New year, new deal: the buyout boom poised to take over City lawyers’ lives

Posted on by

Around-the-clock work will be commonplace to tackle an M&A surge fuelled by tax changes, activist investors … and the Trump factor

Whether they’re on skis or a sunlounger, there is no beach, mountain or fireside that can spare lawyers from the urgent calls of zealous, dealmaking executives and private equity bosses. After a breathless 2024, the City’s army of corporate lawyers are set for another year of masking their poolside backgrounds on video calls, braced for an even busier 2025.

“Sadly, we were incredibly busy in July and August. We were both on holiday and working up to 14 hours a day,” says Patrick Sarch, partner at law firm White & Case and head of its public mergers and acquisitions (M&A) division. He and Sonica Tolani, another partner at the same firm, specialise in advising activist investors.

Continue reading...

Cash incentives for GPs under Labour’s radical plan to cut NHS waiting lists

Posted on by

Doctors will be given £20 each time they consult with a specialist to see if there is an alternative to hospital visits

GPs will be offered financial incentives to discuss with specialists whether patients can be treated outside hospital, under radical plans to cut NHS waiting lists.

Doctors will be given £20 each time they consult a specialist either by phone or email under the so-called advice and guidance (A&G) scheme, to see if there is an alternative to hospital visits and treatment.

Continue reading...

Curb extremism now or face new terrorist threats, Labour warned

Posted on by

Experts say measures announced so far are not enough to turn the tide

Labour must reverse years of ­political failure on extremism to stop it ­fuelling more disorder, violence and terrorism in Britain, leading figures have said.

Neil Basu, the former head of counter-terrorism policing, and Dame Sara Khan, previously the government’s counter-extremism tsar, warned that proposals unveiled last month would not be enough to address a toxic pool of hatred, conspiracy theories and “dangerous rhetoric” from high-­profile figures including Elon Musk.

Continue reading...

Blinken: When Hamas saw pressure on Israel, it backtracked from hostage deal – The Jerusalem Post

Posted on by
  1. Blinken: When Hamas saw pressure on Israel, it backtracked from hostage deal  The Jerusalem Post
  2. ‘The Interview’: Antony Blinken Insists He and Biden Made the Right Calls  The New York Times
  3. Blinken’s stunning confession  JNS.org
  4. Antony Blinken: ‘China has been trying to have it both ways’  Financial Times
  5. Blinken: After Oct. 7, I threatened to nix Biden visit if Israel didn’t let aid into Gaza  The Times of Israel
Posted in Uncategorized

Invasion Day marcher stripped of $800,000 compensation as police duty of care ruling overturned

Posted on by

Laura Cullen was among 5,000 people at a 2017 Sydney protest when she was knocked down and injured as NSW police tried to arrest a man

A landmark legal ruling that set out the duty of care New South Wales police owe people attending protests has been overturned on appeal, stripping an Invasion Day marcher of an $800,000 compensation claim and forcing her to repay $103,00 in legal costs.

The NSW court of appeal handed down the decision shortly before Christmas, overturning an earlier ruling that found police had a duty of care to a woman who attended a protest where she was a bystander to an arrest, and who was knocked down and injured during the arrest.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

South Korean protesters brave cold to demand Yoon’s ouster as detention deadline looms – The Associated Press

Posted on by
  1. South Korean protesters brave cold to demand Yoon’s ouster as detention deadline looms  The Associated Press
  2. South Korea's presidential security chief defies Yoon arrest bid as deadline looms  Reuters
  3. Why South Korean protesters are using U.S. flags and a pro-Trump slogan  The Washington Post
  4. Protesters gather at impeached South Korean president's residence, as arrest warrant nears expiration  ABC News
  5. South Korean protesters face off in snowstorm over fate of impeached president  FRANCE 24 English
Posted in Uncategorized

‘Eyewatering’ £100m spent on repairs in Scotland’s ‘ferry fiasco’ over past decade

Posted on by

Government plans for publicly funded operator CalMac have been mired in controversy, with replacement vessels delayed and costs spiralling

Almost £100m has been spent over the past decade on repairs for eight of the largest publicly owned ferries in Scotland.

The figure has been described as “eye-watering” by Sue Webber, transport spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives, who obtained details of the repair bill from ferry operator CalMac.

