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Letter from 19 organisations says a cap would help to protect democracy, weeks after 9m donation to Reform UKMinisters should legislate to cap political donations to rebuild voter confidence" in democracy, campaigners have said before the introduction of a landmark elections bill.The government is being urged to show more ambition as it prepares to publish legislation early next year that will extend the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds. Continue reading...

Sector reinvests in high-end experiences, from front-row beds to premier pods and business class-style seats with built-in wine coolersFrom champagne coolers to front row VIP beds, cinema owners are investing heavily in premium experiences as the industry gets its box office mojo back.As the third instalment in James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar series pulls in the Christmas holiday crowds, the UK box office is expected to surpass 1bn in 2025 for the first time since before the global Covid pandemic. Continue reading...

Pair say they were exhausted, very shaken and feel so lucky' after being spotted by air wing officers late on Christmas Day

Thai reports claim Cambodia carried out overnight attacks ahead of officials from both countries meeting for a third day of negotiations on FridayCambodia has accused Thailand of intensifying its bombardment of disputed border areas, even as officials from the two countries attend a multi-day meeting aimed at negotiating an end to deadly clashes.The neighbours' longstanding border conflict reignited this month, shattering an earlier truce and killing more than 40 people, according to official counts. About a million people have also been displaced. Continue reading...

Japanese strike-back capabilities and coastal defences to be boosted while Beijing accuses Tokyo of fuelling a space arms race'Japan's cabinet has approved a record high defence budget as tensions with China continue to spiral, with Beijing this week accusing Tokyo of fuelling a space arms race".The draft defence budget for the next fiscal year - approved on Friday - is more than 9tn ($58bn) and 9.4% bigger than the previous budget, which will end in April. The increase comes in the fourth year of Japan's five-year program to double its annual arms spending to 2% of GDP. Continue reading...

Retirees with fantastic hunger for education' taking part in university organised events in record numbersRecord numbers of Swedish retirees are enrolling in a university run by pensioners for pensioners" amid increased loneliness and a growing appetite for learning and in-person interactions.Senioruniversitet, a national university that collaborates with Sweden's adult education institution Folkuniversitetet, has about 30 independent branches around the country which run study circles, lecture series and university courses in subjects including languages, politics, medicine and architecture. Continue reading...

Millions of households are exposed to materials in upholstered furniture that can release dangerous fumes when they burnThe UK is still using extremely outdated furniture fire safety rules, putting people at risk from toxic materials, an MP has warned.Bob Blackman, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on fire safety, said the government has failed to update rules that date back to 1988, leaving millions of households exposed to materials that exacerbate the release of dangerous fumes when they burn. Continue reading...

Police say there is no indication John Argento, 47, poses specific risk to the Jewish community, but believe he may be able to help with investigation

Bushfire that is believed to have started at Boddington goldmine still uncontained, while monsoon trough soaks north-eastern Australia

Elections will be first since military seized power in 2021, but analysts say vote is far from a step toward democracyMyanmar is preparing to go to the polls for the first time since its military seized power in a coup in 2021, but with its former leader behind bars, its most successful political party disbanded and roughly a third of the country either disputed or in rebel hands, few believe claims by its military rulers that its 28 December election will be free and fair".This is not for the people, this is for themselves," says Pai, 25, who fled Myanmar after the military seized power. They [the ruling junta] are looking for a way out of the trap they are [in]." Continue reading...

Police allege the man also trespassed at ANU and stuck propaganda-style stickers' on buildings and other property

Southern Water says incident led to very low levels' at reservoir and set up bottled water station for residentsSome households in East Sussex have had no water on Christmas Day after supplier Southern Water experienced a problem while trying to restore service following a burst water main.Southern Water blamed very low levels" at Fairlight reservoir, adding that the facility had now reached its final reserves". Continue reading...

