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Opposition leader Chris Minns says measure recommended by NSW Crime Commission needs further consideration

Maj Amjad Yousef, identified on videos as killer of dozens of people, accused of directing more mass killingsThe Syrian intelligence officer at the centre of one of the most shocking acts of the civil war – the Tadamon massacre – is still working on a military base outside Damascus and has since been accused by colleagues of directing up to a dozen more mass killings.Amjad Yousef, a major in one of Syria’s most feared intelligence units, is operating from the Kafr Sousa base, where he has been for most of the past six months since the Guardian revealed his role in shooting dead dozens of people across a death pit in Tadamon, a suburb of the Syrian capital in 2013. Continue reading...

Federal court rules University of Sydney lecturer Tim Anderson who visited Bashar al-Assad should not have been fired

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet says alleged leak may face criminal investigation

Rapper known as Ye confirms the impact of Adidas and other companies cutting ties over his hateful remarks about Jewish people

Incident has split China watchers with some saying former leader was unwell and others it was political purge by Xi JinpingAfter eight days of China’s most important political meeting, in which the autocratic leader Xi Jinping’s precedent-breaking third term was confirmed, belligerent foreign policy reaffirmed, and the leader of the world’s largest population and second-largest economy announced through the next five years, one question was on everyone’s lips: what on earth happened to Hu Jintao and where is he now?The drama happened on Saturday morning. In a short window between foreign media being allowed into Beijing’s Great Hall and the start of the final public meeting of the 20th party congress, the former Chinese leader Hu was physically removed from his seat next to his successor, Xi, and out of the Great Hall of the People. Continue reading...

Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living soldier, is seeking to defend his reputation against reports in three newspapers that he says falsely accuse him of being a war criminal. Ben Doherty reportsIn his closing submissions in Australia’s federal court in Sydney, the barrister of the country’s most decorated living soldier argued: “This trial, which has lasted over 100 days, has been called a great many things: the trial of the century, a proxy war crimes trial, and an attack on the freedom of the press. It is none of these. It is a case which has been brought because the respondents chose to defame Mr Roberts-Smith.”Ben Roberts-Smith is suing three Australian media companies for defamation, over reports he alleges wrongly portray him as a war criminal and murderer. The case has contained shocking details and extraordinary allegations. Continue reading...

Group running tournament praises Socceroos for raising awareness of human rights but does not address issue of same-sex relationships

PM says Nationals MP was ‘laughing’ as talking points show Coalition intends to argue Albanese is not ‘prime ministerial’

Force fails to follow own policy by not completing investigations into former AFL great’s complaints on time or notifying when finalised

The man who has denied he raped Brittany Higgins is facing the prospect of another trial after a juror brought academic papers on sexual assault into the jury room

DUP blocks attempt to restore government, citing mandate to boycott assembly over post-Brexit borderNorthern Ireland is on course for a snap election after a recall of the Stormont assembly failed to elect a speaker and break political deadlock.The Democratic Unionist party (DUP) blocked an attempt to revive the assembly and executive on Thursday, perpetuating paralysis and running down the clock to a midnight deadline to restore devolved government. The deadline passed without any resolution. Continue reading...

Pioneering leader receives Powerlist award, with other names listed including Michaela Coel and StormzyDame Sharon White, the first ever female chair of John Lewis Partnership, has been named the UK’s most influential black person.White topped the 2023 Powerlist, an annual list that aims to provide professional role models for young people of African and African Caribbean heritage. Other prominent black Britons on this year’s list include the actor, writer and creator of I May Destroy You, Michaela Coel, the actor and writer Sir Lenny Henry, and the rapper Stormzy. Continue reading...

Group tells members it’s important to ‘bring on side’ all opposed to republic

Draft deal includes targets and staff bonuses for tackling the number of asylum seekers in the UKRishi Sunak is aiming to reach an agreement with France to address the unprecedented number of Channel crossings by asylum seekers which could include new targets and bonuses, according to reports.Ministers and officials are expected to review a draft deal that was previously close to being signed with France, which encompasses targets for how many boats are stopped from reaching the UK and a minimum number of French officers patrolling the beaches at any one time, sources told the Times. Continue reading...

