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Concerns raised about appointment of former federal senator who has previously supported the rights of people accused of sexual assault

After two years of protests, a student-led movement has defeated Serbia's authoritarian leader, Aleksander Vui, at the ballot box. But can a leaderless movement govern a country? Send your comments and questions to tif.questions@theguardian.comSerbia's political landscape has been upended. On Sunday, record numbers of people went to the polls and voted to end the 12-year rule of Aleksandar Vui. And who did they back instead? A list of candidates, half of whom have PhDs, put forward by student activists whose protests have rocked the Balkan country for the past two years.Helen Pidd speaks to the Serbian-American journalist Ana Milosavljevic, the student activist Tara Blagojevi and the MP-to-be Milica Jovanovi about how the Student List managed to defeat Vui's increasingly authoritarian regime. Continue reading...

Former US president comes to Georgia to support Jon Ossoff for US Senate and Keisha Lance Bottoms for governorBarack Obama, speaking at a Wednesday campaign rally in suburban Atlanta, offered a closing argument for Democrats in the final week of the midterm election campaign.These are not serious people," he said of Donald Trump and the Republican party. And we're all paying the price for their lack of seriousness." Continue reading...

Firm calls charges, which include violating state gambling ban and profiting from illegal activity, crazy overreach'Utah on Wednesday filed criminal charges against prediction market operator Kalshi and two of its executives, months after a federal judge rejected Kalshi's effort to prevent Utah from enforcing its strict anti-gambling laws against the activity.The felony charges could represent a new tactic in how states try to assert regulatory authority over the fast-expanding activity, a clash that appears headed to a showdown at the US supreme court. Continue reading...

Justice department had demanded state segregate and not count ballots from people it claimed were non-citizensA federal judge declined to order California election officials to segregate and not count ballots from people the Trump administration claimed were non-citizens, rebuffing a legally thin request from the justice department that appeared designed to cast doubt over the results of the midterms.The ruling from US district judge David Carter, nominated to the federal bench by Bill Clinton, comes about two weeks after the justice department delivered a USB drive to election officials in Los Angeles and Sacramento that it said contained the names of 20,000 non-citizens on the state's voter rolls. There are more than 23 million registered voters in California and non-citizen voting is extremely rare. Continue reading...

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Information released by Distributed Denial of Secrets is the third such government data disclosure in the last monthData identifying more than 41,000 employees and contractors for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was released on Wednesday in an unprecedented leak that reveals how the agency is organized. The records, which were made public by the transpaency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets reference operation names, surveillance programs and information on undercover initiatives.DHS did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Continue reading...

The fine - six times the average monthly salary - will apply to people present at violent protests, even if they don't personally commit violent actsAlbania has introduced fines of more than $6,000 for demonstrators who participate in a protest that turns violent, even if they don't personally commit violent acts, as the government tries to clamp down on the gatherings calling for the prime minister's resignation.The capital, Tirana, has been racked by months of anti-government protests that in recent days have deteriorated into pitched battles between the security forces and protesters. Continue reading...

Nothing done to stop planting weapons on dead Afghans, ADF inspector says, as breakdown of command' allowed egregious behaviour'

This live blog is now closed - you can read the latest elections news hereOne apparent loser from Tuesday's election was far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was expected to better his party's result of six seats from the 2022 elections.But instead there was stunned silence at the watch party for Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) in central Israel as results from the exit polls flashed across the screen, with most channels suggesting the party would remain on just six seats. Continue reading...

NSW government imposes water restrictions after Menindee water volumes fall below 2021 levels

Software giant reports $36.6bn in profit, beating Wall Street expectations, as Azure cloud computing division grows 48%Microsoft gained billions of dollars in stock market value Wednesday afternoon after it reported better than expected revenue and profit, just days after it offered voluntary buyouts to some 60,000 employees.The office software giant's growth was fueled by its Azure cloud computing division, which grew by 48% in the September quarter. Continue reading...

