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Builder also says outlook for house sales improving as consumer confidence returns after interest rate cutPersimmon has strengthened its housebuilding forecasts for the year, saying it has been encouraged" by the new Labour government's planning reforms.The company, which is one of the UK's largest housebuilders, said its outlook was already being bolstered by improving consumer confidence, having seen an uptick in visits by potential buyers. Continue reading...

Investigation cleared NSW police commissioner of serious misconduct after she bought 50 bottles of gin from her friend's distillery to give as gifts

Reserve Bank governor says there is considerable uncertainty' over Australia's economic future and the board remains vigilant'

Increase in anti-Jewish targeting linked to Israel and war in Gaza, says Community Security TrustAntisemitic incidents in the UK more than doubled in the first half of 2024 compared with the same period the previous year, attributed to the war in Gaza, according to a leading Jewish charity.The total number of incidents recorded for the first six months of this year was 1,978. The comparable number for 2023 was 964. Continue reading...

People using airguns, slingshots and crossbows for fun' behind rise in animal attacks in England and WalesWeapon attacks on cats in England and Wales more than doubled in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2023, as the RSPCA warns of a rise in violence against animals.Data released on Thursday by the animal charity shows 44 cats were shot with a weapon such as an air gun, slingshot, catapult or crossbow from January to June 2024, compared with 18 in the same period last year. Continue reading...

GMC findings paint a grim picture of the working lives, morale and wellbeing of UK doctors, with many reducing hours and declining additional workNHS doctors are at breaking point", with almost a fifth cutting their hours and two in five refusing to take on extra work to avoid becoming burnt out, new research has found.A third of medics are struggling" and unable to cope with heavy workloads that force them to regularly work extra hours to keep up with the demands for care, the General Medical Council (GMC) said. Continue reading...

In my dealings with Australians it always pays to be incredibly simple,' Chris Luxon tells MPsNew Zealand's prime minister has defended the removal of the Mori language from an official invitation sent to an Australian government minister by saying in my dealings with Australians it always pays to be incredibly simple".The National party leader Christopher Luxon's comment, during question time in parliament, came in response to questioning from the Labour opposition leader, Chris Hipkins, about the government's use of the Mori language, known as te reo Mori. Continue reading...

Green' pensions would indicate value for money, with the plan requiring employers to help 16m workers with pensions get best dealsWorkplace pension schemes could be rated with a traffic-light system under plans designed to help savers get the most out of their retirement savings.About 16 million workers save for their retirement through defined contribution pension schemes where the income they ultimately receive depends on a range of factors, including the performance of the funds they are invested in and the charges. Continue reading...

Demonstrators form human shields in towns and cities across England, after 6,000 police drafted in to tackle disorderThousands of anti-racism protesters gathered across England and formed human shields to protect asylum centres after police warned of unrest from more than 100 far right-led rallies.Holding placards saying refugees welcome" and reject racism, try therapy", people took to the streets in towns and cities nine days after the country was shaken by the fatal stabbing of three girls in Merseyside and the rioting that followed. But there was little sign of the unrest seen over the past week. Continue reading...

Main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian, said to have pledged oath of allegiance to Islamic State group in recent weeks'Three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna this week have been cancelled after officials arrested two people over an apparent plot to launch an attack on a public event in the Vienna area.The announcement was made by concert organisers Barracuda Music late on Wednesday, after Austrian authorities said they had arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly planning an Islamist attack in the Vienna region and suggested that Swift's shows had been the focus" of the plot. Continue reading...

JB Pritzer calls on Jack Campbell to step down over failures' that led to Sean Grayson fatally shooting MasseyJB Pritzker, Illinois governor, has called for the resignation of the sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey in her home last month after the Black woman had called 911 for help.Pritzker, a Democrat, said on Wednesday that the sheriff, Jack Campbell, should step down. Continue reading...

Chemical reaction created at Great Wolf Lodge's new park sent 16 employees and contractors to be monitoredSixteen employees and contractors were transported to nearby hospitals on Wednesday morning after improperly mixed pool chemicals" at a Texas water park caused a chemical reaction on its opening day.Local officials in the city of Webster in Texas said in a statement that on Wednesday morning a third-party contractor at the newly opened Great Wolf Lodge in Webster improperly mixed pool chemicals, which caused a chemical reaction. The incident occurred in an isolated building separate from the hotel and water park, the officials said. Continue reading...

Several thousand children and young people who are questioning their gender identity may participatePatients will not start being recruited into the first clinical trial to examine the effects of puberty blocking drugs until early next year, months later than planned, NHS England has admitted.The trial, which will study the potential benefits and harms of puberty suppressing hormones for children and young people", was originally due to start later this year. Continue reading...

