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Agencies urge parents, teachers and healthcare workers to be vigilant, paying particular attention to gaming sites and messaging platforms

Guardian Australia was told firm disclosed its private sector work, but it is not known which clients were listed

Prime minister makes speech intended to to show Labour government is delivering change'Starmer says there is record dissatisfaction with the NHS. The public insititutions but that they are not beyond repair.

Sports Direct owner reports weaker consumer confidence before and after the budget as it cuts profit expectationsThe chief executive of the high street retail giant Frasers said that we felt we'd been kicked in the face" after Rachel Reeves' autumn budget.Frasers said it had witnessed weaker confidence among shoppers leading up to and since the budget, as the company reduced its profit forecasts for the year. Continue reading...

Richard Reyes has delivered Christmas gifts to low-income children in Houston area for decades in his red zoot suitA heart attack and subsequent surgery are preventing the Mexican-American version of Santa known to generations of Texas children as Pancho Claus from suiting up this Christmas.Yet members of Richard Reyes's community have taken it upon themselves to organize toy drives - and even don his iconic look - to keep his spirit alive for his scores of believers. Continue reading...

Race for state house seat, which will determine whether Republicans win control of chamber, separated by 14 votesTwenty ballots went missing in a Minnesota precinct this November, the type of error that would typically result in an internal investigation but not receive much public attention. But the implications are much greater right now, as the race for the district's state house seat is separated by 14 votes, and that seat will determine whether Republicans win control of the chamber.The missing ballots, which were probably the result of human error, were never counted. Officials tried to track them down, only to learn that they had been sent to the shredder. Continue reading...

Skipping Fridays appears to be part of unorthodox schooling' trend in England since pandemic, says reportParents who have been working from home since the pandemic are keeping their children off school with them, the chief inspector of Ofsted has suggested.Sir Martyn Oliver, who has launched his first annual report on education and children's social care in England, said the trend could be seen in lower attendance figures on Fridays. Continue reading...

NHS winter report reveals norovirus and RSV are also leaving thousands in hospitalThe NHS is facing a quad-demic" of health emergencies as it heads into winter, with hospitals busier than ever" for this time of year, the health service's most senior doctor has said.The number of people in hospital with flu in England has more than quadrupled compared with last year, while cases of Covid, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also on the rise. Continue reading...

The nun is alleged to have been the conduit between the gang and its associates in prisonA nun was among 25 people arrested in Italy on suspicion of being part of a criminal gang with links to the country's most powerful mafia network, the 'Ndrangheta.The nun is alleged to have been the conduit between the gang and its associates in prison, according to reports in the Italian press citing the anti-mafia unit of the prosecutor's office in Brescia, northern Italy. Continue reading...

Construction firms say high borrowing costs and weak consumer confidence hitting housebuilding demandActivity in Britain's construction industry picked up in November but housebuilding weakened, throwing the government's new homes targets into further doubt.The S&P Global/CIPS UK Purchasing Managers' Index for the construction industry came in at 55.2 last month, up from October's 54.3. Continue reading...

Reece Galbraith charged with manslaughter and cannabis production over explosion that left seven-year-old boy and 35-year-old man deadA man has been charged with manslaughter and cannabis production after a house explosion in Newcastle that killed two people including a seven-year-old boy.The blast happened in Violet Close, in the Benwell and Elswick area of the city, in the early hours of 16 October. Continue reading...

TV presenter denies fresh claims of incidents that Shannon Kyle alleges happened when she was working on his 2012 autobiographyThe ghostwriter of Gregg Wallace's 2012 autobiography has claimed he sexually harassed her when she was working on the book.Shannon Kyle told BBC Newsnight that Wallace touched her thigh inappropriately while she was sitting in the passenger seat of his sports car and touched her bottom during an appearance at the Good Food Show. Continue reading...

Donna Nelson sentenced to six years in prison after court finds her guilty of bringing methamphetamine into country

His company Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd, which operates under the name LMCT+, is facing a further 10 charges

Finance, women's and public services minister says Coalition's promised cuts means failures of systems'

Notes found in cell of 19-year-old detained after FBI tip-off allegedly included further plans for attacks, court hears

Health officials say they are prioritising people with the highest needs for King Kong of weight-loss drugs'Fewer than 10% of patients in England who are eligible for what has been dubbed the King Kong of weight loss drugs" will initially be able to access it on the NHS after officials said they would prioritise people with the highest needs.The difficult decision" to roll out Mounjaro slowly over 12 years was made in order to protect other vital NHS services", the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said. Continue reading...

