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The actor said there were ‘many nuances and complexities’ behind his assault on Chris Rock, but he understood viewers’ revulsionWill Smith has spoken out about the “horrific night” of his now infamous Oscars slap incident on his first late-night US talk show appearance since the incident.Smith, 54, told Trevor Noah there were “many nuances and complexities” behind his actions, but also said: “I just lost it.” Continue reading...

One arrested amid reports of police interrogating protesters, as health authorities announce vaccine drivePolice have been out in force in China to stamp out zero-Covid protests and health authorities have launched a vaccination drive for older people, days after a show of civil disobedience unprecedented since president Xi Jinping assumed power a decade ago.At least one person was arrested, according to social media videos, and there were also reports some demonstrators had been interrogated by authorities over the phone after attending the rare street gatherings in cities across the country. Continue reading...

Airline says it is struggling at quieter times and has increased ticket prices as fuel and other costs riseBookings at easyJet for Christmas, the ski season and other peak periods have bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, the airline has said after it dramatically reduced its full-year loss to £178m.“Peak holiday weeks this winter, such as October half-term and Christmas week in the UK, are back to normal levels of volume,” easyJet said, although its boss warned that in quieter times the airline is still struggling to get enough passengers. It expects to have fully returned to 2019 capacity levels by next summer. Continue reading...

Despite premier Daniel Andrews refusing to budge on the issue, Legalise Cannabis party promises to push ‘forcefully’ on drug reform

But one opposition MP, Bridget Archer, says she is ‘inclined’ to support Labor push against the former prime minister

Crocodile trapper, who strenuously denies any wrongdoing, handed himself in at Darwin police station over February crash that killed cast member

Minor party resolves to support a crossbench amendment instead of Coalition on key appointment

Some results expected to take another week as the Victorian Electoral Commission counts absentee, pre-poll and postal votes

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she won’t jeopardise state’s ability to give profits from state-owned power generators back to public

MPs say candidates need to better represent the community, after Natalie Ward loses preselection battle

Defence investment plan ‘fell short of providing accurate, reliable and transparent information’ to the public, report reveals

Andrew Gee breaks ranks to say he will support ‘yes’ campaign while WA branch also states it will back Indigenous recognition in constitution

Industry code credited with helping reduce scam calls by almost 550m since 2020 but text messages said to be more difficult to stop

Mélanie Joly, the foreign minister in Ottawa, says Russia’s targeting of energy grid and civil infrastructure only strengthens allies’ support

Exclusive: Library discovery of undocumented transcripts of German philosopher’s lectures like ‘finding new Beethoven score’A biographer researching the German philosopher Hegel has uncovered a massive treasure trove of previously undocumented lectures that could change perceptions regarding one of the leading figures of modern western philosophy.More than 4,000 pages of notes on Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s lectures were found by Klaus Vieweg in the library of the archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Continue reading...

Protesters in China deploy creative means to make political statements in order to evade censorsBlank sheets of paper, mathematical equations and even alpacas: protesters in China have found creative ways to express anger at the government’s zero-Covid measures, unleashing a wave of dissent against long and severe lockdowns, the deaths of factory workers in Urumqi, and the censorship they’re not allowed to talk about.The extraordinary protests, which began over the weekend and spread to cities across China including Shanghai and Beijing, have been characterised by acts of civil disobedience, including clashes with police. Continue reading...

Withdrawals now suspended at the Brisbane-based cryptocurrency exchange Digital Surge for more than a week

The strike, planned for Friday 9 December at 27 airports nationwide, could result in grounded international and domestic flights, union says

Thomas Mayor has spent 18 months travelling around the country speaking about the Uluru statement and says rural people agree with it

Government websites and email still offline, leading to delays in payments and services across the countryOne month after a cyber-attack brought down government servers and websites in Vanuatu, frustrated officials were still using private Gmail accounts, personal laptops, pen and paper, and typewriters to run the government of the prime minister, Ishmael Kalsakau, who came into office just a few days after the crash.The malware attack on state networks has caused delays in communication and coordination in the Pacific island nation of 314,000 people and 80 islands. Continue reading...

Seoul says unidentified woman was transferred to New Zealand authorities on Monday eveningSouth Korea has extradited a 42-year-old murder suspect to New Zealand, two months after she was arrested over her possible connection to the discovery of the bodies of two long-dead children in abandoned suitcases in August.South Korea’s justice ministry said on Tuesday the unidentified woman was handed over to New Zealand authorities on Monday evening at Incheon international airport near Seoul. The ministry said it also has provided New Zealand with unspecified “important evidence” on the case. Continue reading...

Editors urge ministers to end ‘endemic’ use of Slapps – legal cases designed to hinder investigationsA coalition of senior journalists and editors from across the political spectrum are calling on the justice secretary, Dominic Raab, to back a proposed law to tackle the global super-rich’s use of “abusive legal tactics to shut down investigations”.More than 70 newspaper editors, publishers and media lawyers wrote to Raab on Tuesday demanding that the government take urgent action to stop oligarchs and kleptocrats from using their fortunes to exploit British courts, intimidating and silencing investigative journalists with strategic lawsuits against public participation (Slapps). Continue reading...

