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NSW, Victoria and Queensland local governments have limited roles in approving developments, but advocates say they're best placed to keep communities onside

Houthi military spokesperson says there will be no red lines' in response to Israel after airstrikes hit Hodeidah on Saturday, killing at least six people

Ex-supporters have more in common, including doubts about Starmer and concerns on immigration, Onward saysThe Conservatives must resist the false choice of wooing voters who shifted to either Reform or the Liberal Democrats in the election, according to a leading Tory-facing thinktank, as the party faces a crunch week in deciding its post-defeat future.Former Conservative supporters who opted for Reform or the Lib Dems on 4 July had common characteristics, including scepticism towards Keir Starmer and worries about immigration, Onward said. Continue reading...

Store owners say marks and holes add character to pieces and make them more appealing to discerning buyersAt the 99 Vintage store in the centre of Winchester, curated rails of worn-in Dickies trousers sit alongside paint-splattered band T-shirts and a 1964 track-and-field hoodie with the left cuff falling off. We call it the trashed look," said Jack Edwards, 27, who co-owns the family business.In the past, I would have rejected things because of a mark, but now we see the positives in some stains and distressing. It helps tell the story of the piece." Continue reading...

Law allowing committee to fire staff for supporting terror' backed by education minister and national student unionIsrael's education minister and the country's national union of students are backing a draft law to limit academic speech in the country, which the heads of leading universities have attacked as McCarthyite" and fundamentally undemocratic.The legislation, currently being debated in the Knesset, would give a government-appointed committee the power to order the firing of academic staff that it decides have expressed support for terror". If the universities refuse, their funding would be cut. Continue reading...

Houthi military says US ship in Red Sea also targeted after Israeli strikes on oil facilities and power station in Yemen

Poll shows considerable alignment' between perception of NHS pay levels and claims of unions and associationsAbout half the public think newly qualified nurses, junior doctors and healthcare assistants are underpaid, polling has found.Research also showed that more people thought NHS staff overall were badly paid than well paid, amid signs that public sector pay could become an early test for the Labour government. Continue reading...

Court overturns ruling reserving 30% of government jobs for independence war veterans and their relativesBangladesh's top court has scaled back the quotas on government jobs that led to widespread student-led protests and violent clashes that killed more than 100 people.According to reports in local media, on Sunday afternoon the supreme court overturned a ruling that had reintroduced quotas for all civil service jobs, meaning that 30% were reserved for veterans and relatives of those who fought in the Bangladesh war of independence in 1971. Continue reading...

Move targeting those in city for less than 12 hours is latest measure from mayor to tackle effects of mass tourismBarcelona's mayor plans to raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers who visit the city for less than 12 hours as part of his continuing efforts to tackle the consequences of mass tourism" in the Catalan capital.Jaume Collboni, a member of the Catalan Socialist party, has announced a series of measures designed to reduce overtourism and improve the city's housing situation since taking office last year. Continue reading...

Nostell trail tells story of Swiss-born Sabine Winn's isolation and unhappiness after move to mansion in West YorkshireIn the painted portraits it is all serenity, happiness and domestic bliss. But behind the smiles of 18th-century lady of the house" Sabine Winn is a different story: one of isolation, loneliness and marital anguish.The National Trust is to tell, for the first time, the story of Winn at the country house where she lived for 30 years and which brought her profound unhappiness - Nostell, a Palladian mansion near Wakefield in West Yorkshire. Continue reading...

Fears about keeping up with demand have replaced post-pandemic concerns about a slump in the aviation sectorThe residents of Farnborough, Hampshire, are constantly disturbed by flights to and from the UK's busiest airport for private jets. But for one week in July every two years, the whine of commercial aircraft is replaced by the bone-juddering roar of fighter planes.The occasion is the Farnborough international airshow, a gathering of top executives from airlines, aircraft makers and arms manufacturers hoping to sell their wares and pressflesh. Continue reading...

