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GFG chair Sanjeev Gupta says SA government is on the wrong course' after it forced the operation into administration

Exclusive: Review found some of the safeguards of state's once groundbreaking laws have impeded access to end-of-life choices

Ukrainian drone strike 700km across border takes Russian refinery out of service; EU prepares to step up military aid. What we know on 1,093 Continue reading...

Remark follows Ukrainian leader's claim US president living in a Russian disinformation bubble'The US and Ukraine appeared to be heading towards an irreconcilable rift after Donald Trump escalated his attacks on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling the Ukrainian president a dictator" and warning that he better move fast" or he won't have a country left".The US leader's comments on Wednesday, which were rife with falsehoods, came after Zelenskyy said Trump was trapped" in a Russian disinformation bubble," following Trump's claims that Ukraine was to blame for Russia's 2022 invasion, remarks that echoed the Kremlin's narrative. Continue reading...

This blog is closing now but you can find our latest full story on the falling out between the US and Ukraine here and all our Ukraine coverage here.Lavrov also speaks about Russia's alliances with Belarus, North Korea, China and Iran, and countries in Africa.He says the comprehensive partnership with China" was at an unprecedented level and exceeding any prior alliances of a classic type," with both leaders attending important anniversaries in each other's countries.I will tell you something that is a key issue for us at this stage of international development, and that is our move towards a multipolar world. It is a historic process, and it is to do with the subjective trend of new power centres appearing on the world map.Our partners in the Global South and in the east are unique civilisations and religions and are members of various integration associations, but all of them are united by a desire towards development, progressive development without external pressure...At the same time, we must state that the collective West, although verbally are in agreement and accepting the multipolar realities, in reality, they still want to preserve their former dominance in the West.... Continue reading...

Adam Edward Moule and Leon Sofilas arrested in prison where they were on remand in relation to earlier graffiti and fire incident at Newtown synagogue

The tomb of Thutmose II is the first pharaoh's tomb to be discovered since Tutankhamun in 1922It was when British archeologist Dr Piers Litherland saw that the ceiling of the burial chamber was painted blue with yellow stars that he realised he had just discovered the first tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh to be found in more than a century.Litherland had been exploring the Valley of the Kings in Egypt for more than a decade when he discovered a staircase which led to the tomb, now known to have belonged to Thutmose II, who reigned from 1493 to 1479BC. Continue reading...

After becoming embroiled in scandal, formerly hot startup and Wall Street star had said it would likely run out of cashTroubled electric vehicle maker Nikola has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection months after saying that it would likely run out of cash early this year.Nikola was a hot startup and rising star on Wall Street before becoming enmeshed in scandal and its founder was convicted in 2022 for misleading investors about the Arizona company's technology. Continue reading...

Education department meeting in wake of new Trump policies was incomplete and chaotic', staff sayWorkers inside the US Department of Education have described a horrible, intimidating and unnerving" atmosphere among the rank-and-file as Donald Trump vows to shut it down.Widespread panic and confusion over the department's future led to an incomplete and chaotic" staff meeting on Wednesday, according to sources, as managers tried to explain new policies. Continue reading...

Daily $9 fee designed to reduce traffic in heart of Manhattan and raise billions to upgrade subway train and bus systemsThe Trump administration announced on Wednesday it intends to rescind approval of New York City's congestion pricing program that is designed to reduce traffic in the heart of busy Manhattan and, in the process, raise billions to upgrade New York's subway train and bus systems.The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the public-private entity that provides public transportation services in the New York metro area, immediately sued the government in an effort to block its move. Continue reading...

Senate majority leader says he did not see that one coming' as GOP scrambles to save agenda before potential shutdownDonald Trump has derailed Senate Republicans' budget strategy by endorsing a competing House option, leaving GOP leaders scrambling to save their agenda just weeks before a potential government shutdown.The president's surprise intervention came just hours after Senate Republicans moved to advance their own two-track proposal, as he declared instead that he wants ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL" through the House's reconciliation process. Continue reading...

I will never fully heal', says Krystena Murray, who is white and gave birth to a Black boy after an embryo error'A Georgia woman is suing a fertility clinic after she gave birth to a child that was not hers, only to eventually give the child up to his biological parents - in effect making the woman an unwitting surrogate.After undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, 38-year-old Krystena Murray gave birth to a beautiful" baby boy and immediately realized something was wrong. The child was African American. Murray is white and chose a sperm donor with an appearance similar to her own. Continue reading...

