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Adnan Ali sent indecent messages and made sexual remarks to young people aged 15 to 18, court hearsA former police officer who sexually assaulted and sent indecent messages to young people on a cadet scheme he was in charge of has been jailed for five years.Adnan Ali, 36, was found guilty in April of five counts of sexual abuse and 15 counts of misconduct in a public office. Continue reading...

Italian company's subsidiary, Var Energi, will acquire Neptune's Norwegian business for $2.3bnThe oil and gas company founded by the former boss of Centrica, which owns British Gas, has confirmed that it will be sold to Italy's Eni for almost $5bn (3.9m) in one of Europe's largest oil and gas takeovers in a decade.Neptune Energy, which was established by Sam Laidlaw five years ago, said Eni had agreed to buy the company for $2.6bn, while Eni's Norwegian-listed subsidiary, Var Energi, will acquire Neptune's Norwegian business for $2.3bn. Continue reading...

Dolphins trained to detect enemy divers are being deployed at Sevastopol on Crimean peninsula

Emily Eavis tells BBC that band will headline Pyramid stage on Friday despite earlier concerns over frontman Alex TurnerArctic Monkeys will headline Glastonbury's Pyramid stage on Friday night, the festival has confirmed, after the performance was thrown into doubt because of illness.The rock band announced on Monday that their frontman, Alex Turner, had acute laryngitis, which forced them to cancel their show in Marlay Park, Dublin on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Fans queue for Banksy's Cut and Run show at Gallery of Modern Art but stencil in nearby alley said to be fakeThe brickwork in the alleyway was back to its uniform black after Glasgow council workers raced to remove a rat in a bowler hat.The fresh paint, still adorned with hazard stickers after being applied on Thursday evening, covered a stencil of a rodent that would be familiar to any fan of Banksy. Continue reading...

It used to be dominant at the festival, but looking around this year, the wellington's future would appear to be in doubtThey are thought of as a fixture among farmers, fishmongers and festivalgoers, but it seems wellington boots are falling out of favour with once fevered fans.On Wednesday, Hunter Boots, a stalwart of British footwear and festivals nationwide went into administration, just hours before Glastonbury kicked off. Continue reading...

Rise of 0.3% in May comes as separate survey shows UK services company sales grew this monthWarmer weather and online bargains drove a surprise increase in retail sales in May after City forecasts predicted the cost of living crisis would persuade consumers to be more restrained.Retail sales in Great Britain rose 0.3% last month after a 0.5% increase in April, continuing a bounce in spending since the beginning of the year that points to a return of consumer confidence after last September's disastrous mini-budget. Continue reading...

Libri Group's takeover by Mathias Corvinus Collegium raises fears of crackdown on literary freedomsThe takeover of Hungary's largest publishing house and bookstore chain by a private foundation with close ties to the country's prime minister, Viktor Orban, has prompted walkouts from authors who fear the sale heralds a further step in the country's crackdown on media freedoms.The Libri Group, which includes the Libri publishing house, a chain of 57 bookstores by the same name and several smaller imprints for literary fiction, announced last week it had sold 98.5% of its business to the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), a private college that has received vast amounts of direct funding from the government since 2020. Continue reading...

Feather boas have become calling card for star and fans said to be selling theirs post-show for a profitFor fans searching for a sign that Harry Styles has been in the vicinity, feather boas have become something of a calling card. As the pop star nears the end of his two-year-long world tour, local residents and councils worldwide are blaming his fans for leaving trails of dyed feathers behind them following his concerts.One Cardiff resident told the BBC that the city centre looked like a feather boa massacre" after the concert on Tuesday night. The public transport on which fans travel is also said to be littered with remnants of the boas. Continue reading...

Saxophonist heralded for his ferocious yet beautifully expressive playing died peacefully in his sleep at home in GermanyPeter Brotzmann, the saxophonist whose muscular and emancipated style of performance made him a central figure in European jazz, has died at 82.The news was confirmed by his label, Trost, and his collaborator Heather Leigh, who said that he died peacefully in his sleep at home in Wuppertal, Germany, on Tuesday night. Continue reading...

Experts back Anthony Albanese's cybersecurity advice, saying forcibly closing apps could stop criminals from monitoring users or collecting data

Friend of Labour leader says pair had brush with French police after travelling to the Med as studentsKeir Starmer once promised to resign as Labour leader if he was found to have broken lockdown rules during a campaign event in Durham.However, it turns out the former director of public prosecutions and the man labelled Mr Rules" had a previous brush with police, after a friend revealed he was caught by French officers illegally selling ice-creams on a Mediterranean beach. Continue reading...