Shops close early, with more than 100 rallies planned to take place across country

State has ordered books by 13 authors, 12 of them women, to be removed from every public school, classroom and libraryBooks by Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, Rupi Kaur and Sarah J Maas are among 13 titles that the state of Utah has ordered to be removed from all public school classrooms and libraries.This marks the first time a state has outlawed a list of books statewide, according to PEN America's Jonathan Friedman, who oversees the organisation's free expression programs. Continue reading...

Campaigners who founded anti-racist movements call on communities to oppose riots by rallying together peacefully

Loraine Pellegrino admitted to misdemeanor charge of filing a false document, with 17 other people charged in caseA Republican activist who signed a document falsely claiming Donald Trump had won Arizona in 2020 became the first person to be convicted in the state's fake elector case.Loraine Pellegrino, a past president of the group Ahwatukee Republican Women, has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of filing a false document, the Arizona attorney general's office spokesperson, Richie Taylor, said on Tuesday, declining to comment further. Records documenting her guilty plea have not yet been posted by the court. Still, court records show Pellegrino was sentenced to unsupervised probation. Before the plea, she faced nine felony charges. Continue reading...

Leaders of progressive group Move Forward, which won most votes in last year's election, also barred from politics for 10 yearsThailand's constitutional court has ordered the dissolution of the country's most popular party, and banned its leaders from politics for 10 years, over its election promise to reform the country's strict lese-majesty law.Move Forward, a youthful pro-reform party, won the most votes in the 2023 election after pledging major changes to the country's political system, including a promise to amend a law that punishes criticism of the monarchy with up to 15 years in prison for a single charge. However, the party and its leader were blocked from taking power by military royalist opponents, and have since faced legal cases. Continue reading...

Antony Blinken says US has been engaged in intense diplomacy' as the region braces for attacks from Iran and its alliesIt has just gone 2pm in Jerusalem. If you're just joining us, here are the day's developments:The United States has communicated to Iran and Israel that conflict in the Middle East must not escalate, secretary of state Antony Blinken said. The Middle East is bracing for a possible new wave of attacks by Iran and its allies after last week's killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.The Israeli military has issued new evacuation orders for an area in northern Gaza that was heavily bombed at the start of the war some 10 months ago. The IDF said it would respond to a Hamas rocket attack from the Beit Hanoun area the day before and urged residents to relocate to Gaza City, large areas of which have been destroyed.More than 39,677 Palestinians have been killed and 91,645 have been injured in Israel's military offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said in a statement on Wednesday.Protesters have disrupted an Israeli supreme court hearing about a shadowy military facility where Israel has held Palestinian detainees throughout the war in Gaza. The protesters yelled Shame!" as the attorney for a number of Israeli human rights groups argued that the Sde Teiman facility should be closed permanently over repeated allegations of detainee abuse. An Associated Press investigation into the facility, as well as others by rights groups, found detainees endured abysmal conditions there. Continue reading...

Decision came during meeting of military chiefs and organisers of the student protests that helped drive longtime prime minister Sheikh Hasina from power

In the wake of the Southport killings, a more fragmented and decentralised extremist movement, featuring old and new faces, has emerged

Labor hopes forcing childcare centres to limit fee hikes to secure funding for wage rises will save parents from further price shocks

Vladimir Putin convenes meeting with top officials as defence ministry acknowledges fighting is ongoingUkraine's surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region has continued into a second day, prompting Vladimir Putin to convene a meeting with his top defence and law enforcement officials.A report from one Russia military blogger suggested Ukrainian forces had advanced northwards, possibly as far as nine miles (15km) from the border, along a highway north of the border village of Sverdlikovo, but this could not be verified. Continue reading...

Mayor urges show of compassion' as Muslims and minority ethnic residents are left fearful of planned disorder

Polly Dugmore put on wetsuit late at night after a herd of 10-week-old animals escaped their field on to a beachA herd of calves were saved from drowning when a vet engaged in a midnight marathon swimming race against the tide to guide them to safety.The 10-week-old animals broke out of Bodrugan Barton farm in Cornwall and became stranded on rocks at Colona beach in the early hours of last Thursday morning with the tide rising. Continue reading...

Karen Webb admonished but cleared of serious misconduct over purchase of Commissioner's Gin' after investigation

Bebe King, Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Elsie Dot Stancombe died after attack at dance class in MerseysideInquests into the deaths of the three girls stabbed in the Southport knife attack have been opened and adjourned to allow criminal justice proceedings to take place, as a coroner said it was impossible to adequately articulate the devastating, lifelong effects" of the killings.Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died after the stabbing at Hart Space in Southport, Merseyside, on 29 July. Continue reading...

