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Only 17 out of 82 companies investigated were found to use suppliers that paid cocoa farmers enough to live onLeading chocolate brands have been criticised for having inadequate" ethical standards in their cocoa supply chain in a report from Ethical Consumer. Only 17 out of 82 brands investigated by the consumer organisation were judged to use chocolate from suppliers that ensured cocoa farmers were paid enough to live on.As a result, there is a risk that Advent calendars, chocolate Santas and other Christmas treats will have been produced with child labour. About 60% of the world's cocoa comes from west Africa, and about six in 10 cocoa-growing households in Ghana are estimated to use child labour, with four in 10 in Ivory Coast. Continue reading...

Isla McNabb's ability to read back words written on an erasable tablet led her parents to contact Guinness World RecordsReading words aloud that adults scribble on an erasable tablet may not be the way many children spend their second birthdays. But it's how Isla McNabb celebrated turning two, and it put the native of Crestwood, Kentucky, on the path to become the youngest ever female member of Mensa, the world's oldest high IQ society, her parents said in a recent interview.In a conversation published on Monday, Isla's parents, Jason and Amanda McNabb, told the Guinness World Records website that they realized their daughter's intelligence should be assessed after an aunt gave her an erasable writing tablet as a second birthday present. Continue reading...

Inspectors say claims made to coroner about wellbeing training following death of Reading headteacher are nonsense'School inspectors have accused their employer, Ofsted, of misleading the court during last week's inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, the Observer can reveal.Over the past week the inquest has heard from Perry's colleagues that she looked extremely distressed and upset" and was unable to speak coherently only a few hours into the inspection. The chair of governors and two deputy headteachers at her primary school in Reading have told the coroner that there was a direct link" between the inspection and Perry's subsequent mental deterioration and death earlier this year. Continue reading...

Ex-PM will also argue when he appears before inquiry next week that his actions saved many thousands of lives, report saysBoris Johnson is reportedly expected to tell the Covid inquiry that he unquestionably made mistakes" in his handling of the pandemic.But the former prime minister will also argue that decisions he took, including ordering three lockdowns in England, ended up saving tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives", according to the Times. Continue reading...

Cancellation of meeting with Greek PM has Europeans wondering how Cameron will work with No 10The Greek foreign minister, Giorgos Gerapetritis, was attending a two-day Nato summit in Brussels on Tuesday when he received an unexpected message from the British delegation. The foreign secretary, David Cameron, was hoping the minister might be available for an unscheduled meeting. There was much to discuss on migration, as well as the relief operation in Gaza. There was one condition from the UK: that there be no cameras.Gerapetritis readily agreed, and one can only assume it took only an un-minuted raised eyebrow from Lord Cameron for the former prime minister to distance himself discreetly from Rishi Sunak's bizarre decision to cancel a scheduled Downing Street visit with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, set for 12.30pm on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Continent must have more resilient health systems and local vaccine manufacturing to prevent next pandemic, says public health bodyAfrica's leading public health body is using the first ever health day at Cop on 3 December to call for increased funding to fight the health impacts of the climate crisis on the continent and create more resilient systems to ensure it is prepared for the next pandemic.The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched the second phase of its three-year, $1.5bn Saving Lives and Livelihoods drive this week, but its director general, Dr Jean Kaseya, said multiple disease outbreaks combined with the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and recovery from Covid means that much more financial support is needed. Continue reading...

Defence minister Richard Marles and counterparts from the UK and US say new technologies will be deployed by militaries

Smaller marches will take place instead of single larger event and will be policed locallyPolice said protests are expected in around 13 boroughs" in London on Saturday after the seven-day Israel-Hamas ceasefire ended.There are no plans for any major central London demonstrations of the sort that have been seen over the past two months, but a number of smaller events are planned, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Treasury select committee highlights concerns over data privacy and increased possibility of bank runsThe idea of creating a digital pound should not even be considered until the UK government and Bank of England address concerns over data privacy and the increased risk of bank runs, a parliamentary committee has warned.MPs on the Treasury select committee said that while it was true that the rollout of a central bank digital currency could trigger fresh innovation and competition in the payments sector, serious questions remained about whether the positive effects outweighed the risks and costs. Continue reading...

