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Milton Otto Martin III, who has been accused by several alleged victims of assault, convicted of indecent behaviorA Pentecostal pastor in Louisiana charged with sexually molesting a teenage girl in his church has been convicted of indecent behavior with a juvenile - but was acquitted of the more serious crime of statutory rape.Milton Otto Martin III, 58, faces up to seven years in prison and must register as a sex offender after a three-day trial in Chalmette, Louisiana, resulted in a guilty verdict against him on Thursday. His sentencing hearing is tentatively set for 15 January in the latest high-profile instance of religious abuse in the New Orleans area. Continue reading...

Defeat complicates the picture for Republicans across the US as they seek to redraw districts in an increasingly messy battleThe Indiana legislature's rejection of a new map that would have added two Republican seats in Congress marked one of the biggest political defeats for Donald Trump so far in his second term and significantly damaged the Republican effort to reconfigure congressional districts ahead of next year's midterm elections.The defeat showed that Trump's political might is not unlimited. For months, the president waged an aggressive effort to twist the arms of Indiana lawmakers into supporting a new congressional map, sending JD Vance to meet in person with lawmakers. Trump allies also set up outside groups to pressure state lawmakers. Continue reading...

Bart De Wever will also discuss migration, security and economy ahead of coalition of the willing meeting and EU summit next weekRussia's central bank said it was suing the Belgium-based Euroclear financial group, which holds Moscow's frozen international reserves, as the EU moves closer to using the funds to support Ukraine, AFP reported.The bank said it was filing a lawsuit against Euroclear in the Moscow Arbitration Court" due to what it called the illegal actions" of the institution. Continue reading...

Week-long event organised by Brothers of Italy party looks like winter wonderland but is chance for PM to flaunt powerWhen, out of curiosity, Leila Cader and her friends entered the gardens surrounding Castel Sant'Angelo, a prominent Rome monument that once served as a refuge for popes during times of war, they thought they'd chanced upon an enchanting winter wonderland.With the scent of mulled wine wafting through the air, Santa's elves wandering around, stalls selling nativity-scene figurines and skaters merrily gliding on an ice-rink, it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Continue reading...

Peace prize winner says escape voyage, in which she feared US forces could strike vessel she was on, was very spiritual'The most dangerous moments came when salvation seemed finally assured.Many miles from land, the small fishing skiff carrying the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel prize laureate Maria Corina Machado had been lost at sea for hours, tossed by strong winds and 10ft waves. A further hazard was the ever present risk of an inadvertent airstrike by US warplanes hunting alleged cocaine smugglers. Continue reading...

Ya'akub Vijandre, held in ICE detention in Georgia, tells Guardian he is concerned for safety of family and friendsYa'akub Vijandre, a Muslim photojournalist, martial arts teacher and first responder who ICE detained in October for posting on social media, told the Guardian that the government is attacking my faith" and that he was concerned about the safety" of his family and friends.Speaking in his first interview from Georgia's Folkston detention center, the 38-year-old said guards treat detainees like animals", yelling at them when they don't understand English. One guard responded to his request to use the bathroom during a visit to the detention center's library by telling him, just piss on yourself". Continue reading...

Five years after legalizing psilocybin to treat a raft of health problems, practitioners worry the industry has become too costly, too white, and too regulated. Can the landmark program find its footing?Jenna Kluwe remembers all the beautiful moments she saw in a converted dental clinic in east Portland.For six months, she managed the Journey Service Center, a psilocybin service center" where adults 21 and older take supervised mushroom trips. She watched elderly clients with terminal illnesses able to enjoy life again. She saw one individual with obsessive compulsive disorder so severe they spent hours washing their hands who could casually eat food that fell on the floor. Continue reading...

Police appeal for witnesses after tree put up in tribute to war dead cut down in act of mindless vandalism'A Christmas tree that had stood in a village for more than a decade has been chopped down hours after having its lights switched on.The tree, in Shotton Colliery in County Durham, was felled between 10pm and 11pm on Wednesday. It is believed to have been cut down deliberately. Police are appealing for witnesses. Continue reading...

