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Queensland premier rejects opposition's interpretation of numbers, as the total crime rate remains below mid-2000s levels

Exclusive: Leonard Farruku's former roommate was offered no support after being relocated to another room without belongingsThe man who was found dead on the Bibby Stockholm barge after it was suspected he had killed himself lay undiscovered for up to 12 hours, his former roommate has claimed.Speaking publicly for the first time since Leonard Farruku, 27, an asylum seeker from Albania, was found dead in a shower room on the barge last month, his roommate urged the Home Office to stop using it to accommodate those seeking refugee status.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. Youth suicide charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Lt Col Carlos Luis Malatto fled Argentina in 2011 and will be tried in Rome for premeditated killing of eight people in last military dictatorshipA judge in Rome has ordered Lt Col Carlos Luis Malatto, a former Argentine army officer accused of murder and forced disappearances during Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship, to stand trial in Italy for the premeditated killing of eight people.The former military officer is accused of crimes against humanity in Argentina, but he fled the country in 2011 and had been living in a tourist village in the province of Messina, Sicily. In a letter to the court of appeal in the Argentine state of Mendoza, Argentine prosecutors alleged that Malatto actively participated in various detention procedures and is one of the most infamous perpetrators" of the dictatorship for his participation in interrogations under torture". Continue reading...

Federal opposition leader told audience at Roy Hill mine that parents and teachers should instruct children about benefits of miningPeter Dutton was flown to a party at the Pilbara mine of Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, by another billionaire rich-lister, where he made a speech suggesting parents and teachers talk to children about the positives of the mining sector.In a speech at Hancock Prospecting's Roy Hill mine in November last year, Dutton repeatedly thanked those working in resources. He described the work carried out at Hancock Prospecting's mine as a national treasure". Continue reading...

Alternative to 1km path in Caulfield East has been proposed by the government to the local councilGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAbout 250 trees set to be cut down to make way for a new Melbourne bike path could be spared under a last-minute proposal put forward by the state government after a community campaign.The 1km path, which would connect the new Glen Huntly railway station to other stations, would require the felling of 250 mature trees, including several that are on the council's classified tree register, on Queens Avenue in Caulfield East. Continue reading...

Letter calls for restoration of safe and quiet neighbourhood' after Hamilton hotel hosts about seven families over new year

Supporters of the African nation's dictatorial regime have clashed with opponents in the diaspora at similar events in other countriesAustralian federal police and government officials have met representatives of the Eritrean community in a bid to avoid potential violence during a planned cultural festival in Melbourne's western suburbs this weekend.Similar events held in Europe and North America in recent months have ended in violence and arrests, as supporters of the African nation's regime clashed with members of the pro-democracy youth movement Birged Nhamedu.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Freedom of information request finds more than 1,700 items are absent from collectionsA drawing of Queen Victoria and an aircraft navigational system are among the items missing from museums in England.Freedom of information requests by the PA news agency to museums and galleries that receive public funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) asking for details on absent items from the last 20 years found that more than 1,700 items were absent from collections. Continue reading...

Police data shows 52% of alleged offenders in England and Wales are minors - a situation exacerbated by accessibility of violent porn'Boys are watching violent porn on their smartphones then going on to attack girls, police have said, as new data showed children are now the biggest perpetrators of sexual abuse against other children.Police data shows there has been a quadrupling of sexual offences against children, in what officers say is the most authoritative analysis of offending against youngsters. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Advocates say outdated and contradictory workplace laws are to blame for the disparity

Moderates Conservatives push back against amendments seeking to end migrants' legal challengesA damaging row over Rishi Sunak's asylum policy has been reignited after ministers announced that the Rwanda bill will return to the Commons next week.The prime minister came under pressure from rightwing Tory MPs, including Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, to accept amendments that would limit individual challenges by migrants and prevent the European court of human rights from blocking deportation flights to central Africa. Continue reading...

Gangsters unleashed wave of terror following move by President Daniel Noboa in response to gang leader's prison escape

Men had taken refuge in presidential palace in escalation of standoff between new and previous governmentsPolish police have arrested two politicians convicted of abuse of power who had taken refuge for hours in the palace of President Andrzej Duda, in a dramatic escalation of a standoff between the new and previous governments.Duda had welcomed the members of the former ruling party into the presidential palace as police went to their homes to arrest them. Polish media reported the men were arrested inside the palace. Warsaw police gave no details, saying only that the arrest was in accordance with the court order." Continue reading...

David Cameron urges Israeli authorities to clear barriers to aid deliveries amid risk of widespread hunger'The British government accepted on Tuesday that Israel as an occupying power had a duty under international humanitarian law to provide basic supplies to the people of Gaza.The admission came as David Cameron, the foreign secretary, urged Israel to remove barriers on the delivery of humanitarian aid into the territory that were risking real, widespread hunger". Continue reading...

