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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...

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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...

Ewan Methven, 26, made no plea in relation to Phoenix Spencer-Horn, 21, whose body was found on MondayA man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a woman in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire.Ewan Methven, 26, made no plea to the murder charge when he appeared at a private hearing at Hamilton sheriff court on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Woman treated by therapist Aicha Dehdouh says French-Algerian author's prize-winning book Houris uses her storyTwo complaints have been filed in Algeria against the French-Algerian author Kamel Daoud, winner of France's most prestigious literary award, and his wife, a therapist, alleging that they used a patient's life story as the basis for his prize-winning novel.The writer, the first Algerian novelist to be awarded the Prix Goncourt, won this year's prize for his novel Houris, a fictional account of a young woman who lost her voice when an Islamist cut her throat during the country's brutal 1992-2002 civil war. Continue reading...

First screening for troubled western whose cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set takes place at niche film festival, boycotted by high-profile figures over a separate sexism rowRust, the western whose production became notorious after the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, has been screened for the first time at the Camerimage cinematography festival in Torun, Poland.Hutchins was shot by a prop gun held by the film's star and producer Alec Baldwin on set in New Mexico. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter but the case was dismissed for evidence withholding, while Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's armourer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on the same charge, and assistant director David Halls given six months probation for negligent use of a deadly weapon. The film's closing credits now contain a tribute to Hutchins, with the words For Halyna" and a quote: What can we do to make this better?" The festival's CEO Marek ydowicz said that Baldwin, who is credited as one of Rust's producers, was not invited. Continue reading...

Organisers were concerned at Reform UK party leader's divisive role in BrexitNigel Farage was left out of the line-up of political leaders who spoke at the farmers' protest outside Downing Street, amid concerns over his divisive role in Brexit and fears he would overshadow the event.Representatives of all parties were originally invited to speak, according to organisers of a protest at which tens of thousands of farmers listened to Kemi Badenoch, Ed Davey and other speakers, including the journalist Jeremy Clarkson. Continue reading...

Amos Hochstein to meet Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday after Beirut discussions over deal to end fightingThe US envoy Amos Hochstein has said there is positive progress" towards a ceasefire in Lebanon after talks in Beirut aimed at ending 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.Hochstein has met Lebanese officials over the past two days after Hezbollah indicated it had agreed to the text of a US ceasefire proposal, although with some comments. He said on Tuesday that the gaps between Hezbollah and Israel had narrowed", raising optimism about a deal between the two parties. Continue reading...

Furore over whether Chidimma Adetshina was really South African led to invitation to represent NigeriaA beauty queen who pulled out of the Miss South Africa competition when her nationality was questioned has said she wants to relocate to Nigeria, after coming second in the Miss Universe pageant while representing the West African country.Chidimma Adetshina, whose father is Nigerian, was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania and came runner-up to Denmark's Victoria Kjaer Theilvig in Mexico on Saturday night. Continue reading...

HMV owner says budget is bad news' while UK boss of Lidl says product inflation inevitable' despite returning to profit

Detained pro-democracy activist spoke for first time about charges against him under Hong Kong national security lawJimmy Lai, the detained pro-democracy activist and media mogul who is the target of Hong Kong's most high-profile national security case, took the stand in court on Wednesday. For the first time since he was detained in December 2020, Lai spoke publicly about the charges against him, for which he faces spending the rest of his life behind bars.Four years after his arrest, the 77-year-old seemed older and not as strong as he used to be. His first words - swearing an oath on the Bible - were delivered hoarsely. Continue reading...

Lower third-quarter profits reported alongside first estimate of financial fallout from loan mis-selling scandal

Christian Schools Australia also claiming that the harm definition will mean the view sex is unchangeable will be outlawed as hateful'

Research shows scale of infrastructure divide between growth areas and establishes suburbs, with many people forced to drive everywhere'

Sovereign wealth fund's statement of expectations will be updated for the first time in 15 years

Diane Abbott and the Conservative Sir Edward Leigh, mother and father of the House, say law has been rushed

Consortium including company that runs Tokyo's renowned metro system to take over from China's MTR in May

Despite Olivier awards success and a sold out run in the West End, the show received unfavourable reviews from US critics and performed poorly at the box officeTammy Faye, the musical created by Elton John, James Graham and Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears, is to close on Broadway less than a month after its opening night.The show about the eponymous TV evangelist sold out at London's Almeida theatre in 2022, received rave reviews and was nominated for best new musical at the Olivier awards the following year. But on Tuesday it was announced that it will have its final curtain at the Palace theatre in New York on 8 December. That will be its 29th performance; the musical also had 24 previews before opening. Continue reading...

She starts in January as head of European arm of CDPQ, which holds shares in Eurostar and Heathrow

Government to meet union officials again on Thursday after a Wednesday meeting didn't resolve the industrial dispute

Met Office yellow alert for ice remains for much of southern England, the Midlands and eastern WalesCommuters face widespread travel disruption after heavy snowfall and ice affected parts of the UK.The Met Office put in place a yellow warning for ice for much of southern England, the Midlands and eastern Wales from 5pm on Tuesday to 10am on Wednesday. Continue reading...

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Aimed at those with 100,000 to 2m, service in Mayfair will offer personalised banking and exclusive eventsHSBC is to launch its first UK wealth centre" in London's upmarket Mayfair district, offering more personalised banking services and exclusive events such as wine tastings as part of a drive to win more rich customers.The lender will take up two floors of the 16-storey Smithson Tower at 25 St James's Street - close to the Ritz Hotel and Fortnum & Mason department store - as part of a wider revamp of HSBC's premier-tier bank service. Aimed at the sought-after mass affluent" market, premier is a tier below private-banking clients and targets customers with 100,000 to 2m in income, assets or deposits. Continue reading...