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Two men and one woman arrested after explosion in Castel d'Azzano, which police believe to have been intentionalAn explosion at a farmhouse near Verona killed three police officers and injured at least 13 others, officials said on Tuesday.Police were attempting to conduct an eviction when the house blew up overnight in Castel d'Azzano, in northern Italy, in what is suspected to be an intentional act of violence. Continue reading...

European Council commissioner voices concerns after April's supreme court ruling on legal definition of a womanTransgender people risk being excluded from many public spaces as a result of the recent UK supreme court judgment and must be protected from discrimination, a human rights expert has said.Michael O'Flaherty, the European Council commissioner for human rights, said he had concerns about the climate for transgender people in the UK after April's supreme court ruling that the legal definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Munib al-Masri Jr is part of a campaign asking the UK to help create a just future' in Palestine - starting with an apology for its role in the crisisHe has spent 14 years in pain, adjusting to paralysis below the waist. But Munib al-Masri Jr, 37, says he forgives the Israeli soldier who shot him.Masri is among Palestinians who welcomed the UK's recognition of Palestinian statehood last month but are pushing the government to go further. The Britain Owes Palestine campaign that Masri is part of wants the UK to formally apologise for what they say is its historical role in creating the Middle East crisis, as ceasefire talks bring an uneasy peace to the region and raise questions about its future. Continue reading...

Counter-terror laws must not place unnecessary limits on fundamental rights', Michael O'Flaherty tells Shabana MahmoodEurope's most senior human rights official has called on Shabana Mahmood to review UK protest laws after mass arrests over the ban on Palestine Action.Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe commissioner for human rights, said that the current legal framework allows the UK authorities to impose excessive limits on freedom of assembly and expression, and risk overpolicing" in a letter sent to the home secretary. Continue reading...

Andry Rajoelina does not announce resignation in speech broadcast on social media after military rebellionMadagascar's president, Andry Rajoelina, said he had fled the country in fear for his life after a military rebellion but did not announce his resignation in a speech broadcast on social media late on Monday from an undisclosed location.The 51-year-old has faced weeks of gen Z-led anti-government protests, which reached a pivotal point on Saturday when an elite military unit joined the protests and called for the president and other ministers to step down. That prompted Rajoelina to say that an illegal attempt to seize power was under way in the Indian Ocean island and to leave the country. Continue reading...

Shoppers hunt for deals as grocery prices rise, particularly for chocolate, fresh meat and coffee

Station leader Andy Warton says isolation takes getting used to, but a profound adventure' with auroras, penguins and icebergs awaits

Richard Marles says investigation under way into how the prime minister and other senior government staff's phone numbers appeared in the databases

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University of Sydney and two academics facing racial discrimination case after colleagues accuse them of racist hate speech

UK and French organisations file legal challenge against July agreement to swap asylum seekersFifteen French and UK human rights organisations are calling for the suspension of the controversial one in, one out" treaty in a legal challenge that has been launched in France.The deal, signed by the UK and France in July, involves one asylum seeker who arrives in the UK from France in a small boat being sent back there in exchange for another selected in France to come to the UK. Continue reading...

Daniel Evans says young drama graduates who learned voice work online missed out on the physical presence of theatre trainingYoung actors who trained at drama school during the pandemic are struggling to project their voices and lack rangebecause they were denied the crucial experience of full vocal and physical presence" within a theatre, the co-artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has said. Continue reading...

Controversial law change that forced councils to put the fate of Mori wards to a public vote saw 25 vote to disestablish the guaranteed seatsThe number of guaranteed seats for Mori representatives on New Zealand councils will be slashed by more than half, following a controversial law change that forced local governments to put the fate of hard-won Mori seats to a public vote.Mori wards, which may have one or more councillors depending on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to vote for a guaranteed Mori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils could only establish a Mori ward by first putting it to a public vote in their area. Communities often spent years generating local support and pushing their councils to create Mori wards. Continue reading...

Education secretary warns against misleading claims online during launch of Best Start in Life' campaignParents who turn to TikTok influencers and Instagram gurus for advice on everything from potty training to childhood vaccination are at risk of falling victim to misleading and poor quality information, the education secretary has warned.Bridget Phillipson was speaking at the launch of the government's Best Start in Life" campaign - sometimes described as Sure Start Mark 2 after the last Labour government's early years policy, regarded by many as its finest achievement. Continue reading...

Institution was only university not granted extra places after seeking additional enrolment allocation from federal government

Opposition's plan announced as state parliament's lower house begins debate on landmark treaty bill

South Australian commissioner says police leaving no stone unturned' in effort to recover body of four-year-old who went missing in late September

As Israel and Palestinian families waited for loved ones to be released, Trump met world leaders to continue ceasefire talks. Will Christou, Dan Boffey and Jason Burke report on an extraordinary day in the Middle EastIt was a day of joy, sorrow and diplomatic drama in the Middle East. Chief reporter Dan Boffey was in hostages square" in Tel Aviv as the final hostages who were kidnapped on 7 October were released. As news broke out that the first seven hostages were safe, cheers erupted throughout the crowd.Boffey tells Lucy Hough about the final hostages and what their release means to people. One person in the square told him: Israel is a place where Jews are meant to be safe, and if these people didn't come home, then what is the point of Israel?" Continue reading...

