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The annual event, which promotes literacy, is celebrating 80 years as part of Australian school lifeBook Week is in full swing, marking it's 80th year celebrating all things reading and literacy for Australia's schoolchildren.The theme for the week, which runs from Saturday 16 to Saturday 23 August, is Book an Adventure", encouraging children to explore new worlds through stories. Continue reading...

In a New Zealand television interview, relatives spoke of their anguish since Tom Phillips disappeared with his three children in late 2021The family of a fugitive father who has been hiding for more than three years in New Zealand's rugged wilderness with his three children has pleaded with the man to come home, in some of their first public comments since he vanished.Just before Christmas 2021, Tom Phillips fled into the Waikato wilderness with his children Ember, now 9, Maverick, 1o, and Jayda, 12, following a dispute with their mother. Phillips does not have legal custody of his children. Continue reading...

Australian home affairs minister's criticism comes after Israeli prime minister calls Anthony Albanese a weak politician who betrayed Israel'

Mixed classes would widen children's understanding and reduce stigma and disinformation about periods, researchers sayBoys and girls should be taught together in mixed classes about menstruation to help reduce the stigma, secrecy and disinformation which still surrounds periods, according to researchers.A new study by University College London (UCL) claims schoolchildren are being given insufficient information about periods, with many receiving just two lessons during their entire school career: one at primary level and one in secondary school. Continue reading...

Belief that snack chain's revenues exceed those of Oxford one of many underestimations of importance of HE sectorManchester United and Greggs' famous sausage rolls are no match for the financial firepower of Britain's leading universities, despite many members of the public thinking otherwise, according to research.The study by King's College London's policy institute revealed that many people have a string of misperceptions about the higher education sector, ranging from its size to the lucrative career boost it gives to graduates. Continue reading...

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Yvette Cooper joins a long line of home secretaries struggling to find substitutes for hotels as anti-migrant fervour growsYvette Cooper, thanks to Tuesday's high court ruling, is facing potentially explosive decisions over where to house asylum seekers if courts rule that they must leave hotels.The Home Office, usually under Conservative ministers, has been struggling for five years to find an alternative to hotels so they can house a growing number of asylum seekers reaching these shores. Continue reading...

Officers say they found 1.4kg of drug inside toy in woman's underwear and also accused her of hiding ecstasy pillsA Peruvian woman has been arrested in Bali after allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine into the Indonesian resort island using a sex toy and hiding drugs in her underwear, police said.The 42-year-old, identified only by her initials NS, arrived at Bali's international airport from Qatar on 12 August when authorities became suspicious. Continue reading...

Internal review by the National Police Air Service finds the crew acted appropriately' during pursuitA police helicopter crew will face no action after flying at low altitude while pursuing a suspect on a motorbike in Merseyside.Video footage was published on social media last week showing a National Police Air Service (Npas) helicopter pursuing the man, which resulted in the detention of the suspect for numerous alleged offences including dangerous driving, driving a motor vehicle which had been taken without the owner's consent, driving while disqualified, failing to stop and conspiring to intentionally/recklessly cause a public nuisance. A second suspect was arrested for alleged theft of a motor vehicle and assisting an offender. Continue reading...

Bad Omens star, who grew up in Port Talbot, tells Edinburgh TV festival schemes that helped him break into profession are all but goneMichael Sheen has warned the pathways that helped him break into acting have all but collapsed, as he said the bank of mum and dad" would be unable to support aspiring actors from poorer communities.The Bad Omens star, who grew up in the working class community of Port Talbot, said he had benefited from school support, youth theatres and grants that have since come under financial pressure or been abolished entirely. Continue reading...

With sales and market share shrinking, the notion that the chain could imperil Tesco and Sainsbury's always felt fanciful

MSF says low vaccination coverage and poor living conditions driving spread of deadly bacterial diseaseDiphtheria cases are rapidly increasing across Somalia, officials and humanitarians warn, with children accounting for more than 97% of the cases.Diphtheria, a highly contagious and deadly bacterial disease that mainly affects children, is preventable by a vaccine. While Somalia has improved vaccination rates in recent years, the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) blames the uptick in cases on persisting immunisation gaps. Continue reading...

Fashion retailer considered 50bn float in London but has not received backing from Chinese authorities

Goal of European leaders at White House meeting was to try to push the Russian leader into a corner

Pierre Poilievre returns to House of Commons after shock April loss and narrower margin in Tory strongholdCanada's Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, has won a closely watched byelection in the province of Alberta, giving him a chance to return to parliament after suffering a shock defeat in April's federal election.Poilievre finished with 80.4% of the vote after Monday's election in the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, in the deeply Conservative western province. Continue reading...

