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Jordan Patten, 19, allegedly wrote a document in which he expressed a desire to attack Labor politicians before visiting Tim Crakanthorp's office

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In today's newsletter: In the first presidential debate of this campaign, the incumbent looked slow on his feet and could not match the energy of his mendacious opponent, Donald Trump Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Despite being a rematch, it was a night of many firsts for Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who took part in the earliest presidential debate in modern US history. It was the first debate since John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960 that took place without an audience. It was the first time two US presidents have debated each other for the presidency and the first time, reportedly, that Biden and Trump have been in the same room since their last debate in October 2020. And we all remember how well that went - with Trump turning up with Covid and Biden seen as a clear winner.UK election | A Reform UK activist in the constituency where Nigel Farage is standing has been secretly filmed making extremely racist comments about Rishi Sunak, as well as using Islamophobic and other offensive language. Farage said he was dismayed" by the views expressed.France | Marine Le Pen has said she expects her far-right National Rally (RN) party to win an absolute majority in France's general election. In an interview with a local newspape, Le Pen said Emmanuel Macron won't have much choice" but to appoint her protege, 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, as prime minister because he will have a mandate from the French people".Health | One person has died and more than 120 others have been hospitalised in the UK amid an E coli outbreak linked to lettuce in sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in major supermarkets and retail chains, health officials have said.Environment | Thousands of polluted landfills across England could be leaking toxic chemicals into the environment and harming people who live nearby, experts have warned.Iran | The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has announced fresh sanctions against Iran's petroleum sector in response to what he described as an expansion of the country's nuclear programme which has provoked renewed fears that it is preparing to build an atomic bomb. Continue reading...

Ex-NRL player thanks his supporters outside Sydney's Downing Centre court after prosecutors elected not to proceed to fourth trial

May budget had previously predicted surplus of $9.3bn in 2023-24 but that has been boosted by earlier than anticipated payment of corporate taxes

Labour talked tough on regulation in its manifesto, but questions have been raised about how it will proceed with legislation if it comes into officeIn February 2020, with the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader heating up, Keir Starmer's office received a helping hand.Peter Coates, the head of the dynasty behind Stoke-based online gambling company Bet365, donated 25,000 to Starmer's office. Continue reading...

Blinken says Tehran has expanded uranium enrichment project in ways that have no credible peaceful purpose'The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has announced fresh sanctions against Iran's petroleum sector in response to what he described as an expansion of the country's nuclear programme which has provoked renewed fears that it is preparing to build an atomic bomb.The embargoes - on three unnamed entities involved in the transport of Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products - were announced amid a chorus of warnings of a renewed conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran's proxy Hezbollah, the powerful Shia group that dominates Lebanon. Continue reading...

Estonia's PM, Kaja Kallas, set to become the EU's top diplomat, while former Portuguese PM Antonio Costa takes over as president of the European CouncilUrsula von der Leyen has clinched the nomination to serve a second term as president of the European Commission, despite Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni's complaints of a wrong" process.Estonia's prime minister, Kaja Kallas, is set to become the EU's top diplomat, representing the bloc on the world stage for the next five years. The former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa has been elected to take over as president of the European Council, putting him in charge of finding compromises between the 27 heads of state and government. Continue reading...

Sixty-eight minors, five with cancer, allowed to enter Israel before travelling to Egypt and elsewhere for treatmentA group of critically ill children have been allowed to leave Gaza, the first such medical evacuation since early May when Israel seized control of Rafah, the territory's sole border crossing with the outside world.68 minors, including five who have cancer, were allowed to travel through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel on Thursday, and were to travel to Egypt and further abroad for medical treatment. Continue reading...

City council ends a year-long battle to save the iconic' Spanish colonial property from developersMarilyn Monroe's Brentwood, Los Angeles, home has been saved from destruction after a year-long battle to save the property from developers. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles city council unanimously voted to designate the movie star's Spanish colonial home a historic cultural monument.We have an opportunity to do something today that should've been done 60 years ago. There's no other person or place in the city of Los Angeles as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her Brentwood home," councilmember Traci Park told the assembly. Continue reading...

Company accused staff member of aggressive behaviour' after she raised concerns about far-right group gatheringBrewDog has been accused of sacking an Asian woman after she voiced her distress when members of the far-right English Defence League met in the London bar where she worked.The former staff member said members of the EDL had gathered unchallenged at the punk" brewer's flagship bar in Waterloo, ahead of a rally to mark St George's Day on 23 April. Continue reading...

