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In today's newsletter: As the chancellor prepares to deliver one of the most heavily briefed budgets ever, tax rises, the two-child benefit cap and a mansion tax' are all on the table Don't get First Edition delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning. If you haven't noticed, the lead-up to this year's budget has been unusually chaotic and drawn-out, with plenty of behind-the-scenes briefings and a whirlwind of speculation about what taxes will be hiked.The challenge facing the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is plugging a financial hole of around 20bn and raising money to fund the services voters demand, while also keeping taxes at an acceptable level. (If you think you've got what it takes, try our brilliant interactive budget game). The political backdrop to this budget is also significant - the prime minister is under siege, and needs to present something that will be well received by MPs.Budget | Rachel Reeves's plan to cut cash Isa limits by 40% could raise mortgage rates, according to finance bosses. The chancellor is expected to cut the maximum amount people can put into tax-efficient cash individual savings accounts from 20,000 to 12,000 in Wednesday's budget.Politics | Three more school contemporaries who claim to have witnessed Nigel Farage's alleged teenage racism have rejected the Reform UK leader's suggestion that it was banter", describing it as targeted, persistent and nasty.Ukraine | Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff advised a senior Kremlin official on how Vladimir Putin should pitch a Ukraine peace deal to the president, according to a transcript of their discussion published by Bloomberg.Criminal justice | Jury trials for all except the most serious crimes such as rape, murder and manslaughter are set to be scrapped under radical proposals drawn up by David LammyMedia | The BBC has been pulled into a fresh row over its treatment of Donald Trump after a Reith lecturer accused the broadcaster of censoring his remarks on the US president. Rutger Bregman, a Dutch author and historian, said the BBC removed a key line" from a flagship address it had invited him to deliver. Continue reading...

President Lai Ching-te declared there was no room for compromise on national security' in face of escalating harassment and espionageBeijing's threats to Taiwan are intensifying" and its preparations to invade are speeding up, Taiwan's government has said while announcing a $40bn special defence budget and a swathe of measures to counter Chinese attacks.The Taiwan president, Lai Ching-te, said there was no room for compromise on national security", and he was committed to boosting Taiwan's defences in conjunction with US support. Continue reading...

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says government deciding on energy rebate extension in next few weeks' as cost of living continues to bite

The CMP system means Huda Ammori will not be allowed to know what allegations were made against herAt some point in the challenge to the ban on Palestine Action beginning on Wednesday, the co-founder of the direct action group will be asked to leave courtroom five at the Royal Courts of Justice, as will her legal team and most others present. Then the case will continue without them.When Huda Ammori returns to the room, the special advocate - a security-cleared barrister - who represented her interests in her absence will not be allowed to tell her or her legal team what evidence was presented against Palestine Action. If Ammori asks what allegations were made directly against her, the special advocate must not tell her, even though that means she will have no chance to rebut them. Continue reading...

Environmental charity Fidra says 168 of 195 SSSIs it surveyed are contaminated with tiny pelletsPlastic nurdles have been found in 84% of important nature sites surveyed in the UK.Nurdles are tiny pellets that the plastics industry uses to make larger products. They were found in 168 of 195 sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), so named because of the rare wildlife they harbour. They are given extra protections in an effort to protect them from pollution. Continue reading...

In Fritzi's Footsteps tells story of a girl growing up in Leipzig who witnesses the fall of the Berlin WallThe creators of a children's television series about life in communist East Germany have said they hope it will awaken interest in the region's history, after it was awarded an International Emmy.Auf Fritzis Spuren (In Fritzi's Footsteps) tells the story of a 12-year-old girl living in the eastern city of Leipzig and how she experiences life in the east and the events that lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Continue reading...

Another boy, 15, charged on Monday after 17-year-old boy died from wounds to thigh in Rouse Hill

Director of audio concedes there is always more to do' on diversity as station staff express dismay at dearth of female presenters

WA court appoints administrator to oversee estate after lawyer for Jeffrey Epstein victim and her housekeeper contest Giuffre's sons being granted authorityAn interim administrator has been appointed to oversee the estate of Virginia Giuffre after she died without a valid will, meaning multiple lawsuits that had been on hold can now resume.Giuffre, 41, died on a small Western Australian farm, 80km north of Perth, in April. Continue reading...

