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Laura Murton seeks damages and apology after police said her demonstration expressed support for banned Palestine ActionA protester who was threatened with arrest under the Terrorism Act for holding a Palestinian flag and having signs saying Free Gaza" and Israel is committing genocide" is taking legal action against the police force involved.Armed police told Laura Murton, 42, that her demonstration in Canterbury, Kent, last month expressed views supportive of Palestine Action, which had been banned under terrorism legislation earlier in July. Continue reading...

Report said to have found no serious risk last June, and government refuses to say if new assessment made sinceThe Foreign Office has failed to release an internal assessment made in June last year that reportedly concluded that there was no serious risk of Israel committing genocide in Gaza. It has also refused to disclose if an updated assessment of a risk of genocide has been made.The rights group Amnesty International in June tabled a freedom of information request to see the 2024 assessment, but the officials failed to reply within the statutory one month deadline Amnesty lodged a formal complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office. It also asked if there was an updated government assessment of Israel's intent to comply with international law including a re-examination of the risk of genocide. Continue reading...

Campaigners say system remains postcode lottery' after NPCC report finds varying levels of provision across forcesSurvivors of stalking, campaigners for women's safety and heads of law enforcement have raised concerns over continuing failings by police in England and Wales to tackle perpetrators and protect victims.They warn that while some forces are doing innovative work on stalking, others are not improving quickly enough, leading to a patchwork" service and victims facing a postcode lottery". Continue reading...

Young poet details low mood and disappointment in love in 1795 letter, written not long before he met WordsworthHe would go on to write The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan, two of the greatest English poems.But in a letter written when he was 22, Samuel Taylor Coleridge revealed he was contemplating packing it all in and fading into obscurity. Continue reading...

Hong Kong hit by 350mm of rain in 24 hours, while mountainous state of Uttarakhand badly affected by landslides and floodingLarge parts of Asia have been especially wet this week and the heavy rain is forecast to continue into next week. Hong Kong issued four black rainstorm warnings - the most times this warning has been issued in a single week.The worst of the rainfall was on 5 August, with more than 350mm in 24 hours, the highest daily rainfall recorded in August since 1884. This caused widespread disruption on roads and flights. Continue reading...

Some users on social media found the model making basic errors. The chatbot repeatedly claimed there were three Bs in blueberry'

UK prime minister says occupation approved by Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet will only bring more bloodshed

Footwear firm warns of falling sales because of global trade uncertainty and super-cautious' US consumersShares in the US footwear company Crocs have slumped by almost 30% after it warned of falling sales because of tariffs, super cautious" US consumers and signs that fashion's ugly shoe" trend is coming to an end.The foam clog and sandal maker's shares fell by 29.2% on Thursday, after it predicted revenues could drop by between 9% and 11% in the current quarter, disappointing analysts who were expecting slight growth. Continue reading...

Concerns notice issued to Wilson by lawyers for Charlotte MacInnes joins disputes playing out globally over Pitch Perfect actor's film, The DebAnother dispute has been added to the sprawling legal saga surrounding Rebel Wilson's directorial debut, The Deb, with the film's lead actor issuing a notice to Wilson threatening legal action against her in Australia.Lawyers representing Charlotte MacInnes issued the concerns notice to Rebel Wilson, indicating their intentions to sue for defamation in Western Australia. Continue reading...

This blog is now closedNSW Labor MP says party is gagging debate on Gaza during fiery speech in parliament - videoDissent against Chris Minns spills into NSW parliament as Labor MP accuses party of gagging debate on Gaza Continue reading...

Exclusive: Five Ukraine clubs failed to win similar payments due to allegedly being located in zone of military operations'Uefa has paid more than 10.8m (9.4m) in solidarity" funds to Russian football clubs since they were banned from taking part in European tournaments after the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, the Guardian can reveal.The payments were made despite five Ukrainian clubs failing to receive similar such funds allegedly due to their locations being in a zone of military operations". Continue reading...

Video shows triple murderer telling police her estranged husband hated that I still had a relationship with his parents, but I loved them'

Australia's foreign minister says two-state solution the only pathway to peace as Israel's security cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City

Restrictions in place on Friday in areas including Norwich and officers will monitor at least 12 other towns and citiesPolice are braced for potential disorder in towns across England this weekend amid the far right's promotion of a range of protests against asylum seekers, with anti-racism activists planning counter-protests.Restrictions will be in place on Friday at locations including Norwich while officers will police at least 12 other towns and cities that evening. Continue reading...

Ministers face backlash after analysis of proposed shake-up finds more than 10% drop in finance for some areasMinisters face a backlash from Labour-run town halls after it emerged deprived inner-city London councils stand to lose millions of pounds under a proposed funding shake-up despite promises to redistribute cash away from wealthy areas.Central London councils with high levels of poverty and homelessness, including Camden, which includes Keir Starmer's parliamentary seat, could lose more than 10% of their funding under the proposals, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Continue reading...

