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Politician sentenced to eight and a half years over series of posts about atrocities in Bucha

Archbishop of Canterbury calls for approach based on compassion and recognition of human dignity in House of Lords debateThe archbishop of Canterbury has accused the government of cruelty in its asylum policy, and said that people-smuggling is as serious as slave trading in the 19th century.Opening a debate in the House of Lords on Friday with a rebuke aimed at the home secretary, Suella Braverman, Justin Welby said the “harmful rhetoric” that those arriving in the UK are “invaders” must cease. Continue reading...

• PPE Medpro and partners made as much as £100m profits

Shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, says she would prioritise applications from countries such as AlbaniaLabour would rush through asylum applications for people from certain countries deemed “safe”, including Albania, in an attempt to clear the backlog of claims, Yvette Cooper has said.The shadow home secretary said she wanted to resurrect a system Labour operated while in government, in which the Home Office prioritised claims from certain countries and processed them within days. Continue reading...

PC Rupert Edwards charged in relation to alleged incidents in south London and Surrey in August and SeptemberA serving Metropolitan police officer has been charged with rape, the force has said.PC Rupert Edwards, attached to the south-west basic command unit, was arrested on suspicion of rape on5 September, after which he was bailed and suspended from duty, Scotland Yard said. Continue reading...

Financial Conduct Authority found ‘serious and persistent gaps’ in bank’s controlsSantander UK has been fined more than £100m after an investigation by the British financial watchdog found “serious and persistent gaps” in its money laundering controls, resulting in hundreds of millions of pounds of suspicious transactions through customer accounts.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) imposed the £107.7m penalty after an investigation found that between December 2012 and October 2017 the bank failed to “properly oversee and manage” the controls that affected the oversight of more than 560,000 business customers. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak says defence deal for Tempest means ‘outpacing those who seek to do us harm’Britain will work to develop next-generation fighter jets with Italy and Japan, Rishi Sunak has announced.The prime minister said the defence partnership will ensure the UK and allies are “outpacing and outmanoeuvring those who seek to do us harm”. Continue reading...

Smith will take on the role of ‘theatre’s best-loved mum’ in Willy Russell’s play in London in FebruarySheridan Smith is to return to the West End stage next year in Willy Russell’s 1986 comedy Shirley Valentine.The star said that she was “honoured to be entrusted” by the playwright to take on the role of a Liverpudlian woman whose life is in the doldrums and who dreams of escape while talking to the kitchen wall. “As a mum now myself I’m delighted to be playing theatre’s best-loved mum,” said Smith, adding that it was time for her “to practise cooking chips and egg” – the expected dinner of Shirley’s husband. Continue reading...

Thousands of striking staff head to Westminster for protest outside parliament over conditions and payMore than 100,000 postal workers have begun the first of a series of days of strike action that threaten to disrupt deliveries across the country in the run-up to Christmas, after the failure of 11th hour talks to resolve a protracted and bitter dispute over pay and conditions.The Communications Workers Union (CWU), which has planned six days of strikes on 9,11, 14, 15, 23 and 24 December, has organised a protest by workers at the Houses of Parliament on Friday as the row with management continues to escalate. Continue reading...

Jordan Crugnale claims Bass, seeing the party’s presence in the lower house increased by one seat

Fact-finding team sent by Pakistani government finds contradictions in reports on Arshad Sharif’s deathA team set up by the Pakistani government to investigate the killing of a well-known Pakistani journalist in Nairobi said it found several contradictions in the version given by Kenyan authorities, and believes it was a case of pre-meditated murder.The TV journalist Arshad Sharif, who had fled Pakistan citing threats to his life, was shot dead in Nairobi in October. Kenyan officials said it was a case of mistaken identity and that police hunting car thieves opened fire on his vehicle as it drove through a roadblock without stopping. Continue reading...

President hails ‘revolution for contraception’ as government seeks to curb STIs and unwanted pregnanciesThe French president has said condoms will be made available for free in pharmacies for 18- to 25-year-olds in an attempt to reduce unwanted pregnancies among young people.“It’s a small revolution for contraception,” Emmanuel Macron announced during a health debate with young people in Fontaine-le-Comte, a suburb of Poitiers in western France. Continue reading...

