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Barrage of gambling adverts likely to exacerbate addiction, as NHS in England doubles number of clinics to meet demandThe barrage" of betting advertisements around Boxing Day sporting fixtures will exacerbate Britain's growing gambling problem, NHS bosses are warning.Promotional techniques by unscrupulous betting firms, including free Christmas bets, will increase gambling-related harm by encouraging punters to wager sums they cannot afford, they say.In the UK, support for problem gambling can be found through GamCare on 0808 8020 133. In the US, the National Council on Problem Gambling is on 800-522-4700. In Australia, Gambling Help Online is available on 1800 858 858 and the National Debt helpline is at 1800 007 007

Investigators appealing for information after blaze erupted around 3am on Boxing Day

High streets predicted to be less busy as people buy beauty and technology deals onlineShoppers are expected to spend 3.7bn, this Boxing Day, up only 1.3% on 2023, with high streets less busy as shoppers snap up beauty and technology bargains online.The ability to click for bargains from the sofa means post-Christmas discounts actually begin before most families have touched a sprout or a slice of turkey as it is now possible to begin spending in the sales from midnight on Christmas Eve. Continue reading...

A Central Park birdwatching incident went viral after Christian Cooper filmed a white woman threatening him. Now he is using his platform to share his passion for natureThis week we are revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2024. This one was first broadcast on 01 April.In May 2020, Christian Cooper was in an area called the Ramble in Central Park in New York. It's a beautiful place, he says, and vital to the local bird population. So when he saw a dog off its leash, which is not permitted in the Ramble to protect the birds, he confronted the owner. Continue reading...

Family and friends hold grave fears for man identified as Oscar Jenkins who was reportedly captured by Russian soldiers in Donbas region

Three-week-old Sila is the third baby to die from the cold in Gaza's tent camps in recent days, according to doctorsA baby girl froze to death overnight in Gaza, while Israel and Hamas accused each other of complicating ceasefire efforts that could wind down the 14-month war.

Unrest at maximum security prison in the capital, Maputo, reportedly left 33 people dead and 15 injuredDozens of people were killed in a prison riot in Mozambique on Christmas Day, authorities have said.The riot, reportedly at the maximum security prison in the capital Maputo, left 33 people dead and 15 injured, according to police general commander Bernardino Rafael. Continue reading...

Police watchdog investigating shooting in residential area in Worcestershire on Christmas EvePolice fired Tasers during a stand-off with a knife-wielding man in Worcestershire before a firearms officer shot and killed him, the police watchdog said.Officers were called by West Midlands ambulance service to an address in Redditch at about 2pm on Christmas Eve after concerns were raised for the safety of a 39-year-old man with a knife. Continue reading...

Temperatures reached 11.9C in Kinloss, Moray, and peaked at 11C at Killowen, Co Down, according to Met OfficeThis year marks the mildest start to Christmas Day on record in Northern Ireland and Scotland.According to the Met Office, in Kinloss, Moray, temperatures reached 11.9C, while at Killowen, Co Down, it peaked at 11C for the 24-hour period ending at 9am on 25 December. A temperature of 14.2C was reached in Dyce, Aberdeen, meteorologist Kathryn Chalk said. Continue reading...

Odds of winning jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, compared with 1 in 24 for any Mega Millions prize, and tickets cost $2The Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed $1bn after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Christmas Eve. That means the estimated jackpot for Friday's drawing is $1.15bn, potentially the fifth-largest jackpot in the game's history.We know that many people will likely receive tickets to Friday's drawing as holiday gifts, and what a gift that would turn out to be if you ended up with a ticket worth a $1.15bn jackpot," Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a Wednesday statement. Continue reading...

Three explosions caused Ursa Major to sink off Spanish coast, says company linked to Russian defence ministryA Russian cargo ship that sank on Tuesday in the Mediterranean Sea was the target of an act of terrorism", according to the vessel's owner.The Ursa Major sank while it was sailing through international waters between Spain and Algeria, leaving two crew members missing, Continue reading...

The Finnish electricity grid's head of operations says sabotage can't be ruled outAn undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia broke down on Wednesday, Finland's prime minister said, the latest in a series of incidents involving cables and energy pipelines in the Baltic Sea.The Finnish electricity grid's head of operations, Arto Pahkin, told the public broadcaster Yle that sabotage could not be ruled out. Continue reading...

