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Police admit strip-search of Raya Meredith in July 2018 was illegal in a class action being heard in NSW supreme court on behalf of 3,000 alleged victimsPolice officers illegally strip-searched a woman at a Byron Bay music festival, the New South Wales supreme court has heard, subjecting her to a degrading and humiliating" inspection that included being told to remove her tampon while undressed in front of a police officer.NSW police admitted in court documents that its July 2018 strip search of Raya Meredith - which discovered nothing illegal - was unlawful and unjustified, and ignored laws protecting her rights. Continue reading...

Victorian trial hears from online friends who say murder accused discussed her dehydrator and asked for advice on cooking beef wellington

PM flags cutting university debts as priority for newly re-elected government as cabinet speculation swirls

Reported delays come as tax office says it is shutting free-to-use online filing service used by some small businessesHM Revenue and Customs has come under fire for taking more than four months to process tax refunds owed to some individuals and businesses that accountants say used to take a maximum of a few weeks.The reported delays coincide with anger over a separate HMRC announcement that it is shutting a free-to-use online filing service used by some small businesses. Continue reading...

Lawyers say evidence file outlines atrocities including torture and rape carried out by the Rapid Support Forces in the country's brutal civil conflictScotland Yard has received a dossier of evidence documenting myriad alleged war crimes committed by a paramilitary group during the conflict in Sudan.Lawyers have submitted a 142-page file of evidence to the war crimes unit of the Metropolitan police containing details of numerous atrocities perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Continue reading...

Australian woman has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her Leongatha home in 2023. Follow live updates

Re-elected PM foreshadows meeting with US president after conversation that covered tariffs and Aukus treaty

Event where fashion and politics meet puts editor Anna Wintour, a vocal Democrat supporter, in the spotlightOn Monday night, the party of the year will ask the question: can Vogue keep diversity in fashion in Trump's America?The Met Gala, the knotty point where fashion meets politics, will be in the spotlight. The annual event has become a pop cultural phenomenon by reinventing party dressing as a world of internet-breaking daredevil stunts. Kim Kardashian wearing the dress in which Marilyn Monroe serenaded John F Kennedy, Lady Gaga changing outfits four times in front of the cameras and Katy Perry dressed as a cheeseburger serve the thrills for the social media generation that a James Bond car chase did for their parents. Continue reading...

Anthony Miller says worst of inflation-induced pressure on borrowers is easing, while framing Labor re-election an enormous positive'

Inquest into deaths of six victims in April 2024 told Joel Cauchi's father and mother worried about weapons especially if he's going to lose contact with reality'

George Simion will face centrist Bucharest mayor Nicuor Dan in runoff voteAn ultranationalist who opposes military aid to Ukraine, has vilified the EU's leaders, and calls himself Donald Trump's natural ally" has won the first round of Romania's rerun presidential vote and will face a centrist in the runoff, as vote counting nears its end.With 99% of votes counted late on Sunday, George Simion, whose far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) began as an anti-vax movement during the pandemic, was comfortably in the lead on a projected 40.5% of the vote. Continue reading...

Two people have been arrested in connection to an alleged planned attack on Brazil's LGBTQ community at the singer's Sunday concert, police sayTwo people have been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to detonate explosives at a free Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro, in what authorities believe was an attempt to target Brazil's LGBTQ community.The Rio event on Saturday was the biggest show of the pop star's career. It attracted an estimated 2.1 million fans to Copacabana beach and had crowds screaming and dancing along. Continue reading...

Hollie Hughes says shadow treasurer offered zero economic policy' and she didn't know what he's been doing for three years'

Cross-party group's report emphasises risk of failure after finding 3.5 million people not getting care they needA cross-party group of MPs has warned attempts to reform adult social care are doomed to fail unless ministers accept major investment is needed to overhaul a broken" system that was failing millions of people.Reform of social care was typically seen by governments as a burden" on the taxpayer, and a drain on resources" rather than a positive boost to people's lives, the NHS and the economy, said the health and social care select committee. Continue reading...