Treasury advised the PM and premiers not to deliver the rebates as cash handouts due to risk of fuelling inflationary pressure

Watchdog says HM Passport Office must learn from chaos and prepare for similar level of demand in 2023Hundreds of thousands of people were affected by delays in processing passport applications and many had travel plans disrupted as a result this year, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has found.HM Passport Office (HMPO) processed a record number of applications amid “unprecedented demand” as Covid travel restrictions were lifted but struggled to keep up with higher demand from customers, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Continue reading...

Assemblies of God meeting at Sydney Qantas Club was organised at Hillsong church founder Brian Houston’s request, trial hears

Party leader David Littleproud says there is ‘no position where the Nats would change their minds’

Ukrainian community leader says the festival starting on Friday in Melbourne was an ‘insult’ and cultural propaganda

Activist’s jailing for a peaceful protest has shocked many, as less than 6% of people charged with environmental pollution and property damage offences are sent to prisonDeanna “Violet” Coco has been sentenced to 15 months in prison with a non-parole period of eight months for blocking a lane of traffic on Sydney Harbour Bridge during a climate change protest.Her sentence handed down last week troubled human rights advocates, who called it “incredibly alarming”, and appears harsh when compared to recent sentences for serious offences issued by courts in New South Wales and Victoria.

The state government also appoints a special manager after ‘major failings’ by casino operator

LAPD officer was set to be important witness in trial of Tory Lanez, who is accused of shooting the fellow rapper two years agoA Los Angeles police detective who investigated the alleged shooting of Megan Thee Stallion has been accused of domestic violence and “relieved of his duties” by the agency, according to the Los Angeles county district attorney’s office and court testimony.The revelation came during jury selection for the trial of Tory Lanez, a Canadian-born rapper accused of shooting the fellow rapper during an argument in the Hollywood Hills two years ago. Continue reading...

Senior lawyer assisting coroner will not cross-examine police witnesses after bereaved families objected to her law firm’s work with the policeThe coroner leading an inquiry into the 2019 terrorist attack on two Christchurch mosques has ruled a senior lawyer assisting her investigation will not cross-examine police witnesses or give advice on officers’ conduct, after bereaved families called for her removal over her law firm’s close work with the police.But coroner Brigitte Windley said in a ruling published on Friday that there was no allegation of misconduct by the lawyer, Alysha McClintock, who is also a Crown prosecutor. Windley declined the families’ application to remove McClintock from the inquiry altogether, rejecting their arguments that she might face real or perceived conflicts of interest when questioning officers at an inquest. Continue reading...

Chancellor expected to target senior managers’ regime and ringfencing rules in 30-point packageJeremy Hunt is due to unveil a 30-point package of City policy changes on Friday that will involve rowing back on regulations in order to boost competition and growth.The chancellor’s announcement, referred to as the “Edinburgh reforms”, will outline how the government intends to “review, repeal and replace” a host of rules that were introduced to protect savers and the taxpayer after the 2008 financial crisis, but which ministers now believe risk hindering the success of London’s banks and insurers compared with their overseas peers. Continue reading...

Judge says Muhammad Khan caused distress to people in queue at Westminster Hall in SeptemberA man who grabbed at the flag draped over the Queen’s coffin, leaving mourners who had queued to file past “clearly anguished”, has been detained in a mental health facility.Muhammad Khan, 28, from Limehouse in east London, was charged with a public order offence after the incident on 16 September and will be treated at the facility. Continue reading...

Cabinet minister Gillian Keegan suggested extending ban on police and military from taking industrial action to other sectorsTrade unions have vowed to oppose any new anti-strike laws tabled by the government, as home secretary Suella Braverman urged the public to reconsider their Christmas travel plans amid “serious disruption” caused by planned industrial action by Border Force staff.The government is engaged in a bitter PR battle with the unions over who is to blame for the looming wave of public sector strikes. Continue reading...

