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The man, who Guardian Australia cannot name, has pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including five counts of rape

The BoM has issued a severe weather update for parts of north-east NSW and south-east Queensland as wet and windy weather continues to batter the east coast

Opposition leader's comments on 2GB prompt warnings unwelcome atmosphere' will deter people from studying in Australia

Former defence chief elected leader of Liberal Democrats and vows to end widespread distrust' in partyShigeru Ishiba, a veteran moderate, will next week be installed as Japan's prime minister after he was elected leader of the governing Liberal Democratic party (LDP).The 67-year-old, a former defence minister, beat his rightwing rival Sanae Takaichi, who was attempting to become the country's first female prime minister, by 215 votes to 194 in a runoff election at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Friday. Continue reading...

Mount Kodu landowners petition prime minister to pay outstanding commitment the government made to them to preserve the track

Unions say blatant' violations of international wage protections have tipped many into extreme povertyTen trade unions have accused Israel of breaching international labor law by holding back pay and benefits from more than 200,000 Palestinian workers since 7 October.The Israeli government stands accused of blatant" violations of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) protection of wages convention, tipping many Palestinians into extreme poverty. Continue reading...

Ornamental ponds and water features are undoubtedly attractive to a young child' and therefore potentially dangerous, deputy state coroner says

Hurricane John is moving along Mexico's north-east coast, while India experiences monsoon levels of rainfallOn Monday, Hurricane John hit the southern Pacific coast of Mexico, having intensified from a tropical storm to a category 3 hurricane in less than 24 hours.John made landfall with sustained winds of 120mph, causing destructive storm surges. However, it quickly weakened back to a tropical storm, with sustained winds falling to 50mph by Tuesday morning. John moved relatively slowly, leading to more than 400mm of rainfall in a few days. This rain brought widespread flooding, leading to mudslides in which two people are reported to have died. Continue reading...

Premier League fans exposed to almost 30,000 messages in one weekend despite restrictions, research findsMinisters have been urged to intervene to stop football clubs from setting their own rules on curbing gambling advertising, after research showed Premier League fans were bombarded with nearly 30,000 gambling messages on a single weekend.Clubs in the top flight have so far avoided compulsory restrictions on gambling sponsorship, instead addressing public concern through voluntary measures such as a ban on front-of-shirt logos, starting in 2026. Continue reading...

Tasmania's supreme court handed down its decision in the discrimination case on Friday, sending it back to a tribunal

Project asks people to make promises to nature' after rollercoaster' year for the Northumberland landmarkIts illegal felling brought feelings of grief, distress and anger but after a rollercoaster" 12 months custodians of the Sycamore Gap tree say they want its legacy to become one of hope.The National Trust and Northumberland national park have announced an initiative inviting the public to request one of 49 saplings from the tree. Continue reading...

Demoralised and in opposition, party delegates are showing little enthusiasm for the candidates - or the event itselfOn Tuesday, from a conference stage in Birmingham, four candidates will make their pitches to lead the Conservative party. Their immediate challenge after the Tory rout this summer will be to reinvigorate a hugely demoralised set of MPs and members.Starting on Sunday, the annual gathering of the Tory faithful - the first in 14 years to be held from opposition - is expected to be a low-key affair. The evening schedule, ordinarily packed with corporate receptions, is sparse. Continue reading...

War has rules - even when confronting terrorists,' Australia's foreign affairs minister tells UN security council

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Israeli airstrikes killed 92 people in Lebanon on Thursday; John Kirby says White House had believed Israel was on board' with ceasefire proposal

PM will meet Republican candidate on Thursday evening but was not able to schedule meeting with Kamala HarrisKeir Starmer is meeting Donald Trump in New York as part of a push to establish a good relationship with the Republican presidential candidate.The prime minister, who is on a trip to the UN general assembly, did not manage to schedule a meeting with the Democratic hopeful, Kamala Harris, who is in Washington. Continue reading...

Democratic nominee calls Republican plan to end war between Ukraine and Russia dangerous and unacceptable'Kamala Harris, the US vice-president, has indirectly denounced the Trump campaign's policy on ending Russia's war against Ukraine as proposals of surrender" as the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington to present his own victory plan".Addressing Zelenskyy at the White House, Harris said that some in my country" would pressure Ukraine to accept a peace deal in which it surrendered its sovereign territory and neutrality in order to make peace with Vladimir Putin. Continue reading...

