Ockham Book Awards dropped two titles from contention after new guidelines introduced on artificial intelligence use

The books of two award-winning New Zealand authors have been disqualified from consideration for the country’s top literature prize because artificial intelligence was used in the creation of their cover designs.

Stephanie Johnson’s collection of short stories Obligate Carnivore and Elizabeth Smither’s collection of novellas Angel Train were submitted to the 2026 Ockham book awards’ NZ$65,000 fiction prize in October, but were ruled out of the competition the following month in light of new guidelines around AI use.

The resolution, which includes references to an independent Palestine, was passed by a vote of 13-0 with China and Russia abstaining

The UN security council has endorsed proposals put forward by Donald Trump for a lasting peace in Gaza, including the deployment of an international stabilisation force and a possible path to a sovereign Palestinian state.

The resolution, passed by a vote of 13-0 with abstentions by China and Russia, charted “a new course in the Middle East for Israelis and Palestinians and all the people of the region alike”, the US envoy to the UN, Mike Waltz, told the council chamber.

Campaigners say the company is contributing to rising rates of childhood obesity, while the firm says it is helping to combat malnutrition

Nestlé is still adding sugar to most baby cereals sold across Africa, according to an investigation by campaigners who have accused the company of “putting the health of African babies at risk for profit”.

The food firm was accused of “double standards” over the researchers’ findings, which come at a time when rates of childhood obesity are rising on the continent, prompting calls for Nestlé to remove all added sugar from baby-food products.

• Incident occurred in fourth quarter of Sunday’s game

• Receiver initially denied spitting at Steelers cornerback

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended without pay for one game for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Chase spat on Ramsey during a confrontation in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. Ramsey grabbed Chase by the facemask and punched him in retaliation, which resulted in Ramsey’s ejection. Officials, who said after the game they did not see Ramsey spitting, took no action against the receiver at the time.

• Woltemade on target as Germany cruise to 6-0 victory

• Netherlands secure place with 4-0 win against Lithuania

Germany secured a place at next year’s World Cup by crushing Slovakia 6-0 in their final qualifier, pummelling them into submission with four goals in the first half and sending their opponents into a playoff in March.

The four-time world champions, who went out in the first round of the last two editions of the World Cup, finished top of their group, three points clear of Slovakia.

• Head coach has as many as 60 players on his longlist

• Right-back faces fresh competition from Jarell Quansah

Thomas Tuchel intends to visit Trent Alexander-Arnold as part of plans to tell players left out of his latest England squad how they can earn a spot at the World Cup.

The head coach has as many as 60 players on his longlist, few with a bigger profile than Alexander‑Arnold. However, the Real Madrid right‑back looks a long shot to win back his place before the finals tournament next summer. Alexander‑Arnold is in Tuchel’s thoughts but he has not been called up since June, played little part in England’s perfect qualifying campaign and saw a new competitor in his position emerge when Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah made his debut in the 2-0 win against Albania in Tirana on Sunday.

Chelsea lose ground in title race at Liverpool while Arsenal struggle to find their shooting boots

When Alyssa Thompson fired in a superb ninth-minute opener, Chelsea looked on course for another routine win. However, Liverpool’s defence held firm and the Reds levelled in the 33rd minute and held out until half-time. The Chelsea manager, Sonia Bompastor, introduced further attacking options in the second half, including Lauren James and Aggie Beever-Jones, but a solid defensive display from Liverpool ensured Chelsea were unable to find a winner as the hosts earned their second point of the season. Although the result did mean Chelsea set a record of 34 successive unbeaten WSL games, clearly all is not well with the defending champions. Last season they had 27 points after nine games and led the way, this campaign they have eight fewer and are three points behind Manchester City. Réshma Rao

Match report: Tottenham 0-0 Arsenal

• Ukrainian gives up undisputed heavyweight title status

• Fabio Wardley becomes sixth Briton to hold WBO crown

Fabio Wardley has been upgraded to WBO heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk elected to relinquish the title – and his undisputed status – rather than defend it against the unbeaten Briton.

Wardley wrested the interim title from Joseph Parker via a dramatic 11th-round stoppage last month and was mandated to face the Ukrainian before the end of September.

Former leaders’ report cautions against politicizing armed forces as national guard deployments raise tensions in US

With months of escalation between US cities and the Trump administration amid the deployment of national guard troops, former military officials released a report on Monday about the risks of politicizing the nation’s armed forces.

