At least 38 people, including a new mother, have died in the month after the earthquake struck, among 40,000 people living under tarpaulinAt least 38 people who survived an earthquake in Nepal have died after spending more than a month living in tents in freezing temperatures. Among the dead is a woman who gave birth two days after the earthquake struck the west of the country on 3 November.More than 40,000 people are now living under sheets of tarpaulin, according to the directorate of health for Karnali province. Continue reading...
500-year-old miniature acquired under acceptance in lieu scheme will go on display at Fitzwilliam Museum in CambridgeOne of the finest Italian Renaissance bronzes ever made, a miniature of an ancient Greek marble statue of Apollo, has been donated to the nation in lieu of a 10.5m inheritance tax bill.The Apollo Belvedere, created 500 years ago by Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi, known as Antico, will go on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, home to an outstanding collection of Renaissance and baroque bronzes. Continue reading...
Victory for former self-defense forces member Rina Gonoi after long battle for justice that challenged taboos in a male-dominated societyA Japanese court has found three former soldiers guilty of sexually assaulting a female colleague, in a victory for the victim's long battle for justice which challenged taboos in a traditional, male-dominated society.The case of 24-year-old former self-defence forces member Rina Gonoi, which has drawn international attention, relates to a 2021 incident during her time in the army when she alleges she was assaulted by three male colleagues. Continue reading...
by Amanda Meade with Australian Associated Press on (#6H2PD)
Recordings of Leon Zwier and others in Sydney bar reportedly revealed lawyer discussing how Higgins could respond to cross-examination. Zwier has denied coaching his client through her fiance
Number rose by almost 60% in a year to 49,691 stores, making China a global coffee industry powerhouse'The branded coffee chain craze may trace its roots to a single Starbucks in Seattle's Pike Place market in 1971, but now China has toppled the US as the country with the most branded coffee shops.The number of branded coffee shops in China increased by 58% over the past 12 months to a record 49,691 outlets, according to research by World Coffee Portal. That was more than 9,000 in excess of the 40,062 in the US, where the market grew by just 4%. The US had held the crown as the world's biggest coffee shop market for the entire 20-year history of the research. Continue reading...
Known by friends for his courage and monstrous stubbornness', Tusk will aim to deliver reform in the face of a divided electorate and a hostile presidentIt was the young Donald Tusk's habit, after watching or playing a game of football with friends, to make two toasts at the Pod Kasztanami bar in Gdask: the first to the fortunes of his club, Lechia Gdask, and the second to the end of komunizm" in Poland.Tusk, now 66, is unlikely to make the annual game of football that his close circle has been playing for the last 40 years, always at noon on New Year's Eve. But at the final whistle there is likely to be a tentative third toast offered - to Tusk's return as prime minister and the end of Poland's disastrous flirtation with a populism that has ploughed deep divisions in society, undermined democratic institutions and driven a wedge between Warsaw and the EU. Continue reading...
Many say Germany's historical responsibility for Nazi crimes makes it hard for people to criticise Gaza strategyLobna Shammout was initially only vaguely aware of the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October, because she had been celebrating her 40th birthday. The breaking news was crashing my phone, I thought please, not today'," the Palestinian-German said. When I finally checked ... each newsflash was worse than the one before."In the following weeks, as Israel launched an all-out assault on Gaza in retaliation for the attacks, which killed 1,200 people, Shammout has waited anxiously for news of her relatives and friends in Gaza. Some have been killed, among the estimated 15,000 Palestinians who the Hamas-run health ministry says have lost their lives. Continue reading...
Report finds reasons for opposing bail included intoxicated parents or lack of stable accommodation, with First Nations children particularly over-represented
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6H2M0)
Lords report says there is too much learning by rote and many key Tory changes should be reversedA major parliamentary report has called for an urgent overhaul of secondary education in England that would reverse many of the Conservatives' key education changes of the past decade.The House of Lords report says the education system for 11- to 16-year-olds is too focused on academic learning and written exams, resulting in too much learning by rote and not enough opportunity for pupils to pursue creative and technical subjects. Continue reading...
Researchers say astounding' inequalities are widest where risk can be cut with lifestyle changesThe risk of dying from cancer in England varies massively" depending on where a person lives, according to a study that experts say exposes astounding" health inequalities.Researchers who analysed data spanning two decades found staggering geographical differences. In the poorest areas, the risk of dying from cancer was more than 70% higher than the wealthiest areas. The findings were published in the Lancet Oncology. Continue reading...
