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Discovery of Gallo-Roman period structure hailed as major breakthrough' by French culture ministryAn ancient wall discovered beneath Paris has been described as a major breakthrough" by France's culture ministry, with the archaeological find possibly confirming the location of the city's original settlement.A roughly 20-metre (65ft) stretch of wall dating from the Gallo-Roman period was discovered in Paris this summer beneath a building on the Ile de la Cite, near Notre Dame Cathedral in the heart of the French capital. Continue reading...

Housing rights campaigners decry landlord's barbaric behaviour' after apartment Maricarmen had lived in for 71 years was bought by a developerThere were violent scenes in Madrid on Wednesday as riot police fought with protesters trying to prevent the eviction of an 87-year-old disabled woman from her apartment in the Retiro district.Hundreds of protesters had gathered, many of them overnight, in an effort to block the fourth attempt to carry out the eviction. Activists from the Madrid and Barcelona tenants' union, and celebrities including the actor Carlos Bardem and the singer and actor Ana Belen, joined the protest. Continue reading...

Ofcom says site's age-checking regime may not be highly effective', as required by the Online Safety ActOne of the world's most visited pornography websites is being investigated by the UK's communications watchdog over concerns it can still be accessed by children.Pornhub's age checking regime may not be highly effective", according to Ofcom, and could be in breach of online safety laws requiring strict measures to prevent under-18s from accessing sexually explicit content. Continue reading...

Richard Clayton KC had undergone operation for ruptured achilles tendon day before hearing optician's appealA judge was wrong to hear a case from his bed via video link while recovering from surgery, the court of appeal has said.Richard Clayton KC, sitting as a deputy high court judge, heard an optician's appeal against a finding of serious misconduct from bed the day after returning from hospital where he had undergone an operation for a ruptured achilles tendon. Continue reading...

Defence secretary places annual payments to Mauritius on hold as UK government reviews deal over Diego Garcia base

Bryan Seaver, who announced Parton's death to the world, is alleged to have intimidated her manager and others, which he deniesThe estate of the late Dolly Parton is involved in a dispute with the country star's nephew and former head of security, and has filed for a restraining order against him amid allegations of threats.Bryan Seaver was responsible for Parton's security, and was tasked with announcing her death on 25 August with a video, something Dolly asked of me years ago", he said. Continue reading...

Iran war, rising prices and president's low ratings give Democrats advantage, but Republicans have poured cash into key races - could it be decisive?Donald Trump pulled out all the stops at the Republican party's midterm convention two weeks ago. In speeches aimed at the voters who will soon decide whether to keep Republicans in control of Congress for the final phase of his presidency, the president dangled $5,000 checks, and warned the United States would turn into a communist country" if Democrats are elected.The unprecedented political gathering amounted to a hail-mary pass at retaining control of Congress, which history indicated Trump's Republican allies had always been likely to lose in the 3 November vote. Two weeks later, with election administrators in several states already sending out mail ballots, there is no indication the gambit has worked. Continue reading...

Arrest of Shadrack Sibiya comes as country reels from cases of femicide and alleged police corruption and criminalityOne of South Africa's most senior police officers has been charged with raping an 18-year-old woman and grooming a 16-year-old girl, as the country's police face allegations of corruption and failing to tackle violence against women and girls.Shadrack Sibiya, who was already suspended from his role as deputy national police commissioner over allegations he interfered with political killings investigations, was arrested on Monday. He is facing charges of rape, people trafficking, promoting the sexual grooming of a child and two counts of grooming a child. Continue reading...

Sharangan Maheswaran also told inquiry his bid for story on unsubstantiated rumour about then-Liberal minister David Elliott was not a serious offer'

NHS England initiative to reduce cut-off period to three months disproportionately affecting' most deprived areasAn NHS policy to remove ghost patients" from GP lists is inadvertently leaving some of the poorest people in England without vital healthcare, analysis has found.Under previous NHS rules, inactive patients at risk of being removed from their GP practice were given six months to respond to outreach. But under NHS England's accelerated list validation timeline, introduced last October, patients now have only three months to reply. Continue reading...

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No trace of Gus has been found since he went missing from his family's South Australian farm on 27 September last yearThe parents of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont have made an emotional plea for any information about their unique little boy" as authorities offered a $1m reward over the disappearance.No trace of Gus has been found since he went missing from his family's enormous sheep farm in the South Australian outback almost a year ago. Continue reading...