Gareth Jenkins says past accusation against high-profile victim of Horizon IT scandal was totally inappropriate'A former Fujitsu engineer has apologised for emails in which he accused Seema Misra, a high-profile victim of the Post Office's Horizon IT scandal, of jumping on the bandwagon" in questioning the reliability of the organisation's computer system.Gareth Jenkins, a former senior engineer at Fujitsu, which developed the Horizon system, was giving evidence for a third day to a public inquiry examining why the Post Office wrongly prosecuted hundreds of branch operators for financial discrepancies before it emerged that the system was unreliable. Continue reading...

Almost 12,000 rough sleepers were seen by outreach workers in 2023-24, a 19% increase on the previous yearRough sleeping in the capital has hit the highest level in a decade, with more than 1,100 people living on London's streets for the first time because of evictions.The number of new rough sleepers seen for the first time by outreach workers between April 2023 and March 2024, surged 25% to 7,974 people - the highest in at least four years. Almost one in 10 people living on the streets was aged 25 or under - including 13 children. Continue reading...

HMRC data shows 26% more people over state pension age paying tax on earnings than in 2021-22

Minister says more consultation with states would be a circle-jerk' after Coalition and Greens team up to delay vote on NDIS reforms until late August

Scotland Yard says officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over alleged theft of moneyA Metropolitan police officer has been charged with misconduct in public office over the alleged theft of money from a man who died after collapsing, the force has said.More details soon ... Continue reading...

Met and Gambling Commission to focus on whether alleged use of confidential information constitutes cheating

Rights groups protesting at Modi government's view that criminalising sexual assault violates sanctity' of marriageCampaigners angry that marital rape is not to be criminalised under India's long-awaited new penal code have been promised a ruling on the issue by the supreme court next month.Human rights organisations, including the All India Democratic Women's Association, have been petitioning India's supreme court to make it a criminal offence. The court has in turn asked the government for a response. Continue reading...

Donald Trump and Joe Biden will take part on Thursday in the first presidential debate in a race currently in a dead heat. Plus: Life in the DMZ

From midnight-blue strapless dress with diamante stars to basket-hilt broadsword from 1938, bidding has begunAn auction of items owned by the United Kingdom's royal family will include such gems as an evening gown worn by Diana, Princess of Wales; a custom fur coat owned by Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor; a Scottish Highland officer's sword belonging to the Duke of Windsor and already fetching a bid of $15,000; and actual gems: a diamond-encrusted watch pendant that once belonged to King George V.Hosted by Julien's Auctions and held at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel in California, Thursday's auction features the largest collection of Princess Diana's clothing since her own historic 1997 charity auction at Christie's. More than 50 items - dresses, suits, shoes, handbags and accessories - in the auction of royal mementos and baubles are from the Princess Diana collection alone. Continue reading...

Five-day strike by junior doctors is the 11th action in their long-running pay disputeI'm itching to get back to work, to get back to the grindstone," says Matthew Alexander, a junior radiology doctor. Nobody wants to be here, nobody wants to be on strike." Alexander, 30, is one of about 50 junior doctors on a Thursday morning picket line at the Friarage hospital in Northallerton, a bustling market town in Rishi Sunak's sprawling North Yorkshire constituency.It's a sunny day; there's cheerful, enthusiastic chanting and lots of support from drivers who honk their horns, but it is abundantly clear that only Betty, a laid-back 11-year-old jackapoo, is anywhere approaching happy to be here. Continue reading...

Boys were carrying knives including a sickle when they broke into former Wallabies star's home in Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo

Find out who's up and who's down in the latest polls - and how many seats each party is likely to win in the 2024 general election

Opposition leader also tells economic forum his electorate goes crazy if there is the suggestion of a 5G tower'

Exclusive: Rohan Bandil says this was not the intention' after hallucinations and unexpected toxicity leads to health warnings and nation-wide recall

Court hears young mother wanted to leave to Queensland to protect her baby'

Julian Assange's wife says it is now up to others to dig out information after ban imposed on WikiLeaks founder

Ten's lawyer says its costs from the failed defamation trial have been calculated at $3.7m but it is seeking a lesser lump sum

This live blog is now closed, you can read our full report on this debate hereYouGov will have a snap poll on who won the debate, with the results available minutes after it finishes.This is what Labour is putting out ahead of the debate, in a stateement from Pat McFadden, the national campaign coordinator.Tonight, the British people will witness the choice at this election: five more years of chaos with Rishi Sunak's Conservatives or change with Keir Starmer and Labour.On 4 July, the British people will have the chance to vote for change. To stop the chaos, turn the page and start to rebuild our country with Keir Starmer and a changed Labour party.Tonight, Keir Starmer has the opportunity to announce loud and clear to the British public what his intentions are.Throughout this campaign we have challenged the Labour party, time and time again, to come clean on their plans for taxes. Time and time again they have declined to do so. Continue reading...

