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Tsai Ing-wen says economic, financial and political challenges overwhelm Xi Jinping's government, with international pressure also a deterrentTaiwan's president has said China is unlikely to attempt an invasion any time soon because it is overwhelmed" by domestic problems.Tsai Ing-wen made the remarks in an interview at the New York Times Dealbook Summit. Continue reading...

About 20 pro-Palestinian protesters walked into Crowne Plaza lobby with signs and megaphone, which Israeli embassy says made delegation feel unsafe'

Exclusive: Legislation hailed as big step towards providing fair access to terminations across state

Parliamentary inquiry established by Albanese government declares full marketisation' of $9.5bn system has failed'

State government to contribute $245m to Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub, which is set to be operational by 2025

Four Thais were released late on Wednesday after two on Tuesday, having spent seven weeks in captivity

Creed actor accused by then girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, of slapping her across the face, twisting her arm, and throwing her into a carThe trial of the actor Jonathan Majors for assault and harassment against a former girlfriend following an alleged domestic dispute kicked off on Wednesday.Jury selection began in the morning for the highly publicized case, according to Deadline, with Majors appearing in the courtroom. The 34-year-old actor, known for his role in the Creed movie franchise, Lovecraft Country and several current and forthcoming Marvel projects, faces several assault and harassment misdemeanours. He has pled not guilty to all counts; if found guilty he faces up to a year in prison. Continue reading...

Hiring from red-list' nations risks destabilising healthcare overseas, warns Royal College of NursingThe NHS has been accused of unethical" behaviour after it emerged that it has been recruiting record numbers of nurses and midwives from countries which have serious staffing shortages.Bringing in staff from red-list" countries risked destabilising those nations' healthcare systems and breaching government guidelines, said hospital employers and the Royal College of Nursing. Continue reading...

Khalil relishes time outdoors after decade living in a cemetery' but says visa conditions are unfair

Document details events leading up to the assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist, adding weight to Justin Trudeau's claims of India's involvement

Police are said to be investigating former martial arts star's social media posts before and during violenceThe former mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor has accused Irish authorities of making him a scapegoat" for the riot in Dublin last week amid reports police are investigating his social media posts before and during the violence.McGregor on Wednesday accused the government of trying to deflect attention from a stabbing attack on children that triggered anti-immigrant protests and anarchy in Ireland's capital on 23 November. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Cushion' for carmakers facing looming tariff under deal for vehicles traded between EU and UK from start of 2024The European Commission has hatched confidential Plan B proposals to cushion" the impact of a looming 10% tariff on imports and exports of electric vehicles, the Guardian has learned.The proposal was presented to member states on Monday in response to pressure from carmakers to amend some of the conditions imposed when the UK left the EU in January 2021. Continue reading...

Infant was kidnapped alongside his brother, Ariel, and their mother, Shiri, who the group say have also diedA 10-month-old baby who was the youngest hostage kidnapped and taken to Gaza has reportedly been killed in an Israeli bombing alongside his mother and brother, Hamas has claimed.Kfir Bibas was taken from the Nir Oz kibbutz along with his four-year-old brother, Ariel, and their mother, Shiri. His father, Yarden, was also abducted during the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostage. Continue reading...

Study says young people can be happy to stay at home - but being driven there by a lack of affordable rental options is problematic'

Pay gap remains when factors such as occupation, qualifications, geography, age and sex taken into accountThe UK's ethnicity pay gap has persisted over the past decade, when factors like occupation, qualifications, geography, age and sex are taken into account, according to statistics released on Wednesday.Among UK-born workers, black employees had the biggest pay gap, earning 5.6% less than white employees. Continue reading...