Friend sobs in witness box and tells Sydney murder trial Baird was scared to go to the police

Several measures were previously introduced or supported by Coalition, prompting claim Liberals and Nationals would let climate change rip'

The singer, songwriter, actor and advocate, who has died following a cardiac arrest while touring in Europe, kept his band's flame burning until the endGary Angry" Anderson - who has died aged 79 after he was hospitalised following a cardiac arrest while on tour in Germany with the band Rose Tattoo, the balls-out band he fronted for 50 years - was not a nice boy growing up. As one of the founding members of Melbourne motorcycle club the Vigilanties, Gary Anderson initially earned the sobriquet Mouse, on account of his diminutive stature.Determined to prove himself a man, he developed a penchant for taking on blokes twice his size. It earned him a new nickname: the Angry Ant. Angry" - shortened for impact - suited him better. An accomplished rabble-rouser and ferocious rock'n'roll singer, Angry Anderson ended up channelling his energy into a variety of causes. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Restoration work at Bath Assembly Rooms unearths Roman ditches containing pottery, coins and fragments of a military helmetThe restoration of a Georgian building in Bath once frequented by Jane Austen has unexpectedly provided a tantalising glimpse into the life of the city's Roman suburbanites.A network of Roman ditches containing pottery, coins, glassware and a fragment of a military helmet has been found beneath Bath Assembly Rooms in the north of the city. Continue reading...

Inquiry investigating allegations of corruption and criminal conduct on state's $150bn pipeline of infrastructure projects to leave no stone unturned'

Due to take off in 2028, it is set to be the national carrier's second ultra long-haul route after Sydney to London

Treasury committee rejects calls for fundamental reform of independent watchdog the Office for Budget ResponsibilityAttacks on the government's independent economic forecaster from left and right of the political spectrum are akin to shooting the messenger", according to an influential group of MPs.The Treasury committee rejected siren calls to fundamentally reform" the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and said it should not be blamed when policymakers had to make tough decisions because of tight public finances. Continue reading...

Radical' report likely to influence party's platform also proposes abolishing inheritance and capital gains taxesA thinktank linked to Reform UK has called for the abolition of the state pension and 75bn worth of sweeping tax cuts in a radical" report likely to influence the party's platform for the next election.The Centre for a Better Britain's (CFABB) report - which also calls for weaker rules for UK banks and Trump-style investment accounts offering 1,000 to newborns - will be formally launched at a private event with City executives on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Joyce would not say which Liberals he had spoken to, while Angus Taylor denied any conversations had taken placeSenior Liberals have rubbished claims by Barnaby Joyce that he has discussed One Nation offering the Coalition a pathway to minority government after the next election, accusing him of buyers remorse after defecting from the Nationals.Joyce, who defected to join Pauline Hanson's party in December, claimed on Tuesday night he had held talks with senior Liberals about a potential deal for supply and confidence to oust Anthony Albanese from power. Continue reading...

The move comes after Jamaica's culture minister Olivia Grange travelled to the UK earlier this month to lodge the historic petitionKing Charles has referred a landmark slavery reparations petition from Jamaica to a high-level UK appeals court for legal advice, Jamaica's culture minister announced in parliament on Tuesday.Referring to the move as a really big deal", Olivia Grange told Jamaica's MPs the monarch had confirmed that their legal questions have been passed on to the London-based privy council - the final court of appeal for UK overseas territories and some Commonwealth countries. Continue reading...

Islamic State-inspired bombings of churches and hotels in 2019 was one of the country's worst ever attacksA court in Sri Lanka has convicted 15 men over their involvement in the 2019 Easter bombings that killed 267 people, and sentenced them each to at least 200 years in prison, meaning they will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.Nearly 600 people were wounded in the suicide bomb attacks on 21 April that targeted three churches and three hotels across the country during Easter services and celebrations. The bombings, which were inspired by the Islamic State (IS) group, were among the deadliest attacks in Sri Lanka's history. Continue reading...

