The Guardian

At least 17 state agencies to be created or overhauled, a challenge the IfG says will require major investmentLabour is creating or overhauling at least 17 public bodies, a move which is likely to come with high costs, an Institute for Government report has found.Launching a new “tracker” of public bodies, the thinktank warned of some of the pitfalls when setting up government agencies from scratch, saying: “Successfully creating a new public body is difficult and entails high fixed costs in terms of time, budget and leadership focus.” Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/nov/21/labours-new-public-bodies-are-likely-to-come-at-a-high-cost-thinktank-finds Author : Rowena Mason Whitehall editor

Former ABC foreign correspondent and SMH journalist says he will put a ‘blowtorch’ to the industryFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe investigative reporter and former foreign correspondent Linton Besser has been named the new host of ABC’s Media Watch.The multi-award winning journalist will take over the Monday night media program from Paul Barry, who will step down on 2 December after 11 years.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/nov/21/linton-besser-new-media-watch-host-paul-barry-replacement-abc Author : Amanda Meade Publish date : 2024-11-21 03:30:35 Copyright for

Judge finds neither Nikola Marko Gasparovic nor Dominik Sieben’s actions at 2022’s soccer final were Nazi-related but upholds Marijan Lisica’s convictionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo of the first people convicted under laws that outlawed shows of Nazi symbolism have had their guilty verdicts overturned after a judge found their public salutes could not be definitively linked to the fascist German regime.Nikola Marko Gasparovic, 46, Dominik Sieben, 25, and Marijan Lisica, 46, were accused of performing the salute at Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium on 1 October 2022 during the match between Sydney United 58 and Macarthur

Co-chair says treaty will not outline specific changes to syllabus but is ‘more about saying this is the role that First Peoples will play’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly wants decision-making powers over how the state’s Indigenous history is taught in schools but says a treaty will not outline specific changes to the curriculum.The assembly – the state’s democratically elected Indigenous body – will begin nation-first treaty talks with the Allan government in the coming days. A state-wide treaty – the first of its

Following statement from Mike Johnson, McBride says: ‘I’m not here to fight about bathrooms, I’m here to … bring down costs facing families’US politics – live updatesSarah McBride, the incoming congresswoman and first openly transgender person elected to the US House of Representatives, on Wednesday shared a statement on social media in response to the House banning trans people from using single-sex bathrooms on Capitol Hill that match their gender identity.Earlier in the day, the House speaker, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, issued a statement “regarding facilities throughout the US Capitol complex”. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/20/sarah-mcbride-trans-bathroom-ban Author : Léonie

About 50 firefighters and 15 fire trucks called to battle blaze at venue in Chapel Street, South YarraFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Melbourne nightclub has been razed after a suspicious fire broke out in the middle of the night.Lux nightclub on Chapel Street in South Yarra was engulfed in flames early on Thursday, with about 50 firefighters and 15 fire trucks called to battle the blaze.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/21/police-suspect-arson-behind-overnight-fire-that-destroyed-melbournes-lux-nightclub Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date

Agreement resolves Socialists’ threats to block Brothers of Italy nominee and EPPs opposition to Spain’s deputy PMEuropean parliament leaders have reached a deal to approve Ursula von der Leyen’s top team, paving the way for the new European Commission to take office on 1 December.Leaders of the centre-right European People’s party (EPP), the Socialists and the centrist Renew group – who between them have 56% of the parliament’s 720 seats – forged a compromise on Wednesday intended to ensure that von der Leyen’s nominees would be approved in a vote next week. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/20/european-parliament-reaches-deal-on-approving-von-der-leyens-top-team Author :

Police Scotland said Buchanan bus station in city centre was closed after reports of a ‘potential suspicious item’Three men have been arrested and a Glasgow bus station evacuated after the bomb squad was called out to reports of a “potential suspicious item”.Police Scotland said Buchanan bus station in Glasgow city centre was closed at about 1.10pm on Wednesday “following a report of a potential suspicious item”, with the Royal Navy bomb squad alerted. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/nov/20/three-men-arrested-after-bomb-squad-called-to-bus-station-in-glasgow Author : PA Media Publish date : 2024-11-20 21:48:03 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Panel met on Wednesday but didn’t reach a decision on releasing the report on Trump’s controversial AG pickThe House ethics committee did not reach a decision on releasing a report examining allegations of sexual misconduct against Matt Gaetz, the former Republican representative and Donald Trump’s choice to lead the US justice department, after the panel met behind closed doors on Wednesday.Emerging from the meeting after roughly two hours, most members of the panel declined to offer details on their discussion, but the Republican chair, Michael Guest, told reporters that there was “not an agreement by the committee to release the