In Brazil coup-mongers go to jail. In the US they get back into the White House,' says one leading politicianBrazilian democrats have celebrated the strength of their country's judiciary and institutions after the former president Jair Bolsonaro was left facing political oblivion and jail time for allegedly plotting a coup, in stark contrast to the US's failure to bring Donald Trump to justice for his anti-democratic acts.In Brazil coup-mongers go to jail. In the US they get back into the White House," said Marcelo Freixo, a leading leftwing politician on Wednesday after the attorney general formally accused Bolsonaro of engineering a sprawling conspiracy to cling to power following his defeat in the 2022 election. Continue reading...

Hundreds of shoppers complain that basics including bread and milk appear to be unavailable onlineHundreds of Tesco customers have reported problems with the retailer's app and website, saying they have been unable to place online orders.They took to social media to complain that a wide range of groceries were showing as unavailable when they tried to check out and complete their shop. Continue reading...

The ex-president faces charges of a murderous conspiracy while his US counterpart has surged back to powerAt the height of Jair Bolsonaro's haywire presidency, Brazilian activists projected their deepest desire on to the Tower of London, where Guy Fawkes once languished after plotting to blow up parliament and assassinate the king.Jail Bolsonaro," their wordplay read. Continue reading...

Benjamin Netanyahu signals readiness for talks on second phase by appointing adviser Ron Dermer to lead delegationHamas has said it is ready to release all its remaining hostages in a single exchange if the ceasefire agreement with Israel moves forward to a second phase next month.The offer came as the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, signalled his readiness to talk about a second phase of the Gaza ceasefire after an extended delay, by appointing one of his closest advisers, Ron Dermer, a US-born cabinet minister and former ambassador to Washington, to lead the Israeli delegation to the talks. Continue reading...

Foreign correspondents' association urges authorities to step up search for Charlotte Alice Peet, 32A British journalist has been missing in Brazil for 11 days, a foreign correspondents' association in the country said on Tuesday, urging authorities to step up their search efforts.Charlotte Alice Peet, 32, last communicated with a friend on 8 February, according to a statement from the Rio de Janeiro-based Association of Foreign Press Correspondents (ACIE). Continue reading...

More than 400 artists sign letter urging organization to resist funding ban for projects focused on DEI and genderDonald Trump's efforts to influence US cultural institutions received more pushback on Tuesday, as a group of more than 400 artists sent a letter to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) calling on the organization to resist the president's restrictions on funding for projects promoting diversity or gender ideology".The letter, first reported by the New York Times, comes after the NEA declared that federal grant applicants - which include colleges and universities, non-profit groups, individual artists and more - must comply with regulations stipulated by Trump's executive orders. The new measures bar federal funds from going toward programs focused on diversity, equity and inclusion" or used to promote gender ideology". Continue reading...

Michael Stewart abused his position to target women and subject them to traumatic ordeals', said policeA postal worker described as a calculating and dangerous predator" has been jailed for six and a half years for sexually assaulting women when he was making deliveries on his rounds.Police said that Michael Stewart abused his position to target his victims and subject them to traumatic ordeals". The family of one of his victims have blamed Stewart for her suicide. Continue reading...

Gina Cass-Gottlieb says tougher regulations may be needed to deal with complaints raised by shoppers and suppliers

Group may move primary listing to New York or elsewhere - to get optimal valuation' - in fresh blow to UK market

Young Afghan refugee brings case after move to prevent those who arrived on dangerous journey' from citizenship

Diana Johnson defends Labour's knife crime plan amid crisis in prison capacity in England and WalesKiran Stacey is a political correspondent based in WestminsterLeftwing activists in Britain are less likely to work with their political opponents than other groups and more likely to think those holding different views have been misled, a study has found. Continue reading...

Tickets to hear former prime minister speak in Edinburgh's Usher Hall cost up to 160 on top of meet-and-greetBoris Johnson is charging 121 for a handshake and a photograph before a live event in Edinburgh.The former Conservative prime minister will appear at the Usher Hall on 2 September for an event titled An Evening with Boris Johnson, which will also allow guests to take part in a question and answer session. Continue reading...

