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Anthony Albanese open to extending the sitting calendar to debate bills on industrial relations and an anti-corruption commission

Gareth Swarbrick fired four days after coroner found two-year-old Awaab died because of ‘chronic exposure’ to mouldThe boss of the social housing landlord of the mouldy flat that killed Awaab Ishak has been sacked, following days of growing pressure from the two-year-old’s family, ministers and MPs.Gareth Swarbrick, who on Thursday issued a defiant statement refusing to quit, was fired on Saturday by the board of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing. Continue reading...

Airstrikes reported against towns including Kobane, held by Kurdish militia opposed by TurkeyTurkish airstrikes hit several towns across northern Syria, including the city of Kobane late on Saturday, Kurdish-led forces and a Britain-based monitoring group have said.The attacks come days after Ankara blamed the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) for last Sunday’s deadly bombing in central Istanbul. Continue reading...

Emergency services called to Logan’s Meadow, a reserve near River Cam, after teenager was stabbed, but unable to save himA 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in a “targeted attack” in Cambridge on Saturday. Police were called to the scene by the ambulance service after a boy was stabbed at about 2.52pm near Logan’s Meadow, a small reserve next to the River Cam.Despite the efforts of emergency workers, the teenager was declared dead at 2.56pm, Cambridgeshire constabulary said. A murder investigation has been launched. Continue reading...

Failure of one coalition to achieve simple majority in election could bring further political inertia as country faces slowing growth and rising inflationMalaysia was facing a hung parliament for the first time in its history as support for a conservative Islamic alliance prevented major coalitions from winning a simple majority in a general election.Without a clear winner, political uncertainty could persist as Malaysia faces slowing economic growth and rising inflation. It has had three prime ministers in as many years. Continue reading...

The chancellor’s extra billions for healthcare will equate only to a real-term rise of 1.2%Health spending over the next two years will grow less than during the austerity era of the last decade, according to a new analysis of the autumn statement.The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, a former health secretary who previously campaigned for greater resources from the backbenches, announced last week that the NHS would receive an extra £3.3bn in each of the next two years. With severe pressures growing on the service, he said it would be one of his “key priorities”. Continue reading...

Home Office confirms person who arrived in UK on small boat a week ago was taken ill and later diedA man who arrived in the UK on a small boat a week ago and was being processed at Manston has died, the Home Office said on Saturday. He became ill while at the Kent detention site and was taken to hospital, but later died.It is understood that he arrived on 12 November and was taken ill on Friday evening. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Labour leader plans a new elected chamber after accusing successive Tory governments of handing peerages to ‘lackeys and donors’Keir Starmer will abolish the House of Lords and replace it with a new elected chamber as part of plans to “restore trust in politics”, the Observer understands.In a sweeping constitutional overhaul, the Labour leader has told the party’s peers that he wants to strip politicians of the power to make appointments to the Lords as part of the first-term programme of a Labour government. Starmer said that the public’s faith in the political system had been undermined by successive Tory leaders handing peerages to “lackeys and donors”. Continue reading...

The party has spent three times more than the Liberals on political advertising on the platform

Clear winner from three main contenders looks unlikely in first election since voting age lowered to 18Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim took a narrow lead in Saturday’s general election, though he and his main contenders were far short of a simple majority needed to form the government, early results from the election commission showed.The former premier Muhyiddin Yassin took an early close second, while the ruling coalition of the prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, put up the weakest showing among the three main contenders, losing ground in traditional strongholds, the results showed. Continue reading...

Opposition to Russian aggression has helped Poles and Ukrainians put bitter 20th-century history behind themPatriot missiles ring the airport in the Polish border city of Rzeszów, and US troops have taken over the Holiday Inn opposite the terminal. On its runway, once the preserve of budget carriers, private jets are lined up beside cargo planes crammed with weapons.The bristling circle of military protection, set up hastily in early spring as the historic town became the world’s gateway to the war in Ukraine, is both a shield and a constant reminder of the conflict on its doorstep. Continue reading...