Strike over wages and ground work has cancelled travel for 500,000 people worldwideAir Canada flight attendants say they have reached a tentative" deal with the airline to end a strike over wages and ground work that has cancelled travel for half a million people worldwide.Roughly 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job after midnight Saturday, insisting Air Canada had failed to address their demands for higher pay and compensation for unpaid ground work, including during boarding. Continue reading...

Israel's prime minister accuses Australian leader of abandoning' Jews as tension escalates over visa cancellation and Palestinian recognition

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Flood concerns along east coast and severe weather warning for west coast amid national cold snap

WA premier describes horrifying scenario' after workers found child's body while cleaning drain on Monday

Trial's advisory board may not see the final report until communications minister releases it publicly in the coming weeks

Heavy traffic expected on some roads, while rail passengers urged to check for engineering worksHolidaymakers in Britain have been warned they could face delays when travelling this weekend as the weight of almost 18m car journeys and widespread rail engineering works are expected to cause disruption over the August bank holiday, celebrated in England and Wales.The RAC said drivers should set off as early as possible to avoid heavy traffic, particularly on major routes to airports and coastal areas. The south-east and south-west of England are expected to see the heaviest congestion. Continue reading...

Ex-footballer in running for National Television award after controversy in which he shared social media post about ZionismGary Lineker has been shortlisted for the National Television award for best TV presenter, a few months after his exit from the BBC's Match Of The Day.The former footballer will compete against Ant and Dec, who have won the prize for 23 years in a row. Continue reading...

Labor calls on Brad Battin to apologise after appearance at active crime scene before victim's next of kin were notified

Director names his masterpiece' film, along with his favourite and the one he was born to make'It's one of cinema's most contested subjects: which Quentin Tarantino movie is the best? The director himself has finally weighed in - while also sharing his personal favourite and which of his films he was born to make".Speaking on The Church of Tarantino podcast, the 62-year-old film-maker said his 2009 second world war drama Inglourious Basterds was the best of his nine films, while his 2019 movie Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood was his favourite. Continue reading...

Education secretary urges schools to change uniform requirements as costs force many parents into debtParents in England are skipping meals and turning to buy-now-pay-later services such as Klarna in order to afford school uniforms before the autumn term, according to a survey.Almost half (47%) of the 2,000 parents who took part in the poll said they were worried about uniform costs, which can run into hundreds of pounds due to expensive branded items, while more than a quarter (29%) said they had forgone food or heating to pay for uniforms. Continue reading...

Shadow minister posts picture of himself at protest outside Essex hotel that has become anti-immigration flashpointRobert Jenrick has been severely criticised by Labour after the shadow justice secretary was pictured at an anti-asylum rally in Essex attended by a veteran far-right activist.Jenrick posted photos on X showing himself visiting the protest outside the Bell hotel in Epping, where police have been attacked and police vehicles vandalised by groups of men taking part in the demonstration. The MP met protesters including a woman with a T-shirt bearing the message: Send them home." Continue reading...

Penny Wong calls decision unjustified', and follows Australia's refusal of a visa for the far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman

Family of Edgar Lungu trying to prevent repatriation of his body for state funeral presided over by his successorA furious row is raging over whether the Zambian president, Hakainde Hichilema, will preside over the funeral of his predecessor, Edgar Lungu, as the former president's family wage a legal battle in South Africa to try to prevent his body from being repatriated.The legal fight marks the latest twist in a feud between the two men that goes back at least a decade and has now outlasted the former president, who died in South Africa in June aged 68 while being treated for an undisclosed illness. Continue reading...

Hamas official tells Reuters news agency it has approved latest Gaza ceasefire proposal. This live blog is closed

Deal would include 60-day halt to violence and exchange of half of living Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisonersHamas officials say they have accepted a proposal for a Gaza ceasefire deal that would include the release of half of the approximately 20 remaining living Israeli hostages as part of a phased resolution to the war, as Gaza health officials said 62,000 Palestinians had died in the 22 months of war.The proposed deal follows negotiations between Hamas and Egyptian and Qatari officials that have been taking place in Cairo in recent days, and comes after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was confronted on Sunday by Israel's biggest protests of the war, which called for a deal to secure the release of the hostages. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president says latest strikes have killed at least 10 people and intended to humiliate diplomatic efforts'

Backbenchers say party leadership is criticising Labour government for policies introduced by Conservatives

Police said multiple resources were deployed to Alexander Heights after they received reports about 1pm

Ridicule of Trump-Putin summit turns to frustration at suggestion Ukraine could give up unoccupied land for peace

Simcha Rothman - a supporter of plan to remove Palestinians from Gaza - was scheduled to appear at events in Sydney and Melbourne

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Mother of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was killed aged nine in 2022, joins others to call for courage in tackling gun crimeThe mother of a girl who was killed as a result of gang violence in Liverpool has joined the families of other victims of gun crime to speak out against it.Olivia Pratt-Korbel was nine when she was killed in her home in Dovecoat on 22 August 2022. She was shot by Thomas Cashman, a drug dealer, as he chased a competitor. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Victoria McCloud says court undermined her rights to a fair trial when it refused to hear her evidenceThe UK's first transgender judge has launched a case against the UK in the European court of human rights challenging the process that led to the supreme court's ruling on biological sex.The retired judge Victoria McCloud, who is now a litigation strategist at W-Legal, is seeking a rehearing of the case, arguing that the supreme court undermined her article 6 rights to a fair trial when it refused to hear representation from her and did not hear evidence from any other trans individuals or groups. Continue reading...

