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Action follows reports of suspicious package outside embassy in Nine ElmsA controlled explosion" has been carried out by Metropolitan police officers outside the US embassy in Nine Elms, London. It followed reports of a suspicious package outside the embassy.A spokesperson for the Met said: We're aware of speculation online about an incident in the vicinity of the US embassy in Nine Elms. Continue reading...

As well as Simone White, two Danes, an American and two Australians have died after incident in town popular with backpackersA British lawyer is among six people to have died in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Laos, and we are in contact with the local authorities". Continue reading...

It come as Vang Vieng's tourism police says manager and owner of Nana backpacker hostel taken in for questioningA second Australian teenager, Holly Bowles, has died after suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, it has been confirmed.The 19-year-old's death comes just one day after her friend Bianca Jones also died in a Thai hospital. The pair had been travelling through Laos together and fell ill a week ago. Continue reading...

Increase in energy price cap by Ofgem follows 10% rise for current quarter, heaping more pressure on households Business live What is the energy price cap and can I cut my bill?An average annual energy bill in England, Scotland and Wales will rise by 1.2% to 1,738 from January, heaping further pressure on household finances.The energy regulator Ofgem said its quarterly price cap would go up by 21 a year, or about 1.75 a month, for a typical household's gas and electricity use. Continue reading...

Residents of Sutton in Hull remember the former MP and deputy prime minister who became a proper Hully'In the village of Sutton, which John Prescott called home, everybody has their own anecdote about the Labour heavyweight.For some, it was simply that they had seen him walking his dog, or out and about in his slippers, but others had more colourful stories to tell. Continue reading...

The current escalations will set a new status quo for life under Trump - what does the US president have planned?Like Chekhov's gun coming off the wall in Act V, it was probably only a matter of time before Vladimir Putin launched an experimental, nuclear-capable ballistic missile into Ukraine. It is hardly a coincidence that his decision comes as the war approaches a likely endgame, with both sides jockeying for position ahead of negotiations in the shadow of Donald Trump.Neither Ukraine nor Russia quite knows what Trump will do when he takes office in January. But the escalations taking place now will set a new status quo for the day he becomes president, at which point Trump's options range from hard-nosed horse-trading to simply throwing Ukraine under the bus. Continue reading...

Historic England to recognise home where Hollywood legend said he spent happiest days' of his childhoodThe humble West Country beginnings of one of Hollywood's most glittering stars is being commemorated with the unveiling of a Historic England national blue plaque at his beloved childhood home.Archie Leach may have transformed into that epitome of well-heeled sophistication, Cary Grant, but he never forgot the old apple tree and his father's vegetable garden at 50 Berkeley Road in Bristol. Continue reading...

Case shows gap in protections for deceased tenants' families, with authorities' property access policies varyingThe brother of a 29-year-old man found dead in temporary council accommodation says he has been left bereft after his sibling's belongings were disposed of by council contractors.Simon Byrne had made an appointment with Brighton and Hove officials to collect the possessions of his brother Chris, who had died from a drug overdose. However, when he arrived, he discovered Chris's lodgings had already been cleared. I was pointed to a small suitcase in the caretaker's [building]," he said. The rest of his things, including his bracelets and other tangible memories, had been thrown into a skip with no opportunity for me as his only surviving family member to go through them." Continue reading...

Reforms include public registers to track how developers are meeting their commitments and avoiding damaging endangered ecosystems

Magistrate finds there is not enough evidence to convict officer, known only as AB, on a high range drink-driving charge, court hears

Queensland's new premier vowed to sack cabinet members who didn't meet public targets. A month in, accountability questions are being raised

Joe Biden describes as outrageous' the warrants for Israeli PM and former defence minister, which put them at risk of detention if they go to some other countries

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres's spokesperson says Russia's use of a new ballistic missile is yet another ... worrying development'. This blog is now closed

Police accuse 37 people of crimes including conspiracy and trying to tear down one of world's largest democraciesThe former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and some of his closest allies are among dozens of people formally accused by federal police of being part of a criminal conspiracy designed to obliterate Brazil's democratic system through a rightwing coup d'etat.Federal police confirmed on Thursday that investigators had concluded their long-running investigation into what they called a coordinated attempt to violently dismantle the constitutional state". Continue reading...