Jury hears messages in which girl said she had been learning about killer known as the night stalker'

This live blog is now closed, you can read more from today's Covid inquiry hereBack at the home affairs committee, Tim Loughton (Con) has just had another go at getting answers about the number of asylum applications that have been withdrawn. (See 10.38am.)He said, when he said earlier 95% of withdrawn applications were categorised as withdrawn for other" reasons (and not because the claims were not substantiated), he was quoting figures for the last quarter.Whilst the prospect is perhaps what none of us would wish to plan for, I believe the reality will be that we will need to discharge Covid-19 positive patients into residential care settings for the reason you have noted.This will be entirely clinically appropriate because the NHS will triage those to retain in acute settings who can benefit from that sector's care. Continue reading...

Knowles posted an Instagram statement saying that reports following her daughter's recent red carpet appearance made her blood boil'Tina Knowles has defended her daughter Beyonce on social media against allegations that she lightened her skin for the premiere of her new concert film.On 25 November, the 42-year-old pop star attended the opening of Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce on the chrome carpet" in an all-silver outfit with platinum blond hair. Soon after photos circulated on social media, some users accused Beyonce of lightening her skin and hair to appear more white". Continue reading...

The campaign by Publishers for Palestine will offer more than 30 free ebooks of poetry, fiction and nonfiction as an act of solidarity'A group of publishers has launched a week-long initiative encouraging people to read books by Palestinian authors and about Palestinian history by offering free ebooks.#ReadPalestine begins on Wednesday and runs until 5 December. The campaign was created by Publishers for Palestine, a group that published a statement of solidarity with Palestine in early November. The letter, which called for an end to all violence against Palestinian people", was signed by more than 40 UK publishers including Verso Books. Continue reading...

Wang Gang accused of deliberately pushing tutorial around anniversary of death of Mao AnyingA Chinese celebrity chef has apologised after he was accused of insulting the memory of Mao Zedong's son by posting a video about how to cook egg fried rice.Wang Gang, who has more than 3.3 million followers on Weibo and more than 2 million on YouTube, faced a torrent of criticism by viewers who accused him of deliberately publishing his cooking tutorial around the anniversary of the death of Mao Anying as an act of mockery. Continue reading...

British prime minister cancelled a bilateral meeting with his Greek counterpart in London

This live blog is now closedSweden's foreign minister said he is grateful" for US support, as the country continues to wait to join Nato.The Finnish president's office told Reuters today the presidents of Finland and Poland did not discuss military cooperation regarding Finland's border with Russia during a meeting last week. Continue reading...

Bistro Greggs to reimagine favourites such as the steak bake with Parisian inspiration' - and price hike to matchYou've eaten the sausage roll and possibly bought the Primark T-shirt but now the formerly no-frills baker Greggs has upped the ante with its guerrilla marketing this Christmas by debuting a fine dining" offering.Bistro Greggs is marketing itself as a high-end restaurant where steak bakes will be served under silver cloches and you can sip 9.50 cocktails inspired by jam doughnuts. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of business as US revises up GDP growth in third quarter to fastest pace of 2023At lunchtime in the UK and western Europe markets are fairly flat all around.The UK's benchmark FTSE 100 has barely moved, although grocery delivery company Ocado is the top gainer, up 4.8%. (An Ocado director buying shares may have helped.) Trainer retailer JD Sports was the second biggest, up 4.5%.These allegations are false, not true, incorrect, are not accurate. And it's an attempt to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency,I promise you, never ever did I see these talking points that they refer to or that I ever even used such talking points in my discussions. Continue reading...

The dry weather probably panicked a lot of people who flooded the markets with cattle, but now things are changing, says one breeder

Status of five other personnel aboard Osprey aircraft not known after incident off Yakushima island, off southern Kyushu coastA crew member who was recovered from the ocean after a US military Osprey aircraft carrying six people crashed Wednesday off southern Japan has been pronounced dead, coast guard officials said.The cause of the crash and the status of the five others on the aircraft were not immediately known, coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said. Initial reports said the aircraft was carrying eight people, but the US military later revised the number to six, he said. Continue reading...

Singer is teaming up with Ellie Costello and says it'll be a joy to join the GB News family'The singer, former I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! contestant and Miss World host Peter Andre will co-host a new show on GB News throughout December, it has been announced.The Mysterious Girl singer, 50, will present Saturday Morning Live with Ellie Costello from 10am to 12pm from this Saturday. Continue reading...