Some 16% of women and 8% of men will suffer from financial abuse in their lifetimes, an annual toll estimated at $5.7bn

People Power party says it will vote against impeachment bill brought by opposition amid outrage over Yoon's attempt to declare martial lawSouth Korea's ruling party says it will block a move by the opposition to impeach the beleaguered president, Yoon Suk Yeol, as police said they were investigating Yoon for alleged insurrection over his botched attempt to impose martial law.The floor leader of the People Power party vowed on Thursday that its lawmakers would unite" to defeat the opposition-led motion to impeach the deeply unpopular leader. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: Yoon Suk Yeol's shock declaration - and subsequent reversal - has sent South Korea into political chaos, and left their president facing impeachmentGood morning. South Korea's president, Yoon Suk Yeol, is facing impeachment after he sent heavily armed forces into Seoul's streets with his baffling and sudden declaration of martial law on Tuesday. The move stirred memories of past dictatorships in the country, moving thousands to come out on to the streets and protest, with the military powerless, or unwilling, to do anything about it.Opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion hours after parliament unanimously voted to cancel Yoon's declaration, forcing him to lift martial law just six hours after it began. Impeaching Yoon requires the support of two-thirds of the national assembly and at least six of the nine constitutional court justices. The liberal opposition Democratic party holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament and has called for Yoon's resignation. A vote on his impeachment could come as early as tomorrow. Today we'll look at what happened and why. But first, here are the headlines. Continue reading...

Nika Gvaramia among numerous other opposition members to be arrested on Wednesday as police raid homes and officesGeorgian police have raided the offices of an opposition party and arrested its leader in an apparent attempt to quash a wave of mass protests triggered by the governing party's decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union.Protesters on Wednesday night gathered for a seventh consecutive night of protests, facing off against riot police who have used water cannon and teargas to disperse them on previous nights. Protesters have thrown fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the Georgian capital's central boulevard. Continue reading...

More than 1,500 warehouse staff have walked off the job seeking better pay and conditions, including at least $38 an hour

Inquest into Indigenous teen who fatally self-harmed in Unit 18 is told a sister facility was plagued by racism and toxic staff culture

Rebels within kilometres on three sides' of city, seen as crucial to Assad regime's defence of the capital, DamascusSyrian rebels encircled the key central city of Hama from three sides" on Wednesday, a war monitor said, despite a counteroffensive launched by government forces to retain control of the city.Hama is strategically located in central Syria and, for the army of Bashar al-Assad, is crucial to safeguarding the capital and seat of power, Damascus. The fighting around Hama follows a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels who in a matter of days wrested swathes of territory, most significantly Syria's second city, Aleppo, from the president's grasp. Continue reading...

Greens claim EPA no closer to determining cause of debris after beachgoers advised not to enter Silver beach at Kurnell until clean-up complete

Report highlights shocking' example of man left unable to swallow after waiting over two days mostly on a bed in a corridor without regular medicationAn elderly man was left unable to swallow after waiting over two days in A&E without being given regular medication, and died four weeks later.In a shocking" case that has raised fresh concerns over the state of urgent NHS care, the 85-year-old was sent to a hospital emergency department after a routine appointment. Amid massive delays, his A&E wait went into a third day, with most of it spent on a bed in the corridor. Continue reading...

Report finds Mx X should have been removed from flight but was instead given an injection of an antipsychotic drug without content

Michel Barnier to present resignation to president after being ousted in record time by vote of no confidenceThe French prime minister, Michel Barnier, is expected to resign on Thursday, a day after his government became the first to be toppled by a no-confidence vote in more than 60 years and just three months after it took office - a record ouster.Barnier is due to present President Emmanuel Macron with his government's resignation on Thursday morning. The president would address the nation on Thursday evening, the Elysee said. Continue reading...

Officers could be barred from marching in 2025 over concerns force hasn't improved relations with LGBTQ+ community

Former UK prime minister cancels Melbourne event but will proceed with Sydney show on Friday

Panthera's new owners will seek to take a strong moral and ethical focus, based on robust corporate social responsibility'

Allegations of violence against Hindus prompt mass protests in India and attack on Bangladeshi consulateGrowing tensions between India and Bangladesh have erupted amid accusations of attacks on Bangladesh's Hindu minority, which have prompted mass protests and assault on a Bangladeshi consulate in India.The relationship between the two countries has soured since August, when a popular uprising - now widely termed the monsoon revolution" - toppled Bangladesh's authoritarian prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Continue reading...

76-year-old was convicted in 2023 of a historical charge of carnal knowledge as a teacher of a girl aged under 17

Exclusive: the 17-month-old department has lost a senior leader and ranked second worst for staff wellbeing in the annual public service census

Human rights group says Israel brazenly, continuously and with total impunity ... unleashed hell' on strip's 2.3m populationA report from Amnesty International alleges that Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip constitutes the crime of genocide under international law, the first such determination by a major human rights organisation in the 14-month-old conflict.The 32-page report examining events in Gaza between October 2023 to July 2024, published on Thursday, found that Israel had brazenly, continuously and with total impunity ... unleashed hell" on the strip's 2.3 million population, noting that the atrocity crimes" against Israelis by Hamas on 7 October 2023, which triggered the war, do not justify genocide".The unprecedented scale and magnitude of the military offensive, which has caused death and destruction at a speed and level unmatched in any other 21st-century conflict;Intent to destroy, after considering and discounting arguments such as Israeli recklessness and callous disregard for civilian life in the pursuit of Hamas;Killing and causing serious bodily or mental harm in repeated direct attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, or deliberately indiscriminate attacks; andInflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction, such as destroying medical infrastructure, the obstruction of aid, and repeated use of arbitrary and sweeping evacuation orders" for 90% of the population to unsuitable areas. Continue reading...