CEO when hundreds of PO operators were prosecuted, says she will hand back honourThe former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells is to hand back her CBE over the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of staff, with over 100 more potential victims having come forward in recent weeks.Vennells said on Tuesday she would return the award given to her in 2019 as the fallout from ITV's drama about the scandal continues to grow. Continue reading...

IDF says no damage or casualties caused after Lebanese militant group launches explosives as Safed base

Maria Kartasheva's in-absentia conviction over blogposts about Ukraine war threatened application for Canadian citizenshipCanada has reversed course after initially blocking a Russian anti-war activist from receiving citizenship because she had run afoul of Moscow's harsh laws criminalizing dissent over the invasion of Ukraine.Maria Kartasheva's plight had baffled immigration lawyers and exposed the confusing reality of Canada's immigration bureaucracy. Last year, the 30-year-old was charged and convicted by Russian prosecutors of violating a law barring criticism of the military. And even though her opinions mirrored Canada's foreign policy, the conviction threatened to derail her application for Canadian citizenship. Continue reading...

Yvette Cooper opens debate that, if passed, would force government to publish confidential documents about costs of Rwanda scheme. This live blog is closedThese posts on X are from Warwick Mansell, who runs the Education Uncovered website, giving his take on Bridget Phillipson's speech. (See 12.23pm.)Returning from @bphillipsonMPs speech on education. Interesting to see room so packed, with quite a few prominent ed figures in audience. Sense of government in waiting, perhaps. Substance also interesting.Lots of angles, which will write about. BP praised Michael Gove's energy and sense that ed was at centre of nat conversation, which had been lost, tho stressed twice she often disagreed with him on detail.Labour refocusing on poverty alongside ed would be back to pre-MG approach.Also interesting to hear Kevan Collins say that big element of his post-covid plan which had been rejected by government had been support for children's social needs, post-pandemic.Really significant dimension,that has got lost? Not seen point about his plan reported before...(?)BP also stressed need for ed to support children's emotional needs, as children's don't learn well if unhappy. Huge issue in cases I follow. Continue reading...

Return of CBE marks ignominious end to career of chief executive during company's pursuit of wrongful prosecutionsThe decision by the former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells to hand back her CBE marks an ignominious end to a career that will be remembered for her organisation's relentless run of wrongful prosecutions against more than 900 subpostmasters.Last year, Alan Bates, the post office operator who led the campaign to expose the Horizon IT scandal and whose story has now been told in an ITV drama, turned down an OBE, making the point that it would be inappropriate" while victims still suffered and Vennells retained her accolade. Continue reading...

Rozina Breen was put forward but rejected by culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, without reasonA row has broken out over the government's role in Channel 4 management appointments after it blocked a minority ethnic woman from joining the broadcaster's board.Rozina Breen, a former senior BBC executive who now runs the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, was put forward as a preferred candidate by Ofcom to take up one five upcoming vacancies as a non-executive director at Channel 4. Continue reading...

Fuel facility struck in the city of Oryol, 230 miles south of Moscow and 137 miles from the Ukrainian border. This live blog is closedRussia hit multiple settlements in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region over the past 24 hours, injuring two civilians, the region's governor, Oleh Syniehubov, has said.In the village of Dvorichna, a Russian attack at 17:30 injured a 57-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman, the governor wrote on Telegram. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereCongratulations are starting to pour in for Gabriel Attal, the youngest prime minister of France's Fifth Republic.The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has appointed the country's 34-year old education minister, Gabriel Attal, as prime minister, French media outlets reported. He is the youngest French PM in modern history and will succeed Elisabeth Borne, who resigned yesterday. Continue reading...

Mistranslation of satellite' to missile' in message causes alarm and confusion days before presidential electionA Chinese satellite launch triggered a nationwide emergency alert in Taiwan on Tuesday days before its presidential election, prompting some alarm and confusion as the English portion of the message erroneously translated satellite to missile".The bilingual air raid alert blasted over loudspeakers and was sent to every mobile phone in Taiwan shortly after 3pm local time (0700 GMT), warning people to be aware". The message said in Chinese that China had launched a satellite at 3.04pm and it had flown over the southern part of Taiwan. The English portion said [air raid alert] missile flyover Taiwan airspace". Continue reading...