This live blog has now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereBefore I hand you over to my colleague, Harry Taylor, here are some of the latest snaps to come out of Ukraine today.The number of oil tankers waiting in the Black Sea to cross Istanbul’s Bosphorus strait on the way to the Mediterranean rose by five to 16 on Thursday, a shipping agency said, according to a Reuters report. Continue reading...

People struggling with rising energy bills use dozens of sites across city while council braces for increase in those seeking helpIt was about zero degrees celsius in Birmingham as families piled into Gas Street St Luke’s church cafe, one of the city council’s designated “warm spaces”, to escape the December cold.Staff said the cafe, just outside the city centre, has been busier than ever over the past few weeks as the cold weather has set in and people try to keep the heating off at home because of rising costs. Continue reading...

Workers who have been taking industrial action since September return, having won a 6.5% plus bonuses dealA “permanent” strike at the factory that makes Jacob’s Cream Crackers and Twiglets has come to an end after biscuit bosses crumbled and upped a pay deal for workers.More than 750 of about 800 workers returned to work at the brand’s factory in Aintree on Thursday having won a 6.5% pay increase, backdated to January, with a £500 bonus payment on top and a further £250 bonus to follow in January next year. Continue reading...

Ministers taking advice on how to protect vulnerable amid weather alerts for large parts of countrySnow and ice warnings cover much of Scotland and northern and south-west England, as well as parts of Wales and Northern Ireland, as a cold snap prompts fears of a winter energy crisis.Ministers said on Thursday they were taking advice on how to protect vulnerable people from the cold after research suggested millions of households could not afford to heat their homes. Continue reading...

The Oscar-winner will reunite with Alexander Payne for a Paramount+ adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s Tracy Flick Can’t WinReese Witherspoon is set to reunite with director Alexander Payne for an Election sequel.The film will be an adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s Tracy Flick Can’t Win, his 2022 novel that follows the character of Tracy Flick as she battles to become the principal of a suburban high school. “She hasn’t fulfilled her dreams of a political career,” Perrotta said of Tracy in the book. “And she’s looking back and starting to realize that she wasn’t as extraordinary an individual as she believed. That she was a kind of representative woman rather than a unique superhero.” Continue reading...

Patsy Ferran will take over from Lydia Wilson when the London production opens a week late, alongside co-stars Paul Mescal and Anjana VasanLondon’s Almeida theatre has cancelled the first week of performances of A Streetcar Named Desire as one of its lead actors, Lydia Wilson, has withdrawn for health reasons.Patsy Ferran will take over the role of Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams’ New Orleans drama, which will now have its first preview on 17 December. All performances from 12-16 December have been cancelled. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer called the legislation ‘wrong’, but would not commit to scrapping it if it becomes lawLabour is refusing to promise to repeal the Conservatives’ proposed anti-strike laws, despite calling them “unworkable” and “grandstanding”.Neither Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, nor Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, would commit on Thursday to reverse the proposals, which include strict curbs on when public sector workers can strike, if Labour wins the next election. Continue reading...

Users will be able to apply ‘end-to-end encryption’ to all their data stored in the cloudApple is on a collision course with the UK government over the online safety bill, after the company announced sweeping new privacy changes that will limit the ability of law enforcement organisations to access user data.The new privacy feature, called “advanced data protection for iCloud”, lets users apply “end-to-end encryption” to all their data stored in the cloud, including device backups, message histories and photos. It is already available for users in the US who are signed up to the company’s beta programme, and will be shipped worldwide in early 2023, Apple says. Continue reading...

Union to share information from independent reports into near-£100m construction with policeUnite has passed information to the police after two independent reports into the construction of a near-£100m hotel and conference centre in Birmingham uncovered what the union said were “very serious concerns about potential criminality”.The trade union’s plan to build the 170-room complex – which begun under the leadership of former general secretary Len McCluskey – was forecast in 2015 to cost about £35m, but is now expected to run to £98m. Continue reading...

Film-maker Zoe Greenberg says she raised concerns with Penguin Random House Canada over Leah McLaren’s bookA Canadian film-maker who was allegedly sexually assaulted as a teenager has accused the country’s largest book publisher of knowingly releasing a memoir by one of her alleged assailants that depicts the incident as consensual.In a 6 December post on Medium, Zoe Greenberg claimed she was subjected to a sexual assault in her youth. Continue reading...

