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Despite premier David Crisafulli's wish for his party to maintain a moderate outlook, members have presented a number of divisive social issues for debate this weekend

Boy, 17, had intended to set fire to Islamic centre in Greenock, Inverclyde, after befriending imamA teenager who listed Hitler, Mussolini and the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik as his inspirations and who planned a terrorist attack on a mosque has been sentenced to 10 years in custody.The 17-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, had intended to set fire to an Islamic centre in Greenock, Inverclyde, after befriending the imam and mapping out the building's interior on his phone. Continue reading...

Speaking to Sky News, Israel's prime minister ratchets up diplomatic row by saying Albanese has shown weakness' in the face of Hamas terrorist monsters'

Aimee Betro, 45, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder earlier this month after a two-week trialAn American hitwoman" who attempted to murder a business owner before going on the run in Armenia has been jailed for 30 years at Birmingham crown court.Earlier this month, Aimee Betro, 45, from Wisconsin was found guilty of conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and an offence relating to the importation of ammunition into the UK, after a three-week trial. Continue reading...

Lucy Connolly served 10 months of her sentence after calling for followers on X to set fire to hotelsLucy Connolly, who was jailed in the aftermath of last summer's riots for an expletive-ridden social media post calling for followers to set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers, has been released from prison.The former childminder who is married to the Conservative councillor Raymond Connolly, left HMP Peterborough on Thursday morning in a taxi, after serving 10 months of her sentence. Continue reading...

When an influencer mocked the makeup of Turkish German women, the ensuing debate reopened old woundsIt all began when Meri, a TikTok influencer from Turkey, mocked the makeup of Turkish women living in Germany. They were, she claimed, instantly recognisable by their bronzer, thick blush, false eyelashes and plumped lips. And the look favoured by the diaspora, she added, waspishly, had nothing to do with how real Turkish women look".Reaction from the diaspora was swift and stinging. You're just jealous because we live in Germany," one said. If we stop coming (to Turkey from Germany), your economy will collapse." Soon a full-blown social media feud had erupted, with insults and mutual mockery flowing. And, although it started with makeup, the row has gone far deeper, exposing old and bitter rifts over gender, class, politics, nationalism and economic power. Continue reading...

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Weather and flood warnings stretch from Sydney's south to the state's north-west, as elevated river levels, full dams and more rainfall pose risks to communities

Lemi Limbu, who was convicted of murdering her daughter, has severe intellectual disabilities and absolutely should not be in prison', say campaignersPressure is mounting on the Tanzanian government to release a woman with severe intellectual disabilities who has been in prison awaiting execution for 13 years.Lemi Limbu, who is now in her early 30s, was convicted of the murder of her daughter in 2015. A survivor of brutal and repeated sexual and domestic violence, she has the developmental age of a child. Continue reading...

Brazil's former president is accused of allegedly plotting a military coup, but he denies the chargesBrazilian police have claimed in court documents that they have found a document on the mobile phone of former president Jair Bolsonaro suggesting he had planned to flee to Argentina ahead of his judgment for allegedly plotting a military coup.The far-right populist is facing a jail term of over 40 years when Brazil's supreme court convenes next month to decide whether he is guilty of conspiring to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election, which Bolsonaro lost to his leftwing opponent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Continue reading...

Police say woman in her 30s receiving appropriate care and support' after workers made confronting discovery on Monday

People with disease that has spread have been found to live twice as long when given treatment hailed as hopeful'More than 1,000 patients living with bladder cancer in England will be eligible for a treatment which can double survival rates from the disease.In England, 18,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year, and only about 10% of people with stage 4 bladder cancer will survive five years or more after they are diagnosed. Continue reading...

Move follows months of pressure from MPs, academics and campaigners, with dozens of other students still strandedNine students in Gaza with full scholarships to study at British universities have been told the UK government is working to facilitate their evacuation.The students - who have all been awarded Chevening scholarships, funded by the Foreign Office in recognition of their potential as future leaders - welcomed the development on Wednesday, but dozens more Palestinians in Gaza with university places are still awaiting news. Continue reading...

Agni-5 intermediate-range ballistic missile also part of Narendra Modi's defence strategy against PakistanIndia has said it successfully test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that, when operational, should be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to any part of China.The Agni-5 missile was successfully launched in India's eastern Odisha state on Wednesday, and authorities said it validated all operational and technical parameters". Continue reading...

