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Move expected to help clear backlog of about 11,500 applications and could ease process for up to 300,000 Kiwis

FCA penalises bank after millions of customers were locked out of their accounts for weeksCity regulators have fined TSB £48m for “widespread and serious” failings related to the IT meltdown in 2018 that left millions of banking customers locked out of their accounts for weeks.The long-awaited fine is expected to draw a line under the scandal, which tarnished the challenger bank’s reputation and forced its chief executive to step down within months of the botched move to a new IT platform. Continue reading...

Airline blames technical issue for disruption at airports including Denver, New York and MiamiBritish Airways has apologised after a technical issue triggered a wave of flight delays across the US and the Caribbean.The airline said problems with its third-party flight planning supplier were behind the delays, as customers reported disruption in departing cities including Denver, New York and Miami. Continue reading...

The Riverland faces its worst flooding in half a century as communities await the slow-moving disaster

Ghanaian photographer’s crowdfunded project won support of Humans of New York author and boasts more than 30,000 booksThe largest photography library in Africa has opened in Ghana’s capital, Accra, showcasing the work of the continent and diaspora’s forgotten, established and emerging talent.Founded by Ghanaian photographer and film-maker Paul Ninson, the Dikan Center houses more than 30,000 books he has collected. The first of its kind in Ghana, a photo studio and classrooms provide space for workshops while a fellowship programme is aimed at African documentarians and visual artists. An exhibition space will host regular shows, the first of which is Ahennie, a series by the late Ghanaian documentary photographer Emmanuel Bobbie (also known as Bob Pixel), who died in 2021. Continue reading...

Foreign minister says in Beijing she will press for detained Australians Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun ‘to be reunited with their families’

Senator David Shoebridge hopes to ‘rebalance the scales of justice’ after states crack down on activists

Revival of pact could mean lifting sanctions on a country that is viciously suppressing protests and arming RussiaWary western powers face an unlikely potential dilemma after a sudden push by Tehran to suggest that progress is being made to remove the last outstanding obstacles to a revived agreement to oversee Iran’s nuclear programme.The unlikely prospect of Joe Biden reviving the dormant 2015 nuclear deal, potentially lifting sanctions and opening the way for Iran to make billions of dollars in oil exports, would be seen as a gross betrayal by supporters of three-month-long street protests, as well as a controversial signal to send to Ukraine about Washington’s priorities. Continue reading...

Report finds variation of up to $700 in rebates paid to patients of different funds undergoing same procedure by same doctor in same hospital

Hillsong founder Brian Houston avoids telling court whether he thought his father should have gone to jail

Average temperatures next year will be about 1.2C above what they were before humans started to drive climate change, the Met Office saysNext year is forecast to be one of the hottest on record with global average temperatures forecast to be about 1.2C above what they were before humans started to drive climate change, the UK Met Office predicts.If correct, it would be the 10th year in a row to see global average temperatures reach at least 1C above what they were in pre-industrial times, measured as the period 1850-1900. Continue reading...

RBA’s final meeting minutes reveal concerns about higher spending over summer holidays without Covid restrictions

Lawyer Josh Bornstein confirms two women’s cases resolved after review found they experienced harassment and discrimination

Sewell found guilty of recklessly causing injury and affray over 2021 altercation in Melbourne

The downfall of the former movie magnate played out over a six-week trial that included testimony from Jennifer Siebel NewsomA Los Angeles jury has found Harvey Weinstein guilty of rape and sexual assault, five years after dozens of women spoke out against the Hollywood producer and galvanized the #MeToo movement.After more than nine days of deliberation, the jury convicted Weinstein of three counts of rape and sexual assault against one woman, a European model and actor who testified anonymously as “Jane Doe 1”, while remaining divided on three other charges of rape and sexual assault by two other accusers, including Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California’s governor. Weinstein was also acquitted of a sexual battery allegation made by a fourth woman. Continue reading...

Review recommends setting a target for greater female representation but not a binding quota

Anthony Albanese told reporters the appointment would be seen within the US as a significant oneAnthony Albanese has appointed the former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd as the next Australian ambassador to the United States.The prime minister made the announcement in Canberra on Tuesday, confirming months of speculation that Rudd was a frontrunner for Australia’s key diplomatic post in Washington DC.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Full-time members of the AAT not reappointed to a position in a new body will be eligible for compensation under existing contracts

Patients with serious conditions and injuries will have to get themselves to A&E, NHS chiefs sayThousands of patients who have had strokes, heart attacks or broken bones will have to get themselves to A&E on Wednesday when ambulance staff strike over pay, NHS bosses have warned.The disruption is expected to last for up to three days, with crews not reaching some patients who called 999 on Wednesday until Thursday or Friday. Continue reading...

