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Deal to pause 15-month war expected to be officially accepted by Israel after cabinet meetingIsrael-Gaza war – live updatesHamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire deal, pausing the war in Gaza and designed to broker an end to the brutal 15-month conflict, the mediator Qatar has said. The agreement is set to be officially accepted by Israel after a cabinet meeting on Thursday.The...

Two arsonists wanted over death of woman who died in suspicious fire in Truganina in city’s westFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA tragic case of mistaken identity could be behind a deadly arson attack that claimed the life of a young woman who was house sitting for her brother while he...

If Moscow’s forces manage to take all of Donetsk oblast it would be a symbolic moment for Putin – and Kyiv In an underground command post in eastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian soldier peered at a map. Russian positions were marked in red. A year ago enemy troops were at least 35 miles (60km) away from the administrative border between Donetsk oblast and the neighbouring...

Melbourne-born surfer turned fashion visionary credited with designing ‘yoke waist’ boardshortsThe surfing community is paying tribute to the Quiksilver founder Alan “Greeny” Green, who died from cancer on Tuesday at his home in Torquay, Victoria aged 77.Considered a pioneer of surfwear, Green started making wetsuits in 1969 along with friends and Rip Curl co-founders Brian Singer and Doug “Claw” Warbrick. Continue reading...

New Georgia Project, fined $300,000 by state ethics body, admitted to 16 violations of election law, officials sayThe New Georgia Project, a prominent voting rights organization founded by Stacey Abrams, has been fined $300,000 by the state ethics commission of Georgia for illegally campaigning for Abrams and other Democratic candidates during the 2018 election cycle.The consent order ends a years-long investigation that the voting...

National Weather Service warns ‘next week is a concern’ as winds could bring increased chances of red flag warningAnxious and wildfire-weary Angelenos can expect a break in the extreme winds that have been fanning the flames destroying the region. And while welcome, the reprieve may be short-lived, the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a social media post Wednesday afternoon.“Next week is a concern....

President sounds alarm about growing power of ultra-wealthy before handing presidency back to TrumpJoe Biden’s final address to the nation struck an ominous tone after warning of the growing power of America’s ultra-wealthy, and cautioning that an emerging oligarchy threatens the foundations of US democracy.The Wednesday prime-time Oval Office speech came as Biden prepares to hand the presidency back to Donald Trump, who he...

Democrats criticize Chris Wright’s comments during US Senate confirmation hearing for energy secretary nomineeDonald Trump’s nominee for energy secretary, Chris Wright, is facing criticism for disputing the ties between climate change and more frequent or severe wildfires, the Washington Post reports, a stance that is contrary to scientific consensus.During Wright’s US Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Democrats, including the California senator Alex Padilla, challenged...

US president-elect demanded a deal – while success against Iran and Hezbollah gave Israeli PM room to make oneThe phone call from Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, surprised the aides of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.Calling from Doha in Qatar last Friday evening, after Shabbat had already begun, Witkoff announced he was coming to Israel and would meet Netanyahu....

Donald Tusk claims Warsaw has been involved in countering ‘acts of sabotage’, referencing incendiary parcel attacks in Poland and the UKRussia planned to conduct “acts of terrorism in the air”, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday, by plotting a wave of fire bomb attacks that could have brought down planes mid-flight around the world.Warsaw had been involved in countering “acts of sabotage”...

Deal with Hamas inches closer amid warnings from Israeli rightwingers against any hostages-for-prisoners agreementMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael’s cabinet is reportedly preparing to meet to ratify a widely anticipated ceasefire deal with Hamas over Gaza, amid rightwing threats to bring Benjamin Netanyahu’s government down if it agrees to a hostages-for-prisoners agreement.Mediators in Doha have been reported to be on the brink of a...