PM writes of debt that can never be fully repaid' in letter marking 80 years since end of second world war in EuropeKeir Starmer has praised the selfless dedication" of those who have served in the military before the anniversary of VE Day as the government unveiled a new 50m support system for veterans.In an open letter to mark 80 years since the end of the second world war in Europe, the prime minister said the sacrifice made by members of the armed forces was a debt that could never fully be repaid". Continue reading...

Strike by Yemen rebel group came hours before security cabinet was due to vote on plans to expand Gaza offensiveBenjamin Netanyahu has promised Israel will strike back against Yemen's Houthis and their Iranian terror masters" after a missile launched by the militia movement hit the perimeter of Israel's main airport.On X, the Israeli prime minister said on Sunday that Israel would respond to the Houthi attack at a time and place of our choosing". On Telegram, Netanyahu said Israel had acted against the Houthis in the past and would act again in the future. Continue reading...

Death of Layton Carr, 14, has left community heartbroken' as police arrest more than a dozen childrenA 14-year-old boy whose body was found after a large fire in Gateshead was valued and much loved", his headteacher has said.Fourteen children have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the death of Layton Carr, from South Tyneside. Continue reading...

Counter-terrorism police disrupt separate suspected plots amid concern over rise in Tehran-backed hostile activityPolice have thwarted an alleged imminent terror plot in England with a number of Iranian nationals arrested amid concern about the growing level of Tehran-backed hostile activity in the UK.Five suspects, including four Iranians, were arrested as part of a suspected plan to target specific premises", the Metropolitan police said. Of those arrested, the nationality of the fifth was still being established. Continue reading...

Man, 49, arrested on suspicion of murder after consecutive collisions on Saturday afternoonA woman has died after she was one of four people injured by a car in two separate collisions in Rochdale on Saturday.The pedestrian was airlifted to hospital after the incident on Whitworth Road but died from her injuries, Greater Manchester police said. Continue reading...

Echoing comments by Nigel Farage, Zia Yusuf says judicial reviews, injunctions and planning laws will be usedReform UK has vowed to use every instrument of power" to resist housing people seeking asylum in areas where it now controls councils, its chair has confirmed.Zia Yusuf, the party chair and a major donor, acknowledged Reform may not be able to stop people seeking asylum being put up in hotels where the Home Office has contracts with accommodation providers. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Louise Haigh urges Starmer to pick some battles' with the right to demonstrate to voters party is on their sideLouise Haigh has urged Keir Starmer to avoid a simplistic and naive" response by lurching to the right after Reform UK's success in the local elections, in her first interview since being in effect sacked as transport secretary.The former cabinet minister warned the prime minister to pick some battles" with the right as it would not be enough to ask progressive-minded voters to back Labour at the next election just to keep Nigel Farage out of power. Continue reading...

CHPI thinktank found five firms made an eye-watering' 169m in 2023-24, as ministers call for contract capProfits made from treating NHS eye patients by five private firms are so large they equal those made by the 100 with private finance initiative (PFI) hospital contracts, research shows.The disclosure has led to calls for ministers to cap what can be eye-watering" levels of profit made by private operators when they take over key public services. Continue reading...

Such a takeover would be one of biggest deals ever in oil and gas industryShell is talking to advisers about the potential for a takeover of the rival oil producer BP, according to reports.The oil company has been discussing the feasibility and merits of a takeover of BP with its advisers in recent weeks, according to a report from Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter. Continue reading...

Too many people at risk of becoming martyrs' by not getting symptoms checked as they do not want to burden health service, report warnsToo many people are at risk of becoming martyrs" by not getting symptoms of cancer checked out because they do not want to burden the NHS, a report warns, which calls for earlier testing to diagnose those at higher risk.The report, by the health consultancy Incisive Health, sets out ways in which the NHS in England can catch more cancers early and thus save lives by becoming more of an early intervention service". It comes as the government draws up its first dedicated cancer strategy since 2015. Continue reading...

