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Investigation into country's largest cocaine bust reveals cash in home of former head of anti-money launderingSpain has arrested one of its top police officers after 20m (17m) was found hidden in the walls of his house, as part of an investigation into the country's largest-ever cocaine bust.Oscar Sanchez Gil was until recently the head of the fraud and anti-money laundering division of Spain's national police force in Madrid. Continue reading...

Emergency crews were unable to save Kate Mulcahy while her children escaped from a fire at her home in ManchesterTributes have been paid to a 37-year-old woman who died in a house fire in Greater Manchester where her four children survived.Kate Mulcahy was found dead inside her home in Middleton after a fire broke out early on Sunday morning. It is understood she had two sons - one-year-old twins - and two daughters, and that a number of the children were in the house and managed to escape the blaze. Continue reading...

The Girls creator is set to adapt Michael Lewis's bestselling 2023 book on the controversial FTX founderLena Dunham has been tapped to write a new movie on the rise and fall of the FTX founder, Sam Bankman-Fried.According to Variety, the Girls creator will adapt Michael Lewis's 2023 bestseller Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon for Apple and A24. Bankman-Fried, once seen as the poster boy for crypto, was convicted of fraud last year and sentenced to 25 years. At one point, he was the 41st richest American, according to Forbes. Continue reading...

Failure to tackle Church of England's safeguarding issues and own knowledge of abuse reflect religions' denialIn earlier times it used to be more straightforward: archbishops of Canterbury such as Thomas Becket and William Laud used to get it in the neck from the king; or, in the case of Simon Sudbury, who was killed in the 14th-century Peasants' Revolt, at the hands of the mob.Now, it is more likely to be a politician. Justin Welby has resigned after having lost the confidence of the Church of England over his failure to tackle the institution's chaotic handling of safeguarding, and his own personal culpability in failing to spot his own vulnerability, arising from his links to and knowledge of the rapacious abuser John Smyth. Continue reading...

Ombudsman's report on death of Katie Simpson, 21, adds to concerns at levels of gender-based violence in Northern IrelandThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) failed" the family of a 21-year-old woman after her death two years ago in Derry, initially treating it as suicide rather than a suspected murder, the police watchdog has said.The report by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland comes amid renewed concerns that gender-based violence is not being taken seriously enough in the region with the highest rate of femicide per capita of all nations in the UK and in the island of Ireland. Continue reading...

Leader of Church of England had faced pressure since damning report on cover-up of John Smyth's abuseThe archbishop of Canterbury is to step down amid intense pressure over his handling of one of the church's worst abuse scandals.Justin Welby's decision, announced on Tuesday, comes after mounting demands from victims and members of the clergy for him to quit. Continue reading...

Amir Safi, who said he was 16, was quiet and withdrawn' following social worker's assessment, inquest hearsA young asylum seeker from Afghanistan who died after being run over on a motorway slip road was upset that a social worker did not believe he was a child, an inquest has heard.Amir Safi, who said he was 16, was seen by a witness ambling" up an M1 slip road in Nottinghamshire before he was found with multiple bone fractures and a brain injury on 28 April last year. Continue reading...

This live blog is closedLeadbeater introduces the next speaker, Nat Dye, who has terminal cancer. She says she thinks his views are the most important for people to hear at this press conference.He says he has known positive" experiences of death. His fiance and his mother both had relatively peaceful deaths. He says palliative care can work for some people.Imagine I am dying and palliative care hasn't improved. Well, I have no choice whatsoever: I die in pain or I die in pain.I see this as a chance just to act with kindness and a choice for people at their darkest hour. Continue reading...

Some will think a woman should lead the C of E and age limitation will rule out a number of bishops Keir Starmer refuses to back Justin WelbyJustin Welby's resignation will trigger a search for the 106th archbishop of Canterbury, a role that combines moral and spiritual leadership, ceremonial duties, a seat in the House of Lords, oversight of Anglican churches in more than 160 countries, and the day-to-day management of a large but declining English institution.Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York, is expected to step up to the number one position in the Church of England until a new archbishop of Canterbury can be appointed - a process that will take several months. Many in the church and beyond will be hoping that the successful candidate is a woman or person of colour - or both. Continue reading...