Construction would be flagrant breach of international law' and undermine two-state solution, foreign secretary saysIsrael has announced it is expanding its military operations in Gaza City, as the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, condemned its approval of a huge new illegal settlement in the West Bank as a flagrant breach of international law."The Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Effie Defrin said the IDF had begun the second phase of Operation Gideon's Chariots in Gaza, which it launched in May. Continue reading...

Court in Thuringia rejected woman's request to enter concentration camp memorial while wearing the scarfA German court has ruled that a Nazi concentration camp memorial has the right to refuse entry to those wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf.The higher administrative court in the eastern state of Thuringia on Wednesday rejected a request from a woman to be allowed entry to the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial while wearing a keffiyeh. Continue reading...

Depletion of social housing stock spurs calls for councils to have first refusal to buy ex-council homes entering marketEngland will sell off more than eight times as many council homes in 2025-26 as were constructed the previous year, research has found.Right to buy is depleting council housing stock more quickly than public housing can be replaced, forcing people to spend more money on private market rents and obtain less secure tenancies, a report from the thinktank Common Wealth finds. Continue reading...

James Harding says it is recklessly complacent' to assume Trump-style attacks on media could never happen in UKThe BBC must be given complete political independence in case Nigel Farage enters government, its former director of news has said.James Harding, now the editor-in-chief of the Observer, pointed to Donald Trump's attempts to defund publicly backed US media and said it would be recklessly complacent" to believe something similar could not happen in Britain. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closedAn object which fell and exploded in a cornfield in eastern Poland may have been a component of an old propeller engine, the Polish army said on Wednesday, adding that there had been no violation of Poland's airspace from Ukraine or Belarus. Police had earlier announced that an unidentified object had fallen in a field in the village of Osiny in eastern Poland's Lublin province, which borders Ukraine....after conducting preliminary analyses of radar system records, no violation of Polish airspace was recorded last night from either Ukraine or Belarus," the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said on X. Continue reading...

Jury continues to deliberate further charges against Chris Brain, who led Nine O'Clock Service movement in Sheffield between 1986 and 1995A former vicar who led an evangelical movement between 1986 and 1995 has been found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women.Chris Brain, 68, appeared at Inner London crown court accused of sexual offences against 13 women who were members of the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS), an influential Sheffield-based Christian worship group that was likened to a cult. Continue reading...

Chancellor and prime minister are latest in a long line of politicians who have tried to squeeze more out of UK propertyRachel Reeves is in favour of radical tax reform - or at least she was in 2018. We need a radical overhaul of the tax system because our current system of wealth taxation isn't working," she argued in her pamphlet The Everyday Economy.Seven years later, in her second year as chancellor, Reeves appears to be returning to some of the themes in that pamphlet, especially as it relates to the UK's convoluted and unpopular system of taxing property. Continue reading...

Dr Stephen Parnis says public comments based on my views and conscience' in resignation email that has prompted letter writing campaign in his support

Experts say stamp duties and income taxes have a much higher burden than more efficient policies, such as GST

Review after review has made recommendations to government that have never been implemented. It's time to take childcare safety out of the too-hard basket and commit to real reform

Louisa Compton accuses Netflix of being TV tourists' and benefitting from talent developed over many years'A senior Channel 4 figure has accused Netflix of acting like TV tourists" with the internationally acclaimed show Adolescence.Louisa Compton, the head of news and current affairs at the broadcaster, said Channel 4 was the proud parents" of the runaway hit. She said rather than nurture British TV talent, Netflix had benefited from talent developed over many years by Channel 4 and other public service broadcasters. Continue reading...

Prosecution makes closing arguments in media mogul's national security trial, which has lasted more than 140 daysProsecutors in Jimmy Lai's marathon national security trial have wrapped up their closing arguments in Hong Kong, telling the court that the elderly media mogul and activist had unwavering intent" to solicit foreign sanctions.Lai has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiring to commit foreign collusion under the Beijing-designed national security law, and another charge under the colonial-era sedition laws of conspiring to publish seditious materials. Prosecutors say Lai used his media outlet and foreign political connections to lobby for governments to impose sanctions and other punitive measures against Chinese and Hong Kong authorities. Continue reading...

