Party says American-style sweetshops - some under investigation for tax evasion - are ripping off publicA Labour government will launch a crackdown on dodgy" candy stores if it wins the next election, as part of plans to revitalise Britain's high streets.There are more than 20 of the US-themed sweet stores on Oxford Street, London, alone. Many of them appeared during lockdown as high-street stalwarts closed down and landlords faced the prospect of long-term empty shops. Continue reading...

Worries mount for desperate civilians as Israel expands its operations in the southern half of territory

In a nod to his green campaigning, the living tree can be replanted after broadcast and has sustainable decorationsKing Charles's Christmas message this year is to be delivered from a Buckingham Palace room decorated with a replantable Christmas tree.An image of the monarch released by the palace shows him standing in front of the living tree, which is kept in a pot and can be used again next year. Continue reading...

The airport hopes for a bumper 2024 - but are its new owners happy about the fading prospects for a third runway?Are the good times coming back for Heathrow? The next 12 months may define a fresh era: new ownership, a new chief executive and a line apparently drawn under the Covid-induced slump. Now, the London airport believes, 2024 will bring record passenger numbers.Aviation does have a track record in proving the forecasters wrong. Exactly 10 years ago, Heathrow's bosses and shareholders would surely have looked forward to a visit from the ghost of Christmas yet to come. The government-appointed Airports Commission's interim report had just landed, declaring that London needed a new runway and - save a delay for political expediency - all but coming out for Heathrow. Continue reading...

Political leaders also thank emergency services workers in annual Christmas messagesAnthony Albanese has used his annual Christmas message to pay tribute to flood-affected residents in northern Queensland while expressing gratitude to medical and hospitality workers.The prime minister issued a short video message to the nation on Christmas Eve, wishing Australians well over the holiday period and paying particular tribute to defence force personnel. Continue reading...

Tenants are often thrown out and their possessions stolen in the most brutal of robberies'Landlords are illegally evicting tenants in greater numbers and with almost no fear of repercussions, as figures show that less than 1% of those evictions leads to a conviction.Research by the housing charity Safer Renting found that 8,748 cases involving the practice were logged in 2022, a record high and 12% more than the 7,778 cases recorded the year before. Continue reading...

It doesn't have to be this way': Britain's transport networks again grind to a halt during festive periodThere was a familiar sense of misery for many travellers in the week before Christmas as hundreds of trains were cancelled, motorways were closed and ferry passengers queued for miles waiting to board their ships.But it doesn't have to be this way, transport campaigners say, as politicians and transport bosses have the power to ease some of the problems facing travellers. Continue reading...

Red-Tabara group claims responsibility for assault in Vugizo that killed 12 children, three women and five menAn attack by rebels in western Burundi has killed 20 people, all but one of them civilians, the central African country's government has said.The attack was claimed by the Red-Tabara rebel group, which in its own statement said it had killed 10 members of the security forces. The attack occurred on Friday evening in the town of Vugizo, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the rebels have a base. Continue reading...

Senior Conservative and Labour figures said they would back changes to legislation on the issue in England and WalesTwo former health secretaries on Saturday night became the latest senior figures to join the growing demands for a new attempt to legalise assisted dying, as a prominent Tory said he is willing to champion the legislation in parliament.With both former Conservative minister Stephen Dorrell and Labour's Alan Milburn stating they back changing the law in England and Wales, the Observer understands that a Labour government would make time and expert advice available for an assisted dying bill should MPs back it in a free House of Commons vote. Continue reading...

Maalim Ayman was wanted over attack on airbase in Kenya in 2020 in which three Americans diedSomali troops and US forces have killed a senior commander of the al-Shabaab militant group who had a $10m bounty on his head over an attack that left three Americans dead.Maalim Ayman, a senior leader of al-Shabaab, was confirmed to have been killed in a joint operation by the Somali national army with assistance from US forces on December 17th," Kenya's information minister, Daud Aweis, said on X on Thursday. Continue reading...

Plan is aimed at spreading cost of hosting asylum seekers across bloc and limiting number of arrivals

This online tool will help you discover what is contributing to your household's cost of living increasesInflation has been soaring in the UK, with people being hit by higher prices for everyday essentials, but cost of living pressures are finally starting to ease.The latest inflation rate for the 12 months to November 2023 means that goods and services cost 3.9% more than they did a year ago - in most cases, surpassing any pay rises workers can expect to receive. Continue reading...

Boy, 14, went missing near Blowholes Road in Cape Bridgewater, about 350km from Melbourne on Tuesday

Federal court fines company $15m and orders it to pay up to $15m in compensation for making false or misleading claims to about 70,000 customers

Transport for the North says service is deteriorating fast, with fewer than half of trains running on time

Foreign secretary is told failure to call for immediate ceasefire is also strategically ill-advised', as UN vote approaches

Company says songs have been assessed as worth more by independent valuer than recent transactions in the sectorThe woes of Hipgnosis Songs Fund, which owns the streaming rights to artists ranging from Beyonce to Neil Young, have deepened, as it delayed the publication of its half-year results at the last minute.Hipgnosis said it was postponing its results because the company valuation by its independent valuer was materially higher" than the valuation implied by proposed and recent transactions in the sector, in particular its recent sale of song rights at a steep discount. Continue reading...

