General news

• Props from botched Willy Wonka event raise more than £2,000 for Palestinian aid charity

  14-03-2024 23:28 via theguardian.com
  
  Glasgow record shop Monorail Music auctioned the props on eBay after they were discovered in a bin outside the warehouse where event took placeProps from a botched Willy Wonka event in Glasgow that went viral after frustrated attenders called the police have raised more than £2,000 at auction for a Palestinian aid charity.Fabric backdrops from the “immersive experience”, which was cancelled midway, were found in a bin outside the warehouse where it took place. Continue reading.
  
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• Getting dressed is one of the most joyful things, says Vogue's new editor

  14-03-2024 23:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Chioma Nnadi replaces Edward Enninful, who broke boundaries at the fashion magazine.
  
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• Pierce Brosnan pleads guilty to hiking off-trail in Yellowstone park

  14-03-2024 22:53 via theguardian.com
  
  James Bond star fined $500 and told to donate $1,000 to non-profit that supports park after stepping out of bounds in a thermal areaPierce Brosnan, whose fictitious movie character James Bond has been in hot water plenty of times, pleaded guilty Thursday to stepping off a trail in a thermal area during a November visit to Yellowstone national park.Brosnan, who called in to the court hearing, was fined $500 and ordered to make a $1,000 donation to Yellowstone Forever – a non-profit organiza
  
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• Schumer faces backlash after calling for new Israeli elections to oust Netanyahu

  14-03-2024 22:44 via theguardian.com
  
  Senate majority leader says Israeli prime minister has ‘lost his way’ and warns that country risks becoming ‘a pariah’US politics – liveChuck Schumer, the US Senate leader and a top ally of Joe Biden, on Thursday broke with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the invasion of Gaza and called for Israel to hold new elections, in comments that upset its ruling party and allies on Capitol Hill.The shift by Schumer, the Democratic Senate majori
  
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• Tabcorp boss resigns over ‘inappropriate and offensive’ language in workplace

  14-03-2024 22:08 via theguardian.com
  
  Adam Rytenskild has tendered his resignation and will step down immediately, Tabcorp said on ThursdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe chief executive and managing director of Tabcorp is stepping down after using inappropriate and offensive language, the wagering company says.Adam Rytenskild has tendered his resignation and will step down immediately, Tabcorp said on Thursday.Sign up for Guardian Aus
  
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• Watch: British Airways Concorde shipped across New York river

  14-03-2024 22:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The retired aircraft, known for flying across the Atlantic Ocean in less than three hours, underwent a restoration.
  
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• Prosecutors willing to delay Trump’s hush-money trial to review new records

  14-03-2024 22:03 via theguardian.com
  
  Manhattan prosecutors say they are willing to delay ex-president’s trial – due to start later this month – up to 30 days Manhattan prosecutors on Thursday said they are willing to delay Donald Trump’s trial on charges related to making hush-money payments for up to 30 days so they can review records newly obtained from federal authorities.The request has the potential to delay the proceedings, which were to begin with jury selection on 25 March in New York and would be th
  
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• Leader of US retail theft ring that allegedly stole $8m in cosmetics caught

  14-03-2024 21:43 via theguardian.com
  
  Michelle Mack allegedly recruited women to steal for her and would then sell the goods on Amazon, raking in almost $2m in 2022From a mansion in a San Diego suburb, Michelle Mack allegedly oversaw a retail theft ring that stole $8m in cosmetics from stores such as Ulta and Sephora, which she then sold on Amazon.In December, police arrested the 53-year-old along with her husband, Kenneth, taking the pair into custody on their sprawling property, according to footage taken by CNBC and published thi
  
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• What next as violence engulfs Haiti?

  14-03-2024 21:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  As turmoil grips the Caribbean nation, how countries from the US to Kenya react will be critical.
  
