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More than 100 people were reportedly caught in a pedestrian underpass just before midnight

Chief executive is urging members to oppose state’s cashless gaming card to present ‘a more balanced view of gambling’RSL sub-branches and members have criticised the New South Wales executive for campaigning against gambling reforms, accusing senior leadership of being “tone deaf”.The chief executive of the NSW RSL and Services Clubs, Margot Smith, has urged members to oppose the state government’s cashless gaming card and to help spread “a more balanced view of gambling”.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

Health minister defends country-specific testing as necessary due to ‘absence of comprehensive information’ on Covid’s spread in China

One in five takeaways in some areas of UK did not satisfactorily meet required standards, data showsTakeaways in poorer parts of England are twice as likely to need improvement in food hygiene as those in wealthier areas, with as many as one in five in some parts of the UK falling below required standards, according to Guardian analysis.Almost one in 10 takeaways in England’s poorest neighbourhoods did not satisfactorily comply with food hygiene standards, compared with just one in 24 in the richest, according to an analysis of almost 600,000 inspection reports at the beginning of December, 64,000 of them takeaways. Continue reading...

Woman, 39, found with serious injuries and pronounced dead at scene in Hayes, say policeA 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead in her home on New Year’s Eve.Police and paramedics were called to an address in Willenhall Drive in Hayes, west London, at 10.13am on Saturday. They found a 39-year-old woman with serious injuries, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Continue reading...

Smaller military, greater religious diversity and terrorism concerns among differences from 1953When the St Edward’s crown is placed on the head of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey on 6 May, it will be part of a continuation of the longstanding traditions and pageantry of more than 1,000 years of monarchy.But his promise that his coronation “will reflect the monarch’s role today” signals some departure from the scale and extravagance of the ceremonial accorded to his late mother. How significant those departures will be is not yet known, but they are dictated by societal changes that took place over the 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Continue reading...

President says country ready to fight for return to normal life as Moscow launches latest wave of attacks

Last crossings were on Christmas Day, with none recorded in last six days of the yearA total of 45,756 people crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats in 2022, government figures show.The last crossings of the year took place on Christmas Day, when 90 people made the journey from France in two boats. The Ministry of Defence recorded no further crossings for the remaining six days of 2022, when the weather was poor. Continue reading...

Three-month subsidy widely welcomed but passengers may need longer-term incentives to use routesA temporary £2 cap on fares that the government hopes will reinvigorate some of England’s bus services starts on Sunday – but campaigners are already warning of more route cuts when the funding runs out.The three-month “get around for £2” campaign, announced last month, will reduce single fares by more than 80% on some journeys, such as Plymouth to Exeter in the south-west, or Leeds to Scarborough. Continue reading...

Despite public bullishness, overflowing hospitals across the country suggest its leader may have made a huge miscalculationChina’s leader Xi Jinping told his country it stands on “the right side of history” in a new year address on Saturday, but experts have warned that the president starts 2023 diminished by his chaotic U-turn on Covid strategy.He may struggle to deflect blame for the human and economic costs of zero-Covid’s failure, and control the national narrative, even if public signs of dissent are crushed. Continue reading...

RSPCA shares some of most ‘weird and wonderful’ incidents its officers were called to across yearA frog that travelled more than 4,000 miles on a bunch of bananas and a hedgehog extracted from a drainpipe with barbecue tongs were among animals rescued from the trickiest situations in 2022.The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has shared some of the most “weird and wonderful” incidents the charity’s officers were called to across the year. Continue reading...

Calder Valley people tell of the debt the area owes to Sally Wainwright’s hard-hitting and regionally accurate cop show

Social media firms in spotlight after allowing conspiracy theories that could affect human-trafficking investigation into ‘king of toxic masculinity’ in RomaniaSocial media firms are under fire this weekend for allowing the spread of misinformation by followers of “king of toxic masculinity” Andrew Tate after his arrest in connection with a human trafficking investigation.In the hours after his detention, TikTok and Twitter were flooded with posts falsely claiming he had been freed and conspiracy theories saying he had been set up, Observer analysis shows. Continue reading...