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The 29-year-old co-worker was refused bail after a woman was found dead with stab wounds on Monday

Freedom of information documents sought by former senator Rex Patrick outline key risks' attorney general was advised of in Bernard Collaery case

Deaths of Hani Jnena, 32, wife and daughters aged 2 and 4 led NGO to call for Biden to demand Israeli accountabilityA contractor for the US Agency for International Development (USAid) in Gaza was killed with his wife and two daughters aged four and two in an Israeli airstrike in November, his employer said on Saturday.We are deeply saddened to confirm the tragic loss of our colleague, Hani Jnena (33), along with his family in Gaza, including his wife, Abeer (32), and their two young daughters, Mariam and Zayna, aged 4 and 2," the non-profit organization Global Communities, which partners with governments and private-sector entities for humanitarian work, said in a statement. Continue reading...

Postmortem of body found during search in Norfolk finds no sign that other parties were involvedA postmortem examination of a body found in the search for missing woman Gaynor Lord has found no indications of any third-party involvement", Norfolk police said.The force said formal identification would take place on Sunday.

Former president criticises party he led, citing death of democratically elected structures'The former South African president Jacob Zuma, who was forced out of office over corruption allegations, has said he will not vote for the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) in the 2024 national elections.Zuma, 81, criticised the president and ANC leader, Cyril Ramaphosa. The ANC, which led the decades-old struggle against apartheid, is fast losing support. Zuma said he would vote for a small radical leftwing party and would refuse to campaign for the ANC. Continue reading...

Right to Life UK boosted its spend on the social media platform tenfold in three yearsA leading UK anti-abortion charity with ties to MPs and peers has increased its Facebook advertising spend more than tenfold in three years, spending nearly 190,000 on advertising campaigns.In a joint investigation, the Observer and the Citizens analysed the spend and content of hundreds of Facebook ads paid for by Right to Life UK between June 2020 and November 2023. The findings reveal the charity - which provides the secretariat for the Pro-Life All Party Parliamentary Group - spent an average of 117,000 in 2023, an increase from an average 11,400 in 2020, 16,900 in 2021 and 43,600 in 2022. Continue reading...

Unnamed person had handed classified information to a Mossad officer', official Irna news agency reportsAn agent of the Mossad, Israel's intelligence service, has been executed in Iran, the official Irna news agency reported.This person communicated with foreign services, specifically [the] Mossad, collecting classified information, and with participation with associates, provided documents to foreign services, including the Mossad," it said. Continue reading...

US singer of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), recorded in 1963, says she rates U2's 1987 version as finest of many coversDarlene Love's classic tune Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) has spurred numerous covers over the years, but to the singer herself, only one stands above the rest, she recently revealed.Speaking on the podcast Behind the Table, Love, 82, said U2's rendition of her hit Christmas song is the best cover. Continue reading...

Duke awarded 140,600 in damages after judge rules articles were product of hacking or unlawful information gathering

Judge names several former editors and executives in judgment that finds unlawful information gathering was widespread Prince Harry hails win as great day for truth'In a ruling on the Prince Harry phone-hacking case, Mr Justice Fancourt found that unlawful information gathering was widespread" at the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People from 1996 onwards, and that phone hacking started in 1996 and became widespread and habitual from 1998.Among the former executives and editors named in his judgment on Friday was the former Mirror editor Piers Morgan, now a presenter on Rupert Murdoch's TalkTV, who has always denied knowingly commissioning or publishing stories based on illegally obtained voicemails. Continue reading...

Journey was paid for by The Phoenix Partnership, which has won 135m of contracts from NHS and governmentRishi Sunak took a 16,000 one-way trip to Leeds on a helicopter courtesy of a firm owned by Frank Hester, the Tory megadonor, taking the total for the prime minister's donor-funded air travel to more than 100,000 this year.The prime minister once again showed his fondness for short-haul air travel as he took a helicopter from Battersea to Leeds Bradford airport last month - a journey of about 90 minutes. The quickest train from London to Leeds takes about 2 hours and 13 minutes, and costs in the region of 60 off-peak. Continue reading...

Viktor Orban says extra money to Kyiv had been vetoed but talks would resume in the new year

I will now have the opportunity to finally shed this Larry David" persona and become the person God intended me to be,' star saysAfter almost 25 years playing Larry David, Larry David has announced that his award-winning comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm is ending with the next season.The Seinfeld co-creator has played a curmudgeonly version of himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm since 2000, making it HBO's longest-running comedy. Much like Seinfeld, the show draws on the humour in everyday life but the dialogue is mostly improvised around an outline written by David, who plays a semi-retired television writer. Continue reading...

