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Tom Pickup confirms he was member of group in which one participant allegedly called for mass Islam genocide'A Reform UK councillor has been suspended for participating in a WhatsApp group where members allegedly called for a mass Islam genocide".Tom Pickup, who was elected to Lancashire county council in May, confirmed to the Guardian he was a member of the group set up by a rightwing activist. Continue reading...

Proposed legal case understood to allege that app has breached data protection law varying driver pay ratesUber has been hit with legal demands to stop using its artificial intelligence driven pay systems, which have been blamed for significantly reducing the incomes of the ride hailing app's drivers.A letter before action - sent to the US company by the non-profit foundation, Worker Info Exchange (WIE), on Wednesday - is understood to allege that the ride hailing app has breached European data protection law by varying driver pay rates through its controversial algorithm. Continue reading...

Andrew Paul Johnson, 44, faces multiple charges in Florida and has pleaded not guilty to the crimes, authorities sayA man who took part in the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol and was pardoned by Donald Trump earlier this year has been arrested on multiple child sexual abuse charges in Florida, according to local authorities.The man, identified as 44-year-old Andrew Paul Johnson, was taken into custody in August in Tennessee and extradited to Florida where, according to arrest records, he faces charges of lewd and lascivious child molestation of a child under 12, lewd and lascivious child molestation of a child between 12 and 16, as well as lewd and lascivious exhibition, and transmission of material harmful to a minor. Continue reading...

Health secretary still maintains that forced removals are right thing to do for the country'Healey is now taking questions.Q: How close are are we to war?It is Labour that is the party of defence. Continue reading...

Former Met officer convicted of offences in pattern of horrific' offending dating back 35 yearsEx-police officer David Carrick has been found guilty of molesting a 12-year-old girl and raping a former partner in a pattern of horrific" offending dating back 35 years.Carrick, 50, who served as an armed officer in the Metropolitan police, sexually assaulted the child in the late 1980s. More than 20 years later, he repeatedly raped a woman and subjected her to degrading and humiliating" abuse during the course of a toxic relationship. Continue reading...

PM raises Guardian reporting of allegations from more than a dozen school contemporaries of Farage

Move welcomed by critics, who have been calling for end to morally unacceptable' deals since 2016The British Museum has ended a controversial sponsorship deal with a Japanese tobacco firm after reports that the government had raised questions about the deal, which some critics said was deeply troubling".The Guardian understands that the museum's board chose to not renew the 15-year partnership with Japan Tobacco International (JTI), which ended in September. Continue reading...

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Home affairs minister's comments come as NSW moves to ban white supremacist chants after neo-Nazi protest

Events to mark the 50th anniversary of dictator's death are intended to remind Spaniards, particularly the young, of the dangers of fascismMingorrubio municipal cemetery, which sits where the suburbs of north-west Madrid fade out into the countryside, must have been something of a comedown for a man who was originally laid to rest with a 150-metre-high cross for a headstone and four enormous bronze archangels to watch over him.But six years after his remains were disinterred from the grotesque splendour of the Valley of the Fallen and flown by helicopter to Mingorrubio for reburial, Francisco Franco is at least in good company. Continue reading...

Trains between Oxford and Milton Keynes put back to 2026 partly due to dispute, Chiltern Railways saysThe start of passenger services on the new East West Rail line will be delayed until at least 2026 with no start date confirmed, the operator has said, partly due to a row over guards on the trains.Passenger trains were supposed to come into service between Oxford and Milton Keynes this autumn, the first stage on the new railway along the Oxford-Cambridge arc where the government hopes for rapid economic growth. Continue reading...

Australian Men's Health Forum says it is not affiliated with Dads4Kids group espousing anti-feminist, anti-LGBTQI+ views

New series in Lancet medical journal finds UPFs, which make up nearly half the average Australian diet, driving escalating' burden of many chronic diseases

Victim was hospitalized in critical condition and suspect taken into custody following incident on city's train systemA woman is currently hospitalized after being set on fire on the Chicago train system, according to police.At around 9.25pm on Monday, a 26-year-old woman was riding the Chicago Transit Authority system's Blue Line near the Clark/Lake station when she got into an argument with an approximately 45-year-old man. Continue reading...

