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Shane Rattenbury says he still has confidence in director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold after criticism

Victim’s great-aunt tells court Hillsong founder spoke to lawyer about father’s crime but it was not reported to police

Chinese president’s three-day trip to Riyadh will lead to a ‘strategic agreement’ between the authoritarian powersXi Jinping will arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday on a long awaited visit to a regional ally that has readied full state pageantry and a round of agreements likely to cement ties between China and Saudi Arabia – and deepen alarm in Washington.China’s president will meet more than 30 heads of state and business leaders during his three-day visit to the Saudi capital, which is set to lead to a “strategic agreement” between the authoritarian powers. The trip is the culmination of decades of cooperation once based on oil sales, which has grown into bilateral trade of close to $90bn a year. Continue reading...

Chelsea Banning tweeted about being ‘upset’ when only two friends showed up to her signing. Then some of the world’s biggest authors – and Flavor Flav – stepped inWhen debut author Chelsea Banning vented on Twitter about no one showing up at her book signing, she didn’t expect that some of the world’s most famous authors, including Stephen King, Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman, would respond with tales of their own nightmare public appearances.“At my first Salem’s Lot signing, I had one customer. A fat kid who said, ‘Hey bud, do you know where there’s some Nazi books?’” King wrote to her. Continue reading...

Japanese official says corruption claims could damage Sapporo’s chances of hosting 2030 eventMore than a year after the Tokyo Olympics were held in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, their legacy has been overshadowed by a bribery scandal that threatens to derail a bid by another Japanese city to host the Winter Games.This summer, as officials in Sapporo, on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, promoted their bid for the 2030 Games, police arrested Haruyuki Takahashi, a former Tokyo Olympics executive, on suspicion of taking bribes in return for helping companies become official sponsors for last year’s event. Continue reading...

Joseph Wu backs Chinese protesters but says Beijing ‘might try to create external crisis to divert domestic attention’Taiwan’s foreign minister has backed China’s anti-Covid protesters but also expressed concerns that Beijing could seek to scapegoat Taiwan if demonstrations restarted.Joseph Wu said Taiwan stood alongside other democracies in calling for China to “respect basic human rights” regarding the extraordinary protests that spread across China last week and the swift police response to close in on those involved. Continue reading...

GDP figures show rapid economic growth across the year as Covid lockdowns were lifted, but quarterly increase came in slightly below expectations

MPs highlight big shortfalls in rural areas and warn that programme risks falling even further behindA £21bn government programme to build more affordable housing in England is missing its target by 32,000 homes with big shortfalls in rural areas, MPs have said.The affordable homes programme also risks falling further behind because Michael Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities “does not seem to have a grasp” of risks ahead including soaring construction inflation, according to the public accounts committee. A new below-inflation cap on social rent increases could also limit new building, it says. Continue reading...

Suit, filed under New York’s new one-year window for adults to file abuse claims, says NBCUniversal was complicitFive women who have long accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them early in their careers have filed the latest lawsuit against the 85-year-old comedian and this one calls NBCUniversal, a studio, and a production company complicit in the abuse.The lawsuit comes more than a year after Cosby left prison after his 2018 sexual assault conviction in Pennsylvania was overturned. This year, a Los Angeles jury awarded $500,000 to a woman who said Cosby had sexually abused her at the Playboy Mansion when she was a teenager, in 1975. Continue reading...

Police are on the hunt for Alexander Carr after a woman in her 40s was found dead on SaturdayPolice are searching for a 32-year-old man after a woman in her 40s was found dead in Sunderland.Northumbria police are appealing to the public for information in relation to the death on Brady Street, which is being treated as suspicious. Continue reading...

Crowds mass joyfully in centre of capital after 3-0 victory on penalties against Spain puts team in quarter-finalsElated Morocco fans celebrated on the streets of London on Tuesday night following their team’s triumph over Spain in the last 16 of the World Cup.Footage showed crowds of people around Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and Edgware Road chanting, dancing and waving Moroccan flags after the result. Continue reading...

Lehrmann may sue national broadcaster for defamation after it aired statement made after first trial was abandoned in full

Vice-president and former president also given lifelong ban on holding public office after being found guiltyArgentina’s vice-president and former president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, has been sentenced to six years in prison and given a lifelong ban on holding public office after being found guilty in a $1bn fraud case related to public works.Fernández de Kirchner – who was president of Argentina for two terms between 2007 and 2015 – was found guilty of fraud on Tuesday, though she is unlikely to serve any prison time soon as she has immunity due to her government roles and is expected to launch a lengthy appeals process that could take years. Continue reading...

Judge says Mohammed bin Salman entitled to sovereign immunity despite ‘credible allegations’ of involvement in journalist’s murderA US judge has dismissed a case against Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman for orchestrating the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying the crown prince was entitled to sovereign immunity despite “credible allegations” that he was involved in the murder.Judge John Bates, a US district court judge with a long history of presiding over cases involving national security, acknowledged “uneasiness” in making the decision, but said that his hands were in effect tied by the Biden administration’s recent recommendation that Prince Mohammed be given immunity. Continue reading...

