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Former first minister marks 10th anniversary of legislation in Scotland with call for vigilance over polarisationThe civilised" debate that led to the legalisation of equal marriage in Scotland would not be possible 10 years on amid a global trend towards polarisation and the increasing inability to find common ground, Nicola Sturgeon has said.Sturgeon, who led the Scottish government's drive for equal marriage rights when she was deputy first minister, said she believed the outcome would probably be the same, but the nature of the debate would be much more toxic, divisive and unpleasant than it was 10 years ago". Continue reading...

Some solicitors in England and Wales are not taking on loss-making cases such as burglary amid MoJ dispute over legal aid, Law Society saysLawyers are refusing to represent people charged with certain crimes amid a crisis over solicitors' pay, with one burglary suspect turned away by 12 legal firms, the Law Society president has said.Richard Atkinson, who leads the organisation representing more than 200,000 solicitors in England and Wales, said its members lost money if they took such cases and warned that other crimes, including lower level sexual offences, also risked becoming uneconomic for practitioners. Continue reading...

Rachel Reeves wants to drive efficiency savings as part of spending review - departments are used to the challengeExperienced Whitehall officials would have been forgiven for experiencing a sense of deja vu when listening to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, this month as she laid out her plans to drive efficiencies from the civil service as part of her spending review.The previous government allowed millions of pounds of taxpayers' money to go to waste on poor value for money projects," she said, as she told departments to draw up plans for 5% efficiency savings across their budgets. Continue reading...

Almost half of those surveyed by Bristol academics said increases were necessary' to improve public servicesVoters have broadly accepted that the 40bn in tax rises in Rachel Reeves's first budget are necessary" to improve public services, despite the majority expecting to be worse off as a result, according toresearch.The chancellor announced in October a package of tax increases in order to fund investment in public services, particularly the NHS and schools - with the largest revenue-raiser a 25bn increase in employer national insurance contributions (NICs). Continue reading...

Israeli PM spoke of warm' discussion with US president-elect amid pressure from Trump camp for progress on hostage releasesBenjamin Netanyahu has said he spoke to Donald Trump over the weekend about his plans in Syria and efforts to secure the release of hostages in Gaza amid a wave of strikes in the territory.The Israeli prime minister said in an address on Sunday night: We had a very friendly, warm and important discussion. We discussed the need to complete Israel's victory and we spoke at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages." Continue reading...

Townsville bishop Timothy Harris, who provided care to families of Scott Rush and Michael Czugaj, says the path to recovery will be long

Foreign affairs department updates travel advice for Fiji to include warning about risk of methanol poisoning and drink spiking

Ukraine accuses Moscow of recklessness due to risk of ecological damage as second tanker runs agroundA Russian tanker carrying more than 4,000 tonnes of oil products has sunk in the Black Sea amid stormy conditions while a second has run aground, threatening an ecological disaster.The cargo ship Volgoneft-212 snapped in half on Sunday after being hit by a large wave. Video showed its bow end sticking vertically out of the water. The boat got into difficulties off the east coast of occupied Crimea, 5 miles (8km) from the Kerch strait, Russian media reported. Continue reading...

Benjamin Netanyahu approved plan to double Israeli population in occupied Golan Heights after night of strikes that came despite Syria rebel leader's pledge of peaceIsrael struck dozens of sites in Syria overnight with airstrikes, despite the Syrian rebel leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, saying his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group was not interested in conflict with Israel.Jolani's comments came as Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced on Sunday that he had approved a plan to expand settlement building in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Continue reading...

Muhammed Sharif goes to high court in Lahore and says safest place' for his other grandchildren is with himSara Sharif's grandfather said he will fight to keep her siblings in Pakistan, calling it the safest place for them", as a vigil was held for the murdered 10-year-old in Surrey.Muhammad Sharif said he would appeal to the high court in Pakistan to stop Sara's five siblings from being returned to the UK. Continue reading...

A woman in her 30s died on Sunday, the second fatality of the collision after a man in his 60s died at the scene

Allegations raise calls for caution in UK over bid to re-establish China linksMPs fear the government is moving too fast to re-establish UK-China relations as some consider naming the alleged spy who used his relationship with Prince Andrew to get access to the heart of the British establishmentMinisters will come under pressure this week to set a timeline to revive the foreign influence registration scheme (FIRS), which had been delayed until next year, and to put China on the enhanced category for threats. Continue reading...

Incident occurred on Friday evening as complex was about to close and the man was pronounced dead at sceneA man has died after falling from a balcony at the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham, police said.The incident occurred at the city centre site at about 9pm on Friday, just as the complex was about to close. The centre was closed after emergency services were dispatched to the scene after reports by witnesses of a man falling from an upper level. Continue reading...