Jacinta Allan says warrantless pat-down powers that last until May 2026 are consistent with Victoria police plan to be more visible

NSW police scanning people for weapons in crowded places' and tighter protocols around weaning schizophrenia patients off medication are among the draft recommendations

Federal government's expert advisory panel on sexual violence says it repeatedly warned of chronic failure of police to adequately investigate violence

Chancellor's fiscal statement billed as decisive moment for fate of Starmer government as she tries to fill 20bn spending gapRachel Reeves will promise to tackle Britain's cost of living crisis and deliver fiscal stability in Wednesday's budget, which is billed as a decisive moment for the fate of Keir Starmer's beleaguered government.The chancellor will say she is taking the fair and necessary choices" to shore up the economy as she raises billions of pounds worth of taxes to help offset lower than expected growth forecasts. Continue reading...

Watchdog says force being applied inconsistently, disproportionately, and without adequate justification'Home Office contractors are over-using restraint in immigration detention centres and failing to tackle the toxic culture behind bars, according to the findings of a new watchdog report described as deeply concerning".By Force of Habit: How the Use of Force in Immigration Detention Has Lost Sight of Necessity and Dignity was published by the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB), which examines conditions in prisons and immigration detention centres. The findings revealed force being applied inconsistently, disproportionately, and without adequate justification, which it said undermined the dignity and welfare of highly vulnerable individuals. Continue reading...

Hakyung Lee was found guilty of murdering her children and concealing their remains in a storage lockerA mother who murdered her two children and hid their bodies in suitcases stored inside a rented locker has been sentenced to life imprisonment in New Zealand.Hakyung Lee, a New Zealand citizen originally from South Korea, was found guilty earlier this year of killing her children in a crime that has become known as the suitcase murders". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Dulwich college contemporaries rubbish' Reform UK leader's suggestion alleged racist taunts not intended to hurt

Ukrainian leader says that talks should also include European allies; Trump says deal is close

Ex-president to start serving term in 12 sq metre bedroom in police base in Brasilia after time for appeals elapsesBrazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been ordered to start serving his 27-year sentence in a 12 sq metre bedroom in a police base in the capital, Brasilia, after his conviction for plotting a coup.The far-right populist, who governed Latin America's largest democracy from 2019 until 2022, was handed the punishment in September after the supreme court found him guilty of leading a criminal conspiracy to stop his leftwing rival, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, taking power. Continue reading...

Regulator says 24 are at more immediate risk and may have to stop degree courses within next 12 monthsFifty higher education providers in England are at risk of exiting the market within the next two to three years, MPs on the House of Commons education committee have been told as part of their inquiry into university funding and the threat of insolvency.The evidence follows last week's gloomy forecast from England's higher education regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), which warned that three in four universities were likely to be in the red next year as financial turmoil continues in the sector. Continue reading...

Brett Ratner, accused of sexual misconduct by several women, will bring his hit franchise back to the big screenRush Hour 4 is reportedly a go at Paramount - after Donald Trump intervened on behalf of the movie.The studio will now release the next sequel by Brett Ratner, the director, who had retreated from Hollywood after numerous allegations of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement. Continue reading...

The radical plan from David Lammy has been criticised by senior lawyers, who say it could destroy justice as we know it'Jury trials for all except the most serious crimes such as rape, murder and manslaughter are set to be scrapped under radical proposals drawn up by David Lammy.In proposals that drew a swift backlash from senior lawyers, who said that they would not reduce court backlogs and could destroy justice as we know it", the justice secretary has proposed that juries will only pass judgment on public interest offences with possible prison sentences of more than five years. Continue reading...

Parliamentary group urges government to clamp down on overseas territories before flagship anti-corruption summitThe UK government has been accused of caving-in to pressure from the British Virgin Islands by allowing it to limit access to a register of company share ownership to only those deemed to have a legitimate interest.The restriction, to be discussed at talks starting on Tuesday between Foreign Office ministers and leaders of the British overseas territories (BOTs) in London, is in defiance of legislation passed by the UK government as long ago as 2008 that would make the register available to all. Continue reading...