UK prime minister makes first visit to Ukraine since taking powerMykhailo Podolyak, a political adviser to the Ukrainian president, has dismissed “conspiracy theories” about his country surrendering.“Ukraine will not kneel to Russians,” Podolyak wrote on Twitter.It is not a matter of politics. It is a matter of our existence.This is important for Russia as debt issuance is a key mechanism to sustain defence spending, which has increased significantly since the invasion of Ukraine.Debt issuance is expensive during periods of uncertainty. The size of this auction highly likely indicates the Russian Ministry of Finance perceives current conditions as relatively favourable but is anticipating an increasingly uncertain fiscal environment over the next year. Continue reading...

Florence + the Machine singer took a tumble during a performance at the O2 Arena in LondonFlorence + the Machine has cancelled its tour after lead singer Florence Welch broke her foot on stage on Friday night.Welch took a tumble during a performance at the O2 Arena in London, which was the first gig in England on the Dance Fever tour. Continue reading...

Persian language channel said threats to journalists had escalated in response to coverage of protestsArmed vehicles have been deployed outside the Iran International television studios in London after two of its journalists were threatened by Tehran, the channel said.There were about seven vehicles outside the studio in Chiswick Park, west London, after “severe and credible” threats were recently made against two of the UK-based channel’s journalists, one of its spokesmen told AFP. Continue reading...

Analysis of ONS figures suggests average woman’s salary has fallen from £30,250 in 2010 to £29,680 todayWomen are £570 a year worse off than they were before the Conservatives came into power 12 years ago and the autumn statement will leave them even worse off, Labour has claimed.Citing analysis of ONS figures, Labour said that in real terms, the median full-time female worker’s salary has fallen from the equivalent of £30,250 in April 2010 to £29,680. Continue reading...

LGBTQ+ activists call on fans to boycott games or use social media to highlight human rights abusesPeter Tatchell has warned Qatar that the world’s eyes will be on the country during the World Cup, as protesters gathered outside its embassy in London to highlight the dangers faced by LGBTQ+ people, women and migrant workers.Tatchell said t was “outrageous” that figures including David Beckham were promoting Qatar and the tournament, in effect asking fans to ignore human rights abuses and the country’s record on LGBTQ+ issues. Continue reading...

Seriously injured victim airlifted to hospital after escaped animal went on rampage in Carmarthenshire villageAn elderly man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after being attacked and trampled by an “dangerously out-of-control” cow, police said.Dyfed-Powys police received reports that the cow had escaped from Whitland Mart in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Continue reading...

Charity warns of ‘significant risk’ that those on old prepayment meters will be unable to redeem vouchers offering £400 discountThe poorest and most vulnerable people in the UK risk missing out on the energy bill support and cost of living payments they are entitled to, because of a lack of clarity over what is available from the government and how to get it, charities have warned.Under the energy bills support scheme announced by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor, all households are eligible for a £400 energy bill discount, paid across six instalments starting last month. Continue reading...

Singer thanks fans for ‘coming back to me’ and says she has never been so nervous as she launches residencyThe nerves were all part of the show when Adele launched her long-awaited Vegas residency on Friday night. After the notorious rescheduling of her dates at just one day’s notice in January, it was never going to be possible to ignore the high stakes – even in a town built on colossal bets.“I’m so nervous and I’m so scared and I’m so happy,” she said. “It might be a bit wobbly at times because my nerves are out of control … It’s a bloody massive week for me this week. It’s the Walking Dead finale on Sunday!” In an Instagram post on Thursday night, she wrote that she had “never been more nervous before a show”. Continue reading...

Prime minister promises Ukrainian president sustained UK support as Russian strikes target power grid

At least 27 people died when their dinghy capsized in November 2021, but the UK investigation has yet to talk to their relativesA UK investigation into the drowning of at least 27 people trying to cross the Channel in a small boat has yet to contact most of the victims’ families 12 months after the tragedy, the Observer can reveal.The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has not yet been in touch with the majority of the families despite legal sources claiming it has all their contact details, prompting accusations that the inquiry’s progress is “dehumanising” the dead. Continue reading...

