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Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh says Hamas is close to reaching a truce agreement" and has delivered its response to Qatari officials

Ipswich hospital to get 36 extra beds after Wayne Irving died after three-hour wait outside in ambulance

Victim's mother tells NSW court of anger towards Tyrell Edwards, 19, who crashed speeding ute and killed five high school students

Document published by high court also confirms not all 93 had convictions in Australia

Daniel Keneally, 25-year-old son of former NSW premier, convicted of making false statement that resulted in wrongful arrest

Victoria police believe pilot Stephen Gale and camera operator James Rose were still on board at time of crash near Mornington

Grant Stevens' teenage son Charlie was the 101st death on South Australian roads this year

Media mogul was accompanied by Fox News' Benjamin Hall, who was injured while covering the war, and Jerome Starkey from UK tabloid the SunThe Fox Corp chief executive, Lachlan Murdoch, has met with Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the Ukrainian capital in what Kyiv said was a very important signal" of support at a time when global media attention has shifted from the war with Russia.The media mogul, who last week took over as News Corp chairman from his father, Rupert, was accompanied by two reporters from his stable: Benjamin Hall from Fox News and Jerome Starkey from the UK tabloid Sun. Continue reading...

Judge ML Villar says totality of video and testimony' is sufficient evidence as rapper pleads not guilty to two felony countsA Los Angeles judge ruled Monday that there is enough evidence for A$AP Rocky to stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator on the streets near a Hollywood hotel in 2021.Superior court judge ML Villar made the ruling at at a preliminary hearing, after hearing roughly a day and a half of testimony from two witnesses. Rocky, who gave no visible reaction to the decision, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Continue reading...

A report by female doctors campaigning against misogyny found 174 incidents of sexism, sexual harassment and sexual assaultThere is a culture of impunity around sexual violence by healthcare staff in the NHS, with known perpetrators going unchallenged, campaigners have warned.A report by Surviving in Scrubs, a group of female doctors campaigning against misogyny in healthcare, said staff known to be perpetrators of sexual violence, who are most often senior male doctors, are tolerated or regarded as untouchable. Continue reading...

Business committee tells government it must get more investment into sector to avert declineThe UK faces the prospect of a battery gigafactory gap" that will undermine the electric car industry unless the government offers the growing sector more help, MPs on parliament's business committee have said.They said the UK had a limited window in the next three years to attract further investment into this sector" or else face the prospect of a gradual decline in the car industry and the eventual loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. Continue reading...

Tech company creates advanced new artificial intelligence team as Twitch's Emmett Shear joins OpenAI

Ministers want to spread holidays more equally to help children from disadvantaged backgroundsThe era of school summer holidays that seem to drift on for ever may be drawing to a close for the children of Wales.Welsh ministers are proposing to change the school calendar so that breaks are spread out more equally, which it believes will help children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Continue reading...

Detectives say elderly woman treated for serious injuries after alleged sexual assault at Bateau Bay facility last week

The American Book award winner was said to be heading south for the Rafah crossing when he was picked up at a checkpoint

Freed detainee Michael Spavor says he unknowingly passed intelligence to Michael Kovrig, who then told Canadian officialsA simmering diplomatic feud prompted by China's detention of two Canadian citizens has been reopened after one of the men claimed he was arrested for unknowingly passing on intelligence to Canada and its allies.The Globe and Mail reported Michael Spavor is seeking a multi-million dollar settlement from Canada's federal government, alleging he unwittingly" provided intelligence on North Korea to fellow Canadian Michael Kovrig, who then shared that information with Canada and Five Eyes allies. Continue reading...

The average amount Australians are tipping for hospitality service drops to lowest proportion of total bill in four years

Andrew Bailey warns more work to be done to bring inflation back to 2% target and further rate rises may still be necessaryUK interest rates will need to stay high for some time despite the sharp fall in the annual inflation rate, the governor of the Bank of England has warned.Andrew Bailey used a speech in London on food prices to say there was more work to do to bring inflation back to its 2% target - and there remained a risk that borrowing costs might need to increase in the coming months. Continue reading...

Since last general election, 24 MPs have faced at least a one-day suspension, says former chair of Commons standards committeeThe head of parliament's complaints watchdog has said she does not know" if the Palace of Westminster is a safe workplace for women.Thea Walton joined the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme in March with a vow to build trust in the watchdog. Continue reading...

Thomas Hand said he will not believe in any deal between Israel and Hamas until he sees his daughterThe father of a nine-year-old girl abducted by Hamas has again pleaded for her return amid growing hopes of a deal between Israel and Hamas that would see a significant number of hostages released.That'd be very great for everyone concerned on both sides," said Thomas Hand, 63. It gives me hope, but until I see her, until I'm holding her I won't believe anything. Until I see it, I won't believe it." Continue reading...

Government paper says Britain must act robustly if interests challenged by the Chinese development modelChina's growing role in international development marks a systemic global shift that will require robust challenge by Britain if its interests are threatened, a UK government white paper on aid has warned.With David Cameron starting as foreign secretary and under scrutiny for his previous business links with China, the document does not hold back in challenging the Chinese development model or its growing influence. Continue reading...

