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New electricity price controls from 2023 to 2028 will keep costs to customers at about £100 a yearThe operators of Great Britain’s local energy networks will be forced to spend more of their profits on investing to future-proof the country’s electricity grid, after the regulator, Ofgem, said it would not allow any rises in household bills.In a new set of price controls that will run from 2023 to 2028, the energy watchdog said it would keep costs to customers unchanged at about £100 a year. Continue reading...

Heston Russell’s lawyer tells federal court readers were given ‘impression’ he was responsible for shooting an unarmed prisoner in Afghanistan

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NSW treasurer savaged his party’s preselection processes and warned that the community expects more diversity in its parliaments

ADF has never investigated whether course in coping with being interrogated or tortured was linked to deaths, royal commission hears

Brad Battin and Richard Riordan make up contenders in three-way contest after Ryan Smith withdraws

In today’s newsletter: Why a purported solution to concerns about voter fraud may create a whole set of new problems instead. An electoral systems expert explains how

New Zealand’s health services go to court over guardianship of four-month-old boy whose parents have not let heart operation go aheadNew Zealand’s health service has made a court application over the guardianship of a four-month-old baby whose parents are refusing to allow his life-saving heart surgery to go ahead unless non-vaccinated blood is used.The parents of the baby discussed their son’s health situation and their medical preferences in an interview with an anti-vaccination campaigner. Continue reading...

Former PM claims he would have answered truthfully if asked about any of the secret ministries he held and repeated past defence of arrangements

Headline CPI rate eases from 7.3% to 6.9%, lower than economists’ expectations, but fuel prices still rose as full excise rate returned

Death is third this month linked to NSW flooding crisis after Ljubisa ‘Les’ Vugec, 85, and Dianne Smith, 60, died in Eugowra

Rap mogul will pay ex-wife $200,000 a month in child support, and both will share custody of childrenKim Kardashian and Kanye West have reached a settlement in their divorce, averting a trial that had been set for next month, court documents filed on Tuesday showed.The former couple and their attorneys filed documents asking for a judge’s approval of terms they have agreed on, including $200,000 a month child support payments from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, to Kardashian. Continue reading...

‘Our dear Masha, we all hope that you will be alright!’ said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of trio of women who led 2020 protestsThe jailed Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova has been admitted to intensive care and undergone surgery, her allies have said.“Maria is in the emergency hospital in Gomel, in the intensive care unit,” said the press service of Viktor Babaryko, another opposition politician. Continue reading...

The Victorian artist wins for his small painting of artist and friend Lewis Miller, who was also nominated for his own portrait of Drendel

Role of church in parliament and schools questioned as census shows 5.5m fewer holders of faith in England and WalesCensus results revealing that England is no longer a majority-Christian country have sparked calls for an end to the church’s role in parliament and schools, while Leicester and Birmingham became the first UK cities with “minority majorities”.For the first time in a census, less than half of the population of England and Wales – 27.5 million people – described themselves as “Christian”, 5.5 million fewer than in 2011. It triggered calls for urgent reform of laws requiring Christian teaching and worship in schools and Church of England bishops to sit in the House of Lords. Continue reading...

Veterans of Hong Kong’s 2019 protests see echoes in mainland’s anti-Covid anger, but fear a similar outcomeJack*, a Hongkonger, used to have a grim view of mainland Chinese people, but the protests over anti-Covid restrictions that exploded across China last weekend changed his view.“Before, I thought they were mostly the arrogant and nationalistic people who just cared only about safeguarding ‘one China’ and the [Communist] party, and who boasted about the superiority of China,” said the 35-year-old IT professional, who did not want to give his real name for fear of repercussions from Beijing. Continue reading...

Monday the largest in-person early voting day as Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker neck and neck before 6 December electionThe number of people casting early ballots in the runoff election for one of Georgia’s seats in the US Senate has already broken records since the process began on the weekend, with some counties posting staggeringly long wait times at early voting sites during the first days of early voting.Reports on Monday’s turnout varied from more than 250,000 voters to more than 300,000 on the first day of statewide early operation of the polls. Some counties began earlier. Continue reading...

