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After Ariel Bombara claimed WA police ignored repeated warnings her father was dangerous and had guns, eight officers now face disciplinary action

Increase in January of 0.1% on previous month but annual rate slows to 4.1%, says Nationwide

Victoria police say Yarraville man, 21, is accused of vandalism on Flinders Street station clock and other prominent locations

Exclusive: Researchers say poverty and special educational needs are main reason - but equality campaigners urge caution

Federal court file indicates Buttrose, Anderson and ABC chief content officer communicated on 19 December before Lattouf was taken off air on 20 December

Teenagers face lifelong trauma from untreated chronic pain while children as young as four waiting 18 months, say physiotherapistsChildren in the UK are suffering irreversible harm" and lifelong consequences as a result of unacceptable" delays in accessing physiotherapy, experts have warned.Teenagers face lifelong trauma from untreated chronic pain while children as young as four are waiting 18 months for critical treatment, according to a survey of paediatric physiotherapists. Continue reading...

Claimants say tech giant's actions have led publishers receiving less in ad revenue, but company says there is intense' market competition

Sovereign citizens, conspiracy theorists and keyboard warriors want to stir the pot' with federal election coming, says AEC

The announcement comes one week after another major festival, Splendour in the Grass, also cancelled this year's edition

Grammy award-winning singer's presence eclipsed key testimony about the 2021 street shootingThe most important testimony at the trial of the rapper A$AP Rocky got second billing for a second day as superstar Rihanna sat quietly in the audience.Rihanna, A$AP Rocky's partner, appeared at his Los Angeles trial again on Thursday, sitting between his sister and mother. Continue reading...

The Oscar-nominated star of Netflix's musical made racist and Islamophobic remarks in several tweets from 2020Emilia Perez star Karla Sofia Gascon is under fire after old tweets uncovered a range of troubling opinions on subjects including Islam and George Floyd.The Spanish actor, who recently became the first ever openly transgender person to receive an acting nomination at the Oscars, has since deleted a number of tweets after users, including writer Sarah Hagi, uncovered them. Variety and the Hollywood Reporter have since reported the news and translated older posts. Continue reading...

Israel freed 110 Palestinians in exchange for three Israelis and five Thai nationals held in GazaAs the line of white buses drew closer to the West Bank city of Ramallah at dusk, their most notorious passenger stood at the window of one of the buses and waved. Skinny in his grey Israeli prison tracksuit, his head shaved, Zakaria Zubeidi lifted two fingers to make a peace sign and gestured at jubilant crowds.The 49-year-old, a former leader of a Palestinian militant group jailed for attacks that killed several Israelis, was among 110 Palestinian prisoners freed in exchange for three Israelis and five Thai nationals held by Palestinian militants in Gaza. The prisoners' release was delayed by Israeli officials, who expressed dismay at the chaotic scenes in Gaza that accompanied the Israelis' transfer to the custody of the Red Cross. Continue reading...

Steve Samson given whole-life order and Gemma Watts at least 30 years after killing and dismembering 38-year-oldA couple who killed a woman and dumped her dismembered body in different parts of south London have been jailed for murder.Steve Samson was out of prison on a life licence for the murder of a taxi driver in 1998 when he and his partner, Gemma Watts, killed Sarah Mayhew, 38, at his flat in Sutton last spring. Continue reading...

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on American Airlines plane that crashed near Washington DC, among six members of the Skating Club of Boston

President scapegoats diversity and inclusion initiatives while addressing air traffic disaster that left 67 dead

Three Israelis and five Thai citizens held in Gaza were freed earlier todayAway from Gaza and Israel, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived on Thursday in Damascus, Syria, Al Jazeera reported, the first visit by a foreign head of state since Bashar al-Assad's fall.The Israeli military said on Thursday that freed Israeli female soldier Agam Berger had been handed over to the army by the Red Cross after her release in Gaza by Hamas. Continue reading...

Rebels here in Goma to stay' and Rwandan official says advance will continue amid fears of regional warThe Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has pushed south from Goma, the border city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo that it captured this week, and declared its intention to remain in the city, as fears grow of a major regional war.We are here in Goma to stay," Corneille Nangaa, the head of the Congo River Alliance, a coalition of militias that includes M23, said at a press conference in Goma. We are going to continue the march until Kinshasa," he added, referring to Congo's capital 1,000 miles away. Continue reading...

