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Director of Picnic at Hanging Rock and Gallipoli celebrated for defining Australian culture and global influence on craft, form and storytelling'

US military says commercial ships are continuing to transit the strait of Hormuz, contradicting claims from Iran that the strait has been closed

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Plan to move 240,000 people off scheme leads states and territories to jointly warn they can't deliver like-for-like services to people who are exited from the NDIS'

Man accused of sedating and filming abuse of partner had contact with Pelicot, who was jailed for drugging wife and inviting men to rape herA bodyguard from Lyon is to go on trial for allegedly sedating and raping his partner after he was in contact online with Dominique Pelicot, who was convicted of drugging and raping his own wife, Gisele Pelicot.Pelicot, one of the worst sex offenders in modern French history, is serving 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of drugging his then wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her in their home in the south of France over almost a decade. He and 50 other men were found guilty after the biggest rape trial in French history in 2024. Continue reading...

As the US prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary and Trump turns 80, what state is the country in? And its president?This weekend kicks off an extravaganza of celebrations for the US, marking 250 years of independence from Britain - and for Donald Trump, marking 80 years of being, well, him.Presidents gone-by would have used a milestone anniversary to promote national unity. Trump is organising a cage fight. The president is adamant that every decent, flag-waving American will enjoy the festivities ... or at least be talking about the party rather than what he's brought to it. Continue reading...

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South Australian Liberal Tony Pasin says parties should work hand-in-glove' to defeat Labor at the next election

Former Labor foreign affairs minister says belief US would defend Australia in event of an existential attack is a ludicrous delusion'

This blog is now closed. Read our main report here: Police use water cannon against rioters in Northern IrelandHadi Alodid refused legal representation and made no reply to charges which were put put to him through an Arabic interpreter as he appeared in court charged with attempted murder following the Belfast knife attack, the Press Association reports.The 30-year-old, with an address at Duncairn Avenue in Belfast, appeared before the city's magistrates' court on Wednesday morning.He is charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie on Monday, with threatening to kill an NHS radiographer on the same day and with the possession of a knife. Continue reading...

Force disperses crowd of 300 people who burned truck and reportedly planned to target hotel hosting migrantsPolice have used water cannon against rioters in Northern Ireland during a second night of anti-immigration protests.It dispersed a crowd of about 300 people who burned a truck and threw bricks and petrol bombs close to the Sandyknowes roundabout near Newtownabbey, eight miles north of Belfast. Continue reading...

Singer and actor has denied all charges after more than 20 women came forward with allegations going back to the 1990sThe French singer Patrick Bruel has been charged with rape and sexual assault in one of the biggest #MeToo cases in the French music industry.The 67-year-old, a major figure in French pop culture, was placed under formal investigation over several cases that included alleged rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. Continue reading...

New name, Bristol Dockyards, and museum revamp aimed at becoming more rooted in community, says chief executiveOne of the UK's maritime landmarks is being renamed as part of a drive to make it cooler" and more inclusive.For a decade, the dockland site in Bristol that houses the ocean liner SS Great Britain, which was designed by the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, has been promoted as Brunel's SS Great Britain. Continue reading...

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the only passenger to survive the incident in June 2025, which killed 260 peopleThe only survivor of the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people in June 2025 has called for honesty, transparency and answers" a year on from the disaster, and spoken about his significant psychological scars" and financial hardship.Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, has previously described his fate as a miracle" after being the only person to survive the incident, in which a Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. Continue reading...

NSW police say two men and a woman will face court on Thursday over alleged involvement in large-scale drug supply scheme

Donald Trump had vowed to hit them hard again' after accusing negotiators in Tehran of playing us for suckers'

Shasta county passes measure requiring elections to be held in person on one day and limiting absentee ballots

Surreal scene inside New York court as former city comptroller says he did not block elevators before arrestThe trial against senior New York City Democrat Brad Lander, stemming from his arrest during an attempt to inspect rooms holding detained immigrants, involved six hours of litigating elevator logistics in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.Lander, the former city comptroller now vying for Democratic incumbent Dan Goldman's congressional district, which encompasses lower Manhattan and north-west Brooklyn, was taken into custody on 18 September last year at 26 Federal Plaza. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader has been unusually quiet in recent weeks - at great cost to the party during a crucial byelectionFake images of Nigel Farage have been ubiquitous online lately - but the real politician has proved far more elusive since it was revealed seven weeks ago that he took a 5m personal gift from a crypto billionaire.And while an AI-generated depiction of the Reform UK leader was falsely shown getting violent on BBC's Question Time, Farage has been largely avoiding the TV studios where he might face questions over the cash. Continue reading...

As completion of 144-year basilica nears, questions swirl over resemblance of church to architect's original plansIt has been a long wait but 144 years after work began, Pope Leo XIV has blessed the recently completed central tower of Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia church in the presence of members of the Spanish royal family, the prime minister and hundreds of bishops.With the completion of the Jesus Christ tower, the tallest of 18 in the temple, the basilica has reached its full height of 172.5 metres. It is now not only the world's tallest church but Barcelona's tallest building. It was consecrated in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. Continue reading...