Senior Tory MP confident ‘wise heads in No 10’ will lead PM to avoid protracted parliamentary battleDominic Raab’s controversial bill of rights may be axed again, as a senior Tory MP said they were confident “wise heads in No 10” would lead the government to perform yet another U-turn.After a series of climbdowns by Rishi Sunak this week over planning and long-promised pieces of legislation, the former justice secretary Robert Buckland urged him to avoid a protracted parliamentary battle that could take up hundreds of hours of time. Continue reading...

Companies hoping, but not expecting, Albanese government can implement price caps on gas and coal

‘We have had to rethink the ways we do things’, says farmer who dusted off his 1973 petrol-powered truck

RSV and norovirus also on rise, while charity says patient care at risk with 7.2m awaiting treatment in EnglandViruses including flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the winter vomiting bug are putting extra pressure on the NHS in England in the first week of winter while waiting lists reached another record high in October.With 7.2 million patients awaiting treatment, the Health Foundation charity said the health and care systems were “gridlocked” and put the safety and quality of patient care at risk. Continue reading...

Telecom giant moves to increase collateral to limit risk amid mini-budget falloutBT may be forced to stump up more cash to support its £47bn pensions scheme after the government’s disastrous mini-budget, which prompted a market meltdown and forced pension fund managers to tighten hedging strategies.The fund’s managers, who run one of the largest corporate pensions schemes in the UK with about 269,000 members, told MPs that they had become “more cautious” and increased the amount of collateral they held, in order to avoid another fire sale of assets. Continue reading...

Education secretary Gillian Keegan suggests NHS staff could be put on same footing as police officers and military

Johnson was a bomb-aimer in squadron that destroyed German dams during second world warThe last survivor of the Dambuster bouncing bomb raids of 1943 has died at the age of 101.George Leonard “Johnny” Johnson was a bomb-aimer in the 617 squadron which destroyed vital dams in Germany’s industrial Ruhr valley during the second world war. Continue reading...

ACT prosecutor complained in a letter to police chief he was under pressure from officers not to prosecute the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins

As temperatures plunge, fears grow for households struggling to pay for heating, food and warm clothingMore than 3 million low-income UK households cannot afford to heat their homes, according to research, as a “dangerously cold” weather front arrived from the Arctic.The UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold weather alert recommending vulnerable people warm their homes to at least 18C, wear extra layers and eat hot food to protect themselves from plummeting temperatures. Continue reading...

Emma Vulin wins newly created seat in Melbourne’s south-east to equal party’s previous election result

The 17-year-old boy allegedly threw a concrete block through the open window of a car killing Diane Miller and her unborn child

Prime minister Fumio Kishida has seen approval ratings plummet since ties between LDP and the church were exposedJapan’s lower house of parliament has passed a law that will make it a crime for religious and other organisations to “maliciously” secure donations from members – a move seen as an attempt by the ruling party to defuse the controversy over its ties to the Unification church.The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has seen his approval ratings plummet since widespread ties between his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the church were exposed in the wake of the assassination this summer of Japan’s former leader, Shinzo Abe. Continue reading...

George Aghajanian has told a court there ‘wasn’t a cover up’ and Brian Houston was ‘shocked’ when told of allegations

State’s energy minister, Matt Kean, says ‘It’s not about royalties, it’s all about consumers’, putting pressure on Queensland counterpart

Asylum seekers beaten and sexually assaulted before being illegally removed, says Border Violence Monitoring NetworkThousands of migrants and asylum seekers are facing “an unprecedented rise in violence” at the EU’s border, including beatings, forced undressing and sexual assaults, according to a report exposing thousands of alleged illegal expulsions in harrowing detail.Activists interviewed 733 individuals trying to reach Europe in 2021 and 2022, who provided grim testimony of group pushbacks that affected more than 16,000 others. The work updates the 2020 edition of The Black Book of Pushbacks, offering a total compilation of 1,633 individuals telling of illegal expulsions affecting nearly 25,000 people since 2017. Continue reading...