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Doctors at the secret facility are able to perform amputations while others monitor zigzagging drones overheadScrubby trees hide the entrance. A sloping wooden tunnel descends to a brightly lit reception area. There is a surgery unit, equipped with beds, cardiac monitors and ventilators. And shelves full of medical equipment, drugs and neat piles of spare clothes. In a staff room with a washing machine and kettle, doctors keep an eye on a screen. It shows the movements of Russian spy drones as they zigzag in the sky above.Welcome to Ukraine's secret underground hospital. The facility opened in August and is the second of its kind, located in eastern Ukraine not far from the frontline and the city of Pokrovsk, in Donetsk oblast. We are 6 metres below the earth. It's the safest way of providing help to our injured soldiers. And it keeps medical personnel safe," said the clinic's surgeon, Maj Oleksandr Holovashchenko. Continue reading...

Review was led by former supreme court judge turned parole authority chair Geoffrey Bellew SC and former NSW police deputy commissioner Jeffrey Loy

Exclusive: Services Australia spokesperson says automatic BPay payments and Centrelink being unable to contact customers may be to blame

Prime minister Charnvirakul cancels trip to Asean summit in Malaysia after news of the Queen Mother's deathThailand's Queen Mother Sirikit, who brought glamour to a postwar revival in the country's monarchy and who, in later years, would occasionally wade into politics, has died aged 93, the Thai Royal Household bureau has announced.The palace said she had been hospitalised since 2019 due to several illnesses and developed a bloodstream infection on 17bOctober before passing away late on Friday. Continue reading...

Opposition senator's FoI request rejected by Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on national security and cabinet solidarity grounds

Vilnius and Kaunas airports closed down after balloons drift into country's airspace for third time this monthLithuania closed its two biggest airports on Friday and shut crossings on its border with Belarus after helium weather balloons drifted into its territory, the third such occurrence in the Baltic state this month.European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings and other air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen, Munich and the Baltic region. Continue reading...

Some drivers say vehicles using new version of full self-driving system can travel above speed limitsThe US main transportation safety regulator said on Friday it was seeking information from Tesla about a new driver assistance mode dubbed Mad Max" that operates at higher speeds than other versions.Some drivers on social media report that Tesla vehicles using the more aggressive version of its full self-driving (FSD) system could operate above posted speed limits. Continue reading...

Statement from security adviser, sent to then prime minister, did not describe China as enemyRishi Sunak was the only politician to be sent a witness statement by the deputy national security adviser at the centre of a controversy about the collapse of a case against two British men accused of spying for China.According to letters sent to the joint committee on the national security strategy, the statement from Matthew Collins in December 2023, which was sent to the then prime minister and his advisers, did not describe China as an enemy, another key element of the case. Continue reading...

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was meant to be sent to an immigration detention centre for deportation after assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a womanA former asylum seeker who was released from prison in error after sexually assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl has been spotted boarding a London-bound train, Essex police said.The Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was jailed for 12 months in September for sexual assault and made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order. Continue reading...

Pete Hegseth claims six narco-terrorists' killed in Caribbean as US military conducts 10th strike

Buckingham Palace trying to increase pressure on prince to give up home for which he pays peppercorn' rentPrince Andrew is reportedly in advanced talks with King Charles's senior aides about moving out of his Royal Lodge home after a week in which his peppercorn" rent tenancy has come under scrutiny.Pressure has mounted on the royal family for Andrew to vacate the 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park amid the continuing controversy over his links to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the posthumous publication of the memoirs of the prince's sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre. Continue reading...

Zelenskyy, Starmer and members of coalition of willing' held talks in London. This live blog is closed

Ukrainian leader joined Coalition of the Willing to discuss how to ramp up pressure on RussiaVolodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants the US to stay involved in efforts to end the war after a meeting of western allies in London that took place without president Donald Trump.The Ukrainian leader chose not to overtly lobby for the supply of US Tomahawk cruise missiles at a meeting of more than 20 mainly European leaders from the coalition of the willing" but instead emphasised the need for the west to work together. Continue reading...

New regulation will allow US authorities to require non-citizens to be photographed at any point of departureThe US will expand the use of facial recognition technology to track non-citizens entering and leaving the country in order to combat visa overstays and passport fraud, according to a government document published on Friday.A new regulation will allow US border authorities to require non-citizens to be photographed at airports, seaports, land crossings and any other point of departure, expanding on an earlier pilot program. Under the regulation, set to take effect on 26 December, US authorities could require the submission of other biometrics, such as fingerprints or DNA, the document said. Continue reading...