Picture of dictator along with text exalting in his seizure of power 100 years ago reportedly placed by far-right militantsNeofascist militants have hung a banner from a bridge near the Colosseum in the Italian capital to celebrate Friday’s 100th anniversary of Benito Mussolini’s march on Rome.The banner, which features a large picture of the fascist dictator wearing military uniform alongside the words “100 years after, the march continues”, appeared on the Ponte degli Annibaldi, a small elevated bridge close to Italy’s most visited cultural monument, on Thursday night. Continue reading...

Prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani leads new government, vowing to reform economy and fight corruptionIraqi lawmakers have approved a new government, ending more than a year of deadlock, but the country still faces many challenges.Prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, 52, who previously served as Iraq’s human rights minister as well as minister of labour and social affairs, will head the new government. Continue reading...

Royal College of Midwives will soon ballot English and Welsh members after below-inflation offer is rejected in ScotlandMidwives in Scotland have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over what they described as an “insulting” pay offer.More than 88% of midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) in Scotland, who are part of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), voted to strike in a turnout of 61% of eligible voters. Continue reading...

British Transport Police are hunting a man who assaulted one man at a tube station and then pushed another on to the tracks at a different stopBritish Transport Police are hunting a suspect who assaulted one man at a tube station and then pushed another on to the tracks at a different stop.At 11.50am on Thursday, the first victim was assaulted by the man at Baker Street station. Continue reading...

One minister resigned to vote against making it easier for transgender people in Scotland to change their legal sexThe Scottish National party suffered its largest backbench revolt in its 15 years in power over the vote on its bill making it easier for transgender people to change their legal sex, with one minister resigning in order to vote against the plans.The community safety minister, Ash Regan, quit, prompting Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, to accuse her of failing to raise her concerns with colleagues. Seven SNP members voted against the party whip and two abstained. Continue reading...

Comedian and campaigner tells planning inquiry retailer is failing to use landmark building imaginativelyThe comedian Griff Rhys Jones is the latest high-profile name to weigh in against Marks & Spencer’s plan to raze and redevelop its main London store, accusing the retailer of not making the most of its landmark building.Jones, who presented the BBC TV series Restoration in the 2000s, which identified significant buildings in need of repair, told an inquiry into the development of the store on Oxford Street near Marble Arch that, having shopped there, he “would venture that M&S are not using the space in a very imaginative way compared to the possibilities old buildings offer. I wonder if the ‘unsuitability’ has more to do with the desire to create a much bigger floor space and offices.” Continue reading...

Russian president addresses Valdai discussion club; Ukrainian capital to face more power outages after energy supplies hit

Prime minister is told hundreds of staff needed to review legislationRishi Sunak is considering deprioritising Jacob Rees Mogg’s controversial bill to switch off 2,400 retained EU laws covering everything from holiday pay rights to environmental protections and aircraft safety.The new prime minister has been told it would take 400 staff in the business department alone to review 300 pieces of legislation that resulted from directives, decisions and EU rules over the past 50 years, the Financial Times reported. Continue reading...

Claim of ‘greatest electoral fraud ever seen’ raises concern that far-right president is echoing Donald Trump’s playbookFears are growing that Jair Bolsonaro could refuse to accept defeat in Brazil’s crunch election this Sunday after his politician son claimed Brazil’s far-right president was the victim of “the greatest electoral fraud ever seen” amid unproven allegations of foul play.The assertion from the president’s senator son, Flávio Bolsonaro, was almost identical to language used by Donald Trump – Bolsonaro’s most prominent international backer – after he lost the 2020 US election to Joe Biden. Continue reading...

Parents notified school is closed for remainder of the school year ‘at the discretion of our founder’ in email from principalKanye West’s non-accredited private school in California will close with immediate effect, it told parents Wednesday, as controversy continues to boil following the rapper’s antisemitic comments.Parents were notified that Donda Academy would close for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year. Continue reading...