Parliament votes to express deepest regret' over more than a century of Norwegianisation' of minoritiesThe Norwegian parliament has apologised unreservedly to minority groups and Indigenous people for more than a century of historical injustices committed against them as part of its Norwegianisation" policy.The forced assimilation policy - which included state-run boarding schools that banned minority languages and the forced relocation of whole villages - pursued by Norwegian authorities dated back to the 18th century and became official policy from 1851. Although parts were phased out in the 1960s, much of the policy continued into the 1980s. Continue reading...

This live blog is closed.Images sent over the news wires show smoke billowing over Beirut after Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital.Lebanese media is reporting that two people have been killed and six wounded in an Israeli airstrike on Hermel, which is in the north-east of the country near the border with Syria. Continue reading...

US may soon impose sanctions as organisations say Israel has failed to help relieve dire humanitarian situationA coalition of international aid organisations have accused Israel of ignoring a US ultimatum that threatened sanctions if Israel did not implement a series of measures to counter the acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza.The 30 day ultimatum- due to expire on Tuesday or Wednesday - was delivered on 13 October, and almost none of its demands have been met, the humanitarian groups say. Continue reading...

East London council found to have a suspicious and defensive' culture centred on Lutfur Rahman and his alliesInspectors have uncovered a toxic" and secretive culture at an east London council, with decision-making dominated by the inner circle of the local mayor, Lutfur Rahman, according to an official report.Ministers will now send central government officials to help oversee the running of Tower Hamlets council, led by Rahman, who was previously banned from public office for involvement in vote-rigging, buying votes and religious intimidation. Continue reading...

Basic Liberty, a publishing imprint launched in the wake of Trump's election win, will be helmed by Thomas Spence, an editor associated with Project 2025 thinktank The Heritage FoundationStaff are protesting against a new US imprint of global publisher Hachette Book Group (HBG) specialising in conservative books, launched in the wake of Donald Trump's election win.A letter from an anonymous group of HBG employees has been published on social media, criticising the launch of Basic Liberty. It also expresses concern at the hiring of executive editor Thomas Spence. Spence is the former president of conservative publisher Regnery and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, the rightwing thinktank that coordinated the Project 2025 initiative, which sets out plans to reshape the US government and strip minorities of legal protections. Continue reading...

Corporation says presenter will quit highlights programme at end of 2024-25 season but will cover 2026 World Cup

Twenty-nine-metre tall fir destined to be chopped down and transported to St Peter's Square in the VaticanEnvironmental campaigners in Italy's northern Trentino province have started a campaign to stop the felling of a 200-year-old fir tree intended to form the centrepiece of the Vatican's Christmas decorations.The so-called Green Giant" is 29 metres tall and is due to be chopped down next week in a forest in the Ledro valley before being transported to the Vatican and positioned in St Peter's Square, where it will then be unveiled on 9 December. Continue reading...

Counter-terrorism police chief says 250 officers were sent to Salisbury to investigate poisoning of former Russian spyA counter-terrorism police chief has described how hundreds of investigators and scientists painstakingly worked to trace ground zero" - the spot where the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were poisoned with a nerve agent.Commander Dominic Murphy, the head of the Met police's counter-terrorism command, told an inquiry into the novichok poisonings that a restaurant, pub and a car were suspected before the door handle of Skripal's home was pinpointed as the source of the poisoning almost two weeks after the Skripals fell ill. Continue reading...

All bird species have declined in number, after suffering habitat loss, pesticide use, climate breakdown and bird fluWild bird numbers in the UK are continuing to fall despite government promises to halt nature decline by 2030.Data released by the government on Tuesday shows that over the past five years, all bird species have faced population decline after suffering from habitat loss, pesticide use, climate breakdown and bird flu. Overall, bird species have declined in number UK-wide by 2% and in England by 7% in the five years since 2018. Continue reading...

Kaja Kallas says Ukraine's victory in war is a priority for us all', adding that it is also in US's interestChina should face a higher cost" for supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine, the EU's incoming foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has said.The former Estonian prime minister was speaking to MEPs during a three-hour hearing before she takes office, when she listed Ukraine's victory as a priority - stronger words than vaguer formulas of support voiced by some EU politicians. Continue reading...

Justin Welby's departure sets in train a process involving the monarch, the PM and a 16-strong voting panel Justin Welby to step down as archbishop of CanterburyThe archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has announced he will step down after facing pressure to quit over his handling of an abuse scandal.A damning report was published last week on the Church of England's cover-up of John Smyth's abuse in the UK in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and later in Zimbabwe and South Africa. About 130 boys are believed to have been victims. Continue reading...