Independent pay review bodies for teachers and NHS staff have reportedly advised increases of about 5.5%Rachel Reeves has indicated that the government could agree above-inflation pay rises for teachers and other public sector workers, saying that there is a cost to not settling" pay negotiations.The chancellor, who did not dispute reports that independent pay review bodies for teachers and NHS staff had advised increases of about 5.5% - higher than the current 2% inflation rate - said she would set out full details later in July. Continue reading...

Head of child protection says intimate images should be reported to tackle tidal wave' of online sexual abuseParents of under-18s should be monitoring their children's phones for nude pictures, according to the police chief for child protection, in order to tackle a tidal wave" of online sexual abuse cases.The new lead for child abuse investigations at the National Police Chiefs' Council, assistant chief constable Becky Riggs, told the Sunday Times parents needed to report any intimate images of their children to police.In the UK, the youth suicide charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org, and 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, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

All inner-Sydney light rail lines are due to grind to a halt during peak hours from 8am to 10am and 4pm to 6pm from Monday to Friday

This blog is now closedEmergency meetings to assess IT outage falloutFurther emergency meetings will be held to examine the fallout of a global IT outage in Australia, AAP reports.We are still in recovery stage ... there is still more work to do to make sure that the residual issues arising from this outage are able to be addressed.There will be opportunity in time to reflect on what's occurred over the last couple of days, whether it exposes vulnerabilities that we are able to address. Continue reading...

Police say they rescued second two-year-old unharmed after pram carrying twin girls rolled off platform at Carlton train station

Chancellor says industry taskforce will allow retirement scheme managers to increase pension pots by up to 11,000 Will Hutton: pension reform is the key to unleashing investment boom and turning round stock marketLabour has promised to bring forward wide-ranging reforms of the 2tn private pensions industry in a review that aims to boost investment, increase pension pots and tackle waste in the pensions system".A taskforce of industry executives and ministers from the Treasury and department of work and pensions will propose ways to cut costs and improve investment options, allowing retirement scheme managers to boost pension pots by up to 11,000. Continue reading...

Campaigners raise concern over risk of problem gambling as more than 300 24-hour sites spring upMore than 300 slot machine adult gaming centres are running 24 hours a day on Britain's high streets, despite warnings of the risks they pose to vulnerable gamblers.Two of the leading slot machine operators - Merkur and Admiral - have opened dozens of new around-the-clock outlets in empty retail units across the country over the last few years. The two firms operate more than 500 venues across Britain, with most now open 24 hours a day. Continue reading...

Zoe Daniel says previous body set up by Coalition to oversee unions was so politicised' that it could not be effective

2024 Games organiser Tony Estanguet tells how chats with British sporting legend Sebastian Coe have kept him on an even keelIt has to feel pretty weird. You're in charge of the biggest event your country's ever organised. You have worked on it to the exclusion, basically, of everything else in your life, for very nearly a decade. And now - it's a week away.It's a very strange feeling," confirms Tony Estanguet, head of the 2024 Olympic Games organising committee. I come from this small town in south-west France. My sport is a very minor one. It's been ... quite a ride. But here I am. And now, well, here we all are." Continue reading...

Police allege the 24-year-old mounted the footpath and deliberately hit the 23-year-old mother in Daisy Hill in south-east Brisbane

Police say the 37-year-old man and a friend had shared a pizza and were walking to a friend's house in Guildford when three masked men attacked them

Police said there was a fight between two men and a woman that left one man dead and the woman with life-threatening injuries

Attack comes after Israeli fighter jets hit Houthi military targets in Yemen's Hodeidah, killing three people and wounding 87

Keir Starmer under pressure to scrap limit as more than dozen MPs thought to support king's speech amendmentKeir Starmer has come under further pressure to scrap the two-child benefit limit after another of his backbench MPs described the policy as heinous".Writing in The Sunday Times, Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield said the cap, which came into effect under then-chancellor George Osborne in 2017, was sinister and overtly sexist" and had been the main reason driving her to stand for parliament. Continue reading...