South Korean president urges all-out' efforts to protect citizens after number of kidnappings in Cambodia soars in recent monthsSouth Korean president Lee Jae Myung has called for all-out" diplomatic efforts to protect citizens in Cambodia after a university student was lured there by a scam ring and allegedly tortured to death.At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Lee said protecting the lives and safety of citizens is the government's greatest responsibility" and called for all scam victims to be swiftly repatriated". Continue reading...

Voting to close at 6am on Wednesday as Australian magpie fails to make list of final contenders

Former Liberal senator launches claim in effort to obtain more than $1m in damages and legal costs

UN warns Gaza still needs lifesaving aid' as world leaders gather in Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss 20-point proposalThere was a rare moment of joy among Israelis and Palestinians on Monday as Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages in Gaza as part of a swap deal for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, on a day world leaders met in Egypt to try to ensure the current limited truce is extended into a durable peace.The prayers of millions have finally been answered," Donald Trump declared at the peace summit, with his counterparts lined up behind him. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East." Continue reading...

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Labour says Tory government at time failed to classify China as a threat, but plenty of evidence suggests the contraryThere is a baffling contradiction at the heart of the efforts of Dan Jarvis, the security minister, to explain why the prosecution of two Britons accused of spying for China collapsed last month. The problem, he insisted in front of MPs on Monday, was that it was not the policy of a Conservative government to classify China as a threat to national security".Except there is plenty of evidence to suggest that China was recognised as a threat by the previous governments in documents and public statements by ministers and officials. All this makes the failure of the government witness - Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser - to set this out in three separate witness statements given to the prosecution even more surprising. Continue reading...

In speech to Israeli Knesset hours after hostages released, US president spoke of historic dawn of new Middle East'Donald Trump has vowed to use the power of his presidency to ensure that Israel recognises it has achieved all that it can by force of arms", and begin an age of cooperation in the Middle East that may ultimately extend as far as peace with Iran.In a speech to the Israeli Knesset, made hours after the last remaining Israeli hostages were released from Gaza, Trump hailed the historic dawn of a new Middle East" and an end to the long and painful nightmare" of the Gaza war. Continue reading...

George Finch, 19, says he was called a racist' and fascist' during incident in Warwickshire on FridayThe Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, has criticised disgraceful" rhetoric from the Labour and Green parties after the UK's youngest council leader was allegedly assaulted.George Finch, 19, the Reform leader of Warwickshire county council,said he was called a racist" and a fascist" before being allegedly assaulted on Friday. Continue reading...

Dan Jarvis accuses Tories of suggesting case was deliberately abandoned without a shred of evidence'The government made every effort" to support the trial of two men accused of spying for China, a minister has said, as he accused the Tories of claiming the case was deliberately abandoned without a shred of evidence".Dan Jarvis, the security minister, issued a robust defence of Jonathan Powell in the Commons after reports that Keir Starmer's national security adviser played a role in the collapse of the case. Continue reading...

US ambassador to Israel calls Bridget Phillipson delusional' for saying UK played key role, though others point to important input from British figuresAs world leaders arrived in Egypt on Monday to celebrate the first stage of the Gaza ceasefire deal and discuss the next steps, there was a curious note of disharmony between the US and the UK.Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, had appeared on the BBC on Sunday talking about the UK's key role" in shaping the agreement - only to be slapped down on X by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who called her delusional". Continue reading...

Minister calls Badenoch's claims about Chinese spy trial baseless smears'. This live blog is closedAt the Downing Street lobby briefing this morning the PM's spokesperson said it was entirely false" to suggest the government influenced the collapse of the China spying case because of concerns Beijing could withdraw investment in the UK, Downing Street said.Asked about reports in the Sunday Times which suggested a decision was taken high up in government to abandon the case so as not to damage the economic relationship with China, the PM's spokesperson told reporters:It is entirely false. The CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] decision to drop the case was entirely a matter for the CPS. There was no role for any member of this government, no minister, or special adviser, to take any decision in relation to this case. That is entirely for the CPS. Continue reading...

Online marketplace paid just $18m in corporation tax, leading campaigners to call for government actionThe Chinese online marketplace Temu's EU operations more than doubled pre-tax profits last year to just below $120m (90m) despite employing just eight people, accounts show.They rose 171% in the 12 months to December 2024 compared with the $44.1m the year before, as shoppers snapped up its low-cost goods, which are widely promoted on social media. Continue reading...

Ferrer, who has been imprisoned repeatedly, says he opted for exile after facing torture' behind bars in CubaThe prominent Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer has been freed from prison and put on a plane to the US where he will live in exile with his family, the communist country's foreign ministry has said.Ferrer, who has been imprisoned repeatedly as the long-term leader of the island's pro-democracy movement, announced this month he had opted for exile after facing torture" and humiliation" behind bars. Continue reading...