Prime minister is hellbent' on fighting any contest, even if his future may be out of his hands, sources say

Republican who chairs House panel says he based decision on testimony from Epstein's longtime assistant Lesley GroffRepresentative James Comer, the Republican who chairs the House committee on oversight and government reform, announced that he would be asking Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Epstein's former attorney, to appear before the panel as part of its investigation into the late sex offender.I am going to ask Alan Dershowitz to come in, we will have questions for him and we will give him an opportunity to come in," Comer said on Wednesday morning, adding that the decision was based on the testimony of Lesley Groff, Epstein's longtime assistant, who testified before the committee on Tuesday, as well as a meeting that I had afterwards with several of the Epstein survivors". Continue reading...

Before the conflict began, inflation was at 2.4%, but the closure of the strait of Hormuz has affected energy pricesDonald Trump said I love the inflation" after new data showed that inflation jumped to an annual rate of 4.2% in May, the third consecutive monthly increase since the start of the Iran war and a three-year high.Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, the US president said that he was not concerned about inflation because of recent developments in the conflict. Continue reading...

Lucy Rigby says heavily subsidised system gives the government the right to alter terms of existing agreementsMinisters have rejected accusations that recent changes to student loans are unfair, arguing that they are so heavily subsidised that the government has the right to alter their terms.Pressure has been intensifying on the UK government to reform the student loans system but the chief secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby, told MPs on Wednesday that less than half of young people go to university, and the government had to bear in mind fairness to taxpayers as a whole". Continue reading...

Critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan population falls after extreme weather - fuelled by climate crisis - in North SumatraExtreme rainfall and landslides fuelled by the climate crisis killed 7% of the remaining population of the world's rarest great ape, a study has found, prompting fears for the species' survival.The research suggests 58 out of the remaining 800 critically endangered Tapanuli orangutans (Pongo tapanuliensis) were killed after more than 1,000mm (39in) of rain fell over four days in Indonesia's North Sumatra province in November 2025. This equates to 11% of the local population and 7% of the entire species. Continue reading...

Stranger Things actor makes first public comments about his ex's revealing hit album which tracks the dissolution of a relationshipDavid Harbour has spoken about his ex Lily Allen's tell-all album West End Girl for the first time in a new interview.The Stranger Things actor, who is on the Emmys trail for the HBO crime drama DTF St Louis, separated from the singer in early 2025 after they married in 2020. The couple filed for divorce months after their separation. Continue reading...

Sean Strickland claims he was not cleared to attend the UFC event because he made fun of Israel and Epstein'The only current men's US UFC champion says he has been barred from Sunday's fight card on the south lawn of the White House because he dared to criticize Donald Trump, Israel and Jeffrey Epstein.On Tuesday night, middleweight champion Sean Strickland wrote on X that he had been informed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that he had not been cleared to attend the event by the White House. Continue reading...

Enfield council in north London took legal action against restaurant chain after outrage over damage to treeThe UK restaurant chain Toby Carvery has settled a legal dispute over taking a chainsaw to an ancient oak tree without permission, by agreeing to pay to restore a lost orchard.The unauthorised partial felling of the 500-year-old oak next to a Toby Carvery car park in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, north London, in April last year, prompted widespread public outrage and questions in parliament. Continue reading...

Footage appears to contradict Israeli military's account of killing of seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in West BankFootage has emerged that appears to contradict the Israeli military's account of the shooting that killed seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in his mother's arms, showing the family's car slowing near a military post before soldiers opened fire.On Friday, the killing of the infant by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank caused outrage, after soldiers opened fire on the family's vehicle despite it having complied with an order to stop. Sam was killed and his mother, Daniyah Abu Haikal, and father, Fahed Abu Haikal, were both injured. Continue reading...

Retailer plans to shut unprofitable stores as falling US airport traffic due to Middle East conflict hits trading

Oscar winner Mikey Madison and Jeremy Strong to star in film focused on fallout from whistleblower Frances HaugenThe first trailer for Aaron Sorkin's eagerly anticipated follow-up to The Social Network has landed.The Social Reckoning has been described as a film that isn't a straight sequel" but one that will still revisit Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. Continue reading...

Relatives of Stephen Ogilvie say unrest is unwelcome and that many migrants make valuable contribution to UKThe family of the victim of the Belfast knife attack have called for calm after riots erupted across the city.Stephen Ogilvie is in hospital having lost his left eye in the attack, footage of which was shared widely on social media late on Monday evening and through the day on Tuesday. Continue reading...

System not fit for purpose due to poor infrastructure and planning, with minority groups particularly at risk, MPs sayThe UK's stem cell transplant system is potentially putting the lives of blood cancer patients at risk as a result of inadequate infrastructure and a lack of long-term planning, a parliamentary report has found.A hematopoietic stem cell transplant, often referred to as a bone marrow transplant, is a medical procedure in which stem cells from a healthy donor are transplanted into a patient. Continue reading...

Hadi Alodid, 30, further charged with possessing a knife in a public place and making threats to kill on same dayA man has appeared in court accused of the attempted murder of a man in Belfast on Monday night.Hadi Alodid, 30, of Duncairn Avenue, Belfast, was charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie. He was further charged with possessing a knife in a public place, Kinnaird Avenue, on the same day. Continue reading...