Flights continue to be cancelled while GP surgeries and hospitals will be dealing with impact of backlogsThe aftershocks of the Microsoft IT outage continued to ripple across the UK on Saturday as holidaymakers and patients suffered the brunt of the computer systems failure.Customers experienced flight cancellations, faulty train ticket machines and failures in GPs' prescription and appointment systems after a flawed security update from CrowdStrike, a US cybersecurity firm, crashed 8.5 million devices across the world running the Windows operating system. Continue reading...

Latest satellite imagery reveals new roads that appear designed to support the long-term presence of Israeli troopsIn the months before the Israeli invasion, Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah was a lifeline, a place where thousands sought shelter or scrabbled to raise funds to cross into neighbouring Egypt.Now satellite images and social media video uploaded by Israeli soldiers stationed around the city show roads widened for armoured vehicles surrounded by total destruction, including buildings razed to the ground in the once bustling city. Continue reading...

Greek Cypriots in south wake to air raid sirens reminiscent of invasion while Turkish-occupied north celebratesCyprus has marked the landmark anniversary of 50 years of ethnic division amid markedly contrasting scenes: mourning in the south and celebration in the north.At 5.20am Greek Cypriots in the internationally recognised south awoke to air raid sirens reminding them of the arrival of thousands of invading Turkish troops on the eastern Mediterranean island five decades ago. In the Turkish-occupied north, the milestone event was cause for joy, with Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, flying in to attend a military parade and fly-past commemorating the peace operation". Continue reading...

Defense attorneys said the use of ketamine, fentanyl and potassium chloride could cause excruciating suffering'Utah officials said on Saturday that they are scrapping plans to use an untested lethal drug combination in next month's planned execution of a man in a 1998 murder case. They will instead seek out a drug that's been used previously in executions in numerous states.Defense attorneys for Taberon Dave Honie, 49, had sued in state court to stop the use of the drug combination, saying it could cause the defendant excruciating suffering". Continue reading...

Accusations of abusive behaviour in rehearsal rooms complete news' to judge of the dance showStrictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has said allegations of abusive behaviour to past participants on the show have come as a shock" to him.Last weekend professional dancer Graziano Di Prima said he was leaving the BBC show after claims about his treatment of reality star Zara McDermott when they competed together last year. Continue reading...

Oil depot and electrical installations reportedly targeted in powerful attack on Red Sea port cityPowerful airstrikes rocked the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah a day after Israeli officials vowed revenge for a drone that struck Tel Aviv.Airstrikes hit a refinery and electricity infrastructure, sparking a huge blaze. It was the first direct hit on Yemen since Houthi rebels there began targeting Israel with missiles and drones last year. Continue reading...

Serious disorder' in Harehills began when children from a Roma family taken into careLeeds city council is undertaking an urgent review of the child protection case that triggered unrest in the city on Thursday night.A police car was flipped on its side and a bus burned out in what police described as serious disorder" in the Harehills area of the city, which began when children from a Roma family were taken into care. Continue reading...

Tory MP Victoria Atkins walked to dispatch box and tried to loudly interrupt environment secretaryThe shadow health secretary, Victoria Atkins, has been reprimanded for her behaviour during a parliamentary debate on the king's speech after she attempted to loudly interrupt another MP.The Conservative MP stood at the dispatch box and spoke over the secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Steve Reed, while the deputy speaker, Christopher Chope, called for order on Friday. Continue reading...

Former MPs plan to return swiftly to parliament amid fears of a lurch to the right if Conservatives fail to explore reasons for defeat Tobias Ellwood: the Conservative party faces an onerous task to rebuild itself, and every Tory must have a sayFormer Tory MPs defeated in Labour's landslide election win are calling for a formal role in the election postmortem, amid fears that their party risks a lurch to the right without a thorough examination of the defeat.Many former Conservative MPs who lost their seats by tight margins are already considering trying to make a swift return at the next opportunity. Continue reading...