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• Rishi Sunak rules out holding general election on 2 May

  14-03-2024 20:53 via theguardian.com
  
  PM moves to quash speculation he was preparing to call national poll to coincide with local electionsRishi Sunak has ruled out holding a general election on 2 May, when voters are to go to the polls in local elections.Asked by ITV News West Country whether he was preparing to call a snap election to coincide with the local elections, the prime minister said: “There won’t be a general election on that day.” Continue reading...
  
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• Tories urged to return ‘further £5m donation made by Frank Hester’

  14-03-2024 20:45 via theguardian.com
  
  Scottish Tory leader says all of Hester’s donations should be reviewed after racist and misogynistic commentsRishi Sunak faces increasing pressure over donations from Frank Hester, whose comments about Diane Abbott have been condemned as racist and misogynistic, after it was reported he has given another £5m to the Conservatives.The additional money, not denied by the party or Downing Street, would take Hester’s contributions to Tory party coffers in less than a year to £
  
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• Meghan launches surprise new lifestyle brand

  14-03-2024 20:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A pending trademark application reportedly shows the brand plans to sell home goods and preserved foods.
  
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• UN must block Iranian missile supply to Houthis in Yemen, UK and US say

  14-03-2024 20:34 via theguardian.com
  
  Calls during Yemen briefing come as missile believed to have been launched by Houthis strikes a vessel off AdenThe US and UK have called for a UN maritime inspectorate to do more to prevent Iranian missiles reaching Houthi-controlled ports in the west of Yemen.The calls during a UN security council briefing on the crisis in Yemen came as a missile believed to have been launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia struck a vessel off the southern city of Aden – but caused no damage – and
  
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• Gove faces legal action threats after suggesting Muslim groups are extremist

  14-03-2024 20:22 via theguardian.com
  
  Community secretary’s new definition of extremism attracts criticism in parliament, including from Tory former ministerMichael Gove is facing threats of legal action after naming Muslim organisations that could fall foul of a new definition of extremism.Amid free speech fears among Conservatives, the communities secretary told MPs that the advocacy groups Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), Mend and Cage were organisations with “Islamist orientation and beliefs” that could be
  
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• 103-year-old Italian woman fined for driving with expired licence

  14-03-2024 20:07 via theguardian.com
  
  Police were called to reports of dangerous driving in Bondeno, northern Italy, in the early hours of the morningPolice in Italy have fined a 103-year-old woman who was caught driving an uninsured car at night with an expired driving licence.Officers received a call at about 1am reporting a vehicle being driven dangerously in the centre of Bondeno, a town with about 13,000 inhabitants near Ferrara. Continue reading...
  
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• Weekly quiz: Which exclusive Oscars club did Emma Stone join?

  14-03-2024 19:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Test how closely you have been paying attention to what has been going on over the past seven days.
  
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• Jamaican musician Vybz Kartel has murder conviction quashed

  14-03-2024 19:19 via theguardian.com
  
  Dancehall star was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 for the murder of an associateThe Jamaican musician Vybz Kartel’s conviction for the murder of an associate more than a decade ago has been quashed, with a London court ruling that attempts to bribe the trial jury meant the conviction was unsafe.The dancehall star, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is one of Jamaica’s most popular artists and has collaborated with performers such as Jay-Z and Rihanna. Continue reading...
  
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• Charity hopes to send second food aid ship to Gaza in next few days

  14-03-2024 19:09 via theguardian.com
  
  Pallets with 50% more supplies than first boat, Open Arms, being loaded in CyprusMiddle East crisis – latest updatesThe charity sending food aid to Gaza on a ship travelling across the Mediterranean from Cyprus is loading a second boat with supplies, which it hopes will set off in the coming days.Pallets containing 300 tonnes of food aid – 50% more than the first shipment – are expected to be screened and loaded by the end of Thursday, but there is no indication yet when it wil
  
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• Much of west and central Africa without internet after undersea cable failures

  14-03-2024 18:51 via theguardian.com
  
  Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Ghana and Burkina Faso among countries experiencing outagesMuch of west and central Africa has been left without internet service, as operators of several subsea cables reported failures.The cause of the cable failures on Thursday was not immediately clear. Continue reading...
  