WA facing several fire warnings as Perth temperatures exceed 40C while Melbourne on track for coldest Christmas since 2006

Sergei Udaltsov, Putin critic affiliated with the Communist party, convicted of justifying terrorismA court in Russia on Thursday convicted a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison.Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front movement that opposes Putin and is affiliated with the Communist party, was arrested last year. Continue reading...

Emergency services launched major search at Budleigh Salterton after reports of people in difficulty in the waterTwo men are missing in the water off a beach in Devon, after a number of people were reported to be in difficulty.Emergency services were called to Budleigh Salterton at 10.25am on Christmas Day following concerns for people in the water. Continue reading...

Monarch urges people to draw strength from community diversity after a year marked by division and violenceKing Charles has called for reconciliation after a year of deepening division, saying in his Christmas address that people must find strength in the diversity of their communities to ensure right defeats wrong.The monarch cited the spirit of the second world war generation, which he said came together to take on the challenge that faced them; displaying qualities he said have shaped both the UK and the Commonwealth. Continue reading...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's daughters seen at Sandringham church as more details about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein emergePrincesses Eugenie and Beatrice attended church with the royal family on Christmas morning, in a year where their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was stripped of his royal titles.Mountbatten-Windsor's two daughters could be seen walking behind King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their way to church on the private Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Continue reading...

Concerns thefts could accelerate over Christmas shutdown, with tools and equipment increasingly targetedThefts of tools and equipment from building sites are increasingly being carried out by organised criminal groups, according to security bosses, amid warnings that the crimewave could accelerate during the Christmas construction shutdown.Copper cables, tools and even telehandlers and diggers costing tens of thousands of pounds have been stolen in recent months, according to the security firm Kingdom Systems. Continue reading...

Fourteen countries, also including France, Italy, Ireland and Spain, say actions violate international law and risk fuelling instability'Fourteen countries, including Britain, Canada and Germany, have condemned the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying they violate international law and risk fuelling instability.Israel approved a proposal last Sunday for the new Jewish settlements, which brings the recent total to 69, according to the far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich. Continue reading...

Anonymous official from Ukraine's GUR military intelligence says the agency carried out the attackTwo traffic police officers and a third person have been killed in a car explosion in Moscow, Russia's investigative committee has said.The committee, which investigates major crimes, said in a statement on Wednesday that an explosive device had been triggered when the officers approached a suspicious person" near their police vehicle on Yeletskaya Street in the south of the capital. Continue reading...

Eluned Morgan says Welsh Labour would retain crown, despite polls indicating Reform UK and Plaid Cymru could win more seats in electionsThe first minister of Wales has said she is determined for Welsh Labour not to lose its crown as the world's most successful democratic party, despite warnings it could be relegated to third place in May's elections.Polls suggest Reform UK and Plaid Cymru could win more seats than Eluned Morgan's party in the Seneddelections next year, ending 100 years of dominance for Labour in Wales. Continue reading...

Stonepeak will acquire 65% of lubricants business as part of wider plans for the oil company to pay down its debt

Ukraine accepts principle of demilitarised zone in east, while insisting Russia make similar concessions in pulling back forcesWashington and Kyiv have edged closer to a jointly agreed formula to end the war in Ukraine amid continuing uncertainty over Moscow's response and a number of unresolved issues.Revealing the latest status of the peace talks, brokered by Washington, Ukraine's president, Volodmyr Zelenskyy, appeared to have secured several important concessions from earlier versions of the now slimmed-down plan after intense talks with the US negotiating team. Continue reading...

Report recommends adoption of US-style punishment and rewards for most dangerous inmatesA long-awaited report that examined how the Manchester Arena plotter was able to carry out an alleged violent attack on prison officers has recommended a new punishment and rewards system for the most dangerous inmates, similar to that used in a US Supermax jail.David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, is facing demands to publish the report, which looks into why Hashem Abedi, who was jailed for life for helping his brother carry out the 2017 bombing, was able to target staff at HMP Frankland with boiling oil and homemade weapons in a planned ambush. Continue reading...