CBS News editor-in-chief sidesteps viewership concerns and says flagship show doing tremendously well'CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss has spoken publicly for the first time about the ratings challenges the network has experienced under her year-long tenure, sidestepping concerns about diminished viewership at the Sunday show 60 Minutes by saying it was not her top priority.I could never build anything if I were focused on the precise number of people that happen to tune in to the second feature on 60 Minutes on a given Sunday," she said at an industry conference on Wednesday organized by the tech publication the Information. The news organization did not offer press credentials. Continue reading...

Far-right senator and family land in US after crossing from Brazil into Argentina and then flying via EcuadorFlavio Bolsonaro declared himself the true president" of Brazil after losing last Sunday's presidential election and fleeing to the United States.After landing on a private jet with his family in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday morning, the far-right senator published the claim in a letter - even though his own party has recognised the legitimate victory of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as have all of Brazil's institutions, and international observers who monitored and endorsed the vote. Continue reading...

Former comedian, in court on rape and sexual assault charges, says he misused position but consent is more important than sex itself'Russell Brand has told a court that he was wrong to have used his fame and success to facilitate" sexual activity with women.The 51-year-old comedian said he had misused" his position very selfishly" and dedicated his life to reckless philandering and idiocy". Continue reading...

Watered-down version of statement to be issued at end of Montreal summit instead offers ever closer association'The EU has backed away from its offer to Canada to start talks on becoming an associate member" after disagreements between members states just as an EU-Canada summit was set to begin in Montreal.A draft of a joint statement to be issued after the end of the summit, which runs Thursday and Friday, showed a watered-down version offering an ever closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself". Continue reading...

Bush Heritage hopes to buy Wooroora station, which links wet sclerophyll forest and savanna woodland and is home to 12 endangered species

Pedro Sanchez says the government will act with urgency to clarify what has happened, why this tragedy occurred'

Projections show votes for Palestinian parties surged in a tight contest that drew highest turnout in decades

Anthony Williams is accused of attempting to murder passengers and staff on board a London-bound train last NovemberA knifeman caused terror and fear on an unimaginable scale" to passengers when he stabbed 10 people on board a London-bound train, a court has heard.Anthony Williams, 33, is accused of attempting to murder 10 passengers and staff on board an LNER train on 1 November last year and stabbing four people in the 24 hours before. Continue reading...

Republicans have condemned the presence of two Dan Sullivans on the ballot, calling it a ploy to split votesAlaska Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign was behind an effort to recruit a challenger with almost the exact same name as the Republican US senator Dan Sullivan, both of whom will appear on the ballot in next week's midterm elections, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.Republicans have condemned the presence in the race of two candidates named Dan Sullivan - one the two-term US senator, the second a retiree living in south-eastern Alaska with scant political experience - calling the newcomer a ploy by Democrats to cost the incumbent re-election by splitting his supporters. Continue reading...

OBR says that living standards are forecast to rise by just 1% over the whole post-Covid decade

Passengers describe carriages full of seriously injured people after crash that has claimed at least 68 livesJosimar Medina woke a little before 9am on Wednesday to find himself airborne and hurtling through his carriage on the fast train from Madrid to Seville.I remember flying through the air and looking for my girlfriend, who was also shooting through the air," said Medina, a 37-year-old tourist from the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo. Continue reading...

James O'Keefe and Cam Higby were trying to show vulnerabilities in allowing a voter to vouch for anotherTwo rightwing influencers have been charged with felonies in Minneapolis over attempts in the state's election primary to disguise themselves in what they called Muslim garb" and claim they were local voters.James O'Keefe and Cam Higby went to polling places in Minnesota during the state's August primary in an attempt to show vulnerabilities in the practice of vouching", where a registered voter from the same precinct can vouch for another voter's eligibility. Continue reading...

Research looked at prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in 2,362 players who died in 2008-2023A new study published on Wednesday estimates that about 75% of former NFL players who died over a 15-year period had evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).The research, published in Jama Network Open and conducted by a Boston-based team, examined the estimated prevalence of the degenerative brain disease among NFL players who died from 2008 through 2023. Researchers found that the estimated rate of CTE among these players was substantially higher than the rates observed in brain samples collected from the general population. Continue reading...