Labour force move to release material about awarding of contract to PPE Medpro through humble address in Commons

Three-year investigation for King Willem-Alexander will span period from late 16th century until presentKing Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has commissioned independent research into the role of the royal family in the country’s colonial past, the Dutch government’s information service (RVD) has announced.Three Dutch historians and a human rights expert will carry out the investigation, which is set to take three years and will span the period from the late 16th century until the “post-colonial” present, the RVD said, without elaborating on the details. Continue reading...

Police tactics again in spotlight after shooting of Romany boy on eve of annual march for Alexis GrigoropoulosThousands of people have joined protests in Athens, Thessaloniki and other Greek cities to commemorate the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violence erupted over a similar incident in the north of the country.Police estimated more than 11,000 protesters had joined protests on Tuesday amid fears of renewed clashes as a Romany boy, shot in the head by an officer, fought for his life. Continue reading...

Decline of 17% at public hospitals compared with previous year attributed to restrictions during Delta and Omicron waves

Comedian who has co-hosted Channel 4 show for three series to focus on other projects including Fantasy Football LeagueMatt Lucas has announced he is stepping down from his presenting role on The Great British Bake Off.The 48-year-old comedian, who has hosted the popular Channel 4 show alongside Noel Fielding for three series, explained he was leaving as he could no longer commit to the programme’s schedule alongside his other projects, including his new hosting role on the revived comedy show Fantasy Football League. Continue reading...

Stephen Flynn, 34, who won seat in 2019, expected to seek more independence from party’s Edinburgh leadershipAn Aberdeenshire MP little known outside Scotland’s political bubble has been elected the Scottish National party’s new leader at Westminster, as the party tries to keep its independence dreams alive after a fresh vote was blocked by the supreme court.Stephen Flynn, 34, a former city councillor who only won his seat in 2019, will face Rishi Sunak at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday after beating Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss, a surprise late entry into the race, to lead the UK parliament’s third biggest bloc. Continue reading...

Accusations that the trailer uses misleading editing are the latest salvo in a bitter war between the royal couple and most UK print mediaWith just days to go until the Duke and Duchess of Sussex release their Netflix series, newspapers are turning a documentary about how the media treated the couple into a story about how the couple are treating the media.Monday’s release of a second trailer promoting the show has already led to suggestions of misleading editing, with several photos and clips taken out of context in the promotional video for the six-part show entitled Harry and Meghan. Continue reading...

Mikhailo Podolyak says pressure on Tehran from overseas and distraction of civil unrest mean helping Moscow is not a priority

Man arrested on suspicion of murdering rapper Takayo Nembhard after handing himself in to policeA teenager has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a rapper was stabbed to death at Notting Hill carnival in August.Takayo Nembhard, 21, also known by his rap name TKorStretch, died after being stabbed in Ladbroke Grove, west London, on 29 August. Continue reading...

TV Rain had relocated from Russia soon after invasion but on-air remarks by presenter were deemed to take Moscow’s side

Community members bestow name amid fears that the woman, who is believed to be Indigenous, would remain namelessThe unidentified victim of an alleged serial killer in Canada has been given the name Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman, by grieving community members, amid growing fears that a woman who is believed to be Indigenous would remain nameless.Last week, Winnipeg police charged Jeremy Skibicki in the deaths of three women. Two were named as Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26 of Long Plain First Nation, but the third woman has not been identified. Skibick had previously been charged in May in the killing of 24-year-old Rebecca Contois of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation. Continue reading...

The chain reported an almost doubling of revenues, but rail strikes are a concernEngland World Cup fever has boosted drinks sales at Marston’s pubs by 50% as the chain looks forward to a bumper festive season with Christmas bookings running ahead of pre-pandemic levels.The group, which runs 1,468 pubs across the UK, said that the combination of the World Cup and the first Christmas free of pandemic restrictions in three years has fuelled a revival for the embattled hospitality sector. Continue reading...

Almost £3m collected from July to September, as Labour takes more for first time in over a year with £4.7m

Man in his 20s arrested on suspicion of common assault during walkabout by King Charles in LutonA man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of common assault during a walkabout by King Charles in Luton town centre, Bedfordshire police said, after an egg is believed to have been thrown in the direction of the monarch.The man is being held in custody for questioning after being arrested in St George’s Square in Luton on Tuesday, Bedfordshire police said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Suedi Murekezi says lack of ID papers means he cannot leave Russian-controlled city in Ukraine

Billionaire media mogul, 91, will sit for deposition next week about claims Fox News deliberately spread falsehoods over 2020 electionA defamation lawsuit claiming Fox News purposely promoted false claims that a voting tech company rigged the 2020 election is set to reach the apex of the media empire next week when the channel’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, is scheduled to sit for a deposition.Lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems, which is suing Fox for $1.6bn, are seeking to learn what knowledge the 91-year-old billionaire might have of his company’s repeated broadcasts of the untruthful allegations. Continue reading...