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Survivors were joined by lawmakers including Marjorie Taylor Greene before House vote on releasing Epstein files

Lords look undemocratic and firmly against interest of working people', say senior trade union and Labour figuresDozens of hereditary peers - including the Duke of Wellington, landed aristocrats and millionaire business leaders - have been criticised for battling to unpick Labour's plans to boost workers' rights.The Lords voted to support a string of Conservative-backed amendments to the employment rights bill late on Monday for the third time running. Continue reading...

Eliyahu Eli' Weinstein, pardoned by Trump in 2021, was sentenced to 37 years for defrauding investors out of $35mA New Jersey man whose lengthy prison sentence for fraud convictions was commuted by Donald Trump in 2021 is now headed back to federal prison for another fraud conviction.The US district judge Michael Shipp, sitting in Trenton, handed down a 37-year sentence on Friday to Eliyahu Eli" Weinstein, 51, of Lakewood, who is also known as Mike Konig. Shipp also ruled that Weinstein must pay $44,294,803 in restitution, which is due immediately, according to court documents. Continue reading...

Police officer suffered fractured spine during operation at factory near Bristol last year, Woolwich crown court hearsSix pro-Palestinian activists armed with sledgehammers attacked an Israeli-linked defence firm, with one striking a female police officer twice with his weapon, a court has heard.Opening the trial at Woolwich crown court on Tuesday, the prosecutor, Deanna Heer KC, said the defendants were involved in a meticulously organised" operation by Palestine Action at the Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol, on 6 August last year. Continue reading...

Home secretary urged to explain statement that asylum admissions will start at a few hundred' peopleShabana Mahmood is facing demands for compassion and clarity after it emerged that only a few hundred" asylum seekers would initially be permitted to come to the UK under three new schemes for refugees.The home secretary had justified a series of hardline policies - such as the deportation of families and the confiscation of assets from claimants - by saying she would also open the safe and legal" routes for genuine" claimants. Continue reading...

Regarding music played in UK nightclubs, more than 5.7m each year is allegedly allocated by performing rights societies to the wrong artistsElectronic music artists, producers and songwriters are missing out on millions of pounds of lost revenue in the UK, after their music appears in DJ sets but the subsequent royalties are not properly distributed, according to new research.The Berlin-based Fair Play initiative has found that only 28% of the fees paid by the average UK nightclub are being distributed correctly to artists. More than 5.7m a year is allegedly being misallocated by performing rights organisations, and paid out to the wrong people. Continue reading...

Journalist rebuts accusation of obtaining sexual images by deceit in documents submitted to high courtThe journalist Dan Wootton has denied he catfished a man who claims to be a former colleague in documents submitted to the high court, it has been reported.It is alleged that Wootton exchanged sexual messages in 2010 with the claimant - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - while pretending to be Maria Joseph" and encouraging him to send explicit photographs and a video. Continue reading...

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Early investigations suggest device was using software incompatible with emergency calls on TPG network

Suppliers would not have previously been obliged to test the products at any point in the supply chain, ABF confirmed

The hazy UN resolution dictates that Trump's board of peace' will supervise an International Stabilisation Force, whose membership is as yet undeterminedThe resolution passed by the UN security council on Tuesday evening, aimed at turning the precarious Gaza ceasefire into a real peace plan, is one of the oddest in United Nations history.It puts Donald Trump in supreme control of Gaza, perhaps with Tony Blair as his immediate subordinate in a board of peace", which will oversee multinational peacekeeping troops, a committee of Palestinian technocrats and a local police force, for a period of two years. Continue reading...