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• Russia suspected of jamming GPS signal on aircraft carrying Grant Shapps

  14-03-2024 18:50 via theguardian.com
  
  RAF jet was taking defence secretary back to UK from Poland, and flying near Russian exclave of KaliningradRussia is believed to have jammed the satellite signal on an RAF aircraft carrying Grant Shapps back from Poland, according to government sources.Defence sources said there was no danger to Shapps, who was travelling back to the UK, though they called it a “wildly irresponsible” act of electronic warfare. Continue reading...
  
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• Pro-Ukraine exiled Russian fighters launch cross-border raid into southern Russia

  14-03-2024 18:31 via theguardian.com
  
  Members of the Siberia, Freedom of Russia Legion and RDK battalions work closely with the Ukrainian armyThree pro-Ukrainian battalions made up of recruits from Russia have launched a fresh incursion into southern Russia in a cross-border raid meant to sow chaos before Vladimir Putin’s widely expected re-election this weekend.The three armed groups of Russian exiled fighters, who operate in close coordination with Ukraine’s military, said they had crossed the border into the southern
  
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• Virgin of Charity unites all Cubans, — Catholics, Santería followers, exiled and back on the island

  14-03-2024 18:18 via nbcnews.com
  
  The Virgin of Charity of Cobre is at the heart of Cuban identity, uniting residents of theCommunist-run Caribbean island to those who were exiled or emigrated to the U.S.
  
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• Formation of Dutch government advances as far-right Wilders admits he can’t be PM

  14-03-2024 18:10 via theguardian.com
  
  Four parties have agreed to pursue ‘extra-parliamentary’ cabinet, says mediator overseeing tense coalition talksDutch coalition talks will move on from exploratory discussions to more concrete negotiations aimed at forming a largely technocratic government, after the far-right leader Geert Wilders accepted he could not be prime minister.Four months after Wilders’ anti-Islam Freedom party (PVV) became the largest in parliament, Kim Putters, the former socialist senator overseein
  
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• Book ban attempts reached historic high last year, library association says

  14-03-2024 17:55 via nbcnews.com
  
  The American Library Association said that the number of books challenged in libraries across the U.S. spiked 65% in 2023 over the previous year.
  
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• Flames engulf Haitian penitentiary as chaos reigns in Port-au-Prince

  14-03-2024 17:53 via nbcnews.com
  
  Flames erupted inside Haiti's almost empty national penitentiary in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, adding to the chaos already engulfing the capital.
  
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• Flames engulf Haitian penitentiary as chaos continues to reign in Port-au-Prince

  14-03-2024 17:53 via nbcnews.com
  
  Flames erupted inside Haiti's almost empty national penitentiary in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, adding to the chaos already engulfing the capital.
  
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• How did 118 people die in Gaza's Al-Rashid aid convoy violence? 

  14-03-2024 17:49 via nbcnews.com
  
  Questions remain after more than 100 people were killed in the chaos surrounding an aid convoy being escorted by the Israeli military.
  
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• Trump lawyers argue Florida judge should dismiss classified documents case

  14-03-2024 17:27 via nbcnews.com
  
  Attorneys for Donald Trump will argue in a Florida courtroom on Thursday to dismiss the federal criminal case involving his handling of classified documents on the grounds that the Presidential Records Act bars his prosecution.
  
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• Democratic group meddles in Ohio's GOP Senate race to boost the Trump-backed candidate

  14-03-2024 17:24 via nbcnews.com
  
  A Democratic super PAC is airing a TV ad promoting Bernie Moreno ahead of Tuesday's crowded Republican primary in Ohio, a key Senate battleground.
  