Letter from 44 charities urges independent investigation into ‘appalling’ treatment of people at Kent processing centreSuella Braverman, the home secretary, is being urged by 44 leading charities to launch a Windrush-style inquiry into the crisis that engulfed Manston processing centre.Organisations including the Refugee Council, Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee have written a letter to the Guardian seeking an independent investigation into how people seeking refuge in the UK were forced to live in cramped and insanitary conditions. Continue reading...

Racing to wean itself off Russian gas supplies, Germany is set to buy 2m tonnes of liquid gas from Gulf stateGerman firms have signed a 15-year deal to buy 2m tonnes of liquid gas from Qatar, sending out mixed signals over the priority Germany places on human rights in the Gulf and its commitment to a carbon neutral energy supply.The deal was announced by state-owned Qatar Energy and deliveries will start from 2026. The gas will be sold by Qatar to the US company ConocoPhillips, which will then deliver it to the LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel, Qatar’s energy minister said in the capital, Doha. Continue reading...

Andriy Pavelko and general secretary accused of embezzling funds related to construction of artificial grass factoryTwo leading officials in Ukraine’s football association, including its head, have been arrested over fraud and money-laundering allegations related to the construction of an artificial grass factory.Andriy Pavelko, the president of the Ukraine FA, and Yuri Zapisotsky, the association’s general secretary, are accused of “embezzling” 26.5m Ukrainian Hryvnia (£600,000). Continue reading...

Harem Ahmed Abwbaker accused of being member of crime gang behind November 2021 attempted voyage in which dinghy sankA man has been arrested in the UK in connection with the deaths of at least 27 people who drowned while trying to cross the Channel in a dinghy a year ago.Harem Ahmed Abwbaker, 32, was detained at an address in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, at about 6.45am on Tuesday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Continue reading...

Six to one ratio for recognising IWGB defies RSA management’s ‘pernicious’ attempt to vilify unionStaff at the Royal Society of the Arts have overwhelmingly voted for union representation in a bitter blow to the senior management team, who vigorously opposed a six-month-long grassroots campaign.Almost 86% of the votes cast in a ballot of RSA staff organised by the Central Arbitration Committee, a government tribunal, which handles union recognition disputes, were in favour of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) negotiating over pay, holidays and hours. Continue reading...

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Andrew Bailey tells Lords committee of ‘extraordinary process’ with ‘no formal communication’ between Treasury and BankThe governor of the Bank of England has indicated it was left blindsided by Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous mini-budget, describing an “extraordinary process” in which there was “no formal communication” before the chancellor unveiled his measures.In candid evidence to the Lords economic affairs committee, Andrew Bailey said Kwarteng had broken with tradition by failing to brief the central bank, suggesting that even Treasury officials were not fully aware of his plans a day before the event. Continue reading...

Prison services confirm attack on Janusz Waluś, who was due to be released after nearly three decadesThe killer of the South African anti-apartheid leader Chris Hani has been stabbed in prison, days after the country’s top court ordered him to be released on parole, the prison service said.In a statement, the Department of Correctional Services said on Tuesday it was “able to confirm an unfortunate stabbing incident” involving Janusz Waluś, who has spent nearly three decades in jail for the 1993 killing. Continue reading...

Both were bailed hours before Iran faces US in World Cup, following release of hundreds of other prisonersIran has released two former members of its international football team who were arrested on charges related to countrywide protests, just hours before the national squad was set to play the US at the World Cup.Right-back Voria Ghafouri was detained last week and accused of tarnishing “the reputation of the national team and spreading propaganda against the state”, while retired goalkeeper Parviz Boroumand was arrested nearly two weeks ago on charges of participating in rallies in the capital, Tehran. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Guardian investigation finds many children do not know they are consuming highly addictive nicotine in vapes until it is too late

CMA’s findings will disappoint many artists who have struggled to make a meaningful income from streamingThe world’s biggest record labels and streaming services are not making excessive profits at the expense of artists struggling to make a living from the digital music revolution, a long-running investigation by the UK competition watchdog has concluded.The Competition and Markets Authority said artists’ concerns about low returns were understandable, but intervening in the market would be unlikely to help. Continue reading...