Jermiah Copeland had admitted killing Angelina Resendiz, attacking another sailor and illegally recording another

Company says it has strong bookings for England matches and has spruced up gardens for domestic tourists

Renewed outrage at White House's use manga and anime imagery after US president is depicted as ninja NarutoJapanese anime and manga fans are urging Donald Trump to stop using their favourite characters in his social media posts.About 20,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org entitled Protect Japanese Manga, protesting against the official White House X account posting videos featuring unauthorised use of imagery from the popular Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Naruto series. Angry fans have also been posting their displeasure on social media. Continue reading...

Northern Ireland's justice minister says online bad faith actors' have incited racism in city after knife attack

Billboards are being painted over and former allies seem eager to forget the man they once glorifiedFor years, his bewhiskered face stared down from propaganda billboards glorifying the supposedly revolutionary rule of a dictator who styled himself as the protector of the people".The spin-doctored adoration was such that factories churned out plastic action figures exalting Nicolas Maduro as an indestructible" and iron-fisted" caped crusader nicknamed Super Moustache". Continue reading...

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England supporters face paying inflation-busting 95 for an adult shirt as the tournament begins in the USFans of World Cup teams kitted out by Nike face the highest costs if they want to buy a replica shirt before the tournament kicks off this week amid a striking" overall increase in prices.Alongside the official match versions, which are retailing for as much as 160, manufacturers typically make stadium", or replica, versions aimed at supporters. Continue reading...

The 700 projects include wind and solar farms, battery storage, gas and hydro plansMore than half the renewable energy projects needed to meet the government's clean power targets by 2030 are now able to plug into the electricity grid after years of delay, according to the system operator.The National Energy System Operator (Neso) has offered more than 700 clean energy projects in Great Britain a grid connection date since the start of the year, after a two-year process to unblock a bottleneck that threatened to delay projects into the 2030s. Continue reading...

Government plan to de-link gas and electricity prices aims to reduce bills for consumers after global surge in pricesHouseholds in England, Scotland and Wales could save nearly 200 a year on their energy bills if the government stepped into the market to act as the sole buyer of electricity, according to a thinktank.The research found that public procurement of electricity, meaning the government would become the single buyer" of power before it is resold to consumers, could shave billions of pounds from electricity prices. Continue reading...

MP Melanie Ward calls on Charity Commission to look into 32 organisations she says have given at least 28mThirty-two charities in England and Wales have donated at least 28m to Israeli settlements that are illegal under international law, an MP has said.Labour's Melanie Ward said that if gift aid were claimed against the donations in the usual way, it would mean taxpayers had subsidised illegal settlements to the tune of 5.6m, a situation she described as deplorable. The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced on Tuesday that the Charity Commission has been tasked with investigating UK charities' links to settlements. Continue reading...

Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source face cuts of up to 20% as Science and Technology Facilities Council seeks savingsBritain's scientific capabilities face serious damage" with some national facilities at risk of closure under spending cuts that are being considered to meet spiralling costs at the government's infrastructure funding agency.The concern surrounds sites funded and operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), including the Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source in Oxfordshire and other national facilities at the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire. Continue reading...

Survey in run-up to byelection also finds support for water renationalisation, wealth tax and cap on political donationsA majority of voters in Makerfield say they would be less likely to vote for an election candidate if they have posted offensive content on social media, polling shows.The polling for the campaign group 38 Degrees, undertaken by Survation, asked 518 voters in the Makerfield constituency for their views on a range of issues, with 55% saying they would be less likely to vote for a politician who has posted offensive material online. Continue reading...

Amazon and Sony among firms that may have sourced coltan, used in phones, from supply chains controlled by the M23 rebels, says Global WitnessLeading global brands including Amazon, Ericsson and Sony are likely" to have sourced minerals linked to a militia accused of widespread sexual violence, summary executions and torture, a new investigation claims.The companies allegedlybut unknowingly, acquired coltan smuggled from mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that are occupied by the M23 militia, which has committed myriad atrocities in eastern DRC. Continue reading...

Human rights lawyers and refugee advocacy groups are lauding the decision as a significant outcome'

Conservationists say cherished creatures such as whales, dolphins and seabirds are being killed in large numbers by fishing tackleThousands of Britain's most charismatic and protected marine wildlife, including whales, porpoises, dolphins, seals and seabirds are being killed as collateral damage" by fishing vessels every year, according to the first-ever analysis of bycatch data.The analysis, by the Wildlife and Countryside Link, a coalition of voluntary conservation groups, reveals the devastating toll bycatch, the accidental capture and killing of non-target species by fishing vessels, is having on marine species. Continue reading...

Former UK political operative endorsed by Trump will face off against Democrat Xavier Becerra in November electionRepublican Steve Hilton, the former UK political operative turned Fox News personality, has advanced to the November general election in the race to become California's next governor, facing off against Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former congressman, state attorney general and US health secretary.Hilton's success, a remarkable achievement for a recent immigrant, came after he was endorsed by Donald Trump. Continue reading...