Report recommends monks not be allowed to give pastoral advise or pose for selfiesAn abbey on a Welsh island where dozens of children were sexually abused by a monk over decades has promised to implement a string of safeguarding recommendations including strict limits on contact the members of the monastic community can have with visitors.Monks on Caldey Island will not be allowed to give religious or pastoral advice to visitors even if asked or pose for a selfie with them and under a no touch" policy will be obliged to report any accidental physical contact. Continue reading...
Individuals arrested last month are accused of belonging to Kurdistan Workers' party, Met police saySix people have been charged with being part of the banned Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) after an investigation by counter-terrorism police.Turkan Ozcan, 59, Mazlum Sayak, 27, Berfin Kerban, 31, Ali Boyraz, 62, Ercan Akbal, 56, and Agit Karatas, 23, have been accused of being members of the proscribed group, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter, Chris Osuh and Libby Brooks on (#6STP3)
Jubilation at the prospect of going home to a new Syria mixed with trepidation about what the future holdsBefore she fled Syria and came to the UK in 2016, Raya Homsi was told her fiance had been tortured to death in the Sednaya prison run by Bashar al-Assad's regime. All she had to go on was the word of one person who said he had witnessed it.Now, after Assad's fall, the human rights campaigner wonders if he might still be alive, among the thousands of people liberated in the last 24 hours from the facility near Damascus that Amnesty International called a human slaughterhouse". Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The Guardian's William Christou was the first western journalist to gain access to Sednaya prison. He reflects on what he sawGood morning. Of all the horrific symbols of the deposed Assad regime, few carry the notoriety of Sednaya, the most feared node in the Syrian government's repressive prison system. About 30,000 people were killed there between 2011 and 2020, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated, more than in any other single location; for years, groups of 50 at a time were hanged in secret, once or twice a week.Many were still locked up there a couple of days ago, including women and children, in conditions so disorienting and dehumanising that some were unable to say their names. But early on Sunday, as the rebels swept into Damascus, the doors were opened, and they were freed.Syria | Bombing raids have hit sites across Syria as regional actors in the Middle East scrambled to defend their interests in the country after the sudden fall of Bashar al-Assad. The US has struck targets associated with Islamic State (IS) in central Syria, while Turkey has attacked US-backed Kurdish forces, and Israel sent troops into the buffer zone beyond the Golan Heights.US news | A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder over the shooting death of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, in New York. Luigi Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania after a customer recognised him.Media | Rupert Murdoch's adult children will retain equal control over their father's media empire upon his death, a Nevada court has ruled. Murdoch had wanted to wrest away power from James, Elisabeth and Prudence and give it all to his oldest son Lachlan.Courts in crisis | Ministers should consider abandoning jury trials for some crown court cases unless they properly fund a justice system in serious crisis", the former lord chief justice has said. Lord Thomas said there had been a political failure" by successive governments to invest in justice.Culture | Jacques Audiard's daring crime musical Emilia Perez has dominated the Golden Globe nominations, taking 10. Conclave, the papal thriller directed by Edward Berger, got six, including for its script, direction and leading actor Ralph Fiennes, while daring body horror The Substance and Cannes Palme d'Or winner Anora both took five. Continue reading...
Four days after Adass Israel was attacked, the prime minister visited the site and called for unity, but among the surging crowd the mood was one of frustration and blame
The mother of baby identified only as KP' claimed a man she had met years earlier told her he would look after the three-month-old in the days before the baby was found deadNew South Wales police found no evidence proving the existence of a man who a mother claimed was with her baby before it was found dead inside a freezer, an inquest has heard.The deputy state coroner, Kasey Pearce, has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a three-month-old baby, identified only as KP", who was found by police in a home in Corowa, on the NSW-Victoria border, on 19 January 2022. Continue reading...
Number of trials in England and Wales declared ineffective' because of delays has almost trebled under contracts Serco and GeoAmeyHundreds of trials are being derailed because prison vans fail to transport the defendant to court on time, figures show.A Guardian analysis found 207 crown court trials in England and Wales were declared ineffective" in 2023 - meaning they were postponed on the day - because the prison escort and custody service (Pecs) failed to produce the accused. That figure was up 44% on the year before and a near trebling of the number from five years ago. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Lord Thomas says there has been political failure to either properly invest in justice or make hard decisionsMinisters should consider abandoning jury trials for some crown court cases unless they properly fund a justice system in serious crisis", the former lord chief justice has said.Lord Thomas said there had been a political failure" by successive governments to invest in justice or make the difficult decisions needed to protect it. Continue reading...