Robotaxi service recovering from gruesome collision with pedestrian that triggered suspension of California licenseGeneral Motors on Tuesday named a veteran technology executive with roots in the video game industry to steer its troubled robotaxi service Cruise as it tries to recover from a gruesome collision that triggered the suspension of its California license and the removal of all its robotaxis from the state's roads.Marc Whitten, one of the key engineers behind the Xbox video game console, will take over as Cruise's chief executive nearly nine months after one of the service's robotaxis dragged a jaywalking pedestrian - who had just been struck by a vehicle driven by a human - across a darkened street in San Francisco before coming to a stop. Continue reading...

Incident at Cannock has been referred to Independent Office for Police Conduct due to recent contact with forcePolice have launched a murder investigation after the bodies of a man and a woman were found in a house in Staffordshire.Officers were called at about 12.30pm on Tuesday after paramedics had attended the address in Cannock. Continue reading...

A number of political figures have been accused of placing suspicious bets in the lead-up to the electionThe Metropolitan police are to take an expanded role in investigating the criminal allegations triggered by the Westminster betting scandal, which is continuing to overshadow the election campaign.Sources confirmed that talks between the Gambling Commission, which has been investigating multiple suspicious bets on the election date, and Scotland Yard have been continuing for days. Continue reading...

Special rapporteurs working for UN warn famine is imminent and over 25 million people need urgent helpHuman rights experts working for the United Nations have accused Sudan's warring parties of using starvation as a war weapon, amid mounting warnings of imminent famine in the African country.Sudan plunged into chaos in April last year when simmering tensions between the country's military and a notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country. Continue reading...

Labour officials said to be upset that Jovan Owusu-Nepaul was gaining traction for viral social media posts

Organiser Emily Eavis says it is best moment of the year', as visitors sprayed with water as they set up campGlastonbury attenders were setting up camp in sweltering temperatures as the 54th edition of the UK's best-known festival got under way on the hottest day of the year so far.Temperatures in the UK soared to 30C on Wednesday, and at Glastonbury music fans were sprayed with water as they made their way around the 364-hectare site, which opened at 8am to fans who had queued overnight. Continue reading...

Actor criticised Tory minister's views on sex and gender and said she should shut up'

Trial over stabbing of Kennie Carter was latest of several high-profile joint enterprise prosecutions involving groups of Black youths in the city

Festival severs Army and defense contractor sponsorships after more than 80 artists withdrew from 2024 editionSouth by Southwest has discontinued its partnership with the US Army and the defense contractor RTX Corporation for its 2025 festival in response to concerns from numerous artists who withdrew from the 2024 event, the festival announced on Wednesday.After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model," the festival said in a statement on its website's FAQ page. As a result, the US army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025." Continue reading...

Paul Anderson, who has been in post for 10 months, is under investigation for alleged inappropriate behaviourA chief constable has announced his retirement after being told he was under investigation for alleged inappropriate behaviour after complaints by junior staff, the Guardian has learned.On Tuesday Paul Anderson's retirement as leader of Humberside police was announced, just 10 months after taking the role. Continue reading...

Jury finds multiple agencies' contributed to death of Aleena, 35, who was attacked in east London in June 2022Failures across multiple agencies" contributed to the death of Zara Aleena, who was murdered as she walked home from a night out in east London, an inquest jury has found.Jordan McSweeney killed the 35-year-old law graduate as she walked home from a night out in Ilford in the early hours of 26 June 2022, nine days after he was released from prison. Continue reading...

Nearly 1,000 people charged in five years in England and Wales under doctrine that supreme court said had taken wrong turn'The number of people facing murder and manslaughter charges despite not being the principal offender has risen significantly, amid official warnings about the use of joint enterprise laws.Nearly 1,000 people have been charged and more than 600 convicted in the past five years in England and Wales even though they may not have been physically responsible or present at the crime scene. Continue reading...

