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Independent senator says parliament house is a very violent workplace' after being suspended for making inappropriate comments

Prosecutors call for life imprisonment for childcare worker who committed 307 sexual offences against children in Brisbane and Italy

New South Wales to see wild weather and heavy rainfall after unseasonably hot' temperatures

Two girls, aged seven and eight, rescued from Georges River by passerby in September 2023

Exclusive: Emails seen by Guardian Australia from Michelle Rowland's office say they can't commit to a revised timeframe' on the long-awaited reforms

Displaced people make their way home despite volatile situation and warnings from Israeli military

German intelligence chief warns continued hybrid warfare by Moscow increases risk of alliance invoking Article 5Russia's acts of sabotage against western targets may eventually prompt Nato to consider invoking the alliance's Article 5 mutual defence clause, the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service has warned.Speaking at an event of the German Council of Foreign Relations (DGAP) think tank in Berlin on Wednesday, BND chief Bruno Kahl said he expected Moscow to further step up its hybrid warfare. Continue reading...

Exclusive: absence of good transport links now an emblem of areas that feel left behind' and failed by major parties, report claimsEvery constituency that elected a new Reform UK candidate at the general election has experienced long delays to road improvement schemes and resulting congestion, a report has found, in a possible clue to the growing appeal of populist parties.A series of other places where Nigel Farage's party is now polling well are also lacking transport infrastructure, the report added, as well as a perception among locals that decisions were being made in London that made their lives more difficult could push them to abandon major parties. Continue reading...

Former president accused of leading role in apparent scheme to overturn 2022 election defeat by rival LulaBrazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has moved a step closer to jail after a federal police investigation laid bare what it called a murderous authoritarian plot to explode the country's democratic system with a military coup that the far-right populist allegedly helped mastermind.Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied involvement in an attempt to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election, which he narrowly lost to his leftwing rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Continue reading...

Rail travel disrupted in southern England after heavy rain, as parts of country still feel impact of Storm BertThe third named storm of the autumn, Conall, has brought more disruption to the UK, with trains cancelled in parts of southern England on Wednesday and the Met Office warning of delays on roads and the potential for power cuts.Up to 40mm of rain fell overnight in parts of south and south-east England and another 5-8mm was expected during the day. The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for London and areas of Essex, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex. Continue reading...

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Peace is shaky at best, as Israel will still strike targets in Lebanon and a power transition looms in the USThe Biden administration has claimed the long-awaited ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel as a diplomatic triumph achieved under tremendous pressure during a lame-duck period with a hostile Donald Trump administration waiting in the wings.Speaking from a lectern in the Rose Garden of the White House, Joe Biden called the result historic" and said that it reminds us that peace is possible". It would return civilians to their homes, he said, and had determined this conflict will not be just another cycle of violence". Continue reading...

Claim comes after Paris signalled it would fulfil obligations as signatory to Rome statue after arrest warrant issuedThe French government has claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu has immunity from arrest warrants issued by the international criminal court for war crimes on the grounds that Israel is not an ICC member.The claim came soon after Netanyahu's cabinet agreed to a French-backed ceasefire in Lebanon and is in contrast to Paris's attitude towards last year's ICC war crimes warrant issued against Vladimir Putin, another leader of a non-member country. Continue reading...

Exclusive: David Neuberger, who ruled on high-profile assited dying cases, believes tight terms of bill cannot be expanded in courtsThe former president of the supreme court who ruled on the most high-profile assisted dying cases has declared his support for the law change, as MPs backing the bill say they believe they have the numbers for Friday's historic vote to pass.David Neuberger, who ruled against high-profile assisted dying cases including Debbie Purdy in 2009 and Tony Nicklinson in 2015, told the Guardian he believed the status quo was failing the fundamental aims of the law - to respect people's right of personal autonomy, and to protect the vulnerable". Continue reading...

Conservative leader says there needs to be a plan not just a promise' beyond leaving the ECHRWilliam Hague has achieved a rare Tory election victory; he has won the contest to be Oxford University's next chancellor.The university has released the figures for the final round of voting, where the winner emerged after the final five candidates were ranked using the alternative vote system. The runner up was Elish Angiolini, the lawyer and academic. Continue reading...