Exclusive: as the two nations prepare to co-host Cop15, Mélanie Joly discusses Canada’s long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategyCanada will work with China when needed – but challenge it when necessary, the country’s foreign minister said, as the two nations prepare to co-host a major environmental summit despite years of diplomatic tensions.Speaking to the Guardian after her government released its long-awaited “Indo-Pacific Strategy”, Mélanie Joly said that Canada will “promote and defend” its national interests in a region where nations are jockeying for influence and power. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: A timeline of increasing dissent as Chinese citizens demand ‘food, not PCR tests’ and blame Xi Jinping’s government for restrictions they say have cost lives

Maguire has been charged with criminal conspiracy over alleged offences committed while he was a NSW MP

Court victory by Redfern Legal Centre prompts government to cancel half of all fines issued for breaching pandemic restrictions

End Fuel Poverty Coalition fears energy suppliers are using warrants to disconnect poorest ‘by the back door’Campaigners have called for an immediate ban on pre-payment meter (PPM) installations made under court warrants because of fears that energy suppliers are using them to disconnect the poorest, most indebted customers “by the back door”.Energy firms’ licence conditions protect many vulnerable people from formal disconnection over the winter, but the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said transferring households on to PPMs, which require regular top-ups and charge for energy at a higher rate, often prompted people in debt to “self-disconnect”. Continue reading...

Jason Penrose launched a ‘campaign of consistent stalking’ against The Crown actor, making her fear for her life, court toldA persistent stalker who left Claire Foy “terrified in her own home” and fearing he would kill her and her daughter entered the UK illegally, a court has heard.Jason Penrose, 49, launched a “campaign of consistent stalking” and even turned up at the The Crown star’s home on 17 December last year and repeatedly rang the doorbell, Wood Green crown court was told on Monday. Continue reading...

Scotland secretary tells MPs Simon Case is considering issue related to would-be independence referendumSimon Case, the head of the UK civil service, is looking into whether officials in Scotland should still be allowed to do work related to a second independence referendum, Alister Jack, the Scotland secretary, has said.Jack said the cabinet secretary and Whitehall’s propriety and ethics team were examining whether it was appropriate for work to continue on independence in light of the supreme court decision that only the UK government could allow another poll. Continue reading...

Priorities will be creativity and profitability, a shift from a costly streaming services growth strategy pursued by predecessorReturning Disney boss Bob Iger told employees that he will prioritize creativity and profitability at a staff meeting at the company’s Burbank headquarters on Monday – outlining a shift from a costly streaming services growth strategy pursued by his predecessor, who was dramatically ousted from the company eight days ago.Iger, 71, held the top Disney job from 2005 to 2020. After a two-year break, he was reinstated after the company ousted Bob Chapek following an earnings report that showed the company lost close to $1.5bn in just three months on its streaming services platform. Continue reading...

Trusts may also have to suspend chemotherapy, kidney dialysis and other key elements of healthcareHospitals may not be able to provide key elements of healthcare such as urgent surgery, chemotherapy and kidney dialysis during the forthcoming strikes by nurses, NHS bosses have said.Trusts may also have to stop discharging patients, postpone urgent diagnostic tests and temporarily withdraw services to people undergoing a mental health crisis. Continue reading...

Foreign Office minister says case of Hussein Abo al-Kheir raised ‘at highest level’ and demands end to executionsThe British government has condemned as “abhorrent” what it said was the clear torture of a Jordanian national on death row in Saudi Arabia for drug offences, and demanded an end to a sudden spate of executions in the Gulf monarchy.It was the first time the British government has made the allegation. Continue reading...

Police announce arrest of suspect in pair of 40-year-old sexual assaults and slayings in TorontoA 61-year-old Canadian man has been charged in the cold case killings of two women who were found dead in their Toronto homes within months of each other almost four decades ago.The Toronto police chief, James Ramer, said Joseph George Sutherland, of Moosonee, Ontario, was arrested on Thursday and charged with first-degree murder in the killings of Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice in 1983. Continue reading...

Two men and a woman arrested on suspicion of concealing birth of a child after bodies found in BridgendTwo babies were found dead in a house on an estate on the outskirts of Bridgend at the weekend.South Wales police said two men, aged 37 and 47, and a 29-year-old woman had been arrested on suspicion of concealing the birth of a child after the distressing discovery in Wildmill, a 55-year-old Radburn estate. Continue reading...

