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The EPBC Act has emerged as a key test, with the government hoping to score a political milestone while the Liberal leader needs to prove her authority

Campaign group says it will pursue all legal means to ensure personal accountability for grave betrayal'Covid-bereaved families have called for Boris Johnson to lose access to public funds and said they will pursue all legal options for personal accountability after a damning report into his handling of the pandemic.The families said they want all privileges Johnson receives as a former prime minister, including his ministerial pension, his place on the privy council and access to the public duty costs allowance, to be withdrawn. Continue reading...

Ahmad Mulakhil changed his plea at Warwick crown court, admitting to the single charge of rape of a child under 13A man has pleaded guilty to the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Warwickshire, in a case that prompted anti-asylum protests in Nuneaton.Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, of no fixed abode, changed his plea at Warwick crown court on Friday, admitting to the single charge of rape of a child under 13 on 22 July. Continue reading...

Texans planned to utilize unhoused US people to take over Gonave and fulfill rape fantasies', justice department saysThe Department of Justice has alleged that two Texas men plotted a murderous coup d'etat on the island of Gonave, the largest in Haiti, for the purpose of carrying out their rape fantasies".The two men, 21-year-old Gavin Rivers Weisenburg and 20-year-old Tanner Christopher Thomas, have been accused of plotting to take the island by force, utilizing the homeless population of Washington DC, then killing all the men on the island and using the women and children as sex slaves", according to an announcement by the US attorney's office of the eastern district of Texas on Thursday. Continue reading...

Energy price cap for average dual fuel bill will increase to 1,758 a year, from 1,755 in the current quarter

Thinktank says internet flooded with disinformation by Russia-aligned Pravda network, which many websites treat as credibleHundreds of English-language websites - from mainstream news outlets to fringe blogs - are linking to articles from a pro-Kremlin network flooding the internet with disinformation, according to a study released by a London-based thinktank.The study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) found that in more than 80% of citations it analysed, the websites treated the network as a credible source, legitimising its narratives and increasing its visibility. The disinformation operation - known as the Pravda network - was identified by the French government last year. Continue reading...

As she prepares to deliver her budget next week, Reeves speaks of pressure of being UK's first female chancellor

Morale is completely lost,' say workers as Trump administration strips some programs and transfers othersDonald Trump's bid to gut the US Department of Education makes no sense", according to workers inside the federal agency, who accuse the administration of trying to make their lives as difficult and traumatic as possible".Three employees inside the department spoke to the Guardian, with one warning that morale has been completely lost", 10 months after Trump returned to the White House. All requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. Continue reading...

Shawny Williams, who tried to reform Vallejo police department, says threats to his safety led him to resignThe embattled former police chief of Vallejo, a San Francisco Bay Area city that has attracted national attention over police violence, has said that he endured a steady procession of racist remarks from colleagues and online harassment and threats that ultimately led him to resign.By the time Chief Shawny Williams tendered his resignation in 2022, he said he had received a slew of threats - at his office, at his home, and in his email inbox. Most demanded he step down. But even after resigning, the threats still came by mail to his home and a second property he owned outside the state. Continue reading...

California faced evacuation warnings over flood risk, while Japan experienced heavy early season snowfallEvacuation warnings were issued last week in California as heavy rain brought the risk of flooding and landslides. The storms in the US were linked to a phenomenon known as an atmospheric river" - a long filament of moisture-laden air that originates above the Pacific Ocean and provides vital replenishment of reservoirs and snowpack along the western coast of the US. However, they can also bring destructive volumes of rain, particularly along coastal areas.Elsewhere in the US, parts of Colorado experienced some of their longest stretches of snowless days ever this year, with Denver surpassing its third-latest snowfall date this week after recording its highest ever November temperature of 28C earlier in the month. The warm temperatures and lack of snowfall have also forced ski resorts to delay opening until December. Continue reading...

Third man charged for allegedly harassing Australian high-office holder' as police target people causing high levels of harm to Australia's social cohesion'

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Chancellor told PFI-style schemes familiar from New Labour era are fiscal illusion' offering no value for moneyRachel Reeves has been urged by 40 Labour MPs to drop plans to fund NHS buildings with private finance initiatives (PFI) that would saddle the health service with debt.The Labour MPs, including Cat Eccles, Clive Lewis and Rebecca Long-Bailey, pressed the chancellor to commit to investment in the NHS without the use of private capital and warned that a return to the New Labour era of private funding for public projects would be damaging for trust in the government. Continue reading...