Lawyer for man accused of drugging wife and inviting strangers to rape her says she has felt like devil's advocate'Dominique Pelicot, the French man on trial for drugging his wife and inviting strangers to rape her, has a split personality caused by the effect of childhood trauma, his defence lawyer has argued.In her summing up on Wednesday, Beatrice Zavarro told the court in Avignon there were two Dominiques", one a man apparently devoted to his family and the other with a certain perversity". Continue reading...

Chart-topping British rapper claims the woman consented to all sexual activity, in a trial set to run for three weeksThe British rapper Slowthai and a friend raped two women after one of his gigs, the prosecution has told a court.Slowthai, AKA Tyron Frampton, 29, is accused of raping the women after his gig at the Bullingdon in Oxford in September 2021. Continue reading...

Tony Chambers accepts that chances to stop nurse were missed but declines to identify any personal failures at inquiryA hospital chief executive has said he told Lucy Letby we've got your back" in an attempt to calm her father who was furious that his daughter had been stopped from caring for babies.Tony Chambers said Letby's dad, John, was threatening guns to my head" and wanted the instant dismissal" of two senior doctors who had raised fears she was harming newborns. Continue reading...

Brian Whitelock tortured and murdered Wendy Buckney, who had given him odd jobs to help his rehabilitationA double killer freed from prison after being deemed a low risk by the Parole Board has been found guilty of murdering a charitable neighbour who gave him odd jobs to help his rehabilitation.Brian Whitelock, 57, who was released after serving 18 years for the double killing, tortured and murdered Wendy Buckney, 71, at her home in the village of Clydach, near Swansea in south Wales. Continue reading...

Spain's penalty to carriers for charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations is called anti-consumer'The boss of easyJet has denounced fines handed out to the airline and other budget carriers for charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations as illegal" and warned the decision will make it more expensive to fly.EasyJet was given a penalty of 29m (24.2m) by Spain's consumer rights ministry earlier this month along with Ryanair, which received the largest fine of 108m, and other airlines including Vueling, Norwegian and Volotea. Continue reading...

European Commission president says average spending in Europe is 1.9% of GDP, while Russia's is 9%The head of the EU executive, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for more defence spending in Europe over the next five years, as her top team was voted in by a wafer-thin majority of MEPs.The European parliament's endorsement of the new EU executive by the narrowest-ever margin, clears the way for von der Leyen and her chosen 26 European commissioners to start a five-year term on Sunday. Continue reading...

Oldest Carnaby's cockatoo in wild lived to 35, with eight recorded living beyond 21, researchers find

As market nudges $1bn, industry report calls for government to replace current criminalised model with a regulated adult-use approach

Analysts claim bosses at target bank decided to take the money and run' after Virgin assets valued at 5.1bnNationwide building society has revealed a 2.3bn gain from its takeover of Virgin Money, prompting accusations that Virgin's bosses decided to take the money and run" after losing faith in the ex-chief executive David Duffy.The building society's bosses hailed the terms of the deal on Wednesday, as it published its final set of results as a standalone brand. Although the 2.8bn it paid for Virgin Money represented a premium on the target-bank's share price - and its 2bn market valuation prior to the bid, according to Guardian calculations - it ended up being a significant" discount compared with the actual value of Virgin Money's assets. Continue reading...

Mitchells & Butlers faces cost headwinds' because of rises in national minimum wage and employer NICsThe owner of Harvester, Toby Carvery and All Bar One, Mitchells & Butlers, has become the latest hospitality business to warn it will take a 100m hit as a result of the tax changes outlined in the October budget.The pub and restaurant group said it was facing cost headwinds" in its current financial year, which began at the start of October, because of the increases in the national minimum wage and employer national insurance contributions (NICs) announced by Rachel Reeves, which are due to take effect from next April. Continue reading...

Decision is further blow to UK market as company grapples with end of pandemic-fuelled boost to online food ordersThe food delivery company Just Eat Takeaway is to delist from the London Stock Exchange to cut costs, in a further blow to the UK's international financial standing.Just Eat will now only be listed on the Amsterdam stock market, where the company is headquartered. The company said the London delisting resulted from restarting a review into where its shares should be listed. Continue reading...

