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Telstra says triple-zero issue reduced by 90%, while regional trains are still disrupted in Victoria and NSW. Follow today's news live

US president says new strikes are retribution' after ships hit in strait of Hormuz; Iranian state media report explosions in several locations

President tells reporters he has not spoken to McConnell, who was was admitted to the hospital last month for undisclosed treatment

Ministers also considering licence requirement and regulator to try to cut bills and increase choiceUK vets may have to have a licence and cap prescriptions for pet medicine at 21 under plans being considered by the government.Ministers are also considering establishing a regulator for the veterinary sector, including inspections, a mandatory licensing system and published compliance reports to improve accountability and choice. Every vet practice could need an official operating licence - similar to GP surgeries and care homes - under proposals in a white paper. Continue reading...

Foreign affairs select committee says Peter Mandelson episode was nothing short of disastrous' for governmentPolitical selections for ambassador posts should be subject to a veto by MPs, a parliamentary committee has recommended, as it made damning criticisms of how Peter Mandelson became Britain's top diplomat in Washington.The foreign affairs select committee concluded that Mandelson's appointment was nothing short of disastrous", highly damaging" for the British government and painful and offensive to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein". Continue reading...

Interim report into Pip found process had systematic and deep-rooted problems and required bold and radical overhaulA landmark government review of disability benefits has warned challenging discussions" remain on how to overhaul and pay for a system it concludes is unfit for purpose and too often leaves vulnerable claimants dehumanised and degraded.The Timms review of the personal independence payment (Pip) concluded the benefit, claimed by nearly 4 million people in England and Wales, suffered from systematic and deep-rooted problems that had undermined public trust in the benefits system. Continue reading...

Ethics and integrity commission chief says overhaul is crucial to help restore trust in standardsAll lobbying of government ministers, aides and senior officials should be publicly declared - from WhatsApp chats to party conference meetings - in a fundamental shake-up of transparency laws, the government's ethics watchdog has said.A review led by Doug Chalmers, the head of the ethics and integrity commission, has called for a new register to highlight who is lobbying, which policies they are seeking to influence and who in government they are meeting. Continue reading...

Carrier says some still unable to connect to emergency hotline a day after initial mobile network outage

The 1970s soap parody made a household name of Lasser, who was also known for her collaborations with ex-husband Allen and later films including Requiem for a DreamLouise Lasser, star of cult 70s sitcom Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and early films by Woody Allen (to whom she was married for four years), has died aged 87. The New York Times reported she died at home in Manhattan".Lasser's role as a satirically conceived housewife in suburban Ohio in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, designed as a parody of daytime soap operas, made her a national star, landing her on the cover of People magazine and Rolling Stone. The series lasted a year and a half, between January 1976 and July 1977, but due to its five-days-a-week schedule squeezed more than 300 episodes out of its two season run. Lasser's Hartman, with her signature pigtails, was preoccupied with domestic minutiae but found herself in unsettling and disturbing situations, including bizarre deaths. The show was intended to explore the changes sweeping ordinary life in the US in the 1970s. Continue reading...

Prime minister in waiting looks to address frustrations backbenchers had with Keir Starmer's style of party managementAndy Burnham has promised MPs that he will never use party discipline to stifle debate" and says they should raise problems and policy ideas without fear or favour".Nominations for the Labour leadership will open on Thursday, and Burnham is expected to be the only candidate. On Wednesday night the former armed forces minister Al Carns confirmed he would not seek to enter the race to replace Keir Starmer. Continue reading...

Home secretary expected to amend Immigration Act but hurdles remain if Pakistan continues to refuse to take Shabir Ahmed backShabana Mahmood is planning to change the law so the government can move towards deporting the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang.The home secretary is expected to amend the 1971 Immigration Act, which prevents Shabir Ahmed from being removed from Britain. Continue reading...

Met confirms inquiry after elections watchdog referred allegations that donations in 2024 were from foreign sourcePolice have launched an investigation into 37,500 of donations to Robert Jenrick's campaign to become Conservative leader in 2024 after a referral from the elections watchdog.The Metropolitan police confirmed on Wednesday they were undertaking an inquiry after the Guardian revealed in April that they were assessing the evidence about donations to Jenrick, who has since joined Reform UK. Continue reading...