Book claims it is hard to find another currently existing society' better than that in Skerries, near DublinPhilosophers have long debated the concept of the good life and whether such an exalted state exists but the reality turns out to be not so elusive: you drive north from Dublin on the M1, turn right onto the R132, take another right at Blake's Cross and keep going until you reach the sea. Then, if you have any sense, you stay put for ever because you are in Skerries.This town of 11,000 people on Ireland's east coast does not look remarkable. There is a high street, a harbour, a library, a community centre, a SuperValu supermarket, cafes, pubs, sports pitches. Residents walk their dogs, play bingo, sit on benches. Yet amid the ordinariness there is, apparently, an answer to a riddle pondered by Aristotle, Kant and Hegel: the good life? It's right here. Or at least the good enough life. Continue reading...

Danny Macklin, who left his role at AFC Wimbledon in September, went missing in EssexA former football club managing director has been found by police after he was reported missing.In a post on X, Danny Macklin said he had been found by police in Cornwall. Earlier, Essex police said its officers had been trying to find Macklin, who was last seen on foot in Great Notley near Braintree, Essex Continue reading...

A book has named Charles and Catherine as royals alleged to have discussed skin colour of Harry and Meghan's unborn sonThe royal race row that erupted more than two years ago, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey that a member of the royal family had remarked on Prince Archie's skin colour before he was born, has simmered ever since. Now it has exploded once more as the Dutch version of a new book appears to have named King Charles and the Princess of Wales as family members alleged to have made such remarks. Continue reading...

Copies of book about British monarchy changing hands on resale websites for up to 175Dutch first editions of the book Endgame, which names two members of the British royal family alleged to have discussed the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's unborn baby, are selling online for many times above the original retail price of 22.99.As parts of the British press reached fever pitch trying to find out whether the Dutch version had contained a mistranslation, or had failed to adopt final excisions or was running a strange publicity stunt, bids for a Dutch version on Marktplaats on Thursday reached 175 (150). Continue reading...

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No trains will run on East Midlands and LNER services from London to Scotland will have a limited serviceRail passengers face severe disruption this weekend as two 24-hour strikes by train drivers from different companies halt many long-distance routes.Saturday's strikes by members of the Aslef union at LNER and East Midlands kick off a series of similar actions running until Friday, while an overtime ban across all operators in England will also hit services nationwide until next weekend. The action will also affect some cross-border services into Scotland and Wales. Continue reading...

The UN's Cop28 climate conference has kicked off in Dubai this week - but one notable absence will be the US president. Joe Biden pledged to make the fight against climate breakdown one of his top priorities when he took office, and news of his absence from this year's gathering has frustrated activists.Jonathan Freedland speaks to one such activist, Jerome Foster, who in 2021 became the youngest adviser to the White House when he was asked to sit on its environmental justice advisory council Continue reading...

Russia's armed forces set to total 1.32 million after latest increase amid the continued invasion of UkraineRussian president Vladimir Putin has ordered the country's military to increase the number of troops by nearly 170,000 to a total of 1.32 million, as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine continues into its 22nd month.Putin's decree was released by the Kremlin on Friday and took force immediately. It brings the overall number of Russian military personnel to about 2.2 million, including 1.32 million troops. Continue reading...

Russia to increase size of armed forces by 170,000; Zelenskiy admits counteroffensive did not achieve desired results'

Prime minister said his family and friends were so annoyed by the habit he was forced to listen in privateRishi Sunak said that he started listening to Christmas music two weeks ago but that the move prompted so much fury from his friends and family that he resorted to enjoying the tunes in private.The prime minister, who is a fan of Michael Buble's Christmas hits and listens to the songs when he works late, talked about his enthusiasm for the festive season en route to the Cop28 summit in Dubai. Continue reading...