Competition and Markets Authority finds 92% of loyalty-price items are real deals, but urges people to shop aroundShoppers signed up to supermarket loyalty schemes can make genuine savings", the competition watchdog has found, but it urged consumers to shop around to secure the cheapest prices.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had reviewed 50,000 products with loyalty price options and found 92% offered a saving against the supermarkets' usual price. Continue reading...

The bills enable government to pay third countries to receive non-citizens and prosecute those who refuse to cooperate with deportation

Exclsuive: Amid a chaotic end to the parliamentary session, Labor fears a repeat of franking credit policy fiasco that helped cost the 2019 election

Author of sweeping historical novel Edenglassie continues run of wins with Mark and Evette Moran Nib award

Belinda Harvey, who had relationship with Bob Lambert, says it is beyond comprehension' that she had been usedAn undercover police officer who deceived at least four women into sexual relationships and fathered a child with one of them is a cruel and manipulative" liar, a public inquiry has been told.Belinda Harvey, one of the women who had an 18-month relationship with Bob Lambert without knowing his real identity, said it was beyond comprehension" how the undercover officer had used her. Continue reading...

Penny Wong says there have been multiple instances where Thorpe made inappropriate and sometimes abusive comments' towards other senators

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In today's newsletter: Our environment reporter on what went wrong following Storm Bert and whether widespread flooding might make the government to face up to the country's leaky defences Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Storm Bert brought heavy rain, gale-force winds and snow across the country last weekend, overwhelming flood defences already described as being in disrepair. Parts of south Wales and south-west England, where a month of rain pummelled sodden towns and villages, fared particularly badly.Middle East | A highly anticipated ceasefire aimed at ending the 14-month-old war between Israel and Hezbollah officially came into effect early on Wednesday morning, hours after Joe Biden hailed the historic" agreement. The ceasefire officially began at 4am in Lebanon after the heaviest day of raids on Beirut by Israel including a series of strikes in the city centre.Health | Plans to end the deepening crisis in access to NHS dental care are failing, leaving patients unable to get treatment, according to a warning from the National Audit Office. A pledge to provide an extra 1.5m treatments in England this year is in disarray amid falls in both the number of dentists doing NHS work and people receiving help from them.Russia | Russia said it was expelling a British diplomat for alleged spying as tensions between London and Moscow rose after Ukraine starting using British weapons to strike deeper into Russia. The Kremlin has also banned cabinet ministers including Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper and Rachel Reeves from entering the country under sanctions announced by Moscow's foreign affairs ministry.World | Keir Starmer's national security adviser is to travel to Washington as the UK government tries to persuade Donald Trump not to rip up the Chagos Islands agreement.Business | The owner of Vauxhall has plans to close its van factory at Luton, in a decision that will put 1,100 jobs at risk of cuts or moving location. Stellantis will shift van production to another factory at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, blaming the UK's economic conditions and the government's zero-emission vehicle mandate. Continue reading...

Hanson alleges Payman, who was born in Afghanistan, has not shown evidence she has revoked that citizenship

Inaugural address from Leeroy Bilney, outlining racist history of Australia and future challenges, greeted with acclaim

Sales of Christmas pet lines up 964% year-on-year at Waitrose online as people spend more on pet careUnlike buying a present for a fussy father-in-law or an awkward aunt, a dog won't complain if their treats aren't the latest, and a cat is not likely to turn its nose up at a Christmas tree-shaped scratch tree.Perhaps that's why Britons are so happy to spend on their pets this Christmas, with sales of seasonal pet treats, toys and food booming. Continue reading...

Leading theatre figures warn drastic' reduction in funding will cause bankruptcy and harm city's tourism appealPlans to slash Berlin's culture budget by tens of millions of Euros have led to a huge backlash, with leading venues saying they have been forced to cut performances and others warning they will be pushed into bankruptcy.About 450 institutes that are reliant at least in part on state subsidies, from theatres and opera houses to nightclubs and galleries, have formed an alliance in an attempt to force a rethink over the 130m (108.6m) cuts. At around 12 to 13% of the current annual budget, they have been described even by those proposing them as brutal". Continue reading...