The development, planned to be offshore from Sydney to Newcastle, was vetoed by Scott Morrison when resources minister

John Hayes, 63, who was almost killed by leg wound, says he felt upset he could not do more to prevent stabbingsA man who suffered a 12cm leg wound tackling the Southport attacker has said he wished he could have done more to prevent the fatal stabbings, by behaving like a Bruce Willis action hero.John Hayes, 63, also called on the government to do more to tackle the root causes of the unrest that has followed the killing of three girls in the attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class. Continue reading...

Ofwat says monitor will have access to company's financial information and report back to regulator

Halifax says average property price in July was 291,268 as lower mortgage rates expected to lead growth

The Western Australian senator is expected to face cross-examination for the first time on Wednesday

Radicalised Train family had intense motivation to kill police' and were highly prepared for shooting ambush, coronial inquest hears

Reserve Bank's chief economist says it is difficult' to hear the stories of those who are struggling'

NSW police allege 63,000 coins featuring popular TV show character were stolen from a Sydney warehouse

Federal department faces $1.5m fine after spark from exhibit allegedly ignites alcohol-based hand sanitiser provided by science museum and used by nine-year-old

Hospital worker from Egypt expresses safety fears, doubts about staying in UK and sense of being unappreciatedAs far-right riots broke out across parts of the UK this week, the chief executive of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, warned in an email to NHS leaders that for many NHS workers, seeing this flare-up of racism will leave them feeling afraid and unwelcome".The Guardian spoke to Samir, 32, an NHS hospital doctor in south-west England, who shared his views. Continue reading...

Asyai Luk fined without conviction after judge found she was unaware her sibling was at car door before she accelerated forward

Detectives arrested the 30-year-old woman at a school in south-west Sydney and charged her with sexual intercourse with a person aged between 17 and 18 while under special care

Cabaret star says she felt mad as hell' after hearing stories from people who didn't know her or her family, and will release untitled book in 2026Liza Minnelli is to release a memoir after she claimed previous screen depictions of her life didn't get it right".The 78-year-old US actor and singer will release the book in spring 2026, which will take readers through her career, struggles with substance abuse and love life. Continue reading...

Earthquake, which hit Woods Point, was felt by Victorians more than 100km away

Australia-US talks also turn to Middle East conflict as representatives ramp up calls for Gaza ceasefireThe US says it plans more frequent" deployments of bomber aircraft to Australia amid concerns over China's dangerous and escalatory behaviour" in the region.The announcement after annual talks on Wednesday builds on a long-term trend of increased rotations of American forces to Australia, along with moves to upgrade Australian military bases and pre-position US army equipment in Australia. Continue reading...

ASA says Instagram video featuring TV star wearing device encouraged people to take their treatment into own hands'An Instagram post by Gemma Collins in which she promoted wearing a headset to fight depression instead of seeking professional medical advice and treatment has been banned by the UK advertising watchdog.The TV personality posted a video wearing a Flow Neuroscience AB device, a 400 headset that sends mild electrical impulses to the frontal cortex of the brain responsible for regulating mood.In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, call or text Mental Health America at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978 Continue reading...

Leading medic calls for urgent action to protect those who cut the material after rise in cases of the incurable diseaseThe government should consider a ban on artificial stone worktops after a rise in cases of an incurable disease linked to their manufacture, experts have said.One leading medic has called for urgent action to protect workers who cut the material. Continue reading...

Prime minister holds emergency Cobra meeting in face of escalation of disorder following Southport stabbingsKeir Starmer has pledged that communities would be safe" as the country braces itself for an escalation in disorder on Wednesday.The prime minister chaired a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee on Tuesday evening, the second in two days, to coordinate the response to the ongoing unrest. Continue reading...

Announcement comes after former Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in bombing attack last weekHamas has named Yahya Sinwar as the new head of its political bureau, elevating the hardline militant to the group's top post after the assassination in Teheran of its previous political leader.Sinwar's appointment was announced in a brief statement by Hamas on Tuesday that was aired on pro-Hamas Iranian state media channels. Continue reading...

Granddaughter makes plea online after address included on list of targets for Wednesday protestsA granddaughter has pleaded for far-right groups planning to target immigration advice centres to avoid protesting at her 88-year-old grandmother's house after it was included in a list of targets shared on social media.Tammy posted a family photo on X, which said her grandmother's address has been included in a list targeting immigration centres, lawyers' offices and charities across the country on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Prime minister refuses to be drawn over comments made by X owner Elon Musk about ongoing disorder in UK

Move comes after longtime leader Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled country after weeks of deadly unrest

Nearly 100 dispensaries were authorized to begin selling after receiving operating certificates this weekCustomers lined up at dispensaries across Ohio on Tuesday for the first day of recreational marijuana sales in the state.Nearly 100 medical marijuana dispensaries were authorized to begin selling recreational marijuana to adults after receiving operating certificates this week from the state's division of cannabis control. Continue reading...