Officials who served in 1980s say Trump is opposing friends and supporting enemies: It makes me sick what's going on'Republicans who served under President Ronald Reagan during the cold war have condemned Donald Trump's move to soften relations with Russia and undermine the 80-year-old transatlantic alliance.European leaders were left reeling last week when the US vice-president, JD Vance, told the Munich Security Conference that the greatest danger facing Europe was the threat from within" and the retreat from fundamental values". Continue reading...

Weapons maker's full-year pre-tax profits top 3bn and it expects sales of more than 30bn next yearBritain's biggest weapons manufacturer, BAE Systems, has reported record orders as the European defence industry gears up for increased spending sparked by the Ukraine war.The company, a member of the FTSE 100, said it expected sales next year to top 30bn, as it reported annual profits before interest and tax of more than 3bn for the first time in 2024. Continue reading...

Anne Marie Hochhalter, pillar of strength for ... so many' after being shot in back in 1999, dies from natural causesA former Columbine high school student who only narrowly survived the deadly 1999 mass shooting there - and subsequently spent nearly three decades grappling with complications from her wounds in the attack - has died.Anne Marie Hochhalter, 44, died on Sunday from what were described as natural causes, according to a statement from the principal at Columbine when the shooting at the Colorado school occurred. Continue reading...

Software goes on sale that replicates the distinctive analogue sounds of celebrated unit where Doctor Who theme was createdWith its banks of bafflingly complex equipment, and staff members that were among the most progressive musical minds in the UK, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was a laboratory of 20th-century sound that produced endless futuristic effects for use in TV and radio - most memorably, the ghostly wail of the Doctor Who theme.Now, the Workshop's considerable archive of equipment is being recreated in new software, allowing anyone to evoke the same array of analogue sound that its pioneering engineers once did. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lack of understanding by progressive activists' of other voting blocs has led to rise of far right, authors argue

Rail commuters granted temporary reprieve from work stoppages and strikes as unions and state government try to strike pay deal

Australia's spy boss Mike Burgess highlights foreign intelligence operations, antisemitism and election disinformation in annual threat assessment speech

Records for Karl Bareham's scuba equipment could not be produced at his inquest, NSW coroner's court hears

Hydrogen sulphide gives Takayu Onsen its unmistakable sulphurous smell but can be dangerous if inhaled in high enough concentrationsThree people have died in north-east Japan in an accident that authorities suspect is linked to the inhalation of deadly gas found in the country's famed hot spring resorts.Japanese media said the three men, who all worked at a nearby hotel, were found in a mountainous area near the city of Fukushima on Tuesday. They were discovered in an area of Takayu Onsen (hot spring) where high concentrations of hydrogen sulphide, a toxic byproduct of volcanic hot springs, have been recorded. Continue reading...

Higgins and partner David Sharaz were terrified to leave the house alone' because of online threats and abuse from David William Wonnocott

As one of the last female-run stations in the country is silenced, a former broadcaster gives an inside view of the crackdown on women working in the mediaWhen the Taliban began marching towards cities across Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, Alia*, a 22-year-old Afghan journalist, found herself doing some of the most important work of her short life and career.In the weeks leading up to the Taliban takeover in August, Alia's voice on the radio became familiar to many in northern Afghanistan. She reported on the withdrawal of foreign troops, the siege of government offices and on the detention of former officials in her province.

Charges laid after two Muslim women were allegedly attacked at an Epping shopping centre on Thursday

President hits back at Ukraine's complaint that it has been left out of US-Russia talks, saying it had years to make a deal without the loss of much land'

Move allows government to act on millions of dollars in debts owed by GFG Alliance and secure future of mid-north operations

In Paris and Munich, European leaders debated ideas aimed at reshaping Europe's postwar dependence on the USPutting aside the petulant Giorgia Meloni, who drove up to the steps of the Elysee Palace in a Maserati one hour late wearing a white coat and a pose designed to reveal her disdain at being anywhere near Emmanuel Macron, most of those attending the Paris summit on Ukraine alighted on two ideas: joint defence bonds or a defence escape clause.They are two different policy options, and one much bolder than the other. Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline would not be able to make any use of either of them, but they offer an opening to unlock the levels of defence spending Europe is going to require if its postwar dependence on the US has truly come to an end. Continue reading...

