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Israel says it will prevent public displays of joy' by families when Palestinians are released as part of Gaza ceasefire

Liverpool Black History Research Group accused America's oldest private investment bank of sanitising its historyThe links between the founders of the US's most prestigious investment bank and enslavement have come under scrutiny after a campaign by historians in Liverpool.Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH) is Wall Street's oldest private investment bank, known for the role alumni have played in shaping US politics and the global economic order, with former partners including Prescott Bush, patriarch of the Bush political dynasty. Continue reading...

A British-Israeli citizen, a Nova festivalgoer and a veterinary nurse are the three women to be freed

Three-phase deal requires new negotiations to advance and is highly vulnerable amid little trust between the sides

Newspapers had reported that new president would veto UK pick, as ministers brace for a turbulent four yearsDonald Trump will not block the appointment of Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to the US, according to a London-based ally of the president-elect, as ministers brace for a turbulent four years of British-American relations.Greg Swenson, the head of the UK branch of Republicans Overseas, told the BBC on Sunday he did not believe Trump would prevent the Labour peer from taking up his post in Washington, despite reports to the contrary. Continue reading...

From showers to unlocked rooms, types of spaces offered to mothers wanting to express have been a source of dismayAn employment judge has ruled that a healthcare worker suffered harassment related to sex" after a suitable private space for her to express breast milk was not provided to her by an NHS health board.Robyn Gibbins told an employment tribunal that she was not given a room that she could lock and felt let down by the trust in Cardiff. A trust spokesperson said the Cardiff and Vale university health board was committed to ensuring all colleagues are treated respectfully, with dignity and without discrimination or prejudice. Continue reading...

Financial analysis shows clubs took $2.1bn in gambling revenue over 10-year period but spent 12 times more on business expenses than support programs

Figures reveal number of beneficiaries of temporary three-year visa since it was introduced by Labor in October

Agency pursuing $4.9bn in unpaid debts, including some potentially calculated with controversial method, question to parliament reveals

Shipments fell nearly 10% last year with French firms blaming economic and political anxiety, and cheaper drinksChanging habits and the gloomy state of the world are taking the fizz out of French champagne sales, the producers' association has said, with shipments down nearly 10% last year.Consumers in crucial markets such as the US and home country France cut down on the luxury beverage, as economic and political anxiety dampened the party mood. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Complaints said report was 'inaccurate' and biased in favour of ousted Sheikh Hasina's governmentA group of MPs has withdrawn a controversial report into Bangladesh after complaints that it was biased in favour of the ousted government of Sheikh Hasina.The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on the Commonwealth issued a report on Bangladesh last November that criticised the current regime in Dhaka but was accused of significant inaccuracies. Continue reading...

Fifty years after his death, On the Road author's spiritual reflections show him in a whole new lightHe made his name as the thrill-seeking author of the cult novel On the Road, an anti-establishment icon of the beat generation. But the extent of Jack Kerouac's deep spirituality is now revealed in his Buddhist writings, which are to be published for the first time.About 30 semi-autobiographical spiritual and soulful stories, musings and poems - with titles such as The Long Night of Life and A Dream Already Ended - have been unearthed more than half a century after his death. All but two short snippets are previously unpublished. Continue reading...

The Duke of Sussex and the former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson are the last two claimants still suingAn extraordinary personal legal battle which has been years in preparation is to pit one of the most famous members of the British royal family against the world's best-known media baron this week. On Tuesday Prince Harry's lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's newspaper group, owners of the Sun and the now defunct News of the World, will officially begin at the High Court in London.Fifth in line to the throne, King Charles's younger son lives in self-imposed exile in California, but is due to appear in court in person once the case gets fully under way next month. The Duke of Sussex, 40, is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN), over claims that journalists on his popular titles worked unlawfully with private investigators, delving into his private life, between 1996 and 2011. He sees himself as the last man standing in a struggle to get the newspapers to take legal responsibility for the crimes he and others have alleged. Another surviving case brought by Lord Watson, the former Labour deputy leader, will be heard alongside the Prince's. Continue reading...

