News Headlines - 01 December 2012

▽William Hague and Hillary Clinton criticise Israel for settlement plans - Telegraph

Mr Hague abstained at the UN General Assembly vote over Palestine's status on Thursday after President Mahmoud Abbas failed to give assurances that he would return to peace negotiations without preconditions. But he also repeatedly made clear in calls with Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman that the UK would not support a strong reaction to the vote.

▽Ban Ki-moon warns Syria has reached 'appalling heights of brutality' - Telegraph

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has said that the conflict in Syria has reached "appalling heights of brutality", as Syrian jets bombed rebel-held areas of Damascus and an internet blackout entered its third day.

▽British supermarket food collection against 'food poverty' : Voice of Russia

One in ten people in Britain have suffered from 'food poverty' in the past year. That's the finding of charities working to provide 'food banks'. They say that more than half of those seeking help have gone without food for 48 hours.

▽Rise in assaults on NHS staff | The Guardian

Growing numbers of NHS staff are being assaulted at work, prompting concern about the effects of rising waiting times, staff shortages and patients' frustrations with the service. There were 59,744 assaults during 2011-12, up 3.3% from 57,830 the year before, according to figures compiled by NHS Protect, which seeks to ensure staff safety.

▽Australia's cigarette plain packaging laws come into force - video | guardian.co.uk

Shops in Australia restock their shelves as world-first laws on cigarette and tobacco plain packaging come into force on Saturday. Brand logos and colours have been replaced with generic drab olive green coverings, gruesome pictures of diseased body parts and depictions of children and babies made ill by their parents' smoking