A jury has found Kristian White guilty of manslaughter over the death of the 95-year-old

Compulsory English subjects among those to have materials inadvertently released before students sat VCE exams

Queensland Health confirms child's death from highly contagious infection as vaccination rates plummet and cases spike across Australia

Gambling minister says measures will be instrumental' in helping those most at risk of addictionBookmakers and casinos will be forced to fund NHS services that tackle problem gambling, after Labour rubber-stamped the previous government's plans, which also include a cap of as little as 2 on the sums that can be staked on online slot machines.The Guardian revealed on Monday that the government was poised to approve the new statutory levy", using proceeds of around 100m a year to fund research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms. Continue reading...

More than 50,000 people had earlier forced their way into capital to demand former prime minister's releasePakistani security forces have launched a sweeping midnight raid on supporters of the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan who had earlier forced their way through security barriers and entered Islamabad.Thousands of protesters had gathered in the centre of the capital after a convoy, led by Khan's wife, broke through several lines of security all the way to the edge of the city's highly fortified red zone. Continue reading...

Company said Jane Rubens, in a coma after being hit by vehicle on holiday, must be repatriated this week, against advice of neurologistsThe daughter of a woman who suffered brain injuries while on holiday in the US has said she was told by her mother's insurer that she must return to the UK, against the advice of doctors, or face having funding for her medical care withdrawn.Jane Rubens, 73, from Edinburgh, is in a coma after being hit, as a pedestrian, by a large vehicle in St Louis, Missouri, at the start of November. The collision left her with severe brain injuries requiring multiple surgeries. Continue reading...

Legal action considered after dispersal notice reportedly led to children being transported 100 miles to GrimsbyRepresentatives from Gypsy and Traveller communities have said they want accountability not apologies" after children attending the Christmas markets were forced on to trains" by police.National charity the Traveller Movement held preliminary talks with lawyers on Monday, , and said it was considering taking legal action over the incident, and supporting affected families. Continue reading...

Manager and seven staff at Nana backpackers hostel detained after death of six touristsPolice in Laos have detained the manager of a backpacker hostel in Vang Vieng as well as seven of its staff after the deaths of six tourists in a suspected mass methanol poisoning.Two Danish citizens, an American, a Briton and two Australians died after becoming ill after a night out in the small riverside town.. A third Australian, a dual national, also fell ill, and is understood to be in a stable condition. Continue reading...

Members concerned over inappropriate' tactics from both sides, including billboards at Westminster stationMass advertising campaigns on assisted dying, including billboards at Westminster station and targeted Facebook adverts, have sparked anger among MPs.Amid an increasingly fractious debate on assisted dying ahead of a vote on Friday, MPs have raised concerns about inappropriate" tactics used by both camps. Continue reading...

Christina Plumb, 49, whose former husband was killed by the Taliban, attacked Adam Plumb in a drunk rageA woman who became a prominent campaigner for military personnel after her husband was killed by a Taliban bomb has been found guilty of assaulting her new partner.Christina Plumb whose husband Olaf Schmid was a bomb disposal expert, hit, kicked and bit Adam Plumb at their home in Devon, a judge heard. Continue reading...

Moscow bans Labour figures including Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper and Rachel Reeves under new sanctionsRussia has banned cabinet ministers including Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper and Rachel Reeves from entering the country under new sanctions announced by Moscow's foreign affairs ministry.More than a dozen other senior Labour politicians are among the 30 British citizens on the Russian stop list" after tensions between London and Moscow rose following Ukraine's recent use of British missiles to strike deeper into Russia. Continue reading...

Ministers reveal extent of damage as Met Office issues latest severe weather warning for parts of southern EnglandMore than 500 homes and businesses were flooded across Wales and England during Storm Bert, it has emerged, as forecasters issued another severe weather warning for rain in parts of southern Britain.In Wales, the first minister, Eluned Morgan, said 400 homes had been damaged as well as businesses and infrastructure, and reviews were being done to find out why some householders appeared not to have received warnings in time. Continue reading...