MPs demand publication of full report that outlines catastrophic consequences amid concerns for food securityMembers of parliament have demanded full publication of an explosive report by the UK's spy leaders that found the collapse of ecosystems overseas would have catastrophic consequences for the UK's national security, warning that the UK has no future" if the findings are not urgently acted on.Despite growing concerns for the UK's food security, likely to be worsened by the third heatwave this summer currently afflicting the UK and swathes of the northern hemisphere, the government has refused to publish the full report, which has circulated among defence officials for more than a year. Continue reading...

From high-profile influencers to live ticket-queue tracking, some fear aggressive marketing is ruining championshipsFrom photos of influencers in crisp white linen dresses posing in front of floral displays at Centre Court to videos promising hacks to beat the queues and secure tickets, the hype around Wimbledon has never been bigger on Instagram and TikTok.The social media frenzy has caused concerns that Wimbledon is increasingly becoming a tourist event rather than a tennis tournament, overrun with influencers using the championship's iconic aesthetic to build their profiles and attracting attenders more interested in dressing up and taking photos than watching the games. Continue reading...

World is witnessing a turning point, says ministry spokesperson, as Iran seeks to assert independence amid rising tensionsBefore a foreign ministry press briefing at the Grand Hotel Tehran, the assembled reporters were asked to stand for the national anthem that duly blared from fuzzy speakers.At the podium, the ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, claimed the world was witnessing a turning point in the history of Shia Islam. A century from now, he claimed, the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be revered as a second Imam Hussain, the martyred grandson of the prophet Muhammad. Donald Trump, meanwhile, would be seen as a latterday Yazid, the tyrannical 7th century caliph. Continue reading...

Italian designer brings sculptural silhouettes and playful palettes to storied house, while it is hats off to Giorgio's niece at her second Armani Prive showThe house of Balenciaga takes haute couture very seriously indeed. Cristobal Balenciaga was so horrified by the rise of mass-produced clothes that in 1968 he abruptly shuttered his brand and retired to his native Spain, announcing that high fashion is mortally wounded".So Pierpaolo Piccioli, who now helms the house, approached the brief of his first Balenciaga couture collection conscientiously, despite having 25 years of experience at Valentino. At a preview, the haute couture war room where he worked on the show for nine months was plastered with images that ranged from a 1961 Balenciaga dress to Spanish golden age art - Zurbaran's chic saints, Velazquez's doll-like infantas - and a monumental Hepworth pierced megalith. Continue reading...

Hannah Dugan was fined $5,000 for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade ICE agentsA former Wisconsin judge who was convicted of felony obstruction for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has been spared prison.A federal judge on Wednesday instead fined Judge Hannah Dugan $5,000, citing her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence. Continue reading...

US president say Spain very bad' in relation to Iran conflict and UK's approach not in spirit of Winston Churchill'

Parody candidate, expected to be Reform leader's only challenger for seat, suggests perhaps it's all a fever dream'Count Binface had been looking forward to a relaxing journey back to his home planet of Sigma IX when Nigel Farage dropped a political bombshell on Tuesday.Instead, Britain's hottest new political property said he was left with no choice but to perform a swift intergalactic handbrake turn when news broke that Farage had resigned as MP for Clacton, triggering the possibility of a byelection in the English coastal constituency he has represented since 2024. Continue reading...

Mohamed al-Wahidi died when a missile struck his taxi shortly before Egypt played Argentina in their last 16 matchA Palestinian aid worker who had organised screenings of World Cup matches in Gaza was killed by an Israeli missile strike just before the game between Egypt and Argentina on Tuesday evening.Two brothers aged eight and 10 and another man who was in the street near the site of the attack were also killed. Continue reading...

Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in prison in India, is accused of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023US and Canadian authorities say they have dismantled" the leadership of a notorious Indian criminal group, charging dozens of operatives who have inflicted pain and cruelty on people, victims around the globe", including a high-profile murder in Canada that strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India.At a press conference on Tuesday, members of the FBI and Canada's Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said as part of Operation Hard Ball - a multiyear federal investigation into murder-for-hire plots, shootings, extortion and drug trafficking - they had charged 37 people, some of whom were already in custody. Authorities are still searching for seven fugitives in the US, two in India and one in Europe. Continue reading...