Documents show ministers knew of problems with office before it was overwhelmed by post-Covid surgeThe government has been accused of wasting taxpayers’ cash after being forced to pay record levels of compensation to people affected by disruption at the Passport Office.New figures show that £3.1m was paid out in “reimbursements” in the seven months to December 2022, significantly more than the £2.2m paid out in the whole of 2021-22. Continue reading...

Family hail singer as ‘the one that kept all of us close and together for so long’Anita Pointer, one of the Grammy-winning Pointer Sisters whose string of pop, country and R&B hits in the 1970s and 80s included I’m So Excited, Jump (For My Love) and Fire, has died of cancer aged 74, her publicist said.Pointer was surrounded by family at her Beverly Hills home when she died on Saturday, publicist Roger Neal said. Continue reading...

Forces are increasingly aware that high-stakes betting is a form of addiction and a driver of crime similar to alcohol or drugs

Health minister Mark Butler argues decision ‘will not come as any surprise to the Chinese government’

Indigenous Australians minister says yes campaign likely to begin in late February with vote held as early as August

Man dies from injuries in hospital after falling from bull and then being struck by it

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Ship hasn’t docked in a port since it cast off from Wellington in New Zealand on Boxing Day

Elections in several countries, film awards shows and sports tournaments among highlights1 January

Chinese leader speaks of continuing struggles as thousands gather in Wuhan, epicentre of the pandemic three years agoChinese President Xi Jinping has called for more effort and unity as the country enters a “new phase” in its approach to combating the pandemic, in his first comments to the public on Covid-19 since his government changed course three weeks ago and relaxed its rigorous policy of lockdowns and mass testing.In a televised speech to mark the New Year, Xi said China had overcome unprecedented difficulties and challenges in the battle against Covid, and that its policies were “optimised” when the situation and time so required. Continue reading...

North Korean leader marks New Year with fresh ballistic missile launch just hours into 2023Kim Jong-un has vowed to increase the production of nuclear warheads “exponentially” and build a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, North Korean state media reported on Sunday, signalling deepening animosities with the United States, South Korea and others.The leader’s statement at a key ruling party meeting was released hours after North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards its eastern waters, starting 2023 with another weapons test following a record number of missile launches last year. Continue reading...

48-year-old man pronounced dead at scene and 40-year-old taken to hospital in Fort WilliamA man has died and another has been injured after an avalanche on the north face of Ben Nevis.Police Scotland said they were made aware of the avalanche at about 3.35pm on Friday. Continue reading...

Kami Carpenter, 21, and Remy Gordon, 22, have been charged over Boxing Day killing of footballerTwo men have been charged with the Boxing Day murder of footballer Cody Fisher.Kami Carpenter, 21, and Remy Gordon, 22, have been charged with killing the 23-year-old at the Crane nightclub in Digbeth, Birmingham, just before midnight on Boxing Day, West Midlands police said on Saturday. Continue reading...

Metropolitan police launch investigation and appeal to anyone with information to come forwardPolice are investigating the death of a man who was stabbed in the chest in a London park.Officers found the 29-year-old on Straker’s Road in Peckham Rye Park, south London, at about 8.30pm on Friday after reports of a stabbing. Continue reading...

First female network news anchor in US achieved a celebrity status on par with the rulers, royalty and entertainers she interviewedBarbara Walters, the foremost American TV interviewer of her generation and the first woman to lead a US network evening news program, has died aged 93.Over the course of her 50-year career, Walters was queen of the “get” – a term for securing the first interview with prominent figures making news, whether that was a movie star, politician or figure of criminal notoriety. Continue reading...

