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Veteran TV executive to replace Richard Sharp, who resigned after breaching rules over loan to Boris JohnsonThe veteran TV executive Samir Shah is set to be appointed as the next chair of the BBC.Shah, 71, who has previously served as a non-executive director at the broadcaster and was the co-author of the government's controversial racial disparities report in 2021, has been announced as the culture secretary's preferred candidate" for the three-days-a-week position, which pays a salary of 160,000. Continue reading...

Gaza's second biggest urban concentration is now being depicted as Hamas's centre of gravity'

Gen Sir Mark Carleton-Smith will support work on opportunities arising from Aukus defence pactA former head of the British army has joined a lobbying firm run by the veteran Conservative party strategist Sir Lynton Crosby as it seeks to capitalise on business deals in the defence industry.Gen Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, who until last year was one of the UK's most senior military officers, will work as an adviser at Crosby's influential Anglo-Australian consultancy, CT Group. Continue reading...

Families pushing for Hillsborough law' to outlaw police cover-ups after major incidents

Grim forecast comes after Nottingham city council became fourth authority in the past 12 months to declare insolvencyThe financial crisis engulfing English local authorities will trigger an unprecedented increase in town hall bankruptcies in the coming months, local government leaders have warned, as they prepare to increase council tax bills and impose a fresh round of cuts to services.The grim forecast, endorsed by council leaders of all political colours, comes days after Labour-run Nottingham city council issued a Section 114 notice to become the fourth authority in the past 12 months - and the eighth in six years - to declare effective insolvency. Continue reading...

Atsushi Ozawa accused of using car to kill common pigeon, which vets said died of traumatic shockTo some, they are another species of feathered friend; to others, they are rats with wings whose droppings deface historic buildings.But in Japan, pigeons may have become the victims of crime, after police arrested a Tokyo taxi driver on suspicion of deliberately driving into a flock of the birds, killing one of them. Continue reading...

Court of appeal rejects effort to overturn decision that stopped the man from suing his former partner for defamation

Ministerial staffers frequently hired in government departments and independent advice ignored, says report which takes aim at Suburban Rail Loop

Nearly a month after agreement, 78% of union's 160,000 members sign off on deal, marking end of a challenging period in HollywoodThe Sag-Aftra union has ratified its contract with Hollywood studios, nearly one month after the parties reached an agreement that put an end to the historic strike that had upended the film and television industry.Actors won pay increases, protections around the use of artificial intelligence, and streaming-based bonuses in the deal, which the union said was valued at more than $1bn and hailed for its extraordinary scope". Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. Read our full report on the latest developments in Gaza here and our report on a UN meeting to hear accounts of sexual violence committed by Hamas on 7 October here. Continue reading...

About 2.7m will have to choose between buying food or presents as cost of living crisis bitesMillions of people will have to make stark financial choices this Christmas including choosing between buying food or presents and be unable to afford to keep their homes warm through the festive season, according to new research by National Debtline.About 6.5 million people will struggle to heat their homes sufficiently this festive season, while 2.7 million will have to choose between buying food or presents, highlighting the drastic impact the cost of living crisis continues to have on household budgets. Continue reading...

Live and on-demand TV over broadband replaces BT TV as firm continues brand and service revampThe BT-owned EE is rolling out its revamped TV over broadband offering, which delivers live and on-demand services streamed to a choice of set-top boxes that includes a customised Apple TV - a first for the UK.The new IPTV service continues the firm's replacement of the BT brand with EE and ditches the aerial while still offering free-to-air and premium channels in a range of packages starting at 18 a month on top of the required EE broadband subscription. Continue reading...

20-year-old man and 16-year-old boy also injured in Hackney shootingA murder investigation has been launched after a woman died following a shooting in east London.The Metropolitan police said they were called to an incident on Vine Close in Hackney at 6.28pm on Tuesday. Continue reading...

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Air New Zealand says using the ALIA electric cargo plane to deliver parcels will help plot route towards zero-emissions passenger flights in a new age of propulsion'Parcels and letters will soon be distributed by electric aircraft between regions of New Zealand as the sparsely populated country embarks on a new age of propulsion" in its attempts to decarbonise its reliance on aviation.On Wednesday, Air New Zealand announced it had purchased a battery-powered, all-electric five seater cargo aircraft, which will be put to use running mail between airports with New Zealand's postal service from 2026. Continue reading...

Laine, who sang Go Now and co-wrote Mull of Kintyre, had suffered lung disease in recent yearsDenny Laine, the frontman of the Moody Blues who went on to huge success with Paul McCartney in Wings, has died aged 79.He had suffered lung damage caused by interstitial lung disease. My darling husband passed away peacefully early this morning," his wife, Elizabeth Hines, wrote on Instagram. I was at his bedside, holding his hand as I played his favorite Christmas songs for him ... My world will never be the same." Continue reading...