Latest disclosure about security lapses comes as larger picture of Thomas Matthew Crooks' preparations emergesThomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump a week ago, was able to fly a camera-equipped drone over the fairgrounds near Butler, Pennsylvania, shortly before the former president was set to speak there, according to news reports.The latest disclosure about security lapses that preceded the shooting comes as a more complete picture of Crooks' preparations is emerging, though it still lacks any definitive motive for the 20-year-old's actions that led to Trump being grazed by a bullet, the shooting death of former fire chief Corey Comperatore and the critical wounding of two rally-goers. Continue reading...

Number of voters upbeat about the UK rises from 31% to 45% - but feelgood factor may be short-lived with key challenges on the horizonBritain has experienced a surge in optimism since the general election, with more people now upbeat about the country's future than pessimistic, in a sign that Keir Starmer is enjoying a honeymoon period after Labour's landslide victory.There has been a 14-point rise in those feeling upbeat since the election took place. Polling by the Public First consultancy found that only 31% of voters were optimistic about the country heading into the election, with 43% pessimistic. In the wake of the election, sentiment had flipped - with 45% optimistic about the country and 30% pessimistic. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Israel-Gaza war coverage hereSven Koopmans, the EU's special representative for the Middle East peace process, has said he still believes a two-state solution - a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank and in Gaza alongside Israel - is achievable despite opposition to it from Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister.In an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), he said Netanyahu's government cannot indefinitely disregard European views on resolving the conflict, with Israel needing international support amid its war in Gaza.I think that recently he was very explicit about rejecting the two-state solution.Now, that means that he has a different point of view from much of the rest of the world.It is important that we have that discussion. I am sure that in such a meeting, there will be very substantive discussions about what we expect from our partner Israel. And that relates to things that we do not see at present. Continue reading...

Mina Smallman says she has forgiven murderer but not officers who shared images of bodies in London parkMina Smallman, the mother of two women murdered in a London park, has forgiven their killer but not the two Metropolitan police officers who took and shared photos of their bodies, she said.Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were reported missing on 6 June 2020, the day before friends discovered their bodies in a park in Wembley, north London, after organising their own search party. Continue reading...

From halloumi to provoleta to comte, sales of overseas cheeses are up as UK tastes turn to the exoticHistorically, British cheese has been boring," said Jonny Crickmore, Suffolk dairy farmer and creator of the award-winning Baron Bigod brie. If you look back 40 years, it was just cheddar and red leicester, but the British are into stronger, stinkier, softer cheeses now."Sales figures show Crickmore is right: British customers are more cheese curious than ever before. Grocery retailer Ocado.com reports feta sales are up 23.2% on last year while halloumi is up 17.4% and burrata 17%. Traditional cheddar sales have only risen 4%. Continue reading...

Algorithm pushes new generation of viewers to the old ITV2 drama starring Billie PiperNetflix viewers could be forgiven for doing a double-take as they idly browsed the homepage earlier this month. Amid the latest releases and newest releases, an old ITV2 drama appeared in the UK's top 10 programmes.Secret Diary of a Call Girl, based on the anonymous blog and books by Belle de Jour - later revealed to be a pseudonym of research scientist DrBrooke Magnanti - has found a new fanbase on the streaming platform, 17 years after it first aired. It peaked at third on the most-viewed list this month, behind only Bridgerton and Benedict Cumberbatch's thriller Eric. Continue reading...

Citizens confined to homes with no internet access as student-led protests lead to deadly clashes with authoritiesPolice in Bangladesh have been granted shoot-on-sight" orders and a nationwide curfew has been imposed as student-led protests continue to roil the country, leaving more than 100 people dead.The curfew, imposed at midnight on Friday, was expected to last until Sunday morning as police tried to bring the swiftly deteriorating security situation under control, with military personnel patrolling the streets of the capital. Continue reading...