Leaders recognise that an enlarged bloc will bring challenges including difficult budget and policy decisionsThe EU has made a historic decision to open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova but a tense summit in Brussels has underscored the difficulties ahead for the bloc as it plans to let more members join. Continue reading...

Russian leader conducts first end of year press conference since start of invasion

Criminal Cases Review Commission re-examines case of Wang Yam, who was convicted of 2006 murder of Allan Chappelow in LondonThe case of Wang Yam, a former MI6 informant convicted of the murder in 2006 of Allan Chappelow, a reclusive author and photographer, is being re-examined by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.The move comes after developments in forensic DNA analysis, which led to the successful appeal of Andrew Malkinson, whose 2004 conviction for rape was overturned in July. Continue reading...

Relatives of the abductees say they are shocked, as reports say David Barnea was stopped from visiting Qatar

Ban is the culmination of a years-long campaign, driven by doctors, trade unions and workers involved in its cutting and handling

Murder accused, 16, says he saw co-defendant stab girl and denied he was only one strong enough to cut through victim's boneA 16-year-old boy accused of killing Brianna Ghey was a skilled kickboxer who admired the craftsmanship" of the knife used to stab the transgender teenager, a court has heard.The boy, known as Y to protect his identity, told a jury that he saw his female co-defendant stab Brianna with his hunting knife in a Warrington park, denying that he was the only one strong enough to cut through her bone. Before killing Brianna, the girl was giddy", he claimed. Continue reading...

Ukrainian air defences shoot down all 10 missiles in early hours but there is extensive damage

Panel says it is not satisfied releasing child killer at this point would be safe for protection of the publicThe child killer Jon Venables has lost a Parole Board bid to be freed from jail.The 41-year-old tortured and murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993. Continue reading...

Developers say move is capitulation to Tory nimby faction' and could lead to fewer homes being builtMichael Gove will this week announce a relaxation of housing targets for local authorities in England, which developers worry will mean far fewer homes being built amid a housing crisis.The housing secretary will outline the government's new planning system as soon as Thursday, and sources briefed on the plans said they would confirm he was giving councils far more freedom to set lower housing targets. Continue reading...

BoM tracker map shows forecast path of category 2 cyclone with heavy rain, 140km/h winds and storm surge predicted. Follow the latest Australia news and weather updates today

Competition winner reflects growing anxiety about tax rises, while second place for word of the year went to hot' after a sweltering summerThe kanji character for tax" has been chosen as Japan's word of the year, in a reflection of growing public anxiety over the cost of living and impending tax rises.The single character - which can be read as zei or mitsugi - was unveiled this week at Kiyomizu Buddhist temple in Kyoto, whose head priest, Seihan Mori, reproduced it with a huge brush on a white washi paper canvas. Continue reading...

One Nation senator will argue freedom of political speech trumps the racial discrimination act over tweet directed at Faruqi

Labour leader to attack Tory psychodrama' and self-importance' in speech marking four years since last electionLabour will end the Conservative psychodrama" and return government to the mundane stuff", Keir Starmer will pledge, in a plea to the red wall" voters the party is targeting.His changed" party is committed to national security and careful management of taxpayer money, he will emphasise in a speech that has been moved to Buckinghamshire from a northern constituency in order for the Labour leader to stay close to Westminster as MPs prepare to vote on the government's Rwanda bill. Continue reading...

Chief justice says government did not overreach its powers when it revoked autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019India's supreme court has ruled that the government acted lawfully when it revoked the autonomy of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and brought it directly under control of the centre.Article 370, which for almost 70 years had enshrined special rights for Jammu and Kashmir outside the Indian constitution, was revoked by the government of Narendra Modi in August 2019 through a presidential order, with no consultation with the Kashmiri people. Continue reading...

A new way of identifying areas of deprivation in otherwise affluent areas has caught the attention of local politiciansMost of the 1,700 people who live in a wedge of housing between Iffley Road and Cowley Road in Oxford enjoy relative comfort. There are smart cafes, attic conversions and shops selling high-end bicycles to students and academics attending the world-famous university just over Magdalen Bridge.In the bald terms of the official 1-10 index of multiple deprivation, it scores a six when the most deprived areas of the country score one. But combing through the 2021 census among the people in this neighbourhood, the new ethnic group deprivation index (EGDI) reveals an otherwise hidden cluster of people who experience significant economic hardship. Continue reading...

Publisher of the Monthly and the Saturday Paper says he will no longer be involved in day-to-day operations

Nice guidelines for GPs placing CBT on a par with HRT' are criticised as patronising' and scaremongering'New official guidance on treating menopause will harm women's health, experts, MPs and campaigners have warned.Last month, new draft guidelines to GPs from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said that women experiencing hot flushes, night sweats, depression and sleep problems could be offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) alongside or as an alternative to" hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help reduce their menopause symptoms. Continue reading...

Five patrons at the Royal Daylesford Hotel about an hour's drive from Melbourne were killed after a car crashed into the beer garden

Officers interviewed people who wished to remain silent despite court judgments finding practice was improper, law enforcement commission says