Tributes paid to Alfie Hallett, 13, as police say suspect also died in incident believed to be domestic violence relatedA 13-year-old British boy has died after being stabbed at his home in Portugal allegedly by the ex-partner of his mother.The boy has been named locally as Alfie Hallett, with tributes paid on social media by the basketball team that he played for. Continue reading...

Two of the couple's children have said they are planning a memorial service for their parents, as further details are released about their cause of death earlier this monthNew details have emerged about the deaths of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, whose bodies were discovered on Sunday 14 December in their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles.Their death certificates have been released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, obtained by TMZ and reported by multiple US outlets. They record that Rob Reiner's body was found at 15.45, and Singer Reiner's at 15.46. The cause of death for both is given as multiple sharp force injuries" with the circumstances described as homicide" and with knife, by another". Continue reading...

RAC says traffic expected to reach highest level since pandemic, while Heathrow predicts busiest festive seasonTravel this Christmas Eve could be the UK's busiest ever, as millions of drivers take to the roads and hundreds of thousands of passengers catch planes for festive getaways.Train journeys are also forecast to be very busy, with rail services ending earlier than normal. Continue reading...

Charity finds grants for crucial alterations take average 375 days, with many MND patients dying in this timePeople with motor neurone disease (MND) are dying waiting for grants to make their homes fit to live in due to a huge backlogs in applications, campaigners have said.The MND Association has found it takes an average of 375 days for people in England to get essential home adaptations through the government's disabled facilities grant (DFG) due to growing delays in the system. Continue reading...

Advertising regulator said operators and a ticket seller could not prove bookings were cheapestTrain companies have been warned over price claims made on their ticketing websites after the advertising watchdog banned ads run by three sellers.The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that claims made for fares booked via ScotRail and Greater Anglia's website, as well as by a third-party ticketing site, My Train Ticket, were misleading. Continue reading...

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Introduced in response to the Bondi beach terror attack, the laws give police powers to ban on protests for up to three months after a terrorist event

Security stepped up at mosques amid spate of targeted abuse as leaders mourn Bondi victims and say community will not claim victimhood'

Home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said the government had no time for hatred when it came to cancelling visas'

Prime minister says awards will celebrate extraordinary acts of courage and kindness in the wake of the terror attack

Blackstone says it has agreed to buy popular Whitsundays island from Australian winemaking family

Video shows Gen Xu Qinxian explaining why he refused to deploy troops to crush 1989 student-led demonstrationsRare footage of a People's Liberation Army (PLA) general who defied orders to lead his troops into Tiananmen Square and crush the 1989 student protesters has been leaked online, offering a highly unusual glimpse into the upper echelons of the military at one of the most fraught moments in modern Chinese history.General Xu Qinxian's refusal to take his troops from the PLA's prestigious 38th Group Army, a unit based on the outskirts of Beijing, into the capital has been the stuff of Tiananmen lore for decades. Continue reading...

Known as Tea Tyme, Tynesha McCarty-Wroten arrested over 3 November death of Darren Lucas in Zion, IllinoisThe social media creator who allegedly hit and killed a pedestrian as she hosted a livestream while simultaneously driving through a Chicago suburb has been arrested, according to authorities.Known best to her online followers as Tea Tyme, Tynesha McCarty-Wroten was arrested Tuesday for her role in the 3 November death of 59-year-old Darren Lucas, said Lt Paul Kehrli of the Zion, Illinois, police department. Continue reading...

Prime minister calls on people to show kindness to friends or family as leaders broadcast their festive messagesKeir Starmer has called on Britons to show kindness to struggling friends or family this Christmas, saying being in touch with those in need can make a big difference.Starmer, whose brother died last Boxing Day, said people should channel the spirit of the many volunteers and public sector workers who are on duty this Christmas by resolving to get back in touch with those who might find the time of year difficult. Continue reading...