El Loco' wins landslide victory in Argentina that experts say shows scale of frustration with Peronist status quo

Sauli Niinisto calls for close cooperation on border security during visit to PolandIsrael's foreign minister, Eli Cohen, has congratulated Javier Milei and invited the new Argentinian far-right libertarian president to visit Israel to open an embassy in Jerusalem.Milei has previously said he would move the location of Argentina's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I don't care if I'll be criticized by world leaders. I truly believe that's the right thing to do," he said in a recent interview with the Times of Israel.It's obvious that Argentina needs a change. It was unacceptable that one of the most prosperous countries in the world should keep falling year after year into the same thing.I wish the new government every success and I want them to know that they can count on Madrid, where we've worked to defend freedom from day one and where we've looked after so many Argentinians who have fled, terrified, from Peronism ... Continue reading...

Voters concerned that Biden, who turns 81 on Monday, is too old for second term while Trump, 77, makes headway among key groupsAs he turned 81 on Monday, Joe Biden was presented with unwelcome gifts: more polling showing him struggling against Donald Trump, his likely opponent next year who is just three and a half years younger but whom many fewer Americans think is too old to be president.In its US Election Watch Report for November, the Morning Consult polling organisation said Trump is gaining ground among key voter segments including Black, Hispanic and young Americans. Throughout 2023, Trump has made up ground with Joe Biden in our head-to-head tracking by improving his margins" among such groups, also including independents, it said. Continue reading...

Specially built courtroom in Calabria heard evidence of ruthless tactics of Ndrangheta crime syndicateAn Italian court has convicted and sentenced more than 200 people of crimes including criminal association, extortion and bribery in what has been described as Italy's largest mafia trial in three decades.The verdicts mark the end of a three-year maxi trial" held in a high-security courtroom in the southern Calabria region built specifically to hold up to 350 defendants, accommodate 400 lawyers and hear from the 900 witnesses providing testimony against an extensive network of members belonging to the notorious Ndrangheta. Continue reading...

Youssef Mikhaiel has been granted leave to remain till April 2026 due to his exceptional circumstances'An Egyptian student who has a rare genetic disorder that cannot be treated in his home country says he now has hope for the future" after the Home Office reversed its decision to deport him.Youssef Mikhaiel, 28, who lives in Glasgow, was due to be deported in June, but the removal was postponed after a ruling at the court of session in Edinburgh. He has been granted to leave to remain until April 2026 with officials saying they would exercise discretion in view of his exceptional circumstances". Continue reading...

Government's top scientist said he was reprimanded for saying action should have been taken sooner

A much-admired MP who launched his own party in the summer is hoping for electoral success Europe live - latest updatesUsually in European elections the insurgent candidates come from the outer reaches of the political spectrum: the far left or, more often of late, the far right. This one comes solidly from the centre. He could hardly be less fringe if he tried.Days after Pieter Omtzigt, a Dutch Christian Democrat MP for 18 years, announced in August he was founding a new party to do politics differently", it was topping the polls. Two days from the vote, it is vying for the lead in the parliamentary election. Continue reading...

Colombian singer to pay 7.3m fine instead of risking prison sentence in deal that ends Barcelona trialThe Colombian pop star Shakira has reached a settlement with prosecutors to avoid a trial in Barcelona over charges she failed to pay 14.5m (12.7m) in Spanish income tax between 2012 and 2014.As part of the deal, she accepted the charges and a fine of 50% of the amount owed, more than 7.3m. Continue reading...

Prisoners in 1,485 cells in 21 prisons have to request access to facilities by ringing a bell and some use bucketsAlmost 7,000 prison cells in 50 jails in England and Wales do not have toilets, with many prisoners given buckets in case they cannotbe unlocked in time.At HMP Isle of Wight, almost half of the 1,000-plus prisoners do not have in-cell sanitation and inspectors have derided the disrespectful" practice of giving out plastic buckets to inmates, who had no means of washing their hands afterwards. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Officials fear secret courts will block climate action and divert billions into coffers of fossil fuel investorsA Jersey-based oil-refining company is suing the EU, Germany and Denmark for at least 95m over a windfall tax introduced during the Ukraine war that it sees as a pretext" for undermining fossil fuel firms, leaked documents show.Klesch Group Holdings Limited is taking action under a controversial secret court system enabled by the energy charter treaty (ECT), an agreement officials fear will stymie climate action and divert hundreds of billions of euros into the coffers of fossil fuel investors. Continue reading...

Ireland is seen as an outlier in the EU - but its sympathy for the suffering in Gaza is rooted in its own historic experienceThe video clips have pinged around the world on social media eliciting applause, anger and a puzzled question: why are Irish politicians so outspoken about Israel's bombardment of Gaza?The taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, described the assault as approaching revenge", the foreign minister, Micheal Martin, called it disproportionate" and opposition politicians went much further in calling it mass murder. Some wore the keffiyeh in parliament. Continue reading...