Brand, 51, who has been charged with three counts of rape says he acted consensually'

The $72.5m suit alleges Scott Jennings falsely told listeners Piker had a plan of returning our country to lynchings'The prominent socialist political commentator and influencer Hasan Piker is suing his conservative counterpart Scott Jennings for $72.5m over comments on a podcast that he said portrayed him as a violent racist" who advocated the lynching of Black people.Piker's defamation lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in US district court for the District of Columbia, states that Jennings misrepresented his comments in a podcast and subsequent social media post in August. Continue reading...

Judge says he will consider all options to sentence far-right activist who trial heard deployed bullyboy, intimidatory tactics'Tommy Robinson faces up to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of harassing two journalists to the point it caused them fear of violence.Journalists from the Daily Mail and their family members fled their homes after bullyboy, intimidatory tactics" were deployed by the far-right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, his trial was told. Continue reading...

Questions were raised before Toledo crash over rail safety in a country where train travel has surged by 40%

As USS Colorado showcases the program in Perth, Peter Briggs says personnel is just one of the huge issues' it faces

British pharma company reports declining profits amid weaker vaccine sales and looming patent loss for blockbuster HIV drug

John Healey is announcing his financial update - here are the main points, with political analysis

Jean Kaseya, of the Africa CDC, warns of the illness spreading like Covid unless more funding is secured to increase preparedness and possible treatmentThe unprecedented" spread of the Ebola outbreak means it could reach the UK and other countries, according to one of Africa's top health officials.As the current outbreak reached 10,000 cases, with almost 5,000 deaths, Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared the outbreak to the Covid pandemic, which first took hold in China before spreading to countries across the world, claiming millions of lives, and ravaging health systems and economies. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Health secretary to extend role of watchdog, which backers say helps hold service in England to accountYvette Cooper has abandoned plans to abolish the NHS's independent patient champion after an outcry from MPs across the political spectrum.The health secretary has decided to keep and extend the role of Healthwatch England, which was due to be axed as part of the government's reorganisation of the health service in England.axe the Health Services Safety Investigations Body.end councils' automatic representation on the boards of ICBs.remove the requirement for a nurse on every NHS foundation trust board. Continue reading...

Experts say symptoms such as dark circles under the eyes, grey skin, cracked lips and hair loss can be a warning sign - but there are other factors tooTikTok is rife with influencers warning of ferritin face", a term they use to describe the pallor, dark circles, dry skin, and hair loss claimed to indicate low iron stores. But is this based on fact or fiction, and when is it time to head to the GP? Continue reading...

On budget day chancellor says he will ask Ofgem to remove unfair and outdated' fixed daily fee in 2027 or soon after

