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Senior judge quoted by the Times says biggest concern' over guidance is those convicted of sexual assault likely to stay on bailJudges have been told to delay the sentencing of convicted criminals currently on bail - including rapists and burglars - because prisons are full, the Guardian understands.The guidance reportedly came from the senior presiding judge for England and Wales, Lord Justice Edis, on a private call with senior crown court judges. Continue reading...

Republican South Carolina congresswoman refuses to support Steve Scalise, party's choice for US House speakerA Republican opposing Steve Scalise, the party's pick for US House speaker, claimed Democrats trusted Jim Jordan, the hard-right Ohioan Scalise defeated in an internal vote on Wednesday.I think Jim Jordan is not out of the mix," Nancy Mace of South Carolina told CNN on Wednesday night. I have talked to a lot of people who still support him. I have actually talked to Democrats who trust him at his word. I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility." Continue reading...

Nato ministers to be briefed on Balticconnector closure, as Finnish officials say Russia is now treating their country as hostile'

Winner of sustainable designer prize says we're consuming and we're discarding' but fashion's demands on resources far outweigh planet's supplyKit Willow of luxury brand Kit X cautioned against Australian fashion's crazy linear model of overconsumption" after receiving the sustainable designer award at the 2023 Australian Fashion Laureate.We're consuming and we're discarding, yet the price of raw materials are going up and the demand on virgin resources is far outweighing the supply, the Earth's supply," Willow said. Continue reading...

Bruising campaigns for and against recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have exposed enduring racial dividesAustralians look set to reject a referendum proposal to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution by creating a body to advise parliament, with polls showing a clear majority for no in almost all states before Saturday's vote.To be accepted, the proposal needs to achieve a majority national vote and a majority in at least four of the six states. No referendum has succeeded in Australia without bipartisan support and this one - the country's first since 1999 - looks no different. Continue reading...

Judges rule environmental impact in Narva-Joesuu had not been fully assessed after activists brought caseEstonia's supreme court has ordered the state energy company Enefit to halt construction on a shale oil plant because of the damage it will do to the environment.Young activists took the municipality of Narva-Joesuu to court over claims the building permit it granted breached international climate agreements. The court ruled it had assessed the climate impact well enough but not the environmental impact, and revoked the permit. Continue reading...

Mike Burgess issues rare public statement asking all parties consider the implications for social cohesion'

Regulator to look into use of freelancers and agencies to produce, create and broadcast content across UKThe competition watchdog has launched an investigation into a group of broadcasters, including the BBC and ITV, over their use of freelance staff and services.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had reasonable grounds to suspect one or more breaches of competition law" in the use of external services and non-permanent staff to produce, create and broadcast their TV content across the UK. Continue reading...

Comments heard at a recent pro-Palestine protest in Sydney would come under the laws which aim to crack down on vilification, lawyers say

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LNP opposition says women should expect a lot better' while health minister apologises for year 11 student's experience and says hospital will improve its processesA 17-year-old alleged rape victim says she is disappointed" that it took reporting by the media for her to receive an offer of an apology from a Queensland hospital, seven weeks after the last correspondence regarding her complaint.Guardian Australia revealed on Thursday the year 11 student, Tilly*, left the hospital in tears without undergoing a full examination in August after waiting three hours due to no trained staff being available. Tilly said that when a doctor did come, she admitted to not being qualified to perform the procedure and appeared aggravated".Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Angelene Falk responds to Leo Hardiman's extraordinary accusations to a Senate inquiry which he claimed led to his resignation

Abdullah Al-Taay, 23, allegedly verbally abused the teens who had unfurled an Israeli flag across their car in Bellevue Hill on Monday

US president decries campaign of pure cruelty' and warns Iran to tread carefully as Israel conducts significant airstrikes on Palestinian enclave

Former CEO Luke Sayers says Project Kookaburra' sought to sell off consultancy business amid concerns about conflicts of interests

Inquiry into rejection of airline's request for extra flights was too focused on Qantas, complainants say

Vladimir Putin fails to condemn attack on Israel, instead blaming the situation on failed US diplomacyIsrael's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has long portrayed himself as a friend of Vladimir Putin. In a memoir published during Russia's war on Ukraine, Netanyahu repeatedly lauded the Russian leader for his intellect and his particularly friendly attitude" toward the Jewish people.Putin, too, has over the years cast himself as a loyal ally of the Israeli state, promoting cultural ties and visa-free travel between the two countries. Continue reading...