FCA clashes with Consumer Voice, alleging lack of transparency and conflict of interestThe City regulator is trying to get the only consumer group arguing for higher motor finance scandal payouts thrown out of court, alleging that its co-founders have not been transparent about their funding and potential conflicts of interest.The accusations, laid out in legal filings on Wednesday, are the latest controversy in the long-running saga surrounding mis-sold car loans, with fears of large payouts having resulted in heavy lobbying by banks and a controversial intervention by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Continue reading...

Count Binface to be one of few challengers to Nigel Farage as major parties boycott contestFor anyone involved in British politics, an invitation to be interviewed on Radio 4's Today programme is the ultimate badge of seriousness. There are probably hundreds of MPs who have never made it onto the programme because they have not been deemed important enough.But, as if to prove the point that the Clacton byelection really is a farce" (see 7.59am), this morning Today had an interview with Count Binface, the serial joke byelection candidate who may turn out to be Nigel Farage's main opposition in Clacton.Probably not, but then you know my job is to celebrate and defend the wonders of British democracy.And look at this, eh? The fact that you are interviewing me on the Today Programme, because all the other parties aren't standing, says more about them than it does about me.I don't believe that single-handedly will tackle homophobia, racism or indeed any hate crime. But I do strongly believe that returning power back to people's hands is a huge part of the role we should all be playing as elected public servants - and it's how we build trust again. Continue reading...

Licence would be diplomatic coup for Kyiv but process of making munitions would likely be expensive, complex and long

The USMNT's World Cup crashout is the latest episode to suggest the support and intervention of Donald J Trump brings bad luck

Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, is believed to have left UK for Zimbabwe before bodies of his family were discoveredA man suspected of murdering his wife and two daughters near Bedford has been urged by police to hand himself in after fleeing to Zimbabwe.Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, known as Zandile, and Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found dead in their 1.3m detached house in Carnoustie Drive, Great Denham. Police forced entry to the house on Monday after receiving reports that the family had not been seen for days. Continue reading...

HBO and Apple shows head up this year's nominations while Richard Gadd's Baby Reindeer follow-up Half-Man only receives one nodThe second season of hit hospital drama The Pitt and the final season of Hacks dominate this year's Emmy nominations, announced on Wednesday.The Pitt leads with 25 nominations while Hacks has 24, both scoring a big win for HBO, the latter series also breaking an Emmy record for most nods ever received by a comedy in a single year. Continue reading...

State officials call federal demands for voter data truly bizarre behavior' amid unproven noncitizen voting claims

John Edwards resigned in June after independent investigation following claims of sexual harassment and bullyingThe UK information commissioner who resigned over sexual harassment and bullying claims is understood to be taking legal action against a woman who flagged his conduct.The science and technology secretary, Liz Kendall, said she was appalled" by the fact that John Edwards was preparing to serve legal papers on one of the incredibly brave" women at the ICO who raised concerns about his behaviour. Edwards resigned from his post as the UK's data regulator in June after an independent investigation. Continue reading...

Image of man in underwear, blindfold and bound to iron rod has been widely shared on social media

Exclusive: Andrew Bailey says no policy changes were made as a result of pressure from crypto tycoon-backed Reform leader

As alliance gathers in Ankara, European leaders informally agree strategy to try to keep US president on side

France's far-right leader plans to take part in 2027 vote after court of appeal upholds her conviction for embezzlementThe French far-right leader Marine Le Pen launched her presidential campaign on Wednesday, after a decision by a court of appeal shortened her ban on running for office, allowing her to take part in the 2027 vote.Le Pen said voters would decide her future. Continue reading...

Ellis, 28, was executed in 1955 after fatally shooting her abusive partner David Blakely

Experts warn that some marine species are at risk of mass mortality events' in ever-warming oceansUK waters are being hit with an extreme" marine heatwave, the Met Office has said, as scientists warn that high ocean temperatures globally could result in mass-mortality events" for some species.The forecasters said these elevated temperatures have developed rapidly because of last month's heat dome, during which most of Europe sweltered in its worst ever heatwave that scientists said would have been impossible without the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Climate crisis prompts calls for workplace temperature limits and rights to heat breaks and adjusted working hoursAs Europe's sweltering summer continues, trades unions are mounting a push for new laws to counter deadly heat stress that is linked to an estimated 230 workplace deaths a year.This year's toll may be even higher, with 1,300 excess European deaths already connected to the June heatwave by the World Health Organization, and other estimates running as high as 20,000. Continue reading...

