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Victorian court of appeal also to consider whether triple murder and attempted murder convictions should be quashed

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Former real estate developer leads press corps on tour of grounds and says one thing I know how to do is build'As the US national debt climbed past $40tn for the first time on Wednesday, and the war with Iran he started nearly six months ago dragged on, forcing Americans already struggling to pay the bills to spend more on fuel, Donald Trump led the press corps on a tour of the extensive remodeling of the White House grounds he is personally overseeing in his role as the self-styled builder-in-chief".The tour, during which Trump showed off upgrades such as a new granite driveway and refurbished columns, and expounded at length on newly laid grass, culminated in Trump autographing the back of a stone, inscribed with his name, to go in the center of the ornate new helipad he insists he needs. Continue reading...

Reports say Duke and Duchess of Sussex intend to relocate from US, with children to start British school in SeptemberThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to return to live in Britain, six years after leaving for the US, it has been reported.The couple and their two children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are expected to relocate later this month to a non-royal residence. Continue reading...

A landslide triggered by the quake had blocked access to the village where Paulina Pobi had lived, leaving her buried under the collapsed remainsAn 84-year-old woman has been discovered alive in the flattened remains of her home three days after a powerful earthquake hit eastern Indonesia, authorities have confirmed.The 7.7-magnitude quake struck off Indonesia's Flores island on Saturday morning, killing at least 73 people, injuring more than 900 people and displacing nearly 60,000 others. Continue reading...

Officers reportedly believed invitees were trying to make unauthorized entry on to Vandenberg base in CaliforniaFive news reporters and two members of the military who were invited to an event at Vandenberg space force base in California were briefly detained at gunpoint by security officers who thought they were gatecrashers, according to local news reports.The incident happened Monday ahead of an invitation-only groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California. Reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were among those detained, and both outlets published articles detailing the detainment. Continue reading...

Zvezdelina Stankova says she used AI to help edit' an article about some of her students being five to eight years' behindA math professor at the University of California, Berkeley, criticizing a severe" math deficiency among students in an op-ed for the San Francisco Standard, admitted to using artificial intelligence to help edit the piece.The Standard published a 2,000-word piece by Zvezdelina Stankova last week, in which the professor said some of her math students were five to eight years" behind and lacked a middle school" education on fractions and basic algebra. Stankova said the UC system's test-blind admissions were to blame, suggesting that students who weren't sufficiently prepared for the rigor of Berkeley's mathematics program were admitted because a longstanding benchmark like the SAT had disappeared. Continue reading...

The collapse was caused by a landslide, while local officials say the death toll is likely to rise as recovery efforts continueMore than 100 people have died after an artisanal goldmine at a small village in western Central African Republic (CAR) caved in due to a landslide, local officials and aid workers said on Wednesday.The landslide happened on Tuesday afternoon in the village of Zamboye, about 50km (31 miles) from the town of Baboua and close to the border of Cameroon. Footage on social media appeared to show an avalanche of sand descend on a group of people, likely the miners, and cover them. Continue reading...

The 17-year-olds were charged over an alleged attack in Sydney's south-west on Saturday

Review by paediatricians links child vaping with poor respiratory health such as coughing, wheezing and asthmaYoung people who start vaping risk developing breathing problems and going on to smoke cigarettes, children's doctors have warned.Child vaping is consistently linked with poor respiratory health, such as coughing, wheezing, bronchitis symptoms and asthma exacerbations, while vapes have been shown to act as a gateway to smoking cigarettes, according to one of the most comprehensive reviews of the available evidence so far undertaken by the Royal College of Child and Paediatrics Health. Continue reading...

Foreign affairs minister says Australia is outraged' after Israeli government decided not to pursue criminal proceedings over 2024 triple drone strike on humanitarian convoy

Andy Burnham promises drive to tackle toxic waste, raise fines and use AI-powered drones to detect illegal activityIllegal dumps in West Yorkshire, Surrey and Kent will be cleared up using taxpayer money, Andy Burnham has announced, as the prime minister promises a new drive to tackle toxic waste.Ministers have identified dumps in Bradford, Runnymede and the Isle of Sheppey, which collectively contain about 22,000 tonnes of illegal waste, to be cleared in the next phase of the government's national clear-up effort. Continue reading...