Labor's choices are either allow Dutton to continue angry monologues, or elevate the Coalition's issues further by clapping backEarly on in Peter Dutton's stint as opposition leader, he made two interesting appointments: Julian Leeser, for shadow Indigenous affairs minister, and Ted O'Brien, for shadow climate change.The appointments seemed to speak to two possible paths for the Coalition under Dutton. Continue reading...
The award-winning US poet and author of works like Black Feeling, Black Talk and Those Who Ride the Night Winds has died after a third cancer diagnosisNikki Giovanni, the award-winning US poet who emerged as one of the leading voices of the 1960s Black Arts movement, has died aged 81.Giovanni died on Monday following her third cancer diagnosis, her friend, the author Renee Watson, told NPR in a statement. Continue reading...
Whether he goes by Ahmed al-Sharaa or his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is a key indicator in the direction Syria's future may takeOn Sunday morning, a bearded 42-year-old man wearing a plain green military uniform walked into the Umayyad mosque in Damascus and addressed a small crowd, the Syrian nation, the region and the world.With the mosque's glittering decorations providing a backdrop, Ahmed al-Sharaa described the fall of the house of Assad as a victory for the Islamic nation" and called for reflection and prayer. Continue reading...
CDU leader once sidelined by Merkel loves private planes, hates tax bureaucracy, and backs UkraineIn July 2022, the prevailing political mood in Germany was grim. The economic powerhouse was on the brink of a recession, with Russia threatening to cut off its gas supplies. There were widespread fears of a decline in prosperity. The gloss was beginning to wear off Olaf Scholz's coalition government.Amid the gloom, the finance minister, Christian Lindner, got married on the North Sea island of Sylt. And one of the guests, Friedrich Merz, decided to make his entrance at the opulent, three-day celebration in his private plane: a twin-engine Diamond DA62, complete with personalised number plate. Continue reading...
Greyhound industry group says government hasn't recognised its work to address welfare issues that have plagued racing for yearsNew Zealand will ban greyhound racing from 2026 due to unacceptably high" rates of injuries and deaths among the dogs, the government has announced.Greyhound racing has existed in New Zealand since the late 19th century, but the industry has faced growing public criticism over its treatment of racing dogs in recent years. Multiple independent reports have found a high number of healthy dogs had been euthanised by their trainers or suffered serious injuries on the track, and in 2021, the then Labour government put the industry on notice to either make improvements or face closure. Continue reading...
Moderate faction to rally behind Gisele Kapterian, a Salesforce executive and former Liberal staffer, in the North Sydney seat to run against independent Nicolette Boele
Court ruling could mean that more liberal Murdochs may have say in content from world's most powerful conservative media empireA Nevada court dealt nonagenarian media mogul Rupert Murdoch a major blow on Monday. And one that could - potentially - shatter his plans to secure his rightwing legacy.Behind closed doors, Murdoch has been involved in a legal battle for control of the family's media assets, pitching the mogul and Lachlan Murdoch, his political protege and heir apparent, against the patriarch's three other oldest children. Continue reading...
Thaddeus Kotik groomed, raped and sexually assaulted boys and girls on Caldey Island despite repeated complaintsA monk was able to abuse children for four decades on an island off the Welsh coast despite operating in plain sight" and despite his victims' repeated complaints, an independent review has concluded.Father Thaddeus Kotik groomed, raped and sexually assaulted boys and girls on Caldey Island, which is home to a community of Cistercian monks and a popular destination for day trippers.To protect all parties, contact between the monastic community and the visiting public be formalised and informal contact should cease - including selfies.The current safeguarding arrangements should be strengthened by the addition of a survivor or survivors of child sexual abuse to sit on the board of the island.The appointment of an independent visiting designated safeguarding professional. Continue reading...
Exclusive: CfMM report over two-year period says channel's negative' focus on Islam borders on an obsession'GB News accounted for half of all news broadcast coverage of Muslims over a two-year period, much of it negative, according to new analysis.The findings demonstrate an excessive" focus on Muslims bordering on an obsession", according to a new report by the Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM). Continue reading...