Despite relentless commentary about the premier's unpopularity, the state swung even harder to Labor than in 2022, while the Liberal party blame game has begun

Naydene Robinson says she hopes to reach an amicable' settlement that recognises her mother as Lang Hancock's child

The Scottish musician breaks health-related hiatus with gig in support of the suicide prevention charity CalmLewis Capaldi performed on stage for the first time in two years after making a surprise appearance at a charity gig in Edinburgh to raise funds for suicide prevention.He appeared on Friday night at the concert - headlined by Tom Walker and Nina Nesbitt- at Edinburgh Assembly Halls, in aid of the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm). Continue reading...

Andrea Jenkyns says she wants a lean, mean local government' and says she is up for a fight' with unions

Exclusive: BBC presenter warns shared space for national debate' at risk from platforms that fail to challenge leadersFawning and partisan podcasts that give politicians hours of unchallenged airtime pose a danger to democracy, Nick Robinson has said, as he warned that Britain must guard against going down the same polarised route as US media.The BBC presenter said a nostalgia brigade" pining after confrontational television interviews, in which Brian Walden grilled Margaret Thatcher and Jeremy Paxman took on Michael Howard, had lost sight of the real danger in how politicians now used the media. He pointed to partisan or obsequious media platforms that risked damaging a shared space for a national debate". Continue reading...

LA Innocence Project believes evidence shows Peterson is not responsible for killing of pregnant wife Laci in 2002It's been more than 20 years since Scott Peterson was sentenced to death for the murder of his pregnant wife Laci in suburban California. For many, the case was considered open and shut.Then, in late April, the Los Angeles Innocence Project (LAIP) made a seemingly bombshell announcement. Continue reading...

Victims have had fingers chopped off by attackers in crimewave targeting entrepreneurs and their familiesFrench police are investigating a series of kidnappings of investors linked to cryptocurrency after a 60-year-old man had a finger chopped off by attackers who demanded his crypto-millionaire son pay a ransom.In the latest of several kidnappings of cryptocurrency figures in France and western Europe, the man, who owned a cryptocurrency marketing company with his son, was freed from a house south of Paris on Saturday night. He had been held for more than two days. Continue reading...

US president displays pathological megalomania' as cardinals gather to elect new pope after death of FrancisDonald Trump has been accused of mocking the election of a new leader of the Catholic church after posting an artificial intelligence-generated picture of himself as the pope on social media.The image, shared on Friday night on Trump's Truth Social site and the White House's official X account, raised eyebrows at the Vatican, which is still in the period of nine days of official mourning after Pope Francis's funeral on 26 April. Continue reading...

Lawsuit brought under Helms-Burton could spur others pursuing compensation for property seized by CastroLong before it became one of Cuba's most popular tourist destinations in the 1990s, the small island of Cayo Coco, with its pristine beaches and powdery white sands, attracted a different kind of clientele.Inspired by its unspoiled beauty, and his observations of shack-dwelling fishermen scratching out a meager living, Ernest Hemingway set scenes from two of his most famous books there, including the 1952 classic The Old Man and the Sea. Continue reading...

Survivors of abuse in county-run children's homes say closure will not come until monsters' are held accountableThousands of victims of abuse in juvenile facilities and foster homes across Los Angeles are being compensated for decades of mistreatment in a historic settlement, but some say the money will never rectify a system that hurt vulnerable children and protected their abusers.LA county officials this week unanimously approved a landmark $4bn settlement to address nearly 7,000 claims of sexual abuse at county-run facilities. Some of those claims date back to the 1950s, but most took place throughout the 1980s through the 2000s. The payout is the largest of its kind in US history. Continue reading...

Ignorance no barrier as president begins to put out approved version of history that ignores American failuresDonald Trump, it could be said, takes a breezy, Sam Cooke style approach to history.Like the legendary king of soul" in his 1960 hit Wonderful World, the US president has admitted to not knowing much about historical events or figures of the past - even when faced with authorities on the subject. Continue reading...

Move comes as industry grapples with impact of Donald Trump's steep 25% tariffs on imported carsMini owner BMW has ended 180 agency staff contracts at its factory in Oxford as the British car industry grapples with global economic uncertainty and steep US tariffs.Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs in March, hitting all cars imported to the US from overseas from 3 April, in the hope of forcing carmakers to invest in production in America. The tariffs have left British manufacturers who sell large numbers of cars to the US scrambling for a response. Continue reading...