Suffolk constabulary said two men released, but teenage female' remains in custodyTwo men arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a newborn baby in Ipswich have been released on bail. A teenage female" also arrested on suspicion of murder remains in custody for questioning, Suffolk constabulary said on Monday evening.Officers were called at about 12.35pm on Saturday to a property in Norwich Road, where the body of a newborn baby had been found outside. Paramedics also attended, but the baby was declared dead at the scene. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Andrew Sparrow (earlier) on (#6H1YZ)
Damian Green says government must stick to guns' but chair of European Research Group calls for bill to be pulled and rewrittenSunak says the PM had to balance competing interests during Covid.Only he could do that, because only he saw all the competing arguments made by different cabinet ministers.Your phone, you said, doesn't retain, and nor do you have access to, text messages at all relating to the period of the crisis.In addition, you said although on occasion you use WhatsApp to communicate around meetings and logistics and so on, you generally were only party to WhatsApp groups that were set up to deal with individual circumstances such as arrangements for calls, meetings and so on and so forth. You don't now have access to any of the WhatsApps that you did send during the time of the crisis, do you?I've changed my phone multiple times over the past few years and, as that has happened, the messages have not come across.As you said, I'm not a prolific user of WhatsApp in the first instance - primarily communication with my private office and obviously anything that was of significance through those conversations or exchanges would have been recorded officially by my civil servants as one would expect. Continue reading...
Prime minister will host emergency breakfast at No 10 after frenetic day in Westminster reminiscent of Brexit fightsRishi Sunak is engaged in a desperate lobbying push to persuade Conservative MPs to back his Rwanda bill as he hopes to avoid a defeat which could fatally undermine his authority.The prime minister will host an emergency breakfast in Downing Street with members of the rightwing New Conservative group of backbenchers on Tuesday in an effort to reassure wavering MPs. Danny Kruger, the co-chair of the New Conservatives, was one of a number of senior Tories to say on Monday that they did not support the bill in its current form. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#6H2DH)
NAHT and ASCL call on Gillian Keegan and Amanda Spielman to allow time to address concerns raised by coronerTwo unions representing school leaders in England have called for a halt to Ofsted inspections to allow time for concerns raised by the inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry to be properly addressed.The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said the decision by Ofsted to suspend inspections for just one day on Monday to bring together lead inspectors for a briefing did not go nearly far enough. Continue reading...
Emergency services called to a house in Droitwich following death of 80-year-old as man in his 40s also taken to hospitalAn 81-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after an 80-year-old woman died in Worcestershire.A man in his 40s was taken to hospital where he remains in a stable condition. Continue reading...
President to meet Joe Biden and senators, with Congress holding back support, but UK hints it will increase fundingUkraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has flown to Washington DC in an attempt to rescue a critical $61bn military aid package, while the UK separately hinted that it could increase the value of the arms, ammunition and training that it donates to Kyiv.Zelenskiy is due to meet the US president, Joe Biden, on Tuesday, as well as US senators and the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, at a time when Congress is holding up future American financial support for Kyiv's war effort. Continue reading...
Second pause may rely upon Israel proving it has captured or killed some of Hamas's senior operativesDiplomats at the annual Doha Forum conference in Qatar have said they are not expecting any reopening to Gaza ceasefire talks for some weeks and say their resumption may turn on Israel being able to point to the killing or capture of some of Hamas's key leaders as a sign that its military operation has achieved its purpose.The US believes this can be achieved as early as Christmas, but different timeframes circulate. Continue reading...
Unlikely alliance of opposition MPs deal humiliating defeat to Emmanuel Macron and Gerald DarmaninOpposition MPs have succeeded in scuppering the French government's highly controversial immigration bill by having it thrown out before any debate began.In a humiliating defeat for Emmanuel Macron, a motion to reject the law - known as the Darmanin law after the interior minister, Gerald Darmanin - was passed on Monday by five votes. Continue reading...
Northern Ireland secretary meets party leaders and increases pressure on DUP to drop power-sharing boycottUK ministers have offered Northern Ireland a financial package that they say is worth 2.5bn on condition that the Stormont executive is revived.Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, made the offer at a roundtable meeting of party leaders on Monday against a backdrop of political deadlock, budget overruns and crumbling public services. Continue reading...
Bristol jury finds Osment guilty of murdering Claire Holland after he confessed to undercover police officerA former chef has been found guilty of murdering his ex-partner more than a decade ago after he confessed the crime to an undercover police officer during an extraordinary 20-month covert operation.Darren Osment, 41, was convicted of murdering Claire Holland, who was last seen alive when she left a pub in central Bristol in June 2012, when she was 32. Continue reading...