CMA to deepen investigation into fuel industry after record pump prices this yearThe UK competition watchdog is to deepen a probe into fuel retailers and accused them of “rocket and feather” tactics after drivers faced record pump prices this year.The Competition and Markets Authority said it had seen “some evidence of rocket and feather behaviour” – when prices shoot up rapidly but come down slowly – this year which had not been evident in previous years, notably on diesel. Continue reading...

Three charged over stabbings of Charlie Bartolo and Kearne Solanke in south London appear at Old BaileyThree teenagers charged with the murders of 16-year-olds Charlie Bartolo and Kearne Solanke in south-east London have been remanded in custody.Hussain Bah, 18, and two boys, aged 15 and 16, spoke briefly to confirm their names as they appeared at the Old Bailey charged with both murders. Continue reading...

Relatives of teen killed by Anne Sacoolas in 2019 motorbike crash accuse US of interfering in UK justice systemThe family of Harry Dunn have said they are “horrified” after learning the US government has advised their son’s killer, Anne Sacoolas, not to attend her sentencing hearing in person.In October, Sacoolas pleaded guilty to causing the death of the 19-year-old British teenager by careless driving, and is due to be sentenced on Thursday. Continue reading...

Turkish authorities demand that insurers prove that ships heading through straits are fully covered

West Midlands fire service says more than 100 firefighters tackled blaze and homes had to be evacuatedA major incident was declared in Wolverhampton after more than 100 firefighters tackled a huge blaze that engulfed a derelict factory.Firefighters were called to the fire in the Horseley Fields area, close to a railway line and houses, shortly after 9pm on Monday. Continue reading...

Kantar finds families will spend average of £31 despite grocery prices falling for first time in 21 monthsHouseholds will typically have to spend nearly 10% more on Christmas dinner this year, despite data showing supermarket prices have dipped for the first time in nearly two years.The figures from the market research firm Kantar shows the cost of a traditional Christmas dinner for four – including frozen turkey, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and Christmas pudding – has risen to £31 this year, up 9.3% from 2021. Continue reading...

‘Perpetrators were given a kind of social licence to continue inflicting violence’, assistant police commissioner says

States would be rewarded for imposing cap on coal prices, but support not a ‘blank cheque’, treasurer Jim Chalmers says

Shelley Anne Alabaster hurled racist abuse at bike rider before pursuing him in her 4WD and striking him from behind

There have been 29 meningococcal cases in New South Wales this year, with with authorities saying it can be fatal within hours if left untreated

Hillsong church founder Brian Houston has pleaded not guilty to concealing sexual abuse by his father, who confessed to police in 1999

Greens concede seat in Melbourne’s inner-north – again – after distribution of preferences

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Exclusive: Inquest found there was ‘continuous failure to provide adequate healthcare’ to Alex BraundThe parents of a 25-year-old man left to die in a cell by a negligent prison nurse given responsibility for 800 inmates have told how the conditions in which their son died will haunt them for ever.The case – the 27th death in just five years at HMP Nottingham – was said to illustrate the desperate state of Britain’s understaffed and increasingly dangerous prison system. Continue reading...

Street personality says he still struggles with coordination and suffers headaches after Sydney CBD arrest

Submission to inquiry into Queensland Greens rent-freezing bill says family is now homeless

Alister Henskens defends his role in passing legislation, saying ‘nobody is above the law’

Leaked government advice says ITV feels prominent channel positioning irrelevant as many bypass live TVITV could abandon its commitment to make news output if the government does not pass a law to protect British television channels from streaming services, according to leaked guidance drawn up for ministers.Civil servants warned the culture secretary, Michelle Donelan, that ITV could choose to abandon its status as a public service broadcaster unless legislation is passed urgently. Continue reading...

Vulnerable families resorting to watered down formula or unsuitable food such as porridge, say campaignersVulnerable parents may be forced to resort to unsafe practices to feed their babies because of sharp increase in the cost of infant formula, charities have warned.The price of the cheapest brand of baby formula has leapt by 22%, according to analysis by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS). Continue reading...

Casper nearly gave up ghost himself but managed to slay eight of the predatorsIf anyone has earned the title of very good boy, it’s Casper, a 20-month-old Great Pyrenees from Decatur, Georgia, who single-handedly killed eight coyotes trying to prey on his owner’s sheep.Last week, a pack of 11 coyotes attacked the flock of farmer John Wierwiller, according to a report from a local television station, WAGA-TV. Casper defended the sheep furiously in a fight that left some of his skin and part of his tail torn off, Wierwiller said. Continue reading...