Cuban American, who started recording career at 90 after decades of performing for family and friends, says ‘it’s never too late’Don’t ever tell Angela Álvarez it’s too late for dreams to come true – the 95-year-old just brought home a Latin Grammy for best new artist, becoming the award show’s eldest winner ever.The Cuban American musician’s crowning moment came after decades of writing songs but performing them only for friends and family – until, at the age of 90, she went to the Avalon, the historic Hollywood nightclub, and gave her first concert. Continue reading...

Experts attack claim that 90,000 pupils would be forced into state schools by tax change that Labour says could fund thousands of extra teachersEducation experts have slammed Jeremy Hunt’s use of data from the leading private school lobby group to justify his decision not to raise £1.7bn by adding VAT to school fees.Delivering his autumn statement on Thursday, the chancellor took a swipe at Labour’s policy of boosting funding for struggling state schools by ending tax breaks for private schools, saying he would be “practical” instead of being “ideological”. Referring to “certain estimates” that this would result in up to 90,000 private school pupils switching to state schools, he failed to mention that this statistic came from a 2018 report by the Independent Schools Council lobby group. Continue reading...

Woman seen in river in Aberdeenshire on Friday after heavy rain and winds hit Scotland and north-east EnglandA search has resumed for a woman who was reported swept into the River Don in Aberdeenshire after heavy rain and winds hit eastern Scotland and north-east England.Police Scotland and HM Coastguard resumed their search on Saturday morning near Monymusk after reports of someone getting into difficulty in the river on Friday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: lessons from the death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale ignored, say experts, as environmental health inspectors told to focus on lifestyleThousands of renters could be blamed for toxic black mould and other potentially deadly hazards under a government overhaul of the housing enforcement system.Leaked documents seen by the Observer suggest councils inspecting rented properties will be formally instructed to examine residents’ behaviour when deciding whether to take action against landlords over dangerous conditions. Continue reading...

Glendinning, working on refinery and held over alleged debt, was reunited with family on SaturdayA man who was held in an Iraqi jail over an unpaid debt had an emotional reunion with his family when he returned to Scotland.Brian Glendinning, 43, arrived at Edinburgh airport on Saturday after being held in a prison in Iraq. Continue reading...

Ministers will only appear on shows like BBC Radio 4’s Today and ITV’s GMB three times a week under PM’s plansRishi Sunak will reportedly usher in a new approach by reducing the number of appearances by government ministers on TV and radio breakfast news.Under the new approach, first reported by the Daily Mirror, ministers will be offered to broadcasters just three mornings a week, only appearing when there is an “announcement” or new government policy to cover. Continue reading...

Experts say the approval of new infrastructure in geologically vulnerable areas is endangering the lives of residentsJomary Ortega lives in Ciales, a town located in Puerto Rico’s central mountain range. To get to work and take her daughter to school, she takes PR-146, a highway built on land susceptible to landslides, resulting in a treacherous commute for locals.But after Hurricane Fiona made landfall on the island in September, Ortega says that much of the highway slid away, or was subsumed by tumbling rocks and mud. “I feared that the road would slide more and I would be a victim – and who would take care of my children?” Ortega said. Continue reading...

Mark Rowley reveals one in 10 officers are not fully deployed due to worries over their performance or health issuesThe chief of Britain’s largest police force has called for greater powers to sack racist, sexist and failing officers, as he revealed that one in 10 cannot do their jobs properly due to problems with health and performance.Sir Mark Rowley, who started as Metropolitan police commissioner in September, said bureaucracy was making it difficult to dismiss officers who were falling short of expectations and called on the government to change regulations to make the process easier. Continue reading...

Legal experts say bill, which threatens key workers’ rights, is reckless and badly designedThe government will face attempts to delay the deletion of up to 4,000 EU laws from UK statute books and stop the scrapping of key workers’ rights, with opposition parties set to table dozens of amendments next week.The Scottish National party is planning to table about 50 amendments to the retained EU law (revocation and reform) bill, which has been described as “reckless” by legal experts who say it is badly designed and gives unprecedented powers to ministers to personally decide which laws stay and which go. Continue reading...