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price caught in a ‘tragic redneck celebrity vortex’ and ‘punching down on other Blackfellas’, Cape York leader says

Under Victoria’s wage theft laws the Macedon Lounge owner could be jailed if found guilty

The three stowaways were rescued by the Spanish Coastguard in Las Palmas on Monday after an 11-day voyageThe Spanish coastguard has rescued three migrants who stowed away on a tanker that arrived in the Canary Islands from Nigeria by balancing on its rudder just above the waterline.In a photograph distributed on Twitter by the coastguard on Monday, the three stowaways are shown perched on the rudder of the oil and chemical tanker Alithini II. Continue reading...

The prime minister is toughening his stance on a range of issues but that won’t be enough for some unruly Tory MPsRishi Sunak entered office with a tough hand, and how he plays it will determine whether his party can, at best, cling on at the next election, or at the very least avoid being routed.His task has been made all the harder because, with the prospect of electoral defeat ahead, his own MPs have decided that there are more important things in life than party discipline. Continue reading...

PM’s first major foreign policy speech warns of the creeping authoritarianism of Xi Jinping’s regimeRishi Sunak has signalled the end of the “golden era” of relations between Britain and China, using his first major foreign policy speech to warn of the creeping authoritarianism of Xi Jinping’s regime.As police in China launched a show of force in an attempt to contain the highest levels of civil disobedience seen in decades, the prime minister threw his support behind protesters by condemning Beijing’s “crackdown”, as well as the assault of a BBC journalist. Continue reading...

Facilities similar to those used during Covid pandemic will house people showing signs of contagious diseaseAsylum seekers showing diphtheria symptoms will be held in “secure isolation hotels” similar to those used during the Covid pandemic, a minister has said.Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, said anyone displaying signs of the highly contagious disease would not be allowed to leave Manston processing centre in Kent except to be moved to a designated isolation centre. Continue reading...

Second man taken to hospital with stab wound after incident in central LondonA murder investigation has been launched after a man was fatally stabbed near Regent’s Park in London.The Metropolitan police said officers were called to reports of a stabbing in Lilestone Street, Westminster at 3.23pm on Monday, where they found two injured men. Continue reading...

Ukraine officials say Russia is continuing to shell cities with no strategic aim other than to cause casualties as it prepares for new mass strikes. This live blog is closed

Officers were investigating possible firearms offences when incident took place in Wick St Lawrence, say policeA man is in a critical condition after being shot by police in Somerset.The incident happened when officers went to a house on Wick Road in Wick St Lawrence as part of an investigation into possible firearms offences. Continue reading...

Musician says he had vertigo when he used autopen on books advertised as hand-signedBob Dylan has issued a rare public statement to apologise for his “error in judgment”, amid controversy over his use of a machine to autograph special copies of his new book that had been advertised as “hand-signed”.The book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, features the legendary singer-songwriter’s commentary on tracks by other artists and was released in early November, with a limited run of 900 “hand-signed” editions sold for $599 each. All copies came with a letter of authenticity from the publisher Simon & Schuster. Continue reading...

Up to 50% discounts as cost of living crisis hits shopping budgets and mild weather leaves winter styles unsoldUK retailers have launched a barrage of discounts to try to clear stock after a month of falling sales as soaring inflation and bills hit households’ budgets and a warm autumn reduced demand for coats and boots.On Monday, New Look was offering a 50% discount off all products, Asos up to 80% off almost all lines and Boohoo 30% off everything, with many other fashion retailers – including Marks & Spencer, River Island and Matalan – offering between 20% and 30% cuts. Continue reading...

Arrests made in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Dubai, including one ‘extremely big fish’A “super-cartel” that controlled one-third of the cocaine trade in Europe has been taken down in six countries, police have said.The EU police agency, Europol, announced that 49 suspects were arrested during the investigation, after raids in Europe and the United Arab Emirates targeting the cartel’s “command and control centre” and logistics network. Continue reading...

Union will urge workers to accept award, which will benefit 85% of UK staff, to end protracted disputeBT has awarded tens of thousands of staff hit hardest by the cost of living crisis a £1,500 pay rise, bringing to an end a protracted and bitter dispute and the first national strike action in 35 years.The telecoms company, which earlier this month said it would table a new pay deal to the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) after freeing up cash thanks to a government energy subsidy for businesses, is to give all staff earning £50,000 or less a year the permanent rise. Continue reading...

Operator had indicated it could ask consumers to start using demand flexibility service on TuesdayThe UK electricity network operator has cancelled plans to activate its emergency winter plan on Tuesday after steps were taken to allay concerns over power supplies.National Grid indicated on Monday morning it could issue the requirement for consumers to start using its new demand flexibility service, which rewards businesses and households that shift their power usage away from times of peak demand. Continue reading...

Concern that PM wants to keep same remit as for Christopher Geidt, with no enhanced powersSeveral candidates have turned down the role of Rishi Sunak’s ethics adviser, to which the prime minister had pledged to appoint someone when he entered No 10, the Guardian understands.Sunak is not offering candidates any enhanced powers – which means advisers would not be able to launch their own investigations, it is understood. Continue reading...