Figure is about a third of budget from central government while thousands of families face prospect of homelessnessMore than 300m given to English councils to help Ukrainian refugees into accommodation has not been spent, while thousands of them face homelessness.Freedom of information requests to 150 councils in England, shared with the Guardian, identified that 327m - about a third of the 1bn budget - was still sitting in council bank accounts more than three years after Russia invaded Ukraine. Continue reading...

NSW police say two people shot multiple times outside the Harold Park hotel by assailants who left the Forest Lodge scene by car

Government says 100 community diagnostic centres are open seven days a week for services such as MRI scansPatients in England now have greater access to important tests such as MRI scans and endoscopies in the evenings and weekends, the government has said, after increasing the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) offering out of hours services.There are 170 CDCs operating in England, which are often in shopping centres, football stadiums and on university campuses. Patients can access them through a referral from their GP or clinical teams at hospitals. Continue reading...

Campaign group that won supreme court case brings challenge over transgender guidance in schools and prisonsA campaign group that won a legal victory on the definition of gender is taking action against the Scottish government over policies it says are inconsistent" with the ruling.For Women Scotland's legal battle with Scottish ministers over the definition of a woman ended in the UK's supreme court, which ruled in April that the words woman" and sex" in the Equality Act 2010 referred to a biological woman and biological sex. Continue reading...

First Atlantic hurricane of 2025 diminishes but tropical storm warnings issued for Turks and CaicosHurricane Erin was downgraded to a category 3 hurricane early Sunday as its outer bands continued to lash the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with heavy rains and tropical-storm force winds.While Erin's maximum winds diminished, the storm's overall size grew and forecasters issued tropical storm warnings for the Turks and Caicos Islands and a watch for the south-east Bahamas. Continue reading...

Lady Mary Crawley's wedding dress and the Granthams' family car, a 1925 Sunbeam Saloon, are among the lotsDownton Abbey fans will be able to secure a souvenir from the period drama as costumes worn by the characters, furniture used to adorn the stately home, and even the family car used in the popular ITV series and subsequent films are to be sold at auction for charity.A dress worn by the late Dame Maggie Smith, who starred as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, is one of the star lots. Continue reading...

Union to challenge order issued less than 12 hours after start of action that has left more than 100,000 travellers strandedAir Canada's flight attendants plan to remain on strike, their union has said, defying government efforts to force them back to work and into binding arbitration over a dispute that has left more than 100,000 travellers stranded around the world during the peak summer travel season.About 10,000 flight attendants who work for Canada's largest airline walked out on the job early on Saturday amid a bitter dispute over what the union has described as poverty wages" and unpaid labour. Continue reading...

PM has positioned himself as someone who can get along with US president while stressing Europe's red lines

Attempt to secure pre-pack administration deal comes as government officials step up planning for its collapseSanjeev Gupta is preparing a last-ditch attempt to save the remaining arm of his Liberty Steel business as government officials step up planning for a collapse of the business within days.Gupta is understood to have spent the weekend planning an 11th-hour rescue deal to save the company's Speciality Steel UK (SSUK) division days before a courtroom showdown with its creditors on Wednesday. Continue reading...

A growing focus on hunger in Gaza in the global media has led some Israeli outlets to report on it for the first timeImages of Palestinian children in Gaza, emaciated by hunger under the blockade imposed by Israel, and of families grieving the more than 61,000 people killed in the territory have stirred outrage among foreign governments and much of the global public. Inside Israel, however, the reaction has been markedly different.In a poll conducted in late July by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), more than three-quarters of Jewish Israelis - 79% - said they were either not very troubled" or not troubled at all" by reports of famine and suffering among Gaza's Palestinian population. Continue reading...

Ryan Wardwell was rappelling down Seven Teacups falls when extreme hydraulics' trapped him behind a cascadeA California man who recently became trapped behind a waterfall for two days while climbing was dramatically rescued by police utilizing a helicopter.Ryan Wardwell, 46, of Long Beach, went to waterfalls known as the Seven Teacups on 10 August with plans to rappel down, the sheriff's office of Tulare country said in a social media post. But the extreme hydraulics" of the waterfalls pushed Wardwell off his rappelling lines and trapped him behind a cascade of the Kern river, according to the sheriff's office. Continue reading...