CPS lead says she is not deterred from similar cases after Ryan Wellings, who was accused of causing partner's suicide, was found not guilty of killing herThe not guilty verdict in the trial of a man accused of driving a young mother to suicide will not deter future manslaughter charges, with more such prosecutions already in the pipeline, a senior prosecutor has said.Ryan Wellings, 30, was acquitted of the manslaughter of 23-year-old Kiena Dawes, who had left a note on her phone saying Wellings killed me". While he was jailed for six and a half years for assault and coercive and controlling behaviour, Dawes's mother said: Justice has not been done in the way we all hoped."In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

On Monday the 47th president will be sworn in - and critics say Trump's second term will be more radical than his firstCome 12pm on Monday, on what is expected to be a bone-chillingly cold day, it will be done. Donald Trump, a convicted criminal described as a fascist by some who worked for him, will placed his hand on a Bible and and again be sworn in as president of the United States.The 45th and 47th president will then deliver an inaugural address that sets out his agenda for the next four years. His speech eight years ago became synonymous with the phrase American carnage". This time he may promise a new golden age" of America. But the content and tone of his remarks will be dissected for clues to what Trump 2.0 has in store for America and the world. Continue reading...

Imaginations of science fiction community used to help policymakers prepare for potential crises in BritainIt's a scenario that would make Tesla's founder, Elon Musk, shudder: a future where self-driving cars are the norm but a catastrophic electronic breakdown traps thousands of people inside them.This dystopian vision of the future was one sketched out by science fiction writers at an event this week where experts were asked to prepare Britain for threats ranging from pandemics to cyber and nuclear attacks. Continue reading...

The outgoing US president rallied support for Ukraine but his stance on Gaza delighted no oneWhen asked about his foreign policy doctrine in 2014, Barack Obama described it as an attempt to avoid errors".You hit singles, you hit doubles; every once in a while we may be able to hit a home run," he said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Social housing finance crisis' has already led 37% of local authorities to cut back on repairs and maintenanceMore than a quarter of English councils expect to have to sell homes to balance their housing budgets while over a third have cut back on repairs and maintenance in what has been described as a crisis in social housing finance.Based on responses from 76 stockholding councils, which manage their own social homes, the study found that nine in 10 expect to use emergency funds to try to balance the books in the next few years, and 71% say they are likely to delay or cancel ongoing housing projects. Continue reading...

Concerns had been mounting over future of 200m a year scheme providing food and activities for vulnerable childrenMinisters are to safeguard the Marcus Rashford-inspired scheme providing food and activities to vulnerable children during school holidays for another year, following concerns it could fall victim to a desperate search for savings across Whitehall.More than a million people signed a petition from the Manchester United star calling for the scheme after a huge grassroots campaign in 2020. Continue reading...

Collection of seven shorts due out in 2025 tells story of conflict from perspective of animalsThe occupying Russian soldiers paid little attention to the elderly woman shuffling through the farmland surrounding the villages outside Kyiv, taking her goat to pasture. But she was focused closely on them. After locating their positions, she headed back home with the goat, and later called her grandson, a soldier in the Ukrainian army, to give the coordinates.The story is one of seven episodes, based on real events from the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion but lightly fictionalised, that make up a feature film about the war in Ukraine, due out later this year. All seven of the shorts have one thing in common: they tell the story of the conflict from the perspective of animals. Continue reading...

Bereaved relatives claim betting industry is not being held to account, report revealsFamilies of gambling addicts who took their own lives have told of being let down by the coroner service, which they say failed to properly investigate the role of betting firms, a new report has revealed.Campaign groups believe that gambling is a factor in hundreds of suicides each year, but in only one inquest has a gambling company been named as an interested person". Continue reading...

Beijing has prepared for increased tariffs but its actions will not be enough to offset falling demand from the USWhen Donald Trump enters the White House for the second time on 20 January, the view from the Oval Office will look very different to the one he encountered in 2017. A pandemic, the war in Ukraine and a trade war with China have caused ripples through the global economy that are still being felt midway through the decade.Beijing will be watching closely. Trump has promised to impose tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese imports, partly in retaliation for the flow of fentanyl from China to the US. Continue reading...

Facilities giant called uncaring' by low-paid cleaners, who believed they were covered by a fair-pay pledgeLow-paid cleaners have accused the Living Wage Foundation of giving accreditation to an uncaring" outsourcing company paying less than the living wage.Facilities services giant OCS is accredited under a bespoke scheme for outsourcing firms. But the company has only committed to paying a living wage to its centrally employed staff. The scheme does not cover the majority of OCS's 50,000 workforce, who are tied to external contracts. Continue reading...

New collection of author's diary entries provides tragic insightFrankenstein's monster, as horror fans know, did not really spark into life with a bolt of lightning, but was born inside the mind of Mary Shelley during a dreary holiday on a mountainside above Geneva. The inspiration came as volcanic ash clouds unexpectedly blocked out the sun that summer of 1816 and she andher friends, including the infamous, bad boy" poets Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, competed to tell scary stories.But a new collection of the young author's personal diary entries, out in March, provides strong evidence that, although the stay in the Alps set the grim mood of her novel, her imagination was ignited by something personal and much closer to home. Continue reading...