Government considering proposals so that officials could ‘quickly’ remove migrants from country if they are unsuccessfulAlbanians could be given a “bespoke route” to have their immigration cases heard upon arrival in Britain so officials can “quickly” remove them from the country if they are unsuccessful, MPs have been told.Government figures circulated earlier this year claimed about 60% of migrants making Channel crossings every day were from Albania, although officials noted the numbers fluctuate. Continue reading...

Shadow health secretary says NHS is struggling due to underinvestment, as he commits to workforce expansionThe shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, has said he will be brutally honest about the challenges in the NHS, and added it “isn’t true” that the NHS is the “envy of the world”.The Labour MP said the NHS was currently struggling enormously due to years of underinvestment and said that was reflected in the deteriorating quality of care. Continue reading...

Posters depicting King Charles signal restart of campaigning by Republic group after the death of the queenAnti-monarchy billboards are going up around England and Scotland this week in the first major push since the death of Queen Elizabeth II by activists campaigning for a republic.The launch of the billboards – each one featuring a #NotMyKing hashtag alongside a picture of King Charles – coincides with a crowdfunding appeal by the pressure group Republic, which is planning to ramp up its activities before the coronation next year. Continue reading...

RCMP looking into ‘reports of criminal activity’ surrounding facilities allegedly used to pressure Chinese nationals abroadCanada’s federal police force is investigating reports that clandestine Chinese “police stations” are operating in Toronto amid reports of a global network used to target overseas dissidents.The Royal Canada Mounted Police said it was investigating “reports of criminal activity in relation to the so-called ‘police’ stations” but did not specify the location of the sites. Continue reading...

Minister for financial services says government’s accountability regime is ‘locked and loaded’ and will not be changed

Publishing simultaneously in 16 different languages, the book is billed as ‘full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom’Prince Harry’s highly anticipated memoir, titled Spare, is to be published in January.The book was originally due to be released in late 2022, and when it was announced Harry promised it would be a “firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful”. Continue reading...

Shake-up aims to draw line under series of scandals and new £3.5bn loss at Swiss bankCredit Suisse has disclosed sweeping plans to cut 9,000 jobs and to raise billions of pounds from investors, including from the Saudi National Bank, as part of a company-wide overhaul meant to draw a line under a series of scandals and help it recover from a £3.5bn loss.The announcement follows months of speculation over the scale of change scheduled under its new boss, Ulrich Körner, who has been tasked with scaling back the investment bank and slashing more than 2.5bn Swiss francs (£2.18bn) in costs. Continue reading...

Disagreements have opened up about strategy when China is also seen as an existential threatWestern powers in the G7 group of nations are failing to coordinate their China strategies, senior western officials admit, adding that the need to do so has been given sharp impetus by Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power at this month’s Communist party congress.The G7’s poor coordination reflects a deep disagreement, also reflected within the EU, about whether dialogue and trade with China have a future if Beijing is seen as an existential threat that requires strict strategic controls on economic ties. Continue reading...

Dominic Raab, Michael Gove, Steve Barclay, Grant Shapps and Johnny Mercer are entitled to £16,876 each• UK politics live – latest news updatesRishi Sunak has rehired five ministers who are entitled to redundancy payouts after resigning from government only seven weeks ago.The new prime minister filled his cabinet with allies including Dominic Raab and Grant Shapps who were once loyal to Boris Johnson but switched to back Sunak as leader. Continue reading...

The government slush fund, which amounts to about one-fifth of the entire discretionary spending budget, has little or no oversightWhen historians write books about why so many Brazilians voted for the far-right they will justifiably focus on ideological, political and social issues. But there is another key reason why President Jair Bolsonaro is still competitive as Sunday’s run-off ballot approaches: he’s handing out billions from a government slush fund.The fund is known as the “secret budget” because there is little or no oversight over where the money goes once it is handed to lawmakers. Continue reading...