Environmental protection agency and independent studies have found food biggest source of chemical exposureThe US Food and Drug Administration has rejected a legal petition demanding it set limits on toxic Pfas forever chemicals" in food, marking another setback for public health advocates' push to limit exposures to the dangerous compounds.The agency is refusing to set limits despite a growing body of science and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finding food is the biggest source of Pfas exposure. Testing has found the levels of Pfas in single servings of some contaminated foods to be equivalent to drinking many glasses of contaminated water. Continue reading...

Holiday operator says market in good shape, with strong recent recovery in bookings across all destinations as customers take the plunge

Report says new film has finished filming - although title and release date not yet confirmedTwenty-four years after Staines's foremost political interlocutor was last seen on the big screen in Ali G Indahouse, Ali G is set to return to cinemas.As reported by The InSneider, a new movie has wrapped production, with filming locations including Oxfordshire, where Baron Cohen was spotted in character last summer, and in the US. A title and release date have not been confirmed and representatives for the star declined to comment. Continue reading...

Telco said outage was not due to a cyber-attack but warned of scammers calling people claiming to be from Telstra

UK government urged to apply pressure on France to fix system or suspend checks by next week

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The fearless 23-year-old is determined to keep a level head as he prepares to face Flavio Cobolli on WednesdayA week ago, very few people knew who Arthur Fery was. But he has been propelled into the limelight as the last man standing after a disastrous start to Wimbledon for British players.Fery, who is ranked No 114 in the world, defied expectations on Monday night when he triumphed on Centre Court over one of the top players for most of the past decade, the former world No 3 Grigor Dimitrov. Continue reading...

Kristy McBain criticises shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson for testing' Triple-zero system during major network blackoutThe communications minister, Anika Wells, has accused Barnaby Joyce and Angus Taylor of going off half-cocked" by raising without evidence the prospect of China having been behind the major Telstra outage affecting millions of Australians nationwide.Wells's fellow federal minister Kristy McBain also criticised the shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, after the Liberal senator said she had tested" the Triple-zero system by making unnecessary calls to the emergency line - which carries a criminal penalty. Continue reading...

Rubbish dumps can expose birds to contaminants, raising questions over whether landfill foraging helps or harmsStorks are gaining weight from a diet of literal junk, according to research that suggests the previously disappearing birds face potential health risks as a result of increasingly eating from rubbish dumps.Landfill offers what appear to be quick and convenient meals for white stork populations in Europe. But new research suggests they may be gaining a short-term energy boost at the cost of hidden long-term health effects. Continue reading...

Ofcom levies largest-ever consumer protection fine after finding firm deliberately mishandled millions of phone callsVirgin Media has been fined 28m by the UK telecoms watchdog for repeatedly preventing customers from cancelling their contracts over a near-three-year period.Ofcom discovered that Virgin Media likely mishandled" millions of phone calls between the start of 2022 and autumn 2024, with deliberate call-dropping tactics, unnecessary call transfers and putting customers on hold for no reason". Continue reading...

The man, who cannot be named, faces two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in Victoria's county court. He has pleaded not guilty

Shoppers urged to seek quality products or alternatives as data shows demand surpassing least year's totalBritons are expected to buy nearly 8m mini fans this year as they are surging on to the market" in the hot weather - but almost half of those are expected to be low-quality products that end up in landfill within a year.Waste managers and recycling campaigners have raised concerns as the number of online searches for electrically powered handheld fans, which sell for as little as 2, has already surpassed that seen in the whole of 2025 in the first six months of this year. Continue reading...

Early flight data showed the K2 Airways plane with five crew on board possibly crashed into the sea southwest of KarachiA Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo plane with five crew members on board lost contact with air traffic control on Tuesday night after reporting a navigational system problem on its way to Karachi, Pakistan aviation authorities said.Early flight data indicated the 27-year-old converted freighter operated by K2 Airways from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates possibly crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes, before a steep final descent, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. Continue reading...