Scottish rock band says image meant to provoke debate, not hate' after many at concert accuse group of antisemitismThe Scottish rock group, Primal Scream, has defended displaying an image of a swastika inside a Star of David during a London gig, in response to accusations of racism and antisemitism.During a performance at the London's Roundhouse, a video was shown on stage of a swastika in the centre of a Star of David that was then superimposed over eyes of images of political figures, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US president, Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Lilian Greenwood condemns Conservative mixed messages' and promises a system that works for everybody

Exclusive: Force to pay damages to Aisha Jung, who was put into a police van and held until 4amThe Metropolitan police have agreed to pay 7,500 in damages to a woman arrested at a Gaza protest for holding up a placard that said: Apartheid Israel, what a cuntry."Aisha Jung, 53, from south London, was with her husband and two of her sons, aged 10 and 11, when police arrested her at the November 2023 demonstration in Trafalgar Square, central London, telling her that the sign could be considered offensive. Continue reading...

Decision would anger environmental campaigners, who say it would amount to gutting' of green deal

My offer to host dinner is declined. My cooking is never good. Triumph lies in the fact food is cooked and not full of bacteriaYeah, I'm gonna say it - stop with the fetishisation of sandwiches, already! Obviously we've had the annual rejoicing over the advent (Ha! See what I did there?) of the Pret Christmas offering and the paler imitations thereafter by lesser chains and retail outlets. Now Harrods is getting in on the act with a 29 version on sale at its steakhouse, the Grill on Fifth. It consists of a burger patty (and listen, let's get rid of the word patty' while we're about it, shall we? Why? Because it's viscerally hateful, that's why), roast turkey breast, stuffing, a pig in a blanket, spiced red cabbage, cranberry sauce and turkey gravy. Continue reading...

Retailer, which also owns Funky Pigeon, says economic pressure has hit shoppers' confidenceCard Factory has delivered an unwelcome early Christmas surprise for investors by issuing a shock profit warning during the greetings card retailer's peak trading period, which sent shares plunging by more than a fifth.The retailer, which also owns the online card and gift brand Funky Pigeon, said economic pressure on shoppers has hit confidence in its most important trading period of the year. Continue reading...

Reality TV star jailed for trying to cover up evidence after the 2022 crash that killed co-star Chris Willow' Wilson

Lords' demand for 1,150 changes include many that are unnecessary' and likely to run down clock, says Kim Leadbeater

Fires are burning across NSW, with Tasmania also facing an emergency, while in US, Washington state braces for floodsBushfires have been ravaging Australia, with more than 50 burning throughout New South Wales, destroying homes and causing at least one death. Nine blazes remained out of control on Monday as flames ripped through homes and critical infrastructure. Scorching temperatures - peaking at 41C in Koolewong - combined with fierce, erratic winds to spread the fires rapidly and made them harder to control.On Sunday night an Australian firefighter was killed after a tree fell on him while he worked on a fire near Bulahdelah, about 150 miles (250km) north of Sydney. The blaze scorched 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) and destroyed four homes over the weekend. NSW, one of Australia's most fire-prone regions, is particularly vulnerable because of its hot, dry climate and vast eucalyptus forests, which shed oils that become highly flammable. Continue reading...

Sussan Ley offers bipartisan truce to work on reform as attorney general Michelle Rowland refers expenses for independent audit

Health secretary urges resident doctors to accept pay offer as he warns of pressures on health service from flu casesWes Streeting has warned resident doctors that strikes and a jump in flu cases over the Christmas period could be the Jenga piece" that forces the NHS to collapse.The health secretary said the NHS faced a challenge unlike any it has seen since the pandemic" and urged resident doctors to accept the government's offer and end their actions. Continue reading...

Committee asked to consider if parliamentary rules broken when submission from judge Penelope Wass was used against her by ODDP

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Former defence minister's application to have former staffer bankrupted has been approved in a Western Australian court

Home secretary to order special investigation amid concern inadequate checks during hiring spree may pose criminal riskThe home secretary is to order an independent special inquiry into whether the Metropolitan police allowed hundreds of recruits to join without proper vetting amid fears they may pose a criminal risk.The Guardian has learned that the inquiry will be carried out by the policing inspectorate, with concerns centred on 300 new officers hired between 2016 and 2023. Continue reading...

Milestone reached as journalists including Polly Toynbee and John Crace prepare for fundraising event on Saturday

Former police officer admits to taking explicit images of children as young as four in his care

Court heard Alicia Kemp, 25, from Redditch, Worcestershire was over the blood alcohol limit when she drove into Thanh Phan, 51, in PerthA British backpacker has been sentenced to four years in prison after a fatal collision with a father-of-two while riding an electric scooter in Australia.Alicia Kemp, 25, from Redditch, Worcestershire, appeared at Perth district court in Western Australia on Friday where she was sentenced after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death while under the influence of alcohol. Continue reading...