New details emerge from report on London’s brigades as opposition parties demand national reviewThe Home Office is facing demands from opposition MPs for a national inquiry into the culture of the UK’s fire services, as new details emerged from a damning report on London’s brigades that revealed widespread misogyny and racism.Labour and the Liberal Democrats said the inquiry was necessary after the government overlooked previous warnings that fire brigades across the country were riven with bullying. Continue reading...

Biden administration’s centerpiece student loan relief measure paused after Trump-appointed judge rules plan is unconstitutionalAcross the US in recent weeks student loan borrowers hoping to have their debts eased have opened their email inboxes to a message from the US secretary of education, Miguel Cardona.It read in part: “Lawsuits are preventing the US Department of Education from implementing its one-time student loan debt relief program; we are holding your approved application.” Continue reading...

Greens and teal independents look set to gain seats as early count shows both Labor and Liberal votes going backwards

Protesters in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, blame restrictions for death toll of 10 in apartment block fireProtests have broken out in China’s far western Xinjiang region, with crowds shouting at hazmat-suited guards after a deadly fire triggered anger over their prolonged Covid-19 lockdown as nationwide infections set another record.Crowds chanted “End the lockdown,” pumping their fists in the air as they walked down a street, according to videos circulated on Chinese social media on Friday night. Reuters verified the footage was published from the Xinjiang capital, Urumqi. Continue reading...

Programme to subsidise exports of grain to poor and hungry countries launched on anniversary of Ukraine’s Holodomor famineUp to 60 Ukrainian grain ships can be sent by the middle of next year to some of the world’s poorest countries in Africa, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said in a statement released to the Guardian.In a move that challenges the Russian narrative that the west’s response to its war on Ukraine has aggravated pre-existing food shortages in Africa, Zelenskiy said ships moving out of the Ukrainian port of Odesa can reach humanitarian hotspots such as Sudan, Yemen and Somalia, but only so long as international funding comes forward to subsidise the grain. Continue reading...

Thousands expected to demonstrate on Sunday to urge UK government to help those fleeing TalibanThousands of people are expected to take to London’s streets on Sunday calling on the UK government to create a safe asylum route for Afghan women and girls at risk.Sunday’s march for freedom for Afghan women and girls in London, organised by the campaign group Action for Afghanistan, comes weeks after MPs appealed to the foreign secretary, James Cleverly, for a renewed focus on women and girls at risk after Britain’s 20-year campaign in the country. Continue reading...

Artist’s choice of footwear for Order of Merit luncheon highlights shoe brand’s enduring popularityIt is a question that must have plagued those attending King Charles’s first luncheon for the Order of Merit on Thursday – what to wear while eating partridge pie with the new monarch.For the 85-year-old artist David Hockney it was simple – his signature checked Savile Row suit, a knitted checkerboard tie … and a pair of yellow garden Crocs. As a fan of the great outdoors, the king was delighted. “Your yellow galoshes!” he remarked. “Beautifully chosen.” Continue reading...

Bar on telecommunications products from firms including ZTE, Dahua and Hikvision are part of latest crackdown on Chinese tech giants amid spying fearsThe Biden administration has banned approvals of new telecommunications equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies and ZTE because they pose “an unacceptable risk” to US national security.The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Friday it had adopted the final rules, which also bar the sale or import of equipment made by Chinese surveillance equipment maker Dahua Technology, video surveillance firm Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and telecoms firm Hytera Communications Corp. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Andy Marsh, head of the College of Policing, calls for new code of practice to mend bond of trust with womenOne of the most senior figures in policing in England and Wales is calling for a new gold standard for gender-based violence investigations, saying women have been “systematically failed” by the criminal justice system. Andy Marsh, the chief executive of the College of Policing, said he wanted a new code of practice for the policing of violence against women and girls – the first since the police code of ethics was introduced eight years ago – saying the bond of trust between women and the police “must be mended”.The move comes after a damning official report into misogyny in policing – ordered after the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021 by a serving Metropolitan police officer – found defective vetting and failures by police leaders had allowed potentially thousands of “predatory” officers into police ranks. Continue reading...