Writer could be imprisoned if found guilty over comments castigating Italian PM for her vitriol about Mediterranean rescuesA Rome judge is poised to deliver a verdict in a criminal defamation trial against the Italian anti-mafia author Roberto Saviano for calling the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, a bastard".In a case that has attracted international attention and criticism of Italy's draconian defamation laws, Saviano, who has lived under police protection since the publication of his bestselling book Gomorrah, faces up to three years in prison if found guilty at Rome's criminal court on Thursday. Continue reading...

If neither the ruling party nor Donald Tusk's opposition wins outright on Sunday, the door could open to alliance with ConfederationThe big political battle in Sunday's Polish parliamentary election may be between the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, seeking a third term in office, and the opposition Civic Platform (PO) led by Donald Tusk, the former prime minister and European Council president.But with polls suggesting that neither side will have the votes to form a government outright, the decisive say in who rules Poland for the next four years could lie with Confederation, an eclectic far-right coalition of nationalists, libertarians and monarchists. Continue reading...

ACCC alleges Elon Musk's electric vehicle company failed to conduct required safety tests for some key fob and illuminated door sill models

Troop buildup continues in preparation for expected ground invasion of Gaza as pressure grows for humanitarian corridors

Food Standards Agency drops advised daily limit from 70mg to 10mg in surprise reversal, citing risk to liver and thyroid issuesUK food regulators have slashed the recommended safe daily dose of cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis extract present in thousands of high street products from muffins to coffees, citing a risk of liver damage and thyroid issues.In a surprise reversal of previous official guidance, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and its Scottish counterpart have updated their advice on what was once hailed as a wonder ingredient. They are now recommending healthy adults limit their intake of CBD from food to 10mg per day, which equates to four or five drops of 5% CBD oil. Continue reading...

Play based on the beloved 1987 comedy will open at Birmingham Rep next year directed by Sean FoleyIt is one of British cinema's most quotable comedies: a tale of destitute London actors drifting into the arena of the unwell" who go on holiday by mistake to the Lake District. Now, the inebriated world of Withnail and I - complete with the notorious super-sized joint called the Camberwell carrot - is destined for the stage, adapted by the much-loved 1987 film's writer-director, Bruce Robinson.The play will have its world premiere at the Birmingham Rep in May, directed by Sean Foley, who described Withnail and I as part of the furniture of British comedy" and said if it wasn't so funny, it would be tragic". Continue reading...

Hannah Ingram-Moore says her late father wanted the money to stay in the family's Club Nook Ltd accountsThe daughter of Capt Sir Tom Moore has admitted to keeping 800,000 from books that the late army veteran had written.Hannah Ingram-Moore said the family kept the sum from three books because Captain Tom had wanted them to retain the profits. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Year 11 student says she had to wait three hours and was made to feel completely stupid' by doctor who admitted to lacking relevant training

Shoemaker lands on NYSE with $7.5bn valuation as investors bet there was less mileage in consumer demand for its sandalsShares in Birkenstock fell 12.6% after landing on the US stock market, valuing the German shoemaker at $7.5bn as investors bet there was less mileage in consumer demand for its cork-soled sandals, which have become an unlikely fashion success story.On Tuesday evening the footwear firm priced its shares at $46 ahead of the first day of trading in New York, where it is using the symbol BIRK". That figure was in the middle of the $44 to $49 guidance provided last week and valued the company at $8.6bn (7bn). Continue reading...

Overwhelming response to call-up as country prepares for retaliation like never before' against Hamas

More than 3,000 raised to keep the Student - founded in 1886 by Robert Louis Stevenson at Edinburgh University - goingThe oldest student newspaper in Europe has been saved from closure after its volunteer staff raised more than 3,000 in emergency crowdfunding.A free newspaper, the Student was founded at the University of Edinburgh in 1887 by the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island and Kidnapped, who served as its first arts editor. Continue reading...