Thomas called followers to disrupt arrival of asylum seekers in Gosport, but Border Force instead transported them to DoverCharities have condemned footage of far-right activist Daniel Thomas using a blade to slash an inflatable dinghy in the Channel while a rescue worker was onboard, in a further escalation of organised anti-immigration protest.Hundreds of protesters gathered early on Tuesday evening at Gosport in Hampshire, aiming to disrupt the planned disembarkation of asylum seekers, but the Border Force vessels carrying them landed instead in Dover early on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Gruesome ads embedded in articles about family violence make light' of violence and could distress victim-survivors, expert warns

Wirral mother among renters turning to food banks as gap between a two-bed and housing benefit hits 158 a month - rising to as much as 324 in LondonDo you prioritise paying the rent, putting food on the table or keeping the house warm in winter? In practice, says Laura Braddock, a single mum from Wirral, Merseyside, you always pay the rent first and improvise the rest. If I've got a roof over our head, then everything else I can muddle through."The pressing problem for Braddock, 39, is that muddling through is getting harder. The monthly rent for her two-bedroom flat far outstrips the local housing allowance (LHA) she receives - and the gap may widen. Continue reading...

IPPR North says one bad decision could derail devolution agenda as regions gain control of billions in fundingEngland's mayors should face much greater official scrutiny to avoid Andy Burnham's devolution agenda being derailed by one bad decision", a thinktank has said.Ministers will set out plans next month to give regional leaders control over potentially billions of pounds of additional funding under a transformational" shift of power outside Whitehall. Continue reading...

Test using urine and vaginal fluid samples raises hopes thousands of lower-risk women could be spared internal ultrasounds and hysteroscopiesDoctors have developed a simple test that could help rule out womb cancer in women who experience bleeding after menopause.The approach has the potential to transform care for thousands of women each year and spare them from invasive and uncomfortable tests that can also be costly for healthcare systems. Continue reading...

County's first such clinic, at Alder Hey in Liverpool, treating children suffering from chronic bladder problems with severe cases needing dialysisChildren as young as 13 in the UK have been referred to a specialist clinic for a devastating" bladder condition linked to sustained use of ketamine.Medics at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool opened the first ketamine clinic in the UK for young people amid a surge in urology problems linked to addiction of the drug. Continue reading...

The park is the most highly visited and strong winds make trash problem worse, with gusts blowing away itemsHold on to your hats - Yellowstone national park staffers have removed a record-setting 20,100 pieces of trash from hydrothermal areas around the geyser-filled park so far this yearThe most commonly found items include 280 hats, 54 camera lens caps, 47 hair ties, 42 pencils, 36 pairs of sunglasses, 20 hotel key cards and 17 baby pacifiers. Continue reading...

President made more than 440 purchases and 700 sales despite voter anger over elected officials trading stocksDonald Trump made over a thousand stock sales and purchases worth between $79m and $270m in July, according to a Guardian analysis of his latest financial disclosure released Tuesday.His two largest sales were of Amazon and Microsoft stock, selling between $5m and $25m each on 20 July. That same day, he also sold up to $5m worth of Oracle and Costco stock, $500,000 to $1m in Nvidia, and bought up to $5m worth of shares in Intuit and Salesforce, among dozens of other transactions. Continue reading...

Ella Langley's record-breaking song has spent 23 weeks at the top, surpassing Mariah Carey's holiday anthemElla Langley's hit song Choosin' Texas has made Billboard Hot 100 history, spending 23 weeks on the chart and breaking the record for the longest-running No 1 song in the chart's 68-year old history.The track, which was released last October as the lead single on the 27-year-old singer and songwriter's album Dandelion, has surpassed Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You, which topped the charts for 22 weeks. Continue reading...

Company to award backpay to 264,000 workers as mayor Zohran Mamdani condemns use of greedy algorithms'DoorDash said it would pay $131.5m to settle a New York City government investigation that found the food delivery company underpaid or waited too long to pay workers.Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the settlement the city's largest labor enforcement action. It advances the city's longstanding effort to hold food delivery companies to a 2023 law intended to improve pay for delivery workers. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed.Tehran appears to have relaxed its preconditions for reopening the strait of Hormuz, saying it is prepared to do so within seven days so long as the US takes reciprocal steps to ease the pressure on Iran.Previously Iran had set seven onerous pre-conditions for lifting the blockade including an end to war on all fronts" and a commitment by the US to cease all aggressive actions against Iran including sanctions. Continue reading...