The pristine copy of Superman No 1, the character's first solo title from 1939, was discovered in an attic in California last yearA copy of Superman No 1 that was discovered in an attic in California last year has become the world's most expensive comic book after selling for US$9.12m (6.96m, A$14.14m).Superman No 1 was published in 1939 and was the Man of Steel's first solo title. It marked the first time a character that debuted in a comic book had their own title devoted entirely to them. Continue reading...

Milan allegations link Aleksandar Vui to 1990s shootings of civilians in Bosnian capital by Italians and others

Tether tokens found to facilitate scheme that enables sanctions evasion and launders money for the KremlinA cryptocurrency backed by one of Nigel Farage's biggest donors has been used to help Russia fight its war against Ukraine, British investigators say.The National Crime Agency has spent four years trying to crack a multibillion-dollar scheme that exchanges cash from drug and gun sales in the UK for crypto, digital tokens that are designed to hide their users' identities. Continue reading...

The world thinks Palestinians don't need help any more,' aid organiser says, despite desperate need as winter nearsFundraisers collecting for Palestinian civilians in Gaza are seeing a catastrophic" drop-off in donations since the ceasefire was announced in October.Donations collected by volunteers and funnelled to needy families living in temporary shelters and struggling with illness, hunger and malnutrition have been harder to raise since then, according to organisers, many of whom have been running volunteer initiatives for Palestinians in Gaza on third-party crowdfunding platforms over the past two years. Continue reading...

Mexican woman Ary Gisell Silva, 23, admitted she instigated robbery of Jake and Callum Robinson, as well as American Jack Carter RhoadA Mexican court sentenced a woman to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the April 2024 killings of two Australian surfers and an American at a surfing hotspot in Baja California, judicial authorities said Thursday.The victims were Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, respectively, and Jack Carter Rhoad, a 30-year-old US citizen. Continue reading...

Former television reporter and presenter, now the member for Vaucluse, praised for her enormous potential'

Coroner's report into deaths of Rachel McCrow, Matthew Arnold and Alan Dare released following five-day inquest

Man sentenced to community correction order after pleading guilty to threatening or inciting violence on grounds of gender identity

Former journalist and first-term MP has vowed to take the fight on energy, infrastructure and housing to the Minns Labor government

The 1940 painting of Kahlo asleep in bed has surpassed the record set by the $44.4m sale of Georgia O'Keeffe's Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 in 2014A 1940 self-portrait by famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has sold for $54.7m (41.8m, A$84.7m) at a New York art auction, setting a new top sale price for a work by any female artist.El sueno (La cama), or The Dream (The Bed), which depicts Kahlo asleep in a bed with a smiling skeleton wrapped in dynamite on the canopy above her, sold on Thursday night at a Sotheby's auction of surrealist art after four minutes of bidding. Continue reading...

Prakazrel Pras' Michel was convicted in 2023 after a trial that included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former US attorney general Jeff SessionsThe Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel Pras" Michel of the Fugees has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for a case in which he was convicted of illegally funnelling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former US president Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.Michel, 52, declined to address the court before US district judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced him on Thursday. Continue reading...

Medical bodies warn that hostility towards migrants is behind a 26% rise in departures that imperils NHSRecord numbers of overseas-trained doctors are quitting the UK, leaving the NHS at risk of huge gaps in its workforce, with hostility towards migrants blamed for the exodus.In all, 4,880 doctors who qualified in another country left the UK during 2024 - a rise of 26% on the 3,869 who did so the year before - figures from the General Medical Council reveal. Continue reading...

Public accounts committee calculates cost of households either evading the fee or saying they do not need TV licenceThe BBC is now losing more than 1bn a year from households either evading the licence fee or deciding they do not need one, according to a cross-party group of MPs who warned the corporation is under severe pressure".Attempts to enforce payment of the licence fee are also stalling. The number of visits to unlicensed homes increased by 50% last year, but it did not translate into either higher sales or successful prosecutions. BBC executives have said they face the increasing problem of householders simply refusing to answer the door. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Clinical guidelines should change to avoid exposing young people to potentially harmful side-effects, researchers sayClinical guidelines should no longer recommend Prozac for children, according to experts, after research showed it had no clinical benefit for treating depression in children and adolescents.Globally one in seven 10-19 year olds have a mental health condition, according to the World Health Organization. In the UK, about a quarter of older teenagers and up to a fifth of younger children have anxiety, depression or other mental health problems. Continue reading...