Five arrested after Salwan Momika reportedly killed during TikTok live stream, hours before trial verdict dueSweden's prime minister has said a foreign power may have been involved in the fatal shooting of an anti-Islam campaigner just hours before a trial verdict over his burning of the Qur'an was due.Police arrested five people over the killing of Salwan Momika, 38, who was shot late on Wednesday in a house in the town of Sodertalje, near Stockholm. Authorities did not say whether the shooter was among those detained. Continue reading...

Jose Raul Mulino rules out talks on waterway with secretary of state: That is sealed. The canal belongs to Panama'

Trump's pick for health secretary says I don't think anybody can say' Covid vaccines saved millions of livesRobert F Kennedy Jr's nomination to lead America's top health agency faced strong headwinds as he struggled to provide clear answers on his past vaccine statements for a second straight day of bruising hearings on Capitol Hill.In a tense back-and-forth before the Senate health committee on Thursday morning, Kennedy dodged direct questions about whether he still believes vaccines cause autism, despite extensive scientific evidence to the contrary. When pressed by Senator Bernie Sanders about studies showing Covid-19 vaccines saved millions of lives, Kennedy claimed we don't have a good surveillance system" and said I don't think anybody can say that." Continue reading...

A number of people believed comedian would always get his way and therefore they stayed silent', review findsThe BBC has apologised after a review found a number of individuals had concerns about Russell Brand's behaviour during his time with the broadcaster which they felt unable to raise, believing the presenter would always get this own way and therefore they stayed silent".Brand, 49, denies historic allegations of rape, assault and emotional abuse, and has previously said all his sexual relationships were absolutely always consensual", following a September 2023 investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches which revealed four women had accused him of sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can find more of our European news coverage hereA spokesperson for the European Commission has just been asked about the German motion at their daily midday press briefing:Here is his answer in full:As you know, we don't comment on political debates, drafts and announcements, and I will not do that today.We will look at the texts when they're ready. Continue reading...

GDP grew by 2.3% in last quarter of 2024, down from 3.1% rate of growth in previous quarterThe growth of the US economy slowed in the last quarter, but capped another robust year of expansion, as Donald Trump pledges to lead a historic revival and bring down prices for millions of Americans.Gross domestic product (GDP) - a broad measure of economic health - grew by 2.3% in the last three months of 2024, according to official data released on Thursday; down from the 3.1% rate of growth in the previous quarter. Continue reading...

Online gambling firm's service issues' left bettors apparently unable to cash out' on busy night in European footballThe online gambling company Bet365 has been flooded with complaints after it suffered an outage during one of the busiest nights of European football this season.Customers claimed to have lost out on thousands of pounds owing to what the company called issues with our service" during the second half of Wednesday night's 18 Champions League games. Continue reading...

Postal service set to be allowed to deliver second-class letters on alternate weekdays and not Saturdays

Economic data shows food and beverage prices still rising faster than long-term average, even as inflationary pressures ease

Largest price hike since privatisation is even more than the 86 predicted by Ofwat as companies add inflation on topWater bills will rise by an average of 123 this year in the biggest hit to customer pockets since the industry was privatised 36 years ago, as the public pays to replace ageing infrastructure and cut record sewage pollution.The price hike for millions of customers in England and Wales from 1 April will take the annual average bill from 480 to 603, and is higher than the 86 rise predicted by the regulator Ofwat in December, because water companies are adding inflation on top. Continue reading...

Assad's fall welcomed in southern province of Suwayda but community continues to press Damascus caretaker governmentSuwayda is well-equipped for protests. The central square of the city, home to one of Syria's larger minority communities, hosts the crowds of weekly - or sometimes even daily - demonstrators calling for the representation and public services they have demanded for years.Long before the fall last month of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the southern province of the same name had become a byword for resistance to rule by Damascus, unafraid to protest despite Assad's crackdown on dissent and his hollow pledges to protect communities like theirs. Continue reading...

Attempts in Japan to retrieve the man were temporarily halted early on Wednesday after a second sinkhole appearedRescue workers in Japan are battling water leaks, gas pipes and unstable ground as they attempt to reach a man whose truck fell into a sinkhole near Tokyo two days ago.The hole, which is reportedly 10 metres across and 10 metres deep, opened up at an intersection in Yashio, Saitama prefecture, on Tuesday morning, swallowing the 74-year-old truck driver and his two-tonne vehicle. Continue reading...