Dave Williams, the permanent secretary, said department aims to lose 10% of staff, causing alarm among trade unionsMore than 5,000 civil service jobs are set to go at the Ministry of Defence in a drive to cut costs, prompting alarm among trade unions.Dave Williams, the permanent secretary, said the department is aiming to lose 10% of its 56,800 staff by the end of the parliament. It has already shed thousands under the previous government through a hiring freeze which was due to end in March 2025. Continue reading...

Matthew Pennycook says Labour must close loopholes in changes to rules in England and Wales passed by GoveLong-awaited reforms to the leasehold system in England and Wales have been delayed for several months due to flaws" in legislation passed by the previous Conservative government, the housing minister has said.Matthew Pennycook told the Commons it would take longer than expected to enact reforms originally passed by the former housing secretary Michael Gove in the dying days of the last parliament. Continue reading...

Second named storm of the season expected this weekend, with hundreds of schools already closed after snowfallThe second named storm of the season is forecast to bring snow, rain and strong winds to parts of the UK this weekend.Storm Bert has been named, with wind gusts of up to 70mph expected in some areas. Heavy snowfall could bring further disruption to parts of the country while heavy rain is also likely, especially in western parts. Continue reading...

Veteran Labour politician was an analytical thinker who could ask sharp, pertinent questions in a natural way UK politics live - latest updatesTributes have been pouring in for John Prescott, the deputy prime minister from 1997 to 2007, who has died aged 86.The son of a railway signalman, Prescott was born in Prestatyn, Wales, in 1938 and left school at 15 to work as a trainee chef and then as a steward on the Cunard Line before entering politics. Continue reading...

Sector will have extra 2.8bn cost burden from April due to tax and wage rises announced in budget, says Nuffield TrustLarge parts of England's adult social care market face collapse as a result of tax and wage rises announced in the budget, with devastating consequences for vulnerable and older people who rely on care services, a leading thinktank has warned.The Nuffield Trust said that while the government has consistently spoken of its long term ambition to reform the social care sector, there may be little of it left" to reform unless it takes urgent action to stabilise the care market financially. Continue reading...

William Bush, 23, was stabbed 37 times on Christmas Eve by Dylan Thomas, who had admitted manslaughterThe heir to a pie company fortune has been found guilty of the murder of his best friend on Christmas Eve.Dylan Thomas, 24, the grandson of the pie company tycoon Stanley Thomas, killed his friend William Bush, 23, at their home in Llandaff, Cardiff. Continue reading...

Republican calls Trump's choice of national intelligence director a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer'Nikki Haley, the former UN ambassador and Republican presidential hopeful, criticized two of Donald Trump's cabinet picks, calling his choice for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer" and Robert F Kennedy Jr, tapped for health secretary, a liberal Democrat" with no background in relevant policy.So now she's defended Russia, she's defended Syria, she's defended Iran, and she's defended China," Haley said of Gabbard on her SiriusXM radio show on Wednesday. No, she has not denounced any of these views. None of them. She hasn't taken one of them back. Continue reading...

Flash flooding, rockslides and power outages affect northern California, Oregon and Washington stateA major storm pummeled northern California with rain and snow on Thursday and threatened to cause flash flooding and rockslides, in the latest wave of damaging weather to wash over the west coast.The National Weather Service (NWS) extended a flood watch into Saturday for areas north of San Francisco as the strongest atmospheric river - a large plume of moisture flowing onshore - that California and the Pacific north-west has seen this season inundated the region. The storm system unleashed winds the night before that left two people dead and hundreds of thousands without power in Washington state. Continue reading...