Raab allegedly allowed only a handful of senior staff to engage with him near the final stages of the operationDominic Raab’s refusal to speak to some Foreign Office staff he considered “time-wasters” led to “blockages” during the Afghanistan evacuation, with staff at two departments he ran forced to take sick leave because of his alleged behaviour, sources have told the Guardian.New claims emerged about the deputy prime minister’s conduct compounding the chaotic exit of British forces during the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021, which officials warned had been “costly” and caused “long-lasting” damage. Continue reading...

Australian PM says he used meetings on sidelines of summits this week to talk about commercial openings in green energy

Matthew Guy announces Renee Heath will not sit in party room following newspaper investigation into City Builders Church

Men held after improvised explosive device damaged police vehicle in Strabane, County Tyrone, on ThursdayPolice in Northern Ireland have arrested three men after the apparent attempted murder of two officers in a bomb attack on Thursday night.A suspected improvised explosive device damaged a police vehicle in the town of Strabane in County Tyrone about 11pm. The two officers escaped unharmed. Continue reading...

Kyiv could face ‘complete shutdown’ of power amid crippled Ukrainian grid; hundreds of Ukrainians disappeared in Kherson, say war crime researchers

New Zealand government statement says PM also asked president of China to help address North Korea tensions and Ukraine crisisJacinda Ardern has spoken with Xi Jinping about cooperation between New Zealand and China, while also raising areas of tension and warning that international norms that had benefited the two countries were “being tested”.The New Zealand prime minister and the Chinese president met for about 50 minutes – running over the scheduled half hour – on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Bangkok. It was their first in-person meeting since 2019. Continue reading...

Flooding shuts schools and disrupts travel, with severe weather warnings in place and ‘highest risk to riverside communities’Police Scotland have “stood down” searches for a woman who was swept into the River Don near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire on Friday as heavy rain continued to batter much of eastern Scotland.The force said in a statement late on Friday evening: “Around 3.05pm on Friday, November 18, police were called to the River Don near to Monymusk following a report of concern for a woman in the water. Continue reading...

Loose Women presenter got the fewest votes on Friday night and follows Olivia Attwood, who left for medical reasons, out of the showCharlene White has become the first contestant to be eliminated from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! after a public vote.The Loose Women presenter accrued the fewest votes on Friday night after 14 days in camp. Continue reading...

Private school sanctions a number of boys after investigation into misogynistic language and racial slursEton College has apologised and “sanctioned” a number of pupils after allegations that a group of girls visiting from a nearby state school were subjected to misogynistic language, racial slurs and jeering.The boys’ private school near Windsor, Berkshire, told the BBC that an investigation took place into the incident which occurred during a speech by Nigel Farage last week. Continue reading...

Six federal highways blocked on Friday as far-right president has still not conceded defeat in last month’s runoff electionProtesters in Brazil have blocked roads again and lorry drivers threatened to strike in what could be a new wave of support for the outgoing president, Jair Bolsonaro.Six federal highways were blocked on Friday morning although two were cleared by early afternoon, the federal highway police said in its first bulletin on road closures since 9 November when the first wave of post-election protests dissipated. Continue reading...

Social media images show what is now a museum commemorating the Islamic Republic founder ablaze as protests continueProtesters in Iran have set on fire the ancestral home of the Islamic republic’s founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as two months of anti-regime demonstrations show no let up.The house in the city of Khomein in the western Markazi province was shown ablaze late on Thursday with crowds of jubilant protesters marching past, according to images posted on social media, verified by AFP. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can read more of our coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereThe Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency has reported that a school was struck by Ukrainian fire in the occupied region of Donetsk, one of the areas of Ukraine that the Russian Federation claims to have annexed.It quotes the Russian-imposed mayor of Donetsk Aleksey Kulemin saying that 10 shells were fired at the central districts of the city, two of which landed in close proximity to the school. The report states that:According to local residents, there were about five hits. Due to the fact that the shelling took place during the curfew, there were no casualties. The windows were broken, the walls in the school building were cut with shrapnel. Continue reading...