The premier US dictionary's pick, based on search traffic, reflects a year of political and celebrity divisionCollins dictionary went with brat". Oxford chose brain rot". But in a brutally divided country, the US's premier dictionary skipped the slang: Merriam-Webster's word of the year is polarization".The announcement comes in an election year that put the concept on display, as Kamala Harris warned of fascism under Donald Trump, while Trump resorted to name-calling and claimed his opponent was running on destruction". As the dictionary put it, polarization happens to be one idea that both sides of the political spectrum agree on". Continue reading...
Item bears a portrait of Julius Caesar's assassin surrounded by a laurel wreath with war symbols on the reverseA rare Roman coin featuring the portrait of Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar, has sold at a Geneva auction for 1.98m (1.64m), according to the organiser Numismatica Genevensis.The item was purchased by a European collector following intense bidding among eight online bidders", the dealer said in a statement. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6STA7)
Disciplinary tribunal upholds three charges of professional misconduct against Navjot Jo' Sidhu, who was once a contender to be director of public prosecutionsA former chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) inappropriately initiated sexual contact with an aspiring lawyer, a disciplinary tribunal has found.A five-person panel found three charges of professional misconduct to be proven against Navjot Jo" Sidhu, who was once a contender to be the director of public prosecutions. Continue reading...
Amnesty International UK says prime minister needs to challenge repression of human rights defenders' as he meets crown princeQ: [From Christopher Hope from GB News] Do you want to cut the number of civil service jobs? Do you favour ID cards? And would you give Dominic Cummings a job?McFadden says, in the past, when people have cut civil service numbers, they have ended up hiring more consultants, at greater expense. Continue reading...
Haenel says Christophe Ruggia subjected her to permanent sexual harassment' during making of film when she was between 12 and 15In one of the first French #MeToo cases to come to court, a film director has denied charges of sexual aggression against and harassment of the award-winning French actor Adele Haenel.A group of feminists gathered outside the Paris court on Monday to support Haenel who claims she was groomed and abused from the age of 12 to 15 by Christophe Ruggia. Continue reading...
Singer says he plans to install thunder and lightning features on lavish toy train setup he built over decadesHe may have had an international hit single called Sailing, but Rod Stewart's heart is in an altogether different mode of transport.Such is the 70s pop legend's love of model railways he has relocated his world-class" collection from his Los Angeles home to his country estate in England, and plans are afoot to upgrade the setup. Continue reading...
Hassan Sentamu killed the 15-year-old in row over teddy bear and perceived disrespect', prosecutor tells Old BaileyA youth fatally stabbed 15-year-old Elianne Andam in a fit of white-hot anger" after failing to hand over her friend's teddy bear, a court has heard.Hassan Sentamu, 18, had lashed out at Elianne with a kitchen knife during a prearranged meeting in Croydon town centre with his ex-girlfriend and her group, the Old Bailey was told. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Economics correspondent on (#6ST3H)
Only richest 10% can afford to buy as figures show average household needs 8.6 times disposable income to meet asking priceOnly the richest 10% of households can afford to buy an average-priced home in England, according to official figures that lay bare the scale of Britain's broken housing market.Highlighting the result of decades of house price growth that has outstripped household incomes, the Office for National Statistics said the cost of buying a home was unaffordable" in every part of the UK except Northern Ireland. Continue reading...
Project would turn former commune where Jim Jones and more than 900 followers died into a tourist attractionGuyana is revisiting a dark history nearly half a century after the Rev Jim Jones and more than 900 of his followers died in the rural interior of the South American country.It was the largest suicide-murder in recent history, and a government-backed tour operator wants to open the former commune now shrouded by lush vegetation to visitors - a proposal that is reopening old wounds, with critics saying it would disrespect victims and dig up a sordid past. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6ST3K)
Specialist law firms and CMCs could be in line for massive payday with their cuts from consumer compensationA cloud of anxiety was hanging over the British Motor Museum. Alongside showrooms featuring the 1988 Le Mans-winning Jaguar XJR-9 and the Land Rover Defender used in opening scenes of the James Bond film Skyfall, were conference rooms filled with worried lawyers, bankers and compliance staff from across the motor lending industry.Attenders of the Financing and Leasing Association's annual motor finance convention in Warwickshire last month had spent weeks trying to get to grips with a shock court of appeal decision that sided with two aggrieved car loan customers. Continue reading...
Pop singer's 149-date tour, which ended on Sunday in Vancouver, more than doubles the previous record for a completed tourTaylor Swift's Eras tour has been confirmed as the most commercially successful tour of all time, raking in more than twice as much revenue as the previous record-holder.Following the tour's final date in Vancouver on Sunday, the singer's company Taylor Swift Touring confirmed the final revenue tally to the New York Times: $2,077,618,725 (1.62bn). This is the first official disclosure of the tour's revenue figures. Continue reading...