Removal follows batches being pulled from shelves across continental EuropeA small number" of cans of Coca-Cola and Appletiser have been recalled in the UK after testing abroad revealed elevated levels of the chemical chlorate.The recall includes imported multipacks of 250ml Appletiser cans, which were sent only to UK supermarkets, and imported cans of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, which were sent to cafes and restaurants during a limited time period. Continue reading...

Health committee criticises Amanda Pritchard's evidence after scathing report from another Commons committeeThe head of the NHS in England is under fresh fire after a second influential group of MPs in barely 12 hours accused her of lacking the drive and dynamism" to radically reform the service.The cross-party Commons health and social care committee criticised Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, after taking detailed evidence from her on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...

Judge rejects attempt to strike out publisher's defences after hearing application was absolutely hopeless'Noel Clarke has suffered a blow in his legal action against the Guardian after a high court judge rejected his attempt to strike out the publisher's defences in the case.In central London on Wednesday the actor and producer sought to prevent the Guardian relying on the defences of truth and public interest at a trial for defamation and data protection, but Mrs Justice Steyn rejected the application after hearing that it was absolutely hopeless". Continue reading...

Appointment of former leader of group that led operation to topple Assad comes amid other political changesThe former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist rebel group which led the military operation to topple the former president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, last month, has been appointed president of Syria for a transitional period".The appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has been acting as the de-facto leader of the country since early December, came after a meeting of rebel faction leaders on Wednesday and was announced by a military spokesperson. Continue reading...

Mary Grimes, Avril Monaghan, Maura Monaghan and Avril's unborn twins died in 1998 attack, inquiry hearsA family from which women of three generations were killed in the Omagh bombing have spoken about the immeasurable pain caused by the atrocity and said they hope no other family suffers as they have.They were speaking at a public inquiry established to determine whether the attack, the worst in the Troubles in Northern Ireland, could have been prevented. Continue reading...

Georgia Venables, who allegedly had sticker on her car featuring C-word, has pleaded not guilty to single chargeA woman is to stand trial after pleading not guilty to displaying a threatening bumper sticker on her car.Georgia Venables, of Prenton Place in Chester, allegedly had a sticker on her car that read: Don't be a cunt." Continue reading...

Zhenhao Zou, 27, a Chinese national, is accused of attacking women after stupefying' them with drink or drugsA PhD student accused of raping 10 women drugged his victims before filming his attacks as souvenirs" for his own sexual gratification", a court has heard.Zhenhao Zou, 27, a Chinese national, was described as seemingly charming and smart, but was in fact a predator, voyeur and rapist" who ignored pleas from his victims to stop, a jury was told. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereAngela Giuffrida writes from RomeThere's much debate in Italy today as the country absorbs the news that prime minister Giorgia Meloni is under investigation over the unexpected release and repatriation last week of a Libyan warlord wanted for war crimes by the international criminal court. Continue reading...

Bassim Haidar says Nigel Farage's party worth considering' and Mohamed Amersi says energy at event was electric'Two major Conservative donors, Bassim Haidar and Mohamed Amersi, paid 25,000 each to attend a Reform fundraising dinner on Tuesday night, and sources say the party brought in pledges of more than 1m beforehand from businesspeople.Reform sources said ticket prices ranged from 10,000 for the dinner to 25,000 for a seat at the top table with Nigel Farage at Oswald's in Mayfair, central London. Continue reading...

Ursula von der Leyen announces plans to cut red tape and boost innovation in second term as head of European Commission

Shares jump 15% in pre-market trading after president's social media startup announced launch of Truth.FiDonald Trump's social media startup has announced plans to branch out into financial services including cryptocurrencies, drawing the president's business empire further into crypto as his administration looks to boost the space.Shares in Trump Media & Technology Group, owner of Trump's Truth Social platform, jumped 15% during pre-market trading after it announced the launch of Truth.Fi, a financial technology brand Truth.Fi, in a brief statement. Continue reading...

Buckley space force base in Aurora will be used by Ice to process and detain undocumented immigrantsThe US military is allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) to process and detain arrested undocumented immigrants at Buckley space force base in Colorado, according to multiple reports and a statement by the US Northern Command on Tuesday.A spokesperson for the US Northern Command said in a statement shared by CBS News on Tuesday that, at the request of the Department of Homeland Security, facilities at Buckley space force base in Aurora, Colorado, had been made available to Ice officials for immigration operations starting on Monday 27 January. Continue reading...