Tianjin reports all-time record of 41.4C, while Texas and Mexico break numerous temperature recordsParts of north-east China are in the grip of a historic heatwave, with hundreds of weather stations reporting record highs for the month of June. On 22 June the capital Beijing observed a temperature of 41.1C (106F), a record high for the month, and the first time a temperature higher than 40C had been observed since 2014. On the same date, the city of Tianjin reported 41.4C, a new all-time record for any month. Additionally, Dagang had its hottest day on record, with a temperature of 41.8C.The national weather bureau in China issued an alert for heatstroke last week, almost two weeks earlier than is typical from previous years. Authorities have advised people to suspend outdoor work during the middle part of the day, when the temperatures are at their highest. The high temperatures have also led to increased pressure on the power grid, with a more than 20% increase in demand reported in Tianjin on 15 June compared with last year. Temperatures in north-east China will remain on the extreme side over the coming week, with highs of 40-42C forecast each day in places. The all-time Beijing temperature of 41.9C could be seriously under threat. Continue reading...

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Concerning' signs voters with disabilities and from particular ethnic background disproportionately affectedAbout 14,000 people were turned away from polling stations at May's local elections because they lacked the right ID, with the overall number denied a vote likely to be considerably higher, the official elections watchdog has said.The interim study by the Electoral Commission also warned of concerning" signs that voters with disabilities, people who are unemployed, or those from particular ethnic groups could be disproportionately affected by the policy. Continue reading...

Australia is confident cancellation of lease on national security grounds will withstand legal challenge

Data showed 58% would vote to re-enter bloc, while more respondents said they trusted the European Commission more than the UK governmentSeven years after the Brexit referendum, the proportion of Britons who want to rejoin the EU has climbed to its highest levels since 2016, according to a new survey.Both Britons and Europeans also think the UK's return to the EU is becoming more likely, while British respondents are more optimistic about the bloc's future - to the extent of trusting the European Commission more than their own government. Continue reading...

Peter Dutton warns referendum will leave Australians split down the middle' and repeats call for symbolic recognition

The site, set up as a standard asylum seeker hotel, has no care workers or nurses there as part of the contractThe Home Office has been accused of abandoning 55 asylum seekers with a range of severe disabilities and life-limiting conditions at a former care home in an Essex seaside town.The asylum seekers, who fled various conflict zones including Sudan and Afghanistan, are struggling with a range of health conditions they have suffered from since childhood or life-changing injuries suffered in war zones. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Unknown artwork was barred from leaving the UK after surfacing at an auction in 2021A painting has been saved for the UK in recognition of its outstanding significance" for the study of race and gender in 17th-century Britain, it will be announced on Friday.The anonymous artist's portrait of two women - one black and one white, depicted as companions and equals with similar dress, hair and jewellery - has been bought by Compton Verney, an award-winning gallery in Warwickshire. Continue reading...

Network concerned that Victoria Racing Club partnership with gambling company is at odds with preferences of its viewers and advertisers'

Court hears woman raped in a car after a party was further upset by comments blaming her

Families, friends and colleagues remember Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Shahzada and Suleman Dawood and Paul-Henri Nargeolet

Debris field spotted by ROV scouring seabed consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber', US Coast Guard says

Paul McDonough was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Bekkie-Rae Curren-Trinca in 2019In the midst of a violent relationship, Bekkie-Rae Curren-Trinca knew she and her daughter deserved better and made a plan to leave.The 28-year-old mum was in contact with Warrnambool domestic violence support services and was ready to report Paul McDonough to police. Continue reading...

Parliament hears media in Asia and the Pacific are being courted by Beijing in an unprecedented campaign'

Exclusive: A change in planning rules has stopped the EU flag from being raised, say City Hall sourcesMinisters have been accused of criminalising the flying of the European Union flag on government buildings in England after London's City Hall was told it could be prosecuted for displaying it on the anniversary of the Brexit referendum.Seven years after the referendum on leaving the EU, the Greater London authority (GLA) had planned to fly the flag on Friday but officials were advised that under the latest regulations they would need to secure permission from the local authority. Continue reading...

Former Tory party adviser Lynton Crosby joined as director three months after hedge fund billionaire Kenneth Griffin invested 1mA billionaire US hedge fund executive and major donor to US Republican candidates invested 1m in a British company owned by a Conservative peer who was close at the time to the then prime minister, Boris Johnson.Kenneth Griffin, the founder of Citadel, one of the largest hedge funds in the world, made the personal investment in 2020 in a company set up by Lord Howard of Rising, a Conservative peer whose Westminster mansion served as Johnson's leadership campaign nerve centre" a year earlier. Continue reading...

Suleman Dawood, who joined voyage with his billionaire father Shahzada, had just finished his first year

Ankush Dutta was meant to check out after one night but reportedly stayed for nearly two yearsIndian police are investigating a suspected fraudster who spent nearly two years in a five-star hotel without paying, local media have said.Ankush Dutta booked a room at Roseate House hotel in Delhi on 30 May 2019 and was supposed to check out the next day. But he extended his stay for 603 nights until 22 January 2021, leaving behind unpaid bills of $70,000 (55,000). Continue reading...

Public choose name of Black Sabbath singer for the bull, which will be placed at Birmingham New Street stationThe mechanical bull that formed the centrepiece of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony is to be named after one of the city's most famous sons: Ozzy Osbourne.The name of the Black Sabbath singer was chosen by a public poll, winning 70% of the votes to beat Brummie, Bostin and Boulton. Ozzy, who was originally destined for the scrapyard, will now be placed at Birmingham New Street station. Continue reading...