RBA will likely not pay government dividends for years until negative equity of $12.4bn is restored and built up

Teenager died on floor of Yuendumu police station as pilots allegedly argued about state of the runway

Education committee inquiry into increasing numbers of students unable to attend school follows Guardian Australia reporting on trend

Agreement between two of the largest supermarket chains in the US could also make prices increaseThe proposed $24.6bn merger of Kroger and Albertsons could have dramatic consequences for customers, including higher prices for groceries and more food deserts, experts say.The agreement between two of the largest supermarket chains in the US – which own brands such as Ralphs, Mariano’s, Fred Meyer, Safeway and Vons – would give the combined company control of nearly one-fifth of the US grocery market, with about 5,000 stores across 48 states. If the deal is approved by regulators, it is expected to close in 2024. Continue reading...

NSW premier says $550m project to boost health in border region is a ‘great example of co-operation across political lines’

Court hears juror brought in research paper on sexual assault while considering verdict. Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019

NZ government facing accusations that its response to Iran protests has been muted in order to secure release of pairTwo New Zealand influencers who were detained for nearly four months in Iran have said they are “extremely relieved” to be out of the country and back with family.Christopher “Topher” Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray were on a trip they called Expedition Earth; driving a Jeep through 70 countries to “promote environmental issues” and documenting their travels on Instagram. They disappeared in early July, shortly after they were questioned by authorities upon entering Iran. The pair are understood to have been kept in the country by security forces. Continue reading...

Advertisers trim budgets amid jitters over World Cup host’s human rights record and appearing ‘tone-deaf’ to austerityThere will be no Christmas TV advertising boom this year as jitters over associating with the World Cup host Qatar’s human rights record and the cost of living crisis put paid to the annual battle of the big-budget extravaganzas that traditionally bombard the public over the festive season.UK companies will still spend a record £9.5bn in the run-up to Christmas, known as the “golden quarter”, when many retailers make the lion’s share of their annual profits and sales, but the amount targeted at traditional TV, newspaper and radio outlets will decline this year. Continue reading...

As crises and party management problems loom, PM must act quickly to try to reverse Tories’ poor poll ratingsRishi Sunak is inheriting a hefty in-tray of issues, with several looming crises and party management problems piling up as he takes the reins as prime minister.Given he was out of government for about three months, Sunak has not been privy to some of the day-to-day issues filling ministers’ red boxes. So he will have to act quickly if he stands a chance of reversing the Conservative party’s deteriorating poll ratings, and prove he can deliver. Continue reading...

Women’s groups express concern as under just 22% of those named to new PM’s cabinet are female

Airport still has shortage of 25,000 staff and is keen to avoid disruption of summerHeathrow has said passengers may have to fly outside peak times on some days in the run-up to Christmas to avoid further travel chaos, as Europe’s busiest airport admitted it was still short of 25,000 staff to meet high demand.The airport, which this Sunday is due to lift the current cap of 100,000 passengers a day that was introduced in July as summer holiday travel descended into chaos, said it was in talks with airlines over the selective cap. Continue reading...

Minister says legalisation could set precedent for rest of Europe, though plan is still subject to EU approvalGermany wants to make it legal for adults to purchase and own up to 30g of cannabis for recreational use and to privately grow up to three plants, the country’s health minister has announced, saying the intended outcome could set a precedent for the rest of the European continent.“If this law comes to pass, it would be the most liberal project to legalise cannabis in Europe, but also the most regulated market”, the Karl Lauterbach said at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday. “It could be a model for Europe.” Continue reading...

No 10 not committing to keeping triple lock or inflation-linked benefits rise in 17 November statement

Vessels carrying at least 380 people could ask Italian authorities to disembark them in Sicily safe portTwo NGO rescue boats carrying hundreds of asylum seekers in the central Mediterranean are expected to face the first test of migration policy under Italy’s new far-right government after Rome threatened to prevent them from entering Italian waters.The Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking, operated by the NGO SOS Mediterranée, has more than 200 people onboard. The other vessel, Humanity One, flying the German flag and run by the German charity SOS Humanity, is carrying about 180. Most left Libya on small boats. Both ships could ask the Italian authorities for authorisation to disembark their passengers in a safe port in Sicily. Continue reading...