Conflict monitors say the junta has increased airstrikes year-on-year since the start of Myanmar's civil warDozens have been killed in a military strike on a hospital in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, according to an aid worker, a rebel group, a witness and local media reports, as the junta wages a withering offensive ahead of elections beginning this month.The situation is very terrible," said on-site aid worker Wai Hun Aung. As for now, we can confirm there are 31 deaths and we think there will be more deaths. Also there are 68 wounded and will be more and more." Continue reading...

Move follows a disagreement with the largest grouping in parliament, with elections to be held within 45-60 daysThailand's prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, announced on Thursday that he is returning power to the people", moving to dissolve parliament and clear the way for elections earlier than previously anticipated.Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the move followed a disagreement with the largest grouping in parliament, the opposition People's party. This happened because we can't go forward in parliament," he told Reuters. Continue reading...

Former police officer admits to taking explicit images of children as young as four in his care

Taken star lends his voice to a film that questions the legitimacy of vaccines and includes interview with RFK JrLiam Neeson has lent his voice to a new documentary that questions the legitimacy of vaccines and praises Donald Trump's health and human services secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.The film, called Plague of Corruption, is narrated by the Taken actor and based on a bestselling book co-authored by Judy Mikovits, a disgraced former scientist who gained notoriety during the Covid pandemic. She claimed Covid was caused by a bad strain of the flu vaccine and urged people not to get vaccinated. Continue reading...

Treasury committee will examine agency's forecasting record and discover where it needs to do better'MPs have launched an inquiry into the role and performance of the Office for Budget Responsibility.The all-party Commons Treasury committee will spend until the end of next month investigating the independent agency's forecasting performance and impartiality. The panel will consider whether reforms are needed 15 years after the OBR was set up by George Osborne when he was Tory chancellor. Continue reading...

Bridget Phillipson says 3bn scheme focussed on local state schools will transform lives', after rise in parent appealsThe government is to invest 3bn in creating bespoke places within local state schools for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), a crucial part of its efforts to grapple with England's rising numbers of children facing social and mental health problems.The plan announced by Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, to create up to 60,000 places within mainstream schools, will be partly funded by the suspension of a group of planned free schools, saving an estimated 600m in the coming years. The remaining 2.4bn will come from departmental spending outlined in November's budget. Continue reading...

David McCann, 43, was arrested after police searched his flat in EdinburghThe editor of the Times and Sunday Times in Scotland has been suspended and charged over indecent online communications".News UK, which owns the newspapers, announced that David McCann had been suspended after he was made the subject of a criminal investigation unrelated to his work". Continue reading...

Ukrainian president says plan would not be fair without guarantees that Russia would not simply take over zoneThe US wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas region, and Washington would then create a free economic zone" in the parts Kyiv currently controls, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.Previously, the US had suggested Kyiv should hand over the parts of Donbas it still controlled to Russia, but the Ukrainian president said on Thursday that Washington had now suggested a compromise version in which Ukrainian troops would withdraw, but Russian troops would not advance into the territory. Continue reading...

Clear conflict' between Eurovision ideals of inclusion and dignity for all' and decision to let Israel compete, says 2024 winnerNemo, the Swiss singer who won the 2024 Eurovision song contest, has said they are handing back their trophy in protest over Israel's participation in next year's event.The 26-year-old, the first non-binary winner of the contest, said on Thursday there was a clear conflict" between the Eurovision ideals of unity, inclusion and dignity for all" and the decision to allow Israel to compete. Continue reading...

Weaker-than-forecast quarterly data for Larry Ellison's tech company shows slowdown in revenue growth and big rise in spending

Confusion over diplomatic standoff deepens after conflicting reports about the soldiers' whereaboutsEleven Nigerian military personnel are reportedly still in Burkina Faso days after their plane made an unauthorised" landing in the south-west city of Bobo Dioulasso, despite earlier suggestions they had been freed, deepening confusion about the diplomatic standoff.Burkinabe authorities told the BBC on Tuesday that the troops had been released and given permission to return to Nigeria, but officials in Abuja have said the matter is yet to be resolved. Continue reading...