Stoppages in winter could spell disaster and 25 days of action to date have yielded only modest progressMinisters and hospital bosses were desperately hoping that junior doctors' leaders would demonstrate the same pragmatism that their consultant counterparts did last week when they agreed details of a deal that, subject to a ballot, will end their long-running pay dispute.However, those hopes proved forlorn. Junior doctors' talks with the government have collapsed. The NHS in England and all those needing its help now face the nightmare scenario of nine days of strikes in quick succession, just before and just after the holiday fortnight. The dates chosen are 20-23 December and 3-9 January. Those walkouts will come during the winter crisis when the always overstretched service is under its greatest pressure, when reports of chaotic A&Es, queues of ambulances outside hospitals and the plight of seriously ill patients unable to get care quickly often dominate news bulletins. Continue reading...

State department says Moscow turned down substantial' proposal to secure release of Evan Gershkovich and Paul WhelanRussia rejected a new proposal to free two detained Americans, the Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich and former marine Paul Whelan, the US government has said.A state department spokesman, Matthew Miller, told reporters that the US made several proposals for a deal to return the two men, including a substantial one in recent weeks". Continue reading...

Martin Griffiths says continuing offensive has ended any possibility of meaningful humanitarian operations

James Cleverly's measures are not popular with health and hospitalityJames Cleverly's package of policies, aimed at bringing about the biggest ever reduction in net migration", has provoked a widespread backlash in short-staffed sectors across the economy. Here are some of its potential implications.Health and social care Continue reading...

Davinia Douglass and Chris Huhne among claimants to receive damages from publisher of the Sun and News of the WorldA victim of the 7/7 bombing whose face became one of the defining images of the 2005 attack has received an apology and substantial damages" from the publisher of the Sun and the defunct News of the World as it seeks to clear a raft of historical phone-hacking allegations.The Murdoch-owned News UK made a number of settlements at the high court on Thursday, including agreeing to pay damages to Davinia Douglass, at times referred to as the woman in the mask". Continue reading...

Ministers have given more than 140m to Rwandan government in hope of sending asylum seekers to east Africa

Consumer rights group took action against Yelmo, which runs a nationwide cinema chainParents frazzled by entreaties for barrels of popcorn, otherwise law-abiding citizens sweating over the contraband sweets in their pockets, and anyone else sick of spending more on drinks and snacks than on cinema tickets can rest easy. If, that is, they live in certain parts of Spain.The Basque Country's consumer affairs department, Kontsumobide, has fined Yelmo, the huge Spanish cinema chain, 30,001 for refusing entry to customers who buy their food and drink outside its premises. Continue reading...

Global governments should engage with the Taliban because some in the regime support reversing the ban, says Rangina HamidiThere are many Taliban officials who would support reversing the ban on schooling for girls in Afghanistan, according to the country's last education minister before the takeover.Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has become the only country in the world where girls are banned from schooling beyond the age of 11. The group has also imposed what has been described as a policy of gender apartheid", banning women from most work and public spaces. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our European news coverage hereHere are more photos from Germany today.Train service disruptions are ongoing in areas of Germany.Even after the resumption of operations on the affected routes, it is likely that only a very limited train service will be possible due to the major weather-related restrictions.We therefore expect a very high capacity utilisation of the trains and continue to recommend postponing journeys to and from Munich. Continue reading...

National assembly votes unanimously for move to outlaw single-use e-cigarettes, or puffs'

The comedian posted a video of the shocking' amount of litter left behind after his performance in a panto, saying, You wouldn't treat your own home like that, would you?'It's behind you" is the customary cry from the audience during panto season. But the actor and comedian Jason Manford has called on theatregoers to also look beneath them - and to clean up their litter at the end of the show.After his performance in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Opera House in Manchester, Manford filmed himself walking through the theatre's stalls, pointing out spilt popcorn, crisp packets and drink containers left on the floor. Look at the bloody tip people leave," he said in the video, shared on X/Twitter with the message What's your take on litter inside a theatre? Is it audience or staff's responsibility? What dya reckon?" Continue reading...

The Great Pyrenees from Decatur, Georgia, defended his flock of sheep by killing eight coyotes and is up for a $5,000 cash prizeA heroic sheepdog who killed eight coyotes as he defended his flock of sheep from attack has been nominated for Farm Dog of the Year.Casper, a Great Pyrenees from Decatur, Georgia, performed the remarkable feat a year ago and was grieviously wounded during the fight but has since recovered. Continue reading...

Immigration minister accuses people crossing Channel in small boats of breaking into the country'

At 78, Lee becomes oldest person to top US singles chart, beating record held by Louis Armstrong since 1964Brenda Lee has smashed a series of US chart records as her perennial festive favourite Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, first released in 1958, has finally reached No 1 on the Hot 100.Written by Johnny Marks, the man behind Christmas favourites such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, the song was recorded when Lee was 13. Initially a flop, it rose to the US Top 20 in 1960 after Lee's pop career had taken off and earned her back-to-back No 1 singles earlier that year. Continue reading...

