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In response to workers’ claims of high emissions and waste, Amazon says it complied with all laws and ‘either met or exceeded industry standards’Picture three scenes: in a sheltered clearing, a stand of trees stretches skyward, trunks pale against the dark soil, leaves dappling the ground like golden dollar coins. In another, a maelstrom of white flakes is carried in eddies by the wind. In a third, sheer cliffs are slick with snow, icicles hanging like shards of glass.Scenes like these have formed the visual signature for onscreen adaptations of the Lord of the Rings, including Amazon’s latest, monster-budget offering, The Rings of Power. That association has helped form the bedrock of a decade of New Zealand tourism campaigns, showcasing the country’s pristine environments to the world. Continue reading...

Home secretary urged to investigate after detainees’ protests over their treatment during power outage• UK politics live – latest news updatesDetention charities have called on Suella Braverman to launch an urgent independent investigation into the disturbances at a Heathrow immigration removal centre over the weekend following a power cut.In a letter sent to Braverman, the home secretary, and to senior Home Office officials on Tuesday, the charities Bail For Immigration Detainees and Medical Justice said the investigation should be launched without delay to find out exactly what had happened and to ascertain the conditions the detainees encountered when deprived of electricity, heating, running water and toilet facilities after the power cut. Continue reading...

Some of the worst moments of the Conservative politician who has been sacked from cabinet after allegations over his conductGavin Williamson has resigned as a minister after a string of allegations, including that he told a senior civil servant to “slit your throat”.It is not the first time he has lost a government job, however. Since taking up his first ministerial role in 2017, Williamson has been dogged by scandals and controversies. Here is a reminder of his worst moments: Continue reading...

Former defence and education secretary had been brought back to government last month by Rishi Sunak

Nusrat Ghani accuses Unison representative of fearmongering after MPs hear laws could ‘disappear overnight’The government has clashed with trade unions over claims that 20 days of statutory holiday and eight bank holidays, along with a “tapestry” of workers’ rights, are at risk under post-Brexit plans to remove EU laws from the UK’s statute books.Shantha David, head of legal services at Unison, told a parliamentary committee examining the retained EU law (revocation and reform) bill that these rights “would no longer survive” if automatically removed via the “sunset clause” that will sweep away EU laws unless they are actively saved by a minister on 31 December 2023. Continue reading...

European Commission wears ‘velvet gloves’ when dealing with spyware used on citizens, says chief of inquiry on hacking software, including PegasusThe senior MEP leading an inquiry into spyware has accused the EU commission of ignoring the “grave threat to democracy” posed by the use of the technology, and national governments of failing to co-operate with her investigation.The Dutch liberal MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld said there was illegal use of spyware in Poland, Hungary, Greece and Spain and suspicions about Cyprus, while other EU member states made it easy for the “shady” industry to operate. Continue reading...

Ex-PM has selected more than a dozen of his closest allies to head to the Lords. Here are some of the key figuresBoris Johnson has nominated his fiercest cheerleaders for peerages, with two of his former aides set to become the youngest life peers in history.The former prime minister has selected more than a dozen of his closest allies to head to the Lords, as part of a resignations list longer than David Cameron’s and Theresa May’s combined. Here are some of the key figures. Continue reading...

Some Tory MPs are not buying excuse PM is waiting for inquiries into minister to conclude before taking decisionRishi Sunak’s appointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary showed he is not afraid to make controversial appointments to placate politically useful colleagues.Now the heat is on Gavin Williamson, the prime minister is fighting on two fronts. Continue reading...

Lawyer for manufacturer of combustible cladding also tells public inquiry it was ‘unjust’ to claim Arconic had misled the marketArconic, the company that made combustible cladding that spread the Grenfell Tower fire, has said more heat was released by the burning contents of victims’ flats, in a combative and unapologetic closing statement to the public inquiry.In a final speech that sought to deflect responsibility for the 72 deaths, the company also said that if others involved in the 2014-16 refurbishment had properly read a safety certificate for its plastic-filled panels which said they were combustible very likely no one would have died and alleged his client had faced “an agenda throughout to subject them to condemnation”. Continue reading...