PM says the public can make their own judgments about gifts and maintains no rules have been brokenKeir Starmer has said the row over him borrowing Labour donor Waheed Alli's luxury flat for filming was farcical" and that the public would come to their own judgments about his reasons for taking support from the peer.The prime minister sought to downplay the row over the flat when he was asked about his gifts from the Labour peer while on a trip to New York, after weeks of questions about receiving clothing, spectacles and temporary use of a 18m penthouse from Alli. Continue reading...

Tory leadership candidate seeks to boost anti-immigration credentials with plan to deport 100,000 more people a yearRobert Jenrick has said he would cut off aid from countries that do not take back people who fail in their asylum claims, as part of a package of measures designed to bolster his anti-immigration reputation in the final stages of the Tory leadership race.The former immigration minister said he would withdraw money and visas from countries which do not accept those who are rejected by the UK as part of a plan to increase the number of people being deported by 100,000 a year. The plan would also see asylum seekers from at least three new countries barred altogether. Continue reading...

Lawyers for accusers say several allegations relate to Fayed's time as football club's ownerSexual assault allegations have been made relating to Mohamed Al Fayed's 16 years of ownership of Fulham FC, lawyers representing accusers have said.More than 200 women have come forward with allegations since a BBC documentary last week reported claims that Fayed raped five women who worked at Harrods. Continue reading...

Storm surges often pose great danger when hurricanes such as Helene hit - here's what you need to knowLife-threatening storm surges as high as 20ft are expected on Florida's coast when Hurricane Helene makes landfall late Thursday.The governors of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia have declared emergencies in their states. Continue reading...

London Euston, Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street among those targeted with terrorism messageWifi networks at a number of train stations across the UK have been suspended after a cybersecurity incident".Nineteen stations including London Euston, Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street had their wifi services suspended on Wednesday night after the incident. They were still down on Thursday. Continue reading...

International warrant issued for Rinson Jose, who disappeared during work trip to US last weekPolice in Norway have put out an international search warrant for a Norwegian Indian man in connection with the sale of pagers to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that exploded last week, killing dozens of people.Rinson Jose, 39, the founder of a Bulgarian company that is alleged to be part of the paper supply chain, went missing during a work trip to the US last week. Continue reading...

Family of brothers at centre of Ryan Murphy's true crime drama claims it is riddled with mistruths', statement saysRyan Murphy's controversial Netflix drama about the Menendez brothers has been criticised by the family as a grotesque shockadrama".A statement released by 24 members of the Menendez family has attacked Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which is currently the number one TV programme on the platform, and expressed disappointment that no one was contacted by Murphy and co-creator Ian Brennan. Continue reading...

Two people arrested after Alice Webb, 33, underwent suspected cosmetic procedure' in GloucestershireTributes have been paid to a woman who is thought to be the first person to die from undergoing a suspected Brazilian butt lift in the UK.Alice Webb, 33, was taken to Gloucestershire Royal hospital in Gloucester on Monday after becoming unwell and died early on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

Chief medical officer tells Covid inquiry that UK had very low' capacity compared with other wealthy countriesElon Musk has responded to a post on X highlighting the BBC story about the government not inviting him to its investment conference (see 9.55am) by saying people should not visit the UK anyway.I don't think anyone should go to the UK when they're releasing convicted pedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts Continue reading...

Footage shows bin and debris fired into street after items wrongly placed in residential bin were crushedA crew of refuse workers in north London narrowly escaped injury when combustible items that had been packed into a bin exploded after being loaded into a refuse truck.Footage shows the moment of the explosion, caused after combustible items such as batteries, aerosol or gas canisters were wrongly placed into a residential bin. Continue reading...

Mlungisi Makhanya stable in hospital in South Africa, where he was in exile from Africa's last absolute monarchyThe leader of Eswatini's main opposition party is in a critical but stable condition after allegedly being poisoned in what allies say is an assassination attempt.Mlungisi Makhanya is in a hospital in South Africa after the alleged poisoning in the early hours of Tuesday at his home in the capital, Pretoria, where he was living in exile from Africa's last absolute monarchy, said Penuel Malinga, the secretary general of the People's United Democratic Movement (Pudemo). Continue reading...

Ukrainian president says he is grateful for latest funds but it is unclear if he will receive clearance to use US missiles deep into RussiaUkraine's foreign minister has discussed ways to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine with his Chinese counterpart at the UN general assembly, Kyiv said on Thursday.According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who had earlier met Russia's top diplomat, told a security council session this week that diplomacy was the only solution to the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Court proceedings have suggested that very few of the young people involved shared openly racist views. Judges were told youths saw the unrest as a social event

The teenager was killed by two boys, then aged 12, in a machete attack in WolverhamptonThe family of a man killed by the UK's youngest knife murderers said they are haunted by thoughts of his last moments and how scared he must have been".Shawn Seesahai, 19, was waiting with a friend on playing fields in Wolverhampton when he was killed by two boys, then aged 12, wielding a machete. Continue reading...