Officials say all seven people onboard killed, including Telemundo executive and Ecuador intelligence chiefSeven people, including five Americans, were killed when a safari helicopter crashed on Wednesday morning in a remote part of northern Kenya, according to local police and the state department.Among the dead were an executive with Telemundo, the US-based Spanish-language network owned by NBC Universal, and the director of Ecuador's national intelligence service. Continue reading...

Aalim Ahmed, five, fell from 15th-floor window at tower block family had asked to be moved out of, court hearsAn inquest into the death of a five-year-old boy who fell from a 15th-floor window has heard that more measures could have been taken to make it safer.Aalim Ahmed, who was autistic, died when he fell from a kitchen window at a residential block in Plaistow, east London. His father, Makail Ahmed, rushed from the top floor temporary social housing flat and discovered his body shortly before 6am on 16 May 2024. Continue reading...

PM wants to reduce department's stranglehold on public purse and bring long-term thinking to economic policyAndy Burnham is far from the first prime minister to dream of taming the power of the mighty Treasury.Boris Johnson all but forced the resignation of Sajid Javid by handpicking his team; Margaret Thatcher favoured her economic adviser Alan Walters over Nigel Lawson, prompting the latter's furious resignation; and Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's power struggle was the stuff of Whitehall legend. Continue reading...

UCL researchers warn repeated exam attempts may dent students' confidence and raise risk of dropping outForcing teenagers who fail GCSEs into multiple resits has a negative impact on their mental health, according to research to be published as pupils receive their grades on Thursday.The study by academics at University College London (UCL) compared the mental wellbeing of students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who failed to reach a grade 4 or equivalent in maths or English GCSEs - and found that only those in England, where resits are mandatory, showed significantly lower wellbeing. Continue reading...

Officers still investigating deaths of Zeina Alayn, Hassan El-Khawas and daughter Sara El-Khawas at Shoreham-by-SeaA father, mother and their teenage daughter who died off the Sussex coast on Tuesday have been identified.Sussex police named the victims as Hassan El-Khawas, 55, his partner, Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter, Sara El-Khawas. A younger girl who was also part of the family is in hospital in a critical condition. She has not been named. Continue reading...

President says he plans to meet dictator this year but Kim Yo-jong says Washington remains Pyongyang's enemyDonald Trump has said he is planning to meet North Korea's Kim Jong-un later this year, though the reclusive leader's younger sister cast doubt on their communications and dampened hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough between them.Trump, who also claimed North Korea had 57 nuclear weapons, had suggested he and Kim were holding secret negotiations on Tuesday after announcing the US would downgrade its participation in military exercises held by South Korea, a US ally. Asked whether Kim had responded to his request for a conversation, Trump said: Yeah, he has." Continue reading...

PM says public money alone won't solve problem but we did it in the pandemic, we can do it again'

Military orders criminal investigation into deaths of five-year-old and six family members in Gaza in 2024The Israeli military admitted on Wednesday its troops had opened fire on a car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members in Gaza in 2024, saying it had ordered a criminal investigation into the killing.The killing of Hind and her family was one of the most high profile of a series of incidents involving civilian casualties during the first months of the Gaza conflict which prompted international outrage. Continue reading...

The prime minister has announced a 442m plan to get rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas. It solidifies tackling homelessness as a central policy for Andy Burnham's government, and gives voters a measure by which to judge his success - although without a concrete target for ministers to hit.Nosheen Iqbal speaks to social policy editor Patrick Butler - watch on YouTube Continue reading...

Mykhailo Fedorov's blistering critique comes at a time of growing pressure for democratic renewal in UkraineFor more than a month, demonstrators have gathered in Ivan Franko Square outside Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office. The protesters have been chanting a name - not that of Ukraine's embattled president but that of the man he recently sacked as defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. On Sunday evening, 2,000 people marched along Khreshchatyk, Kyiv's main boulevard, waving cardboard banners in support of their ousted hero.Zelenskyy has refused to reinstate Fedorov, who during his six months in the job was widely seen as an effective and reforming figure. On Wednesday, Ukraine's parliament, the Rada, voted to approve a successor as defence minister, Yevhen Khmara. The move shows that Fedorov has been shut out from government permanently, and confirms his transition from trusted insider and Zelenskyy loyalist to a potent political opponent. Continue reading...