Congressman, who has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal fraud charges, becomes only sixth member ever expelled from US House

Former health secretary also discusses patients discharged to care homes during second day at Covid inquiry

Athens press interpret attire at Cop28 as possible backing over Parthenon sculptures after Greek PM snubbed by Rishi SunakHe may simply have been embracing his Greek ancestry, or thought it would complement his suit. But King Charles's decision to sport a tie bearing the Greek flag when he addressed Cop28 alongside the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, was bound to raise eyebrows, given the recent diplomatic spat over the Parthenon sculptures.The king, whose father was born in Corfu as a prince of Greece, may also have been taking a leaf out of his mother Queen Elizabeth II's sartorial handbook in statement dressing. Continue reading...

PM favoured a lot more punishments', Patrick Vallance wrote in diary in September 2020, three months after unlawful No 10 partyBoris Johnson pushed to punish people who aren't doing the right thing" and for massive fines" when it came to lockdown rules, the Covid-19 inquiry has heard.An extract from the diaries of the government's chief scientific adviser at the time, Sir Patrick Vallance, recorded discussions he had with the then prime minister and health secretary in September 2020, when cases, admissions and deaths had all risen. Continue reading...

Home Office unlawfully failed to issue permission to stay, court told, despite ruling that 1,600 were entitled to itThe former home secretaries Priti Patel and Suella Braverman have been accused of operating a secret policy to deny 1,600 victims of trafficking leave to remain in the UK, despite a court ruling that they were entitled to stay.A landmark high court ruling in November 2021 concluded confirmed victims of trafficking who had claimed asylum and were waiting for a decision should be automatically given permission to stay in the UK, known as discretionary leave. Continue reading...

Improvements in sustainable aquaculture and good weather conditions result in boon for consumers

Ziad, a 35-year-old Palestinian, reflects on small but precious items now lost and refuges in the conflict destroyed for ever Israel-Hamas war: live updates9am When I was young, whenever my father travelled he would come back with a small suitcase filled with bottles of perfume. It did not take me long to realise my passion for perfume and essences. I never believed that perfume is an accessory or a hygiene item; instead, it is a part of your personality and identity. No perfume is good for all: what is good on you could be horrible on another. The only exception is Chanel No 5, it fits every woman on Earth. Continue reading...

Foreign minister of Guyana condemns Venezuela president for holding referendum on country's claim to EssequiboThe foreign minister of the tiny South American nation of Guyana has said that neighbouring Venezuela is on the wrong side of history" as it risks sparking conflict over an oil-rich and long-contested swath of rainforest.Tensions between the two countries have reached unprecedented heights ahead of a referendum on Sunday intended to rubber-stamp Venezuela's claim on the region of Essequibo. Continue reading...

Beijing's strained relations with the west are less easily mollified by loans of cuddly endangered bearsAs the UK's only giant pandas leave Edinburgh zoo , returning to their native country after a 12-year sojourn away from China, the era of panda diplomacy also looks to be coming to an end.Tian Tian and Yang Guang will board the panda express back to Sichuan less than a month after three giant pandas left the Smithsonian national zoo in Washington DC, ending the zoo's five-decade panda programme. Continue reading...

Racing body will need to scramble to replace chair after Coalition and crossbench team up to try to strengthen oversight

Study covering period in late October and early November shows damage to 10 hospitals and health facilities

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Labor announces it will commit $46m towards $137m cost of upgrading Ekka showgrounds

Governor Ron DeSantis scheduled six of the country's 25 executions this year amid his presidential election bidThe US saw a rise in executions in 2023 as a result of Florida's revival of the death penalty, amid Ron DeSantis's tough on crime" campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.DeSantis scheduled six executions this year - the first time the state has judicially killed people since 2019 and the largest number in almost a decade. Florida also handed down five new death sentences this year, more than any other state. Continue reading...