Junta obtained anti-jamming' product made in Europe through a Chinese company, research finds, triggering calls for tighter sanctionsMyanmar's military is using advanced European technology to protect its drone fleet as it carries out brutal aerial campaigns, research suggests, prompting calls for sanctions against the junta to be tightened.Myanmar's military, which has been widely condemned for its indiscriminate attacks against civilians, obtained anti-jamming" technology made in Europe through a Chinese company, according to a report by Conflict Armament Research (Car). Continue reading...

Muslim-majority Indonesia says the plan to treat wounded Palestinians in island's medical facility is a temporary and patients will return to GazaIndonesia will convert a medical facility on an uninhabited island to treat about 2,000 wounded residents of Gaza, according to a spokesperson for the president.Indonesia will give medical help for about 2,000 Gaza residents who became victims of war, those who are wounded, buried under debris," the spokesperson, Hasan Nasbi, told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday. Continue reading...

Girl was sent home from Sydney Children's hospital in Randwick twice before being admitted to Northern Beaches hospital a day later, where she died

Ward, the now former MP for Kiama, earlier this week took action in the state's supreme court in an attempt to remain in the lower house

This blog is now closed. See our latest full report here: Fears for Palestinians and hostages as Netanyahu plans full Gaza occupationThe medical NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has called for the immediate closure of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the US- and Israeli-backed aid organisation operating in Gaza, describing GHF-run food distribution sites in Gaza as having become sites of orchestrated killing and dehumanisation".In a social media post on Thursday, MSF wrote:In MSF's nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians."The GHF-run food distributions in Gaza, Palestine, have become sites of orchestrated killing and dehumanisation", not humanitarian aid.During those seven weeks, our teams treated 71 children for gunshot wounds, 25 of whom were under the age of 15. Faced with no alternatives to find food, starved families frequently send teenage boys into this lethal environment, as they are often the only males in the household physically able to make the journey.Patients have also included a 12-year-old boy hit by a bullet that had passed all the way through his abdomen, and five young girls, one of whom was only 8 years old and suffered a gunshot wound to her chest.In MSF's nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians.The GHF distribution sites masquerading as aid' have morphed into a laboratory of cruelty. This must stop now. Continue reading...

US president contradicts reports Putin meeting Zelenskyy was a precondition of a US-Russia summitDonald Trump has said he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin despite the Russian leader's refusal to meet Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy - dispelling speculation that direct talks between the two warring presidents were a precondition to a high-level US-Russia summit.Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said that Putin did not have to meet with Zelenskyy first before the US and Russian presidents could meet. Continue reading...

Anthony D'Adam says he was bullied when attempting to speak about pro-Palestine Sydney Harbour Bridge protest in caucus

Brian Driscoll briefly served as acting FBI director at start of president's new term, and final day is FridayThe Trump administration is forcing out a senior FBI official who resisted demands made earlier this year for the names of agents who investigated the January 6 insurrection, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.Brian Driscoll briefly served as acting FBI director in the first weeks of Donald Trump's new term, and his final day at the bureau is Friday, the people told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to discuss the move. Further ousters were possible. Continue reading...

Palestine Football Association says Suleiman al-Obeid, 41, died during attack on people waiting for humanitarian aidA footballer known as the Palestinian Pele" has been killed in an Israeli attack in southern Gaza, according to the Palestine Football Association (PFA).Suleiman al-Obeid was killed on Wednesday when Israeli forces attacked civilians waiting for humanitarian aid, the PFA said. Continue reading...

There were no other reported casualties after the crash that occurred about 20 miles north of St Louis, MissouriTwo people died when a helicopter crashed into a barge in the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.Cpl Dallas Thompson of the Missouri state highway patrol confirmed that the two people inside the aircraft were killed and that there were no other reported injuries. The state patrol said no one was on the barge when the crash happened. Continue reading...

As the Paramoung-Skydance merger is made official, George Cheeks has finally spoken about the controversial decision to end The Late Show after 32 yearsAfter much media consternation and criticism over the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CBS chief has spoken up about the company's decision to end the television institution after 32 years.Speaking at a press conference following the takeover of Paramount by the media conglomerate Skydance, George Cheeks, the chair of TV media at the company, attributed the cancellation to financial headwinds faced by the format. Continue reading...

People detained after arriving in small boat expected to be returned within three weeks, says Home OfficePeople who arrived in the UK on a small boat have been detained under Keir Starmer's one in, one out" deal for the first time and are expected to be returned to France within three weeks, the Home Office has said.Detentions began on Wednesday lunchtime as those identified in the Channel were held in immigration removal centres pending their removal. Continue reading...