Pre-inquest hearing finds child did access TikTok but there was nothing to back mother’s fear that he took part in a choking challengeArchie Battersbee accessed TikTok on the day he suffered a catastrophic brain injury but no evidence has been found that he was taking part in the online “blackout challenge”, a coroner’s court has heard.Archie, whose parents fought a lengthy but ultimately unsuccessful legal battle to prevent his life support being switched off, sustained the injury on 7 April at his home in Southend, Essex, when a ligature was found over his head. Continue reading...

Denys Shmyhal says no reason to evacuate any city not near frontlines; Kyiv refuses to negotiate until Russian troops have left its territory. This live blog is now closed

Woman is one of six who accuse Manchester City player of sexual offences at his Cheshire mansionThe Manchester City star Benjamin Mendy admitted asking a fellow footballer if he could have sex with his partner after the other man was finished with her, a court has heard.Mendy said the other player, Diacko Fofana, agreed, but that as soon as the woman told him no, he stopped trying to sleep with her. Continue reading...

Nicole expected to strengthen and make landfall on Thursday as state of emergency is declared in 34 countiesA rare late-season hurricane is expected to hit Florida, after the Sunshine state dealt with the impact of Hurricane Ian a month ago.Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to make landfall in eastern Florida this week. As the storm continues to strengthen, it is expected to make landfall as a category 1 hurricane on Thursday morning, reported CNN citing the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Continue reading...

Four MPs nominated by Boris Johnson will delay taking up seats in upper chamber to avoid triggering byelections

More than 70,000 lecturers and other staff expected to join action, University and College Union saysThe University and College Union has said its planned UK national strike will take place on 24, 25 and 30 November, with staff at 150 universities across the country taking industrial action over pay, working conditions and pensions.UCU said about 2.5 million students would be affected, but “disruption can be avoided if employers act fast and make improved offers. If they don’t, strike action will escalate in the new year alongside a marking and assessment boycott.” Continue reading...

Son of Bill Owen, who played his on-screen father Compo, his other TV credits include The Bill and Upstairs DownstairsThe Last of the Summer Wine actor Tom Owen has died aged 73.Owen played the nomadic Tom Simmonite in the popular and long-running BBC sitcom for 10 years from 2000. His appearance on the show continued a family tradition after his father, Bill Owen, portrayed his on-screen father, Compo Simmonite. Continue reading...

Sister says they need ‘proof of life’ amid concern for activist’s wellbeing and worries UK government not doing enoughThe family of jailed British-Egyptian hunger-striker Alaa Abd el-Fattah have voiced fears that Egyptian officials may be torturing him behind closed doors through force-feeding.On the sidelines of the Cop27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, reportedly told French president, Emmanuel Macron, that he was “committed” to ensuring the democracy activist’s health “is preserved,” and that “the next few weeks and months will bring results”. Continue reading...

Bureaucracy blamed for draft papers summoning Russian sailor who was aboard lost missile cruiserA recruitment office in St Petersburg has issued a draft notice to a missing Russian sailor who was aboard the flagship Moskva missile cruiser, which sank in the Black Sea in April.According to a report by the local news website Fontanka, the parents of the sailor, named Mikhail, who was a cook on the Moskva cruiser, received his call-up notice last month. The papers ordered their son to report to the drafting station or face possible prosecution. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Australian data security experts described the July 2020 move as ‘dubious’ and ‘outrageous’

Doubt cast on official version of events after deadly crush at border fence in which at least 23 diedThe Spanish government is facing growing calls to explain how at least 23 people died during a mass storming of the border fence between Morocco and Spain’s north African enclave of Melilla almost five months ago.MPs who visited the border on a fact-finding trip have appeared to corroborate reports – first aired in a BBC Africa Eye investigation broadcast last week – that dead bodies were dragged out of a Spanish-controlled area by Moroccan police. Continue reading...

Discounters Aldi and Lidl benefit as figures reveal annual cost of grocery shop has soared by £682British shoppers are making a big switch to budget ranges and discount chains as supermarket inflation reached a record high of nearly 15% last month, driving up the average annual bill by £682 a year.Just over a quarter of all households say they are struggling financially, double the proportion a year ago, as the cost of groceries soared 14.7% in October compared with a year ago. That is the highest level since Kantar, which produces the data, began tracking price changes in 2008. Continue reading...

Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winning satire is up for four awards, while Penélope Cruz and Paul Mescal feature in acting categoriesTriangle of Sadness, the Palme d’Or winning satire of the super rich, is among the leaders of the European film award (EFA) nominations, it has been announced.Directed by Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness is up for four gongs, including best European film, best European actor for Zlatko Burić, and best European director for Östlund. Two other films have received four nominations: Close, Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s study of a relationship between two teenage boys, and Holy Spider, a drama about an Iranian serial killer from Border director Ali Abbasi. Continue reading...

