High levels of ‘forever chemical’ found in cereal products across Europe – study 04. December 2025 (07:00) Pesticide Action Network Europe study finds average concentrations 100 times higher than in tap waterHigh levels of a toxic “forever chemical” have been found in cereal products across Europe because of its presence in pesticides.The most contaminated food is breakfast cereal, according to a study by Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN), with average concentrations 100 times higher than in tap water. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Leasehold ‘wild west’ under scrutiny as minister criticises FirstPort’s fees and failures 04. December 2025 (07:00) Exclusive: Senior minister raises ‘significant concerns’ over one of UK’s biggest property managers A senior minister has said he has “significant concerns” about one of Britain’s biggest property managers after dozens of residents complained of high charges, slow repairs and aggressive debt collection techniques.It is the latest sign of growing anger in Westminster over the behaviour of FirstPort, which manages properties on behalf of 1 million people, and other leasehold management companies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Detainees at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ facing ‘harrowing human right violations’, new report alleges 04. December 2025 (06:05) Amnesty International finds immigrants at Florida facility were shackled and left outside in metal cage for up to a dayDetainees at the notorious Florida immigration jail known as “Alligator Alcatraz” were shackled inside a 2ft high metal cage and left outside without water for up to a day at a time, a shocking report published Thursday by Amnesty International alleges.The human rights group said migrants held at the state-run Everglades facility, and at Miami’s Krome immigration processing center operated by a private company on behalf of the Trump administration, continue to be exposed to “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” rising in some cases to torture. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ghana’s Ibrahim Mahama first African to top annual art power list 04. December 2025 (06:00) Artist who once draped Barbican in brightly coloured fabric says he is humbled by recognition in ArtReview rankingsThe Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama has become the first African to be named the most influential figure in the art world in ArtReview magazine’s annual power list.Mahama, whose work often uses found materials including textile remnants, topped the ranking of the contemporary art world’s most influential people and organisations as chosen by a global judging panel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Revealed: Myanmar junta ‘crony’ given key role behind Fifa peace prize 04. December 2025 (06:00) Inaugural prize expected to be handed to Donald Trump but ‘process’ for choosing future winners to be proposed by controversial tycoon’s committeeIt was the timing that set off the first alarm bells. With Donald Trump brooding over missing out on the Nobel peace prize, and shortly before Gianni Infantino, the president of world football’s governing body, Fifa, was due to meet the US president in Miami, an announcement was made.In a press release and a post on his personal Instagram account last month, Infantino said Fifa would launch its very own peace prize, to be awarded each year to “individuals who help unite people in peace through unwavering commitment and special actions”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Making mental health crisis worse’: Young Nationals warn regional children will be cut off from family by social media ban 04. December 2025 (05:30) Exclusive: President of National party’s youth branch says many children in regional and remote areas rely on social media to stay connectedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal Nationals’ youth branch has called to dump the under-16s social media ban, amid a growing Coalition push against the world-leading laws coming into effect from next week.Coalition members including leader Sussan Ley, Andrew Bragg and Matt Canavan have voiced alarm at the looming 10 December commencement, despite the opposition waving through parliament legislation that specified the date and the party’s former leader Peter Dutton championing the ban. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sydney author’s erotica novel references ‘sexual stuff’ with a child, police officer tells court 04. December 2025 (05:17) A Christian charity executive who wrote Daddy’s Little Toy says her book refers to infant role play by adults rather than child abuseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA book written by a Christian charity marketing executive contained references to “sexual stuff” with a young child, the police officer tasked with reading the novel has said.Lauren Ashley Mastrosa, 34, is fighting child abuse charges brought over the book Daddy’s Little Toy which she wrote under the pen name Tori Woods. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thailand seizes more than $300m in assets and issues 42 arrest warrants in cyberscam crackdown 04. December 2025 (04:44) Seizures and warrants involve Chinese-Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, who heads US-sanctioned Prince Group, and Cambodians Kok An and Yim LeakThailand has seized assets worth more than $300m, including shares in a major regional energy company, and issued arrest warrants for 42 people in a high-profile push against regional scam networks, officials said on Wednesday.Parts of south-east Asia, including the border areas between Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia, have become hubs for online fraud, with criminal networks earning billions from illegal compounds where trafficking victims are often forced to work. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Heatwave warning for large parts of Australia as temperatures expected to reach low 40s 04. December 2025 (04:01) New South Wales south coast faces highest heatwave category, with extreme temperatures forecast elsewhere, including in Western Australia and the NTFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCommunities across large parts of Australia have been urged to take precautions as temperatures begin to soar ahead of severe and extreme heatwave conditions, with parts of western Sydney expected to reach the low 40s by Saturday.The Bureau of Meteorology has issued heatwave warnings in New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, with an extreme warning in place on the NSW south coast – indicating the highest level of risk. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Half of Europeans see Trump as enemy of Europe, survey finds 04. December 2025 (04:00) Nine-country poll finds half of people believe risk of war with Russia is high and three-quarters want to stay in EUNearly half of Europeans see Donald Trump as “an enemy of Europe”, rather more rate the risk of war with Russia as high and more than two-thirds believe their country would not be able to defend itself in the event of such a war, a survey has found.The nine-country poll for the Paris-based European affairs debate platform Le Grand Continent also found that nearly three-quarters of respondents wanted their country to stay in the EU, with almost as many saying leaving the union had harmed the UK. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