Search under way after John Matthew Nigh, facing attempted murder charges, fled Craven county jailA search is under way for an inmate who escaped a North Carolina jail through its ventilation system, police have said.John Matthew Nigh, 37, was determined to be missing from the Craven county jail in New Bern, North Carolina, on Monday afternoon. Authorities say Nigh managed to remove a grating to wriggle into the ventilation system and onto the roof. Continue reading...

Letter to Ursula von der Leyen urges European Commission not to weaken enforcement of DSA and DMAA coalition of NGOs has urged the president of the European Commission not to be bullied by Donald Trump and Elon Musk into weakening the enforcement of the EU's tech regulations.The letter to Ursula von der Leyen comes after the EU executive played down reports that it was reassessing its investigations into Meta, Google and X, following the return of Donald Trump to the White House. Continue reading...

Rajan Naidu and Niamh Lynch pleaded not guilty to two charges after incident on 19 June 2024Two people have denied charges of damaging Stonehenge with orange powder during a Just Stop Oil protest.Rajan Naidu, 74, and Niamh Lynch, 22, pleaded not guilty to two charges of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance after the incident on 19 June 2024. Continue reading...

Both will raise dividends in line with inflation, as South West Water and United Utilities bills to increase 23% and 32% over five years

Joseph Rowntree Foundation calls for changes to benefits system amid pressure on Labour to scrap two-child limitChild poverty is on course to increase in most of the UK by the end of this parliament, with only Scotland bucking the trend, according to analysis by a poverty charity.Although Labour's election manifesto committed it to an ambitious strategy" to reduce child poverty, only in Scotland will rates have fallen by 2029 under current economic projections, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said. Continue reading...

Texas-born actor says Thanks for the laugh' after politician attacks her over video expressing sympathy for immigrantsSelena Gomez - the Texas-born pop star and actor whose paternal grandparents are from Mexico - has laughed off a failed Republican US Senate hopeful's call for her to be deported from the country after she recorded a video of herself expressing sympathy for people affected by Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.Responding to a comment from the former candidate that she should be deported" over her video, Gomez took to social media and wrote in part: Thanks for the laugh." Continue reading...

This blog is now closed

Foreign minister says government has received confirmation from Russia the 32-year-old is alive and in custody

In today's newsletter: After Donald Trump's remarks, renewed alarm about what will follow the first phase of the ceasefireGood morning. Donald Trump presented his proposal as one rooted in a concern for the safety of Palestinians: it was time to find many of the residents of Gaza somewhere else to live. I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change," he said. You're talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say: You know, it's over.'"That was more than stream of consciousness: Trump doubled down on his comments on Monday. But the idea of cleaning out" Gaza is not welcomed by the Palestinians who live there - or the countries that Trump has in mind as their new home. And if they were to be forced to leave after Gaza was devastated by the Israeli military, it would appear to be a clear case of ethnic cleansing.Kumbh Mela festival | Dozens of people are feared to have died in crowd crushes at India's Kumbh Mela festival, local officials have said, as vast crowds went to bathe at one of the holiest sites of the Hindu gathering. People were crushed in the early hours of Wednesday as tens of millions flocked to immerse themselves in the sacred confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.UK economy | Rachel Reeves is unveiling plans to create Europe's Silicon Valley" between Oxford and Cambridge as she stakes the government's success on kickstarting economic growth. The chancellor will announce a blueprint to improve infrastructure across the region in the hope of adding 78bn to the UK economy within a decade.Extremism | Yvette Cooper will reject internal Home Office advice to widen the definition of extremism to include violent misogyny and conspiracy theorists, the Guardian understands. The home secretary is expected to reject a report saying that authorities should adopt an ideologically agnostic" approach in favour of focusing on Islamist and far-right violence.Tax | Roman Abramovich, the billionaire Russian oligarch, may owe British tax authorities as much as 1bn, according to analysis of documents that suggests his companies failed to pay tax on profits made through an elaborate offshore investment scheme.Technology | US tech stocks tentatively recovered on Tuesday after the emergence of the Chinese DeepSeek app wiped $1tn (800bn) in value from the leading US tech index. Nvidia recovered somewhat from Monday's 17% drop, rising 9%. Continue reading...