Health secretary asks public to give government time as he calls Farage's party a serious opposition force'

Simon Birmingham backs quotas to preselect women, while Alex Antic says it's time to make the party great again

Exclusive: Proposals to introduce opt-out system of copyright rules no longer preferred option amid criticism from creative industriesMinisters are rethinking changes to copyright law before a vote in parliament next week, in a further concession to artists, the Guardian has learned.A source close to Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, said proposals to introduce an opt-out system of copyright rules was no longer his preferred option but one of several being given consideration. Continue reading...

Party for renters' sees positive Senate results and welcomes most progressive parliament Australia has ever made' but loss of Queensland seats prompts questions

Anthony Albanese gets back to work after celebratory brunch in Sydney - saying, We've got a big job to do'

George Simion, 38, comfortably ahead in polls as first round of voting begins in presidential electionRomanians are voting in a presidential election rerun that could propel to power an ultranationalist who opposes military aid to Ukraine, has fiercely criticised the EU's leadership and describes himself as a natural ally" of Donald Trump.George Simion, 38, is comfortably ahead in the opinion polls before the first-round vote in the EU and Nato member state, nearly six months after the original ballot was cancelled amid evidence of an alleged massive" Russian influence campaign. Continue reading...

Erika', 24, gained public attention after lawyer said federal agents denied him access to her in a Tucson hospitalA Guatemalan immigrant who crossed the US border eight months pregnant and gave birth in Arizona has avoided fast-track deportation after intervention by the state's governor, her lawyer and a federal official said on Saturday.The 24-year-old woman gained public attention after lawyer Luis Campos said federal agents had denied him access to her in a Tucson hospital after she gave birth on Wednesday and told him she was set for rapid removal after entering the country illegally. Continue reading...

Turkish president at odds with thousands of Turkish Cypriots who object to his attempts to undermine their secular way of lifeTurkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, has warned protesters in breakaway northern Cyprus not to sow seeds of hatred" amid mounting discord over Ankara's perceived attempts to Islamise one of the world's most secular Muslim societies.In a whirlwind visit to the Turkish-occupied territory on Saturday the leader had tough words for Turkish Cypriots who have stepped up demonstrations against policies he openly endorses, not least a controversial law allowing headscarves to be worn in schools. Continue reading...

Nigel Farage warns employees working on diversity or climate change initiatives to seek alternative careers'The head of the UK's biggest union has urged staff at Reform UK-controlled councils to sign up after Nigel Farage warned workers to seek alternative careers".Farage said during a speech on Friday that he would advise council staff working on diversity or climate change initiatives to seek alternative careers very, very quickly" after Reform UK took control of Durham county council. Continue reading...

Three girls and 11 boys, all aged 11-14, arrested by Northumbria police on suspicion of manslaughterFourteen children aged between 11 and 14 have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the death of a boy following a fire in Gateshead, Northumbria police said on Saturday.The children - 11 boys and three girls - were all under arrest and in custody, police said.Anyone who has information that could help the investigation has been urged to contact Northumbria police by sending a direct message on social media or by using the live chat" or report" functions on the force's website. Continue reading...

Expert testifying for the defense acknowledged that Memphis officers' blows had been unnecessaryA police training expert testifying on Saturday as a defense witness in the trial of three former Memphis officers charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols acknowledged that kicks and punches to Nichols' head were unnecessary and excessive.Don Cameron took the stand on the sixth day of the trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who have pleaded not guilty to state charges including second-degree murder. They already face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges last year. Continue reading...

Actor joins four days of national events including concerts, church services and a military procession in LondonEighty years after Winston Churchill addressed the nation from Downing Street with the words This is your victory!" a recitation of his famous VE Day speech will be broadcast as the nation commemorates the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945.Events across four days of national UK commemorations include a military procession through central London on Monday, with tens of thousands expected to line the route from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace, and a service at Westminster Abbey on the 8 May anniversary on Thursday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Consumer advocates call for crackdown on fraudulent players' as Guardian Australia finds scores of sites masquerading as local businesses