Villagers demonstrate against drive for alternative funeral practices instead of burial to preserve land resourcesProtests have erupted in China's southern Guizhou province, the latest in a string of rural demonstrations that have seen incidents of unrest increase by 70% compared with last year.The protests in Shidong town started over the weekend in response to a directive from local authorities that people should be cremated rather than buried after their death. Continue reading...

Levy will also apply to more fizzy drinks as health secretary says government will not look away as children get unhealthier'

Wide-ranging assault included drones that crossed into Romanian and Moldovan territory

Fighter jets track two uncrewed aircraft in first daytime breach of Romanian airspace since full-scale Ukraine warNato jets were scrambled to track two Russian drones that crossed into Romania on Tuesday in the deepest and first daytime incursion into the country's airspace since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.German Typhoon and Romanian F-16 fighter jets took off in pairs to follow the uncrewed aircraft. The first flew back into Ukrainian airspace, but the second was later found downed in Puieti, about 70 miles from Ukraine. Continue reading...

Firm says Andrew Rennie departs by mutual agreement' but it is thought he faced tensions with the board

Travel firm says most popular package destinations are Majorca, Tenerife, Costa Blanca, Dalaman and Lanzarote

Prime minister jokes that he may be put in detention' after appearing to encourage classroom hystericsIt has become the bane of many parents' and teachers' existence: children bleating out six seven" for apparently no reason.So parents of pupils at Welland Academy in Peterborough will be unimpressed to discover that none other than the prime minister was encouraging their youngsters in the viral phenomenon. Continue reading...

Army secretary Daniel Driscoll presented a Russian wishlist, highlighting differences with the administrationThe US army secretary, Daniel Driscoll, was an unlikely envoy for the Trump administration's newest proposal to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine - but his ties to JD Vance have put a close ally of the Eurosceptic vice-president on the frontlines of Donald Trump's latest push to end the war.Before his trip to Kyiv last week, Driscoll was not known for his role as a negotiator or statesman, and his early efforts at selling the deal to European policymakers were described as turbulent. He is currently in Abu Dhabi, where Russian and Ukrainian delegations have arrived for talks. Continue reading...

Environmental body says modest investment and changes can help preserve long list of animals, fungi and lichenAlmost 3,000 species ranging from glorious birds to tiny lichen are in peril in Wales because they are clinging on in a handful of locations or even fewer, a groundbreaking report has revealed.The report from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) highlights that since the millennium, 11 species have already been lost to Cymru, including the turtle dove and belted beauty moth. It warns that 2,955 other terrestrial or freshwater species are at serious risk because they are confined to five locations or fewer. Continue reading...

Judge says interim US attorney for eastern district of Virginia had no lawful authority' to indict former FBI director and New York attorney general. Plus, where did all the color go from the movies?Good morning.A federal judge threw out the criminal cases against James Comey and Letitia James yesterday, concluding that the prosecutor handling the cases was unlawfully appointed.What did the judge say? I conclude that the attorney general's attempt to install Ms Halligan as interim US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia was invalid and that Ms Halligan has been unlawfully serving in that role since 22 September 2025," wrote Currie, who was appointed to the bench by Bill Clinton.When did the talks begin? Reports emerged that a fresh round of US-brokered peace talks had begun on last night in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with Dan Driscoll, the US army secretary, flying in to meet a Russian delegation and a Ukrainian team led by Kyrylo Budanov.This is a developing story. Follow our liveblog here. Continue reading...

Militant group Antifa Ost said to be behind assaults on rightwing extremists in Germany and HungarySeven alleged members of the German far-left militant group Antifa Ost go on trial on Tuesday accused of attacks targeting rightwing extremists that earned them the nickname Hammer Gang.The US this month designated Antifa Ost as a terrorist group along with several other European far-left and anarchist groups. Continue reading...