Amid multiple bids, Fortress's bid was reportedly the most qualified' for Vice, which filed for bankruptcy last monthVice Media, whose assets include Vice News, Motherboard, Refinery29 and Vice TV, is slated to be acquired by a group of buyers from Fortress Investment Group, according to a report in the New York Times.Just last month, the organization filed for bankruptcy. Continue reading...

Dense woodland planted by volunteers two years ago given same status as country's vast forestsIt may lack the majesty of the lovely ancient woodlands that cling to the slopes of Wales' highest peaks or tumble into its deep river valleys.But a small chunk of land in a park in the south Wales seaside town of Barry planted densely with trees has been selected to become part of the country's national forest, a scheme to create a network of woodland running the length and breadth of the country. Continue reading...

Chonhar Bridge is one of a handful of infrastructures linking Crimea with the mainland

Comments come in foreword of book of portraits to celebrate 75th anniversary of Windrush crossingKing Charles has hailed the pioneers of the Windrush generation, saying it is crucially important to recognise the immeasurable" difference they made to Britain, as the UK marked the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush.The king joined the descendants of pioneers" at a service that celebrated the achievements of a generation who were urged to travel to Britain to help with labour shortages in the postwar years only for many of their number to face threats of deportation in their later years. Continue reading...

Northern Territory police statistics show a drop in domestic violence callouts, property offences and other antisocial behaviour

Exclusive: The CCC has advocated for an integrity model that would only investigate the most serious complaints against officers

Premier Chris Minns claims climate activists such as Blockade Australia are endangering lives by streaming protest actions

US ambassador says she is extremely disappointed' at decision not to release WSJ journalist Evan GershkovichA Moscow court has ruled that the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich must remain in pre-trial detention on espionage charges until at least late August, rejecting the American journalist's appeal to be released.Gershkovich appeared slightly pale and with longer hair after almost three months' detention in Lefortovo prison in Moscow, which is reserved for targets of FSB investigations. He was smiling in some photos. Continue reading...

Equipment including deep sea vehicles heading to site as theoretical limit of oxygen supply inside Titan submersible nears

Exclusive: Prosecutors developed evidence early on of classified documents at Trump's Bedminster golf clubFederal prosecutors investigating Donald Trump's retention of national security material were examining evidence within weeks of the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago last year that he might have handled classified documents at his Bedminster club in New Jersey, according to two people close to the matter.The indications of classified documents at Bedminster so alarmed prosecutors that they focused part of the investigation on whether Trump might have transported the materials or disclosed their contents there in addition to refusing to return them to the government, the people said. Continue reading...

Survey seven years on from referendum shows many believe politicians have let them down, thinktank says

Ethnic violence in north-eastern state has led to more than 100 deaths since breaking out in early MayIndia's home affairs minister, Amit Shah, has called opposition parties for talks on Saturday to discuss an outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur state in the north-east, in a sign that the government has acknowledged the situation has spun out of its control.More than 100 people have died and 50,000 have been displaced since clashes broke out in early May between members of the Kuki ethnic group, who mostly live in the hills, and the Meitei people, the dominant community in the lowlands. Churches, temples, shops and businesses have been destroyed. Continue reading...

Gold Coast auction house sold huge collection including photo album of concentration camps and signed pictures of Hitler ahead of federal ban on display and sale of Nazi symbols

Number of visitors up 367% at start of year with about half born after 1990, according to travel websitesIn the search for a job in a gloomy economy, many young people in China are hoping for divine intervention.According to data released by the Chinese travel platform Qunar, the number of visitors to temple scenic spots increased by 367% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2022. Continue reading...

Greens urged to back government's fund as advocates say housing is needed now and politicians need to start taking action'

Engineer Ron Allum says missing tourist sub unlikely to have suffered a catastrophic implosion' but partial flooding could be preventing it from resurfacing

In today's newsletter: As the search intensifies, we look at the key developments - and controversy - around the lost submersible

Chris Hipkins, who is about to meet the Chinese president on a trip to Beijing for the first time, said China's system of government is a matter for them'New Zealand prime minister Chris Hipkins has disagreed with US President Joe Biden's remark that Xi Jinping is a dictator", as he prepares to meet the Chinese leader on an official trade trip to China.No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people," Hipkins told reporters when asked about Biden's description. Asked whether the Chinese people had a say in the form their government took, he said: if they wanted to change their system of government, then that would be a matter for them." Continue reading...

Between 1948 and 1996, about 16,500 people were operated on without their consent under a eugenics law, triggering long campaign for redressCampaigners in Japan have reacted angrily to a government report revealing that children as young as nine were among thousands of people who were forcibly sterilised under a eugenics law that was not repealed until the 1990s.The 1,400-page report, submitted to parliament this week, details how, between 1948 and 1996, about 16,500 people were operated on without their consent under the law, which aimed to prevent the birth of poor-quality descendants ... and to protect the life and health of the mother". Most of the victims were women. Continue reading...