The Victorian Liberals' first female leader will focus on the budget, health and housing, relegating crime to a second priority

Lachlan Young, 23, sentenced after court heard he later impersonated McGuire in text messages to her mother

Two-year study finds area of woodland in Devon to be ideal habitat to support a controlled release of the creaturesThe prospect of European wildcats prowling in south-west England has taken a leap forward after a two-year study concluded a reintroduction was feasible - and most local people were positive about the idea.Having been absent for more than a century, mid-Devon has been judged to have the right kind of habitat to support a population of Felis silvestris.The south-west contains enough woodland cover connected by other suitable habitat to support a sustainable wildcat population.Two surveys were conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter. In one, 71% of 1,000 people liked the idea of wildcat return. In the other, 83% of 1,425 who responded expressed positivity.Wildcats pose no significant risk to existing endangered wildlife populations such as bats and dormice. Wildcat diets concentrate on widespread commonly found species, with 75% of their prey consisting of small mammals including voles, rats, wood mice and rabbits.Wildcats pose no threat to people, domestic pets or farming livestock such as lambs. Commercial and domestic poultry can be protected from wildcats with the same precautions deployed for existing predators such as foxes. Continue reading...

UN logs 260 attacks in October alone, its highest monthly tally, as settlers attack farmers and burn olive treesViolence has increased across the occupied West Bank as Palestinian farmers try to harvest their olive trees before the end of the season, in the face of a concerted campaign of harassment by groups of armed and aggressive Israeli settlers.Dozens of new incidents have occurred in recent days across much of the occupied territory as settlers step up a broader effort to intimidate and harm Palestinian communities. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. See our full report hereThe US is planning for the long-term division of Gaza into a green zone" under Israeli and international military control, where reconstruction would start, and a red zone" to be left in ruins.Foreign forces will initially deploy alongside Israeli soldiers in the east of Gaza, leaving the devastated strip divided by the current Israeli-controlled yellow line", according to US military planning documents seen by the Guardian and sources briefed on American plans. Continue reading...

AI slop', Australian sushi' and ate (left no crumbs)' are also among the shortlist, which is open for voting until Sunday night

The resolution, which includes references to an independent Palestine, was passed by a vote of 13-0 with China and Russia abstainingThe UN security council has endorsed proposals put forward by Donald Trump for a lasting peace in Gaza, including the deployment of an international stabilisation force and a possible path to a sovereign Palestinian state.The resolution, passed by a vote of 13-0 with abstentions by China and Russia, charted a new course in the Middle East for Israelis and Palestinians and all the people of the region alike", the US envoy to the UN, Mike Waltz, told the council chamber. Continue reading...

Increase of more than 40% from current figure of 85,000 will give more cover if financial firm goes bustThe amount of a customer's money protected if a UK bank or building society goes bust will rise to 120,000 next month, providing a boost to the nation's savers.The new deposit protection limit, a 41% rise from the current limit of 85,000, is higher than expected and takes effect on 1 December. Continue reading...

Shabana Mahmood tells MPs asylum system is out of control and unfair' amid Labour backlash over proposalsMomentum, the leftwing Labour group, has also denounced the government's asylum plans. In a statement it says:The home secretary's new immigration plans are divisive and xenophobic.Scapegoating migrants will not fix our public services or end austerity.Draconian, unworkable and potentially illegal anti-asylum policies only feed Reform's support.The government has learnt nothing from the period since the general election.Some of the legal changes being proposed are truly frightening:Abolishing the right to a family life would ultimately affect many more people than asylum-seekers. Continue reading...

Plans expose significant divisions within party as angry backbenchers vow to force changes to hardline proposalsKeir Starmer is facing another major challenge to his authority as angry Labour MPs vowed to force changes to new hardline migration measures that would bring an escalation in the deportations of children and families.The policies, which include the possibility of confiscating assets from asylum seekers to contribute to costs, have caused significant divisions within the party with some MPs accusing their colleagues of not taking seriously public anger about illegal migration and asylum. Continue reading...

Workers hired to cover long-running dispute will take part in industrial action after alleging unsafe workloadsAgency staff brought in as cover during the long-running bin strikes in Birmingham will join the picket line for the first time over claims of bullying and harassment.Hundreds of refuse workers have taken part in an all-out strike in the city since March in a dispute over pay and jobs, prompting the council to declare a major incident". Continue reading...

Polish PM vows to catch the perpetrators, regardless of who their backers are' after blast on track used for deliveries to UkrainePoland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, has described an explosion along a section of railway line used for deliveries to Ukraine as an unprecedented act of sabotage" that could have led to disaster.It came as a statement from public prosecutors on Monday evening said an investigation had opened regarding acts of sabotage of a terrorist nature [...] committed on behalf of a foreign intelligence service against the Republic of Poland." Continue reading...