Communications minister says laws forcing social media companies to keep under-16s off their platforms are about ‘protecting young people’. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia remains the largest provider of financial development assistance to the Indo-Pacific region by far but China has re-emerged in second-place with a “more competitive, politically targeted model of aid engagement”, a new aid report shows.The Lowy Institute’s 2024 Pacific Aid Map (view here) shows aid to the region dropped by 18%, according to 2022 figures, mostly owing to discontinuing covid-19 support, and compounded by cuts to global

Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn is accused of swindling thousands from victims before killing themA Thai woman alleged to be among the worst serial killers in the kingdom’s history has been convicted and sentenced to death for poisoning a friend with cyanide, in the first of 14 murder trials.Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, 36, described as an online gambling addict, is accused of swindling thousands of dollars from her victims before killing them with the chemical. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/20/thai-woman-sentenced-to-death-in-first-of-14-trials Author : Agence France-Presse in Bangkok Publish date : 2024-11-20 19:20:09 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Investigators are gathering evidence at two Baltic sites while Danish navy is shadowing a Chinese cargo shipSwedish police investigating the believed sabotage of two fibre-optic undersea cables in the Baltic Sea have said a Chinese ship off the coast of Denmark was “of interest” as Danish officials said its navy was shadowing a Chinese-registered cargo ship.The ship identified by Denmark – the Yi Peng 3 – passed both the cables around the time on Sunday and Monday that each was believed severed in a suspected malicious attack. It has been shadowed by a Danish navy vessel since it was located

Amos Hochstein to meet Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday after Beirut discussions over deal to end fightingThe US envoy Amos Hochstein has said there is “positive progress” towards a ceasefire in Lebanon after talks in Beirut aimed at ending 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.Hochstein has met Lebanese officials over the past two days after Hezbollah indicated it had agreed to the text of a US ceasefire proposal, although with some comments. He said on Tuesday that the gaps between Hezbollah and Israel had “narrowed”, raising optimism about a deal between the two parties. Continue reading... Source link :

Lawyers argue throwing out case necessary to ‘facilitate orderly transition of executive power’ following electionDonald Trump’s lawyers asked the judge overseeing his Manhattan hush-money criminal case for permission to make yet another play for dismissal, arguing that throwing out the case was necessary “in order to facilitate the orderly transition of Executive power” following his victory over Kamala Harris.Todd Blanche, Trump’s lead attorney and pick for deputy US attorney general, and Emil Bove, his choice for principal associate deputy attorney general, railed against the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, in their missive to Judge Juan Merchan, which was made public

UN inspectorate chief calls Tehran’s move a ‘concrete step in the right direction’, amid threat of restored sanctionsIran has offered to keep its stock of uranium enriched up to 60% – below the purity levels required to make a nuclear bomb – the head of the UN nuclear inspectorate, Rafael Grossi, has confirmed amid the threat of restored European sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear activities.“I think this is … a concrete step in the right direction. We have a fact which has been verified by us. It is the first time Iran has agreed to take a different path,” Grossi said

Detainee, identified as Ana, mocked and leered at by male guards after they strapped her almost naked to a chairA female migrant in mental distress was kept in solitary confinement for a month at a Florida detention center, then mocked and leered at by male guards after they strapped her almost naked to a restraint chair, a federal civil rights complaint alleges.The reported sexual and mental abuse of the detainee, identified solely as Ana, took place at the Baker county detention facility, a rural camp 30 miles west of Jacksonville with a long history of allegations of mistreatment, harassment, retaliation

