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Australian Competition and Consumer Commission finds deal would lessen competition and leave consumers worse off

Anomaly in dates of suspension means individuals whose reporting date falls after 2 January treated different to others

Bodies representing NHS care in England also call for Rishi Sunak intervention but PM refuses to budge on payNHS leaders have urged the public to avoid risky activity on Wednesday for fear they may be left helpless and unable to reach A&E during the ambulance strike.The industrial action by staff across England and Wales comes as the ongoing pay dispute between ministers and NHS workers looks poised to descend into an increasingly bitter and disruptive war of attrition that could go on for months. Continue reading...

British director was known for his often bleak and brutal gangster films, most famously his 1971 film Get Carter starring Michael CaineMike Hodges, the British director known for films including Get Carter, Croupier, The Terminal Man and Flash Gordon, has died at the age of 90.Mike Kaplan, a longtime friend and producer on Hodges’ final feature film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, confirmed his death to the Guardian. Hodges died at his home in Dorset on Saturday. A cause of death was not given. Continue reading...

The split comes seven months after federal investigators issued a subpoena to the firm for its prescriptions of controlled substancesSuperstar US gymnast Simone Biles and tele-health provider Cerebral have ended an endorsement partnership, the company announced Tuesday, bringing to a close a deal in which the 25-year-old Olympic champion used her own mental health experience to promote the controversial mental health start-up.Biles became Cerebral’s “chief impact officer” three months after her dramatic withdrawal from individual competition at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 saying she was “not in the right head space” to compete. Continue reading...

London council says it is the first in England and Wales to use public space protection order against catcalling and harassmentA fine for sexual harassment has been issued by a London council in the first use in England and Wales of controversial powers designed to clamp down on antisocial behaviour.The £100 fine was issued on Friday evening to a man for sexual harassment in Ilford, east London, by officials from Redbridge council, with the support of the Metropolitan police Continue reading...

David Hunter not able to admit lesser charge of manslaughter over death of his terminally ill wife, JaniceAn elderly Briton accused of murdering his terminally ill wife in Cyprus has been denied the chance to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, almost a year to the day after Janice Hunter died.The state prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou said he could not accept a deal that would have allowed David Hunter, aged 76, to make the guilty plea, which had raised hopes of the retiree being released by Christmas. Continue reading...

Settlement means airline has reached a pay deal with unions across Europe, excluding BelgiumRyanair has reached a deal with its pilots in Ireland that will restore the 20% pay cuts the airline made during the Covid pandemic.The four-year pay deal will also see low single-digit percentage rises for the carrier’s home nation pilots in the next three financial years until March 2027. Continue reading...

As inquest concludes seven years after incident, coroner says pilot should have abandoned a manoeuvre he was undertakingEleven men who died after a Hawker Hunter aircraft crashed on to a motorway during an aerial display at the 2015 Shoreham airshow in West Sussex were unlawfully killed, a coroner has ruled.At the conclusion of an inquest seven years after the incident, in which 13 other people were injured, senior coroner Penelope Schofield said that 11 lives had been “cruelly lost” and that it was clear that the aircraft’s pilot should have abandoned a manoeuvre he was undertaking. Continue reading...

Musician reveals how he likes to relax in rare interviewHow does it feel, Bob Dylan asked in his 1965 single Like a Rolling Stone, to be on your own with no direction home?Now, 57 years later, he has finally the given us the answer – it makes you feel like curling up and binge-watching Coronation Street. Continue reading...

Bizarro claims the US rapper was always late and showed ‘lack of care’ towards fans, while the artist hit back alleging she had not been paid

Artefacts looted in 19th century by UK soldiers and sold on, with many more still held by the British MuseumTwenty-one precious artefacts that were looted by British soldiers from the former west African kingdom of Benin 125 years ago have been physically handed over by Germany to Nigeria amid laughter, tears, and some audible frustration with the ongoing silence of the country that first stole them.The objects from the haul of treasures known as the Benin bronzes, including a brass head of an oba (king), a ceremonial ada and a throne depicting a coiled-up python, were taken from the sacked city during a British punitive expedition in 1897 and later sold to German museums in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Cologne. Continue reading...

No 10 says public should use ‘common sense’ during England and Wales dispute as minister prepares to meet unions

Former minister under Blair and Brown has applied to be candidate for East Lothian, sources confirm

Specially adapted supercar driven from Padua to Rome to ‘deliver the most beautiful Christmas present – life’Italian police have used a specially adapted Lamborghini supercar to deliver two kidneys to donor patients hundreds of kilometres apart.“Travelling on the motorway to deliver the most beautiful Christmas present – life,” they said in a statement posted on social media, alongside a picture of a medical cool box in a purpose-built compartment at the front of the Huracán. Continue reading...

Some ‘essential’ services will run during Wednesday’s strike in England and Wales, MPs are told

‘Rewiring the nation’ plan expected to create ‘thousands’ of jobs under state and federal commitment

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...