Polo, with sustained winds of 165mph, is churning 215 miles south of Zihuatanejo but is unlikely to directly hit MexicoA tropical storm off the south-west coast of Mexico has intensified into a category 5 monster in fewer than 24 hours, fueled by stronger than usual El Nino weather patterns in the Pacific Ocean.Hurricane Polo was sending out maximum sustained winds of 165mph (266km/h) on Tuesday as its center churned about 215 miles (346km) south of the coastal city of Zihuatanejo, in Guerrero state. Continue reading...

Parenting advocate Georgie Dent says rising childcare cost has pushed the overall burden to $36,500 a year and calls for more paid parental leave

US president may have upstaged the ghost of Soviet leader Khrushchev by musing destruction of fellow member stateDonald Trump has a habit of discomfiting delegates to the United Nations general assembly. But this year, he may have upstaged the ghost of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev by openly contemplating the annihilation of a fellow UN member state.Eleven minutes into a 40-minute address, the US president announced he had a big decision to make" over Iran, which has staged a much more determined resistance than Trump anticipated when he decided to go to war against the country in February. Continue reading...

US president says British PM has a lot of assets on his side' as pair meet at UN in New York

Entire 233m budget for 2026 allocated in less than a day, leaving thousands of farmers disappointedThousands of farmers have been left empty-handed with the government's 2026 nature funding spent in just six hours.The 233m sustainable farming incentive (SFI) scheme opened for applications from farmers at 10am on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman delisted in what Ireland's EU presidency called a difficult compromise' for the blocThe EU has agreed to remove two Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from its sanctions list, while extending restrictions on nearly 3,000 individuals and companies accused of supporting the war on Ukraine for the next three years.With an end-of-Tuesday deadline looming to preserve the Russia blacklist, the EU's 27 member states found a compromise that meant delisting the two oligarchs in spite of very few countries wanting this outcome. EU sanctions have to be approved unanimously. Continue reading...

The US president addresses the UN general assembly in New YorkNordic correspondentEmotions among Greenlanders are a mixture of hope, scepticism and fear ahead of the signing of a new much vaunted deal on Arctic security between the US, Greenland and Denmark.There have been many different reactions in Greenland because they are talking about a deal but no one can see the deal, we don't know what it is all about, and what's in it for us or what's in it. Also, because we have been terrorised as a people for the last 1.5 years by the American president, so many people feel no trust at all." Continue reading...

Exclusive: Nearly half of survey respondents aged 16-24 have experienced violence on the internet, with many saying their complaints were not taken seriouslyWhen Jane* learned that intimate photos of her had been posted on a website without her consent, she expected the police would help her. Instead, she was warned that researching where her photos had been shared might put her at risk of breaking the law.After she was handed a leaflet on internet safety and told to go to tech companies for help, but to expect little from them, the case was closed. Continue reading...

I'll cross that bridge when I get to it,' the progressive US representative says

Tribal leaders and organizers return to reservation 10 years after demonstrations against Dakota Access pipelineTen years after major demonstrations against the Dakota Access pipeline, tribal leaders and Native American organizers returned to the Standing Rock Sioux reservation this week to honor the movement and its lasting impacts.In the rural reservation area of Fort Yates, a four-day encampment that centered on the phrase mni wioni" - water is life" - brought together about 150 tribal members and allies for meals, drum circles, sacred ceremonies and memorials. Continue reading...

Putin ally helped cover cost of renting private island in the Bahamas for wedding of Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson

Some economists say it is now inevitable' that chancellor will need to raise taxes in the budget next month

Growth created by rejoining EU single market and customs union would fund change, Davey tells the party's conference

Thousands flee fighting as Iran-aligned group seeks to consolidate territorial gains against Saudi-backed government forces

Christopher Poulter and Kevin Biggs, who died in 2004, exonerated of mailbag theft after new evidence emergedTwo men have had theft convictions quashed at the court of appeal half a century after they were wrongfully arrested because of a corrupt police officer, although one did not live to see his exoneration.Christopher Poulter and Kevin Biggs were 21 and 18 respectively when they were convicted in 1976 of taking 13 mailbags from a wagon in Clapham goods yard in London. Continue reading...

Study shows trade deficit ran at more than 1bn a day in July, days before Xi Jinping's summit with Donald Trump