Discovery follows admission that previous list of 2,400 pieces of EU legislation was ‘not comprehensive’

Alex Belfield could have been given longer prison term but legal technicality makes it too late to changeThe judge who sentenced Jeremy Vine’s stalker to five and a half years in prison made a mistake and could have given Alex Belfield a higher sentence, one of the UK government’s most senior legal advisers has said.Yet a legal technicality means the court of appeal will not consider whether Belfield’s sentence should be increased, the Guardian has learned. Belfield is appealing for a lower jail term, prompting calls for a reform in the law to give victims more time to appeal under the “unduly lenient scheme” (ULS). Continue reading...

Reclassifying modern slavery as immigration issue and rhetoric of ‘abusing the system’ are among concerns levelled at governmentThe UK has been accused of “rolling back” moves to tackle modern slavery before a UN review of its human rights record on Thursday.Anti-Slavery International said that at the time of the last universal periodic review (UPR) in 2017, the UK had recently passed the Modern Slavery Act and was seen by some as an exemplar, but five years later, with the next review imminent, it has regressed. Continue reading...

Housebuilder says cancellation rate has risen sharply because of interest rates and economic uncertaintySales and prices of new-build houses have fallen and cancellation rates have risen in recent weeks at Persimmon, in further evidence the property market is entering a downturn.The company, one of Britain’s biggest housebuilders, said demand had waned and uncertainty had risen in the past six weeks, as rising mortgage costs and a looming recession weighed on people’s minds. Continue reading...

Key ally of Rishi Sunak says alleged comments by Cabinet Office minister would be ‘utterly unacceptable’Gavin Williamson is under renewed pressure over his behaviour towards colleagues, as a key ally of the prime minister said no one was “unsackable” and it was “utterly unacceptable” if the Cabinet Office minister had told a former senior civil servant to “jump out of the window” and “slit your throat”.The Guardian reported on Monday that Williamson, who was brought back to the cabinet by Rishi Sunak last month, allegedly told a senior civil servant to “slit your throat” in what they claimed was a bullying campaign while he was defence secretary. Continue reading...

Ramon Abbas, described by FBI as one of world’s most prolific money launderers, sentenced to 11 yearsA social media influencer who called himself Ray Hushpuppi and flaunted a lavish lifestyle fuelled by his efforts to launder millions of stolen dollars has been sentenced in Los Angeles to more than 11 years in federal prison.Ramon Abbas, 40, also was ordered by a federal judge to pay $1.7m in restitution to two fraud victims, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice. Continue reading...

‘War-driven price shocks’ signal possible need for government intervention to address energy costs, Treasury secretary says

Regulator alleges ‘5,200 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water was illegally pumped from the river over four years

The actors will bring a revival of Sam Steiner’s 2015 play Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons to London, Manchester and Brighton, directed by Josie RourkeJenna Coleman and Aidan Turner are to star together in a play that imagines a world where people are restricted to a daily limit of 140 words each.Sam Steiner’s 2015 drama Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons will be revived by Josie Rourke at the Harold Pinter theatre in London in January before playing at Manchester Opera House and Theatre Royal Brighton.Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is at the Harold Pinter theatre, London, from 18 January to 18 March. It then runs at Manchester Opera House (21-25 March) and Theatre Royal Brighton (28 March-1 April). Continue reading...

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson pushes for public indexes that could track the price of fertilisers on the domestic market

Boy, two, has died at Westmead hospital following dog attack at a motel at Cowra in the NSW central westA two-year-old boy has died after being attacked by dogs in the NSW central west.The boy was mauled on the face and neck by the dogs at a motel in the town of Cowra on Tuesday morning, NSW police said in a statement. Continue reading...

Latest figures suggest the 10 park authorities will have to make cuts of £16m between them over the next three yearsEngland’s national parks are facing a funding crisis that is forcing them to make plans to close visitors centres, make park rangers redundant, stop maintaining paths and introduce other cuts, in an effort to balance their budgets, according to the latest figures.Funding has fallen by 40% in real terms over the last decade, and grants are expected to flatline until 2025 despite rising wage bills and costs. Government funding for national parks has been frozen since last year. Data compiled by National Parks England suggests the country’s 10 park authorities will have to make cuts of £16m over the next three years. Continue reading...