Kelly Bayer Rosmarin's resignation fuels speculation Optus executive and former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian could be top contender for CEO

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Agreement could involve limited ceasefire in Gaza Strip and release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails

Then-Morrison government minister's office organised for Di Sanh Duong to present novelty cheque to hospital boss, court hears

The 41 workers have spent almost 200 hours inside the tunnel as fears for their health and safety mountIndian officials have warned that 41 construction workers who have been stuck inside a collapsed tunnel for over a week could be trapped for several more days, as various rescue efforts have failed so far.Fears for the health and wellbeing of the workers continued to mount, having spent almost 200 hours confined inside the dark tunnel cavity in the state of Uttarakhand. Continue reading...

First-term MP says mediation with the party leader failed, as she seeks to return to the Liberal party room

Victory for TV celebrity-turned politician catapults South America's second-largest economy into an unpredictable futureJavier Milei, a volatile far-right libertarian who has vowed to exterminate" inflation and take a chainsaw to the state, has been elected president of Argentina, catapulting South America's number two economy into an unpredictable and potentially turbulent future.With nearly 90% of votes counted, the Mick Jagger impersonating TV celebrity-turned politician, who is often compared to Donald Trump, had secured nearly 56% of the vote compared to Massa's 44.1%. Continue reading...

Hundreds march through Keir Starmer's constituency to protest against failure to back ceasefire

British veteran actor also starred in the Hunt for Red October and the TV version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, SpyJoss Ackland: a life in picturesBritish actor Joss Ackland has died at the age of 95, his family have said in a statement.He appeared in films such as White Mischief, on TV playing CS Lewis in Shadowlands and in many stage productions including as Juan Peron in Evita. Continue reading...

Stewart, a Tory MP at the time, told activist Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei to go back to Bahrain' during row last yearA former Tory MP has said he will step down at the next general election after being found guilty of racially abusing an activist.Bob Stewart, who surrendered the Tory whip and now sits as an independent in Beckenham, south London, was found guilty of telling Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei to go back to Bahrain" during a confrontation in central London in December last year. Continue reading...

No 10 has discussed possibility of disapplying' key human rights law to emergency bill to head off legal challengesRishi Sunak is considering blocking a key human rights law to help force through plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda amid growing pressure from rightwing Conservative MPs.No 10 has discussed the possibility of disapplying" the Human Rights Act to an emergency bill in an effort to minimise legal challenges against the prime minister's key immigration policy. Ministers are aware such a proposal could face rebellions in the Commons and the Lords, which could vote down the proposals. Continue reading...

UNSW findings include sexual contact with anyone under 18, as well as online offences and consuming child sexual abuse images

Comedian and actor is understood to have been questioned under caution in south London last weekScotland Yard detectives have interviewed Russell Brand over allegations of sexual offences, it is understood.The comedian and actor is understood to have been interviewed under caution at a police station in south London last week. Continue reading...

UN agency visited al-Shifa hospital after raid by Israeli forces, who said it contained a Hamas control centreIsrael-Hamas war - live updatesDar al-Shifa, the Gaza Strip's largest hospital, has become a death zone", the World Health Organization has said, with a mass grave at the entrance and only 25 staff left to care for 291 seriously ill patients after orders from the Israeli army to evacuate the complex.The WHO managed to access the medical centre in Gaza City on Sunday after it was raided by Israeli forces earlier this week. Israel alleged the militant group Hamas used al-Shifa as a command centre, identifying it as a key target in its military operation despite international outcry. Continue reading...

Claim is by 234 players from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, including six womenDozens of England and Wales rugby union internationals are among more than 200 players taking the game's governing authorities to the high court next month over the devastating effects of repetitive head injuries amid what their lawyer described as an existential crisis" for the sport.Players including the former England hooker Steve Thompson, and Michael Lipman, who played for England from 2004 to 2008, are among 234 bringing a claim against the Rugby Football Union (RFU), World Rugby and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) in a class action. Continue reading...

Black bicorne hat is one of 20 remaining that once belonged to French emperor, who famously wore them sidewaysA two-cornered hat worn by Napoleon Bonaparte during his reign as French emperor has fetched a record 1.932m (1.69m) at an auction in Paris.The black bicorne beaver felt hat was initially estimated at 600,000-800,000. The price reached surpassed the 1.884m paid for another of Napoleon's hats in 2014, also sold by the Drouot auction house, a spokesperson for the company said. Continue reading...

Political divisions and questions over the rule of law provide more fuel for Tory internal combustionRishi Sunak's government is resembling a coalition of different rightwing factions before this week's autumn statement, rather than one united Conservative administration.Those listening to Jeremy Hunt in broadcast interviews on Sunday morning referring to the enormous challenge that we faced when we came in" to office last year might have been forgiven for thinking he and the prime minister had taken power after a general election. Continue reading...

Passengers report flights being delayed or cancelled as airport imposes air traffic control restrictionsPassengers are facing delays at Heathrow airport after strong winds and staff shortages led to air traffic control restrictions.There were reports from angry passengers on social media on Sunday who said their flights had been delayed or cancelled. Continue reading...