Bar Council calls for pandemic restrictions to help reintegrate non-violent offenders into society and ease pressure on overcrowded jailsConditions similar to Covid lockdowns should be imposed on criminals as an alternative to overflowing prisons, barristers have told the government.In an official submission to an ongoing sentencing review led by former Conservative justice secretary David Gauke, the Bar Council called for consideration of more creative use of punishment". Ideas put forward by the body, which represents barristers in England and Wales, include enhanced home detention measures for non-violent offenders and part-time prisons" that would help inmates reintegrate into society. Continue reading...

Small businesses would be able to claim tax deductions on food and entertainment expenses for up to $20,000 under a Coalition policy

Prime minister says US has promised Israel will have the weaponry it needs to return to military campaign if necessary. This blog is now closedIn an update on the previous post, the Israeli military said sirens sounded in central Israel on Saturday as it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.Explosions were heard over Jerusalem on Saturday morning, Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reported. Continue reading...

Firefighters pulled a child and adult from the Rokeby home on Sunday morning but were unable to reach the infant in time

Premier says alleged Kingston domestic violence incident has rocked' Queensland as woman, 34, remains in hospital

Premier pledges crackdown on anyone preaching hatred in the community' as prime minister hopeful Israel-Hamas ceasefire will hold

Former deputy prime minister kicks off run for top job with video of Trump disparaging her for being tough negotiatorChrystia Freeland, Canada's former deputy prime minister, kicked off her bid to lead Canada by boasting: Donald Trump doesn't like me very much" in a campaign video that quickly went viral.For Freeland, who led Canada's re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade agreement (Nafta) with the United States and Mexico during Trump's first term, video of Trump disparaging her for being a tough negotiator is a selling point. Continue reading...

Cleanup continues in parts of NSW as tropical low threatens heavy rain between Port Hedland and Ningaloo

Protesters smash windows after officials cite concerns the impeached president could destroy evidence if releasedA South Korean court has extended the detention of the impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday citing concerns he could destroy evidence linked to his martial law declaration, enraging his supporters, who attacked the court building.Hundreds of pro-Yoon protesters smashed windows and broke down doors to enter the court after the decision was announced, chanting the name of the president, who plunged South Korea into its worst political chaos in decades with his bid to suspend civilian rule. Continue reading...

Thousands gather in Whitehall and allegedly break through police line to advance to Trafalgar SquareMore than 70 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested in central London on Saturday on suspicion of breaching protest conditions after some allegedly broke through a police line as they marched from a rally in Whitehall.Thousands of people had gathered to protest Israel's 15-month war in Gaza, a day after a ceasefire deal was agreed with Hamas, with signs saying Stop arming Israel" and Free Palestine". Continue reading...

Lab-grown diamonds sell for one-quarter of the price of traditional ones and an Australian wholesale broker says he can't tell the difference

Psychiatrists say higher salaries needed to retain doctors and attract new ones to care for mental health patients

Home Office official says data protection laws caused the cost of its forced removal programme to increaseThe Conservative government spent more than 130m on IT and data systems for the scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, which will never be used, the Observer can reveal.Digital tools needed to put the forced removal programme into effect made up the second-largest chunk of the 715m spent in little over two years, behind only the 290m handed directly to Paul Kagame's government. Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands are now set to return to whatever remains of their houses or to claim bodies from the rubbleAid agencies in Gaza are bracing for chaotic scenes this week as hundreds of thousands of people try to return to homes in the territory after the expected implementation of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Sunday.Before the ceasefire, which is due to begin at 8.30am local time, Israel has continued to carry out attacks inside Gaza. The local health ministry claimed on Saturday that 23 Palestinians had been killed in the previous 24 hours, while the Israeli army said it had conducted strikes on 50 terror targets" on Friday. Continue reading...

Those who died had scrambled to take the fuel, which has rocketed in price amid an economic crisisA fuel tanker exploded after flipping over in central Nigeria on Saturday, killing 70 people who had scrambled to take the fuel, which has rocketed in price amid an economic crisis.The death toll stands at 70 so far," Kumar Tsukwam, the head of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger State, said. Continue reading...

The digital option will be made available through a government app, but will not be mandatoryThe UK is to introduce digital driving licences this year as the government looks to use technology to transform public services".The digital version of driving licences will be available in a virtual wallet in a government app, instead of being added to existing Google or Apple wallets. It could be accepted as a form of ID when voting, purchasing alcohol or boarding domestic flights. Continue reading...