Zelenskyy describes cruise and ballistic missile strikes, which caused blackouts in several regions, as inhuman'

Hundreds march on state prosecutor's office to demand justice after 15 people killed when renovated roof collapsedHundreds of university students have rallied in Belgrade to protest against the policies of Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vui, and his ruling Serbian Progressive party (SNS), which they blame for a railway disaster last month in which 15 people died.The concrete awning of the recently renovated roof of the train station in the northern city of Novi Sad caved in on 1 November, killing 14 people and injuring three. One of the injured died later. Continue reading...

Stephen Cottrell delivers Christmas sermon in place of Justin Welby, who will step down as de facto head of churchThe archbishop of York has highlighted the need for actions more than words in his Christmas sermon, as the Church of England faces criticism over failures in its handling of recent abuse scandals.Stephen Cottrell, who will become the temporary leader of the Church in England in early January in place of the outgoing archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the church must kneel in penitence and adoration" this Christmas and be changed". Continue reading...

Once the apex of conspiracy theories, the influential group signals a shift by naming ex-Nato chief as new co-chairThe former head of Nato, Jens Stoltenberg, has been named the new co-chair of the influential Bilderberg Group, which convenes a yearly transatlantic policy conference and has long been the subject of conspiracy theories around the extent of its power to shape global events.After a turbulent decade at the helm of the alliance's military, Stoltenberg now takes over at its pre-eminent discussion forum: a fiercely private four-day event frequented by prime minsters, EU commissioners, bank bosses, corporate CEOs and intelligence chiefs. Continue reading...

Study warns region's exponential rise in incarceration is fuelling the disease, with cases increasing by 19% between 2015 and 2022High incarceration rates in Latin America - the region with the world's fastest-growing prison population - are exacerbating tuberculosis in a region that is bucking the global trend for falling incidents of the disease, experts have warned.A study published in The Lancet Public Health journal has estimated that, contrary to previous assumptions, HIV/Aids is not the primary risk factor for tuberculosis in the region - as it remains in Africa, for example - but rather imprisonments. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Reducing rate of misogynistic killings is key to halving violence against women and girls, says Jess PhillipsTackling the scourge of femicide" in the UK will be a central part of the government's promise to drastically reduce violence against women and girls, the minister leading the policy has said.Revealing details of one of Labour's central missions in office for the first time, Jess Phillips said the success of the government's target to halve violence against women and girls had to include reducing the rate at which women are killed by men. Continue reading...

Research firm Omdia says dip to 931m due to Hollywood strikes but wave of blockbusters likely to renew recoveryThe UK box office is forecast to surpass 1bn next year for the first time in six years, but cinema bosses still say moviegoing will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2026.The pace of the hoped-for recovery at the box office was disrupted by the Hollywood actors' and writers' strikes last summer, which delayed the release of a number of blockbusters. Continue reading...

Ambulance service called armed officers to an address in Redditch over concerns for the safety of a man with a knifePolice shot a man dead in Worcestershire on Christmas Eve.West Midlands Ambulance Service called armed officers to an address in Redditch at about 2pm after concerns were raised for the safety of a man with a knife. Continue reading...

Lucy Powrie was 15 when she read Agnes Grey. Ten years on she is chair of the Bronte Parsonage MuseumLucy Powrie was 15 years old when she first read Anne Bronte's 1847 novel Agnes Grey and instantly, intensely, fell in love. There was just this moment of, I suppose, feeling like I'd come home. I'd found something that was just better than anything I had ever found in my life."Already a wildly enthusiastic reader, she had been blogging about books since the age of 12, and hosting a book review channel on YouTube since she was 13. Discovering Anne Bronte, followed immediately by her older sisters Emily and Charlotte, opened the door to a new world: They were everything that I didn't realise was out there." Continue reading...

Exclusive: Parliamentary committee set to endorse proposals to refer complaints about bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct by MPs to independent investigator

Charities pay tribute to readers' generosity that is helping to make our world a better place'

Twenty local authorities in England signed up eligible pupils without waiting for parents to do soA new scheme enabling families to sign up to free school meals has enabled 20,000 more children to be fed.As well as preventing those children from going hungry, the auto-enrolment" pilot project is saving households hundreds of pounds a year. Continue reading...

Three states face dangerous fire conditions as a wave of hot and dry weather triggers total fire bans and warnings of power outages

Two friends of the 15-year-old who managed to swim to shore after being caught in same wave alerted authorities shortly after 3pm on Tuesday

DJ whose anything-goes spirit had a huge influence on British club culture had suffered a stroke in 2021DJ Alfredo, who had a significant influence on Ibiza becoming a global centre for dance music culture, has died aged 71.Amnesia, the club where he held a residency during the 1980s, announced the news, writing on Instagram: Thank you for the nights and beats we shared together. Your music and vision shaped the sound of Balearic Beat and the soul of Amnesia. So many memories were made through your energy, your legacy will live on our dancefloor forever. You will never be forgotten." Continue reading...