Treasurer says government committed to consider' proposals, including concessional finance to bankroll new transmission infrastructure

Cyclone Jasper, as it will be called, expected to form on Tuesday before intensifying and possibly crossing into Queensland next week

Government reveals $3.5m plan to reduce disruption but Greens say focus should be on socioeconomic and psychosocial challenges facing students

Thousands of homes will be built around eight stations, details accidentally published online by the planning department show

At the opening of parliament, lawmakers for New Zealand's Mori party used a word for Charles that can also be used to describe skin conditionsMori party MPs have departed from the traditional oath of allegiance to King Charles III at the opening of New Zealand's 54th parliament, sparking a debate about whether the Mori word they used to describe him meant Charles" or skin rash".As part of the formalities to open parliament, MPs must swear allegiance to New Zealand's head of state, something Te Pti Mori, a Mori political party, has long protested against. MPs can say the oath in either English or Te reo Mori. Continue reading...

The Reserve Bank of Australia keeps its cash rate on hold at 4.35% in line with expectations from economists after inflation continued to slow

Doctors back Australian Automobile Association push to tie road funding to publication of data in new federal-state agreement

Pro-Palestine protester held sign that read Shame Albo' at event in Sydney's west and reportedly interjected during prime minister's speech

US professors detected unusual trading activity on Tel Aviv and US stock exchanges before 7 October

Ofcom proposals will require online providers to seek proof of being over 18 to stop children accessing contentOnline pornography sites will be required to use age-checking measures to ensure users are over 18, under new guidelines.Communications watchdog Ofcom has launched a consultation under the Online Safety Act to stop children from accessing websites that display or publish pornographic content. Continue reading...

Domestic legislation also planned so parliament can assert country is a safe destination for asylum seekersJames Cleverly is travelling to Kigali to sign a new treaty with Rwanda, as Rishi Sunak responds to the UK supreme court's ruling against the policy to send people there.Domestic legislation is also planned so parliament could assert Rwanda is a safe destination for asylum seekers who arrive in Britain. Continue reading...

Attorney general signed off on AHRC's intervention in favour of the plaintiff NZYQ, provided it made clear it was doing so on its own behalf

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Estimate includes 63bn cost to people affected, 19bn cost to NHS and 15bn cost to societyBritain's weight problem costs almost 100bn a year, analysis suggests, prompting calls for a government crackdown on unhealthy food and a drive to promote fresh ingredients.The spiralling cost shows that the growing prevalence of people being overweight is an absolute public health disaster", said Henry Dimbleby, the government's former adviser on food. Continue reading...

Measures designed to cut number of migrant workers and their dependants entering UK could damage health sector, say expertsJames Cleverly has announced a package of measures designed to cut the number of migrant workers and their dependants entering Britain, making it far harder for employers to bring in overseas staff, including in the NHS and social care sector.The home secretary presented a five-point plan in which the minimum salary requirement for a skilled worker visa would rise to 38,700, while the rule allowing the most-needed professions to be hired at 20% below the going rate would be scrapped. Continue reading...

In a statement released with annual accounts, business lobby group says it has had to deal with exceptional costs'The Confederation of British Industry has said it is suffering a considerable level of financial stress" and there remains material uncertainty" that it can continue operating in the long term after sexual misconduct allegations.The scandal-hit business lobby group said it was emerging from an unprecedented situation" that had led to exceptional costs", warning there was also material uncertainty arising from the CBI's financial performance since the year end". Continue reading...

Player was charged hours before he was meant to appear for the Barbarians against Wales on 4 NovemberRugby player Api Ratuniyarawa has admitted to a series of sexual assaults committed days before he was due to play for the Barbarians in Cardiff last month.Appearing before Cardiff crown court, the 37-year-old Fiji international pleaded guilty to two charges of assault by penetration and one charge of sexual assault. Continue reading...

Israel orders people to evacuate areas marked on maps online, but move criticised as many in Gaza do not have internet access

Berkshire coroner's office hears there was one reference to managing stress given to inspectors before November 2022Ofsted inspectors were not given specific written guidance about what to do if a headteacher becomes distressed during an inspection, an inquest has heard.Ruth Perry's family have said she killed herself after a report from the schools watchdog downgraded her Caversham primary school in Reading from its highest rating to its lowest over safeguarding concerns.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...

Covid inquiry expected to be told former PM was open to military options' to obtain impounded' jabs from factory in LeidenBoris Johnson's appearance before the Covid-19 inquiry is not until Wednesday but it is already making headlines in the Netherlands amid a mixture of amusement and alarm at claims he asked for British spies to plan a raid" on a Dutch vaccine plant.The operation - according to sources who briefed Johnson's employer, the Daily Mail - would have taken place against the backdrop of a tit-for-tat row in March 2021 between the then prime minister and the EU, which was moving towards restricting exports of vaccines across the Channel. Continue reading...