The report warns that increasing domestic military deployments, such as using national guard troops for immigration enforcement in the US, and removing senior military officers and legal advisers have made the armed forces appear to serve partisan agendas.

Ticket-holders to be fast-tracked for visa screening while Trump again threatens to relocate games from some cities

The Trump administration on Monday unveiled a new fast-track visa system for the millions of visitors expected to come to the US for the 2026 World Cup, but said fans could still be denied entry to the country despite holding tickets.

The Fifa prioritized appointment scheduling system, announced at the White House on Monday, will push World Cup ticket-holders to the front of the line for visa interviews. However, secretary of state Marco Rubio made clear that expedited processing does not mean automatic entry.

US president said ‘we’ll work something out’ in reference to meeting with the New York City mayor-elect

Donald Trump has signaled he may soon meet with New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, telling reporters that Mamdani “would like to meet with us”, adding that “we’ll work something out” – despite trading sharp words for each other previously.

“He would like to come to Washington and meet, and we’ll work something out,” the US president said late on Sunday, referring to Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist and former state assemblymember who won the New York City mayoral election earlier this month.

Suhas Subramanyam, a member of the oversight panel, had asked Mountbatten-Windsor to sit for deposition

• Epstein files latest – US politics live

A congressperson investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case accused the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of “hiding” from his committee’s request to sit for a deposition, as Congress moves closer to a key vote on forcing release of US government files related to the alleged sex trafficker.

Suhas Subramanyam is among the Democratic members of the oversight committee in the House of Representatives who earlier this month asked Mountbatten-Windsor to sit for a deposition as part of its investigation into how the government handled the case against Epstein, who died while awaiting trial in 2019.

Trump administration official confirms David Richardson will depart agency after six months in role

The acting administrator of Fema is leaving the agency, a senior Trump administration official said on Monday.

David Richardson resigned after only a brief stint leading the Federal Emergency Management Agency amid a furor over his responsiveness, especially during the catastrophic flooding in Texas during the summer that swept away a children’s camp and killed more than 130 people.

Countries including Mauritius and Cuba reiterate life-or-death nature of cutting emissions, calling it ‘a moral duty’

• Cop30: click here for full Guardian coverage of climate talks in Brazil

Jamaica has led calls from vulnerable nations at the Cop30 climate summit to urge immediate action on climate breakdown as the conference entered its second week.

As high-level ministers from governments around the world took over negotiations in Belém, Brazil, vulnerable nations lined up to say how important it was that wealthier countries cut emissions in order to limit the worst effects of global heating. In addition, they renewed a longstanding call for rich nations to do more financially to help poor countries deal with warming.

Rapper to give address on Tuesday after supporting Trump’s post condemning Nigerian government

The US-based Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj will work alongside the White House to highlight claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria.

Minaj is expected to deliver a speech at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday, according to a Time journalist who first posted about the collaboration on Sunday, adding that it was arranged by Alex Bruesewitz, an adviser to Donald Trump.

The so-called Judgment Day will generate millions of dollars and attract huge ratings, but leave boxing a little more broken

The unsurprising confirmation of “a colossal global showdown” between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua arrived on Monday morning with a dull thud. That grand description of an eight-round scrap between a former YouTuber and a former world heavyweight champion was supplied by Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, which also announced that the contest will be screened live on Netflix on 19 December and called Judgment Day.

Boxing operates in a netherworld that appears to have sunk far beyond any fear of judgment, while Paul has always had delusions of grandeur as a novice pro. But even boxing may have to consider its own culpability should Paul be badly hurt and end up in hospital after this fully sanctioned bout with regulation 10oz gloves is held in Miami.

North Carolina governor says immigration crackdown ‘stoking fear’ as officials say at least 130 people detained

Aggressive arrests by federal immigration agents continued in Charlotte on Monday after a weekend sweep in which authorities said they detained a total of at least 130 people in North Carolina’s largest city, as protests picked up.

North Carolina’s governor, Josh Stein, on Monday warned that the crackdown was simply “stoking fear” and resulting in severe disruption.

Tourists have a clearly defined identity and optimism, but still need to compete in a manner that earns Australia’s respect

When Rob Key named Brendon McCullum as England’s head coach in 2022, his quote in the official press release told supporters to “buckle up and get ready for the ride”. Now, with this hot-ticket Ashes series a few days from setting off in sun‑drenched Perth, the mix of fear and excitement among them has arguably never been greater.

The difference being that rollercoasters tend to stay on the rails, whereas England tours of Australia often career off them. No one is quite certain which way this one will play out, other than a broad agreement that Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood missing the first Test (at least) presents Ben Stokes and his tourists a golden opportunity.