PM says he aims to secure investment to help deal with cost of living and shore up support for UkraineKeir Starmer has defended his decision to travel to South Africa for the G20 summit days before the budget and despite the planned absence of Donald Trump.The prime minister will arrive in South Africa on Friday morning for two days of summit discussions and bilateral talks on topics including sustainability and economic growth. Continue reading...

Trump calls group of lawmakers traitors' over X video of them urging US military members to refuse illegal orders

Report from inquiry's second module also says Johnson as PM at times actively encouraged' chaotic culture

Findings of inquiry into handling of pandemic by Boris Johnson's government paint picture of delay and inactionIn an interview with ITV, Keir Starmer also defended the decision to delay the publication of the government's review of educational provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilties (Send) in England until next year. He said the government needed to take time to get this right. He said:We do need to attend to Send provision. I think uniformly there's a sense that the system at the moment isn't working and needs reform.My strong view is we need to get that reform right and therefore we need to take the time to consult with parents and others.These breakfast clubs are a real gamechanger.They're free and you saw this morning how much the children enjoy them. They're getting a decent meal, and they're getting activity, and that sets them up for the day. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president's office issues statement after other officials condemn absurd' plan to end conflictThe Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said he will negotiate with Donald Trump on a US-backed peace plan that called on Kyiv to make painful concessions in order to end the Kremlin's invasion of his country.Zelenskyy's office on Thursday confirmed that he had received the draft peace plan, which was prepared by US and Russian officials, and that he would speak with Trump in the coming days about existing diplomatic opportunities and the main points that are necessary for peace". Continue reading...

Official report condemns handling of pandemic by leaders of the UK's devolved nationsNicola Sturgeon excluded senior advisers from decision-making during the pandemic by holding gold command meetings" with a small circle, reducing transparency and accountability, the Covid inquiry has found.In a damning report on how UK politicians handled Covid, former prime minister Boris Johnson was criticised for presiding over a toxic and chaotic" culture and making late decisions that cost lives. Continue reading...

The changes could see funding boosts for Reform-led councils in the north with high levels of deprivationDeprived towns and cities in the midlands and the north of England are the big winners in a major shake-up of local authority funding that will redirect cash from affluent rural areas to urban councils hit hardest by austerity.Ministers said the changes put in place a fairer system that recognised the extra needs and weaker council tax raising powers of councils in so-called left behind' areas. It guarantees them real-terms funding increases for the next three years. Continue reading...

Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of toxic and chaotic' culture inside Boris Johnson's No 10

Statement from Ukrainian president's office says country supports all meaningful proposals capable of bringing true peace closer'In the last hour, Ukraine said it had received from Russia the remains of 1,000 people that Moscow said were killed Ukrainian soldiers, in the latest repatriation - a rare area of cooperation between the warring sides, AFP reported.Today, repatriation measures took place. 1000 bodies, claimed by the Russian side to belong to Ukrainian servicemen, were returned to Ukraine," Kyiv's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on social media. Continue reading...

Second pandemic report focuses on decision-making, organisation and messaging by senior politicians including Boris Johnson

Senior Security Service officers told Commons speaker in private meeting they can tackle espionage risksMI5 officers told the House of Commons speaker at a private meeting that they can tackle the risks of a proposed Chinese super-embassy in London, opening the door to its approval.The Guardian understands that in a meeting held with Lindsay Hoyle in the summer, senior figures from the Security Service indicated they were very relaxed" about the prospect of a 20,000 sq metre embassy being constructed at Royal Mint Court near Tower Bridge. Continue reading...

Judges spare Ivan Balhatchet a prison sentence, after an earlier ruling that the force had ignored repeated orders to turn over video footage of an arrestThe chief constable of Northamptonshire police has been fined 50,000 for contempt of court, with his force condemned by three senior judges.The court of appeal ruled last week that Northamptonshire police were in contempt and had been wilfully disobedient" for repeatedly failing to obey rulings to hand over video to a woman who complained she had been wrongly arrested by three officers. Continue reading...