Yvette Cooper makes first public comments by minister over issue linked to bombing campaign in Caribbean

Mick Meaney made global headlines when he beat world record in 1968, but returned to Ireland pennilessThey were known as burial artists - people who had themselves buried alive in macabre feats of endurance - and Mick Meaney resolved to be the best there ever was.It was 1968 and the Irish labourer had barely a pound to his name but he believed that if he stayed underground in a coffin longer than anyone else the world would remember his name. Continue reading...

Francom claims that because Panthera had acquired' the debts, it was not technically engaged in collecting debt owed to a third party

Advertising group declines to comment on reports of interest from rival Havas and private equity groups Apollo and KKR

Heavy rainfall hit Galicia region first before slowly moving across western parts of the Iberian peninsulaPortugal and Spain are again recovering from flooding after Storm Claudia brought heavy rain and strong winds last week. The storm developed from an area of low pressure that had earlier driven early season cold and snowy conditions through eastern parts of Canada and the north-eastern US through early November.The system tracked eastwards across the Atlantic during the second weekend of November before slowing and stalling to the north-west of the Iberian peninsula, caught in the trough of an increasingly amplified, or wavy, jet stream. Spain's meteorological service AEMET named the storm last Monday before the arrival of several bouts of heavy rainfall, which slowly pushed through during the rest of the week. Continue reading...

ACT education department closed schools for assessment and cleaning despite assessing the health risk as low'

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Supreme court ruled rape shield' laws to limit intrusive cross-examination may breach men's right to fair trialScotland's most senior law officer has moved to reassure victims of sexual abuse that they will be protected after a supreme court ruling warned that Scottish laws designed to limit intrusive cross-examination could be breaching men's right to a fair trial.In a strongly worded statement, the lord advocate, Dorothy Bain KC, said: I would like to make clear that I understand sexual abuse inflicted upon women and children to be the single greatest challenge our justice system faces. Continue reading...

Hertfordshire police agree to pay 20,000 to Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen, who were held for 11 hours after complaining about daughter's schoolTwo parents who were arrested after they complained about their daughter's primary school on WhatsApp have said they felt vindicated" by the police admitting the arrest was unlawful.Rosalind Levine and her partner, Maxie Allen, said they were held at a police station for 11 hours over their complaints about the school. Continue reading...

Understaffing driving workers to ill health and discouraging them for taking leave, says Royal College of Nursing CEONurses across the UK are working while unwell in understaffed hospitals, with stress as the leading cause of illness, according to research.A survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) of more than 20,000 nursing staff found that 66% had worked when they should have been on sick leave, up from 49% in 2017. Continue reading...

November drop of 1.8% is biggest for this time of year since 2012, with chancellor's plans loomingBudget speculation has depressed the UK property market, figures from a leading property website have suggested, with asking prices slipping in the run-up to Rachel Reeves's much anticipated fiscal set piece on 26 November.The average new seller asking price fell by 1.8%, or 6,589, month on month in November, the figures collated by the property website Rightmove set out, taking the average price tag on a British home put up for sale to 364,833. Continue reading...

There is understood to be growing unease in party over home secretary's sweeping overhaul of refugee rightsShabana Mahmood has warned Labour MPs that dark forces are stirring up anger" over migration, amid growing alarm among senior party figures over the most sweeping overhaul of refugee rights in a generation.On Monday, Mahmood will announce controversial new laws to overhaul refugee status, which must be reassessed every two years, as well as curbing asylum appeals and toughening the approach to rights to family life.Restricting asylum seekers to one single appeal rather than different appeals on multiple grounds.Creating a new body for fast-tracking cases for dangerous criminals and those with little hope of success.Legislating to restrict last-minute modern slavery claimsJoining other countries in seeking reform of ECHR article 3 rights, to more narrowly define the risk of torture and degrading treatment.Changing the Home Office's duty to provide support to asylum seekers to a discretionary power, enabling them to potentially be removed from accommodation. Continue reading...