Attal, 34, rose in opinion polls during his time as education minister and may improve ruling party's chances in EU elections

Three accused of violence against Theodore Luhaka in 2017 that left him with permanent disabilitiesThree police officers have gone on trial north of Paris accused of assaulting a 22-year-old footballer in 2017, in one of the most significant cases of alleged police violence against a Black man in France in the past decade.Theodore Luhaka, who had been talking to friends on his housing estate in Aulnay-sous-Bois at the end of the afternoon of February 2017, was stopped as part of a police identity check. He was teargassed, beaten on the face and body, and left with permanent disabilities and incontinence after an extendable police baton perforated his anus. Continue reading...

Companies could be stopped from taking such action, and firms involved in Horizon case may have to pay compensationRules to prevent companies taking private prosecutions in the way the Post Office went after innocent post office operators are being considered by the government.The move is part of a response to the Horizon IT scandal that could also lead to companies involved, including the tech company Fujitsu, being asked to shoulder the financial burden of providing compensation, a cabinet minister indicated on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Animal welfare campaigners hail decision as historic victory' after years of pressure at home and abroadSouth Korea's parliament has voted to ban the production and sale of dog meat, in a decision campaigners hailed as a historic victory" for animal welfare.The country's national assembly voted overwhelmingly to ban the breeding, butchery, distribution and sale of dogs for their meat on Tuesday, after years of pressure at home and abroad. Continue reading...

The standup comedian and actor has spoken out about his unpopular performance, calling it an off night'Comedian Jo Koy has responded to the backlash over his performance as host for this year's Golden Globes.The last-minute pick for the role received a negative reaction online and reportedly in the room with an unnamed prominent director referring to it as a disaster" and Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson calling his opening monologue a horrid, sophomoric mishmash of lazy jokes". Continue reading...

BMA committee intends third ballot in long-running pay dispute, which could allow action until SeptemberJunior doctors intend to hold a fresh strike ballot, which could lead to them continuing to disrupt NHS services across England by staging strikes until September.The British Medical Association's junior doctors committee (JDC) has well-advanced" plans to undertake its third ballot for industrial action in the long-running pay dispute. Continue reading...

EDF, Octopus and Scottish Power given green light by Ofgem to install devices in Great Britain under strict new rulesA trio of energy companies have been given permission to begin force-fitting prepayment meters in customers' homes again if they adhere to strict new rules, ending a near year-long moratorium on the practice.EDF, Octopus and Scottish Power have been given the green light by the energy watchdog, Ofgem, to install prepayment meters under warrant, ending an industry-wide ban which was enforced amid an outcry over the impact on vulnerable customers. Continue reading...

One Nation MPs say Danny Kruger is wrong to claim party faces obliteration at next election unless it shifts to the right

Turnout reportedly as low as 40% after opposition party called general strike over sham election'Bangladesh's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has won office for a fifth term, in an election that was overshadowed by a ruthless crackdown on the opposition and low voter turnout.The election commission announced in the early hours of Monday that Hasina's ruling Awami League had won a fourth consecutive term, winning almost 75% of the seats. It will be her fifth term as prime minister as she had previously ruled between 1996 and 2001, before coming back to power in 2009. Continue reading...

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The amount of moisture across Victoria at the moment is incredible,' the Bureau of Meteorology saysHundreds of people across Victoria and South Australia have called for help after heavy rain and severe storms lashed the two states.Residents in Victoria's north and north-east were warned to expect rainfall totals up to 200mm when thunderstorms sweep across the state on Sunday and Monday. Continue reading...

Writers' much-needed annual windfall' of up to 6,600 delayed as library in London struggles to restore crippled systemsRichard Osman's cosy crime books The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice, followed by, appropriately enough, Matt Haig's The Midnight Library were the most borrowed library books in the UK this time last year.In February 2023, those authors would have been paid thousands of pounds each from Public Lending Right (PLR) payments - money earned by writers, illustrators and translators each time a book is borrowed. But not this year. Continue reading...

Exclusive: NSW government says it is open to all options even though new rolling stock, now due in 2026, will have reclining seats onlyThe permanent withdrawal of sleeper carriages on Sydney-Melbourne trains may be averted after new rolling stock enters service, thanks to the increasing popularity of intercity rail.New Spanish-built trains ordered by the previous Coalition government were initially meant to enter service in January 2023, but are now not expected to be running before April 2026. As yet, there is no firm arrival date. Continue reading...

Former shadow chancellor says public disillusionment could set in and calls for real strategy' on wages and incomesBritish politics risks an unprecedented shift to the far right as a result of public disillusionment if a Labour government fails to enact radical change, the former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has warned.Writing in the Guardian, McDonnell said the threat would come not just from Nigel Farage's resurgent Reform UK but from the return of a Conservative party shorn" of its moderate wing and dominated by populists. Continue reading...

Russia's presidential is a foregone conclusion, but the appearance of democracy still matters greatly to its leaderIn news that likely shocked no one, Vladimir Putin last month announced that he will seek a fifth presidential term in the upcoming March elections.In a country where Putin, 71, has come to dominate Russia's political system and the media over the past two decades, the outcome will probably leave little room for imagination. Continue reading...