Vessel was near Andalucian shore when passengers, believed to be from north Africa, were apparently pushed overboardSpanish police have opened an inquiry after four people were killed as a result of being forced out of a moving speedboat into the sea just metres from the southern shores of Andalucia.In a tactic the EU border agency has said is becoming increasingly common, the people who died on Wednesday were among 27 passengers apparently forced off the fast-moving vessel by its drivers near Camposoto beach in the province of Cadiz, officials said. Another eight were left near Sancti Petri beach. Continue reading...

Operation Maximise aims to cram' people into hotel rooms in attempt to drive down costsConcerns are mounting for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers living in accommodation provided by the Home Office as the government ramps up its Operation Maximise exercise to cram" more people into hotel rooms.A Guardian investigation has identified cases including that of a transgender man who slept on a staircase because he was afraid for his safety, and a gay man who was afraid to get undressed because of the amount of homophobic abuse he received. Continue reading...

Class-action lawsuit alleges footballer's promotion of world's largest cryptocurrency exchange was deceptive and unlawful'Cristiano Ronaldo has been hit with a class-action lawsuit seeking at least $US1bn in damages for his role in promoting cryptocurrency-related non-fungible tokens," or NFTs, issued by the beleaguered cryptocurrency exchange Binance.The lawsuit filed in federal court in the Southern District of Florida on Monday alleges the footballer's promotion of Binance was deceptive and unlawful". Continue reading...

Liam Conlon is selected for the new Beckenham and Penge constituency in the south-east of the capitalThe son of Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Sue Gray, has been selected to stand as a Labour candidate at the next general election.Liam Conlon will run to become an MP in the Beckenham and Penge constituency in south-east London in the election expected to take place in 2024. Continue reading...

The photographer's storied career included defining pictures of Marilyn Monroe, Richard Nixon and a host of dogsElliott Erwitt, the photographer of American life, political history, starlets and humor, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan, his daughter Sasha confirmed to the New York Times. He was 95.Over a remarkably varied, peripatetic career spanning more than 70 years, Erwitt captured numerous famous images, ranging from the somber (Jacqueline Kennedy clutching the flag from her husband's coffin at his funeral) to the glamorous (Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich) to the absurd (a glowing Coca-Cola machine amid a display of missiles in Alabama). Originally a photojournalist, Erwitt published more than 20 books during his lifetime and starred in numerous solo exhibitions at such institutions as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris and the Barbican in London. Continue reading...

Industry takings top 15bn as government considers curbs on online slots due to association with addictionGambling firms are raking in more money than ever from UK punters, fuelled by a surge in the use of online slot machines, which the government is considering curbing due to their association with heavy losses and addiction.The betting and gaming industry's revenues reached 15.1bn in the year to March 2023, or 10.95bn excluding the National Lottery, figures from the Gambling Commission released on Thursday show. Continue reading...

Jury hears woman's 999 call and sees CCTV footage showing teenagers walking homeThe teenagers accused of murdering Brianna Ghey, 16, were pictured on CCTV walking home together after the attack, after being disturbed at the scene by a couple walking their dogs.The two 16-year-olds, a girl and a boy, who cannot be named, ran away from Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington shortly after Brianna was stabbed 28 times on 11 February this year, Manchester crown court heard. Continue reading...

Ex-health secretary has described Boris Johnson's Downing Street as undermined by culture of fear'Tens of thousands of lives could have been saved if the UK had locked down three weeks earlier, Matt Hancock has told the Covid inquiry, as he described the operation of Boris Johnson's Downing Street as undermined by a culture of fear".The former health secretary said his staff were abused by Dominic Cummings and that Johnson's then chief adviser attempted to exclude ministers and even Johnson himself from key decisions at the start of the pandemic, hampering the government's response. Continue reading...