More heavy snow forecast for north-east this week, while South Africa endures third heatwave of summerWinter is well underway across the pond in North America with two distinct lake-effect snow events taking place since Thanksgiving. Lake-effect snow is common across the Great Lakes region, and happens when cold air originating from Canada passes over the relatively warm waters of the lakes, causing the layer of air near to the surface to absorb heat and moisture. Warmer than the air above it, this layer of air then starts to rise, cooling and condensing into clouds which deposit snow on the windward side of the lakes.In this particular event, an area of low pressure centred across eastern Canada dragged very cold Arctic air in from the north and plunged it into the north-east of the US. The dry, arctic air blew in from the north-west across the relatively warmer Lake Erie through Thanksgiving, picked up moisture and deposited snow across areas to the south and east of the lake. A dominant band of snow brought rates of 2.5cm to 7.6cm (1in to 3in) an hour to the Erie and Crawford counties. Within the first 12 hours, approximately 30cm of snow fell in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and by Saturday morning, there were reports of more than 90cm of snow in the far north-east of Ohio and north-west of Pennsylvania. As a result of this heavy snowfall, parts of the Interstate 86 and 90 were shut on Friday 29 November. Continue reading...
Property in Dorset town, known as Casterbridge in Hardy's novels, was where he was apprenticed to an architectA historic building in a Dorset town where the Victorian novelist and poet Thomas Hardy worked as an apprentice architect has been badly damaged by fire.More than 50 firefighters tackled the blaze at the terrace in the county town of Dorchester, which was known as Casterbridge in Hardy's novels. Continue reading...
Gulf state to make decision this week on inviting US, Israeli and Egyptian negotiators to DohaQatar expects to decide in the next few days whether to ask senior US, Israeli and Egyptian intelligence figures to travel to Doha to negotiate the final stages of a Gaza ceasefire deal.The Gulf state was asked by Donald Trump's transition team to re-engage with the mediation after discussions with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyau, led to a belief that a deal that had been stalled for months was within reach. Continue reading...
Francis Ford Coppola receives lifetime achievement award at star-studded event with politicians, actors and directorsIt was an offer they couldn't refuse. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris made one of their last high-profile appearances together on Sunday when big names from The Godfather films and other celebrities descended on Washington.The president and vice-president received a standing ovation and prolonged cheers at the 47th Kennedy Center Honors. Biden punched the air three times and blew a kiss to the Marine Corps band after it played the national anthem. Continue reading...
Report calls for radical rethink' of how ministers approach extremism, amid risk of declining trust in democracy and institutionsPoliticians have been criticised for using inflammatory language" and peddling conspiracy theories in a report that finds government policies are failing to prevent extremism spreading and taking root in the UK.The report from Dame Sara Khan, a former counter-extremism commissioner, urges a radical rethink" of how ministers tackle extremism amid a chronic risk of democratic decline" due to conspiracy theories, worsening social cohesion and other threats.Twenty-nine percent of people in the UK believe in the great reset" conspiracy theory that claims there are plans to impose a totalitarian world government.Forty-five percent of young men in the UK have a positive view of the misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate.One in 10 people shared the views of or sympathised with those who engaged in violent disorder and rioting during the summer. Continue reading...
Jay-Z denies allegations that unnamed girl was drugged and raped by him and Combs at a party after MTV music awards in 2000An amended lawsuit filed in federal court on Sunday alleges that rap moguls Jay-Z and Sean Diddy" Combs raped a 13-year-old girl during a party in 2000.Jay-Z denied the allegations on social media and lambasted the lawsuit, calling it part of a blackmail attempt" by the plaintiff's lawyer. In a statement posted by his label, Roc Nation, he said he was heartbroken for his family, and for having to explain the nature of the allegations to his and Beyonce's oldest daughter, Blue Ivy, 12. Lawyers for Jay-Z did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters. Continue reading...
Sarah Mullally laments loss of people coming together to watch a show and urges moments of togetherness' this ChristmasPeople are losing out on moments of togetherness" watching TV because they are streaming shows on separate devices, the bishop of London has said.Right Rev Dame Sarah Mullally said the profusion of choice meant that watching TV had become a more solitary and insular" experience. Continue reading...
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