Christmas Eve footfall up 31% on last year across all retail destinations, after lacklustre start to seasonRetailers received a boost from a last-minute spree by shoppers on Christmas Eve, with an increase in footfall after a lacklustre festive season.Footfall was up by 31.1% across all UK retail destinations up until noon on Tuesday compared with Christmas Eve last year, although the date fell on a Sunday in 2023 and so suffered from shorter shopping hours. Continue reading...

Victims of Medellin cartel demand justice as some express dismay former mob boss faces no charges in ColombiaThe return of former drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia following his deportation from the United States has reopened old wounds among victims of the Medellin cartel, with some expressing dismay at the Colombian authorities' decision to let Ochoa walk free.Some of the cartel victims said they are hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia's history and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning. Continue reading...

UK government accused of nitpicking about compensation' after being told to pay more to retain military baseMauritius is holding out over a deal to gain control of the Chagos Islands from the UK, leaving ministers less than a month to rescue the agreement.The government in Mauritius, which took office last month, has made clear it is dissatisfied with the terms negotiated by the previous administration. Over the weekend the deputy prime minister accused the British government of nitpicking about the compensation". Continue reading...

Police appeal for information about a male driver and a blue car seen leaving the scene in LlanpumsaintPolice are seeking a male driver after a dog walker was killed in an apparent hit-and-run collision in Carmarthenshire.Dyfed-Powys police said the man was in a collision with a car while walking on a small country lane near Caer Salem Baptist chapel between 6.45pm and 7.45pm on Monday. The victim was left with unsurvivable injuries. Continue reading...

Brian Spencer, 40, was seen taunting police before incident that online commenters labelled instant karma'A total of 500 people will be spending Christmas in prison for their part in the summer riots, after a rioter who went viral in an instant karma" video when he was hit in the groin with a brick became the latest to be sentenced.Brian Spencer was seen on the clip taunting police and gyrating his hips, while he was at the centre of the riot in Southport on 30 July, which was triggered by the deaths of three girls in the seaside town. Continue reading...

Investigation launched after late-night trap and drag' incident on Elizabeth line in which man was freed by staffAn investigation has been launched after a rail passenger was forced to run several metres along the platform with his hand trapped inside the doors of a moving train in west London.The passenger, who was trying to board an Elizabeth line service just after midnight, had his hand caught in the door as it began to depart, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said on 24 December. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe National Farmers' Union has announced that it will hold a day of unity" on Saturday 25 January to allow people to show support for its campaign to stop the extension of inheritance tax to cover farms. Its sister organisations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are also involved. On that day, its says, towns in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, from Land's End to Shetland and from the Giant's Causeway to Dover, will see farmers gathering to thank the British public for their overwhelming support, and to underline to their parliamentarians that our campaign will not stop until the tax is finally subject to consultation and proper scrutiny."In its manifesto Labour said it would protect democracy by strengthening the rules around donations to political parties". There has been renewed interest in what this might mean since Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and Trump ally, starting floating the prospect of giving to Reform UK - although, as Michael Savage reported in the Observer at the weekend, ministers are worried about acting too quickly in case it looks as if they are only bothered about stopping the Musk donation. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our coverage of the Middle East hereIsraeli forces have killed a Palestinian man in a dawn raid on a refugee camp near the city of Tulkarm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli officials said. The Israeli military said the man was killed in a counter-terrorism" operation that resulted in 18 arrests, Reuters reports. Palestinian news agency Wafa said that Fathi Saeed Odeh Salem died after snipers shot him and fired on ambulance crew. We have not yet been able to independently verify any of this information. Meanwhile, medics said at least nine Palestinians, including a member of the civil emergency service, were killed in four separate Israeli airstrikes across the territory today.At least 45,338 Palestinian people have been killed and 107,764 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Continue reading...

The film-maker challenged mainstream Bollywood and pioneered a new wave cinema movement in the 1970s that tackled social issuesShyam Benegal, a renowned Indian film-maker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died aged 90 after suffering from chronic kidney disease.Benegal passed away on Monday at Mumbai's Wockhardt hospital and his cremation took place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting his daughter Piya. Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That's the reason for his death," Piya said.

Demonstrations flare after video spread on social media showing hooded fighters setting fire to treeHundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Christian areas of Damascus early on Tuesday to protest against the burning of a Christmas tree near Hama in central Syria.We demand the rights of Christians," protesters chanted as they marched through the Syrian capital towards the headquarters of the Orthodox patriarchate in the Bab Sharqi neighbourhood. Continue reading...