Head of World Cup organising committee says he sees rainbow armband as protest against Islamic valuesThe head of Qatar’s World Cup organising committee has accused teams who wanted to wear the OneLove armband at the World Cup of sending a “very divisive message” to the Islamic and Arab world.Hassan al-Thawadi’s comments came as the UK sports minister Stuart Andrew said he would wear the rainbow-coloured armband at the England v Wales match on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Barriers erected on street where demonstrations have been held against rigid policies against coronavirusChinese police have launched a show of force across the country in an effort to head off further protests against the government’s rigid zero-Covid policies.Since Friday, a wave of protests has spread across multiple cities, prompted by the death of 10 people in a building fire in Urumqi in Xinjiang. Much of the region had been under lockdown for more than three months, and people blamed the lockdown for the deaths. Continue reading...

Diplomat in Moscow says US has ‘put a significant proposal on the table’ in effort to free basketball star jailed on drugs convictionThe US is waiting for a “serious response” from Russia to a series of proposals regarding the release of the basketball star Brittney Griner, a senior US diplomat said.Elizabeth Rood, the US chargée d’affaires in Moscow, told Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency that talks about freeing Griner – who was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs – were ongoing. But Rood said Russia was yet to seriously engage. Continue reading...

Making the final was triumph for the former health secretary who was predicted to be first out of the jungle

Exclusive: family accuse IOPC of failing to properly investigate Met officers who Tasered Oladeji OmishoreThe family of Oladeji Omishore, who drowned in June shortly after he was Tasered by police, are taking the police watchdog to the high court in a test case, accusing them of failing to properly investigate the officers involved.Omishore, 41, who lived close to London’s Chelsea Bridge, had stepped out of his home on 4 June this year when the incident happened. He was experiencing a mental health crisis, which his family say police should have tried to de-escalate. Two officers discharged their Tasers multiple times, Omishore fled and jumped into the Thames and he subsequently drowned. Continue reading...

Refugee groups says proposal would breach UN convention and put vulnerable people at risk

Officials warned last year more than 90% of municipalities were at risk from landslides, floods and erosionThere have been calls to limit and crack down on both legal and illegal construction in Italy after the head of the country’s civil protection office said more than 90% of Italian municipalities were at risk from landslides and other natural disasters.Fabrizio Curcio made the comments in an interview with La Stampa after travelling to the southern Italian island of Ischia, where eight people including a 22-day-old baby are so far confirmed to have been killed in a landslide on Saturday. Continue reading...

Introduction of new timetable could lead to crisis, says Northern Powerhouse PartnershipBusiness leaders have warned that rail services across the north of England could “collapse into utter chaos” unless the government pushes urgently for a resolution to months of disruption.Rail services are already recording historic levels of cancellations, and the imminent introduction of a new timetable could lead to a “crisis”, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), which represents industry in the north of England, has warned in a letter to the UK transport secretary, Mark Harper. Continue reading...

Journalist Ed Lawrence was beaten after being arrested at a protest against China’s strict Covid restrictions, broadcaster saysChinese police assaulted and detained a BBC journalist covering a protest in Shanghai on Sunday, releasing him after several hours, the broadcaster has said.“The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai,” a spokesperson for the British public service broadcaster said. Continue reading...

Financial advisers to pay about £45,000 a worker to 1,000 staff who received unsuitable adviceMore than 1,000 former members of the British Steel pension scheme who received unsuitable advice from financial advisers accused of “enriching” themselves will receive an average payout of £45,000 in compensation.The City watchdog on Monday launched plans for a scheme that seeks to compensate those who had not yet received redress after being given poor pension transfer advice when British Steel fell into financial hardship. Continue reading...

First outlets to publish WikiLeaks material, including the Guardian, come together to oppose prosecutionThe US government must drop its prosecution of the WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange because it is undermining press freedom, according to the media organisations that first helped him publish leaked diplomatic cables.Twelve years ago today, the Guardian, the New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and El País collaborated to release excerpts from 250,000 documents obtained by Assange in the “Cablegate” leak. The material, leaked to WikiLeaks by the then American soldier Chelsea Manning, exposed the inner workings of US diplomacy around the world. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Old English name, Eadburg, repeatedly scored into manuscript had remained hidden for more than 12 centuriesFor nearly 1,300 years, no one knew it was there. The name of a highly educated English woman, secretly scratched on to the pages of a rare medieval manuscript in the eighth century, but impossible to read – until now.Academics have discovered the Old English female name Eadburg was repeatedly scored into the surface of the religious text, using a method that kept it hidden from the naked eye for more than 12 centuries. Continue reading...

Firm says trial is ‘major step’ towards proving hydrogen could be zero-carbon aviation fuel of the futureRolls-Royce has said it has run an aircraft engine on hydrogen in what is thought to be a world first for the aviation industry, which is considering using the fuel to decarbonise air travel.The FTSE 100 engineering company said the ground test was a “major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future”, in a joint project with the airline easyJet. Continue reading...