Libyan PM says Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad died after aircraft lost radio contact above AnkaraThe Libyan army's chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, has been killed in a plane crash after leaving Turkey's capital, Ankara.The prime minister of Libya's internationally recognised government confirmed on Tuesday evening that Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad had died and that four others were on the jet with him. Continue reading...

Sydney can expect showers and a top of 23C, Melbourne a chilly 17C and Brisbane a balmy 34C

Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib, on remand at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, had refused food for almost 50 days in protest at the ban on Palestine ActionTwo Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners have paused their hunger strikes due to deteriorating health but have vowed to resume the protest next year.Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib have temporarily resumed eating, according to a statement released by Prisoners for Palestine group on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...

The family of the specialist doctor and former member for the Victorian seat of Higgins announced her death on Tuesday

Segment that Bari Weiss had removed provides in-depth look at the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo prisonA 60 Minutes episode investigating a brutal prison in El Salvador, which CBS News's editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, pulled from the air on Sunday, appeared online on Monday after appearing on a Canadian TV app.The segment, which runs for nearly 14 minutes and was viewed by the Guardian, provides an in-depth look at the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (Cecot) prison in El Salvador. It opens with footage of the mega-prison and shows detainees being shackled upon arrival in El Salvador. Continue reading...

Avon and Somerset police says there is insufficient' evidence for realistic prospect of convictionAn investigation into chants by the rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury festival will not lead to any further action by prosecutors as there is insufficient" evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, police said.Bobby Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, led crowds on the festival's West Holts stage in chants of death, death to the IDF", referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their performance in June. Continue reading...

Southern Water warns households may begin losing water from Christmas Eve as system rapidly loses supplyThousands of households in Hastings could face a Christmas with no water after a mains pipe burst.Southern Water has warned that households may begin losing water from the evening of Christmas Eve as the system is rapidly losing supply. Continue reading...

Leading human rights lawyer accuses government of dismissive approach' based on ludicrous' reasoningOne of the UK's leading human rights lawyers has criticised the government's refusal to engage with Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners who are on hunger strike as based on ludicrous" reasoning.In its strongest statement yet, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said that meeting with the hunger strikers risked creating perverse incentives" but this was roundly rejected by Michael Mansfield KC, known for his work on landmark cases such as the Grenfell Tower fire, Stephen Lawrence and the Birmingham Six. Continue reading...

The former entertainer, 50, faces one count of rape and one of sexual assault of two more alleged victimsRussell Brand has been charged with further sexual offences, including one count of rape, the Metropolitan police have said.The 50-year-old former entertainer has been charged with one count of rape and one of sexual assault of two further alleged victims. Continue reading...

Denise Coates's gambling empire reports turnover of 4bn in year to March 2025, up from 3.7bnDenise Coates, the billionaire boss of Bet365, a self-described ultimate gambler" and Britain's highest-paid woman, took home at least 280m in pay and dividends in 2025 despite a slump in pre-tax profits.Coates's Stoke-based gambling empire recorded turnover of 4bn in the year to March 2025, up from 3.7bn the year before. Pre-tax profits fell to 349m, from 627m in the previous year. Continue reading...

Border Force warns knock-off Labubu dolls and similar items can be dangerous, and sales fund criminal networksAt this time of year, with the big day looming and the north pole elves straining to meet their manufacturing quotas, it may be tempting for Santa to try outsourcing toy production to international organised crime gangs.But Father Christmas would do well to heed fresh warnings that counterfeit versions of one of this year's most popular toys can be dangerous to children. Continue reading...

Global sales fall by 3% in third consecutive year of decline as distilleries scale back production or expand storageThe Scottish whisky market has slipped into a supply glut as US tariffs and falling demand weigh on the country's distilleries.Global scotch sales fell 3% in the first half of 2025, marking the third consecutive year of decline after decades of growth, according to the alcohol data provider IWSR. Continue reading...