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• Chuck Schumer calls for new elections in Israel, criticizing Netanyahu's leadership

  14-03-2024 17:18 via nbcnews.com
  
  WASHINGTON — In the most significant criticism by a U.S. leader against the Israeli government since its war with Hamas began, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called for new elections in Israel to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
  
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• Indicted Sen. Bob Menendez is considering running for re-election as an independent, sources say

  14-03-2024 17:04 via nbcnews.com
  
  WASHINGTON — Indicted Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N
  
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• Russia-Ukraine war: Russia ‘jammed signal on UK defence minister’s plane’ – as it happened

  14-03-2024 17:02 via theguardian.com
  
  Source tells Reuters incident occurred as Grant Shapps travelled back from Poland. This live blog is closedNato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg will shortly be presenting the annual Nato report. You can view it at the video below.Earlier today, Stoltenberg and Polish president Andrzej Duda met at the Nato headquarters in Brussels. Continue reading...
  
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• India blocks access to documentary about death of Sikh activist in Canada

  14-03-2024 17:02 via theguardian.com
  
  CBC aired an investigation into the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose killing the Canadian government suspects India was behindIndia has ordered prominent video-sharing platforms to block access to a new Canadian documentary probing the assassination of a prominent Sikh activist in Vancouver, in a move that highlights India’s mounting frustration with the allegations its government was behind the high-profile killing.The request marks the second time in just over a year that India has s
  
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• Wholesale inflation rose 0.6% in February, much more than expected

  14-03-2024 17:00 via nbcnews.com
  
  Wholesale prices accelerated at a faster-than-expected pace in February, another reminder that inflation remains a troublesome issue for the U.S. economy.
  
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• Let them eat snake: why python meat could soon be on the menu

  14-03-2024 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Fancy a plate of fangers and mash? Some researchers say python farms on a commercial scale could provide sustainable alternative proteinGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastDr Daniel Natusch has eaten python in almost every way imaginable.“I’ve had it barbecued. I’ve had it in satay skewers. I’ve had it in curries. I’ve had it with Indigenous people in the wilds of the Malaysian jungle,” he said.Sign up for Guardian Australi
  
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• Republicans take aim at new move by judiciary to curb 'judge-shopping'

  14-03-2024 16:41 via nbcnews.com
  
  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel, R-Ky., on Thursday criticized a move made by the federal judiciary to restrict the practice of "judge-shopping," an approach conservative lawyers have recently used in high-profile cases in an effort to find a sympathetic jurist.
  
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• Regina King says 'sadness will never go away' about son's suicide, but she respects his choice

  14-03-2024 16:40 via nbcnews.com
  
  Actor and director Regina King said she’s a “different person” and at times still feels “guilt” following her son’s death by suicide two years ago, but she’s dedicated to honoring his legacy and “the totality of who he is.”
  
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• Entire shipment of Pittsburgh Penguins bobbleheads stolen, feds investigating cargo theft

  14-03-2024 16:32 via nbcnews.com
  
  The Pittsburgh Penguins cancelled their promotional giveaway of Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads after someone stole the entire shipment of the highly prized souvenirs.
  
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• Middle East crisis: Netanyahu is ‘major obstacle to peace’ and should call election, says Schumer – as it happened

  14-03-2024 16:30 via theguardian.com
  
  This blog is now closed. You can read the latest news and reaction to Schumer’s speech in our US politics blog:Top US Democrat calls for Israeli elections – latest news and reactionsFull report: Netanyahu is obstacle to peace, says Chuck SchumerLebanon’s National News Agency reports Israeli planes have overflown Jezzine in southern Lebanon. There are unconfirmed images circulating social media appearing to show airstrikes have been carried out. Israel and anti-Israeli forces in
  
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• Delays and counterattacks: How the Trump campaign plans to use his court dates for political gain

  14-03-2024 16:28 via nbcnews.com
  
  Donald Trump’s campaign is engineering a plan to “make lemonade out of lemons” as a full docket of court appearances are about to swamp his political calendar.
  