Prime minister says victims of serial abuser John Smyth failed very, very badly'Keir Starmer has refused to back the archbishop of Canterbury, who has faced growing demands to resign over his handling of an abuse scandal.Pressure on Justin Welby has been intensifying since the publication last week of a damning report on the church's cover-up of John Smyth's abuse in the UK in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and later in Zimbabwe and South Africa. About 130 boys are believed to have been victims. Continue reading...

Problems were raised by junior staff three years before they were completely resolved, says FCA

Avon and Somerset police referred themselves to watchdog, who said girl was being transported to custodyA teenage girl who was killed by a car while on foot on the M5 had fled a police vehicle before she was struck, it has emerged.Avon and Somerset police said the motorway was closed between Bridgwater and Taunton in Somerset after the fatal collision involving a pedestrian and a car at 11pm on Monday. Continue reading...

Man detained after incident on Monday night in Zhuhai, in which 35 people were killed and 43 injuredA driver killed 35 people and severely injured another 43 when he rammed his car into people exercising at a sports centre in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, police said on Tuesday.Police had detained a 62-year-old man at the sports centre in Zhuhai after the ramming late on Monday, on the eve of an airshow by the People's Liberation Army that is hosted annually in the city. Continue reading...

US private equity group buys company's 16 UK cinemas, distribution arm and online streaming serviceThe British arthouse cinema chain Curzon has been acquired by the US investment firm that owns Poundstretcher and Majestic Wine.Fortress Investment Group has bought the chain, which has more than 350 employees at 16 cinemas across the UK, for an undisclosed sum. Continue reading...

Britain's biggest pharmaceutical company raises 2024 profit forecast and announces $3.5bn US investment

Tehran cites 1888 charts in effort to prove ownership of islands near strait of Hormuz that are also claimed by UAEMaps drawn up more than 130 years ago on the instruction of the Marquess of Salisbury, the then British foreign secretary, have been cited by Iran in its deepening dispute with the Gulf states over the ownership of three strategic islands at the entrance to the critical strait of Hormuz waterway.The dispute is threatening to damage Iran's current efforts to form closer relations with its Gulf partners, and has also turned into an additional roadblock to improving Iran's relations with the European Union. Continue reading...

Rubio reportedly in line for secretary of state, while Waltz expected to be made national security adviserPresident-elect Donald Trump has reportedly decided to appoint the prominent China hawks Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz as his respective secretary of state and national security adviser.Rubio was arguably the most hawkish option on Trump's shortlist for secretary of state, and he has in past years advocated for a muscular foreign policy with respect to America's geopolitical foes, including China, Iran and Cuba. Continue reading...

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Seismologist says it is too early' to link fourth event of sequence to mining activity in the Hunter region

Victorian sentenced to more than four years in prison after leaving wife grief-stricken and traumatised' in Sudan

Australian government won't say if four reportedly found on Croker Island have been taken to country of departure, of origin, or to regional processing centre on Nauru

Sites currently only tested for dangerous pollution during bathing season' from May to SeptemberBathing waters in England and Wales could be tested all year round in a government shake-up to water pollution rules.At the moment, designated bathing sites are only tested for dangerous pollution that could make swimmers sick during the bathing season", which runs from May to September. Continue reading...

It is estimated that Trump played hundreds of rounds of golf during his first term as president of the United StatesSouth Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is practising golf - for the first time in eight years - in preparation for future meetings with US president-elect Donald Trump, Yoon's office has confirmed.South Korean media said Yoon had visited a golf course on Saturday for a sport his office said he had last played in 2016. Continue reading...

The boy, known as Master K for inquest, floated to surface and was undiscovered for more than nine minutes

PM says Britain can win the race' as Trump's election casts doubt on global efforts to tackle climate changeBritain has a huge opportunity" to get ahead of other countries in the race for green investment after the election of Donald Trump as US president, Keir Starmer has said, as he arrives in Azerbaijan for the Cop29 summit.Trump's election victory last week has cast doubt on global efforts to tackle climate change, which the president-elect has called a hoax". But as the most senior world leader attending the summit in Baku, Starmer said the global political turmoil could benefit the UK economy. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Study finds evidence of major gaps in government oversight of foreign workers in care sectorNearly 200 care providers have been given government licences to bring foreign nurses to the UK despite having previously violated labour laws, according to a study that highlights widespread employment problems in the social care sector.The report by the Work Rights Centre shows 177 companies in England have been given licences to sponsor carers, even while publicly available information shows them to have violated workers' protections in the past. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Three-quarters of respondents say mental health was damaged as a direct result of treatment by policeRape victims in England and Wales have echoed the message of Gisele Pelicot in France that shame belongs to perpetrators, not them", in the largest ever survey of rape and sexual assault survivors, according to the government's key adviser on the crime.Three-quarters of respondents to the survey of rape and sexual assault survivors said their mental health was damaged as a direct result of what police did, or failed to do, in their case" and only one in 10 said they would report again, according to researchers. Continue reading...