Monarch’s portrait on £5, £10, £20 and £50 likely to enter circulation in 2024Designs for bank notes featuring an image of King Charles III have been revealed by the Bank of England, with plans to enter circulation by mid-2024.Announcing the design for the first time in the run-up to the coronation in May, the UK central bank said the king’s portrait would appear on existing designs of all four of its polymer bank notes currently in circulation – £5, £10, £20 and £50. Continue reading...

Bridget McKenzie backs immediate improvements to interstate track as an alternative to long-term high-speed plans

Union wants to prevent bushland site where two officers were shot dead from falling into hands of conspiracy theorists

All 18 tanks on exercises suffer problems in blow to German contribution to January Nato forceThe German government has said it will pause purchases of new Puma tanks after a mass breakdown during exercises, lamenting a “harsh setback” as Berlin seeks to overhaul its military.The armoured infantry vehicles – which were supposed to form part of Germany’s contribution to a Nato force – suffered problems that left all 18 of those in the exercises unfit for operations. Continue reading...

Officers used firearm after being called to Carlisle address where man in 40s was reported to be threatening peopleA man has died after being shot by armed police in Cumbria.Officers were called to Borland Avenue in Carlisle at 3.37pm on Monday, to reports of a man threatening people. Continue reading...

Supporters of ousted president Pedro Castillo had blocked train tracks near Inca citadel with rocksTourists visiting Peru’s Inca citadel of Machu Picchu have been evacuated by helicopter to the nearby city of Cusco where flights to the capital, Lima, are operating normally, the country’s tourism ministry said on Monday.Scores had been trapped in and around the Inca ruin after protesters had used rocks to block trains that run to Cusco since Tuesday, forcing some tourists to hike to the nearest town of Ollantaytambo. Continue reading...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s last-minute bid for additional funds was dismissed on a legal technicalityIt was almost a special moment in the early hours of Monday morning in the Palais des congrès in Montreal. China and Canada, two squabbling adversaries, had united for the good of the planet to help the world at Cop15 forge a once-in-a-decade deal to halt the destruction of Earth’s ecosystems.From the emphasis on indigenous rights to conserving 30% of Earth for nature, there is good reason to believe the Kunming-Montreal agreement could be a truly historic, hopeful turning point in humanity’s relationship with nature after decades of destruction and warnings of mass extinctions. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ipso head declines private invite after receiving 12,000 complaints about Jeremy Clarkson Sun column attacking MeghanIf all had gone to plan, the chair of the UK’s main press regulator would have spent Monday night enjoying a private dinner at Rupert Murdoch’s Mayfair flat.Instead, Edward Faulks cancelled his plans after the Guardian asked why he had booked a dinner date with the billionaire media mogul. Continue reading...

The former Tory MP and universities minister stepped back as scrutiny over the cryptocurrency exchange growsBoris Johnson’s younger brother, Jo, has resigned from a role advising Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, which hopes to launch in the UK.Lord Johnson of Marylebone took the role on the UK advisory board of Bfinity, a payments business founded by Binance, in September, the Telegraph reported. Continue reading...

Antonia Guterres does not see ‘serious’ peace talks in immediate future; Russian president visits Minsk

Judges rule policy is legal but rebuke Home Office over attempt to deport eight people in June

DHSC also seeking to recover costs of storing and disposing of gowns supplied by firm Michelle Mone recommended to ministers

Months of talks end with ‘dynamic cap’ deal after Germany persuaded by global reference-price conditionEU ministers have agreed a plan to cap the price of gas, ending months of argument over how to handle the cost of soaring energy prices after Russia cut gas supplies to Europe.“Mission accomplished,” said the Czech minister for trade and industry, Jozef Síkela, who chaired talks between energy ministers, adding that negotiations had not been easy. Continue reading...

Mark Rutte says Dutch state ‘enabled, encouraged and profited from slavery’ for centuriesMark Rutte has offered a formal apology on behalf of the Dutch state for the Netherlands’ historical role in the slave trade, saying slavery must be recognised in “the clearest terms” as a crime against humanity.In a speech at the national archives in The Hague on Monday, the Dutch prime minister acknowledged the past “cannot be erased, only faced up to”. But for centuries, he said, the Dutch state had “enabled, encouraged and profited from slavery”. Continue reading...

Home secretary welcomes high court judgment that policy is lawfulAnd here is the key quote from the summary of the judgment.The court has concluded that, it is lawful for the government to make arrangements for relocating asylum seekers to Rwanda and for their asylum claims to be determined in Rwanda rather than in the United Kingdom. On the evidence before this court, the government has made arrangements with the government of Rwanda which are intended to ensure that the asylum claims of people relocated to Rwanda are properly determined in Rwanda. In those circumstances, the relocation of asylum seekers to Rwanda is consistent with the refugee convention and with the statutory and other legal obligations on the government including the obligations imposed by the Human Rights Act 1998. Continue reading...