Provisional cause of death of Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Hugo Morris, 18, was drowning, inquests toldFour teenagers drowned after the vehicle they were travelling in left a road in north Wales, a coroner has said.The inquests into the deaths of Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Hugo Morris, 18, all from the Shropshire area, were opened and adjourned on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Spanish firm Ferrovial sells off holding after 17 years, with other 15% going to French group ArdianSaudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund has taken a 10% stake in Heathrow for 1bn from the Spanish infrastructure company Ferrovial, which is selling off its holding in Europe's biggest airport after 17 years.Ferrovial has sold its entire 25% stake in Heathrow's parent company, FGP Topco, for 2.4bn, with a 15% share of the firm going to the French private equity group Ardian and the rest going to the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). Continue reading...

V&A director says trustees should be able to make case' for items to be retained or returned to countries of originMuseum trustees should be able to make the case" whether items in their collections should be retained or returned to their countries of origin, but instead were being infantilised" and hidebound" by legislation, Tristram Hunt, the director of the V&A, has said.He was speaking as a diplomatic row between the UK and Greece over the future of the Parthenon marbles, held at the British Museum, blew up this week after Rishi Sunak abruptly cancelled a meeting with the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Continue reading...

Katarina Carroll says if new legislation passes parliament it will be exactly what we need' amid retesting of DNA samples at state lab

Daniel Duggan's lawyer calls for restraining order on property to be thrown out due to unacceptable sequence of events'

Former Liberal staffer told the court she was upset all these good people did nothing' in her time of needBrittany Higgins was really personally hurt" by the way senator Linda Reynolds and the Liberal Party abandoned" her after she disclosed she had been sexually assaulted in the minister's office, the federal court has heard.Bruce Lehrmann has brought a defamation case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview with Higgins on Ten's The Project in which she alleged she was raped by a Liberal staffer in Parliament House. Network Ten and Wilkinson are defending the case. Continue reading...

NSW girl Isabelle Miller grabbed steering wheel of Casino high school bus as it crossed road and headed towards cars refuelling at mini mart

Collaboration will give Sony Pictures Entertainment exclusive first-look rights to Guardian's global journalismThe Guardian has struck a deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment, the parent of the producers of content including The Crown, Doctor Who and Sex Education, to develop the media group's content for adaptation to film and TV.The deal with Guardian Media Group, the parent company of the Guardian and Observer newspapers and international digital businesses, will give SPE exclusive first-look rights to Guardian's global journalism. Continue reading...

Government facing two new legal challenges from former detainees who Andrew Giles released into community detention

A warning for readers: this blog contains graphic details of allegations of sexual assault.

Australian Clinical Labs hack alleged to have resulted in more than 200,000 health records and credit card details being published on dark web

Decision made in case of Muslim employee in Belgium states that restrictions must be applied equallyGovernment offices across the EU can ban employees from wearing religious symbols, such as Islamic headscarves, in the interest of neutrality, the EU's top court has ruled, though it stressed that such restrictions must be applied equally to all employees and fit within the legal context of each member state.The decision, published by the court of justice of the European Union on Tuesday, said such bans were permissible in order to enforce an entirely neutral administrative environment". Continue reading...

Alleged plan to favour Nawaz Sharif in coming general election comes amid allegations of pre-polling riggingThe election commission of Pakistan is facing accusations of using a controversial exercise to redraw the voting map in order to favour the return of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to power, amid allegations of pre-polling rigging and increasing doubts over the fairness of the coming general elections.The process of amending constituency borders, known as delimitation, follows on from a census that was recently carried out, which was marred with controversies. Continue reading...