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty told health secretary Steve Barclay there was no evidence tests on travellers would have any effectRishi Sunak’s decision to perform a U-turn and impose Covid checks on travellers from China was dismissed on Saturday night as a purely political manoeuvre that would make no difference to the rise or fall of cases in the UK.The health secretary Steve Barclay was briefed by the chief medical officer Chris Whitty on Thursday and was told there was no clear evidence of significant benefits from testing travellers from China. The Observer has learnt that on the following day, Barclay discussed the issues with Sunak, who nevertheless decided it was more important for Britain to align itself with those nations – the US, Japan, Italy and Spain – that had already imposed such tests. Continue reading...

More than dozen also injured as over 20 rockets launched in second major strike in three days

Gary McKee, 53, from Cleator Moor has nearly hit target of raising £1m for charityA fundraiser has completed his mission of running a marathon every day of 2022, and has nearly hit his target of raising £1m for charity.Gary McKee, 53, from Cleator Moor in Cumbria, raised his arms in victory and was cheered by a crowd of supporters as he completed his 365th marathon of the year on New Year’s Eve. Continue reading...

The return of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has led to an outpouring of optimism in the South American country – and relief at the downfall of Jair BolsonaroThey are billing it as Lulapalooza – a momentous explosion of Brazilian politics and dance – and Mayse Freitas wouldn’t miss it for the world.“I think it’s going to be the greatest show on earth … It’ll be the happiest day of my life,” said the social activist from the Complexo do Alemão, one of Rio’s largest favelas, as she geared up for the festivities. Continue reading...

Rising costs have led to staff redundancies and curtailed opening hours as nine out of 10 sites fear they could close permanentlyTheatres, museums, castles and other heritage sites are making staff redundant, turning down the heating, shutting rooms to the public and closing early.The findings come from research that shows nine in 10 such sites across the UK now fear for their future. Continue reading...

With a strike ballot looming, school leaders say erosion of services for children and families has made their jobs untenableHeadteachers are breaking down in tears, suffering migraines and even passing out, with six in 10 admitting they have considered changing jobs in the past year because of increased level of stress.The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) union says more school leaders than ever before are considering leaving the profession, and “fewer and fewer” middle leaders are aspiring to take on the job because they see how punishing it is. They are balloting members on strike action, with a deadline of 11 January, but a spokesperson said school closures would remain a “last resort”. Continue reading...

Chief medical officer, Frank Atherton, cautions against taking undue risks while service is so overstretchedThe chief medical officer for Wales has called on New Year’s Eve revellers not to drink too much to help reduce pressure on the overstretched health service.Sir Frank Atherton told BBC One’s Breakfast programme: “I agree people generally behave very sensibly. Sadly, when alcohol gets thrown into the mix, and it gets thrown in a big way in new year, that can sometimes go out of the window, and so we are asking people to behave sensibly, don’t put themselves at risk, don’t put others at risk, look after each other when you’re out and about, don’t drink too much and don’t get into trouble. Continue reading...

Sahand Noor Mohammadzadeh is accused of damaging public property during anti-government riots and ‘waging war against God’Iran’s supreme court has accepted a protester’s appeal against his death sentence for allegedly damaging public property during anti-government demonstrations, and sent his case back for review, the judiciary said on Saturday.Sahand Noor Mohammadzadeh, 25, was arrested on 4 October and sentenced to death two months later on the charge of “waging war against God” for allegedly trying to break a highway guardrail in Tehran and setting a rubbish bin on fire. Continue reading...

Melbourne police investigate a potential double murder and Sydney-bound passengers stranded in the Pacific. This blog is now closed

Figure compares with 189 during same three days of 2021, but detentions at Manchester airport rose slightlyThe number of passengers detained for further checks at the UK’s busiest airport plummeted in the run-up to Christmas after the armed services were asked to cover for striking Border Force staff, leaked figures show.Just nine people were stopped at passport control and held at Heathrow over three strike days from 23 to 25 December, compared with 189 people over the same three days in 2021 – a 95% drop. Continue reading...