Deng Majek followed Whyte to a train station near the hotel where she worked before stabbing her 23 times Man guilty of murdering hotel worker at Walsall railway stationIt was around 11pm on 20 October 2024 when Rhiannon Skye Whyte, a 27-year-old from Walsall, finished her late shift at the Park Inn hotel in Wolverhampton and made her way to the nearby railway station.Whyte, who cleaned and served food at the hotel housing asylum seekers, had been working there for about three months. Continue reading...

Art work that vanished en route from Madrid to Granada may never have made it on the van in the first placeFittingly enough for a still life, it would appear that the small Picasso painting that triggered a police investigation after apparently vanishing while en route from Madrid to Granada for an exhibition earlier this month scarcely moved from its pickup point.Officers from Spain's Policia Nacional began searching for the gouache and pencil work Naturaleza muerta con guitarra (Still Life with Guitar) after it failed to arrive on a van that was bringing a consignment of loaned exhibits from the capital to the CajaGranada foundation on 3 October. Continue reading...

Illustration of old sultan' by surrealist artist found at a house clearance sale by Cambridge antiques dealerTo the untrained eye, it looks more like an alien has landed on Chewbacca's head than a masterpiece by Salvador Dali.But the watercolour and felt-tip painting - bought two years ago for 150 - has been sold at auction for 47,700, after it was identified as a lost illustration of an old sultan" by the great surrealist artist. Continue reading...

Fresh from guest editing Country Life, former footballer embodies rich autumn dad' aestheticDoes your wardrobe include a half-zip jumper and a flannel shirt? Is your fantasy car a vintage Land Rover Defender? Do you know a buff Cochin from a bantam hen? If the answer is yes, you may just be one of the style icons of the season: rich autumn dad".The leader of this new style pack, known among fashion watchers as the Rads, is David Beckham, who this week was unveiled as guest editor of Country Life magazine. The former England football captain appears in the 100-year-old title in a variety of looks including a tweed blazer and corduroy trousers. Continue reading...

Asylum seeker Deng Chol Majek had been accused of killing Rhiannon Skye Whyte at Bescot Stadium stationA man has been found guilty of murdering a hotel worker in an attack at Walsall's Bescot Stadium railway station in October last year.Deng Chol Majek, a Sudanese asylum seeker, was staying at the Park Inn hotel in Walsall when he was accused of killing Rhiannon Skye Whyte, 27, on 20 October 2024. Continue reading...

Justin Jude Clarke-Samuel, who appeared at magistrates court on Monday, reportedly failed to stop at crime sceneAn award winning British rapper has been charged with a fatal hit and run that took place in east London last weekend.Justin Jude Clarke-Samuel, better known as Ghetts, has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving after a car collided with a 20-year-old in Ilford on Saturday 18 October. The man died in hospital the following Monday. Continue reading...

Loved by the likes of Yusuf Islam and Gai Eaton, Dar al-Taqwa is finding it tough to survive an era of online retailLondon's oldest independent Islamic bookshop is at risk of closing within a year owing to declining footfall and the rise of online shopping platforms.Founded in 1985 by the Egyptian publisher Samir el-Atar, Dar al-Taqwa has been a cornerstone of British Muslim life for four decades - a place where scholars, students and converts have long gathered to browse, talk and connect. Continue reading...

Rhun ap Iorwerth says party's win was more than just rejection of immigration-obsessed Reform or rudderless Labour UK politics live - latest updatesPlaid Cymru can offer a positive vision for Wales for voters who want to reject the divisiveness of Reform UK, the party's leader has said after a triumphant Welsh parliamentary byelection.Rhun ap Iorwerth said the 47% win for his party in the Caerphilly byelection was a rejection of Reform and its obsession with immigration, which, while important, did not overshadow more pressing issues, such as healthcare and housing. Continue reading...