Royal sources say Charles is still considering whether to ban his brother from family's Christmas Day walkThe royal family's Christmas Day walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene church in Norfolk is a longstanding tradition. But it has also become a barometer of internal pressures.So, all eyes will be on whether the Duke of York is among family members walking alongside the king and queen this Christmas after the alleged Chinese spy controversy. Continue reading...

Laila Soueif to sit outside Foreign Office over Cairo's extended detention of her British-Egyptian dissident sonA woman on hunger strike to secure the release of her son, the British-Egyptian dissident Alaa Abd el-Fattah, is to protest outside the Foreign Office each day to remind diplomats of his plight.Laila Soueif is on the 77th day of a hunger strike in which she drinks only tea and has led to her to lose 22kg. The start of her daily protest came as more than 100 MPs and peers wrote to the foreign secretary, David Lammy, expressing their alarm about Abd el-Fattah's continued imprisonment. The letter is the largest intervention by MPs about his fate since Labour came to power. Continue reading...

Asylum seekers say they are in limbo and charities have expressed deep concern' as claims paused after Assad regime's fallSyrian asylum seekers left in limbo after the home secretary said the government was pausing their claims have called the decision cruel" and urged officials to resume processing their cases.More than 700 refugee organisations, including Care4Calais and Refugee Action along with many UK-based Syrian groups, have expressed deep concern and opposition" to the pause on the 6,500 claims currently in the system, the Independent has reported. Continue reading...

Presenter will leave Sky Sports to join a revamped team including Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan for next seasonThe football presenter Kelly Cates is understood to be leaving Sky Sports to replace Gary Lineker on the BBC's Match of the Day.Cates, a popular broadcaster and the daughter of the former Liverpool footballer Kenny Dalglish, is understood to be joining a new presenting team including the Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman and the BBC sports broadcaster Gabby Logan for next season. Continue reading...

What do we know about former civil servant who some claim is regarded as a close confidante of the Duke of York?A Chinese businessman who some have claimed is regarded as a close confidante of the Duke of York lost his appeal against a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds. Known only as H6, who is he and what are his links to Prince Andrew? Continue reading...

Activist tells public inquiry Andy Coles lied about his age and manipulated her into relationship when she was 19A creepy" undercover police officer in his 30s formed a sexual relationship with a teenage activist without disclosing his true identity to her, a public inquiry has been told.The activist, known as Jessica, said the deception by Andy Coles, the undercover officer, was disgusting and gross". Continue reading...

Police investigating whether suspect had workplace dispute with firms where three of victims workedFrench police are still trying to establish the motive for five murders that were committed in the space of less than two hours near the northern port city of Dunkirk on Saturday afternoon.A man who handed himself into police later the same day, claiming to be responsible for all five fatal shootings, has no criminal record and was not known to police or the courts, prosecutors said on Sunday. Continue reading...

President delivers emotional address wearing a panama hat - so you don't see the dressing on my head'Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been discharged from hospital after spending six days recovering from emergency surgery to drain a haematoma in his brain.The announcement - made on Sunday by the medical team at the Sirio-Libanes hospital in Sao Paulo - was interrupted near the end by the president himself, who entered the room walking alongside the first lady, Rosangela da Silva, known as Janja. Continue reading...

TV channel spun off from France's Vivendi could climb to 5bn in biggest new listing in London for two yearsCanal+, the international pay-TV company and owner of the studio behind the Paddington film franchise, is to make its multibillion-pound stock market debut in London on Monday, providing a much-needed shot in the arm for the capital's stock exchange.The flotation, which the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said is a vote of confidence" in the UK's capital markets, is set to be the largest new listing in London in two years with some projecting its market value will climb to about 6bn (4.99bn). Continue reading...

Spanish PM praises Andic's great work and entrepreneurial vision' after his death in hiking accident in CataloniaTributes have been paid to Isak Andic, the billionaire founder of the Spanish high-street fashion chain Mango, after his death in a hiking accident in Catalonia on Saturday.According to media reports, Andic, who was 71, died after slipping and falling 100 metres down a ravine while hiking in the Montserrat caves near Barcelona with several family members. Continue reading...

Israeli foreign minister says move was prompted by Irish government's extreme anti-Israeli policies'Israel has announced it will close its embassy in Ireland, citing Dublin's decision last week to support a petition at the international court of justice accusing Israel of genocide".The move was announced by the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, who said it was prompted by the Irish government's extreme anti-Israeli policies", noting its decision to join the ICJ petition last week. Continue reading...

Four adults hospitalised after their Toyota was involved in crash with stolen grey SUV in SmethwickA two-year-old boy has died and two adults have been left in a critical condition after a hit-and-run involving a stolen Porsche in the West Midlands.Police said four adults and a child were taken to hospital after a collision in Smethwick shortly before 11pm on Saturday night. Continue reading...