Continue reading...

Late-night Houthi ballistic missile attack thwarted by IDF, without widespread sirens – The Times of Israel

Posted on by
  1. Late-night Houthi ballistic missile attack thwarted by IDF, without widespread sirens  The Times of Israel
  2. Israel’s Red Sea Conundrum: Hit the Houthis or Iran  The Wall Street Journal
  3. Israel struggles to deter escalating attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels as other fronts calm  The Associated Press
  4. Israel at War Day 456 Missile Fired From Yemen Intercepted Before Crossing Into Israeli Territory, IDF Says  Haaretz
  5. Houthis playing with fire: Yemen's aggression invites devastating retribution - editorial  The Jerusalem Post
Posted in Uncategorized

Tourism agency deletes ‘pristine swimming spot’ post about unpatrolled beach on Mornington Peninsula

Posted on by

Video removed as Life Saving Victoria carries out 145 rescues – ‘We don’t remember when we’ve been that busy’

Victoria’s tourism agency has removed a social media post that described an unpatrolled ocean beach on the Mornington Peninsula as a “pristine swimming spot” amid almost 150 rescues on the state’s beaches on Saturday.

Number 16 beach, on the Bass Strait side of Rye, is described on the Visit Victoria website as “recommended for experienced surfers only” as it is not patrolled by lifesavers. It has a reputation among local residents as dangerous.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Austria: Chancellor to resign after coalition talks collapse – DW (English)

Posted on by
  1. Austria: Chancellor to resign after coalition talks collapse  DW (English)
  2. The Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer resigns after talks on forming a government collapsed  Euronews
  3. Coalition talks between Austria’s two biggest centrist parties collapse  The Guardian
  4. Austrian chancellor quits as coalition talks collapse  Reuters
  5. Austrian Chancellor Nehammer Steps Down as Coalition Talks Fail  Bloomberg
Posted in Uncategorized

Nigel Farage defends Elon Musk over grooming gangs posts – BBC.com

Posted on by
  1. Nigel Farage defends Elon Musk over grooming gangs posts  BBC.com
  2. Elon Musk Pushes For Britain’s King Charles To Dissolve Parliament—As Lawmakers Say Tesla CEO Is ‘Misinformed’  Forbes
  3. Elon Musk demands UK act on grooming gang scandal amid growing calls for probe: 'National inquiry now!'  Fox News
  4. Elon Musk Trolls Britain and Defends Tommy Robinson in Flurry of Social Media Posts  The New York Times
  5. Who is Tommy Robinson, and why does Elon Musk want him freed?  The Washington Post
Posted in Uncategorized

Southern Ocean winds to break stifling heatwave baking Australia’s south-east

Posted on by

Front dragging warm air from the Pilbara brings ‘particularly hot’ weather to SA, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania

Winds from the Southern Ocean will bring relief on Monday to parts of south-eastern Australia sweltering through a three-day heatwave.

A heatwave warning for South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania was issued by the Bureau of Meteorology for the weekend as temperatures were expected to spike in some parts to 40C.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Hamas’s approval is last hurdle to hostage deal finalization, sources say – report – The Jerusalem Post

Posted on by
  1. Hamas's approval is last hurdle to hostage deal finalization, sources say - report  The Jerusalem Post
  2. Hamas says Gaza deal talks will resume on Friday  CNN
  3. Israeli negotiating team wraps up first day of renewed hostage talks in Doha  The Times of Israel
  4. With No Hostage Deal in Sight, the IDF Is Depopulating Northern Gaza Out of Sheer Inertia  Haaretz
  5. Hamas wants Gaza ceasefire deal as soon as possible, senior official says  Reuters
Posted in Uncategorized

Melbourne fire that destroyed Forty Winks store could have been arson, police say

Posted on by

More than 95 firefighters and 26 trucks deployed to Nunawading, with dozens of nearby residents evacuated

Fire crews remain at the scene of a blaze that destroyed a Melbourne mattress store, with investigations likely to continue well into Sunday night after the fire was deemed a suspected arson attack.

Emergency crews responded to several calls about a two-storey building on fire at Nunawading in the city’s east about 2.20am on Sunday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...