Travellers advised to check with providers for extra steps', with at least 45 UK flights cancelled on SaturdayHolidaymakers are continuing to face disruption as airlines recover from being hit by one of the biggest global IT crashes in recent history.Passengers had their travel plans ruined on Friday as thousands of flights were cancelled internationally after a botched software upgrade hit Microsoft's Windows operating system. The incident caused havoc across a number of services, with hospital appointments cancelled, payroll systems seizing up and TV channels going off air. Continue reading...

Soaring rents have driven people to live in vehicles - which has caused friction with residents and prompted the council to tow away caravansCallum peers nervously out of the gloom of his cramped, graffiti-sprayed caravan, which he shares with a tiny tabby kitten. It's not much, but the alternative is the streets.Two weeks ago, he almost lost the caravan he calls home when Bristol city council started removing live-in vans from a tree-lined lane through historic parkland in the north of the city. Continue reading...

Wormwood Scrubs prisoner Graham Gomm spent two days on run after escaping from Hammersmith hospitalA prisoner who escaped from a London hospital after falling ill at Wormwood Scrubs prison has been found and arrested.Graham Gomm, 63, escaped from custody at Hammersmith hospital early on Thursday morning. Gomm had been on remand for burglary offences at the category B men's prison in the west of the capital. Continue reading...

Actor and presenter tells Virgin Radio he feels very emotional' after completing writing of sitcom with Ruth JonesJames Corden has revealed that he and Ruth Jones have finished writing the script for Gavin and Stacey's final episode.The former talk show host, 45, announced in early May along with the show's co-creator Jones, 57, that the beloved comedy series would make a comeback. Continue reading...

Police hold 19-year-old on suspicion of arson after two children were rescued from burning vehicleA woman has been arrested after a car was deliberately set alight" while two children were still inside.The incident happened at 10.52pm on Thursday in Leeds. Continue reading...

Reuben Looks Twice Jr started growing his hair because hair clippers scared him. Now, it's an act of tributeA Native American teen who was recently crowned as the teenaged boy with the world's longest hair says he is proud that he can now represent his tribe and family to a global audience.Culturally, Lakota people have long hair," Reuben Looks Twice Jr said on Friday in an interview published by the website of Guinness World Records, which sanctioned his mark on 7 June after his hair measure 161cm (5ft 3.3in). Invoking the Lakota word for spirit", the 17-year-old added: It's part of our Nagi. It's who I am. Continue reading...

Relatively few people disappear while overseas - but when it happens there are often particular challengesA relative going missing is already one of the most difficult situations any family can go through. But when a loved one vanishes abroad, language barriers, cultural differences and significant financial challenges can make it even harder.The high-profile investigation into the disappearance of Jay Slater, 19, from Lancashire, who went missing after attending a music festival in Tenerife, concluded on Tuesday after four weeks. His mother, Debbie Duncan, who had flown out to the island soon after he was reported missing, said our hearts are broken" after a body found by rescue teams was confirmed to be his. Continue reading...

Damian Green and Steve Baker endorse shadow security minister as they seek to transcend old divisions'Two senior Tories have thrown their weight behind Tom Tugendhat to be the new Conservative party leader.Damian Green and Steve Baker lost their seats in the election earlier this month but are influential figures in the party. They have endorsed Tugendhat, who is the shadow security minister, in a joint article for the Telegraph. Continue reading...

President Xi Jinping calls for all-out efforts' to find more than 30 people after incident in Shaanxi provinceTorrential rain has caused a bridge to collapse in northern China, killing 11 people and leaving more than 30 missing, state media has said.The bridge over a river in Shangluo, Shaanxi province, buckled at about 8.40pm on Friday due to a sudden downpour and flash floods", the Xinhua agency said, citing the provincial public relations department. Continue reading...