MPs stayed on-message, fringe events were packed and businesses wanted to get involved at a conference that passed by with barely a hitchIn the hotel bar on the last night of Labour conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, one senior aide of Keir Starmer was taking soundings from journalists about how they felt the annual gathering had gone.The adviser nodded along when they said that it had been a competent and professional affair but it was only when one reporter replied that it had also been a bit boring" that he broke out into a big grin. That's the right answer," he said. Continue reading...

Rescuers searching for people under rubble of school in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk, says regional governor

Monarch's recognition will come as country prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence from BritainKing Charles will acknowledge the painful aspects" of the UK and Kenya's past during a state visit later this month.The visit follows an invitation from the country's president, William Ruto, whose country will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its independence from Britain on 12 December. The two countries have enjoyed a close relationship in recent years despite the violent colonial legacy of an uprising in the early 1950s, which led to a period known as the emergency", which ran from 1952 until 1960. Continue reading...

Children also seriously hurt in incident examined by inquiry into killing of 80 civilians by SAS in AfghanistanTwo Afghan adults were shot dead while sleeping by the SAS in August 2012 and two children were seriously injured, a public inquiry has heard.The barrister representing victims' families in a public inquiry into the killing of 80 civilians by the SAS in Afghanistan said the incident amounted to war crimes committed by British soldiers. Continue reading...

Airlines make decision for safety reasons as MPs and families call on UK to evacuate nationals from Gaza

Keir Starmer says planning is too localised' and a Labour government would take a wider' viewThe Conservatives say that Labour cannot be trusted to build more homes because of its vote against the plan to get rid of an EU-legacy river pollution law that ministers claimed was obstructing the building of 100,000 homes. In a statement issued by CCHQ this morning, Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, said:This morning Sir Keir Starmer's flagship policy has been revealed to be short-term positioning to grab headlines, not a serious long-term plan ...Only last month Labour voted against 100,000 new homes to win cheap headlines and please special interests. He's a blocker not a builder.Degrees are for their children, not ours. It's never their kids' choices or chances that they're keen to wind back.Student debt for nurses, for young people starting out, looking to buy a home and build a family - not their problem. Other people's children.I have a message for them: chippy people make the change that matters. I will make the change that matters. Continue reading...

Party leader declares himself a yimby' in his drive to get an extra 300,000 homes built each yearKeir Starmer has declared himself a yimby", as he promises to ensure developers can overcome local planning objections to get more houses built.The Labour leader reiterated his pledge that Labour would oversee an extra 300,000 new homes every year if elected to government, as experts warned he would need to face down local opposition to do so. Continue reading...

Brazil president calls for humanitarian aid to protect Israeli and Palestinian citizens, while Latin Americans also taken hostageThe Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has called for an end to the insanity of war" as it emerged that more than a dozen Latin Americans were killed during Hamas's assault, with citizens of Brazil and Argentina taken captive in the Gaza Strip.By Wednesday morning, Latin American government and media reports had confirmed the deaths of seven Argentinians, two Brazilians, two Peruvians, one Colombian and one Paraguayan. At least 15 Argentinians, three Peruvians, two Mexicans and one Brazilian remain missing. Continue reading...

Scheduled services resume following all-night effort by fire service to extinguish blaze

Actor says she and husband - banned from Oscars after hitting Chris Rock - are not romantically together although they have not divorcedJada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith have been living separate lives since 2016, the actor revealed in an excerpt of her memoir and in a clip from a Today interview with Hoda Kotb.Pinkett Smith discussed the status of their high-profile marriage in her new book Worthy, saying that though the pair have not technically divorced, she and Smith are no longer romantically together. In an interview with Hoda Kotb on Wednesday's Today Show, the 52-year-old star said she and Smith have no plans to legally divorce. Continue reading...