Two crew members from Ursa Major are missing and 14 have been rescued, Russian foreign ministry saysAn engine room explosion sank a Russian cargo ship called Ursa Major in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria and two of its crew are missing, the Russian foreign ministry has said.The vessel, built in 2009, was controlled by Oboronlogistika, a company that is part of the Russian defence ministry's military construction operations, which had previously said it was en route to the Russian far-eastern port of Vladivostok with two giant port cranes lashed to its deck. Continue reading...

Decisions on fate of 6,500 Syrian asylum seekers suspended amid push to repatriate refugees after fall of regimeA Syrian family say they are fearing for their future" this Christmas after having an imminent decision on their asylum application stopped by the UK government.Bilal*, 39, worked as a bank manager in Damascus, and has been living in Sheffield with his wife and four children for the past year. He had his second interview about his asylum application in November and had been told by the Home Office that a decision on his case was very close". Continue reading...

Freedom of information request reveals 21 of 24 marches banned in last 30 years were proposed by far-right groupsThe bar is said to be appropriately high, but there have been 24 marches banned by a home secretary following a police request in the past 30 years under section 13 of the 1986 Public Order Act.Two of those prohibited had been organised by anti-capitalist groups" and one was recorded by the Home Office as being a religious march" planned by an unnamed group in Luton. But of those 24 banned marches, 21 were proposed by far-right groups: the BNP, National Front, English Defence League and the White Nationalist party, a now-defunct neo-Nazi outfit. Continue reading...

Emergency services called to North Avoca beach on the Central Coast at about 3pm on Tuesday

The singer said his daughter came into his life five years ago, and said she wanted to keep her family life privateJimmy Barnes has publicly acknowledged the existence of an eighth child, his adult daughter Katy Lee Carroll, for the first time.Christmas is all about family," the singer wrote in a statement on Instagram on Monday night, and we would like to introduce my daughter Katy Lee, who has been in our lives for the past five years. Katy is a wonderful woman and since discovering that I was her biological father, our family and extended family have loved getting to know her."Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...

Most of Australia's capital cities expected to see clear skies ahead of extreme fire danger on 26th

Resolution Foundation says higher prices and cold weather will hit poorer households hardestMillions of vulnerable UK households on prepayment meters could see their energy bills consume almost a third of their incomes this winter.As temperatures drop across the country, the Resolution Foundation said a combination of higher gas and electricity prices and the typical seasonal increase in energy usage over the colder months would hit poorer families most. Continue reading...

Conditions to intensify in Victoria and South Australia, with temperatures forecast to climb towards 40C and strong wind gusts up to 100km/h

Activists alarmed at emirati companies' poor record on labour rights and fear projects may fail to address environmental concernsThe United Arab Emirates has become the largest backer of new business projects in Africa, raising hopes of a rush of much-needed money for green energy, but also concerns that the investments could compromise the rights of workers and environmental protections.Between 2019 and 2023, Emirati companies announced $110bn (88bn) of projects, $72bn of them in renewable energy, according to FT Locations, a data company owned by the Financial Times. Continue reading...

The new leader was chosen by secret ballot two weeks after the previous premier resigned abruptly amid a power struggle with the Pacific nation's royal familyTonga's government elected a new leader on Tuesday, two weeks after the previous premier resigned abruptly after a power struggle with the Pacific nation's royal family.Veteran politician 'Aisake Valu Eke was voted prime minister by secret ballot in parliament, securing 16 votes to his opponent Viliami Latu's eight. Continue reading...

Frank-Walter Steinmeier seeks to convey message of healing four days after the brutal attack in Magdeburg killed five people and injured more than 200A deadly car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in Germany has cast a dark shadow" over this year's celebrations, the nation's president said on Tuesday, as he urged people not to be driven apart by extremists.In his traditional Christmas address German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, sought to issue a message of healing four days after the brutal attack in the eastern city of Magdeburg killed five people and left more than 200 wounded. Continue reading...

Government and unions still in deadlock over pay as NSW opposition warns of chaos kicked down the road'

Actor filed sexual harassment complaint against director amid allegation he launched smear campaign against herBlake Lively is picking up broad support in her battle against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, days after the US actor filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against him on Friday in what was rapidly becoming the most dynamic #MeToo event of the dying year.Never change. Never wilt," Colleen Hoover, author of the book that inspired and shares a title with the film, posted on Instagram. Hoover later added, Blake's ability to refuse to sit down and be buried' has been nothing short of inspiring." Continue reading...