Bradford-born singer who relied on free school lunches urges PM to extend provision to all families on universal creditZayn Malik has called on Rishi Sunak to “give all children living in poverty” free school meals during the cost of living crisis.The former One Direction singer, 29, who relied on free school lunches as a child growing up in Bradford, recently became an ambassador for the Food Foundation and is backing its Feed the Future campaign. Continue reading...

Poll shows levels of trust in the police markedly lower among black people than white peopleMore than half of black people stopped and searched by the police say they were left with feelings of humiliation or embarrassment, according to a survey.It also shows levels of trust in the police are markedly lower among black people (46%) than white people (64%), with barely a third (35%) of black Caribbean people saying they had confidence. Continue reading...

Exclusive: MHRA grants innovation passport to drug that could prevent women from developing conditionA new pill that could prevent pre-eclampsia has become the first pregnancy drug to be fast-tracked for development by the UK’s drug regulator.Scientists at MirZyme Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company, believe they have developed a drug that when given to women from 20 weeks of pregnancy could stop them developing the condition. Continue reading...

Former Department of Human Services official Scott Britton tells royal commission his team looked at whether they could use data to streamline compliance

Australian census data shows 102,000 people left New South Wales and 10,000 abandoned Victoria

Payments will be $150,000 for Sydney taxi plates and between $40,000 and $195,000 for regional plate holders

Hospital remains open but some non-urgent procedures delayed as health officials seek alternative heating methods

In fiery Senate hearing, Alex Antic describes Play School segment featuring drag queen as ‘adult content’ in claim rejected by broadcaster

Siobhan Baillie spoke of ‘nastiness we face’ as Gloucestershire police look into allegation of harassmentA box of faeces left outside a Conservative MP’s constituency office has reportedly sparked a police investigation.Siobhan Baillie condemned the “nastiness” of the act on Monday after the item was found by her workplace in Stroud, Gloucestershire and warned such abuse was putting people off becoming MPs. Continue reading...

England gains 10, Northern Ireland remains unchanged at 18 and Wales loses eightRevised proposals have been published for Scottish constituencies in the House of Commons as part of a plan to reduce the number of seats for the country.Scotland will have 57 constituencies under the latest review by the Boundary Commission, two fewer than at present. Continue reading...

Two surveys show extent of cost of living crisis as businesses enter what should be most profitable periodBritain’s retailers are bracing themselves for a tough Christmas trading period as hard-pressed consumers react to a worsening cost of living crisis by cutting back on spending.With the most profitable period of the year for shops and online outlets approaching, two surveys out on Tuesday underlined the extent of the squeeze on household budgets caused by the UK’s double-digit inflation rate. Continue reading...

Consumer group’s research shows acute lack of access to healthy, affordable food in some areasThe big supermarkets need to step up support for low-income customers marooned in England’s “food deserts” to enable them to readily access healthy groceries during the cost of living crisis, according to the consumer group Which?.The scarcity of affordable, healthy food is so acute in some of the poorest parts of Birmingham, Liverpool, Bradford, Durham and the Welsh valleys that the vast majority of neighbourhoods in these areas should get targeted help, Which? says. Continue reading...

Name was clear favourite for space in Perth City Hall, opening in 2024, after collecting 60% of votesA new museum in Perth will be called “Perth Museum” after a public consultation in which most people voted for the very functional name.The name saw off competition from other less literal suggestions for the site at Perth City Hall, including the Sparkling Museum of Perth and the Victoria Drummond Museum. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Australian white supremacist pleaded guilty in March 2020 to murdering 51 people in mosque attackThe Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 has appealed against his convictions and sentence of life in prison without parole.Brenton Tarrant pleaded guilty in March 2020 to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and a terrorism charge. His change of plea averted the need for a trial that officials feared he would use to spread his extremist views. Continue reading...

‘Data will publish within 24 hours’ post to darknet blog says, after Australian health insurer refused to pay ransom

Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the ruling party, criticised by opposition for ‘nonsense’ commentsOutrage built up in Poland on Monday after the governing party’s leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, claimed excessive drinking by young women was to blame for the EU country’s low birthrate.Opposition politicians, female celebrities and others denounced the 73-year-old as out of touch and patriarchal, dismissing his comments as nonsense. Continue reading...