Treasurer Tim Pallas says government is working to determine who needs to be paid back after high court's EV ruling

Miriam Adelson's family, which runs the Las Vegas Sands casino, said they will be selling shares worth $2bn to purchase a teamDallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is working on a deal to sell a majority stake in the NBA franchise to the family that runs the Las Vegas Sands casino, a person with knowledge of the talks said Tuesday night.The agreement would be in the valuation range of $3.5bn and take weeks for the league to process, according to the person, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details weren't being made public. Continue reading...

Seventeen-year-old Hamidreza Azari was executed along with Milad Zohrevand, 22, as UN agency calls for moratorium on capital punishmentThe United Nations said Tuesday it deplored the executions of a 17-year-old and a 22-year old in Iran and urged Tehran to immediately stop applying the death penalty.The UN Human Rights Office said it was troubled by Friday's executions. The execution of Hamidreza Azari, who was accused of murder, is the first reported execution of an alleged child offender in Iran this year," spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell said in a statement. Continue reading...

In second radical action in a month, pontiff hits back at retired prelate Raymond Burke, one of his most vocal criticsPope Francis has decided to punish one of his highest-ranking critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, by revoking his right to a subsidized Vatican apartment and salary in the second such radical action against a conservative American prelate this month, according to two people briefed on the measures.Francis told a meeting of the heads of Vatican offices last week that he was moving against Burke because he was a source of disunity" in the church, said one of the participants at the 20 November meeting. The participant spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal the contents of the encounter. Continue reading...

Ads gave misleading impression that recycling vapes is easy and can be done at home, says watchdogAdverts for the vaping company Elf Bar have been banned after using the slogan recycling for a greener future" over concern they were misleading because of the environmental damage of discarded vapes.A study by Material Focus shows that 260m disposable vapes were thrown away in the UK in 2022, making them a leading cause of the rise in plastic pollution in recent years. Continue reading...

Government push to clear asylum backlog is not giving people granted refugee status enough time to find new home, say councilsTens of thousands of refugees are at risk of sleeping rough this Christmas after a Home Office drive to hit Rishi Sunak's asylum case target, the umbrella body for local councils has said.The Local Government Association said councils across England and Wales were facing a perfect storm" as the government worked to clear 92,327 asylum cases by the end of the year. Continue reading...

War of words between Athens and London escalates after Rishi Sunak's snub to Greek prime ministerRishi Sunak's snub of his Greek counterpart over the Parthenon marbles raised fresh questions about Britain's fraught relations with its European neighbours as a war of words between Athens and London escalated on Tuesday.A meeting on Tuesday between Sunak and Kyriakos Mitsotakis was cancelled because the Greek prime minister reneged on assurances that he would not use a UK visit as a public platform" to lobby for the return of the marbles to Athens, Downing Street said. The Greek side has denied any such assurances were given. Continue reading...

Mizanur Rahman, a 41-year-old father of two, was killed in a fire at the flat, 18 Maddocks House in ShadwellThe landlords of a dangerously overcrowded east London flat that suffered a deadly fire in March have pleaded guilty to a total of nine criminal charges.Sofina Begum, 50, and Aminur Rahman, 53, entered their pleas during a short hearing at Thames magistrates court in east London. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Isaac Levido's company, Fleetwood Strategy, is helping DMGT navigate potential acquisition of right-wing broadsheetA lobbying company run by the Conservatives' top election strategist, Isaac Levido, is advising the owners of the Daily Mail on their bid to buy the Telegraph newspaper titles, prompting concerns over a potential conflict of interest.Fleetwood Strategy, which was set up by Levido after running the Tories' highly successful election campaign in 2019, is helping the Daily Mail & General Trust navigate a potential acquisition of the right-wing broadsheet, the Guardian has learned. Continue reading...

Temporary closure comes after Finnish intelligence suggested Russia was helping asylum seekers reach the borderFinland has announced it is temporarily closing its entire border with Russia after weeks of tensions between the countries over asylum seekers that Helsinki has labelled a hybrid operation" by Moscow.With just 24 hours notice, the Finnish government said on Tuesday that it would close Raja-Jooseppi in Lapland, its last remaining border crossing point with Russia, on Wednesday night. Continue reading...