Unpaid carers were pushed into debt and distress and hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money wasted

Couple who married in Germany had their right to a normal family life' impeded, court of justice finds

Irish comedy writer cleared at Westminster magistrates court of harassing Sophia Brooks on social mediaThe Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has been cleared of harassing a transgender activist on social media but found guilty of criminal damage of their mobile phone outside a conference in London last year.The 57-year-old flew in from Arizona to appear at Westminster magistrates court in person on Tuesday, where judgment was delivered by district judge Briony Clarke. Continue reading...

Some of Russia's maximalist demands have been removed from original 28-point proposal, it is understood

The Newtown eatery is counter-suing Ofir Birenbaum, who launched defamation action against the popular restaurant

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Consumer Affairs Victoria ordered to pay costs after firm successfully argues it is not technically engaged in debt collection owed to another person

In today's newsletter: What the suspension of Richard Dannatt and David Evans tell us about standards and accountability in the Lords, and the prospect of reformGood morning. Two peers, Lord Dannatt and Lord Evans of Watford, are facing lengthy suspensions from the House of Lords, after the house's disciplinary process found multiple instances in which they broke lobbying rules and demonstrated a failure to act on their personal honour".The investigation began after the Guardian published a series based on undercover reporting earlier this year that exposed both peers offering to arrange meetings with ministers for what they believed were potential commercial clients. The commissioner's findings detail breaches including Dannatt offering introductions to ministers for companies in which he had a financial interest, and Evans expressing a clear willingness to provide access to ministers in the context of a commercial deal worth tens of thousands of pounds.Politics | Reform UK has ignored requests to share the evidence for its claim to have saved 331m since it took charge of 10 English councils in May, prompting questions over whether the figure is true. This Guardian analysis has found that supposed savings appear questionable.Society | Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable unpaid carers will have their cases reassessed after a damning official review concluded they had been left with huge debts because of government failure and maladministration.Media | Claims of serious and systemic problems" in the BBC's coverage of issues including Donald Trump, Gaza and trans issues - which led to the resignation of its director general, Tim Davie - have been disputed by a former adviser to the corporation.Ukraine | Kyiv has significantly amended the US peace plan" for Ukraine, removing some of Russia's maximalist demands, people familiar with the negotiations said, as European leaders warned that no deal could be reached quickly.Politics | Rachel Reeves has privately urged Labour MPs to back her make-or-break budget, saying they will not like every measure but promising it will be fair". Continue reading...

Search powers, usually reserved for protests, will be in effect in the CBD and beyond in a move criticised by human rights groups

Exclusive: NHS websites pointed women to factsheet featuring podcast by dangerous' influencers linked to baby deaths Full story: How the FBS is linked to baby deaths around the worldThe NHS has been directing pregnant women to a website that connected them to the Free Birth Society, an organisation that has been linked to baby deaths around the world after promoting labour without medical support.A number of NHS trusts are directing women who are contemplating a free birth" to a charity website that until Monday referred to FBS podcasts as a source of empowering stories" that can help British women preparing for their own birth". Continue reading...

The strikes come a day after a suicide attack on a security compound in Pakistan's Peshawar cityPakistan strikes on neighbouring Afghanistan have killed 10 people - among them nine children - a Taliban government spokesperson has said, a day after a suicide attack on a security compound in Pakistan's Peshawar city.The Pakistani invading forces bombed the house of a local civilian resident ... As a result, nine children (five boys and four girls) and one woman were martyred" in Khost province, Zabihullah Mujahid said on X. Continue reading...

Shields told SMH staff in an email that working in the role had been the honour of his life

Project aims to unlock memories and sensations for participants while creating nine-track CD, recorded at GlyndebourneOn a stage once presided over by Luciano Pavarotti, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Renee Fleming, people living with dementia are recording songs of their own composition.With the microphones of Glyndebourne opera house capturing every note, their voices rise and intertwine. Not echoing old, familiar tunes but shaping entirely new pieces expressing their feelings, hopes and fears - emotions that, when the music stops, their brains can no longer convey in mere words. Continue reading...

Victim, 17, died from stab wounds to his thigh after being attacked in Rouse Hill on Monday evening, NSW police say

Winds the biggest contributor to power outages as city saw more than 880,000 lightning strikes and 12cm diameter hail