Tropical Storm Usagi is days away from making landfall, after Typhoon Toraji, Severe Tropical Storm Trami, Typhoon Yinxing and Super Typhoon Kong-reyThe Philippines issued new weather warnings on Tuesday as the fifth major storm in three weeks bore down on the archipelago, days after thousands were evacuated ahead of Typhoon Toraji.Now a weakened tropical storm, Toraji blew out to sea overnight after causing relatively limited damage and no reported deaths. Continue reading...

Historic apology by PM Christopher Luxon comes after landmark report that exposed decades of abuse in state and faith-based care institutionsNew Zealand's prime minister Christopher Luxon has formally apologised to the more than 200,000 children and adults who suffered horrific" and heartbreaking" abuse and neglect while in state and faith-based institutions.The historic apology follows a harrowing landmark report, released in July, which laid bare the scale of abuse that occurred across care institutions from the 1950s onwards. It was the most complex royal commission inquiry the country has held. The judge who chaired the inquiry, Coral Shaw, described the abuse as a national disgrace and shame". Continue reading...

James Graham defends was/is pricing, saying suppliers had asked for higher prices and then supermarkets discounted them

Kristian White Tasered 95-year-old in Cooma nursing home after she refused to drop knife. He has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter

ACCC says ticket price spike corresponds with concentration of sector and warns it may be some time before a new airline emerges to compete'

Eleanor Bryant praised for pushing children out of path of truck at Riddells Creek kindergarten

Low pressure troughs sitting over swaths of the country are being charged by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures, weather expert says

Groups providing vital services say impact of tax and minimum wage rises will lead to cutbacksCharities have warned of life-changing consequences" for a million vulnerable children and adults as a result of cuts to state-funded disability services driven by tax changes and wage rises announced in the budget.The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG), which represents 100 charities in England, said Rachel Reeves's decision to raise employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) had been ill thought through" and would put many local charity services at risk. Continue reading...

Foreign minister says talks continuing over Israel's stated objectives of pushing Hezbollah away from Israeli borderIsrael's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said on Monday that certain progress" had been made on ceasefire talks in Lebanon, where Israel has been engaged in fighting Hezbollah for more than 13 months.We will be ready to be there if we know, first of all, that Hezbollah is not on our border, is north of the Litani River, and that Hezbollah will not be able to arm with new weapons systems," Saar said. Continue reading...

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater's proposed legislation also includes powers for judges to cross-examine patientsA historic bill to legalise assisted dying will set out hardline safeguards, including lengthy prison sentences for coercion and powers for judges to cross-examine patients.The Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said she believed she had put forward the best possible legislation" but warned wavering MPs that parliament may not get another chance to vote again on the issue for another decade.Patients must be over 18, have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life and must be terminally ill and expected to die within six monthsThey must express a clear, settled and informed' wish in two separate witnessed declarationsTwo independent doctors must be satisfied that the person is eligibleThe application must be approved by a high court judge who would hear from at least one of the doctors and may question the patient or anyone else involvedMedicine must be self-administered with doctors banned from assistingCoercion of a patient would be a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison Continue reading...

Ali Musse, 66, charged after Hilkiah McLeggan, 77, pronounced dead at scene in East Street, WalworthA man has been charged with murder after a fatal stabbing in south London.Police were called at about 10.40am on Sunday after reports of a number of people having been stabbed in East Street, Walworth. Continue reading...

Exclusive: inspectors raise alarm about mayor Lutfur Rahman, who previously served a five-year ban from officeMinisters are to intervene in the management of Tower Hamlets after inspectors raised the alarm about the leadership of the east London authority's controversial mayor, Lutfur Rahman.Sources have told the Guardian the government has decided to appoint an envoy to monitor management decisions at the council, which has been dogged by a series of controversies about public spending and senior-level appointments. Continue reading...