Leaders from across spectrum are outspoken in rejection of court's antisemitic' and outrageous' decisionIsraeli leaders from across the political spectrum united to condemn the decision by a three-judge panel of the international criminal court to issue arrest warrants for the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the former defence minister Yoav Gallant.Netanyahu's office described the warrants as an antisemitic decision ... equivalent to the modern Dreyfus trial", referring to the 1894 trial of a French artillery captain of Jewish descent that has become one of the most prominent examples of antisemitism. Continue reading...

Trump's pick for attorney general attempts to win over skeptical lawmakers amid ethics report controversyThe scandal-plagued former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz reportedly told senators skeptical of his suitability to be attorney general that he would not seek retribution against Donald Trump's enemies - in his first week on the job, at least.Look, I'm not going to go there and indict [the former Wyoming congresswoman] Liz Cheney, have storm troopers bust through the studio door at MSNBC, and arrest [the retired public health official] Anthony Fauci in my first week," Gaetz told senators, according to the Bulwark, a never-Trump conservative site. Continue reading...

Former health secretary was also pressed on the slowness' of the resumption of elective care, at Covid inquiryThe former health secretary Matt Hancock has said he reluctantly" approved of the decision to pause non-urgent planned care during the pandemic.Ministers prioritised hospital capacity for Covid and emergency patients, and so paused elective (non-urgent) treatment from April 2020. Continue reading...

Analysis of training models on global market found all had flat torsos with just one having a breast overlayMost CPR manikins don't have breasts, which contributes towards women being less likely to receive life-saving first aid from bystanders, a study has found.The study led by Dr Rebecca Szabo, the lead of the Gandel Simulation Service at the Royal Women's hospital in Melbourne, analysed all manikin models on the global market designed for adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. Continue reading...

Critics of the proposal say it would expose children to inappropriate content and alcohol advertising

Resolute Mining chief executive Terence Holohan and two other employees had been detained since 9 NovemberThree British mining executives who had been detained by the government of Mali have been released and are safe and well", days after agreeing to pay $160m to settle a tax dispute.Resolute Mining, an Australian company, said on Thursday its chief executive, Terence Holohan, and two other employees, who had been held in the country since 9 November, have been released. Continue reading...

UK intelligence services say they are urgently' looking into Ukraine's claim, which has been reportedly denied by a Western officialFull story: Russia fired intercontinental ballistic missile at Dnipro, says UkraineHungary announced overnight it is to install an air defence system in the north-eastern part of the country as the threat of an escalation of the Ukraine-Russia war is greater than ever", its defence minister said.Reuters quotes Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky from a video he posted on Facebook saying:We still trust that there will be peace as soon as possible, through diplomacy instead of a military solution. However, to prepare for all possibilities, I ordered the recently purchased air control and air defence systems and the capabilities built on them to be installed in the north-east. The threat of the escalation of the Ukraine-Russia war is greater than ever.This is another frankly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilising actions by the Americans and their allies in the North Atlantic alliance in the strategic sphere.This leads to undermining strategic stability, increasing strategic risks and, as a result, to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger. Continue reading...

Say Nothing, about 1972 abduction and murder of Jean McConville, is horrendous, says Michael McConvilleThe son of Jean McConville, a woman who was murdered and buried in secret by the IRA, has condemned a new Disney series on her death as horrendous" and cruel".The series is based on the acclaimed book Say Nothing, about McConville and the wider role of the IRA during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, written by the US journalist Patrick Radden Keefe. Continue reading...