Shabana Mahmood’s asylum overhaul burdens an overstretched system and hands political advantage to her opponents

In government, politicians often mistake gestures for progress. It is disappointing to see Shabana Mahmood succumb to that temptation. The home secretary’s flurry of proposals are designed to signal purpose, but constitute a wishlist of demands that her department can’t deliver. Currently, those fleeing persecution are given a five-year right to stay in the country and can apply for settled status after that. Ms Mahmood wants refugees to stay in the country initially only for a 30-month period, and then review their status to see whether they will be allowed to remain in the country for another 30 months. After two decades in Britain, they could apply to stay here permanently.

Denmark is held up as the model. A decade ago a centre-left government there was under pressure, with a surging populist right and immigration dominating voters’ concerns. Danish Social Democrats claimed that getting tough on refugees helped them win the election. However, the reality was messier. Copenhagen stripped Syrians of protection, yet could not remove them, leaving people stuck in “deportation centres”, unable to work or live normally. The result was a permanently marginalised population in enforced limbo.

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Donald Trump’s trade wars and Chinese competition constitute formidable headwinds. But old economic orthodoxies are not the answer

Last March, following angst-ridden months as Europe came to terms with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, financial markets in Paris, Milan and Berlin were gripped by a surge of optimism. The cause was a historic deal brokered by Friedrich Merz, then Germany’s chancellor-elect, which loosened constitutional spending constraints in the EU’s powerhouse nation. Here at last, it was hoped, was the fiscal kickstart required to end a prolonged period of economic stagnation, and mitigate geopolitical headwinds blowing from the US and China.

Six months into Mr Merz’s premiership, the angst is back and there are the first murmurings of rebellion. The chancellor’s plan included “whatever it takes” levels of defence spending, designed to prepare Germany for a changed era in which the US was no longer a dependable ally, and a huge €500bn investment in infrastructure and the green transition. But last week, the chancellor’s team of economic advisers downgraded growth forecasts for 2026 to below 1%. And ahead of what would constitute a fourth year of near-flatlining, business confidence has slumped.

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Helen Fielding and Renée Zellweger gather in Leicester Square as a new bronze marks 30 years of the diary-writing everywoman who redefined the romcom heroine

Bridget Jones, Britain’s best-loved and most hapless romcom heroine, stands in a creased miniskirt and gaping cardie in the centre of London, clutching her diary and a pen. Alcohol units: 0, cigarettes: 0, calories: 0, weight: 31 stone – and, according to the actor Sally Phillips, “no intention of losing any of it”.

Phillips was in Leicester Square on Monday morning to unveil a life-size bronze of the comedy character, alongside Helen Fielding – who first cooked her up in a newspaper column 30 years ago, and whose novels have now been translated into more than 40 languages – and Renée Zellweger, star of the four Bridget Jones films (with a combined box office of $900m (£683m)).

Experts believe decision is designed to pressure Venezuela’s leader into stepping down with threat of military force

• Is US preparing to attack Venezuela and how has Maduro regime responded?

The US has said it will designate a putative Venezuelan drug cartel allegedly led by Nicolás Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization, as the Trump administration sent more mixed messages over its crusade against Venezuela’s authoritarian leader.

The move to target the already proscribed group, the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns), was announced by Marco Rubio on Sunday. “Headed by the illegitimate Nicolás Maduro, the group has corrupted the institutions of government in Venezuela and is responsible for terrorist violence conducted by and with other designated FTOs as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe,” the US secretary of state tweeted, generating excitement among hardline adversaries of Maduro who interpreted the announcement as proof Washington was preparing to intensify its push to force the South American dictator from power.

As summer went on, the temperature climbed and climbed. Every day became harder. This is Neha’s story

Location Manesar, India

Disaster Indian heatwave, 2024

Neha is 25 years old and works for a large multinational company at a warehouse in Manesar, Haryana state, so she can send money back home to her family. In 2024, her working conditions worsened after a deadly heatwave spread across northern India. Climate breakdown is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves in India by warming the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

A new study suggests heatwaves will not revert back towards preindustrial conditions for at least 1,000 years after emissions target reached

• Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here

Heatwaves will become hotter, longer and more frequent the later net zero emissions is reached globally, new research suggests.

Scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather and Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, simulated how heatwaves would respond over the next 1,000 years, examining the differences for each five-year delay in reaching net zero between 2030 and 2060.