More homes and less property investor activity has seen Victoria's capital rise up the affordability rankings

Exclusive: Experts criticise federal government's iron fist' contract with Elbit Systems as troubling acceptance' of Israel's conduct in Gaza

Rubio also said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unraw) cannot play a future role in Gaza, claiming it is a subsidiary of Hamas'At least 14 migrants died when their inflatable dinghy capsized in the Aegean Sea off the Turkish resort of Bodrum, the governor's office said on Friday, raising an earlier toll of seven dead.The lifeless bodies of 14 irregular migrants were recovered," the office of the Mugla governorate said on X, quoting one of the two survivors as saying that 18 people had been on board when the dinghy went down. The fate of the other two remained unclear, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). Continue reading...

Plus the perils of pouring coffee down the drain in Richmond and a tempting 180k tutoring jobIn among the endless coverage of Prince Andrew this week, a stray line in the Daily Mail caught my eye. David Boies, the US super-attorney who represented Virginia Giuffre and counts among his previous clients Bill Gates, Elizabeth Holmes and Harvey Weinstein, was quoted in the Mail on Monday furthering the following opinion: At this point, I think Prince Andrew has suffered enough, but the Met police owe Epstein's victims an accounting." Continue reading...

Kyei leads power list showcasing black role models across business, science, technology and the artsAfua Kyei, the finance chief of the Bank of England, has been named the UK's most influential black person.The 43-year-old, who was appointed by Mark Carney, the bank's former governor and now Canada's prime minister, has replaced the CEO of the tech firm Forterro, Dean Forbes, in the top spot of this year's Powerlist.Afua Kyei - Chief financial ffficer and executive director, Bank of England.Ian Wright - Former Arsenal and England footballer, broadcaster and advocate for equity in sport.Dame Pat McGrath - Makeup artist/founder, Pat McGrath Labs.Pamela Maynard - Chief AI transformation officer, Microsoft MCAPS.Joshua Siaw - Partner, White & Case.Tunde Olanrewaju - Senior partner and managing partner, McKinsey & Company Europe.Steven Bartlett - Entrepreneur and Dragon, Dragon's Den.Emma Grede - CEO and co-founder, Good American; founding partner, SKIMS.Idris Elba, OBE - Actor, filmmaker, philanthropist.Ije Nwokorie - Chief executive officer, Dr Martens PLC. Continue reading...

Leftwing independent widely expected to succeed Michael D Higgins, but fears grow over low turnout and spoilt ballotsIrish voters are going to the polls to elect a new president, with final opinion polls predicting a landslide for Catherine Connolly, an outspoken leftwing independent who has captured the imagination of many younger people.An opinion poll on Thursday gave Connolly 40% versus 25% for her opponent, Heather Humphreys, a former cabinet minister. When the figures were adjusted for those who are undecided or plan to spoil their vote, Connolly had 55% and Humphreys 35%. Continue reading...

Demand at online jewellers and release of iPhone 17 lead to bigger-than-expected rise in volumes in September

The Welsh town's byelection was a two-party race - but this time neither Labour nor the Conservatives were in it

Exclusive: In the year they announced record profits, Britain's arms maker has revoked licence to fly for planes taking supplies of food to starving people in South Sudan, Somalia and DRCBritain's biggest weapons manufacturer, BAE Systems, has quietly scrapped support for a fleet of aircraft providing life-saving" humanitarian aid to some of the world's poorest countries.The decision further reduces the distribution of vital aid to countries facing serious humanitarian crises, including South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Continue reading...

Plaid Cymru's byelection victory signals a seismic shift in Welsh politics that will rattle Westminster

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Exclusive: Ben Munday claims he is co-creator of 2004 images but Levine has called him only a collaboratorAn artist who claims he is a co-creator of two of the most famous images ever taken of the late queen is suing Chris Levine, the photographer who claims sole authorship of the portraits, in a high court dispute.Ben Munday claims he is a co-author of two 2004 portraits of the queen that were created using holography technology, which involves the use of light projection and multiple cameras to render a 3D image. Continue reading...

Police have charged three more men over the death of 45-year-old Thi Kim Tran

Figure caught on camera at Chester Castle among accounts of eerie goings on at historic propertiesAlerted to an intruder, the security guard at Chester Castle knew something was up when his normally fearless dog refused to leave the car. When the guard investigated, he felt a hundred eyes" on him but found no one.The cameras did, however, record a strange, faceless figure walking in front of the main gates, precisely where the medieval gatehouse once stood. Continue reading...