Concern among passengers as index reading that dictates regulated ticket prices comes in higher than forecast

Leadership spill comes day after Dean Winter bid to form government via no-confidence motion in parliament fell flat

Victoria's deputy information commissioner finds university did not give adequate notice or justification for how location data would be used

Final of 70th edition of competition to be held on 16 May at the Wiener Stadthalle, Austria's largest indoor arenaVienna has been chosen to host the Eurovision song contest 2026, the world's biggest live televised music event, Austria's public broadcaster announced, with the final set for 16 May.Austria's JJ won this year's competition, held in Basel in Switzerland, with his song Wasted Love, which blends techno beats with operatic vocals - making his home country the 2026 host. Continue reading...

State to accept all 22 recommendations as federal government releases names of 30 childcare centres subject to compliance action

Former Liberal staffer's lawyer begins three-day appeal hearing by apologising to justices for her client's failure to appoint an experienced barrister

Visit to Delhi by Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, has seen both countries agree to resume trade ties and work towards resolving border disputeIndia's prime minister and China's foreign minister have hailed steady" progress in their countries' fractious relationship, agreeing to resume trade and other ties, as well as work towards resolving the long-running Himalayan border dispute, amid a global geopolitical shake-up instigated by Donald Trump's tariff regime.According to statements from China's foreign ministry, the two sides agreed to resume direct flights - reiterating a pledge made in January - as well as issuing visas to journalists and facilitating business and cultural exchanges. Continue reading...

Under the new laws in Malaysia's Terengganu state, first-time offenders could be imprisoned for up to two years and finedThe Malaysian state of Terengganu has threatened to jail men who skip Friday prayers without a valid reason for up to two years.Under sharia law in the Malaysian province, first-time offenders could be imprisoned for up to two years, and fined 3,000 ringgit (527), or both, according to new rules that came into effect this week. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Olajuwon Ayeni racially abused and falsely labelled a paedophile as far right weaponises clip of family in parkA family say their lives have been ruined after a video of a black man and his brother playing in the park with his white granddaughters was shared by Tommy Robinson and weaponised by the far right.Olajuwon Ayeni, a musician from Redcar, North Yorkshire, has been racially abused and falsely labelled a paedophile in the week since the family video was stolen from the TikTok account of his wife, Natalie, who he married five years ago, and shared by extremists online. Continue reading...

Organisers say they are just being patriotic but some suspect far right is behind dangerous' lamp-post movementThis is NOT racist never has been never will be," reads the fundraising page of a group calling itself the Wythall Flaggers, which by Tuesday afternoon had raised more than 2,000, mostly in small donations of 5 and 10. We have members of the community of all ethnicities and religions stopping by and praising what we are doing so please don't call this racist."The money, according to the page's organiser, will be used for coating the local community in England flags as this is home and we should be patriotic and proud ... We need help to cover every street in Wythall with our beautiful St George's cross." Continue reading...

Nick Croydon, the CEO of QBD Books, has faced criticism for his thriller The Turing ProtocolA novel written by a prominent book industry figure in which persecuted gay man Alan Turing has sex with a woman and fathers a child has been criticised online for its portrayal of the codebreaker.The Turing Protocol was released in July and was written by Nick Croydon, the CEO of QBD Books, the largest Australian-owned bookshop chain, where the book is being heavily promoted. Continue reading...

Noel says his long-estranged brother is smashing it' during the band's stadium shows and that he's proud' of himNoel Gallagher has opened up about his feelings towards his long-estranged brother Liam during Oasis' sold-out global reunion tour for the first time, saying: He's been amazing ... it's great being back in the band with Liam."Oasis announced they would be reuniting in August 2024, 15 years after their split in 2009 when Noel quit the band after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris, saying he simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer". Continue reading...

Review warns e-cigarettes could act as gateway to smoking and are also linked to higher asthma and other health risksYoung people who vape are three times as likely to start smoking, develop asthma and have poor mental health as those who do not, according to a study that lays bare the health impacts of e-cigarettes.Vaping among young people is consistently linked to later smoking, according to the largest umbrella review of all the evidence on youth vaping, which warns that e-cigarettes could act as a gateway. Continue reading...

US president suggests he may be willing to provide air power to help enforce potential peace deal with PutinDonald Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine to enforce a potential peace deal with Vladimir Putin, tempering a promise to provide Kyiv with security guarantees that European allies had called a significant breakthrough towards halting the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.Asked during a phone interview with Fox News whether he could assure listeners - including many members of his Maga base who support an isolationist America-first foreign policy - that the US would not put troops on the ground in Ukraine, Trump said: You have my assurance, and I'm president." Continue reading...