Robert Fico in agreement with moderate breakaway party and ultra-nationalists to return to office for fourth timeSlovakia's populist former prime minister, Robert Fico, has said he has reached agreement with centre-left and nationalist parties to form a three-party coalition government that could return him to office for a fourth time.We have agreed that we want to form a government together," Fico said on Wednesday of the deal, which includes Hlas, a moderate breakaway party from his own Smer-SD party, and the ultra-nationalist Slovak National party (SNS). Continue reading...

FTSE 100 fashion chain has been buying up rivals since pandemic and could reach deal by end of weekThe clothing brand FatFace is set to become the latest high street fashion retailer to be taken over by Next in a deal thought to be worth more than 100m.FatFace, which sells clothes, footwear and accessories, is expected to be bought by the FTSE 100 high street fashion chain, and a deal could be announced by the end of the week, according to Sky News, which first reported it. Continue reading...

Belgian backing for Russian diamond embargo critical as about 90% of world's diamonds pass through AntwerpWestern countries are very close" to finalising a ban on Russian diamonds from retail markets in countries that are already sanctioning Kremlin assets, the Belgian prime minister has said.In a move that will cut off another vital source of revenue for Vladimir Putin in his war against Ukraine, Alexander de Croo said a year-long attempt by the European Union and G7 countries to reliably trace diamonds coming from Russia was almost complete. Continue reading...

Ingrained car culture is causing nuisance on city's roads leaving pedestrians and traffic wardens fearing for their safetyIt was once proudly known as motor city, the UK's home of postwar construction labeled carchitecture" for embracing the booming automobile market that fuelled the city's economy.But now Birmingham is waging a battle against an ingrained car culture that is causing a nuisance on the streets and has left pedestrians fearing for their safety. Continue reading...

Israel says death toll from Hamas attack is 1,200, while Palestinians say 974 killed after Israeli retaliation

Paul Durietz, 76, started job in Chicago suburb in 1970 and stages US civil war-themed days and mock political school electionsWhen Paul Durietz taught his first social studies class, Richard Nixon had yet to resign as US president and the American military was at war in Vietnam. The Beatles had also not split, and 29-year-old Pele had just captured his third soccer World Cup title.Durietz has educated students through a lot of history since then, and now he has the Guinness world record for longest career as a social studies teacher to show for it. Continue reading...

Remain in Mexico' policy, which forces people seeking asylum to wait in Mexico while US claims are processed, set to be revivedThe Mexican supreme court is poised to give new life to a controversial US-Mexico border policy at a time when both countries are looking for ways to slow the flow of migrants heading north.The Remain in Mexico" policy, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols, is a Trump-era policy that forced people seeking asylum in the US to wait out their legal proceedings in Mexico for months or even years. The government of Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador accepted the arrangement and allowed thousands of asylum seekers to be sent back to the country from the US. Continue reading...

Judge says there was insufficient evidence to convict Sean Hogg, whose 270-hour community sentence prompted anger in AprilA man who prompted a row about lenient sentencing for young offenders when he avoided jail after his conviction for raping a 13-year-old girl has had that conviction quashed.Campaigners and politicians reacted with outrage in April when 22-year-old Sean Hogg was given a 270-hour community payback order by a judge, Lord Lake, who said that had he been older than 25 when he committed the offence he would have faced a four- or five-year custodial sentence. Continue reading...

Hospitals are at capacity since the quakes occurred around the city of Herat, and the Taliban are ill-equipped to respond effectivelyAnother powerful earthquake struck western Afghanistan on Wednesday morning, days after a series of quakes in the same region killed thousands of people.The 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit an area 28km (17 miles) south of Herat's regional capital at 5.11am local time, injuring at least 80 people. Continue reading...

Yotam Kipnis does not know if his parents and other family members were killed or taken hostage in Be'eri kibbutz assault

Beddau RFC says it is heartbroken' after death of wonderful wife, mother and daughter' at fundraiserA Welsh rugby club has paid tribute to a 37-year-old woman who choked to death after eating marshmallows at a fundraising event.Natalie Buss collapsed and died on Saturday night at the event at Beddau RFC in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Continue reading...

Council begins security review after incident during pro-Palestine rally in city centre