William Ruto said he had listened to the people of Kenya, who gathered across the country to oppose the lawThe Kenyan president, William Ruto, has withdrawn a bill to raise taxes a day after violent protests erupted around the country following its approval by parliament.Ruto said he would not sign the finance bill after violent clashes between police and protesters at the Kenyan assembly and across the country left at least 23 people dead and scores wounded, according to medics. Continue reading...

Motion filed claims Georgia's deputy attorney general violated attorney-client privileges of multiple defendantsGeorgia's deputy attorney general violated the attorney-client privileges of multiple defendants in its case against 61 people accused of organizing a criminal conspiracy in their opposition to the Cop City" police training center, according to a motion filed this week and the Guardian's reporting.The motion filed Monday petitions Fulton county superior court to dismiss the charges against three of the defendants who run a bail fund known as the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. It also aims to disqualify both the attorney general's office and the Atlanta police from continuing to prosecute the case. Additionally, a hearing is sought on the matter. Continue reading...

Outgoing Dutch PM will take over from Jens Stoltenberg as secretary-general in OctoberJosep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, has issued a statement on Russia's decision to block a number of European media. He did so on his own after Hungary blocked a joint EU27 statement.The EU condemns the totally unfounded decision by the Russian authorities to block access to over eighty European media in Russia," Borrell said.The banned European media work according to journalistic principles and standards. They give factual information, also to Russian audiences, including on Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.In contrast, the Russian disinformation and propaganda outlets, against which the EU has introduced restrictive measures, do not represent a free and independent media. Their broadcasting activities in the EU have been suspended because these outlets are under the control of the Russian authorities and they are instrumental in supporting the war of aggression against Ukraine. Continue reading...

Pair will face retrial over baby's death after jury in previous trial was discharged at Old Bailey last weekConstance Marten and her partner, Mark Gordon, have been found guilty of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice after the body of their baby daughter was found following a high-profile search, it can now be reported.Marten, 37, and Gordon, 50, had also faced charges of manslaughter by gross negligence and causing or allowing the death of a child, all of which they denied. Continue reading...

Court strikes down a lower court ruling, permitting government to call on platforms to remove falsehoodsThe US supreme court has struck down a lower court ruling in the case of Murthy v Missouri, finding that the government's communications with social media platforms about Covid-19 misinformation did not violate the first amendment. The court's decision permits the government to call on tech companies to remove falsehoods and establishes boundaries around free speech online.Conservative blocAlito - MinorityBarrett - MajorityGorsuch - MinorityKavanaugh - MajorityRoberts - MajorityThomas - MinorityJackson - MajorityKagan - MajoritySotomayor - Majority Continue reading...

World's first emissions tax on agriculture will require farmers to pay for greenhouse gas pollution from livestockFarmers in Denmark will have to pay for planet-heating pollutants that their cattle expel as gas, after the government agreed to set the world's first emissions tax on agriculture.The agreement - reached on Monday night after months of fraught negotiations between farmers, industry, politicians and environmental groups - will introduce an effective tax of 120 kroner (14) per ton of greenhouse gas pollution from livestock in 2030, which will rise to 300 kroner per ton in 2035. Continue reading...

The work and pensions secretary's colleagues must be trapped under something heavy because no one but Stride is pulling their weight

Move fuels fears that Viktor Orban's government is increasing efforts to crack down on independent voicesA Hungarian transparency watchdog and independent media outlet say they have been targeted in an investigation designed to intimidate voices critical of the government of Hungary's far-right prime minister, Viktor Orban.On Tuesday, Transparency International Hungary, an NGO, and Atlatszo, one of the country's best-known investigative outlets, said they had received formal notification that they were being investigated as organisationsthat, using support from abroad, conduct activities aimed at influencing the will of the voters". Continue reading...

Alice Diop, whose documentaries have explored the lives of people in housing estates, wants to mobilise voters against the far rightThe award-winning French film-maker Alice Diop has warned of rampant racism" in France and launched a collective to mobilise residents of housing estates to vote in the snap election in an attempt to hold back the far right.For people like me it's life or death," said the acclaimed director, as Marine Le Pen's far-right anti-immigration National Rally (RN) is forecast by pollsters to take the largest number of seats in the French parliament on 7 July and is seeking an absolute majority to form a government. Continue reading...