Rapper's former assistant has alleged an abusive work environment which climaxed in being punched in faceBusta Rhymes has been accused of physical assault and an abusive work environment by his former assistant.The 53-year-old rapper, whose real name is Trevor Smith, is the focus of a lawsuit filed by Dashiel Gables who claims he was punched in the face for being on the phone in January. Continue reading...

Phil Appleton, who has been diagnosed with erotomania, was due to stand trial before pleading guiltyA 71-year-old stalker fixated" with Anna Friel has been ordered by a judge not to contact the actor and keep away from the area where she lives.Phil Appleton sent Friel messages, turned up at her home and left her unwanted gifts over a period of almost three years.In the UK, the National Stalking Helpline is on 0808 802 0300 or email via their inquiry form. In the US, resources are available at stalkingawareness.org Continue reading...

Russian president says Trump talks could take place as early as next week and the UAE could hostRussian news agency Ria Novosti has just reported that the meeting between Putin and Trump is likely to take place next week."Separately, asked for updates on Gaza, the European Commission has confirmed that Israeli authorities continue not to authorise or allow EU access to Gaza" as the bloc is not considered a humanitarian actor," and it has to rely on UN reports. Continue reading...

More than 200 writers sign letter asking that people of Gaza be given adequate food, water and aid

Class action lawsuit argues the online travel platform distorted market with best price' clausesBooking.com is facing a class-action lawsuit from more than 10,000 European hotels arguing that the accommodation mega-site used its muscle to distort the market to their detriment over a 20-year period.The Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe (Hotrec), which represents the industry within the EU and is bringing the legal action, recently extended to 29 August a deadline for hotel owners to join the suit because of high demand. Continue reading...

Jobs and Skills Australia deputy commissioner says upcoming economic reform roundtable must tackle economic inequality facing women

There are fears that pressure for quick results is threatening the Lebanese effort to gradually build a stronger state

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Protecting arts copyright a priority, PM says, but government also wants to reap productivity gains from AI

Both Minns Labor government and opposition indicate they will support expulsion motion when it is moved on Friday

Appeals court formally overturned mother's convictions over her children's four deaths in 2023, clearing her name

Finance department rejects last minute plea from three senators urging it to maintain block on consultancy firm competing for new government work

Chris Wilson was in a sling under the helicopter on a crocodile-egg collecting mission when it plunged to the ground, killing him

Kate Chaney says courageous conversations' required as Australia seeks ways to strengthen the budget and reinvigorate productivity

The actor will be sworn in ASAP' amid the federal agency's recruitment drive and unprecedented immigration raids that have sparked protest across the USFormer Superman actor Dean Cain has announced he has signed up to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), in order to support US president Donald Trump's anti-immigration agenda.The federal law enforcement agency has aggressively ramped up immigration raids since Trump's return to the White House and was recently awarded $75bn in extra funding as part of his big beautiful bill", which includes billions for hiring an additional 10,000 Ice agents by 2029. Continue reading...

Reza Zavvar has lived in US for 40 years but is being held in detention due to marijuana conviction from the 1990s

The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first Latino to win a Grammy and would win seven more over a career that spanned nearly 40 albumsEddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died aged 88.Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri's daughter Gabriela told the New York Times her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after an extended illness". Continue reading...

Defence lawyers told Melbourne magistrates court Alan Boulton, 74, had spent serious amount of money' on business trip

Summit with Russian leader would follow great progress' made by special envoy Steve Witkoff during Moscow visitDonald Trump could meet Vladimir Putin as soon as next week to discuss the war in Ukraine, White House officials have said, although senior aides warned that serious impediments" remain to achieving a ceasefire.Late on Wednesday, the US president told reporters at the White House, when asked when he would meet the leaders of Ukraine and Russia: There's a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon." Trump said there had been no specific breakthrough leading to talk of a meeting but that US officials had been working on it for a long time". Continue reading...

Baking, boiling or mashing potatoes raises risk by 5% and replacing with whole grains lowers risk significantlyLove potatoes? Well, there's good news and there's bad news.Eating chips has been found to raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but baking, boiling or mashing potatoes was much healthier. Continue reading...

Only qualified professionals would be able to offer high-risk BBL procedures and filler clinics would require licences

At least 25 departures cancelled while incoming flights diverted to Manchester and East Midlands airportsThousands of holidaymakers have been left stranded after flights at Birmingham airport were grounded on Wednesday when a small aircraft made an emergency landing.Three people from the aircraft were treated at the scene, one of whom suffered minor injuries in the incident, which occurred at about 1.40pm, West Midlands police said. Continue reading...

Solicitors Regulation Authority to prosecute Carter-Ruck partner Claire Gill over alleged email from 2017A solicitor at one of Britain's best known libel law firms is facing prosecution before a disciplinary tribunal over allegations that she made an inappropriate threat.The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced today it had decided to prosecute Claire Gill, a partner at Carter-Ruck. The decision was taken in March earlier this year. Continue reading...