Company tax receipts to be revised downwards for the first time since 2020, mid year budget update reveals

When asked to plead, teenager with mental age of an eight-year-old responded yeah', judge says as he sets aside Kuranda magistrate's rulingsA 14-year-old north Queensland boy with a severe intellectual disability was wrongly convicted and sentenced to nine months' detention by a magistrate who recorded guilty pleas to a series of charges, despite the child being incapable of instructing his lawyers and not verbalising a plea in court.The boy - who has an IQ of 54 - spent 136 days in custody in 2023 and was convicted of 19 offences, mostly related to breaking and entering properties.Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...

Farmers say good growing conditions will result in a bumper crop, with the average sprout 30mm in diameterIn a development likely to inspire both joy and dismay around the Christmas dinner table, farmers are forecasting Brussels sprouts will be 25% bigger this year.Good growing conditions, the introduction of new varieties, and a dose of sea air have resulted in a crop of super-sized sprouts for this festive season. Continue reading...

UK home secretary stresses need for economic cooperation, against backdrop of royal revelationsThe UK home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has admitted the government has a complex arrangement" with China because of the need for economic cooperation, against the backdrop of the exclusion of an alleged Chinese spy with links to Prince Andrew.The man - who was banned from Britain by the government on national security grounds - was invited to Andrew's birthday party and visited Buckingham Palace twice as well as St James's Palace and Windsor Castle at the invitation of the prince, according to the Times. Continue reading...

Service between Newcastle and Ashington resumes after long and challenging 300m renovation projectA previously abandoned railway line between Newcastle and Ashington has reopened, with passengers able to use the service for the first time in 60 years.The Northumberland line ran its first passenger service since 1964 on Sunday morning, leaving Newcastle at 7:57am, just after sunrise, stopping at Seaton Delaval and arriving in Ashington to cheering crowds. Continue reading...

Journalists including Marina Hyde, John Crace and Polly Toynbee took donations from generous readers during our annual charity appeal telethon Donate to our charity appeal hereGenerous Guardian and Observer readers gave 57,000 over the phones during our annual charity appeal telethon for charities supporting the victims of war and conflict, with the overall total hitting more than 500,000.A 46-strong roster of journalists including Marina Hyde, John Crace, Polly Toynbee, Zoe Williams, Gaby Hinsliff, Jonathan Freedland, Felicity Cloake, Tim Dowling and Peter Bradshaw chatted to and took donations from more than 500 readers during the eight-hour event on Saturday. Continue reading...

Home secretary says also that ministers are examining third-country processing for people arriving in the UK illegallySmall boat crossings would be thousands higher" under the Conservatives, the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, though they remain 20% higher than this time last year.But Cooper declined to say when people could expect to see the number reduce, saying only that the government was making progress on reducing the asylum backlog, accusing the previous government of having crash[ed] the asylum system". Continue reading...

Frankie Muniz, now 39, also returns as the show's eponymous protagonist in four new episodes for Disney+It's been nearly 25 years since audiences first heard the now-familiar shout Malcolm!" from the actors Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek, but they are back with a new series of Malcolm in the Middle.The pair, who played the chaotic parents of the eponymous Malcolm, reprised their catchphrase in a video posted on social media on Friday announcing that the show would be returning with its original cast. Continue reading...

Report comes day after MPs voted to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who faces possible charges of insurrectionSouth Korea's conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has reportedly failed to obey a summons from prosecutors investigating him on charges including insurrection as he faces impeachment after declaring martial law.Yoon, who was sent a summons on Wednesday requesting him to appear for questioning at 10am local time on Sunday, did not show up, according to the Yonhap news agency. Yoon and other senior officials are being investigated on possible charges of insurrection, abuse of authority and obstructing people from exercising their rights. Continue reading...

Met police says two men were also injured during incident in Brent, and one remains in critical conditionA woman has died after a shooting in Brent, north-west London, on Saturday night.The Metropolitan police said two men, both in their 30s, were also injured, with one taken to hospital where he remained in a critical condition. The other man suffered non-life threatening injuries. Continue reading...

Campaigners in England and Wales fear rising bills will make water unaffordable and that companies should step up supportWater companies should spend more on helping vulnerable customers, according to consumer groups, as households in England and Wales brace for steep bill increases to be announced this week.The water regulator, Ofwat, is due to reveal on Thursday how much water bills will rise over the five years from next April. The industry is asking for permission to charge billions of pounds more to pay for upgrades but also to recoup financial returns for its investors. Continue reading...