Sandie Peggie won harassment claim against NHS Fife but tribunal dismissed claims of discrimination and victimisationSandie Peggie, the Fife nurse who was suspended after she complained about sharing a female changing room with a transgender doctor, will appeal against a hugely problematic" employment tribunal ruling, her solicitor has confirmed.On Monday, the ruling of a lengthy employment tribunal found that Peggie, who has worked as a nurse for more than 30 years, had been harassed by NHS Fife when she was expected to share the changing room with Dr Beth Upton. Continue reading...

Andy Burnham unveils next step in transport system, allowing contactless travel with fares capped across trains, buses and tramsThe first passenger trains in the Bee Network will join by the end of 2026, after Greater Manchester disclosed the next steps in its ambitious transport system.Unveiling a yellow-branded Northern train, the regional mayor, Andy Burnham, said two lines from central Manchester - to Glossop and Stalybridge - would join the network in a year, allowing contactless travel with fares capped across trains, buses and trams. Continue reading...

Interior ministry will tell 640 people awaiting sanctuary there is no longer any political interest in their being admitted'

Prime minister makes announcement before parliament vote on no-confidence motion filed by oppositionBulgaria's prime minister has handed in his government's resignation after less than a year in office following weeks of mass street protests over its economic policies and perceived failure to tackle corruption.Rosen Zhelyazkov announced his resignation on television shortly before parliament had been due to vote on a no-confidence motion submitted by the opposition and before the country is due to join the eurozone on 1 January. Continue reading...

Number of people in England being treated remains at record level for this time of year with daily average of 2,660The NHS is facing its worst-case scenario" for flu cases this month across England after the number of people in hospital with the illness increased by 55% in a week.An average of 2,660 patients a day were in an NHS hospital bed with flu, up from 1,717 last week and the highest ever for this time of year. By comparison, in the same week last year the number of patients in hospital with flu stood at 1,861, compared with 402 in 2023. Continue reading...

Museum, which includes rich collection of Vermeers and Rembrandts, currently shows only fraction of its 1m objectsAmsterdam's Rijksmuseum, which holds the world's largest trove of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, has announced plans to open an outpost in Eindhoven.The museum, which showcases only a fraction of its more than 1m objects, said on Thursday it would construct the 3,500 sq metre centre over the next six to eight years. Continue reading...

Compensation due to thousands of women and girls fitted with coils without their knowledge or consentVictims of Denmark's IUD scandal, in which thousands of Greenlandic women and girls were forcibly fitted with contraceptive coils without their knowledge or consent, have claimed victory in their legal fight with the Danish government after it was confirmed they will be eligible for compensation.The Danish parliament, Folketinget, and the government reached an agreement on Wednesday that entitles about 4,500 Greenlandic women to claim 300,000 DKK (35,000) each from a reconciliation fund. Continue reading...

Slew of allegations of sexual harassment hits party already battered by corruption claims and political setbacks

No more concessions, says minister after legislation was thwarted in upper house despite manifesto climbdown

Letters arguing research could harm participating children sent to medical regulators, health secretary and NHSCampaigners have begun a legal process intended to suspend a clinical trial of puberty blockers on the grounds that the research could prove harmful to the children taking part.The study was commissioned in response to last year's Cass review of gender identity services which found that gender medicine was an area of remarkably weak evidence" and built on shaky foundations". Continue reading...

Exclusive: New research points to need for holistic approach to combating illicit tobacco' including having support of health advocates

Women at FMC Carswell - long a focus of sexual abuse investigations - say prison officials have turned a blind eyeEleven women incarcerated at a federal prison in Texas allege they have been subjected to rampant sexual abuse by staff members in the past seven years. The allegations are the latest accusations of abuse within a federal prison system rife with claims of inhumane conditions.The allegations at FMC Carswell, a federal medical women's prison in Fort Worth, Texas, are particularly troubling because the facility has been the focus of sexual abuse investigations for years, with 13 staff members convicted of abuse and misconduct since 1997 and promises of reform at various times. Continue reading...

Singer told Jimmy Fallon that the ink is not dry' on a deal but the prospect of a stage version of her critically acclaimed album was very exciting'Lily Allen has said she is in discussions over adapting her hit album West End Girl into a play, possibly for the West End itself.Speaking on The Tonight Show in the US, host Jimmy Fallon said: In London, they're trying to make West End Girl into a play." Continue reading...