Royal tour of Caribbean comes as poll suggests majority support among younger Britons for dialogue on slavery reparationsKing Charles has confirmed he will discuss the legacy of slavery at a summit with Commonwealth leaders as he begins his Caribbean tour.The king arrived in the Bahamas on Tuesday to a ceremonial welcome and attended a youth rally at Clifford Park, the site where the country officially gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1973. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: First Edition readers and people struggling with the cost of living tell us what the government could do to improve their livesGood morning. Don't expect anything radical. This, the Treasury has been at pains to tell us, will be a very low-key" budget. After weeks of speculation from journalists, a flurry of press releases from thinktanks, and a photoshoot with an obligatory red box, the chancellor, John Healey, will announce the details of the Burnham government's first budget in the Commons today at 12:30pm.Healey has been selling this as a series of measures designed to relieve pressure on low- and middle-income households under the mangled tagline of breathing space for today, fresh hope for the future". Many of the proposals have already been briefed, and their modesty is a sign of the constraints - both real and self-imposed - that his government faces. He has rejected calls to raise capital gains tax or lower the mansion tax and has promised to stick to Labour's fiscal rules, while the Iran war has increased the cost of borrowing and eroded his spending power.Israeli elections | Israel could be in for weeks of political haggling after exit polls and partial official results showed neither Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition nor the opposition bloc led by former general Gadi Eisenkot had won enough seats to form a government.Energy | The government's plan to fund a multibillion-pound nuclear plant at the Sizewell site in Suffolk represents a terrible deal" for the UK taxpayer over the rest of the century, according to the government's spending watchdog.Middle East | A multipronged peace deal to reopen the strait of Hormuz within four days of sanctions being lifted and for the Houthis to withdraw substantial forces inside Yemen are at the heart of Gulf states' plans to avert what they regard as a disastrous renewal of war between Iran and the US.UK news | A 78-year-old volunteer has claimed a Reform UK councillor accused her of facilitating the invasion" and being akin to a Nazi collaborator during the second world war because she has helped asylum seekers learn English.Brazil | The far-right senator Flavio Bolsonaro has reportedly fled Brazil and is on his way to the United States after losing Sunday's presidential election to the leftwing incumbent, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Continue reading...

Far-right senator and his family boarded private plane to Ecuador after crossing border to Argentina, Argentina's government confirmsThe far-right senator Flavio Bolsonaro has reportedly fled Brazil and is on his way to the United States after losing Sunday's presidential election to the leftwing incumbent, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who called the act shameful".A report by the news website Metropoles, citing people close to the politician's family, said he was en route to the US. The plane is in flight," Metropoles reported, without making clear where it had departed from. Continue reading...

Tony Blair's former spokesperson says attacks on UK MPs did not bring about lasting cultural change and overheated rhetoric quickly returned to politics

Struggling households, new homebuyers and small shops stand to gain, while banks and online marketplaces could face higher leviesJohn Healey will present his first budget on Wednesday, which will set the tone for Andy Burnham's premiership.Despite the chancellor's promises in the summer that the tax and spending event would not be beset by the leaks that preceded those of his predecessor, Rachel Reeves, both official and unofficial sources have indicated much of what Healey is likely to announce. Here's what to expect: Continue reading...

Mair Godley claims Essex councillor Carl Johnson told her she was facilitating the invasion' by giving language lessonsA 78-year-old volunteer has claimed a Reform UK councillor accused her of facilitating the invasion" and being akin to a Nazi collaborator during the second world war because she has helped asylum seekers learn English.Mair Godley and her husband, Nick, 77, a former chair of Wethersfield parish council, live near the former Wethersfield military base in Essex, where the Home Office accommodates hundreds of asylum seekers. Continue reading...

As next week's all-but certain rate rise looms, there is one thing we can all agree on: the end of war in the Middle East can't come soon enoughJim Chalmers is blaming the latest shocking inflation figures on the worsening Middle East conflict, and he has a point.The trouble is, voters aren't buying what the treasurer is selling. Continue reading...

National trust of Victoria award celebrates much-loved arboreal icons while calling for protection of green spaces

Exclusive: ASU launches Ben Lied. Labor lies' ads while ETU diverts money to defending members at royal commission

Victorian court of appeal to hand down judgment on triple-murderer's conviction and sentence after her lawyers argued she was denied fair trialThe decision in Erin Patterson's appeal against her triple murder conviction will be handed down on Friday, with Victoria's highest court also set to rule on whether she could face more time in prison.The court of appeal will rule on the two appeals from 10am on Friday, after hearing arguments in August. Continue reading...

This blog had now closed - our live coverage continues hereAcross Israel, voting is now under way. Here are some of the latest images being sent to us over the newswires:Tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad have flown in for the elections, according to Aid Coalition, a US-based nonprofit focused on strengthening Israel's democracy. Israeli law generally requires citizens to vote in person in the country, with narrow exceptions for diplomats and certain official emissaries abroad. Continue reading...

CPI release comes ahead of Reserve Bank decision next week as the Middle East conflict intensifies the cost-of-living crisis