Ismail Ali, who went missing in Bradford in 2020, is safe and well' after police said this week they thought he was deadA shop worker who went missing five years ago has walked into a police station days after officers said they believed he was dead and arrested five people on suspicion of his murder.West Yorkshire police said Ismail Ali turned up on Wednesday reporting to be safe and well". Continue reading...

Stephen Lawrence's mother tells spycops inquiry Met police's priorities after her son's murder were completely misplaced'The mother of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence has told a public inquiry that she found it deeply painful" to discover that police had deployed undercover officers to spy on her family and their campaign to get his killers prosecuted.Doreen Lawrence said the police's priorities were completely misplaced" and they should have been concentrating on bringing the racist murderers of her son to justice. Continue reading...

Refugee Council says plans would create expensive bureaucracy' and keep people in limbo

Judge says Nnamdi Kanu used his Indigenous People of Biafra group to incite attacks on security officials and civiliansA Nigerian court has convicted the Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu on terrorism-related charges.Judge James Omotosho said prosecutors had shown that Kanu, who also holds British citizenship, had used his Indigenous People of Biafra group (Ipob) to incite attacks on security officials and civilians in south-east Nigeria. Continue reading...

The 2024 period piece' stars the Grammy-winning musician with Kylie Jenner, Rachel Sennott and Alexander SkarsgardCharli xcx's 2026 big screen onslaught is set to kick off with The Moment, a mockumentary starring the musician as a self-described hell version" of herself.The film, based on an idea by the Grammy winner, is fiction but xcx has called it the realest depiction of the music industry that I've ever seen". Continue reading...

Labour accused of delaying new rules to avoid backlash, after leak of EHRC guidance saying trans people could be questioned based on looksThe UK government has insisted it will take as much time as necessary to get right" new rules on access to single-sex spaces after a leak of guidance submitted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) raised concerns that its publication was being deliberately delayed.The equalities watchdog submitted its formal guidance on how public bodies, businesses and other service providers should respond to April's landmark supreme court ruling on biological sex to the UK government in September. Since then, its outgoing chair, Kishwer Falkner, has urged the equalities minister, Bridget Phillipson, to approve it as soon as possible". Continue reading...

Pedro Sanchez says his country must defend the democratic freedom wrenched from us for so many years'Spain has marked the 50th anniversary of Francisco Franco's death with an absence of official events but with a call from the prime minister to heed the lessons of the dictatorship and defend the democratic freedom wrenched from us for so many years".Franco, whose military coup against the elected republican government in 1936 triggered a civil war and brought about four decades of dictatorship, died in Madrid on 20 November 1975. Continue reading...

Musician says seeing national flags on recent visits to Luton and Dublin doesn't make me feel safe'The UK and Ireland are entering dark times", according to the singer Joy Crookes, who said the influence of far-right ideology on mainstream politics was comparable to the 1970s when the National Front was at its peak.Crookes, who has just played two sold-out shows at the O2 Academy in Brixton, said the recent wave of nationalism and the far-right march through central London in September made her feel unsafe in the UK. Continue reading...

Medical officials say 17 people killed in Khan Younis area and 16 in strikes on Gaza CityIsraeli attacks in Gaza have killed 33 people and injured many more, according to medical officials, in one of the most serious escalations of violence since the US-backed ceasefire came into effect last month.Officials at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis said they received the bodies of 17 people, including five women and five children, after four Israeli airstrikes targeted tents sheltering displaced people. In Gaza City, medical officials said two airstrikes killed 16 people, including seven children and three women. Continue reading...

Right to trial by jury seen as bedrock of justice system but Sir Brian Leveson says court backlogs could lead to total system collapse'The courts minister, Sarah Sackman, has said the government plans to press ahead with radical proposals by Sir Brian Leveson to take thousands of trials in England and Wales away from the jury system to be heard instead by judges and magistrates. What is the reason for these changes, how would they work and why are they controversial? Continue reading...

Exclusive: Courts minister says change needed to stop criminals opting for juries to delay cases, sometimes by years, and clear huge backlog