Senator Jon Ossoff, who is up for re-election, came up with arguably the standout line of the midterm elections so farHello there,Jon Ossoff really struck a nerve. That much is clear. Continue reading...

Elections in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming provide a sense of how voters are feeling ahead of November's midtermsPrimaries in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming held on Tuesday provided the latest view into how voters are feeling ahead of November's US midterm elections.One candidate aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) netted an extraordinary win while another was defeated handily. Donald Trump's handpicked candidates received a mixed reception from voters. In Alaska, voters chose their fighters for one of the year's marquee US Senate races, and in Florida, extremism remained alive and well among Republicans. Continue reading...

Owner of firm behind Temu Range Rover' will open facility in Bedfordshire in autumnThe Chinese carmaker behind the irreverently nicknamed Temu Range Rover" is plotting further UK expansion with a major research and development centre in England.Chery, which makes the Jaecoo and Omoda car brands, said the launch of a new R&D site was the next step in our long-term plan" for Britain as it also moves towards manufacturing its cars in the UK. Continue reading...

Regulator says verifiable safety measures are critical' to the online service's viability

PM pledges to get rough sleepers off streets for Christmas but issues rallying call' for community and voluntary organisations to help with planAndy Burnham has admitted government funding may not fully be enough" to achieve his aim of offering a place to stay to every rough sleeper by Christmas, as he made a rallying call" for communities to get behind his plan.Speaking on a visit to the north-east of England, the prime minister said:The government money itself may not fully be enough. So I am saying, putting the call out to community and voluntary organisations - we're at one here in Newcastle today, doing fantastic work.But we're saying to the wider community, voluntary, and faith sector: come on, let's get behind this. Let's show what Britain can do when we all pull in the same direction.We did it in the pandemic, we can do it again, and it's a rallying call, really, that I'm putting out there today with a lot of government money behind it.We did bring the numbers right down, but because we were the only area providing a high level of support, more people started to travel and it became difficult. Continue reading...

Madrid government changes stance after previously saying anyone who entered territory illegally would be sent back

An AfD win in next month's state election in Saxony-Anhalt would shatter a decades-long political consensus and reverberate throughout the EU Don't get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereIn just over two weeks' time, Saxony-Anhalt - home to historic timber-framed houses, the dramatic Harz mountains and the birthplace of Martin Luther - will hold what could prove one of the most significant state elections in Germany's postwar history.The vote, on 6 September, could see a far-right party whose local branch is officially classified by the country's domestic intelligence service as confirmed rightwing extremist" appoint a state premier and govern a state alone, for the first time. Continue reading...

Expected quarterly rise if 4% highest likely to wipe out Burnham's VAT cut on electricity billsHousehold energy bills across Great Britain are expected to climb to a three-year high this winter as the impact of the Middle East war wipes out Andy Burnham's tax cut on electricity bills.The government's cap on energy prices is on track to rise by 4% from this October to the equivalent of 1,729 a year through the last three months of 2026, which could hit struggling households especially hard this winter, according to analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight. Continue reading...

US president cancelled planned tariff imposition just hours before it was to come into force. Plus, why are people so obsessed with television vampires?Good morning. Donald Trump has paused his threatened punitive tariff on Canada just hours before it was due to come into effect. After Trump's announcement, the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, said substantial progress" had been made towards a trade deal, but more work was needed.Tuesday's 11th-hour backdown comes after a contentious year for the two countries, with the longstanding alliance strained by tit-for-tat tariffs and online broadsides in which Trump has mused about wanting to turn Canada into a US state.How much trade do the two countries do? Historically, Canada and the US have been strong trading partners. In 2024, trade between the countries was estimated to be roughly $909bn, according to the office of the US trade representative.What else happened in Florida's elections? Byron Donalds, a congressman backed by Trump, won the Republican nomination for governor in the race to succeed Ron DeSantis. Donalds trounced three reasonably prominent Republican rivals, including Jay Collins, DeSantis's handpicked lieutenant governor. If he wins the November election, as he is expected to do in the conservative stronghold, Donalds would become the first Black governor in any southern US state. Continue reading...