The Australians were arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle heroin out of the Indonesian resort island

Week-long Olympics of the mind' next summer will showcase cutting-edge film, gigs, talks and much moreBarack Obama, Johnny Cash, Matthew McConaughey, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerburg have all taken a turn at addressing its crowds, but now the Texan culture and tech festival that likes to predict the future is to become a bona fide East Ender.The European edition of South by Southwest has opened to applications from contributors and audiences around the world before its inaugural London event next summer. Continue reading...

Lee Jae-myung, the opposition leader, offers to work with the government of Han Duck-soo, the acting president after impeachment of Yoon Suk YeolSouth Korea's opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, has offered to work with the government to ease political tumult as officials sought to reassure allies and markets - a day after the opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach the conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, over a short-lived attempt to impose martial law.South Korea's central bank vowed on Sunday vowed to keep markets stable, while the South Korean financial regulator said it would expand market-stabilising funds if necessary. Continue reading...

Observer investigation into London school has sparked an inquiry into allegations that teachers harmed mental wellbeing of childrenA school in one of England's leading academy trusts is to face an independent safeguarding review after an Observer investigation exposed allegations of emotional abuse of children over two decades.After an emergency multi-agency meeting on Tuesday, Jim Gamble, the independent child safeguarding commissioner for Hackney in east London, confirmed on Friday that he had launched a local child safeguarding practice review - normally reserved for serious individual cases of child abuse or neglect - into Mossbourne Victoria Park academy (MVPA). Continue reading...

US, Turkey, EU and Arab envoys meeting in Jordan call for inclusive and non-sectarian' government after Islamist group ousted Bashar al-Assad's regimeAntony Blinken said the US had made direct contact" with Syria's victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels as western and Arab states along with Turkey jointly voiced support for a united, peaceful Syria.The US secretary of state's comment is despite Washington having designated the HTS rebels as terrorists in 2018. Continue reading...

Scott Rush, Matthew Norman, Si-Yi Chen, Martin Stephens and Michael Czugaj returned from Indonesia on Sunday, Anthony Albanese confirms

Lush and Gymshark among chains using apps promoted by TikTok influencers to take on gig economy assistants lacking basic protections, say unionsUnions have accused high-street retailers of drafting in young gig economy store assistants without basic employment rights in the run-up to Christmas.The Observer has found large brands, including Urban Outfitters, Lush, Gymshark and Uniqlo, are recruiting freelance" shop assistants through gig apps to staff their stores during the busy festive period. Continue reading...

Cities to swelter through 41C heat on Monday as BoM issues extreme heatwave warnings for NT and northern Queensland

As they confront a marauding Trump, trade tensions with China and their own upheavals, the bloc's two biggest countries are at a crossroadsWhen France and Germany advance, all Europe advances. When they don't, it grinds to a halt" was how former French president Jacques Chirac put it almost a quarter of a century ago at one of the periodic love-ins between the EU's two biggest member states.So what would Chirac, who died in 2019, make of the current condition of the famed Franco-German engine which, since the bloc's inception, has powered so much of the postwar European project? It looks not so much faltering as comprehensively bust. Continue reading...

This blog is now closedAn extra $1.8bn in payments to veterans will be included in the mid-year budget update, with the federal government saying the additional funds explain a slippage" in the budget since May.It said the need to take decisive action" to clear a backlog" of 42,000 veterans' claims would put more pressure on government coffers, given $6.5bn was already included in the 2024-25 budget to deal with the issue.We're doing the right thing by our veterans and that will have an impact on the budget.Supporting those who served our country is our responsibility. We're paying veterans what they're entitled to.John Howard introduced the moratorium on nuclear energy because it doesn't make any sense here. And last term, Peter Dutton, Barnaby Joyce, Angus Taylor, are all on the record with quotes saying, It's too costly, it takes too long, and it's a distraction from what Australia needs.'They, in their own words, wrote this off. What you have here is a National party tail wagging the Coalition dog, and Peter Dutton being too weak to stand up to the ideologues who dominate the Coalition, too weak to stand up to them and say, No, this does not make sense for Australia" ... Continue reading...

NSW premier says vandalism aimed at particular religions is designed to incite hatred and completely abhorrent'

Federal treasurer also reveals mid-year budget update out this week will show bigger deficits than May papers

Campaigners fear lives could be put at risk as government sets record number of deportationsThe government has announced that it has deported almost 13,500 people since coming to power, something ministers say proves their tough approach towards migrants but which human rights campaigners have warned could put lives at risk.The government says it is on track to deliver the highest number of returns for five years and includes the four biggest return flights ever. Continue reading...

First Bus vehicle struck a railway bridge in Cook Street on the outskirts of the city at about 6pm on SaturdayEight people have been injured, including one who is in a critical condition, after a doubledecker bus hit a railway bridge on the outskirts of Glasgow, police said.Five people were being treated in hospital and three were assessed and released after the incident on Saturday in Cook Street. Continue reading...