site was the first Amazon fulfilment centre to open in 1998, with staff offered a transfer to Northampton Amazon is planning to close one of its UK fulfilment centres, offering workers the chance to transfer to another site. The company announced a consultation on a proposal to close the site in Milton Keynes, which was the first Amazon centre to open in 1998. Continue reading...
The state department cites welfare use as it pauses visa processing for Brazil, Iran, Russia, Somalia and others The Donald Trump administration has indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries, marking one of its most expansive efforts yet to restrict legal pathways to the United States. The freeze, which takes effect on 21 January, targets applicants officials deem likely to become a “public charge” – who they describe as people who may rely on government benefits for basic needs. Continue reading...
PM says changes to plans to make digital document mandatory is ‘technical tweak’ and that digital checks will still be required to prove right to work Keir Starmer has rejected the claim that his change of plan over digital IDs represents another U-turn, as the prime minister faced accusations from the Conservatives that his government had “no sense of direction”. Late on Tuesday it emerged that a key plank of the controversial plan for digital IDs was being rolled back, with the original plan to make the document mandatory for people to show their right to work being dropped, with other forms of identification being allowed instead, for example a passport with a digital chip or e-visa. Continue reading...
Experts describe increase as ‘absolute tragedy’ after data shows rate jumped despite Conservatives vowing to halve it The rate of women dying during or soon after pregnancy in the UK has increased by 20% over the last decade, despite the Conservatives having pledged to halve it, according to figures experts have described as “an absolute tragedy”. In 2015, the then Tory health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, vowed to reduce maternal deaths by 50% by 2030 and make the NHS “one of the safest places in the world to have a baby”. In 2017, he brought the date forward to 2025. Continue reading...
Dispute between Sting and his former bandmates relates to whether streaming revenue features in ‘arranger’s fees’ and claimed at £1.5m There was a point in the early 1980s when the Police were so popular, it seemed every little thing they did was magic. Four decades on, with a back catalogue of hits and millions of pounds worth of streaming royalties rolling in, the mood music has changed significantly. Continue reading...
Tests showed horses that smelled body odour from people watching scary films startled more easily Horses can smell fear, or at least whether you have scared yourself witless watching a horror movie, according to researchers who say the effect has consequences for riders, trainers and others who work with the animals. In a series of tests, horses that smelled body odour from people watching scary films startled more easily, had higher heart rates and approached their handlers less often than when the odour came from people watching more joyful scenes. Continue reading...