After a rocky start, PM sets out next phase' covering economic growth, NHS backlogs, energy, and a bobby on every beat'Keir Starmer will attempt to reset his premiership with a series of pledges to show he is delivering change", including 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and a named bobby on every beat".In a speech Labour hopes will set out the next phase" of government, the prime minister will detail half a dozen milestone" targets covering living standards, NHS backlogs, secure energy, housebuilding and children's readiness for school. Continue reading...

Soldiers and marines discover drugs in Sinaloa, while separately authorities arrest more than 5,200 migrantsMexican security forces have impounded more than a ton of fentanyl pills in what officials have called the biggest seizure of the synthetic opioid in the country's history.Soldiers and marines found the fentanyl at two properties in the northern state of Sinaloa, late on Tuesday - exactly a week after Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico unless the two neighbouring countries cracked down on the flow of immigrants and drugs across their borders with the US. Continue reading...

Three-month-old government felled by combined vote from parties of left and far right over controversial budget

The blockbuster musical was named best movie while Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman picked up key acting prizesBlockbuster musical Wicked has launched into this year's Oscar race with a major win from the National Board of Review.The adaptation of the Broadway hit was named best movie by the group whose picks are seen as a major indicator of Oscar success. Wicked represents the pure magic that movies can bring to audiences," said the NBR president, Annie Schulhof. Every detail is beautifully crafted and designed, the actors are all exceptional and the music is second-to-none - together it adds up to a transporting experience like no other." Continue reading...

Minority coalition of PM Michel Barnier falls after three months, the shortest of any administration of France's Fifth RepublicFrance has been plunged into political crisis after a no-confidence vote brought down the government, ending the beleaguered minority coalition of the rightwing prime minister Michel Barnier after only three months.The no-confidence motion brought by an alliance of left-wing parties was supported by MPs from Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration, far-right, National Rally. A total of 331 lawmakers - a clear majority - voted on Wednesday night to bring down the government. Continue reading...

Losses quadruple from a year earlier after decision to end primary steelmaking in south Wales with loss of 2,500 jobsLosses at Tata Steel's UK operations ballooned to 1.12bn due to the cost of closing Port Talbot's two blast furnaces.Accounts for the Indian-owned company show that pre-tax losses quadrupled from 279m to 1.12bn in the year to the end of March due to restructuring costs associated with the closure of its blast furnaces and coke ovens at the site in south Wales. Continue reading...

More than 500 officers participated in the operation, which was co-ordinated with British, French and European agenciesPolice have carried out dawn raids in several cities in Germany and France in an internationally coordinated operation to smash a network accused of smuggling migrants to Britain in small boats.Coordinated with Europol, the French security service and British police after months of intelligence-gathering, the raids on Wednesday concentrated on western German cities where gangs are believed to have procured small boats and found migrants wanting to be taken to the UK from France across the English Channel. Continue reading...

Triggered by an austerity budget, a no-confidence vote threatens fresh instability - and Macron's future

Czech foreign minister says Europe needs to send a strong signal to Moscow that this won't be tolerated'A senior European diplomat said that up to 100 suspicious incidents" in Europe this year could be attributed to Russia, as western officials grapple with how to respond to suspected Russian sabotage attempts.Speaking ahead of a meeting with Nato counterparts in Brussels, the Czech foreign minister, Jan Lipavsky, stressed that Europe needs to send a strong signal to Moscow that this won't be tolerated". Continue reading...

Opposition Democratic party lawmakers have called on Yoon Suk Yeol to resign immediately or they would seek his impeachment

Hong Kong carrier removes episode from entertainment system after social media complaint that it might breach national security lawsHong Kong's flagship airline, Cathay Pacific, has apologised over the inclusion of a Family Guy episode in its inflight entertainment system that features a scene depicting Tiananmen Square.The airline told the South China Morning Post it had apologised to customers after a complaint was raised on social media that the episode might breach Hong Kong's national security laws. Continue reading...

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Nelson and hip-hop star had a rocky relationship, widely known through song lyrics and two defamation lawsuitsDebbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, whose rocky relationship with her son was known widely through his hit song lyrics, has died. She was 69.Eminem's longtime representative Dennis Dennehy confirmed Nelson's death in an email on Tuesday. He did not provide a cause of death, although Nelson had battled lung cancer. Continue reading...

Forty-eight-hour strike, first at Guardian in more than 50 years, to take place on Wednesday and ThursdayJournalists at the Guardian and the Observer are holding a 48-hour strike in protest at the proposed sale of the Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media.The strike, the first at the Guardian in more than 50 years, is due to take place on Wednesday 4 December and Thursday 5 December. Continue reading...

Police confirm serial killer nurse is being interviewed about cases at a second centre, Liverpool Women's hospitalCheshire police have interviewed Lucy Letby in prison under caution over the alleged murders of more babies she cared for.Letby, a former neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester hospital was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others, with two attempts on the life of one of her victims, in August 2023. Continue reading...