Michael D Higgins compares Pogues frontman's songs with perfectly crafted poems'The Irish president, Michael D Higgins, has led Ireland's tributes to Shane MacGowan, describing the Pogues frontman as one of music's greatest lyricists".After the singer's death at the age of 65, Higgins compared MacGowan's songs with perfectly crafted poems" that captured the measure of our dreams". Continue reading...

Dutch version of book pulped after king and duchess named as speculating about skin colour of Harry and Meghan's son, in pages on unconscious bias'A royal author has said an investigation is under way into how the Dutch version of his new book named two senior members of the British royal family alleged to have discussed the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's unborn son.In an edition that has now been withdrawn from bookshelves, King Charles and the Princess of Wales were named as taking part in conversations about Prince Archie before his birth, according to allegations in the book that have been broadcast on TV programmes in the UK and the Netherlands. Continue reading...

Creative director targets east Asia's luxury market as his preppy streetwear is given a tropical twistFor his first show as men's creative director of Louis Vuitton in June, Pharrell Williams closed down the Pont Neuf in Paris, and counted mega-celebrities including Beyonce and Jay-Z, and Rihanna and A$AP Rocky as guests.His second effort took place in Hong Kong and focused on local stars in the front row. The actors Zhu Yilong and Chow Yun-fat were joined by three members of the Cantopop band Mirror and the rapper Tyson Yoshi. There was also a take on celestial stars, with a light show at the end rendering the Louis Vuitton monogram in twinkling lights across the city's harbour. Continue reading...

Matthew Hedges, tortured in UAE in 2018, tells reporters and activists to take clean phones and watch who they deal withJournalists and campaigners attending the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai should not be naive" and take steps to protect their physical and digital security, a British academic who was tortured in the summit's host country has warned.Matthew Hedges, who was detained in the United Arab Emirates for seven months in 2018, advised reporters and activists to take new, clean phones, think carefully about who they deal with and how and where they protest. Continue reading...

One of the all-time great bandleaders and writer of Christmas classic Fairytale of New York, MacGowan invigorated rock with the power of Irish folk musicShane MacGowan, the lead singer and songwriter of trailblazing Celtic punk band the Pogues and one of the all-time great bandleaders, has died aged 65 following a long period of ill health. His wife Victoria Mary Clarke said: Shane will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life."In December 2022, he was hospitalised with viral encephalitis, and as a result spent several months of 2023 in intensive care. Continue reading...

Lender to ramp up cost-cutting plans after rescue deal and assess seven-days-a-week branch modelMetro Bank plans to cut about 800 jobs by the end of March, and review its famous seven-days-a-week branch model, after ramping up cost-cutting plans in the wake of last month's multimillion-pound rescue deal.The lender said plans to cut a fifth of its 4,000-strong workforce followed further evaluation of the cost base", which found it could save up to 50m a year, including by investing in automation and potentially scaling back opening hours for its 76 branches. Continue reading...

Anthony Hurndall, whose son was shot by the IDF in 2003, has called on governments to challenge Israeli claims about deaths of women and childrenWestern governments are actively encourag[ing] the killing of women and children" in Gaza, because they are not willing to challenge Israeli accounts of the war there, the father of a British peace activist killed by an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) sniper has warned.Anthony Hurndall's son, Tom Hurndall, was shot in the head in April 2003 in Rafah, while he was helping Palestinian children. Continue reading...

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Defensive weapon called a sasumata gains popular appeal after jewellery store owner uses one to fend off attackersAn employee at a jewellery shop in Tokyo has been hailed a hero after thwarting an attempted robbery and giving chase after the three suspects fled. But the hero of the hour wasn't armed with a Taser or pepper spray, but with a weapon invented hundreds of years by samurai warriors: the sasumata, a pole with two prongs attached to the end.After footage of the attempted robbery early on Sunday evening attracted attention online, an auto parts manufacturer that also makes the forked pole reported a deluge of requests for the traditional weapon. Continue reading...