Officials say UK not prepared to deploy troops to frontline with Russia as head of armed forces prepares to meet US counterparts in WashingtonThe head of the British armed forces will tell his American counterpartsthe UK was prepared to send troops to defend Ukraine's skies and seas but not to the frontline with Russia, as planning intensifies for a postwar settlement.Tony Radakin, the chief of the defence staff, will on Wednesday attend meetings at the Pentagon designed to finalise what 30 different countries are willing to commit to Ukraine's national security. Continue reading...

Creditors of US territory's were protected during municipal default, says Assured Guaranty's chief executiveThe largest creditor to struggling water company Thames Water has said it is confident that it will not lose money, joking that the UK was comparable to Puerto Rico, which paid lenders to its water company despite a crippling debt crisis.Dominic Frederico, the chief executive of US insurer Assured Guaranty, suggested that the UK government would not impose losses on creditors. The company - which has an exposure of $2.4bn (1.8bn) to Thames Water's bonds - was well protected in terms of the legal structure" from losing money, he told investors on a call on 8 August. Continue reading...

District council in Essex had cited disruption and safety concerns, as well as alleged breach of planning lawAsylum seekers are to be removed from a hotel that has attracted repeated violent far-right demonstrations after a high court judge granted a temporary injunction blocking them from being housed there.Mr Justice Eyre granted the injunction against the owners of the Bell hotel in Epping, Essex, after hearing the local council's complaints that they had breached planning law by changing the site's use. Continue reading...

US president handed Ukrainian leader symbolic keys to the White House in return during meeting in WashingtonVolodymyr Zelenskyy gave Donald Trump a golf club during his visit to Washington this week that had belonged to a serviceman fighting Russia's invasion, Kyiv said on Tuesday.Trump, an avid golfer who owns several courses, accepted the gift and presented Zelenskyy with symbolic keys to the White House in return, the Ukrainian leader's office said. Continue reading...

Kiruna Kyrka's slow journey is part of effort to stop town being swallowed by Europe's biggest underground mineAfter eight years of planning, a cost of more than 500m kronor (39m) and an early morning blessing, a church in northern Sweden began a slow-motion 5km journey on Tuesday to make way for the expansion of Europe's biggest underground mine.The 672-tonne Kiruna Kyrka, a Swedish Lutheran church inaugurated in 1912, is to be slowly rolled to its new home over two days, at a pace of half-a-kilometre an hour. Continue reading...

Transport secretary urges Stellantis to offer more help after tens of thousands are left unable to use their carThe transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, has expressed serious concerns" about Citroen's handling of a safety recall that has left thousands of Britons unable to drive their cars.In June the car company's owner, Stellantis, issued an immediate and rare stop drive" order for certain models because of a potentially fatal airbag safety fault. Continue reading...

Campaigners urge government to recognise authentic childhood experience' provided by summer camps, in upcoming youth strategyIn a large country school in the rolling Shropshire hills, a group of young boys sporting hand-drawn moustaches are proudly selling wares at a pine-cone shop they created that morning.Another group of children have taken a picnic and gone on an adventure into the woods, while others have gone to the swimming pool or to play ballgames on the front lawn. Continue reading...

Organisers of the award for LGBTQ+ writers have paused the prize this year, after controversy over the longlisting of John Boyne meant it was overshadowed by hurt and anger'A prize celebrating LGBTQ+ literature has cancelled its awards this year, after a row over the longlisting of an author who has described himself as a Terf" - the acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.From a total longlist of 24, 16 authors and two judges withdrew from this year's prize, and more than 800 writers and publishing industry workers signed a statement protesting against the inclusion of John Boyne, the author best known for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Continue reading...

Qatar says no breakthrough has yet been made but Hamas has given positive response'The UN's human rights office on Tuesday condemned a far-right Israeli minister for taunting a Palestinian prisoner in his cell and sharing the footage online, Reuters reports.National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published a video on Friday last week showing him confronting Marwan Barghouti, the most high-profile Palestinian detainee in Israeli custody. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Labour ministers choosing to weaken green protections inherited from the bloc, analysis reveals