Emergency services say 30 people were involved, of whom 10 were taken to hospital, at Astun in the PyreneesTen people have been hurt, two of them seriously, after a ski lift collapsed at a resort in north-east Spain, hurling dozens of passengers into the snow below.Although initial reports said 35 people had been injured on Saturday at the Pyrenean resort of Astun, in the Aragon region, the figures were later revised down. Continue reading...

New drama, When Maggie Met Larry, reveals exactly how the world's most famous actor coached the fledgling Iron LadyIn 1972, a nervous Margaret Thatcher went to Laurence Olivier's London home for a lesson on presentational skills. The most famous actor of the 20th century told the then education secretary to put a book on her head and walk around to improve her deportment. He also advised her to take long confident strides, and to use her eyes to seduce and flirt.The future prime minister went on to visit Olivier's house for a further five lessons, details of which are revealed in a new Radio 4 play, When Maggie Met Larry. Starring Derek Jacobi, who joined Olivier's fledgling National Theatre when only 24, and Frances Barber as Thatcher, the drama tells of the previously unknown advice on style and voice offered to the Tory politician. Continue reading...

MP says he is totally committed to his constituency after Isabel Oakeshott moved to the EmiratesOne weekend, it will be the straightforward delights of Skegness seafront; the next, the flashy private beach clubs of Dubai.Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK and its MP for Boston and Skegness, is splitting his time not just between his Lincolnshire constituency and the House of Commons, but is also spending time 3,500 miles away in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We are spreading our international reach," he said. Continue reading...

Report cites low pay and overwork, and employees complain of receiving no warning before working on disturbing scenesIllegal or barely legal" working practices are rife in the UK's TV industry, new research has revealed.Workers in post-production roles, including editors, designers and special effects artists, are regularly being paid below the minimum wage and experiencing unacceptable" conditions, such as hours spent in dark, unventilated rooms and exposure to traumatic content with no warning. Continue reading...

Case was fast-tracked after crime in Kolkata sparked protests across India amid concern for women's safetyA police volunteer has been found guilty of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor who was on duty in Kolkata, a crime that sparked protests across India amid concern about violence against women and girls.The outcry over the killing of the 31-year-old physician in August led to the trial being fast-tracked through the legal system. Continue reading...

Italian PM's office confirms she will join foreign politicians including France's Eric Zemmour in WashingtonItaly's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, will attend Donald Trump's inauguration as US president, joining other European far-right figures including Eric Zemmour, a one-time French presidential candidate known for his xenophobia.Meloni's attendance at the event in Washington DC on Monday was confirmed by her office and will be seen as further cementing relations with the US president-elect. Continue reading...

Hillsborough Family Support Group pays tribute to man whose 14-year-old son Philip was killed in the disasterA key figure in the fight for justice after the Hillsborough disaster has died, the campaign group has announced.Phil Hammond, whose teenage son was killed in the tragedy, was remembered as a very kind, fair, honest and humble man" by members of the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG) which Hammond chaired, battling for truth and justice over how his son and 96 others died. Continue reading...

Michelle Sadio, 44, died after shots were fired towards mourners outside church in HarlesdenThree more people have been charged with murder after a woman was killed in a drive-by shooting outside a north-west London church.Michelle Sadio, 44, died after shots were fired in Harlesden at about 9pm on 14 December. She was standing with mourners outside the River of Life pentecostal church after a wake. Continue reading...

Diaries, believed to be genuine, chronicle 139 pre-war meetings between antisemitic British socialite Unity Mitford and the Nazi leaderThe diary of an antisemitic British socialite who was obsessed with Adolf Hitler and struck up a personal relationship with the Nazi leader has been discovered, according to the Daily Mail.The leather-bound journals, which had been lost to historians and unseen for eight decades, appear to reveal the extent of aristocrat Unity Mitford's relationship with the dictator. Continue reading...

FoI figures show Home Office apparently refusing to use biometrics waiver for people who have no way to submit themThe UK government's family reunification policy has been criticised by charities and MPs after data revealed how Home Office bureaucracy was making it impossible for people stranded in war zones, such as Gaza and Sudan, to reunite with family members in the UK.Existing policy is supposed to allow those in need of resettlement the opportunity to join relatives in the UK. In order to apply for family reunion visas, applicants must submit biometrics - usually a fingerprint and a photograph - at appointments at a visa application centre (VAC) in their country of residence. Continue reading...