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• Somalia has 99% of $2bn debt cancelled in major boost to fragile recovery

  14-03-2024 16:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Paris Club of creditor nations agree cancellation as Mogadishu moves towards financial normalisation amid ongoing conflictThe Paris Club, a collection of some of the world’s wealthiest creditor nations, has announced the cancellation of 99% of Somalia’s debt, in a major boost as the country continues its fragile economic recovery from an ongoing three-decade conflict.In a statement released by the Paris Club, which is run by senior officials from the French Treasury, Somalia’s
  
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• Two-time Masters champ Bernhard Langer sidelined by pickleball injury; will be unable to compete in 2024 Masters

  14-03-2024 16:00 via nbcnews.com
  
  Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer tore an Achilles tendon playing pickleball, sidelining the all-time great senior player for at least three months and forcing him to miss the upcoming Master's tournament in April.
  
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• Australian computer scientist is not bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, high court rules

  14-03-2024 15:51 via theguardian.com
  
  Judge says evidence for his conclusion that Craig Wright did not create bitcoin is ‘overwhelming’Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of bitcoin, is not the Australian computer scientist Craig Wright, a high court judge has ruled, ending a fractious two-month trial in London.In a highly unusual decision, the presiding judge, Mr Justice Mellor, issued the verdict within seconds of the case concluding, promising to issue a “fairly lengthy written judgment” in due cour
  
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• EU calls on tech firms to outline plans to tackle deepfakes amid election fears

  14-03-2024 15:46 via theguardian.com
  
  Move involving companies such as Google, Facebook and X comes after evidence of Russian online interference in pollsThe EU is calling on eight major tech companies including Google, Facebook and X to detail how they identify and tackle deepfake material amid concerns about the use of the technology to influence elections.In a world first, they will be using new laws on artificial intelligence to force companies to root out fake video, imagery and audio. Continue reading...
  
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• WATCH: SpaceX successfully launches third Starship test flight

  14-03-2024 15:40 via nbcnews.com
  Watch as SpaceX successfully launches a test flight of its Starship rocket from Boca Chica, Texas. The rocket later reached orbit and re-entered Earth's atmosphere for the first time.
  
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• Fishermen find car at bottom of Illinois river connected to 1976 cold case disappearance

  14-03-2024 15:32 via nbcnews.com
  
  Fishermen using sonar equipment located a vehicle at the bottom of an Illinois river that is connected to the 1976 disappearance of two men.
  
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• Biden’s ‘bear-hugging’ of Netanyahu a strategic mistake, key Democrat says

  14-03-2024 15:28 via theguardian.com
  
  Ro Khanna, Biden campaign surrogate, believes US president should take tougher line with ‘insufferably arrogant’ Israeli PMJoe Biden has committed a “strategic mistake” by “bear-hugging” the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he prosecutes war with Hamas, a leading congressional progressive Democrat and Biden campaign surrogate said.“The bear-hugging of Netanyahu has been a strategic mistake,” Ro Khanna said, accusing the Israeli leader
  
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• Tire issue reported as American Airlines Boeing 777 flight lands in L.A.

  14-03-2024 15:00 via nbcnews.com
  
  The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating another Boeing mishap after a tire issue was reported as an American Airlines flight landed Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
  
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• Secret Serco rating system for immigration detainees must be scrapped, say Greens

  14-03-2024 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Senator Nick McKim says company’s ‘opaque’ SRAT security assessment tool ‘has severe implications for fundamental human rights’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe Greens have called for a security rating system used in immigration detention centres to be scrapped, following a Guardian Australia investigation that found the tool was “abusive” and “unscient
  
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• Coles pay offer labelled ‘insulting’ as staff say they can’t afford to shop at own workplace

  14-03-2024 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  One worker says she feels ‘disrespected’ by proposed agreement, which includes in-store gift cards if staff vote to acceptFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastSome Coles workers say an offer from the supermarket giant of in-store gift cards if they vote to accept a new enterprise agreement is “insulting”, and the agreement doesn’t give them a meaningful pay rise despite the com
  
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