Egregious' police surveillance was sanctioned by government department, mother of Stephen Lawrence tells inquiryThe mother of Stephen Lawrence has alleged at the undercover policing public inquiry that the Home Office was directly involved" in the egregious and unlawful" surveillance of her family's campaign for justice.Doreen Lawrence also questioned why a politician who had held the post of home secretary had keenly" sought her out and was at pains to reassure her" that the government department had nothing to do" with the surveillance. Continue reading...

All eyes are on the Middle East where there have been emotional scenes in Israel as hostages were released, while tens of thousands of Palestinians are able to return to the ruins of their homes in Gaza. As global leaders, including Donald Trump and Keir Starmer, meet for a peace summit, Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the UK's role in securing the ceasefire and in the next phases of the peace plan. Plus, what has Tony Blair's contribution been to the ceasefire, and what part could he play in future?--

Many customers say they cannot access services including the internet or make mobile phone callsTens of thousands of Vodafone customers were reporting that they could not access services including the internet and making mobile phone calls on Monday.Consumers started reporting problems on the website of the outage monitor Downdetector from about 3pm on Monday. Continue reading...

French president says opposition has not risen to the moment' after reappointment of Sebastien Lecornu as PMThe French president, Emmanuel Macron, has accused rival political parties of fuelling instability in France, as he brushed aside calls by the opposition for him to resign amid France's worst political crisis in decades.Many of those who have fuelled division and speculation have not risen to the moment," Macron said of French opposition parties, as he arrived in Egypt on Monday to attend a summit on Gaza. He said rival political forces" were solely responsible for this chaos" after they instigated the destabilisation" of the prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu. Continue reading...

Overflowing rivers swept through entire villages, triggered landslides and swept away roads and bridgesThe death toll from flooding in central and eastern Mexico has risen sharply to at least 64, with another 65 still missing, authorities said on Monday.The flooding, caused by intense rainfall, was focused mostly in the Veracruz, Hidalgo and Puebla states, said Laura Velazquez, the head of Mexico's civil defense authorities. Continue reading...

President, attending Gaza summit in Egypt, reiterates he will not step down as opponents lodge no-confidence motions in the governmentNational Assembly president Yael Braun-Pivet has welcomed the appointment of Sebastien Lecornu's new government, calling for calm and constructive debate as parliament prepares to convene.Our institutions are strong and now ready to work in the interests of the French people," Braun-Pivet said on social media. Posturing and political manoeuvring must give way to constructive discussion before the National Assembly. Let the parliamentary debate begin!" Continue reading...

Major changes announced by Jim Chalmers include indexing superannuation balances to inflation and addition of a new threshold taxing balances between $3m and $10m

Richard Tice says party will concentrate on cutting civil service and scrapping net zero once in government

Leonard Farruku was unwell and should not have been moved to barge where he took his own life, say sistersThe family of an asylum seeker who died on the Bibby Stockholm believe he would still be alive today had he been properly assessed and treated before being placed on the barge.Leonard Farruku, 27, died in the bathroom of his shared cabin onboard the barge on 12 December 2023. He had been moved there weeks earlier, after the then Conservative government began using the Bibby Stockholm to house asylum seekers.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. 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...

Charlie Taylor hits out at risk of real-terms spending cuts in prisons in England and Wales derailing work to break cycle of reoffendingCuts to education in prisons are derailing offenders' work and training and ultimately endangering the public, the prisons watchdog has warned.Repeat offenders cause mayhem" in their communities because of the failure of prisons to provide education, training and work that could help to break the cycle of offending, the chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, said. Continue reading...

City Builders pastor's daughter tells Victorian parliamentary inquiry into cults of grave concerns' about church

Musician invites 52 UK visual artists to create works based on song lyric to raise money for children affected by warKate Bush is harnessing the power of her global hit Running Up That Hill in collaboration with leading names in British art to raise money for children caught up in global conflicts.The singer-songwriter invited 52 visual artists to respond to her lyric If I only could, I'd make a deal with God" from her 1985 anthem. One of her best-loved songs and hailed as one of the greatest songs of all time" by Rolling Stone, it became a hit all over again in 2022 when it featured in the fourth season of the US TV series Stranger Things. Continue reading...

Government's FoI changes unlikely to pass Senate as Coalition, Greens and key crossbenchers voice outrage

Banking group raises total provision to almost 2bn on likelihood of more historical cases' becoming eligible for payouts

Group handed over to Red Cross as Israeli ministers approve list of more than 1,700 Palestinians for release

Jim Chalmers says revised superannuation tax reforms still raise a substantial' amount of money, but it will be much less than before

Voluntary organisations forced to introduce extensive security measures to protect staff and propertyCharities have warned of growing racial abuse, intimidation and threats of violence towards their staff and beneficiaries amid increasingly toxic rhetoric around immigration and race by politicians and extremist activists.Voluntary organisations say they are being forced to introduce extensive security measures to protect staff and property - a trend described by one charity head as in danger of becoming the new normal" - after being targeted. Continue reading...

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