Christian Schools Australia also claiming that the harm definition will mean the view sex is unchangeable will be outlawed as ‘hateful’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian Christian Lobby has claimed Labor’s hate speech laws would turn Australia into a “police state” by creating “thought crime” despite the fact the laws are directed towards threats of force or harm.The Albanese government has substantially watered down the laws but is nevertheless facing a religious backlash, with the Catholic church and Christian Schools Australia also claiming that the psychological harm definition will mean the view that sex

Video of arrest of Tiffany Willoughby-Herard, tenured professor at University of California, Irvine, went viralAs riot police arrested 50 people during a May 2024 pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of California, Irvine, Tiffany Willoughby-Herard was escorted away by riot police, her hands zip-tied behind her back.A video of the tenured professor speaking passionately to reporters as she was arrested circulated widely on social media. “We cannot have a genocidal foreign policy in a democracy,” she says in the video. “These police officers out here today – that’s thousands of students’ scholarships.” Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/20/university-of-california-pro-palestinian-protest-trial Author : Michael

Deputy prime minister stands in for Keir Starmer as he travels back from G20 summit, facing shadow Cabinet Office ministerBell Ribeiro-Addy (Lab) asks if the government will stop auction houses being allowed to sell human remains.Rayner says this practice is “abhorrent”. She promises Ribeiro-Addy a meeting on this. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/nov/20/farming-inheritance-tax-keir-starmer-angela-rayner-uk-politics-live Author : Andrew Sparrow Publish date : 2024-11-20 12:04:20 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

National Education Association criticises WWE founder as an ‘unqualified’ pick for education secretary In case you missed it, here is our news article on Donald Trump picking the former WWE executive, Linda McMahon, for education secretary:Here’s some more from the Associated Press’s education writer, Annie Ma, on some of the Department of Education’s key functions, and how Donald Trump has said he might approach them: Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/nov/20/donald-trump-linda-mcmahon-matt-gaetz-us-politics-live Author : Amy Sedghi Publish date : 2024-11-20 11:20:04 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Omar Abdulaziz, critic of crown prince now living in Canada, targeted by Saudi agents in 2014 security breach A prominent Saudi dissident who worked closely with Jamal Khashoggi said he will pursue further legal action against X after a US appeals court said that a 2014 security breach of the company – then known as Twitter – by agents of Saudi Arabia caused him injury.Private identifying information about Omar Abdulaziz, who lives in Canada and has been an outspoken critic of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, was obtained by the Saudi government after Riyadh recruited two Twitter employees to

Warning comes as Biden agrees to supply anti-personnel landmines to Ukraine, days after lifting restrictions on use of long-range missilesRussia-Ukraine war live: latest news updatesThe US has temporarily closed its embassy in Kyiv after receiving warning of a “potential significant air attack”, advising American citizens to be prepared to move immediately to a shelter in the event of an air raid warning.Such warnings are rare and likely to be based on specific intelligence. It comes amid reports that the US had approved the provision of anti-personnel landmines to Ukraine – a further step after Washington granted Kyiv permission to use

Met Office yellow alert for ice remains for much of southern England, the Midlands and eastern WalesCommuters face widespread travel disruption after heavy snowfall and ice affected parts of the UK.The Met Office put in place a yellow warning for ice for much of southern England, the Midlands and eastern Wales from 5pm on Tuesday to 10am on Wednesday. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/nov/20/uk-weather-snow-ice-warning-commuters-face-widespread-disruption Author : PA Media Publish date : 2024-11-20 08:34:52 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Level is above Bank of England target as retailers issue warning of more prices rises on wayInflation increased to 2.3% in October, heaping pressure on the Bank of England to delay further interest rate cuts until next year.Figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed a rise in the consumer prices index (CPI), reversing a downward trend this year in inflation, which was 1.7% in September. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/20/uk-inflation-rises-delay-interest-rate-cut-price-rises Author : Phillip Inman Publish date : 2024-11-20 07:02:10 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Move comes as Putin lowers threshold for use of nuclear weapons; North Korean troops have participated in battle, South Korea saysThe US embassy in Kyiv has received “specific information” of a potential significant air attack on Wednesday and will be closed, the US Department of State Consular Affairs said in a post on X.It recommended US citizens to be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.The US called on Russia “to stop this bellicose and the irresponsible rhetoric”, but said it has not seen any reason to adjust its nuclear posture. US state department spokesperson