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Five judges also convict Dominique Pelicot of making and distributing sexual images of his adult daughter and the wives of his sonsA soldier, a nurse, a lorry driver and dozens more: who are the men accused over rape and assault of Gisèle Pelicot?Ahead of the verdicts, the men charged alongside Dominique Pelicot were given the chance to make final statements on Monday. Around half...

Prime minister to be questioned on economy, public services and global affairs as No 10 says he spoke to Trump on the phone on WednesdayGood morning. It is the last day the House of Commons is sitting before the Christmas recess, and the main event will be in a committee room in Portcullis House where Keir Starmer will have his first question session with...

John Healey says Britain should ‘make the training a better fit for what the Ukrainians need’Russian forces have taken control of the villages of Novyi Komar and Zelenivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the Interfax news agency is reporting, citing the Russian defence ministry. We have not been able to independently confirm this information yet.In total, Russia, which continues to make incremental battlefield gains,...

Regulator Ofwat says it will claw back £131m in ‘unjustified’ payments as it announces bills can rise by 35% by 2030Water bills for households in England and Wales to rise by 36%Thames Water will have to pay an £18.2m penalty after the water industry regulator confirmed the troubled utilities company had breached dividend rules.The Guardian revealed on Wednesday that Thames would be penalised over...

Israel Katz warns leaders of movement after airstrikes hit several areas of Yemen overnight, including power stations near capital Sana’aIsrael’s restriction of Gaza’s water supply to levels below minimum needs amounts to an act of genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity, a human rights report has alleged.Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigated Israeli attacks on the water supply infrastructure in Gaza over the...

Rain eases in state’s southeast after teen rescued in Mareeba, while firefighters battle blazes in VictoriaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA lucky escape by a teenager sucked into a drain has prompted a heartfelt plea to avoid flood waters as showers eased in a rain-hit region.Sunny skies were set to greet...

Firms accused of forcing households to pay for years of underinvestment after Ofwat agrees to increases to help fix sector• Thames Water to pay £18m penalty after breaking dividend rulesWater bills in England and Wales will rise by 36% over the next five years, as suppliers were accused of forcing struggling households to pay for years of underinvestment to fix leaky pipes and cut...

Investigation launched over claims Brisbane woman’s complaints about childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith were dismissedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn investigation has been launched after a mother claimed her complaints about one of Australia’s worst paedophiles were dismissed more than a decade before his arrest.Former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith, 46, received a life sentence in October after pleading...

Tanya Plibersek says projects in NSW and Queensland produce coal for making essential steel as critics say move ‘opposite of climate action’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Albanese government has approved the expansion of four coalmines that climate campaigners estimate will release more than 850m tonnes of CO2 over their lifetime...

This blog is now closedAlbanese government approves four coalmine expansions as Greens condemn ‘despicable’ moveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlmost 150 Australians were flown out of Vanuatu overnight after a powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island earlier this week.The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said the 148 Australian citizens returned home on two Royal Australian Air Force aircraft in...

Ethical beauty chain books £2m profit in first three months after rescue from administration in SeptemberThe new boss of the Body Shop has told staff the struggling ethical beauty retailer is “back for good” after it booked a profit in its first 100 days under new ownership.The retailer was bought out of administration in September by a consortium led by the British cosmetics tycoon...

Law around illegal wood burning in smoke-control areas is not being enforced, campaigners sayOnly four fines out of 5,600 complaints have been issued for illegal burning of wood in smoke-control areas from September 2023 to August 2024 in England, data has revealed.The new data, from freedom of information requests submitted by the campaign group Mums for Lungs, shows that the law around illegal wood...

Federal court dismisses NSW government’s attempt to stop action – including work stoppages that could lead to a train strikeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCommuters have been warned to expect “very significant” disruptions imminently across Sydney’s train network – including in the lead up to the busy new year period –...

Human Rights Watch says Israeli forces have acted deliberately to cut availability of clean waterIsrael’s restriction of Gaza’s water supply to levels below minimum needs amounts to an act of genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity, a human rights report has alleged.Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigated Israeli attacks on the water supply infrastructure in Gaza over the course of its 14-month war...

Japan’s complex defence alliances built up over years as protection against China could be put at risk in a Trump-launched trade warArguably, no country in Asia has better reason to be in a state of anxiety over the return of Donald Trump to the White House than Japan, since the US has been the linchpin of Japanese foreign and security policy since the second...

The Manchester boy who joined United aged seven holds a special place in the heart of many fans, though others accept his time to leave has comeAlthough Marcus Rashford had moved closer to the exit at Manchester United, there was still a buzz around Button Lane primary school.“The noise of the children coming in was louder,” sports coach Chris Walker said. “Some don’t want...

Supermarket giant sought to use Baby Bellies’ designs for ‘its own commercial advantage’, judge saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSupermarket giant Aldi has been found liable for copyright infringement over packaging for children’s snack foods that used a rival brand as a “benchmark” for its design.Aldi – which once used the...

Malaysians imprisoned in US prison camp agreed to testify against alleged ringleader of attacks that killed 202Two Malaysian held in Guantánamo Bay since 2006 have been returned to Malaysia, after they pleaded guilty to charges related to the deadly 2002 Bali bombings and agreed to testify against the alleged ringleader of that and other attacks.Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep arrived...

Pio Tikoduadua tells the Guardian the Pacific is ‘not a space for missile testing’ after China’s launch earlier this year raised concern in the regionFiji’s defence minister has stressed the need for stability in the Pacific and welcomed moves to strengthen security ties with the US, while adding to criticism over China’s recent missile test for posing a threat to peace in the region.Fiji,...

Trump rejects bipartisan plan, causing Congress to spiral as lawmakers try to wrap up for holidays amid Friday deadlineDonald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan on Wednesday to prevent a Christmastime government shutdown, instead telling House speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans to essentially renegotiate – days before a deadline when federal funding runs out.The president-elect’s sudden entrance into the debate and new demands sent...

Paper published in International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents in 2020 withdrawn by Dutch publisher ElsevierA controversial study that promoted hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, as a treatment for Covid-19 has officially been withdrawn.On Tuesday, Elsevier, a Dutch academic publishing company which owns the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, issued the retraction of the March 2020 study, saying “concerns have been raised regarding this article, the...

California declares a state of emergency as CDC reports person had contact with sick and dead birds in backyard flockThe first person in the US to develop severe illness from H5N1 bird flu has been hospitalized in Louisiana, officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed on Wednesday.Officials believe the person had contact with sick and dead birds in a...

Inquiry found NYPD’s current use and impact policies do not ‘sufficiently disclose’ its technology capabilityA new report from the New York City department of investigation on the New York police department’s drone operations has been released amid a flurry of drone sightings and activity along the eastern seaboard and elsewhere across the US.The report indicates that the NYPD’s current use and impact policies regarding...

Bill authorizes pay raises, strips coverage of trans medical treatments for children and aims to counter China’s powerThe Senate passed a defense bill on Wednesday that authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China’s growing power and boosts overall military spending to $895bn while also stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children of military members.The annual defense authorization...