Ofwat uses new powers to ensure investors pay at Thames, Yorkshire, and Dr Cymru Welsh Water

Former trade union activist who had Alzheimer's died peacefully at care home, says family

Extreme heat expected to hit much of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and inland NSW as central Queensland braces for flooding

Union says average vice-chancellor gets paid almost double the prime minister, with salaries seemingly plucked from thin air'

Co-chair says treaty will not outline specific changes to syllabus but is more about saying this is the role that First Peoples will play'

Broadcaster will unveil more big changes to Radio National and local programming on Thursday afternoon

Distant placements found to have led to anxiety, PTSD and suicide in some cases, as use of them increases in EnglandMental health patients in England are being harmed by the increase in placements in psychiatric units far from their homes and families, a new report indicates.Patients have had anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while some have died by suicide as a result of their distant placements, according to a Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) report, which drew on interviews with patients and their loved ones. The participants spoke of how their experiences had resulted in feelings of anger, frustration and a loss of trust in the mental health system.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...

Watchdog's highly critical inquiry finds Hannah and Colin Ingram-Moore culpable of serious and repeated' misconduct

A book deal, personal appearance and plans for a swimming pool were all criticised by the Charity Commission

Exclusive: New research finds clinical, cruel' language used by medics is unacceptable to manyWomen who have lost a baby often dislike the language used by medical professionals and would prefer the term pregnancy loss" over miscarriage", research has found.More than six in 10 women (61%) who had lost a baby between 18 and 23 weeks of pregnancy said it was unacceptable for doctors, midwives and nurses to use the word miscarriage". Continue reading...

Nineteen-year-old last seen leaving her Brunswick home in October and remains yet to be formally identified have been found in Dandenong

European Commission should take office on 1 December after centre-right EPP and Socialists forge compromiseEuropean parliament leaders have reached a deal to approve Ursula von der Leyen's top team, paving the way for the new European Commission to take office on 1 December.Leaders of the centre-right European People's party (EPP), the Socialists and the centrist Renew group - who between them have 56% of the parliament's 720 seats - forged a compromise on Wednesday intended to ensure that von der Leyen's nominees would be approved in a vote next week. Continue reading...

Bus station closed after report of potential suspicious item' but Police Scotland say nothing suspicious found' after controlled explosionThree men have been arrested and a controlled explosion was carried out after a bus station was closed for several hours after reports of a potential suspicious item" found in the area.Police Scotland said at about 9.40pm on Wednesday that nothing suspicious was found, despite the controlled explosion at Buchanan bus station. Continue reading...

About 50 firefighters and 15 fire trucks called to battle blaze at venue in Chapel Street, South Yarra

Randy Boissonnault to step away from cabinet' after being accused of pretendianism' and improper business dealingsCanada's education minister has resigned from the cabinet after weeks of scrutiny over both his business dealings and his shifting claims of Indigenous ancestry.Moments before question period on Wednesday, prime minister Justin Trudeau's office said Randy Boissonnault would step away from cabinet effective immediately" and will focus on clearing the allegations made against him". Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. You can read all our Ukraine war coverage here:

Land commissioner says they are ready to allow facility for processing, detention and coordination' of deportationThe state of Texas has offered thousands of acres of land to Donald Trump to construct deportation facilities".Texas land commissioner Dawn Buckingham wrote in a letter to Trump that his office is fully prepared to enter into an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or the United States Border Patrol to allow a facility to be built for the processing, detention, and coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation's history." Continue reading...

Investigators gather evidence at two Baltic sites while Danish navy is shadowing Chinese cargo shipSwedish police investigating the believed sabotage of two fibre-optic undersea cables in the Baltic Sea have said a Chinese ship off the coast of Denmark was of interest" as Danish officials said its navy was shadowing a Chinese-registered cargo ship.The ship, identified by Denmark as the Yi Peng 3, passed the two cables on Sunday and Monday about the time it is believed they were severed in a suspected malicious attack. The ship has been shadowed by a Danish navy vessel since it was located in waters between Sweden and Denmark. Continue reading...

Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn is accused of swindling thousands from victims before killing themA Thai woman alleged to be among the worst serial killers in the kingdom's history has been convicted and sentenced to death for poisoning a friend with cyanide, in the first of 14 murder trials.Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, 36, described as an online gambling addict, is accused of swindling thousands of dollars from her victims before killing them with the chemical. Continue reading...