Government plans to seize C$26m from Granite Capital Holdings, owned by sanctioned former Chelsea FC ownerCanada plans to seize C$26m (US$19m) from a company owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, the federal government said on Monday.The pursuit of Abramovich’s Granite Capital Holdings marks a first attempt by Ottawa to seize assets belonging to a sanctioned individual and reflects a broader strategy to punish Russia and its wealthy elite for the invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

High court did not end the home secretary’s plans, but there’s a long way to go before backbenchers are satisfiedSuella Braverman’s self-confessed dream of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda is still alive. But it could yet turn into a slow-moving nightmare which will not satisfy the demands of backbench Tory MPs to see a flight take off for Kigali before the next general election.The home secretary spoke in October of her “obsession” with the plan – drawn up by her predecessor Priti Patel – to send a plane carrying asylum seekers to the central African state with a dubious human rights record. Continue reading...

Gabrielle Hutchinson, 23, was working in security role at London venue on night of Asake gigA security guard has become the second person to die after a crowd crush at the O2 Academy Brixton last week.Gabrielle Hutchinson, 23, was working as a contracted security provider at a performance on Thursday by the Nigerian Afrobeats singer-songwriter Asake. Continue reading...

Alarming data underlines why workers in England and Wales are taking exceptional step that may have lethal consequencesAt any other moment in the 74-year history of the NHS, thousands of nurses staging their first ever strike would represent the single biggest threat to patient care.Last Thursday’s stoppage by nurses resulted in the cancellation of 16,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries in England, with more set to be postponed this Tuesday. Continue reading...

Long-distance departures between many big cities will leave in the morningPassenger trains on Christmas Eve will finish by 3pm because of strikes, Network Rail has warned, with the last long-distance departures between many big cities leaving in the morning.The last train from Edinburgh to London will leave at 8am, and from Manchester to London at 12.15pm. Last trains either way between Manchester and Liverpool will leave at about 2pm. No trains will connect the capital and Nottingham or Sheffield on Christmas Eve. Continue reading...

Speaking at World Cup, pundit said government was ‘demonising’ striking NHS and rail staffRishi Sunak has criticised the football pundit Gary Neville for arguing people should “detest low pay” and poor working conditions whether for migrant workers in Qatar, or NHS staff in the UK.The former Manchester United and England defender made the comments during ITV’s coverage of Sunday’s World Cup final in Qatar, saying that the UK government was “demonising” striking rail and health workers. Continue reading...

Father able to stop the attack on the five-year-old boy, who was bitten multiple times while playing on a beach

Trial hears Frank Houston also told his son Brian, founder of Hillsong, that he was abused by his own grandfather as a child

After an unseasonably cold start to summer, temperatures are set to hit the high 20s and 30s in most of mainland Australia for Christmas and Boxing Day

Three 2,500-year-old pieces will be ‘donated’ to Greece’s Archbishop Ieronymos II amid wider conversation about future of Parthenon marbles held by BritainPope Francis has decided to return to Greece three 2,500-year-old pieces of the Parthenon that have been in the papal collections of the Vatican Museums for two centuries.The Vatican said in a brief statement that the pope was giving them to Archbishop Ieronymos II, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church and Greece’s spiritual leader, as a “donation” and “a concrete sign of his sincere desire to follow in the ecumenical path of truth”. Continue reading...

Draft legislation to be published in spring after public consultation found support for measuresLegislation nicknamed Martyn’s law in memory of a victim of the Manchester Arena bombing is to be introduced to ensure stronger protections against terrorism in public places.Martyn Hett, 29, was one of 22 people killed in the attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017. His mother, Figen Murray, has campaigned for new measures. Continue reading...

Pressure on roads will be heightened by RMT strike at Network Rail from 6pm Christmas EveUK drivers are embarking on an estimated 20m car trips to see friends and family in the run-up to Christmas Day.The RAC said traffic will build steadily from Monday before peaking on Friday and Saturday, which is Christmas Eve. Continue reading...

UK prime minister joins Nordic and Baltic leaders at summit on countering Russian aggression

NSW police say the body of a woman, 31, has been found in a home in Cranebrook

One concertgoer claims security guards ‘kettled’ fans into a confined space outside Asake gigWitnesses to the deadly crush outside the O2 Academy Brixton last Thursday have insisted many fans in the crowd outside had tickets, rejecting reports of a ticketless mob storming the venue.After the death of 33-year-old Rebecca Ikumelo was announced on Saturday, fans criticised the security and organisation at the event. Continue reading...

RCN says talks must take place this week or more strikes will be tabled for new year, as ambulance staff prepare to walk outThe health secretary, Steve Barclay, is expected to contact unions to urge fresh talks aimed at averting further strikes, amid new warnings that more action could put patients in danger.It comes as No 10 rejected a proposal to give nurses a one-off lump-sum payment in an attempt to end the industrial action, one of the measures Barclay had suggested as a compromise in crunch Whitehall meetings last week. Continue reading...