Inquest into Thomas's death in September adjourned to allow further criminal investigation' to be carried outA grieving family has said it is broken" and will miss its much-loved daughter, mother, sister, aunt, niece and friend" forever, after a woman was found dead at a house in Cardiff.Victoria Thomas, 45, died in the early hours of Tuesday 20 August and was found at a house on Caerphilly Road in the Welsh city. Continue reading...

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission uses special information gathering powers to examine concerning' reports from grocery suppliers

Steven Sansom, who has previous murder conviction, pleaded guilty at Old Bailey to killing Mayhew and perverting course of justiceA man has admitted murdering and dismembering Sarah Mayhew, whose body parts were discovered around south-west London earlier this year.Mayhew, who was 38 when she was murdered, was last seen on 8 March. Nearly a month later, the remains of her arms, legs and head were discovered in New Addington, Croydon, on 2 April by a dog walker. More body parts were found in May in the River Wandle in Mitcham. Continue reading...

Michael Ward says former Harrods owner presided over a toxic culture', describing it as shameful period'The managing director of Harrods has apologised and said the business failed our colleagues" following sexual misconduct allegations against the department store's former owner, Mohamed Al Fayed.In a statement, Michael Ward said it is clear Fayed presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct". Continue reading...

S&P and Moody's cut ratings by five notches on risk troubled company will run out of cashThames Water's debt rating has been slashed to the lower levels of junk by two major credit rating agencies, piling further pressure on the UK's biggest water company, which is rapidly running through cash and fighting to stave off renationalisation.S&P Global Ratings and Moody's said the utility was fast running out of money and on the brink of default. S&P cut its rating on Thames's 15bn top-ranking debt pile by five notches to CCC+, taking it into the triple-C category that is considered very risky. Thames lost its investment-grade credit rating in July. Continue reading...

Alan Sunderland to undertake independent review of online article and 7.30 story about an Australian military operation in Afghanistan

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Iwao Hakamada found not guilty of 1966 murder of his boss and his family after a retrial was ordered a decade agoA Japanese man who spent almost half a century on death row has been found not guilty of multiple murders, in a closely watched trial that has raised questions about Japan's use of the death penalty.Iwao Hakamada, 88, was sentenced to hang in 1968 after being found guilty of murdering his boss, his wife and their two teenage children, and setting fire to their home two years earlier. Continue reading...

The man is accused of raping five women, with charges regarding a sixth withdrawn on Thursday. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges

More than 100 artists, curators and academics said Just Stop Oil action was in keeping with ethos of the artsMore than 100 artists, curators and art historians are making a plea for two activists who hurled tomato soup at Van Gogh's Sunflowers to be spared a jail sentence.There was no damage to the picture, which is one of the Dutch artist's most famous paintings and worth millions of pounds, but it did cause minor damage to the frame. Continue reading...

VFF chair Emma Germano says the National Farmers Federation is conducting policy by press release' and no longer represents Victorian farmers

Watchdog inspector Gail Furness announces she is examining National Anti-Corruption Commission's controversial decision

Jacob Tammer-Spence, 31, was arrested on Wednesday evening after Sitaleki Filihiahekava was fatally stabbed in attack investigators allege was somewhat targeted'

Fresh initiative comes amid tensions between US and Europe on how to press Israel to end offensive on Hezbollah

Fast fashion chain has brought catwalk trends at low prices - but faced criticism over cost to planetThe way we shop has changed beyond recognition over the past five decades, from the rise of online shopping to the death of department stores, not to mention spending booms and busts and a pandemic.All of which makes Primark's half century on the British high street, reached on Thursday, an impressive milestone. Continue reading...

Bucket-full' of non-toxic dye shocks onlookers at Milson Park, Kirribilli, as experts conclude misuse' likely to blame

Defence force personnel already deployed to the Middle East may be called on to help in an evacuation operation after Israel said it was preparing for a possible ground operation

Investigation finds staffer's report referred to doll allegedly used by father for sexual purposes' as age-appropriate toy'

Human Rights Watch alleges potential violation of international human rights law on many occasions this yearRwandan forces and M23 rebels have shelled refugee camps and other highly populated areas in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo on many occasions this year, Human Rights Watch has claimed.The NGO also accused the DRC's armed forces and its allied militias of putting the camps' residents in danger by stationing their artillery nearby in its report alleging violation of international humanitarian and human rights law in the longstanding war in the central African country. Continue reading...