David Morens confessed to concealing government documents linked to grant research fundingA former adviser to infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiring to evade public records laws and conceal government documents related to grant research funding and the Covid-19 pandemic.David Morens, who had worked under Fauci as a senior official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the pandemic, entered his plea, to a conspiracy charge during a hearing in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland. Continue reading...

Trump administration put sanctions on the international criminal court's president and a senior trial lawyerThe international criminal court on Wednesday condemned the latest US sanctions targeting senior ICC staff, including its president, as a flagrant attack" on the global tribunal's independence and vowed to continue seeking justice for atrocities around the world.The state department announced Tuesday that it had hit ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in US jurisdictions or come into contact with the US financial system. Continue reading...

PM's plan to shield households from more pressure risks being overwhelmed by wider price rises

Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies said they uncovered group responsible for money laundering $3.35m but did not name individuals involvedThe rise in Germany's borrowing costs to a 15-year high reflects the increased security challenges facing the country following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the need to spend much more defence, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.German 10- and 30-year borrowing costs hit a fresh 15-year high in Wednesday's session. Bond yields of other major Western economies including the US and Japan have also climbed to multi-decade highs this week due to ballooning government debt and geopolitics, increasing borrowing costs for companies and households and complicating policy.I am grateful to the MPs for supporting Andrii Sybiha for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Yevhenii Khmara for the position of Minister of Defence of Ukraine.The tasks for both ministers are absolutely clear: Ukraine needs more strength. And it will have it. Glory to Ukraine!" Continue reading...

UK competition watchdog investigation is part of broader clampdown on illegal drip pricing'

Dallas McInerney tells inquiry he wiped data from his devices over the weekend after receiving a security warning from his bank

Internal documents obtained by Guardian show White House meetings, scheduled calls with top Trump officials and communications with Fox News producers Continue reading...

Greens say analysis shows government failure to take bold climate action could lead to big gains for party at election

Beto Coral held up banners in Florida warning fellow Colombians to not vote for Abelardo de la EspriellaIn the week before Colombia's presidential election, Beto Coral, a well-known activist living in the United States, travelled to Florida to persuade fellow Colombians not to vote for the far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella.Coral held banners outside polling stations in Miami warning that the millionaire lawyer, whose candidacy was endorsed by Donald Trump, would help deport all of you". Continue reading...

Shane Hryhorec's viral video showing the interaction with flight staff has already garnered 16m views

Accelerating prices in July add to pressure on households, with chancellor saying there is more to do to restore hope'

Despite leading in the polls, Hanson is allowed to offer thought bubbles instead of actual policy

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Allowing jurors to stay in same hotel as police and prosecution denied Patterson a fair trial, lawyers tell Victorian court of appeal

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Christmas Island locals who woke to see the spacecraft floating off the coast hope global attention will encourage tourists

Lee Jae Myung has long pushed for stronger homegrown defences, yet Donald Trump's move has sparked alarm in some quartersAt their first summit, in August last year, the South Korean president, Lee Jae Myung, told Donald Trump: If you, Mr President, become the peacemaker, then I will assist you as the pacemaker."The remark at the Oval Office captured the thrust of Lee's approach to North Korea: dial down the military posturing and make repeated peace overtures to revive dialogue, even if they have been consistently rejected by Pyongyang largely over Seoul's insistence on denuclearisation. Continue reading...

Food Foundation sounds alarm over supply risks and price shocks as about 40% of Britain's food is importedThe UK is vulnerable to food price shocks because of its dependence on imports of fruit and vegetable from countries even more exposed to the climate crisis, researchers say.Much of Britain has sweltered under a record five heatwaves this year and endured drought and wildfires, with the hot, dry conditions damaging crops and reducing yields of domestic produce. Continue reading...