China and India likely to scale back Russian oil imports as Trump tries to bring an end to war in UkraineVladimir Putin has said Russia will never bow to US pressure but conceded new sanctions could cause some economic pain, as China and India were reported to be scaling back Russian oil imports after Washington targeted Moscow's two largest producers.The US on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as nearly three dozen of their subsidiaries, as the Trump administration increased pressure on the Kremlin to negotiate an end to its war against Ukraine. The EU separately agreed to a phased ban on the import of Russian liquefied natural gas, and added two Chinese oil refiners to its Russian sanctions list. Continue reading...

Female members of the military shouldn't have to fight off their colleagues on a daily basis, lawyer says

Rhun ap Iorwerth's party, which wants Wales to become independent, seizes Senedd seat after Reform UK challenge

At least 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting in Russia's war against UkraineNorth Korea has begun constructing a memorial for its soldiers killed fighting in Russia's war on Ukraine, state media reported, as leader Kim Jong-un hailed a historic peak" in ties with Moscow.The so-called Memorial Museum of Combat Feats will be built in the capital, Pyongyang, where Kim and Russia's ambassador to North Korea attended a groundbreaking ceremony, according to a reports by the Korean Central News Agency on Thursday. Continue reading...

Banking industry data shows 629m was stolen in six months from fraud that included gold, wine and propertyThe amount of money lost to investment scams by UK consumers has leapt 55% in a year as cryptocurrency fraudsters intensify their efforts to cheat people out of their savings, data shows.Official UK banking industry data shows that while the total amount stolen by fraudsters increased 3% to 629m in the first six months of this year compared with last year, investment scam losses surged, reaching 97.7m during the period - more than 500,000 a day. Continue reading...

At least 6,000 men a year with hormone-sensitive cancer to get access to darolutamide, which blocks growth with fewer side-effectsThousands of men with advanced prostate cancer in England are to be offered a drug that can halve the risk of death.In guidance published on Friday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) gave the green light to darolutamide, which attacks the disease by starving cancer cells and has fewer side-effects than existing treatments. Continue reading...

Belgium derails proposal to use billions located in Brussels to fund 140bn loan to Ukraine for its war effortEU leaders have swerved a decision on using Russia's frozen assets to fund Ukraine's defence, despite a plea from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to take swift action to make Moscow pay for its war.Hopes of agreeing a new way of funding Ukraine's war effort were dashed after opposition from Belgium, which hosts most of the Russian central bank funds immobilised in the EU at the Brussels-based institution Euroclear. Continue reading...

New York attorney general challenging appointment of attorney who obtained indictment against her, filing saysThe New York attorney general, Letitia James, on Thursday revealed that her legal team plans to ask a federal judge to dismiss the criminal charges against her on the grounds that the US attorney in eastern Virginia who obtained the indictment was unlawfully appointed, according to a court filing.James's legal team made the move the day before James is scheduled to be arraigned in the US district court in Norfolk, Virginia, where she is expected to plead not guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution. Continue reading...

Splits grow over its remit as survivors angered by effort to recruit chairs from professions that failed to protect themDeep divisions surrounding Keir Starmer's inquiry into grooming gangs were first disclosed by the Guardian last week. But for one of the survivors now refusing to take part, splits first emerged in July, a month after the inquiry was announced.Fiona Goddard, who was abused by a gang while a teenager in a Bradford children's home, said she and other grooming gang survivors were told in June that the inquiry would centre on group-based child sexual exploitation of girls by grooming gangs. Continue reading...

Exclusive: In fresh controversy, the women write to Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood to speak up for safeguarding minister

Four out of five secondary school teachers surveyed say they have heard perplexing viral phrase called outTeachers call it the most brain dead meme" but six-seven slang has invaded classrooms across the UK, with students even painting the numbers on their faces and leaving staff perplexed.A survey of 10,000 teachers found that four out of five working in secondary schools had heard the viral phrase called out last week, with the percentage soaring to 90% among younger teachers. Continue reading...

Nearly 50 backbenchers write to business secretary over potential costs and legal minefield' of upcoming guidance

Strike on 14-19 November is part of escalating industrial action over pay and job insecurityDoctors in England will go on strike for five days in November in a row over jobs and pay.The British Medical Association (BMA) said resident doctors would strike on five consecutive days from 7am on 14 November to 7am on 19 November. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, make up about half of all doctors in the NHS. Continue reading...