Scott Marshall and Tammie Farrugia charged regarding December graffiti attack in eastern suburbs but police say alleged principal offenders' not yet arrested

Anthony Albanese condemns a suspected Islamophobic attack in a Melbourne shopping centre last week

Verdict comes after former friend A$AP Relli accused rapper of shooting him in Hollywood in 2021The musician A$AP Rocky has been found not guilty of shooting a former friend after an altercation in Hollywood in 2021, sparing him from a potentially decades-long prison sentence.A Los Angeles jury on Tuesday acquitted him of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Continue reading...

Former president has denied breaking the law, while attorney general alleges plot included a plan to poison Luiz Inacio Lula da SilvaBrazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has been charged with allegedly masterminding and leading a far-right conspiracy to cling to power through a military coup.The South American country's attorney general, Paulo Gonet, levelled the charges against the radical rightwing populist and several key allies on Tuesday night. He accused Bolsonaro and six key associates of leading a criminal organization with an authoritarian power project". The alleged plot, he wrote, included a plan to poison Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and shoot dead Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a foe of the former president. Continue reading...

New raft of measures labelled Ronan's law include tougher sentences for those caught selling blades to under-18sRetailers will be required to report suspicious or bulk purchases of knives, and those caught selling blades to under-18s will face tougher sentences under a new raft of measures to clamp down on young people's access to weapons labelled Ronan's law.Named after Ronan Kanda, the 16-year-old killed in Wolverhampton in 2022 by a teenager carrying a 22in ninja blade he had ordered online, the new laws are part of a raft of anti-knife crime plans announced by the government on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Proposals designed to restore trust in politics would also criminalise the making of false statements to win votesElected politicians who deliberately lie could be forced from office under proposals designed to put Wales at the forefront of the global challenge" to restore trust in politics.Radical changes suggested by the Welsh parliament standards committee would also make candidates in elections liable to criminal prosecution for making any false statement to win votes. Continue reading...

There are two awards apiece for the UK artists, while Nigerian singer Ayra Starr also wins two at Newcastle-hosted ceremony for Black musical excellenceSeventeen years since his debut single, British rapper Bashy has capped his long-awaited return to music with two wins at the 2025 Mobo awards, given each year to the best music of Black origin in the UK and overseas.The 40-year-old vocalist and actor, born Ashley Thomas, won best hip-hop act as well as album of the year for Being Poor Is Expensive. While it didn't make the UK charts, the album earned critical acclaim and a dedicated audience on streaming, drawn to its examination of race, mental health and working-class life in north-west London. Continue reading...

Guyana plans to take all necessary measures' for security as tensions likely to further rise between the two countriesSix soldiers in Guyana have been injured after armed men in neighboring Venezuela opened fire, in an attack expected to further heighten tensions between the two South American countries.Two of the soldiers are in critical condition following Monday's attack, according to the head of Guyana's army, the chief of staff Brig Gen Omar Khan, who blamed suspected gang members. Continue reading...

The Emergency Lawyers network said the RSF killed civilians south of Khartoum, with hundreds more either wounded or missingSudanese paramilitaries have killed more than 200 people in a three-day assault south of Khartoum, according to a lawyers' network, while the army-backed government put the death toll at more than double that figure.The Emergency Lawyers network, which has documented human rights abuses during 22 months of fighting between the rival security forces, said hundreds more were wounded or missing and feared drowned after the paramilitaries opened fire on villagers as they attempted to flee across the White Nile. Continue reading...

Pontiff, 88, already in hospital when latest diagnosis made, as Vatican confirms medical situation is complex'Pope Francis has been diagnosed with double pneumonia after further tests showed a continuing complex" medical situation, the Vatican said in a statement on Tuesday.The pontiff, 88, underwent a chest X-ray, which demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia that required further pharmacological therapy". Continue reading...

Thailand and Vietnam now often seen as more cost-effective' than visiting traditional European favouritesHoliday companies are reporting a surge in demand for long-haul breaks amid claims that the likes of Thailand and Vietnam are now often more cost-effective" than visiting traditional European favourites.On Tuesday, the travel brand Kuoni said long-haul bookings for the year ahead were 14% higher than at the same point in 2024. Continue reading...