Future of Diego Garcia military base should be considered before handover to Mauritius signed off, No 10 saysUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK government will not sign off a deal to hand back the Chagos Islands to Mauritius until Donald Trump’s administration has had a chance to consider the future of the joint military base, Downing Street has confirmed.Allies of the US president-elect...

Healthcare workers among suspected cases of Ebola-like disease as WHO issues warning of high risk to the country and its neighboursA suspected outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Tanzania has killed eight people and poses a high risk to the country and its neighbours, global health leaders have said.The World Health Organization (WHO) said nine suspected cases of the Ebola-like virus had been...

Exclusive: US companies are increasingly shipping toxic waste to other countries, where some argue it poses a riskLeer en español en Quinto Elemento LabUS companies ship more than 1m tons of hazardous waste to other countries each year, raising questions over possible impacts on health and the environment, an investigation by the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab has found.Exports of toxic waste, most of...

UK firm in vanguard of companies arguing SMRs are quicker and cheaper option than large Hinkley-sized nuclear plantsThe Hinkley Point C power plant in Somerset is gargantuan. The 176-hectare (435-acre) plant will provide 3.2 gigawatts of power, enough for 6m homes. It is not just the project that is huge: the cost is as well. With a price tag that has ballooned to a...

Forecasters warn of ‘particularly dangerous weather situation’ in CaliforniaThe celebrated hip-hop producer Madlib has confirmed the loss of his extensive record collection and much of his recording equipment along with his home in the wildfires that have swept across California and killed at least 25 people.The influential musician, who has worked with some of the most prominent names in rap including Kanye West, Kendrick...

Deal reported to involve release of 33 Israeli hostages alongside a partial Israeli troop withdrawalHere are some of the latest images sent over the news wires from Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip.Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who has previously spoken of his desire for Israel to permanently annex the occupied West Bank, has said the country is at a “crucial and fateful...

Chief secretary to the treasury Darren Jones says there will be a spring statement on 26 MarchGood morning. Keir Starmer faces PMQs today. As he prepares, two issues seem very likely to come up.First, the economy. There is some modest good news this morning, and Rachel Reeves easily fought off a Tory attempted hit job on her in the Commons yesterday, but the underlying...

After week of turbulence in markets, ONS data shows prices rose at slower rate last month than in NovemberBusiness live – latest updatesUK inflation unexpectedly fell in December, handing some breathing space to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, after a week of turbulence in financial markets.With the government under pressure on the economy, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the consumer prices index...

More than 1,000 train services expected to be cancelled by end of Wednesday with warnings industrial action could cause further chaos on ThursdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydneysiders have been warned that more than 1,000 train services are expected to be cancelled by the end of Wednesday while those that do...

One expert says women’s bodies and attire have long been a source for public debate in a way that doesn’t happen with menA council in Greater Sydney has announced it is banning G-string bikinis at its public pools without providing further details about how the rule will be policed, sparking debate about gender standards.Earlier this month, Blue Mountains Leisure Centres (BMLC) posted on Facebook...

In today’s newsletter: With reports of a breakthrough in ceasefire negotiations, a look at what the detail includes – and what its obstacles areGood morning. After months of false starts, Israel and Hamas are close to agreeing a ceasefire that would involve the release of hostages and a major influx of aid into Gaza. Last night, both sides appeared to have accepted the outlines...

Many local authorities facing bankruptcy as government criticised for lack of urgencyThe crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (Send) in England risks creating a “lost generation” of children, while putting “almost half” of all councils with an education remit in danger of bankruptcy within 15 months, parliament’s spending watchdog has warned.MPs on the public accounts committee (PAC) expressed frustration with the government’s lack...

Margaret Thatcher’s 1980s policy turbocharged the sale of council homes, contributing to ‘worst housing crisis in living memory’Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy scheme has left Britain with the legacy of a social housing shortfall that would cost the government £50bn to return the number of affordable homes back to 2010 levels.In a report issued as Labour pushes to reform the Conservative policy introduced in the 1980s,...