Focus group in greater Manchester perceived Tory leaders as self-serving after autumn statementRishi Sunak is “out of touch with reality” and “absolutely not” on the side of the working class, voters in the “red wall” seat of Leigh told the Guardian after the first autumn statement of his premiership.The prime minister and the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, spent the days leading up to Thursday claiming those with the broadest shoulders would pay their fair share. Jeremy Hunt repeated the mantra “Britain is a compassionate country”, and pledged to protect the most vulnerable in society amid the worst fall in living standards on record. Continue reading...

EU agrees to loss and damage fund to help poor countries and activists interrupting proceedings lose their passesThe biggest news of the day broke on Friday morning, with the announcement that the EU would agree to a loss and damage fund to help poor countries with climate disasters.The climate summit will run until Saturday, according to Agence France-Presse. This is not really a surprise to anyone.Youth activists staged a Friday climate strike to mark the last formal day of negotiations. Meanwhile during the talks, Nakeeyat Dramani, a 10-year-old Ghanaian climate activist, asked delegates to “have a heart”.Elsewhere the activists who interrupted the US president, Joe Biden, lost their summit passes, as did the Ukrainian protester who spoke out at a Russian press conference.A surprisingly large number of gas deals were struck at the summit, with more than a dozen set up.And Desmog crunched the numbers and found that representatives from big agriculture more than doubled at Cop27. Continue reading...

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing boss Gareth Swarbrick under growing pressure to quit after death of two-year-old due to mouldThe future of the landlord of the mould-infested Rochdale flat that killed Awaab Ishak appears in severe doubt after the two-year-old’s parents were compelled to issue a statement demanding “accountability” after Gareth Swarbrick refused to quit.Swarbrick, the chief executive of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), a social landlord, said late on Thursday “I will not be resigning”, despite a call in parliament for him to stand down and the launch of an investigation into potential “systemic failures” at the organisation. Continue reading...

Oliver Lewin wanted ‘widespread coordinated attacks’ on infrastructure, prosecution saysA terror suspect plotted to “topple the government” by attacking major communications infrastructure, a court has heard.Oliver Lewin is accused of carrying out reconnaissance of potential targets, purchasing equipment and tools, digging hideouts and seeking to recruit others. Continue reading...

Business rates revaluation likely to hit hospitals and colleges, while big banks and department stores such as Harrods benefitHospitals, colleges and fire stations are likely to face 15%-20% rises in property tax next year while big banks, including the Bank of England, and department stores such as Harrods will see their bills fall.The government on Thursday released details of a revaluation of properties across England and Wales for the calculation of business rates, with many public buildings expected to be among the losers and those in big offices, the largest retail properties and historic hotels among the winners. Continue reading...

Family accuses force of ‘appalling’ failure to protect Raneem Oudeh and Khaola Saleem, killed by Oudeh’s abusive former partnerPolice failings “materially contributed” to the deaths of a 22-year-old woman and her mother who were murdered by the daughter’s abusive former partner, an inquest has found.Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, 49, were stabbed to death by Oudeh’s estranged husband, Janbaz Tarin, in August 2018, after he had subjected her to stalking, domestic violence and coercive control for more than a year. Continue reading...

Campaigners hope agreement will change military norms, though it was not endorsed by countries including Russia, Israel and ChinaEighty countries led by the US, UK and France have signed a declaration in Dublin pledging to refrain from urban bombing, the first time countries have agreed to curb the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.The international agreement is a product of more than three years of negotiation – predating the war in Ukraine – but was not endorsed by several major military powers, including Russia, China, Israel and India. Continue reading...

PM returns from G20 summit to face difficult economic circumstances that will soon become challenging political onesOn the tropical island of Bali, Rishi Sunak has been enjoying a honeymoon as a global statesman at the G20. He struck up a bromance with Canada’s Justin Trudeau and managed a crucial first bilateral talk with US president, Joe Biden. The only major hiccup was a missed encounter with China’s president, Xi Jinping, as he attempted to reset relations after a period of extended frost.But back home, the climate of domestic politics is decidedly chillier, with little sign Sunak is enjoying much of the bounce in the polls new prime ministers used to expect. Continue reading...