Travellers on flight from Los Angeles treated to an idyllic, if brief and unexpected Pacific holiday, but with a twist

Police believe the discovery of woman, 51, in Docklands is linked to the death of a 31-year-old woman found four days ago

From nuclear energy to sending weapons to Ukraine, Die Grünen embraced pragmatism in 2022. Can its politicians hold their nerve?Germany’s Green party once made its name campaigning against high military spending, nuclear power and dirty fossil fuels.Since taking office as part of Olaf Scholz’s three-party “traffic light” coalition government last December, however, Die Grünen have become the Bundestag’s most vocal advocates of supporting the Ukrainian resistance with heavy weapons. They have extended the running time of three nuclear power stations due to shut down at the end of the year, reactivated mothballed coal plants and built the country’s first terminals for importing fossil fuel in liquefied form. Continue reading...

Remains discovered wrapped in aluminium foil at Queretaro airport while being sent to South CarolinaFour human skulls were discovered inside a package at a Mexican airport that was due to be sent by courier to the United States, local authorities say.The skulls were found wrapped in aluminium foil inside a cardboard box at Queretaro intercontinental airport in central Mexico, the national guard said on Friday. Continue reading...

Ukrainian troops are either holding their positions or making small advances in Donbas, says Zelenskiy; Putin invites Xi to Moscow

Launches come five days after country reportedly flew drones into South Korea’s airspaceNorth Korea fired three ballistic missiles towards the sea east of the Korean Peninsula on Saturday, the South Korean military said.The launches were the latest in an unprecedented number of missile tests conducted by North Korea this year, as Pyongyang presses on with weapons development amid speculation it could test a nuclear weapon for a seventh time. Continue reading...

Prime minister’s new year message makes no mention of the chaos that has plagued the Tory party in 2022Rishi Sunak has blamed Covid and the Ukraine war for what he acknowledged had been a “tough” 12 months, and warned in a prime ministerial new year message that the country’s problems will not disappear in 2023.Often taking an openly party political stance, Sunak praised his government’s record and made no mention of the chaos within the Conservative party that contributed to 2022’s difficulties. Continue reading...

Roxanne Tickle claims she was unlawfully barred from using the app after the firm and its CEO said she was a man

Suit alleges ‘various acts of criminal sexual conduct’ were committed against teenager by singer over three-year periodA woman who says she had a sexual relationship with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler when she was 16 is suing him in California, under a state law that has temporarily extended the statute of limitations for adults to take legal action on sexual abuse they suffered as children.Julia Holcomb Misley, who has spoken out publicly for years about Tyler’s treatment of her as a teenager, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Tuesday alleging sexual battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of distress during a three-year period in the 1970s. Continue reading...

Chris Bryant and Julian Lewis receive knighthoods while Michael Marmot gets Companion of HonourSir Michael Marmot, the world-leading expert on health inequalities, has been made a Companion of Honour in the new year honours, among a series of people to be rewarded despite their often outspoken criticism of ministers and government policy.Marmot, who headed a landmark inquiry into UK health inequalities and has since been vocal about the lack of action to address them, receives one of the most prestigious honours in existence. Continue reading...

Charity fundraisers and volunteers supporting refugees among those recognised for their contributionThe theme of public service is at the forefront of the new year honours list, with the majority of those receiving awards nominated for their work in their local communities.Tricia Ward-Jones, 69, from Shropshire, receives the British empire medal (BEM) after 17 years as a volunteer fundraiser for Promise Dreams, a charity based in Wolverhampton, which helps the families of children who are seriously or terminally ill create memories. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed, you can read more of our Russia-Ukraine war coverage hereDmytro Zhyvytskyi, the governor of Sumy region, which is in Ukraine’s north-east and borders Russia, has posted to Telegram to say that overnight three settlements in the area were fired on by Russia. He said details about the consequences were being clarified.Reuters has a quick snap to say that Ukraine’s air force has reported on Friday morning that Russia launched 16 so-called kamikaze drones overnight, and that Ukrainian air defences destroyed all of them. It added that the drones had been sent from the south-east and north. Continue reading...