Charities warn of risks to patient safety as junior doctors embark on longest stoppage in health service's historyTens of thousands of patients will have their care cancelled from Wednesday amid massive disruption caused by a six-day strike by junior doctors - the longest in the NHS's 75-year history.Health charities said people whose appointments were postponed - including those with cancer and sight problems - would be left anxious, upset and at risk that their condition could worsen because the stoppage had led to a delay in them receiving help. Continue reading...

Roads minister John Graham now says the government is unable to act against the signs at Camp Cove that he previously said took 'the rest of us for mugs'The New South Wales roads minister has failed to follow through on a pledge to veto controversial parking restrictions by a local council in Sydney, with beachgoers now limited to just 15 minutes to park, swim and return to their car.In November, Woollahra Council - having learned the residents-only parking scheme that had been in place around Watsons Bay for 50 years was actually illegal - decided to implement 15-minute parking limits on the streets near Camp Cove beach. Continue reading...

In a recording from the control tower apparently taken before impact, a voice can be heard advising JAL's flight to continue approach'A passenger jet that collided with a coast guard plane in a catastrophic accident at Tokyo's Haneda Airport had been given permission to land, Japan Airlines executives have said, as police reportedly prepared to investigate whether the crash involved professional negligence.Five people on the coast guard aircraft died in Tuesday's crash, but all 379 passengers and crew escaped to safety down emergency slides minutes before the Japan Airlines Airbus was engulfed in flames. Continue reading...

PM says existing three-year terms are too short' but doesn't anticipate switch to longer parliamentary term will happen soonAnthony Albanese has reiterated his support for four-year parliamentary terms as he fielded questions about the timing of the next election on only the third day of 2024.The prime minister was asked on Wednesday if Australia would be headed to voting booths this year, with rumours the government would want an early election if its polling fortunes reverse to get a mandate to act on issues such as the stage-three tax cuts. Continue reading...

Ishikawa and its Noto peninsula, one of the worst affected areas, has been hit by more than 100 aftershocksJapanese rescuers were scrambling to search for survivors as authorities warned of landslides and heavy rain after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 62 people.The 7.5-magnitude quake on Monday that rattled Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more than a metre high, sparked a major fire and tore apart roads. Continue reading...

Lachlan Galbraith says he feels deep regret' for stealing a drink bottle lid, but the Hunting and Fishing store in Queenstown says embarrassment is punishment enough'Ocean Alley keyboardist Lachlan Galbraith has publicly apologised after a shop in New Zealand shared CCTV footage of him shoplifting.Hunting and Fishing Queenstown uploaded footage to Facebook and Instagram showing Galbraith placing a A$17.95 drink bottle lid in his bag on New Year's Eve. The Australian rock band is currently touring New Zealand and is due to play in Wellington on Wednesday and Whangamat on Friday. Continue reading...

Prime minister orders independent investigation into Scott Morrison's government's failure to transfer all documentsAnthony Albanese says Australians deserve an explanation as to why the Howard government committed the nation to war in Iraq, with an independent investigation ordered into the Morrison-era failure to hand over all the 2003 cabinet documents for release.Cabinet documents, including those prepared for the national security committee, are released to the public every 20 years. The confidentiality of the 2003 cabinet papers expired on 1 January 2024. The release of the documents was heavily anticipated for the insights into the decision to commit Australia to the US-led invasion of Iraq. Continue reading...

USS's write down of almost two-thirds comes after utility admitted it cannot afford debt repaymentsOne of the biggest investors in Thames Water has slashed the value of its stake in the debt-laden utility by almost two-thirds, weeks after the company admitted that it does not have enough money to make its debt repayments.A fund controlled by Thames Water's second largest investor, the University Superannuation Scheme (USS), reported a loss of almost 600m last year after writing down the value of the embattled water company as it struggles to shore up its balance sheet. Continue reading...

Claudine Gay announces in letter she is stepping down after just six months and returning to position as member of the faculty

Arouri had talked with Hezbollah of real victory' over Israel after 7 October attacksThe killing of Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut is the first strike in a campaign of assassinations overseas promised by Israeli officials for several months.The target was carefully chosen - one of the most senior Hamas leaders and the organisation's main link to Iran and the Lebanon-based militia Hezbollah. Arouri was also influential in the occupied West Bank, where he was born and where violence has soared in recent months. Continue reading...

Israeli defence minister says his country is planning for a long conflict as senior Hamas official is killed in Beirut drone strike

Gay confirms she is stepping down following plagiarism accusations and backlash over Harvard's response to antisemitism