Sixteen-year-old admits killing Brianna was her idea but says it was just fantasy'A teenage girl accused of killing Brianna Ghey cried as she described seeing her co-defendant stab Brianna around five times" in a Warrington park before they both ran away from the scene.Giving evidence at Manchester crown court on Monday, the girl admitted that killing Brianna was her idea, and that she had handwritten a murder plan - but insisted it was just fantasy". Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now); Sammy Gecsoyler (earlier) on (#6H1XA)
Vladimir Putin confirmed on Friday he will run for president in March 2024 election; Ukrainian military says 610 military shellings on town in past day
The Japanese director's animation beats The Hunger Games prequel and Godzilla Minus One on its opening weekend in the US and CanadaThe Boy and the Heron, reportedly the final film from Japanese master animator Hayao Miyazaki, has taken the number one spot at the box office on its North American release, as well as achieving record figures for the director.Preliminary box office returns report that The Boy and the Heron took $12.8m in the US and Canada on its opening weekend, putting it a significant distance ahead of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which managed $9.4m. In third place was another Japanese film, the monster movie Godzilla Minus One, on $8.3m. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6H225)
Former Ukip leader calls Rishi Sunak's Tories total shambles' in interview after finishing third in I'm a CelebrityNigel Farage has suggested he could return to politics following his appearance on I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, but dismissed the idea he could rejoin the Conservative party under Rishi Sunak.The former Ukip leader finished third in the reality television programme over the weekend after being locked in a box of snakes for his final challenge. Continue reading...
Track written by Russell T Davies is raising money for Children in Need and will feature in festive TV specialFor the first time in its 60-year history, Doctor Who is releasing an official Christmas single.The Goblin Song, written by the show's composer, Murray Gold, with lyrics by Russell T Davies, is raising money for Children in Need. Continue reading...
The legislation, blamed for a rise in violence, has been criticised by the US and described as shocking and discriminatory' by the UNCivil society groups in Uganda will meet constitutional court judges this week as they attempt to overturn the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ+ law.The law, which received overwhelming support from MPs when it was passed in March, imposes the death sentence and life imprisonment for certain homosexual acts. Continue reading...
Australia's climate minister says Cop28 summit must aim to keep 1.5C goal alive as he names Saudi Arabia as a block to agreementThe Australian climate change minister, Chris Bowen, has declared phasing out fossil fuels globally is central to Australia's push to become a renewable energy superpower, and named Saudi Arabia as a block to agreement on the issue at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai.Bowen said the most important issue at the conference was reaching an agreement that kept the goal of limiting heating to 1.5C within reach, and dealing with fossil fuels was key to that. Continue reading...
Kelly Higgins has told the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case that hearing about the alleged assault was a mother's worst nightmare'. Lehrmann has always denied the allegationBrittany Higgins' parents have given emotional testimony at the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial about how their vivacious" daughter dramatically changed and became withdrawn" and unrecognisable after she was allegedly raped.The court also heard from two federal agents who took Higgins' statement on 1 April 2019 who said Higgins gave a detailed account of the alleged assault, including that it was vaginal penile sex" and there was the smell of sex" when she woke up. Continue reading...
Heat in Australia is 15C above December average and comes as Cop28 nears endParts of south-east Australia have been experiencing extreme heat over recent days. Temperatures hit 43.5C at Sydney airport on Saturday. This was the highest temperature recorded at this station since records began in 1929, and is about 15C above the December average. Authorities have issued several bushfire warnings and banned fires across many parts of New South Wales.Temperatures will ease early this week across south and south-east Australia, but will intensify across northern, western and central parts as the week progresses. Here, temperatures could rise into the 40Cs widely by the weekend. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#6H1WF)
A public health agency report issues a stark warning: the impact of changing climate on health is proportionately negative to the most disadvantagedThe health inequalities between different ethnicities, neighbourhoods and social classes are already stark, with millions of women in the most deprived areas in England dying almost eight years earlier than those from wealthier areas.But according to the UK Health Security Agency's (UKHSA) report, these disparities will worsen as the impact the climate crisis has on health is disproportionately negative to the most disadvantaged groups. Continue reading...
by Tamsin Rose NSW state correspondent on (#6H1W3)
Jones strongly denies allegations as NSW police confirm there is no current investigation into Jones but say sex crimes squad will try to contact complainant this week
Voter turnout gap between top and bottom earners growing since 60s, says IPPR thinktankThe next election is set to be the most unequal in 60 years thanks to a rising gap in voter turnout based on age, income, class, home ownership and ethnicity, a new study has found.The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a centre-left thinktank, found that the turnout gap was negligible between social groups in the 1960s, but that it had grown by 2010 to 18 percentage points between the top set of earners - who are more likely to vote - and the bottom set. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Leonid Kuchma describes history behind Putin's attack as new edition of his 2003 book Ukraine Is Not Russia is publishedUkraine's former president Leonid Kuchma has warned that the US will lose face before the entire world" if it abandons Kyiv, and said mistakes by the west contributed to Vladimir Putin's all-out invasion last year.In his first interview with a western publication since 2015, Kuchma described Putin as a career KGB operative. It's his profession, with everything that implies," he said, adding: People say his obsession with Ukraine is a kind of mania or mental disorder. Maybe it's true." Continue reading...
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